One event near Beacon Hill this weekend that we didn’t mention the other day: The Othello Park International Festival, from 12:00 noon until 6:00 pm this Sunday in Othello Park, 4351 South Othello Street. Performers at the festival will include Audio Couture, Adefua, the Zydeco Locals, Mariachi Colima, steppers and lion dancers; there will also be food vendors, goats, face painting, and container garden giveaways. Admission is free. The easiest way to get there: take Link to Othello Station, and walk 1/2 block east to Othello Park.
Tag Archives: south beacon
Going places on light rail: Othello station
(As the big opening day for light rail is this Saturday, we want to post a bit about the stations that aren’t on Beacon Hill. Much of the coverage of the rail line focuses on using it for commuting to and from work, and many of us will be doing that. But even more than getting to work, Link is going to be useful for visiting places throughout Downtown and Southeast Seattle without a car. With this in mind, we’ve created a few posts about some of the station areas.)
The public art around the station includes Roger Shimomura’s Rainier Valley Haiku, an exploration of Asian identity and culture in 21st Century America; Brian Goldbloom’s Stormwater Project, granite catchbasins inspired by Japanese stonework; and Augusta Asberry’s Come Dance With Me, in which eight stylized women dance along the edge of MLK in colorful dress.
The Othello Station area will be particularly festive on Link’s opening day, July 18, when a free community festival to celebrate light rail’s arrival will be held at MLK and South Othello Street. There will be food, art, commemorative souvenirs, “Undriver’s Licenses” for everyone, and entertainment including Massive Monkees, the Lion dancers, Big World Breaks, Ruby Shuz, and more.
Updated with new information about the Othello Safeway remodel.
The RPZ is coming soon
The zones are in effect from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm on weekdays, limiting parking to two hours unless you have an RPZ pass. General information on the RPZ passes and how to apply may be found here, along with specific information for the zones at Beacon Hill, Mount Baker (McClellan), Columbia City, Othello, and Rainier Beach.
Pass fees are waived until spring 2011 for residents near the light rail stations, limited to two free resident passes and one free guest pass per household. There is a cost for additional permits.
Juneteenth gathering to celebrate African American Academy
The Academy program first opened as a K-5 school in 1991 at the new Colman School (now Thurgood Marshall) and eventually became a K-8 at Sharples (now Aki Kurose). The current AAA building was specifically designed for K-8 use and opened in 2000.
The Juneteenth event, “Celebrating the Life of the Academy”, is on Friday, June 19 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the African American Academy, 8311 Beacon Avenue South.
As we mentioned in an earlier post, Van Asselt is also celebrating their history this month, with a 100th Anniversary celebration and reunion this Friday.
Parks supe to hear Beacon neighbors at community meetings
Seattle Parks and Recreation is holding community meetings on Beacon Hill next week. At the events, neighbors will have a chance to meet with the Superintendent, Tim Gallagher, and have a dialog with Parks and Recreation about how the department is serving the needs of the community. This is intended to be an opportunity to meet the local Parks staff, discuss with the staff what is working, and what can be improved, and talk with the Superintendent about your ideas to make the parks serve the community better. All are welcome.
The meetings are scheduled for Monday, June 15, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 South Myrtle Street; and Tuesday, June 16
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South.
The BHB wants YOU
Do you have something to say that is relevant to Beacon Hill (North, Mid-, or South)? If so, the BHB wants you. We are looking for guest writers on a variety of Beacon-related topics, and particularly for folks who live in Mid-Beacon or South Beacon. Living toward the north end of the Hill, we know we don’t always hear about what’s going on further south as well as the people who live there do. We are committed to covering the entire Hill, and we are glad to feature other voices than our own.
Don’t be shy — you don’t have to have perfect writing skills to do this. We can polish up your prose if needed.
