The Queen Anne Movie Guild will be hosting a free screening of documentary film “The People Speak” on Saturday, June 11 as part of its Second Saturdays film series. From the QAMG website:

The People Speak is a beautiful and moving film inspired by Howard Zinn’s books A People’s History of the United States–first published in 1980 and one of the bestselling history books in the United States–and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, the primary-source companion to A People’s History of the United States, edited with Anthony Arnove.

Using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, the documentary feature film The People Speak gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice.

Narrated by acclaimed historian Howard Zinn, The People Speak illustrates the relevance of these passionate historical moments to our society today and reminds us never to take liberty for granted.

The screening will be held at 7 p.m. at the Queen Anne United Methodist Church, located at 1606 5th Ave W next to the Queen Anne library. Movie-goers should use the Fellowship Hall entrance on W Garfield Street. Refreshments will be provided by Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Top Pot Doughnuts. The screening is, as always, free and open to the public, though donations will be accepted.

You may have noticed a few more people wearing pink around Lower Queen Anne than usual last weekend. More than 13,000 people gathered at Seattle Center on Sunday, June 5 to help fight breast cancer at the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure.

The daylong 5K run/walk was a big success, according to spokesperson Kaitlin Sandblom. The efforts of thousands of survivors, supporters, educators,
health care providers, and Puget Sound area companies combined to raise over $1.6 million to help spread awareness, prevent, treat and ultimately eliminate breast cancer.

The Puget Sound Susan G. Komen affiliate is one of the country’s largest, and the Race for the Cure is its largest fundraiser. In 2011 alone the foundation awarded nearly $3 million to local organizations and global research to find a cure for breast cancer. On average, 75 percent of its net funds go toward local breast health education, screening and treatment support, and the remaining 25 percent are earmarked for scientific research. From the press release:

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women ages 40 to 59, but the disease can strike anyone, at any time. As women age, their risk factors increase. Early detection is the key to survival, as well as following three easy steps: 1) regular mammograms, 2) clinical breast exams, and 3) breast self-awareness.

* Photo courtesy of Redbox Pictures

Love those good ol’ fashioned Dick’s burgers? If you’re a recent graduate, you’re in luck! Dick’s Drive-In has got a congratulatory gift in store for members of the 2011 graduating class – swing by any Dick’s, including our very own Lower Queen Anne location, in your cap and gown now through Tuesday, June 21 and get a free cheeseburger. Hurray!

Neighborhood retirement community Merrill Gardens, located at 800 4th Ave N in Lower Queen Anne, celebrated the completion of a brand new and long sought-after crosswalk on Thursday, June 9 with a ribbon cutting with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.

Merrill Garden’s Lower Queen Anne location is home to around 190 senior citizens who live in two buildings on either side of 4th Ave, a busy street which has been a safety concern for the many residents who cross it frequently.

The seniors living at Merrill Gardens and its administrative staff have been trying to get the City to approve a new crosswalk in the middle of 4th Ave since 2006, only to be met with repeated denials. In September they reached out to Councilmember Rasmussen, who got involved and helped bring the project about. From the press release:

He [Rasmussen] convinced the Seattle Department of Transportation to take another look at the request and upon review, SDOT approved plans for a crosswalk with curb cuts and signage. The crossing now provides residents with easier access between buildings, and Thursday’s ceremony will celebrate the retirement community’s victory.

“I’m so glad that Merrill Gardens brought this issue to my attention,” Rasmussen said in a statement. “It’s important that our City responds to requests from its residents. I am thrilled that we were able to get the plans approved.”

It might be slow going next week on Emerson Street going in and out of Queen Anne. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be making  repairs to the deck of the Emerson Street Viaduct Bridge to Nickerson Street from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17. One lane will be closed at a time going east and west while traffic flaggers direct traffic through the area. SDOT says drivers should expect delays and plan accordingly.

The family of 61-year-old Queen Anne resident Phil Irwin say he has gone missing and are trying to find any information about where he might be. Irwin, who has lived in the neighborhood for the past 35 years and is an active member of the community, has been missing for just over a week, according to his family.

