Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

Parkways

Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

Don’t miss it! Friends of the Conservatory Fall Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, September 14

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The Friends of the Conservatory Fall Plant Sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 14.

The Fall Sale offers primarily tropical plants, succulents and cacti for sale, similar to the plants in the Conservatory. Frequently selected plants from the displays and collections are included in the sale.

The Palm House and Gift Shop are also having a sale on September 14, so stop by to find the perfect plant and pot!

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale provide direct support to the Gardeners’ displays and collections, and the remainder support Friends of the Conservatory and the programming it offers to the public.

New this year: Friends of the Conservatory members can start shopping at 9 a.m.!

The Friends of the Conservatory (FOC) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1980 to provide financial, educational and events support for the Conservatory. The FOC helps fund the Conservatory’s orchid collection, pays for descriptive tour materials and environmental education, and contributes to the Plant Acquisition Fund. Working with Conservatory staff, the FOC also organizes educational activities and hosts events, such as the popular annual holiday open house and the plant sale in May.

The Conservatory is located in the north end of Volunteer Park at 1400 E Galer St.

Don’t miss it! Friends of the Conservatory Fall Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, September 14

by

The Friends of the Conservatory Fall Plant Sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 14.

The Fall Sale offers primarily tropical plants, succulents and cacti for sale, similar to the plants in the Conservatory. Frequently selected plants from the displays and collections are included in the sale.

The Palm House and Gift Shop are also having a sale on September 14, so stop by to find the perfect plant and pot!

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale provide direct support to the Gardeners’ displays and collections, and the remainder support Friends of the Conservatory and the programming it offers to the public.

New this year: Friends of the Conservatory members can start shopping at 9 a.m.!

The Friends of the Conservatory (FOC) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1980 to provide financial, educational and events support for the Conservatory. The FOC helps fund the Conservatory’s orchid collection, pays for descriptive tour materials and environmental education, and contributes to the Plant Acquisition Fund. Working with Conservatory staff, the FOC also organizes educational activities and hosts events, such as the popular annual holiday open house and the plant sale in May.

The Conservatory is located in the north end of Volunteer Park at 1400 E Galer St.

Save the date! Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool grand opening is Sunday, September 22

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After almost two years of construction, the brand new Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool, 8825 Rainier Ave. S, will open to the public at a celebration on Sunday, September 22 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Parks invites community members to take tours of the new building, enjoy a free swim in the new pool, hear a performance by the Southeast Youth Orchestra, register for fall programs, enjoy light refreshments, and have some family fun. People can also meet Parks and Recreation’s partners at the new center: Associated Recreation Council, Atlantic Street Center, Bike Works, Campana Quetzal, East African Community Services and Southeast Seattle Community Youth Orchestra.

The new Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool are funded by revenues from General Obligation Bonds and real estate excise tax revenues.

Parks works in partnership with the Associated Recreation Council (ARC) to bring high-quality, accessible and affordable recreation opportunities to the people of Seattle. For more information on ARC, please see http://www.arcseattle.org/.

Bongobenny Quintet! Seattle Children’s PlayGarden to dedicate Trimpin sound sculpture this Saturday, August 17

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Join the Children’s PlayGarden, a nonprofit partner of Seattle Parks and Recreation, to celebrate the dedication of artist Trimpin’s Bongobenny Quintet, a musical fence. The event takes place at the Playgarden in Colman Playground, 1740 23rd Ave. S, from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, August 17. It’s free for the whole family.

Guests will meet Trimpin, a world-renowned sound artist and pioneer in the field of computer-programmed instruments and “sound sculptures,” enjoy a special performance by the PlayGarden Children’s Choir, and splash in the water feature, explore the gardens and play spaces, and hang out with the bunnies, chickens and geese.

The PlayGarden came about as the result of a collaboration between Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Children’s Playgarden to build a park that offers facilities, features and programs for children with special needs. It took some time, but the result is a beautiful park that offers gardening spaces, specialized butterfly and herb gardens, accessible play equipment, a basketball court, and climbing mounds. The park development, funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, also included renovation of the existing Shelterhouse and a new 1,400-square-foot Garden House.

The Children’s PlayGarden opened a preschool in fall 2010, and offers school-break and summer camps, play dates, classes, and celebrations such as the Earth Day event in April, Summer Barbecue in August, and Harvest Festival in October. All programs integrate children with special needs with typically developing children. Programs are often multi-age, to maximize the opportunity for siblings and friends to attend together. For more information on programs, please go to http://www.childrensplaygarden.org/html/programs.html.

