Lake City Farmer's Market Opens Thursday

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Ryan

LakeCityFarmersMarketPosterThe Lake City Farmer’s Market opens this Thursday, June 12th from 3 PM to 7 PM. It will continue each Thursday until October. This is a real make-or-break year for the market which is hoping for real support from the community. There’s plenty of free parking, and in addition to fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and other made-in-Washington products, there will be live music on certain dates, special events, and activities for the kids.
The market is located at the intersection of NE 125th Street and 28th Avenue NE, next to the Lake City library.
https://www.facebook.com/LakeCityLive/posts/652592594815765
http://lakecitylive.net/2014/06/10/lake-city-farmers-market-opens-thursday/

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Knickerbocker Floodplain Work Begins July 1st

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Ryan

The Knickerbocker Natural Area as seen in May 2014. In three months time, it will look much different.

The Knickerbocker Natural Area as seen in May 2014. In three months time, it will look much different.


Construction work on the long-planned Knickerbocker Floodplain Restoration Project will begin in July on Thornton Creek. Last night at the Knickerbocker Natural Area (NE 100th Street and 20th Avenue NE), staff at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and the Parks Department met with neighbors to update them on the work. The project will relocate about 600 feet of Thornton Creek, create a 1.5 acre vegetated floodplain, and upgrade the pedestrian bridge over the creek. The new floodplain will store more water, wood, and sediment during storms and provide benefits to properties further down the creek (e.g. less flooding). It will also improve the habitat for fish and wildlife in the creek.
Related: Knickerbocker Restoration Would Be First In the NationKnickerbockerPlans
Some construction work will begin in June, while work in the creek will take place during July 1st and August 31st in an effort to protect fish populations. During that time, the creek will be diverted into two 12″ pipes, and the pedestrian path across the area will be closed for those two months. Once the new 80 foot bridge is installed, access will be reopened in time for the school year to begin.
The two and half million dollar project is a joint effort between the two Seattle departments (SPU & Parks) that have purchased parcels over the past several years. Some of the wetlands creation is being paid by Sound Transit as mitigation for construction at Northgate of the Link Light Rail station. After the contractors finish their work this summer, both departments will be responsible for maintaining the floodplain.
Just a mile east of Knickerbocker, another section of Thornton Creek is being updated when 35th Avenue NE is closed at Meadowbrook beginning Monday to install a larger bridge over the creek. The Seattle Times describes the project.
Visit the SPU website about the Knickerbocker project.
 

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Spring Clean Work Party May 24th

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Ryan

At last night’s Victory Heights Community Council meeting (full minutes here), the annual neighborhood Spring Clean was announced. We welcome everyone from Victory Heights to come together to beautify our neighborhood this Saturday, May 24th starting at 10 AM. Meet up at the park in front of the preschool to get your supplies (vests, gloves, paint and brushes, bags and pickups will be provided). Last year’s graffiti removal was quite successful. If you know of any spots that need graffiti covered over or trash picked up, please e-mail Ardith Lupton before Saturday.
In other news, no word yet from CleanScapes about who will be receiving awards that were submitted last month. The Neighborhood Night Out for August 5th is moving full-steam ahead. It will be held the same place as last year on NE 106th Street right next to the park, with pot luck, ice cream, games, and flyer tables.
On May 29th, residents near Thornton Creek can meet up with Seattle Public Utility members to learn more about the Knickerbocker Floodplain project construction that begins this summer.
On June 3rd, the Seattle Department of Transportation will be holding an Open House about the proposed pedestrian/bike bridge across interstate 5 at Northgate. That meeting starts at 6 PM at Olympic View Elementary School, 504 NE 95th Street.
Watch out for construction on 35th Avenue NE near Meadowbrook as the road is closed for several months while the bridge is replaced, and Lake City Way will see a lot of changes this year including intersection rebuilds and signage.
The next meeting of the Community Council will be held at 10408 23rd Avenue NE at 7 PM on June 17th.
 

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Emergency Drill Prepares HUB Volunteers

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Ryan

Interior view of the emergency HUB storage container in Lake City.

Interior view of the emergency HUB storage container in Lake City.


