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UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Details on speakers have been added. The Eastlake Community Council will have its annual election to board positions at a special candidates and issues night on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. E. The event starts at 7 p.m. In addition to the ECC election, candidates for local offices will be present to debate each other and the issues. And advocates pro and con on the various ballot issues will be on hand to discuss their positions. Candidates for the ECC Board are:
Only ECC members in good standing (paid up on your dues) can vote for the board. You should have received your ballot in the mail already. If you didn't get your ballot and are wondering if your membership is up-to-date, e-mail the ECC at membership@eastlakeseattle....
Saint Demetrios (not quite in Eastlake but close) is celebrating it's 50th Annual Greek Festival this weekend. The event features Greek food, music and folk dancing. There's also a chance to shop for food to take home as well as jewelry, books, music and other Greek items. And you can take tours of the congregation's beautiful church. The church is at 2100 Boyer Ave. E. Just head east on E. Roanoke and keep going and you'll run right in to it. Hours for the festival are noon to 9 p.m. today (Friday), 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. After the festival ends on Sunday, there will be an after party at Kristos Eastlake, 3218 Eastlake Ave. E. DJ Yanni will be mixing the beat and there will be drink specials. The event goes from 10 p.m. until late. Dress code will be enforced, they say. UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Details on attendees from the City of Seattle have been updated. The Eastlake Community Council will be sponsoring a community meeting on emergency preparedness, safety and graffiti control next week at Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. E. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in the school's library. Cecilia Grevson from the ECC's Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee says that officials from the Seattle Police Department, including Terri Johnston, the crime prevention officer from the East precincts, will be attending. Other officials invited include those from the city's emergency preparedness department, the University of Washington Medical Center and the Harbor Patrol. Grevson says the meeting will allow Eastlake residents to ask questions of the various officials as well as find out how to prepare their families to survive a natural disaster. You'll also learn how to register for city-sponsored disaster readiness classes.... UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. A video of Monica and Jason's seaplane ride has been added. If you live in Eastlake on the shores of Lake Union, you know that not only is the lake a recreational body of water, it's also an airport of sorts. Kenmore Air flies numerous flights ever day from their base at the south end of the lake. Their seaplanes race up the lake and take off over the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge. And, of course, the planes also land here. If you've ever wondered what the view of the lake and neighborhood looks like from Kenmore Air's planes, Eastlake resident Monica Guzman has a photo. Monica and her husband, Jason Preston, returned from a weekend away on a Kenmore Air flight this evening. As they landed on the lake, Monica snapped a photo. Check her post at Intersect.com to see her stunning image taken over I-5 and the University Bridge. Cool! UPDATE TUESDAY: Monica added a YouTube video of her flight:
The Eastlake walking fish decorating contest was a fun part of the community celebration on Aug. 14 at Wards Cove. Alas, several of the fish haven't been claimed by their owners. Kathleen Warren, Wards Cove's PR person, says they don't want to throw them out and they'd like to find all the fish good homes.
Creators would have first dibs on their fish. If they don't want them, then they're up for grabs. To adopt a fish, call Joel Blair at Wards Cove at 206-323-3200. The fish, an Eastlake icon, first appeared in the 1990s. They were a way to draw attention to the neighborhood's Lake Union shoreline and to help promote the creation of more water access. 
UPDATE, Tuesday, Sept. 7: The Floating Homes Association reports on its Facebook page this evening that Sunday's tour is almost sold out. Better jump quick if you want those tickets! Even if you don't live on an Eastlake houseboat, you've probably bragged about these unique abodes to your friends and wished you really were living on one. On Sunday, Sept. 12, you can partly fulfill that fantasy by touring a dozen houseboats on the Eastlake and Westlake waterfronts during the 2010 Seattle Floating Homes Tour. The tour is from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available from BrownPaperTickets.com or by phone at 1-800-838-3006. Or, you can purchase them in person at 220 Nickerson St. in Fremont (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday). If there are tickets left on Sunday, you can purchase them at the staging area at E. Newton St. and Fairview Ave. E. Tickets include shuttle bus transportation from Eastlake to Westlake. You can also cross the lake on an electric boat. Free espresso and restrooms will be provided. The tour is self-guiding. You will be walking up stairs and on slippery docks so wear good shoes, the Floating Homes Association advises. The tour goes on rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the Floating Homes Association. Highlights of this year's tour include:
If you have questions about the tour, call 206-323-3489, e-mail jann@seattlefloatinghomes.org or visit the Floating Homes Association's website. 
