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NOAA’s Watershed Open House

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View of a river and surrounding watershed

View of a typical Pacific Northwest river and its surrounding watershed - a healthy watershed is vital to the recovery of endangered species.

Save the Date for NOAA’s Watershed Open House!

The Watershed Program at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center is happy to announce that its free biennial Open House will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 28, 2010, at the Museum of History and Industry. We will present our completed and on-going scientific research during three sessions: Puget Sound, Columbia River, and Science & Management Tools.

This year’s presentations will include topics ranging from salmon and climate change; estimating survival of salmon at different life stages; evaluating estuarine and urban restoration; Elwha dam removal; riparian processes, and much more.

See our website for a detailed agenda and please send an email to nwfsc.watershed.program@noaa.gov if you plan to attend.

WSDOT Taking Comments on 520 Westside Transit and Design

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SDOT Project: 15th Ave. NE

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In 2011, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will reconstruct 15th Avenue NE between NE Pacific Street and NE 50th Street, and resurface the roadway between NE 50th Street and NE 55th Street. The 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction Project is anticipated to begin in January 2011 and is scheduled to be complete by October 2011.

The project will likely be conducted in three phases:

·         Phase 1 (January – June): NE Pacific Street to NE 45th Street

·         Phase 2 (June – September): NE 45th Street to NE 50th Street

·         Phase 3 (September – October): NE 50th Street to NE 55th Street

The project is currently in the final design stage and will be advertised for competitive bids from contractors in September 2010. A more detailed construction schedule will be available in late 2010. Improvements to 15th Avenue NE include upgrades to pedestrian mobility, sidewalk widening at bus zones, new electrical infrastructure for future transit improvements, and upgraded street lighting.

For more information

Visit our project Web site:

www.cityofseattle.net/Transportation/pave_15thavene.htm

Or e-mail:

DOT_15thAveNE@seattle.gov

SR 520 News: August 2010 [updated]

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[Updated with additional articles.]

News and information about the SR 520 bridge:

Players Wanted for Youth Soccer League

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The Capitol Hill Soccer Club is a volunteer operated youth soccer league serving players in Seattle’s Capitol Hill and Montlake neighborhoods. CHSC is a member of the Seattle Youth Soccer Association and the Washington State Youth Soccer Association.

One of the BU14 (8th grade boys) Seattle United select teams in our region is looking for at least 3 extra players to join the team. If your family missed the tryouts earlier this spring, or perhaps changed your mind during the summer regarding select soccer, here is an opportunity to reconsider.

Information regarding select soccer and Seattle United can be found at www.seattleunited.com.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact the coach directy. Coach Brandon Bye can be reached at bye.brandon@gmail.com.

Montlake Waterfront Park

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An undeveloped and filled portion of the site along the south shore of South Portage Bay came to the attention of the neighborhood group, FABNIA (Fuhrman and Boyer Neighborhood Improvement Association) and the park site was cleared of huge stands of blackberries and revealed sweeping views of the Bay and a rich wildlife habitat. Volunteers donated many hours clearing blocks of concrete and invasive plants from the site. In 2007, as Friends of South Portage Bay, they were awarded a Seattle Department of Neighborhood matching grant to restore habitat. Design and construction of the new waterfront portion of the park with a new kayak launch, trails, native plants and snags for bird habitat was completed in 2009. Volunteers continue to donate many hours to help with maintenance and restoration.

We continue to fund raise for the addition of two signs for the park produced by a local artist. The project will cost $15,000 and we have raised $12,500.00 to date. Donations are tax deductible
Donors can send checks to:
Associated Recreation Council
860 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
�
The check should be made out to:  Associated Recreation Council  with South Portage Bay referenced in the “For” line.
The 501 C3 tax I.D. is  51-0170717.

One sign will be a history of the area using some phrases from the below and incorporating some pictures:

Portage Bay was separated from Lake Washington by a narrow isthmus in the late 1800’s and was surrounded by stands of red cedar and Douglas fir. The isthmus was a regularly used portage that connected native tribes to the rich lake and river systems beyond Lake Union, to tribes on Union Bay and beyond and to burial grounds on Foster Island.
In the late 1800’s settlers dug a flume to connect Lake Washington to Portage Bay to transport logs to Lake Union. Tracks were added to transport coal from Newcastle across the isthmus to barges. Work on developing the Ship Canal and Montlake Cut continued from 1911- 1934; the Cut officially opened in 1917 and the Montlake Bridge in 1925.
Historic photos from 1885 and 1904 show Duwamish chief Cheshiahud residing with his family along the shore of the Portage Bay and paddling a large red cedar canoe, the principal form of transportation in the area. He fished for salmon, carved canoes from his residence on the east shore and was hired as a guide for recent settlers in the area.
Chief Cheshiahud continued to reside on the Bay after the reservation system was formed.
In the 1920’s, houseboats, floating on cast off cedar logs from local sawmills, began to populate Portage Bay and soon became a popular social gathering place during Prohibition. From the 1920- 1950 boatbuilders and designers lined the shores and prospered; many remain today. The Seattle and Queen City Yacht clubs established clubhouses, 1920 and 1934 respectively.

