Meeting tomorrow regarding new Olympic Hills school

For those who have not been following the Building Excellence IV plans, the proposal for Olympic Hills Elementary is for the current building to be demolished and replaced with a new building. There are significant changes proposed for other schools in the area as well. This will be a very large capital investment in our area and there will be opportunities ( like tomorrow night ) for us to provide Seattle Public Schools with the community feedback necessary for a successful redevelopment. 

( more info on BEX IV at Families for Lake City. )

Below is a repost from the Pinehurst Blog. 

SPS Capacity Management Meeting for NE Seattle
Northeast Community Meeting

Monday, December 17th 6:30-8pm
Olympic Hills Elementary School
13018 – 20th Avenue NE, Seattle WA 98125

Seattle Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Pegi McEvoy and School Board Director Sharon Peaslee will be attending an informal meeting to provide information and answer questions for the Northeast Region of school communities about capacity management, and the BEX IV plans for new schools in the region. School and neighborhood community members are invited.

Background Information:  SPS is currently working on short-term capacity management, and the New Assignment Plan Transition Plan for the 2013-14  school year.  The Transition Plan is scheduled to be finalized in late January, in time for 2013-14 open enrollment.  SPS will not begin interim planning until the Spring of 2013, with completion in time for open enrollment for the 2014-15 school year.  Interim capacity management is needed to bridge capacity shortages from the 2014-15 school year until BEXIV projects come online, and will involve interim housing for some school communities.

Planned Northeast-area projects, to funded by the upcoming BEXIV levy (if it passes), and the proposed timeline:

·        2016: New NE elementary school (650 seats) built adjacent to the existing Thornton Creek Elementary school (or equivalent capacity added at another location).

·        2017 (or 2016): New 680-720-seat K-8 building at Pinehurst site (tear-down/rebuild), to house the Environmental Sciences K-8 program currently housed in the Jane Addams building.  No plan has been announced for the current Pinehurst (AS-1) program.  The K-8 program is to remain in the building until their new building is ready, unless an alternative interim housing plan is announced.

·        2017: Jane Addams building repurposed as a comprehensive middle school (960-seats).  Interim housing of students within the Jane Addams Middle School feeder pattern could begin anytime between 2013 and 2017.  The location and implementation plan for the interim Jane Addams Middle School has not yet been announced.

·        2017: New building opens for Olympic Hills Elementary (500-650 –seat capacity).  The interim housing site for Olympic Hills has not been announced.

Come get a Santa photo, help the Community Center

Hopefully the Jolly Elf's visit will promote smiles.

On Saturday, December 8th, Santa Claus will be coming to Kaffeeklatsch (12513 Lake City Way).

The jolly elf will make an appearance in our neighborhood coffee shop for a photo session. And you are invited.

Santa's appearance is a fund-raiser for our own Lake City Community Center. Photos with Mr. Claus will cost $10 and will be shot by a professional photographer.

He will be seated in front of the neighborhood bakery/coffee shop's giant Christmas tree.

The photos start at 2 p.m. and continue until 5:30.

All proceeds will go the Lake City Community Center and its future Youth programming.

The professional photos will be put on a CD and you can walk next door to Bartell Drugs to make your holiday cards.

For more info please call 206.462.1059

Holidays in the Park, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Neighbors watch the festivities

Santa exits his convertible

Lake City will celebrate its annual Holidays in the Park event on Wednesday night (December 5th) at 7 p.m. in the Lake City Mini-Park, NE 125th Street and Lake City Way.

Come on out and enjoy some hot drinks, snacks and spend some time with your neighbors.

Santa Claus will arrive at 7:15 and the Ingraham High School band will perform at this years event.

We hope to see you there!

Meeting Tuesday night about proposed sidewalk on NE 130th Street

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Seattle's Department of Transportation will be presenting plans for a new sidewalk in our neighborhood at a meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday, December 4th) at 6:30 PM in the Olympic Hills Elementary School lunch room. The meeting is open to the public.

The new sidewalk segments are proposed for the south side of NE 130th Street from 25th Avenue NE to 28th Avenue NE. The plan is for the sidewalks to include curbs, planter strips, street trees, and public art.

The development plans will be available for residents' comments and we can also provide SDOT with additional feedback regarding the safety of school routes.

There will be snacks at the meeting and it is expected to be approximately 1 hour long.

The sidewalk is expected to be completed next summer.

