P-Patchers plan party this weekend

A view of the Beacon Bluff P-Patch from 15th Avenue South. Photo by Melissa Jonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

The gardening neighbors at the Beacon Bluff P-Patch are having a community gathering this Sunday, July 22, from 3-7 p.m. There will be food (including a visit by the Mexidog cart), music from acoustic trio the Lunabees, hatmaking, and general neighborly fun. All are welcome!

The Beacon Bluff P-Patch is located between 14th and 15th Avenues South at South Massachusetts Street.

Progress at the Tippe and Drague

The new alehouse on Beacon Avenue must be getting a bit closer to opening. The new “Tippe and Drague” sign is painted on the front of the building, and the interior is looking pretty close to completion. At least one subset of customers is already getting served there — neighborhood dogs can drink from the doggie dish outside the door.

Photo by Susan Sanders.
Shiny and new. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
The interior looks like it will have a warm and cozy feel. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Dogs are welcome to drink up. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

A busy day at the Jefferson Park Jubilee

By all accounts, the Jefferson Park Jubilee on Saturday was a success. The neighborhood came out in force to celebrate Jefferson Park’s centennial as well as the completion of the park’s remodeling. Here are some photos from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool to give you a taste of the day’s events. (Did you take some photos? You are invited to post them to the pool.)

Kiritiki (Samoan cricket) bats await the start of a game. Photo by Freeman Mester.
The event began with a procession. Photo by K. Shuyler.
A tiny skater. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Members of the Greg Ruby Quartet perform. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Skateboard lessons for all ages at the Jefferson Park skate park. Photo by Melissa Jonas.
Kids enjoy the fountains at Beacon Mountain Playground. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
I wish I could show you video for this one. The kiritiki player in front was waving his arms in a victory dance. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Waiting in line for food at El Sabroso. The other food carts had all run out of food by this time. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

Continue reading A busy day at the Jefferson Park Jubilee

At least 17 shots fired in rolling gun battle on Beacon Avenue

by KOMO Communities Staff
(Beacon Hill Blog news partners)

At least 17 shots were fired during a rolling gun battle between two vehicles Thursday evening on Beacon Avenue near Jefferson Park, sending a family of bicyclists running for cover and damaging cars parked along the street, police said.

Witnesses reported seeing the two vehicles–a cream-colored Ford Bronco and a gold Honda–rolling south on Beacon Avenue, exchanging gunfire as they passed the Jefferson Golf Course at around 8 p.m.

No one was injured in the shooting, but two vehicles parked on the street were struck by gunfire.

A family riding their bicycles on Beacon Avenue also had to run for cover to avoid being hit by bullets during the shootout.

Gang unit detectives responded to the scene, talked to witnesses and gathered evidence.

Investigators are still working to identify the suspected shooters.

Beacon Mountain Playground almost ready for Saturday dedication

Among the many activities planned for Saturday’s Jefferson Park Jubilee is the grand opening of the new Beacon Mountain Playground. The BHB visited the nearly-finished playground yesterday to see the views from the new view decks and even try out one of the slides. Here are some photos of the playground. (All photos by Wendi Dunlap.)

The two slides in the playground are surrounded by a soft, bouncy, rubbery surface for safety.
The playground has a view platform.
The railing of the view platform.
Looking down from the top of the tallest slide.
There will be ziplines here.

Last but not least, here’s a video taken while going down the tall slide at the playground:

Shredding, gardening, and fighting foreclosures this Saturday

Saturday, July 14, is a busy day. Along with the Jefferson Park Jubilee, there are three other events on the Hill you should know about.

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Verity Credit Union is hosting its annual community Shred-a-Thon on at their Beacon Hill location, 1660 S. Columbian Way on the VA hospital campus. All are welcome to bring sensitive documents such as old checks or pay stubs to be shredded on site as you watch. A minimum $10 donation of money or nonperishable food items is suggested, to benefit the Beacon Avenue Food Bank. If you need to shred more than six grocery-size bags of documents, please consider an additional donation.

Also starting at 10 a.m. is the third in a series of “Growing Your Own Groceries” gardening classes at El Centro de la Raza. Topics of this month’s class include:

  • What to plant now?
  • Powder mildew
  • When and how to water
  • Internet information
  • Home orchard and berries
  • Herbs

The class is led by Master Gardener Mick Duggan, in El Centro’s room 310 at 2524 16th Ave. S. Mark your calendar for next month’s class on August 11.

