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Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

Hubbard Homestead Groundbreaking

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Join Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Northgate community at a celebration that marks the beginning of construction for Hubbard Homestead Park on September 26, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Participate in a chalk “paint by numbers” art project, create your own drawings and enjoy light refreshments in the parking lot that will soon be a green gathering space at NE 112th St & 5th Ave NE. 

This 3.73-acre site was recommended for acquisition by the Northgate community in the 1993 Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan. 

“We’ve envisioned a park at this site for a long time, and I’m very pleased that it’s becoming a reality,” Nickels said. “The park will provide green breathing space as this lively urban center continues to attract jobs and housing.” 

The name Hubbard Homestead Park was chosen for the site and honors Harry Hubbard’s family, homesteaders who lived at the site from 1913 – 1968.   The Hubbards learned to love and value nature, and with this name the city honors their commitment to environmental conservation. 

Together Parks and Mithun Landscape Architect and prime consultant for the project, led an extensive public outreach process, including a Cultural Audit™ that gathered information directly from people in the neighborhood about their interest in creating a new green heart for the Northgate community. To view more about the Cultural Audit™ , watch it on the Seattle Channel:  http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4192 

After an extensive community planning process, Parks is moving forward on construction of this innovative park. It will connect to and integrate into the overall fabric of the community, providing walking circuits, green open spaces, an elaborate water feature and a half basketball court. 

The 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy provides $2.5 million for the implementation of this design.   

For more information please visit the website http://seattle.gov/parks/projects/hubbard_homestead/ or contact Patrick Donohue, project manager at Patrick.donohue@seattle.gov or (206) 684-9286. 

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Renowned fruit tree expert to speak

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Renowned apple grower, fruit researcher and horticulturist Dr. Robert T. (Bob) Norton will be the featured speaker at the Festival of Fruit on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Carkeek Park, 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd. 

Norton raised 325 apple varieties when he worked at Washington State University’s (WSU) Research Unit in Mount Vernon.  He ran the WSU tree-fruit testing program at the experiment station there for more than 30 years and introduced the firm, crisp and flavorful Jonagold to commercial orchardists in the Puget Sound area back in the 1960’s.  Since retiring from research, he has also run AppleCorps, a fruit tree consulting business.  

He will give a talk on “Fruit Tree Varieties, Old and New,” and conduct a walking tour of the old Piper orchard. He will be available for questions after the discussion. 

Hosted by the Friends of Piper Orchard and Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Festival of Fruit will be held from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. 

Other festival highlights include:

  • Talks and exhibits on non-toxic pest control methods, bee keeping, selection and care of your own fruit trees, and more!
  • Fun for young-uns in the Kids Korner!
  • Sample fresh pressed cider!
  • Naturalist-led walk to the historic 118 year-old orchard
  • Pie Baking Contest: Bring a home-baked pie made of local or organic apples to enter in the pie contest. Judges will taste at noon! 

For detailed schedule information, please visit the web at www.pipersorchard.org or e-mail carkeek.park@seattle.gov.

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Free and low-cost fun for families in Alki

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Alki Community Center and Alki Bathhouse have free and low-cost fun and entertainment for families in September. 

Children’s Puppet Theater at the Alki Bathhouse: The area’s best puppet entertainers are coming to Alki Bathhouse on Saturdays. Mark your calendar so you won’t miss these outstanding performances. All performances begin at 1 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance at Alki Community Center, 5817 SW Stevens St. This program is suitable for children 1 year old and up. The Alki Bathhouse is located at 2701 Alki Ave. SW. The cost is $5 per person. For more information, please call the Alki Community Center at (206) 684 -7430.

  • Saturday, September 19 — Clay Martin Presents: The Matchbox and Other Tales
  • Saturday, October 24 — Penny’s Puppets Presents: Mother Goose on the Loose  

Alleyoop Storyteller: Join Alleyoop at the Alki Community Center, 5817 SW Stevens St., on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. for this one time only family experience. Enjoy music, games, stories, and puppets with one of Seattle’s best children’s entertainers. This program is best suited for children ages 3 – 8. This event is FREE. 

Family Art Appreciation Movie: Bring the whole family to the Alki Bathhouse, 2701 Alki Ave SW, on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m. for “Dropping in on Grandma Moses. This event is open to all ages, and is FREE.

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Grand opening celebration for Miller Playfield

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Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Capitol Hill community and sports field users are celebrating the renovated Miller Playfield on Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 6:30 – 10 p.m.  The evening will include an ice-cream social to welcome Nova High School and the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center to the neighborhood, a soccer clinic by Seattle University Men’s Soccer, a lacrosse clinic by Northwest Women’s Lacrosse Association (NWWLA), and time for community pick-up games.   

The clinics and ice cream social are scheduled from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and from 8:30 – 10 p.m. will be pick-up games on the field. The field is located at 330 19th Ave E. 

