Madison Valley

Several people have asked me about the construction on the northeast corner of East Madison and 23rd. The new building will be the location of Aegis on Madison, an assisted-living community providing care for seniors. Headquartered in Redmond, Aegis is a locally owned company with 28 communities in Washington, California, and Nevada.  

To find out more, I met with Marc Nowak, Vice President of Operations at Aegis Living. Marc gave me a virtual tour using a touchscreen television, which illustrated areas of the facility in detail. The thought and care that has gone into the building design and the needs of the guests is impressive. 

This first image is a view of the building, heading east on Madison. Notice the Queen Bee Cafe on the corner. Open to the public, this cafe will offer gourmet coffee and crumpets with speciality toppings.

This next image is an illustration of a studio apartment. Lovely!

Click “more” to see the rest of the photos. more

For over 25 years, the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has been a way for consumers to receive locally grown, seasonal food in partnership with farmers. CSAs are a win-win for everyone involved. Small independent farmers receive dollars up front at the beginning of the season that can be used to buy seeds and stabilize their overall cash flow, while customers are supplied with fresh produce and other farm products on a weekly basis throughout the growing season. 

We are fortunate to have access to many different programs in our area. A few of them operate on the traditional model where you receive produce directly from the organizing farm for the duration of the growing season, which averages about 20 weeks out of the year. Others are built with an extended infrastructure that provides products year round, but rely on an expanded network of small farms located in areas with longer growing seasons like California and Mexico. Once you determine which format works best for your lifestyle and interest, it’s easy to get signed up to receive your weekly produce along with other farm or grocery items that may be fulfilled by the CSA.

You can find a complete list of all the CSAs available in our area at Local Harvest.org. Following is a list of those who deliver directly to Madison Valley and surrounding neighborhoods (at the “more” link).  more

Read the minutes (PDF) from the May 15, 2013 Madison Valley Community Council meeting.

The number of incidents reported to the police for Madison Valley was approximately the same in April as in March—about 30 cases—but there were more serious incidents than in March. Once again car prowl theft was the leading type of offense (6 reports). This summer the Seattle Police will be stepping up their patrols in the Arboretum/Japanese Garden area to combat the car prowl problem there.

There were four residential break-ins in our neighborhood during April.

1. Sometime during the day on April 3rd, an intruder broke down the front door of a residence in the 2500 block of E. Madison, and stole approximately $1500 in cash and jewelry. Police were able to recover fingerprints left by the burglar.

2. On April 16, a resident in the 900 block of E. 24th Ave reported that someone had stolen several items from his unlocked truck parked on the street and had also entered his house and stolen additional items. The total loss was estimated at around $5,500.

3. During the late afternoon or early evening of the 21st someone forced open the front door of a residence in the 1700 block of 29th Ave. and stole computer equipment and credit cards.

4. On April 30th someone broke into a home in the 2900 block of E. Thomas St. The intruder caused property damage, but the police report does not mention anything having been taken.

Two cases of aggravated assault were reported in April.

1. On the 23rd around noon, members of rival gangs had a fight on the soccer field next to Miller School. Three people were hurt in the fight. At least one of the participants used brass knuckles, and one person brandished a handgun. As a result of the handgun, the school was placed on lockdown. Those injured in the fight refused medical attention.

2. On the 24th, two men who had “worked a job” during the morning and who had been drinking during the afternoon, got into a fight about money. During the fight one of the men repeatedly stabbed the other with a BBQ fork, sufficiently injuring him that he had to be taken to the ER at Swedish hospital.

There were two muggings during April.

1. During the evening of April 1st a boy walking home from a soccer practice was accosted near Pike and MLK by two unknown teenaged boys, one of whom brandished a switch blade knife. The assailants took two backpacks that the boy was carrying and fled south on MLK. The backpacks contained approximately $500 worth of clothing, soccer equipment, books and a cell phone.

2. Around 10 P.M. on the 18th two men brandishing handguns robbed a woman walking in the 1700 block of 24th Ave. After taking her phone and purse, they fled north and the victim called the police. While interviewing the victim, the police learned of a cell phone robbery in the 300 block of 22nd Ave E. that apparently involved two men of the same description, and left to search that area. Being unable to find the assailants there, they resumed interviewing the victim and then learned that two men had been detained by the police after another robbery in the University district. They drove the victim to that location, and she identified the two men as being her assailants.

Among the other incidents reported to the police during April were four cases of harassment, four of property damage/graffiti, three cases of theft or shoplifting, and two license plate thefts.

Longer days and warmer temperatures typically bring higher levels of crime, so we can expect the number of incidents reported to the police to increase in the next few months.

Lowell Hargens is a Madison Valley resident and former University of Washington professor of sociology specializing in the statistical analysis of data.

