Greenwood Blog

Greenwood Blog has Moved!

2008-08-20T00:07:00.001-07:00

This little blog of mine is now shining over at http://www.greenwoodblog.com. Change your links and check out the new site, because we'll no longer be posting here!

And the Found Bicycles

2008-08-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Library staff found a blue, "Free Spirit" adult 10-speed dumped in one of the library's planting beds on Saturday morning. We still have it at the branch will call SPD to take custody of it if it's not claimed within the next few days.

There was a blue bicycle lying by the newspaper boxes in front of the Neptune Coffee place at the southbound bus stop at 85th and Greenwood this morning. (update: this bike's been claimed)

There is a red and yellow Haro mountain bike leaning against our mailboxes on Evanston. It looks like a medium sized bike--a good size for an adolescent. There seems to be a little joy riding going on in the neighborhood.

Also, I am still holding on to a younger girls bike I found in the ally btwn 97th and 100th. It's pink and I don't remember the brand name. It's sitting on the side of my house at 97th and Fremont if anyone has claim to it.

Would one of the missing bikes be a red 20 incher? If so, I saw it in my friend's driveway while driving my bus down 8th NW. I had him take it in after I read the posting. Just respond and we can get it back to you.

Stolen Bicycles

2008-08-19T10:03:00.001-07:00

Three bicycles were stolen out of my garage last night. Two blue children’s bicycles (with gears), and an adult grey bicycle -- a “Giant” electric bicycle, without battery.

On the chance that they were just taken for a joyride, if you see them around the neighborhood, please let me know.

Big Block Party - Free! August 30

2008-08-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

BIG BACKYARD BLOCK PARTY
FREE!
Sponsored by The Salvation Army
Located at Sandel Park
August 30, 2008
11:00am-2:00pm

Games, crafts, music, performances, free hot dogs… even an inflatable bounce house! Guaranteed fun for the whole family!

For more information, contact Erin Wikle
Tel: 206.783.1225
erin.wikle@usw.salvationarmy.org

Lack of Sidewalks in the PI

2008-08-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Another article about the problems created by the lack of sidewalks, and/or completely neglected and broken sidewalks...http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/375484_sidewalks19.html in the PI today.

Late Night Walk w/Police & Parks Tonight 10:30 PM

2008-08-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

hopefully many of you will be able to come out to the walk with the SPD and the Parks Department tomorrow night at 10:30.... SE corner of the Greenwood Park.

I will make a list of some of the places that got tagged but while we have some officials from the city, now's a great opportunity to voice your concerns with them present.

The more that show- the more power and unity we provide ourselves!

MS-13 Tagging

2008-08-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

driving about today i see more "MS13" tags on 95th and dayton.

according to what I've read --this gang is considered one of the most
violent in USA, exacutionists, and frankly i'm feeling disgusted that
this graffiti is intended to glorify a ruthless violent group of
thugs; this is insane.

Please look through a few informative links:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11240718/

http://msthirteen.com/

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=11552

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002283961_gangslaying22.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004430842_gang22m.html

Saturday Night Drug Deal

2008-08-18T17:45:00.001-07:00

Saturday night I drove by our park with my eldest daughter as we were coming home from the store. It was still pretty light out, yet we witnessed in clear daylight a drug deal. Dealer in red shirt and black shorts and buyer 4 kids in a car. I called 911 as I hadn't yet got to Rene's email with the number to call (thanks for that by the way). Anyway, they pretty much brushed me off as I had expected. I tried to get into not just his appearance but what specifically he was wearing in accordance with the past we have had with these guys. Yeah, they didn't really seem to care. However, I figure at least there is record of us reporting and enough reports start to add up and hopefully someone will care. It is an election year after all isn't it???

As I sift through these emails of concerned and dedicated neighbors I'm begining to feel the hair on my arms rise. We really do have a great neighborhood and some really great and sincere people residing in it. I really hope we can not only keep it that way, but clean out some of the rift raft only interested in illegal activity and spreading their unhappiness among our community. Keep up the good work everyone.

PS We walked a lot during this pregnancy and noticed something. I know we have all had problems with the "activities" in our allys and finding condoms in them. I don't know if it was heightened sences or what but it seems the number of condoms laying around in the allys has mutiplied by quite a bit. Anyone else seeing this increasing trend? Could it be the decrease in police activity in our neighborhood this summer as we were warned about this past spring? Are the police even monitoring the allys at all anymore?

17th Annual PAWS Walk Sept 6

2008-08-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Greenwood residents have no doubt stopped to enjoy the delightful antics of playful kittens or to admire a beautiful adult cat lounging in the windows at PAWS Cat City at 8503 Greenwood Ave. N. Since 1997, PAWS has found loving homes for over 9,000 felines through this neighborhood, cage-free cat adoption center. It is a great place to connect people with new best friends, while saving lives at the same time.

To help continue this great work in this great neighborhood, as well as all of the other life-saving work PAWS does for dogs and wildlife in the Seattle-area, PAWS is holding our 17th annual PAWSwalk fundraiser on Saturday, September 6 at Seattle’s Magnuson Park.

More than just a walk in the park, PAWSwalk includes animal-friendly shopping, canine massage, agility demos, contests, and a kid's zone, as well as fabulous prizes for the different levels of donations gathered. Dogs are welcome to attend, too! Get the full scoop on the fun and a schedule of events at PAWSwalk.net, where you can also register online and easily ask friends and family to join you in helping injured, orphaned and homeless animals.

You can find more info in our press release on the PAWS website: http://www.paws.org/about/news/releases/2008_08_07_PW08.pdf and, of course, at PAWSwalk.net.

All the best,
Mary Leake Schilder
Public Affairs Manager
Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
office: 425-787-2500 x270
media cell: 206-419-6646
www.paws.org

Malicious Firestarting on 100th Last Night

2008-08-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hello: I have not found the site that you report crimes in your neighborhood yet. We live at 614 North 100th. Sunday night around midnight on the 17th of August, the pampas plant next to the road in our yard caught fire and burned brightly. the neighbors heard a pop like fireworks. One saw two boys on bikes and heard them laughing. Everyone around was frightened and rushed out to help. We used hoses from our house and the neighbor's at first. then the fire dept. came with more water and chemicals to smother the fire. I would especially like to commend a stranger who stopped his car and came into my yard. he yelled up to the second story where I was sleeping and woke me up, saying there was something burning in my yard. Then he took the hose and tried to put out the fire. He pointed out that sometimes gas lines can ignite, and that another tree in my yard is pretty dry and might cause my house to catch on fire. He was a tall African American man with a loud voice! I'd like to thank all my neighbors who showed so much care and concern. In addition, my next door neighbor's mailbox was pushed down the same weekend about the same time of night. I'm going to make a police report. Barb

Movie Shoot in Sandel Park on Tuesday Aug 19th!

2008-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

We will be shooting a portion of an independently produced feature ("A/V") in Sandel Playground, in the vicinity of the wading pool and restroom shelter on Tuesday, August 19th. Below, I have included the text of a post card that many of the surrounding residents will receive today. The post card will provide all of the pertinent information. We were hoping that you could post something on the Greenwood News Discussion Group to broaden our notification area.

Specifically, we would like to point out that we will be working with the Seattle Police Department during the morning portion of our shoot (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.). We will from time to time have the police vehicle's emergency lights on. We just want to assure the residents that the police presence in Sandel Playground is part of our movie production and not anything that should cause alarm.

Greetings!

The cast and crew of the independently-produced motion-picture “A/V” are coming to your neighborhood!

The Seattle Office of Film & Music has granted permission to shoot part of this motion-picture in SANDEL PARK on Tuesday, August 19th from 9:00am until dusk.

From the hours of 9:00am until 1:00pm, a small contingent of 8-15 people and a small amount of equipment will occupy the northern section of SANDEL PARK. Additionally, one City of Seattle police car will be parked near the fountain area of the park, and 1-2 uniformed officers will be present.

A smaller team of 6-8 cast and crew-members will return to the park at 5:00pm and finish recording at this location by dusk.

This notification is in compliance with the permits and rights granted to the makers of “A/V” by the Seattle Office of Film & Music

Kind Regards,
The Entire Production-Team of “A/V” (The Movie)=

Call 911 or Non-Emergency Line?

2008-08-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Toby Tyler Hilden pulled this out of the PI archives for us all today:

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattle911/archives/145191.asp

Q: How come when I call the Police Department's non-emergency line after 10 p.m. no one ever picks up? I've had numerous problems with teen drinking at the now-closed Viewlands Elementary School, as well as kids tagging the school late at night. When I call to ask for a patrol car, the phone is never answered. Why? Should I dial 911 instead?

