Hello all! this is one of the first large events (Tougo Coffee Co Block Party) that we are hoping to sponsor for our neighborhood inhabitants. We have been planing the 1st night out for the TT Minor/Squire Park locals for the last 6 months and on August 5th starting at 4PM,ending at 9PM.
We have gotten a few of you to commit to helping with live music, cooking, clowns need 2 more ;-).

We have 2 Burning Man jugglers, 3 cooks, 2 different jazz sets, and would like some folks to step up and help us out. We need to add a safety captain (will explain) we need a face painter type to paint faces for our children, also someone please make a pinata =) for me. I will throw a latte your way
(wink).

Please shoot me an e-mail or stop by the shop if you have an idea, and or are willing to pitch in. Donations to cover some of the costs of this event are greatly appreciated and a donations will be accepted by check @ Tougo Coffee Co. So please tell one tell all come out and join the fun.

We Love you all.
Thank you

Peace

Brian

Every summer for the 10 years I’ve lived here, I and my neighbors have enjoyed gathering along 23rd and watching our annual Seafair-related community parades.  But there’s been a noticeable trend over the last several years:  fewer and fewer participants and a shorter and shorter parade.

So this is where all of you come in.  Maybe you’re new here (welcome!), or maybe you’ve previously just been a spectator, or maybe you ignored them all together.  The community needs you to help out, march in the parade, and make it a big rousing success.

So you’re probably thinking “why the hell would I be in a parade?”   The reason is up to you.  The key is to get a group of friends and neighbors and create a fun group that can march or drive together and show your CD spirit.  

Here’s some ideas:

• In a blockwatch?  Get your other blockwatch members, create a paper sign to announce who you are, and show your crime-fighting dedication
• In a church?  Do some faith-based community building!  Round up the other church members in the hood and strut your stuff (I’m looking a you, Mars Hillsters)
• Have one of the cool art cars I’ve seen around?  Get your other art-car owning friends and create a “CD Art Wheels” group and show them off along the parade route
• Working on a P-Patch?  Put on your overalls, round up your pitch forks and hoes and advertise your group to the rest of the community

If none of those apply, do something random and fun with your kids, pets, and neighbors – it just takes a little imagination and creativity.

Registration is totally free – just download this form from the community festival’s website.   Just make sure and get it in by the August 5th deadline.

The parade is Saturday August 16th at noon, starting at 23rd & Union and ending at Cherry & MLK.   And its just one part of the larger Central Area Community Festival  taking place at the Garfield Community Center.

Get out.  Participate in your community.  Help make some summer fun.

I decided to post this again as it seemed to get buried behind other articles very quickly. I hope the timing is better now:

Please join friends and neighbors for fun and food at the Squire Park Community
Council’s Annual Barbecue on Saturday, July 12, noon to 2:00 p.m. immediately following the July quarterly meeting held at Langston Hughes. The Squire Park Community Council Board will do the grilling and provide the food. Special activities for children include a clown, a special art project presented by Pratt Fine Arts Center, a visit from a fire truck, bouncy play equipment, and other recreation.

Help bring the best of the new, old, and in between in our neighborhood together for a great event. Meet your neighbors and celebrate your community on July 12, 2008, at Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, located at 104 17th Ave S.

Saturday, July 12, 10:00 AM to noon
Join neighbors and friends for presentations and community discussions.
Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center
104 17th Ave S.
Squire Park Community Council General Meeting
Agenda includes presentations by:
Goodwill Site Developer, Darrell Vange
Swedish Facilities Manager, Darren Ridick

Back in February we mentioned that there was a land use proposal to rezone a row of houses in the 1100 block of 33rd in Madrona, right across the street from Madrona Elementary.    As mentioned in the comments of that original story, the owners of those properties have banded together to sync up their own zoning with that of everything else around them, which is “neighborhood commercial” (NC1-30) instead of their current lowrise multifamily (L2).   The change would allow future development to have about 66% more space in the buildings and allow commercial establishments on the first floor.

Now we’ve gotten word that the rezone has been recommended by the Director of Planning & Development.  The approval did come with some conditions:

• Existing street trees must remain
• No additional curb cuts (driveways) can be added
• New development will need to study parking utilization and access

The next step is a public hearing in front of the Hearing Examiner.  If approved at that level, it will require final approval from the City Council.   

More details at&nbsp http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Notice.aspx?id=8416

From Thurs July 10th 2008

Just wanted to give a heads up regarding the potential budget cuts affecting the King County Sheriff’s Department. According to King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, “under orders from the county budget office to trim spending in the face of a projected $68 million revenue shortfall, Rahr said she plans to eliminate at least 20 sheriff deputy positions, disband a domestic-violence unit and cut back on investigations into drugs, organized crime and ‘cold cases.'”

How do you think these proposed budget cuts will affect the CD?

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008041967

Another gorgeous day in the CD – here’s what’s happening on Wednesday July 9th:

During my morning walk with the dogs today (7/9/08) I found an apparently abandoned bicycle on the sidewalk on Yesler Way near 25th Ave at around 6:45am. I first passed it near the beginning of our walk and found it still there when we came back around later. It seemed pretty clear that it had been abandoned there and not just mistakenly left out where it was because the spot it was at is not really in front of a house and is instead next to a large hedge. There was some damage to the back tire as well that made it unrideable in it’s current state, so my thought is it may have been stolen and then abandoned once damaged. I took the bike back to my house in hopes of finding it’s owner.

If any of you out there have had a bicycle stolen (or know someone who has) then drop a post here and hopefully Scott or someone else on the CDNews World staff can get in touch with me about how to try and return it to a rightful owner. I have purposely not described the bike here because I would like any potential claimnant to describe it so I can determine if it is rightfully yours.

Has anyone noticed an increase in rat problems by the west bound bus stop at 20th and Union? Last night I got off the bus and there were three large rats just hanging out in the underbrush.

Who do I call about this?