A bowl with a view
All posts by Wendi Dunlap
S. Myrtle St. to be repaved this weekend
One street on Beacon Hill will be a bit less bumpy after this weekend. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will resurface South Myrtle Street from 35th Avenue South to just west of 32nd Avenue Sout this weekend, February 18 and 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. According to info from SDOT, “The pavement on this stretch of Myrtle Street is in poor condition. Resurfacing will improve roadway life, ride quality, and above all, safety for all roadway users—transit, general vehicular traffic, and bicyclists. This work is part of SDOT’s annual arterial street paving program.”
The full width of the street is to be repaved, with one lane left open in each direction for street traffic. There will be a police officer on site to assist navigation through the construction area. Pedestrian paths will remain open.
If the forecast calls for rain, the project may be rescheduled.
View S. Myrtle Street resurfacing, 2/18-2/19 in a larger map
Beacon Food Forest moving forward in 2012
Glenn Herlihy from the Beacon Food Forest sent us the group’s latest newsletter. Read on for information about the beginning of Food Forest construction, project grants, how to get involved, next Monday’s Steering Committee meeting, and a movie night on March 2 (Vanishing of the Bees).
We begin building the food forest this year!
2012 will be a big year for the Beacon Food Forest (BFF). In Dec. 2011 we received word from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods/ P-Patch Program the BFF will be receiving $100,000 to further develop the design and begin building. This is levy money administered by The Seattle P-Patch Program to fund and upstart new public gardens for communities without access to community gardens. Thank you very much P-Patch/Department of Neighborhoods and Voters for this grand opportunity to transform our sustainable community vision into reality!
For more info about P-Patches and the BFF, http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ppatch/locations/BeaconFoodForest.htm
The Levy money will jump start phase one of our garden. Having completed the schematic design, we will use some of the levy money to complete more detailed construction designs. These will enable us to assess the amount of grading and earth works needed at the site. We will also be hooking into city water and running water lines for irrigation throughout the 1.75 acres. We have a deadline to use these funds by Dec 31, 2012.
There is a bit of work to be done first, but it will be this summer and fall that our community will lay out beds/paths and begin planting a food forest! We know from our mail there are a lot of you out there wanting to dig in and grow, your time has come. Please stay tuned for more updates and events or contact us anytime at http://beaconfoodforest.weebly.com/contact-join.html.
Jefferson Park Golf renovation proposal presented to Design Commission
Bassetti Architects has recently presented a version of the development concept for the Jefferson Park Golf Course renovation to the city’s Design Commission. You can view it here (PDF). It appears to be a PowerPoint-type presentation, so it’s a bit sparse.
The general project page is here. Most of what is in the new presentation was also in the December 15 public meeting presentation. (If there are any substantial changes I missed, please let me know!)
The current Jefferson Park Golf Clubhouse, which would be torn down and replaced with a new two-story clubhouse under this proposal, was recently nominated for landmark status. The City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board will hold a public meeting to consider the landmark nomination on next Wednesday, February 15 at 3:30 p.m. in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave., Suite 1700. All interested may attend. If you can’t attend and still wish to comment, you can comment by email to beth.chave@seattle.gov, or by regular mail to the address in the previous post.
New Facebook group forming for South Seattleites
White Center residents Craig and Sara Williams have set up The South 206, a Facebook group to share event and activity information with those of us who live in “the various southerly neighborhoods of Seattle.” That includes Georgetown, Beacon Hill, Sodo, and more. All south Seattleites on Facebook are welcome. The group is a “closed group,” which means you have to ask to enter, but this may change in the future.
Current activities mentioned in the group include a community pancake breakfast in South Park, the Georgetown Art Attack, a “Battle of Burien” breakdancing competition, and a tap show in Rainier Beach.
Maple, Mercer schools honored with Achievement Awards
Two Beacon Hill schools were among 21 Seattle schools honored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education with 2011 Washington Achievement Awards.
Maple Elementary School was one of the eight schools recognized for overall excellence at the elementary level.
Asa Mercer Middle School was one of five schools recognized for overall excellence at the K-8, 6-8, or 9-12 levels. Mercer was also recognized for outstanding achievement in mathematics and outstanding achievement in science.
Nearby Franklin High School was also honored, for outstanding improvement.
The Seattle honorees were among 186 Washington schools to be recognized for their performance on the “Achievement Index,” which measures schools’ performance over time. (Find out more about the Index and the Achievement Awards here.) The 21 schools honored for 2011 are up from 13 in 2010 and seven in 2009.
The schools will be recognized during a ceremony on April 25 at Mariner High School in Everett.
World War II memorial dedicated in Rizal Park
On February 4, three local Filipino-American World War II veterans, Mariano Berona, Rosendo Luna, and Gene del Rosario, were honored at the dedication of a monument in Dr. Jose Rizal Park to honor the Filipino defenders of Bataan and Corregidor during World War II. February 4 was selected for the dedication because it is the anniversary of the date in 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur liberated Manila.
The Bataan and Corregidor Survivors Association proposed and sponsored the memorial placed within the park. At one point, it seemed that the memorial would not be able to happen, due to a city policy that prohibits memorials within city parks. Local writer Craig Thompson described the struggle in a recent column, quoting project leader Larry Cambronero: “‘…It dawned on me, I have no other choice but to press on. Perseverance and persistence were the two most valuable words taught to me by my grandfather, Robert [Rufino Cambronero, a Bataan survivor].'” The city eventually agreed to allow the monument.
Dr. Jose Rizal Park has also previously been the site of the Bataan and Corregidor Survivors Association’s yearly picnic. The park was dedicated in 1979, and is named after Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino patriot and reformer who was executed by the Spanish after he was accused of involvement in the 1896 Filipino insurrection.
See also a lovely write-up in the Seattle Times about Saturday’s dedication.
Volunteers needed for Lewis Park work party Sunday
Christine Cole sent this announcement today:
“This Sunday, February 5th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is Lewis Park’s first work party of 2012. It will be extra special because the forecast includes mild temperatures and sun, sun, sun! If you’re interested in signing up, please visit our website here and click on the “Sign Up” link on the right side of the home page (sign up is not mandatory; walk on over!)”
Lewis Park work parties will be on the first and third Sundays of each month through November.
Red Apple, QFC apply to sell liquor
If you want to comment to the state Liquor Control Board about either of these applications, email customerservice@liq.wa.gov. The Red Apple license number is 350969, and the QFC license number is 353298.
Community “sit in” to recognize volunteers and display art chairs
Among the festivities will be a singalong of an original song, “This Chair is My Chair”; a haiku treasure hunt, a game of musical chairs, and much more.
For more information, call 206-658-0187.