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

Feel like sharing?

June 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

ARRRRRRRGoing to that North Link Light Rail meeting tonight? Wanna share what you learned?

Go to Northeast District Council meetings? Would you like to tell others in the neighborhood what happened?

Been itching to write a weekly or monthly column on a neighborhood issue near and dear to your heart?

Wanna review that new Indian restaurant on 23rd and 65th?

Think on it, write about it, and let me know! I’d love to see more content on this site — wouldn’t you?

Send your thoughts and ideas to rebecca [at] ravennablog.com.

Filed Under: metablog

Let’s talk about TRAFFIC!

June 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I’ll start.

I don’t commute to and fro work like I imagine many of you do, so my observations on what the NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour has meant to me will likely be different from some of yours.  Nor have I taken a tour of the entire detour route.

But here are some detour issues I’ve noticed (click on the map to open it in Google Maps):

Click me to open in Google Maps

  1. I’ve actually been remembering that the viaduct is CLOSED, and taken alternate routes! [This was a triumph. I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.]
  2. Just yesterday I saw workers putting up “NO PARKING from 4-7pm” signs along the east side of 25th Ave NE. That side of the street is already marked as “NO PARKING from 3-6pm.” Why the different times?
  3. The backup to turn left onto westbound NE 65th St from northbound 25th Ave NE is worse more times of day than it used to be. So glad for that green arrow.
  4. The parking spots on the south side of NE 65th St through Downtown Ravenna (and further to the west) have “NO PARKING from 4-7pm” signs posted on them, too.
  5. Turning left onto 15th Ave NE from westbound NE 65th Ave was hard before. And now it’s worse!
  6. Driving to the View Ridge PCC I noticed two orange detour signs pointing EAST on the EASTBOUND side of the street! That can’t be right. I checked the opposite direction today and there are none across the street, so that’s probably where they’re supposed to be.

So, those are my observations. Have any to add? Let me know in the comments, or email me (rebecca [at] ravennablog.com).

Filed Under: Construction, Traffic

Your first line of defense against burglary? Your door.

June 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Saw a Roosevelt neighbor at Grateful Bread today.  He mentioned that he’s putting together a neighborhood block watch with his neighbors (some drug dealer issues near Lake City Way).

In talking with North Precinct officers about the block watch, the subject of local burglaries came up.  Turns out, many of these homes had unlocked doors.  A quick test of the doorknob is all it took for entry.

So, that’s our home safety tip for the day: LOCK YOUR DOORS.  And that goes for windows, too.

Filed Under: Everything counts in large amounts

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
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