The Seattle School District may give up the Memorial Stadium in exchange for a nearby block, where a parking garage is currently located, and a smaller stadium/amphitheater the city would build on the site of the Memorial Stadium parking lot, according to a Seattle Times report.

This proposed Memorial Stadium agreement was presented to the Seattle School Board on Thursday, and will be brought to City Council this week. It deals with the fate of the 62-year-old sports arena located at Seattle Center, which was deeded to the School District in 1946 for the building of a memorial stadium to honor the students that gave their lives in World War II.

For years this stadium has hosted high school football games, but recently these games have not drawn nearly enough on-lookers to fill the 12,000 seats. Meanwhile, the city has been trying to obtain the stadium and open up four acres of public space in the heard of Seattle Center for decades. Seattle Times reporter Linda Shaw wrote,

As part of a 20-year plan for Seattle Center approved last year, the city proposed replacing the stadium with a two-level underground parking and a transit hub, capped by a “great lawn” and a smaller facility that, with the use of removable seats, could be used as a stadium for 5,000 people, or an amphitheater for up to 12,000. It would be built on what is now Memorial Stadium’s parking lot.

If the deal were to pass, the district would retain ownership of the Memorial Stadium parking lot, leasing it  to the city for 60 years around $2 million to $3 million a year — an amount the city believes would make up for lost parking fees and part of the value of the stadium.

However, controversy has arisen over the city’s proposal to tear the stadium down, as many war veterans say this would dishonor those the stadium was built to remember. And in addition, some members of the school board are reluctant to give up their ownership of the space, after earning just 12 percent of the proceeds off the sale of Queen Anne High to a condominium developer.

Read the full Seattle Times story here. We’ll keep you posted as this plan develops.

A woman was robbed yesterday, Friday, December 4 at approximately 11 p.m. while walking home on W Dravus St from a bus stop on 3rd Ave W. According to the SPD report, the victim heard someone behind her and felt them grab her purse. She turned around and confronted two men, who are described as Hispanic. One of the men, who was attempting to take her purse, demanded she give it up. The victim resisted until the second suspect pulled out a silver handgun. The victim released her purse and the suspects then fled down W Dravus St toward 3rd Ave W, where they were seen running north. According to the report, the victim then began to scream, attracting attention of others, several of whom called 911. A vehicle was then heard at 3rd Ave W and Dravus, which witnesses observed go north immediately after the suspects fled. A police investigation has indicated that this vehicle may have picked up the suspects. The victim was not injured.

The 5th annual Urban Craft Uprising is this weekend, when hundreds of independent designers, artists and crafters and thousands of attendees spend two days relishing in all that is handmade, off-beat and totally unique.

The largest indie craft event in the Pacific Northwest, Uprising will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. And the best part, it’s free!

Take a look at the vendor list here. You can read profiles of some of the vendors on their blog. And who knows, you might just find a few items to check off your holiday shopping list.

This isn’t in Queen Anne, but it’s important. For anyone who is at high risk for H1N1, but can’t afford to pay for a vaccine, Seattle and King County are opening four free clinics tomorrow, Saturday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vaccines will be administered on a first come, first served basis. There will be no reservations. If demand is high, Seattle & King County Public Health says people will be given a time to return later in the day for a guaranteed vaccination.

The two closest sites are in Columbia City and Aurora/North Seattle. Click here for more information about he program and the four clinics. The Public Health department has also prepared a chart to help people distinguish their symptoms between a cold and a flu. View that here (.pdf).

Our friends over at SeattleCrime.com, who diligently wade through and report on all the city’s police reports every day, dug up this story of an assault at the Interbay QFC early in the early morning on Monday, November 23.

According to the report, an off-the-clock employee described as a tall, muscular, heavy white man, came into the store noticeably intoxicated and began causing problems, being “verbally abusive to one of the checkers and throwing food items around the store.” Another employee reportedly confronted the man while we was spraying the words “I Quit” on the store’s front window in canned cheese. The report makes note that the man had “an odor of intoxicant on his breath.” When asked what he was doing by the employee present, he reported responded, “None of your Fucking business Nigger!”. The employee then attempted to escort the man out of the store, after a brief exchange. The man, who was also carrying a cup of beer it says, then threw the cup in the employee’s face and challenged him to a fight.

