Nominations being accepted for Neighborhood Appreciation Day

Know someone in your community who contributes in a unique way? You can nominate them for an award as part of Madrona’s annual Neighborhood Appreciation Day event, slated for mid-March (official date TBA). Co-hosted by the Madrona Community Council and Madrona K-8 in conjunction with the City of Seattle, it recognizes neighbors for the positive impact they have on those around them.

You can nominate a neighbor by emailing MCC co-VP Paige Smith ([email protected]) with a few sentences describing your nominee and how they contribute to the Madrona community.

There are four award categories – you can learn more about previous winners by visiting the MCC webpage for Neighborhood Appreciation Day.

  • The Nora Award: Named in honor of Madrona activist Nora Wood, this award is given to a Madrona resident who, over time and in ways both large and small, has left a personal mark on the community.
  • The Local Hero Award: Given to a Madrona resident for an act of heroism, singular kindness or generosity.
  • The Tyrone Love Unsung Hero Award: Given to a Madrona resident for service to others in the larger community.
  • The Madrona Resident for Life Award: Bestowed upon a long-time, active resident who has left Madrona but remains dearly missed.

Free wine tastings at Bottlehouse, Dulces

For those looking to get your wine-on free of charge, Madrona has several opportunities in the coming weeks and months.

The folks at Bottlehouse are hosting monthly free tastings with celebrated Washington winemakers starting this week and going until April, as part of their “Washington Wine Country Comes to Bottlehouse” series. Bottlehouse has partnered with Washington Wine 9 for the series. The first tasting is this Thursday, Jan. 20 from 6-8pm with Kerloo Cellars. 

And Dulces Latin Bistro, which as we’ve reported is moving from Madrona to 1314 E. Union Street and becoming Kava Bistro & Wine, has two free Wednesday wine tastings left at their current location. This week from 5-8pm, you can sample three Italian wines, two Argentinian red wines and a French Cabernet.

Community Bingo Night at Madrona K-8

Madrona K-8 continues to open its doors to the community with events like the upcoming Bingo Night on Friday, Jan. 21. An annual tradition for the school, this event is free and open to all families in the community, with prizes of all types.

Donated bake sale items and popcorn will be for sale during Bingo Night in support of the PTSA and afterschool programs; all baked goods are welcome, so you can simply show up with a platter of goodies.

The school will also be collecting items from the 2010 Madrona “Teacher Holiday Wish List,” viewable on the PTSA volunteer page. Check out the list to see if there’s an item you can bring in – it can be as basic as a pack of pencils.

The fun kicks off at 7pm in the school library. Who’s planning to attend?

glassybaby Seconds Sale set for January 22

If you think it’s weird for us to be notifying you of a sale that’s still nine days away, you clearly need to watch this video of the madness at a previous glassybaby seconds sale.

The much-anticipated sale at the Madrona shop (which we wrote about last time around) officially starts at 10am on Saturday, Jan. 22, but savvy shoppers know to line up early (like, hours). The votives are on sale for $26 for the classic glassybaby and $32 for the taller “drinker.”

Some shopping tips from glassybaby:

  • Major credit cards, cash and checks will be accepted
  • BUT the cash and checks line moves faster!
  • No gift cards will be accepted during the sale.
  • Bring your own box, basket or bag to tote home your goodies.
  • Bring a lighter or flashlight to test the glow.
  • All sales final; no phone orders.

Do you have any war stories from past glassybaby seconds sales to share?

Green Plate Special brings youth gardening to MLK corner

The empty lot on the southwest corner of MLK Way and East Union will have a tenant for at least the next three years, as Green Plate Special, a “garden-to-table” program for low income and underserved youth, moves in this month.

Co-founded by Laura Dewell and Libby Sinclair, a culinary professional and former Seattle Public School teacher, respectively, Green Plate Special will work with grades 5-8 in the Central District-Madrona pilot program.

Their vision, Dewell explained, is for the corner to ultimately serve as a hub for youth to plant, grow, harvest and cook their own food.

The land owner, local real estate and development firm the Madrona Company is leasing the land to Green Plate Special for only the cost of property taxes and overhead.  The Madrona Company has long been planning a mixed-use development on the lot, but that project has been pushed on the back burner due to the state of the economy and real estate market.

Max Liebowitz of the Madrona Company said he was encouraged to see something positive happening in the vacant lot, as records showed nothing has existed there since the regrade.

“I think it’s going to change a lot of the perspective about the Central District,” Liebowitz said at last week’s Madrona Community Council meeting.

Dewell and Sinclair are coordinating groundbreaking/work party in the next few weeks, ideally by early February. We’ll provide details when there’s a firm date.

Here’s more on the Green Plate Special mission, from their website:

Our mission is to be part of a movement that provides access to and tools for our low income Seattle youth to become the healthiest next generation, breaking the cycle that surrounds inadequate diet, poor eating habits, and the lack of access to and knowledge of healthy whole foods. This new generation of young people will be good citizens, who understand the rewards of taking on new responsibilities and have the resources and personal power to make a happy and productive life for themselves and their own future families.

