Tag Archives: festival

Beacon Bits: Grant money, free acupuncture, and a flying cart

One of our Beacon Hill neighbors hanging out on a tree. Photo by Freeman Mester in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
We missed this, so we have to thank the Rainier Valley Post for bringing it to our attention. Last year, Jason lamented that the 2009 Neighborhood Business District grant money passed our neighborhood by. Things have changed. The new Beacon Merchants Association recently received a 2010 Neighborhood Business District grant from the city’s Office of Economic Development (OED), to be used for membership outreach and board training.

* * *

Beacon Pub is starting a Trivia Night every Wednesday at 7:00 pm. It’s free to play, and the current first place prize is a $20 coupon for pub drinks and food. Up to four players are allowed per team. The weekly event is organized and hosted by members of the community.

* * *

A member of the BAN list posted a runaway tale to that mailing list the other day:

“A shopping cart was sent flying down Grand Street in the middle of the night (last night) with a giant television in it. It crashed on 12th, making an awful mess. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and all property seems unscathed.” Police and the Illegal Dumping Department were contacted.

* * *

There’s a lot happening on Beacon Hill these days. Don’t forget to check our Events page to keep track of everything going on, including events like the following:

CommuniChi Community Acupuncture has two Free Acupuncture Days for new patients on Friday, August 13, and Saturday, August 14. You can reserve a spot using their online scheduler. The clinic is located at 2524 16th Avenue South, #301, inside the El Centro building.

* * *

The League of Women Voters is holding a Primary Election Forum at Seattle First Baptist Church (Harvard and Seneca), on Thursday, August 5, from 7:30 – 9:00 pm to hear statewide candidates for two State Supreme Court seats and local King County Council District 8 candidates. (Part of Beacon Hill is in District 8.) King County Council District 8 voters will choose among four candidates in the August 17 primary election. For more information contact the League office at 206-329-4848, visit the website, or email info@seattlelwv.org.

* * *

The Second Annual Rizal Park Fest will take place on Sunday August 15 from 12 noon to 8:00 pm at, you guessed it, Dr. Jose Rizal Park, across from Pac Med/Amazon. There will be nine live bands along with food vendors, artists, and activities for the whole family. See the website for more, and please note that volunteers are needed!

18th Annual Beacon Hill Festival this Saturday

It’s June again, which means it’s just about time for the 18th Annual Beacon Hill Festival! The Festival is at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South, on Saturday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s theme is “Around the World on Beacon Hill,” and the all-ages event will feature local entertainment, food, a silent auction, carnival games, and bounce toys.

All proceeds of the event go to support scholarships and programs provided by the Jefferson Community Center Advisory Council.

Here are some photos from last year’s festival. (All photos are by Jason.)

Beacon Bits: Bazaar, barista, and a giant teepee

Victrola is looking for a "Barista w/BeaHill love & skills." Is that you? Photo by Wendi.
Beacon Hill International School is hosting their annual Beacon Bazaar on Saturday, June 12 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, on the 14th Avenue South sidewalk in front of the school. If you would like to rent a table to sell items, you can find a registration form at the above link.

* * *

Also in Beacon Hill International School news, two members of the school’s Chess Club competed in the 2010 Washington State Elementary Chess Championships on April 24 in Tacoma. Congratulations to first-grader Jay Zinschlag and fourth-grader Paul Wickward who each won two of five games in their tournament.

* * *

Victrola recently posted a help wanted ad for a barista, and said “interests in coffee processing, roasting and cupping and the BeaHill/SouthSeattle area are important.” Know your way around an espresso machine and Beacon Hill? See the ad for more info.

* * *

The Seattle school district has been awarded grants totaling $5.76 million over three years for three schools under the School Improvement Grant program, including Cleveland High School on Beacon Hill. The three-year grants, awarded by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with funding from the federal stimulus package, will support school improvement plans at Cleveland as well as at Hawthorne and West Seattle elementary schools.