Despite a couple of brief sprinkles of rain Saturday evening, the Eastlake Movie Night drew what may have been its biggest crowd ever. The Disney/Pixar animated film "Up" was the feature. It drew a crowd of 80-100 people to the Rogers Playfield for a screening that started at dusk. Kate Dulemba, who has organized all three of the Eastlake Movie Nights, said she thought it was the most children ever at one of the events. Families spread out on blankets or sat on chairs to watch the film, many bringing snacks to enjoy. Speaking of snacks, Kate says a special thank you is due to Alcena Plum, owner/chef at Louisa's Cafe Bakery, who brought two kinds of popcorn and also cookies for the crowd. And Pazzo's on Eastlake sent over pizza for the movie audience. Ryan Murphy of Coworking Eastlake loaned his sound system for the evening. Kate also wanted to send a special thank you to the unnamed member of the audience who volunteered gas to restart the generator that runs the projector and sound system after it ran out and shut down the show about 30 minutes in. The generator and the movie were quickly restarted and the evening didn't suffer for the interruption. Clouds that had been building from the west brought two brief sets of raindrops but they were only a gentle sprinkle and most people stayed to the end. The raindrops soon passed and the moon came out to light the way home. Kate deserves a big round of applause for organizing a great evening in Eastlake, Thanks! Also deserving thanks were the sponsors of the evening:
[Full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. was a sponsor of the Movie Night and I also helped with the setup.] 
Eastlake Movie Night is TONIGHT! The movie is the Disney/Pixar animated film "Up." It screens at dusk at the Rogers Playfield. Bring your dinner and eat on the lawn or just bring something to sit on and enjoy the movie. The lawn can be a bit damp so bring something to sit on that will keep you dry. If you bring chairs, try for the lower beach-style that won't block the view of those in front of you.
Alcena Plum, owner of Louisa's Cafe Bakery, says she'll be supplying free popcorn. Other treats may be coming. You'll have to come to the event to find out what they are! Sponsors of tonight's event are [full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. is a sponsor]:
Be sure to thank the local businesses that have helped to put on tonight's event. See you at the movie! 
Are you ready for Eastlake Movie Night 2010? "Up," Disney/Pixar's animated film from last summer, will be screened on the lawn at Rogers Playfield, starting at dusk on Saturday evening. It's free but the Eastlake Community Council is asking for a $5 donation if you can afford it.
Alcena Plum, owner/chef at Louisa's, says she'll be providing free popcorn. You're also encouraged to bring your own food and picnic on the lawn. "Up," which tells the story of a senior citizen who floats his house to South American in search of adventure, was another big hit for Disney/Pixar. It features the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer and Delroy Lindo. And now, on to some "Up" trivia, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:
For more "Up" trivia, go to the Internet Movie Database's trivia page here.
The Seattle Municipal Archives are a treasure trove of historical images which, fortunately, the department has decided to share on Flickr. A recent image is of particular interest to Eastlake residents. It shows Gas Works in 1971, pre-park. Across the lake behind the gasification plant can be seen a number of Eastlake landmarks, including:
Seattle writer Benjamin Lukoff notes in a comment on the Flickr post that Gas Works Park would have been under construction in 1971. "At this time, it was still going to be called Myrtle Edwards Park," he writes. The waterfront park in Lower Queen Anne was later named for Mrs. Edwards, a city council member from 1955 to 1969. Go to Flickr to see a larger version of the photo and see notes on the image identifying the landmarks mentioned above. Be sure to look at the large, original version of the image. 
