Join Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen in North Seattle

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Posted: February 17, 2011

 Seattle – Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Chair of the Transportation Committee, will spend time in the Broadview neighborhood of Seattle this Saturday listening to residents.

 “I’m looking forward to visiting all areas of our City to speak with residents about their concerns and help answer their questions,” said Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. “I’d like to hear people’s thoughts regarding transportation issues, as well as other topics relevant to Seattleites.”

 Join Councilmember Rasmussen:

 Saturday, February 19, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Bitterlake Community Center’s Art Room, 13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle 98133

 This informal conversation is one in a series of opportunities offered in response to the outpouring of Seattleites who attended similar gatherings last fall. All topics are on the table.

Salmon in the Schools Reprieve

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Posted: February 16, 2011

As we reported in a post, last fall the state eliminated state funding for the Salmon in the Schools program that introduces school children to environmental subjects by raising and releasing salmon fry.  Recently Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) provided some funding to keep the program running at schools in Seattle.  As pointed out in an article in the Seattle Times, the level of funding from SPU may not be enough to sustain the program in the form it has taken in the past.

Driving us Crazy in Broadview

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Posted: February 14, 2011

An excellent article by Bob Young titled “Driving us Crazy” in the February 13 Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine describes some of the traffic challenges we all face each day.

Part of the article features Linden Avenue North resident Richard Dyksterhuis and his work to improve traffic safety in Broadview.

But my problems seem minor compared to someone like Richard Dyksterhuis, an octogenarian who’s been fighting for years to increase mobility, civility and community in his little corner of Northwest Seattle. On one artificial knee, Dyksterhuis keeps trekking to City Hall to advocate for the building blocks of democracy, sidewalks. He has lost out to Paul Allen in the competition for city funds. But he vows to keep battling. Quoting a Dutch ancestor, William of Orange, he says, “You don’t have to have hope to continue fighting.”

Look at Linden Avenue North, a block west of Aurora, near 130th. In a 17-block stretch, Linden is home to about 1,000 senior citizens concentrated in apartments and condos, most of whom have no city sidewalks. It’s not uncommon to see a senior on a motorized cart riding the shoulder of Linden trying to make his way to Rite-Aid.

Believe it or not, city officials have designated this part of the Bitter Lake neighborhood an urban village. This means high-density housing (check), transit (it’s close to a few bus lines), and a pedestrian environment.

That last point has kept Richard Dyksterhuis chuckling for years. It’s also kept Dyskterhuis, 83, agitating for change. The retired schoolteacher has lobbied City Hall with his maps, statistics and walking tours since 2006. Enough so that he has a prominent role in a globe-trotting documentary called “A Different Path.”

As Dyksterhuis says in the film, his quest is simple. He’s looking for help, someone to get him back to a “world with sidewalks and neighbors who smile at you, who know you by name, who like you.”

Four Freedoms resident Larry Hunter is pictured with the caption “Larry Hunter, 71, travels back to Four Freedoms House, a senior apartment complex, in North Seattle.  Hunter, who often rides his wheelchairon a stretch of Linden Avenue North without sidewalks, says he has been hit three times by cars in his neighborhood.  He calls the traffic around his home the Linden Speedway”

 

You can read the full article here.   Thanks to Richard and community members who have worked to improve safety in our community!

Neighbors Appreciated!

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Posted: February 13, 2011

Neighbor Appreciation Day at the Bitter Lake Community Center yesterday featured displays by local groups like GAIN and the new P-Patch, as well as several City departments.  People who attended got a chance to learn about things going on in the neigborhood, and chat with friends.

 

 

Visitors met and talked to several City council members.

 

And Mayor Mike McGinn stopped by.  He had to duck out to coach his daughter’s basketball team in the gym across the hall, but came back and chatted with residents.

 

Thanks to all who helped put on the event, and to the neighbors who attended!

Broadview Real Estate Market

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Updated: February 12, 2011

  • This map shows the Broadview neighborhood boundaries as defined by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. I used these ‘defined’ boundaries as search criteria when analyzing Broadview’s real estate market and trends.

*click on picture to view larger

  • This chart shows the median price for a home by the month and the average price for the year.
  • Town homes and condominium sales were NOT included in this chart.

Seattle real estate market is similar to Puget Sound’s micro-climates: it could be raining in one neighborhood and sunny in another.  Truthfully, do you want to know what’s happening in other states and cities or do you want to know about Broadview?  House data is often presented at a national level but there is no such thing as a national housing market.  A national aggregate of housing production and sales can be added up and given a role in describing overall national economic trends but that aggregate is meaningless from a neighborhood market point of view.  Every home is special and the above chart may not reflect your home price but it’s nice to know your neighborhood’s real estate trends. The question is this:  are we heading up or down in value this year? 2010 looked better than 2009. In January and February 2011 there has been a big increase of buyers showing-up at open houses.  This generally indicates an upswing in Sales for the following months.   I will post our first quarter real estate trends at the end of March.

