Mid-Year City Budget Reduction Results

June 14, 2010 by 2 Comments

With a projected $11.7 million mid-year general fund shortfall forecast back in April, the City of Seattle decided to do a little budget trimming. The results were released today.  You can check out the presentation to the Seattle City Council Budget Committee here (PDF).

Here’s a bit of a summary, with a little emphasis on NE Seattle:

  • No reductions in Fire (“In light of tragic events over the weekend,” full review of safety implications due to cuts is requested)
  • Parks: No pools or community centers closed; wading pools partially closed
    • Ravenna Wading Pool closed for the year due to cuts
    • Dahl Wading Pool to open only three days a week, due to cuts
  • Library funding reduced by 2.4%, but current hours kept for all branches
  • Layoffs of 53.2 FTEs (full-time equivalents) included only 13 filled positions (remaining 43.9 FTEs are vacant).
  • SDOT has its own internal 2010 shortfall of $6.6 million; total SDOT shortfall (adding its share of the general fund shortfall) is $7.8 million.
  • ‘Rainy Day’ fund is down to $10 million (from $30 million at the beginning of 2009)
  • Mid-year changes should capture $12.4 million; the extra $700,000 will go toward filling the gaping maw that is the 2011 shortfall.

There is still a $50 million general fund shortfall forecast for 2011. Projected reductions proposed for general fund departments look like this:

  • Police and Fire – 1-5%
  • Human Services – 5-10%
  • Other agencies – 9.5-14.5%

And we were crying over wading pools?

Filed Under: Seattle Public Library

Who are YOU ignoring while you read this?

June 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment

If you found your way here from Future Tense, HI THERE.  My toddler is currently sitting on my lap watching Kittens Inspired By Kittens while I type this.  He’s a big fan.

For the rest of you, yours truly went down to KUOW on Friday and got interviewed for John Moe’s show, Future Tense (program title of, “Daddy why do you love your iPhone more than me?“).  And he linked to this blog from the program page. And the last post was all tweets! *shakes head in disgust*

And, for the record, I do not have an iPhone. But we did have an iPad in the house a week ago, and the toddler gave me a taste of my own medicine by hogging it the whole time. Message received!

Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve another interview to get to. This one is entitled, “Baby, why won’t you EVER let me finish my coffee?”

Filed Under: metablog

Twitter Feed Round-Up for June 12

June 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Some interesting tidbits in the mostly weekly twitter feed round-up this week INCLUDING the birth of a new neighborhood blog!

Roosevelt neighbors and fans, you now have the Roosiehood blog, twitter feed and facebook page for all your Roosevelt neighborhood needs.  Huzzah!

And here’s what you may have missed on the @RavennaBlog twitter feed this week:

  • Story Time is BACK at the NE Branch: Babies start it off today [Sat] at 11:30. Full schedule on the blog’s Google Calendar.
  • And here’s some background on the new Forza Coffee opening Sat (owned by cops!): http://udistrict.komonews.com/content/forza-opens-saturday
  • Nancy Leson on Mamma Melina, past and present, at her blog: http://tinyurl.com/2fctakc
  • Sunday’s really your last chance to drive on the NE 45th viaduct until mid-September. Live it up!
  • Wedgwood View reports that Spooner Farms strawberries will be returning to the Hunter Farm stand in 5-10 days (strawberries runnin’ late).
  • @roosiehood You can have the car bridge. I’ve got this “comely” beauty, on 20th Avenue NE. http://tinyurl.com/26myyoc
  • I thought nothing would ever come between me and @mygreenlake, but I’m glad @roosiehood did. Now, get to work.
  • Thank you, Jill Beck (@MrsWaterClown), for being our 100th follower! You even seem as though you are an actual person, which is a bonus.
  • For those keeping score, that’s WA, MN, KY, NE, OH, MI, and the original in Italy. Road trip, anyone?
  • Ya sure, you betcha: There’s a Ravenna in Minnesota. Just a couple miles west of Sharp Muskrat Lake (or 40 minutes outside St. Paul).
  • Acorn Street Yarn Shop on B3 of the Seattle Times today. Pic of the old awnings being removed. New ones are up, lookin’ good.
  • Friends of Ravenna Ravine work party this Saturday. Bindweed and blackberry on the seek and destroy list. More info at http://98115.net.
  • Starting to see detour signs and even a Dynamic Message Sign (example: http://tinyurl.com/2fdsdaj) going up on 65th. Can’t wait!
  • Is your family looking shaggy? Here’s a good deal: RT @pinupsalon Free kids cut with adult haircut all week long! www.pinupsalon.biz
  • Dahl and Ravenna wading pools still set to open June 28. City’s budget could still close ’em, tho. We’ll all found out in a couple of weeks.
  • @mygreenlake There’s a crow fledgling in my backyard, on the deck. Should I go out there, and try and be friends? 😉
  • Aha! Osaka Sushi is to become *drumroll* BERNU’S INDIAN RESTAURANT. Sorry, Himalayan Kitchen, but it looks like you’ve got competition.

Hey, it just occurs to me: I accidentally skipped last week’s twitter round-up. These things don’t keep very well, you know, but here’s a few that you still might be interested in:

Filed Under: twitter round-up

UW Graduation Commencement this Saturday

June 9, 2010 by 2 Comments

Here’s the Too Long; Didn’t Read edition, by yours truly:

From noon to at least 6 pm, STAY AWAY from Husky Stadium.

Here’s the full announcement, from the good people at SDOT:

Saturday, June 12
2010 University of Washington Commencement:
12 p.m. doors open, ceremonies 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Husky Stadium
40,000 + expected
Expect heavy congestion with both pedestrians and vehicles near the stadium between noon and 6 p.m. Anticipate heavier traffic than usual  on I-5 through the University District and on SR-520.    At approximately 3:30 p.m., Seattle Police will set up traffic controls closing Montlake Boulevard between NE Pacific Street and NE 45th Street to through traffic to help move cars parked in the stadium lots out of the area after the ceremonies. Traffic approaching the closure will be detoured around the area. This restriction, which is similar to traffic routing for Husky football games, will be in effect until approximately 5:30 p.m. Avoid the Montlake Bridge if possible.

Just remember: It’s all good practice for avoiding the area between June 14 and September 12.

Filed Under: Events, Traffic, University of Washington

Roosevelt Neighborhood Parade this Saturday

June 9, 2010 by 1 Comment

Roosevelt Neighborhood Parade route

Been waiting for your chance to see the Roosevelt High School Marching Band go by? In uniform? With a police escort?

The Rough Riders will take to the streets (starting at NE 68th St and 15th Ave NE) at 2 pm this Saturday, June 12.

Catch them marching along the parade route at left OR hang out at Roosevelt Square where the 100+ member band will be performing a mini-concert around 2:30 pm.

Filed Under: Events, Kids

What the NE 45 St viaduct closure means for Ravenna

June 1, 2010 by 3 Comments

It’s June 1, which means we’ve got less than two weeks left until the NE 45st Street viaduct closes until mid-September.

And while you may not use the viaduct much in your own travels, the detours and bonus repaving project may have you feeling the effects where you may not have expected them.

NE 45th viaduct detour route map, SDOT

The Detours

There are two designated Seattle Deparment of Transportation (SDOT) traffic detours during the closure time:

  • A southerly route including 15th Ave. NE, NE Pacific St. and Montlake Blvd
  • A northerly route including 15th Ave. NE, NE 65th St., and 25th Ave. NE

This northerly route will be sending viaduct detourees up and over Ravenna Park, essentially, sending them right through “downtown” Ravenna.

Unofficial northerly detour routes I can anticipate divers trying could include using Ravenna Blvd and/or NE 55th Street to travel from east to west, instead of continuing north to NE 65th Street.  If things get too crazy on those routes, we could ask Maple Leaf where they got their NIMBY-esque “NO THRU TRAFFIC” signage.

The Bonus Project

As a part of the viaduct project, and also starting in June, 22nd Avenue NE (between NE 45th and NE 54th) is getting repaved! Turns out, anticipated construction bids for the viaduct were low enough that the cost savings will be spread out over 22nd Avenue NE in the form of hot, gooey asphalt.

SDOT claims the coordination of these two construction projects will help “minimize impacts to residents.”  That may be, but it’s also going to make it even tougher on those of trying to sneak down NE 54th Street.

For More Information

SDOT has an official NE 45th Street Viaduct Project – West Approach Replacement page, which includes more maps and resources than you could shake a traffic cone at.

There’s a FAQ for you to read as well.

Lastly, if you’re more of a face-to-face learner, SDOT is hosting an open house on June 9, from 4-7 pm, at the University Heights Community Center (5301 University Way NE).

Consider yourselves warned.

Filed Under: Construction, Meeting

Restaurant Inspection Round-Up REDO

May 31, 2010 by 3 Comments

Sometimes, I will admit, I wonder if there’s anyone out there reading these posts.

And then, I screw something up. And find out that, yes, you are out there. And the teachable moments ensue.

Chris and Lisa over at We [Heart] Food blog about food. Specifically, their dinners. A typical post is a gorgeous picture full of tastiness, a witty conversation between them about the meal, and then *drumroll* the RECIPE. They also live around here.

Well, Chris left a comment on the Restaurant Inspections (RI) MEGA POST of the other day that made me bang my head on the desk and say, “DUH, of COURSE I’m wrong!”

Here’s the wrong-ness: For the first time on a RI post I decided to rank the restaurants, using the number of violations. I should have done it by using King County’s violation point system (emphasis mine):

Inspections are based on regulations to eliminate risk factors for food borne disease. Every violation of these regulations is color coded and has a numerical value based on the amount of risk they create.

Red critical violations: These are violations with the highest risk of causing food borne disease. One red critical violation equals an unsatisfactory inspection. Environmental Health Specialists work with operators to make sure that red critical violations are corrected before they leave the establishment.

Blue violations: These are violations related to the maintenance of the establishment and cleanliness.

  • 35 or more red critical violation points require a re-inspection within 14 days.
  • 90 or more red critical violation points require the establishment be closed.
  • 120 or more total (red & blue) points also requires the establishment be closed.

HOW THE MISTAKE HAPPENED: The online tool I was using to read the inspection reports (EveryBlock) does not differentiate between Blue (maintenance and cleanliness) and Red (highest risk for food borne illness). Argh!

Here’s how to do it RIGHT: Here is the list of restaurants again (most violation points to least) using the King County inspection results correctly:

The links in all the restaurant names now take you to their respective King County inspection histories, where you can see the evidence for yourselves.

In conclusion: Thanks for your help, Chris. And happy (and safe) eating, everyone.

Filed Under: Food, Updates

Twitter Feed Round-Up for May 30

May 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

ARRRRRRRNo, you’re not seeing double. The first post since last week’s inaugural Twitter Feed Round-Up is…another Twitter Feed Round-Up.

However, if you’re looking for new content, look over the Ravenna Blog Google Calendar (on the right –>). It’s now loaded with all the free and/or cheap activities of note at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center this summer. [Hopefully the city budget process will not erase all my hard work and your potential fun.]

Also, for fans of the new Ravenna Community Garden, the website has sprouted! Yours truly is the webmistress, which means, for those of you who are not all that interested in the garden, you will be hearing about it less here. [There’s also a Ravenna Community Garden twitter feed.]

