Seattle’s annual Bike to Work Day is tomorrow, Friday, May 21, and cyclists are expected to come out of the woodwork, pounding–or pedaling, rather–the pavement all around town to showcase their bicycling skills, celebrate Bike Month, and pick up a few treats and goodies along the way.
Join the Cascade Bicycle Club and event sponsor F5 for a day of cycling festivities, and work to make Seattle a more bicycle friendly community. From 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday, bicycling commuters are invited to stop by one of the 44 designated commute stations set up throughout King, Snohomish and Kitsap counties, where they will find commuting information, snacks, CBC materials and free swag. Participants will also be able to enter the F5 Bike to Work Day drawing for prizes ranging from a brand new bicycle to fun biking gear! Bike shop station sponsors will also be on hand to spot-check bikes and help everything run smoothly.
The F5 Bike to Work Day Rally will be kicking off at 7:30 a.m. outside Seattle City Hall. Several City of Seattle officials are expected to join other VIP speakers. There will also be music, and free water bottles and maps.
The City of Seattle is expecting about 10,000 cyclists to participate during both the morning and afternoon commutes (last year there were 20,000 cycling participants!), so drivers are cautioned to watch out and share the road. The commute stations closest to Queen Anne are the Fremont Bridge, South Lake Union Park, Olympic Sculpture Park/Myrtle Edwards Park and Burke-Gilman Trail. See the full list here.
Bike to Work Day will also be ending with a huge after party and Summer Streets celebration in Ballard. Check out the schedule of festivities here. Check out the schedule of other Bike Month events here. Happy bicycling!
According to reports by SeattleCrime.com, a woman told police that over 20 boxes of personal belongings were stolen from her storage locker, located on 15th Ave W near the Interbay Golf Center, totally between $15,000 to $20,000 worth of stuff. From SeattleCrime:
Movers had taken her stuff to the storage space in late December, and everything was in order when she checked on it in March. But when she went back May 12, her things were gone and there was a hole in the wall between her locker and the locker next to it. The hole was not there in March, she told police.
According to the report, the storage facility’s manager told police that the person who rented the space adjacent to the victim’s was behind on their rent and never mentioned the damage to the wall, telling police that he suspected this renter was involved. The SPD burglary and theft unit is currently investigating the incident.
The accident happened just after 10 p.m. on July 1, 2009 when driver John Dempsey Morris turned off of Aurora Ave N onto Dexter Way N and struck Leoni at nearly 65 mph as he was crossing an unmarked crosswalk, according to charging documents obtained by the Times. Leoni, who was 35 years old, died at the scene.
Morris told police that he had drunk about four beers earlier in the night, charging paperwork said. Seattle police found that his blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Seattle police said that Morris’ 1985 Porsche 944 Coupe struck Leoni in an unmarked crosswalk. Traffic investigators say if Morris had been traveling at 40 mph, the limit on Aurora Avenue North, he would have been able to stop in time to avoid the collision, according to court charging paperwork.
According to the Times, Morris has no prior criminal history, and if convicted could face up to 20 months in prison.
Leoni had been employed at Banchero Friends Services, a nonprofit organization that works with developmentally disabled adults, and was reportedly on his way home for the day when the accident occurred. From the Times:
“He provided 24-hour in-home and out-of-home support and case management for adults who have developmental disabilities,” said CaraLee Cook, executive director of the Seattle organization. “He was an excellent employee and passionate about his work. He was very well loved.”
The Seattle Public Library is getting on the technological bandwagon in a big way these days. They’re now completely eliminating paper notices to patrons in favor of email alerts. The library says 24,000 patrons still receive paper notices of books to pick up or fines, at an annual cost of about $60,000. The paper notices will end on July 1.
To sign up for e-mail notices, go to the Library Web site at www.spl.org, log into your account and add your e-mail address to your profile. You can also talk to a Library staff member in person to have your notices switched to e-mail, or call Borrower Services at (206) 386-4190.
Library account information may also be delivered to patrons through TeleCirc, an automated telephone system. Call (206) 386-4190 to sign up for TeleCirc.
This announcement came in the same week as SPL’s release of its brand new free mobile app, which allows library goers to search the catalog and reserve books for pick up conveniently from their phones.
36th District Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles will be discussing marijuana policy at a Town Hall meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight. Even if you can’t make it you can watch the talk, part of Seattle Channel’s “Seattle Speaks” program, live and streaming below.
Update: The weather service issued a short-term forecast at 1: 24 p.m. Wednesday: “The approaching storm system provided a period of warmth and sun earlier today… but now the clouds, rain and wind will begin to impact the area and increase in speed. The evening commute will be rainy with the rain heavy at times.”
