All posts by Wendi Dunlap

Editor of the Beacon Hill Blog.
Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Deer sighting and lion dancing

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Photo of a city deer by micklpickl.
Most of us probably don’t think of Beacon Hill as home to forest wildlife such as deer. There are occasional deer sightings, however, usually near one of the greenbelts. Neighbor Tom wrote to us last week about a deer that got a to a more unusual location:

“This past Saturday at around 4:00 am I was just south of South College and 15th South when I heard some noises in some bushes of an apartment on the west side of the street. All of a sudden, and I kid you not, a deer jumped out of the bushes, crossed over 15th and into the yard of a house across the street. I could not believe my eyes.”

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Kerrie Carbary at Volunteer Chore Services sent us an appeal for volunteers:

“Volunteer Chore Services, a program of Catholic Community Services, is a “safety net” for elders and adults living with disabilities who are unable or ineligible for state/paid chore services. All recipients are low-income, have health problems or difficulty with mobility, and most live alone. A growing volunteer opportunity in your neighborhood consists of driving clients to doctor appointments, grocery shopping or other chores. We carefully match volunteers to opportunities based on their personalities, neighborhood, and preferences.

“Currently, volunteers are donating over 3000 hours a month in the Seattle area. However, there is still a huge number of people waiting for help, and a shortage of volunteers. Volunteers are needed all over Seattle and South King County, but especially in areas like South Seattle.”

For more information on volunteering through this agency, call Kerrie at 206-328-6858, Volunteer Chore Services main intake line at 206-328-5787, or email kerriec@ccsww.org.

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There is another fundraiser scheduled for the Bar del Corso pizza restaurant on August 1 from 3:00 – 7:00 pm. Jerry and Gina say, “If you are from Beacon Hill and are curious about us, please come to this event if you can. We’d love to meet more of our neighbors!”

There will be antipasti, brick oven pizzas, and more. There will also be a special musical guest, King Corso.

The event is “pay what you can,” but suggested donation is $100. Those who attended the first fundraiser are invited to come without obligation to donate again. To reserve your spot and get the address of the event, email info@bardelcorso (please put RSVP in the subject line).

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As part of Seattle Night Out on Tuesday, August 3, the Jun Hong Kung Fu and Sports Association is hosting an event that evening from 7:00 until 9:00. There will be a Lion Dance performance, a Kung Fu demonstration, and coconut ice cream. Please bring a dessert to share. All are welcome! The Jun Hong Kung Fu and Sports Association is located at 4878 Beacon Avenue South.

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Application has been made to the city’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to subdivide two sites, at 4010 and 4012 14th Avenue South, into five unit lots each. For more information, see the website here and here. The commenting deadline is August 1.

Clean and Green

“Fuel smell” stinking up North Beacon Hill

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Photo by Brian Fitzgerald.
Neighbors on North Beacon Hill have been complaining recently on the BAN list about an odd, periodic “fuel smell” in the air. Some have described it as “a diesel smell,” while others are not so sure, and have described it as a “burning” or “jet fuel” smell. Various theories have been posted on the BAN list about where the smell could be coming from, including diesel fuel from refueling at the shipyards, and fumes from the Emerald Services solvent recycling plant, just down the hill on Airport Way South.

Complaints have been filed with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, but the PSCAA needs to know immediately when the smell returns, so they can get up here and smell it for themselves, and track down what the smell is and where it is coming from.

If you notice the smell of fuel fumes, please call 206-343-8800 immediately to report the problem so the PSCAA can follow-up.

Crime

12th Avenue apartment building a “nuisance property”?

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Discussion has been hot and heavy on the BAN mailing list lately about an apartment building at 1308 12th Avenue South. Neighbors in the area have complained of drug dealing, violence, and a slum-quality building with broken windows, an unfinished room, and garbage strewn everywhere.

Craig Thompson recently wrote about an assault at that location and the history of trouble at the building. Neighbors are now hoping that the Chronic Nuisance Property Ordinance will enforce changes at 1308. On the komonews.com website, Rose Egge points out that the police have nine documented complaints of crimes committed at 1308 in the last 60 days. If three of these are confirmed and qualify under the ordinance, further action could be taken. Egge followed up with a story today reporting that police and representatives from the Department of Planning and Development will be meeting with the owner of 1308 tomorrow, but police aren’t yet pursuing this as a “nuisance property” under the CNPO.

