Do you have future football players or cheerleaders in your home? Registration is open now for kids that want to play with or root for the Interbay Eagles.
Kids 6-14 can join one of five football teams, and kids 6-11 can join the cheer squad. The recruiting zone for the Interbay Eagles is broad, ranging from the Ship Canal south to Yesler and from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. All Queen Anne kids are welcome to join in!
Football practice begins in August, five days a week through the end of the month, then going to three days a week during the school year, prepping for Saturday game-days. Practices are held at Interbay Field, across from QFC and just off Dravus.
There are six regular season football games on Saturdays, with the first game set for September 7th, followed by the play-offs and ending the season with a championship game.
Program registration fees are $160 for Football and $150 for Cheer. You can register online or call 206.494.0268 for more information.
At 6pm tonight, the Mountain Pacific Sports Foundation (MPSF) Conference Championships kick off at Seattle Pacific University (SPU). The SPU Falcons women’s gymnastics team will be competing with UC Davis, the Air Force Academy, and the University of Alaska Anchorage for the MPSF title.
Seattle Pacific University
Falcons Gymnastics Team
The action takes place at SPU’s Royal Brougham Pavilion at the corner of 3rd Ave W and W Nickerson.
If you like gymnastics or have future gymnasts in your household, this event is sure to please – and it’s easy on the wallet too, with $8 Adult admission and $5 students/senior admission. Get a group of 15 or more together, and it’s just $3 apiece.
Falcon Senior Corrine Wise
How does the SPU team stack up? Four different Falcons had event wins in meets this year: Shannon Escarra, Stephanie Wagner, Corrine Wise and Kenley Memmel; and SPU has three 38-point all-arounders (Sydney Clark, Shannon Escarra, Stephanie Wagner) for the first season since 2007. Two Falcons got All-America acclaim at the 2012 USAG championships, with Stephanie Wagner tying for fifth on the beam at Nationals.
Just last weekend at UW, the Falcons racked up their year’s top score in the final regular-season schedule – the team’s 193.150 points tied for the sixth-highest in school history. The 5th ranked USAG team is ready for tonight’s challenge – check it out and cheer them on!
Do you have youngsters with a passion for all things soccer and/or the Sounders? If so, check out the free “Kick it Forward” Family Day hosted at the Gates Foundation Visitor Center this Saturday, March 23rd. The event celebrates the positive impact of soccer both locally and globally from 10am to 3pm, and admission is free!
It’s an all-ages event with plenty of activities that’ll bring together families, professional athletes and local soccer organizations to demonstrate how the sport encourages community engagement worldwide. According to the Gates Foundation, soccer “has become a catalyst for community and global development work including nutrition, HIV/AIDS education, malaria prevention, polio eradication, homelessness, literacy and youth leadership through the collaboration of nonprofits, businesses and professional leagues across the globe.”
In addition to guest appearances by former Seattle Sounders players Taylor Graham and Roger Levesque, local organizations such as Street Soccer Seattle, America Scores Seattle, and SOCCKET ball by Uncharted Play will be on hand to spread the word about soccer.
According to Charlotte Beall, Visitor Center Operations Manager:
“We are thrilled to celebrate the sport of soccer and spotlight the catalytic role athletes play in empowering youth in our region and around the world. Soccer is truly the world’s game and we are excited to invite local families to our next Family Day with fun and inspiring activities to highlight the importance of civic engagement.”
On Saturday, families can participate in activities that include: making soccer balls from recycled materials, learning how kicking a ball can generate electricity, and a story-time showing how soccer brings joy to kids around the world. Visitors can also play a pickup street soccer game and watch Homeless World Cup players demonstrate their skills on a temporary field set up outside the Visitor Center. Everyone is invited to this free family event!
It’s that time of year – March Madness! In just a couple of years, March Madness will be truly local, with the tournament slated for Key Arena in 2015. Meanwhile, this year locals can watch the games with neighbors at local watering holes. For tips on where to watch the games, we’re welcoming guest contributor Jessica Kaminski – Queen Anne resident, cat lover, coffee drinker, and appreciator of exceptional kerning. Thanks, Jessica!