A: The non-emergency number "should be staffed 24 hours a day," Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson said. "I don't know why this particular reader had that problem, but they can always call 911."

If someone is witnessing taggers in action, Jamieson said, they should call 911 because that's a crime in progress.

"We prioritize calls," he said. "If an assault call and a property damage call come in at the same time, we're obviously going to respond to the assault in progress in front of the property damage.

Jamieson said all 911 calls get an officer response. Their response time depends on availability and other calls.

Speak Up about Drug Activity!

2008-08-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

In response to a lengthy discussion on the GAIN North list yesterday about drug activity up on 105th, and helpful to any of us witnessing drug activity, a note from Ed McKenna (emphasis mine):

Thanks for forwarding the information regarding narcotics activity to me.

Let me clarify a few things: Any time narcotics activity or a narcotics transaction is observed, it should always be reported to the Narcotics Section of the police department at (206) 684-5797. A Narcotics Activity Report (NAR) will then be generated and forwarded to the appropriate unit for investigation. Information provided should include suspect descriptions, times, locations, etc. Remember, "If you don't report it, it didn't happen!". In other words, SPD cannot and will not focus its efforts unless there are official complaints. The Narcotics Section is separate from the north precinct so any narcotics information reported to a north precinct officer should also be reported as a NAR.

Does anyone have an actual physical address of the problem location? I would like to discuss this issue further with the Community Police Team but it would be helpful to have the exact address so we can look up information on the property owner.

A community nuisance action is always a possibility. However, they do take some effort. Not only must one document the activity, but also document how the quality of their life has diminished. The Seattle Neighborhood Group sponsors the Take Action Workshop, (http://www.sngi.org/pdfs/takeaction108.pdf) which is an excellent resource to learn how to properly document the problem. I would also be happy to discuss small-claims nuisance actions.

I'll also be discussing this location with CPT Officer McNulty. Again, a specific address(es) would be helpful.

I'm available for further discussion. The best time to reach me is in the mornings.

Edward McKenna
Assistant Seattle City Attorney
206-684-7765
edward.mckenna@seattle.gov

Arts-In-Nature Festival Aug 23

2008-08-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Camp Long Advisory Council and the Nature Consortium are happy to present the Arts~in~Nature Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 23 and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 24 at Camp Long, 5200 35th Ave. SW.

The festival celebrates the relationship between artists and the environment in a natural setting-in this case, West Seattle's hidden gem, Camp Long. From fire performers and string quartets to dance troupes and an outdoor museum of sound, the 2008 festival has something for everyone.

Produced by the Nature Consortium and nestled in the forested arms of Camp Long, performances will take place in five different venues throughout the park: the Lodge, the forested grove by the Pond, the Climbing Glacier, the Meadow, and the Geodesic Dome near the Fire Circle. There will be a wide array of eclectic and traditional music offerings ranging from experimental and improvised to classical, jazz, and folk. Dance troupes will perform in various locations throughout the park, and wandering musicians will roam the forested landscape between the cabins.

Camp Long's rustic cabins will house the Museum of Sound, where artists take up residency for the weekend and create multidisciplinary installations that blend sound, auditory arts, music, and visual arts. This year's Museum of Sound artists include Hollow Earth Radio, Ela Lamblin, Perri Lynch, Kristin Tollefson, Dean Moore, Mike Shannon, Ben Smith, and NC Youth Art Program students.

The festival features interactive and hands-on activities such as eco-rhythm instrument building, eco-art mask making, and print making in nature. Naturalists will be on hand to help interpret the natural features of the park. There will be healthy, delicious food and drink by Vashon-based Tahini Genie.

Admission is by donation; suggested donation is $5 per person. Proceeds benefit the artists, the organizations. and their programs.

To cut down on waste, Parks and Recreation and the event sponsors encourage visitors to take the bus or carpool to the festival, and to bring their own plates and cups. Metro bus routes 21, 54, and 55 serve Camp Long; please visit http://transit.metrokc.gov/ to plan a trip.

For more information on Camp Long, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/PARKS/Environment/camplong.htm.

103rd St Speed Bumps

2008-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you live on the 300 block of 103rd street, expect to receive a petition in your email or to get a knock on your door next week regarding a petition for the installation of speed bumps in the mid-block portion of the street:

[At Seattle Night Out] we also met briefly to consider the concerns of our neighborhood. Among the several issues discussed, the chief complaint involved a unanimous call for lower vehicle speeds and volumes along our street. The evolution of our residential makeup has seen a significant increase in the number of children (and pets) living here compared to ten years ago. At the same time the increase in vehicles using 103rd as an Aurora to Greenwood cutoff - at near freeway speeds - has increased seemingly exponentially. The safety of these kids as they increase their presence in the dangerous street is our primary concern.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has a program for helping communities address this called the Neighborhood Traffic Control Program in which they install permanent fixtures to help alleviate traffic speed and volume problems on non arterial streets. There is a process for this outlined at this link and more general information for those interested: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/trafficcircles.htm. The consensus at the Night Out was to pursue two speed humps midway on our block, speed humps are the most effective, have the least impact on the residents themselves, and are the most feasible from the city’s perspective. The attached documentation is an excerpt from a study done back in 1993 and sheds more light on their effectiveness.

The process involves at the outset a study by the SDOT and then gaining the support of at least sixty percent of the residents which for the 300 block represents 14 of the 22 residences. We are beginning a preliminary petition process and we will be going door to door with more information as well as a signature form to help us initiate the street study with the city. We welcome any questions or comments and greatly appreciate your support in this effort.

If you'd like information for pursuing action on your street, write us at greenwood_blog@mac.com and we'll send you a copy of these documents.

Red & Black Gang?

2008-08-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

So, are red and black the gang colors of the kids doing the tagging all over the neighborhood? Several altercations between neighbors and groups of confrontational teens this week seem to suggest that they are. In addition, I've now seen quite a few young black youth wandering the neighborhood in these colors over the last few weeks. They do seem to sporting some sort of uniform color scheme, whether or not we can take that further and assume they are, in fact, a "gang".

Last night, on the way to the Pig & Whistle, I saw a young man get into a the passenger seat of a car on 84th with his head and face completely covered in a bright red knit cloth -- save for a tiny slit to see out of.

Taggers hit the "Other" Greenwood Park

2008-08-07T18:48:00.001-07:00

These photos and captions are courtesy of a reader:

The TEE tag, followed by Roman Numerals for 206, our local area code. I saw the kid who did this scratching it into the park bench in the City Light mini park on N92nd between Evanston and Fremont. I called the police, but then he and his pals left before the police arrived. They left a bunch of trash too.

There were two other kids with the TEE tagger when the TEE kid scratched his name into the bench. One was male, the other female. These tags were fresh, still wet to the touch, just after the kids left:

Later in the day, I got a shot of the male who was with the TEE tagger.

King County Can't Afford to Build New Jails

2008-08-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Toby sent me this link today for a Seattle Times story talking about how King County can't afford to build new jails... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008097221_jail07m.html. The County is encouraging the city to move forward with adding more jails, and Seattle has identified four possible jail sites: 11762 Aurora Ave. N., 1600 W. Armory Way, Highland Park Way Southwest and West Marginal Way, and 9501 Myers Way S.

Suspicious Activuty

2008-08-07T06:30:00.001-07:00

It is now 10:30 PM on Wed. night and my wife and I were just on our way home and noticed some kids who were acting suspicious, and quickly dispersed as we drove by. One of them was carrying a bat and the others looked to be painting the signs, although we couldnt tell for sure. We called the police and they said someone was in the area and would check on the park. As we drove around we again saw the kids leaving the park and walking west on 87th towards Greenwood.

Fresh Tagging Dayton Av N 97th to 102nd (and more?)

2008-08-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

There was a bunch of fresh tagging done last night by the Drops, looks like most of the way up Dayton Av N., on mailboxes, traffic circle yield diamonds, children's play toys, and the perpetual Pods container at 101st. I walked the dogs from 97th to 102nd and that whole area was tagged. Please leave a comment if there's additional tagging by your house.

(And as you're repainting your mailbox after work this evening, why not make it into a work of art?)

Seattle Night Out Success Story!

2008-08-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

These are my neighbors, some of whom I've never met before, and I've been here for four and a half years. Our block party was very successful in pulling people out of their homes and getting them engaged in conversation with one another! We learned of the good ol' days on the block from the folks who have been here 30 or 40 years, and of the illicit activity around neighbor's homes that we might have missed because we were at work, or out of town, or just in bed early. We met each other's kids and dogs. We shared sustenance and stories and sunshine. And we now have a list of names and numbers and email addresses so we can contact each other if something is happening on the block. It was a good night!

How did your block party go?

Punks in the Park - Right Now!

