ROCKiT space would like to recognize the generous efforts of our neighbors and partners City Fruit and Jose Rizal Park Orchard for picking and delivering 300 pounds of apples to Garden House! These little beauties will be pressed into cider at the Beacon Hill Harvest Fair October 22. The cider will be shared with neighbors who attend the event. Folks should bring clean jars or containers to take some home!
The Harvest Fair will run from 2-9 p.m. on October 22 at the Garden House, 2336 15th Ave. S. Stay tuned for more information later this week!
The proposed reconfiguration of the Jose Rizal Park Off-Leash Area was not presented at last night’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting as was previously scheduled. Instead, Brenda Kramer from Seattle Parks and Recreation announced that there will be a public meeting held on October 20 at Jefferson Community Center to discuss the new plan.
Kramer told the neighbors in attendance, including a quite a few who were there to protest the proposed park shrinkage, that the plan for the Off-Leash Area (OLA) is currently being redesigned and Parks wants input from park users.
Several neighbors did speak up at the meeting to express their wish to keep the Off-Leash Area large. One neighbor said that other OLAs are small, and the Jose Rizal Park OLA is “a jewel” for the city because of its larger size. She added that dog parks are amenities to a neighborhood that are equivalent to light rail stations or grocery stores.
Another neighbor added: “You have a duty as a city to provide canine infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Olmsted Brothers did not forsee that need.”
Kramer, Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, and other city representatives in attendance emphasized that those interested in the dog park should attend the October 20 meeting to provide input. The meeting will most likely be from 7-8 p.m., but stay tuned to the Beacon Hill Blog for further information as the date draws closer.
The North Beacon Hill Council meeting, usually the first Thursday of the month, was delayed until this week because of the library’s closure. This month’s meeting will be held on Thursday, September 8, at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library meeting room. As always, NBHC meetings are open to all interested neighbors. The Beacon Hill Library is located at 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
As mentioned previously on the Beacon Hill Blog, a major topic of discussion at this month’s meeting will be proposed changes to the Jose Rizal Park off-leash area. However, the city is also looking for community feedback and ideas for the Duwamish Greenbelt Area and the Mountains to Sound Trail.
Here is this month’s agenda:
7:00 Welcomes and introductions
7:05 Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, and other city officials, will ask for community input and ideas for the Duwamish Greenbelt Area, which includes the newly finished Mountain to Sound Trail, and the off leash area at Jose Rizal Park
Seattle Parks and Recreation staff will attend the North Beacon Hill Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. on September 8 at the Beacon Hill library to present a proposed configuration for the off-leash area at Dr. Jose Rizal Park. The meeting is open to the public, and all are invited to provide input on the proposal.
In response to the construction of the Mountains to Sound Greenway bicycle/pedestrian trail along the western edge of the park, and to concerns about the perception of safety in the area, Seattle Parks proposes to reduce the size of the Rizal Park off-leash area, currently 5 acres. Since Amazon.com moved from Beacon Hill to South Lake Union, the use of the off-leash area has dropped. The area’s proximity to “The Jungle” has also contributed to a lack of use of the current space.
The 3rd Annual Rizal Park Music and Arts Fest is happening this Sunday, August 21, from noon until 8 p.m. at Dr. Jose Rizal Park on North Beacon Hill. The event will feature local Filipino and Pacific Asian musicians and artists, along with Pacific Islands cuisine from vendors such as Beacon Hill’s own Inay’s. Activities for kids are also planned.
The schedule of performers:
12:00 – Angelo Pizarro
1:00 – Mikee Guerzon, Dennis Engracia and Alex Gonzalez
2:00 – NW Gospel Jazz
3:00 – Browngroove Entertainment Artist(s) Bella, Cece Cabading and Jessica Domingo
4:00 – Sky and David Sanoy w/ the Love Fellowship band
Craig Thompson sent this note to the BAN list. Potential volunteers take note:
This Saturday, August 13, a group of us who’ve worked to create a positive place around the orchard at Dr. Jose Rizal Park are going to have a work party, nothing too big, just some trail cleanup down to the orchard so this September, groups from Fred Hutchinson and Seattle Pacific University can access the site safely and effectively.
All tools will be provided, and we’re going to meet up 10 AM and go to 1 PM. We’ll cut back and haul up to the top a bit of brush – some of which is already down. It may be sunny, but long sleeves, long pants, and good shoes are what you’ll need to wear.
Craig Thompson forwarded an announcement about a volunteer opportunity helping EarthCorps to improve Dr. Jose Rizal Park this Saturday, May 14. Volunteers are welcome to come at 10 a.m., and the work party will probably run until 2 p.m.
Craig also described last weekend’s efforts in the park:
“Last weekend, 35 Rainier Scholars and staff, Mountains to Sound Greenway volunteers and organizers, and a few neighbors came out in the sun to work on the orchard area at the park and an overlapping forested area. Blackberries were cut back, and the few remaining trees with ivy in the lower off-leash area were cleared with survival rings. Some basic pruning of the crab apples removed some problem branches. We opened up visibility into the area from the access road beneath, having cleared an area down to the stand of Leyland cypresses.
“We removed about three bags of trash, plus a small collection of empty bottles/cans of alcoholic beverages (about half of which are barred from the Alcohol Impact Area down the hill).
“The true apples in the orchard are beginning to blossom, so there is a good possibility that they may produce fruit this year. Please consider joining in this weekend.”
Spring has sprung in these photos from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. Have any great photos of the Hill? Your photos are welcome in the pool, too! Inside a tulip at Jose Rizal Park. Photo by sea turtle.Beacon bluebells. Photo by Wendi.More Jose Rizal Park tulips. Photo by sea turtle.Newly landscaped planting strip across from the Beacon Hill Library. A group of neighbors got together recently to work on this project. Photo by Wendi.
The Second Annual Rizal Park Music and Arts Fest is this Sunday, August 15, 12:00 noon, at Dr. Jose Rizal Park on the north tip of Beacon Hill. The festival’s website describes the event as “a community event organized to bring awareness to the Dr. Jose Rizal Park and Bridge (the first bridge in the Nation to be named after a Filipino National Hero). This is a day event that will showcase local talent in music and fine arts.”
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.
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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.
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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:
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.
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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!
