Madrona blogger moving on

You may have noticed a decline in the postings on the Madrona section of CDN in the last month. I’m sad to say my year of blogging and living in the neighborhood has come to a close with the end of my apartment lease, and I’ve moved about 15 minutes westward to Eastlake.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone in the Madrona community, and I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has shared news tips and comments on these posts. I trust Tom and the rest of the CDN gang will find ways to fill my blogging shoes. (If you’re interested in writing, shoot them an email.)

See you all around soon.

Madrona Community Council agenda for March meeting

The March meeting of the MCC is tomorrow night, March 1, at 7:15pm in the Madrona playfield shelterhouse. Check out the proposed agenda below and as always, the meeting is open to all residents and interested community members.

  • Central Area District Council meeting update
  • MCC Communications Strategy update
  • Events update – Neighborhood Appreciation Day & Mayfair 
  • BOOM and MCC  – updates on how they can work together
  • Finance update 
  • Newsletter update

Not too soon to volunteer for Madrona Mayfair

Warnings of snow aside, the hard workers behind Madrona’s famous Mayfair are already gearing up for this year’s event, planned for Saturday, May 14th from 9am-12:30pm at the Madrona Playfield. 

The festival, with a parade, booths, pony rides, face painting and more, has traditionally drawn hundreds of kids and families from Madrona and beyond, and it’s one of the community’s signature events.

Madrona Community Council board member Stacey Kryman is heading up the organization this year. Those interested in volunteering should contact her at [email protected]. The first planning meeting for volunteers will be held Wednesday March 2nd, 7:30pm at Bottlehouse.

Madrona K-8 basketball teams win championships

Congratulations to the Madrona K-8 girls and boys basketball teams for sweeping the middle school K-8 championships on Saturday. The boys team beat Ballard’s Broadview-Thompson K-8 and the girls toppled Magnolia’s Blaine K-8 at Washington Middle School.

A celebration – including trophies and a banner at the school gym – are in the works. The photos show the victorious squads post-game. Did anyone make it to games in person? 

Special hours for Valentine’s Day at Bottlehouse

Looking for last-minute Valentine’s Day plans? Bottlehouse will be open for special Monday Valentine’s Day hours from 6-11pm. 

Here’s the details:

Live Music, Special Wine Pairings … & Dessert Bar hosted by some of Seattle’s most notable confectioneries, including everyone’s favorite dessert truck, High Five Pies, and Madrona’s own Cupcake Royale. Limited seats.

It’s down to the wire so you should still call (206-708-7164) to reserve a spot. 

Any other Valentine’s Day happenings in Madrona we should know about?

Meet artist and Madrona resident Trimpin at Central Cinema tonight

Did you know Madrona is home to a MacArthur Genius Grant winner and Stanford artist-in-residence? You can meet this illustrious neighborhood resident, artist-sculptor-inventor Trimpin, and watch a screening of the biographical film on his work tonight at Central Cinema.

The intrepid Audrey Seale of the Madrona Dining & Sipping Society has organized a pre-movie meet & greet starting at 6:30pm. The film, Trimpin, the Sound of Invention features the Kronos Quartet and will be shown at 8pm.

Trimpin’s works have been displayed in museums around the world – close to home, you may also have seen his work, Contraption, at Sea-Tac Airport in Terminal A.

Tickets are available today for $10. 

Madrona K-8 student featured on KING5

Local 8th grader Tyrell Cummings, a student at Madrona K-8 was featured in KING5’s “HealthLink” series this weekend. The segment showcased his three-year battle with obesity and successful evolution to a healthy, active lifestyle, including a crucial role on the school’s basketball team.

Check out the video below – and remember that Madrona K-8 has a school open house this evening (Tuesday) from 6:30-7:30pm in the library for interested families and students.

 

 

Family-friendly pizzeria plans to open in April; takes over Dulces space

This weekend we noticed lights and movement in the now-empty Dulces space on 34th and Pike. It turned out to be Darren and Janine Pritt starting the opening process for their new restaurant, Pritty Boys’ Family Pizzeria.