2008-08-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

I just received this note, if you're near the park, please consider going over right now and making your presence known:

I live near the Greenwood park. There is quite a bit of ‘activity’ there tonight. I called 911 but if you know of any other forces to mobilize, it might be a good time to do so. One kid is getting all threatening with a baseball bat. The end is hacked open, so it has a rough end, and he is using it to hack the bark off a tree. Can’t be more than 15 or perhaps 16. Yrs old. I approach him, with like 6 others, all kids, and ask him to stop. But that doesn’t do any good. This is around 9PM. “No one else has complained,” they tell me. And it is true. People are in the park, with their kids, not doing a damn thing, as this kid methodically hacks the bark of a tree. This is the “baggy pants” crowd, as usual. Anyway, like I said, I called 911. Too many of them, really, to approach. Sigh.

Join GAIN North Tonight at Seattle Night Out

2008-08-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

We would like to ask you to place a sign up sheet on a table at your Seattle Night Out celebration for anyone who would be interested in joining GAIN North. Please ask them to include their name, address, phone and e-mail. You can send them on to me at 322 N. 97th St. 98103 and we will get the new folks invited to our group. We will be having another GAIN North meeting in the fall, so you can tell people on your block to be watching for that information!

We would also LOVE to hear about each block party, how many people you had come and what you did, so please post something in the days following your block watch event!

Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to make this happen.
Rene

After Midnight...

2008-08-05T06:15:00.001-07:00

Okay- it was technically 12:05am. Chrissy and I oped for a post midnight neighborhood stroll... through Greenwood Park where the only inhabitant was a cute little raccoon eating grass and bugs. Up Evanston to the neighborhood p-patch at 101st, down to Linden, back up 94th to Fremont, then back home.

Great evening. Not a single person out... we noticed many of the town homes going up on 94th are showing more character, but we need more colors other than green and brown.

Thats all to report.

If anyone is interested in a late night walk, you can email me directly or gainwalks@gmail.com.

Goodnight fellow friends and neighbors.

--
Toby Tyler Hilden

Another Auto Vandalism Report

2008-08-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

We had a concrete block thrown through the back window of our car parked on the street on 89th on Friday, July 25th sometime during the night (we didn't hear it). We did report it to the police but hadn't heard there had been similar vandalism in the area until now. We are down the block from the park, so figured it might have been someone coming down from there to the bus stop at Aurora.

Neighborhood Walks after dark...

2008-08-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Toby Tyler Hilden writes about the weekend vandalism...

Chrissy and I walked this stretch last night from 100th back to our homes off 88th and 86th...

I encourage everyone to go walking in your neighborhoods. We have been hitting walks between 9pm and midnight a few times/week. if anyone is interested, please email tthildeN@gmail.com and cc Christine.TPorter@comcast.net

It is interesting the amount of activity that does take place with people hanging out in Greenwood Park after dusk, esp the hours of 10pm including after its supposed to be closed.

Cars Vandalized

2008-08-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

About a half dozen or so cars were vandalized Saturday night on Fremont, between 95th and 97th. A window was broken on one. The others were "tagged" using keys or something else sharp. This was done to paint jobs and windows. Police were notified. (I don't live there, but talked to one of the neighbors when out walking my dog yesterday).

Girl's Bike Found

2008-08-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

There is a girls pink and purple bike laying in the ally behind my house (9705 Fremont). I believe it was probably nabbed from one of your houses Saturday night as that was apparently a night of vandalism as my neighbors car was vandalized and I assume it to be a part of that night of mischief. If it belongs to any of you it is right behind the bushes in the ally just behind 97the and Fremont. If it is still there this evening, I will grab it and place it right to the north side of my house and leave it for you to pick up.

Longtime Greenwood Postal Worker Dies

2008-08-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

A long time worker at the Greenwood Post Office died a few weeks ago of a stroke - Cheryl Schultz was a long time staple, since 1994 I believe and was only a few weeks away from retirement. There is a basket for flower seeds and a notebook to leave your regards for her family at the post office.

Cheryl didn't smile much, worked quicky but had a rough charm many felt. We miss her.

Best Regards,
Lisa Dunn

Phinney Ridge Hit Hard by Graffiti

2008-08-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Steve sent me this info this morning about Phinney Ridge's recent graffiti attack. I think we can all feel the pain:

The water tower at the park was just a small part of the recent graffiti vandalism in the neighborhood. They have hit cars, vans, driveways, interior carport walls, apartment/townhouse walls, etc. The Seattle Police are manpower-less to prevent this, so it’s going to be up to the residents to keep a sharper eye out.

Vandals Tag Phinney Ridge Neighborhood
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17055870/detail.html

Maltese Falcon Closed

2008-07-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

I received this in my inbox tonight:

I was bummed to see Tully's close, I loved the fireplace and comfy chairs there. I see the Maltese Falcom video rental store on 100th and Aurora is also closed with a for lease sign in the window. They had a nice selection, if too many vhs shows.

As I drove by Tully's just a few minutes ago, I noticed that it's completely cleaned out with "For Lease" signs in the window. In signs of resurrection though, and some good news, Pig & Whistle is packed with people right now. Maybe a private opening party?

Walk & Bike on Park Roads

2008-07-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Seattle Opens Up Park Roads to Walking and Biking

The City of Seattle will close several roads to motorists, making them available to pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized travelers in August and September. This program is part of Mayor Nickels’ “Give Your Car the Summer Off” campaign encouraging residents to drive 1,000 miles less a year to combat global warming. Parks and Recreation will close three park roads twice a week in its “It’s a Walk in the Park” program and the Department of Transportation will host three “Car Free Day” events on roads in different parts of town. These programs all give Seattle residents an extra opportunity to exercise and be outdoors, to use a mode of transport that does not contribute to global warming, and to explore their neighborhood outside the car.

On one weekday and one weekend day through September, Seattle Parks and Recreation will limit traffic in Volunteer Park and Seward Park, and on Lake Washington Boulevard. Times are as follows:

Location
Weekday times
Saturday
Sunday
Volunteer Park Western Loop and Galer St. entrance
Mondays
9 a.m.-7 p.m.
starting August 4
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug 9
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug 17, 24, 31
Sept 7, 21
Seward Park
Upper Loop Road
Thursdays
10 a.m.- 9 p.m.
starting August 7 (except Sept 18)
9 a.m. -6 p.m.
Aug 9
Sept 13, 27
9 a.m. -6 p.m.
Aug 17, 31
Sept 7, 21
Lake Washington Boulevard from Mt. Baker to Seward Park
Thursdays
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
starting August 7
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Aug 9
Sept 13, 27
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Aug 17, 24, 31 Sept 7, 21

Streets and park roads will be closed to nearly all non-motorized traffic during the times and events noted above. Exceptions will be made for residents and their employees and guests, park permittees, boaters heading to boat ramps along the route, service and emergency vehicles, and people with disabilities. Those who do drive on the closed roads are encouraged to proceed slowly and use blinkers.

In addition to the Park road closures described above, SDOT will open the following three streets to walkers and cyclists:

· August 24—14th Avenue E. will be closed from Volunteer Park to E. Republican Street from noon until 6 p.m. while the Peace Concert is being held in Volunteer Park. The Volunteer Park Western Loop will also be closed.

· August 31— Rainier Avenue S. will be closed from Orcas to Alaska streets from 3 to 6 p.m. To link Genesee Park to Columbia City, cars will also be restricted on Conover Street, part of 38th Avenue E. and Alaska. This event coincides with Lake Washington Boulevard Bicycle Sunday.

· September 7—Alki Avenue will be closed from California Way SW around Alki Beach to the south end of 63rd at Beach Drive from noon until 6 p.m.

Learn more about car free events and other programs that provide discounts or incentives for driving less by visiting www.seattlecan.org. Learn more about “It’s a Walk in the Park,” visit www.seattle.gov/parks/walk.htm .

Pig & Whistle to re-open August 1st!

2008-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Just got the news in my in-box!

Pool Closure Aug 7 & 8

2008-07-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
Timothy Gallagher, Superintendent
http://www.cityofseattle.gov/parks

For immediate release July 29, 2008
Contact: Dewey Potter, 206-684-7241
dewey.potter@seattle.gov

To accommodate a film crew shooting a major motion picture, Helene Madison Pool, 13401 Meridian Ave. N, will be closed on Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8. This is new information superseding the information in a July 15 news release.

The closure means cancellation of regularly scheduled pool activities. Parks and Recreation apologizes for the inconvenience and urges regular pool patrons to use nearby pools.

The City of Seattle supports film making in Seattle because the film industry employs thousands of people every year and contributes millions of dollars to our city’s economy. Film productions create local jobs, generate tax revenues, and promote a positive image of our city.

