Schedule for 2014’s Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park

Magnuson-Movies_header

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.

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

[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]

Teacher Carol retirement party on Wednesday, June 4

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.

20140420-210934.jpg

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.

Plant sales sprouting up all over NE Seattle

Four local-to-Northeast-Seattle plant sales coming up in the next three weeks, so we’ll just get to it:

1. Olympic View Books & Blooms – Friday and Saturday, April 25-26

Olympic_View_Books _Blooms

13th Annual Plant Sale for the Olympic View PTA. Friday April 25th (9am-7pm) and Saturday April 26th (9am-7pm). Used Book Sale starting Friday afternoon.

The Olympic View Elementary Plant Sale is a fundraiser presented by the Olympic View PTA. All proceeds directly benefit students.

Quack Dogs will be at the sale from 3:30-6:30 PM on Friday.

This sale also tends to feature art and botanical projects made by Olympic View students — I myself own a couple of pottery mushrooms, and they are ADORABLE.

2. FlorAbundance Spring Plant Sale – Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27

FlorAbundance-logo

FlorAbundance is the Arboretum Foundation‘s annual plant sale. It’s been held at the Arboretum itself for two years while Building 30 at Magnuson Park was being renovated. And now it’s back!

Please join us in late April for the region’s largest and best plant sale, and help support the Foundation’s mission. As always, dozens of specialty nurseries will be on hand selling a wonderful selection of locally grown trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and edibles.

 40-plus nurseries: “There’ll be more than 40 nurseries in attendance,” says our volunteer Event Chair Bob Lilly. “Expect a unique selection of high-quality plants, including lots of veggies for your kitchen garden. As always, Langley Fine Gardens will have an amazing array of vegetable starts. In addition, for the first time in quite a while, they’ll be offering a diverse crop of ornamental salvias.

Here’s the sale’s vendor list, should you want to pre-browse (PDF).

 

3. WSU Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale – Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4

Master_Gardener_sale

Find plants from Master Gardeners and specialty growers, get free garden design consultations and quick tips, personal shopping advice from experienced Master Gardeners, and garden art and more from select vendors. See the veggie catalogs and tomato list at http://mgfkc.org.

Find it all at UW Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle.

Rain or shine, we hope to see you and help you start the best garden ever this year.

This is another sale that I’ve attended in the past and enjoyed. And if you’re a fan of the Opening Day of Boating, I recommend you park somewhere in Laurelhurst, go see the boats float through the Montlake Cut, then turn around and check out the plants on the way back.

 

4. Nathan Hale Horticulture Spring Plant Sale – Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, May 7-8 and 10

Details of the sale are still being worked out, says the Facebook page, but here’s some info about the program and location:

Description

Beginning Horticulture, Ecology and Advanced Horticulture are science/occupational education courses taught by Jessica Torvik. Approximately 150 students (grades 9-12) take horticulture each year.

General Information

Our greenhouse and urban farm are located one block north of Nathan Hale High School. From Lake City Way, turn eastbound onto 110th Street. Drive through the stop sign and past the high school. Turn left (north) onto 34th Avenue NE. Drive past Jane Addams K-8 School. Turn left (west) into our driveway (you will see a yellow gate) and head up the hill to our gravel parking area.

The Nathan Hale Horticulture program also holds a winter sale in December.

Welcome to the 2015 Seattle City Council District Games (UPDATE)

Earlier in April, the City of Seattle finally released the official 2015 map of the Seattle City Council Districts. The reason for the map and the new way of electing our city councilmembers being (via seattle.gov):

In 2013, Seattle voters passed a measure amending our city’s charter to establish City Council districts. In 2015, voters will elect seven out of the nine City Council members by district. The remaining two positions will be elected “at-large” (city-wide) in positions 8 and 9.

Our Ravenna neighborhood is located in Council District 4, along with Bryant, Roosevelt, View Ridge, Sand Point, Windermere, Laurelhurst, Hawthorne Hills, the University District, Eastlake, half of Wedgwood, most of Wallingford, and a touch of Fremont — which is why it is so great to finally have a city-approved map with hard boundaries.

Northern portion of the Council Districts map. Click to open the interactive version.

Northern portion of the Council Districts map. Click to open the interactive version.

Within the interactive map above, Seattle residents can search for their address to find out which Council District they are located in, or just zoom in and around to see what neighborhoods are located in which districts.

On Wednesday, March 12, Crosscut held an event called “Mapping Seattle’s New Political Landscape,” where contributors Ben Anderstone and Knute Berger talked about Seattle’s newly created City Council Districts.

