Holiday Play at Talaris This Week-end

How about going to a holiday play right here in our neighborhood?

Kristin from Wu Hsing Tao School of Acupuncture sent us an email inviting everyone to their holiday play “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas on December 18 and 19 at 8pm.

"Now you may be thinking, why is an acupuncture school doing a holiday play? The reason is because throughout our school’s acupuncture program, the arts are incorporated throughout each student’s education. Using art as a way to heal helps to refine each student’s compassion and awareness to become a sensitive and successful acupuncture practitioner.

We also chose the play because it is a famous Christmas story about community.

We would like to embrace and share what we are doing with our Laurelhurst community," Kristin tells us.

And get this - the students, staff, and faculty from the Acupuncture school will be the main cast of actors.

The School’s Academic Dean and Director of the play, is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, where she received Shakespearean training. The School’s Clinic Supervisor trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and has been doing theatre and acting for over 30 years. The School’s Librarian has directed and produced Reader’s Theatre productions for youth for 8 years and has had a life long interest in theatre.

"This simple, poetic tale captures a child's eye-view and an adult's warm remembrance of the time of presents, good things to eat, and newly-fallen snow. This is a modern classic story which has enchanted both young and old. Live music and singing will be incorporated in the performance," the website says.

Doors open at 7:00pm for the two performances. Desserts, wine, refreshments, and savory delights will be available. The suggested donation is $20. RSVP is requested.

Wu Hsing Tao School of Acupuncture Talaris World Campus

Address: 4000 NE 41st Street, Bldg. D Seattle, WA 98105

Phone: (206) 324-7188

Email: school@wuhsing.org

Web: http://www.wuhsing.org/

Parts of Burke-Gilman Trail and Montlake Blvd Closed Starting Today

Starting tomorrow through January 3rd, there will be some areas of the Burke-Gilman Trail and Montlake Boulevard that will be closed.

This is for preliminary work by Sound Transit to provide power to the future U of W light rail station (pictured) and is part of the University Link 3.15-mile extension of light rail from downtown to the UW.

"Sound Transit’s contractor will install the infrastructure for an electrical ductbank (under Montlake Boulevard) that will provide power to the UW Station construction site and ultimately additional high voltage service to the University of Washington campus.," says the Sound Transit website.

This work will be done at night to minimize the impact to traffic on Montlake Boulevard and is also scheduled during UW’s winter break to minimize impacts on Burke-Gilman trail users.

Traffic will be restricted to one lane in either direction and pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the Burke Gilman Trail (BGT) will be re-routed for a short distance at the south end of the UW campus.

Questions or for further information, contact Wilbert Santos at 206-398-5516 or wilbert.santos@soundtransit.org or go to the Sound Transit UW Station Construction website.

Blue Light Project for Fallen Officers

This in from a reader.....

A police dispatcher, named Pat Charleville, in Puyallup has started the Blue Light Project in the Western Washington area - suggesting to everyone to put a blue light in their windows to honor the men and women in blue.

In an email she sent to a local news station she said, “Let’s remember the way these officers lived, as well as the way they died. They were strong, tough, compassionate people who’s love of the job kept them back because they knew that helping just one person during their shift overshadowed all the bad they encountered every day.”

The project was originally started in 1988 in Washington DC by a mother who lost her police officer son-in-law. Her story is on the DC Concerns of Police Survivors Website (COPS).

"Law enforcement families nationwide will be decorating for the holidays in blue again this winter, honoring and remembering those law enforcement officers who have given their lives in service to the profession and thanking those officers who continue to work America's increasingly dangerous streets each and every day of the year.

The color blue is a symbol of peace. Put blue lights in your window, decorate your tree in blue, trim the outside of your home or the police station in blue lights. Let our blue lights shine in support of law enforcement this season.You will be sending a dual message that you support America's peacekeepers and that you hope the coming year will be a year of peace," says the website.

Check out some beautiful local photos here.