For more information about filming in Seattle please go to: HYPERLINK "http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice" http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice.

The following nearby Parks and Recreation pools will be open Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8:

Pools:
Thursday, August 7
Friday, August 8
Ballard Pool,
1471 NW 67th St.
206-684-4094
Shallow Water Exercise
8:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Lap Swim
3 - 4 p.m.; 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Public Swim
1:30 - 2:50 p.m.
Deep Water Exercise
11:10 - 11:55 a.m. 8:40 - 9:25 p.m.
Lap Swim
Noon - 1:15 p.m.; 3 - 4 p.m.,
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.,
Public Swim
1:30 - 2:50 p.m.; 7 - 8 p.m.

Evans Pool
(Green Lake)
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N
206-684-4961
Shallow Water Exercise
10 - 11 a.m.; 8 - 9 p.m.
Lap Swim
Noon - 1:30 p.m.; 2:30 - 4 p.m.
Public Swim
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Deep Water Exercise
10 - 10:45 a.m.; 8 - 8:45 p.m.
Lap Swim
Noon - 1:30 p.m.; 2:30 - 7 p.m.
Public Swim
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.; 7 - 8 p.m.
Deep Water Exercise
10 - 10:45 a.m.
Meadowbrook Pool
10515 35th Ave. NE
206-684-4989
Shallow Water Exercise
11:15 - Noon; 8 - 9 p.m.
Lap Swim
Noon - 1:30 p.m.; 9 - 10 p.m.
Public Swim
1:30 - 3 p.m.

Lap Swim
Noon - 1:30 p.m., 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Public Swim
1:30 - 3 p.m.; 4 - 5 p.m.
7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Deep Water Exercise
11:15 - Noon

For more swimming pool information, please go to: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/pools.

Urban Artists "Spray It" in the Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood

2008-07-28T15:46:00.001-07:00

I'd like to invite everyone to join us!

--------------------------------------------------
Urban Artists "Spray It" in the Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood

Seattle, WA, August 9, 2008 Urban artists and Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce celebrate urban street art with a neighborhood mural unveiling and street art exhibition at Bherd Studios Gallery in Greenwood.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at Bherd Studios (315 NW 85th Street, Suite B) in conjunction with an urban art exhibit called "Spray It, Don't Say It" on Saturday, August 9th from 3pm-9pm. The exhibit will feature artwork from internationally known Jef Aerosol, whose work in Europe with street stencil art inspired urban artists world-wide. His work can be seen on walls in numerous cities including Paris, London, Chicago, Amsterdam, Venice and more. Jef is a true legend in the street art world. Along with Jef, national and Pacific NW artists will be featuring their works both in the style of stenciled and free-hand street art. Artists include LittleGirlLost, CASH, DreXeL, SouLe, MassRad, Asher, JoaB and Greg Boudreau. The exhibition will continue through September 5.

The Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce recently created a new program called "Art Up Greenwood-Phinney" to combat the rise in tagging and vandalism in the neighborhood. Art Up not only focuses on the removal of tagging and vandalism, but is working towards creating a positive outlet for young urban artists. The chamber will be working with the local Jr. High and High Schools to target high risk offenders and help them to focus their energies in a positive way creating art for the neighborhood. The mural celebration on August 9th is a sample of what the Chamber has planned for the community and is intended to draw interest from residents of all ages.

For more information about this event, please visit the Greenwood- Phinney Chamber of Commerce website at www.greenwood-phinney.com and click on the "events" section.
-------------------------------------------------

Michele Persinger
speakandbherd@hotmail.com

SuperNova Returns!

2008-07-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the persistence of Loretta Vosk and a dedicated group of neighbors, the SuperNova has been returned to Greenwood Park!

Computer Recycling Extravaganza! July 27th

2008-07-25T07:32:00.001-07:00

ST. JOHN COMPUTER RECYCLING EXTRAVAGANZA 12-6 p.m., Sunday, July 27

Hello Owners of Old Computers,

St. John at 121 North 80th St, is hosting a Computer Recycling Extravaganza on Sunday, July 27th from 12 noon - 6pm to help celebrate and showcase our landmark GREEN renovations of the past two years. For more information, please see the article in the July 18th edition of the North Seattle Herald Outlook or here:

http://www.st-johnschool.org/Portals/0/Forms/ComputerRecyclingFlyer.pdf

We're thrilled to offer this community-building opportunity to responsibly recycle old computers, monitors, keyboards, printers and scanners. To help spread the word, please consider tell five family members and/or friends about St. John's Computer Recycling Extravaganza. If you know of nearby businesses who might appreciate knowing about the St. John Computer Recycling Extravaganza, and would like to distribute flyers to those businesses, please contact Myke Folger at: qamagnews@nwlink.com

Best,
Myke

GAIN Walk this Saturday, July 26th

2008-07-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

GAIN Walk Join Toby Tyler Hilden and a group of your neighbors and make your presence known in the neighborhood. Bring your dog too! Meet at Greenwood Park at 4:00, Saturday, July 26, 2008.

The Cabiri Aerial Dance show, Gods of the Night, this weekend July 25 and 26

2008-07-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hello,

The Cabiri Aerial Dance show, Gods of the Night, is taking place this weekend July 25 and 26 at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center in Shoreline.

***********************************

The gods of the land, the goddesses,
Shamash, Sin, Adad, Ishtar,
Sun, Moon, turmoil, love
Lie down to sleep in heaven.

The Anunnaki Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to depicting ancient myths and legends via theatre, music, circus arts, and dance, will present their latest work, Gods of the Night, on July 25-26, 2008 at Shorecrest Performing Arts Center in Shoreline, WA. In a unique blend of European cirque and classic storytelling theater, this production invites audiences to steep themselves in tales both glorious and tragic drawn from ancient Mesopotamian mythology.

As our country's politics and the planet itself are heating up in 2008, The Anunnaki Project continues to bring profound, but oft-forgotten, stories back to life. Their soaring, nuanced productions, which frequently blur the boundary between performer and audience, also act as an antidote to the numbing, isolating world of mass media.

In a darkened theatre, The Anunnaki Project asks its audience to imagine the night sky 5,000 years ago; without city lights or pollution to obscure the view, the Mesopotamian people looked to the stars as divine messengers of the magical world.

Even as we have clouded the sky and made the world too chaotic to notice these subtle celestial progressions, the legacy of the ancient world still penetrates our minds to this day. Since the extinction of these fascinating cultures, tablet upon tablet of hymn, prayer, poem, and tale about the empyreal gods have been discovered, and these translations are the source and inspiration for this production. The aerialists, dancers, and storytellers of Gods of the Night invite their audience to travel back to the ancient Mesopotamian world as they open the sky to dance with the eldritch gods of the night.

This production will be presented in three sections: Prayers to the Gods of Night, The Planets, and Descent of Inanna. Highlights of the show include nimble, powerful aerial dance depictions of celestial deities Shamash (Sun), Sin (Moon), Ishtar (Venus) and Nergal (Mars). The epic Descent of Inanna features a cast of 40 dancers and an appearance by Ereshkigal, Queen of the Sumerian Underworld. Each piece in the production will feature athletic, entrancing performances on a variety of aerial apparatus including trapeze, tissu, hoop, sling, and harness. Company choreographer Nicole Sasala and ensemble members have been working together to create this innovative presentation of ancient stories.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the show begins. The show runs about 2 hours including a 20 minute intermission.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/31031

Pool Closures

2008-07-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
Timothy Gallagher, Superintendent
www.seattle.gov/parks

For immediate release July 15, 2008
Contact: Dewey Potter, 206-684-7241
e-mail dewey.potter@seattle.gov

HELENE MADISON POOL TO CLOSE AT 6 P.M. ON AUGUST 8 TO ACCOMMODATE FILM CREW

To accommodate a film crew shooting a major motion picture, Helene Madison Pool will close at 6 p.m. the evening of Friday, August 8.

The early closure means cancellation of some regularly scheduled pool activities. Parks and Recreation apologizes for the inconvenience and urges regular pool patrons to use nearby pools.

The City of Seattle supports film making in Seattle because the film industry employs thousands of people every year and contributes millions of dollars to our city's economy. Film productions create local jobs, generate tax revenues, and promote a positive image of our city.

The following City of Seattle pools will be open the evening of Friday, August 8:

Ballard Pool, 1471 NW 67th St.
206-684-4094
Lap Swim 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Public Swim 7 to 8 p.m.

Evans Pool (Green Lake)
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N
206-684-4961
Lap Swim 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Public Swim 7 to 8 p.m.

Meadowbrook Pool
10515 35th Ave. NE
206-684-4989

Public Swim 4 to 5 p.m.
Lap Swim 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Public Swim 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more swimming pool information please go to: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Aquatics/Pools/
For more information about filming in Seattle please go to: http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice.

