University Branch of the Seattle Public Library closed temporarily (UPDATES)

November 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Via the Seattle Public Library twitter feed: A 99-year-old sewer line serving the University Branch (5009 Roosevelt Way) is broken, and the library is closed until further notice.

There is no damage to the library building itself, but there is no water or sewer service at this time. Repairs are underway, and holds will be extended due to the closure.

According to the University Branch’s website, a reopening date has not yet been determined.

UPDATE (Thursday, December 1): University Branch website now says, “The branch will reopen at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Holds ready for pickup at the University Branch now will expire Saturday, Dec. 10.”

Holds ready for pickup at the University Branch now will expire Saturday, Dec. 10.


UPDATE (Nov. 25, 3:33 PM): Via the SPL twitter feed: University Branch will not be open on Saturday. Bookdrop is open and holds have been extended to 12/3.

Filed Under: Construction, University Branch, University District, Updates Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rally and march near Montlake, University Bridges this afternoon (updates)

November 17, 2011 by 1 Comment

This afternoon, the 99% are coming north of the cut.

A rally and march are planned for the University of Washington area, starting at 3:30 this afternoon.

From Working Washington’s facebook page for the event:

On November 17, people from across the area will converge at the functionally obsolete Montlake Bridge to demand our political leaders build bridges to good jobs, not make more cuts. This is part of a national day of action for jobs that’s happening in dozens of cities across the country.

The schedule of events today appears to be:

3:30 PM – Gathering at the grassy area just west of the intersection of Montlake & Pacific

4:00 PM – Rally

4:30 PM – March

One possible route the march could take we’ve gleaned from the website The Stand, a project of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (WSLC) and its affiliated unions. The Stand describes the march route as starting near the Montlake Bridge, but ending at the University Bridge to the west, due to “safety concerns cited by the Seattle Police Dept.”

A call to the front desk at the North Precinct reveals no final march route plans in place at the time of this writing; however, the officer on the phone said “they’re having a big summit on it right now.”

Capitol Hill Seattle echoes the march route move to the University Bridge, citing a Thursday Day of Action itinerary (at the bottom of the post).

UPDATE (12:14 PM): The Seattle Times’ Today File confirms the move to march to the University Bridge instead of to Montlake, citing the information on The Stand’s website that we mentioned earlier.


View November 17th rally and march in a larger map

UPDATE (12:21 PM): The Seattle Department of Transportation has sent out the following traffic advisory (via email):

SEATTLE  An Occupy Seattle rally and march today has the potential for creating major delays on all arterials leading to and from Ship Canal bridges during the afternoon commute.

The rally is scheduled to take place between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. on the University of Washington campus and then is expected to march west on NE Pacific Street to the University Bridge at roughly 4:30 p.m. The demonstrators plan to block the bridge during the afternoon rush hour so their presence will likely cause traffic delays throughout the afternoon commute until after 6:30 or 7 p.m. Demonstrators may also block the Montlake Bridge during that timeframe.

Seattle Police Officers will be on hand to minimize traffic congestion but the blockage of any one bridge could impact other nearby Ship Canal bridges. Commuters should allow additional time for detouring to another route. Motorists who must get to the University or Children’s hospitals should plan for extra time to reach their destination.

The protests could be very disruptive to transit service this afternoon. For information or questions about transit service, please call Metro Transit customer service at 206-553-3000, and sign up to receive Transit Alerts at www.kingcounty.gov/metro/alerts.

UPDATE (2:44 PM): The Seattle Department of Transportation has a network of traffic webcams across the city, and there just happens to be one at Montlake Blvd NE @ NE Pacific St (first picture revealed after you click the camera indicated by the picture below).

This rally and march is part of a larger “Mass Day of Action” planned for today, with events happening all around the country.

Filed Under: Events, Live Coverage, Northeast Seattle, Photos, Seattle Department of Transportation, Traffic, Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Two fatalities, three serious injuries after crash on 110th and Lake City Way (updates)

November 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

UPDATE (Tuesday, December 6): SUV driver has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of vehicular assault and one count of reckless endangerment. (Seattle Times)

UPDATE (Thursday, November 17): The Seattle Times’ Today File reports that the SUV driver has left the hospital, for jail.

