Scramble for eggs this Saturday

April 15, 2014 by 10 Comments

[in our best monster truck voice]: SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY!

Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center Spring Egg Hunt starting line in 2011.

Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center Spring Egg Hunt starting line in 2011.

This Saturday, April 19, at 10 AM SHARP, Seattle Parks and Recreation is holding Spring Egg Hunts all over the city. You can see the full, city-wide list on their website, but here are the hunting grounds closest to our area:

NORTHEAST

April 19 Spring Bunny Trail
Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center [6535 Ravenna Ave NE], 10 a.m., Ages 12 and under

April 19 Spring Egg Hunts
Nathan Hale Stadium [10750 30th Ave NE], 10 a.m., Ages 1-11
Laurelhurst Park [4554 NE 41st St], 10 a.m., Ages 12 and under

NORTHWEST
April 19 Spring Egg Scramble
Green Lake Community Center, 10 a.m., Ages 3 and under
Green Lake Community Center, 10:30 a.m., Ages 4-7
Green Lake Community Center, 11 a.m., Ages 8-10

Another option in NE Seattle is Calvary Christian Assembly’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Cowen Park (5849 15th Ave NE). From the CCA website:

Registration begins at 11:30 am. We partner with Roosevelt Neighborhood vendors for this event that features 3 age-specific egg hunts as well as crafts, games, prizes, inflatables and more! Want to help? We will need people to donate candy and work at the event.

For all of these events, you’ll want your kids to bring baskets with which to carry their ovate loot.

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Ravenna Blog publisher posing with the largest holiday decoration in NE Seattle (outside of Candy Cane Lane).

Filed Under: Calvary Christian Assembly, Cowen Park, Families, Green Lake, Holiday, Kids, Meadowbrook Community Center, Nathan Hale High School, Northeast Seattle, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center

Wedgwood principal heading to West Seattle

April 11, 2014 by 1 Comment

Parents and guardians of students at Wedgwood Elementary School (2720 NE 85th St) found the following message from Seattle Public Schools in their inboxes this afternoon:

Dear Wedgwood Elementary School community,

I am writing today to let you know that a leadership change will take place at the end of the school year. Your Principal, Mr. Chris Cronas, has been appointed Principal for Highland Park Elementary, effective July 1, 2014.

I know Mr. Cronas has provided excellent leadership as Principal of your school for four years and has been deeply engaged with the school community. He has had a strong relationship with families and has established opportunities for parents to support classroom teachers. I know you join me in wishing him the best in his new assignment.

Under his leadership, Wedgwood has become the highest achieving school in our District. I am proud of all of the work he has accomplished, and I know much of that success is because of the hard working staff, families and students at Wedgwood.

Kim Whitworth, Executive Director of Schools for the Northwest Region, will be in contact with you soon to talk about next steps for hiring a new Principal to continue the great work Mr. Cronas provided for Wedgwood.

Sincerely,

José Banda
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

Chris Cronas is replacing Ben Ostrom, who is moving from Highland Park Elementary to K-5 STEM at Boren, reports the West Seattle Blog.

Filed Under: Kids, Northeast Seattle, Wedgwood Elementary School

Help Sound Transit develop light rail station symbols

April 6, 2014 by 5 Comments

What single image would you use to represent the Roosevelt Light Rail Station? Or rather, what three adjectives and three landmarks you would use to describe the station area?

Sound Transit is developing “pictograms” to identify the new transit stations that are opening in 2016 and beyond. You can help by completing their Pictogram Questionnaire, open now through Monday, April 14.

First section of the Sound Transit Pictogram Questionnaire (click to start the survey).

First section of the Sound Transit Pictogram Questionnaire (click to start the survey).

From the survey:

Pictograms are intended to be station identification symbols for non-English audiences, primarily those that use a non-Roman based alphabet. To be effective, Sound Transit’s Link light rail station pictograms must meet these requirements:

  • Simple in form, and are an easily recognizable symbol
  • Readable at many scales; including signage, print material, online and mobile devices
  • Are individually distinguishable and read as a family

The pictogram may reflect the nature of the environment: neighborhoods, landmarks, geographic locations and may include points of interest around the stations.

