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If you haven't driven by the Lake City Fire Station lately you're missing out. Station 39, located at the corner of 27th and 127th Avenue NE, is on my walk home from the bus and it's been exciting to watch the station being built from the ground up. They broke ground last April and expected the project to take a year. Remarkably, they seam to be on schedule. The new and improved station will not only be roomier and more functional, it's also GREEN (and we all know how much Seattlelites love green things). The building has many sustainable features and was designed to meet LEED silver standards.   
My favorite feature is the art structure designed to collect rainwater from the roof. The rain is collected in a 7100 gallon cistern underneath the building. How much water is 7100 gallons? Fortunately for you, I already did the math. Each time you flush your toilet you use about 1.6 gallons of water. If 1 toilet flush equals 1.6 gallons, the new station will be able to flush the toilet 4427.5 times before that cistern's empty. Now on average Seattle gets about 36 inches of rain a year and one inch of rain = 2 million gallons on 1 acre. So how many times will the cistern get full each year? That's an excellent question that you'll have to answer for yourself. Math was never my best subject in school.
Other sustainable features include recycled carpet tile, acoustic recycled ceiling tile, and windows to provide optimal day-lighting. The wood used in the project is Forest Stewardship certified. During the construction of the station Howard S. Wright, the contractor, recycled more than 75% of all construction waste. The building has energy-star equipment, energy efficient insulation, and light colored roofing and paving (to reflect heat to prevent heat absorption). Outside they offer bike racks, carpool parking and bio-swale for stormwater drainage.  
Construction is nearly complete and the crew will move over from the old station sometime in April. There will be an open house for the public so start watching for your invitation. Over at Publicola, Dan Bertolet took a little tour of Lake City and had this to say:
I'm glad someone's positively recognizing Lake City and the value of economically diverse neighborhoods to our city. To read the entire article, click here: Digging Lake City.
Pinehurst is a north Seattle neighborhood sandwiched in between and on top of Lake City and Northgate. Though Pinehurst rarely makes the headlines, arson and some crows murdered with pellets got them some press this week. It's not all bad news in Pinehurst. Four years ago the community started pushing for a remodel of the Pinehurst Safeway on NE 125th and 15th Ave NE. All of their hard work has paid off. Next month the demolition of the old building will begin and they hope to be finished with construction by Thanksgiving 2010. The community pushed for a green building plan. Safeway listened and recently announced that the building would be LEED certified. Here's the projected timeline from Renne Staton (community organizer and former Pinehurst blogger):
Although King County converted to vote by mail for the last election, they still had drop boxes at neighborhood centers. Due to budget cuts, this February 9 there will be no such drop boxes. So head on over to the Lake City Post Office to buy yourself a good old fashioned stamp. Refuse to buy a stamp? You can still drop your ballot at the King County Administration Office at 500 4th Ave or the King County Elections headquarters at 9010 East Marginal Way S, Tukwila. If you completely forgot there was election, here's what we're voting on Prop 1 and Prop 2 
Local Wallyhood Blogger Jordan Luther King Schwartz has a very personal connection to Martin Luther King. He was named after him. This is an excpert from his reflection on his father's involvement in the civil rights movement and how he got his name. Checkout Wallyhood for the full story.
Ever wondered what movies your neighbors are watching? The New York Times wondered too. With their interactive map you can see the top rented movies for 98125 and the rest of the city. In 2009, Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Milk were the top 3 most frequently rented movies in 98125. You can also browse through the top 100 rented movies to see how frequently they were rented in each zip code. What it boils down to is a great place to waste a lot of time. Thanks to The SunBreak for finding this article.
North Helpline and its various services will occupy 9,000 square feet of the building, located below 75 single units of low-income housing provided through LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute), 38 of which are specifically reserved for veterans. Over the past twenty years, North Helpline has continuously developed services to support the growing number of people living at or near the poverty line in Northeast Seattle. With food requests up 32% over this time last year and requests for rental assistance/eviction prevention funds up by close to 40%, North Helpline’s expansion is a necessary measure for meeting the needs of our neighbors. "Through these tough economic times North Helpline will continue to provide basic human services that promote dignity and self respect," explains Amy Besunder, Executive Director of North Helpline. "... I have good news and I have bad news. I'll give you the good first. Maybe you've heard the good news that Kathrina of Mr Villa's is trying to open a new bar, El Norte, at the former location of the Rose Garden. Brace yourself, here's the bad. Unfortunately, she is running into some resistance from the Liquor Board due to the reputation of the Rose Garden. This is unfortunate because having a low key neighborhood bar would be a great improvement for the Lake City strip. Kathrina says this about her plans for the bar, "El Norte will look to stray from the typical Lake City bars of pull tabs, pool tables and dartboards and focus on being place for neighbors to gather and friends to connect over a unique collection of food and beverages served simply and priced fairly". Her ability to get a liquor license is very dependent on the support of the community.
Join local author Meredith J. Berlin for a dramatic reading from her new book The Ghost Light KidsGet Hooked! Have you ever wished you could explore behind the scenes at a theater? The Ghost Light Kids are ready to take you on a private tour! For more information visit: http://meredithjberlin.weebly.com
Most of you probably remember the drama that surrounded the closing of the Rose Garden. The attack on the Rose Garden began not long after the Rose Garden made the Top Ten Most Intimidating Seattle Bars the Rose Garden. Last spring SPD requested that the State Liquor Board not to renew the liquor license at the Rose Garden. This was a relief to the community frustrated with the crime that inundated the establishment. April 9 the official CLOSED sign went up. Soon after the Rose Garden went up on the market for a mere 400,00. There never seemed to be any eager buyers. "El Norte will look to stray from the typical Lake City bars of pull tabs, pool tables and dartboards and focus on being place for neighbors to gather and friends to connect... Mayor-elect Mike McGinn is hosting a Town Hall in Northgate on Monday November 30.
