Lanes will temporarily close on both Interstate 5 and the Northeast 92nd Street bridge over the freeway as crews work in several new areas to bring light rail to the Maple Leaf Portal.

The portal is where the light rail trains will emerge from underground to travel along I-5 to the Northgate rail station.

For the next two months crews will be relocating utility lines along the Northeast 92nd Street bridge over I-5.

The work will occur Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Sound Transit.

It will involve occasional lane closures with flagging crews alternating traffic.

“Crews will also work beneath the bridge at night, requiring I-5 lane closures between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Nighttime work is not anticipated to rise above the noise level of the freeway.”

There’s also a related Seattle Times story here.

Sound Transit also notes the following work:

Soldier pile installation near NE 94th Street
Crews will install solider piles to support the walls of the Maple Leaf Portal excavation. This daytime activity is unavoidably louder than other typical construction noise. Nearby residents may hear a periodic clanging noise. Crews expect pile installation to take approximately three months.

Utility work at First Avenue NE and NE 95th Street
Crews will work during the day in the intersection. Crews will flag traffic around the work.

Construction staging on First Avenue NE between NE 90th and NE 92nd streets
Construction crews will use the area between the west side of First Avenue NE and the WSDOT noise wall to store equipment and materials through 2017. Crews will install a screening and security fence before using the area.

We’ve come back from our unplanned down time this week.

While the site was down the Seattle School Board approved controversial boundary changes.

Our news partner The Seattle Times has an updated story here.

You can also follow the discussion at the Seattle Schools Community Forum and at the Maple Leaf Parents Facebook group.

Rachel emails to say “I just wanted to let you know that there was a woman going through mail on Northeast 95th Street (we are east of 15th Avenue Northeast).”

She notes:

I renewed my Washington ID a couple of weeks ago and was waiting for it in the mail, until I received a phone call from a Lynnwood police officer Wednesday night stating that someone had been arrested in Lynnwood and presented my ID as their identification and that she confessed to going through mail in our neighborhood. Who knows what else she got out of our neighborhood’s mail?

We don’t get that many reports of mail theft, and in fact the Seattle Police crime report map doesn’t appear to show any reports this year.

It may be seasonal, though. Our last reports of stolen mail or packages, here and here, appeared to have some connection to the upcoming holidays.

The community is doing its best to make sure the winter rain doesn’t get you down with events for all ages tomorrow:

Santa Arrival Event at Northgate Mall
8:30-10 a.m. Nov. 16
Bring the kids for free treats and activities as Santa arrives at Northgate Mall!

Caspar Babypants Fall Concert
Northgate Community Center, 10510 Fifth Ave. N.E.
10-11:30 a.m. Nov. 16
Caspar Babypants returns to Northgate Community Center for a fall concert for ages 1 and older. Cost is $5/person.

Healthy Heart Fair
Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, 1550 N. 115th St.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 16
You’re invited for a day of fun and learning as Northwest Hospital celebrates the opening of UW Medicine’s Regional Heart Center at Northwest Hospital. Participate in free hands-on activities:

• Health screenings – know your numbers
• Heart healthy exercises
• Try CPR and learn how to use a portable defibrillator
• See your own heart rhythm and amazing images of the human heart
• Explore the new heart center
• Meet our physicians and providers

Learn about:

• Nutrition, healthy eating and heart-healthy recipes
• Heart disease and women
• Cardiac risk in children and teens
• Lowering cardiac risk by reducing stress

Keeping your heart healthy is one of the most important things you can do to ensure overall long-term health, whether you’re a child, teen, adult or senior. The good news is, there are many things you can do to reduce the risk of heart disease, and trying even one will make a lasting difference.

Jane Addams’ Environmental Science Carnival
Jane Addams K-8, 11051 34th Ave. N.E.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 16
Jane Addams’ second annual Environmental Science Carnival is all the fun of a regular school carnival with a science twist! Come explore stream life, make a paper owl, throw a penguin, race a snail and pet a chicken. Concessions will include baked treats and healthy lunch options served on compostable products. The event will be in the school gyms (enter at the SW corner of the building). Tickets, good for all booths and concessions, will be sold at the door. Proceeds to benefit the Jane Addams’ PTSA. Get free tickets by bringing non-perishable food items which will go to the school’s winter break food drive. One can is good for 1 ticket (up to 5 tickets per family).

