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Teen Summer Reading Program at Seattle Public Library

Updated: June 18, 2012

Broadview Library

We hope to see all of our wonderful neighborhood teens in the library this summer.

“The Seattle Public Library’s 2012 Teen Summer Reading Program, Century 22: Map the Future, kicked off on Friday, June 1. The annual program, which continues through Sunday, Aug. 26, encourages everyone to read during the summer. This year we have multiple ways for teens to participate:

Read three books, review them, and enter a drawing to win a Kindle e-reader.
Visit www.spl.org/bookcrossing to participate in Century 22, our teen book scavenger hunt, where you can find, track and release books! To sign up, visit http://www.bookcrossing.com/join/seattlepubliclibrary Enjoy our great programs. Whether you’re into gaming, trivia, crafting, or art one of our excellent programs will match your interests.

Stay up to date with what’s happening for teens by visiting Push to Talk our blog written for teens by teens and the librarians who serve them.

The 2012 Teen Summer Reading Program is sponsored by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

The Summer Reading Program also includes hundreds of free programs for people of all ages at various locations. For more information, call 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.”

Thanks so much! If you need to edit it for length that’s fine and please feel free to use my name and title if you want.

Nina West

Teen Services Librarian

Broadview Branch

The Seattle Public Library

206-684-7519

I’m currently reading The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

Community Council Workshop on Broadview Issues

by Dale Johnson

Posted: June 18, 2012

At Broadview Community Council (BCC) meetings there is generally have a speaker on a topic of interest to the community, but there is seldom time for our members to discuss issues and problems of concern to them. To address this gap the BCC Board will devote its June meeting to a workshop format where the board will discuss issues with members of the community who attend. Anyone in the community can attend – you don’t have to be a BCC member.

Broadview Community Council wants to hear from you! We want to be sure our priorities are in line with the concerns of our community members. Come to the Board meeting and tell us what you think.

Time: Monday June 25, 7 PM

Place: Luther Memorial Church

13047 Greenwood Ave. N

Two Aurora Ave. N Traffic Alerts

by Dale Johnson

Updated: June 15, 2012

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning work on two different areas of Aurora Avenue North that will affect traffic flow.

On the weekend of June 22 – 25 the intersection at N 85th St. will be closed from 10 PM on Friday evening until 5 AM on Monday, to allow drainage work to be done. See the project website for details, including detour routes.

The second project will start on June 25, further south on southbound Aurora, involving closing of the right side lane. Below is SDOT’s press release.

To help move more people through the area during upcoming construction, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will convert the southbound curb lane of Aurora Avenue North, just south of the Aurora Bridge, into a Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane. Serving one of
the busiest transit corridors in Seattle, the lane will start south of the Dexter Avenue off-ramp and continue south to Mercer Street. Crews
plan to perform the lane re-striping June 24 and it will go into service after the morning commute on June 25.

King County Metro Transit will be starting RapidRide E Line service on Aurora Avenue North in 2013, but asked the City to install the lane
earlier to keep buses moving during several ongoing construction projects. Metro carries almost 30,000 passengers a day on the Aurora
corridor, which helps reduce the number of cars on the road. Using the new southbound BAT lane will allow Metro to establish the travel pattern for both current and future service on Aurora, instead of changing it repeatedly to work around construction projects.

Two upcoming projects are the City’s Mercer West Project (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/mercer_west.htm ) and the Washington State Department of Transportation’s State Route 99 Tunnel Project (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR99/Tunnel ). Traffic congestion is expected to increase on southbound Aurora when lanes are temporarily closed for these projects, so optimizing transit travel will provide commuters with options for avoiding possible delays.

Utility relocation work associated with the SR 99 project will temporarily close the curb lane on Aurora Avenue North, south of the bridge over
Mercer Street. This work will start on June 25 and last for eight to ten weeks. The Mercer West Project will need to restrict the number of
lanes on Aurora Avenue North to two in each direction when the bridge that crosses Mercer Street is rebuilt. This work will begin in early
2013 and continue through the end of 2015, when the bored tunnel opens to traffic.

