Archives for December 1, 2010

Ravenna Blog joins the Seattle Times Local News Partnership (updated)

Exciting news!

The Ravenna Blog has joined the Seattle Times Local News Partnership!

The announcement on the Seattle Times' site this morning (click to read)

Stories from this site will now be in regular rotation on the Seattle Times Local News Partners page and occasionally on the newspaper’s homepage (scroll down to the Local News Partners section).

All this exposure is great for the site, of course, but what do YOU get out of it? Here’s a small list:

  • The ability to publish photos from the Seattle Times when appropriate – like the one from the Seattle Sketcher, Gabriel Campanario, that was used in our interview with Harissa’s Walid Alabtan
  • The potential to work on collaborative projects – “Invisible Families” was one of these projects
  • Greater communication and coverage about local events and news in our area that may be of interest to a wider audience
  • Educational opportunities for yours truly to learn more about journalism, media, and the like, as an investment in the work the Ravenna Blog is already doing
  • and probably more!

Even though the Local News Partnership project has been around since August 2009, it is still evolving. I’m very pleased (and a bit proud) that we’ve been included in it (WE meaning you, too, dear reader), and look forward to the future of this partnership.

UPDATE: The Seattle Times Local News Partnership map has also been updated.

Click the map to see the full version at the Seattle Times

So happy to help fill out the coverage in Northeast Seattle.

Two Ravenna craft fairs this Saturday (plus shopping childcare)

‘Tis the season for local craft fairs! And Ravenna is lucky enough to have two of them happening in the neighborhood this weekend.

LaVassar Florists and Roaring Mouse Creative Arts Studio (7530 20th Ave NE and and 7526 20th Ave NE, respectively) are co-hosting a
Holiday Open House and Craft Fair this Saturday from 9 am-4 pm.

Activities during those hours includes (via Karen at Roaring Mouse):

  • Craft Fair by local vendors all day
  • Children’s activities with “The Yoga Nanny” from 9 am- noon
  • Visit with Mrs. Santa from noon to 2 pm
  • Roaring Mouse Parents’ Bake Sale to benefit the Special Dietary Needs Pantry at Hopelink Food Bank in Shoreline from 9 am-3 pm

For more information, contact information@roaringmouse.org.

_______________________

The other craft fair in the neighborhood this Saturday is the 3rd Annual Ravenna Holiday Arts & Crafts Sale at the Ravenna Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave NE) from 10 am-4 pm.

Via an email from the RECC’s coordinator, Trevor Gregg:

Come and shop for unique hand-crafted holiday gifts in the neighborhood, while your kids enjoy the kids play area and crafts table. Your purchase of gifts from local arts and craftspeople will support programs at the Ravenna Eckstein Community Center.

Now in our third year, we have an expanded roster of artistic offerings: ceramics, hand-stitched and hand-woven goods, wooden cutting boards, beautiful upcycled home goods, candles, jewelry, whimsical clocks, fine art photographs, note cards, handmade original prints, hand blown glass ornaments and vases, and more!

We’ll have a kids art activity area and play space! We’ll also have a bake sale benefiting the community center’s teen program. To warm you up, soup will be offered by volunteers from the Ravenna Community Garden.

Bring your family and complete your holiday shopping close to home!

_______________________

Another activity at the RECC that day worth mentioning is the Drop ‘n Shop. From 9 am-noon you can leave your 2-10-year-old child(ren) in capable hands while you get some holiday shopping done.

That’s THREE HOURS, people.

Drop ‘n Shop includes “activities to keep ‘em busy, breakfast or lunch, snacks, and lots of fun!” (sayeth the Fall 2010 Parks and Recreation Department catalog)

There is a cost ($10, 1st child $8, 2nd child $5), which I don’t completely understand but will check into.  But, however you do the math, it’s a great deal for three hours of childcare.

There will be one more Drop ‘n Shop this month (on December 22nd from 6-9 pm). But you’ll be all done with your shopping by then, won’t you? Of course you will.