Seattle Parks and Recreation to repair tennis courts at Solstice Park and Hiawatha Playfield in West Seattle

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Seattle Parks and Recreation is working to refurbish and improve the tennis courts in two parks in West Seattle, Solstice Park, on Fauntleroy Way SW and Hiawatha Playfield in the Admiral District. The tennis courts will be closed during the scheduled improvements.

Solstice Park courts will be closed from August 19 – 30, 2013. The refurbishment of theses tennis courts is funded through the Neighborhood Capital Project Fund. Hiawatha Playfield tennis courts will be closed from August 30 – September 7, 2013. Major Maintenance funds are the source of funding for minor paving repairs, acrylic color-coating, and relining of the tennis courts at Hiawatha.

Please share this information with those who may be affected. For more questions or concerns during construction please call Linda Hubert, Project Manager, at 206-386-1696 or email her at linda.hubert@seattle.gov.

Life Jacket Sales at Evans Pool on Saturday, August 17

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Seattle Parks and Recreation will hold a sale of low cost life jackets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 17 at Evans Pool, 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 1 – 14 years old. Wearing a life jacket saves lives. Washington State law requires children ages 12 and younger to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket or life vest on vessels fewer than 19 feet long. There must be a life jacket on board for each person older than 12.

The cost for life jackets sizes infant to youth large is $20, and for teens to adult size XXXL, is $30. The life jackets are comfortable, high quality vests in fashion colors. All sales are final -sorry, Parks cannot offer refunds or returns.

Customers younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Fitters will be on site to help people choose the correct size. The person for whom the jacket is being purchased must be present for proper fitting.

The last life jacket sale for the 2013 season will be held on Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Seattle Parks offers this program in partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Mustang Survival, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase a stylish, Coast Guard approved life jacket! For more information, please email Diane Jones, diane.jones@seattle.gov.

Mark your calendars—PhinneyWood Summer Streets is back on August 9

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PhinneyWood Summer Streets will make Friday, August 9, a huge, family-friendly party along Greenwood Avenue N. This free event opens the city’s largest public space – its streets – so people can walk, bike, roll, run, skip and shop – without having to watch out for cars! And what a great time it is going to be. PhinneyWood Summer Streets combines with the monthly art walk to bring you boundless amounts of music, art and great food.

Ayron Jones is playing soulful music at Valentine’s Seattle; TASTY is hosting their 4th Annual Art ‘n’ Craft Fair; skateboarding experience can be gained with the Maryhill Ratz; and 826 Seattle and the UW Astronomy Department are partnering to set up an awesome Portable Planetarium that fits up to 28 people at one time. Want more? Naked City Brewery is hosting their 2nd Annual Soccer Tournament—a fundraiser for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center—on Saturday and throwing a pre-tournament party during Summer Streets. Volunteers of America will also be building cool sculptures out of healthy canned food donations given to the Greenwood Food Bank. There will be tons of fun for everyone.

Celebrating its sixth year, Summer Streets has quickly become a tradition and a special part of summers in Seattle. Local merchants and artists work together months in advance to make each event even better every year. Neighbors, families and friends mark your calendars so you don’t miss out. Remaining 2013 events are scheduled for:

PhinneyWood—Friday, August 9 from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Rainier Valley—Saturday, August 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Get more details at www.seattle.gov/summerstreets and follow us on Facebook for the latest updates and more great activities.

The Seattle Department of Transportation would like to thank our sponsors who make these events possible, including Seattle Public Utilities; Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce; Columbia City Business Association; Phinney Neighborhood Association; Cascade Bicycle Club; and Jordan T. Adams Events:Creative. A special shout out also goes to the Seattle Police Department for their contribution.

International Music & Arts Festival caps Rainier Valley Culture Fest Weekend

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“Come Dance with Us!” on Sunday August 18 in a grassy meadow under big, old trees at the 7th annual Othello Park International Music and Arts Festival from noon until 6 p.m.

A world of ethnic variety will come together with music, dancing, food, art activities, and booths. New this year is a staged reading of Kathya Alexander’s Dream’n, a contemporary Rainier Valley adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” produced by Brown Box Theatre. Of course, there will be Othello’s traditional petting zoo complete with camel, and his multicultural furry friends.

Recently refurbished, Othello Park features new walkways, entryways, a permanent stage gracefully designed to suit its pastoral landscape, and a zipline. You could just sit, relax, and enjoy the park’s beauty and the show, but this year, in keeping with the dance theme, the selection of international rhythms will invite lots of audience participation. Mark Lilly, the gifted artist and folklorist, will perform folkloric Afro-Cuban style singing and drumming with his group, Bembe Olele. You will be called to move with the music again and again throughout the afternoon by Shakti Bollywood Dance, Bhangra Folk Dancing, and Pearl Django, the Hot Club style guitar band nimbly picking out some of the world’s most popular dance favorites.

