Looks like we’re going to have perfect weather for the Maple Leaf Art Walk on Friday, with a high of 65 that day and clear skies after the sun sets at 8:36 p.m.!

We’ve also got a few more additions to the schedule, including an appearance by Maple Leaf woodturner Vern Tater.

Tater will have works such as handmade salt and pepper shakers, wooden tops, decorative bowls and more on display at Edward Jones, 9524 Roosevelt Way N.E., and he also will be doing demonstrations if you would like to see him in action.

In addition, Fine Impressions, 8300 Fifth Ave. N.E., has added two more artists to its lineup:

• Marguerite Langlois
• Paula Phipps

Other updates include:

COA Mexican Eatery & Tequileria, 7919 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Art from Sydney Davis will be on display.

HangFire Design & Frame, 9211 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Works from linoleum cut artist Chris Minor and HangFire owner and Maple Leaf resident Mark Hutchins will be on display.

UPDATE: Reckless Video, 9020 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Artist Jim Gordon will show his paintings on the patio.

We’re waiting on updates from a few more, then we’ll post the list again in its entirety.

Here again are links to the maps from Maple Leaf resident Billy Thompson with 20Six Fresh in case you want to print them out:

• color
• black and white

This arrived overnight from Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police crime prevention coordinator for the North Precinct:

I talked with a gentleman today who lives in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. Evidently, yesterday during the glorious weather we had, he was gardening in the front yard. A thief, unseen by neither the homeowner nor nearby neighbors, entered this home through the unlocked back door and took cash and prescription medications from a back bedroom.

I know it may be inconvenient to keep your doors locked when you are home and gardening, but these crimes are quick and contribute to our burglary rate increases during summer months.

Johnson’s email also included this about the “prolific burglar” we wrote about in March who made a practice of targeting occupied homes: “The 19-year-old serial occupied burglar and auto thief who was hitting the north end neighborhoods hard approximately eight weeks ago has been charged with nearly 10 years. He is in jail and won’t be released for a long time.”

And she told this story:

A 39-year-old, white female was arrested last week for multiple burglaries in the north end, some in which the residents were home at the time of the crime. She confessed to detectives that she is an addict, and she preferred burglaries to prostitution. She spent the day with detectives showing them houses she had hit. She told the detectives that she was surprised how many people leave their house keys out in mailboxes; or on the front porch.

She also told the detectives that she often looked in the windows and could see the desirable loot in plain sight (purses, cash, electronics).

We haven’t done a Maple Leaf burglary report since March, but in the past two months there have been roughly 15 home burglaries here, plus another half-dozen business burglaries. See map above (some of the icons represent more than one burglary).

We also heard over the weekend from Eric, a regular reader, who told this door-to-door story:

On May 3 at around 3:30 p.m. we had a knock to our side door here on 12th Avenue Northeast just off Northgate Way. There was a fairly heavy-set guy with a lisp whose first words to me were not “hello” but consisted of some hurried mumbling asking about what street he was on. He was relaying this information to someone on his cell phone as I stood there confused and thinking he might have just had a car emergency outside our house.

He then went straight into asking me, in a very excited but strangely uninterested way, if I wanted a free carpet and/or furniture cleaning. I said something about being a renter and no thanks, to which he repeated that it was totally free and who could say no and all that while he was peeking into the door. When I said no thanks again he just shrugged and made a dismissive motion while walking away and saying “ok then.”

It was one of the most-odd people I’ve had come to the door and definitely freaked us out for a bit. Just figured I’d send along my story in case a bunch of others have dealt with the same thing or know much about it.

Didn’t get enough starts at the Olympic View plant sale last week?

Now Nathan Hale is having another one nearby, starting this afternoon.

The annual sale, featuring everything from hanging baskets to tomatoes, is at the school’s greenhouse, off of Lake City Way and Northeast 110th Street.

From the intersection of Lake City Way and 110th, head east down the hill, then turn northbound onto 34th Avenue and take a left (westbound) onto our driveway. Please park in our gravel parking area.