Existing station pictograms — Westlake Station all the way south to SeaTac/Airport Station — were developed from points of interest around the station and in the community. Those points of interest were connected like stars in a constellation, and an image representing the station was developed.

The International District Station is a dragon. Pioneer Square is a ship. SoDo is an anvil. Westlake is… a tiara? I’ve always been curious and a little confused by these pictograms and admit to being pretty amused by this extremely thoughtful process (which we’ve heard that Sound Transit is NOT continuing for the new stations). Check out the “Stellar Connections” brochure explaining these transpo-constellations (1.1 MB PDF).

The University Link extension (Capitol Hill and University of Washington stations) are expected to open in the first quarter of 2016). The Northgate Link extension (U District, Roosevelt, and Northgate stations) are expected to be open for service in 2021. Approximately 8,000 daily riders are projected to board the train by 2030. 

The other station on the pictogram survey is Angle Lake Station, set to open in 2016 south of the SeaTac/Airport Station at S 200th St.

Filed Under: Civic Envolvement, Construction, Light Rail, Northgate, Roosevelt, Sound Transit, University District

Eckstein Band Rummage and Bake Sale this weekend

April 2, 2014 by 1 Comment

Eckstein Middle School’s Annual Rummage and Bake Sale is coming up!  On Saturday, April 5, from 9 AM – 3 PM, come for the deals, the baked goods, but especially to support Eckstein’s music program. All while accompanied by their award-winning jazz combos!

One of Eckstein Middle School’s bands performs at a concert on June 7, 2014. (From the EMS Band Facebook page)

The sale is also looking for your donations to help make the event a success. (Spring cleaning, anyone?)

Bring clothing in wearable condition, household items others could use, books and music for fresh ears and eyes to enjoy, furniture in good condition, toys, games and puzzles with all pieces and parts, and sporting equipment for a budding athlete to the Eckstein cafeteria on Friday, April 4, from 1:30 – 4 PM. Please no electronics, unassembled furniture, baby carseats, or strollers. The cafeteria’s exterior entrance faces the garden area in the back parking lot.  

Monies raised from the rummage sale go directly to the Eckstein’s music program and are used to help offset some of the cost of off-campus music performances (like performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival and bringing home LOTS of awards), repair damaged instruments, and provide scholarship to children who need assistance.

Filed Under: Eckstein Middle School, Families, Fundraiser, Kids, Music, Northeast Seattle

Editorial: Everything in this post today is true*

April 1, 2014 by 6 Comments

Ah, the first day of April: The one day a year when you can’t trust ANYTHING on the internet.(1)

Every year as April Fool’s Day grows near, I think about potential tales I could tell about the neighborhood. I ponder writing a post that seems a little strange, but perhaps has just enough truth to it that it might be real.

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But I always chicken out. Two reasons:

1. It’s a tricky thing to write a good April Fool’s Day story. My favorite “big media” April Fool’s story is the one that NPR broadcast in 2003: The Library of Congress was (supposedly) hurrying to copy various audio formats (like cassettes and CDs and such) “onto a single, easy-to-access format that is absolutely stable.”

However, the story continues (emphasis mine), “[T]hanks to a grant from the Smolian-Giovannoni Foundation, all of these audio formats are being transferred onto 10-inch wide, 78 rpm shellac disks — the one rock-solid format archivists have identified that works every time.”

It made so much sense to me. “You can’t trust those zeros and ones, man,” I thought. “They wander off! But a groove is FOREVER.” April Fools.

2. To date on this site, the Ravenna Blog has been occasionally silly, crafty, and even whimsical, but it’s never tried to pull one over on you.(3) As well-meaning and good-natured silly hoaxes might be, they can cause trouble.

Seattle legend Ivar Haglund was known for his pranks. Paul Dorpat, of HistoryLink.org, is not.(4) However, in 2009, Dorpat helped Ivar’s (the restaurant) pull one over on the city (and the Seattle Times, which publishes Dorpat’s “Now and Then” columns on local history on Sundays).

