At least 50% of each dinner bill will be donated to the Food Bank, and 66% of the cost of orders from a special menu will be donated.

“Our monetary goal for the evening is to raise $6,000,” Paul Yunker, Development Director at the University District Food Bank, said in an email sent to Food Bank supporters earlier today. “That’s essentially 50% of our food purchasing budget for the month of February.”

The Greenlake Bar & Grill is a My Green Lake advertiser.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2012.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: food, fundraiser, local businesses, restaurants, udistrict

The School Board approved the plan with a 7-0 vote last night (Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012). It was developed following input from the Facilities and Capital Management Advisory Committee. Input was also considered from about 300 attendees at six community meetings and about 550 written comments.

The plan includes boundary adjustments to John Stanford International School (4057 5 Ave NE),  B.F. Day Elementary School (3921 Linden Ave N) and McDonald Elementary School (temporarily located at 4400 Interlake Ave N). McDonald serves children from Wallingford, Green Lake and the University District.

The new boundaries will be in effect beginning with the 2012-13 school year. Families in will be able to determine their school boundary with an online address lookup tool starting Tuesday, Jan 31.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2012.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: fremont, kids, mcdonald school, schools, udistrict, wallingford

The proposed changes would also impact Fremont’s B.F. Day Elementary School (3921 Linden Ave N) and McDonald Elementary School (4400 Interlake Ave N). McDonald serves children from Wallingford, Green Lake and the University District.

Click to enlarge

The changes were presented at a PTA meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 10, 2012) and will be voted on by the full School Board next Wednesday (Jan. 18).

“Seattle Public Schools has seen increased enrollment over the past two years and needs to make adjustments to ensure all students have a safe and productive environment to learn,” says Lesley Rogers, a spokesperson for Seattle Public Schools. “The John Stanford International School is currently overcrowded and use exceeds the optimal use of the rooms.”

At John Stanford, there is room for 16 homerooms, but 18 are currently in use. “The current boundary for the John Stanford International School is unsustainable,” Rogers says. “With no boundary change, the situation worsens and there will be a need for 23 homerooms by fall 2014. The combined capacity for McDonald Elementary and JSIS can only support the population within the combined current boundary for two more years at most.”

Also, according to Rogers, demand for language immersion programming is greater than the number of seats available.

In order to keep siblings together and alleviate overcrowding, the school district is proposing a plan that they say will offer predictability to all families. Once approved, all those impacted by the boundary change will know where their student will attend school in September 2012.

According to the school district, the proposal for the 2012-13 school year:

• Ensures incoming kindergarten siblings of students attending John Stanford who live in Area # 1 or # 2 will be guaranteed assignment to John Stanford
• Students who live in Area #2 and who are not entering kindergarten siblings will be guaranteed assignment to McDonald
• Offers a plan to bring the number of JSIS homerooms back to a sustainable level.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2012.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: fremont, kids, mcdonald school, schools, udistrict, wallingford

20-year-old Carly Henley, a UW student, committed suicide last October. The Carly Henley Project is dedicated to her memory.

Patrick Mazzuca, Zoka’s General Manager, writes the following on the Zoka website:

In adults over the age of 18, there are 14.8 million individuals that suffer from depression. Last school year four University of Washington Students chose to take their lives. One of these students was a regular customer of University Village Zoka. Her name was Carly Henley.

When I read about Carly’s death in the Seattle Times last fall, the incident hit very close to home. Not only had I known Carly personally, but my heart went out to the Henley family as my own family had suffered a similar loss a number of years ago.

Suicide often leaves friends and family confused, frustrated, and even angry. The loss of life and potential is devastating to those who love and cherish the individual who takes their own life. A community’s heart breaks. Carly was a beautiful young woman with talent and passion, and when I discovered that Carly’s family had created a benefit show to help nourish young talent, like that of Carly, I immediately reached out to the family. When Jared and I met with the family there were tears, laughter and love shared. At Zoka, we believe whole heartedly in creating great relationships, and the Henley family’s dedication to making Carly’s voice heard inspired our own involvement in the Henley Project.

Zoka has created a new coffee blend in honor of Carly, which is described this way:

The toasty notes of dark chocolate and light smoke are balanced by both fruit and floral nuances. This blend is a mix of a lighter roast, to highlight brightness and acidity, and a darker roast to highlight the deep and rich notes of chocolate and smoke.

All three Zoka locations also have ”Love Wins” t-shirts, Carly’s lyric book and Carly’s CD, “Love the Skin You’re In,” for sale. 100% of the profits from the sale of these items will go to the International Justice Mission. The IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. $2 of each purchase of “Carly’s Blend” coffee will also be donated to the IJM.

“We thank you for your help in fulfilling our dedication to creating great relationships within our community,” Patrick says in a note to customers. “Remembering that Carly was a valued Zoka guest, just like you, please take the time today to greet your neighbor with warmth and compassion.”

You can find Zoka in Green Lake at 2200 N 56th St, in the University Village at 2901 NE Blakeley St and in Kirkland at 129 Central Way.

Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company is a My Green Lake advertiser.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: advertiser, coffee, fundraiser, local businesses, memorial, udistrict

Marizela Perez. Photo courtesy KING 5, used with permission.

From king5.com:

A University of Washington student has been reported missing by her family.

Marizela Perez was last seen in the Rainier Beach neighborhood Saturday, heading to the UW campus, family members say. She may have been riding a Link Light Rail train.

Family members filed a missing persons report with the Seattle Police on Sunday.

Perez is described as Asian, 5-foot-5, 110 pounds with a bob hairstyle. She has a tattoo on her left inner arm with the words “lahat ay magiging maayos,” Tagalog for “all will be well.”

She was wearing jeans and possibly carrying a plaid backpack with a laptop.

