Beacon Hill nurses in 1951
Monthly Archives: November 2009
Beacon Bits: Cheasty, permits, gardens, and snow plans
Cheasty Boulevard to get new brown street signs thanks to the Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP)’s recommendation made after the 2003 Seattle Olmsted Park System Centennial celebration. More about the signs in Crosscut.
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Speaking of Cheasty, Green Seattle Day is tomorrow. They’re looking for volunteers to help out in the Cheasty Greenspace at 10am Saturday, rain or shine.
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Recommended boundary maps for Seattle Public Schools new student assignment plan. The school board votes November 18th. There’s one more public meeting on Saturday (tomorrow).
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The Friends of the Seattle Public Library encourage you to email the undecided City Council members and help keep the Beacon Hill Library (and several others) open more than 35 hours a week.
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Identical permits to “Construct alterations to replace doors, windows and install air blend fan, per King Co. Sound Insulation Bid Pkg. #7 and floor plan, subject to field inspection, [subject to field inspection]” have been filed for a number of properties in South Beacon Hill, running about $40,000 a pop. (Sounds like a construction company made the same mistake multiple times.)
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United Way and El Centro are again offering free raised bed gardens and gardening assistance for seniors.
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KOMO’s Travis Mayfield reports on the US Senate approving funds for Seattle Youth Violence Prevention and El Centro’s executive director Estelle Ortega being named to newly elected King County Executive Dow Constantine’s transition team.
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Metro has announced their new winter “snow plan” — West Seattle Blog
Volunteers needed for Van Asselt playground work day November 19
Dear Neighbors, the time has finally arrived! We will begin building our community playground at Van Asselt Elementary (8311 Beacon Ave. S.) on November 19. We are in need of 75 volunteers to help construct, spread wood chips, paint, and various other tasks. If you are available any amount of time on this day and would like to give your support please email me as soon as possible krwilson@seattleschools.org.
Van Asselt is now located at the former African-American Academy school site, a bit south of the old Van Asselt site.
Beacon Hill Blog has a new self-serve advertising system
Please forgive this momentary promotional interruption. We wanted to let you know that we’ve recently gone live with a new self-serve ad system here on the BHB. To advertise on the blog, just go to http://beaconhillblog.instiads.com/, click “Create Your Ad”, and follow the steps, including uploading your ad art and paying online. It’s quick and easy. You can also click the various “Advertise Here” links you see on our website. We have several ad positions available, including text-only ads and image ads of varying sizes. This is a great way to target Beacon Hillers and other folks in Southeast Seattle!
Now, back to your regularly-scheduled programming.
Follow-up: Foreign language materials about Student Assignment Plan are available
(Ed. note — This is a follow-up post to last Saturday’s “Opinion: School assignment plan lost in translation.”)
by Flo Beaumon
After my article was posted on the Beacon Hill Blog, I heard that a fellow Beacon Hill International School parent had seen translated materials about the Student Assignment Plan. I contacted her, and she said she had handed them out at one of the community information meetings, and they’d had interpreters, too. She referred me to Bernardo Ruiz, who is the Family and Community Engagement Manager. I wrote to him and heard back the next day, a thorough answer. To make a long story short, he said, “The following link will take you to the website where these translations have been posted and are available: http://www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/resources.html.”
I looked, and backtracked to see how one would get there. I found that someone would first go to the New Student Assignment button, which is big and bright on the home page. That would take them to a page entirely in English. They would need to know somehow that “Learn More”, which is one of 15 generic-looking small buttons, would lead to the translations. Very most likely, one would come to the conclusion, as did I, that the info is not available. I suggested to Mr. Ruiz that they not hide the translations under pages of nothing but English and an undescriptive label, and then I asked him if he’d please tell the District office where to tell callers to find it.
He wrote back right away, saying that he’d talk to the English Language Learner Department about posting these materials more accessibly in their website. And he said, “Also, I will talk to our Customer Service Department to ensure that we provide accurate information to our families and stakeholders.”
Where was this guy when I was looking for him?
(Do you have an opinion about a Beacon Hill issue? We are always interested in opinion posts from the community. Send us your thoughts at blog@beaconhill.seattle.wa.us.)
Be alert when out in the dark mid-afternoon
Colette shares a suspicious situation her husband witnessed last night:
Around 7pm my husband was walking our dog on 22nd and McClellan and passed a gentleman walking with a backpack. Continuing his walk, my husband noticed two males walking at a fast pace. One of the individuals crossed the street and walked in the same direction as the gentleman and my husband noticed some sort of hand signal between the two of them. They then noticed my husband and stopped their pursuit. It may have been nothing, but it seemed as though it could have been a robbery situation… Now that it is getting darker earlier it’s a good idea to be aware of what’s around you, especially if you’re walking alone.
Stay alert! Report suspicious activity and keep your neighbors safe. Thanks Colette!
Pedestrian injured in collision with bicyclist
From the SPD Blotter:
On 11/03/09, at approximately 4:45 p.m., a bicyclist was traveling [northbound] on Beacon Ave S. approaching S. College St. As the Bicyclist approached S. College St, a pedestrian going [westbound] across Beacon Ave S. stepped into the roadway.
The Bicyclist was unable to avoid the pedestrian and collided with him.