In August of 2009, a large billboard for Ivar’s was hauled out of Elliott Bay. Supposedly, this billboard was  made in the mid-1950s and placed purposefully underwater at that time (and kept in place with anchors) to advertise the restaurant to divers. Plans for seven more were supposedly found in Pier 54, the current headquarters of the restaurant chain. A mini-documentary was filmed during the supposed discovery.

“Seattle historian Paul Dorpat […] says he doesn’t believe the billboards are hoaxes,” wrote Seattle Times staff reporter Erik Lacitis in September 2009. Then, in November, Lacitis wrote, “So, OK, it all turned out to be a hoax.” Ivar’s Inc president Bob Donegan and Dorpat pulled one over on the city in true Ivar Haglund style. And then the Seattle Times executive director told Dorpat his “continued freelance relationship with the paper [was] ‘under review.'” Oops.

We’re no Seattle Times,(5) but I believe it is important that readers know that this place, this weblog of Ravenna neighborhood news, can be trusted. And it’s not worth marking a goofy holiday to wreck that ideal.

HOWEVER, I’m not going to let reasons 1 and 2 from stopping me describing the various April Fool’s Day posts I’ve considered writing. Coming up with the titles is pretty fun, actually (and happens the way the pros at The Onion start writing their stories).

Here are my Ravenna Blog April Fool’s Day Story Ideas That I Will Never Write About, in no particular order:

Rav-Eck Community Center and Ravenna School Apts to be sold back to school district, be turned back into school

Post accompanied by a picture of overcrowded Bryant Elementary students pressed up against the inside of a window the school.

Wedgwood Community Council finally realizes namesake boulder is in Ravenna, moves to rename it “Ravenna Rock”

While there are no official city-drawn neighborhood boundaries, the by-laws of the various community councils in Seattle DO have such things. The Wedgwood Rock is located south of NE 75th Street, clearly in Ravenna-Bryant Community Association territory. (Sure, this glacial erratic came through Wedgwood during the last ice age, but it’s OURS NOW.)

NE 65th St to be closed to ALL traffic, turned into dog park

We’ve fought about it enough, drivers, cyclers, and pedestrians: Now NOBODY gets to use it.

New Roosevelt Station night construction mitigation and safety plan includes glow-in-the-dark googly eyes on heavy machinery

This one nearly happened, sort of. Not long after our Northgate Link photo essay post went up, we had a conversation on twitter with the Archie McPhee account:


 

Should you need your own googly eyes, glow-in-the-dark or no, Archie McPhee has a nice selection.

Jeannie Hale declares self Laurelhurst Community Club president for life, invades Windermere

We’re not sure just how long Jeannie Hale has been president of the LCC, but we did find a Seattle Times article from 1996 where she was mentioned as holding the title.

Scarecrow Video to start movie delivery by drone

Hey, if Amazon can dream…

Roosevelt Way NE to be renamed Ravenna Way NE to further confuse local businesses

Do more people visit your restaurant if you say it’s in Ravenna and not next to Interstate 5 where it is actually located? </hyperlocalbloggerrant>

Driver still looking for a surface lot spot at University Village 3 days later

People, those parking garages are filled with parkings spots ALL THE TIME. Just go straight there and save yourselves the frustration. Besides, the view from the south side of Level F (Flute) of the new south building is quite impressive.

City readies plans to turn empty Roosevelt Reservoir into giant ball pit

Back in 2011, somebody fashioned a legit-looking Notice of Proposed Land Use Action sign and put it up in front of  the long empty Green Lake Vitamilk pit. It read, in part, “one ground level ball pit pond containing 1,200,000 cu. ft. of rainbow plastic balls.” It wasn’t an April Fool’s Day prank — sign went up in August — but might as well have been.

And my personal favorite for last:

Roosevelt High School purchased by Hugh Sisley, closed

To be honest, I thought up around a dozen more involving Gentleman Sisley. But he seems to be a rather litigious sort of fellow, so I’ll be keeping the others to myself out of an over-abundance of caution.

____________________

* As far as I know.

(1) The rest of the days average 90-95% untrustable material. (2)

(2) This is based on my own personal experience, and not any actual “data” or “studies.”

