All posts by Wendi Dunlap

Editor of the Beacon Hill Blog.
Recreation

Kids? Van Asselt CC track team wants you!

Kids aged 5-17 are invited to join the Seattle Parks and Recreation track and field team from Van Asselt Community Center. Coaches John and Charlotte Shoecraft return this year to guide the team in 50-3000 meter, long jump, turbo javelin and shot put, with meets starting in late April. Kids of all skill levels are welcome to join and compete.

To find out more, contact Carl Bergquist at 206-386-1921 or carl.bergquist@seattle.gov. Participation is $35 for the season and includes a singlet. Volunteers are also needed to help out, and should contact Carl the same way.

Beacon Bits, Help Wanted

Beacon Bits: Past, present, and future

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This is how the Beacon Hill Library looked almost nine years ago, shortly after opening. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Charles Mudede doesn’t like the Beacon Hill Library, but he might like Beacon Ave Deli. — Slog

Beacon Hill neighbor Yasmin Christopher tells the story of her family’s abuse at the hands of her father, a human trafficker and convicted sex offender. — Seattle Times

Skin Deep Dance Studio in North Beacon Hill is looking for someone to work the front desk on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5-8 p.m. Duties include cleaning, signing people into computer and selling merchandise in the boutique, as well as some data entry and social networking on Facebook. Pay is $10 per hour. For information, call 206-322-9500.

A Beacon in the International District: Beacon Hill dance crew Massive Monkees have opened their new dance studio, The Beacon, on South King Street. The studio partners with a local non-profit group (also founded by Massive Monkees members) to host a free after-school program and other activities. Wondering about the name? According to the Northwest Asian Weekly, crew member Brysen “JustBe” Angeles says “We grew up on Beacon Hill. We grew up by Jefferson Community Center. It was the place where we started attending youth programs. It was the place where mentors like us, when they were the age we are now, were teaching youth programs. The other meaning is a beacon of light in Seattle for performing artists who are the best at our craft to share our experiences.” — Northwest Asian Weekly

The largest brothel in the world — perhaps — was once located on Beacon Hill. Later, the building was destroyed by a B-50 bomber. Yes, really. — Seattle Times

Clean and Green

Food Forest news includes work party, construction update

bff_logo-web_full_webThe Friends of the Beacon Food Forest sent out a newsletter this week with information about an upcoming work party, progress on the Food Forest, and more. Read on:

Hello all Food Foresters and Friends,

Our next Work Party is Saturday February 23rd from 10am to 2pm on the BFF site. The site is located on the very SW corner of Jefferson Park Beacon Hill. Cross Streets, 15th Ave S and S. Dakota St. Please bring your work gloves and dress appropriately for the weather. Expect wet earth on your feet. This is a family event open to all people, please share this notice with your friends and families.

What we will do

We will be continuing our work on the Lower Bench’s Fruit and Nut Grove by sheet mulching and building our forest floor. We’ll be planting some trees and shrubs as well. Many of our food forester’s now have experience with sheet mulching bed building and we are counting on this experience to help us use our time efficiently while educating those who look to expand their knowledge in no-tilling techniques.
Continue reading Food Forest news includes work party, construction update →

Education, Local Events

Cleveland HS STEM program hosts tours, open house

Here on Beacon Hill we have the only STEM high school in the region: Cleveland High School, an option school open to all students in Seattle Schools. Cleveland STEM will host school tours later this month and in early March, as well as hosting an open house on February 27 for prospective students and parents.

The school tours are on Thursday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 27 from 8:15 to 10:15 a.m. The open house is Wednesday, February 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Space is limited, so please RSVP with your phone number and preferred dates to registrar Kelly Tagupa at katagupa@seattleschools.org or 206-252-7814.

STEM stands for “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” and Cleveland’s STEM program focuses on those fields through two academies, the School of Life Sciences and the School of Engineering and Design. Students in the STEM program take four years of math and science, with the opportunity to take AP courses. Find out more about the program at the website.


This video, STEM Pays, is an introduction to Cleveland’s STEM program and the careers STEM students prepare for.

Meetings, Urban Planning

Opinions wanted on Plaza Roberto Maestas project

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This preliminary view from an earlier version of the Plaza Roberto Maestas design is seen from the corner of 17th and Roberto Maestas Festival Street on the southeast side of the site.
This preliminary view from an earlier version of the project is seen from the corner of 17th and Roberto Maestas Festival Street on the southeast side of the project.
El Centro de la Raza and the Plaza Roberto Maestas design team are hosting a community meeting on Thursday, February 21 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at El Centro’s room 309.

