Category Archives: Local Events

Education, Local Events

Tax prep services and financial literacy classes coming to El Centro

1 Comment
It's that time of year again! Photo by Alan Cleaver.
El Centro de la Raza has some useful finance-related services coming up over the next couple of months.

They are a United Way Free Tax Prep Campaign site, and will be providing free tax preparation services to low-income taxpayers, in English and Spanish. The free tax prep services will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 – 9:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, starting January 12 and running until April 15, at El Centro, 2524 16th Avenue South.

Volunteers are also welcome for the tax prep services. To volunteer, please call (206) 957-4602 or email volunteer@elcentrodelaraza.org.

El Centro is also offering a series of financial literacy classes in English and Spanish. In the Credit Smart courses, students will learn about how to make an individual financial plan, why we use banks and their services, how to choose and keep a checking account, what your rights are as a consumer, and other important skills and knowledge.

Wednesday classes are in English, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.  The Saturday class is in Spanish from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. The English classes are a series of four classes; the Spanish classes combine the entire series into a single all-day session.

The English-language class series runs weekly, beginning on January 13 and again on February 10 and March 10. The Spanish-language courses this month are on January 16 and 30, and will also be offered on February 6, 20, and 27, and on March 6, 13, and 20.

For additional information or to register for the series, contact Simona Alvarez, Financial Literacy Coordinator, at 206-957-4610 or email homeownership@elcentrodelaraza.org.

Food and Drink, Getting Around, Local Events

Planning your New Year celebration

1 Comment
Dog in a party hat
Photo by prettyinprint (CC BY-ND)

Going out and about?

Good news! Sound Transit has announced Link light rail will be running until about 1:30am on New Year’s Eve. Update: From the Seattle Times by way of the Seattle Transit Blog, the additional train runs will be departing Westlake, southbound, at 12:44am, 12:54am, 1:09am, 1:24am and 1:39am.

Staying on the Hill?

Good news! The Beacon Pub is celebrating the New Year all weekend long. They’ll have a DJ on NYE, and will be hosting their world-famous karaoke Friday and Saturday nights. On New Year’s Day, they’re opening early: 10am for both food and drink, and featuring drink specials all weekend long.

Got something else going on?

Let us know what you’ve got planned in the comments!

Local Events, Photos

Lander Festival Street is open

5 Comments
The ribbon is cut! Photo courtesy Willie Weir.
The ribbon is cut! Photo courtesy Willie Weir.

The new Lander Festival Street opened yesterday on a sunny Saturday morning, celebrated by members of the community and visiting dignitaries including SDOT Director Grace Crunican and Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark. The Beaconettes a cappella singing group provided entertainment.

The Festival Street, located at South Lander Street between 16th and 17th avenues South, will serve as an extension of the plaza north of Beacon Hill Station, and provide a space for community festivals and events.

Some photos by Jason (click any one for the entire photoset):





Another photo by Willie Weir and J. Dong.

Local Events, Neighborhood Pride

Beaconettes compete to raise funds for charity

The Beaconettes practice for the Figgy Pudding competition. Photo courtesy of the Beaconettes.
The Beaconettes practice for the Figgy Pudding competition. Photo courtesy of the Beaconettes.
This Saturday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Lander Festival Street will include entertainment by the Beaconettes a cappella group. On Friday, December 4 at 6:00 pm, the Beaconettes will also compete in the 23rd Annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition near Westlake Center. The event is a fundraiser for Pike Market Senior Center and the Downtown Food Bank.

You can cheer on the neighborhood representatives in person on Friday, or vote with your charitable donations online.

The Beaconettes won “Best New Figgy” last year. Team member Betty Jean Williamson tells us, “This year we are going for most creative and adding costumes.” You can see performances by the Beaconettes on their YouTube channel, including “God Bless Our Ferries, Gentlemen” and “O Come, All Commuters.”

Thanks to Betty Jean!

Local Events, Neighborhood Pride

Festival Street to open this weekend

9 Comments
Festival Street, nearly ready to open. Photo by Jason.
Festival Street, nearly ready to open. Photo by Jason.
A reminder: Saturday, Dec. 5, at 10:00 AM, Festival Street (South Lander Street between Beacon Avenue South and 17th Avenue South, next to Beacon Hill Station) will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Coffee, donuts, and city leaders will all be there.

This long-awaited project extends the plaza north of Beacon Hill Station, giving the community a space for festivals and events. Workers from the Seattle Department of Transportation have been onsite since October, working on this improvement to Lander Street.

Photo from SDOT.
Photo from SDOT.

See more SDOT photos of the Festival Street project on Flickr.


View Lander Festival Street in a larger map

Local Events, Neighborhood Pride, Urban Planning

Potluck and planning on agenda for NBHC meeting 12/3

1 Comment
Time to warm up those Crock-Pots and start prepping something tasty for the NBHC potluck! Photo by _e.t.
Time to warm up those Crock-Pots and start prepping something tasty for the NBHC potluck! Photo by _e.t.
The next North Beacon Hill Council meeting is a special one: a year-end potluck celebration to recognize community members who have contributed to the neighborhood this year, and to plan for next year. The potluck and social will be followed by the monthly business meeting. All are welcome to attend. You are a voting member of the Council if you have attended one meeting previously.

The potluck starts at 6:30 pm (1/2 hour earlier than the usual meeting time), Thursday, December 3, in the Community Room at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South.