UPDATE (Tuesday, 2:09 PM): The Seattle Times reports that the man driving the SUV in Sunday’s crash was charged in 2009 with vehicular homicide.

UPDATE (Monday, 6:32 PM): The Seattle Times’ Today File has information about the victims of the crash.

UPDATE (Sunday, 7:38 PM): More info on the Seattle Police Department Blotter here, including news that the injuries to the people taken to Harborview were non-life-threatening. Also, the accident detour will last until approximately 9 PM.

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Just after 4 PM on Sunday, November 13, Jonah Spangenthal-Lee (via SeaCrime on twitter) mentioned a “[b]ad accident with possible fatalities on 110th and Lake City Way.”


View Fatality accident at 110th and Lake City Way in a larger map

Since then, as details have come in, the story has turned even more tragic.

KING 5 News is reporting that two people have died at the scene, and three others have been taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Police say one car was stopped when another vehicle, an SUV, hit the car from behind.

The car caught fire as it was pushed down the street. Two people in the car were dead at the scene.

The male driver of the SUV was transported to Harborview Medical Center with life threatening injuries

Two girls in the back seat of SUV were also transported to Harborview with serious injuries.

The Seattle Times reports that the injured girls were a 10-year-old and an 20-year-old woman 11-year-old girl.

Updates will be available here at KING5.com and on The Blotter on seattletimes.com.

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Lake City, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Traffic, Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Steve Jobs remembered at University Village Apple Store (PHOTOS, UPDATES)

October 5, 2011 by 8 Comments

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, passed away today after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56 years old.

While Steve Jobs himself was far removed from our neighborhood, the reach of his work, vision, and passion most certainly is not. And it was with that thought that I went down to University Village’s Apple Store three times after Jobs’ death, to see what folks were doing to mark the occasion:

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Evening of Wednesday, October 5

Lots of news trucks. This is just two of the four that I could see.


Cameras and reporters queuing up for live shots.


A few people were leaving messages on the black film currently covering the windows — the store is in the process of getting a makeover, and is set to reopen on Friday, October 7.

A few bouquets of flowers, some personal notes, and a single lit candle had been left next to the entrance.


And the iconic logo’s lights had been turned off.

____________________

Morning of Thursday, October 6

I noted at the time (on twitter): Small but constant stream of folks walking by the @UVillage Apple Store. Stopping for a few moments, in silence. Taking pictures.

GeekWire was by the store after I was, and captured more of the comments left on the store windows.

The SunBreak also stopped by. Editor and Publisher Michael van Baker shares his thoughts on the memorial here.

The Seattle P-I’s Big Blog has a post up, which includes a photo slideshow.

The Seattle Times has posted a video of some Seattle residents visiting the store and sharing their thoughts (verbally and on the black windows).

____________________

Evening of Thursday, October 6

Filed Under: Memorials, Photos, University Village, Updates Tagged With: , , ,

Lost White Ferret APB – More info (sort of)

October 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

White ferret mug shot (approximate)

If you live near 27th Avenue NE between NE 65th and 60th Streets, be on the lookout for a LOST WHITE FERRET.

Varmint last seen approximately here

Any leads? Contact me here (rebecca [at] ravennablog.com), in the comments below, and/or the twitter feed (twitter.com/RavennaBlog).

Thanks to Nazila for the tip.

UPDATE: More info from a craigslist post:

HALEN got out in the morning on Friday, 10/8. She was last seen on 27th Ave NE. She is albino and about 2 pounds. She is very friendly and curious and will come up to you if she sees you. She won’t bite.

If you have any information, please call Molly at [see below].

I found the post through EveryBlock, but it has since been deleted.  I’m leaving off the contact phone number until I hear back from my source*.

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*Yeah, I have a #lostwhiteferretwatch2010 source. U MAD?

Filed Under: Lost/Found, Photos, Ravenna, Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

15th Ave NE and the Scramble – Local Road Work for 2011

August 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The NE 45th Avenue viaduct project is almost done. Huzzah! Construction is due to be completed on September 10th, just in time for the first Husky football game the next day.

There are a few more viaduct projects to finish in October and November — lighting installation, finalizing the line striping and pedestrian markings, and replanting the surrounding area — but the detour will be no more, and life will return to normal…

…until January of next year, when two new construction projects are headed our way.

