High progress Reward Schools such as Mercer scored in the top 10 percent of Title I schools in combined reading and math on state assessments during a three year period (2008-2011). Mercer was also noted as a “School of Excellence” in 2009, 2010, and 2011, an honor given to schools placing in the state’s top 5 percent for improvement in scores.
The last Beacon Rocks! of 2012, a neighborhood Peach Party, the Neighborhood Night Out, and more, all captured in photos from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. Thanks to those who have contributed! Do you have photos of life on Beacon Hill? You’re invited to add them to the pool, too!
The ABC Supermarket at 2500 Beacon Ave. S. has applied for a new liquor license of the type “Grocery store: beer/wine.” The listed applicants are ABC Supermarket, Inc., James Che, Jenny Che, and Ky Ho. The license number is 354645.
If you’d like to make any comments on this application, whether positive or negative, e-mail customerservice@liq.wa.gov or send regular mail to:
Washington State Liquor Control Board
3000 Pacific Avenue SE
P. O. Box 43098
Olympia, Washington 98504-3098
This is the second in a series of three articles on the current plans and process to demolish the Jefferson Park Golf Clubhouse. See Part I here.
by Mark Holland and Mira Latoszek
Fortunately, their tireless dedication did pay off in 1914 when Seattle hired a renowned golf course architect to rework the original Olmsted 9-hole design. To honor the efforts of Sherwood Gillespy, his friends commissioned a statue of him with sculptor Max Nielsen of Denmark, and placed it in front of the first golf clubhouse in 1915. A round bronze plaque commemorates him with the inscription: “Erected by the friends of Sherwood Gillespy. A kindly, lovable man, an ardent golfer. The founder of the idea of a municipal golf course in Seattle.” Ninety seven years later, the weathered bronze statue of Sherwood Gillespy still stands in front of the Jefferson Park Golf Course Clubhouse, missing only his club.
Thomas Bendelow, once disregarded as insignificant and even mediocre in golfing lore, is currently experiencing a revival. Thanks in part to the historical research and work of his grandson Stuart Bendelow, and a trending popularity in golf industry media, Tom Bendelow is now regarded as one of the most prolific golf course designers in American history. It is said more Americans learned to play golf on Bendelow-designed courses than those of any other golf course architect. As an early promoter of municipal golf courses, Tom Bendelow was at the forefront of the movement for municipal golf in the United States. In fact, he was often called the “Johnny Appleseed of Golf.”
In 1895, at the start of his career, he designed the first 18-hole municipal golf course in the America, converting a 9-hole course into an 18 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Working for the Spalding Company (1900-1920), Tom Bendelow designed golf courses all across the United States. It is estimated he designed anywhere from 488 to 1000 golf courses throughout his career. He is well known as the architect of the famous Medinah Golf Courses outside of Chicago, home of many professional golf tournaments. In 2005, Tom Bendelow was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame.
Continue reading The vanishing history of Jefferson Park Golf, part II: Dreamers and builders
Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley are seeing a wave of jewelry robberies, say Seattle Police. In just over a week, there have been more than 20 incidents of these robberies on streets, at bus stops, and at stores in Southeast Seattle.
According to police, the suspects typically either grab people from behind, or walk up to them, ask a question, and then grab the victims’ jewelry and purses. Police believe the series of robberies began on August 14, when two suspects robbed a woman on Beacon Hill after she left a local market.
One neighbor, Anna, commented here on the BHB about being victimized in a recent street robbery:
“I was robbed last week, and a shoulder bag was taken from me. It happened mid-morning, on Beacon Avenue near the golf course. It was two young African-American men; they came up behind me, grabbed the bag, and ran. I reported it to the police, but I wonder how many people this has happened to who didn’t report it.
“I’ve lived on Beacon Hill forever, and I am always aware of my surroundings and who’s around me, but this is the first time I’ve been afraid to walk around in my own neighborhood during the day. I’ve not been out walking much since it happened, and I don’t know when I’ll feel safe enough to do so on a regular basis.”
If you have any information about these crimes, please contact the SPD Robbery Unit at (206) 684-5535.
Plan ahead — Jefferson Community Center will close for four days next month for an electrical upgrade project to add an emergency generator and automatic transfer switch. It will be closed from Thursday, September 20, 2012 until 7 a.m. on Monday September 24. The upgrade is part of a larger project including seismic upgrades, replacing the HVAC unit with a heat pump system, and a variety of architectural and maintenance improvements. This will allow the building to be used as an emergency shelter in case of disaster.