The agenda, as forwarded by Council Chair Judith Edwards:

  • 6:30 – Social time, potluck
  • 7:00 – A time to honor those who have given so much (and finish eating!)
  • 7:15 – Business meeting
    • Estela Ortega, Executive Director, El Centro de la Raza: Future plans for development of S. parcel of El Centro property (25 minutes, including Q&A)
    • 12th Ave. and Stevens St. neighbors request to become an ad-hoc committee of NBHC in order to challenge City Light’s installation of obtrusive power lines (5 minutes)
      — vote required
    • Discussion of final draft, Department of Planning and Development’s Neighborhood Plan Update (15 minutes)
      — vote required to approve/disapprove
    • Letter to Council Member Sally Clark, Chair, Planning and Land Use Committee: Action to ensure that N. Beacon Hill Development Design Guidelines are employed in future construction (10 minutes)
      — vote required
  • 8:05 – Future focus: where should we put our energy in the coming year? What are the issues the community is concerned with?
  • 8:30 – Closure
Local Events

Events this week: Immigration reform, free tree deadline, Van Asselt playground-in-a-day

Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois will participate in a virtual town hall meeting about immigration reform this Wednesday. (Photo from luisgutierrez.house.gov.)
Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois will participate in a virtual town hall meeting about immigration reform this Wednesday. (Photo from luisgutierrez.house.gov.)
El Centro de la Raza is hosting “A Call to Action for Immigration Reform,” on Wednesday, November 18 at 5:00 pm, including a virtual town hall with Representative Luis Gutierrez to discuss the principles of progressive immigration reform. The call in English will be at 5:00 pm, and in Spanish at 6:00 pm. El Centro de la Raza is located at 2524 16th Avenue South, and this event is in room 310. For more information, call 206-957-4605.

* * *

A few weeks ago we mentioned the ReLeaf tree giveaway program, in which EarthCorp and the City are giving free trees to residents of Beacon Hill and three other Seattle neighborhoods. The deadline to apply for your free trees is tomorrow, Monday, November 16. Applications may be downloaded here. If you need more information about the program, contact  Lina Rose, EarthCorps Project Manager, lina@earthcorps.org, 206-793-2454.

* * *

Another reminder: Thursday, November 19, is the day of the Van Asselt playground building project. Volunteers will help build the playground, along with MLS soccer players and representatives from Home Depot and KaBOOM! The MLS players are participating through MLS W.O.R.K.S., the league’s community outreach program, as part of the festivities building up to the MLS Cup next weekend at Qwest Field.

(Hat tip to Examiner.com.)

* * *

Don’t forget to check our Events Calendar for more upcoming events on the Hill!

Local Events

Día de los Muertos ofrenda exhibit opening Sunday, November 1

This is part of an ofrenda constructed in New Mexico 2006, in remembrance of women killed along the Texas/Mexico border. El Centro de la Raza is hosting a community ofrenda exhibit from November 1-20. Photo by Glen Van Etten.
This is part of an ofrenda constructed in New Mexico 2006, in remembrance of women killed along the Texas/Mexico border. El Centro de la Raza is hosting a community ofrenda exhibit from November 1-20. Photo by Glen Van Etten.
El Centro de la Raza is hosting their annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda/altar exhibit from November 1-20, starting with an opening ceremony on Sunday, November 1 from 2:30 – 6:30 pm. The theme is “a multi-cultural tribute to Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo.”

Opening day will include a brunch at 2:30, the opening ceremony at 3:30, and the opening of the ofrenda exhibit at 4:00. There will be presentations by Ameyaltonal Danza Azteca, FANDANGO, Hope For Youth, Richard Hugo House, and others, and children’s activities will include face painting and sugar skulls.

The ofrenda exhibit is open from November 1-20 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am – 6:00pm, and on Wednesday from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Local Events

Fire Station 13 to host open house November 14

Get a close-up view of the historic Fire Station 13 next month. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool.
Get a close-up view of the historic Fire Station 13 next month. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool.
The historic landmark Fire Station 13 on Beacon Avenue South, near Jefferson Park, is hosting an open house on Saturday, November 14 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. All are welcome (kids too!) to meet the firefighters, tour the engine, and learn about improvements to the station.

Fire Station 13 is a wonderful old building (read the Landmark Nomination Report for this site, from 2004) built in the Mission Revival style in 1928. Currently, work is being done on the station to upgrade it to current seismic safety standards, replace the roof, and improve the usability of the building.

The station is located at 3601 Beacon Avenue South, on the corner of Beacon and South Spokane Street.

Local Events

Oh, the in-dog-nity and more fall events

Dog-o-ween 2008s Most Original winner Sasha as The Center of the Universe. Photo from dogoween.org.
Dog-o-ween 2008's Most Original winner Sasha as The Center of the Universe. Photo from dogoween.org.
Citizens for Off Leash Areas hosts “Dog-o-ween 2009” at the Genesee Park off-leash area today. Well, now. From 11am to 2pm.

Jefferson Community Center is hosting a Toddler Trick or Treat on Thursday and a Halloween Howl and Carnival on Friday. For more information, check the events page.

If you missed the Student Conservation Association and Boeing employee volunteer event in the Cheasty Greenspace today, there’s another chance coming up on November 7th for Green Seattle Day.

Eric Spivack from Soaring Crane Massage encourages folks to come out on Monday evening to wave signs in support of Approve Referendum 71. More details, again, on the events page.