While Eastlake may not have a farmers market of its own yet, it does have access to South Lake Union’s newest market, the FarmBoat – a floating farmers market, thanks to Captain Larry Kezner’s mini ferry service at Terry Pettus Park ( Fairview and Newton). For a mere $6 round trip, passengers can enjoy a scenic trip across the lake to the market. The service leaves every hour from Pettus Park and makes a return trip leaving Lake Union Park forty-five minutes after its arrival at the market. Service at Pettus begins at 11 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m. every Thursday in conjunction with the Winter FarmBoat’s hours.  Schedule updates and info at www.SeattleFerryService.com or 206-713-8446.

Captain Larry Kezner started the service in an effort to raise awareness about Lake Union’s history with maritime transportation and to provide a flexible alternative to Seattle’s congested roadways. He also runs the Sunday Ice Cream Boat cruise and does private parties on his larger ferry boat.

“I’ve been trying to demonstrate... (more)

Our local news partner, the Seattle Times, is reporting that unionized garbage haulers in King County may go on strike as soon as Thursday, but Eastlake won't be affected.

Union members from Teamsters Local 174 have given their lead negotiators the authorization to call the strike if they can't reach a deal by Thursday. Those drivers work for Waste Management and cover about half of the homes in Seattle.

Fortunately, garbage in Eastlake and Capitol Hill is collected by CleanScapes (see map). So it looks like we'll be spared a strike if it happens.

Read more of the Seattle Times' story here.

Chris Leman is looking for volunteers to help finish, clean up and water the new, native plant garden on the Lake Union shoreline between NOAA and the Lake Union Drydock (1500 and 1600 blocks of Fairview Avenue E.), from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring gloves and sturdy shoes (there are a few gloves to borrow if you forget).

It's part of the annual Lake Union clean up, which means there's a free cookout and party at South Lake Union after.

Chris says the group working on the garden urgently needs donations of hoses, nozzles, soaker hoses and sprinklers, which you can leave by the tool hutch at 1609 Fairview (near the trash can), or phone and we'll pick up from your home. Call (206) 322-5463 or e-mail cleman@oo.net

Next up: Watering the new plantings in the coming months. "Once the plants get established," Chris writes, "they won't need watering, but they do need it for the first two summers."

Contact Chris to arrange to water for a couple of hours on a future weekday or weekend. Thanks to Lake Union Drydock and Peterson Yacht Services for giving us water, Chris writes.

A man who was working on a boat in the 1500 block of Fairview Avenue E. on Friday afternoon was rescued after he fell into a hole and couldn't get out. Seattlepi.com's 911 blog has the story here.

The Cheshiahud Trail wraps smoothly around Lake Union except for one missing link: the section between Edgar and Hamlin on Fairview Ave. E.  To make the connection, a pedestrian or cyclist must trudge up Edgar to Eastlake and down Hamlin (or vice-versa), both steep east-west streets that run down to the water from a busy arterial.

Some of the block between Hamlin and Edgar is public right of way. The street right-of-way actually extends from Hamlin to within about 50 feet of Edgar Street End Park, an undeveloped park overrun with bamboo and blackberry. The shoreline of property at 10 E. Edgar is half on the city right-of-way. A permit for the dock (mostly on city right-of-way) is renewed every September, but the city does not review the permit for possible violations. At present, large concrete blocks are stored on city property behind a gate and fence that also intrude on city property. There is no permit for this storage; the city issued a stop-work order last year when the blocks were delivered, possibly for building a new bulkhead, but they have not been removed.

If the blocks, fence and gate were moved, the city could require an easement to connect the city right-of-way with Edgar Street End and build a stairway for pedestrians and cyclists. The city has already approved a construction permit to build the stairway but has not funded it. If this connection were made, it would complete the Cheshiahud loop and reduce the incentive for cyclists to stay on Eastlake and add their names to the list of cyclist fatalities in Seattle.