We will be selling hanging baskets (fuchsias and mixed annuals), bedding plants, ornamental grasses, herbs, vegetable starts, and native trees and shrubs. All plants are grown organically by Nathan Hale students.

Here are the sale hours: Today, Wednesday and Thursday from 1-6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Note there is no sale on Friday.

For more details go to the school’s website or their horticulture Facebook page.

Many of our commenters seemed ready to see Toys “R” Us leave after Christmas, and ideas for what should fill in the gap varied from a Trader Joe’s to a drugstore to a pizza place and them some. But nobody even thought about one of Seattle’s favorite local stores: Nordstrom Rack.

According to The Seattle Times, Nordstrom is planning to move into the 37,000-square-foot space after making $1.9 million in renovations, although a move-in date is unknown. From the article:

The new store is part of an aggressive national expansion for the Rack, which expects to soon have more locations than the company’s full-price Nordstrom division. It also follows the chain’s move last month to Westlake Center downtown, across Fifth Avenue from the Nordstrom flagship store.

Nordstrom spokeswoman Kendall Ault said that while the company has nothing “definitive to share at this time,” it considers Northgate “a great location for a Rack store. It’s consistent with our strategy of opening Rack stores in close proximity to our full-line stores.”

Thanks to Stu for sending us the link!

Pacific Northwest gardeners will be flocking to Maple Leaf this weekend!

From Friday to Sunday, the annual Olympic View Plant Sale returns to the elementary school at 504 N.E. 95th St., where you can buy beautiful edibles, flowers, shrubs and other plants to benefit the students of Olympic View Elementary School.

The plant sale will be open:

• Friday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sounds like Saturday is the day to shop, though, with free kids’ crafts starting at 11 a.m., as well as coffee from Blue Saucer and frozen custard from Peaks.

UPDATE: Another reason to shop Saturday: Maple Leaf gardener Stacy Brewer, author of the Seattle Seedling blog, will be at the plant sale from 10 a.m. to noon to answer any of your gardening questions. She writes:

I’ll share all of my favorite plant picks with you! I hope you’ll come out and chat with me! Tell me how your garden’s growing and what you hope to grow in your garden this summer! I’d love to meet you!

Of course, you might be distracted Saturday by another gardening event taking place at Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 N.E. 100th St., where Pacific Northwest gardener Ciscoe Morris will be giving a talk at 1 p.m. about container gardens. From a news release: (more…)

North East Seattle Together – the new “virtual village for seniors” – has its full public launch today.

Many neighbors have followed NEST’s progress over the past three years, watching as it organized, became a 501(c)3 and raised over $100,000 from the community. It was featured in the Seattle Times and by KUOW Public Radio.

NEST is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization that will be supported primarily by membership dues. It serves 14 neighborhoods in northeast Seattle – including Maple Leaf, Wedgwood, View Ridge and the University District – with a wide assortment of services, including transportation, simple household tasks, shopping and many, many more activities that are described on its website.

In February, NEST launched for Founding Members, who became the first to benefit from the community and support services that NEST provides to keep seniors safe in their own homes. Channel 13, Q13Fox.com, has video here.

For more information email [email protected] or call 206-525-6378.

Disclosure: Mike, the author of this post, is also a NEST board member.

A major Maple Leaf intersection will be shut down this Saturday and Sunday mornings when the city’s transportation department closes Fifth Avenue Northeast at Northeast Northgate Way.

The work, to remove existing utility poles and replace them with two 90-foot poles, will close Fifth north of Northgate on Saturday, May 5, from 6 a.m. to noon. On Sunday, at the sames times, Fifth will be closed south of Northgate.

The large crane needed to install the new poles will take up much of the roadway, the Department of Transportation said. It suggests using Eighth Avenue Northeast as an alternative to Fifth.

Beginning this summer, the department will be working on major improvements to the intersection.

