On Wednesday morning, October 21, Beacon Hill residents were shocked and disturbed to find the Amor Spiritual Center, 2528 Beacon Ave S., had been defaced overnight with a swastika and the words “Hate in many la language” (sic), most likely referring to the Center’s slogan “Love in many languages.”
When neighbor Callista Chen posted the above picture to the Facebook group Beacon Hill Social Club, neighbors rallied to denounce the graffiti and offer to help clean up. Later on Wednesday, second- and third-grade students at Beacon Hill International School sent artwork and messages of support to decorate the Amor building.
Though one or two people posted comments blaming “gentrifiers” for what happened, most neighbors in the Facebook group avoided the temptation to use this event to add divisiveness to the community. Gentrification certainly is an important topic, one that should be discussed, but it seems unlikely that affluent new residents go around tagging Beacon Avenue buildings in between shifts at Amazon.
The people at Amor have scheduled an Amor Love Circle Event for this Sunday, October 25, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. “Join us to create a Love Circle on Beacon Hill. It is time for us to transform all the hatred, bigotry, and racism with our love. We have tried countless other ways; let us now choose love.” All are welcome.
At least 17 shots were fired during a rolling gun battle between two vehicles Thursday evening on Beacon Avenue near Jefferson Park, sending a family of bicyclists running for cover and damaging cars parked along the street, police said.
Witnesses reported seeing the two vehicles–a cream-colored Ford Bronco and a gold Honda–rolling south on Beacon Avenue, exchanging gunfire as they passed the Jefferson Golf Course at around 8 p.m.
No one was injured in the shooting, but two vehicles parked on the street were struck by gunfire.
A family riding their bicycles on Beacon Avenue also had to run for cover to avoid being hit by bullets during the shootout.
Gang unit detectives responded to the scene, talked to witnesses and gathered evidence.
Investigators are still working to identify the suspected shooters.
This light pole was knocked down by a van Thursday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Angela Castañeda, Beacon Hill Merchants Association.
Reported yesterday (Thursday, June 28) on the Beacon Hill Merchants Facebook page:
Unneighborly neighbor, potential tragedy averted: At approximately 3:10pm this afternoon a group of summer camp kids and another smaller group of middle school boys were walking toward the library when this once lovely light pole was knocked flat behind them by a large camper van. One boy said he felt the swoosh of air as it fell behind him. The man and woman were said to be hanging out there for a while, possibly arguing and drinking, before they rammed the pole as they pulled away from the curb.
Your dear Merchants staff gathered data, provided details to SPD and reported to City Light. In no time Dan and Scott from City Light’s emergency crew were onsite to disconnect wires and make the sidewalk safe again. Thanks guys!
This new mural appeared recently on the north wall of the Bar del Corso building. (Photo by Wendi Dunlap.)...and the former ROCKiT Space building, previously white, is now deep red. Soon it will open as the Tippe and Drague pub. (Photo by Wendi Dunlap.)
This building will become the Tippe and Drague Alehouse. Photo by Curtis Cronn in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.With all of the discussion lately about The Oak, a few have been reminded of another drinking establishment expected to open soon on Beacon Avenue South, the Tippe and Drague Alehouse. The Tippe and Drague will be located in the former ROCKiT space building at 3315 Beacon Ave. S. It has been nearly a year since the news first broke about the alehouse (at the time, they said “anticipate suds flowing in June”), and there have been rumors going around the neighborhood that the Tippe and Drague might not open after all.
The Beacon Hill Blog contacted the alehouse’s owners, Melissa Cabal and Robert McConaughy, to find out what is happening. Here’s what they told us:
“There’ve been a few snags with the city and permitting but we’re moving forward and hope to open in May—alehouse with food, local beers and wines. One side of the space will allow minors to accommodate the high number of families with small children in the neighborhood.”
They say the liquor license is not an issue, and that they have been granted a provisional license already, with the permanent license to come shortly before the pub opens. It is possible, then, that both the Oak and the Tippe and Drague will open this spring. Big changes are on the way for Beacon Avenue nightlife.
Beacon Avenue South, looking northward from roughly Beacon and Stevens, February 24, 1955. The photo was intended to show the street lights. Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.Nearly the same shot, taken on January 11, 2011 in the falling snow. Photo by Wendi.