(3) Knowingly, anyway. And if/when a fact needs correcting, I try to do so as quickly as possible.

(4) In his professional life, anyway. Or perhaps he’d refer to it as “storytelling.”

(5) I’m not quite sure what I mean by that. Perhaps just, “Not on your lawn in a bag at 6 AM.”

Filed Under: editorial

Meet new Ravenna Blog contributor, Oralea Howard

March 31, 2014 by 3 Comments

SO EXCITED to share this news: Ravenna Blog now has a writing staff of TWO. (Intern #1, who is currently writing and reading thanks to kindergarten, is not quite ready for prime time.)

Oralea & Violet Meet Oralea Howard. She and I met through Ravenna Blog Intern #2’s preschool class at Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center. Her family lives in Ravenna, too, and she’s graciously offered to join up to help me bring you all the hyperlocal news that’s fit to publish electronically.

After graduating from the University of Oregon’s Journalism program, Oralea began an eclectic career path which most recently found her teaching science and art to first graders. Now, when she’s not cleaning up art or craft projects gone awry, she’s trying her own hand at quilting, printmaking, or gardening. You can frequently find Oralea, her husband, and their two-year-old out on the sidewalk, covered in chalk, and sharing beers with their neighbors.

Oralea and I had our first editorial calendar meeting last week, and we look forward to many more!*

____________________

*Coffee is involved, and our kids are not.

EDIT: Oralea’s last name is actually Howard, NOT White as I previously wrote. The publisher really regrets that error.

Filed Under: metablog, Ravenna

Dennis and Judy Schulte Memorial Walk & Rally (PHOTOS)

March 30, 2014 by 11 Comments

On Monday, March 25, 2013, a family crossing NE 75th Street at 33rd Avenue NE was struck by a drunk driver. Grandparents Judy and Dennis Schulte were killed instantly. New mother Karina Ulriksen-Schulte and her ten-day-old baby boy, Elias, were both critically injured.

A year later, Karina and Elias, along with other family members, community members, safe streets advocates, and local community and state representatives returned to the site together. And then continued on to a rally for more action to prevent driving while intoxicated.

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The weather seemed to echo the emotions of the walkers: Blazing bright sunlight one moment — matching the smiles of those on the walk — followed by dark skies, heavy rains, and heavy hearts.

Our goal during the walk and rally was to capture as many images as we could. For more on the story of the walk and rally, we’ve collected links below:

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The starting point of the anniversary memorial walk was the same as it was almost a year ago: Top Pot Doughnuts, on the corner of NE 70th St and 35th Ave NE.

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Before joining the main group of walkers across the street, members of the Schulte family met with some of the staff of Fire Station 40. Their engine was one of the first emergency vehicles to arrive at the collision scene a year ago.

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Dan Schulte and one of the fire fighters of Station 40.

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Back over at Top Pot, local media had some time to talk to Dan Schulte before the walk.

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Here’s the same scene from another angle.

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Per Johnson of the Wedgwood Community Council speaks to the gathered walkers. Purple shirts were given to participants to wear during the walk and rally, and also to the other events during Safe Roads Awareness Week.

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Dan Schulte with his sister, Marilyn.

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Seattle Police Department officers prepare to guide those on the memorial walk down the route to the crash.

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Dan Schulte pushes his wife, Karina Ulriksen-Schulte, at the beginning of the memorial walk. Their son, Elias, is in the stroller on Karina’s right.

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Former Mayor Mike McGinn (center, with blue cap) at the start of the walk.

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State Representative Gerry Pollet (teal jacket, in front of yellow umbrella).

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Madi Carlson, Family Ride, walks her wheels and brood down NE 35th Avenue.

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The first round of heavy rain begins as the group nears the intersection of 35th Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. State Representative Jessyn Farrell (tan trenchcoat) walks with her two children.

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The group begins to cross the intersection of 35th Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. As they walk up the hill towards 33th Avenue NE, the walkers take the same route (west up NE 75th Street) as Mark Mullan did in his large black pick-up truck one year ago.

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Dan and Karina, and family.

