Views of 12th Ave Fests past (Images: CHS)

It’s official—after three years of street-based revelry, the 12th Ave Festival will not be returning this year. Originally created as a way to brand and market the emerging 12th Ave business district, the festival brought together nascent upstarts in the area to celebrate the forming community.

Three years later, that goal has been accomplished.

“In meetings with the businesses after last year’s festival, people said they really liked it,” said Alex Brennan at Capitol Hill Housing, who helped organize the annual event. ”But we all agreed it felt like we achieved our goals that we set out in the beginning—great relationships between businesses had been formed, and a strong 12th Avenue identity had emerged.”

While the festival won’t be returning, Brennan says there are many more exciting 12th Ave happenings in store.

On June 11th, Capitol Hill Housing will be holding its annual Community Forum to discuss “neighborhood change, affordability, and the neighborhood character,” according to Brennan. “That’s the things that’s exciting about these new relationships on 12th—these new small business communities have informed much of that character we will be discussing at the forum, which is something we want to preserve as we continue to develop.”

On July 27-28, 206 Zulu will be hosting “Boogie Up the Block“ on 14th Ave between Spruce Street and E Yesler Way, and E Fir Street between 12th and 15th Ave. The urban arts festival will include soul, funk, hip hop and reggae music stretching across three stages, as well as a variety of food vendors and arts and crafts activities.

Also in the works for the fall is the grand opening celebration for the 12th Ave Square Park. The park, slated to open up next to Cherry Street Coffee and Ba Bar on E James Court, was funded by a Seattle Parks Levy. The intention is to turn James Ct. into a “woonerf” defined by the Parks Department as “a street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists.”

There are few details available yet in the holdup reported in the 300 block of Belmont Ave E just after 2:30 AM Saturday.

According to the preliminary report information on the incident, the robbery occurred on the street and reportedly involved a handgun. No medical units were dispatched to the area at the time.

We’ll update when we get more information from SPD on the incident.

Project/Description of Work: 
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will install a red reflective ring on low-flow fire hydrants in your neighborhood. Low-flow hydrants are defined as those that deliver less than 500 gallons of water per minute.

The red ring provides a distinct and very visible way for Seattle Fire Department personnel to quickly and easily identify low-flow hydrants in cases of emergency.

Low-flow hydrants are fully operational, but output less water per minute than other hydrants. The clearly marked hydrants aid firefighters by helping ensure that the best fire-suppression tactics are chosen when operating a low-flow hydrant.

More than 18,000 fire hydrants are located throughout the City of Seattle of which about 70 are classified as low-flow hydrants and will be tagged with the red ring.

Dates/Times: Crews will begin installing the rings the week of May 20 and expect to have all low-flow hydrants throughout the city marked by the end of May 2013.

Contacts: If you have questions about this work, please contact SPU Hydrant Crew Chief Charles Jackson at (206) 396-1826 or charles.jackson@seattle.gov.

For questions about fire safety in your neighborhood, contact Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Kyle Moore at (206) 386-1679 or kyle.moore@seattle.gov.

• Pike/Pine dives deep as Narwhal ready for debut ‘neath the Unicorn
  
• Police looking for suspect who woman says strangled her in Capitol Hill attack
• Capitol Hill’s The Social, EVO pair up for first weekend of E Olive Way dancing
• A look at Bauhaus as one of the ‘big three’ in Seattle’s coffee history
• Re-inventing a Capitol Hill steakhouse
• When light rail is complete, should it be Capitol Hill Station or Broadway Station?
• New chapter for old Horizon Books house on 15th Ave E

There has been a lot of concern about this increasingly upward trend of Micro-Housing, also known as “APODments”, small, single occupancy units sometimes with shared kitchens. The Capitol Hill Community Council has been addressing this issue for some time, and the City Council has hosted forums to explore citizen concerns.