On top of all this fun, the Lake City Way branch of All the Best Pet Care (8050 Lake City Way N.E.) is celebrating its grand re-opening by offering 10 percent off everything this weekend.

Anybody know of any other area events we should add to this roundup?

We received this email Wednesday evening:

I recently moved into Maple Leaf, I purchased a house in August, and I unfortunately have to report that somebody broke into my house last Friday, Nov. 8th, sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 pm. I live in the 800 block of Northeast 102nd Street.

I wrote a letter and alerted all neighbors in my street, but I thought it would be good to send you a note here, in case it can be announced to a wider audience and people are alerted.

The last time we looked at home burglaries was in September. You can also search the site for key word “crime,” which will also pull up stolen and prowled cars - the most common crime here.

NOTE: We’re updating the list as people add comments. Thanks!

From time to time (actually, more than two dozen times) we report on bird sightings in the neighborhood.

And now, we have a new park!

Put those two together and it’s obvious that what Maple Leaf needs is a list of birds spotted at, or from, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park.

Many birders have a “yard list” of species seen on or from their property. Here at Maple Leaf Life South, our list totals 47 48 (Hammond’s Flycatcher) 49 (Pileated Woodpecker). 50 (Merlin!).

That pales when compared with the yard list compiled by Maple Leaf resident Dennis Paulson. It totals 113 avian species since 1991.

It helps that he lives above Thornton Creek. Also helps that he’s Dennis Paulson, director emeritus of The Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound. (He also wants to hear from neighbors who spot native wildlife here.)

Back to the park. While it was under construction, and since it opened, we’ve kept an informal list of birds we’ve seen there. So far it’s 38 species as of Nov. 10, 2013). We’d like it to grow.

Update: We’re back! Breaker failure in north substation, whatever that means. The Seattle Times is updating here.

Power out in much of Northeast Seattle!

Update :Metro earlier Tweeted: “If you’re just checking in, you’re facing a wet morning with horrible traffic everywhere. You can’t leave early enough.”

A wind advisory is in effect this morning through 7 p.m 8 p.m. Expect winds gusting to 45 mph in some places.

The National Weather Service’s Seattle office issued the advisory early this morning. It also forecasts a 100 percent chance of rain (just look outside).

The screen shot at right, from Cliff Mass’s weather blog, shows the incoming storm.

The advisory:

WIND…SOUTHERLY WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH…BECOMING SOUTHWEST TO WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

* TIMING…WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY…WITH THE WINDIEST PERIOD PROBABLY DURING THE AFTERNOON…THEN EASE THIS EVENING.

Also this, from the forecast discussion: “THE AREAS MORE LIKELY TO GET THE SORT OF GUSTS THAT MIGHT TAKE DOWN SOME LIMBS WOULD BE FROM ABOUT SEATTLE SOUTH AND ON THE COAST.”

Don’t expect anything approaching Saturday’s storm, though Mass notes: “I would not take that Westport or Neah Bay fishing trip today.

He also uses takes the opportunity to write “poisonous tail of the bent-back occlusion” - a phrase he’s used before.

“I love that phrase.”

Update Thursday 9 a.m.: Our news partner The Seattle Times has a report on last night’s school board meeting. It starts:

Angry parents, residents and activists unloaded a host of grievances at the Seattle School Board meeting Wednesday where the district’s official school boundaries plan was formally introduced.

There is also more discussion on the Maple Leaf Parents Facebook page. One post says that school board member “Sherry Carr will come to Sacajawea Elementary next Thursday, Nov. 14th, at 6:30 p.m., in the library. She considers Sacajawea a priority since we are in the pivot point of changes that take effect next year.”

We’ve gotten a lot of comments on our last two posts on proposed changes in Seattle Public School boundaries, focused on where elementary and junior high kids should go to school, and whether it’s safe to send them there.

Neighbors have been leafleted. Surveys taken. A Maple Leaf Parents Facebook group, just launched a couple of weeks ago, now has 182 members and both discussions of the boundaries, which many argue split Maple Leaf into three pieces, and plans for action.

One of the plans is to attend Wednesday’s school board meeting en masse, possibly carrying signs and dressed in similar colors to stand out as a block.

To follow the discussions, go to the group’s Facebook site, or read our previous posts and comments here and here. There is definitely more than one point of view represented.