Community Meeting on Magnuson's Bldg 9 Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 12, from 9 a.m.-noon, there will be a community meeting to discuss Building 9, a former barracks building. UW currently owns the building which is vacant.

"The City of Seattle Office of Housing is working with the UW and community stakeholders to return the building to an active use. The current proposal is for Building 9 to serve as workforce housing for people earning up to between 80% of area median income (~ $44,000) and median income (~ $60,000) for a single person," says the website.

Also discussed will be the commercial use of the building.

The public is invited to this interactive meeting to learn about the housing concept and share thoughts, concerns, and ideas. There will be ample time for everyone to give comments and offer suggestions.

The meeting will be held in the Matthews Beach Room, the Brig, Magnuson Park, 6344 NE 74th Street.

Contact Ryan Curren, Special Projects Coordinator, Seattle Office of Housing, at 206-684-0362 or 206-499-5342 (cell) or Ryan.Curren@seattle.gov for further information.

Neighborhood Appreciation Day Art Contest Deadline Tomorrow

Though the 16th Annual Neighborhood Appreciation Day is still a few months off on Saturday, February 6, the Department of Neighborhoods is holding its traditional art contest for Seattle K-12 kids to express what they think it means to be good neighbors.

The winning artwork will be on thousands of Neighbor Appreciation Day cards that are given free "to Seattle residents, schools, and community organizations that want to acknowledge the good work of their immediate neighbors and others who help make their neighborhood a special place to live," according to the website.

Deadline for the artwork contest is tomorrow, Friday December 11th. The contest is open to all Seattle students K-12.

Some instructions from the website:

"The artwork should reflect the theme of Neighbor Appreciation Day, depicting caring and active neighbors. Some visuals from previous years show neighbors sharing meals, helping with child care, talking over the fence or working together on a community project, such as building a new playground.

Art should be submitted on 8 ½ x 11 paper.

It is recommended that art be vivid in color. Artwork created with watercolors or magic markers tend to show better, but all formats are welcome."

Name, address, school, and complete contact information must be written on the back of the artwork.

Artwork will not be returned.

Send entries by December 11 to:

Student Art Contest
Department of Neighborhoods
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1700
P.O. Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649

For questions, contact Wendy Watson at wendy.watson@seattle.gov (206-684-0719) or Lois Maag at lois.maag@seattle.gov (206-615-0950)

Burn Ban Currently in Effect

Even though it's very cold and no rain, a Stage 2 burn ban has been expanded from Snohomish County to King, Kitsap, and Pierce counties according to the Snohomish CountyPuget Sound Clean Air Agency News Relese yesterday until further notice. This is the first burn ban of the winter heating season.

The Puget Sound website says the burn ban is "due to stable weather conditions and elevated air pollution levels. Stable weather conditions, combined with heavy use of wood-burning devices in our region, have created pollution levels that are unhealthy for sensitive group populations (the very young, elderly and those individuals with heart and lung ailments).

These weather conditions are expected to remain in place for several days, prompting the expansion of this Stage 2 burn ban to quickly reduce wood smoke emissions impacting communities throughout the central Puget Sound region. We are closely monitoring air quality conditions and forecasted meteorology. Weather conditions allowing the removal of the Stage 2 ban are not expected before Saturday."

Here are the do and don'ts during the burn ban:

Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.

Even if your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat, no visible smoke is allowed.

No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.

It is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 2 burn ban.

No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat.

Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

You can check conditions and forecasts here.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.

A list of frequently asked questions and answers about burn bans is available on the Clean Air

Agency’s web site.

NE Design Review Board Seeking Two New Members

A reader sent this into us about another interesting volunteer opportunity in our area.....

Members are being sought for City Design Review Boards, which are administered by the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development.

The deadline for applications is December 10, 2009. Applications can be downloaded here.

The Northeast Design Review Board has openings for two representatives: a design professional and a development interests representative.

Board positions will open on April 4, 2010 when retiring board members’ terms expire. Each 5 person Design Review Board holds public meetings twice a month during the evenings to evaluate development projects based on the City’s design guidelines.