Update:

Michelle Malkin, Marizela’s cousin, reports that there is evidence that Marizela was last seen Saturday afternoon between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the UDistrict Safeway (4732 Brooklyn Ave NE).

Thanks for the tip, Mike.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: rainier beach, udistrict, university of washington

Greenlake Bar & Grill | Photo courtesy "GreenLakeThomasB"

A benefit dinner for the University District Food Bank will be held Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011, 5-10 p.m., at Seattle’s network of Neighborhood Grills restaurants, including the Greenlake Bar & Grill (7200 E Green Lake Drive N).

At least 50% of each dinner bill will be donated to the Food Bank, and 2/3 of the cost of a special $30 three-course menu will be donated.  Customers will also receive two bar drinks for the price of one if they donate two 8-ounce cans of food (this deal is limited to one per customer).

“The benefit dinner is a great way to reconnect with friends, especially if you spent the holidays out of town or with family,” Paul Yunker, Development Director at the University District Food Bank, said in an email sent to Food Bank supporters earlier today.

“And,” he said,  ”it’s an excellent opportunity to help out the Food Bank.  Monetary donations historically decrease as much as 85% from December to late winter and early spring.  Food donations plummet as well this time of year.  It’s like night and day comparing the number of groups that do food drives and the amount of food we receive from our store partners after the holidays.”

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: food, fundraiser, local businesses, restaurants, udistrict

Route 542 begins at the Redmond Transit Center and operates along the SR 520 corridor, with stops at Redmond City Hall, the SR 520/NE 51st Freeway Station, the Overlake Transit Center, Yarrow Point Freeway Station, and Evergreen Point Freeway Station.

Including Mountlake Boulevard, the route makes six on-street stops in the University District before ending at the 65th Street Park-and-Ride in east Green Lake.

Service runs every 15 minutes in both directions on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

According to Sound Transit, the new route responds to the expected increase in demand for transit across the SR 520 bridge when tolls start this spring.

The route 542 map, fares, and schedule are available here.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: traffic, udistrict

Green Lake's Station 16

Tonight (Saturday, July 24, 2010) was Medic 16′s last night in Green Lake.

I spoke with Greg Forslund, a fire fighter at Fire Station 16 (6846 Oswego Place NE).  Forslund confirmed that The Seattle Fire Department is transferring the Medic One Unit to Station 17 (temporarily located at 4557 11th Ave NE), and that tonight was the unit’s last shift at Station 16.

Engine 16, a fire engine, will remain at Station 16, which is scheduled to be renovated in 2011.

Medic One Units provide Advanced Life Support.  The Fire Department reports that they respond to approximately 28,000 Basic Life Support alarms and 25,000 Advanced Life Support alarms per year, as well as all working fires, hazardous materials and rescue responses.

There are only seven Medic One Units in Seattle.  The Fire Department felt that Station 17, in the U-District, would be a more effective placement for Medic 16.  Forslund told me that Medic One Units serve the entire city, not just one neighborhood, and that units from outside of Green Lake often come into our neighborhood.

Forslund also explained that the bays at Station 16 are quite narrow.  Medic 16 will have more room at Station 17.

It is not known yet if Medic 16 will retain its name or be renamed “Medic 17.”

Ed. note: Thank you, My Green Lake tipster Veronica, for giving us a heads-up about Medic 16′s move to the U-District.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: fire, medical emergency, udistrict

Starting around 3:15 this afternoon, the sound of helicopters could be heard in the Green Lake neighborhood.  As of 3:55, the noise is still present.

While we can’t pinpoint the cause with absolute certainty, it seems likely that the helicopters are connected to a large police operation currently going down in the U-District:

SWAT teams have surrounded a home in the 5200 block of 12th ave NE in University District looking for a bank robbery suspect.

SWAT has called for the armored Bearcat and units from other precincts are assisting at the scene.

[ ... ]

According to the scanner, a King5 helicopter is hovering overhead and making operations “difficult.”

[SeattleCrime.com]

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: crime, noise, udistrict

Scarecrow Video is located in the UDistrict, but from 1988-1993, it was Green Lake’s pride and joy.  Check out this little tidbit from their book The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide. That’s right – Kurt and Courtney came to our hood for videos.

Scarecrow Video is also sponsoring Wallingford’s neighborhood blog Wallyhood.

From Wallyhood:

Regular readers will know how we feel about national chains: food, coffee, clothing, whatever. By focusing on “top sellers”, they destroy diversity. If you’re a movie buff, you’re lucky to have Scarecrow Video (5030 Roosevelt Way NE), one of the largest independent video stores in the country, in strolling distance. And we’re lucky to have them as our newest sponsor.

There’s a million things we love about Scarecrow, but let’s take one obvious one: their main section is organized by director, rather than alphabetical by title. Why does this make sense? Well, ask yourself: when was the last time you said “Gosh, I usually like movies that start with R, so I’ll go have a look in the R’s and see if there’s anything I want to watch”? Never. Never was the last time you said that.

Instead, you probably say something like “Gosh, I really liked The African Queen, but I’ve already seen it. I wonder if there’s anything else by the same director that I haven’t seen.” Brilliant.

And their collection really is enormous: over 100,000 titles in stock and growing all the time, including a ton of rare, out-of-print, foreign and independent films not available in mainstream stores. You can even search their rental database on-line.

So, if you’re a movie buff, or if you’re just tired of watching the same old Hollywood blockbusters, Scarecrow is something of a no-brainer.

And there’s no Scarecrow chain. There’s one shop, locally owned, and it’s right nearby. That’s what we like.

[Wallyhood]

© for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2009.

Permalink | Comment on this post

Post tags: 1980s, 1990s, advertiser, celebrities, film, historical, local businesses, udistrict