Tag Archives: fall

Colorful October

Robinette Struckel posted some wonderful photos of autumn on Beacon Hill to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr, including these amazing leaves. Thanks, Robinette!

We’d love to feature your Beacon Hill photos, too. If you have images of Beacon Hill to share, please consider contributing to the pool. Sometimes we aren’t able to use photos right away, but we do appreciate all of them. Thanks to all the wonderful Beacon Hill photographers out there!

Photo by Robinette Struckel in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

A photographic look back at 2009 on Beacon Hill

During the last year, many of you have contributed amazing photos to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. The photos you see here today were chosen from the nearly 700 photos that were taken and posted in the photo pool during 2009. Some were chosen because of their photographic beauty; others, because they captured newsworthy moments on the Hill. Some of these we’ve published before, and some we haven’t.

We would like to thank all of our wonderful Beacon Hill photographers for posting photos to the pool and their generosity in allowing us to share them with you. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2009. Happy New Year!

A foggy morning at Beacon Hill Playfield in January. Photo by Bridget Christian.
Enjoying the horsie ride at the Red Apple. Photo by melissajonas.
Keeping cool in a Beacon Hill condo pool, late July. Photo by Bridget Christian.
A door opened in the July heat at Kusina Filipina. Photo by l0st2.
Waiting to try the new light rail train on opening weekend at Beacon Hill Station. Photo by Jason.
Continue reading A photographic look back at 2009 on Beacon Hill

Maria Isabel Velez: Images of SE Seattle in fiery color

This beautiful photo of autumn leaves on the grounds of the VA Hospital is by Maria Isabel Velez. Her photostream on Flickr has some beautiful atmospheric images of things in Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Georgetown, and elsewhere. According to her profile, all of the photos were taken with her iPhone!

Many of the images are of things that might go unnoticed — a crack in concrete, a rusting bench, an outlet on a wall. Maria’s use of composition and saturated color makes them fascinating.

Some other photos I particularly enjoyed in Maria’s photostream:

Beacon Bits: health inspections, parking spaces, and bridge rehab

The Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge: going to rehab. Not the Amy Winehouse kind. Photo by Wendi.
The Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge: going to rehab. Not the Amy Winehouse kind. Photo by Wendi.
Two local establishments have recently been visited by the Health Department’s intrepid inspectors. The Beacon Hill 76 station at 2415 Beacon Avenue South scored 0 (yes, zero) violation points. Congratulations! The Beacon Pub at 3057 Beacon Avenue South scored 45 violation points on October 14, all related to problems keeping things cold enough. (Perhaps these are problems with the new hot dog cart.) To give a little perspective on this point total, 45 or more red critical violation points require a re-inspection within 14 days, 90 or more red critical violation points require that the establishment be closed, and 120 or more total (red and blue) points also require that the establishment be closed. The 45 points that the Beacon Pub received were mixed red and blue points, so they were in no danger of being closed. Still, we hope the temperature issues are now fixed. We like having another food option in the neighborhood.

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Wondering what happened to the disabled parking spaces near Jefferson Park Golf Course on Beacon Avenue South? Apparently they were wrongly placed in the public right-of-way, so they’ve been removed. The city is installing new parking for the disabled in back of the course clubhouse. — Seattle Times

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If you tried to drive west through Sodo yesterday, you might have noticed that westbound South Spokane Street is now closed between Fourth and First Avenues South. This is part of the South Spokane Street Viaduct widening project. The detour route will send you north on Fourth Avenue to South Lander Street, then west to First Avenue, then back south to Spokane Street — West Seattle Blog

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And speaking of construction projects, the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge is going into rehab. Bridge rehab involves repairs and improvements to extend the bridge’s service life and reduce the frequency of required repairs and maintenance. The rehab work begins later this year.

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j_dong on Twitter posted a gorgeous picture of Beacon Hill autumn foliage. Thanks!

Walking with Tica: Election Edition

Vote sign at El Centro, November 2008. Photo by Wendi.
"Vote" sign at El Centro, November 2008. Photo by Wendi.
Leaves are starting to turn and clouds are staying around for days instead of hours.  There’s that certain crispness in the air and football on TV (Go, Pack, Go!).  It must be election season.

Tica and I have been walking the blocks of North Beacon Hill since 2003.  We’ve watched election signs go up for Kerry, Bush, Rossi, Gregoire, Obama, McCain, Rossi, Gregoire… plus the monorail, levies, school board elections, parks, and more.  This year, there just isn’t the same showing–for any issue or any candidate. Where are the yard signs? Is it too early in the season?  Are candidates not producing them in the same way? It can’t be that Beacon Hill has become less interested in politics.  The 36th District is active, engaged, smart and passionate.  Both Democrats and Republicans in Beacon Hill vote.

Candidates are falling over themselves to attend and organize forums, townhalls, and walks in Beacon Hill and other parts of Southeast Seattle.  The City is working on a Neighborhood Plan to decide how high buildings in the Beacon Hill “urban village” will be.  There are changes proposed to improve the safety of cyclists on our streets.  I know our neighbors have opinions–get involved! Attend meetings if you can, read up on the issues if you can’t, and talk to your neighbors.

Most importantly, register to vote and confirm that your ballot is on track to be mailed to your current address.  All voting is by mail in Seattle.  Go to My Vote to be sure that you’re going to get your ballot.  Do you have a new roommate or neighbor?  Do you know someone who just turned 18?  Monday October 5th (today!) is the last day to register or change your address online.  If you have never registered in Washington, you have until October 26th to register in person.

We have several important choices on the ballot this November.  There are two new candidates for Mayor: Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan.  We’re choosing between several City Council candidates AND there’s a race for City Attorney and King County Executive.  We are also voting on two statewide initiatives that could have lasting impact: I-1033 (a Tim Eyman initative) and R-71, a referendum to roll back approve or reject domestic partnership benefits.

Learn about the candidates and their values.  Understand the implications of the initiatives.  Vote.  That’s even more important than yard signs.

(Editor’s note — corrected R-71 reference. If you vote “approve” on R-71, that is to approve the new state domestic partnership law. If you vote “reject,” your vote would be to repeal the law.)