If you live nearby, please post your experiences living near 1308. For the rest of you, are there other buildings on Beacon Hill that you feel qualify as “chronic nuisances”?


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Education

Classes for kids this summer at ROCKiT space and Denise Louie

ROCKiT space is offering afternoon workshops for kids aged 8-13. The workshops will run from to 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays from July 28 to August 18. Kids in the workshops will be building Rube Goldberg Machines, making and studying space goo, sculpting robots from recycled materials and more. The classes are $5 per student, per class. Sign up in advance by calling ROCKiT space at 206-323-7115.

Business hours at ROCKiT space have changed for the summer; the new hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, and weekends 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm.

For younger kids, Denise Louie Education Center is hosting a drop-in preschool program at Denise Louie Education Center, 3327 Beacon Avenue South, from 10:00 to 1:00 pm every third Saturday. The free preschool program for kids 3-5 years old is called Playtime Plus, and kids will be able to work on early learning activities and build math and science skills. The next session will be August 7. If you have any questions, please contact Tom Ulie at tulie@comcast.net.

Local Events

Fun at the Piñata Party

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There was much fun to be had at yesterday’s Piñata Party at Stevens Place Park, including music, dance, and martial arts performances, donut fishing and face painting for the kids, tasty potluck food, and of course, the piñatas. Here are some views of the festivities, and a couple of videos, too.

Photo by Wendi.
Donut fishing. Photo by Jason.
Photo by Jason.
Photo by Jason.
Photo by Jason.
Photo by Jason.
Photo by Jason.

Lushy sings “Tiki Oasis” at the Piñata Party:

And a time-lapse video of the whole day’s festivities. Can you find yourself?

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: 26 seconds, Three Brothers, and one more photographer

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These unwanted phone books, wrapped in plastic bags, sit forlornly on the sidewalk in front of Yoga on Beacon. Photo by Wendi.
“Twenty-six seconds.

“That was the elapsed time between the delivery of our ‘Dex’ phone books and their arrival in our recycle bin.”

Beacon Hill neighbor Willie Weir has some thoughts about the waste of space and resources that old-style paper phone books have become for many of us. Read his article “26 Seconds” on his blog, Yellow Tent Adventures.

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Estela Ortega of El Centro de la Raza writes,

We know it’s summer… finally! But we need your valuable input on a potential winter fundraising idea!

Do you buy a Christmas tree during the holiday season? If so, would you be interested in buying one from El Centro de la Raza, meaning your purchase would directly support El Centro’s 30 important programs?

We’re considering selling Christmas trees this year, but we want to know if our community thinks it would be a good idea.

The folks at El Centro have posted a survey for community members to give their opinions on the Christmas tree question. Follow this link to fill it out.

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Thrillist has a video visit to Tasha’s Bistro Café along with a brief blurb about Tasha and the restaurant.

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Three Brothers Cleaners will close soon. Photo by Wendi.
We hear that Three Brothers Cleaners, located at 3210 Beacon Avenue South, will be closing at the end of this month, and the gift shop located in the same space will close too. If you have any clothes that need to be picked up, or any gift shopping that needs to be done, better get in there soon.

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Rebuilding Together Seattle (RTS), a nonprofit organization, is currently accepting applications from homeowners in need. RTS provides free home repair services for low-income homeowners through the support of sponsors and community volunteers. To qualify for the program, homeowners must be low-income and unable to complete the work independently. RTS also assists non-profit or community organizations in need of facility repairs. For more information or to apply, see the website.

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The 2nd Annual Beacon Hill Photowalk will take place on Sunday, July 24 between 12 noon and 1:30 pm. Organizer Amanda writes, “Last year, we explored the Jefferson Park and Golf course for an hour on a lovely Saturday afternoon. This year, I want to explore the Beacon Ave commercial district, starting at Firehouse 13 (at the corner of Beacon Ave S and S Spokane), following Beacon Ave north past the library and down to the new linklight rail station! I would love to include some local businesses in our walk, so if you have a local business and would allow us to stop by, please let me know! For more info and to sign up for the walk, please follow the link.”

