After the large wind and rain storm this week that knocked out power to thousands of Puget Sound residents, one of the trees in Victory Heights Park fell down.
The tree was part of a group at the south end of the park and fell towards the north blocking the walking path.
No one is known to have been injured.
Victory Frights returns yet again this year, on Thursday, October 31st from 5 PM to 7 PM when 19th Avenue NE (across from the park–where the food trucks usually are) will be shut down to allow trick-or-treaters to stroll around and collect candy from one central location free from traffic. Bring the whole family. And be sure to check out the many great yard displays, some of which are even scarier in the dark!
Here are some great ways to participate:
– Pass out treats! Neighbors are invited to bring a chair and treats to hand-out along 19th Avenue on Halloween night. In the past, neighbors have brought candy, Pokemon cards, dog treats, and crafts – we encourage neighbors to be creative! Tables and chairs are available on a first come first serve basis.
– Donate candy! Any candy contributions will be divided among neighbors along 19th Ave to share with young goblins and ghosts.
– Help set up! While staging will begin a week in advance, we could use help setting up lights, luminaries, inflatables and Halloween Tree decorations & photo backdrop from 4-5pm on 10/31.
– Help tear down! We appreciate any help collecting luminaries, inflatables, extension cords and other accessories and decorations from 7-8pm.
If you’re available to help out in any way, please SIGN-UP HERE.
See you soon!
On Wednesday, the Seattle School District released two possible options for closing elementary schools across the city, one of which would impact Sacajawea near Victory Heights. In Proposed Option A, Sacajawea would be closed and all the K-5 students would instead attend Hazel Wolf Elementary in Pinehurst. With Proposed Option B, Sacajawea would remain open. The District says such closures are necessary, “to create schools that are equitable and excellent, ensuring that we operate within our resources to maintain the stability and health of our district for the future.”
Nobody in the city is going to happy their child might have to travel further than before just to attend school, so to say these closures are controversial is an understatement (hey, I hate it when my bus stops get moved or closed). But these are early days and as the District says on its website, “As you review the proposed options below, please know these are drafts under consideration [emphasis theirs].” So, submit your feedback to them if you have any.
Even though Victory Heights is in the middle of a large city, it is also adjacent to a greenbelt with a large amount of wildlife including coyotes. Pets, particularly outdoor cats, can be vulnerable to these predators. The Humane Society advises keeping cats inside for their safety.
Andrea, who lives at 17th Avenue and Northgate, recently reported:
Last week, our cat went missing earlier in the week, and on Friday, we found pieces of her scattered around the grassy area of Victory Heights park. We think she was taken from our yard on Tuesday night, likely by a coyote that then brought her back to the park.
She adds, “One thing I love about this neighborhood are all of the friendly outdoor cats, and I would hate for this to happen to someone else.” Don’t let your pet be another victim. You can’t control the coyotes but you can control your pet.
If you’d like to talk about this, or other topics, the Victory Heights Community Council will be having a virtual meeting over Zoom on Monday, August 26th at 6 PM. On the agenda is back to school carpool opportunities, the 23rd Avenue drainage project update, Link Light Rail service change update, and planning for this year’s Victory Frights in October.
Please use this Zoom link for next Monday’s meeting:
Victory Heights Neighborhood Zoom Meeting Link
One tap mobile
+12532050468,,84473632138# US
The annual Neighborhood Night Out is traditionally held on the first Tuesday of August, this year August 6th. It’s a great way to get to know the people on your street and strengthen community bonds. And it’s simple to do! Just set up a few chairs on a front lawn, or block off a section of your block, and invite your neighbors (basically, any house you can see up and down your street) to come hang out. Introduce yourselves, get to know people’s names and which houses they are in. Exchange phone numbers and emails. This kind of information is particularly useful in case of an emergency or disaster.
Many neighbors registered with the Seattle Police’s Night Out map, check to see if there is one near you, or just spontaneously do one yourself! For instance, those of us in south Victory Heights on NE 100th and 102nd Streets will be meeting on 102nd between 20th and 21st Avenue starting at 6 PM.
Good luck!
Join us on Tuesday, July 23rd for the 11th Annual Victory Heights Community Potluck/Ice Cream Social starting at 6:00 PM on NE 106th Street next to Victory Heights Park. We’ll be blocking off the street and setting up tables so you can bring your favorite foods to share, plus there will be free ice cream & popsicles!
We are planning on having information booths and hopefully the fire department will show up with one of their engines for the kids to explore. Bring your own chairs and something to drink, we’ll provide plates and tableware.