You’ve probably noticed the missing person fliers around the neighborhood. Phil was last seen early in the morning on Wednesday, June 1st around 12 to 12:30 a.m. at 1st Ave N and Smith Street in Queen Anne. His family has not heard from him since then.

Irwin is 5-feet, 9-inches tall, has salt-and-pepper hair, brown eyes, walks with a limp, and may be seen wearing square-frame glasses.

Irwin’s son Wes is asking for anyone who may have seen his father on or after June 1, or may have information on his whereabouts, to call him at 206-992-3184, email him at wesairwin@yahoo.com, or call Seattle Police Detective David Ogard at 206-684-5007.

If you’d like to share or pass out any fliers about Phil, you may download a copy here (.pdf).

After a great season opening last week, the Queen Anne Farmers Market will be back in action at W Crockett Street from 3 to 7:30 p.m. today, Thursday, June 9.

Photo by Laura Levy, courtesy of the Queen Anne Farmers Market.

In addition the the long list fresh items and vendors available at the market each week, there will be a chef demo with Vuong Loc of Queen Anne’s Portage Restaurant and Madrona’s June at 4 p.m. in the chef tent. From the QAFM website:

Chef Loc moved to Seattle in 2006 after working all over the country from New York to Hawaii. With an approach to cooking that centers on simple preparations with refined craftsmanship and a commitment to sourcing only outstanding product, we can’t wait to see what he prepares after a shopping trip at the market.

At 5 p.m. there will be live music courtesy of vocalist and guitarist Beth Whitney.

As if the live music, chef demos, and all around food-centric festivities at the market weren’t enough, Charley+May owner Lauren Formicola will be holding an After Market Wine Tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. every Thursday at her shop, located at 2225 Queen Anne Ave N, until the end of the Queen Anne Farmers Market season.

Check out more photos from opening day at the Queen Anne Farmers Market Facebook page. For more information on the market and its week-to-week events, check out the new QAFM website.

Ballard High School receives very little money for its music program and athletics. In order to supplement the costs, the Ballard High School Foundation holds fundraisers to raise money for the programs.

A foursome at a past BHS Golf Classic

The Foundation’s largest annual event is coming up this August – the 11th annual Ballard High School Golf Classic. “This is really quite the golf tournament with so many BHS alumni, friends and community members hitting the links to support athletics and music at Ballard High,” organizer Sue Verduins tells us.

This year’s event is honoring two individuals that were very influential in the BHS and Ballard communities. Sir Jim Vatn, graduated from BHS in 1962. Not only was Jim very involved in many organizations in the Ballard community but he never forgot his BHS experience giving freely of his time and talents to his alma mater. He was an active member and chair of the Ballard High School Athletic Committee and Ballard High School Foundation. He served as chair of the very successful annual Foundation Golf Classic. Attendees of football and basketball games could hear the “Voice of the Beavers” – and came to recognize it as none other than Jim’s.

The tournament this year is also recognizing Janet Rodgers. Janet was the Director of the BHS Foundation for many years. As Director of the Foundation, Janet built a great team of community members, alumni, faculty and staff that have worked on countless projects benefitting BHS students and the entire Ballard community. She was a part of the group behind the inaugural Ballard Beaver Bash, proceeds of which support BHS academic programs and was heavily involved in the Golf Classic.

The Golf Classic will be held at The Golf Club at Newcastle. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with a dinner and auction the evening of August 1st at Newcastle. The emcee for the evening event will be BHS’ own Bob Flick (Class of 1956) of the Brothers Four band. The tournament is Tuesday August 2nd with registration beginning at 7:00 a.m. and the 18-hole shotgun starting at 10:00 a.m.

Learn more about the event here and learn about sponsorship opportunities here.

Ballard is getting a new Irish pub and the owners know a thing or two about the business. When Kelly O’Brien’s opens next week, it will be the sister pub to Queen Anne’s Sully’s Lounge (1625 Queen Anne Ave N).

The Tellefson family owns Sully’s on Queen Anne and are expanding to Ballard with Kelly O’Briens (5410 17th Ave NW). The name is family-inspired, too. Kelly is Marcus Tellefson’s wife’s name and O’Brien is his mother’s maiden name.

