Update 2:41 p.m.: The Maple Leaf Reservoir Park is officially open! There must be close to 1,000 people there.

From Friends for a Greater Maple Leaf Park:
“The Opening Festivities will include a performance by Counterbalance Barbershop quartet, ribbon cutting ceremony, light refreshments, and family activities. We look forward to seeing you there!”

(more…)

Confluent Boulders. Inspired by the two water sources that feed the Maple Leaf Reservoir, the sculpture comprises two boulders taken from the Tolt River and Cedar River watersheds. (Thanks for the quick description, Donna. For more from Friends for a Greater Maple Leaf Park, scroll down.)

The fence around our park is (largely) down this morning, and people are strolling the upper circle.

Dozens of them, with children and dogs.

(Dog owners beware: There is lots of tasty Canada Goose poop in the grass.)

Official opening is at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday’s opening includes the annual Maple Leaf Parade of Costumes.

From our earlier post:

“The Parade will end in Maple Leaf Park, just in time for the Opening Celebration of the upper part of the Park (which officially starts at 2:30 and runs to 4:30).

“The Opening Festivities will include a performance by Counterbalance Barbershop quartet, ribbon cutting ceremony, light refreshments, and family activities. We look forward to seeing you there!

“We could use a few volunteers to help with crossing Roosevelt and do some ‘front running’ to inform participating businesses the parade is approaching their location and giving them a chance to get outside to hand out treats. Email [email protected] with questions, comments, or to volunteer!”

Here’s more background from Friends for a Greater Maple Leaf Park: (more…)

There are clearly Maple Leaf families both in favor and opposed to the proposed changes to the Seattle School District boundaries, according to the comments in our recent post.

Those opposed are making their voices heard not only by responding to the district’s survey, which is due today at 6 p.m., but also by asking neighbors to sign a “Maple Leaf Letter to the School Board” by 4 p.m. today that supporters have been distributing around the neighborhood and via the Facebook page Maple Leaf Parents.

From the Maple Leaf Parents Facebook page.

The text reads: (more…)

This morning Karen reports that her car was broken into, probably while she was waiting for the Olympic View Elementary School bus.

They smashed the passenger side window and rifled through the glove compartment. They scored an incomplete library audiobook - “Cleopatra: A Life.”

They didn’t get the complete audiobook because one of the CDs was in the player. A small consolation.

This occurred at Northeast 94th Street and Eighth Avenue Northeast.

On Wednesday Donna emailed that her car was broken into on Northeast 102nd Street between 12th and 15th avenues northeast , “leaving quite a mess in their wake.

“They ultimately found nothing of value other than a $20 bill, which they took.”

Car prowls - where a vehicle is broken into but not stolen - are considered the most common crimes in the city. We haven’t reported on them since mid-May, but since the start of October there have been roughly 30 cars broken into or stolen entirely in the neighborhood, according to the police crime map.

We’re a little late with this announcement, but wanted to let you know nonetheless that Northwest Puppet Center, 9123 15th Ave. N.E., has started a new free film series featuring puppets that it is inviting the public to free of charge.

Over the weekend, folks were invited to view “Paranorman,” but the series continues this weekend with “Muppets Take Manhattan” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.

The Puppet Center says the free film series will continue, adding:

In addition to popular hits like these, there will be some documentaries, cult favorites and some bizarre artsy films. Stay tuned!

When you visit, make sure to take time to look at the new exhibit of Chinese puppet traditions. Looking forward to sharing all the 2013-2014 programs with you and the rest of our community. Thanks for your continued interest in the art of puppetry and thanks for your support of this unique non-profit organization.

Eight free job skills/career planning classes are planned through the end of the year at the Northgate branch of The Seattle Public Library.

Classes are held at the branch, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E., on Fridays. They include:

• The New Job Search in the New Economy

• Effective Networking for Employment

• Online Job Search

• Effective Resumes for the New Economy

• Effective Interviewing for the New Economy

• Mid-Life Career Changing in the New Economy

• The Role of Social Media; LinkedIn & Twitter in the New Job Search

The branch also has two laptop computers that patrons can use for job searching/career development for two hours a day in addition to their usual 90 minutes on Internet computers.

For details click here or check out our events listings.

Maple Leaf finally has its own street mural!

Photos submitted by neighbor Barb Steffens, the artist who designed the street mural.

Over the weekend, neighbors on Northeast 98th Street between 15th and 12th avenues northeast came together to paint this street mural.

Maple Leaf artist Rachel Marcotte first brought up the topic of a neighborhood street mural in summer 2010, after her involvement with two street murals in Wallingford. Neighbors were divided on the issue, so the idea eventually fizzled out.

UPDATE: Neighbors tell us this mural was designed by Barb Steffens, although she gives credit to Ylanda Thomas Todd for starting the project, who tells us:

We weren’t aware of the previous mapleleaf project until we were well into our project. The inspiration was informed by Portland’s fantastic community building efforts.