“Light northeast winds across the region this morning will … rise quickly during the early afternoon, with local winds of 30 mph and gusts to 45 mph continuing through late evening. The winds will ease after midnight.”
The weather service issued a wind advisory for the entire Seattle area, and about 1 p.m. Wednesday a still, sunny day turned cloudy, with winds gusting to around 11 mph. Much more is forecast, including rain.
On his weather blog, University of Washington Professor Cliff Mass says the worst will hit the coast, “with areas immediately offshore experiencing 60 kt sustained winds and hurricane-force gusts.”
While driving around the neighborhood yesterday, I noticed that someone had posted several of these fliers around the top of the hill–this one was at the corner of Queen Anne Ave N and W McGraw St. Perhaps the most humorous part of the signs are the removable tabs at the bottom that say “yes” and the fact that many of them have been pulled off by apparently intrigued passersby.
Today when I traversed the same route, I found that many of the mystery fliers had been taken down. Before they all disappear, I’m curious if anyone knows anything about their origin? Is there a point, or is some Queen Anne resident just having a laugh watching people pull off the “yes” tabs from a nearby coffee shop window? Anyone?
Last week the Pacific Science Center received a sizable grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in the amount of $1.1 million to be used to develop a new education outreach program focusing on the earth and space sciences called NASA Now. The goal: To inspire young adults to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
The five-year grant will help expand the Science Center’s efforts to engage diverse audiences and make valuable science learning experiences available to everyone, especially those who would otherwise not have access to such opportunities.
“Being selected by NASA for this award is gratifying for so many reasons,” said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO for Pacific Science Center said in a press release last week. “This grant allows us to reach underserved audiences, takes advantage of our existing Discovery Corps program, links to other partners like the UW and aligns so well with the science outreach objectives of NASA.”
The Science Center was among nine informal education providers chosen by NASA to receive its 2010 Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums, a still young program put in place by Congress back in 2008. Through the grant, PSC will create the NASA Now program, emphasizing three aspects of its development:
Updating the PSC planetarium with a state-of-the-art digital projector system
Adding a second portable digital projector to the PSC Science on Wheels Space Odyssey program to expand outreach offerings to schools and communities and incorporate more up-to-date scientific research and discoveries (NASA Now will also subsidize the cost of this program delivery for schools that have a large percentage of students participating in free/reduced-price lunch programs)
Creating the Track for Earth and Space Science Achievement (TESSA) program, which supports the exploration of earth and space science careers for teens who will be engaged alongside undergraduates studying astronomy
TESSA’s participating youth will help write content for Pacific Science Center’s planetarium shows, assist in delivering programming, update our exhibit floor with current space science information and receive mentoring opportunities with the University of Washington Pre-MAP (Pre-Major in Astronomy Program).
“Science centers and planetariums contribute significantly to engaging people of all ages in science, technology, engineering and math,” James Stofan, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Office of Education said in a press release. “NASA wants to give the informal education community access to a variety of agency staff and resources while offering professional development opportunities for informal science educators and encouraging the formation of collaborative partnerships.”
Registration is now open for the Interbay Eagles football and cheerleading. You can register online here.
The Eagles are a non-profit organization and franchise member of the Northwest Junior Football League (NJFL). The NJFL is the premier youth tackle football and cheerleading league in Western Washington and has over 50 youth teams participating.
For 2010, the Seattle Interbay Eagles will field youth football teams in the 89er, Midget, PeeWee & Bantam divisions (ages 7 – 14). In addition, the Eagles will field one cheerleading squad ages 6-11.
Interbay Football League board member Jon Croy says: Last year our 89er team went undefeated and lost a nail biter in the final game of the playoffs to arch rival Ballard. We have ten returning 89ers and hope to recruit another 12 seven, eight and nine year-olds to the team. The board has continued to move towards our vision. We emphasize the team. Football is the only team sport where every single member of the team has to perform their role for the team to be successful. This is a great chance for kids to participate and feel like a contributor regardless of their athletic ability. It’s all about their heart. As the kids get older, we offer more opportunities to try new and different positions. As a board we are continually looking to drive the participation costs down. We offer a scholarship for families with the heart to play but not the economic means.”
The Eagle’s recruiting zone in Seattle spans from the Ship Canal south to Yesler street and from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. Practices start on August 9th and run daily from 5 to 7 p.m. Practices are held at Interbay Field, across from QFC just off Dravus.
The Queen Anne Farmers Market is kicking off the 2010 season tomorrow, Thursday, May 20 at its usual spot–W Crockett Street at Queen Anne Ave N.–with an expanded site, great music, fun events, chef demos, a longer season (by five weeks!), and of course, more food!
