The agenda has been announced for the monthly North Beacon Hill Council meeting, to take place Tuesday, February 5 at 7 p.m. in the Beacon Hill Library community meeting room. All interested neighbors are invited to attend and participate.
Here’s the planned agenda:
Public Safety/SPD (Lt. Hayes to speak)
Department of Neighborhoods updates
Broadband/Internet Service (guest speakers from CenturyLink and others to speak)
Neighborhood news: updates about projects in and around the neighborhood
You will need to detour around the the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street just north of Beacon Hill this weekend as construction for the First Hill Streetcar continues. The intersection at the heart of Little Saigon will be closed Saturday and Sunday, February 2 and 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Police and flaggers will be there to direct traffic and ensure that businesses and residences are accessible.
The planned detours:
Eastbound traffic – south on Fourth Avenue S, east on Seattle Blvd S, east on S Dearborn St
Westbound traffic – northwest on Boren Ave S, west on Yesler Way
Northbound traffic – east on S College St, north on Rainier Ave S, northwest on Boren Ave S
Southbound traffic – west on Yesler Way, south on Second Ave S Extension
“A dog was found the evening of 1/29 on Atlantic, at the bottom of the stairs. It is a tall stature, male, probably 1-2 years old. He is friendly but skittish, and is probably a wolfdog mix of some sort. I’ve attached some photos. I’ll take it to the vet tomorrow to see if it’s chipped. If this is your dog, please contact me at bridgejoyce@gmail.com.”
There have been a few vehicle break-ins lately as well as a suspicious car driving around the neighborhood.
Neighbor Rosie wrote to send a video of two men burglarizing her husband’s work van. She says,
“This happened early Saturday (Jan 26th) at 5:40 a.m. We got the footage from our security camera and have given it to the police but are hoping that the neighborhood community could also keep an eye out. We believe they backed up to the van and loaded everything into the back or bed of a truck. We have multiple shots from a 20 minute period of time where they came and surveyed the van, somehow got in, and eventually made off with lot of plumbing tools. This robbery took place on North Beacon Hill at the cross streets of 13th Ave and So Hill St. Any help or assistance in any way would be much appreciated. My email address is rak711@hotmail.com.”
Here is the video.
Another neighbor, Jessica, writes:
“Seems as if there have been some car break-ins around the 39XX block of 14th Ave S.
“My car was broken into and stuff was tossed around and the only thing they actually took was a book of 10 year old CD’s that were in my trunk. My husband and neighbor both got their cars broken into about a week later (this week) nothing appears to have been taken but things were tossed around significantly. Another neighbor said he noticed a later model silver Volvo in the area and the passengers of the vehicle sped off when they saw him as he was going to work in the early morning.”
It’s funny that she mentions a silver car, because folks on the Beacon Hill mailing list last week were discussing suspicious activity by a silver 4-door sedan. According to one neighbor, the car was driving between Orcas and Lucille on the west side of Beacon Avenue, “moving slowly through the streets and making multiple passes.” He spoke with the car’s occupants, and the driver claimed to be a teacher from a driving school on Beacon Hill. However, apparently the car is not one used by the driving school, and the driver does not work there.
A few quick notes from the Beacon Hill Blog mailbag:
Neighbor Anne wanted to let us know that the Kimball Elementary School Open House is tonight, January 30, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kimball school library at 3200 23rd Ave. S.
School tours for incoming kindergarteners and their families are on February 5 and 13 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Call 252-7280 to reserve a spot on the tour.
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Crow photo by Chris Gladis via Creative Commons/Flickr.First we had a lost parakeet, and now there’s a crow who needs help. Neighbor Wendy writes:
“There is a crow that has a badly broken leg. I first saw it last October when I moved to Beacon Hill, then recently saw it and its partner near my house south of the golf course. I called PAWS Wildlife Center and they do not have the resources to catch the crow, however, they will treat it if the crow is brought to its Wildlife Center. The crow still flies. I’ve been leaving peanuts near my front yard and this crow and its mate have been eating the nuts. I saw both this past Sunday. Anyone with expertise in catching birds? It hurts to see this poor crow.”
Any advice for Wendy?
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A missive from ROCKiT Community Arts arrived with news about the Beacon Whale, who was sighted all over the Hill last summer after a storm drove him from his Garden House perch:
“News Flash! The Beacon Whale has been captured! Come join us for his
miraculous, historic restoration to his natural habitat rooftop of the Garden House on Beacon Hill on Sunday, February 3 at 11:00 a.m. We will be serving a fantastic brunch and celebrating his return. Don’t miss the fun!”