 

At the NW corner of where 33rd Avenue NE meets NE 75th Street, the group pauses for a few moments, in silence. (We returned to the corner a few hours later to take the video above.)

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Schulte family members moving on after a pause at the crash site.

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One woman watches the family walk on as the main group of walkers continues to linger for a quiet moment at the site of the crash.

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Main group now moving toward the site of the rally on the lawn of nearly Eckstein Middle School.

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Battalion 6 Chief Mike Milam (white shirt, black tie) speaks with Fire Station 40 staff near the crash site. Chief Milam was also at the scene a year ago.

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News crews film the crowd and the memorial site while some Eckstein students look on.

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By the time the group arrives at the rally site, the rain was coming down hard.

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Ravenna-Bryant Community Association board member Sarah Swanberg.

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Dan Schulte thanks the first responders in attendance, and the crowd applauds.

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Karina Ulkisen-Schulte (center with brown cap) listens to husband Dan speak.

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Per Johnson (green), Cathy Tuttle (teal), and the crowd.

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SDOT’s Chief Traffic Engineer, Dongho Chang, was easy to spot in the crowd.

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Lacia Lynn Bailey keeps Judy’s Truffle dry at the rally. Lacia and a much smaller Judy’s Truffle were the last to speak with Judy, Dennis, Karina and Elias before they continued down 33rd Avenue NE to cross the street. She would also be one of the first people at the collision scene moments later.

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SDOT Traffic Safety Coordinator Jim Curtin stands under his yellow umbrella during downpour number three of the event.

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Sergeant Dave Fitzgerald of the Seattle Police Department, listening to speakers at the rally.

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Mayor McGinn (in red) stands next to Cathy Tuttle, executive director of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.

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Virginia Gunby (burgundy coat), Transportation Chair of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and her husband listen to rally speaker Darrin Grondel, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

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State Senator David Frockt speaking at the rally. Courtney Popp, an attorney who volunteers with MADD, also spoke.

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Elias, having a snack.

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During a shift between pouring rain and pouring sunlight, we did get a rainbow near the crash site.

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Marilyn Schulte addresses the crowd, thanking neighborhood residents for their support of her family.

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After the rally concluded, Senator Frockt and a staffer (facing the camera) listened to Lacia Bailey describe the events of a year ago. Frockt’s own grandparents were killed in a collision by a suspected intoxicated driver in Tennessee.

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Natural flowers at the rally site.

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Hand-made flowers on Lacia’s fence across from the crash site.

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The afternoon before the walk and rally, Lacia invited the community to come paint her fence, just across the street from the crash site, with bright flowers and positive messages to “DRIVE SOBER.” Judy’s Truffle was on hand, offering suggestions and reprising her position last year of comfort goat to those who needed a nuzzle.

Filed Under: Eckstein Middle School, Families, Memorials, Photos, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

BOOM in the neighborhood – lousy March weather strikes (UPDATES)

March 29, 2014 by 3 Comments

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At about 4:26 PM on Saturday afternoon, the weather turned TOO EXCITING near Ravenna Blog HQ. Lightning struck a tree just a couple hundred feet away, sending bark flying, hearts pounding, and causing a small power outage.

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Engine 16 stopped by to check things out briefly. A light smell of wood smoke hung in the air, and a homeowner nearby mentioned a cracked window.

Power was lost the instant the lightning struck, but the outage looks to be a small one, affecting around 60 households.

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Good to see you, too, Seattle City Light!

UPDATE (5:37 PM): On that lightning strike/power outtake just north of Green Lake:

UPDATE (6:15 PM): Estimated time of restoration for the Ravenna outage is around 1:30 AM, but you should check back here later for updated information.

Filed Under: 911, Green Lake, Photos, Power Outage, Ravenna, Seattle City Light, Seattle Fire Department, Updates

Shooting behind U-District Safeway (UPDATES)

March 26, 2014 by 2 Comments

Around 5:12 PM, Seattle Fire and Police responded to a shooting on the south side of the Safeway at Brooklyn Avenue NE and NE 50th Street in the University District.


