The Seattle mayor’s office has released a recap of the conversation Mayor Mike McGinn had at Aljoya Thornton Place last Saturday.
We earlier wrote about the mayor’s visit here and about his remarks on Alaskan Viaduct tunnel here.
In a note to residents who listed their email address on the meeting’s sign-up sheets, McGinn today wrote: “I’ll be getting back to you in the next couple of weeks with answers to the questions about casual laborers at 117th & Aurora, school lunch program cutbacks, a status update on the North Aurora Plan, and whether or not daycare providers are required to wrap cloth diapers in plastic.”
Those were all questions the mayor promised to follow up during the meeting. More of the Q & A can be found here (pdf).
As a sample:
Speaker: I support the tunnel position [referring to Speaker #8]. As for trees, we are not planting enough evergreens. I suggest that the city plant evergreens. What incentives do we have for neighbors to plant new trees?
Mayor: In my budget process I discovered that the City has four different programs for planting trees. We hand out many trees for different purposes.
I asked if we can have just one tree program. It turns out that it wouldn’t necessarily save money to have one program, but it may make for a better program.
It is still being worked out as to how restrictive will we be towards property owners who have trees on their property and want to take them down. It will be a hot button issue. It may be a lot different than what we have now.
The street tree issue is very challenging. We have a list of approved trees and they are not big evergreens.
We have the Green Seattle Partnership that does much work to clear invasive plants.
I am very nervous about what the State and Federal governments will do which will make us revisit our budget.
King County’s Aging and Disability Services (ADS) wants community input for its new Area Plan on Aging, which will guide its work from 2012-2015.
ADS is a division of the Seattle Human Services Department, and works with King County and United Way to improve the health and quality of life for seniors and adults with disabilities, connect them with resources, and provide support to caregivers.
We especially encourage people who are age 60 or older, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers to respond.
Responses from this questionnaire will inform development of strategies to promote quality of life, independence and choice for older people and adults with disabilities, which will be carried out over the next four years.
Everybody is aging, so everybody should care.
For more information about the Area Plan on Aging, contact ADS planner Karen Winston at 206-684-0706.
Keep an eye on this post from our sister site My Wallingford to see what neighbors there have to say about the effect of their two street murals on both traffic and community spirit.
Editor’s note: This post and photos are by Simone Lupson-Cook, a neighborhood resident and falconer who also posts at WingTrip. It is a more authoritative response to Matt’s question Tuesday about falcons in the neighorhood.
Good question about our local raptors! Peregrine Falcons do indeed show up in Maple Leaf and are nesting all over western Washington. In fact, there is a pair that nests on the WAMU tower downtown. You can read about them here, though it is a little outdated. That’s a photo of a Peregrine to the right.
Merlins are also found over western Washington but are more recent breeders to our area. This spring will be their (the pair highlighted in the Times article) third breeding season in our area.
Cooper’s Hawks are very common residents in Maple Leaf and can be found nesting in parks, ravines and sometimes even backyards.
The Cooper’s Hawk’s smaller relative, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, is most often seen raiding bird feeders and nests in more forested areas of western Washington, including the foothills.
Without more details on size and plumage it is hard to say which raptor you might have seen. Peregrines are large (the size of a crow for males and larger for females), with sickle-shaped wings and a dark “mask.” One of their most common prey items is pigeons, and you will usually see Peregrines high in the open or sitting on light posts over some of our area bridges (or on our water tower). It would be uncommon to see a Peregrine below tree level in Maple Leaf, but not impossible.
Merlins are much smaller than Peregrines, about the size of a robin, and usually hunt from the top of a prominent perch (i.e. the top of a tree), keeping an eye out for songbirds below. Merlins appear dark or even black and do not posses the “mask” of a Peregrine Falcon.
If the bird you saw had a long tail and short, rounded wings it was most likely a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk. Both of these raptors will pursue prey into cover and through forests. The juveniles appear brown and white, while the adults are slate grey above and have a rufus-colored chest. The adults also have blood red eyes.
If anyone is interested in learning more about our local raptors I suggest the Falcon Research Group, based out of Bow, just to our north, or check out our nearby Audubon store for information, books and more:
Here is a Merlin at a raptor banding station in eastern Washington.
We’ve got a couple of regulars returning to the Maple Leaf neighborhood this week: Lumpia World on Thursday and Charlie’s Buns ‘N Stuff on Friday.
Both are scheduled to be parked from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the Washington Dental Service building at 9706 Fourth Ave., just south of Thornton Place. However, let us warn you that those are only approximate times, as “CAS” learned last week after waiting a half-hour for Lumpia World to open. Lumpia World did tweet that it was running late last Thursday, but we didn’t see it early enough to warn our readers.
This afternoon Mayor Mike McGinn’s office announced a new neighborhood survey on crime, put together by grad students at the prestigious Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.
The online survey “will help determine residents’ primary public safety concerns in their own neighborhoods and on public transportation.”
