Experience Jim Henson’s Fantastic World at EMP|SFM’s Late Night Exhibitchin’, Saturday, August 1 from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. EMP|SFM’s new afterhours dance party will feature live music, cheap drinks and super duper surprises throughout the evening and into the morning.

Start the night out right, and get your inner-Muppet on for an Animal drumming competition! Drums and sticks will be provided, animalistic tendencies—that’s all you, baby. Dance to music by local rap-pop-rock legends The Saturday Knights, the deliciously funky Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme and wunderkind spin master DJ Electro Wolf. Enjoy $3 beers and other drink specials throughout the night. Oh, and did we mention surprises? What’s a bitchin’ event without a little spectacle here and there?

Prizes for most-spazzy and most-snazzy Animal impersonations will be awarded. Save a place in the competition, send an e-mail to animalrocks@empsfm.org and get the low-down.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World is currently on display at EMP|SFM through August 16. This limited-run exhibition, organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and Smithsonian Institution, takes a comprehensive look at the creative genius and cultural phenomenon, Jim Henson.

Tickets are $10 for EMP|SFM members; $12 for the general public in advance; and $15 for the general public at the door.

Tickets are on sale now at brownpapertickets.com.

Jones Soda Co. is expanding its Free Soda Friday program by offering every Seattleite a free soda on Friday, July 10. Thirsty soda lovers are invited to Jones Soda?s headquarters in Seattle?s South Lake Union neighborhood from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to claim their free Jones Soda. The headquarters are located at 234 Ninth Ave. N in Seattle.

A long standing Friday tradition, Jones Soda opens their office doors at the end of every work week to neighbors who want to enjoy a free soda. Now for one day only, free soda will be flowing all day long. Additionally, everybody who stops by for their free soda will be entered for a chance to win 4 seats in the Jones Soda suite at Qwest Field to watch the Seattle Sounders FC match on August 29th.

?This event is our way of saying thank you to Seattle area Jones Soda fans,? said Joth Ricci, president and CEO of Jones Soda. ?The weather is starting to heat up around Seattle and sipping on an ice cold Jones Soda is the perfect summer treat.?

Following the soda giveaway on July 10, Jones Soda representatives will be at select retail outlets throughout King County every Friday. Consumers should visit www.jonessoda.com/fsf on a weekly basis for updates on Free Soda Friday retail locations.

For more information and retail locations of Jones Soda Free Soda Fridays, please visit www.jonessoda.com.

Join Friends of Seattle on Monday, July 13th for a debate among Seattle’s mayoral candidates at Spitfire on 2219 4th Ave., Seattle, WA. Come to hear about the issues that are important to you: transportation, housing, growth, and environmental sustainability.

Erica C. Barnett, PubliCola’s News Editor, will moderate the panel debate which will include a lightening round, questions from the moderator, and questions from the audience. The candidates include:

* Jan Drago
* James Donaldson (invited)
* Joe Mallahan
* Mike McGinn
* Greg Nickels (invited)
* Norman Sigler

This event is free.  Friends of Seattle is a community of ordinary people uniting to make Seattle the green, urban city we need. Our goal is to build a political movement, a new generation of civic activists who hold our elected officials, civic leaders, and fellow citizens accountable to a principled vision for Seattle, which we call progressive urbanism.

A fun event comes to Queen Anne from Frantic Foodie and Kim Ricketts Book Events. An evening at the Bustle, 535 W. McGraw St. Seattle, WA is highlighted by an evening with Emily Franklin, the author of Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids and 102 Recipes.

Monday, July 13, 2009,7-9pm

Ticket price of $20 includes wine, snacks and a raffle ticket

Get tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71558

One part David Sedaris, one part Julia Child, Emily Franklin?s Too Many Cooks is a happy mix of recipes, memories, and good storytelling. A foodie and former chef, Franklin wants to pass on her love of food and cooking to her kids. Over the course of a year, she introduces her children to new dishes ? some exotic, some thrown together with whatever she has in her cabinets ? with varying degrees of success, sharing with readers over 100 original recipes. Along the way, she discovers how a delicious (or even disastrous) meal can bring families together and feed the soul.