The pedestrian sustained a serious head injury and Seattle Fire Department Medic transported him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC).
During the investigation, HMC stated that the pedestrian’s medical condition improved to become non-life threatening.
An officer responded to the scene to screen the bicyclist for any signs of impairment due to drugs/alcohol. The officer determined that the bicyclist was not impaired.
More also from KOMO:
Bike Pedestrian Accident on Beacon Ave
Update: Pedestrian injured in head-on crash with bicycle
Rash of burglaries along 13th and nearby
Going off of the scanner activity logged at bhnw.org, there’s been a seemingly large and sudden jump in burglaries in mid-north Beacon Hill, particularly along 13th Avenue South. In just the last two days, and only counting the reports logged by the part-time volunteer staff of BHNW, there have been 6+ burglaries and several other related crimes, mainly along this stretch.
Update: From Captain Emerick via Mariana Quarnstrom via Steve Louie:
FYI, the morning shift just caught two burglars in the act around Swift Ave and Eddy. They kicked a door and ran when the homeowner confronted them. Great arrest. Suspects were 2 older white guys that appear to be homeless or living at the missions. They will be going to jail soon..
Also, Mike Cheney has an update on the block watch program he’s spearheading in the forums.
Some of the security tips from the June South Precinct Email Community Newsletter are not really applicable for this time of year, but some warrant reviewing:
Install good quality dead bolt locks with at least a 1†throw on all exterior doors.
Replace the existing screws in the strike plates with screws that are 3â€-4†long. When a door is forced open, it is the jamb that splinters and gives, not the door. By securing the strike plates with 3â€-4†long screws, you secure the jamb to the wall stud. When the deadbolt lock is engaged, the bolt goes into the jamb and the jamb is now secured to the framing of the home. This makes it much more difficult for a person to force open a properly locked door.
Secure Tools and Ladders
Secure all tools, including ladders, so they cannot be used to gain entry into your home or that of a neighbor.
If Away For An Extended Period Of Time
If you’re going to be away for an extended time, ask a friend or trusted neighbor to watch your home. If they see suspicious activity while you are gone, they will know to call 911 for you.
Have the Post Office hold your mail and hold your newspaper delivery.
Make it appear that your home is occupied. You can do this by having timers set within the home that will turn lights on and off. You may want to consider timers for your exterior lights or photocell attachments (which activate when it gets dark and go off when it becomes light).
Do Not Leave Personal Belongings Unattended
Whether they are in a shopping cart or on a picnic blanket, always maintain positive control over your belongings. Never leave personal belongings unattended in your vehicle. Seattle has an incredibly high rate of theft of personal property from vehicles, particularly at public parks.
Additionally, record the serial numbers of your more valuable electronic items and keep them in a safe place. Consider engraving identifying information on your valuables as well. Take photographs of your valuables showing the identifying information.
Keep an eye out for suspicious individuals in your neighborhood. Be wary of solicitors or people going from door to door asking to use your phone, your bathroom, or a glass of water. Solicitors must register and carry identification in the city of Seattle. Call 911 if you encounter suspicious activity. 911 calls are used to determine police staffing and patrolling.
Beacon Bits: Vote Now edition
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In the Slog, Charles Mudede has some uncomplimentary things to say about the Beacon Hill Library and its public art, but the commenters vehemently disagree.
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Speaking of public art on the Hill, the Times has a feature about artist Dan Corson, who created the “space forms” in the Beacon Hill light rail station. (Thanks for the tip, Joel!)
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Walking with Tica: cold & flu edition
King County has excellent guidelines (in several languages) for how to prepare for flu. If you’re at risk, get vaccinated. Wash your hands frequently, and make sure those around you (especially kids) wash their hands. Wipe down doorknobs, telephones, keyboards, and other surfaces. If you’re sick, STAY HOME. Ask someone else to run to the grocery store, pick up the kids, or take care of other errands.
I’ll add some practical tips (also useful for anyone expecting a baby or otherwise planning to be housebound for a while). Even with limited space and/or a limited budget, it’s possible to plan ahead. Be creative.
- Stock up on household supplies. Buy extra toilet paper, tissue, cleaning supplies, etc while on sale. Have at least a week’s reserve stored, if possible.
- Remember pets–have litter, food, and other essentials available in case you can’t make it to the store for a few days.
- Keep a supply of medications on hand: pain/fever reducers, over-the-counter remedies, and prescription medications. Even if you don’t usually take OTC medications, buy a bottle of cold/flu reliever and some fever reducer. You can always give it away at the end of the season.
- Print out a contact list of doctors/health care providers, including phone numbers, addresses, and emergency/after hours contact info. Make copies of insurance info & include in this folder.
- Print out a list of friends/family/neighbors who can help. Be a helpful friend/neighbor–offer your contact information to those on your block in case of emergency.
- Keep a collection of light reading, movies, games, etc. hidden in a cupboard. You’ll appreciate this when you’re well enough to be bored, but too sick to go out.
- Fill a box with soup, crackers, gatorade, and other easy-to-eat non-perishable items.
I didn’t need to call anyone to walk Tica or run to Red Apple for juice. Shane and I were sick at different times, so we were able to take care of each other. It was a relief to know who I could call if I needed help.  I’m grateful to have connections with neighbors who care.