They include:

· An additional left-turn lane from westbound Northgate onto southbound Fifth.
· A landscaped median with trees on Northgate just west of the intersection.
· An extended northbound right turn lane on Fifth that turns eastbound onto Northgate.

It’s all part of the Northgate Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan. For more details on the intersection, click here. For a larger map, click here.

The “buy two, get one free” promotion with Cedar Grove compost ends Sunday at Maple Leaf Ace Hardware.

This is the last weekend of Cedar Grove’s Compost Days: Buy 2 bags of compost and get 1 free!

When you buy 4 bags then you get 2 free, PLUS a free 5-gallon paint bucket, AND we will donate $2 to the American Diabetes Association as part of our annual ADA Tour de Cure bike ride fundraiser.

Mike Kelley, co-owner of the store at 9000 Roosevelt Way N.E., says of the 100-mile ride: “My brother, Mark, has Type 1 diabetes, so I am riding in honor of him. We raise money every year to stop diabetes and maybe one day we can stop my brother! ”

Three years ago Rose Chavez, a 5-year-old student at Thornton Creek Elementary School, died of complications from Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that causes severe seizures.

In her memory, the community set out to build a memorial playground that would accommodate children with special needs. The playground should be finished by the end of this school year, supporters say.

A final fundraising push is set for Sunday. “The goal of this event is to raise the final funds that we need to cover all the last of the expenses,” emails Beth.

The event is the “Differently Designed Artist Trunk Show,” and runs from 3-7 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at the school, 7711 43rd Ave. N.E.

Come and shop for handmade art created by twenty local artists. There will be jewelry, soap, paper crafts,cookies, and much more.

Twenty percent of all sales will benefit the Every Body Plays playground at Thornton Creek Elementary, a community playground designed for children with special needs in memory of a kindergarten student who passed away in 2009.

With the summer solstice just around the corner, 20 Maple Leaf businesses hope to take advantage of the longer days by swinging open their doors for the first-ever Maple Leaf Art Walk, from 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 11.

Maple Leaf resident Billy Thompson with 20Six Fresh has put together the map at right, which you can print out either in color or black and white before venturing out for the evening.

So far, we have information on the artists and specials at just a few of the participating businesses, but expect more information in the coming days:

Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 N.E. 100th St.
Works from ZZ Wei will be on display (read our earlier post about his work) and refreshments including wine and hors d’oeuvres will be offered.

Art Tile Co., 8511 Roosevelt Way N.E.
A number of artists will be showing their work and be available to answer questions at Art Tile Co. Participants include:

• Billy Thompson, print art
• Erick Cort Gay, glass artist
• Barb Clark, Agapanther handmade tile
• Paul Lewing, tile artist

Blue Saucer, 9127 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Works by Maple Leaf artist Rachel Marcotte, who designed Wallingford’s turtle street mural, will be on display.

Cloud City Coffee, 8801 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Art from Chip Baker will be on display.

Early Masters, 8815 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Bring the kids by during the art walk so they can experience watercolors, charcoal, pencils and photo references of great artworks around the table. Art walkers of all ages are invited to stop by to sketch like Matisse or Picasso and others.

Fine Impressions, 8300 Fifth Ave. N.E.
A number of artists will be available to answer questions throughout the evening (the list may grow, so stay tuned!), including:

• April Richardson, who will be demonstrating monotype and linocut
• Stephen McMillan, who will have aquatint demonstration plates and tools
• Diane Steen, watercolor
• David Harrison, etchings and watercolor
• George Ciardi, photography

Hudson New American Public House, 8014 15th Ave. N.E.
Art from Kellie Talbot will be on display and an oyster special will be available.

maoStudios, 9220 Roosevelt Way N.E.
Jewelry from Yoj Healing Crystals and Bijoudally will be on display.

Northwest Puppet Center, 9123 15th Ave. N.E.
Stop by to take part in a hands-on workshop that will be open to all ages.

The message was clear at Wednesday night’s community meeting:

“Give us a call,” said Officer Kipp Strong, a member of Seattle’s community police team.

