Archives for June 2014

Your Busy Weekend in Northeast Seattle: June 26-30

June 26, 2014 by 2 Comments

This weekend looks to be partly cloudy and mid- to high-60s, with a chance of showers on Saturday.

Your friend and mine, the SR 520 Bridge, will be closed 11 PM on Friday, June 27 until 5 AM on Monday, June 30. We keep hoping that WSDOT will ask everyone to help break a Guinness World Record for simultaneous picnicking on days like this, but no such luck. Yet.

Oh, and there’s this little 40-year-old party called Pride.

THURSDAY, June 26

  • Shop at a local farmer’s market for dinner, then have a seat and eat.
    • Lake City Farmer’s Market, at NE 125th Street and 28th Avenue NE. Open Thursdays from 3-7 PM through October 2. In-season, Washington-produced foods and farm products, ready-to-eat foods, and more. Live music, special events, and activities for kids scheduled during the season. North Helpline food donation table (for shelf-stable items). Today: Free Thermos water bottles.

FRIDAY, June 27

  • Celebrate the Fourth AND Nature.
    • Annual 4th of July Ice Cream Social and Concert, Magnuson Community Center (amphitheatre, next to the Children’s Garden) 6:30-8:30 PM. Family-friendly hands-on nature fun in the garden, ice cream social and music in the amphitheater.  Bring a blanket and dinner for a picnic in the amphitheater or Children’s Garden. $1 per person for the ice cream. Music by the Weavils (Bluegrass/Americana music).

SATURDAY, June 28

  • Clean up a community space with the community.
    • Hunter Farm Gathering Place work party, 7744 35th Ave NE from 9 AM-noon. General maintenance to be done, including weed pulling, power washing, and garbage picking-up. Bring gloves and beverages/snacks to share.
  • Build a playground for community kids with the community.
  • Start to build next year’s vegetable garden, today!
    • Seed Saving workshop, Northeast Seattle Tool Library (2415 80th Avenue NE). 6:30-8:30 PM. Taught by Caitlin Moore (The Urban Food Warrior and Co-Director of the King County Seed Lending Library), workshop covers basic concepts, vocabulary and techniques. FREE.

SUNDAY, June 29

  • Swim Green Lake on a 1/2 mile or 1 mile race course. 
    • 10th Annual Green Lake Open Swim, Green Lake Community Center (7201 East Green Lake Dr N), first race starts at 9 AM. Last day to register on-line is tomorrow, Thursday, June 27th.  Register in-person on Sunday at Green Lake Community Center, 7:30-8:30 AM. Adult, non-refundable registration fee is $45.

The Oralea BONUS event:

MONDAY, June 30

  • Discuss coal dust with John Incardona, Research Toxicologist, Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

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Anything else to add? Garage sale? Fundraiser? Lemonade stand? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll add it to the post!

Want to promote an upcoming NE Seattle weekend happening? Email us ahead of time, or use our online comment form to tell us about it.

We publish these Busy Weekend posts at noon on Thursdays.

 

Filed Under: Your Busy NE Seattle Weekend

Vehicle theft leads to hit and run, and ends with foot chase (UPDATES)

June 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

At approximately 12:40 PM on Tuesday, June 24, Seattle Police and Fire staff responded to a motor vehicle accident (MVA) call at 12th Avenue NE and NE 65th Street, next to the Roosevelt Light Rail Station construction site.

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What was unusual for this particular MVA was the large number of police vehicles near the collision site (at least nine, by our quick count). Turns out that this incident was a hit-and-run by a stolen vehicle, Seattle Police told us via twitter. A witness to the incident said that after the collision, the suspect fled south.

South of the collision area, on the east side of 12th Avenue NE (pictured above) medics were treating an adult male while officers looked on.

We’ll post more details below when we get them.

UPDATE (1:49 PM): We have confirmation by the SPD that the “suspect was detained by Seattle residents while officers arrived.”

UPDATE (Wednesday morning): Q13FOX had a story on the incident during their 11 PM newscast. You can read the summary and/or watch the video here.