Emily will share her experience on managing a mom schedule, with tricks, humor and anecdotes on feeding your kids while keeping your sanity.

Join us for snacks, wine and an evening filled with ideas, raffle prizes and inspiration. Books will be available for purchase at a discounted price. Raffle prizes include 5 inspiring books autographed by famous authors and other mommylicious gifts.

Queen Anne Books brings science to kids. To participate in our Summer Science reading program for kids, pick any books from the in-store Summer Science display. You’ll find some of our favorite science related books, both fiction and non-fiction, for a variety of ages, all at 20% off. The featured books are marked with a Summer Science discount sticker.

Then join us for Summer Science Day Sunday September 13 from 1:00- 4:00 pm at the store. We will lead experiments, play science-related games, enjoy snacks, and hold a prize drawing for attendees. Wear comfortable clothes that you can get wet or dirty– sometimes science can get a little messy.

Click Here for more details.

Mark your calendars for the inaugural Skateboard Film Festival, which is happening this August 14th-16th at the SIFF Cinema’s state-of-the-art theater at Seattle Center. So far we have received high-quality skateboard film submissions from across the United States and abroad. Our goal is to screen between 40-60 films over the course of the weekend. We are attempting to dedicate a film festival exclusively for independent skateboard filmmakers, which has never been done before.

This first year is just the beginning of the grand plans we have for the festival’s future. Please read more about the festival on their website and take a moment to watch a few of the trailers, which will give you an idea of what we will be featuring in August. Then follow our progress at http://www.twitter.com/skatefilmfest.

You can also contact Kirk Wimberley at kirk@theskateboardfilmfestival.com if you have questions.

On August 15th, join EarthCorps, the Green Seattle Partnership, Friends of Queen Anne Parks and the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation Department as they work to restore NE Queen Anne Greenbelt.

The Greenbelt is a combination of two new parks: Trolley Hill Park and MacLean Park. Trolley Hill Park is home to a P-Patch and picnic area while MacLean Park commands a terrific view of the Cascades and Mt. Rainer. These parks are home to beautiful and interesting native plants that are being threatened by non-native, invasive plants such as English ivy. At this event they will remove invasive plants and perform restoration site maintenance. Please check out theirr website for more information and to sign up:www.earthcorps.org

A contractor working on a private project will close the southern, eastbound lane and sidewalk on Valley Street between Westlake Avenue and Terry Avenue North from July 8 at 5 a.m. until July 13. The contractor will also close the sidewalk on the north side of Mercer Street from Westlake Avenue to Terry Avenue North from July 9 to 13. The northern lane of Mercer Street will be closed on July 13 from 5 a.m. until late afternoon, until new asphalt cools sufficiently.

ConacoPhillips is cleaning up contaminated soil and restoring a sidewalk. For more information, wee www.westlakemercercleanup.com

Troubled with the way townhomes may impact the character of your neighborhood?  Are you ready to see improvements in the way townhomes are developed and designed?  Interested in weighing into the process with your perspective?  If so, in Councilmember Sally Clark’s effort to take the Seattle City Council’s Planning, Land Use & Neighborhoods Committee (PLUNC) into the neighborhoods at least once a quarter, you are invited to attend a forum on “Fixing Design of Townhomes and Other Lowrise Housing_

July 14 – 6 p.m. – Meeting at the University Heights Community Center in the University District (5031 University Way NE, Room 209)

In this community meeting, the evening will begin with a continued review and discussion of issues surrounding townhouses and other lowrise housing amongst Councilmembers.  This will be a working meeting, similar to what occurs at Council committee meetings in City Hall.  The second half of the evening will be dedicated to hearing from you, the attendees.

Townhomes are just one issue among many that will be addressed in the multifamily code update, but it will be the bulk of what we’ll talk about at these two community meetings.   These forums are prime opportunities to weigh in on the proposal at an early stage of the legislation’s review, and a great chance to talk proactively about housing choices, affordability and neighborhood-friendly design.

More information about the multi-family code update, including links to previous meetings where the issue was discussed is available on Councilmember Sally Clark’s website.