The Big One: 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction – NE Pacific Street to NE 55th Street

I’m sure we can all agree that the surface of 15th Avenue NE is a pothole-riddled disaster, and the increased traffic from the viaduct detour route isn’t doing it any favors.

Happily for us, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has plans in the works to reconstruct most of 15th Avenue between NE Pacific Street and NE 55th Street between January and October of 2011.

Project area for the 15th Ave NE reconstruction, courtesy SDOT

This popular arterial will be FULLY RECONSTRUCTED between NE Pacific Street and NE 50th Street between January and September, while the stretch between NE 50th Street and NE 55th Street will just get a repaving. Intersections at NE Pacific Street, NE 45th Street, and NE 50th Street will not be repaved as this was done more recently.

And there’s more!  From the SDOT’s 15th Avenue Reconstruction Project website:

Other improvements include:

  • New curb ramps and curb bulbs to improve pedestrian mobility
  • Sidewalk widening at bus zones (bus bulbs)
  • Drainage upgrades
  • Installation of a new marked crosswalk at NE 41st St
  • New northbound left turn lane at NE 42nd St
  • Upgraded street lighting system
  • New electrical infrastructure for future transit improvements
  • Transit improvements including
    • North to west turn restriction from 15th NE to NE 45th during some or all of the day
    • Expanded bus stop waiting areas (bus bulbs) at two locations
    • Bus stop consolidation where stops are too close together

All great stuff. But the area is going to be a general mess during the construction. Trolley wires will be turned off on weekends to accommodate construction needs. This means diesel buses will be traveling through the area instead. There will always be access to residences and businesses for pedestrians, but rerouting and/or detours could spring up. Vehicles will definitely be affected: No street = no street parking, and access to parking lots and garages will be affected as well.

The Wee One: The 22nd/Ravenna Ave/Ravenna Pl/54th/55th “Scramble”

Just like with the viaduct and the 22nd avenue NE repaving project, it seems as though the SDOT can fund another, smaller, nearby project through the bidding process for the 15th Avenue NE project. And this one should make pedestrians breathe a sigh of relief.

Here’s what the area in question looks like now:

The "Scramble," with street names

Street names removed, pedestrian "no-man's land" highlighted

And here are the current construction plans for the area (click image to open a larger version in a separate window):

Current "Scramble" construction project plans, courtesy SDOT

Two items of particular note in this graphic:

  1. The BIG NEW CURB on the south side: To me, this piece is the key to the whole project. Pedestrians will now have a solid place to stand and be seen as they prepare to cross the intersection.  Cars will have a very distinct turn to and from Ravenna Pl NE. This is SO MUCH SAFER than the microscopic gravel no-man’s land that sits at that spot right now.
  2. The “Pending Funding” area on the north side: Project Manager Jessica Murphy did not have high hopes that the funding would come through on this part, unfortunately.

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I am very excited about both of these projects, but speaking both as a pedestrian and a driver, I really look forward to unscrambling the “Scramble.”

For More Information

For more information on these projects, visit the main 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction page and the accompanying FAQ page.

An open house thrown by the SDOT detailing these projects and their effects on the community will happen sometime this November or December.

Funding for these projects comes from the Bridging the Gap levy passed by Seattle voters in 2006.

You can see a specially-crafted Google Map of the “Scramble,” and scroll around all you please, right here.

Many thanks to Project Manager Jessica Murphy at the Seattle Department of Transportation and Kristine Edens from EnviroIssues for stopping by the August Ravenna-Bryant Community Association meeting and sharing this information.

UPDATE: Email update from the SDOT says that the projects will be advertised for competitive bids this month (September). Schedule remains unchanged.

Filed Under: Construction, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Traffic, University District, Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Note from Councilmember Clark

August 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Received the following email from Councilmember Sally Clark not quite an hour ago. If you’ve been looking for a summary of all the City Council action on the RDG comp plan rezoning EIS COBE RNA ETC stuff, then read on:

Thank you for writing to me regarding the Roosevelt Development Group’s (RDG’s) proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment.  I’m sorry for the generic response, but this particular amendment generated a lot of emails. (Good job!)  This is the quickest way to respond to everyone.  Please email me back if I didn’t answer a question related to your particular comment.

Yesterday the Council voted to exclude RDG’s amendment for further consideration this cycle. This confirmed the proposal I made, and the Committee on the Built Environment approved, last week. Your near-unanimous community feedback and advocacy was instrumental in this decision.