Under grey threatening skies that later changed to sunshine, Emergency communication HUBS around Seattle participated in a simulated disaster drill Saturday morning, including the one in Lake City located in the Fred Meyer parking lot. For two hours, volunteers at the HUB, using neighborhood “actors,” practiced dealing with different emergency scenarios, and matching them up with provided resources.
The radio room in the communications HUB.

The radio room in the communications HUB.


By 9 AM, the Emergency Preparedness volunteers had set up pop-up tents, chairs, tables, dry-erase boards, and the radio room for relaying messages to a post downtown. Regular citizens were asked to come by and pull a slip of paper from a bowl that would describe the “emergency” they had, which then had to be dealt with by the staff.
A slip I picked said “I need a tow truck, my car just died. I pushed it to the side of the road, but it’s blocking a lane of traffic.” A volunteer then collected my information and posted it on the “Needs” section of the board.  Later, Victory Heights Community Council President Ardith Lupton pulled a resource slip that said she had a truck with a tow rope that could be used to pull a vehicle. Mission accomplished!
Keith Dekker pretends to be a blind resident who needs shelter. On the left, Susan Causin posts the information.

Keith Dekker pretends to be a blind resident who needs shelter. On the left, Susan Causin posts the information.


The pretense of the drill on Saturday was an eruption of Mt. Rainier with resulting ash and lahar flows. During the last such event, lahars racing at speeds up to 60 mph reached as far north as Seattle! A vulcanologist I know told me, “And, while Mt. Rainer can produce a lahars if the eruption period last for a while, Rainer’s biggest threat to Seattle is ash and poisonous sulfur dioxide gas.” Swell. An article in yesterday’s Seattle Times about earthquakes also had this cheery tidbit,

The last megaquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs 700 miles from Vancouver Island to Northern California, struck in the year 1700 and measured about magnitude 9. The odds of a repeat within the next 50 years are estimated at between 15 and 30 percent.

That’s pretty high odds. So be prepared. Have several days worth of water and food on hand and don’t expect immediate help from authorities in case of a disaster. More advice from the Seattle Office of Emergency Management is here.

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Victory Heights Community Council Meeting May 20th

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Ryan

The May meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council will be this Tuesday, May 20th, starting at 7 PM at the Preschool Building in Victory Heights Park. As usual, all residents are welcome to attend, remember though the chairs are all scaled for children.
Discussion topics will include planning for the Neighborhood Night Out in August, emergency preparedness (including a report of the May 17th drill), and promoting the Lake City Farmers Market.
We hope to see you there!

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Upcoming Events Calendar

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Ryan

Here are some events around our area that might be of interest to residents of Victory Heights:
Monday, April 28th: Pinehurst School Building Meeting, in the school library, 11530 12th Avenue NE, 6:30 PM. The school district wants to demolish the old Pinehurst School and build a new one in the same location but needs a construction waiver. Find out more.
Saturday, May 3rd: Pet First Aid & CPR Class. 11 AM. All pet owners will at some point experience an injury or emergency with their cat or dog. This class teaches you how to take critical first steps to helping your pet through such an emergency and possibly save its life. RSVP to the above link.
Tuesday, May 13th: Thornton Creek Confluence Information Session, Meadowbrook Community Center, 10517 35th Avenue NE, 5:30 PM – 7 PM. Drop in to this informal meeting to learn more about the construction project on 35th Avenue that will close the street for several months to make improvements to Thornton Creek.
Saturday, May 17th: Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs Practice Drill, 9 AM, Lake City Fred Meyer parking lot. Volunteer to be a “victim” as part of a volunteer training exercise. For more info: contact Cindi Barker at cbarker@qwest.net.
Tuesday, May 20th: Victory Heights Community Council Meeting, 7 PM, Pre-School Building in the Park. Our regular monthly meeting, everyone welcome!