Looking west across South Portage Bay, note the regular row of old pilings: these served to anchor an “affordable housing” houseboat community until they were moved to make way for the Viaduct in the 1960’s.
In the late 1920’s civic leaders were concerned with directing the energy of youth from delinquency to positive activities and so began the effort to develop the present day playfield and ball park. Many challenges faced the project as swampy, frequently flooded land characterized the site. The park site was occupied by a Dahlia Farm and, to meet the demands of the owners, residents taxed themselves to buy the farm before work could start on the park. Over the years, fill from many projects such as Hwy 520 has been dumped on the site in an attempt to alleviate swampy conditions.

The second sign will focus on Beavers and other wild life in the “hood.”

Several colonies of beavers call South Portage Bay home.  They have constructed lodges for protection and to raise their annual brood of 4-6 kits. One lodge is hidden along the south shore of the bay, another is quite visible below the Montlake exit of the Viaduct. When the water lilies appear in late spring, it’s common, in the dusk hours, to see as many as six-eight beavers munching the leaves and stems of the lily pads, swimming, diving and occasionally slapping the surface of the water with their tails.
Each monogamous pair of beavers will provide a home for the current year’s offspring and last year’s. After two years, offspring venture off to found their own colonies.
(The sign will have a drawing showing cross cut of lodge – see below)

In the winter months, the beavers shift their diet to woody plants. Notice the distinctive gnawed stumps and limbs of cottonwood, alder and willow near the park shore; good examples are on the point west of the kayak launch. Young trees surrounded with wire fencing are being protected from beavers by park volunteers.

South Portage Bay is a rich wildlife habitat in spite of its dense urban surroundings.
Resident and migratory birds regularly seen throughout the year include the Great Blue Heron, eagle, osprey, mallards, gadwalls, American coots, buffleheads, mergansers, Pied- billed grebes, scaups and red winged blackbirds.
(The sign will have simple drawings showing many of these birds – see below)

Chinook salmon migrate through the Montlake Cut and some venture into South Portage Bay where small and largemouth bass, a predator fish, await them beneath the lily pads.

 

NOW AT MOHAI

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Now @ MOHAI

NOW SHOWINGNOW SHOWING

Women’s Votes,
Women’s Voices

Less than 100 years ago, women weren’t allowed to vote, but were required to pay taxes and abide by laws their male counterparts voted into place. Women from all economic and ethnic groups banded together to persuade the men of Washington to give them the right to vote. This exhibition was organized by the Washington State Historical Society and the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture under the auspices of Washington’s Women’s History Consortium.

MOHAI MINUTEMOHAI MINUTE

Who Was Rosie?

Check out Helen Divjak and Peder Nelson in the latest installment of the popular history video series. This MOHAI Minute features the stories of “Rosie the Riveter,” the symbolic name for the many real-life women who made such a critical different in the war effort during World War II. The entire series is available on You Tube.

NEW EXHIBIT OPENSNEW EXHIBIT OPENS

Cut from Nature: The Art of Richard Bennett

Opening August 28

Northwest artist Richard Bennett became an accomplished printmaker early in his career and would later become one of the nation’s leading illustrators of chidren’s books. An integral part of the area’s major artistic talents, his prints and paintings capture the grandeur of the Pacific Northwest landscape. This exhibit displays MOHAI’s rich collection of Bennett’s original works. 

The exhibit is located in McCurdy Gallery. Call 206-324-1126 or check our website to be sure McCurdy Gallery is available as it may be closed for a private event.

SUMMER PROGAMSSUMMER PROGAMS

August Tours

Sign up Now!

MOHAI’s popular summer tours are back with a combination of old favorites and exciting new discoveries. From boats and buses, to beers and bays, you’re sure to find a tour that fits your interests! Purchase tickets at brownpapertickets.com; tours are selling out, so sign up today.

Tours run throughout the summer. Upcoming tours include:

Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery
Saturday, August 7
10 a.m. to noon

Georgetown Brews
Saturday, August 14
3 to 5 p.m.

