Light Rail, Community Center, Superintendent meetings (and more!)

October 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Ah, autumn: The crisp air, the bright colored foliage, the opportunity to keep warm by huddling together with your neighbors at community meetings (many of which include snacks).

Here is a list of community meetings being held in the first half of November. As always, we recommend attending them all. However, if you can only choose one, we’d steer you toward the Advisory Council/Community Meeting at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center. Your input into the future of center operations — prior to the big budget decisions happening in City Hall in November — is vital.

  • Tuesday, November 1: Ravenna-Bryant Community Association Board Meeting, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave NE), 7-9 PM. All neighbors are welcome to attend. Agenda to come.
  • Tuesday, November 1: Mayor’s Town Hall, Nathan Hale High School (10750 30th Ave NE), 5:30-8 PM. Mayor Mike McGinn, City Departments & Community Groups will answer your questions and hear what’s on your mind.
    (5:30-6:30 Meet and Greet: City Departments and local community organizations have information tables, answer questions and offer volunteer opportunities; 6:30-6:40 Youth performance- 6:40-8:00 Open question and answer session with the Mayor)
  • Thursday, November 3: North Link Light Rail Roosevelt Station Open House, Roosevelt High School Commons (1410 NE 66th Street), 6-8:30 PM (presentation starts at 6:30 PM). The open house will focus on the nuts and bolts of construction plans (NOT station design plans) at Roosevelt Station.
  • Wednesday, November 9: Advisory Council/Community Meeting, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave NE), 6:30-8:30 PM. Input sought from community members about future use and operating hours of the RECC in 2012. Staff present from the RECC and the new Northeast Geographic team, as well as members of Parks and Recreation leadership, talking about how well parks is meeting our needs in the Ravenna-Eckstein community. Child care and light refreshments available.
  • Monday, November 14: Community Meeting on the Permanent Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, Roosevelt High School (1410 NE 66th Street), 7-8:30 PM. National search for a new Superintendent, or hire Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield? Input sought from members of the public. (Survey available in mid-November as well.) Childcare and light snacks will be available starting at 6:30 PM. Hosted by the Seattle Council PTSA.
  • Wednesday, November 16: North Link Light Rail Brooklyn Station Open House, Neptune Theatre (1303 NE 45th St), 6-8:30 PM (presentation starts at 6:30 PM). The November open house will focus on the nuts and bolts of construction plans at Brooklyn Station.

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If we’re missing any other community meetings in early November on this list, do let us know. We’re happy to add them.

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Celebrate Seattle Night Out at the RECC, on your block, and (NOT) with the Mayor (updated)

August 1, 2011 by 1 Comment

UPDATE (6:54 PM): Turns out that the Mayoral Party Bus itinerary has changed, and Ravenna is no longer one of the stops.

Via email from Steven Jones, Campaign Manager of Seattle’s Families & Education Levy:

I’ve had to make several adjustments to the itinerary, and while we’d love to stop at every block party in Seattle I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t appear we’ll have time to swing by the RECC.

I appreciate your understanding.

Steven

But the party at the RECC will still be hoppin’, because coordinator Trevor Gregg will be there.

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This Tuesday, August 2, the Seattle Police Department once again encourages you and your neighbors to go play in the street together.

It’s Seattle Night Out night (part of National Night Out), “a fun event to meet your neighbors, and organize your neighborhood against crime.” And, may I add, from personal experience, eat a lot of good food.

Many block parties around the city are planned for this date or this week, including ones in our very own Ravenna. (Feel free to advertise your own in the comments below — this type of shameless promotion is certainly encouraged.)

And here are some STREET CLOSED signs created just for the occasion.

Additionally, at 6:30PM, the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center has some fun and free activities planned:

Join Ravenna-Eckstein CC Staff at our annual National Night Out event. FREE event with entertainment provided by Nationally recognized performer and song writer Eric Ode. His upbeat, high participation programs are bubbling over with fun, interactive music, and include stories, skits, poetry, props, and puppets! Light snacks will be available.