We spoke with Marcus Tellefson who says that the family-owned pub will serve traditional pub grub. “We’ve got cheap happy hour food that we do all day, everyday,” he tells us, with happy hour drink specials from 4 to 6 p.m. On the menu will be mac & cheese, lamb sliders, wings, shepherd’s pie and “we’ve got a killer hot corned beef sandwich,” Marcus says. “It’s my mom’s recipe.”

Once they’re open, which will be either Wednesday or Thursday of next week, they’ll be open Monday through Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 2 a.m. (Thanks Stan for the email tip & Gordy for posting in the forum!)

SDOT hosted an open house on the Mercer West Project Wednesday evening in the Northwest Rooms Plaza of the Seattle Center, giving the public an in-depth look at what’s to come.

Similar to the West Mercer Place open house in March, the room was circled with posters illustrating various stages and aspects of the project, while SDOT officials, like SDOT Mercer West Project Manager Eric Tweit, answered questions about the project in detail. The project, and the room, was broken up into three parts: West Mercer Place, the Two-Way Conversion and the Mercer Underpass.

Another Mercer West open house will be held next winter to share the final drawings and ask for public comment, according to a video presentation. The final design for the project will be finished in mid-2012, and construction will begin shortly after.

The extension of the two left-turn lanes on Elliott Avenue West and West Mercer Place, or the fifth of five alternatives to address traffic concerns on West Mercer Place, was included in the project discussion. Construction for the three- to six-week job will begin Monday, June 13, and SDOT says it will avoid scheduling work on the weekends, in the morning and during rush hour to reduce the impacts on traffic.

SDOT is also trying to improve pedestrian crossing at Fifth Avenue West and West Mercer Street, a matter of serious concern to residents living in that immediate area.

Much of the information presented at the open house can be seen on the SDOT website here.

FOLKpark Chair Debi Frausto was also on hand to discuss the Lower Kinnear Park Enhancement Plan, the Uptown Loop and a letter sent to SDOT on the needs of the park with respect to changes from SDOT’s proposed alternatives. According to the letter, the chosen Alternative 5 doesn’t provide for bicycles on West Mercer Place, so improvements would need to be made on the sidewalks and park entrance. In addition, the added noise and air pollution from the increase in traffic would need enhanced planting buffers.

An interdepartmental meeting between FOLKpark, SDOT, Seattle Utilities, Seattle Parks and others will take place next Monday “to talk about green infrastructure solutions for this area,” said Frausto.

The organization estimates it needs between $60,000 and $80,000 more to finish the design work, but they already have enough money in the bank to begin construction next year, Frausto said. They’re currently exploring different ideas on how to raise the remaining funds.

“We are well underway,” said Frausto. “We could very well be in construction this time next year.”

The new Interbay Farmers Market will be opening today, Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. (during our own Queen Anne Farmers Market from 3 to 7:30 p.m.) in the Whole Foods parking lot on 15th Ave West.  Although the market is new to Interbay, which we first reported on last month, the market itself is in its second season – organizers decided to move it from its first home at the Olympic Sculpture Park where it was located last summer to Interbay for following seasons. It will be held at the same time and place every Thursday through October.

Expect lots of vendors and fresh fruits and vegetables at the market opening today, which will feature a cooking demonstration by Chef Brandon Kirksey of Tavolata.

You can get all the latest news about what’s available at the Interbay Farmer’s Market at its website.

If you’ve walked down Mercer Street lately  you may have noticed that Lower Queen Anne’s newest restaurant Wanna Noodle, which opened its doors just two months ago, inexplicably closed last week.

Since the closure we’ve received a number of emails from Queen Anne-ers wondering why this new Asian fusion noodle shop left so suddenly, many of whom were disappointed to hear the news.

“We really liked the place and went there pretty often,” Mark Taylor wrote. “It’s very weird.”

There isn’t a lot of information indicating why the new business closed. Wanna Noodle’s website has since been taken down and now redirects to a Wikipedia page on Noodles. Wanna Noodle’s Facebook page has also been taken down, and there are no faulty permit applications, liquor license or restaurant inspection problems for the business on file with the city. An email to the former Wanna Noodle contact address has not yet been answered.