Armed robber strikes Lake City XXX store

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 From the Seattle Police Department:

A masked, armed robber remains at large today after striking in Lake City early Sunday morning. About 4 a.m. a man wearing a bandana over his face walked into the XXX Theater/Store, 12706 Lake City Way NE, and pointed a silver revolver at the clerk behind the counter.

The suspect demanded money and was given the cash from the register. There was a party going on down stairs and those attending were unaware of the robbery taking place upstairs. The suspect walked out of the front door and fled northbound. Nobody was injured during the incident.

Officers responded to the area and conducted a search with the assistance of a canine unit, however the suspect remains at large.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his mid 20′s, approximately 5’06” tall.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident. Anonymous tips are welcome.

International collection of Nativity scenes on dispaly in our neighborhood

Its that time of year when people unpack their holiday decorations, decorate their homes and prepare to celebrate the traditions that make the holiday season such a special time for families and communities.

This weekend one of the most impressive displays of holiday decorations is happening right here in our very own neighborhood.

On Saturday and Sunday, December 1st and 2nd, Nativity Exhibit Northwest and Lamb of God Lutheran Church are hosting the Annual Nativity Exhibit at Lamb of God church, 12509 127th Avenue N.E. The exhibit showcases more than 800 nativities from almost 100 countries. Some are intricate artworks, some are made from recycled items, some are made from food, some are funny, some try to make a point, all are fascinating.

"This is a great way to kick off the holiday season," said Ben Breeden, a visitor who has been coming to the see the display with his extended family for years.

The display moved from its previous location after the collection grew too large. For the past 20 years it was hosted at Crista Senior Living in Shoreline.

The exhibit runs until 7 p.m. on Saturday. It continues on Sunday (December 2nd) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Below is a small sample of some of the nativity sets on display.

Singer who led our neighborhood parade helping hip-hop artist top the charts

Vocalists Ray Dalton, right, and Camila Recchio, center, lead our neighborhood parade.

During the Douglas Park Cooperative neighborhood block party a couple years ago, we hosted a parade of neighborhood kids to kick off the party. We were lucky enough to have the parade led by talented vocalists Ray Dalton and Camila Recchio, shown above.

Since then, the pair have had much success with their respective music careers. Recchio is releasing an album in January and Dalton teamed up with Seattle hip-hop artists Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis, collaborating on their self-produced album that is topping all the charts.  As Associated Press national music writer Chris Talbott says, the lauded album is shaking up the hip-hop paradigm in the U.S.

Expect to hear much more about the two singers as they continue their skyrocketing careers after performing on our humble streets.

Below, Dalton performs with Seattle's chart-topping Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis on KEXP.




Below, Recchio and Dalton perform together.

Come support Olympic Hills Elementary at annual Pancake Breakfast

Olympic Hills Elementary is hosting its 7th annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, December 1st, from 9-11 a.m. And you are invited to come enjoy some food with your community and help provide for our neighborhood school.

The fun event includes performances by the school's impressive Taiko Drummers, the Intermediate Choir and the Primary Choir.

You get all that entertainment plus a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice and coffee for 6 dollars, 4 dollars for the kiddos.

Proceeds from the annual event help fund classroom field trips for Olympic Hills students.

The breakfast will be held at the Lake City Community Center and is sponsored by the Lake City Lions Club.

• 9:30 Taiko Drummers to perform
• 10 Intermediat Choir
• 10:15 Primary Choir 

Coming soon to NE Seattle, a Tool Library

A new Northeast Seattle project is taking the concept of the lending library beyond just books.

The NE Seattle Tool Library, which plans to open in January or February, will be a place where library members can borrow an assortment of tools. And if you are a homeowner, you know how important proper tools are to upkeep you home.

The library, a project of Sustainable NE Seattle, is hosting an open house and pot-luck on December 1st at the location for the library, 2415 NE 80th St. The event is from 7 to 10 p.m. and is a celebration before the tools and shelves move in. You can bring a snack or drink to share, and tools you'd like to donate. There will also be music and room to dance.

The library plans to provide free, community access to a wide variety of tools, training, and sustainable resources. They plan to start lending tools at our the grand opening in January or February 2013.

Although not in our immediate neighborhood, this could be a resource for our own residents and a program that perhaps could be mirrored here in the future.

You can become a member of the tool library here.

(H/T to Ravenna Blog for this info)

Man tries to rob people on Lake City Way with his gun-shaped hand

A series of unusual robbery attempts happened in Lake City on Tuesday. Seattle Police report a man tried to rob people on Lake City Way with his hand in the vague shape of a handgun.

The man also had a pillow and crack cocaine with him.