It's showtime for the Eastlake Movie Night! "Up," the Disney/Pixar animated film about a 78-year-old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house and floats to South America, will be screened at Rogers Playfield on Saturday evening starting at dusk. The film features the voices of Ed Asner as Carl Fredericksen, the aging adventurer, and Christopher Plummer as the bad guy, Charles Muntz. Plus, there's a group of evil, talking dogs, one good dog (Dug), and a giant bird named Kevin. This year's Movie Night poster was designed by Mary Hansen (see attached image). Mary, who also designed last year's poster, has done several posters for Eastlake events. [Full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. is one of the sponsors of the event.] Kate Dulemba is heading the group of volunteers who will be making Movie Night happen. The Eastlake Community Council is sponsoring the event. Bring your picnic to the playfield to enjoy before and during the movie. There's a rumor of popcorn and maybe some other food treats. We'll have more details later in the week. See you at the movies! 
UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Names of P-Patch volunteers have been added. Video of the celebration, including Mayor McGinn's comments, is embedded below. Under brilliantly sunny skies, Eastlake neighbors strolled a community celebration Saturday that featured music, pets, classic cars, ribbon cuttings and and an appearance by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. The occasion was the Eastlake Community Celebration to mark the completion of the Wards Cove green street and beach and the dedication of new plots at the Eastlake P-Patch. Pets paraded on Fairview as visitors looked at classic cars gathered by resident Tommy Eggleston. At Fairview Park, a violin and cello duo (Jen Kozel on violin, local resident Paige Stockley Lerner on cello) played under shady trees to an appreciative audience. Visitors had a chance to view and vote on the Eastlake walking fish decorating contest. The winner was Pam Farrow's pirate themed fish. She'll get a $100 gift certificate to the Eastlake business or non-profit of her choice. At the Wards Cove parking lot, non-profit groups offered information on everything from proper bike helmet fit (Cascade Bicycle Club) to neighborhood issues (the Eastlake Community Council), water quality (People for Puget Sound) and the PARKing Day project (Feet First). Mayor McGinn arrived on his bicycle around 2 p.m. and toured the street and P-Patch before the official ribbon cutting for both projects. McGinn noted that he often rides his bike up Eastlake but hadn't been down this stretch of Fairview for several years. He said he was really surprised by the dramatic improvements in the area. In his remarks to the crowd, he put in a pitch for filling in the gap in the Chesiahud Lake Union Loop to make it easier for bike riders to access the section of Fairview between Hamlin and Furhman. McGinn noted the city was becoming more dense and that that is something that happens in cities. Places in the city like Eastlake, where you can walk to work or a coffee shop or catch a bus, are becoming more popular, he said. "So, projects like this are just absolutely essential" to preserving the character of a neighborhood. "This is a great example," McGinn said, pointing to the street. "I was kind of blown away coming down here ... because I haven't been down this street in a few years. To see these changes and the beautiful park, the P-Patch and the new walkway, it's just amazing. So kudos to everyone here who made it work." McGinn then cut a ribbon to officially open the new walkway and beach at Wards Cove. He walked down the street to cut a ribbon marking the completion of the new plots at the Eastlake P-Patch, then toured the garden to see the improvements. The Department of Neighborhoods handed out t-shirts to Eastlake residents who were instrumental in the expansion project, which was funded with a mix of city and private money. Honored with shirts were Barb Donnette, Jean Johnson, Valerie Margulis, Rebecca and Bryan Partington, Lisa Hummel and Mary Jones. The day included a chance to tour the renovated office building at Wards Cove and check out the display of historic images and memorabilia in the downstairs hallway. The afternoon finished with a Brazilian beat as the samba band Batucada Yemanja played in the Wards Cove parking lot. 