As you know, the conversation regarding Roosevelt’s zoning future has become a bit complicated with 1) The zoning proposal from Roosevelt’s Neighborhood Plan Update  2) RDG’s Environmental Impact Statement work, and 3) RDG’s Comprehensive Plan amendment to adjust the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) and the Roosevelt Urban Village boundary.  Councilmembers have been able to engage in some of these conversations (1, 3), but have needed to exclude ourselves from others because of the “quasi-judicial” status (2).  It’s been frustrating to not be able to engage in a fuller discussion of zoning ideas. I appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through land use changes for Roosevelt.

To be clear, Monday afternoon’s vote isn’t meant to signify that the City Council isn’t interested in seeing zoning action taken in Roosevelt.  The new light rail station presents great opportunities for people to live near transit and for the broader community to enjoy benefits new development should be expected to bring.  Roosevelt has supported that vision by advocating for the best station location and for smart land use changes in the core around the station. The community’s neighborhood plan update, submitted in 2007, included rezone proposals working their way through review at the city’s Department of Planning & Development.  I’m eagerly awaiting delivery to Council. Concurrently, we have the environmental review of the RDG possibilities taking place and expected to wrap up next year. Ideally, full consideration of the neighborhood plan update zoning proposals and the finished EIS will shape a proposal for the RDG properties that meets the needs of all parties.

However, as chair of the Council’s land use committee, I know it won’t be that easy. Rising land values, housing affordability, demand for transit, demand for great parks, demand for safe, walkable, attractive business areas, and sustainability — Roosevelt, like every other neighborhood, struggles with all this and more.  I appreciate you taking the time to advocate.  Please feel welcome to write about this or any other city issue in the future.

Sincerely,

Sally

Filed Under: City Council, Updates

Uniformed Help on the Viaduct Detour Route

June 17, 2010 by 2 Comments

@ThomasField and I both spotted some SPD officers directing traffic today.  He was nice enough to tweet us a photo of his:

Traffic directing at Ravenna Blvd/22nd/54th/55th,    Courtesy Thomas Field

Snapped at a rather infamous intersection: Where Ravenna Blvd, NE 22nd Avenue, NE 54th Street AND NE 55th Street ALL swirl together like suds going down a drain, just south of the southeast part of Ravenna Park.

I suspect that most of the new traffic here is due to Official NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour Cheaters who are trying to sneak up and down the hill by using 54th/55th instead of 65th. Cheaters!

Yours truly found herself a traffic director where 15th Avenue NE, Cowen Pl NE and Ravenna Blvd all meet, on the west side of the park.  Northbound Cowen Pl NE traffic turning left has no light; I imagine that’s a reason for the extra help.

Both of these locations have been added to the NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour Issues Google Map.

Do YOU have any to share? Let us know!

Filed Under: Construction, Traffic, Updates

Low flyers in Bryant?

June 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Our plea for submissions netted an email relating a strange event in the Bryant neighborhood last night. And since they are our near and dear (and, as yet, unblogged) neighbors, we are more than happy to represent them here.

The confounding occurrence is as follows:

I wonder if anyone else has mentioned a small plane that seemed to be flying very low over Ravenna-Bryant last night. Not sure exactly what time it was, maybe 11:30 or thereabouts. I wasn’t asleep yet so know I wasn’t dreaming, but I didn’t see any mention of it in the Times today and am wondering what the heck it was doing! It wasn’t a helicopter on the way to/from the hospital, I know what those sound like. It was so weird – it kept circling and coming back, low enough to shake the windows. I was about to call the police when it stopped.

Sounds kinda crazy, huh? It was pretty freaky!

If you have any info, I’d love to find out what was going on and what to do if it happens again. It was actually quite scary.

Thanks,
Karen (Bryant neighbor)

My guess is a combination of low cloud cover and seaplanes. But those don’t usually circle.

Anyone have any better ideas? Or who she might call if it happens again?

The truth is out there.

UPDATE: I did a little online sleuthing, and found out how to report aircraft noise and/or low flying aircraft: Contact our local Flight Standards District Offices in Renton. Their contact information (phone, email, fax and flare [just kidding]) is all right here.

Filed Under: Updates

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
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