According to the report, there was no altercation and the man then left the store and drove off. The employee then went home, changed his clothes and called the police, it says.

The police are currently investigating the incident. No arrests have been made. Read the full SeattleCrime.com story here.

This isn’t news, but it’s just so quintessential Queen Anne. And it’s Friday, so I thought I’d share a little fun. If there’s anything we can’t get enough of on the hill – or citywide, for that matter – it’s coffee shops. And although this is really a Seattle thing, I like to think we on Queen Ann have the best selection. And I don’t play favorites; I love all our Queen Anne coffee shops with the same fervor. I usually have to rotate just to keep it fair.

This morning, while at El Diablo, I was handed a soy mocha with a little devil on top (sticking his tongue out at me, I believe), and I thought to myself, now that’s worth saving.

But, alas, I drank him. Still, kudos to Queen Anne’s amazing baristas (or baristos, in this case?). Happy Friday!

Our sister site (and neighborhood), MagnoliaVoice, has reported that the same coyote that has been repeatedly spotted these last few weeks has now been seen again. A reader reported seeing the coyote at around 10:30 on Wednesday night in the alleyway between 20th and 21st avenues W (about one block north of Dravus).

Get the full story here.

On Thursday, December 17 Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher will be hosting an open house for the neighborhood from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Queen Anne Community center, located at 1901 1st Ave W.

The purpose of the meeting is to give community members an opportunity to talk with Gallagher and department representatives about the needs of the Queen Anne community and whether or not the department is meeting them. Residents will have the opportunity to talk with parks representatives about what is working in the neighborhood and what can be improved, as well as with the superintendent about ideas for building community relationships through Parks programs and services that are best suited for the Queen Anne community.

For more information, contact Dewey Potter at (206) 684-7241 or via e-mail at dewey.potter@seattle.gov.

Two southbound lanes on Elliott Ave W  will be closed from 7 to 9:s0 a.m. on Saturday, December 5 at Western Ave W to accommodate crane work on the Seattle PI building, located at 101 Elliot Ave W. All northbound lanes will remain open.

This isn’t exactly happening in Queen Anne, but it’s a cool event that’s going on all around us, so I figured I’d post it anyways. A group of local retailers are hosting a gently used shoe drive called Sole of Seattle for Soles4Souls, a non-profit that provides footwear to people in need in more than 125 countries.

Through the month of December you can donate your old shoes at selected businesses with the knowledge that a victim of a natural disaster, or a person living in extreme poverty, will put them to good use.

As a special incentive on Saturday, December 12 all participating locations will provide a 20 percent discount off a new pair of shoes upon donation.

Even though there isn’t a participating business on the hill, there are several in our surrounding neighborhoods, like The Sneakery in Phinney Ridge, re-soul in Ballard, evo and Shoes ‘n Feet in Fremont, GEMS Sneakershop, RPS-Rock Paper Scissors, Zebra Club and ian downtown, Sole Food, and Upper Playground in the University District.

The 36th District Legislative Delegation is hosting a holiday open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, and is inviting community members to join. The shindig will be held at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 421, in the Northwest Work Lofts building at the base of Queen Anne.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle will present an overview of the 2010 legislative session, which begins on January 11, 2010. They’ll be answering constituent questions and concerns, and they’re even serving refreshments.

Free and pay street parking is available. Metro bus lines 1, 2, 8, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 24 and 33 connect to the meeting place, which is Sen. Kohl-Welles’ and Rep. Carlyle’s district office.

Battalion Chief David H. Jacobs, Jr. passed away due to duty-related esophageal cancer last month. There will be a procession and memorial service for Jacobs tomorrow, Thursday, December 3. The procession will start downtown at around 1:30 p.m., and end at the Lake Union Naval Reserve Center on Terry Ave., so look out for added traffic around Queen Anne.