UPDATE (Thursday morning): On the afternoon of the incident, we reached out on twitter on the off chance of contacting someone involved in the subduing of the suspect after he fled the stolen vehicle. A man named Shawn (last name withheld by request) replied, not only with his narrative of the events but a very thoughtful setting of his role that afternoon.

We have yet to see an official narrative of the incident from the Seattle Police Department, but the description of the event that Shawn has shared with us matches what other witnesses at the scene observed.

Here is the account, in Shawn’s words, from two separate emails received on Wednesday:

If you’d just like my recollection of events, I was overlooking the intersection there, on the NE corner of 2nd level of the Whole Foods shopping plaza.  I was on break from work at the time, when I heard a loud screech followed by a massive crunch of metal.

I hurried down the stairs located on the NE corner there and looked over to my left to see a car pretty much flipped into incoming traffic.  I began running toward the car to check on the victims when I realized that people were yelling STOP HIM at someone.

I looked over across the street and saw a young guy in a red T shirt and baggy jeans running down the opposite sidewalk.  I shouted, Hey you, stop, and he didn’t acknowledge me or the other people shouting similar things.

It was at that point I shouted at him again, Hey, you, stop right now, and started chasing after him.  I ran across the street and onto the opposite curb; he wasnt a great runner and I caught up to him near the SE corner of the Whole Foods on the opposite side of the street.  He actually tripped himself up mostly, and kind of ditched it into the bushes there along with his bag… I slid him off the bush and onto the ground and tried to get control of his arms.

At that point the level of rational thought I had put into this move was literally zero, and it was about then that he started getting really squirrelly with his left arm, trying to pull it away and use it as leverage or reach for something.  He actually did pull it completely out of my grasp at one point and it was all I could do to keep it pinned underneath him, afraid what he might try to pull out.

Fortunately that was the moment that the driver and another Good Samaritan ran up and helped get better control over him; I kept shouting at onlookers to call the cops not sure if any of them actually had or not.  I was very concerned about the well-being of the driver, who probably should not have been running after this guy after such a serious crash; he was being treated after I finished giving the cops a statement and I was glad to hear he ended up being pretty much ok.

It only took about 5 minutes or so for the cops to show up, by which time we were all wrapped up pretty good with the guy, who was resisting and shouting the whole time.  The cops knew who to go for right away (a small relief) and they pulled us apart and took him into custody.

That was about the point I realized I was probably going to be late back into work, and asked the cop after giving my contact info if he could write me a note for my supervisor.  He gave me his card, and said just give them this, if they have any problems at all, call me.

That was pretty much it.  Tbh I didn’t think about it at all, if I had, I probably would have done nothing.  But I was worried he might try to carjack someone or worse and it just kind of happened. :3

I didn’t even realize it was a stolen car at the time, I just saw him running from an accident that he caused and no one moving in the victims car.

[…]and I just don’t really want any undue attention for such a minor incident.

Ultimately, the only thing I’ve really taken away from this and other similar events is that sometimes we are at the right time and the right place, in life, to affect change or do the right thing.  And in those rare moments, it’s better to go with your gut reaction and act rather than forever wonder ‘what if’.  Being trapped in a box alone with that question can be a deadly curse.

I would just add that we each have far more power than we think, and I truly believe we are all responsible for making the world we live in into the world we’d imagine for ourselves and our loved ones.

On Tuesday afternoon, one man was booked into King County Jail for vehicle theft. We are watching for more documentation on the case (in King County District Court) and will continue to add updates here.

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Photos, Roosevelt, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department

Wade into water fun at local parks

June 23, 2014 by 3 Comments

Summer is here! And so is the Seattle Parks and Recreation wading pool/outdoor swim/spraypark season.

Here’s the schedule for Northeast Seattle (and nearby) locations:

Wading Pools:

    • Dahl Playfield (7700 25th Ave. NE): June 24-August 18, Tuesday through Thursday, noon-7 PM
    • Green Lake Park (N 73rd St. & W Green Lake Dr. N): June 21-September 1, daily, 11 AM-8 PM
    • Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way NE): June 21-August 24, daily, noon-6:30 PM

Summer Beaches (swimming allowed when lifeguards are present on weekdays noon-7 PM and weekends 11 AM-7 PM):

Sprayparks:

    • Northacres Park (12800 1st Ave. NE): May 24-September 1, daily, 11 AM-8 PM

Wading pools are filled when the day’s temperature has been forecast to be 70°F (21°C) or higher. If you want to double-check with Parks & Rec before loading up the picnic basket, there’s a Wading Pool Hotline you can call (updated daily by 9:30 AM): 206-684-7796.