“Between the renovated playfield and the two new schools, there is a new vibrancy in the Miller community,” said Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher. “Young athletes, students, and parents are rightly excited about these improvements, which help create community and make this campus the true heart of the neighborhood.” 

This project located next to the Miller Community Center replaces the existing sand/silt field with synthetic turf and accommodates for men and women’s lacrosse, adult soccer and softball. The renovation was requested by the community through the Community Capital Suggestion Process.  

The event is co-sponsored by Seattle Parks and Recreation, Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room, capitolhillseattle.com and the Design Kompany. To see Seattle University (SU) Men’s Soccer skills in action earlier in the day attend the SU Redhawks game against Oregon State at 12:30 p.m. on SU Championship Field. 

For more information, please contact Parks Project Manager Ted Holden at (206) 684-7201; e-mail ted.holden@seattle.gov or visit http://seattle.gov/parks/maintenance/millerplayfield.htm 

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Discovery Park to re-open

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Seattle Parks and Recreation will re-open Discovery Park at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, after the capture of a cougar that had been seen in the park. Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials caught the cougar about 2:40 a.m. near the Daybreak Star Center. WDFW had previously set two live traps on the site. The animal was captured with tracking dogs after an employee at Daybreak Star saw the cougar.   

For more information about cougars, visit: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm#facts 

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Discovery Park closed for Cougar trapping

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On a recommendation from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Seattle Parks and Recreation will close Discovery Park, effective immediately. 

WDFW is on site at the park setting a live trap for a cougar that has been sighted in the park. They intend to capture and re-locate it to a more rural setting. To avoid any interference with the trapping operation, the park will be closed until Monday, Sept. 7, or when the animal is captured – whichever comes first. 

If a member of the public sees the animal during normal business hours, please call WDFW at (425) 418-4228. If the cougar is spotted before or after normal business hours, call 9-1-1. For more information about cougars, visit: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm#facts 

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Park Board Meeting on Sept. 10

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The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at 100 Dexter Ave. N, the Parks Administration Building at Denny Way and Dexter Avenue N. 

The agenda includes: 

Proposal for Magnuson Park Advisory Committee. Staff will brief the Board on a proposal to establish a Magnuson Park Advisory Committee, which will provide community members a more formal process for providing feedback and making recommendations to the Superintendent on activities and planning for Magnuson Park.  The public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposal.  On September 24, the Park Board will have a final discussion and make a recommendation to the Superintendent whether or not to approve the formation of the Magnuson Park Advisory Committee.  If approved, this Advisory Committee will take the place of the current Magnuson Park Community Communications Committee.  

Museum of History and Industry’s move to Lake Union Armory.  MOHAI will present updated information to the Park Board regarding the museum’s plans to move from its current location in McCurdy Park to the Naval Reserve Armory Building in Lake Union Park.  The briefing will be informational and will not require a vote of the board. 

Fee setting policy review. Staff will brief the Board on the department’s review of policies and processes for setting fees and charges, as outlined in the Strategic Action Plan. The presentation will outline some background issues and items to consider as a fee setting policy is developed.  The objective of developing a fees and charges policy is to establish a consistent and equitable framework for setting prices for parks and recreation programs, services and facility use that recognizes the trade-offs between community benefits and individual benefits.  The presentation and discussion will be at the policy level and will not address specific fees or charges.  

Briefing papers on both agenda items will be available on the web by close of business on Friday, Sept. 4 at: seattle.gov/parks/parkboard. 

The Board of Park Commissioners is a seven-member citizen board created by the City Charter. Three members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council; three members are appointed by the City Council; and one member is appointed by the Park Board. The Board meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month to advise the Parks and Recreation Superintendent, the Mayor, and the City Council on parks and recreation matters. For more information, please contact Sandy Brooks at 206-684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov.

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What to do if you see a cougar

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Cougar information sheet

September 2, 2009

For more information call Washington Fish and Wildlife at 425-775-1311 http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm#facts 

Who to call if you see a cougar in Seattle

If you see a cougar during normal business hours (8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday), please contact the Mill Creek office of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at (425) 775-1311. If you see a cougar before or after normal business hours, call 9-1-1.

Facts about Cougars 

Adult male cougars roam widely, covering a variable home range of 50 to 150 square miles, while female home ranges are about half that of males Cougars are most active from dusk to dawn, although they sometimes travel and hunt during the day.

Adult cougars typically prey on wild animals such as deer, but also other smaller prey species including raccoons, coyotes, rabbits, hares, small rodents, and occasionally pets and livestock.

Cougars are typically lone hunters that wander between places frequented by their prey, covering as much as 15 miles in a single night.

Cougar tracks are about the size of a baseball, lack claw marks and are 3 to 3½ inches in diameter.

Cougars rarely carry any communicable diseases that are regarded as threats to humans in Washington.

Feline distemper (Feline panleukopenia) antibodies have been documented in Washington cougar populations, but the degree that is transferred to domestic cats, is unknown.