The additional resources will be used to support the transformation of Cleveland High School into a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) school.

Here is a fact sheet about Cleveland’s plan.

* * *

Joaquin Uy writes, “A few of us were wondering what happened to the giant teepee that used to be seen driving down McClellan. I believe there were protest signs by the teepee too.” Anyone know?

* * *

Franklin High School is taking it to the streets for the Franklin Arts Festival on Saturday, May 15 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in front of Franklin High School, 3013 South Mount Baker Boulevard. There will be music by the Nyamuziwa Marimba Ensemble. Franklin’s Marching Band, Lion Dancers, and other talented student groups will be there too, and there will be displays of the visual arts and crafts including ceramics, drawing, woodworking and painting. The event is free.

* * *

The City of Seattle Office of City Auditor is conducting a review of the City’s response to graffiti, and has set up a questionnaire to help gather information from individuals, businesses, and organizations about how graffiti affects them.

The questionnaire is here. The deadline to complete it is May 10.

Beacon Bits: Cuisine, census, and constituent voices

It's not every day you see someone cycling down Beacon Avenue with a tuba on his back, but this fellow did it on Saturday. Photo by Wendi.
Tasha’s Bistro Café will be opening soon at the former Culinary Communion house on Beacon Avenue South. We spoke on Saturday with owner Tasha Sawabini, who also operates the Elegant Gourmet Catering company. She told us that the restaurant will be serving Northwest cuisine, and that she hopes to be able to open by Memorial Day weekend. The current plan is for the café to offer brunch on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

* * *

The Seattle Office of Emergency Management is hosting a disaster preparedness workshop at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South, on this Tuesday, May 4 from 6:30-7:45 pm. At the “Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare” workshop, you’ll learn simple steps to safeguard your home before disaster, take a quake-safe action wherever you are, and create a neighborhood team. The workshop is free, and no pre-registration is necessary.

* * *

The PTA at Dearborn Park Elementary will host its first Dearborn Park Bazaar and Festival on May 22 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. They will sell garage sale items, arts, crafts, plants, and food, and have games and performances. For information on renting space to sell your own items or performing at the event, please contact Nelrica Mosqueda or Angela Sheffey at 206-252-6930 or email dearbornparkpta@yahoo.com. The group also needs monetary and/or gift certificate donations to make the event happen.

* * *

Some of the treats that were served at A Touch of Sweden's open house on Saturday. Photo by Wendi.
The open house for A Touch of Sweden was at the former Culinary Communion house (soon to be Tasha’s Bistro Café) this weekend. Baker Kajsa Soderlund told us the event was a big success, and while we were there we saw quite a few people come in to try out the baked goods, which included cinnamon rolls, “Dream” cookies, and other treats. (The items we tried were tasty, and we hope there will be a storefront on Beacon Hill someday for A Touch of Sweden—which is currently open only for advance ordering.)

* * *

The Beaconettes, an all-women a cappella singing group who “cleverly satirize Seattle’s icons, issues and celebrities with a specific focus on Beacon Hill and neighborhoods south of the ship canal,” will be performing at the Mount Baker Community Center on Thursday, May 13 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm to help raise money for Kimball Elementary’s Annual Fund.

The suggested donation is $15 per person. Contributions will help support Kimball’s Annual Fund which pays for arts and afterschool programs, bilingual translations, field trips, books, school supplies and more.

* * *

State Senator Adam Kline (D-37th District) will stop by Quarters 1 at the PacMed Campus on May 11 to meet with community members and hear what his constituents have to say. The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Tuesday, May 11, in Quarters 1 at the northwest corner of 14th Avenue South and South Judkins Street. If you are driving, please park on the street.

* * *

If you didn’t get your Census form mailed in, you should expect a knock on the door soon. Census takers are out and about this month visiting households that didn’t return their census forms. In most cases, census workers will make initial visits during afternoons, early evenings and weekends.

If a 2010 Census worker knocks on your door, here are some ways to verify that person is a legitimate census taker:

  • The census taker must present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. The census taker may also be carrying a black canvas bag with a Census Bureau logo.
  • The census taker will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the local census office phone number for verification, if asked.
  • The census taker only will ask you the questions that appear on the 2010 Census form.
  • The 2010 Census taker will not ask for social security number, bank account number or credit card number and will never solicit for donations or contact you by email.

* * *

Health Department inspectors recently visited a few more establishments on Beacon Hill: The Pacific Asian Empowerment Program, M C Foodstore, St. George School, Graham Street Grocery, and Beacon Hill Foods. (Click on the links to see the full report for each inspection.)

Congratulations to the Pacific Asian Empowerment Program, M C Foodstore, Graham Street Grocery, and Beacon Hill Foods for getting perfect scores of zero!

* * *

Thanks to everyone who sent in notices this time!

Beacon Rocks! rolling onward

Beacon Hill Music logo The Beacon Rocks! music series project planned for this summer is moving full-speed ahead. Beacon Hill Music, the community group that is putting the event together, has been awarded a Small Sparks Fund grant. The Small Sparks Fund of the Department of Neighborhoods provides awards of up to $1,000 to support community efforts such as events and neighborhood organizing. They have awarded Beacon Hill Music $860 for the “Beacon Rocks!” series, which will pay for the permits for all four events this summer.

There are two fundraisers for Beacon Hill Music: a Backyard Party scheduled for Sunday, May 16 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm, and a Dance Party on Saturday, May 22 from 7:00 pm “till we drop”. To RSVP for either event and get addresses and other information, email beaconrocks@gmail.com.

The final Beacon Idol event of 2010 is Saturday May 29 at 7:00 pm. If you live, work, or go to school in Beacon Hill, you can audition for Beacon Rocks! at the Beacon Idol event. If you’re not a performer, come and cheer the contestants on. The event will be at ROCKiT Space, 3315 Beacon Avenue South.

The Beacon Rocks! shows are a free, outdoor, family-friendly Beacon-centric music series, including all styles of music, and will be held on June 13, July 11, August 8, and August 29 at the new Festival Street next to Beacon Hill Station at Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street.

For more information about Beacon Music and Beacon Rocks, see the website.

Applications and donations now accepted for Beacon Hill Festival XVII

Photo by go-team from the Beacon Hill Blog pool on Flickr.

The 17th annual Beacon Hill Festival is coming Saturday, June 5th to the Jefferson Community Center at 3801 Beacon Ave S. Applications for vendors are being accepted now and must be submitted by May 7th. Donations for the silent auction fundraiser are sought, and tax-deductible donations and sponsorships are also welcomed.

PDF application forms for vendors, auction donations, and sponsors are available from the Jefferson Community Center page on the Seattle Parks and Recreation website.

If you have questions, contact Tiffani Harris, Assistant Recreation Center Coordinator at tiffani.harris@seattle.gov or call 206-684-7481.

Beacon Bits: Planning, protesting, and playing

One potential future for North Beacon Hill (looking north on Beacon Avenue, near McClellan. El Centro is in the upper right of this image).
One potential future for North Beacon Hill (looking north on Beacon Avenue, near McClellan. El Centro is in the upper right of this image).
Recently there were two open houses to display the most recent planning goals and strategies for the North Beacon Hill, North Rainier, and Othello neighborhood plan updates. Over 160 people attended these open houses to view and comment on some of the potential strategies for our Southeast Seattle neighborhoods. If you could not attend, the city still needs to hear from you! You can view the materials that were presented at the open house here, then submit your comments online here. The deadline for this comment period is October 30, 2009.

* * *

Neighbors living near South Stevens Street and 12th Avenue South have been asking why the large power lines on their street can’t be moved underground. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, an electrical system upgrade is about to do just that. — Capitol Hill Seattle

* * *

Our neighbors in the Central District share our pain when it comes to airplane noise. One CD resident, Patty Fong, has started an Under the Flight Path! group on Facebook to “advocate for environmental justice in Seattle’s affected neighborhoods (Central District, Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, White Center, Burien and others under the flight path disproportionately) and for speedy advancements in reduction of airplane noise.” — Central District News

* * *

The Rainier Valley Cooperative Preschool is hosting a Fall Rummage Sale on Saturday, October 24 from 12 noon – 4:00 pm at Beacon Hill Lutheran Church, 1720 South Forest Street (between 17th and 18th). Along with the sale there will be a Fall Festival for all ages. The 1700 block of South Forest will be closed for the party, which will include games, crafts, a bake sale, Dante’s Inferno Dogs, and, at 1:00 pm, live music by Brian Vogan.

* * *

Youth in Focus, a non-profit organization that empowers urban teens through photography, is holding their annual Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, October 24, from 12 noon – 5:00 pm at the AMF Imperial Lanes, 2101 22nd Avenue South. The goal of the bowl-a-thon is to raise $15,000 to help Youth in Focus provide free photography classes and mentoring to underserved teens in the Seattle community. Teams of five bowlers will bowl in two shifts, noon – 2:00 pm, or 2:30 – 4:30 pm. This year’s theme is “Come as your own Superhero!”, so dress accordingly! All are invited. To sign up or get more information, please email Jessica at jessicag@youthinfocus.org.

* * *

El Quetzal on Beacon Avenue has applied for a beer/wine liquor license.

Benefit concert and Bookfest coming soon

Massive_ReliefLooking for something to do this weekend and next? All-ages events are scheduled nearby in Rainier Valley each of the next two weekends: one to raise money to help those in need, and one to celebrate the printed word.

Local dance crew Massive Monkees and hip-hop group Blue Scholars will share a stage for the first time again in a benefit show on Sunday, Massive Relief, to raise money for victims of the recent tropical storm Ketsana. The benefit, featuring a b-boy/b-girl (break dance) workshop, food, conversation, live music and more, is open to all ages, and will be held at 2:00 pm October 18 at the Filipino Community Center, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. Later that evening there is a 21+ after-party benefit concert, at 8:00 pm at The Crocodile, 2200 Second Avenue in Belltown. (via the P-I’s Big Blog)

The following weekend, Columbia City will be the place for local booklovers to be, with the arrival of the 2009 Seattle Bookfest. The Bookfest will be held on October 24 and 25, from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm at the Columbia City Event Center, the former Columbia School building at 3528 South Ferdinand Street. This is only a block away from Columbia City Station, and also a block away from Rainier Avenue and “downtown” Columbia City. The event will include activities for the whole family, many authors and speakers on three author stages, and lots of local publishers, bookstores, and others displaying their wares.

(Thanks for the correction, PB.)

Saturday on the Hill: McGinn Town Hall, Mid-Autumn Festival of Lights

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn is hosting a town hall meeting tomorrow (Saturday, October 3) on South Beacon Hill. The location is the Van Asselt Community Center, 2821 South Myrtle Street. The town hall meeting starts at 3:00 pm.

Quite nearby is another event, the Mid-Autumn Festival of Lights (Trung Thu) at John C. Little Park, 6961 37th Avenue South. This event is free, and includes moon cakes, storytelling, lanterns, face painting, and more celebratory fun. It’s from 6:00-9:00 pm, so you can easily attend both events.

Free festival in Othello Park on Sunday features performers, food, and… goats

One event near Beacon Hill this weekend that we didn’t mention the other day: The Othello Park International Festival, from 12:00 noon until 6:00 pm this Sunday in Othello Park, 4351 South Othello Street. Performers at the festival will include Audio Couture, Adefua, the Zydeco Locals, Mariachi Colima, steppers and lion dancers; there will also be food vendors, goats, face painting, and container garden giveaways. Admission is free. The easiest way to get there: take Link to Othello Station, and walk 1/2 block east to Othello Park.