Dueling Plant Events: John & Summit Bedspread Party and Native Plant Salvage

This Saturday there's double the plant fun with a mulch and bedspread party at John & Summit Park and a Native Plant Salvage down in Black Diamond. Details below:

John and Summit Bedspread Work Party

When: Saturday December 4th, 9AM (Rain, snow or shine . . . we're working!)

What: Distributing organic coffee chaff, chocolate mulch and leaves into the garden beds, then covering it all up with our burlap bedspreads

If you have small tarps, please bring them. We have everything else you'll need to help.

We really need your help! Come and bring your friends, too! We'll be moving soil in rain, snow or shine.

Delicious coffee and treats are being provided! Please RSVP to Barbara at gingergooddog@gmail.com so we know how many to expect.(Even if you forget to RSVP, come garden with us!)

King County Native Plant Salvage
Join other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development in the morning. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams and provide habitat. Special thanks to Yarrow Bay Holdings for providing the salvage site.

When: Saturday, December 4, 2010

Time:
9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m: Salvage plants
1 p.m. to 4 p.m: Potting at Holding Facility

Where: Black Diamond for salvaging/ Issaquah for potting

Directions to the Salvage site: From I-405 near Renton, take Highway 169 past Black Diamond. Turn right onto SE Green Valley Road. Go approximately 1.5 miles and watch for sign on right. Turn right into site on gravel road. Volunteers who dig for King County from 9:00 to 12:00 are eligible to dig plants for themselves from 12:00 to 2:00.

Not a morning person? Volunteers are also needed at our Native Plant Holding Facility from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to help pot up the salvaged plants. Volunteers who help with potting are eligible for free native plants.

Directions to the Native Plant Holding Facility:

From I-5 or I-405, take I-90 east to Highland Drive exit (exit 18) in Issaquah. Stay left on the off ramp to continue onto Highland Drive through several lights. Turn right onto Issaquah–Fall City Road. Just past Endeavor Elementary School, stay straight onto Duthie Hill Road.
The Holding Facility is in Duthie Hill Park (on the right) at 27101 Duthie Hill Road. Drive to Nursery at the end of the road.

Notes: A parent or guardian must accompany volunteers under 16 years old. Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. We’ll provide gloves, tools and light refreshments.

Please call Cindy Young at 206-296-8065 or email cindy.young@kingcounty.gov if you plan to participate.

{And yes, I've been hearing "da dah ding ding ding ding ding ding ding" in my head ever since I thought up the post title}

Burlap Quilting Bee for John and Summit Park!

There is an important 'burlap coffee bean sack quilting' get together tomorrow, Wednesday, all day and evening (9am to 9pm) at the nearby Seattle Presbyterian Church.


Unpaving Paradise will be amending the soil at John and Summit Park this Saturday with rich nutritive greens and browns. When finished UP will put the soil to bed for the winter by covering it with mostly pre-assembled quilted-together burlap coffee bean sacks. UP wants to give a 'nice look' to the garden for the local community to admire over the winter months. Therefore getting the 500+ coffee bean sacks stitched together in shapes mirroring and custom fitting the designed plots is important. Not only for appearance but to quickly and deftly cover the soil without walking on the soil and compacting it.

The plan is to have pre-measured template patterns on the church floor and then to quilt together the coffee bean sacks to fit the patterns. Many of the sacks have been already stitched together in strips so as to save time on Wednesday's assembling project.

The stitching is simple and requires no previous experience. We will have all materials ready for you. And feel free to be creative by sewing in thick colored yarn!

Please come and help out even if only for an hour. There are two volunteers so far who are coming. Consider lending a helping hand.

They have free church parking on the north side of the building and you are allowed to park for free from 7 to 9 pm in the pay parking lot just across the Street (Howell). The Church (located just behind the Seattle Central Community College) is a block south of East Denny. The quilting bee will be in the downstairs Fellowship Hall; entrance thru church's north side parking lot.