The market, which will be running on Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. through October 7, 2010, will be starting a bit early this week for the opening celebration. Check out the schedule:
2:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremony: Remarks by community leaders and Queen Anne residents: 36th District State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, 36th District Representative Reuven Carlyle, City Council Legislative Aide Rebekah Papé, Chef Seth Caswell, and independent filmmaker Hanson Hosein
3 p.m. – Opening Bell: Local preschoolers Sara Wilkson, Frankie Holt, and William Canlis will be doing the honors
3 to 7 p.m. – Market Vogue! Swing by the vintage photo booth and strike a pose!
3:05 p.m. – Music: Performance by Queen Anne resident and neo-flamenco guitarist Andre Feriante
4:30 to 6 p.m. – Book signing by “Plant Life: Growing a Garden in the Pacific Northwest” author Valerie Easton
5 to 5:30 p.m. – Kids’ cooking class: Have your kids learn how to make a Vietnamese salad roll with Hsiao-Ching Chou from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution-Seattle (best of all, it’s free!)
5:30 p.m. – Music: Performances by the children’s choirs from both Coe and John Hay
6 p.m. – Truffle Tasting and Chocolate Demo by Lauren Adler ofChocolopolis
6 p.m. – Super Secret Surprise Musical Event (We’ve been let in on the secret, and trust us, it’s good!)
QAFM is the only independent, community-managed farmers market in Seattle. Read up on the market and check out schedules for coming weeks here.
(Disclosure: QueenAnneView is a 2010 sponsor of the Queen Anne Farmers Market).
For brown-thumbed gardeners such as myself, this is a welcome bit of news. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and the Saving Water Partnership have produced “The Plant List,” a guide to help you choose the right plant for the right place in your garden.
When choosing plants, the most important consideration should be whether a site provides the conditions a specific plant needs to thrive. Soil type, drainage, sun and shade all affect a plant’s health, appearance and maintenance needs.
The Plant List highlights trees, shrubs and other plants that will thrive in different conditions, including wet soils, dry soils and drought, as well as sunny and shady sites. The Plant List also offers a comprehensive list of native plants that are suited to the northwest.
“When gardeners match the right plant to the right place in their garden, the plants will flourish naturally” said Liz Fikejs, Acting Resource Conservation Manager with SPU. “The Plant List helps gardeners find beautiful plants that will thrive in their gardens without wasting water, pesticides and fertilizers trying to grow plants in places they are not suited.”
When planting new plants, Fikejs advises gardeners to dig one to three inches of compost into new beds – which helps sandy soils hold nutrients and water, and loosens clay soils – and spread a layer of mulch, such as leaves, wood chips, compost, or grass clippings around plants on the soil surface, keeping it about an inch away from stems.
Nighttime demolition activity on Mercer Street that began yesterday (May 17) has been completed. No further evening or nighttime lane closures are scheduled for the remainder of this week.
SDOT’s contractor successfully removed the foundation wall and footing from the former West Marine building (1000 Mercer Street). Demolition work for the Mercer Corridor Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
After all of the blackouts in Queen Anne over the last year, the neighborhood is about to experience a summer sprinkled with a few more planned power outages. Seattle City Light announced today plans to spend ten weeks over the summer working to extend the life of Queen Anne’s old underground cables by 25 years. How? By injecting the cables with silicone, a process City Light and a company called Novinium say will fill cracks that develop in the protective insulation of the cables as they age, leading to cable failures and power outages.
“Silicone injection is a cost-effective way to increase the reliability of service for our customers while limiting the need to dig up and replace the old cables,” Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said in a press release today. “We are using this process successfully throughout our service territory, including recent projects in Leschi, View Ridge, Laurelhurst and Arroyo Beach.”
City Light plans to begin to project mid-June and says the schedule will involve a number of planned outages.
Crews first test the cables to determine if the injection process can work. If the cable condition is satisfactory, crews come back later to inject the silicone into the lines. Cables found to be in such poor condition that injection will not work, will be replaced.
Residents and businesses that will be affected by the planned outages will be notified at least one week in advance. City Light says almost all of the work will take place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
City Light will be hosting a community meeting concerning the project on Wednesday, May 26 at the Queen Anne Community Center, Room 3, located at 1901 1st Ave W. Residents are invited to attend and voice any questions or concerns. In the meantime, you can keep track of planned and ongoing City Light construction projects here, or contact Mark Vanoss at (206) 684-3279 or mark.vanoss@seattle.gov.
The Washington Department of Ecology will be awarding 45 public and private schools across the state with cash for reducing waste and promoting sustainability through ongoing waste reduction efforts, environmental programming, and innovative curriculum.