Municipal Jail Updates

2008-07-24T21:00:00.001-07:00

This just sort of dropped in to my inbox, not sure how much value it has:

The Seattle Municipal Jail Web site has been updated and now features materials related to the July 12, 2008, public forum. You'll find a link to this information on the Community Input & Outreach page: http://www.seattle.gov/municipaljail/outreach.htm

We have posted written feedback from & video of the forum here: http://www.seattle.gov/municipaljail/Feedback_7-12-08_Public_Forum.htm

Join GAIN North on Seattle Night Out

2008-07-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

I am writing to remind you to get your invitations/reminders out for the Seattle's Night Out gatherings on Tuesday August 5th. We have a great group participating this year in our area. Here is the link for the reminder notices: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/police/nightout/docs/2008_EventReminder.pdf

We would like to ask you to place a sign up sheet on a table for anyone who would be interested in joining GAIN North. Please ask them to include their name, address, phone and e-mail. You can send them on to me at 322 N. 97th St. 98103 and we will get the new folks invited to our group. We will be having another GAIN meeting in the fall, so you can tell people on your block to be watching for that information!

We would also LOVE to hear about each block party, how many people you had come and what you did, so please post something in the days following your block watch event!

Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to make this happen.
Rene

Thank you: Alley Clean-up Between 101st and 102nd bordered by Linden and Aurora

2008-07-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to thank you all for the fantastic job in cleaning up the alley. It was my fence that was the recipient of the fire. I was out of town, but thankfully my mother was staying at the house. Just wanted to thank the neighbors that helped her out as well, especially Tony. So thanks again!

GreenWoodstock

2008-07-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Music Fans,

Save the date Tuesday August 5th for the 4th annual Greenwoodstock concert.

Please note some changes this year. The event will be held on a Tuesday evening in conjunction with the citywide “Night Out Against Crime” or block watch night, This will enable getting a permit to close down 6th Ave NW between NW 76th and NW 77th People from all over the neighborhood can gather to meet, greet, eat, listen to live music, and dance. If your block normally puts on a “Night Out for Crime” event, you may want to consider inviting your block to come as a group to this larger neighborhood Greenwoodstock event. This is not to say you shouldn't’t host your own block party too if your block desires. Mosey over later for some music and dancing.

Stephen McClelland has kindly offered the use of his courtyard across from the 6th Ave Pocket Park as “the stage” this year for the bands. This will enable me to bring in a PA system and full instrumentation. We can finally try out a real live “plugged in” rock ‘n roll event with dancing in the street in front of the courtyard. Although the event won't formally be in the park this year, it will still be a nice place for those wishing to find a bit quieter place to sit and talk, or play in the sand pit during the evening.

I have three bands lined up, and here are the rough performance times, as I know them at this point:

6:00 – 6:45pm Moongirl – two-piece husband and wife Seattle acoustic guitar group playing and singing originals and popular cover songs with lovely vocals.

7:00 – 7:45pm The Lazy Kings – four-piece rock band from Tacoma. They play interesting original instrumentals with expanded guitar solos that travel to new heights plus a few fun cover songs.

8:00 – 9:30pm BottleRockit – six-piece Seattle/Sammamish based rock, surf, blues, and country band with a real focus on getting people up to dance and have a great time. BottleRockit features both strong male and female vocals enabling them to cover a wide range of popular songs plus original songs to get you moving, singing along and thinking.

The event is intended to be family, kids, pets, and neighbor friendly. Pack a picnic dinner, or a buffet item; bring along your BBQ if you like. Get out the old trusty beach blanket and folding chairs for an evening of fun together. Don’t forget your applause and smiles for the bands that have offered up their time and talents. Passing the hat would be a nice gesture too.

Ideas, suggestions, and donations to make the event a success are always welcomed!

Look for the Greenwoodstock posters featuring "Leaf Mask Man" going up around the neighborhood.

Fun in the sun,

Scott Walker

Scott Walker
ttocsreklaw@yahoo.com

Summer Sundays in the Piper's Creek Watershed

2008-07-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

1:30—3:30p.m.
July 27 & August 24, 2008

Meet at the Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center
950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., Seattle, WA 98177

The theme of these walks will be "Restore Our Waters." We will start at the Learning Center, highlighting its environmentally–friendly features like water catchment, solar panels, and green materials. Next, we'll head outside to learn about Carkeek's newly installed rain garden, and then we'll walk along Piper's Creek down to the beach. During the walk we'll discuss historic and current issues affecting the watershed.

Bring a hat, water, and sturdy shoes, and join us for one of these great educational opportunities. You'll find answers to that age old question: but I'm just one person, how can I help shape the fate of Puget Sound?

RSVP 684-0877

Play the Eatsy Street Game!

2008-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Do the Gumshoe 5k walk and play the Eatsy Street Game too! Win great prizes! Entry forms go on sale Friday, August 8 and cost $20. All proceeds benefit the Greenwood Senior Center, a program of the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Pig & Whistle Closer to Reopening

2008-07-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Pig & Whistle's been repainted and looks a little closer to reopening.

Thankfully, the sign's still up! Would hate to lose that...

Photos from Seafair Parade

2008-07-23T22:39:00.001-07:00

Lots more photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seattledailyphoto/

Patch has been found!

2008-07-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Susan,

I'm happy to report that Patch, my dear friend's dear dog, was FOUND last night! He was spotted at 85th and 8th NW, just 4 blocks from where he'd been seen last. Heaping thanks to Greenwood-ites who kept an eye out, and especially the wonderful woman who ultimately found Patch.

If you'd be kind enough to send this grateful 'shout out' to the folks of Greenwood and share our happy ending, I'd be most appreciative. I'm really enjoying the blog as a great ultra-local news source.

Now to go tear down all those flyers...
Sarah Greene

Updated with Route: Seafair Parade Tomorrow at 6 pm!

2008-07-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Update: Here's the route..."Greenwood Avenue from N 95th St. to N 85th St., turns right (west) at 85th and continues to 6th Ave. NW"

Update on Fire in The Alley Between 101st and 102nd bordered by Linden and Aurora

2008-07-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

In a little over an hour we collected 7 full bags of garbage, a burnt out chair, a plastic chair, a door, and a tire.

There were more than a few places where unique encampments had been made. The debris we found was mostly empty alcohol containers, wrappers, matches, magazines, etc.

All in all we were able to make a dent in an area that needs a lot of work still.

Wendy [GAIN North]

My Greenwood?

2008-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Seems the My Ballard folks have deciding to go into multi-neighborhood blogging and have started Phinneywood.

ADT Scam?

2008-07-19T17:13:00.001-07:00

Thursday night two college age boys stopped me in front of my house (on 83rd) to ask me about our security system. I was suspicious and told them that we had everything we needed - they referenced our neighbor "Amy" (the only Amy is two big blocks down from us) and said she was having problems with her ADT system.

It seemed very suspicious, and I wanted to see if you knew any issues about fake security salesmen. They had California license plates and a convertible grey mustang. I can give you the # if you think it would help.

Just wanted to put the word out.

Land use Updates Today

2008-07-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a Land Use Update for the Naked City Brewing Co...

Fire in The Alley Between 101st and 102nd bordered by Linden and Aurora

2008-07-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

So, last night due to encampments and overgrown, dry brush there was a fire in this alley. It was disconcerting for a few reasons, one being that since the alley is blocked off on one end, the firetruck had only one access point. Second, the fire was dangerously close to a neighbors fence and garage. It was put out shortly after the fire dept. was able to get to the fire itself.

I've called the city 3 times in the past month about this alley and have spoken with the police as well . . . at this point i'm wondering if some folks would like to join me in doing a clean up either this Sunday afternoon or the next weekend for a couple of hours (either day)?

Thanks!

Wendy

Computer Recycling Extravaganza! July 27th

2008-07-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

ST. JOHN COMPUTER RECYCLING EXTRAVAGANZA 12-6 p.m., Sunday, July 27

Hello Owners of Old Computers,

St. John at 121 North 80th St, is hosting a Computer Recycling Extravaganza on Sunday, July 27th from 12 noon - 6pm to help celebrate and showcase our landmark GREEN renovations of the past two years. For more information, please see the article in the July 18th edition of the North Seattle Herald Outlook or here:

http://www.st-johnschool.org/Portals/0/Forms/ComputerRecyclingFlyer.pdf

We're thrilled to offer this community-building opportunity to responsibly recycle old computers, monitors, keyboards, printers and scanners. To help spread the word, please consider tell five family members and/or friends about St. John's Computer Recycling Extravaganza. If you know of nearby businesses who might appreciate knowing about the St. John Computer Recycling Extravaganza, and would like to distribute flyers to those businesses, please contact Myke Folger at: qamagnews@nwlink.com

Best,
Myke

Agenda: Greenwood Community Council Meeting July 15th -- Open to the Public! Come Join Us!