Seattle Public Utilities will be hosting a ribbon-cutting event in Washington Park to celebrate the completion of the Madison Valley Stormwater Project.

The event will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 10–11 a.m. Councilmember Jean Godden will be speaking at the event as well as SPU leadership. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the community is welcome to take a self-guided tour of the new Washington Park facilities. Event info (PDF)

French native and local resident Virginie Blackmoor is offering a free introduction to the French language and culture at Luc restaurant. UPDATE: New dates for Luc: May 23 and June 2.

Virginie has been teaching the French language for ten years in Europe and the US. She uses a natural learning method of role-playing and immersion in French culture and cuisine.

See photos and class descriptions.

In describing her approach, she says, “I offer a different experience with both the French language and the culture of France. I use a great deal of caring and humor, which I have come to realize is an incredibly helpful learning tool. When you are relaxed, happy and connected, you open up, everything just sinks in and, most important, stays there.”

“Learning something new as an adult can be humbling, so my priority is to make you feel good about yourself. I do this by helping you focus on the positive while having fun. I’ve found that encouragement and kindness do wonders for everyone.”

You can sign up for the events at her website or phone her at 206 617-2716. more

Parent Date Night is a new event on Monday nights. Harbour Pointe Coffeehouse is partnering with local restaurants to provide childcare while adults enjoy kid-free dining nearby.

LUC is the first restaurant to launch Parent Date Night on Monday, May 13th from 6:30-8:30pm.

Parents can rest assured that their kids are well taken care of. Zander Natallanni, owner of Harbour Pointe is a licensed Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and has worked with children with autism. Natallani is also enlisting help from local nannies to ensure Parent Date Night is a success.

The coffee shop will close to the public at 6:30 when the kids arrive. The cost for one child is $25, and an additional $5 for each sibling within one family.

For more information please visit www.hpcoffeehouse.com or call (206) 420-1187.  

Tuesday night marked the inaugural dinner of the Madison Valley Dining & Sipping Society. The event was a big success with more than 50 people in attendance. 

The idea for the group occurred to me last fall when I met with Audrey Seale, who started the Madrona Dining and Sipping Society (MDSS). She started her club a few years ago with the mission of supporting local restaurants and getting to know her neighbors. The members have formed lasting friendships. I thought the idea was wonderful, and that we should try to start a club in Madison Valley. (Photos)

To kick off the first event, Audrey and 28 members of the MDSS attended our first dinner. Madison Valley had more than 30 guests in attendance. Apparently Madison Valley residents love food and wine—the event sold out in four days!

Cafe Flora hosted our first dinner. Dinner included a variety of shared appetizers, a selection of entries, and desert. Guests included a wide range of ages and professions. Attendees from Madison Valley included lots of tech folks (no surprise), a few doctors, musicians, artists, and retirees. It was a wonderfully eclectic group, and I hope we will have more time to get to know one another.  more

This past Saturday the Madison Valley merchants and residents took part in a Spring cleaning along Madison between 27th and 30th.  

Merchants, volunteers, and some paid help worked together to clean moss-covered awnings, paint over graffiti, remove stickers from poles and bike racks, pressure wash storefronts and sidewalks, remove weeds from the tree wells and sidewalks, and install beauty bark. (Photos)

The Madison Valley Merchants Association spent about $2,500 to pay for the cleaning effort. Harbour Pointe Coffeehouse provided coffee, Harvest Vine baked some wonderful pastries for volunteers, and Pagliacci Pizza provided pizza for everyone at lunchtime. City People’s Garden Store gave everyone a discount for plants, flowers, and supplies. 

The next time you’re in a neighborhood shop, please tell the proprietor how much you appreciate a clean and pretty shopping district! more

This month we introduce a new feature, a monthly crime report by Madison Valley resident Lowell Hargens, former UW professor of sociology specializing in the statistical analysis of data. We’re grateful to have his expertise and want to thank him for volunteering.

A little over 30 incidents in our neighborhood were reported to the Seattle Police last month. Seven were car prowl thefts (signified on the map by green tiles with an auto containing a hole), four of which occurred in the Arboretum (some of the symbols on the map represent multiple occurrences). Four more incidents involved some type of monetary fraud or theft (green tiles with a dollar sign), including credit card theft, forgery, and identity theft.

There were three cases of threat or harassment (red tiles with an exclamation point) three of property damage or graffiti (green tiles with spray paint can) and, more seriously, three break-ins or burglaries (green tiles with eight-pointed star).

1. During the early evening of March 2 someone entered a home close to 26th and Union through an unlocked back door. The intruder stole various items not listed in the police report and left before the owners returned home.

2. On March 8 a neighbor reported that the front door of a rental house on 24th Ave. had been kicked open. The police searched the house and concluded that whoever kicked open the front door had probably left through the back of the house. When notified, the tenants discovered that the intruder(s) had taken some laptops and a video game console.