This is the next in a series of community meetings to discuss the redevelopment project on El Centro de la Raza’s south parking lot located on Roberto Maestas Festival Street next to the Link station. Plans for this meeting are to review the feedback so far and to present the latest design for additional community feedback. The intent is for the project to enter the city’s Design Review process this spring.

Childcare and translation will be available upon request, and refreshments and light snacks will be served. El Centro de la Raza is located at 2524 16th Ave. S.

Getting Around, News

Beacon B.I.K.E.S. has new co-chairs

Photo by Dan Bennett in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
Changes are coming to Beacon B.I.K.E.S.. They posted this notice today on their Facebook page:

Hello Friends, we have some exciting news!

Christine Cole and Ryan Harrison have accepted the passing of the torch as co-chairs of Beacon B.I.K.E.S.! from our distinguished founder, Freddie Merrell and the hardest working man in Greenways, Dylan Ahearn. We seek to not only continue the development of our planned network, but to make sure that it is enjoyed by our immediate neighbors as well as adjoining communities.

We are not however going this alone as we have a vast pool of enthusiastic, action oriented people in our community that share our goal of healthy and safe self-propelled travel to the many great destinations on Beacon Hill. So, we ask for your support going forward and want to make sure that you see us as a resource of experience as well as partners in helping connect our community to itself!

As warmer weather comes, keep and eye out for ways to be engaged in and enjoy all our Greenway has to offer!

Stay in touch…

Christine Cole christine@beaconwalksbikes.org
Ryan Harrison ryan@beaconwalksbikes.org

News

Free tax prep help available at El Centro

Unfortunately, it is tax season once again. Fortunately, United Way of King County has opened a free tax preparation site right here on Beacon Hill, at El Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Ave. S.).

In addition to tax preparation, you can also get help with completing your FAFSA (application for student loans for college), applying for food stamps, utility assistance, free credit reports and more.

The United Way Tax Preparation program is free for anyone making under $51,000. Bring photo ID and Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, along with all wage and earnings statements and any other documents needed for tax filing.

The tax prep sessions are open at El Centro on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. (English/Spanish) and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (English/Spanish/Tagalog) until April 15.

Taxpayers may also file for free online if they make under $57,000 at myfreetaxes.com.

Education, Health and Safety, Recreation

Fitness classes still open at Van Asselt Community Center

It may be February, but it’s not too late to make or keep your New Year’s resolution. Yoga and aerobics classes are still open at at Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St.

Class information:

Aerobics
Ages: 18 and Older
Tuesday/Thursday
1/14 – 3/4/13
6 – 7 pm
Cost: $75/$65(Seniors 65+)

Adult aerobics on Tuesday and Thursday nights with health and fitness expert, Noel Montgomery. No class 3/12.

Beginning Yoga
Ages: 18 and Older
Wednesday Nights
2/6 – 2/27
3/6 – 3/27
Cost: $30 per month

In this class you will learn the fundamentals of yoga. It is taught at a slower pace to allow you to experience postures fully and to learn to incorporate modifications specific to your abilities and limitations. The class is appropriate for both new yoga students and students with some experience who want to develop a regular practice. Please provide your own yoga mats and water bottle.

For more information, call 206-386–1921.

Meetings

Input wanted on Food Forest educational signs

All interested neighbors are invited to a community meeting this Saturday, February 9 from 12 to 2 p.m. to give feedback on educational signs in the Beacon Food Forest. Designers Molly Danielsson and Mathew Lippincott will be on hand at El Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Ave S) to hear your thoughts on the signs’ proposed materials and concepts. Snacks will be provided.

The Friends of Beacon Food Forest recently received a $12,600 grant to create educational signs for the Food Forest. The signs will provide information about the ecological and social processes behind the Food Forest. The signs will be installed in July 2013.

Education, Food and Drink

Learn to make tamales at El Centro

Photo by anasararojas via Creative Commons/Flickr.

Signups are open for this month’s edition of El Centro de la Raza’s tamale-making class from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 23. A master tamalera will teach the traditional preparation of pork tamales, handmade with cultural ingredients including pork lard.

The $75/person class fee includes the recipe and one dozen uncooked tamales. Cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but you should bring your own apron. All fees go to support El Centro’s Senior Nutrition and Wellness program.

You can register online via Brown Paper Tickets. For more information, call 206-957-4611 or email development@elcentrodelaraza.org.