We’ve had stories about lost and found cats, dogs, and chickens here on the Beacon Hill Blog. We’ve even run a story about a goat (who turned out to be a sheep). But today we have a first — a found parakeet.
Neighbor Barbara writes:
“[My partner] found a parakeet walking on the sidewalk at about 12th and Judkins on Sunday, January 27th, by the condo development right before the park/picnic area near the dog park by the Jose Rizal Bridge.
Attached is a flyer that our 8-year-old daughter put together, along with a photo. Can you post it on the blog?
I’m sure he or she is someone’s pet, that perhaps flew out the window!”
Flowers in the sunset light at Lewis Park. Photo by Wendi Dunlap/Beacon Hill Blog.
Friends and neighbors of Lewis Park are invited to come see the community’s proposed park design and give your opinions while enjoying a cup of chili with cornbread. The event is Tuesday, January 29 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Garden House, 2336 15th Ave. S.
All are invited to socialize and try the chili; you may bring your own to test your cooking skill! The top chili choice will be announced at the end of the evening.
Parking for the Garden House is at the back of the building or on the street. If you’re interested in bringing chili, call Susan Sherbina at 206-322-1096 or email susanatsturgus@comcast.net.
If you haven’t yet gotten a flu shot, it’s not too late. Seattle and King County Public Health are providing free flu vaccinations today and next Thursday for all people over 6 months of age without health insurance or who are otherwise unable to pay for vaccination.
The vaccinations will be at the Columbia Public Health Center at 4400 37th Ave. S. in Columbia City. from 3-7 p.m. today, January 24, and next Thursday, January 31.
A few things to know:
No other vaccinations will be offered at the time of the clinics.
You will be able to get flu shots or nasal spray vaccines; preservative-free, gelatin-free and latex-free vaccines will be available.
You do not need to be a regular client at Public Health Centers and you do not need to show proof of citizenship to get the vaccination.
If you are pregnant, elderly, or you have a health problem such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, the vaccine is especially important for you. Go get it!
Photo by anasararojas via Creative Commons/Flickr.
This weekend the taste of tamales returns to El Centro de la Raza with a tamale-making class from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26. 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.
Today at 5 p.m. is the end of the “scoping period” to submit written concerns about the proposal to run new coal trains through South Seattle near Beacon Hill from the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. Comments submitted in this scoping period will help in defining the impacts to be included in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Neighbor Mira Latoszek wrote this commentary letter:
Dear Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Ecology and Whatcom County Council:
I am a resident of the North Beacon Hill neighborhood of south Seattle. I live directly to the east of the train tracks that would carry an increased number of trains to and from the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. Beacon Hill is a large Seattle neighborhood of approximately 40,000 people. I am asking that you study impacts associated with the increase of trains at crossings in south Seattle, specifically at Spokane St., Lander St. and Holgate St. These are major intersections connecting Beacon Hill to the Industrial District, the Port of Seattle, the waterfront, and downtown.
I, along with many of my neighbors on Beacon Hill, are dependent on goods and services from the SODO area which would be directly affected by the increase of trains at these crossings. In addition, many of us work in an around the SODO area and the southern end of downtown Seattle, including several owners of small businesses. I travel by car and bike through these intersections on a daily basis to get to my job on Second Avenue in Pioneer Square. Being able to get across the train tracks quickly and safely is an important part of my life.
According to the applicant’s Project Information Document (Feb. 2011), full build out of the coal export facility would result in nine full northbound trains along this line a day, which equates to 18 train trips a day; however, nothing in the project materials specifies a maximum. The 18 trains per day round trip could be increased if export capacity of the proposed port were expanded in the future. The current port proposal occupies 350 acres of a 1,000-acre site. Each train may be over 1.5 miles long, which at 50 miles per hour would mean approximately 3-4 minutes between train approach warning/gate closure and ultimate gate opening. At 35 miles per hour it could take approximately 6-7 minutes to clear a crossing as the siding near
this area is rated for 35 mph. The 18 trains per day would equate to approximately one additional coal train every 1.3 hours, all day long, in addition to existing train traffic. That would translate to an addition of approximately two hours per day that vehicles and people would not be able to cross these major intersections in south Seattle.
Neighbor Bridge Joyce writes:
