Tag Archives: gardening

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: liquor license, Food Forest, and Maple mural

The Bartell Drug Store at Rainier Avenue South and South College Street has applied for a new “Grocery Store – Beer/Wine” liquor license. If you wish to comment on the application, you can email your comments about license number 406481 to customerservice@liq.wa.gov.

Thanks to Shelly Bates!

* * *

The proposed Jefferson Park Food Forest has a new website with information about the Food Forest’s design and mission.

Thanks to Joel Lee!

* * *

Maple Elementary School is working on a mural project. Students, parents, and community members of all races will work together to create a mural for the school gym exterior that reflects the significance of The Maple Creed: “I know that our country was built by people of all races and I know that people of all races keep our country great.”

Community tile creation and tile glazing sessions will be held on the following Mondays from 3:30 – 8:30 pm: May 3, 10, 17, 24; June 7, 14. There will also be sessions on the following Saturdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: May 1, 22.

RSVPs are requested. To find out more about the project and RSVP, contact Terry Virdell at 206-898-5679, or email terryvirdell@gmail.com.

* * *

L to R: Representatives Bob Hasegawa and Zack Hudgins.
Local state Representatives Zack Hudgins and Bob Hasegawa invite residents of the 11th Legislative District to join them for a telephone town hall tonight, April 27, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hudgins and Hasegawa will discuss the 2010 legislative session, creating jobs, their priorities for the 2010 state budget, and the budget’s impact on local communities. Residents will be invited to stay on the line and join in on the conversation. You can also phone in directly between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. by dialing (toll-free) 877-229-8493, code 15512.

* * *

Last week, Cienna Madrid at the Stranger wrote about the new Streets for All Seattle Coalition, a group fighting to fund projects for bicycle, transit, and pedestrian improvements. In the article, SASC spokesman David Hiller specifically discusses how a transportation crisis in South Seattle has drawn organizations such as El Centro de la Raza into the coalition.

* * *

Gardeners take note — @VictrolaCoffee posted on Twitter: “Free bags of coffee grounds everyday at Victrola Beacon Hill – 3215 Beacon Ave So. – make your gardens grow!”

* * *

Please be careful with your pets. King County Animal Care and Control sent out a recent notice that there may be an outbreak of canine distemper in area raccoons. This disease is highly contagious among dogs, ferrets, and a variety of wild animals. Cats are not affected.

* * *

Asian Express, Dim Sum House, and Jefferson Community Center all received recent inspection visits from the Health Department. (Click each establishment’s name to see the results.) Congratulations to Jefferson Community Center for a perfect score of zero!

* * *

The Seattle City Council and Mayor will host a joint public meeting about the City’s budget here on Beacon Hill at the New Holly Gathering Hall, tomorrow, April 28, at 5:00 pm. The New Holly Gathering Hall is located at
7054 32nd Avenue South.

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Dancing, gardening, and going to meetings

1 Comment
Victrola Coffee received a perfect score in their recent inspection by the Health Department. This drink was photographed at Victrola by Christie Aesquivel, in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
There is a planning meeting for the Beacon Hill Food Forest at Jefferson Park, at 7:00 pm tonight at the Lawn Bowling Clubhouse (4103 Beacon Avenue South).

* * *

The Columbian Way paving project meeting is tomorrow, April 7, at the Mercer Middle School Library (1600 South Columbian Way) from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Here’s a flyer about the project.

* * *

Beacon Hill International School was the subject of a feature in the Seattle Times (BHB news partners) this week, including a great video about the language immersion program at the school.

* * *

If you like to dance and you’d also like to help raise some funds for Beacon Rocks!, swing by their website, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and sign up for their mailing list.

* * *

Beacon Hill is quite the hot spot for gardening activity this spring. Seattle Good Food Network‘s April meeting is next Thursday, April 15, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library. Learn a bit more about SGFN.

* * *

Wondering about the cabinet and fence business on 15th Avenue South near Cleveland High School? It’s for sale on Craigslist. Currently, however, the site has an open complaint filed against it with DPD for violations of the Seattle Land Use and Zoning Code.

* * *

Several of our local establishments have been visited by health inspectors recently. Congratulations to Golden Daisy and Victrola for achieving perfect scores of zero violations. Here are links to all the inspection reports:

* * *

The Friends of Cheasty Greenspace at Mountain View invite you to their upcoming planning meetings, where you’re invited to share your ideas for a trail plan and entry with “safe trails, way-finding, environmental learning, gathering spaces, welcoming trail heads.” The first meeting was April 1 and hosted a discussion of current conditions, ideas, and priorities.

Upcoming meetings: 7:00 to 8:30 pm, May 13—Review ideas, priorities, and options at the home of Amit Ranade and Jennifer Faubion-Ranade, 2615 South Edmunds Street.

7:00 to 8:30 pm, June 17—Open House to present trail plan; guided walks through Cheasty Greenspace/Mountain View at the end of South Alaska Place.

If you want to know more about the Friends of Cheasty Greenspace at Mountain View and get involved, email mdejong@spu.edu or adostrovsky@gmail.com or contact Pamela Kliment of Seattle Parks and Recreation, at Pamela.Kliment@seattle.gov or 206-684-7356.

Local Events, Meetings

Breakfast, groceries, and bowling among upcoming events

For more details on each item, follow the links.

THURSDAY 3/4 (today):

FRIDAY 3/5:

SATURDAY 3/6:

MONDAY 3/8:

THURSDAY 3/11:

SATURDAY 3/27:

THROUGH 3/31:

BH in the News

Alleycat Acres volunteers dig in

4 Comments

The Alleycat Acres urban farming collective had a successful “cropmob” work party on Sunday, to dig, till and build more garden beds in their fifth of an acre of urban farmland near Jefferson Park. The Seattle Times (BHB partners) published a great feature about the project, including a photo gallery.

Many more photos of the work party may be found in the Alleycat Acres photo pool on Flickr.

Volunteers getting grubby at the Alleycat Acres work party on Sunday. Photo by e pants (via Alleycat Acres photo pool - Creative Commons).
Clean and Green, Food and Drink

Gardening gets going

Glenn Herlihy issued a call for all interested in attending a Jefferson Park Community Garden and Food Forest meeting (in the Gardening forum and via David Gackenbach):

Good news… is all we got now.

The Parks Department has sent us a letter to go ahead and apply for the second round of applications for the Levy Opportunity Fund.
The application is due April 2nd and we’re going to do it. This has potential to build a lot of our Garden and is a great exercise for all who want understand public fund raising.

The VA Hospital has contacted us and is interested in some P-Patch or garden space for garden therapy. We can help with that.

We now have interested people from the community, Parks Department, Asa Mercer school, VA hospital, Mara Farms, Permaculture groups in the Seattle area and few others I may have missed. On top of that I just learned one of my good friends is good friends with Mr. MacPherson of MacPherson’s Produce. Maybe they would like some local fruit in a few years.

This next meeting will focus on:

  • the Levy Fund application,
  • finding a name for the garden,
  • welcoming the VA Hospital,
  • what to do with the 16th Ave dirt road and other design elements.
  • outreach possibilities
  • review

Please spread the word. All are welcome to attend.
If you have anything interesting flowering in your garden and want to share it with us please bring it.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2nd at 7pm at the Lawn Bowling Club House (4103 Beacon Avenue South).

* * *

Richard Kyper writes:

It’s springtime, and the garden is happening again. For those of you who know of, or have visited “The Garden,” and you know where I mean, this “e.” is for you.

Come and enjoy the beauty of the season as much as you like, but I do ask:

  • Please don’t pick the flowers or dig up plants. If you take them, no-one else can then enjoy them.
  • If you have a dog to walk, fine — but please keep your pet on the road, not in the garden, and pick up your messes.
  • Someone has been throwing their doggy doo doo bags into the woods. There is a trash can down at the overview park at 12th and McClellan.

    • Thanks, and cheers to a great early spring.

* * *

Alleycat Acres broke ground this past weekend on Beacon Hill. They’ve got photos on Flickr. Read more on Urban Food Producer and in the forums here.

A work party is planned for Sunday. More information is after the jump.

Continue reading Gardening gets going →

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: a strange hum, community gardening, and charity poker

4 Comments
Photo by Dapper Lad Cycles in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
Neighbor Laura from the Beacon Hill Bungalow blog has been appointed to the City of Seattle citizen advisory board on Garbage, Yardwaste & Recycling. She says, “if you’re a resident of Seattle and have thoughts about our solid waste service, leave me a comment. Part of my role is to reach out to folks in my community, specifically those folks in SE Seattle.”

* * *

Beacon Hill Elementary School once again had no violations when visited by Health Department inspectors. Congratulations!

* * *

Kevin on the mailing list wants to know about a hum:

“Has anyone else noticed a humming noise that occurs at night? It doesn’t
occur all the time, but when it does it sounds like a large vacuum or leaf
blower. If I stick my head out the window it’s impossible to pinpoint — it
sounds like it’s coming from all directions. I live near McClellan and
23rd.”

Kevin says that there was an article last year in the West Seattle Blog about a hum, but it doesn’t look like they found an answer there. Have you heard the hum on Beacon Hill?

* * *

Glenn Herlihy writes with news of the first Jefferson Park Community Garden meeting, on Tuesday February 2 (Groundhog Day), from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Lawn Bowling Club House, 4103 Beacon Ave South.

Herlihy says,

“A Community Garden in Jefferson Park would be a meeting place where people can grow nutritious food to reduce their food budget or share what they grow. It would provide a place for the unemployed or underemployed, to grow food and help provide for their family. A community garden would stimulate social interaction between neighbors and provide opportunities for intergenerational and cross cultural connections. It would increase security by having more activity in the area.”

The proposed site for the garden is on the western slope of Jefferson Park, south of South Columbian Way, east of 15th Avenue South. All who are interested in community gardens are invited to the meeting.

* * *

El Centro De La Raza is holding a poker tournament and fundraiser on Saturday, February 20. The tournament is a Texas Hold ’em tournament with professional dealers, and the first prize is a $1,000 prepaid entry in the World Poker Tournament, (or an optional Visa Gift Card). There will be prizes for the top five finalists as well. The cost is $35 in advance, or $45 at the door. See http://www.elcentrofundraiser.com/ for more information and registration. 

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Four Amigos, food safety, and funky foliage

KPLU has a lovely story about “the Four Amigos”: Roberto Maestas, Larry Gossett, Bob Santos, and the late Bernie Whitebear, activists who played a large role in Seattle’s history over the last 40 years. Maestas, of course, played a particular role in Beacon Hill’s history by helping found El Centro de la Raza, and leading the organization until he retired recently.

* * *

BeHi Bonsai, the blog about the funky topiary foliage found throughout Beacon Hill, has found a yard that goes above and beyond the call of topiary duty: “Rings of foliage waft above the ground magically as if there is some unseen creature underground blowing leafy smoke rings for our amusement.”

* * *

Health Department restaurant inspectors have recently visited a few more local establishments. Results of the inspections are posted online. The Aloha Grocery at 7762 Beacon Avenue South had 8 “blue” violation points (“surfaces not maintained, clean, sanitized”), El Delicioso at 2500 Beacon Avenue South had 5 blue violation points (plumbing issues), and Wing Luke Elementary School at 3701 South Kenyon Street scored a perfect 0. (Congratulations!) Dahlak Eritrean Cuisine at 2007 South State Street (at the foot of Beacon Hill, near Oberto’s) received 10 “red critical” violation points, for inadequate hand washing facilities.

Context: 45 or more red violation points force a re-inspection within two weeks, 90 or more red points force closure of the establishment, and 120 or more total (red and blue) points force closure of the establishment as well. So all of these businesses were in no danger of closure. Even one red violation is enough to result in an unsatisfactory inspection, however, and specialists work with the operators of the establishment to make sure that the situation is corrected immediately.

* * *

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Cheasty, permits, gardens, and snow plans

6 Comments
Photo from Seattle Department of Transportation
Photo from Seattle Department of Transportation

Cheasty Boulevard to get new brown street signs thanks to the Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP)’s recommendation made after the 2003 Seattle Olmsted Park System Centennial celebration. More about the signs in Crosscut.

* * *

Speaking of Cheasty, Green Seattle Day is tomorrow. They’re looking for volunteers to help out in the Cheasty Greenspace at 10am Saturday, rain or shine.

* * *

Recommended boundary maps for Seattle Public Schools new student assignment plan. The school board votes November 18th. There’s one more public meeting on Saturday (tomorrow).

* * *

The Friends of the Seattle Public Library encourage you to email the undecided City Council members and help keep the Beacon Hill Library (and several others) open more than 35 hours a week.

* * *

Identical permits to “Construct alterations to replace doors, windows and install air blend fan, per King Co. Sound Insulation Bid Pkg. #7 and floor plan, subject to field inspection, [subject to field inspection]” have been filed for a number of properties in South Beacon Hill, running about $40,000 a pop. (Sounds like a construction company made the same mistake multiple times.)

* * *

United Way and El Centro are again offering free raised bed gardens and gardening assistance for seniors.

* * *

KOMO’s Travis Mayfield reports on the US Senate approving funds for Seattle Youth Violence Prevention and El Centro’s executive director Estelle Ortega being named to newly elected King County Executive Dow Constantine’s transition team.

* * *

Metro has announced their new winter “snow plan” — West Seattle Blog

Life on the Hill, Neighborhood Pride

Rocking, cycling, and gardening: Beacon Hill sights

A guitarist tries out the music space at ROCKiT space. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
A guitarist tries out the music space at ROCKiT space. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
The new ROCKiT space non-profit music and art organization on Beacon Avenue held their grand opening this weekend. Bridget Christian was there, and has posted a great set of photos from the event on Flickr. She says, “GREAT place for kids… all kinds of art stuff to do, books, instruments to mess around on.”

Jesse Vernon, of The Stranger, recently discovered the Chief Sealth Trail, which, he says, starts on Beacon Hill and then “transports you to Kubota Garden via Ireland. Or New Zealand. Or some other place with rolling green hills I’ve never been.” However, some commenters on Vernon’s post complained about the trail’s hills, and one commenter, Kinkos, suggested that the best way to ride the trail is to “take light rail to beacon hill, ride to the trailhead, then ride downhill on the trail to near the end – to the rainier beach sta. catch the train back to beacon hill, and repeat.”

Willie Weir has been photographing his Beacon Hill garden all year as part of an “exercise in extreme local travel” — enjoying the sights close to home that we often overlook. He’s posted a gorgeous video collection of last spring’s photos on YouTube.

Crime

Thief stealing plants from Beacon Hill gardens

7 Comments

Spring is here, and Beaconians’ thoughts are turning to gardening — but at least one person around here has turned his thoughts to theft. Two posters on the mailing list have reported thefts of shrubs, trees, and flowers from neighborhood gardens.

One neighbor, April, reported on Monday, “We had two shrubs stolen a little after midnight on Sunday, our neighbor had several newly planted shrubs stolen recently and El Centro has had some flowers that were donated to them stolen.”

Another neighbor, Cat, added today, “On April 21 – 22, 2009 four of the recent plants I had put in the ground in front of my fence on 16th Ave S were stolen. Last weekend my neighbor on Bayview had another large plant stolen. She has also had a tree stolen, some pavers, and other small plants taken from the side of her yard. The Cesar Chavez memorial garden at El Centro de la Raza has also had plant thefts. The thief is watching and making sure to target houses that have just recently planted new shrubs or trees so he could be local.”

This is not necessarily a new situation around the Hill. Garden thefts have been happening in the area for the last year or so, including a theft of two large planters from in front of The Beacon condominiums near the Red Apple last September.

The current series of thefts are generally occurring at night, between 11:00 pm and midnight. A suspect has been photographed by security cameras; he’s a middle-aged balding man who smokes.

Has your garden been a victim of this thief or thieves?