The 66th annual Greenwood Seafair Parade this week!

From www.phinneywood.com

Greenwood Seafair Parade on Wednesday will bring 100+ floats, drill teams, marching bands to the neighborhood.

This year’s theme is “Greenwood: A Community United” with Fire Station 21 firefighters as the grand marshals, in honor of their heroism during the March 9 natural gas explosion that rocked the neighborhood.

The parade starts at North 95th Street and goes south along Greenwood Avenue North, then turns west on North 85th Street to 6th Avenue NW. (But Greenwood Avenue will be closed all the way up to North 105th Street for event staging.) Metro buses 5, 48 and 355 will be rerouted onto alternate nearby streets. See Metro’s Service Advisories page for detailed information.

Neighborhood advocates gather in wake of District Council dissolution by ‘a mayor who has vilified volunteers’

Thank you West Seattle blog for sharing the outcry of  the 13 District Council response to the Mayor’s dissolution of the District Council.

“Let’s not throw out the whole system – let’s make it better.”

That was the theme last night for a gathering of longtime community volunteers who were, at times, furious:

“We are owed an apology. In a city known internationally for volunteerism, we have a mayor who has vilified volunteers … it’s inexcusable.”

“The news last week was a surprise.”

Here is a link to the West Seattle meeting last night and comments made by many of the District Councils.

West Seattle Blog

MAYOR MOVES TO ABOLISH DISTRICT COUNCILS

Lots of articles yesterday on this subject. Here is one:

Seattle City Council Insight by  Kevin Schofield

Late this afternoon, Mayor Murray dropped a bombshell on the District Councils — quite literally. He blew them up.

Murray signed an executive order directing the Department of Neighborhoods to reallocate resources — including staff —  away from the thirteen neighborhood District Councils and their parent City Neighborhood Council so as to begin working with all city departments on new “robust community engagement plans.” The executive order also directs the Department of Neighborhoods to draft by September 26th a new ordinance for the City Council to review and approve that:

• memorializes a set of principles for community outreach and engagement (listed in the executive order);
• articulates a “new citywide framework and strategic plan for community engagement, including the creation of a new Seattle Community Involvement Commission”;
• supercedes the 1987 and 1989 resolutions that established the District Councils and City Neighborhood Council (effectively doing away with them) and officially terminating all ties with those councils.

A link to the full article:http://sccinsight.com/2016/07/14/mayor-moves-abolish/

Want some free trees? Street tree application starts July 18

information from City of Seattle

Trees for Neighborhoods is the City of Seattle’s residential tree planting project. Since 2009, Trees for Neighborhoods has helped Seattle residents plant over 6,300 trees in their yards and along the street. That’s 6,300 more trees working to clean our air and water, make our streets more walkable, and our neighborhoods healthier!            Learn more about the benefits of neighborhood trees here.

Trees for Neighborhoods participants receive:

• A watering bag & mulch for each tree
• Training on proper planting and care
• Assistance applying for street tree planting permits
• Ongoing care reminders and future pruning workshop opportunities

Check out some photos from past years to learn more about the process.

How to Apply

Take time to evaluate potential planting sites on your property. Read theplanting considerations. Consider attending a Trees for Neighborhoods Tree & Site Selection Workshop in July to learn how to select the right tree for the right spot in your yard.

Reserve your spot

Review the 2016 tree list here.

Pay attention to the mature size of the trees and their needs for sun. Select trees that will have room to grow to maturity. If you have the space, please consider planting a larger stature tree.

Apply for trees starting Monday, July 18th through the online application, available on this webpage. This year’s application is a lottery; applications will be accepted between July 18th until August 8th.

NOTE- there is no longer any benefit to submitting your application early.

All applications will be processed once the first lottery round closes on August 8th. If trees are still available following this first lottery round, we’ll announce a second lottery round for remaining trees that will open in mid-August. Learn more about the new application process here.

If your application is approved, you will sign up to attend a planting and care workshop next fall to pick-up your trees.

Need assistance planting your new tree? We offer delivery and planting help to participants who need physical assistance or lack access to a vehicle. To inquire about this service, please call 206-684-3979 or emailTreesforNeighborhoods@seattle.gov.

Important 2016 Dates

1st Application Round
July 18th – August 8th (All street tree applications due)

2nd Application Round
TBA, depending on tree availability following first round

Planting & Site Selection Workshops
July 20th at Lake City Community Center
July 25th at Rainier Beach Community Center

Tree Distribution Dates
October 23rd at UW Botanic Garden’s Center for Urban Horticulture
November 5th at UW Botanic Garden’s Center for Urban Horticulture

Summer here! Events and News around the City.

Seattle Department of Neighborhood Northend