Also stopping by the RECC on Tuesday evening will be Mayor Mike McGinn, Councilmember Tim Burgess, and a party bus-load of Families and Education Levy supporters. No word yet on what time they’ll stop by, but I’ll update this post when I find out. The Mayoral Party Bus will be staying in South Seattle tomorrow night. Here’s the schedule:

  • 6:50PM – 800 block of Thistle St., 98108

      • Description: children’s activities, live music; a city block turned into a mini golf course with artist teams designing holes.

  • 7:20PM – 8400 block of 55th Ave. S., 98118
      • Description: community event recognizing first successful drug abatement of a property in Seattle in the last 7 years.
  • 7:35PM – 3800 S. Myrtle Street, 98118 (c/o ML King Jr. Way South)
      • Description: children’s activities, live music, Asian foods, local Vietnamese singers

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    Are your block’s parties always something to rave about? I’d be happy to do a round-up style post with your pictures and stories if you send them on: rebecca@ravennablog.com.

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    Mayor meets with DPD, writes letter to Roosevelt neighborhood

    June 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    Mayor Mike McGinn met with Department of Planning and Development (DPD) Director Diane Sugimura today, to talk about the Roosevelt Neighborhood Legislative Rezone.

    The question hanging in the air since last week — when letters to the DPD from the Mayor, Councilmember Tim Burgess, and a petition from 25 primarily pro-density people and organizations — was “Will the Roosevelt Legislative Rezone move forward at this time?”

    The answer: YES, with some potential tweaking.

    Here’s Mayor McGinn’s letter to the Roosevelt neighborhood, sent out this afternoon via email (emphasis mine):

    Dear Roosevelt Neighbors and Friends,

    Thank you for sharing with me your high hopes for your neighborhood, your interest in and support for light rail, and your insights into the rezoning effort that is currently underway for the station area. I appreciate the effort you put into developing a thoughtful proposal and the excitement so many of you expressed about light rail coming to Roosevelt. You are to be commended for the good work.

    I agree that we should not slow down the process. I have, however, asked the Department of Planning and Development to take a closer look at some of the heights proposed for this station area. With the significant investment in light rail, long-vacant properties ripe for reuse, and the potential for good neighborhood-scale development, I believe it is appropriate to look at heights of up to 65 or 85 feet for some areas. These modest changes are consistent with the spirit of the original proposal and will help ensure we make the most of the new light rail and create new housing and jobs that support the area. I have asked that towers – buildings above 85 feet – be taken off the table entirely. I do not believe they are consistent with good planning for this neighborhood. In addition, I have asked that this analysis be done quickly so this legislation can move to Council for their consideration within the coming month.

    Thank you again for writing. I look forward to working with you as we finalize my recommendations to Council.

    Sincerely,

    Mike McGinn
    Mayor of Seattle

    This may be a good time to mention that the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association‘s next Land Use Committee meeting is next Tuesday, June 21, from 7-9 PM, at Calvary Christian Assembly (6801 Roosevelt Way NE).

    You can bet that committee chair, Jim O’Halloran, will give an update about the Roosevelt Rezone at this meeting. Also, Sound Transit’s North Link Light Rail Program Manager, Ron Endlich, will be there to answer questions.

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    Mayor McGinn Town Hall tonight at the University Heights Center

    January 25, 2011 by 2 Comments

    Have a question you’ve just been dying to ask Mayor Mike McGinn, in person? Want to learn more about city departments and local volunteer organizations?

    Hop on your bike* and head down to the University Heights Center (5031 University Way NE)  tonight, and you’ll get your chance.

    Here’s the agenda (via the University Neighborhood Service Center):

    5:30-6:30 City Departments and local volunteer organization will have information tables and be available to answer questions and provide volunteer opportunities

    6:30-6:35 Performance from the Broadway Bound singers

    6:35-8:00 Open question and answer session with the Mayor and City staff

    This is the Mayor’s first town hall of the year. More are planned for the future, presumably in other areas of the city.

    One of the things you might want to ask Mayor McGinn about are the lovely potholes (dark and deep) on Ravenna Blvd. Here we have some background information for you: The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning to resurface the entire thing (between Green Lake and 15th Avenue NE) in 2012. Until then, a work order has been made to help fill the gaps before the “Bridging the Gap” levy money can really smooth things over. Read the entire statement from the SDOT here, on My Green Lake.

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    *Obligatory bicycle mention in Mayor McGinn post (SMC 11.46.010: Areas of operation).

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