March Madness on Queen Anne by Jessica Kaminski
March Madness is upon us. It is impossible to avoid the talk of brackets, top seeded schools, and college basketball in general—and this year’s tournament is sure to be full of upsets and underdogs.
While the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament won’t return to Seattle until 2015, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate college basketball in the Queen Anne neighborhood.
The NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament is the apex of college basketball. The tournament whittles the playing field from 64 teams down to one champion. Divided into 7 rounds, the first round takes place on March 19 and 20. The Second and third rounds will be held on March 21 and 23 and will narrow the competition down to the regional semifinals also known as “the Sweet Sixteen”. The Sweet Sixteen games will be held between March 22 and 24. and the eight teams emerging (the Elite Eight) will go head to head for the regional championships. The victors of that round will advance to the National Semifinals (aka the Final Four) where they will face off on april 6. Finally, the last two teams standing will battle it out for the glory and NCAA Division 1 title.
This year’s championship game will be held on April 8, 2013 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Queen Anne is home to several of Seattle’s best sports bars, all of which will be airing the tournament and running happy hour specials. Check out these Queen Anne hot spots to catch all the college basketball fun.
Hilltop Ale House: will be airing the tournament and will run their usual happy hour special. The games will be shown without sound making this a great option for those who prefer to watch the tourney casually. (21+)
New York Pizza & Bar: will be running drink specials daily and have the tournament in both the restaurant and bar. The restaurant is kid friendly and the bar is 21+.
Oskar’s Kitchen: will have daily drink specials posted on their Facebook page and will be airing the basketball games. Kid friendly
Peso’s Kitchen: Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Pesos kitchen can satiate your hunger for basketball and Mexican inspired food. (Bar 21+)
Sully’s: All geared up for the tournament Sully’s is open daily from 4 pm to 2 am and offers happy hour specials on food and select drinks. (21+)
Targy’s: This neighborhood bar on Upper Queen Anne will be featuring the NCAA tourney on the TV and Happy Hour specials from 4-7 pm (21+)
For more family friendly ways to celebrate the NCAA men’s basketball tournament there are plenty of options to involve your kids in the basketball fun. Hosting a March Madness party can be a great way to involve your friends and your offspring. Including basketball themed activities and simplified bracket picking can lay the foundation for an annual tradition.
If you are looking to up the ante on your March Madness there are a variety of free bracket challenges that you can participate in. Some of the free bracket challenges include, ESPN, Jiffy Tickets, and Goldberg Jones; for a comprehensive list of free bracket challenges check out this list.
Seattle-based MerGeo, an outdoor lifestyle event company, is bringing its Street Scramble adventure to Queen Anne for the first time on Saturday, March 30th – and Queen Anne locals have a key advantage… we know the neighborhood!
Street Scrambles are part scavenger hunt, part race – teams and individuals receive maps with checkpoints and a time limit to visit as many of those points as possible. Each checkpoint has a point value and competitors choose their own route to reach each one. Proof you’ve marked it off? A multiple choice question for each site, with point values varied based on difficulty.
Street Scramble mapper on one
of our 120 staircases
We all know that our neighborhood has many notable guide-book spots as well as hidden gems, and you can leverage your Queen Anne knowledge in the Street Scramble – unfair? Nope, just an advantage for Queen Anne locals. You can sign up as an individual or gather a team together, and you can compete as a runner, walker, or cyclist, and strollers are welcome!
Participants have 30 minutes to plan routes before the race clock begins – this is where you can use the ace in your pocket, your local Queen Anne insight, to your advantage. Then, the race begins and everyone scrambles to cover the neighborhood, mark off the checkpoints, and return to the finish line.
There are 11 award categories, including three for family teams. Preregistration is open until Thursday, March 28, and you can also sign up onsite the day of the Scramble (arrive at 8:30am for same-day registration).
According to course designer, Eric Bone:
“Queen Anne is a new neighborhood for Street Scramble, and I’m very excited about it… The geography of the Queen Anne neighborhood, with its views in many directions, green spaces, and proximity to diverse surrounding neighborhoods and Puget Sound, offers many interesting checkpoint locales.”