This is sponsored by the Victory Heights Community Council. We’ll be holding a virtual meeting in August, if you’d like to give us feedback about when we hold our meetings, please fill out this survey.
And if you like to help support activities like this, consider making a donation to the community council.
On Sunday, July 14th, Maple Leaf will be holding a neighborhood yard sale from 10 AM to 2 PM. Neighbors will be setting out free stuff “yard-sale” style, in driveways and along roads, but at NO COST, sharing what they no longer need with you and with each other. Click on the link to register and add your location to the map.
The Victory Heights Community Council has paid to have a Honey Bucket (aka Porta-Potty, Sani-Can, etc) returned to Victory Heights Park. In 2020, Seattle Parks placed a Honey Bucket in the park which proved to be popular, especially during the original mid-day Food Truck Fridays held during the pandemic. It was removed at the end of 2023 when funding ran out. Using their own funds, the community council is now paying for the rental and upkeep of the Honey Bucket so it will be available again.
The Victory Heights Community Council is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that relies on donations from the community for all of its funding. If you enjoy the amenities in our neighborhood (Food Truck Fridays, Ice Cream Social, Winterfest, Chili Cook-Off, Honey Bucket, etc.), please make a donation so we can continue to provide these services and events. You can donate using Square: https://victory-heights-cc.square.site. Please make a donation today (did you know that the community council pays for insurance each year that allows us to put on events like Food Truck Fridays and the annual Ice Cream Social?). Thank you for your help.
As part of the redevelopment along Northgate Way, Patty’s Eggnest (formerly Skipper’s) and the Jiffy Lube on the corner of Northgate and Roosevelt were demolished last week to make way for new housing.
Here are before and after photos comparing the site in March, just after the businesses closed, and on June 1st.
I for one will miss Patty’s French Toast, but apparently they plan to reopen at a new location just west of the old one.
It may have seemed quiet in Victory Heights lately, but don’t let that fool you, plenty of events are coming up in our neighborhood this month.
On Saturday, May 18th at the Co-Op Preschool in Victory Heights Park is their Spring Carnival. 10am-12pm. “It will be a morning full of carnival games, prizes, kids activities and snacks. Everyone is welcome so bring the whole family.”
Tuesday, May 21st, 7 PM: Hub Fest ’24 (click to register). Meet your friendly neighborhood Emergency Hub (and new VH Hub Captain David Emery-Peck). At the Lutheran Church, 12509 27th Avenue NE in Lake City:
Friday, May 31st: Food Truck Friday begins for 2024! The Food Trucks are returning to Victory Heights, specifically on 19th Avenue NE across from the park starting at 5 PM. The series will run through September 13th with 3 trucks and possibly a dessert options as a 4th truck each week. (We will skip July 5th this year due to the holiday weekend.)
May 31st the trucks will be:
L’Italtino: https://www.litaliano.info/
Tacos El Guerro: http://www.kirklandtacos.com/
Sam Choys Poke to the Max: https://samchoyspoke.com/
Sweet Wheels: https://sweetwheels.net/
NEW: Saturday, June 1st: Opening Day of the (Emergency) HUB. We’re going to hold an earthquake drill at the Emergency Communications HUB in Victory Heights Park from 1-3 PM. We need volunteers. Sign up to role-play as a greeter, educator, supply manager.
The Victory Heights Community Council is meeting on Monday, March 18th at 7 PM at the co-op preschool building in Victory Heights Park. Please attend. Ann Forrest will be stepping down as our council President (like Ben, our previous President, she’s moving out of our neighborhood). Our new President will be her neighbor John Zapata, and for the first time in years we will have a Vice-President, Daniel Jordan, who you’ve seen running our Food Truck Fridays. Come meet our new officers and say good-bye and give a big thank you to Ann for her two terms of service (September 2016-December 2020, and March 2022-March 2024)!
Speaking of Food Truck Fridays: They’re comin’ back! They will resume on May 31st and run through September 13th, but we are going to skip Friday, July 5th because of the holiday weekend. Daniel is lining up some exciting trucks this year, featuring some new ones and returning favorites.
Curious about how we choose officers for the community council? According to our Bylaws, the four positions (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary) are members of our Board of Trustees. This group of volunteers helps keep our community council functioning, with a number of standing committees devoting to various activities. If you are interested in getting involved, there are several seats on the Board of Trustees available, contact a member of the community council to learn more.