Procession Route: The Seattle Fire Department Honor Guard, Seattle Firefighters Pipes & Drums Band, fire engines and fire trucks will leave Sixth Avenue between Battery Street and Bell Street at 1:30 p.m. and head south down Sixth Avenue to Bell Street, go east on Bell Street to Ninth Avenue, then go north on Ninth Avenue to Republican Street and then East on Republican Street to Terry Avenue. The procession will finish heading north on Terry Avenue to the memorial site at the Lake Union Naval Reserve Center.

The 26-year veteran served at several different stations including Greenwood, Queen Anne, Madison Park, Downtown, West Seattle and Capitol Hill. Jacobs was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2001. According to this memorial for him, he was also a talented writer penning 22 how-to books.

Thanks to Phinneywood!

The repair work on the Ballard Bridge this week that’s closing down the southbound right curb lane has been pushed back one hour – to 10 a.m. – to accommodate the morning commuter traffic. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the lane will be closed while SDOT crews repair a guard rail. This maintenance work has been causing a lot of traffic delays this week, so try to get over the bridge and  back before 10 a.m. or well after 3 p.m. to beat the congestion.

The Holiday Magic festival is this Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. (though some stores have events starting as early as noon) on the top of the hill. The Upper Queen Anne Merchants Association has gathered a bunch of the neighborhood businesses and organizations for this annual event full of treats, deals and holiday cheer!

Business all along Queen Anne Ave N from McGraw to Galer will be participating. Here’s the short list of businesses we know have festival plans: Blue Highway Games, Queen Anne Dispatch, Caffe Ladro, Queen Anne Books, Queen Anne Cafe, 5 Spot, Chocolopolis, Hilltop Yarn and Home Street Bank.

According to Blue Highway Games co-owner and UQAMA member, Brian, there will be a tree lighting ceremony at Bethany Presbyterian Church at 6 p.m. For the younger crowd, Santa will be at HomeStreet Bank from 4 to 6 p.m. The John Hay Elementary choir will be providing some street-side entertainment throughout the night, and the Girl Scouts are expected to set up camp at Blue Highway Games.

Businesses will be running their own events, so stop by your favorite Queen Anne retailers to see what they have in store. Here’s a sneak-peak at a few of the events we’ve heard of so far:

Hilltop Yarn will be hosting a Japanese Knitting Trunk Show featuring 80 garments by Habu Textiles, that will go through the weekend, and will be offering classes in Japanese knitting, which uses graphical charts rather than words. They’ll also be serving pinot noir and treats to Holiday Magic goers.

Chocolopolis will have light hors d’oeuvres (cheese, crackers, dips, etc.) and chocolate samples. From 4 to 5 Holiday Magic-ers will be invited into the chocolate kitchen with chocolatier Stacey Donnell to dip apricots into – you guessed it – chocolate. They’re also doing a raffle – three drawings every 30 minutes – for people who visit the “chocolate surplus room.” Winners will get to pick one chocolate surplus item. Yum!

Blue Highway Games will have warm drinks and snacks, and will also be home base for the Girl Scouts.

Queen Anne Books will have “holiday mocktails” alongside a book signing with Good Drinks for Bad Days: Holiday Edition author Kerry Colburn on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. On Saturday they’re hosting signings with Tom Horton, creator of the Queen Anne Stair Map from 12 to 2 p.m.,  Bruce Jones, author of West Highland Drive: A Historical Walking Tour of Seattle’s Queen Anne Neighborhood from 1 to 3 p.m., and Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Planet, from 2 to 4 p.m., topping off the weekend with a special kids holiday crafts and stories event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday

HomeStreet Bank will have pictures with Santa from 4 to 6 p.m. They’ll also be serving holiday cookies and hot apple cider., and Top Pot Doughnuts will be serving donuts and coffee in their lobby.