Feet First has developed a unique Neighborhood Walking Ambassador program. The Neighborhood Walking Ambassador program supports people walking every day for their health, transportation, environment, community, and pleasure. Feet First is looking for engaged, passionate community members throughout the region interested in leading walks through their neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors lead walks around their neighborhood that is inspirational and informative. These neighborhood walks are themed, interpretive events that bring neighbors together to share with them the experience of walking in their own neighborhood. Some examples of walks include: a walk to visit a new park or pathway, a walk to an event, a nighttime holiday walk, a fitness walk, or a nature walk. “The walks provide a person a new way of connecting with their surroundings, while improving personal and environmental health,” states Kirk Hovenkotter, Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador Coordinator, “Our approach gives hands on support to make sure the walks are successful.”

For more information about the Neighborhood Walking Ambassador program, contact Kirk Hovenkotter by emailing Kirk@feetfirst.info or calling 206-652- 2310. More information is also at http://feetfirst.info/Walkingambassador.

Since 2001, Feet First the region’s only pedestrian advocacy organization has worked to create walkable communities through its Safe Routes to School program, walking maps, wayfinding and unique community engagement process.

A reader posed this question to the Queen Anne View which has been answered by Seattle’s Department of Transportation.

What’s the deal with the new “bike lanes” on Queen Anne Ave. (at the top of the hill)? I noticed them being blow-torched on last night.  Between the back-in parking and all of the wide buses that use the  road, it’s definitely not a true lane. So why have it at all?

According to SDOT, 

Shared lane pavement markings  (or “sharrows”) are being installed on Queen Anne Avenue North between West Galer Street and West Crockett Street.  Sharrows are bicycle symbols that are placed in the roadway lane indicating that motorists should expect to see and share the lane with bicycles.  Unlike bicycle lanes, they do not designate a particular part of the roadway for the use of bicyclists.  Motorists and bicyclists should follow the rules of the road as if there were no sharrows.  The sharrows are being installed as part of a larger effort to implement the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan which calls for over 400 miles of bicycle
facilities.

…unless those fireworks hurt someone or start something on fire. That’s the message from the Seattle Police and Fire Departments:

The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited. Fireworks offenses are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. Each and every one of these incidents could have been prevented.

On the 4th of July, 911 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 911 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 911 and getting help.

Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 911. Other fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number at (206) 625-5011.

The Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department wish you a safe and enjoyable 4th of July celebration!

We know this won’t dissuade anyone from using incendiaries to display their patriotism, but do be safe out there.

For those planning on watching the fireworks on Lake Union, know any good places to watch that don’t involve fighting the crowds at Gas Works Park?

A bicyclist was killed Wednesday night after an accident involving a car. The incident happened around 10:20 p.m. at the Dexter Way North offramp of the southbound lanes of Aurora Ave N. The Seattle Times is reporting that the vehicle was exiting Aurora onto Dexter Way when the cyclist was hit. Police arrested the driver after an evaluation showed signs of impairment, SPD spokesman Mark Jamieson told the Times.

The Signature, located on lower Queen Anne, is excited to announce that it will be joining the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market this Thursday, July 2, 2009.

“As a member of the Queen Anne community, we are excited to join the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market and become a part of something that supports vendors and farmers in our local area,” said Tony Ly, the General Manager at The Signature.  “We look forward to incorporating fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from our neighbors at the farmer’s market into our signature Vietnamese dishes.”

The Signature will feature a rotating menu at the farmer’s market, with items such as: Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches with BBQ pork, tofu or chicken;Bubble Tea; Grilled Chicken and Pork Skewers; and Spring Rolls with tofu or shrimp and homemade peanut sauce.

The Queen Anne Farmers Market Association (QAFMA) is a group of neighbors who are committed to working with the community, vendors and the City ofSeattle to support Washington State farmers and producers.  The Queen Anne Farmer’s Market takes place every Thursday till October 1.  It is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and can be found at West Crockett Street and Queen Anne Avenue North near Pasta & Co. more information on QAFMA can be found on their website.

The Signature is located at 530 1st Avenue North, nestled in the heart of Lower Queen Anne.  The restaurant is open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the bar open till 3:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night.  Happy hour is from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and all day on Monday.  For more information or to order take-out, please call (206) 283-6614 or visit www.thesignaturerestaurant.com.