Local veterinarians and dog blogs are warning of an outbreak of potentially deadly canine parvovirus in the area - a warning especially interesting to the dog havens of northeast Seattle, including Maple Leaf.

Everett this week temporarily closed its three dog off-leash areas after unconfirmed reports that dogs had become ill after visiting the areas.

Renton-based ACCES (Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services) sent out a notice over the weekend that it has seen seven cases of parvo over the past two weeks, an unusually high number for the emergency clinic.

Currently there appears to be a community-wide parvo outbreak

The animals seen at ACCES have tested positive for parvo at both the clinic’s Seattle and Renton locations

Monitor your pet for vomiting, diarrhea, and/or lethargy

The strain has been affecting EVEN VACCINATED ANIMALS

See your regular veterinarian to have your pet tested for parvo if you notice any symptoms

Minimize your pet’s contact with other animals at this time

Contact your vet to see whether it’s advisable for your pet get a booster for parvo

The ACCES notice can be read here at the Seattle DogSpot blog, which notes it has posted three times about parvo so far this month.

The Everett release notes that the virus spreads easily and can live in the ground, in feeding dishes, on collars, leashes, hands and clothes of pet handlers for long periods of time. Dogs can shed the virus for up to two weeks before showing any signs of illness.

More about parvo can be found at Pet MD.

They won’t issue you a real speeding ticket. Yet.

Although the warning-only grace period for the new school-zone speed cameras, including the one at Olympic View Elementary School, 504 N.E. 95th St., was to expire this Monday, the cameras appear to have some glitches - they have “caught” almost 6,000 speeders in less than a month, according to our news partners The Seattle Times.

“We were surprised,” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn told the Times. At this past month’s rate, the fines could total $2-4 million annually, the mayor said.

Because there were so many speeders, the warning-citation period that was to end this week has been extended to Monday, Dec. 10, he said. From that day on, the registered owners of vehicles caught driving faster than 20 mph in those school zones while beacons are flashing will receive a $189 ticket in the mail.

The experimental cameras are set up at the flashing-light zones outside city schools as part of a pilot program, to see if speeding falls off. There are four cameras, including the one outside Olympic View on Fifth Avenue Northeast between approximately 94th and 96th streets.

That camera definitely had setup problems: In an earlier post on it Kristin commented:

Actually living next to one of these cameras is pure hell…it went on last night and it was like living in a photographer’s studio all night – flashes constantly. It made it impossible to watch television or even to sleep. I call DOT this morning to complain as they are being set off by almost every car going by – even outside of school hours.

That’s since been fixed. From the Times:

Seattle police say the cameras are recording all day, but drivers will be ticketed for speeding only when the school-zone beacons are flashing — times when children are most likely to be walking to and from school. Like red-light cameras at some intersections, the camera shoots a picture of the license plate.

The turkey drive at North Helpline, a food bank that serves north Seattle, including Maple Leaf, Wedgwood and View Ridge, was a huge success this year. But the food bank and social service center still needs help.

“North Helpline is unfortunately suffering the worst financial condition in its history,” North Helpline says in its current newsletter.

With the instability of our local and national economy, many of the corporations and foundations who normally provide us with financial assistance have severely cut back on their giving programs. In some cases, foundations who once provided large annual gifts are postponing for two to three years before we can re-apply. This has seriously impacted our fiscal planning.

Last year the food bank saw a 63 percent increase in needy families, while at the same time losing donations. You can help the organization, at 13000 Lake City Way N.E. Learn more at their website.

As for those turkeys?

We are pleased to report our annual Thanksgiving turkey drive at Fred Meyer last Friday through Sunday was a roaring success! We blew our numbers from last year out of the water, with 170 turkeys collected and over 4,000 pounds of food donated. We want to thank our 50+ volunteers who braved the stormy weather for hours on their weekend—they were the key to our success.

The turkey drive at North Helpline, a food bank that serves north Seattle, including Maple Leaf, Wedgwood and View Ridge, was a huge success this year. But the food bank and social service center still needs help.

“North Helpline is unfortunately suffering the worst financial condition in its history,” North Helpline says in its current newsletter.

With the instability of our local and national economy, many of the corporations and foundations who normally provide us with financial assistance have severely cut back on their giving programs. In some cases, foundations who once provided large annual gifts are postponing for two to three years before we can re-apply. This has seriously impacted our fiscal planning.

Last year the food bank saw a 63 percent increase in needy families, while at the same time losing donations. You can help the organization, at 13000 Lake City Way N.E. Learn more at their website.

As for those turkeys?

We are pleased to report our annual Thanksgiving turkey drive at Fred Meyer last Friday through Sunday was a roaring success! We blew our numbers from last year out of the water, with 170 turkeys collected and over 4,000 pounds of food donated. We want to thank our 50+ volunteers who braved the stormy weather for hours on their weekend—they were the key to our success.