View Shooting behind Safeway in U-District in a larger map

According to information heard over police scanner, some suspects fled the scene in a black Hyundai SUV, traveled through the Roosevelt neighborhood, and attempted to get onto I-5 northbound. The vehicle was spotted and stopped by multiple officers on I-5 just north of Lake City Way. A gun was recovered by officers from the SUV.

Another suspect may have fled the area by a Route 70 Metro bus, getting off on Eastlake near Hamlin.

We’re adding more info as we get it.

 

UPDATE (6:11 PM): The SPD Blotter has been updated with the following:

Seattle police took five people into custody Wednesday evening following a shooting in the University District, which left one man with serious injuries.
Just before 5:15 PM police received several reports of gunfire near NE 47th Street and Brooklyn Avenue NE.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man in his 30s with a single gunshot wound lying on the ground near an alleyway.

Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries and officers began searching the area for several vehicles, which had fled the scene moments after the shooting.

Officers performed two high-risk stops—one on an SUV on Interstate 5 near Lake City and another on a vehicle near 85th and Aurora—and detained five people in connection with the shooting.

6:15 PM: Reports on the scanner of finding bullet damage to the nearby Chevron Station and at least one vehicle (van belonging to University Seafoods and Poultry).

6:38 PM: We’ve heard from a parent that University Child Development School (5062 9th Ave NE) was on lockdown during the incident.

6:43 PM: The Seattle Fire Department reports that the “[p]atient is 40yo male with single gunshot wound in critical condition at HMC.”

And the SPD Blotter post includes this update: “Police arrested the suspected gunman on I-5…and have detained two other people. The other individuals stopped by police have been identified and released, and detectives continue to investigate the incident.”

 

6:56 PM: The Daily of the University of Washington’s Joshua Bessex just shared another picture from the scene with even more bullet evidence:

Friday, April 4: The Seattle P-I has obtained the narrative from the incident and has written up the details here: “Felon fresh from prison shot man in U-District.” Robert E. Montgomery has been charged with first-degree assault and unlawful gun possession, and remains jailed on $150,000 bail.

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Photos, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Traffic, University District

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station construction (PHOTOS)

March 21, 2014 by 7 Comments

Blessed with some clear skies and lovely spring sunlight, we set out on Friday, March 21 to take some photos of the two Northgate Link sites seeing the most action right now: The Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station construction sites.

We’ve done our best to explain each scene and the work being done to the best of our knowledge. We will, of course, add additional information for more expert sources if possible.

Each of the photos below can be enlarged with a click of the mouse (or tap of the finger, mobile users).

Maple Leaf Portal

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 01

View from the NW corner of NE 92nd Street and 1st Avenue NE, looking north through the length of the Maple Leaf Portal (MLP) construction site.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 02

View east from the same corner. Double dump truck headed to I-5 up NE 92nd Street.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 03

View to the north from the NE 92nd Street overpass. The nearly reassembled tunnel boring machine (TBM) patiently waits its turn. (Here’s a Sound Transit picture of the inside of the TBM during reassembly.)

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 04

Zoom from the same location. Sound Transit recently set up webcams at the active Northgate Link construction sites. The camera surveying the scene at the MLP can be seen on the far left side of the photo above. To see what’s happening from the camera’s viewpoint, visit this here EarthCam page.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 05

View from the NE 92nd Street overpass of northbound I-5 drivers all wishing they could be riding a train instead of driving. Another double dump truck headed out with muck from either the MLP or Roosevelt Station sites is traveling with them.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 06

On 1st Avenue NE now. No construction wall here to obscure one’s view of all the equipment and work being done. Looking south a bit here at the TBM.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 08

Looking north at a very large excavator depositing soil into a double dump truck.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 09

Close up of the TBM’s teeth, catching the spring sunlight.

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View of the whole cutter head of the TBM, with a worker conveniently seated on the ground nearby for scale.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 11

Street sweeper in action. Common sight, cruising near both the MLP and Roosevelt Station construction sites. Part of the overall construction mitigation plan (457 KB PDF).