The event is limited to 50 people and there is only one space left, so hurry! And check out the photos from last year’s photowalk here.

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Last but definitely not least, Tamara Dyer, Piñata Party planner, sends this reminder:

This is just a quick reminder that the Piñata Party is this Saturday, July 17 from 12 noon – 3:00 pm.  Hope you can make it—because you are the party!!

It’s in its usual location in the center of Triangle Park (Stevens Place Park — Ed.) across from the Beacon Library on Beacon Avenue. This year we’re doing it potluck style so pack a blanket and if the spirit moves you—maybe something to share. But, no worries if you just wander over with your fabulous selves.  We’ll have piñatas, snow cones, fun drinks, snacks, a Lion Dance, traditional Oaxacan music and a performance by our much loved Lushy.

We’re excited.  Hope to see you Saturday and bring your neighbors!

Meetings

Lewis Park Vegetation Management Plan meeting Wednesday

Flowers at sunset in Lewis Park. Photo by Wendi.
We mentioned earlier that the Jefferson Park skatepark design meeting is tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 14) at 6:00 pm, but if your park interests on the Hill lean more toward Lewis Park, there’s a meeting tomorrow for you, too. The Lewis Park Vegetation Management Plan meeting begins at 6:30 pm at the Citywide Horticulture Center, 1600 South Dakota Street. The Vegetation Management Plan will guide the maintenance of vegetation at Lewis Park so that it restores the park to its intended use as a natural area. More information may be found here.

Local Events

Beacon Rocks again on sunny Sunday

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The second Beacon Rocks! music event happened yesterday at the Lander Festival Street. Here are some of the images of the day:

The Screaming Starts' lead vocalist, The Creeper, putting on a show. Photo by Wendi.
A happy audience enjoys the event. Photo by Jason.
A volunteer crossing guard helps a pedestrian cross Beacon Avenue to the event site. Photo by Wendi.
JJ del Serra performs at the event. Photo by Wendi.
Lander Festival Street, closed to all traffic. (Perhaps it should always be this way.) Photo by Wendi.

Last but not least, here’s a brief video clip Jason made of the Screaming Starts. It’s a bit rough, but it gives you a taste of the event. (The video quality improves about halfway through.) If anyone recorded any of the other acts, please let us know so we can link to them too..

Getting Around

Lane closed today on Rizal Bridge; rehab work done

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close one southbound lane on the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge at the north end of Beacon Hill today from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The closure is required to allow engineers to perform a routine inspection of the bridge. This closure may be rescheduled, however, if crews are called on do emergency work elsewhere.

SDOT has substantially completed the rehab project on the bridge. The project was necessary to extend the life of the bridge, built in 1911, and reduce the frequency of major maintenance and repair. The bridge is the state’s oldest steel arch bridge, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The rehabilitation project included repairing concrete spallings on the bridge deck, installing a new sidewalk concrete overlay, repairing and sealing cracks in the concrete, and repairing or replacing deteriorating expansion joints and a concrete girder.

A view of the Rizal bridge from the Dearborn Street regrade in 1912. Yes, the angle of the bridge at the south end was steeper then than it is today. A 1917 mudslide along with some regrading on Beacon Hill required the southern approach to be rebuilt, this time less steeply. Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.
Recreation, Urban Planning

Jefferson Park skatepark schematic to be presented at 7/14 meeting

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One of the skatepark designs proposed at the May community meeting.
The final design meeting for the Jefferson Park Skatepark is next Wednesday, July 14, at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South. Beacon Mountain Play Area and Jefferson Park Playfield will be discussed from 6:00 to 6:40 pm, then from 6:45 to 8:00 the final schematic design for the skatepark will be presented. Here is a flyer with more information. Meeting notes and concepts from the April and May community meetings may be downloaded here. The project is currently planned to be advertised for bid in early 2011 and completed in late summer of the same year.