The beach at Matthews Beach Park (5100 NE 93rd St.) is currently closed for wading/swimming after water quality monitoring results showed high bacteria levels. King County will be retesting the water and the beach will be closed through at least the weekend. More information and updates available here: https://green2.kingcounty.gov/swimbeach/

The north and south beaches at Discovery Park are currently closed due to a sewage spill at the King County West Point Treatment Plant. Updates on the beach closure are available here: https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-quality/Saltwater/BEACH-program

Seattle Parks and Recreation strongly recommends swimming only where lifeguards are present. See a list of lifeguarded beaches here: www.seattle.gov/parks/find/swimming-beaches

The following list contains major events taking place in parks across the city that will impact park use. Be safe, have fun, and plan your park visits accordingly.

Date	Location	Event	Start/End Time
Mon., July 22	Ferdinand & Adams Street boat launches, Stan Sayers & Genesee parks, Lake WA Blvd North & South	Seafair Hydroplanes & Air Show	All day
Wed., July 24	Westlake Park	Happy Hour in Westlake Park	2:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Fri., July 26	Lincoln Park	Sesame Workshop 50th	7:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Fri., July 26	Alki Beach Park	Alki Art Fair	5:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Fri., July 26	Lake Union Park	Seattle Night Ride	7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sat., July 27	Westlake Park	Seafair Torchlight Parade	6:00 AM -2:00 AM
Sat., July 27	Alki Beach Park	Seattle Outriggers Canoe Club Annual Event	7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat., July 27	Roxhill Park	The Grreat Sk8	7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sat., July 27	Seward Park	Pista Sa Nayon	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sun., July 28	Lincoln Park	Sesame Workshop 50th	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sun., July 28	Seward Park	Pista Sa Nayon	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Do you want to be part of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament that will be happening at the Big Day of Play on Aug. 17 at Rainier Playfields? If so, we encourage you to register now by clicking here! This 3-on-3 tournament will be for ages 14+ (we have many other activities for the younger youth!). Please register your team to play a minimum of 1 game, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a skills challenge and teams that win their first game will be placed into bracket play!

There will be prizes for the winning teams and runners up! Grand prize for the winning team is a pair of Washington Men’s Basketball tickets for 2019-20 (Game TBD, it will be a good conference game!).

Teams may consist of up to 4 players, you will receive matching t-shirts when you check in.

This week, the Environmental Education section of Seattle Parks and Recreation started their sixth year of offering environmental education activities for youth attending our Free Summer Meals and Recreation Activities program in Seattle parks. Programming staff and volunteers spend two hours at a site engaging participants in activities such as catching and studying insects, learning how to use scientific equipment such as hand lenses and dissecting scopes, participating in art activities such as leaf rubbings and sun prints, learning what plants need by planting seeds, and exposure to reading through nature-based storybooks.

This program is designed to engage folks in their communities in environmental learning, provide activities for those attending the food service program, and aid in bridging the gap between summer and the school year for Seattle youth.

Staff are offering activities at four different sites this summer from 1:30-3 p.m.: Highland Park on Wednesdays, Powell-Barnett on Thursdays, Roxhill on Thursdays, and Othello on Fridays.

In the first week, approximately 60 people participated in environmental learning.

The program will continue through the third week in August.

Learn more about the Free Summer Meals and Recreation Activities program here.

Washington State becomes latest partner in long-anticipated project

A new community boathouse that will make Green Lake more accessible to people of any background or ability level will open in 2021. Community volunteers, in partnership with Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council, Associated Recreation Council, and Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club, have raised a total of $5.4 million from public and private sources towards the $6.5 million goal. This includes $951,000 awarded by Washington State Recreation and Conservation office on June 27 and $3 million from the Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund.

“Our city is surrounded by water, but not everyone can safely or affordably enjoy it, including Green Lake, the most widely used park in our state” said Mike Stanley, president of Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council. “The new community boathouse will be a permanent public gateway to access Green Lake for generations to come.”

The current Green Lake Small Craft Center (GLSCC) houses the 70-year-old Green Lake Crew. Started by storied UW rowing coach Al Ulbrickson in 1948, it is believed to be oldest public junior rowing program in the nation. In 1963, long before Title IX, the crew added a girl’s program, another first for the region. In its seven decades, the crew has introduced thousands of Seattle youth to rowing, opening doors to a diverse community, and even launching some to success on the national and international stage.

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The 10,600 square-foot facility will increase capacity for programs through a combination of expanded and more efficient boat storage and additional instructional space. It will be fully accessible, which makes possible the launch of Seattle’s first public adaptive rowing program and expansion of a parapaddling program. Specialized programs of Seattle Parks and Recreation will also be able to expand their work with individuals of differing physical and cognitive abilities.

User safety will be improved through restrooms, locker facilities, and areas for off-water instruction and community meeting space. In addition, the new boathouse will better engage with Green Lake Park and the heavily used adjacent walking trail. 

“Engagement with the park is a core goal of the project.  We want the public to see all that we do and the building, by its design, will feel much more inclusive,” said Mike Stanley.

“This project will transform lives, from youth to seniors,” said Bob Ratliffe, chair of the Green Lake Community Boathouse Campaign. “Through my children’s rowing, I have witnessed how time in a boat on Green Lake builds confidence and lifelong friendships. This will be a real community treasure.”

The Seattle Park District Major Project Challenge Fund(MPCF) provided seed funding for a pre-design/feasibility study in 2016/2017 and in the 2018 MPCF awarded $2.92 million. The project also has support from both the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and King County Parks in the form of early grants. “Now with the strong support from the State and the City, we are excited to launch the final phase of the private fundraising campaign,” said Mike Stanley. “We clearly have momentum on our side.”