The micro-housing movement has been expanding beyond Capitol Hill into the Central District, First Hill and other East Precinct neighborhoods. With a rising demand for affordable housing, these units provide a way for young singles, professionals and retired folks to actually be able to live in Seattle, close to work, restaurants and entertainment venues, and also bring rich diversity to neighborhoods. These small units are not only affordable, but provide updated amenities such as free internet.

It seems like a simple solution. Or is it? What are the concerns of some citizens who reside in the neighborhoods near these developments?  Zoning loopholes, shortage of parking, transitional, short term residents?  What are the benefits to folks living in the units?

We hope to answer some of these and other questions at our Thursday, May 23^rd East Precinct Advisory Board (EastPAC) Community Meeting. This is our effort to address a quality of life issues and proactively develop mutually beneficial solutions.

Guests include The Stranger’s Dominic Holden, who recently wrote an informative article on this issue; Miriam Roskin, Manager for Planning and Policy, City of Seattle’s Office of Housing; and a representative from the City’s Department of Planning and Development.

The takeaway is, in our effort to be proactive, we will advocate for East Precinct citizens, likely in collaboration with the other city wide Precinct Advisory Councils, who’s constituencies are likely experiencing similar issues.

I am encouraging you to attend.

East Precinct Advisory Council Community Meeting, Thursday, May 23; 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Seattle University’s Chardin Hall, 1020 East Jefferson

Enter the campus at 11^th and East Jefferson, park FREE in the lot

Enter the building and turn right down the hall

Jeffrey Cook frantically adds names to the giant list of Capitol Hill arts organizations

“The culture and the arts are really core to the identity of this neighborhood—there needs to be policy that will allow for its preservation, so that there can be an arts ecology here,” said Randy Engstrom, recently appointed director of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture.

And boy, is Capitol Hill’s arts ecology dense.

Discussion leader Jeffrey Cook struggled to keep up as the makeshift think tank that formed at Thursday’s Capitol Hill Community Council-hosted arts forum shouted out a litany arts organizations to add to the an arts mailing list, which quadrupled in the span of five minutes.

Greg Carter of Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Lila Hurwitz of Artist Trust, and Steve Jensen, local sculptor and artist, joined Engstrom on the arts panel for the night — “Arts on Capitol Hill: What we have and How to Keep it.” The discussion was equal parts celebration and criticism, ranging from breathless praise of the 12th Ave Arts project which recently broke ground, to a lengthy debate on whether or not the name “Capitol Hill Blitz” is “too german” and misleading for the monthly arts walk.

Hurwitz talked about the lack of awareness artists seem to have about the various grants available to them. “It always surprises me when I meet artists who don’t know we have free money to give them,” Hurwitz said. “Anyone in any discipline can apply for our Artist Trust fellowships—I hope that we can ge the word out in the community here on the Hill about what we can offer.” Engstrom echoed the sentiment—Seattle Arts and Culture has money to give to artists who need support.

The Cultural Overlay District Advisory Committee (CODAC) was also a central focus at the meeting. Frank Video, legislative assistant to City Council member Nick Licata, explained the CODAC’s purpose as a response to the community’s call for cultural preservation. The CODAC resolution would designate “Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood as an Arts District and approv[e] a plan to protect and promote the cultural vitality of the District.” CHS reported on the opportunities and challenges in creating a district on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

The overhauled and more accesible Volunteer Park playground was celebrated Friday night with music — and lots of play.

(Images: Jim Simandl for CHS)

Opened to the public last month after a $600,000 construction project to create new paths, bridges and play structures while maintaining popular existing features like the Block (“bone”) play sculpture created by artist Chas Smith in 1962.

City and Seattle Parks officials including City Council member Sally Bagshaw were on hand as Choir5 from nearby Stevens Elementary performed. And, while it wasn’t exactly a sunny late afternoon, it didn’t rain on the new simulated fossils, musical play sculptures, sand box and more added to the more than 100-year-old Olmsted Brothers park. The popular wade pool returns to service — now with new paths, benches and a picnic area — again in June.

More pictures below.

(Image: Lucky 8s)

One of the smaller entities in the transformation of 14th and Union into an island of food and drink activity is closing its doors after one last night of service — and delivery.

