The event is Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm, in the Beacon Hill Library meeting room, 2821 Beacon Avenue South. Food and drinks will be provided. All are welcome.
Food Forest committee presents urban permaculture slide show
Category Archives: Clean and Green
Lewis Park project a finalist for Opportunity Fund
The Lewis Park Reforestation application has been selected for the final draft list of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund. A public hearing will be held October 25 at Miller Community Center (330 19th Avenue East). The Opportunity Fund Oversight Committee will be looking closely at community support for each project before selecting the final 15 proposals to recommend for funding. The hearing starts at 7:00 pm, but, we’re asking everyone to be there at 6:30 to show their support. Please let me know if you can make it… we’re going to be making up some signs for everyone to hold. The idea is for a few people to actually speak and everyone else stand up to show the support for Lewis Park.
If you are unable to attend the hearing, you can send an email showing your support of Lewis Park to Susanne Rockwell — susanne.rockwell@seattle.gov.
The Final Draft List for projects to receive funds from the Opportunity Fund has 15 projects with 3 alternates. The Oversight Committee will be making its final selection based on community support for the project. Friends of Lewis Park has asked for $260,000 to hire contractors to restore the steep slope areas of Lewis Park (volunteers cannot work in this area). Combined with the ongoing volunteer work, these funds will enable the restoration of all 5.1 acres of the park and provide North Beacon Hill with a safer, more livable neighborhood. As a Natural Area, Lewis Park will be transformed into an Urban Forest for generations to enjoy.
Please email/call if you any questions.
Thanks,
Dee
Friends of Lewis Park
206-778-1377
Here is a link to the list of the 15 finalists and three alternate projects. Please note that one of the three alternates is also on Beacon Hill: the Santos Rodriguez Memorial Park at El Centro de la Raza.
Final project recommendations will be made by the Levy Oversight Committee to the Parks Superintendent on December 6.
Previous BHB posts about this round of Opportunity Fund applications are here.
Jefferson Park Food Forest planning meeting Thursday
The Jefferson Park Food Forest project group is having a planning meeting this Thursday, October 14, at 6:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South. Everyone is welcome.
Here is an announcement and status report sent to us by project organizer Glenn Herlihy:
The good news:
Recently we were awarded a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods to hire a designer and begin the design process. In the near future everyone will be invited to participate in several design workshops. These will offer great opportunity for community members to learn about urban agriculture and permaculture methods in particular. We plan on designing a garden lush with fruit and nut trees, abundant with native edible perennials and patches of vegetables, gathering places and play areas all intertwined with walking and biking paths. A garden that will add to the beauty of Jefferson Park and honor the intelligence of our community.
We believe community gardening provides not only an inexpensive access to organic produce but great exercise for the whole family. Its a full mind and body workout with fruits to eat in the end. Not only that it builds community and creates a foundation for food security among all living things. We are working very hard to see that our neighbors and others have access to healthy nutritious food. This is not easy but our elected officials are catching on and have made great efforts to support projects like The Jefferson Park Food Forest. We thank and congratulate them, and will work to encourage their continued support of urban agriculture.
Continue reading Jefferson Park Food Forest planning meeting Thursday
Beacon BIKES! update
As many of you know, there is a growing movement among Beacon Hill residents interested in safely getting people of all ages and abilities around and to destinations within our neighborhood on foot and bicycle. This propelled Beacon BIKES!, a growing group of community members, to obtain the knowledge and expertise of a consultant to bring our collective vision to fruition. (Links available describing some of our ideas can be found on the September 3rd posting on this blog.)
Friday, we chose Alta Planning + Design as our consultant from among three enthusiastic applicants. Beacon BIKES! believes that pedestrians and cyclists encounter similar obstacles in getting around our neighborhood and that facilities that address both modes make the most sense. This philosophy is in line with Alta’s belief in “integrating all modes of travel (including walking and bicycling) into the daily lives of residents and creating healthy, safe, and sustainable communities.â€Â Most importantly, they offer an interactive approach geared to keeping the neighborhood informed and involved throughout the process.
All this is great news, but in order for this to work, we’ll need anyone and everyone to chime in at our monthly Beacon BIKES! meetings to make this a uniquely Beacon Hill plan. The next meeting will be held at the community room of the Library at 6:30 PM on Monday, September 13th. SDOT representatives will be in attendance, so the more Beaconites there, the more seriously our work will be taken. If you’re not involved already, you will want to be after this meeting!
In addition, there will be opportunities to participate through community forums, walks and other interactive outings to make this circulation plan for us and by us.
As always, you can prepare for the next Beacon BIKES! Family Bike and Pedestrian Circulation Plan meeting by visiting our Facebook page: Beacon BIKES!
You may also contact Sandra Woods or Brian Dougherty of SDOT and our City Council members to let them know you are a participant in and support our Family Bike and Pedestrian Circulation Plan.
Be sure to check back to the blog for updates. We hope to see many of you at the meeting.
Thanks Beacon Hill!
Alien invaders spotted at Fire Station #13
Spanish broom looks much like its close relative Scotch broom. Both are medium-sized evergreen shrubs growing 6-10 feet high with small yellow flowers. Scotch Broom is not native to our region, but it is a “non designated noxious weed” and control is not required in most of King County, though it is recommended.
How to spot the difference:
- Spanish broom flowers are very fragrant; Scotch broom flowers are not.