It was difficult to match this image exactly because, though you can’t see from the photo, the snow was falling heavily and the photographer’s fingers were freezing. However, they are a fairly close match.
The Mobil Station on the left is now an auto repair shop that looks quite different, but if you walk by and look behind the building, you can see an old Mobil “Red Pegasus” sign. The house beyond the Mobil station is now the Beacon Hill Library. The sign on the corner that advertised the Mobil is in the same location today, and may be the same structure.
The trees that now grace the planting strip on the east side of Beacon, as large as they are now, weren’t there at all in 1955.
The trolley wires are still intact for the use of Beacon Hill’s trolleybuses.
More images of a snowy Beacon Hill from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. Do you have photos of Beacon Hill? We invite you to add them to the pool, and thank those of you who have contributed!
Near the fire station at Beacon and Spokane Street. Photo by Furchin.By RS_Photographs.The historic church building at 16th and Forest catches the rays of Tuesday's sunrise. Photo by Wendi.Photo by K. Shuyler.In this snow and light, the temporary fence at Jefferson Park almost looks like art. Photo by Furchin.
On July 7, Mark Holland and I (representing Beacon BIKES) met with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Sound Transit to discuss options for improving the pedestrian crossing in front of the light rail station. As it currently stands the crossing is not very safe. The crossing distance is very long, people do not use the crosswalks, traffic moves too fast, and the bus stops complicate the foot and vehicular traffic patterns. Add to this the surge of people coming from the light rail station and we have an accident waiting to happen. You can see a previous post about the dangers of the crossing here.
Sound Transit was planning to repave the section of Beacon between McClellan and Lander without improving the pedestrian crossing. Beacon BIKES got wind of this and arranged a meeting to discuss options for pedestrian improvements as part of the repave. SDOT was instrumental in setting up the meeting and convincing Sound Transit that this crossing needed to be improved (Thanks Sam Woods!!). Based on our meeting SDOT came up with the following design. The SDOT draft plan for Beacon Avenue. Click the image to load a larger, more-readable PDF of the plan.
The major features of the new design are a planted median, widened crosswalks at either end of the block, and narrowed travel lanes. The narrowed lanes would mean that buses stop in lane. In lane bus stops are being implemented all over the city as a means of speeding up the bus system. The median would have a tasteful barrier down the middle so people could not stream across the street at mid block. Instead, they would be directed to the wide crosswalks at the corners to cross. With the widened sidewalks the crossing distance would be shortened making for a safer pedestrian experience.
The design that Beacon BIKES put forward did not have in lane bus stops but did include a raised crosswalk at mid-block. Our logic here was that everyone wants to cross at mid-block to get to the bus, so why not give them an avenue to do that instead of forcing them around (also the raised crosswalk would act as a speed table and slow traffic down). SDOT did not like the mid-block crossing idea because of the relatively short distance between McClellan and Lander, but we are still hoping they will reconsider. 🙂
As is apparent from the rough nature of the design sheet, the plan is not finalized, so this is your chance to come up with an inspired idea that will make this pedestrian crossing safe and inviting while still accommodating bus, bike, and vehicle traffic.
In the meantime check out Beacon BIKES on Facebook, and come to our next meeting to join the fun. The meeting is on Monday, November 15, at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South.
These are some of the photos recently uploaded to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. Do you have any photos of the Hill? You are invited to add them to the pool, for possible publication here on the blog.
Josephine enjoys the playground at Jefferson Park. Photo by tkml79.The new crosswalk was recently completed in front of the library. There are small flashing lights embedded in the crosswalk that activate when people walk between sensors on either side of the street. Photo by Wendi.Klara Glosova's Oily Pelican sculpture was one of the artworks seen at the latest NEPO art event. Photo by Dan Bennett.A political statement recently seen among other posters on Beacon Avenue. Photo by Wendi.
We have received a few questions over the last couple of months about the new crosswalk beacons on Beacon Avenue South at South Lander, just in front of Beacon Hill Station. The crosswalk signs and lights were installed in October, but the lights did not function, and no buttons were installed to activate them.
The lights have just started working recently. According to SDOT, the delay was caused when the lights were installed by Sound Transit’s contractor, who installed the wrong wiring for them. The contractor removed and replaced the wiring, and now the overhead crosswalk beacons are on and flashing. (They won’t be button-controlled.)