"The City of Seattle's Design Review Program provides a forum for citizens, developers and the City to review and guide the design of qualifying commercial and multifamily development projects." the City website says.

The board reviews mixed-use developments, multifamily housing and commercial projects of varying sizes.

Serving on one of Seattle’s Design Review Boards offers an opportunity to provide guidance to the design of lots and lots of individual projects in the city and to also stay on top of and be aware of development activity in the neighborhood.

Contact Tom Iurino, DPD Planner, at 206-615-1457 or tom.iurino@seattle.gov for more information.

Thanks to one of our readers for the notice.

Art Sale and Luminary Walk Friday at Community Center

This week-end at the Laurelhurst Community Center is the 3rd Annual Holiday on Earth Art Sale. Friday, December 11th, it will take place from 1pm to 8:30pm and Dec 12th 10am to 3pm.

Local artists will display their professional arts and crafts.

Emerald City Jazz Ensemble will be playing on Friday from 6-8pm. And there will be musical entertainment, refreshments and crafts for kids.

Also on Friday from 6-8pm there will be a luminary walk and marshmallow roast at Laurelhurst Park.

"Purchase a unique gift that will be treasured (ceramics, hand woven items, prints and holiday cards, crystal and fused glass jewelry, water color paintings and prints, hand made holiday decorations, wreaths and more)." Dena from the Community Center writes.

Sounds like a great event for everyone!

Ronald Mc Donald Fun Fundraiser Today and Tomorrow

How about doing some shopping with some girlfriends and at the same time raising funds for Ronald Mc Donald House just across the way on 40th Avenue NE near Metropolitan Market?

Ellen Sontra, who works in fundraising for the Ronald McDonald House sent us this email:

"We have a fun and exciting event approaching at University Village that we would love to share with your readers. This event raised more than $10,000 for the House last year!

Holidate with the Girls, taking place on December 8 and 9, is the perfect opportunity to grab your girlfriends, get a jump start on holiday shopping and most importantly, support a great cause!

Tickets are $25 per person ($20 of each ticket is a direct donation to the Ronald McDonald House) and include a drink and appetizers at Sonrisa, a swag bag filled with goodies from U Village merchants and a coupon good for 20% off participating U Village merchants.

Meet up with friends at Sonrisa Modern Mex sometime between noon and 8:30 p.m. on either day to pick up your coupon and swag bag, enjoy a drink and appetizers, and enter to win exciting raffle items to benefit the Seattle Ronald McDonald House.

There will be live music beginning at 5 p.m. each evening.

Tickets are going fast – click here to register today!

Please contact me with questions or for more information at (206)838-0629."

Sounds like a great event!

Matthews Beach Playground Renovation Meeting Tonight

Matthews Beach Play Ground just up the road off of Sandpoint is embarking on a renovation project with a budget of $450,000. Construction is scheduled to start in May of next year and be completed in September.

"The focus of this project is to provide access and use improvements that will provide better site circulation, and make the park and play area desirable to gather and play," the Parks website says.

Seattle Parks and Recreation invites families to meet with the design team and give input at a meeting tonight, Tuesday, December 8, from 7-8:30 p.m., in the Garden Room at the Brig at Magnuson Park, 6330 NE 74th Street.

Two other meetings will be held this Friday, December 11, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Magnuson Park Community Center, 7110 62nd Avenue NE; and another on Wednesday, January 20, 7-8:30 p.m., in the Garden Room at the Brig in Magnuson Park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation will present design options for Matthews Beach and are very interested to hear the communities thoughts on design options and amenities.

The Parks Department will present initial concepts for the community to evaluate at the first and second meetings. They will then incorporate the information collected from these meetings into a preferred design. This preferred design will be presented at the final meeting on January 20.

This renovation project, identified in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, provides play area improvements for children ages 2-12, safety surfacing, better accessibility and site improvements.