Any programs scheduled for Friday, September 21 may be affected by the closure, and participants should contact the community center for information. Classes and programs scheduled for Saturday, September 22 will be canceled.
View Armed robbery on Waite Street, 8/15/12 in a larger map
A neighbor wrote in to describe a strong-arm robbery she experienced last week:
Last Wednesday evening, August 15th, at 10:15 p.m., a friend and I were assaulted and robbed by two armed assailants as we talked in the street on Waite Street between 21st and 22nd Avenues South. Both men were African-American, approximately 6 feet tall and heavy-set, maybe 220 to 240 pounds. One man grabbed my purse from behind me; I initially held on because I did not realize they had weapons. I was thrown to the ground and kicked in the head; my friend was forced to the ground and his wallet was taken. The two robbers then ran west on Waite and around the corner on 21st to a waiting car which sped off. We were assisted by a couple out for a walk who saw the men running away and then saw us on the ground. Police were called, reports were made, but the suspects were not found.
I wanted to let my community know about this so they could be more vigilant to the possibility of this level of random and serious violence. I work downtown, lived in the Central District prior to moving to Beacon Hill 5 years ago, and am normally very aware of my surroundings. I feel I let my guard down because I did not expect this type of crime in bucolic residential Beacon Hill. It was not terribly late at night, I was with a male companion and I was feet from my back door. The officers who responded said they have seen an uptick in crime on Beacon Hill, especially stolen cars, home break-ins, and armed assaults.
I post this as a reminder to all my wonderful neighbors and all who live in our great area to take precautions, stay aware, and look out for each other. Thank you.
According to the police report about the incident, the robbers may have driven west on Waite Street past the victims in a light-colored (possibly silver) car just before the robbery. The robbers then approached the victims from the west, and after the crime, ran to the getaway car around the corner on 21st.
This Sunday, August 26 from 1-5 p.m., the last Beacon Rocks! event of 2012 returns to Roberto Maestas Festival Street with music and dance performances, kids’ activities, vendors, and even some old-fashioned bartering.
The lineup this time includes Jean Mann (“alt-folk indie-pop singer-songwriter”), Mister K and the Rhythm Rockets Kids’ Show (“Cab Calloway meets Mr. Rogers meets Vince Guaraldi”), Splinter Dance Company (“thought-provoking dance performances”), Lushy (“Cal Tjader meets Stereolab meets Brazil 66 in a bar in Berlin”), and Tumbuka (“a marimba band that plays African music drawn from traditional and contemporary styles”).
Alongside the performances, the focus is on local food and gardening. There will be a BarterFest from 2-4 p.m. Backyard Barter invites the community to trade their homegrown and homemade food and related skills. To participate, bring homegrown veggies, fresh eggs, plants, baked goods, garden tools, kitchen skills, and more to share or trade. No money allowed. (Save your money for the several food trucks and carts that will be on hand, instead.)
Representatives from the Beacon Food Forest will also be on hand with a presentation about the urban farming project currently being developed at Jefferson Park. People for Puget Sound will also be there to demonstrate creative ways to reduce pollutants flowing into stormwater drains.
Here is the performance schedule for the day:
Here’s a video of Lushy performing at the Beacon Hill Piñata Party at Stevens Place Park in July 2010.
A new library — a very tiny one — sprouted this weekend on 16th Avenue South, near Jefferson Park. It is, as far as we know, Beacon Hill’s first Little Free Library, part of a movement to build small library structures in communities around the nation. Little Free Libraries are usually small boxes or cupboards mounted at streetside like mailboxes, and typically built and maintained by neighbors to promote literacy, community, and the enjoyment of reading.
Neighbor Levecke Mas told us, “I saw one of these Little Free Libraries last summer while walking around with my sister in Victoria. I have been wishing to do this ever since. My husband and I put this together this weekend using all materials found in our basement treasure trove!”
The Mas family library is charmingly built from what looks like a former kitchen cabinet, roofed with plexiglass, covered with a collection of foreign stamps, and opened with a vintage doorknob. Inside are two shelves of books, some bookmarks to borrow, a request list, and a guestbook for visitors to sign. Books are free to borrow.
The library is located on 16th, just north of South Spokane Street. Just west of Beacon Hill, there is also a Little Free Library on South Orcas Street in Georgetown, operated by a family with the wonderful name of “Bookwalter.”