Lucky 8s China House will shut down tonight after just under a year and a half of operation on 14th Ave.

Owner Bracey Rogers confirmed the closure with CHS.

“Unfortunately, we just were not getting enough business to support all the overhead,” Rogers said. “We definitely had [our] diehard fans, but just not enough.”

The restaurant opened in time for New Year’s Day 2012.

“We’ll have a lot of dishes that people will be familiar with,” the project’s chef Justin Strnad said at the time. “We’re not fusion or anything. It’s our version of Chinese/American food. Housemade everything.”

Lucky 8s was built out of the space created by the overhaul of the old La Panzanella bakery for Oola. Belltown transplant Zoe filled its neighboring space while bear bar Diesel snuggled it to the north. The venture worked hard for notoriety amidst a wave of new food+drink players on the Hill. A mini-wave of Chinese-themed eateries also opened up around the same time including Chungee’s, Regent Bakery and the ill-fated Bako where Bait Shop floats today.

After closing down Friday night, Rogers says there will be a party for staff and regulars on Saturday. The restauranteur says Lucky 8s has been an education.

“The whole process has been a great learning experience for me,” he writes. “Hopefully I will be carrying this knowledge on to a potential new project.”

Statement by City Councilmember Tim Burgess
(Seattle, WA) – Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess, a candidate for Mayor of Seattle, today issued the following statement:
“Our city needs new and visionary leadership in the Mayor’s office that truly brings people
together to accomplish great things for all of Seattle. I had hoped to provide that leadership as
Mayor.

“It is critically important that we elect a new Mayor. However, with so many qualified candidates in the field, my continued candidacy may dilute the chance of achieving the positive change Seattle needs. After much deliberation, I have chosen not to continue as a candidate. Instead, I will continue to serve this city that I love from my position on the City Council, the most rewarding job of my life.

“I will keep working so that our most vulnerable neighbors and families are better cared for, especially our schoolchildren who deserve a great education that prepares them for college and a career. I will continue my work to transform our Police Department, support our officers, ensure public safety and rebuild the public’s trust in their work.

“My family and I reached this decision together after careful reflection. Seattle has been our home all of our lives—Joleen and I have never lived anywhere else. I owe this incredible place so much for all that it has given to me in life. “I am deeply grateful to all of my supporters from all parts of the city. Thank you for your trust and confidence and for all that you do for Seattle.”

The man arrested following Sunday night’s stabbing in Cal Anderson has been charged in the crime. 38-year-old Jeremy Nelson faces one count of second degree assault for the attack that the victim says started when he pushed away Nelson’s pit bull Zeus as it was running around without a leash in the park. The victim suffered a significant gash below his ribs in the attack. According to police, one witness said it could have been worse as the attacker also tried to stab the victim in the neck.Police recovered a knife believed to be the one Nelson used in the attack in the grass of the park following his arrest.Prosecutors say Nelson’s criminal record includes convictions for assault and weapons charges as well as various drug charges including a 1997 drug “delivery” conviction. Nelson also faces a drug charge following Sunday night’s arrest after police say they found a small packet containing a substance suspected to be heroin in Nelson’s pocket.

Thanks to @nursebeckus for the picture

• The driver in this early Saturday morning rollover crash on E Madison has been charged with driving under the influence. Aaron Russell, 25, pleaded not guilty to DUI earlier this week and faces a June hearing. Police say Russell registered readings of .196 and .198 in two blood alcohol level tests administered following the crash — two and half times the legal limit. Police say Russell told officers he had been drinking at Neighbours earlier that night. There were no significant injuries reported in the crash.
• Michael Heintz, 55, has been charged with DUI and reckless driving after a collision just after 2 AM Thursday at Broadway and Pike. There were no serious injuries in the crash. Heintz will enter a plea at a hearing Saturday.
•  32-year-old Nolan Deits will enter a plea at a Saturday hearing on his DUI charge after being stopped by police near 10th and Pike early Wednesday morning.