With warm weather in the forecast, it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. Combine that with tonight’s Independence Day festivities and it should be a fantastic Fourth.
Couple notes from the SPD and SFD to get you on your way today…
The Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department would like to remind the public that fireworks are illegal in the City of Seattle.
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.
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.
As a heads-up as to what’s open, what’s on and what’s not happening today…
CleanScapes garbage, food and yard waste, and recycling collections will be on normal schedule. The North Recycling and Disposal Station will be closed, but the South Recycling and Disposal Station will be open.
All Neighborhood Service Centers will be closed.
Metro Transit bus routes will be operating on a Sunday schedule.
Libraries will be closed. Book drops at the Queen Anne library will be open, but the one at the Central Library will be closed.
The post office will be closed and there will be no regular mail delivery.
The liquor store in Queen Anne (515 1st Ave N) will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Over 500 foreign-born Pacific Northwest residents became naturalized U.S. citizens on Sunday, July 4 at a mass ceremony held at the Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. The 514 candidates, from over 80 countries, were among 3,800 people to be granted citizenship on Independence Day this year at over 55 similar ceremonies nationwide.
Our news partner, The Seattle Times, had a nice story on the 26th Annual Naturalization Ceremony, hosted by the Ethnic Heritage Council, yesterday. The full story can be read here.
From the Times piece:
“We are proud that you are woven into this tapestry we call America,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell told Seattle’s crowd of candidates, families and supporters. “You are not only declaring your freedom; you are making a commitment to uphold freedom.”
Expectations for tonight’s Independence Day fireworks range from neutral to downright gloomy.
The National Weather Service is predicting fairly good weather north and south of Seattle, but a Puget Sound Convergence Zone may set up directly over Lake Union, with up to a 60 percent chance of showers.
Cliff Mass, University of Washington professor of atmospheric sciences, says on his blog that he’s taking an umbrella to watch the fireworks.
But, he reminds us that once July 4 is done and gone, “then the miracle occurs. Like a switch being flipped, our weather warms dramatically. The lawns turn brown and watering our vegetables and plants is mandatory. The best weather in the nation takes hold for roughly 2-3 months.”
In fact, beginning Monday afternoon the skies clear. Temperatures in the mid-80s are expected by late week.
Celebrate the 4th of July at Seattle’s only midnight marathon, the Firecracker 5000 5K at Seattle Center tonight, Saturday, July 3. The Independence Day themed run will begin at 11:55 p.m., when an expected 1,200 runners will follow a course around the center in 4th of July spirit!
Top Pot Doughnuts and Buca di Beppo will be providing sustenance at the start/finish line inside Memorial Stadium.
If you still want to register for the race, you can do so on the Firecracker website. The event is being put on by Club Northwest.
Donations from private citizens and corporations made this year’s July 4th fireworks show possible, but what about next year?
Our news partners The Seattle Times found out yesterday that event producer One Reel has begun soliciting donations again.
After this year’s ailing Fourth of July fireworks celebration at Gas Works Park was rescued by business leaders and individual donors, sponsors of the annual party have announced a new funding strategy for 2011.
More donations.
One Reel, which puts on the fireworks show, said in a news release Thursday: “While One Reel didn’t initially consider soliciting donations for the 2010 event, the overwhelming public response to saving this cherished Independence Day celebration caused the organization to rethink the sponsorship model that has been in place since the event was first created in 1988.”
Previous funding for the fireworks shows has come from corporate sponsors.
Instead, said One Reel, beginning this week donations and pledges for next year’s show can be placed at family4th.org.
It’s that time of year again: the list of events is out for this year’s Family 4th at Lake Union. The Independence Day celebration at Gas Works Park was almost scrapped this year due to lack of funding, but will go on thanks to nearly 300 businesses and individuals who banded together to save the fireworks show.
If you were like me last year,and missed the memo about the late Puget Sound fireworks (I know there were others because I was just one of a couple hundred disappointed folks who set up camp at Kerry Park only to hear the Lake Union show in the distance), then make sure you pick out a nice spot on the east side of the hill to enjoy the festivities!
If instead you’ll be heading down to Gas Works Park for the show, here are a few events that will be going on:
Field Games, Hosted by Starbucks: Starbucks is hosting activities and fun field games on the Playfield featuring coffee sack and three-legged races, coffee bean bag tosses, and more.
Acrobatics and Circus Arts: The School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts will provide a static aerial rig, tightwire, and juggling equipment to engage, entertain and delight kids in the exploration of acrobatics and circus performance.