To stay up to date on the progress of the Green Lake Small Craft Center visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/green-lake-small-craft-center-redevelopment

In partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, the public watersport programs at Green Lake are driven and sustained by three nonprofit organizations:

About Associated Recreation Council (ARC)
Seattle Parks and Recreation created this nonprofit partner in 1975 to support and enhance their work. ARC makes equitable, dynamic, culturally relevant, and responsive recreation and lifelong learning programs possible for every Seattle resident. ARC fulfills this mission with the help and support of 36 volunteer-led Advisory Councils around Seattle.

About Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council (RAC)
RAC is one of the 36 volunteer ARC Advisory Councils and guides the activities of Green Lake Crew, the first public youth rowing program in the nation at its founding in 1948. RAC supports opportunities for lifetime enjoyment of watersports on Green Lake. Contact Jill MacCorkle at 206-902-6463 or development@greenlakecrew.org

About Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club (SCKC) Founded in 1969, SCKC is the only public club in Seattle promoting competitive and recreational paddling opportunities for all ages and ability levels. 

The Outdoors for All Foundation transforms lives through outdoor recreation. Founded in 1979 in the Pacific Northwest, Outdoors for All is a national leader in delivering adaptive and therapeutic recreation for children and adults with disabilities. Each year, more than 2,900 individuals exercise their abilities thanks to the training and support of more than 800 volunteers. Outdoors for All enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities and families and helps them to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Outdoors for All’s programs includes snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, youth and adult day camps, yoga, military programs, weekend excursions and custom events.

Public Benefits:

Outdoors for All provides adaptive outdoor recreation programs for children and adults with disabilities. Their Adaptive Cycling Center (located in Magnuson Park) is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. from May 1- September 30 and offers FREE adaptive cycle rentals for people with disabilities and a family member or friend. Outdoors for All offers seasonal programs year-round. These programs include kayaking, rock climbing, cycling, mountain biking, youth and adult summer camps, weekend camping excursions, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Outdoors for All also offers financial aid for programs on a first come, first-served basis. Outdoors for All serves people with disabilities and their families, recovering veterans, and injured active duty military

For more information, visit https://outdoorsforall.org/

Accessing public benefits: Please call 206-838-6030 ext. 200 for information on how to access these public benefits.

Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Army Corps of Engineers invite the community to an Open House on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Alki Community Center, 5817 SW Stevens St. This Open House is an opportunity for the community to learn about the Emma Schmitz Seawall Replacement project located at 4503 Beach Dr. SW in West Seattle.

The project will replace the existing 500-foot-long seawall constructed in the 1920s that has experienced significant erosion and damage from storm events. Please join us for a short presentation followed by an Open House.

The new seawall will be a “soldier pile” (system of vertical piles spaced at a regular interval with material in between to create a wall) design, built a few feet seaward and a few feet higher than the existing seawall, and equipped with safety handrails that the current seawall lacks.  This design will minimize the impact on the beach, address rising seawater concerns and create better contours for the restoration landscaping on the landward portion of the overlook area.  We anticipate construction in mid-2020.

For more information or please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/emma-schmitz-memorial-overlook. For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov or 206-233-7921.

The following list contains major events taking place in parks across the city that will impact park use. Be safe, have fun, and plan your park visits accordingly.

Date	Event	Location	Start/End Time
Wed., July 17	32nd Annual Seafair Indian Days	Discovery Park	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wed., July 17	Happy Hour in Westlake Park	Westlake Park	2:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Sat., July 20	Christmas in July 5K	Gas Works Park	4:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Sat., July 20	Christmas in July 5K	Gas Works Park	4:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Sat., July 20	Float Dodger 5K	Hiawatha Playfield	6:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat., July 20	Seafair Triathlon Setup	Seward Park	7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Sat., July 20	Christmas in July 5K	Burke-Gilman Trail	8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Sun., July 21	Seafair Triathlon	Seward, Colman, Madison parks, Ferdinand & Adams Street boat launches	5:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Sun., July 21	March to the Match	Occidental Square	1:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is partnering with the Little Saigon community to host a BBQ and design review for the new park in the Little Saigon neighborhood. Please join us on Sunday, July 14, 2019 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pho Bac Súp Shop, 1240 S Jackson St.

This is an opportunity to review the park design, provide final input on the project and learn about the construction timeline. The new park will be located across from Lam’s Seafood Market at 1224 S King St. in the Little Saigon neighborhood. The proposed design by Murase Associates includes an informal open lawn event/ performance space, play area, a ramp with seating opportunities, and a plaza on the Jackson St. side. The meeting will feature play area options for public input. 

 After working closely with the community to identify possible new park locations, SPR purchased the .27-acre site in 2013 to provide the neighborhood access to more open space in this urban area. The design will provide a connection between King and Jackson streets and will incorporate accessibility features in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. SPR will work with the community on the design and encourages community participation.

Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District. Approved by voters in 2014, the Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding to tackle the $267-million major maintenance backlog for Seattle Parks and Recreation as well as other facilities including the Aquarium and Zoo. In addition, it provides funding to improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserve the urban forest, perform day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provide more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, provide programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquire and develop new park land.

Thank you to Friends of Little Saigon, SCIDpda, the Friends of Little Saigon Advisory Committee, Pho Bac Súp Shop and Lam’s Seafood!

For more information or for meeting notification translations please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/little-saigon-park-development

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Katie Bang at 206-684-9286 or katie.bang@seattle.gov.