- Scotch broom has ridged stems; Spanish broom stems are round and smooth.
If you find Spanish broom on your property (or notice it somewhere else) or have questions about another invasive or otherwise noxious plants, contact the King County Noxious Weed Control Program: 206-296-0290 or via email at noxious.weeds@kingcounty.gov. You can also report infestations of broom or other noxious weeds by using the online form.
Be sure to visit the Noxious Weed Control website to learn about the Weed of the Month, volunteer as a Weed Watcher, or get tips on safe ways to handle potentially dangerous plants like Giant Hogweed. You can also review the complete Noxious Weed list for ideas about what not to plant in your garden. Butterfly bush, for example, is considered a Class B Noxious Weed in Washington State and a non-regulated weed in King County. This means that gardeners are encouraged but not required to remove it.
“Fuel smell” stinking up North Beacon Hill
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.
Free trees available through the Tree Fund
Groups of neighbors from at least five households living on a street or block can request from ten to 40 trees per project. In addition, each participating household can have a fruit tree for their own yard. Information on how to organize your neighborhood, the selections of trees, and the application form, can be foundhere. The deadline for applications is August 16.
This is the 15th year that the Department of Neighborhoods is providing free trees through the Tree Fund program. Through the Fund, Seattle residents have planted more than 20,000 trees, and helped to add to the city’s dwindling tree cover. In 1972, Seattle had a tree cover of 40 percent. Now, that cover has dropped to 22 percent. This decline threatens nature’s ability to help manage storm water, reduce erosion, absorb climate-disrupting gases, improve public health and clean the air. The goal of the Tree Fund program is to increase the percentage back to 30 percent, build community, and promote a clean and green environment for Seattle’s streets.
For questions or additional information, contact Judy Brown, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, at 206-684-0714.
In addition, Seattle reLeaf is providing free trees for residents who live in specific neighborhoods within southwest and southeast Seattle through the City’s 2010 Trees for Neighborhoods program. To learn more, visit the website.
Lewis Park continues to improve
Hi Everyone,
Here is an update of activities at Lewis Park:
The Lewis Park Steering Committee applied for, and was awarded a Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple Neighborhood Matching Grant to hire a geotechnical firm to do an analysis of the steep slope areas in Lewis Park. The North Beacon Hill Council served as Fiscal Sponsor for the grant. Geotechnical firms were researched and a Request for Qualifications was prepared and submitted. A committee was formed to review proposals and select the best-qualified firm. A contract was signed with Terra Associates, Inc. who performed the geological study. The study included a visual site reconnaissance, on-site exploration, and review of all available geologic documentation. The study concluded the steep slope areas of Lewis Park are stable enough to perform site activities associated with native plant restoration, however, it cautioned that erosion-control measures be conducted concurrently with the restoration. Parks and Recreation reviewed the report and will incorporate the results in restoration plans for Lewis Park. Please let us know if you would like an electronic copy of the full report.
In addition to the geological study, the DON grant also paid for several crew days from Earthcorps and the King County Corrections Work Program. These crews worked in areas to support and supplement the volunteer activity occurring on the level areas of Lewis Park.. During the grant period, volunteers contributed over 1,400 hours at Lewis Park. These volunteers planted 1,124 native shrubs, groundcover and trees, and maintained the newly restored areas by watering, weeding, and applying erosion control and mulch. Volunteers continue to restore the more level areas of Lewis Park each Sunday from February through November. Gloves, tools, water and light snacks are provided and volunteers can participate any time between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm for as long as they want. Kids are welcome!
Friends of Lewis Park want to thank all the volunteers and community support that has made this spot on North Beacon Hill a much safer and beautiful place. We encourage everyone to come and enjoy the restored areas of Lewis Park and are excited about the future when all 4.5 acres will be restored back to a Natural Area for our community to enjoy a peaceful urban forest of native plants and wildlife.
Dee and Vinh
Lewis Park Forest Stewards
Lewis Park is located at 1120 15th Avenue South, near the Amazon/PacMed building.
Your opinions on mandatory food composting wanted
Laura Feinstein of the Solid Waste Advisory Council recently wrote us:
I was hoping to get an opinion from your readers on the topic of mandatory food composting for multifamily residents (apartment and condo residents). The city of Seattle is considering the idea of making food composting subscriptions mandatory for this sector of our city. It is already mandatory for Seattle residents living in single family homes. This requirement would mandate landlords and building managers provide food composting service to the occupants of the building for a cost that is similar to the cost that single family residents incur for this service. Several tenants may share a food waste cart so the cost could potentially be divided up to a much smaller number for each tenant. SPU estimates that there are 15,000 tons of organics going into the garbage from multifamily tenants currently. The city already provides voluntary food waste subscribtions to multifamily residents although only about 1,200 tons of organics is currently being diverted through voluntary means. The city is considering the implementation for the fall of 2011. I’d like to get input from BHB readers on how this would impact them positively, negatively or otherwise.
Please send an email to Laura at feinstei@mail.com or leave a comment here on the blog with your input.
Garbage strike: what to do?
The city says: if you have a Thursday pickup, put your garbage out as normal. If you got skipped today (Wednesday), put it out again next Wednesday. The city has a PDF map of affected areas and more at seattle.gov.
The West Seattle Blog has much more on the strike situation.