While we did not attend, we did follow along on twitter. Here’s what the duo had to say about our District 4, in one slide:

As for how City Council races will be scheduled in the future, the City Clerk’s office lays out the following timeline:

In 2015:

  • All nine Councilmember seats will be up for election and the transition will occur during that city election
  • Seven districted Councilmembers will be elected to four-year terms
  • The remaining two at-large Councilmembers will be elected to a two-year term

In 2017:

  • Seven districted Councilmembers will be elected to four-year terms*
  • The two at-large seats will be elected to four-year terms
  • The at-large Councilmembers will from this point forward be on the same election cycle as the Mayor and City Attorney

Then in the fall of 2022 (and every ten years thereafter), “a five-member Districting Commission will be created to redraw the district boundaries.”

Current City Councilmember Jean Godden has already tossed her hat into the ring for the newly created District 4 seat (she’s a View Ridge resident). But so far, at the time of writing, and with the filing deadline being over a year away, only current CMs have filed for reelection.

20140415-152041.jpg

One of Councilmember Tim Burgess’s legislative aides, Alex Pedersen, made a suspicious move earlier in April: His monthly “4 to Explore: A Northeast Neighborhoods Newsletter,” published online or sent via email since August 2013, showed up in paper form in the Seattle Times. When asked if he’s considering running, fellow Council District 4 resident Pedersen told us (via email):

We hear a lot from interest groups but not enough from families because they are busy working to get by. So the newsletter highlights not only important neighborhood issues, but fun stuff that will be engaging and relevant each month.

I support Jean Godden and she’s aware of the newsletter 🙂

The deadline for getting on the ballot in 2015 is Friday, May 15, 2015, so District 4 residents have plenty of time to decide to run. You can track all the City Council candidates running in the 2015 Primary here, on seattle.gov.

And to all present and possible future Council District candidates, I say: May the odds be ever in your favor.

 

UPDATE (10:07 AM): Serendipitously, Crosscut’s Knute Berger has a piece out just this morning about this very topic: “New survey offers tips for implementing Seattle’s new city council districts.”

——————-

* Correction: We accidentally repeated the “Seven districted Councilmembers…” line in both lists. Thank you, Tony Provine, for alerting us to this error.

Fill Empty Bowls and support North Seattle families

Choose a hand-crafted bowl by a local student or artisan, fill it with delicious food from a selection of neighborhood restaurants, and support families in need in north Seattle.

Empty Bowls 2013

Empty Bowls Event 2013

North Helpline‘s 5th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser is Sunday, May 4th, Noon – 3:00 p.m. in The Commons at Nathan Hale High School (10750 30th Ave NE). Soup, salad, bread, and dessert will be provided by a number of local restaurants including Piatti Restaurante, Got Soup?, Wedgwood Ale House, and Kaffeekaltsch. There will also be an extensive silent auction and live entertainment. Tickets are $25 purchased in advance, or $35 at the door.

The event is part of the the Empty Bowls Project, an international grassroots effort to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger. The bowl you enjoy a warm meal from and take home with you becomes a tangible reminder of hunger in our community.

North Helpline (12736 33rd Ave NE) combats hunger and homelessness in greater North Seattle by providing critical human services to more than 1,700 clients each week. They operate a food bank and health care clinic in addition to offering move-in support, eviction and utility shut-off prevention, help with obtaining a driver’s license or ID, and hygiene packs.

If you’re unable to attend the event but are still interested in supporting North Helpline, here are some other opportunities:

DSC00378

Food Bank distributions in 2010

  • Visit the Wedgewood Ale House on Thursday, April 17th and 30% of your order will be donated to North Helpline.
  • Volunteer to sort or distribute food in their Food Bank, to pick up donations at local grocery stores, or to provide emergency services to clients.
  • Donate food or money, anytime.

 

Scramble for eggs this Saturday

[in our best monster truck voice]: SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY!

Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center Spring Egg Hunt starting line in 2011.

Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center Spring Egg Hunt starting line in 2011.

This Saturday, April 19, at 10 AM SHARP, Seattle Parks and Recreation is holding Spring Egg Hunts all over the city. You can see the full, city-wide list on their website, but here are the hunting grounds closest to our area:

NORTHEAST

April 19 Spring Bunny Trail
Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center [6535 Ravenna Ave NE], 10 a.m., Ages 12 and under

April 19 Spring Egg Hunts
Nathan Hale Stadium [10750 30th Ave NE], 10 a.m., Ages 1-11
Laurelhurst Park [4554 NE 41st St], 10 a.m., Ages 12 and under

NORTHWEST
April 19 Spring Egg Scramble
Green Lake Community Center, 10 a.m., Ages 3 and under
Green Lake Community Center, 10:30 a.m., Ages 4-7
Green Lake Community Center, 11 a.m., Ages 8-10

Another option in NE Seattle is Calvary Christian Assembly’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Cowen Park (5849 15th Ave NE). From the CCA website:

Registration begins at 11:30 am. We partner with Roosevelt Neighborhood vendors for this event that features 3 age-specific egg hunts as well as crafts, games, prizes, inflatables and more! Want to help? We will need people to donate candy and work at the event.