The festival also features an array of tents and booths representing Rainier Valley’s colorful diversity of businesses and organizations. One large tent on the green will shelter the Festival’s traditional “Art Creation Station” to engage those young in age and young at heart in a variety of hands-on visual art activities led by local artists. There will be two pottery wheels, murals to paint, and the opportunity to be photographed in one of a variety of ethnic costumes.

Visit the website at www.othellopark.org and like our Othello Park Alliance Facebook page for frequent updates on the artists, vendors, performers, and sponsors.

About Othello Park Alliance

Located one block east of the intersection of Othello Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Othello Park is, just a short walk from the Othello Light Rail Station. The Othello Park Alliance works to ensure that Othello Park’s beauty and open space is retained, enhanced, and integrated into a vibrant, multicultural, pedestrian-friendly Othello town center and residential community by coordinating community events and making capital improvements in the park.

Seattle Park Board to hold regular meeting Thursday, August 8

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The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 8, in the Kenneth R. Bounds Park Board Room at 100 Dexter Ave. N, in Denny Park at the corner of Dexter and Denny. The meeting agenda includes:

Parks partnership models. Parks staff will brief the Board on various types of partnerships that Parks and Recreation engages in now and may enter in the future to help us manage our parks as efficiently as possible. They include trusts, conservancies and other nonprofit organizations, and “Friends of” groups.

Westlake Park/Occidental Square. A downtown community representative will brief the board on a proposal for new rules for Westlake Park and Occidental Square.

Leschi/Lakewood Moorages RPF process. Parks staff will brief the Board on the status of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to secure an investor/operator for these two moorages.

Briefing papers for the first and third items are available onine at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/.

The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners is a nine-member citizen board created by the City Charter. Four members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council; four members are appointed by the City Council; and one member is a young adult appointed by the YMCA Get Engaged Program. Current members are Antoinette Angulo, Bob Edmiston, Jourdan Keith, Chair Diana Kincaid, Brice Maryman, Caitlin McKee, Yazmin Mehdi, Tom Tierney, and Barbara Wright.

The Board meets once a month, normally on the second Thursday with added meetings as the Board deems necessary, to advise the Parks and Recreation Superintendent, the Mayor, and the City Council on parks and recreation matters. For more information, please call Rachel Acosta at 206-684-5066 or email her at rachel.acosta@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation opens first block of Bell Street Park to pedestrians today

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Seattle Parks and Recreation is happy to announce substantial completion of the first block of Bell Street Park project. The block will be open to pedestrians today and to cars on Thursday, August 1, 2013. This first block took longer than anticipated to complete because of work that had to be redone; however, the entire project is on schedule and will be completed in mid-December 2013. The community is invited to celebrate the completion of the first block at the National Night Out event on August 6, 2013 on Bell Street from 1st – 3rd Avenues.

Parks awarded the construction contract to AGR Construction Inc for Bell Street Park. The park will run from 1st – 5th Ave. on Bell Street. The contractor is dividing the work into individual blocks. They began construction on June 24 on block 2 (3rd – 4th) and will begin construction block 3 (4th – 5th) the last week in July. AGR anticipates starting construction on the final block 4 (2nd – 3rd) after Labor Day. Construction on three blocks may overlap during late summer and early fall.

Seattle Parks is providing safe access to all businesses and residents along this portion of Bell Street during construction. Parks appreciates the neighborhood’s understanding and cooperation during construction and encourages residents to contact Project Manager Patrick Donohue with construction concerns.

Bell Street Park will be a unique park for Seattle, providing much needed community open space for the high density Belltown neighborhood. The Parks and Green Spaces Levy project provides the funding to convert one traffic lane and reconfigures parking to create a park-like corridor through the heart of Belltown on Bell Street.

The project was first envisioned in the 1998 Belltown/Denny Triangle Neighborhood Plan with leadership from the Belltown Housing and Land Use Committee. Subsequently, the Belltown Community Council, Belltown Business Association and other community groups requested that the City develop the project as a response to inadequate open space facilities in the neighborhood and the difficulty in purchasing property for such uses.

For more information please call Patrick Donohue, Project Manager, at 206-684-9286 or email him at patrick.donohue@seattle.gov. For project information, visit http://seattle.gov/parks/projects/bell_street/boulevard_park.htm.