Holiday lights look so much prettier in the snow, don’t they? Here’s a cute little bungalow blanketed in snow and lights, on 16th Avenue South near the library. (Know of more? Email us. If you’ve taken photos you want us to feature, email them, or add them to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
Here’s a map of all the houses we’ve posted about so far (now marked with little green trees). Scroll or zoom out on the map to see the other houses:
How did your snowy Sunday go? We are getting sick, so it was less fun than I would have liked, but we did manage to get this picture of a very cheerful snowman just before it got dark outside.
We had to drive to Walgreens to get a prescription, which reminded me of how nice it would be if we had a drugstore up here on top of the hill. The arterials weren’t bad when we were out, but I can see how frustrating it would have been if we were iced in.
Levecke Mas writes,
“I just picked up a stray dog running in the falling snow on 19th ave so b’ween S.Forest and S. McClellan.
“Asked 3 different house if they knew the dog…nope.
“He is unaltered, young male. Super friendly.
 “No collar.Â
 “I will deliver and need to see that this dog belongs to claimant.”
If this is your dog, please email leveckemas@yahoo.com. Thanks!
The National Weather Service is telling us to expect snow showers, but right now the streets are clear and dry. I’ll believe the snow forecast when I see the flakes falling. If you see any interesting weather over the next couple of days, why not post to our weather discussion in the Forum?
As recommended earlier by a commenter named Steve, we visited the 4500 block of 11th Avenue South and found this cheerful house with a rotating Christmas tree! It’s hard to get a good picture because there are trees in front of the house, but we did our best. Know of other houses for us to look at? Email us or post in the comments here.
As before, here’s a map. You can scroll around or zoom the map to see all of the houses we’ve featured so far:
The National Weather Service has cancelled the Winter Storm Warning for the Seattle area for tonight. However, they still say to expect some snow showers over the weekend, and the extra-cold temperatures will arrive on schedule and stick around for a few days.
An ongoing winter weather discussion is here in our forum.
Sable Verity has a post up alleging some fairly unsavory behavior involving a School Board member and Arbor Heights PTSA members in West Seattle, in which they are working to target high-poverty schools in order to save the more affluent Arbor Heights. She quotes an AHPTSA co-president, in an email to the group, as saying: “…If we want to keep Arbor Heights open, we need to give them a sacrificial lamb…” This is relevant to Southeast Seattle because one of the schools targeted was allegedly Rainier Beach High School, which was targeted specifically because its closure would apparently free up enough money for the District to save Arbor Heights. I’m not sure what to make of all of this cloak-and-dagger, but I am certain that no child and no school in Seattle Schools should have to be someone’s “sacrificial lamb.”
On a related topic, Dick Lilly at Crosscut has another in a series of editorials about the current school closure fiasco that touches on some of the very things that have bothered me most about the current process. Here are some examples:
“School performance should not be a criterion for closure, because the success of a program is the responsibility of the superintendent who appoints the principal and district policies on how much is spent on what…
“Building condition should not be a criterion because, again, the order in which schools receive funding from the Building Excellence and other capital levies for major maintenance, renovation, or complete reconstruction is a decision made by the superintendent and board.”
Some schools and programs are being selected for closure because of perceived failure, when that “failure” often seems to be a direct result of District choices to neglect a particular building or program. Unfortunately, children and families are having to bear the brunt of this neglect. (Though, not in North Seattle, unless they go to an alternative school.)
Later in the weekend, more snow is predicted, and then the arrival of a serious cold wave. On Sunday night, the low temp is expected to be around 18. Monday, the high won’t even reach 30. I hope you have hats, scarves and gloves ready; you’ll need them.
The folks at Seattle Public Utilities want us to warn you to prepare for the cold weather and save yourself the money and hassle of emergency repairs to your water pipes. Here’s what they suggest:
Beyond those suggestions, SPU adds that:
‘Heavy rain following closely after heavy snowfall can increase the chance of landslides due to soil saturation that reduces slope stability. Property owners on slopes are advised to clear both drains on their buildings and storm drains near their property. If a landslide damages your property and you have an immediate concern for your safety, leave the premises and call 9-1-1.
“Seattle property owners with structures affected by or endangered by a landslide may contact the Department of Planning and Development at 206-684-7899, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., for a rapid evaluation of damage. Such evaluations are not meant to provide a comprehensive assessment, which will need to be completed by a private structural or geotechnical engineer.”
Find out more at the SPU website.
Craig Thompson has posted a heartfelt eulogy for Fred Nakagawa, a Beacon Hill neighbor who passed away last week at the age of 88. Fred was a founder of the Beacon Alliance of Neighbors, and as Craig writes, “an advocate for the woods, for seniors, for public safety, for his family and friends, for Japanese Americans, for freedom, for democracy.” Craig’s post is here.