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Little Free Libraries, Car Prowls Discussed At Community Meeting

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Ryan

The April meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council was held last night and among the topics discussed were supporting the Little Free Libraries and the recent string of car prowls in the neighborhood.
Read the full minutes of the meeting.
Little Library signThe two Little Free Libraries, built on spec by Bob Gordon last year, alas did not get a SPARKS grant from the city to help cover the cost of the materials Bob used. With the community council out of pocket for those expenses, anyone who would care to make a contribution to reimburse us would be appreciated.  E-mail Treasurer Brad Cummings for details on where to send a check. Also, it’s been noticed that two or three times ALL the books have been removed from the libraries. C’mon folks, it’s “Take a book, Leave a book,” not “Take all the books.”  It can’t even be theft, the value of the used books wouldn’t justify the cost of gas driving down to Half-Price Books to sell them. So respect the libraries, and as usual report suspicious activity if you see it.
Speaking of which, a rash of car prowls occurred on Victory Lane recently. Aside from the usual advice, “Don’t leave valuables in your car,” what can be done? Maybe a Block Watch needs to be set up, but as always, vigilant neighbors are the best defense.
In other news, the community council submitted five proposals to CleanScapes in hopes of getting some of the $50,000 award. The deadline passed yesterday. Proposals ranged from putting in a solar light on the park’s bulletin board, to a covered picnic area in the park. My favorite suggestion was paying the city ($1200!) for four “Welcome To Victory Heights” signs to be put around the neighborhood. CleanScapes will deliberate over the proposals and then form a committee of neighborhood representatives to make the final determinations of who gets what.
Around the area, Lake City Way is due for a major overhaul by the city as part of its Lake City Traffic Safely Corridor. 35th Avenue NE in Meadowbrook will be closed for six months while work is done on the Thornton Creek confluence. And Lake City’s annual Pioneer Days celebration has been rebranded as “Salmonfest Seattle,” which will be held August 1-3. No guesses what kind of food will be served at this Seafair-themed event.
The next meeting of the community council will be Tuesday, May 20th. We always like to see new faces, come get involved with your neighbors!
Please take a moment to “Like” the Victory Heights Blog Facebook page.

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Lake City Farmer's Market Wants Your Opinion

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Ryan

The Lake City Farmer’s Market, which opens again this year June 12th every Thursday afternoon through September, really needs your help this year. Simply put, if more people don’t start attending, this could be its final year. In preparation for that, they have put out a survey that will help them focus their attention. Please visit the site and fill it out by April 18th.
And then don’t forget to visit the market this year when it starts in June.
 

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Upcoming Events Calendar

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Ryan

Here are activities of interest to Victory Heights residents coming up:
Saturday, April 12th: Kingfisher Natural Area Work Party, Thornton Creek @ 17th Avenue NE, 10 AM – 1 PM. Help weed invasive plants and learn about the history of the site. Sign up here.
Saturday, April 12th: Lake City Master Gardener Clinic, Fred Meyer Garden Center, 13000 Lake City Way NE, 10 AM – 2 PM. Get free garden information and answers to your gardening questions each Saturday and Wednesday afternoons.
Tuesday, April 15th: Victory Heights Community Council meeting, Pre-School Building in Victory Heights Park, 7 – 8 PM. Our regular monthly meeting, everyone is invited.
Tuesday, April 15th: CleanScapes Proposal Deadlines. $50,000 will be spent in or around our neighborhood, do you have an idea? Read more here.
Tuesday, April 22nd: Ballots due for the special election vote.  Support Proposition 1.

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Thornton Creek Adopt-A-Stream Meeting April 7th

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Ryan

The kick-off meeting for the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation grant will be Monday, April 7th at 7 PM at the Nathan Hale High School Commons, 10750 30th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. They invite all of you to partner with Adopt-a-Stream and Thornton Creek Alliance as they embark on a major education outreach to creekside residents.
The agenda will include looking for areas, in terms of water quality, that could use some help.  They will be canvassing door-to-door in high-priority areas to identify good potential restoration sites (e.g., Areas with invasives along the bank where the landowner would let us remove and replant a 35’ buffer with natives) and deliver water quality information to people who could use the encouragement (e.g. Areas where there may be excessive pesticide use by private landowners, excessive pet waste, etc.).
Everyone with an interest in the health of the watershed is invited to participate.  Bring your ideas and observations.
For more information contact Brooke Clement with the Adopt A Stream Foundation, 425-316-8592 ext. 113

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