While the reasons for Wanna Noodle’s sudden closure is somewhat of a mystery, Hesch & Shain commercial real estate broker for the space at 12 Mercer Street, Constance Shain, confirmed that the business is officially closed.

“It is unfortunate that the former business has closed,” Shain said. “And it is not because they weren’t doing well.”

Shain wouldn’t elaborate on why the business has shuttered its doors, but she did add that a new operator will be going into the space, “though I can’t confirm what the concept will be,” she said.

We’ll keep following this story, and will update this post with any developments.

The Uptown Alliance’s monthly meeting is happening this Thursday, June 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space. This month the agenda is brimming with transportation issues – from Metro’s D-Line RapidRide stop placement, to its new trolley buses – as well as other hot topics, including the Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Program and a potential site for low-income housing in Uptown. Check out the full agenda:

• Greetings and introductions
• Adopt Minutes of 5/12/11
• Metro Transit D-Line RapidRide stop placement – Jonathan Dong (SDOT) & Paul Roybal (Metro)
• Committee Reports:

1. New LED lighting in Counterbalance Park: it’s getting better.
2. Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Area program – Christa Dumpys TBC
3. 8th Ave. N. and Roy St.: Possible near-Uptown, SLU site for low cost housing: Will UA support this site? If so, how best? – Rick Hooper
4. A new generation of trolley buses in Seattle.
5. Letter supporting Alcohol Impact Area Program.
6. Uptown Alliance participation in proposed Center City Neighborhoods group.

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jul4 14. All future meetings will be held at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market until further notice.

Want to learn more about the Uptown Alliance and it’s work in the Lower Queen Anne community? Check out its Facebook page for updates and neighborhood information, or contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net, or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.

John Hay will be following in the footsteps of another Queen Anne school and adding a new after school robotics program in the upcoming 2011-2012 year. The new offering will be part of the same popular program at Coe Elementary – Coebotics, which took students to a national competition back in May. From the John Hay Daily Bulletin:

Our school will  have two teams in the fall, a FLL team which will be ages 9-14 and a jrFLL which will be for ages 6-9.  If you think you might be interested in providing this opportunity for your student I would encourage you to attend an informational meeting tomorrow night at Coe Elementary. Please read below for more information on the meeting.  If you have any questions please contact Sara Mirabueno at 252-2100.

While there is little you need to do before school starts, there are some helpful things we have learned in the past two years, which if taken care of now, will allow you to hit the ground running in September and prepare for the competition season in WA State.

John Hay will be hosting an informal meeting for parents interested in signing their kids up for the new program at 7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, June 8, at Coe Elementary School, located at 2424 7th Ave W. At the meeting parents and teachers will get the chance to talk with CoeBotics Coach Willem Scholten about how the CoeBotics team is organized, what they have learned throughout the program, and pose any questions they may have. Scholten encourages those interested to pass this invitation along to other schools and organizations that may also be interested in starting up their own program.

The meeting will go from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight. If you plan on attending, please email Scholten at wscholten@learningaccess.org and let him know how many people will be coming so he has a rough idea of expected attendance. Check out more about the Coebotics team here.

Queen Anne Frame will be showing work by 7-year-old artist Atticus Biggins tomorrow, Wednesday, June 8 through Friday, June 10, as part of his show, entitled Art by Atticus.

The one-man art show kicks off with an artists reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the store (RSVP to the Facebook event here). Refreshments will be served.

Atticus is a student at the Matheia School, an environment that bolsters he creative growth, according to Atticus’s mother Gynith Biggins.

“While he is a very talented artist what is even more extraordinary is the amazing art program at his school. Beginning in kindergarten children at Matheia receive art history and exploratory art instruction for an hour everyday,” Gynith told Queen Anne View. “Walking the halls of the school is like walking the halls if an art gallery. Whether students view art as their passion like Atticus or simply enjoy drawing and painting everyone is encouraged to see themselves as artists.”