Read more about Mike McGinn's transition process and outreach at: http://new.seattle.gov/ Can't make it to the Northgate Town Hall? Stop by one of the other ones
Seattle Mennonite Church Nov. 13th-14th Fri 10-7 & Sat 10-5 3120 NE 125th Phone: 206-361-4630
For more information about swine flu locally, check www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 or call or call the Flu Hotline at 877-903-KING (5464) 
If you haven't already heard, Tent City moved in into the neighborhood. Saturday October 24th Tent City moved to St. George's Episcopal Church parking lot at 22nd and 125th. This the 3rd time they've been at this location and they'll be here through January 2010. When I stopped by Tent City, Shady (pictured in slide show) generously gave me a tour. Shady has lived in Tent City for about a year. He is a Veteran currently waiting on Veteran housing. He explained that most people living there had made a poor choice or and been dealt a bad hand. He said, "We're homeless, we're not bad people". Currently Tent City houses about 100 people, mostly men, ages 18-70. Weekly mandatory meetings are an essential part or their organizational process. The five elected ECs, Executive Committee, run the meetings and take responsibility for organizing the day to day needs of the community. Most tents house individuals but the Mash is the male group tent that houses up to 24 men at a time. He couldn't show me the inside of The... We need your "APPROVED" vote on R-71 which will preserve the domestic partnership law. If you haven't voted yet, please mark the "approved" bubble for R-71 then drop that ballot in an official drop box by 8 pm or have it postmarked today. Note: dropping a ballot in a mailbox is NOT the same as getting it postmarked! Best bet at this late hour is to deposit it in an official drop box. Locations listed here http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/ballotdropboxes.a Make sure to have your say this election day! There are several important local races and two critical statewide initiatives on the ballot. Remember: King County now votes entirely by mail. Make sure you postmark your ballot by Tuesday, November 3rd, or drop it off at a local ballot drop box. There is a drop box in Lake City, at 12525 28th Ave NE, 98125. Only 20% of King County voters have returned their ballots so far. Referendum 71 is expected to win or lose at the margins. WE NEED YOUR VOTE! Please fill in the "approved" bubble for Ref. 71 now and mail you ballot today. Your vote matters! Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law. Vote APPROVED to preserve the law and protect ALL Washington families. ApproveReferendum71.org Friendly reminder: Every vote counts and we need yours! Referendum 71 asks Washington voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law that the Legislature passed and the Governor signed in May. Unless we vote APPROVED, families like mine will lose important state-level rights already available to married couples. These include the ability to use sick leave to take care of a seriously ill partner without threat of being fired, and pension rights for firefighters, police officers, teachers and other public servants. Approve71.org Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law. Vote APPROVED to preserve the law and protect ALL Washington families. Approve71.org Domestic partners in WA, be they straight seniors or same-sex couples, will lose 250 rights that the legislature has already granted them if we don't get Referendum 71 approved by voters. It is vital that you talk to everyone you know and let them know that their vote is needed and why it is so important to preserve the domestic partnership law to protect ALL Washington families. We can win this, but only if everybody votes. Approve71.org Don't forget - you can print out a placard for your window, donate and/or sign up to phone bank or canvass at Approve71.org! Two more anti-domestic partnership ads have been posted. Well, at least the first eight words of the narration are truthful… Seattle Public Utilities recently re-mapped two flood-prone areas in north Seattle -- the Thornton Creek and Densmore neighborhoods. Both have new City of Seattle flood-prone-area maps. Check here to learn more and see PDFs of the flood prone areas: http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Drainage_&_Sewer/Emergency_Weather_Tips/StormsFlooding/index.htm Protect Marriage Washington, the organizations trying to roll back the new domestic partnership law, has just posted its first ad. You can view it here at a more friendly site. Togas? Blonds on the savanna? Tigers on the savanna? My but God does work in mysterious ways. Donate now to help us drown out this rubbish with some sanity. Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law. Vote APPROVED to preserve the law and treat ALL Washington families equally. Approve71.org 
Seattle Parks & Rec is taking suggestions for naming a park right here in Lake City. (The old playground for Lake City elementary school, at 12312 – 26 th Ave. NE.) Criteria they consider in choosing a park name include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. A park may be named for a person no longer living (deceased a minimum of three years) who made a significant contribution to parks and/or recreation. Send suggestions to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Park Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to paula.hoff@seattle.gov. Suggestions for names are due to the Park Naming Committee by Monday, November 16, 2009. For more info, see this link at Parks & Rec: http://parkways.seattle.gov/2009/10/06/seeking-names-for-thrMonday, October 5 is the deadline to register online or by mail if you want to vote in the statewide November 3rd election. Register here. Check your address here. Ballots will be mailed out between October 14 and October 16. This election, Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law that was passed this spring by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gregoire. Vote "approved" on Referendum 71 to preserve the domestic partnership law. Every Vote Counts! Are you registered to vote? Is your voter registration address current? If not, act now! This election Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law that was passed this spring by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gregoire. Vote "approved" on Referendum 71 to preserve the domestic partnership law. Every Vote Counts! Are you registered to vote? Is your voter registration address current? If not, act now! Monday, October 5 is the deadline to register online or by mail if you want to vote in the statewide November 3rd election. Register here. Check your address here. Ballots will be mailed out between October 14 and October 16. If you haven't received yours by October 20th, contact King County Elections at 206-296-VOTE (8683). Track your ballot! King County now offers a Mail Ballot Tracking system. Find out when your ballot was mailed to you, when King County Elections received your returned ballot packet, and when your signature was verified and your vote counted. Track your ballot... |