Anyway, your Round-Up awaits:

  • Yoga? Outside? At Ravenna TPB? Every morning at 7 for 45 minutes? June through August? Weather permitting? I’ll get more info.
  • [RCG] Help plant tomatoes this Sunday at the community garden, from 1 to 3. Bring hand tools and a warm hat.
  • @NFMASeattle I hate to break it to you, but, you haven’t seen Cliff Mass’ updated forecast, have you? http://bit.ly/cd1FPC
  • Hey, look at this: www.ravennacommunitygarden.org.
    Full disclosure: I’m building it, and I need more questions for the FAQ. Got any?
  • Cafe O’Play on Blakely is closing. Multi-seller rummage sale this Sat-Sun, clothing show by MiMi Bug on Sunday. http://tinyurl.com/2wbwomt
  • Looks like the Forza Coffee going in The Croydon on 25th Ave NE is going to have beer and wine. Personally, I’d rather they had Frangelico.
  • Tweet @mollymoon about where you’d like to see their ice cream truck stop in Seattle this summer. Schedule up on their blog on June 4th.
  • North Link Light Rail Community Meeting, June 16, 5:30-8:30, Roosevelt HS Commons. tinyurl.com/3537muz Thanks, @PinehurstSea.
  • Heh. NE 45th St viaduct to close day after commencement, reopen day before first home football game. I C WUT U DID THER.
  • Spotted today in the neighborhood, TWICE: The Roosevelt High Marching Band. Did I hear James Brown?! Yes, I think I did.
  • Hey, Roosevelt neighbors — Roosie web edition, out now: http://rooseveltseattle.org/Documents/Roosie%202010-05.pdf
Filed Under: twitter round-up

Twitter Feed Round-Up

May 22, 2010 by 2 Comments

ARRRRRRRI realize that many of you who partake of the Ravenna Blog may not partake of the Ravenna Blog twitter feed (or twitter in general). I promise to not hold it against you. But you are missing some good tidbits of neighborhood news that just don’t get made into a full-blown blog post.

So, how about, once a week, I catch you up on what you may have missed?

Some items of interest on the Ravenna Blog twitter feed from the past week:

  • Summer 2010 Seattle Parks and Rec Catalog is out!  Lots of good stuff in there – I hope it all happens. :/
    PDF: http://tinyurl.com/22ozutv
  • I counted 36 at PJ Story Time last night (19 kids, 17 adults). My favorite part, once again, was the crazy dance contest. It makes me LOL.
  • We have until June 14 to drive on the NE 45th viaduct. What will we do btwn then and September 10? I get congested just thinking about it.
  • All children’s events at the NE branch through August 26 now on the Ravenna Blog events Google calendar.  http://tinyurl.com/2g7uhbl
  • Humorous review of some North Seattle playgrounds, at the P-I’s ‘in North Seattle’ blog: http://tinyurl.com/2fmxm56
  • Seattle Weekly reviews the Ravenna Alehouse (specifically, their $4 PBR & PB&J deal on Wednesdays): http://tinyurl.com/269mdlv
  • Wanted a Ravenna neighborhoodie. They’re a little pricey! Playing around with cafepress instead. To be continued.
  • Boom Noodle at the U Village scheduled to open on July 1st. Happy Canada Day, everyone!
  • @themapleleafer The Maple Leaf Park artist apprenticed under Andy Goldsworthy?! That park is in GOOD hands.
  • Speaking of produce, Meadowbrook Farmers Market starts up again this June 6th. http://www.meadowbrookfm.org/
Filed Under: twitter round-up

NE Seattle Edible Garden Tour THIS SUNDAY

May 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Want to see how your neighbors in Northeast Seattle are living a more local and sustainable lifestyle?  Want to wander through their yards to do it?

This is a self-guided tour – start anywhere you like, visit any gardens you like in any order you wish.  Here’s how:

  1. Head to this Google map, which contains nearly all the sites on the tour.  Choose a garden near you and head on over (starting at 11am; addresses on the tour will have signage).
  2. Each location has handouts including addresses and descriptions of every garden on the list, AND a map showing you the locations of all 15 gardens.
  3. Donate a few bucks (if you like) for the handout, read it over, and go check out some edible gardens! You have until 5pm!

Do bring the kids! There are children’s activities throughout the tour — noted on the handout — including projects and prizes.

This edible garden tour is a reoccurring event and is hosted by members of the Sustainable Northeast Seattle Urban Farmers group.  The next edible garden tour is planned for August 8.

For more information on Sustainable NE Seattle, visit sustainableneseattle.ning.com.

Filed Under: Events, Kids
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