1729 Harvard Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-2227

Fresh from the Inbox: FREE TREES for Seattle Volunteers and Upcoming EarthCorps Volunteer Opportunities

Pre-Script: Chris LaPointe is a fellow student at the Evans School of Public Affairs at UW. If you do go to one of the volunteer events (which are good fun if you like digging in the dirt), please compliment him on his general badassery.

===
Hello Volunteers, Partners & Friends:

That's right Seattle volunteers, we are offering you FREE TREES for your service! During this Thanksgiving week, EarthCorps and the City of Seattle want to say thanks for volunteering and helping restore our natural areas. As recognition of your hard work, the Seattle reLeaf Trees for Neighborhoods program is excited to be able to offer you free trees to plant in Seattle yards.

The details: Trees must be planted in yards (and not as street trees) in Seattle. Tree supply is limited. Applications deadline is Dec 6. Program participants will receive up to 4 free trees per household, watering bags, a bag of GroCo compost, and training on proper tree planting and care. Trees can be picked up on December 12 between 10:30 am – 2:15 pm in Crown Hill. More directions will be sent when your application is accepted.

Available species include:

-Shore pine (Pinus contorta ‘Contorta’)
-Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
- red oak (Quercus rubra)
- red cedar (Thuja plicata ‘Excelsa’)
- Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

To receive a free tree, you must meet these guidelines:

- Live in Seattle, and plant the tree on your property (renters must have their landlord’s permission)

- Plant the trees in your yard, and not as street trees

- Do NOT plant the trees under power lines (these are large trees that will eventually grow into the lines)

- Commit to caring for the tree in the future, including watering for the first 3 summers

To get your trees, send in the attached application ASAP. Questions can be directed to:

Jana Dilley
Seattle reLeaf
jana.dilley@seattle.gov
206-615-1668

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In volunteer event news, things are slowing down a bit this holiday season but we still have a few events scheduled. It’s easy to sign up just visit the volunteer calendar on our website at http://www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php, choose the project that you would like to participate in and click on Sign up for this event and complete the on-line registration process and we will handle the rest. All you have to do is show up (on time, please).

Save the Dates:

January 8, 2011 – Kiwanis Ravine – First EC Volunteer event of 2011

January 15, 16 & 17 – MLK Jr. Weekend of Service (Jose Rizal Park, Dearborn Park & Cheasty Greenspace)

April 2011 – EARTH MONTH

April 16 2011 – GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please notify me if you wish to be taken off of this distribution list. You are receiving this email because at some point you volunteered with EarthCorps or expressed interest in receiving information on EarthCorps volunteer events.

Sincerely,

Chris LaPointe
Volunteer Program Manager
EarthCorps
6310 NE 74^th Street, Suite 201E
Seattle, WA 98115
206.322.9296 x217
www.earthcorps.org

EarthCorps is a community of people dedicated to restoring the Earth. Join us!

Cal Anderson Park Alliance Looking for New Board Members

Kay Rood, Hill-famous CAPA President, has requested that I spread the word about CAPA's search for members to fill their newly-expanded board. The Cal Anderson Park Alliance is the continuation of the badass community group that convinced the city to turn Lincoln Reservoir into a spectacular park rather than a big cement lid. They're still active and making Cal Anderson Park activated and amazing, so if you've got the time and that's what you're into, I recommend applying to become a CAPA board member.

The Cal Anderson Park Alliance is accepting applications and will start reviewing them at the end of January. You can find the application form at the CAPA website.

Seattle AIDS Walk with the Sisters of the Mother House

When I signed up for the Seattle AIDS Walk with the Gothic Pride Seattle team, I did it because Dizzy (now a Rep. of the Capitol Hill Community Council :D) would be there and it's always fun to go on a promenade decked out in my gothic finest. I did not know I was also going to have the company of these fine ladies:

Meet the Sisters of the Mother House of Washington, the founding and recently resurrected charitable drag nun sisterhood of Seattle. Sister Angela Merici (flying nun hat with blue boa, novice sister on the lower right) was the organizer of the Gothic Pride Seattle team and also a gracious answerer of questions about the Sisters of the Mother House.