You’re invited to have your voice heard by Mayor Mike McGinn tomorrow, Nov. 27, at a Neighborhood Town Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. at Northgate Community Center, 10510 Fifth Ave. N.E.

The community gatherings are taking place around the city as part of the Engage Seattle initiative.

What Maple Leaf issues would you like to take up with our local elected leaders?

Maple Leaf business Beadworld is officially twice its former size this morning, opening in a new space two doors north of its previous store.

“We are officially open!!! We are now greater Seattle’s biggest bead store! We didn’t move far! Just next door at 9524 Roosevelt Way Northeast,” the store posted on its Facebook page.

The store, which has been around now for over two decades, is celebrating with holiday snacks today.

Late last summer it closed a sister store in Kirkland, saying the parking there was unfixable, before doubling in size here.

On what we understand is now known as Blackout Wednesday (that’s today, or rather tonight) the city has announced that the construction that’s jammed Northeast Northgate Way is finished in time for the holidays.

“The Seattle Department of Transportation will open all lanes of traffic tonight– just in time for Thanksgiving travel and holiday shoppers. The intersection will remain clear of construction activities through the holiday season,” the department’s Laura LaBissoniere emails this morning.

The construction has been centered around Northgate and Fifth Avenue Northeast. Areas of the sidewalk that are unfinished will wait until January, when crews return to install new street light and signal poles and complete the sidewalks.

This project will ease congestion and improve pedestrian safety. Specifically, the project:

• Built an additional left-turn lane from westbound Northgate Way onto southbound Fifth.
• Extended the right turn lane from northbound Fifth onto eastbound NorthgateWay.

• Added a landscaped median with trees on Northgate Way just west of the intersectio.
  • Created decorative crosswalks on all four sides of the intersectio.
  • Installed a new signal system and improved drainage and water qualit.

For more background visit the department’s Northgate page.

There are plenty of ways to help out this holiday season, but at least one food drive will also help Maple Leaf youngsters understand the importance of giving back.

Seventh- and eighth-graders collect food for “Three Weeks of Giving”/Courtesy St. Catherine Parish School

Stephanie Gravenkemper, development director at St. Catherine Parish School, explains the service project the Maple Leaf school’s K-8 students are now in the midst of:

Currently we are working on our “Three Weeks of Giving” campaign together with St. Vincent de Paul to help feed the homeless and less fortunate on Thanksgiving. Each class is assigned an item to bring in and it changes every week, for 3 weeks. (For example 2nd grade is bringing in cream of mushroom soup this week, boxed mashed potatoes next week). Throughout all grades, we are able to assemble packages for the less fortunate to create full Thanksgiving dinners and we deliver them. We also collect toiletries items as well; toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, band aids, shampoo, etc to give away at the same time.

We are proud of how we give back to our community!

Want to help out? Just drop your contributions off at the front office of the school of 8524 Eighth Ave. N.E. Gravenkemper adds:

I would love to thank them personally if I am there! So if they ask for me that would be great!

What better way to enjoy this weekend’s rainy weather than by getting your hands a little dirty?

You’re invited to help out from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Kingfisher Natural Area (formerly known as Park No. 6) on Thornton Creek just southeast of Beaver Pond Natural Area.

Frank Backus with the Thornton Creek Alliance tells us:

As you may know, early winter is the best time for planting. Kingfisher and Licorice Fern Natural Areas have 100’s of beautiful native plants that need to get into the ground ASAP. Your help is needed. This is a lot of plants, but we, and the local native creatures, will greatly enjoy the outcome of this work. Don’t forget your raingear. Please bundle up in layers and head out to help out!

To join in the Kingfisher event, meet at 17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 104th Street. Backus advises that you approach 17th from Northeast 98th Street because of the dead end streets in the neighborhood. A map can be seen on the preregistration website. Preregistration is not required, but it saves time at the event, Backus says. [Read more →]

Inside the reservoir almost a year ago. Photo courtesy Dane Doerflinger Photography

The city is concerned that faulty calculations were used when considering earthquake readiness for its four underground drinking water reservoirs, including the one just being finished in Maple Leaf.

Our news partner The Seattle Times has the story here.

City officials say there’s no threat to water quality or public safety and the reservoirs are working as designed. But Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has spent almost $1 million in the past 18 months to analyze the problem and could spend even more if the four giant underground vaults that hold the city’s drinking water need seismic retrofitting.

Work on the reservoir here has completed; the current construction is to build the playground and park that will sit atop the buried water supply.

The concern is that the initial seismic calculations used were for construction of above-ground reservoirs, not underground ones, according to Times.

Maple Leaf Life led a public tour inside the reservoir, before it was flooded, almost exactly a year ago. The park is scheduled to open next spring.