Here are some potential starter topics, though these are not the only ones, and we welcome your ideas:
- Raising kids on Beacon Hill
- Voices from the various cultures represented on the Hill
- History of the Hill
- Restaurant reviews on the Hill and nearby
- What to do on the weekends
- City political issues as they directly affect the Hill
- Land use and development
- South Beacon Spotlight
- Mid-Beacon Spotlight
- Crime
- Gardening on the Hill
- Schools and education issues
- A Greener Hill: environmental issues
- Beacon by Bus: Life here without a car
- BeaconBike: A cyclist’s life on Beacon Hill (Bike-On Hill?)
Interested in a regular writing slot or just a one-time opinion piece? Either way, email us.
Van Asselt celebrates 100th anniversary; old annual illustrates life on 1920s Beacon Hill
This year is Van Asselt’s final year at the original site, as the school district has decided to close the Van Asselt building and move the program to a new location at the current African-American Academy site, further south on Beacon Avenue.
To mark this bittersweet occasion, the community, former staff and students, and current and future Van Asselt families are invited to a 100th Anniversary celebration and reunion on June 12, from 4:30 – 7:30 pm at the school, 7201 Beacon Avenue South. The event will include an open house and tours by students and staff in historical costumes, musical performances, speeches from community leaders and students, historical displays, and a cake and snack reception.
Lissa Munger from Van Asselt says, “We’re also collecting stories and memories from Van Asselt’s past. These can be sent to me (ecmunger@seattleschools.org), or to VanAsselt100@gmail.com. ”
The photo to the right is of a particular Van Asselt memory, a 1921 annual, that we discovered recently.
The Totem Annual, Volume II, June 1921, is a collection of mimeographed pages in a construction paper cover. It was produced by the seventh grade class that year, and the staff included Editor-in-Chief Helen Mance, department editors Elizabeth Wallace, James Scott, Arlee Baer, Martha Hansen, and Walter White, and illustrator Tom Petersen. The students included poems, historical drama, book reviews, and dreams of their futures. Unlike some school annuals, this one doesn’t contain student pictures.
Read on to see some excerpts from the Totem (there are a lot of them):
Continue reading Van Asselt celebrates 100th anniversary; old annual illustrates life on 1920s Beacon Hill
Kidney Health Fest and Cinco de Mayo free events this Saturday
There are a couple of free events on the Hill this Saturday, May 2:
Kidney Health Fest for African American Families (and everyone else)
Northwest Kidney Centers are sponsoring a Kidney Health Fest where guests can take part in health screenings; try healthy food samples by local celebrity chefs; enjoy entertainment, music, and exhibits; try an obstacle course for all ages; enter to win prizes such as iPods, and more. The fair is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the African American Academy, 8311 Beacon Avenue South.
Cinco de Mayo celebration with El Centro de la Raza
Saturday is also El Centro de la Raza’s 4th Annual Cinco de Mayo celebration, from 3:00 to 8:00 pm at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South. Guests at this event will enjoy live entertainment and a DJ, traditional foods, children’s activities, a fashion show, and local vendors. Admission is free!
Need to keep up with upcoming events on Beacon Hill such as these? Check out our events calendar.
Two juveniles in custody after SWAT standoff on South Beacon Hill
Certain kids could have found a better way of spending their spring break on South Beacon Hill this morning. Two juveniles suspected of burglarizing a house in the 8400 block of 37th Avenue South ran from police, broke into a nearby home, and then refused to come out. The SWAT team came out and surrounded the house, and eventually the youths were taken into custody around 10:30 am. KIRO has a picture of the standoff, and the P-I has a brief story as well.
Parked vehicle damaged by gunfire
At about 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon, police responded to a report of two shots fired in the 9600 block of 41st Avenue S. The back window of a parked car had been shot out. A red Nissan 4-door car was seen speeding away northbound on 41st. The victim reported that the suspects appeared to be two Latino men between the ages of 18-20, possibly persons he had previously had an altercation with 3 years ago.
More details in the original report at the SPDBlotter.