Seattle’s Herstory: Celebrating a Century of Suffrage
Sunday, August 15
10 a.m. to noon

Seattle’s Herstory: Celebrating a Century of Suffrage
Thursday, August 19
6 to 8 p.m.

Clock Walk: Time, Tides and Transportation
Saturday, August 21
10 a.m.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct
Saturday, August 21
10 a.m. to noon

Elliott Bay Boat Tour
Saturday, August 28
10 a.m. to noon

For a complete listing of all topics, dates, and ticket prices, visit our calendar.

HISTORY CAFEHISTORY CAFE

Seafair:
The Real Story
Thursday, August 19
6 p.m. social hour
7 p.m. program

Pub at Third Place in Ravenna

MOHAI, KCTS 9, Seattle Public Libraries and Third Place Books host a discussion with historian Alan Stein about the origins of the Seattle summer event “Seafair”. Parades, hydroplane races, pirates, ethnic celebrations, and neighborhood street fairs are all part of these celebrations. Alan Stein will tell us about the beginnings of this massive Seattle event and lead a discussion about its history. Come early for Happy Hour at The Pub and Vios Café, and stay for beers and casual conversation following the program. Meet at Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. NE, in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood. Free.

SPECIAL EVENTSPECIAL EVENT

Boeing Appreciation Day

Sunday, August 8
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free admission for Boeing employees and retirees

Everyone will enjoy a new display highlighting the history of The Boeing Company and Plant 2; children’s activities including a craft area and history trunk display; docent-led tours of Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices (Green Merrill Gallery, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) and Essential Seattle (Meet in Lobby at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.). Stop by and enjoy the fun!

REGISTER NOWREGISTER NOW


MOHAI and Seattle Children’s Theatre Summer Camp!

August 9 – 13

MOHAI and Seattle Children’s Theatre are partnering to bring alive Seattle’s Boomtown! period. With SCT instructors, children in grades 3-6 will reenact important historic events that helped Seattle grow including logging, building the railroads, and tackling the Great Seattle Fire. MOHAI educators will help kids build their own exhibit using artifacts and images from the late 1800s. This exhibit will be on display in MOHAI all summer, so come by and see their hard work! This camp is offered the week of August 9– August 13! To sign your child up for this camp, visit Seattle Children’s Theatre website.
 

LAST CHANCELAST CHANCE

A Seattle Lens on Global Ties:
Photographs by
Bill Stafford Closes Sunday, August 15

These striking photographs from the travels of Bill Stafford capture the beauty, humanity and cultural diversity of the global community. The exhibit is located in McCurdy Gallery. Call 206-324-1126 or check www.seattlehistory.org to be sure McCurdy Gallery is available as it may be closed for a private event.

Take home one of the beautiful photographs from this exhibit and support MOHAI! They would make a great gift. Prices range from $40-$100. Contact Visitor Services at 206-324-1126.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Return to
Mukl-te-oh

Sunday, August 22
2 to 5 p.m.

The Descendants Committee of Seattle hosts “Return to Muckl-te-oh,” a remembrance gathering commemorating the 155th anniversary of the signing of the Point Elliott Treaty. At Mukilteo Lighthouse Park on Sunday, August 22, the event kick-offs the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival and highlights include a tribal canoe entry, as well as native drumming and dancing. 

LIVE PERFORAMCESLIVE PERFORAMCES

Pushing up the Sky
Sunday, August 22
1 to 3 p.m.
MOHAI Auditorium

Friends of Yesler Swamp and MOHAI present “Pushing Up the Sky,” a program of audience participation plays for children based on Snohomish tribal legend and folktales from around the world, followed by a naturalist guided nature walk. For ages 3 and up; suggested donation $10 per family.

Proceeds will go to the restoration and preservation of Yesler Swamp, a unique piece of nature in the heart of the city. 

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSION

Will Your Vote Count? A Look at 100 Years of Suffrage and How Voting is Changing Today

Thursday, September 9
7:30 to 9 p.m.

MOHAI and the League of Women Voters host a stimulating panel discussion exploring how American democracy has been affected by the female voter.  Light refreshments provided.  Free.

HUSKY PARKINGHUSKY PARKING

Husky Parking is now available at the Klondike Stampeders ($250) level of Sustaining Membership! Our Husky Parkers tailgate at McCurdy Park and then enjoy a short stroll over the Montlake Bridge to Husky Stadium.