If you know of any other events going on for Holiday Magic on Friday, comment below or email us at tips@queenanneview.com so we can add you to the list. Happy Holidays!

There have been quite a few holiday lights popping up on homes and trees around town. ‘Tis the season. However, every year house fires peak in December and January. So if you plan on decorating your home will all the lights you can muster this year, the Seattle Fire Department has some safety tips for you to reduce the chance of your festive decorations becoming a fire hazard. They write:

Over the weekend, a house fire in Seattle was caused by an overloaded electrical outlet that had multiple strings of Christmas lights plugged into it. The fire caused $20,000 in damage. Every year, Christmas trees and lighting-related fires spike in December and January. Cords and plugs are the leading type of equipment involved in the ignition of Christmas trees.

Before you hang up holiday lights this year, Seattle Fire Department wants to remind you to make sure you take the following steps:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use decorative lights.
• Do not use any string lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulbs .
• Do not connect more than three light strands together.
• To avoid damage to the cord, do not use nails or staples to hang lights.
• Always unplug tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

See more holiday safety tips here.

If you’re planning on getting off the hill and heading over to Ballard in the next few days, keep in mind that there is going to be some construction on the Ballard Bridge this week. The Seattle Department of Transportation sent out the following notice earlier today:

Wednesday through Friday, December 2 – 4, the right curb lane will be closed each day on the Ballard Bridge southbound between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. During the lane closures, a Seattle Department of Transportation crew will make repairs to the guard rail on the south approach to the bridge in addition to other maintenance work. Motorists should expect slowing and use caution past the work zone.

For those of you who are still looking the hard-to-find flu vaccines for your kids, we thought we’d let you know that our sister-site, MyBallard, has uncovered a stockpile of extra immunizations.

Stone Turtle Health (6402B 8th Ave NW) just tweeted MyBallard, saying that they have an abundance of both the H1N1 inhaled vaccine for kids and inhaled and injectable seasonal flu vaccine for kids. Dr. Katie Baker tells us that she was sent more vaccine than she ordered and is now looking for kids who need them. She’s already teamed up with several day cares but says, “my refrigerator overfloweth” with the vaccines. She’s giving each vaccine for $5 and stresses that these are only for children.

As part of World AIDS Day today, Princess Zulu is in Seattle to share her story of growing up an AIDS orphan.  The Zambian woman is an activist who speaks across the nation to bring world awareness to the AIDS epidemic, hunger, malaria and poverty. Her message has led to meetings with a number of world leaders and work with the ONE campaign and World Vision. Tonight’s event takes place in Beegle Hall, room 201 on the Seattle Pacific University campus at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

Following Princess Zulu’s speech, there will be a candlelight vigil in SPU’s Tiffany Loop. That event will include a display of 1,000 crosses, which represent the number of people who die of HIV/AIDS every three hours. If you’ve driven by SPU today, you may have noticed the display – it’s quite a site. The event is sponsored by SPU’s ACT:S club, a student group concerned with poverty and injustice.

Thanks to sister-site, FremontUniverse for the story!

Mayor Greg Nickels is looking for three new volunteers for the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Board.

Residents are invited to apply to serve on a volunteer committee that plays an influential role in implementing Seattle’s Pedestrian Master Plan. The board advises the mayor and City Council, participates in planning and project development, evaluates policies and makes recommendations.

Board members serve a two-year term, with an opportunity to serve a second term. The volunteers are frequent walkers of a variety of ages, levels of mobility and walks of life, and from areas throughout the city. Members must be Seattle residents and may not be city employees.

The PAB meets the second Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall, 600 4th Ave., between James and Cherry streets. To apply submit by a resume and cover letter explaining your interest to: Brian Dougherty, Seattle Department of Transportation, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3900, P.O. Box 34996, Seattle Washington, 98124-4996, or via e-mail to brian.dougherty@seattle.gov, by Wednesday, December 16. For more information, call Brian at (206) 684-5124, or e-mail him at the address above.

(Thanks to sister-site, Phinneywood, for the story!)