2008-07-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

7:00 Regular Items
-- Introductions
--Changes to Agenda
--Outreach & Communications
--District Council Report
--Other Updates from Points of Contact, 2 minutes
--Public Comment, 2 minutes
--Neighborhood Grant Information and Updates
--Ideas for September Meeting Agenda

7:30 Introduction Items
--Suggestions for places/projects/plans that we might target for Neighborhood Matching Funds this year (both large project funds and small & simple)
--Neighborhood Street Fund - is 1st Ave NW between 87th & 90th an affordable alternative?

7:40 Developing Discussion
Making An Open Space Plan for Greenwood
Guest: Tim Gallagher, Superintendent of Seattle Parks & Recreation

Greenwood has one of the lowest ratios of open space per capita in the City of Seattle. The south end of the neighborhood is the desert of open space. The north is not far from it. Open Space includes active and passive recreation space as well as natural habitat areas. It also includes things like pools, recreation trails, community centers, and off-leash areas which we don’t have either. What steps can we take to move toward closing the gaps?

Strengthening Ties
Cultivating a Greater Greenwood Neighborhood Alliance as a central role of the Greenwood Community Council

Vandalism in Greenwood
The North Seattle Boys & Girls Club Director, Crystal Barnard, is planning a community meeting about vandalism. Please sign up if you are interested in this meeting / topic.

SuperNova
When and what can we expect in the way of the return of the SuperNova at Greenwood Park? [update: due to arrive ~7/15!]

Jail
A letter of support or opposition concerning the possibility of a new City of Seattle jail currently being considered for the Putz Golf site in Haller Lake off Aurora

City of Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan
More than a year later, what is happening?

8:40 Action Steps
--NMF Applications
--Night Out, Tuesday August 5, http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/police/nightout/default.htm

8:45 Social

9:00 Adjourn

Last Month’s Meeting Notes
June 2008 Meeting: In attendance – Susan Cunningham, Ron Hornung, Anne Engstrom, Chris Porter, Tim Porter, Kate Martin

We took a quick tour of the remodel project at the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club and then headed to the library for the main meeting.

We discussed the potential role of the Greenwood Community Council and ideas for processing issues/taking positions on issues by progressing through introductions, developing conversations, and taking action if any in a sequential way at monthly meetings. We talked about strengthening the council by bringing neighborhood groups together in one place and cultivating new groups and interests there as well.

Susan Cunningham, who hosts the Greenwood Blog, will be helping to integrate community council issues within her blog and possibly also help to develop a Greenwood Community Council website.

Vandalism in the form of tagging (graffiti) was also a topic of conversation.

We also discussed the possibility of a City of Seattle jail in Haller Lake and whether/how to take a position on that.

Next Meeting
Tuesday September 16th, 7pm, Greenwood Library (3rd Tuesday)

Fresh Graffiti at the Park

2008-07-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

And beer cans. Lots of beer cans.

Someone had quite the party last night.

Neighbors Have Added Notes...

2008-07-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

[click on photo for larger image]

Safe Walks Forum

2008-07-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

A Message from Kate Martin, Greenwood Community Council President:

Renee Staton of Safe Walks is organizing a forum sponsored by Councilmember Licata. Flyer is attached.

The forum is on the 22nd at 6pm at City Hall in the Bertha Knight Landes room on the 5th Avenue level.

I’m going to participate in the panel representing the NW district. I would really appreciate it if some folks who are interested in Safe Walks (sidewalks, crosswalks, etc.) sooner rather than later could make a little time to attend this forum.

You don’t have to be without a sidewalk or safe crosswalk to help out with this effort. In fact, I believe that getting support from people who are more or less fully infrastructured for safe walking is essential.

-Kate

Drug Transaction in Park

2008-07-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Just posted on Greenwood Discussion...

Black Honda Accord 4 door after market chrome rims WA tag 565 SCL

Was circling around the park a few times at 8:30pm Sat evening... Black male with White female passenger (bad perm and oversized sunglasses)- they parked on Evanston he got out and another black mail with a female who had an empty baby stroller exchanged bags and he got in the car and left. I asked the two what they were doing and they quickly ran out of the park towards 87th.

Olive You expands seating

2008-07-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Got a note from Timur Leno, owner of Olive You, yesterday, saying that they've removed their large deli case and can now accommodate 30-50 diners at Olive You. They've also added a full-time bartender...

Lost Orange Kitten

2008-07-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

I have a lost cat that need finding. She is a small, skinny, timid orange cat named Kissa (Icelandic for kitten). I had just brought her home last night, so she doesn't know the neighborhood. She must have jumped out of a window that was open 2 inches (I just measured it!) .She ran off from my house, just off of 80th and 1st NW, between 1:30 and 3:30 today. She doesn't have any collar on. I would appreciate any information if you see her.
Thank you,
Julie
206-953-2202

Saturday Morning in Greenwood

2008-07-12T12:05:00.001-07:00

Sideswiped on 87th?

2008-07-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

This poor little car looks like it got sideswiped last night.

Park Residents Have Moved

2008-07-11T06:55:00.001-07:00

All the residents along the edge of the park were gone this morning, except for this car, which bears a sticker letting the owner know that they have 48 hours to move the car or it will be towed. The sticker landed there yesterday at 9:45 am, according to the writing on it. I'm not sure how the owner is going to move it, since one tire is flat.

Reminder: Aurora Jail Meeting -- This Saturday July 12

2008-07-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Please attend the city's official meeting so you can voice your opinion about a possible jail on Aurora. The meeting will be held Saturday, July 12, 9:00am-12:00pm at North Seattle Community College, 9600 College Way N, in the Wellness Center (gym) located on the I-5 side of the college, just south of the NE parking lot (free on weekends).

Numbers count in opposing this jail. Already many of you have sent in your letters. Thanks! Haller Lake Community Club is actively opposing the jail. See Seattle P.I. article about Haller Lake meeting. More than 250 people attended their planning meeting.

If you haven't done so already, please write Mayor Greg Nickels and City Councilmember Tim Burgess. Here is a Sample Letter. You may submit your letter online in the Jail Comment Form and/or send a letter to Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle City Hall, PO Box 94749, Seattle, WA 98124. Please also email your letter to City Councilmember Tim Burgess, tim.burgess@seattle.gov. The city has created a Jail Information Website to answer many of the questions about the jail.

Re-Posting: (STILL) Lost Dog - 3rd & 90th

2008-07-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Patch was last seen around 3rd Ave NW and N 90th Street on Sunday, July 6, 2008. He is a sweet, medium-build black and white speckled mix, with long, pointy ears. He is wearing a red, white and blue collar and is micro-chipped. He’s probably very scared, as he’s completely out of his neighborhood—was having a dog play date with his Greenwood dog-friend, Roxy.

If Patch is found, please call Don at 206-683-8680 or email eastsidekahuna@earthlink.net

Come to the Greenwood Community Council Meeting July 15th!

2008-07-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Superintendent Tim Gallagher plans to discuss the graffiti problem at an upcoming Greenwood Community Council meeting Tuesday, July 15, 2008, at 7 pm, at the Greenwood Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.

Greenwood Community Council Meetings are open to the public and you are very much encouraged to attend! Come join us, get to know your neighbors, and hear what's going on in your community!

Please mark your calendars for the July Greenwood Community Council Meeting on July 15th at 7pm at Greenwood Library.

Full agenda to follow in about a week, but this is advance notice that our guest in July will be Tim Gallagher, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation, who will come to speak with us about our open space ideas and how an open space plan for our neighborhood could facilitate implementation in the future.

There will not be a Greenwood Community Council meeting in August in respect of Seattle Night Out. Please participate in Seattle Night Out in lieu of the meeting if possible. The event has a block watch/crime prevention origin, but many people have found that it also has great social value in community building and block strengthening and can be a simple way to talk to your neighbors, make an email contact list, etc.) Some people just have something on their block, others group together with other blocks or at nearby parks. Any way it works for you ultimately helps our community.

Other dates to mark for future 3rd Tuesday Greenwood Community Council meetings into the fall are:

August (no Greenwood Community Council meeting)
September 16
October 21
November 18

Register Your Street For Seattle Night Out Against Crime

2008-07-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

This year's "Night Out Against Crime" is Tuesday, August 5th. Don't know about Night Out? Here's the word from the Night Out invitation flyer (which you can print and hand out to all your neighbors...)

SEATTLE NIGHT OUT 2008 is TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008
“Night Out” is a national Crime Prevention event. It is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite our communities. It is a great chance to learn about crime prevention, while also celebrating your community and spending time with your neighbors.