An ailing tree in the Hamlin Street-end park was given a second chance at life today after it received a professional pruning thanks to its neighbors. As we previously reported, the tree suffered badly during the cold winter of 2008-09. Parts of it were badly damaged and the tree was in danger of being removed. The city said it would replace the tree with a new one, but agreed to let neighbors try to save it with a professional pruning. Two neighbors of the tree, Ruth Kunath and April Boyd, took on the project and gathered donations from neighbors to pay for the pruning. Mark Herkert of Madison Park Tree did the pruning between 10 and noon Thursday morning. A nearby crabapple tree was also trimmed. In an e-mail, Kunath thanked Madison Park Tree for its work. "The eucalyptus is now pruned of dead wood, allowing the remaining energy of the tree to focus on new growth," she writes. "Best trees in any neighborhood now!" Kunath praised the street end neighborhood for coming together to help preserve the eucalyptus tree. The tree looks remarkable better. The numerous dead branches are mostly gone, allowing the healthy green leaves to show. Donors to the project were:
UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. The time for the event has been corrected and more details have been added about the event. The program is growing for the Eastlake Community Celebration on Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council and Wards Cove, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday on the stretch of Fairview between Hamlin and the P-Patch and Fairview Park, 2900 Fairview Ave. E. The event will celebrate the completion of the new plots at the P-Patch and the beach and street renovations along Fairview. Mayor Mike McGinn is scheduled to arrived around 2 p.m. to tour the block and cut ribbons at the P-Patch and the beach starting at 2:30 p.m. Others on the ribbon-cutting program include Laurie Ames from the Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Program, Joel Blair from Wards Cove and a representative of the Eastlake P-Patch. Other events on the schedule include:
For more information contact Chris Leman at cleman@oo.net or 206-322-5463. Eastlake residents are encouraged to bring their own picnic and enjoy it in the park. Eastlake Ave. will be on the scene Saturday. See you there! We are looking for classic cars to feature during the Eastlake community Celebration August 14th from 12 PM - 5 PM. If you have a classic car or know someone who has one and would be interested in showing it, please contact Tommy Eggleston asap at 206 323-0978. Thank you. Tommy Here is the video of Tuesday evening's two Eastlake Night Out block parties. Both events were heavily attended this year. For our previous post about the Night Out, with photos, click here.
The Eastlake Community Celebration on Aug. 14 will feature the return of the fabled walking fish. There's still time to pick up one of the fish (see the photo to see what they look like), decorate it and enter it in the contest at the event on the 14th. The community celebration runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, on Fairview from Hamlin to Fairview Park. The street will be closed for the event. The fish, I am told, first made an appearance in Eastlake in the 1990s and were part of an effort to draw attention to the Lake Union shoreline and push for more access points for local residents. If you'd like to decorate a fish, contact Kathleen Wilson at 206-789-5668. She'll tell you how to pick one up. Bring the fish to the event at Fairview Park (2900 Fairview) on Saturday starting at noon to enter it. The winning artist will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Eastlake business or non-profit of their choice. Wilson says that several non-profit groups have signed up to attend the event, including Feet First, People for Puget Sound and the Cascade Bicycle Club. Mayor Mike McGinn will stop by around 2:30 p.m. to cut ribbons for the new P-Patch plots and the new beach and shoreline at the Wards Cove redevelopment. There will also be classic cars, a pet parade, a local taco truck selling food and a few appetizers from at least one local resident. Bring your picnic and meet your neighbors! 