Through gardening and cooking we will actively empower our next generation to take on new responsibilities and to make healthy choices regarding their bodies and their minds. GPS will teach practical everyday life skills with a focus on local and sustainable earth-healthy food. We will cultivate connections between the land, the food we eat, and the impacts of these elements on daily health and nutrition.

Madrona K-8 Open Houses & School Tours

It’s not too early to start thinking about the school year that starts in fall 2011 (yikes). From the folks at Madrona K-8, here’s news on open houses and school tours:

Come visit Madrona K-8, see classes in session, meet the principal and teachers, hear from current families, ask questions and learn more about all that is going on at Madrona – now and into the future.

Evening Open House: Thursday, January 13, 2011 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Day Tour: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

Evening Open House: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Day Tour: Thursday, February 17, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (NOTE: 2/17 tour is geared to incoming middle school students and families)

Day Tour: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

Day Tour: Tuesday, March 8, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m

All Open Houses and Tours start in the School Library.

NOTE: 

Tours are intended for parents/guardians. Most day tours are generally geared toward incoming kindergarten families, but the entire school will be toured. The 2/17 tour date is specifically structured for incoming middle school students and families.

There’s been a lot about Madrona K-8 in the news recently, but these tours are a good chance to see classes first hand and talk directly with those involved in the school. 

Sewing workshops join Madrona playfield shelterhouse programming

Thanks to the campaign of Madrona Community Council board member Karin Richard, the Madrona playfield shelterhouse is seeing increased programming this winter. We wrote recently about the new Friday morning storytime sessions for kids 5 and under, which have been hugely popular so far with at-capacity crowds as seen in the photo.

Starting next week, the shelterhouse will host a weekly sewing class as well as a monthly sewing workshop through the Garfield Community Center.

The weekly class is for ages 16 and up and runs Tuesday nights from 7:30-9:30, with two sessions from Jan. 11-Feb. 8 and Feb. 15-March 15. Cost is $25 and you can bring a sewing machine or share with a friend.

The workshop is on one Sunday a month from 12-4pm, Jan. 23, Feb. 20 and March 20, for $25 a class. Here’s the description from the Garfield CC:

Each month will have a different theme fitting with the season, taught by a professional clothing designer. Workshops for this quarter will feature: wine bags, gift bags, and learn how to follow a pattern for skirts or pants. If you register ahead, you may also choose to work on your own personal project that you need help with. Call to find out what the theme/project of the month is. Basic sewing skills required to register for the workshops.

You can register for classes online or call 206-684-4788. 

Dulces headed for Broadway

UPDATE: More details from the always-informed Nancy Leson: the new incarnation will be called “Kava Bistro and Wine.” The new pizza spot will be run by Darren Pritt, co-founder of Madrona’s Neighborhood Cooking Foundation. More info as we hear it…

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When Dulces Latin Bistro closes on 34th Ave for the last time later this month, owners Carlos Kainz and Julie Guerrero will only be just getting started. They’re headed for the hustle of a much bigger, busier Seattle street, Central District News has learned.

Dulces is planning to re-open in Capitol Hill in the new Joule development on Broadway later this spring, Madrona Dining & Sipping Society organizer Audrey Seale tells us. In the meantime, Madrona will see a new “stone-oven” pizza restaurant take over the former Dulces space at 1430 34th Ave.

Kainz and Guerrero said that the economy was the main factor in the move from Madrona and that making ends meet here had been a struggle.

In an email, they wrote that they were “forced to move in order to survive” but hope the new venture will give the opportunity for a new start.

During the last five days of business, they will offer a 20% discount to neighbors to thank them for their support over the years.

Madrona K-8 proposes community readerboard

Last night’s Madrona Community Council meeting produced plenty of news, and we’ll share it with you over the next few days.

One topic that is likely of interest to community members is Madrona K-8’s plan to build a readerboard sign on the corner of 33rd and Union. The PTSA won’t be meeting formally to discuss the proposal until next week, but the tentative plan is to apply to the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund program for a $5000 grant, with an equivalent amount to be matched by community fundraising.

The design and style of the readerboard is yet to be determined, though it will likely be the removable-letter style (not electronic). The tentative location is on the corner across from Madrona-Sally Goldmark Library, one block east from the Madrona tree sculpture in the photo.

According to PTSA Vice President of Outreach Barney Mansavage, the readerboard would be encouraged to be used by the community, not just the school. For example, the community council could share news of meetings, festivals or events and BOOM (Business Owners of Madrona) could use it to promote non-commercial events like the 34th and Union Street Festival.

The grant application is due in May so don’t expect to see a sign until mid-2011.

What do you think? Would Madrona benefit from a community readerboard?