From the Seattle Police Department's Blotter blog:

Officers arrested a 30-year-old man—armed with a pillow, crack cocaine, and a limited working knowledge of pantomime—Tuesday evening in Lake City after he went on a very unsuccessful robbery spree.
The suspect’s sad saga began around 6:20 pm at the Jack in the Box on 130th and Lake City Way, where he walked into the restaurant, approached two men as they were eating, put his hand in his jacket pocket like he was carrying a gun, and told them to hand over all their money.
Instead, both men got up from their table and asked a restaurant employee to call 911. The suspect, determined not to walk away empty handed, sat down at the victims’ table and began eating their food.
After picking over the victims’ lunch, the suspect grabbed a soda from the table and walked off down Lake City Way.
Down the road, the suspect approached a woman near a gas station at the corner of 130th and Lake City Way, brandished a handgun—which was simply his hand, formed into the vague shape of a gun—and said something to the woman.
The woman didn’t hear the suspect, however, because she was listening to music and had headphones on. She simply ignored the suspect and walked away.
Undeterred by his lack of criminal success, the suspect walked further down Lake City Way to a Wells Fargo bank, where he approached a man at an ATM and again did his best impression of an armed mugger.
This time, the victim yelled at the suspect and walked off, leaving the suspect to continue his walk down Lake City Way.
Finally, the suspect walked to the Lake City Bar and Grill, where he stood aimlessly in the doorway until an employee approached him and asked what he was doing.
One last time, the suspect stuck his hands in his pockets, making like he had a gun, and told the employee to give him money.
The employee told the man to leave.
Officers arrived moments later and, after confirming his identity with several victims, arrested the suspect.
When officers searched the suspect, they found a small pillow in his jacket, and some crack cocaine in his pocket.
Officers arrested the suspect and booked him into the King County Jail for robbery, drug possession and two warrants.

Two Dog Yoga Community Contra Dance this Saturday, November 17th

This Saturday, November 17th, Two Dog Yoga will host their annual Community Contra Dance with the popular duo, the Canote Brothers. And you are invited to come mingle with your neighbors and meet new friends.

The Cantone Brothers are identical twins that like to say they have "genetically matched voices." The brothers play the fiddle, banjo, ukulele and bring vintage American music that will make you tap your toes and want to get on the dance floor. For 13 years they were the sidekicks on National Public Radio's show Sandy Bradley's Potluck.

The event starts at 6 p.m. with a finger food potluck. The easy social dancing begins at 7 p.m. and continues until 8:30.

This fun, family event is open to all and raises money for the Two Dog Scholarship Fund via donations. The event also helps gather non-perishable food to benefit the local food bank. So please bring something to donate.

We hope to see you there!

12549 28th Ave. NE

Truck stolen from Fred Meyer parking lot

A truck was stolen from a member of our community on Thursday night during a trip to Fred Meyer. The truck was taken from the Fred Meyer parking lot.

It is a black 1994 Nissan, license plater B61438S. There is an 80s "Magic Happens" sticker on the rear bumper.

If you see the truck please call 911. 

UPDATE:  The truck was found by Seattle Police in Wallingford, with "very little damage," said the owner. "A big thank you to everyone in the hood who was on the lookout. I appreciate your support."

Flags damaged on Veterans Day

A previous post here on Douglas Park Cooperative thanked the Lake City Lions Club for their work hanging flags around the neighborhood on Veterans Day.

We later found out from the Lions Club that two of the flags hanging on Elliott Bay Brewery were ripped from their brackets and damaged at some point during the day.

The group puts up the flags at sunrise on federal holidays and takes them down at sunset.

When they returned to Elliott Bay to gather the flags on Veterans Day all that remained were broken brackets on the side of the building. The two flags were later found but the eagles on top of the poles were smashed and the wire holding the flags to the poles was damaged.

"This was the first time we every had anything like that happen," said a member of the organization.

Thanks to veterans, volunteers, those that give to community

On this Veterans Day we thank and remember all that serve their community in a multitude of way:  Military members, teachers, police officers, social workers, firefighters, medical workers, volunteers.

We would also like to thank the Lake City Lions Club for hanging flags around our neighborhood, reminding us of this important day.

Flags are shown in the Lake City Mini Park

Funding proposed for Community Center Improvements

Seattle City Councilmembers Jean Godden, Sally Bagshaw, and Sally Clark introduced three items into the 2013-2014 City budget for possible improvements to the Lake City Community Center.

The City's budget is coming up for a hearing on Friday, November 9th.