I've registered my block. Register your block today and let's get Greenwood out this year!

Follow-up Article about Greenwood Park in the PI

2008-07-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in mentioning it, but there was a follow-up article about the Greenwood Park graffiti in the PI, published on Tuesday.

New Sidewalk Going In

2008-07-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

The corner of 90th and Dayton Av N...right next to the old Seeley House.

More Suspicious Activity - or at Least Shady Business Dealings

2008-07-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you not reading the comments, this was posted in response to my Fox News post and I thought it worth highlighting:

An interesting offshoot of all of this attention the park has gotten this weekend:

Beware of the salemen working off of the fear and instability ( and the newspaper and TV coverage) the park situation has caused.
A home security system salesman came to my door last night citing all the trouble in the park lately, and tried to get me to sign on to his company's monitored security system. He was ready to give me a free "promotional" deal on the system- A free $2100 system (a hugely inflated value!) for free as along as I sign up for a 3 year monitoring service (at a very high monthly fee). It was a "don't tell your neighbors what a great deal we are giving you" sales pitch. He was ready to install it right now (10:00 last night), again for free, because his guy was already in the neighborhood.

It turns out I already have my own system and know how inflated his prices were from my research.

And I just have to ask, who does business at 10 pm??

Labor Ready Closed?

2008-07-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Wendy, of GAIN North has this question today...

So I walk by the Labor Ready on Aurora (between 101st and 102nd) when I go to catch the bus. Usually there is a crowd of people that have been waiting or are waiting for jobs. This morning there was a notice on the door that said the Aurora location was closed permanently and that they were merging their services with their location in Ballard.

Has anyone heard about this or know of any other details? I'm curious what will go in next.

Suspicious Activity Alerts

2008-07-09T18:33:00.001-07:00

A couple of postings came through the Greenwood Discussion Board today that I thought were worth pointing out...

Less than an hour ago (11:30ish [AM]) there was a person at our door asking my wife if he could come in and use the phone to check on some bicycle repair. She closed the door on him - from past experience this is bad news. We live a block up from Aurora on 89th. He is 6ft., skinny, early 20s, black and white shirt, gold chain, white. 911 was called for suspicious activity - suspicious enough I thought i should pass this on here.

and this one:

We had an unsettling incident last night that folks should be aware of. At approximately 11pm on Tuesday July 8, a white male (in his 20s or 30s) came to our front door asking to use the phone to call AAA because his car broke down nearby. My husband and I noticed spots of blood on his white t-shirt and a small cut on his left cheek and quickly decided something wasn't right, told the man no, and closed the door. We immediately dialed 911 and filed a report. Within minutes, a K-9 unit police officer came to our door and asked which way the guy went, because he had just assaulted his girlfriend down the street. The police officer proceeded to track the man with his police dog.

This is all we know and we hope the assailant was caught. We live on N 74th between Dayton and Fremont. Please be aware if/when strangers come to your door! We felt very lucky to have 2 big dogs at home that obviously made the assailant nervous.

GAIN Community Walk - This Wednesday

2008-07-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

GAIN community walks provide a chance to know your neighborhood and help deter crime by making your presence known.

Wed, July 9, 2008 at 7:30pm
82nd and Aurora (near 1/2 price pots)

Sat, July 26, 2008 at 4:00pm
87th and Fremont (by Greenwood Park) – Bring Your Dog Walk!

THANK YOU SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION!

2008-07-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

The park looks beautiful this morning. All the graffiti has been cleaned off the bathroom, toys, rocks, and walls. And not only that, the Parks department locked the bathroom last night and sent a night watchman. Seriously. I met him this morning. He's been out there sitting in his car all night long, watching the park.

Interested in sending a thank you note? It's easy, just use this form http://www.seattle.gov/parks/contact/Form.asp

Organizing a planting group in the blocks adjacent to 98th and Linden

2008-07-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods has a 'free tree' program intented to enhance the City's urban forest and help build stronger communities. The deadline is August 15th, if you can organize a minimum of 5 neighbors in your adjacent blocks to plant and care for new trees in our planting strips.

I'd like to organize a planting group in the blocks adjacent to 98th and Linden. If you are interested, please contact me at andy.leikin@comcast.net and provide me with your address, and a contact telephone number so that we can get together to plan and submit a completed application prior to the deadline.

More details are at http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/NMF/treefund.htm

Thanks,
Andy Leikin

Greenwood Acoustic Jam is Monday, July14

2008-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

This month's Greenwood Acoustic Jam is Monday July14. (The SECOND Monday of the month, when available, is the traditional day of the GWAJ). At the Greenwood Public Library , in the meeting room adjacent to the front door. The room will be ready at 5:45, to compensate for the 7:45 ejection by the Library staff.

Sheet music for tunes we've played, and maybe one or two we haven't, are available in the FILE section , as downloadable PDFs. Print 'em out and bring 'em!

We've been playing tunes mostly from the two Portland books, PLUS writing on the spot a chord progression on the whiteboards and having players improvise on it.

If you have a tune you'd like to teach the group, feel free to suggest and play. We can work on our "ear playing." Also, if you want to bring a chord progression to improvise over, write it down and bring it along.

All instruments encouraged! So far we've had fiddles, guitars, autoharps, whistles, ouds, accordions, mandolins, and melodicas. Help make this list longer!

Free Taproot Theater Event July 22!

2008-07-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peek at the library for
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Music and Lyrics by Roger Miller, book by William Hauptman, adapted from the novel by Mark Twain.

Join Taproot Theatre Company's Associate Artistic Director Karen Lund and members of the Big River cast for a fun and informative behind-the-scenes preview of this exuberant musical adventure based on Mark Twain’s masterpiece.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 7:00-7:45 p.m.

Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103

Free!

Fox News is on the Story

2008-07-07T06:47:00.001-07:00

Fox news is at the park this morning, prepping to do a story about the graffiti.

UPDATE: View the story here:
http://q1.trb.com/video/autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2664709

It was also on King 5 News last night. Here is the link, http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_070608WAB_seattle_parks_graffiti_SW.2d687760.html.

Just Married

2008-07-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

Spotted on Dayton Av N this morning. Congratulations Andy & Siri!

Seafair Parade July 23rd at 6 PM

2008-07-06T18:45:00.001-07:00

Mr Gyros -- Closed on Sunday

2008-07-06T11:12:00.001-07:00

Early Morning Downtown Greenwood

2008-07-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Greenwood Graffiti in the PI

2008-07-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

There's an article in the PI today about all the recent graffiti in the park...

The Pig & Whistle Returns

2008-07-05T05:19:00.001-07:00

This sign is posted on the door of the Pig & Whistle, stating that it will reopen under new ownership before the end of July 2008. Send your resume to pignwhistlegreenwood@gmail.com if you want to work there...

Dangerous Intersection?? Tell Nick Licata...

2008-07-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Pedestrian Safety Advocate,

Did you know?

There is a new web site on pedestrian safety called Critical Crossings: http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/Licata/crossings.htm

I launched the site earlier this year to address pedestrian safety issues in Seattle by allowing residents who believe crossings are critical to their safety to post photos of traffic intersections and crosswalks, along with comments.

I urge you to get the word out, submit your own photos and comments, and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

As Co-Chair of the Seattle City Council's Pedestrian Safety Committee, I will refer to Critical Crossings when developing my priorities in improving pedestrian safety. The Seattle Department of Transportation will follow up on each Critical Crossings submission, as well.

To submit entries:

- Visit http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/Licata/crossings.htm to see crossings already posted from throughout Seattle.
- You must include a digital photo and/or a comment on crossings already posted and crossings must be within Seattle City limits.
- Email your photo and/or comments to Frank Video, frank.video@seattle.gov. In the subject line type: 'Critical Crossings.'
- Indicate in your message if you want to post your email address next to your photo so others can contact you.
- Submit images in JPG or GIF format. The image should be 640 x 480 pixels or larger. To insure quality, images smaller then 640 x 480 pixels will not be posted.
- The intersections will be catalogued and kept on the site. New photos will be added each month along with any comments received.

If you are interested in legislation, projects, or issues impacting pedestrian safety you can sign up to receive my pedestrian safety bulletins by emailing Robin Matisse at robin.matisse@seatttle.gov. In the subject line type: 'Add to pedestrian safety list.'