Lower Queen Anne’s Nucleus hair salon, at 621 Queen Anne Ave N, is closing up shop at the end of the week, according to owner Will Francalangia. The last day the salon will be taking appointments will be tomorrow, Wednesday, June 8.

Francalangia, who opened the Queen Anne Nucleus two years ago, says he was growing tired of running his own business, and the neighborhood’s customer base never really took off at this location. For ten years Francalangia owned a second Nucleus in Capital Hill, which he sold last year, and he says that location had greater foot traffic and more community interest in the business.

“This particular part of the neighborhood is not really conducive to a cool hair salon,” he said.

“Nucleus was put up for sale on May 5th, and after entertaining a few interested buyers, a suitable offer was not made, and I’ve decided to close up shop,” he said. “Not exactly the way I would have liked to end things, but fortunately, things are working out.”

Francalangia will be taking appointments at Nucleus through Wednesday, moving out by Friday, and will be taking clients at another local hair salon – Mars Hair/Art/Life, located on Lake Union on the east side of Queen Anne at 2046 Westlake Ave N #202. Mars Hair is the new project of former Nucleus stylist Jake Gravbro, and it is becomming home for 3/4 of Nucleus’ staff. Along with Gravbro and Francalangia, Nucleus stylist Kala Armijo has also moved over to the new salon.

“Jake had been working toward opening his own salon for awhile, and when he left, I put Nucleus up for sale,” Francalangia said. “Jake, has all the desire in the world to be a salon owner, and promote the online portion of the salon as well, so I feel like we’re in good hands.”

No word yet on what, if anything, will be replacing Nucleus. But for the time being if you’d like to take a piece of the hair salon home with you, Francalangia is selling the one-of-a-kind vanities (pictured above) that he decorated with favorite hair styles and old family photos for $100 each. There are three left, so if you’re interested in snatching one up, swing by Nucleus this week.

Two women were robbed at gunpoint while walking near Seattle Center last week. Just after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, two women were reportedly walking to their car, in the 2700 block of 4th Ave, where they had turned from Cedar Street, when one of two suspects walking behind them moved in front of them and demanded they give him their money, according to the police report.

At first the two victims didn’t believe the suspects were actually robbing them, the report states, asking “Are you serious?” At this point the second suspect responded “Yes, give me your money. He has a gun,” and the first suspect displayed a handgun. Both women then gave their purses to the suspects, who ran off to the north toward Seattle Center.

The victims immediately left the area and called police. Neither victim were able to describe the first suspect in much detail. The second suspect was described as a “light skin male” wearing a dark hoody. SPD officers conducted an area check with little success. Officers checked the block for potential security cameras – none appeared at surrounding apartment buildings, and those from the Fisher Interactive Network building across the street appeared to have a blocked view.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is hosting an open house on the Mercer West Project from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Seattle Center’s Rainier Room, located within the Northwest Rooms Plaza.

At the meeting representatives from SDOT will discuss the preliminary designs for the project, including information on the underpass at Aurora Ave and the two-way conversion of Roy and Mercer streets between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Ave N. SDOT will also present recommendations for West Mercer Place and West Mercer Street, based on evaluation of the alternatives and input from stakeholders.

The SDOT project team will be available to solicit ideas from the public and answer questions attendees may have about current preliminary design concepts for the following:

• A wider Mercer Underpass at Aurora Avenue North;
• Converting Mercer and Roy Streets from one‐way to two‐way operation;
• And improving intersections, street connections and bike access.

From SDOT:

The Mercer West Project would complete the City’s vision for a direct, two‐way connection between I‐5 and Elliott Avenue West, continuing where the Mercer East Project leaves off. The proposed improvements include:

• Widening Mercer between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N, including the underpass at Aurora to provide three lanes in each direction, left‐turn lanes, wider sidewalks, and a bicycle path;
• Converting Mercer Street to two‐way operation with two lanes in each direction and turn pockets between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Converting Roy Street to a two‐way street with one lane in each direction and bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Creating a new Sixth Avenue N connection between Mercer and Harrison Streets; and;
• Closing Broad Street to re‐connect the street grid between Ninth Ave N and Fifth Ave N.

Read more about the Mercer West Project on the project website, and in our ongoing coverage.