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One of the pleasant side effects of doing reporting with a toddler around is that sometimes the construction folks wave and/or make faces. Thanks, guys.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 13

Should you have any of your own small children or other construction vehicle fanatics in your circle of friends, there is a lovely viewing point on 1st Avenue NE at NE 95th Street which includes a cement wall perfect for sitting on. Perhaps with a sack lunch. Or a froyo.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 14

Another nice side effect of carrying a cute kid around and using a big zoom lens is that people walking by say HI and ask what you’re doing. And sometimes these people are nice and understanding, and help you get even better pictures from their four floor apartment building. (Thanks, Tom!)

This is looking southwest at the “head wall” of the Maple Leaf Portal. You can see the NE 92nd Street overpass in the background. This head wall is where the TBM will begin its journey down to…

Roosevelt Station

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 15

Red crane “rabbit ears” behind the Dwell Apartments. This shot is taken from the parking lot of Roosevelt Square, looking north. We’ve been able to spot these red cranes from all over Northeast Seattle.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 16

Hugh Sisley sighting.

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Red cranes again. We’ve seen these machines used to move assembled slurry wall rebar cages from one area of the construction area (the Roosevelt Way NE side) to the others.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 18

This is a large hydromill, used to dig the 130-feet-deep-plus slots into which the rebar cages are later lowered. Then cement is pored in, creating the “slurry walls” that make up the outer walls of the underground station. The walls of the station are built underground BEFORE excavation happens!

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 19

One of the rebar cages in some state of assembly.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 20

Unlike the Maple Leaf Portal site, the Roosevelt Station area has many thick and tall construction walls up already. This is great for local residents — part of the construction mitigation which lessens noise and reduces dust — but not so great for taking pictures. Looks good, though. A Roosevelt High School-inspired green.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 21

O HAI, double dump truck. Looks like you forgot to cover your load. *wags finger*

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 24

Construction-related vehicles have two entrances/exits at the Roosevelt Station site: One on 12th Avenue NE, and the other on Roosevelt Way NE. Above is a large truck backing out of the Roosevelt Way NE side with the help of a flagger.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 25

A little local flair/signage on the site’s chain link fence. This temporary fencing along 12th Avenue NE will be replaced by more thick, green construction wall in the future.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 26

Excavation work being done at what will be the southern entrance to the finished light rail station, on the NW corner of NE 65th Street and 12th Avenue NE. The piles of soil were steaming in the cool spring sunshiny air (though we suspect that part of this is due to heated water used in the excavation process — looking into it).

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 27

Another, smaller hydromill, working in the NE corner of the construction site (near where the northern station entrance will be located). Here, the jaws just emptied a load of soil into a mostly hidden dump truck.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 35

Close-up, post dump. Look at those chompers!

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 28

Lots of cement trucks on this day. They were queued up three or four deep, waiting to their turn to pour.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 37

 

Cement truck during a pour near the center of the construction site.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 31

All vehicles leaving the site get a wheel washdown, another piece of the construction mitigation package.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 39

Close up after the pour was finished.

 

 

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 29

Happy little cloud.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 30

Cozy bit of sidewalk along the east side of 12th Avenue NE. The cement wall on the right side is the west side of the Roosevelt High School track and field.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 32

Another part of the construction mine field that is now the Roosevelt neighborhood is a new 42-inch sewer main under 12th Avenue NE. You know those metal plates you drive over? This shot shows you how deep the hole goes underneath your tire.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 33

Soil excavation at the southern end of the construction site, along NE 65th Street.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 34

Excavated soil being transferred into an awaiting dump truck.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 36

View from the east side of the site of the rebar cage construction.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 40

More steamy soil, moving out.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 41

Close-up of steamy soil. (It looked really neat in real life, as the clouds of steam were carried away by the breeze. Trust me.)

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 42

The NW corner of NE 65th Street and 12th Avenue NE. Decidedly closed sidewalk, but that doesn’t always stop Roosevelt High School students trying to cross the street at open campus lunchtime.

Maple Leaf Portal and Roosevelt Station March 21 43

An empty double dump truck headed up 12th Avenue NE, ready to fill up with another load of excavated soil.

Filed Under: Construction, Light Rail, Maple Leaf, Photos, Roosevelt, Sound Transit, Traffic
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