3. Sometime between March 18th and March 20th someone broke into a basement storage room of a specialty store on Union Street. Apparently nothing was taken from the storage room, although the intruder left a blanket in the room and vomit on the floor.

Also among the more serious incidents during March were a mugging (red tile with eye mask) on Pike St. close to 25th Ave. on March 25 (a detailed police report on this incident is not available), a non-aggravated assault (red tile with fist) close to 23rd and Madison on March 22nd, and a firearms discharge (blue tile with revolver) on March 30th.

A glance at the police reports map shows three main locations for incidents in our neighborhood, the Arboretum (car prowls), Union St. (both property crimes and crimes against persons) and Madison St. (ditto). Like Madison Park and Montlake, our neighborhood had relatively little crime compared to neighborhoods to our south, east, and north (U district). You can see this, as well as gaining additional information on the March police reports, by visiting the SPD’s police reports website.

Up-to-date information for April is also available there.

The space at 19th and Madison will become a park. Our community was lucky enough to get a grant to hire a landscape architect and public artist to work with us to design this space as a park. You'll likely walk by, drive by or walk/bike through this space now! Let's work together to improve the look and feel of this public space. Click the "more" link to read how you can get involved. more

Councilmembers Rasmussen, Clark, Licata and Conlin will hold a public meeting on micro-housing developments, April 18, 11:30 AM–1:30 PM, Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 600 Fourth Avenue. The public is invited to share feedback with Councilmembers and City staff. Read the news release. 

If you cannot attend, you can email your comments to: tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov, sally.clark@seattle.gov, nick.licata@seattle.gov, and richard.conlin@seattle.gov.

‘Micro-housing’ or ‘apodments,’ are current marketing terms for congregate or Single Room Occupancy (SRO)-style housing where individual units are a bedroom and optionally a bath, with shared kitchen and bathrooms. Congregate housing, rooming houses, or SROs have been a common use of apartment or rooming house buildings in Seattle and can be an option for many individuals. Shared homes, where an owner rents bedrooms or a group of individuals rent a whole house, are also very common in Seattle.

Why all the discussion now and what about it pertains to Madison Valley in particular?

In the last few years, developers have been getting permits to build apodment complexes in the Multifamily Low Rise (LR) zones, mainly the most dense LR3 zone, in Seattle. These apodment complexes of 48–96 units have not been permitted as apartment buildings, but as separate townhouses, each with 8 bedrooms. The Low Rise sections of the Land Use Code, which were revised about 4 years ago to be more flexible, does not specify anything regarding micro-housing uses. Many view permitting these apodment complexes of 48-64 units — as if they are merely a 4-pack, 6-pack or 8-pack group of 8-bedrooms townhouses — as a loophole.

Madison valley has Multifamily Low Rise zoning in about 20% of the land within our community’s borders. The majority of the Low Rise zoning in Madison Valley is LR1 and LR2, with LR3 zoning along 23rd and Madison. The ‘loophole’ permits have so far been in LR3 zones. Unless the loophole is closed, this ‘6-pack of 8-bedroom townhouse’ loophole could easily be applied to build apodment complexes in the LR1 and LR2 zones. These zones are specifically planned for less density than Neighborhood Commercial, Mid-Rise and High-Rise zones, both due to an interest in creating stable, dense, residential, family neighborhoods and their proximity to Single Family zones. more

Lisa Vian Hunter is celebrating fashion icon Audrey’s Hepburn’s birthday with an evening of cocktails, runway modeling, and shopping in her Madison Valley store.

Lisa has invited three Seattle fashion designers to join her for the evening: Cameron Levin (modern and feminine dresses and separates), Tina Witherspoon (Bohemian inspired dresses), Justin Zachary-Bartle (evening gowns) and Patricia Raskin (elegant handbags). The designers will be participating in the runway show and will be selling their garments as well.

Saturday, May 4th, 6:30–8:30 pm at Vian Hunter House of Fashion, 2814 E. Madison St. A $5 suggested donation will benefit the Jubilee Women’s Center in Seattle. RSVP to: Lisa@vianhunter.com. Website: http://www.vianhunter.com/