Tentatively slated for an April 1 opening, the new restaurant will not serve wood-fired pizza (as previously reported) but will be a nostalgic take on the pizza parlors of Darren’s youth with a more classic pie. Darren, who also owns Belltown’s Branzino, has Branzino’s chef Quinton Stewart consulting on menu development. While they’re not shooting for high-end gourmet, Janine says, “we want it to be good pizza.”

They plan to offer takeout (though not delivery) and be open for lunch and dinner, with additional options like pastas, appetizers and salads. There will be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options as well. 

The atmosphere will be uber-family-friendly along the lines of nearby Madrona Eatery & Alehouse and Vios on Capitol Hill. The Pritts, who live in Madrona and have three sons ages 12, 10 and 1, wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant that everyone in a family could enjoy. So they are planning a devoted play area for younger kids in the main dining room and a game room for older kids in what used to be Dulces’ cigar room, with a Nintendo Wii and other electronics in an updated take on pizza parlor arcade games. They’re installing old-style red booths with butcher paper on the tables.

“The whole idea is that you can go out with another couple and be able to sit down and have a glass of wine and eat and know that the kids are entertained as well,” said Janine. 

That’s not to say that the restaurant will be entirely kid-focused – they’ll serve beer and wine, offer wi-fi, and have TVs installed to play sporting events.

Darren may be familiar to Madrona residents as one of the founders of the Neighborhood Cooking Association, which prepares monthly meals for the homeless at St. Clouds Restaurant. 

And finally – yes, the Pritts are aware that take-and-bake Zaw Pizza is still expected to open just a block away (no firm news on the opening date, though we’re hearing March or April), but they feel their styles are different enough that competition won’t be too much of an issue.

What do you think of the newest dining destination to hit the neighborhood?

Green Plate Special groundbreaking and work party

You may have seen the new sign up on the corner of MLK and Union in the empty lot. It’s another step on the way for Green Plate Special, the “garden-to-table” program for low income and underserved youth we wrote about last month.

The program will host a groundbreaking and volunteer work party on Sunday, Feb. 13. The space will eventually serve as a teaching garden and kitchen for middle school youth in the neighborhood. Young volunteers are also welcome, as the project is seeking a core team of 6-8 youth, 11-15 years old, to help design the garden.

Here’s the details of the Feb. 13 event, slated for 10-4:

WHAT WE WILL BE DOING

  • Removing and bagging garbage
  • Helping Todd and the bobcat remove Blackberry roots
  • Loading organic debris onto the truck
  • Piling rock and cement for removal or “creative reuse”
  • Loading garbage onto the truck
  • Helping Todd and the bobcat take down the old brick walls and separate brick to be reused in the garden
  • Planting sweet peas and runner beans at the base of our signs (have you notice they are changing with the property?)

WE HOPE TO

  • Have the trees pruned; if so, there will be wood to cut and stack
  • Level the ground as much as possible in preparation for our next steps
  • Share with you our visions

PLEASE COME

  • Introduce yourselves
  • Lend a hand
  • Share coffee, cocoa and something cold
  • Share a snack (we are looking for snack donations too)
  • If you have special skills to volunteer we welcome your input!
  • All are welcome, though RSVPs are requested to [email protected].

    Madrona Community Council welcomes neighbors at open house

    Curious about what the Madrona Community Council has been up to? The MCC is hosting an open house tomorrow night (Tuesday, Feb 1) prior to their regular February meeting to encourage neighborhood participation and outreach.

    Community members are invited to stop by the Madrona Playfield Shelterhouse at 6:45 for conversation and light refreshments. The regular meeting will kick off at 7:15, covering the topics below:

    • MCC Finance update
    • Communication strategies
    • Elections timing, candidates
    • Event planning: Neighborhood Appreciation Day and Mayfair
    • New Business, other items