He said officers rely on residents to be their “eyes and ears.”

“We’ll do the dirty work - you just do the work. Give us a call,” said Strong, a 19-year veteran.

To make things easier, he gave the crowd of around 40 attending the Maple Leaf Community’s Council’s general meeting his direct phone number: 206-233-3734.

But that’s not the number to call if you see something suspicious. For that, “call 911,” said Mike Sanford, assistant police chief.

Strong said Maple Leaf is not a hot spot for home burglaries and car prowls, despite a “slight uptick in those types of crimes in the area.

“It’s not a huge one, nothing that would make you go ‘wow,’” Strong said.

Sanford also talked about the Seattle Police force response to the federal Department of Justice findings that the department has used excessive force. He suggested that a test of new procedures will come on May Day, next Tuesday May 1, when a collection of organizations hopes to shut down Seattle with a “general strike,” under the banner of “No work, no school, shutdown the city!”

The community meeting also heard an update on the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, a briefing from King County Councilman Bob Ferguson, and information on emergency planning.

Photos courtesy Dawn Siegel

We reported back in January on the Heritage Trees of Maple Leaf. Now one of them has become more famous.

Dawn emails:

We are excited to announce that our flowering cherry Prunus x yedoenisis “Akebono” has been awarded Best in Neighborhood by the Heritage Tree organization, a division of Plant Amnesty. The tree is believed to be between 80 and 100 years old.

The tree is on the corner of Northeast 90th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast. Dawn says they get so many questions about the tree that they have created a Facebook fan page, here.

Although it’ll be another eight years until the first Sound Transit light rail train officially rolls into the Northgate Station, it’s never too early to start planning walking routes to, from and around the station.

Feet First, a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting walkable communities, is doing just that with “Walking in Northgate … Opportunities with Light Rail,” a walk around the neighborhood from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28:

Come take a walk with us around the neighborhood to learn how Northgate can become a great place to live and work, and to walk and bike.

Staff from Seattle Department of Planning and Development, Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Puget Sound Regional Council will be on hand to answer questions.

Interested? Meet at 10 a.m. at Thornton Creek Plaza, N.E. 319 Thornton Place (next to The Jewel Box Cafe).

Although COA Mexican Eatery & Tequileria has been open for less than a year after replacing Divine at 7919 Roosevelt Way N.E., it’s already undergone some big changes.

In the last three months, owner Edgar Carreon has redesigned the color scheme and hired chef Luis Castro, shown at right, who has created a new menu that now touts the term “MexiSeattle.”

“The whole ideas has always been to showcase Mexican flavors in a way that hasn’t been done before,” Carreon said. “I honestly think we are finally presenting a piece of the culture in a much different light.”

Chef Luis Castro calls the Mole Short Rib the signature dish on the new COA menu.

Now, the new menu includes an explanation at the top from Castro that reads:

We’ve done something that you’re going to love. We’re focusing on healthy and real mexican cuisine with the infusion of experience and culture. Kale, egg plant, squash and yam are some of the delicious ingredients you will enjoy. This is Mexican food, this is Tequila.

(more…)

Here’s the agenda for Wednesday night’s general meeting of the Maple Leaf Community Council. The theme is public safety.

Note there is an emergency preparedness drill set for Saturday, May 19. Volunteers are needed.

The meeting runs from 7-9 p.m. at Olympic View Elementary School, 504 N.E. 95th St.

7:00 - Welcome and Announcements

7:05 - Maple Leaf Reservoir Park Update
Seattle Parks Department Kim Baldwin
MLCC Parks Subcommitte Chair Donna Hartmann-Miller

7:30 - King County Councilman Bob Ferguson

7:50 - Public Safety
Seattle Police Department Officer Kip Strong
Seattle Police Department Asst. Chief Mike Sanford

8:40 - Emergency Preparedness
May 19 Drill - Volunteers Needed

8:55 - Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board Elections

9:00 - Meeting adjourned