Public comment at Wednesday’s board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at 2445 3rd Ave. S. The agenda is here. (Click on Nov. 6 regular board meeting to download a PDF.)

This morning there was a note inside the treat jar at Maple Leaf’s Dog Oasis.

We find notes in there periodically. Usually “thank you” missives from passing canines.

This one was different.

It was Clue No. 7 in a neighborhood scavenger hunt.

We followed it to the newly opened Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, where we found five young scavengers examining an earlier clue by a park bench.

We watched as they set off down 12th Avenue Northeast for the Dog Oasis, and we set off to see if our guess about the next clue was correct.

It was (see below).

Clue No. 8 read: “I want to fly.”

Where do you think that one led?

(And, anybody know more about this scavenger hunt?)

Today’s storm - see post below - has so far produced at least two reports of stray dogs.

Kristen emails:

I came across this beautiful Golden Retriever named Hansel (based on the tags). Called the number and it went direct to voicemail. Found on the east side of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 92nd Street.

None of the neighbors recognized him. Sound like he may have been running for at least a day.

Would you mind posting in the blog? I’ve attached a picture.

In addition, the note below was posted at the Maple Leaf Dog Oasis.

We think Lucy may be back home, though.

Kristen notes: “The windstorm seems to be blowing a lot of gates open,”

Just before sunset Friday night, and today.

Seattle City light now says it expects to have 75 percent of customers restored by 8 p.m.

Update 5 p.m.Seattle City light now says it expects to have 75 percent of customers restored by 8 p.m.

12:15 p.m. A downed tree has closed 15th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 100th Street.

11:30 a.m. 10:15 a.m. Seattle City Light now has around 18,000 36,000 customers without power in this morning’s windstorm, with about 3,000 3,800 of them in the Maple Leaf/Wedgwood area. See current map here.

The Seattle Times reports the north Seattle outages are expected to continue until 4 p.m.

More is on the way. From the National Weather Service Seattle office:

.NOW…WINDS WILL EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN SHIFT AND INCREASE QUICKLY OUT OF THE WEST BETWEEN NOW AND 1130 AM…AS A STRONG SURGE OF WIND SPREADS DOWN THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA. LOOKS FOR WINDS TO SUDDENLY INCREASE IN SPEED TO NEAR 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH.

STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR IN LOCATIONS THAT HAVE AN OPEN EXPOSURE TO THE STRAIT. WINDS THIS STRONG WILL BE CAPABLE OF CAUSING LOCAL POWER OUTAGES AND BLOWING DOWN A FEW TREES. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING.

———————————-

South fence at the upper reservoir park.

A gusty morning has already led to at least one area of Maple Leaf that has lost power, on 97th between Roosevelt and 15th.

It’s not marked yet on Seattle City Light’s outage map, so please let us know who else is in the dark out there! See comments below.

(Winds to 34 mph so far this a.m. at Maple Leaf Life South.)

A splendid Halloween, followed by a bright sunset on the first day of November.

Things will be different in the morning.

From the National Weather Service in Seattle:

Saturday looks to be wet and stormy for Western Washington. Strong winds beginning Saturday morning could blow down branches and trees, and cause power outages in some areas before dying down Saturday evening. The Coast will be pounded by large waves, which will make for dangerous surf conditions through early Sunday. And snow levels will plummet Saturday, with 6+ inches of snow for the passes and a foot or more at the higher elevations possible by mid-day Sunday.

The final Halloween count here:

* 152 kids

* 18 adults in costume

* 13 dogs

A new record!

(Photo courtesy Marcus R. Donner)

The cats at Seattle Creative Kids Preschool are counting on winning the 2013 biggest pumpkin in Maple Leaf contest. The actual weight of the pumpkin won’t be revealed until today.

Tonight - when witches and ghouls prowl - is now forecast to be dry. With temperatures in the 50s.

WEAK FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH MOST OF WHAT LITTLE PRECIPITATION THERE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT OVER THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE STARTING TO BUILD IN LATER IN THE DAY WILL BRING ABOUT AN END TO THE SHOWER ACTIVITY BY EARLY EVENING FOR MOST AREAS.

Maple Leaf usually has hundreds of kids - and dogs - on the prowl for treats. See you tonight!