The new BAT lane will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week, reserving the lane for buses and for any vehicle making a right turn.

Community Meeting Details Impacts of Construction on Linden Ave. N

by Dale Johnson

Posted: June 14, 2012

About sixty community members attended a meeting sponsored by Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) at the Bitter Lake Community Center last evening. Connie Zimmerman, Project Manager for the Linden Ave. N Complete Streets Project, answered questions and explained impacts of the year-long construction project. Audience members ask about things like access to driveways, parking and bus routes.

Construction will begin on June 18, on the part of the street between N 135th St. and N 141st St. Only one lane will be open, and traffic will be one-way going north on that lane. Detours for traffic will be posted.

Click on the image of the Start of Construction Notice below to see information about the initial stage of construction. As work proceeds more information will be made available on the project website.

Long-awaited Improvements Coming to Linden Avenue North

by Susan George

Posted: June 7, 2012

Construction set to begin Mid-June

SEATTLE — The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is redeveloping Linden Avenue North between North 128th and North 145th streets into a neighborhood-friendly roadway, improving safety for all users. Crews have started mobilizing and preparing the area for construction, set to begin Mid-June. The project is expected to take one year to complete.

Guided by the City’s Complete Streets ordinance, the Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project will repave and widen the roadway; enhance pedestrian safety with continuous sidewalks, curbs and curb-ramps and a new pedestrian crossing near the Community Center; improve street lighting and drainage; incorporate art that celebrates the neighborhood’s history; and create a two-way buffered bike lane known as a cycle track on the east side of the roadway. The project will also, among other things, add street tree and landscape planting along both sides of the street and complete the missing Interurban Trail link.

SDOT will share information about construction impacts and sequencing at a public open house on June 13th. The contractor will be on hand to answer questions.

Public Open House

June 13, 2012 – 6:00-7:30 pm

Bitter Lake Community Center

13035 Linden Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98133

Residents and drivers should expect frequent traffic detours and parking and walking restrictions during construction. Construction impact details will be disseminated as they are confirmed.

The $12.1 million dollar Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project is funded in part by Bridging the Gap, the voter-supported transportation levy, and was launched from a grass roots effort to get design dollars added to the City’s 2008 budget.

For more information on the Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project, visit SDOT’s project website, http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/linden.htm

Visit Carkeek Beach on Low Tide Days

by Dale Johnson

Posted: June 4, 2012

In summer the low tides are during daylight, and the next two days are an opportunity to see creatures uncovered by the low tides. On Tuesday June 5 there will be a minus 3.8 tide at Noon, and on Wednesday June 6 the low there will be a minus 3.4 tide at 1 PM. It’s best to arrive maybe a half hour before the low point. Volunteer beach naturalists will on site to answer questions.

If you walk north around the point about a half mile from the bridge over the railroad tracks you will find the best viewing of creatures like sea stars and anemones.

The next opportunity for low tide viewing will be on July 2, 3 and 4th.

Click on photos for larger view.

Bitter Lake Declared Safe for Contact, Re-opened to the Public

by Dale Johnson

Posted: May 24, 2012

Today Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) posted information around the lake that the sewage leak had been cleaned up and that it is now safe for contact. Below is the press release information that SPU sent out.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has received approval from Seattle-King County Public Health to reopen Bitter Lake in north Seattle after test results indicated that the lake is safe for contact. The tests were performed after it was discovered on May 10 that there was sewage in some drainage structures that flow into the lake. No sewage has entered the lake since the problem was discovered on May 10 and there was no evidence of sewage in the outfall pipe when it was cleaned in September 2011.

SPU source control investigators believe that it was likely that no sewage was getting into the lake until recently – a matter of months, not years as originally reported by local media. The property owner that had the improper connection to the system has fixed the problem, the pipelines leading to the lake and the outfall pipe have been thoroughly cleaned, and the sediment at the base of the outfall has been dredged. Recent rainfall has also helped to cleanse the lake.