The park was just full of people. It would've made finding the team interesting, except that I was walking with towering drag nuns.

McGinn sighting! Seriously, this guy is everywhere.

No event with the Sisters is complete without lots and lots of photo ops. The nice man on the left without the flying nun hat is Ambrosio de Membro Sancto (heh heh), a guard of the Sisters of the Mother House. He's there expressly to make sure that the Sisters get where they're supposed to be on time and don't get completely sidetracked by said photo ops.

On the road with the Gothic Pride Seattle team.

We arrive at Harem for a welcome cup of Turkish coffee and are greeted by Dizzy in his....festive...hat....

M. Theresa Nervina of the Mother House of Washington and Sr. Dorothy Faith of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence of the Abbey of St. Joan.

The Mother and a possible future Sister of the Mother House.

The organizer of the Gothic Pride Seattle team, Sr. Angela Merici, plus admirers.

And of course I had to have a picture with the Mother of the Mother House, M. Theresa Nervina. I'm happy to announce that there will be more opportunities for photo ops soon - the Sisters of the Mother House will be accompanying the Capitol Hill Community Council's Halloween Walk. I'm delighted - what better way is there to start Halloween on Capitol Hill than going door to door for candy on Broadway with a charitable sisterhood of drag nuns?

Last Minute Plans: Seattle AIDS Walk

I just heard about this Saturday's Seattle AIDS Walk earlier this week. Just today I found out that the Gothic Seattle Pageant has a team in the walk. So of course I had to sign up with them. If you want to help me contribute some last minute money to charity, you can donate here.

Looking forward to fall: Events in October

According to popular belief, things slow down in Seattle once summer ends and the rain curtain falls. This is crap - all the cloudy days don't catch up with us until after the holidays. Until then, we're all still sailing on a Vitamin D high til we can coast on holiday bonhomie/grinchiness, which eventually runs out in January. This means I'm going to be socializing around the Hill for at least three more months until we all go into collective hibernation til Spring.

Anyway, I've already pitched about all the steampunk-y goodness that's coming up this month and next. I'm even more excited now that I've (only just) realized I can recycle all my new steampunk goodies for Halloween. One mad Victorian scientist, coming right up.

It's fortunate I have a relatively family-friendly costume for Halloween this year since I'll be one of the chaperones/shepherds for the Capitol Hill Community Council Halloween Walk. I know that two hours of herding small children up and down Broadway doesn't sound like a ton of fun, but little kids in adorable costumes makes me happy. Especially since the little blighters would be cheated out of all that tooth-rotting goodness if the Council didn't do the Walk on Broadway -it's kind of hard to go trick or treating at apartment buildings.

In nerdier (and consequently more exciting) event news, the Capitol Hill Community Council is going to host it's very own mayoral candidate forum on Oct. 17th at Seattle University's Pigott Auditorium. I know it's not an event venue that non-alums are very likely to see, but I can guarantee you - it's a very nice auditorium. The acoustics are so lovely you can forgive the fact the whole place is painted mauve.

The focus of the forum is on community and neighborhood activism, so the Council is inviting attendance and questions from as many Cap Hill community types as possible. If you'd like to help out with the event or just throw in your two cents, but the Policy and Planning boys at chcc.planning(at)gmail.com.

Friends of Seattle Public Library: Because Even Libraries Need Friends

If I could add a subtitle to this post, it would be: "Especially when budget cuts mean that our libraries are closed for a week". While the libraries might not have been able to do much about it, the Friends of Seattle Public Library didn't take the closures sitting down. Instead, they blogged about it. (Twice!)