Preventing Conflicts

Don’t feed wildlife and feral cats (domestic cats gone wild). This includes deer, raccoons, and other small mammals. Remember predators follow prey.

Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed outside, do so in the morning or midday, and pick up food and water bowls, as well as leftovers and spilled food, well before dark. Pet food and water attract small mammals that, in turn, attract cougars.

Keep dogs and cats indoors, especially from dusk to dawn. Left outside at night, small dogs and cats may become prey for cougars.

Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids. Garbage attracts small mammals that, in turn, attract cougars.

Keep outdoor livestock and small animals confined in secure pens.

Encountering a Cougar

Relatively few people will ever catch a glimpse of a cougar much less confront one and cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare. If you come face to face with a cougar, your actions can either help or hinder a quick retreat by the animal.

Here are some things to remember:

  • Stop, pick up small children immediately, and don’t run. Running and rapid movements may trigger an attack. Remember, at close range, a cougar’s instinct is to chase.
  • Face the cougar. Talk to it firmly while slowly backing away. Always leave the animal an escape route.
  • Try to appear larger than the cougar. Get above it (e.g., step up onto a rock or stump). If wearing a jacket, hold it open to further increase your apparent size. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder to appear intimidating.
  • Do not take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
  • Never approach the cougar, and never offer it food.
  • If the cougar does not flee, be more assertive. If it shows signs of aggression (crouches with ears back, teeth bared, hissing, tail twitching, and hind feet pumping in preparation to jump), shout, wave your arms and throw anything you have available (water bottle, book, backpack). The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.
  • If the cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake. Pepper spray in the cougar’s face is also effective in the extreme unlikelihood of a close encounter with a cougar.
Cougars and Kids
Children seem to be more at risk than adults to cougar attacks, possibly because their high-pitched voices, small size, and erratic movements make it difficult for cougars to identify them as human and not prey. To prevent a problem from occurring:

  • Talk to children and teach them what to do if they encounter a cougar.
  • Encourage children to play outdoors in groups, and supervise children playing outdoors.
  • Consider getting a dog for your children as an early-warning system. A dog can see, smell, and hear a cougar sooner than we can. Although dogs offer little value as a deterrent to cougars, they may distract a cougar from attacking a human.
  • Keep a radio playing when children are outside, as noise usually deters cougars.
  • Make sure children are home before dusk and stay inside until after dawn.
  • If there have been cougar sightings, escort children to the bus stop in the early morning. Clear shrubs away around the bus stop, making an area with a 30-foot radius. Have a light installed as a general safety precaution.

 (excerpted from “Living with Wildlife”, Russell Link, WFW)

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Kerry Viewpoint to close briefly for film shoot

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Seattle’s Kerry Park and Viewpoint, 211 W Highland Dr., will close on Wednesday, September 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate a film shoot. 

Seattle has been the background for many landmark films, and offers filmmakers breathtaking scenery, a commitment to art and culture, and experienced local actors, crew members, and support services. 

The City of Seattle supports the economic development benefits of filming in Seattle by offering a low-fee filming permit. 

For information on the economic impacts of film on Seattle, please see http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice/filming_in_seattle.htm, and for “Reel Life in Seattle” – an Insider’s Guide to Seattle Film Locations – please see http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice/filmmap.htm.

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High Point Family Fun

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High Point Community Center presents the Fabulous Family Fun Series this fall at 10:30 a.m. on the 3rd Saturday of each month. The program at the center, 6920 34th Ave. SW, will feature entertaining shows for people of all ages.

September 19: Join songwriter, performer, and early childhood music educator Brian Vogan to have fun learning about all the exciting things that happen in the fall! Come and be a leaf with Brian and fall to the ground as we sing “We Call it Fall.” For more information on Brian Vogan, please see http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BrianVogan. Course #48209. 

  • October 17: Enjoy Valentine’s Performing Pigs, a unique, fast-paced act featuring mini-pigs that do tricks and perform incredible athletic feats. As music plays, the peppy porkers dance, jump, play catch with the audience, play on teeter-totters, slam dunk basketballs, pop balloons, roll barrels, and roar madly across the stage on scooters and skateboards! You will go hog wild! For more information, please see http://www.valentinesperformingpigs.com/. Course #48210. 
  • November 21: The Zambini Brothers Puppet Showcase will provide both merriment and education as the puppets interact with each other in short, funny vignettes. Then learn about each puppet and how it is made, and see a behind-the-scenes demonstration of how it works. For more information on the Showcase, please see http://www.zambinibrothers.com/events.php. Course #48211. 
  • December 19: Enjoy a fun-filled morning as you build a no-bake gingerbread house using graham crackers, frosting, and lots of holiday-themed candy. Bring your camera to capture the sight of this holiday favorite. Course #48213. 

The cost is $3 per person in advance and $5 per person the day of the event. Register online at www.seattle.gov/parks, by phone at 206-684-7422, or in person at the center.

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