SPU appreciates the patience of the community during the investigation and resolution of the problem. The information provided by residents in the area was very helpful in determining the cause and fixing the problem quickly. At any time, if there is a problem with the neighborhood sewer or drainage system, or you have concerns about water quality, you can call 206-386-1800 and SPU will respond.

Book Sale at Broadview Community Church of Christ on June 2nd

by Dale Johnson

Posted: May 22, 2012

The Big Broadview Book Sale is comining!

When: Saturday, June 2nd, from 10:00am to 4:00pm

Where: Broadview Community United Church of Christ – 325 North 125th Street (across the street from 7-11)

What: All types of used books for sale – hardbacks, paperbacks, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, collectibles and more at very reasonable prices.

Home made goodies for sale

Hand made cards for sale

Free coffee and tea while you brouse!

Free parking in church parking lot or on street

Follow the signs to entry

Broadview Emergency Communication Hub Drill on May 19th a Success

by Dale Johnson

Updated: May 20, 2012

On Saturday May 19 the first Broadview Emergency Communication Hub particpated in a city-wide drill of emergency communication hubs. The purpose of the drill was to allow communications volunteers from emergency communication hubs, the Auxilliary Communication Service (ACS) and the staff at the Seattle Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to practice emergency communications in a simulated disaster environment. The exercise also provided on-site training and mentoring.

A simulated disaster scenario involved regional terrorist attacks. In the scenario the attacks started on Friday May 18 and were assumed to be ongoing on Saturday May 19. In the scenario there was significant damage to the electric power system supplying Seattle, and communication networks were compromised and not reliable. The Seattle EOC had been activated, and the Seattle network of community hubs had been activated across the city.

The volunteers from Broadview Prepares set up a hub at Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church. Volunteers simulating Broadview residents presented simulated problems to the hub volunteers. Reports of high priority problems were sent by radio to the EOC, and messages on the situation around the city were sent from the EOC to the hub.

At a debrief session at the end of the drill the Broadview volunteers said they had learned a lot from the realistic conditions of the drill. Another drill will be held some time in the autum of 2012. Some pictures of the drill are online.

You can learn more about preparedness and how you can be involved at the Broadview Prepares website.

Update on Sewage Leak at Bitter Lake

by Dale Johnson

Posted: May 17, 2012

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has provided us with more information about the sewage leak into Bitter Lake. Below is the text of the information from SPU:

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews were performing regular maintenance on a drainage line near Bitter Lake on Thursday night, May 10, when a local resident told them about a foul odor coming from a nearby catch basin (part of the street drainage system). The crews responded, found sewage in some drainage structures, and started an investigation. They used the “drain cam” to look into the pipeline and found evidence of a sewage connection in the drainage system. The operations crew notified the Source Control Team (who enforces and investigates problems like this) that night.

No sewage has entered the lake since the problem was discovered on May 10. The line from the building has been plugged since then.
There is a flow control system in the basement of the building, so SPU staff members don’t believe there was a constant flow of sewage to the lake.

Friday morning, May 11, SPU Source Control staff visited the site and started their investigation, and they determined there was an illicit connection in place. They issued a Notice of Violation to the property owner of an apartment building on Friday. It requires that the problem be fixed by Friday, May 18.

Although they had not taken water-quality samples yet, they decided to close the lake as a precaution to protect public health. Fliers were distributed at the Community Center, along the lake’s public access point, on telephone poles, and directly to residents on either side of the stormwater outfall.

Since Friday, May 11 drainage crews have cleaned the affected stormwater pipe to the lake and have continued to work with the property owner to get the connection fixed. SPU has sampled to gather data about fecal coliform levels in the lake, and, when those data come back, will be making decisions about when to reopen the lake.

As a precaution it is recommended that people have no contact with Bitter Lake until the sampling results are known. SPU expects to have them within a week, likely early the week of May 20. As soon as they are available, SPU will let people know what they are and what it means.