The city-wide Wading Pool and Spraypark Schedule can be found here (small PDF; lots of Comic Sans).

Filed Under: Dahl Field, Events, Families, Kids, Magnuson Park, Matthews Beach, Northeast Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation

Your Busy Weekend in Northeast Seattle: June 20-22

June 19, 2014 by 1 Comment

School’s out for the summer. School’s out forever … well, until September 3 anyway!

And in honor of the first day of summer, Friday’s forecast says partly cloudy but the rest of the weekend is mostly sunny and approaching 70 degrees.

THURSDAY, June 19

  • Party and public art installation in honor of the last days of Seattle’s ‘Ramp to Nowhere.’
    • Gate to Nowhere Project, Montlake (see map), 6 PM – Dusk. Parking is limited and viewing by boat is recommended.

gatetonowheremap2SATURDAY, June 21

  • Learn basic bike maintenance (fixing flats, adjusting breaks, etc!).
    • Green Lake Branch Library (7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N) program, Mary Alice Cooley Meeting Room, 10:30 AM – 12 PM. Free and registration not required.
  • Integrate biking into your everyday life.
    • Green Lake Branch Library program, Mary Alice Cooley Meeting Room, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM. Free and registration not required.
  • Learn to select and use the right fire extinguisher.
    • Office of Emergency Management conducting this workshop at Northgate Branch Library (10548 5th Ave NE), 1 – 1:30 PM. Registration is not required.
  • Baby and toddler supply garage sale. 
    • 6831 39th Ave NE, 9-11 a.m. Two highchairs, 4 strollers (two doubles), doorway jump-up, slide, swingset, toddler trampoline, etc. Cash only. 

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 

  • Book it to Third Place for the semi-annual used book sale. 
    • All used books are 40% off, at both locations:  Ravenna, 6504 20th Ave NE (hours) and Lake Forest Park, 17171 NE Bothell Way (hours).

Of course, there’s always the Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade too! But if you were thinking of heading east instead, remember that SR 520 will be closed from 11 PM Friday, June 20th to 5 AM Monday, June 23rd.

***

Anything else to add? Garage sale? Fundraiser? Lemonade stand? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll add it to the post!

Want to promote an upcoming NE Seattle weekend happening? Email us ahead of time, or use our online comment form to tell us about it.

We publish these Busy Weekend posts at noon on Thursdays.

Filed Under: Your Busy NE Seattle Weekend

Your Busy Weekend in Northeast Seattle: June 13-15

June 12, 2014 by 1 Comment

It’s baaaack! The weekly weekend events calendar of Northeast Seattle, that is. Let the fun begin!

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The weather this weekend looks to be a little gray. Rain is most likely on Friday and temperatures might reach the mid-60s by Father’s Day. Could be worse, Pops.

THURSDAY

  • Shop at a local farmer’s market for dinner, then have a seat and eat.

FRIDAY

  • Watch a Meaningful Movie on the plight of the bee.
    • Free screening of “More Than Honey” at the University Unitarian Church (6556 35th Ave NE). Doors open at 6:30 PM, film starts at 7 PM. Donations Accepted.

SATURDAY

  • Ride together to Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Celebration.
    • Meet up with Kidical Mass at the Husky Grind (3925 Adams Lane NE) at 10 AM and head out by 10:20 AM on the Burke-Gilman Trail detour to the newly completed connecting path to Children’s Hospital. The Celebration will include free bike helmets and fittings, bike rodeo, food and prizes.
  • Recycle your outdated electronics and shred personal paperwork.
    • Center for Spiritual Living parking lot (5801 Sand Point Way NE), 10 AM-2 PM. Electronics to be refurbished and reused by InterConnection for unemployed and low-income individuals and families. Items accepted: desktop and laptop computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, keyboards, power cables, and speakers. Shredding done by Confidential Data Disposal, Inc.
  • Time travel to gardens of the past with the kids at story time. 
    • Time Machine Story Program at the UW Botanic Gardens’ Miller Library in Laurelhurst (3501 NE 41st Street), 10:30 – 11:15 AM. Ages 3-8 with families but all ages are welcome. Free. 