For all of these events, you’ll want your kids to bring baskets with which to carry their ovate loot.

20140415-122618.jpg

Ravenna Blog publisher posing with the largest holiday decoration in NE Seattle (outside of Candy Cane Lane).

Wedgwood principal heading to West Seattle

Parents and guardians of students at Wedgwood Elementary School (2720 NE 85th St) found the following message from Seattle Public Schools in their inboxes this afternoon:

Dear Wedgwood Elementary School community,

I am writing today to let you know that a leadership change will take place at the end of the school year. Your Principal, Mr. Chris Cronas, has been appointed Principal for Highland Park Elementary, effective July 1, 2014.

I know Mr. Cronas has provided excellent leadership as Principal of your school for four years and has been deeply engaged with the school community. He has had a strong relationship with families and has established opportunities for parents to support classroom teachers. I know you join me in wishing him the best in his new assignment.

Under his leadership, Wedgwood has become the highest achieving school in our District. I am proud of all of the work he has accomplished, and I know much of that success is because of the hard working staff, families and students at Wedgwood.

Kim Whitworth, Executive Director of Schools for the Northwest Region, will be in contact with you soon to talk about next steps for hiring a new Principal to continue the great work Mr. Cronas provided for Wedgwood.

Sincerely,

José Banda
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

Chris Cronas is replacing Ben Ostrom, who is moving from Highland Park Elementary to K-5 STEM at Boren, reports the West Seattle Blog.

Eckstein Band Rummage and Bake Sale this weekend

Eckstein Middle School’s Annual Rummage and Bake Sale is coming up!  On Saturday, April 5, from 9 AM – 3 PM, come for the deals, the baked goods, but especially to support Eckstein’s music program. All while accompanied by their award-winning jazz combos!

One of Eckstein Middle School’s bands performs at a concert on June 7, 2014. (From the EMS Band Facebook page)

The sale is also looking for your donations to help make the event a success. (Spring cleaning, anyone?)

Bring clothing in wearable condition, household items others could use, books and music for fresh ears and eyes to enjoy, furniture in good condition, toys, games and puzzles with all pieces and parts, and sporting equipment for a budding athlete to the Eckstein cafeteria on Friday, April 4, from 1:30 – 4 PM. Please no electronics, unassembled furniture, baby carseats, or strollers. The cafeteria’s exterior entrance faces the garden area in the back parking lot.  

Monies raised from the rummage sale go directly to the Eckstein’s music program and are used to help offset some of the cost of off-campus music performances (like performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival and bringing home LOTS of awards), repair damaged instruments, and provide scholarship to children who need assistance.

Memorial walk and rally planned for March 25; part of “Safe Roads” week

Tuesday, March 25, marks one year since the drunk driving crash that killed Judy and Dennis Schulte and severely injured Karina Ulriksen-Schulte and her newborn baby boy, Elias.

MCI_memorial04

To commemorate the day, the Wedgwood Community Council and the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association have organized a memorial walk and rally, starting at Top Pot Doughnuts (6855 35th Ave NE), and ending on the front lawn of Eckstein Middle School (3003 NE 75th St). A moment of silence will be held at the crash site at approximately 4 PM.


View Wedgwood DUI crash memorial walk and rally in a larger map

NE 75th Street will close to traffic from 31st Ave NE to 35th Ave NE during the walk (3:15-4:15 PM).

The rally at Eckstein will include speakers representing the Seattle Department of Transportation, Prevention Works in Seattle (WINS), Wedgwood Community Council, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Group, as well as:

  • Dan Schulte, Father, Husband and Son of Wedgwood crash victims
  • Marilyn Schulte, Daughter of Judy and Dennis Schulte, Aunt to Elias and Sister-in-law to Karina
  • Darrin Grondel, Director, Washington Traffic Safety Commission
  • Senator David Frockt, (D) 46th Legislative District
  • Courtney Popp, Mothers Against Drunk Driving

This event on March 25 is the first in a week-long series of events promoting “Safe Roads Awareness Week,” and focuses on raising awareness of the need for DUI prevention and stricter DUI laws.

safe-roads-awareness-week-logo_with-date

A summarized schedule of events for the rest of the week includes:

Wednesday, March 26th, Distracted Driving Day
The Wedgwood Community Council (WCC) and volunteers will be holding signs during the morning/evening commute to remind folks that the phone call or text can wait.

Thursday, March 27th, Slowdown Day
Again, the WCC and volunteers will be holding signs at a busy intersection during morning/evening commutes.

Friday, March 28th, Share the Road
Again, the WCC and volunteers will be holding signs at a busy intersection during morning/evening commutes. SDOT will make a major traffic safety project announcement.