And, a sneak peek – here’s the mapping crew in action on Queen Anne:
Key Details:
Start/Finish is the Queen Anne Baptist Church, 2011 1st Ave N
March 30th: planning stage begins at 9:30am; race begins at 1oam
course covers all of Queen Anne – both Upper and Lower/Uptown
there are two course options: 90 minutes and 3 hours
you can walk, run, or bike the course
walkers have a 90 minute limit, and may stay close to base
runners/cyclists have a 3 hour limit, and could run as far as 2-3 miles from base, touching the edges of other neighborhoods
the Scramble includes a mix of environments: parks, residential streets, shopping areas, waterfronts, industrial areas and pockets of forested areas throughout Queen Anne
To register, visit the Street Scramble website – and let us know if you or a team are planning to participate! Let’s see some Queen Anne locals win this one!
Tomorrow the Rat City Rollergirls are competing at home, hosting two bouts with a special halftime event – Nancy Pearl, librarian-extraordinaire will be reading a children’s book at halftime. The Rat City Rollergirls have partnered with First Book Seattle, a charity that provides free and low-cost books to children in need.
Each Rat City Rollergirls team has chosen a favorite children’s book, and fans can vote for their favorite via a donation that goes to First Book. The team whose book gets the most fan donations will be read at halftime by Nancy Pearl.
Rat City Rollergirls with some of their favorite books
Here are the nominees:
Grave Danger: “The Monster at the End of this Book”
Throttle Rockets: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
Sockit Wenches: “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day”
Derby Liberation Front: “Where the Wild Things Are”
Doors open for tomorrow’s game at the Key at 4:30pm. Cast your vote before the game via donating spare change for your favorite team’s book. You can also buy books signed by roller derby teams from Elliot Bay Book Company on the KeyArena concourse. All proceeds from Rat City’s book-off will go to First Book Seattle, and a portion of sales from Elliot Bay will benefit First Book Seattle too.
So, don’t empty the spare change from your pockets before attending tomorrow’s game – save it to vote for your favorite book and benefit First Book Seattle, putting books into kid’s hands and promoting literacy.
It’s nearly a done deal… and 2 seasons at the Key is fantastic news for Lower Queen Anne/Uptown! Last night the rumors were sounding pretty solid, and this morning the news is in: Chris Hansen and his investment partners have reached an agreement for the purchase of the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise. Go Sonics!
“The NBA received an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement for the transfer of a controlling interest in the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family to an investor group led by Christopher Hansen. The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board’s committee process for review.” – NBA.com
Followed by a statement from Chris Hansen: “We are happy to announce that we have entered into a binding agreement with the Maloofs to purchase a controlling interest in the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise. The sale is obviously subject to approval by the NBA Board of Governors, and we look forward to working with the League in the coming months to consummate the transaction.While we are not at liberty to discuss the terms of the transaction or our plans for the franchise given the confidential nature of the agreement and NBA regulations regarding public comments during a pending transaction, we would just like to extend our sincerest compliments and gratitude toward the Maloof family. Our negotiations with the family were handled with the utmost honor and professionalism and we hope to continue their legacy and be great stewards of this NBA franchise in the coming years and decades.” -Chris Hansen
Mayor Mike McGinn issued a statement this morning: “This is an exciting day for our city and for Sonics fans everywhere. I congratulate Chris Hansen and his investment team. While there is more work ahead, this is a major step toward bringing the Sonics home.” – Mayor Mike McGinn
If you’re a Sonics fan, you’ve likely been lamenting their move to Oklahoma City since 2008 (and perhaps also rooting against the Thunder as revenge?). Well, after a back-and-forth of rumors since last Wednesday, all we have is near-confirmations, and more rumors.
However, the latest rumors say that there’s a “clear path” for the Kings to move to Seattle and be crowned the Sonics. The Kings have until March 1 to file to move cities. If the deal goes through and the deadline is met, the Sonics will play at the Key Arena for their first two seasons.
Having the Sonics back at the Key, even for a limited time, is good news for Queen Anne – Lower Queen Anne/Uptown has struggled since the Sonics left in 2008. Back in October, Easy Street Records owner Matt Vaughan told us about the impact of the Sonics leaving, citing them as the “most important tenant in Queen Anne” with sales dropping 30% or more when they left in 2008.