Purchase a membership online (put the phrase “Husky Parking” in the notes section), or call 206-324-1126 x0. A membership packet and parking permit will be sent to you in time for the 1st home game, September 11. Thank you for supporting MOHAI and GO DAWGS!

SAVE THE DATESAVE THE DATE

History Makers Gala 2010
Friday, November 5
6 to 9 p.m.

MOHAI’s 25th annual gala will be held on Friday, November 5, 6 to 9 p.m. at Fremont Studios. The Red Carpet Evening will feature guest speaker Tom Skerritt. For more information, contact Sarah Egan at 206-324-1126 ext. 56 or by email.
  Photo Credits:Women Putting up Posters in Seattle (1910). Washington State Historical Society.Kenworth workers posing with airplane part, Seattle, June 15, 1944. Museum of History & Industry.Untitled, c. 1930.  Richard Bennett.A Seattle Lens on Global Ties: Peking, China, 2009. Photo by Bill Stafford.Chief Sealth, 1864.

“Pushing Up the Sky.” Illustration, Teresa Flavin.

Naval Reserve Building at Lake Union Park.  Photo by Kathleen Knies.

  
  Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
McCurdy Park, 2700 24th Ave East, Seattle, WA 98112		  

MOHAI FEATURES

FREE ADMISSION
First Thursday
August 5
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Get a closer look at MOHAI’s exhibits by joining one of our gallery tours led by skilled MOHAI docents. Free admission and free gallery tours at 11 a.m.,
3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

LIVE PERFORMANCE
First Thursday
August 5
6 p.m.

On Free First Thursday, there will be a special performance at 6 p.m. Living Voices presents “Hear My Voice,” the tale of one woman’s struggle for her right to vote. Drop in for this performance and stay for a discussion led by Living Voices Artistic Director Rachel McClinton.


BECOME A MEMBER
It’s easy to sign up for membership or to renew your existing membership online. Members receive free admission year round, invitations to exclusive members-only events, guest passes and much more. Click here and join us today!


SUPPORT MOHAI
Your gift to the Annual Fund supports everything from exhibits to education programs. Please consider making your tax-deductible gift now. Thank you!

MUSUEM CLOSED
Monday, August 30

MOHAI will be closed on August 30th for a staff retreat.


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Visit MOHAI | Calendar & Events | Learning | Collections & Research | Museum Store

Police launch online system for reporting low-level crimes

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Used with permission: Seattle Times, July 22nd, 2010

By Lauren C. Williams

Seattle Times staff reporter

To access the Seattle Police Department’s online crime-reporting system, go to the department’s homepage at www.seattle.gov/police and click the “File a Report” quick link or go directly to

http://www.seattle.gov/police/report/default.htm

Source: Seattle Police Department

Seattle police have launched a new online system that will allow residents to report low-level property crimes.

The new system will allow crime victims to report property thefts of less than $500, property-damage crimes, car break-ins and identity theft.

“These crimes are those when an officer is not needed at the scene,” said police spokesman Detective Mark Jamieson.

The new online-reporting system is just an option, Jamieson said, and doesn’t replace calling the Seattle Police Department’s nonemergency number at 206-625-5011.

The online-reporting system is not for emergencies, Jamieson said. Citizens in danger or who have an emergency should call 911.

Jamieson said that people are encouraged to use the online system to report a low-level property crime if the suspect is gone, or when there is little to no information on a suspect.

The benefit of the online-reporting system is that it “empowers people to fill out their own police report,” Jamieson said. He said the online system will lessen call volume for police-call operators.

He said citizens won’t have to wait for a police officer to show up to the crime scene, which sometimes can take hours depending on how many other crimes require police presence.

After an online report is filed, it will go to a Police Department supervisor who will examine and approve the report. The approved report will then be sent to the police record-management system, where it is investigated like any other police report.

The reporting party can print a copy of the report.

Victims receive an incident number after filing the online report and it takes up five days for them to be processed for approval, Jamieson said.

The online reports can be updated online and do not have to be refiled if the victim finds additional information, according to the police website.

CleanScapes Community Awards – Status Update #1

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As previously announced, the Thursday Collection Neighborhoods will receive $50,000 towards a community improvement project. The Thursday collection area includes portions of the following neighborhoods: Montlake, Capitol Hill, Madison Park, Madrona, Madison Valley, and First Hill. For Montlake the area is restricted to the East side of 24th Avenue East. Award money must be spent on capital improvements, not maintenance materials or labor.

The last date for project submission is July 31, 2010. In August CleanScapes will begin the cost estimating process for all of the project proposals and in early Fall the Project Selection Committee will review the eligible projects. The winning project(s) will be announced in October.