Send us your block party photos! We'll add them to this post. curtmilton (at) comcast.net. Thanks! Check out our VIDEO of Eastlake's Night Out events. UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Information on the raffle has been added. New photos from Franklin Avenue added. Maybe it was the pleasant summer evening. Maybe it was a renewed sense of community. Maybe it was just the chance to relax and chat with your neighbors. Whatever the reason, Eastlake's two Night Out block parties were popular with neighborhood residents. Both the party on Yale and the party on Franklin saw higher turnouts than last year. At the party on Franklin Avenue E. (which, until last year, had been the only Night Out event in Eastlake), neighbor Jules James estimated 80 people had rotated through during the course of the evening. "This was very good," he said, smiling. On Yale Avenue E., a bigger event funded with a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods easily drew a couple of hundred people. There was music from a jazz trio, lots of food (including hot dogs and oysters), a visit from the Seattle Police Department, samples from local businesses, a pinata for the kids and a raffle to raise money to provide oxygen masks for rescue dogs at local fire stations. (The raffle raised $138, enough to buy the local fire station two sets of pet oxygen masks.) Cecilia Grevson, who helped organize the event, was very pleased by the response. The point, she said, "is that we're trying to keep our block safe. As Hilary (Clinton) said, it takes a village. We need to know our neighbors and that's what this is all about." SPD Crime Prevention Coordinator Terri Johnston thanked everyone for doing their part to help prevent crime and keep the neighborhood safe. Sgt. Paul Gracy of the West Precinct also thanked the crowd and then noted that Johnston's position may be eliminated in March. "She's been the catalyst for all of this," he said of the block parties. He urged those present to communicate with the mayor's office and urge that the positions be retained. On Franklin, the evening was gently coming to a close by the time I made it back by around 8. A steady flow of neighbors stopped by to say hi or to have something to eat. Many were catching up with each other or swapping news, refreshing their connections in the neighborhood. And that, after all, is what Night Out is all about. Related story: See what other neighborhoods did in this Seattle Times' feature. 
So far, I've heard of two Eastlake block parties taking place on Tuesday (tomorrow, Aug. 3) as part of the national Night Out 2010 event. Are there more that I've missed? If so, put your details in the comments below and/or e-mail me at curtmilton (at) comcast.net. Night Out is intended to help neighbors meet each other and organize to fight crime. The Seattle Police Department provides support, including blocking off streets so that neighbors can gather for food and conversation. There are more details on the SPD website. The two Eastlake events (both run from 6 to 9 p.m.) are: 2600 block of Franklin E.: This is the block just north of Seward School. Jules James is one of the organizers and says they'll be blocking off the street starting at 6 p.m. Neighbors set up in the middle of the street with lawn chairs and tables full of food. There was a barbecue last year. Bring a dish to share or something to grill. Or just show up and meet everyone! 2000 block of Yale E.: Cecilia Grevson, co-chair of the Eastlake Community Council's safety and preparedness committee, organized this event for the first time last year. This year, she applied for and received a $1,000 Small Sparks grant from the city's Department of Neighborhoods to fund it. Grevson says there will be food (hotdogs, grilled oysters, vegetarian chili, watermelon, ice cream and more), music, kids games, emergency preparedness information and visits from fire and police officers. There was a fire truck last year, which the kids loved. I attended both events last year, met a bunch of people and had a great time. I'll post photos and a story about tomorrow night's events. See you there! 
We have more details about the big Eastlake community celebration event set for the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 14. The event will celebrate the new shoreline and green street at Wards Cove and the completion of the new plots at the Eastlake P-Patch. The event will be from noon to 5 p.m. on Fairview Avenue E. from E. Hamlin to the P-Patch and Fairview Park. That stretch of Fairview will be closed during that time.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will stop by about 2:30 p.m. to participate in ribbon cuttings for the beach, shoreline and street at Wards Cove and the 24 new plots at the P-Patch. Wards Cove will be celebrating the redevelopment of its Seattle base. Gone are buildings that housed fishing equipment during the winter. In their place is an office building, a marina, new houseboat slips and a green street in the 2800 block of Fairview E. that includes the beach, new pathways and sidewalks, and natural landscaping that helps slow and clean storm runoff. The event includes the return of the historic Eastlake "walking fish" art, this time as an art competition. Neighborhood businesses and residents are encouraged to decorate a plywood walking fish before the event and enter it. The creators of the winning fish will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Eastlake business of their choice. If you'd like to decorate a fish, contact Kathleen at 206-789-5668. (I don't know much about the walking fish. You can see an example of the fish in a photo from the Eastlake Community Council archives that is attached to this post. If you know the history of the fish, please feel free to post it in the comments below.) Other activities at the community celebration include:
A new essay on the history of the houseboats by HistoryLink.org will be shared. Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy in the park. There will also be food available for purchase. 