  • This week’s Market Watch for Broadview looks great. The ratio to new listings and pending sales is even.

Susan George is a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker Bain and lives and works in Broadview.

BUMPS & BABIES FAIR

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Updated: February 10, 2011

Sign up to consign and mark your calendars to shop!! 

Saturday, Feb 26, 2011 … 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (pre-sale, ticketed event)

Sunday, Feb 27, 2011 … 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (public sale, with many items discounted 50% from 3:30-5:00) 

The Bumps and Babies Fair is Seattle’s best boutique and consignment sale where you can find everything your heart desires for your inside or outside baby! 

13040 Greenwood Avenue N, Seattle-( BLCC annex is at the Broadview-Thomson School on Greenwood)

Boutique Sellers: 

The Chic Bambino, J. Shelton Photography, Twirl Cafe, Tiny Toppers, Tiptoeing Tutus,  Pinwheel Papers  and more! 

New and gently used consignment items from more than 30 families will include: 

Baby & toddler clothing and accessories, Children’s Books, Toys, DVDs, Baby gear & equipment,  Maternity clothing,  Pregnancy & parenting books, and much, much more! 

At the end of the sale we will make generous donations on behalf of our consignors to local organizations that support families in need.  Every item marked for donation will go to either Wellspring Family Services (www.family-services.org) or Treehouse (www.treehouseforkids.org). Visit http://www.bumpsandbabiesfair.com for more details and information!

And join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BumpsAndBabiesFair

Lions and Tigers and Pho – Oh my!

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Posted: February 10, 2011

When given the challenge Vietnamese, I became almost giddy with excitement.  What should I make?  Should I go for something new or tried and true?  Some of the dishes my friends chose to make included Banh Mi sandwiches, fresh spring rolls with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, and stir-fried vegetables with rice noodles.  I thought, “It’s the Pacific Northwest in February.  How can we NOT have Pho?”  So I set my mind on the tried and true classic Vietnamese meal – Pho.  Then it hit me….am I really going to boil ox tails and beef knuckles for 8 hours?  The answer…no.  Being a mother of 2 small children, I was really tempted to just stop by my local Pho restaurant on the way to my friend’s house…no one would be the wiser and we would all enjoy a delicious bowl of Pho.  And the fact that I was sick with the flu for 4 days….well, no one would really care, right? 

It was the day of dinner club….I had a sudden rush of energy.  I decided to embark on the Pho-making adventure.  I dropped my daughter off at preschool and went to research recipes on the internet.  I found one that was perfect and saved it into my OneNote recipe file.  It only took an hour to simmer with some minimal chopping involved.  With toddler in tow, I set off to Central Market.  Within a ½ hour, I found all the ingredients needed for Pho.  Central Market has a large Asian section and great customer service to boot.  I went about my day and about 2 hours before dinner club, I started making my version of Pho.  After the broth simmered for an hour, I was excited to taste it.  Yuck!  It was bland and bitter at the same time.  How in the world could that have happened?  In true dinner club form, I had to think of a solution…..add water…add bouillon (it happened to be chicken bouillon….but who cared at this point!).  Boil….simmer…..taste again.  Triumph.  Or, well, close to triumph.   Close enough! 

I set-off for my friend’s house to enjoy a delicious Vietnamese meal.  Everything was wonderful.  My pho was pretty good.  If I had to do it all over again…..I think I would just buy it.  Not the point of dinner club, but let’s be honest.  Nothing is better than a giant bowl of steaming hot noodle soup fixed just the way I like for $5.00.

If you made it through this blog and wonder, what in the world does this have to do with the Broadview Neighborhood?  Well, I am a part of this fabulous club and I live here!  We get together once a month to discover new food and cuisine.  This club has been established for over 7 years.  Members have come and gone, but we still stay true to our roots – try to make new and fun dishes….explore world cuisine or other foodie challenges.  We have had great successes (Indian!) and great failures (Holiday favorites, yuck!), but most of all we have fun doing it.

Ingredients were purchased at Central Market in Shoreline.  You can find them at http://shoreline.central-market.com/newSite/shoreline/home.php.

Volunteer Opportunities at Carkeek Park

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Posted: February 8, 2011

Love Carkeek Park?  Consider Volunteering!

 In light of the recent elimination of staff and program closures to Carkeek Park and its Environmental Learning Center, volunteers are even more crucial to the survival of the park and its ecosystem.

 Below are long-established volunteer groups who help preserve and improve our park.  

All welcome new members.  Descriptions and contacts are below:

 Carkeek Park Advisory Council (CPAC) 

CPAC is a group of neighbors, community members and volunteers who support and enjoy Carkeek Park.  CPAC works with Seattle Parks and Recreation in an advisory and supporting role to organize volunteer efforts.  Many in our community have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to improve the park in areas such as restoring salmon runs to Piper’s Creek, improving trails, restoring Piper’s Orchard, reforestation and many others.  