Sincerely,

Nick Licata
Seattle City Council
Chair, Culture, Civil Rights, Health, and Personnel Committee
Co-Chair, Pedestrian Safety Committee

The Graffiti: July 4, 2008

2008-07-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

All these photos were taken today, between noon and 1 pm.

corner of 87th & Phinney

Safeway wall on 87th between Greenwood and Phinney

private property, SW corner of 87th and Dayton

NE corner of 90th and Dayton

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Greenwood Park

Private property, SW corner 87th & Evanston

traffic circle, 87th & Dayton, with private property vandalism in the background

view from the DOL parking lot -- back of Greenwood Av businesses

more view from the DOL parking lot -- back of Greenwood Av businesses

back of Yen Wor Garden, corner of 87th and Greenwood

Greenwood Av McDonald's (vacant)

Greenwood Av McDonald's (vacant)

Coyotes in Greenwood??

2008-07-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

This post on the GAIN North list got me wondering if there are also coyotes in Greenwood...if they're a few streets north of us, I imagine they're here too. Better keep your cats, chickens, and small dogs locked up:

Hello Neighbors
I just received the following message about coyotes being sighted north of 105th. There hasn't been anything on the local news about them, but it's worthwhile to be extra careful with our children and pets.

Hello,

Just wanted to alert everyone that there have been many recent coyote sightings in Broadview. I'm sure many of you noticed the flyers posted last week mentioning two families of coyotes living in Broadview. Monday morning at 12:30 AM several neighbors and I awoke to hear very loud snarling, yipping and growling sounds. Over that weekend several lost pet flyers had been posted. Today I noticed new coyote warning flyers posted South of 125th. Tonight my parter, came home at 8 PM and watched a coyote trotting North on 9th NW directly in front of our house. He said he was surprised at how large the coyote was.

Please consider being extra cautious with your children and pets and alerting your neighbors to do the same.

Saturday Greenwood Park Update

2008-07-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

[inside the Greenwood Park bathroom, July 4, 2008, about noon]

UPDATE 1:30 pm: I'm not sure when Caroline, of the Greenwood Discussion Group, was at the park this morning, but there certainly is new graffiti. Tons of it, and a completely different group of taggers, as far as I can tell. I haven't noticed the g squad tag before, but it is all over Greenwood and most especially all over the park today. Check back for more photos a little later today. Blogger takes a while to load them and sometimes outright refuses.

[fresh graffiti, and the Parks department "wet paint" warning hadn't even been taken down yet]

(10:48 am) Today's park update is courtesy of Caroline via the Greenwood Discussion group:

Update on the graffiti in Greenwood Park--the graffiti from last weekend has been removed by Parks, with no new additions as of last night. We will see what is added over the weekend...

They has also added signs stating the hours the park is closed: 11:30 PM to 4:00 AM. I did not check to see if they added signs on the Evanston entrances, but there's a sign on both entrances on the Fremont side. This was a suggestion at the last Friends of Greenwood Park workparty, and Parks was very prompt in their response. This should hopefully help immediate neighbors get responses from the police if they observe activity during those times.

Here's one of the new signs. I didn't notice any on the Evanston Avenue side of the park:

The Daily Greenwood Park Report

2008-07-03T17:57:00.001-07:00

I didn't get to the park this morning to report in to you all, because we were still in the thick of the thunder and lightning as my normal dog-walking time came and went. But thanks to your friends and neighbors, we have the report anyway. See the comments on this post for today's updates. And thanks for chiming in, folks!

Communities Count 2008 Participants Needed for Research

2008-07-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

From the GAIN North board:

(This is posted by a local resident who works from the Communities Count project and Sustainable Seattle)

Communities Count 2008: Participants Needed for Research Affordable Housing and Transportation in King County

What is it like for your household to live and work in King County? How do you make it all work – jobs, transportation, education, health, recreation, childcare, spiritual, social? King County residents over 18 years old are invited to participate in interviews to help describe how different households find life in the county.
- The interview will last about one hour to one and a half hours, and will be conducted in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
- If you choose to participate in an interview, you will be paid $30 for your time.
- The interview will be held in a place that is comfortable for you. All personal information will be kept confidential.

PLEASE CALL Susan Thompson at 206-263-8756 OR EMAIL Susan.Thompson@kingcounty.gov

Interviews will be conducted with members of the following groups: moderate and low income people, African Americans, people whose first language is Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese, currently employed, part of a household with more than one person, have lived in your current home for more than one year but less than five years. These interviews are being conducted by Public Health – Seattle & King County for Communities Count 2008. Communities Count is a collaborative initiative of public and private organizations which work to create people and community indicators for King County. For more information on Communities Count, please call Molly McNees: 206-263-8771.

Pig & Whistle Coming Back?

2008-07-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I noticed some activity at the Pig & Whistle as I drove by yesterday, and according to commenter Mark (see my original post) they're due to re-open in July with a new menu. I'm looking forward to that!

The Daily Greenwood Park Report

2008-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Once again the Greenwood Park bathroom is completely covered in graffiti, except, for some reason, the Evanston Av side. The entire inside and Fremont Av outside has been freshly tagged. The park staff must be getting mighty weary of having to repaint every day.

There was little trash this morning. None of the smashed bottles and strewn cans and food wrappers of the last few days. There were some burned chicken nugget sauce packs on one of the tables. I haven't seen burned materials until today.

No additional residents along the park edge, but a new camper was parked up the street at the Evanston Av P-Patch this morning.

Update on the Rebar Patch

2008-07-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a large truck came by and removed all the piles of excess rebar from the rebar patch (corner of 103rd and Greenwood). I don't know what this means, but I'm very hopeful that further clean-up will now commence...

A Comment on Greenwood Park Vandalism

2008-07-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to highlight this comment on my recent post regarding the vandalism at Greenwood Park, for those of you reading posts but not necessarily reading the comments...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Greenwood Park Vandalism":

It's more than graffiti.
It's more than keeping an eye on the park. This is being done.
A successful blockwatch culminates in someone, or several people, calling 911. There is a new gang presence in the park. This is gang related vandalism going on. The police have been called numerous times but most often don't show up for 30-45 minutes if at all. Often the culprits have left by then. There has been an assault and a purse grab in the park recently. Lewd comments have been directed at passersby. Littering and graffiti are one thing, but things are escalating. I think that there are some young wannabes (wannabe gang members) that are trying to prove themselves. Local residents are asking for police presence in the form regular cruise bys, but it is not happening very often.
As far as graffiti goes, it is predictable that these people will be coming back to the park, especially after the Parks Dept. repaints the bathroom building again, which was hit again on Sunday night. Cameras could catch them in the act. It might have to be a resourceful citizens group that does this.
I believe it is the same core group, those that don't drive and thus are on foot and probably live in the neighborhood, that is responsible for the graffiti all over Greenwood and the surrounding neighborhood. I have seen some of the same tags in Ballard.

Register Your Block for Seattle Night Out!

2008-07-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

It's time to plan a block party for Seattle Night Out on Tuesday, August 5! This is an annual event with more than 23 parties in the GAIN area in previous years. It's easy to organize and a great way to meet your neighbors! For more information go to Seattle Night Out. To register, go to the online registration form. If you are unsure if there is a block captain for your block or you might be willing to organize a party, please email us at gaingroup@gmail.com.

July Greenwood Community Council Meeting

2008-07-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

Greenwood Community Council Meetings are open to the public and you are very much encouraged to attend! Come join us, get to know your neighbors, and hear what's going on in your community!

Please mark your calendars for the July Greenwood Community Council Meeting on July 15th at 7pm at Greenwood Library.

Full agenda to follow in about a week, but this is advance notice that our guest in July will be Tim Gallagher, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation, who will come to speak with us about our open space ideas and how an open space plan for our neighborhood could facilitate implementation in the future.

There will not be a Greenwood Community Council meeting in August in respect of Seattle Night Out. Please participate in Seattle Night Out in lieu of the meeting if possible, http://www.seattle.gov/Police/nightout/. The event has a block watch/crime prevention origin, but many people have found that it also has great social value in community building and block strengthening and can be a simple way to talk to your neighbors, make an email contact list, etc.) Some people just have something on their block, others group together with other blocks or at nearby parks. Any way it works for you ultimately helps our community.

Other dates to mark for future 3rd Tuesday Greenwood Community Council meetings into the fall are:

August (no Greenwood Community Council meeting)
September 16
October 21
November 18

-Kate

Lost Cat - Black w/White Tuft on Tail

2008-06-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello neighbors, Please, we need your help. Normally we are the ones that have a lost dog or cat find us. This time we are missing one of the cats that adopted up about 8 years ago. Since it was so hot last night he would not come inside, even so, that is not normal for him. As of this morning he still has not come in, we have walked around the neighborhood calling him, but no luck. His name is Salem, Neutered Male, shorthair about 9 pounds. He is all black except for a white tuft on his tail about 6 inches from the base. He would be very scared and most likely would not come to you, but he might perk up his ears if you say the word "TREAT!!". If you do see him please email s.bresnan@comcast.net.