July 2012

Poetry, politics, music and personal expression are all possible when Open Mic Night returns to Greenbridge Plaza in White Center on July 27. The event is sponsored by Cultivate a volunteer community organization that exists to build community through the creation of events developed by and for the community.

The Open Mic is free and open to all ages as well as their other events geared towards empowering and building community.

This year Cultivate is partnering with The Yes! Foundation of White Center and White Center Community Development Association for the event.

Cultivate's Open Mic Night is Friday, July 27, 2012
 at 7:00pm
 at Greenbridge Plaza - 9010 8th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106

If you've got something to say, sing, express or share with the White Center community this is your perfect opportunity.

According to a press release, Fremont, Wallingford and Pioneer Square were recently added to the Department of Economic Development campaign "Only in Seattle," which seeks to feature and help promote unique neighborhood businesses. The campaign, which is now in its third year, already features Ballard.

Mayor Mike McGinn also announced "Only in Seattle Sundays," a special once-a-month discount for select businesses in a single neighborhood. The event is to help encourage people to discover and support local businesses.

The first Only in Seattle Sunday will be held in Fremont. People will be able to eat brunch at Markettime Foods, shop with a 10 percent discount at evo and Bitters Co., and get a buy one get one free discount at Pete's Fremont Fire Pit. Coupons can be found at www.onlyinseattle.org/sundays

Only in Seattle Sunday will take place in Belltown in August, and Wallingford in September, with other neighborhoods to be featured in following months.

A new comedy web-series, Locally Grown TV, is coming to Seattle, and it promises to be something like a cross between Arrested Development, Modern Family and Portlandia. Only, true to Seattleite ways, it will be set in a farmers market.

The group making the series, Abundant Productions, is set to shoot the pilot episode of the series in mid-September. But before that, they have to raise the money.

In order to achieve this, the group started a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $10,000, which started five days ago and will end Saturday, August 11 at 4:35 p.m. So far the project has 43 backers and has raised $2,108.

As for why it will be set in a farmers market, Wallingford resident and creator Simon Hamlin said it has to do with a lifelong love of the setting.

“I always did have an affinity for markets,” Hamlin said. “I grew up like a lot of kids in the northwest going to Pike Place Market with my parents.”

Markets are not just about the produce, Hamlin said, but the atmosphere and the people, too.

Last Monday, Baraka Gemstones & Jewelry just opened in a new location.

Haven’t heard of it? That’s probably because the original store was tucked away on the 3rd floor of the Ballard Building above Starbucks, where, unless called upon or through word of mouth, almost no one wanders.

The owner of Baraka, Jamie Jockwig, said he is excited to be at his new place, which is located at 1521 NW 54th St, Studio 103. It faces out onto the street, and already in the first week, he said he feels like he got more referrals than he has in the past 4-5 months at his old location.

Baraka offers a variety of jewelry and services. Handcrafted, traditional, bridal and engagement, custom and repair. “There’s nothing we can’t do in fine jewelry,” Jockwig said. He added that he thinks not a single customer that came into his old location had a problem or request that he could not help with.

But Baraka is more than just any jewelry store. It’s a business created from a desire to help orphans in Africa.

Press release:

The City of Burien's animal control provider, CARES (Community Animal Resource & Education Society), invites the public to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new pet shelter on Tuesday, July 24.

CARES officially opened its new shelter at 909 SW 151st St. on Tuesday, July 16, after receiving required permitting and approvals from the City and passing its final inspection by the King County Health Department on July 15.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 4 pm with cake and refreshments. Dog and cat treats will be available for guests who bring their pets. The public is invited to stop by between 10 am and 8 pm and check out the new shelter, and perhaps take home one of the adoptable cats and dogs. The public can also view a privately owned pet daycare located next door.

CARES began providing animal control services for the City under contract in July of 2011 and was temporarily situated in a office off of SW 153rd St.

The new shelter has 16 adult cat "condos" plus four larger spaces for a mother cat and her kittens. Individual stalls are available for up to 15 dogs.

The Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, which utilizes its large rehearsal and workshop space in Crown Hill, presents "Iolanthe", or "The Peer and the Peri", at Seattle Center's Bagley Wright Theatre through July 28.

"Iolanthe" was first produced in 1882 at the Savoy Theatre in London. According to City Arts, "the story involves members of England’s House of Lords and a bunch of fairies, a young man who is half fairy (from the waist up) and half mortal (from the waist down), his fairy mother (banished in disgrace), the girl he wants to marry, England’s Lord Chancellor, the Fairy Queen and a private in the Grenadier Guards.

"However, like all the G & S output, Iolanthe makes points pertinent today, and every performing company adds some sly topical updates. Iolanthe’s digs at Parliament apply equally well to Congress particularly in an election year (...)

According to neighbors living near Schmitz Park Elementary in West Seattle, a male driver heading northbound on 50th Ave S.W. around 2 a.m. this morning (July 17) failed to recognize the road ended at S.W. Spokane St. and launched into the school parking lot below, eventually coming to rest against a fence after taking out part of a public art installation.

The Herald has put in a request with police for an official account of the incident, but according to witnesses the driver was not injured.

Damage from street level down into the parking lot tells the story of a vehicle launching from the intersection of 50th and Spokane (taking out a sign that indicated the road ended in the process) and traveling through the air at least 30 feet before bottoming out, leaving scars in the elementary school parking lot. Another 30 feet and it appears the vehicle slammed into a concrete pillar adorned with mosaic tiles by West Seattle artist Terri Goodwin, meant to keep cars from entering a gate in the chain link fence. A sizable oil spill and small pieces of plastic and metal tell the tale of extensive damage to the vehicle.

SDOT is working on a a conceptual design to transform a section of West Seattle between 35th s.w. and s.w. Alaska Streets, creating a "Fauntleroy Way SW Green Boulevard."

The project seeks to transform this section of the corridor into more of a gateway into West Seattle. The alternatives could include elements such as a landscaped boulevard, planted medians, better pedestrian zones, lighting, and better crossing movements. This is all part of a larger plan that originates from the West Seattle Streetscapes Concept Plan.

An open house on the idea is now set for July 19 at the West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 s.w. Oregon Street beginning at 4:00pm and running until 6:00.

Yun Pitre, District Coordinator at City of Seattle said, "We are inviting community members to come to the open house and review the alternatives, share their thoughts on the conceptual design plan and generally let us know what is most important to them about this section of the corridor.

West Seattle's ArtsWest theater has announced their upcoming student productions set to be staged in August.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. – August 1-5, 2012
The 1970s Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series comes to life on the ArtsWest stage for five performances only. It’s one of the most fun, energetic, educational musicals ever to hit the stage! In this hilarious rock concert, our 8-12-year-old students will teach you about nouns, government, and mathematics in a way we wish we had all been taught. Tickets are just $10 for all shows.

Godspell – August 15 -19, 2012
From the creator of Wicked comes a rock musical based on the Gospel according to Matthew. Currently a smash hit revival on Broadway, our 12-16-year-old students will hit the stage with energy and wonderment as they explore what it means to be part of a community, and how each of us plays a vital part in the world in which we live. Tickets are just $12 for adults and $10 for those under 25.

Press release:

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday, July 18th, will tour a series of projects underway to restore and improve the health of the Puget Sound. In 2005, when Gregoire created the Puget Sound Partnership, she called for a “swimmable, fishable, diggable” Puget Sound by 2020.

The projects she will be touring are aimed at meeting that goal. Joining Gregoire on the tour will be Chair of the Puget Sound Leadership Council Martha Kongsgard, Bill Ruckelshaus, and the new Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership Colonel Tony Wright.

2:30 p.m. “SWIMMABLE”: Gregoire to visit Burien rain garden cluster, tour Seahurst Park restoration project:

Rain garden cluster (From 2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.)
Seahurst Park (From 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.)