With this survey, the City hopes to have a snapshot of perceptions of the police and public safety at a neighborhood-by-neighborhood level. The survey also gives residents an opportunity to anonymously offer their opinions on the police and public safety in Seattle — a new option for this kind of survey.
The new survey asks residents their opinion of public safety conditions in Seattle’s urban villages, if there are any urban villages they avoid, and why.
Speaking of urban villages, Maple Leaf residents who take the survey will likely not be pleased to learn we’re lumped in with Northgate.
At all events, you’ll have choices like these on crime:
Very serious problem
Serious problem
Minor problem
Not a problem
Question No. 9 asks you to name the most serious crime problems in your neighborhood. There’s a list of 20 choices - including “no crime” and “other.” You get to pick no more than five. Regular Maple Leaf Life readers will have no trouble here! (Incidentally, police are still reporting only one home burglary in Maple Leaf during all of March to date.)
There are 47 questions - possibly more if you ride transit often - including ones dealing with police harassment and effectiveness. You can take the survey- it takes about a quarter-hour - here. The Evans School will release the results to the mayor’s Youth and Family Initiative in May.
Maple Leaf Life follows birds (and dogs) and was pleased to get an email today from Matt:
I bought a home 2 years ago in this neighborhood and like it very much, it has a great mix of small businesses and residential appeal. I was curious, has anyone written in recently with sightings of a falcon?
I live on 96th and Roosevelt and I was returning from a walk with my dog when I saw the distinctive shape of a bird of prey, I first thought it a hawk, but it was more maneuverable and the markings made me think it was a falcon. It honestly looked like a Peregrine Falcon to me. … … but… do we even have those here anymore? Would be very cool to hear that they are coming back into the city!
The answer is: Yes! Maple Leaf does host most of the common birds of prey found in the Pacific Northwest, including, to our knowledge:
Peregrine Falcons (sometimes seen on the Maple Leaf water tower).
Merlins. In fact, Seattle’s only known breeding Merlins live just northeast of Maple Leaf. Here’s a story from our new partners at The Seattle Times.
Cooper’s hawks.
Sharp-shinned hawks.
Osprey, sometimes known as fish hawks. Sometimes seen on the Comcast tower at Roosevelt Way Northeast and 89th Avenue Northeast, eating salmon from Lake Union.
Bald Eagles. Often seen, perhaps the pair from Green Lake and Woodland Park.
And, of course, Red-tailed Hawks.
We’ve asked Simone Lupson-Cook, a longtime resident who is a falconer and lives with a Red-tail (Chase), to post more about local raptors. Here’s her last piece on owls. Stay tuned!
Photo of wood ducks in Thornton Creek Park No. 6 from Don McCall.
If you want to show your support for Thornton Creek, you’ll get plenty of chances through the rest of March:
Tomorrow night, Vicki Stiles, executive director of the Shoreline Historical Museum, will discuss ways to preserve stories and photos featuring Thornton Creek. The presentation is part of the bi-monthly meeting of the Thornton Creek Watershed Oversight Council, and begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at Shoreline City Hall, Room 301, 17500 Midvale Ave. N.
On Sunday, March 27, the Thornton Creek Alliance is seeking volunteers to help pull ivy, mulch and improve the trails from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m. at Thornton Creek Park No. 6. Volunteers should meet at the end of Northeast 106th Street, east of Eighth Avenue Northeast. For more information or to volunteer, contact Ruth Williams at 206-930-8965 or [email protected].
The Thornton Creek Alliance is holding another event at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, as part of its regular business meeting. Arthur Lee Jacobson, a renowned Seattle plant expert who is well known for his knowledge of a vast array of plants and for his books and essays, will give a presentation on Native Trees in our Watershed. Copies of his book “Wild Plants of Greater Seattle and Trees of Seattle” will be available for sale. For more information, contact President Frank Backus at [email protected] or 206-365-3348.
Although the street mural of a turtle painted in Wallingford had the support of 100 percent of its neighbors, a similar proposal to paint the Maple Leaf intersection at Northeast 96th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast seems unlikely to be as popular with some of its immediate neighbors.
Maple Leaf neighbors are considering painting the street at the intersection of Northeast 96th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast.
At a meeting Sunday afternoon to discuss the project proposed by Maple Leaf artist Rachel Marcotte, who also is the artist behind the Wallingford turtle, a couple of neighbors who live on the intersection expressed concerns that the street mural would decrease their home values and lead to excess traffic on their block.
Marcotte originally proposed a mural closer to her own home at the intersection of Northeast 102nd Street and 12th Avenue Northeast, which was rejected by the Seattle Department of Transportation because of the roundabout already at the intersection. But instead of giving up, Marcotte proposed moving the project six blocks south to one of the street’s few intersections without a roundabout.
“I love this neighborhood and this is the place where I want to live for the rest of my life,” she said at the meeting. “As a member of the community, I want to be more involved with my neighbors and a sense of place with my community.”