Lower Queen Anne/Uptown businesses would reap benefits from a Sonics season or two at the Key. With nearly 50 games played per year, an NBA team at the Key would bring in a lot of customer traffic for our local shops, restaurants, and bars. Back in 2008, our news partner, The Seattle Times, reported on the financial loss of the Sonics – citing some businesses losing between $40,000 and $150,00 per year after the Sonics left.
Let’s hope this deal happens for both Seattle and Queen Anne!
Since the Seahawks game is on at 10am tomorrow, some of our neighborhood bars, taverns, and pubs are opening early on Sunday for the Seahawks game. Here are the ones we’ve been alerted to – feel free to send us any additions and GO HAWKS!
Registration for the 2013 Queen Anne Little League Baseball/Softball season is now open and runs through Thursday, January 31st – but register before January 25th to save $10 in late fees. The regular fee for baseball and softball is $158.50 and for T-Ball is $88.50.
All programs are based on ages as of April 30, 2013 and run from March to the beginning of June.
T-Ball – A fun introduction to baseball for boys and girls ages 4-6. Players hit from a tee and run to first base. There are no strikes counted and everyone on the roster bats each inning. No score is kept and everyone has a great time and celebrates at game’s end with snacks.
Baseball Minors, Majors, Juniors and Seniors Divisions Players need to attend evaluations on Saturday, February 2nd for placement on a team. Teams include:
Rookie League – boys and girls 6-8. Machine pitch.
Central League – boys and girls 7-9. Players and machine pitch.
Coast League – boys and girls 9-11. Players pitch for the entire game.
Majors – boys and girls 10-12. Games are played by the official rules of Little League.
Juniors – boys and girls 12-14. Offers a link between Little League and Senior League divisions. There is a full range of tournament play.
Senior League – boys and girls 14-16. Offers a full range of tournament play and a World Series.
Softball Minors, Majors, Juniors and Seniors Divisions Players need to attend evaluations on Saturday, February 2nd for placement on a team. Teams include:
AA League – girls 7-9
AAA League – girls 9-11
Majors – girls 10-12
Juniors – girls 12-14
The Softball program also has an opportunity for girls 14-16 to play Senior League softball. According to Queen Anne Little League, the Senior League is a “perfect opportunity for high school girls, as the season falls after the school season. Queen Anne will combine with other leagues to form a team.”
Full or partial waivers of registration fees are available to any family without the means to pay. Other than a baseball/softball glove and appropriate cleated shoes and pants, all uniforms and equipment and all city field use charges are included in registration fees.
The preferred method of registration is online, as it saves the valuable time of the Queen Anne Little League volunteers. And, speaking of volunteers, the organization is looking for coaches, umpires, or anyone else who’d like to help out this season – email Dave Petersen for more info and to volunteer.
Let the hectic weekends begin! Saturday morning, 4,000 supporters will march for the March of Dimes for Babies from the Seattle Center to downtown and back. Later, at noon on Saturday, 10,000 people are expected to line the Mountlake Cut to watch the start of boating season with the traditional Opening Day Boat Parade. Sunday will be the first of twelve Bicycle Sundays for which Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed for an expected turn-out of 10,000 cyclists of all ages and skill levels.
Of course, to make this a true springtime weekend, there will be three (!!) Mariners baseball games and a Sounders Soccer match and many other events including Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the Fiesta 5K Ole and the traditional Celebration Birth of Buddha Parade.
To ease traffic congestion, the Seattle Department of Transportation encourages drivers to consider getting to their chosen events by alternate modes of transportation – Metro Transit, the Sounder commuter train, Link light rail, car pool, bicycle or walk, if feasible.
For more details about the weekend events, please see the following schedule:
Friday, May 4
Seattle Mariners vs Minnesota Twins: 7:10 p.m.
Safeco Field
26,000 attending
Anticipate traffic congestion on surrounding streets before and after the game.
Saturday, May 5
March of Dimes March for Babies: 9 a.m.
