ROCKiT Space is hosting Hi-Chair Happy Hour, a “Bring Your Own Baby” social for new parents and their children, this evening (May 17) from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Garden House, 2336 15th Ave S.
Parents should bring a “happy hour” snack to share. There will be indoor and outdoor play space available. A suggested $5 donation helps cover rent.
This month everyone is preparing for Father’s Day, so there will be art supplies for making homemade Father’s Day cards.
The Southeast Parent Leadership Project is a series of workshops intended to train parents from Southeast Seattle elementary and middle schools to be “informed school partners and advocates.” Through the project, South End parents will be able to connect them with other parents across schools and culture groups, and learn to use leadership skills and tools to support community schools. Topics of the workshops include: learning styles, parents as partners, giving voice to education experiences, understanding standards and school data, asking the right questions, action, and comprehensive school improvement planning.
 Parents who participate in this training will be encouraged to support ongoing school improvement in the Aki Kurose/Asa Mercer Middle School feeder pattern assignment schools. The project is organized by Community & Parents for Public Schools (CPPS), and funded by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Matching Fund Program, and the Hands-On Network.
The two-day workshops will take place on the following dates:
May 6-7, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Aki Kurose Middle School, for Aki Kurose assignment pattern schools (Aki Kurose, Graham Hill, Wing Luke, Martin Luther King Jr., Dunlap, Emerson, Rainier View, South Shore)
May 21-22, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Asa Mercer Middle School, for Mercer assignment pattern schools (Mercer, Beacon Hill International, Maple, Kimball, Hawthorne, Dearborn Park, Van Asselt, Orca)
Walking and driving have been treacherous during our recent cold snap, particularly in places like this 14th Avenue location where there seems to be some kind of water leak. Photo by Robert Kangas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.The Friends of Cheasty Greenspace at Mt. View, together with Cascade Land Conservancy and Washington Conservation Corps, are co-hosting a Martin Luther King Jr. service day on Monday, January 17 from 10:00 am to 12 noon. All are welcome to help, including families with children (it’s a school holiday). To participate, meet at 2809 South Alaska Place, one block west of Columbia City Station. Volunteers will work on forest restoration and invasive species removal. Gloves and tools will be provided.
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Mmmmm, pancakes. MMMMMMMMmmm, all-you-can-eat pancakes for $5! The Cleveland High School softball team is hosting a pancake fundraiser on Saturday, January 9 from 9:00 – 11:00 am. Breakfast is served at the Cleveland cafeteria, the same building where the gym is located. Questions? Email Kyrsten at klpratt@seattleschools.org.
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We previously mentioned that Gage Academy of Art is offering free drop-in art classes for teens aged 13-18 in the Rainier Valley. We have more information about the classes now. January’s classes are “Imaginative Plaster Forms” with Katrina Wolfe, February’s are “Cut It Out” (cut paper in two and three dimensions) with Celeste Cooning, and March features “Explorations in Paint” with Jeanne Dodds.
Classes are on Saturdays at The 2100 Building, 2100 24th Avenue South. Classes will be from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm. For more information, call 206-323-GAGE. Art materials and pizza will be provided.
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There is a new Yahoo group/listserv for Beacon Hill parents. Go here to join and chat with your fellow parents in the neighborhood.
“‘You can’t drive down a block on Beacon Hill without seeing them,’ says Joel Lee of the plant sculptures he refers to as bonsai on his popular neighborhood blog. Lee moved to the area a couple of years ago, drawn by the promise of light rail and the Jefferson Park expansion. But as soon as he started walking his dog around the neighborhood, he became fascinated by the display of sheared and shaped plants.”
Unfortunately, author Valerie Easton seemed a bit put off by the Hill’s topiary art.
The Times is also hosting a “map the potholes” project. There are a few Beacon Hill potholes already included, such as the “giant holes heading west on Holgate at approx 14th” (we hit that one a couple of weeks ago—ouch!), but if your most annoying tooth-rattler isn’t listed, please add it.
Neighbor Robert Kangas has noted some extreme water leakage along 14th Avenue South, west of Jefferson Park. The leaks caused some dangerous ice patches. He posted a series of photos here. In discussion on the Beacon Hill mailing list last week, some folks noted a history of artesian wells on the Hill, and suggested that these are the source of some of the leaks around the neighborhood. Others think it’s a leaky water main.
If you notice a potential water leak on public or private property, you can report it by calling 206-386-1800, and Seattle Public Utilities will then check it out.
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The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is hosting three free workshops to educate neighborhood groups and community organizations on the funding process and requirements for the Large Projects Fund, the matching fund that awards up to $100,000 for community projects. Next Tuesday, January 11, there’s a workshop in Southeast Seattle, at the Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Avenue South. The workshop is from 6:00-8:00 pm. More information about the Large Projects Fund and the three workshops may be found here.
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Sustainable South Seattle is hosting the third of a workshop series dedicated towards creating a climate co-op for South Seattle neighborhoods. The event is Wednesday, January 26 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Southside Commons, 3518 South Edmunds Street. Food, refreshments, and childcare will be provided. Please RSVP by emailing climate.coop@gmail.com.
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A new co-ed a cappella group is forming on Beacon Hill, with auditions this month according to a current post on craigslist.org:
We are looking for:
Men and women who are positive, fun and excited about performing and singing harmony. We will possibly be doing 1 to 2 gigs per month starting in the Spring.
We want to be:
16 in total. (We have 10 right now) Put together performances that are tight musically, visually and are funny and entertaining to most people. You don’t have to dance or want to make a fool of yourself, but it is a bonus. Diverse in anyway possible—age, race, musical background, sexuality…
A couple of changes to liquor licenses on the Hill occurred last month. The Station coffee house at 2533 16th Avenue South was approved for a license as a “direct shipment receiver – in WA only.” But every new beginning is some other beginning’s end: on the same day, the liquor license for the ill-fated Tasha’s Bistro Café was discontinued.
Pottery classes are among those available for $2 Try-Its at Jefferson Community Center. Photo by Robert Nunnally via Creative Commons/Flickr.It’s September, and if your thoughts are turning back-to-school, you might be interested in some of the classes being offered here in (or near) the neighborhood.
Jefferson Community Center, along with all of the other city community centers, is once again offering $2 Try-Its. Anytime between September 20 and October 9, you can try a class for $2. If you like the class, you can then register at a pro-rated amount. Certain classes and childcare are not included in the promotion.
Some of the classes available in this promotion include:
Adults: ZUMBA!, Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Mat Pilates, Pottery ( first two weeks only), guitar
Wellspring Family Services is offering a parenting class for couples, starting this weekend. It’s a workshop for expecting couples and parents of infants, based on Gottman Institute research. Wellspring says that in this class, students will “discover how to stay connected with your partner when becoming parents, cope with conflict, and create a nurturing home.”
The course is $150 per couple, with scholarships available. Classes are on September 11 and 25 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. For further information, contact pgray@wellspringfs.org or call 206-826-3039. Wellspring is located at 1900 Rainier Avenue South.
(Article updated 9/13/10 to reflect date correction — the $2 Try-It promotion runs from September 20-October 9, not September 8-October 8).