Marcotte explained that painting the mural, which would be a volunteer effort organized and maintained by the community, can produce that effect by bringing neighbors together to take part in the project, as well as creating a gathering area for neighbors. “I think it would be cool if we could create a new place that we can call ours,” she said.
Maple Leaf artist Rachel Marcotte proposes painting a dog mural on 12th Avenue Northeast because of its popularity among dog walkers.
However, adjacent neighbors aren’t so excited about having a gathering place right outside their homes, and are worried the mural could attract negative activity, such as the tagging at the turtle mural that a reader recently commented on. (more…)
Mayor Mike McGinn at the beaver pond in Thornton Creek Park No. 6.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn joined around a dozen neighborhood residents - and a dozen or so government staffers - this weekend for a tour of parks, gardens and Thornton Creek.
“I just got to see some of the assets of this neighborhood,” McGinn told a group of about 50 afterward at a town hall Q-and-A at Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 N.E. 100th St.
Barbara Maxwell, a Maple Leaf Community Council veteran, presents Mike McGinn with a Maple Leaf Community Garden T-shirt as Jenn Zanella looks on.
During the Q-and-A, McGinn stressed that many of the city’s present budget woes are the result of years of deferred maintainance of streets, parks, water systems - all vital infrastructure.
“It’s been a difficult budget-balancing exercise,” he said. “The streets are in really bad condition right now.”
Many of those attending were interested in pedestrian safety and the lack of sidewalks in much of Maple Leaf and Northgate. There were complaints about lack of walkability along Northeast Northgate Way and Roosevelt Avenue Northeast, and at the intersection of Northgate and Eighth Avenue Northeast.
“We’re seeing a desire by many people to live in a more walkable area,” McGinn acknowledged. “We should be prioritizing pedestrian projects. “
The mayor often asked city staffers to follow up on individual questions, including complaints about prostitution on Aurora Avenue North and the proposed “road diet” for Northeast 125th Street. “N.E. 125th has a very steep hill,” McGinn was warned. (Actually, it’s not as steep as one of Maple Leaf’s prime bike commuting routes.)
Asked about proposals to preserve Seattle’s tree canopy, McGinn noted the sensitivity of the issue. A former Sierra Club leader, McGinn wants to save trees. “But how restrictive will we be for people who want to cut down trees on their own property?” he asked.
Drive carefully this week on Fifth Avenue Northeast as Seattle Department of Transportation crews will be repairing a retaining wall along Thornton Creek that was damaged by erosion.
SDOT plans to close the sidewalk and curb lane just north of Northeast 103rd Street starting Tuesday, March 22, and expects both to remain closed for a week or longer until the project is completed.
Back to its full glory for the first time in 18 years, the moon rose at 7:57 p.m. and will peak at 1:41 a.m., according to our news partners The Seattle Times.
It will appear larger as it makes its closest approach to Earth in 18 years.
Scientists estimate the “supermoon” rising in the east at sunset will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter at its peak.
After his walking tour of Maple Leaf this morning, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn had a new comment to make about the proposed deep-bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Two speakers at a town hall Q&A following the tour said they oppose the tunnel on Highway 99, and McGinn, long a tunnel foe who most recently said the viaduct should be closed next year for fear of a Japan-style earthquake and tsunami, said his office just received new data about the tunnel’s effect on downtown Seattle.
“The deep-bore tunnel, with tolls, causes more congestion and delay on city streets than any other option,” McGinn told the meeting at Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 N.E. 100th St.
About 108,000 cars and trucks use the viaduct daily, according to our news partners The Seattle Times. In December, McGinn said he’d authorized a study of how the tunnel and tolls would affect surface streets downtown.
We’ll post more about the tour and other Q&A topics later this weekend.
Ginger wrote this morning to tell us she found a Vizsla near Olympic View Elementary School, 504 N.E. 95th St.
I found this dog wandering near the elementary school, darting in front of cars. I’ve taken it home to try and locate the owner. I will have to call Seattle Animal Control shortly, I can’t keep the dog at my house for long. I’d guess it’s about 80 pounds. Collar, no tags. Very friendly with people and other dogs. If you know or recognize the dog please contact the owners to get in touch with me!
Know this dog? Call Ginger at 206-498-6074, or leave her a message here.
Update: Jackie has since posted this on the Maple Leaf Life Facebook page: “I think this dog is owned by a family on 96th btw 8th and Roosevelt with a child who attends OV. I’ve seen them with the dog before.”
Overnight between March 10 and March 11, somebody burglarized a home in the 1200 block of Northeast 100th Street by breaking in through the garage, police report.
Toward the turn of the year we had a rash of burglaries. Police at the time said it was likely the work of a small number of people. “One or two people or one little group of friends can be responsible for a lot in a short time. It’s not a crime wave,” said Detective Mike Cruzan.
A police crime prevention coordinator, Diane Horswill, said Maple Leaf averages six to eight burglaries a month.
In the past several days cars were stolen : (more…)