Seattle Center grounds
4,000 participants
March route: starts at Seattle Center grounds; exits Center at Second Avenue N and Mercer Street; heads east on Mercer to Fifth Avenue N; then south on Fifth to Cedar Street; west on Cedar to Second Avenue; south on Second to Spring Street; makes a u-turn at Spring and then moves north on Second back to the Seattle Center; expect congestion along the route.
Opening Day Boat Parade and Windermere Cup: Race – 10:20 a.m.; Boat Parade –12 noon
Montlake Cut, Portage Bay, and Union Bay
10,000 attending
The Montlake Bridge will be closed from 10 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. The Fremont may open more frequently than usual due to heavy boat traffic. Expect congestion in the vicinity around the University of Washington.
Celebration Birth of Buddha Parade: 10 a.m.
Hing Hay Park
900 participants
Parade route: starts at Hing Hay Park at Maynard Avenue S and S King Street; moves north on Maynard to S Jackson Street; east on S Jackson Street to the Red Apple Supermarket parking lot at 23rd Avenue S. Seattle Police will escort.
Cinco de Mayo: 7a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
Tacos Guaymas at Green Lake
850 expected
Street closed: Second Avenue NE between Woodlawn Avenue NE and E Green Lake Way N for beer garden; expect congestion in the area.
Fiesta 5K Ole: 9:30 a.m.
Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill (race starts and ends)
1,700 participants
Race begins leaves Volunteer Park at 14th Avenue E and E Prospect Street; goes east on Prospect to 15th Avenue E; north on 15th to E Howe Street; west on Howe to Federal Avenue E; south on Federal to Prospect Street; east on Prospect to 12th Avenue E; south on 12th to E John Street; makes a u-turn, then north on 12th back into Volunteer Park. Expect congestion in the area.
Seattle Sounders vs Philadelphia Union: 1:30 p.m.
CenturyLink Field
34,000 attending
Plan on congestion in the area surrounding the stadium before and after the match.
Seattle Mariners vs Minnesota Twins: 6:10 p.m.
Safeco Field
22,000 expected
Expect congestion before and after the game in the surrounding area.
Sunday, May 6
Bicycle Sunday (First of 12): 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
8 – 10,000 bicyclists expected
2.5-mile section Lake Washington Boulevard is closed to cars from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Mount Baker Beach, about a half-mile south of the I- 90 Floating Bridge and Seward Park. There will be no parking allowed during the closure; homeowners will have in and out access.
Mobile Food Rodeo: 12 noon – 7 p.m.
Fremont
2,500 expected
Streets closed from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.: N 35th Street between Phinney Avenue N and First Avenue NW. Expect congestion in the area.
Seattle Mariners vs Minnesota Twins: 1:10 p.m.
Safeco Field
25,000 attending
Plan on congestion in the surrounding area before and after the game.
On Saturday, May 19th, the Queen Anne Quick Styx Girls Youth Lacrosse program is hosting an all day event at the Queen Anne Bowl. All six teams will be in action throughout the day with games beginning at 9 AM and the final game scheduled to start at 4:15 PM.
The Queen Anne Quick Styx are one of two Seattle based girls youth lacrosse programs with four divisions. The club has over 120 girls from 30 schools in grades 2 through 8, and focuses on skill development, fostering sportsmanship and promoting a love for the game.
During the event parents and players will be holding a bake sale to raise funds for future scholarships and equipment. Dante’s Inferno Dogs is also scheduled to be available for lunch.
The Quick Styx would like to showcase their sport and are looking for community support for their players. This is a great opportunity for those who might have an interest in playing lacrosse in the future to watch and learn the game as well as support some of their neighbors and classmates.
For more information regarding the Quick Styx, girls youth lacrosse and a May 19th game schedule please visit the Queen Anne Quick Styx web site.
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Kids 6-14 can join one of five football teams, and kids 6-11 can join the cheer squad. The recruiting zone for the Interbay Eagles is broad, ranging from the Ship Canal south to Yesler and from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. All Queen Anne kids are welcome to join in!
Football practice begins in August, five days a week through the end of the month, then going to three days a week during the school year, prepping for Saturday game-days. Practices are held at Interbay Field, across from QFC and just off Dravus.