The proposals in the City of Seattle budget shown below are not yet secured and will be discussed by the City Council in a budget hearing on Friday, November 9th. The proposals are:

• $20,000 in 2013 for the Department of Parks and Rec to conduct a services and recreation needs assessment for teens and seniors. The assessment will be done in the context of the Lake City Visioning Project. The assessment will take place in the first and second quarter of 2013 and a report will be given in the third quarter to the City Council. More info here. 

• $75,000 in 2013 for architectural and engineering services to study and identify critically needed improvements. Some upgrades suggested are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, a possible elevator, addition of doors and windows at the back to make it accessible from the park. 

• $425,000 in 2014 to make the improvements that are the outcome of the architectural and engineering review. More info here. 

This funding will not be secured until the final vote approves the money. Please write or call Seattle City Councilmembers to express your support for these budget line items.

Sally Bagshaw: email | 206-684-8801 | web site

Tim Burgess: email | 206-684-8806 | web site

Sally Clark: email | 206-684-8802 | web site

Richard Conlin: email | 206-684-8805 | web site

Jean Godden: email | 206-684-8807 | web site

Bruce Harrell: email | 206-684-8804 | web site

Nick Licata: email | 206-684-8803 | web site

Mike O'Brien: email | 206-684-8800 | web site

Tom Rasmussen: email | 206-684-8808 | web site

Update: Councilmembers Bagshaw, Godden, and Clark have just  released a Statement of Legislative Intent requesting the Department of Parks and Recreation to provide a comprehensive report regarding recreational and Parks program service needs of the Lake City Urban Village and the North District Neighborhood Planning Area. More info here. 

How to keep Trick-or-Treating safe, fun

A trick-or-treater on NE 128th Street

Trick-or-Treating is a great time to get out, walk around your community, say hi to neighbors, and gather handfuls of treats for the little ones. It is also a good time to teach your kids some basic safety and remember some yourself.

Remember, most of our neighborhood does not have sidewalks, so some of the suggestions below should be emphasized even more in our community than in other neighborhoods with better infrastructure.

We encourage neighbors to get out and have some fun, but please keep these safety tips from the Seattle Police Department in mind when venturing out with your princesses and ghosts.

Happy Halloween!


Keep your child safe

SPD encourages safety and supervision during the annual Trick-or-Treat season. It is especially important for parents to adhere to a few safety rules for their children when they are trick-or-treating.

• Know your treaters' route

• Take a flashlight

• Be sure costumes, shoes, and treat bags are safe.

• Remind kids not to enter strangers' homes or cars.

• Set rules about not eating treats until kids get home. Be sure to inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them.

• Candy that has been opened should be thrown away. Any homemade treats or fruit should be inspected closely.

• Remember drivers have a hard time seeing people, especially at dusk.

• Never cross the street from between parked cars.

• Watch open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and long wigs on fire.

• Make sure that fake knives, swords, and guns are made from cardboard or other flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse, have them mistaken for the real thing!

Make your home safe


It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. As adults there are some very simple things we can do to make the evening safe everyone.

• Turn on your porch light.

• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up if they are trick-or-treating in groups.

• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard.

• Drive slowly all evening-you never know what creature may suddenly cross your path.

• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police.

For regular updates please follow Douglas Park Cooperative on Facebook by going here. If you don't use Facebook you can subscribe to our posts by entering your email in the "Follow our blog via email" field on the right column and our posts will be delivered to your email inbox. The service will NEVER send you spam.

PHOTOS: Fright Night comes to Lake City

Fright Night came to Lake City on Friday night. And along with it came plenty of zombies, unicorns and princesses.

The 20th annual event, organized by the Lake City Lions, Children's Home Society and the North Seattle Family Center saw a significant turnout. The Lions reported that they served pizza to over 500 people

Below are photos from the fun annual event.

Snow White, Strawberry Shortcake

"Braiiiiiinnnnsss"

Lake City Lions serving up slices of pizza with a side of fun!

The haunted house. Terrifying.

Mini golf and games

A cute little pumpkin

Mario Brothers

Candy, yum.

Darth Maul shows off the Dark Side of the Force

Michael Jackson and a cheetah

The craft table

A king cobra

Entrance to the haunted house

A cute mouse

Don't cast a spell on us!

The Beetles live!

Daughter, dad

Cutie pie

Trying to escape the haunted house

Face painting

Toy Story

For regular updates please follow Douglas Park Cooperative on Facebook by going here. If you don't use Facebook you can subscribe to our posts by entering your email in the "Follow our blog via email" field on the right column and our posts will be delivered to your email inbox. The service will NEVER send you spam.