(This post was promoted from The Commons. Thanks, Melissa, for contributing to the BHB in The Commons!)
Seattle Parks will offer free lunches for kids aged 18 and under from noon-1 p.m., Monday through Friday, from now until August 14 at Beacon Hill Playground, 1902 13th Ave. S. Dates and locations are subject to change. Call 206-615-0303 for more information.
The free lunch program is a partnership between Seattle Parks and the Seattle Human Services Department’s Summer Food Services Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Find out more here.
Beacon Hill 6th – 12th graders, this is your chance to participate in a free 5-week after-school digital video storytelling program, but you’ll need to work fast — the deadline to apply is today!
In the Street Stories program, Beacon Hill youths will create video stories of their experiences living and walking in the neighborhood, using provided iPod Touch devices to create and edit the videos. Students will also receive training including video technology and storytelling techniques. The finished videos will be shown at community events, displayed on local websites, and used to build a new kind of walking map for the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Eligible students are:
6th-12th graders living or going to school on Beacon Hill
Able to participate at Jefferson Community Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. from April 2 though May 9.
Able to do a minimum of four hours of independent research
The homework help program has two sessions per day, Monday through Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (7th grade – 12th grade) and 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (2nd grade – 6th grade). The tutoring program has two sessions per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m..
For more information on these volunteer positions, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at srvvolunteer@positivelace.org or at 206-436-1893.
Photo by makelessnoise via Flickr/Creative Commons.Mark your calendar—Jefferson Community Center has some eggy events coming up next month.
On Friday, April 6 at 8 p.m., the community center hosts a Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt for those 12 and older. The event is free, but bring a flashlight and a bag. Meet at the community center gym at 8 sharp. The hunt will be outdoors.
The next morning, Saturday, April 7, is the Spring Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast. Breakfast will be served from 9-11 a.m., and the Egg Hunt starts at 10 a.m. sharp. The Egg Hunt is free, but breakfast is not: $4 for pancakes, $5 for pancakes and sausage, or $6 for pancakes, sausage and eggs.
Jefferson Community Center is located at 3801 Beacon Ave. S.
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.
This fire truck at Beacon Hill's Fire Station #13 is festively attired for the holiday season. Photo by Joel Lee in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.Neighbor Peter heard sirens last week, and managed to get outside and some photos of a house fire in a boarded-up house on 25th Avenue South, behind QFC. See the photos here.
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News from El Centro de la Raza tells us that Mayor Mike McGinn will be joining them for their Holiday Latino Hot Meal tomorrow, Wednesday, December 22 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm.
On Wednesday and Thursday this week, the shirts will be re-released at Deli Seattle, 1307 First Avenue. They will have men’s and women’s shirts, as well as onesies for babies this time. Sizes are limited, and the shirts are very cool, so if you want one, don’t let it get away this time.
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Do you have an interest in Pacific Northwest ecology? Do you like to share what you know with others? Are you over 18 years of age? Are you looking for a meaningful volunteer experience? You may be interested in the Seward Park Audubon and Environmental Center Master Urban Naturalist program. The program provides free naturalist training workshops and certification in exchange for 10 hours of donated service and completion of a final project or presentation. More information here.
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The newly-revitalized ROCKiT space has a few things going on that you might want to know about.
Need a good place to wrap Christmas gifts, or want someone to wrap them for you? You can wrap your gifts at ROCKiT space, where your loved ones won’t see what you’re up to. DIY gift-wrapping is $5/day site use fee, plus a $2 supply fee. All materials are supplied. Bring your own wrap and they will waive the supply fee.
If you’re a wrapping klutz or just don’t have time, you can also drop off gifts, and they will wrap them for you to pick up later. The fee is $2 each for small packages, and $5 each for large packages.
On Tuesday, December 28 at 7:00 pm, ROCKiT space is hosting a Tuesday Folk Club with two old time/country bands: Red Dog and Dram County. The minimum donation is $7 at the door or $5 in advance. Tickets are available at Rockit Space during business hours.
The Tots Jam with Suzanne Sumi is continuing on Wednesdays, from 9:00 – 11:00 am , but there is no session on December 29.
The Department of Planning and Development has approved an application to subdivide a site at 4010 14th Avenue South into five unit lots for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the lots. The property will continue to be zoned for duplex multifamily development. Read the decision here.
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There is at least one place to ring in the New Year nearby. The new St. Dames restaurant at Columbia City Station is hosting a party on New Year’s Eve, starting at 10:00 pm. The event will include appetizers, dessert and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Make reservations by calling 206-725-8879. St. Dames is located at 4525 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
Do you know of any other Beacon Hill places that are open for New Year’s? Let us know!
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Gage Academy of Art is offering free drop in art classes for teens aged 13-18 in the Rainier Valley. 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.
SeattleCrime.com is reporting that a gang of South Seattle teen burglars, possibly responsible for over 60 break-ins in Seattle and Renton since 2007, has been broken up by police and prosecutors.
Things sound like they began to crumble for them with missteps after a couple of Beacon Hill burglaries. From the article (emphasis added):
Police were certainly familiar with the seven young men. Melchor Lucas was arrested in November 2007 following a botched burglary in the 5500 block of Beacon Ave S. When police searched a van used in the burglary, they found a 9mm pistol, which belonged to Lucas, hidden inside of a teddy bear. Lucas was also put on a list of prolific burglars being targeted for aggressive prosecution. The 17-year-old boy was a suspect in at least 10 burglaries, records say; the 16-year-old had been Tased by officers after he was caught breaking into a home near Aki Kurose Middle School; and Lee was also on probation for illegally carrying a loaded handgun.
Some buses will be slightly harder to catch for the next few days. Photo from Seattle Municipal Archives.
Did the “holiday” changes to Metro bus schedules this week catch you by surprise? Here is the information about the schedules through Wednesday. Note that the 38 is on a normal schedule, and the 36 and 60 are on “reduced weekday schedule.” To find out how the reduced schedule affects you, go to http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ and enter your route number, then look for the trips marked with “H”; those trips are cancelled.
Jennifer Jukanovich spoke last night at the North Beacon Hill Council meeting. She described something she and her husband Dano had been a part of over the past several years. As the frequent summertime congregation of teens around the C&C Valero station on Beacon Ave. began to become an issue with neighbors, they decided to do something: Thursday evening BBQs. All teens invited. Free burgers and hotdogs. Sometimes movies projected onto the fence around their home at 18th & Stevens. It was declared a safe corner– one where personal (or gang-related) altercations were not allowed, but where everyone was welcome. Including, recently, a uniformed police officer, Eric Sano. His presence was initially quite controversial, but he’s become inspirational to some teens who previously didn’t know what they wanted to do.
The Jukanoviches have provided a place for these kids where they’re wanted, where they’re included, a place where they can feel safe. However, Dano and Jennifer may be moving away very soon, for three years, to Rwanda. She came to the NBHC meeting to let other people know what can be done, and share one way they’ve done it. And to encourage the BBQs to continue next summer, possibly without them.
And she stressed one piece of advice for people concerned about the teens encountered in their neighborhood: “Learn their names.”
Similar sentiments on a larger youth-involvement scale were expressed by the second guest speaker, Mariana Quarnstrom, president of the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council (and yes, Mrs. Dr. Quarnstrom!). She shared her stories with several teen and youth programs out there, and the difficulties many of them struggle with to stay in operation.
She offered similar advice: Don’t drop your head and race past as if they didn’t exist. Disarm them with a “hello.”
Both firmly agreed: Get involved with teens. Let them know that someone cares.
(This post was promoted from The Commons. Thanks, Melissa, for contributing to the BHB in The Commons!)