The council holds monthly business meetings, except during the summer.  Most council work is done by its committee members, who plan, organize and carry out volunteer activities. 

 —>  For more information or to volunteer, contact (206) 684-0877.

 Streams, Trails, and Reforestation Stewards (STARS)

If you enjoy Carkeek’s trail system, STARS volunteers are especially to thank!

Work parties are every 3rd Saturday of the month. 

––>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Dale Johnson at (206) 362-2980 or at    dalerayjohnson@comcast.net.

 Friends of Piper’s Orchard

Friends of Piper’s Orchard is a group of neighbors who love Piper’s Orchard in Carkeek Park.   Together they work with Seattle Parks and the Carkeek Park Advisory Council to preserve and restore the orchard.  The Friends of Pipers Orchard web page fosters community 

support for Piper’s Creek Orchard by sharing information about the orchard.

—>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Bob Baines at rbaines@q.com or volunteer online at pipersorchard@gmail.com.

 Master Foresters

Master Foresters is a class for beginning foresters that addresses the very basics of forest restoration:  Species knowledge (summer and winter characteristics), invasive removal, planting and monitoring, and knowledge of the tools and work technique involved.  The class is primarilarly for neighborhood residents who wish to become Forest Stewards in Carkeek Park, but open places can be filled with city-wide participants.  A requirement is being able-bodied, as being a Forest Steward is a physically demanding hobby.  

 UPCOMING 2011 CLASS:  Carkeek Park Forest Stewards Lex Voorhoeve and Loren McElvain, possibly joined by Seattle Parks and Recreation Naturalist Brian Gay, consider starting a Master Foresters Class in July 2011.  The project still needs approval from Seattle Parks Department.  The class would run over 12 Saturdays between July 2011 and February 2012, from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM.  Cost is $40.

—>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Lex Voorhoeve lemar@w-link.net or at (206) 706-1009.

Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project (CWCAP)

CWCAP currently sponsors the following programs:  Salmon Feeders, Salmon Count Program, Salmon Stewards, Beach Docents, Demonstration Garden Volunteers, Earth Day and Salmon Celebration.

—>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Malmgren at (206) 363-4116.

Weekday Workers (WEWO)

WEWO focuses on special planting and plant care projects, with the help of volunteers who are  available during the week.  The work varies as needs arise in Carkeek Park.  Typical activities are planting, invasive removal and clearing blocked trails.

—>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Loren McElvain at (206) 782-7617

or at l.j.mcelvain@gmail.com.

Friends of Llandover Woods (FoLW)

FoLW is dedicated to preserving Llandover Woods in NW Seattle and is currently working on a forest restoration plan created collaboratively with Seattle Urban Nature.   FoLW also participates in the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) program.  The group holds regular work parties every 2nd Sunday of the month, year round.  These are also listed in both the Green Seattle Partnership Event’s web page and Seattle Parks and Recreation Volunteer calendar.  

—>  For more information or to volunteer, contact Glenn Austin at (206) 364-9252 or at gaustin@path.org.

Service Learning Credits

Carkeek Park Caretakers welcome school and youth groups!  Service Learning Credits can be earned for any of the volunteer activities at Carkeek Park.  Please be sure to let the volunteer coordinator for your project know about your need for service learning credits.

Christ the King honors Fallen Brothers Seattle

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Posted: January 31, 2011

Sid Andrews speaks at Christ the King School

It’s Catholic Schools Week across the nation.  As part of Catholic Schools Week, Christ the King Catholic School in Broadview honored Sid and Hilda Andrews of Fallen Brothers Seattle for their dedication to helping those in need.  Recently, CKS had an all-school nonperishable food drive donating all the food collected to Fallen Brothers Seattle.   Fallen Brothers Seattle is a non-profit corporation (501c3) that has collected over 100,000 pounds of food for shelters and food banks in 2009 alone.

Fallen Brothers Seattle, founded by Sid and Hilda Andrews, assists others wherever needed, focusing especially on the needs of our nations’ veterans, their families and our communities.  Over 56% of the people they feed are veterans and/or their families.

Every dollar donated enables Fallen Brothers to support their veterans program and to gather food from local merchants and deliver to various charities.  Cash donations keep their freezers running and their trucks on the road.  Food donations help to feed those that need it the most.

Their mission is to honor and help support our troops and veterans organizations.  They also help supply food to food banks and other feeding programs by gathering surplus food from local merchants.  Some of the charities they help includes:  The Ballard Food Bank, The Volunteers of America’s Greenwood Food Bank, The Compass Cascade Women’s Shelter, Bethesda Lutheran Church, and Tent City.

 If you are interested in helping Fallen Brothers Seattle, please contact their website at www.fallenbrothersseattle.org.

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