The Montlake Community Club has submitted a project to improve the South-East Montlake Gateway Park. The Montlake representative on the Project Selection Committee is Patricia Shannon-Garvey with Janice Rabkin as an alternate.  For further information contact GatewayParks@Montlake.net

The proposal is as follows:

Name: Montlake SE Gateway Park

Location: The SE corner of 24th Ave E and Boyer Ave E marks one entrance to
Montlake, recently designated a “Historic District”.

Description: (size, purpose, use): The Montlake Community Club owns the property that was deeded to it for public/community use. It anchors access to the Arboretum, SR 520, Lake Washington communities, northbound buses and the University of Washington.

Install:
1) A gravel path with steps connecting Boyer Ave E. to the bus shelter on 24th Ave E. – northbound. This would take pedestrians off the busy streets and bypass the
corner where a fatality occurred;
2) A kiosk with illustrations of native plants, birds that use this as a corridor from the Arboretum to Interlaken Park ravine, the sponsor, CleanScapes, reason for the award (recycling), and that we compost all yard waste right on the property and mulch several times a year to reduce water usage. We might add a history of Montlake and photos describing its use overtime – from private, to deeded community/public use, to aesthetic urban green space.

Added value:
Aesthetics-The Montlake Community Club is already working to beautify the site. Volunteers have cleared dead trees and brush, added native plants and mulch, watered plants and weeded the area.
Traffic calming – Improved landscaping and aesthetics is likely to promote traffic calming. Research suggests a correlation between the appearance of a neighborhood and the behavior of drivers.
Safety – On this corner in 2008, there was a pedestrian fatality. There have been numerous bicycle accidents, automobile accidents and pedestrian injuries. A walking path and improved visibility may increase safety and reduce pedestrian injuries.
Access – Street scale improvements promote walking.

Materials Needed: Gravel for path, appropriate material for steps, and wood and
shingles for kiosk.

Estimated Material Cost: approximately $6,000.

Montlake SE Gateway Park Plan

SR520 – Coalition Summer Update

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Summertime 2010, and our 520 work goes on…

The Coalition for a Sustainable SR 520 continues to work steadily to prevent the current awful plans from happening.    The “preferred alternative” would add congestion, noise, and health problems to our area without solving the underlying need to get people more easily to their destinations.

We have done a lot of work on the prospects for financing SR 520.  Look for interesting results in the near future!   The Gogerty Marriott firm is helping us with how best to present this information to the public.

Coalition members have been active in interviewing candidates for various public offices.  We ask you all to get involved in the upcoming elections; make sure that candidates in your area are opposed to the preferred alternative, and will only support a solution which is financially feasible, which limits lanes 5 and 6 to bus and/or light rail, which has adequate lids and noise protection, and which has 4 lanes only from Montlake to I-5.  These features would take care of most of the issues.

The traffic issues are central to all our communities, and the proposed plans would congeal Montlake, Portage Bay, Roanoke Park, and north Capitol Hill.  They would also prevent people in Laurelhurst and Madison Park from being able to get to and from their neighborhoods.   We have defined the issues for the city, and asked the mayor to take a strong stand.  We will continue working with the city.  Our lawyer is also working to make sure that the city and state don’t swap properties in advance of the final environmental review.

The taking of open space and parks is another central issue.   We may be forced into lawsuits once the final environmental review is published, but meanwhile we continue to talk with elected officials on the need to preserve our heritage … bays, trees, parkland, open space.   The historic site issues are being worked by Roanoke Park, Montlake, and the boating communities.  They’ve done fine, steady work but not much to report now.

The legislature formed three workgroups which will be addressing issues related to SR 520.   The city council will be holding hearings, and we will be asking you to come to some of those hearings.

We have had zero response to our comments on the SDEIS.   They are on record in case we need them for lawsuits later,  and it’s unfortunate that no one seems to have read them… they contain a lot of information that would be useful to  city, state, and federal officials.

So there is a great deal of work going on, laying foundations we will use later.   Thanks once more for your support!

Fran Conley,coordinator,206- 328-4444; Ted Lane, President Roanoke Park /Portage Bay Community Council ; Anita Bowers, Jonathan Dubman, and Robert Rosencrantz, Montlake Community Council; Maurice Cooper, Madison Park Community Council; Colleen McAleer and Jean Amick, Laurelhurst Community Club;  Nancy Brainard, North Capitol Hill Neighborhood Association; Gary Stone, boating community. Fundraising chair Mabry DeBuys. Treasurer Mary Ann Mundy