Euro-Bungy and Climbing Walls: This all-ages activity center offers participants the choice of jumping mid-air, twirling, and spinning on a bungee trampoline platform or climbing the face of a 24’ ft. rock wall and overcoming the challenges on the way to the top.
Face Painting: Kids can let their faces be the canvas as talented face-painters use their artistry to airbrush colorful and creative designs to decorate smiling faces and celebrate the holiday.
Kite Making: Kids are invited to dive into a wide variety of art supplies and kite-making tools to create a kite that expresses their unique artistic vision.
Wacky World: A giant, inflatable play center for kids 3-12 is 120’ feet of slides, tunnels, obstacles and fun.
SPD is working on a similar traffic control plan as last year, which will allow residential access to the neighborhood only. A map is being worked on and will soon be posted at family4th.org. Both the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce websites will be posting a list of local businesses staying open late for anyone waiting for post-fireworks traffic to subside.
When I moved back to Seattle last year after a four-year stint in L.A., I was ecstatic to be moving to Queen Anne hill–near downtown, the waterfront, and Lake Union! A month after I moved in to my apartment and before I began my work at QueenAnneView, I climbed up to Kerry Park to watch for 4th of July fireworks show over Elliott Bay. I, and evidently some 200 other people, had not received the memo that the show had been canceled.
After waiting around for 30 minutes, I decided to do a little Googling on my phone. A few minutes later we heard a loud cracking noise coming from the north east. We turned and saw the very top of the fireworks show from Lake Union just peaking over the top of Queen Anne hill.
Up until this point we’ve been lucky in Seattle–having our choice of two gorgeous fireworks shows on Independence Day. When the Elliott Bay fireworks show folded last year, Seattleites piled into Gasworks Park, a prime spot to catch the Lake Union show. However yesterday, Wednesday, March 31, One Reel, the company that produces the event, announced that there would be no Family 4th at Lake Union this year, citing the lack of a corporate sponsor to fund the non-profit for the event. Tomoko Moriguchi Matsuno, president of the One Reel Board of Directors wrote this letter on ChaseFamily4th.org.
Dear Community,
Since 1988, One Reel, the Seattle not-for-profit arts organization of which I am Board President, has been proud to produce the cherished Independence Day celebration and fireworks show, the Family 4th at Lake Union. This day of free family entertainment and a dazzling fireworks display has been, for more than two decades, an important time for us to come together as a community and celebrate this great country.
As a non-profit organization, One Reel’s core mission is to produce arts and cultural events that engage and enrich our community, but we cannot do it alone. You may not realize this free civic celebration has been an annual gift to Seattle made possible only through the generosity of a corporate sponsor who underwrites the cost of the event. One Reel wishes to extend a very special thank you to the sponsors we’ve been fortunate to work with over the years, including Fratelli’s, Cellular One, AT&T, WaMu and Chase.
For the past 15 months, One Reel has worked tirelessly to secure a title sponsor for the 2010 Family 4th at Lake Union but, regrettably, we were not able to secure one in time to proceed with this year’s event. For that reason, it is with a heavy heart we announce there will be no fireworks or festivities at Gas Works Park this year.
We understand the disappointment you must feel; we feel it too. However, I can assure you that One Reel is already hard at work searching for a new title sponsor who shares our commitment to presenting this beloved community event in Seattle next year, and long into the future. As always, One Reel remains dedicated to providing you with premier events—from the Family 4th at Lake Union, to Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival, to Teatro ZinZanni—that showcase the talent, artistic diversity and integrity of our great city.
Thank you, Seattle, for your ongoing support. We’d like to thank everyone—from our generous past title sponsors, to the City of Seattle, to event suppliers and on-site vendors, to more than 5 million patriotic revelers over the last 20 years—all of whom have made this event such an iconic holiday tradition.
We look forward to seeing you next year at Gas Works Park for the Family 4th at Lake Union.
Sincerely,
Tomoko Moriguchi Matsuno
President and CEO Uwajimaya Inc.
President, One Reel Board of Directors
Us in Queen Anne have been able to see both firework shows from our high perch on the hill. But with the canceling of the Lake Union and Elliott Bay shows, this year will be the first time in 46 years that Seattle will not have a fireworks on the 4th. What do you think of a 4th without fireworks in Seattle? Do you think the lack of corporate shows will result in an increase in illegal fireworks?
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With warm weather in the forecast, it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. Combine that with tonight’s Independence Day festivities and it should be a fantastic Fourth.