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend’s activities: (more…)

At close to midnight, Mike emails us pictures and this note:

Fire appears to have started in the detached garage between two homes, just west of Fourth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 81st Street.

Both homes appear to have taken minimal damage (minus the garage, which was destroyed). As an observer, it was an extremely quick response by Seattle Fire and Police to this call.

As a neighbor and resident of Maple Leaf, it feels good to have the responsive support. Also, many thanks to the emergency responders each time they answer a call.

Thanks, Mike.

UPDATE: The School Board has extended its school boundary survey deadline until 6 p.m. Oct. 25.

Shown above is the proposed new Olympic View school boundary on top of the current one.

We’ve received a few emails from parents about the new boundaries proposed for Seattle Public Schools, which Olympic View Elementary parent Aiko Schaefer says would “splinter Maple Leaf kids to an even greater number of different schools.” She continues:

Schools are anchors to communities, the latest SPS proposal has Maple Leaf kids going every which way to school. The kids in the neighborhood play and grow up together, it will be a shame if they are not able to also learn together. I’m hoping Maple Leaf residents are able to weigh in on this proposal and help ensure we keep our neighborhood kids together.

In a nutshell, here is the current boundary for Olympic View, which was implemented when the school district moved to neighborhood schools in fall 2010. And here is a link to the school’s proposed new boundaries, which another parent pointed out would have children between Roosevelt and 15th Avenue Northeast who previously attended Olympic View crossing busy, unsidewalked 15th Avenue Northeast to reach Sacajawea Elementary.

But the splintering continues after elementary school, Schaefer says, which is shown by the new boundary proposal for middle schools and high schools: (more…)

Just a month after moving into new digs kitty-corner from Cloud City Coffee at 8626 Roosevelt Way N.E., Maple Leaf Veterinary Care Center is inviting neighbors to stop by and get a behind-the-scenes look at the veterinary hospital during their Open House and Grand Opening from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27.

It will make a convenient stop for families marching through Maple Leaf for the annual Parade of Costumes, which starts at 1 p.m. at Rick’s Chevron (Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 85th Street) then winds around the neighborhood including a trek past the new veterinary clinic.

Be sure to stop by Maple Leaf Veterinary Care Center before you hit the grand opening of Maple Leaf Park, because there will be treats for kids as well as for costumed and uncostumed pets. In addition, staff also will be giving tours of our new facility and serving refreshments for all ages (and species!).

Something over 50 people from the neighborhood are attending the Candidates & Issues forum tonight at Olympic View Elementary School. It runs until 9 p.m.

School board candidates Sue Peters and Suzanne Dale Estey.

Seattle Police are aggressively searching for stolen cars and parking scofflaws, sending a dozen vehicles equipped with license-plate scanners down most city roads.

During four months this summer more than 1.6 million scans were made of upwards of 600,000 vehicles, according to a story today by our news partner The Seattle Times.

The most emphasis has been on heavily traveled areas, such as Capitol Hill, downtown, Queen Anne and Ballard, the story states. But the scanners visited three out of every four city streets.

To view the Times’ interactive map, click here.

The annual Maple Leaf Parade of Costumes, held Sunday, Oct. 27th, will end with the OPENING OF OUR NEW PARK!

It starts at 1 p.m. at Rick’s Chevron, Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 85th Street. The full route will take a little over an hour to walk.

As in previous years, bring a non-perishable item for local food banks.

From the Maple Leaf Community Council:

“The Parade will end in Maple Leaf Park, just in time for the Opening Celebration of the upper part of the Park (which officially starts at 2:30 and runs to 4:30).

“The Opening Festivities will include a performance by Counterbalance Barbershop quartet, ribbon cutting ceremony, light refreshments, and family activities. We look forward to seeing you there!

“We could use a few volunteers to help with crossing Roosevelt and do some ‘front running’ to inform participating businesses the parade is approaching their location and giving them a chance to get outside to hand out treats. Email [email protected] with questions, comments, or to volunteer!”

In addition, there are several other festivals planned for the neighborhood.

Saturday, Oct. 26th:

Olympic View Elementary holds its Fall Carnival from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. It will include games, crafts and food. Tickets are available for purchase at the door. 504 N.E. 95th St.

Northgate Mall has announced this year’s Halloween events. The first event on Oct. 26th invites children and their families to enjoy some festive-themed activities for an afternoon of fun and a jump-start on the candy (1-3 p.m. in Ben Bridge Court). Then, come back in for some Halloween-day indoor trick-or-treating on Oct. 31st (4-8 p.m. in Ben Bridge Court).

Thursday, Oct. 31:

Northgate Mall: Halloween-day indoor trick-or-treating on Oct. 31st (4-8 p.m. in Ben Bridge Court).