The last event is at 3 p.m. on Saturday, when SAFE (Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction) hosts a community meeting of “Neighbors Fed Up with the Banks and the Foreclosure Crisis!” at Bethany United Church. There will be testimonials, referrals for free legal counseling, help with foreclosure resistance, and food.

Bethany United Church is located at 6230 Beacon Ave. S.

Open house to discuss Neighborhood Greenway

All are invited to a Seattle Department of Transportation open house on Thursday, July 19 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Ave. S.) to discuss the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway.

The greenway is a 2.8 mile long pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly route through North Beacon Hill, providing improved access to locations including the I-90 Trail, Beacon Hill Station, Beacon Hill Library, Jefferson Park, Maplewood Playfield, Mercer Middle School, Maple Elementary School, and Cleveland High School.

The route has changed slightly since the earlier proposed version of the Greenway. The current route will start at the I-90 Trail and 18th Avenue South, then continue south along 18th. The greenway will then turn and cross Beacon Avenue South at South Hanford Street, and continue on Lafayette Avenue South into Jefferson Park. The route will continue south of Jefferson Park, crossing 15th Avenue South at South Dakota Street, and continuing on 12th Avenue South to South Lucile Street.

What makes a run-of-the-mill route a neighborhood greenway? Greenways are non-arterial street routes that have improvements to encourage and support safe bicycle and pedestrian use, in combination with reduced auto speeds and volumes. In the case of the Beacon Hill Greenway, these enhanced features have been proposed:

  • Signs and pavement legends along the greenway
  • Stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway
  • A median island with new marked crosswalks at Lafayette Avenue South and South Spokane Street
  • A median island with new marked crosswalks at Beacon Avenue South and SouthHanford Street
  • Rechannelization and signal improvements at Beacon Avenue South and South Spokane Street
  • A widened sidewalk on South Dakota Street between 16th Avenue South and 14th Avenue South
  • A paved trail adjacent to Jefferson Park


View Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway in a larger map

CenturyLink seeks neighbors to host broadband equipment

Property owners on some parts of Beacon Hill may be able to help improve broadband service for their neighbors by providing space for broadband equipment on their property.

The group Upping Technology for Underserved Neighbors (UPTUN) reports that CenturyLink is seeking neighbors in certain locations who would be willing to allow the company to place a broadband cabinet on their property, or in the public right-of-way next to their property. Each project on Beacon Hill would serve from 175-877 residence and business addresses in the area.

To qualify, you must be within 500 feet of the requested address (see the map below) if the neighborhood is served by overhead wiring, or 250 feet if the service is underground. If you think you can help, contact Jeff Lawrey at CenturyLink at 206-345-0333 or r.lawrey@centurylink.com to discuss the projects, including equipment, landscaping options, and any other questions.


View CenturyLink 2012 Beacon Hill and CD broadband projects in a larger map

Make “Canning Connections” and good eats at class 7/18

Photo by Carissa Rogers via Creative Commons/Flickr.

Interested in canning and preserving your garden produce? The Beacon Hill Garden Club and Rainier Valley Eats are hosting a “Canning Connections” class on Wednesday, July 18 from 7-9 p.m. at the Garden House (2336 Beacon Ave. S.).

The event organizers say “We’ll be using the best organic fruit available and provide everything you’ll need (except the apron)… We’ll share resources, recipes, stories and go home with jars of goodness.” The session is hands-on and those with all levels of experience are welcome to attend, from beginners to veteran canners.

The class is limited to 10, and the class fee is $15, payable the night of the session. To register, email ankataa@yahoo.com.

Volunteers needed for Jefferson Park Jubilee

Volunteers are needed for the Jefferson Park Jubilee, an all-day celebration at the park on July 14 from 11-9 p.m. Help is needed in a variety of roles throughout the event. Volunteer shifts may start as early as 8 a.m. to help set up or run as late as 10 p.m. when cleanup is done.

Interested and willing? Fill out the “Contact Us” form on the Beacon Hill Merchants website. Please include the subject line “Volunteer for Jubilee,” and provide your contact information.

Among the things to celebrate at the Jefferson Park Jubilee will be the completion of the Beacon Mountain playground, shown here as it was a few days ago, approaching completion. Photo by Melissa Jonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.