Each of the winning schools will be receiving awards ranging from $150 to $3,150 (for a total of $28,975) from one of three categories: The Seed Award, which assists schools with initial start-up costs for the promotion of waste reduction, recycling and sustainability within the school and in the greater community; The Sustainable School Program Award, which recognizes current and/or ongoing programs that focus on recycling, sustainability and waste reduction; and the Creative Environmental Curriculum Award, which recognizes schools with original curricula that engages students and staff in issues of waste reduction, recycling and sustainability.
The annual Terry Husseman School Award winners this year include Queen Anne’s own St. Anne School, which will receive a $1,500 “seed award” for the implementation of waste reduction efforts through recycling and composting, and will specifically fund composting equipment.
“Engaging the next generation to make sustainable choices is key to maintaining a healthy future environment. And schools are natural places for learning,” said Laurie Davies, manager of Ecology’s Waste 2 Resources Program, in a press release this morning. “The schools do great work with even small amounts of funds that Ecology awards by providing innovative environmental education.”
Check out the other award winning schools here (.pdf).
The next time you’re about to head to the Queen Anne library, you can make sure the books you want are held for you beforehand with a new free mobile app that allows you to reserve books on the go. The Seattle Public Library app features the system’s catalog and other online services. The app, called SPL Mobile, is powered by Boopsie.
Enhanced features of the mobile app include smart prefix searching to obtain search results faster with just the first few letters of a word or phrase. For example, entering “ha pot g” into the search box finds “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” You can find information on downloading the app here.
36th District Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle) has been spearheading the effort to expand medical marijuana law in Washington State, resulting in a bill which was signed by Governor Gregoire last month that will provide improved access to medical marijuana for residents with terminal or debilitating conditions. At 7 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 19, Kohl-Welles will be participating in a Town Hall discussion on marijuana policy, as part of Seattle Channel’s “Seattle Speaks” program. Other speakers include Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and ACLU-WA Drug Policy Director Alison Holcomb. The event will be held at Town Hall, located at 1119 8th Ave and is free to the public. Can’t make it? Seattle Channel will be broadcasting the discussion live on their website.
Concern continues to grow about the future of the Queen Anne Community Center and Pool. Today, Queen Anne View learned the city’s Parks Department submitted its “budget papers” for 2011, which identify issues and potential service cuts. We’re told some facilities are on that list, but a spokesperson for the Parks Department could not provide any specifics until the mayor’s office makes its recommendations.
As for the rest of 2010, the mayor is set to announce mid-year budget cuts around June 1. Community centers, pools, and wading pools across the city are facing closure as the Parks Department tries to trim its budget.
The Seattle Department of Transportation’s Roadway Structures crews have scheduled maintenance work on several bridges around town this week, which may affect traffic time for commuters.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Monday, May 17 and Tuesday, May 18 the West Dravus Street bridge (over the railroad) will be down to one lane while crews repair a damaged expansion joint. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19 the eastbound curb lane on the Emerson Street Extension will be closed so that crews may repair a damaged guard rail. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 20 and Friday, May 21 the West Emerson Street Viaduct will be restricted to one lane while crews work to repair a damaged expansion joint. And finally, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 crews will be closing the northbound, right lane of the Battery Street Tunnel from the Western Avenue off-ramp to the north portal of the tunnel so that crews may test and repair the fire suppression system.
SDOT remind commuters to allow extra travel time due to the construction schedule. However, the schedule is subject to change in the event of any unplanned, emergency projects.
Here’s an update to the free compost post. Seattle Public Utilities e-mailed to say:
Thank you so much for promoting our Compost Days program. The response has been terrific, thanks in no small part to your announcements- we’ve given away 25,000 bags – or 500 tons of compost – so far!
I’d like to clarify two things about the promotion. We’ve been getting a lot of folks bringing in print outs of your blog as a coupon. Actual coupons were mailed out last month in the utilities’ Curb Waste & Conserve newsletter and we can’t redeem facsimiles or replacements.
It hadn’t occurred to us that folks might print out the blog as a coupon. We’ve gone back and removed that photo. You CAN, however, use the newspaper coupons that appeared in the Seattle Times’ Pacific Northwest magazine on April 18th and 25th, and May 2nd.
The utility also wanted everyone to know that the Sandpoint distribution location is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and that the Good Shepard event starts at 8 a.m. and runs until supplies run out.
All of this information is located on the program web site here.
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Seattle’s annual Bike to Work Day is tomorrow, Friday, May 21, and cyclists are expected to come out of the woodwork, pounding–or pedaling, rather–the pavement all around town to showcase their bicycling skills, celebrate Bike Month, and pick up a few treats and goodies along the way.