"Wah, wah, more blogtivism," you might say. But getting the word out, especially word that this closure is hitting disadvantaged folks hardest, is important. Turn their word into action by donating your time or your money, whichever one you have the most of...which, these days, is probably time.

A quick way to help is to fill out the Friends of SPL's "Neighborhood Survey of Library Value". If you'd like to do the survey in person, set up an interview by emailing Sarel Rowe, Advocacy Chair of the Friends of The Seattle Public Library: advocacy(at)friendsofspl(dot)org. I recommend the latter option - Sarel's really nice and a delight to talk with. If you end up having a really neat conversation with her, it just might end up on the Friends of SPL blog :D.

$10K + 500 Pine = Big Ass Block Party

I read this three times before I could believe it: those crazy mofos at Cap to the Hill are going to have a $10,000 party resurrecting the lost 500 block of Pine on what is now the empty 500 block of Pine. And they want your help to do it.

What is amazing is not just what they want to do, but how they got the money to do it. I can't believe they have contests/grants for this kind of thing. I can totally believe they won, though. Massive street party and neighborhood revitalization all rolled into one... it is genius.

Man, the uses of that empty lot just keeps getting better and better. First the Capitol Hill Garage Sale, then the Park(ing) Day bonanza coming up in September, and now this.

Our neighborhood mantra: Have space, will party.




* 500 Pine - RIP *

A fine way to spend a vacation

Saunatina Sanchez, a friend and fellow community organizer, has admirable vacation plans and she's inviting interested parties to join her:

As some of you may know, I scheduled a vacation for June 30-July 5 to visit my brother for his birthday (Happy B-day Padro!) and to visit family over the fourth. While I would still like to do this, I have decided that this time could be better spent petitioning our government for equal rights for gay and lesbian citizens.

I have decided to change my itinerary and fly to DC for that week and stand outside the White House gates from sun-up to sun-down, peacefully holding banners with quotes of the president's expressing his support for gay rights. It would be nice if I could recruit others into this, and I'm gonna try, but I'm willing to be there by myself for the week.

Of course, this means my trip is gonna cost me more than the trip to LA was gonna, and I was hoping some of you, my friends and family, would be willing to support me in this cause. I'm not asking for a lot- maybe $10 or $20 for food and to pay for a hostel (if I can't get a couch to crash on). And everything I don't use for the trip, I would donate to Lambda Legal to continue the fight. I'm tired of being dismissed as a wedge issue by the Democratic party who are supposed to be on our side. I am ready to stand up and challenge our government. Please stand with me.

Anyone interested in joining or sponsoring Sauntina's trip can contact her at saunatina(at)gmail(dot)com.

Capitol Hill Street Sweep - Volunteers Needed

The Chamber of Commerce sez:

SEATTLE (Capitol Hill), WA - Join the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and community members as we work together to clean up Broadway for our sixth Street Sweep event on Saturday June 20th, 2009. Volunteers will be welcomed at the Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse where they will sign up for teams, grab free coffee and breakfast treats and pick up materials to hit the streets and start cleaning! After the streets of Broadway are beautified meet back at the Shelterhouse for free pizza, music and socializing in the summer sun!

The Capitol Hill Street Sweep events are a great way to get more involved in the community, meet new people, and help reach our goal towards creating a cleaner, safer and more prosperous Capitol Hill. Sign up solo or get together a group of friends and/or colleagues and create a team!

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Jessica Norouzi at 206.328.6626 or email Jessica@caphillchamber.org .

We hope you will join us!

WHEN: Saturday, June 20th, 2009
WHERE: Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse, 11th and East Pine Street - Directions/Map
START 10AM: coffee and treats, sign up for teams, pick up supplies and start cleaning
FINISH 12PM: Reconvene for free pizza and music

Event sponsors: Sound Transit, Pagliacci Pizza, Peet's Coffee & Tea, BECU, Charlie's, Century Ballroom, Gold's Gym, B-Bam!, Central Physical Therapy & Fitness, Seattle Parks and Recreation