Oralea Bonus Event: If none of these Northeast Seattle events strikes your fancy, maybe a trip to Lake Forest Park Third Place Books for the music of Smilin’ Scandinavian Polka is just what you’ve been waiting for. Let’s dance! Saturday, June 14th, 7:30-9:30 PM.

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Anything else to add? Garage sale? Fundraiser? Lemonade stand? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll add it to the post!

Want to promote an upcoming NE Seattle weekend happening? Email us ahead of time, or use our online comment form to tell us about it.

We publish these Busy Weekend posts at noon on Thursdays.

Filed Under: Your Busy NE Seattle Weekend

Schedule for 2014’s Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park

June 11, 2014 by 4 Comments

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Outdoor movies at Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way NE) are back for a fourth season starting Thursday, July 10!

Each Thursday evening, from July 10 through August 28, you and yours can head down to Magnuson for “big screen flicks, cirque performances by The Cabiri, movie trivia and Seattle’s best food trucks.”

Here’s the movie schedule (all on Thursday nights with seating opening at 7 PM and movies starting at dusk):

July 10: Grease (1978, PG-13, 110 minutes)

July 17: The Lego Movie (2014, PG, 100 minutes)

July 24: Gravity (2013, PG-13, 91 minutes)

July 31: Sixteen Candles (1984, R, 93 minutes)

August 7: Jurassic Park (1993, PG-13, 127 minutes)

August 14: Pitch Perfect (2012, PG-13, 112 minutes)

August 21: The Little Mermaid (1989, G, 83 minutes)

August 28: Ghostbusters (1984, PG, 105 minutes)

For the weekly food truck schedule, details on seating, parking, and more, visit the PEMCO Movies at Magnuson Park homepage.

Filed Under: Events, Families, Food, Kids, Magnuson Park, Northeast Seattle

Women of NE Seattle Schools Kickball Tournament this Sunday (UPDATE)

June 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

[Cue “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor]

For about eight years now, women with kids in various north end schools have gathered to challenge each other in the ultimate contest of playfield supremacy: KICKBALL.

At 4 PM on Sunday, June 8, some of these glorious ladies of wisdom will face each other once again at the lower View Ridge Playfield (4408 NE 70th St).

At this time, we know that Bryant, Eckstein, Roosevelt, Thornton Creek, Laurelhurst, Assumption, and Wedgwood schools have teams (UPDATE: View Ridge Elementary also has a team). The team from Laurelhurst Elementary is returning as the previous tournament’s champions. CAN THEY KEEP THE GOLDEN KICKBALL TROPHY IN THEIR POSSESSION???

"I think the trophy reflects the level of sophistication of this event," says Terrie McCoy. (Photo provided by Terrie McCoy)

“I think the trophy reflects the level of sophistication of this event,” says Terrie McCoy. (Photo provided by Terrie McCoy, trophy by the Barker Sherman family.)

 

More information about the tournament from Terrie McCoy, who has kids at Roosevelt and Eckstein (via email):

The general idea is that teams consist of women from each school, mothers, guardians, staff, etc. Each school has one team but rosters have varied from the minimum of 9 to as many as ~25. Kids cheer and often provide coaching tips but do not play. A group of Bryant/Eckstein/RHS dads have barbequed in the past and families from all schools have brought money to pitch in for the refreshments. Several of those dads are not available this year but I think we have at least one Wedgwood dad ready to bbq. With 8 or more teams we have two round robin tournaments with the winners of each playing in a championship game. Games typically consist of 3 innings. The quality of trash talk tends to be better than the quality of kickball so I encourage people to bring their thick skins.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

[Cue “The Final Countdown” by Europe]

Filed Under: Assumption-St. Bridget, Bryant Elementary School, Eckstein Middle School, Families, Laurelhurst Elementary, Northeast Seattle, Roosevelt High School, Sports, Thornton Creek, View Ridge Playfield, Wedgwood Elementary School

Sneak peek inside the new Greenlake Village PCC

June 2, 2014 by 30 Comments

We have neighbors who still, over 13 years after its closure, lament the loss of the original PCC (located where Ravenna Third Place Books now resides). That store was 7,000-square-feet in size. The next closest location, the still-open-for-business View Ridge PCC, is not much larger.

