Education, Health and Safety

Shape up at Van Asselt CC this spring

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Get rid of your old exercise albums and tapes and try Van Asselt’s fitness courses instead. Photo by Kevin Dooley via Flickr/Creative Commons.
Two upcoming classes at Van Asselt Community Center will help neighbors aged 18 and older shake off those winter pounds and get more fit.

The first class, Aerobics, will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m., starting on April 2. Longtime instructor Noel Montgomery will lead the class. The cost to join is $75, or $65 for adults 65 and up.

The second class, Boot Camp, is an “intense evening workout” to gain strength and endurance while losing weight. The Van Asselt neighborhood is the exercise arena for this class, which will run on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting on April 16. Cost for the Boot Camp class is $65.

Call 206–386–1921 to register or for more information.

Local Events

FriendShop to pop up at Beacon Hill Library

Neighbors wait for the Beacon Hill Library to open in the morning. Photo by Jason Simpson/Beacon Hill Blog.
The Beacon Hill Library is a fine place to find books, DVDs, and more. On one Saturday this month, however, it will also be a fine place to shop. The Friends of The Seattle Public Library are bringing a FriendShop Pop Up Shop to the Beacon Hill Branch (2821 Beacon Ave. S.) from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30.

The FriendShop Pop Up Shop will include pre-owned paperbacks, children’s books, and gift items such as tote bags, mugs, and jewelry. All proceeds will benefit the Seattle Public Library. The Pop Up Shop is a traveling version of the main FriendShop at the Central Library.

Photos

Put on your 3D glasses: Beacon Hill Station in 3D

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Former BHB staffer Jason Simpson was visiting Beacon Hill yesterday and took this 3D photo of Beacon Hill Station with a FujiFilm FinePix 3D camera. You’ll need standard red/green 3D glasses to see the effect, and I strongly recommend you click through to the large copy of the image to see it at its best. If you don’t have those, check out this “wobble” gif that gives a 3D effect without glasses.

Click on this image to see a larger version. Photo by Jason Simpson.
Click on this image to see a larger version. Photo by Jason Simpson.
Education, Neighborhood Pride

BHIS principal honored as Principal of the Year

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Kelly Aramaki.
Kelly Aramaki.
Beacon Hill International School Principal Kelly Aramaki was honored today as the Washington State Elementary School Principal of the Year. Aramaki, who has been the BHIS principal since 2011, was one of three finalists out of 18 statewide nominees, and will advance to a national celebration this fall in Washington D.C. as part of the National Distinguished Principal of the Year program.

The award was determined by a panel from the Elementary School Principals Association of Washington, who lauded Aramaki’s dedication to instructional leadership and engagement with the school, including occasionally breaking into song “to create a positive, collective identity” among the school’s staff.

Meetings

Meet your 11th District legislators at town hall event

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Rep. Steve Bergquist will host a town Hall Saturday with Rep. Zack Hudgins and Sen. Bob Hasegawa.
Rep. Steve Bergquist will host a town Hall Saturday with Rep. Zack Hudgins and Sen. Bob Hasegawa.
Residents of the 11th Legislative District, which includes part of Beacon Hill, are invited to participate in a town hall conversation this weekend hosted by Senator Bob Hasegawa, Representative Zack Hudgins and Representative Steve Bergquist.

The town hall will take place in Renton at the King County Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center (3511 NE 2nd Street, Renton, WA 98056) this Saturday, March 16 from 1 to 2 p.m.

The three legislators will take questions and comments as well as give an update on the 2013 legislative session.

Education, Food and Drink

Canning Connections cuts back on the sugar

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Mmm… Cherry Preserves, by JeffreyW via Flickr/Creative Commons.
Beacon Hill’s Canning Connections will hold another workshop on Tuesday, March 26 from 7-9 p.m. at the Garden House (2336 15th Ave S.). This month’s workshop will cover low sugar options for preserving:

“We’ll be comparing at least two products for making jams with less sugar than conventional recipes. While sugar is considered necessary for preservation, many folks are looking for ways to cut back on the amount of added sweetness to their jams. This 4th Tuesday event is typically open to those with experience canning, but for this session all levels of experience are welcome to join us and taste test the results.”

The workshop is $15.00. Register on line here.

Meetings

Help plan Food Forest Gathering Plaza

bff_logo-web_full_webThe Friends of the Beacon Food Forest invite all interested neighbors to a meeting this Saturday, March 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. to help design the Forest’s Gathering Plaza. At the meeting, the community will have an opportunity to give opinions and share design ideas about structures to be built at the Food Forest site this spring.

The meeting is at Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. S. It will be facilitated by the UW Design/Build Group and the Friends of the Beacon Food Forest.

Education, Food and Drink

Culinary class: Making authentic pork tamales

Photo by anasararojas via Creative Commons/Flickr.

Get your apron ready 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, March 16. 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.

Urban Planning

Station block project completes design review

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This artist's rendition of the southwest corner of the proposed project at 2721 17th Ave. S. was included in the November Design Review presentation.
This artist’s rendition of the southwest corner of the proposed project at 2721 17th Ave. S. was included in the November Design Review presentation.
The Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) director has issued a decision on the project at 2721 17th Avenue South (the southeast corner of the Beacon Hill Station block), approving the project’s design as based on the final recommendation of the Southeast Design Review Board, with certain conditions. The conditions include designing additional lighting for the sidewalk along South McClellan Street, improved treatment of the ground-level residential units to increase privacy and reduce light pollution, and specifications for the artwork along the alley façade.

Previous conditions already met include designing the top floor along 17th to be set back 10 feet from the property line, and a revised lighting plan for additional lighting.

The complete report and analysis may be read here. The architects’ presentation from the November 2012 Design Review meeting may be read here, and the Design Review Board’s report after the November meeting is here.


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Crime

Men killed Monday in New Holly identified

Seattle Police reported yesterday that two men were found in a parked car yesterday morning in the New Holly neighborhood on the edge of South Beacon Hill, dead from gunshot wounds to the head. The two men were identified today as Edward James Westmoreland II, 34, and Elijah Roosevelt Paul III, 42.

An officer found the crime scene at 39 Avenue South and South Kenyon Street on Monday morning at about 6 a.m. when he stopped to investigate what looked like a car prowl.

According to the Seattle Times, a police source said that the men may have been involved in a drug transaction when they were killed. The case is being actively investigated, and anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 911.


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