Neighbors of the Hamlin Street End Park are raising money to have a damaged eucalyptus tree located in the park pruned in hopes of reviving it. Ruth Kunath lives near the park and, along with Barbara McPherson, has adopted it and looks out for it. She says they have been working with Joshua Erickson, an arboriculturist with the City of Seattle, to have the eucalyptus tree assessed. The tree was damaged by winter cold. Kunath says the city offered to remove the tree and replace it with a new, indigenous tree. But, Kunath says, the city agreed to let the neighbors attempt to prune, reshape and restore the tree "in hopes it recovers." She adds:
Right now, Kunath and another neighbor, April Boyd, are soliciting bids from tree pruning companies and raising donations from the community to pay for the work. They estimate it will cost approximately $400-$500 for the pruning. They don't have a formal non-profit organization to do this, Kunath says. Donation checks will be written directly to the tree pruning company. If you'd like to donate, contact Kunath at rbkunath@gmail.com. She'll have the details on the pruning company and where to send your donation. A group of Eastlake folks gathered Tuesday evening for the first planning session on this summer's Eastlake Movie Night (Aug. 21, Rogers Playfield, put on by the Eastlake Community Council). Kate Dulemba, who is organizing the event again this year, says they could use help in the following ways:
If you'd like to donate or help out, e-mail info@eastlakeseattle.org and put "Movie Night" in the subject line. 
The Eastlake Community Council will again sponsor a Movie Night outdoors on the Rogers Playfield lawn. This year's event is set for Saturday, Aug. 21. Kate Dulemba, movie night organizer extraordinaire, once again will be putting on the show with the help of a dedicated band of volunteers. And Mary Hansen is, we hear, going to do the poster again (last year's was a collectable). Kate says she'll be announcing the movie in a week or so. Many people bring dinner to the playfield to enjoy before the film. The movie is projected on a big screen hung on the tennis court fence. Last year's event was great fun and a chance to hang out with your neighbors and see a terrific film (last year it was "Groundhog Day"). We'll have more details, including the announcement of the movie, as they become available. Until then, here's a short video of last year's Eastlake Movie Night: 
GreenAve.com? That might have been the name of this blog if Eastlake's original street names had been left intact. Check the attached map to see what I mean. It's a detail section of an 1893 city ward and precinct map posted recently on Flickr by the Seattle Municipal Archives. You can view the whole map here on Flickr. Be sure to check out the larger size because the interesting stuff is in the details. You'll see that most of the street names in Eastlake in 1893 bear no resemblance to the names we know now. Eastlake Avenue? The street is there but not the name. It's labeled as Green Street. In fact several familiar streets have unfamiliar names, many of them colors. Franklin is Indigo. Yale is Yellow Street. Minor is Orange. And a little piece of what would be Fairview is labeled Red. A few contemprary names are on the 1893 map: Allison, Shelby, Hamlin, Roanoke, Louisa. Lynn is known as Angie. Boston is called Grace. Edgar shows up but it's a little longer: Edgard. Over the hill, Fuhrman is called Randall. I'm intrigued by the cluster of small streets west of Louisa. Several of the names aren't legible in this photo, but the east/west street between Roanoke and Louisa is: Clatsop Avenue. And speaking of small streets, check out Short Street on the point where Gas Works Park now stands. If you look at the southern end of this enlargement, you'll see that Franklin makes an appearance, but it doesn't apparently connect with the northern part of the street. Local writer Benjamin Lukoff notes in a comment on the Municipal Archives Flickr page that there was a great renaming of streets in 1895. It would be interesting to know how our current names came about. More photos from the Seattle Municipal Archives can be found here on Flickr. They have a Flickr set of just historic city maps. Rebecca Partington sends along the attached list of local businesses and invdividuals who have donated to the Eastlake P-Patch expansion project. This list notes:
Click the attached list to see who all has helped out. Work continues on the P-Patch expansion. Work parties are generally scheduled on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Contact Rebecca at rebeccaapartington@gmail.com or 206-601-3453 for more information. For a selection of our previous coverage of this major expansion project, click here. |