The new Greenlake Village PCC, that opens to the public on Wednesday, June 4? It’s a 27,000-square-foot store.

We were invited to the pre-opening event on the evening of Monday, June 2, and in the interest of our more western NE Seattle readers, we attended.

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Keep moving, sir: The store isn’t open to the public until 9 AM on Wednesday, June 4.

As you walk into the front doors of the new grocery store (via the central courtyard of the three buildings that make up Green Lake Village), you’ve got two choices: Turn left and head into the Make Your Meal sections (bulk, produce) or turn right and head into the Make It For Me area (deli, espresso/smoothies, salad bar). Everything else (toilet paper, beans, kale chips) is in between, and makes up the bulk of the store.

Left Turn

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Bulk section, produce, and a fishbowl-style classroom on this side of the store.

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BULK.

Strangely enough (to View Ridge PCC shoppers, anyway) bulk coffee is not located in this section of the store. Think about tired parents needing caffeine with breakfast and find your fix in the aisle with baby food and boxed cereal.

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Ravenna Blog recommends the Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Malt Balls.

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Beyond the produce section is beer, wine, and what I’m calling the Cheese Bunker (on the right, above). It’s a four-sided, highly defensible bastion of curds.

Right Turn

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Walk in the main doors and hang a right to find the pre-prepared food (handy for to-go meals headed to the park), as well as seating lining the front windows both inside and out.

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Here you’ll also find the deli (on the right above). Both this picture and the one above it show a full view across the entire store.

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Much of the store was stocked and ready to go, except for the most perishable of items. However, I was able to find some kale being made into a smoothie.

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When shoppers are ready to check out, the main register section of the store has five assisted checkout lines with a bank of six self-checkout registers in the middle.

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Bicycle parking is a bit sparse around the rest of the Green Lake Village commercial spaces, but two full racks line the front of the new store, just to the right of the entrance (where the special event guard is standing above).

Folks on wheels will need to approach the inner courtyard from Woodlawn Avenue NE to the west or NE 71st Street to the south for ramps. The NE 72nd Street side to the north is stairs only.

____________________

Greenlake_PCC_preopening17Full disclosure: PCC Natural Markets is (very shortly!) a Ravenna Blog sponsor. At the pre-opening we didn’t eat any of the tasty party food placed all over the new store, but we were given a frisbee as we headed out to file this report. You can borrow it anytime you like.

Further full disclosure: Being the independent local news publisher that we are, we were impressed back in 2011 when PCC broke the news of their anchor tenancy in the Vitamilk pit project with a fellow independent local news publisher, the now shuttered My Green Lake.

Filed Under: Businesses, Events, Food, Green Lake, Photos, Ravenna Blog sponsor

Teacher Carol retirement party on Wednesday, June 4

June 2, 2014 by 1 Comment

After 20+ years coaching and teaching local tots, Carol Rasp is retiring.

Or, in her own words, “Quitting.” More fitting as Rasp as more energy at 60-something-or-another than most 30-year-olds I know. She’s moving on to more adventures, many involving her husband and their tandem bicycle.

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Teacher Carol with her morning Spring Quarter 2014 Tiny Tots class

In her honor, there will be a potluck party at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Avenue NE) on Wednesday, June 4, starting at 6:30 PM.

The center itself is providing hamburgers and hot dogs. If you and yours are planning to attend, please call the center at 684-7534 to RSVP.

Carol Rasp works with Ravenna Blog Intern #2 on an art project in class.

Carol Rasp works with Ravenna Blog Intern #2 on an art project in class.

Filed Under: Events, Families, Food, Kids, Northeast Seattle, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center