Local non-profit Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (Northwest SEED) and Seattle City Light are seeking community partners for a new Solarize Washington campaign in central and southeast Seattle area neighborhoods. Solarize Washington is a community-driven initiative to bring solar energy to homes and businesses in Seattle City Light’s service territory. The program uses an innovative neighborhood group purchase process to achieve discounts and simplify the process of “going solar” for Seattle residents. Solarize campaign staff work with community groups, individual volunteers, and local solar installers to provide a streamlined process and free community workshops for participants. To date, Northwest SEED has completed six Solarize campaigns including the Seattle neighborhoods of Queen Anne, Magnolia, Northeast Seattle, and Northwest Seattle. These campaigns have achieved discounts of up to 25 percent off the cost of a solar system and brought about the installation of nearly 200 residential solar installations in the region. In order to launch the next Solarize campaign this summer, Northwest SEED and Seattle City Light are seeking to connect with residents and community groups of central and southeast Seattle who want to see a Solarize campaign come to their neighborhood. Community volunteers play an integral role in the success of a Solarize campaign, taking the lead on contractor selection and community engagement. Participating neighborhoods will receive assistance from Northwest SEED to competitively select a solar installer, conduct neighborhood outreach and education, implement a series of free workshops, and facilitate the installation of solar PV systems. Individuals interested in joining the upcoming Solarize campaign as a volunteer should contact Mia Devine at mia@nwseed.org or 206-267-2213.

The MLK F.A.M.E. Community Center is holding an open house on Wednesday, April 24, at 7 p.m. The community organization is holding this event to announce activities, share ideas for future programs, and to mingle with neighbors and friends. Childcare provided. 3201 East Republican St. 206 257-5572 www.mlkfame.com

The UW Botanic Gardens is opening a nature-based preschool this fall in the Washington Park Arboretum.

Fiddleheads Forest School is offering an outdoor program of day-to-day activities, play, and exploration. As the children engage with the world around them and inquire about it, instructors will supplement the activities with a curriculum to further engage their curiosity.

The mission of the school is to promote the growth of the whole child through attention to his or her social and emotional development, self-regulation, and physical development.

See their site for more info, applications, schedules, and tuition.

A new system of breathing exercises has brought drug-free relief to asthma sufferers. Madison Valley’s Pippa Kiraly teaches the exercises at Lifelong Easy Breathing. The breathing modification method, called Buteyko, has been approved by the US Department of Health and Human Services. 

Buteyko corrects chronic over breathing, which results in asthma, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, panic attacks, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many other conditions.

“By retraining the breathing back to a more appropriate level, the asthma symptoms go away,” Kiraly says. “When you breathe more lightly, you feel better.”

Those interested in learning more about Butekyo breathing, contact Pippa Kiraly at info@lifelongeasybreathing.com or call 206-329-6604.

http://www.lifelongeasybreathing.com/

Musical group Hijos de Agueybaná performs its new album Saturday night at the MLK Community Center. The Puerto Rican musicians and dancers perform in a style called “Bomba,” one of the island’s main genres that includes cultural influences from West Africa, Spain, and other Caribbean islands. Bomba is described as a dialogue between dancer and drummer and is a dance of elegance and deliberate steps.

www.hijosdeagueybana.com

7:30 pm, March 23. Martin Luther King Community Center, 3201 East Republican, Seattle, WA 98112

The second of three Community Design meetings is being held to inform the look and feel of the outdoor space at the corner of 19th & Madison. All residents are encouraged to attend. Wednesday, March 27th, 6:30pm at the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center. 1625 19th Ave, 2nd Floor Conference room. http://19thandmadison.wordpress.com/schedule/

Blood Drive on Friday!

The Bush School, in partnership with Puget Sound Blood Center, would like to invite the Madison Valley community to donate blood tomorrow, Friday March 22nd. It takes less than an hour and saves three lives. 

Call Terry Walburn at 206 322-7978 to make an appointment (walk-ins subject to availability). 8:30am to 2:30pm (closed 10:30 to 11:30) at the Bush School Community Room, on East Harrison Street.

PSBC has set a goal of 25 blood donors, and requests your help in meeting this worthwhile target.

Suzuki violin teacher, Jen Kovarovic, is currently accepting new and committed students into her studio, Suzuki by the Sound. Jen offers an intensive program of weekly individual lessons and group classes for beginners. Her studio is committed to the ideals and principles of the Suzuki approach. For more information, please visit her website: http://www.suzukibythesound.com

Start off the new season with Seattle Restaurant Week at local restaurants Luc, Cafe Flora, Crush, Harvest Vine, & Voila! Bistro. Three-course dinners for $28! Menus listed at the link. more

The American Red Cross has recently launched Safe in the Sound, a three-year preparedness campaign sponsored by PSE, to help individuals and communities prepare for every type of disaster. With more than 4.5 million residents in the Puget Sound area, the goal is to have 1 million people train and take tangible steps toward preparedness through making a plan, getting informed and building a kit.

The Webinars listed below are part of this preparedness initiative and everyone is invited to attend. more

“Grid on Madison” at Baas Framing Studio presents new works by nine affiliated artists on the theme of grids. Rendered in paint, paper, wax, and fiber, the grid becomes a format for imagery, a system of organization, and a dynamic visual structure. Visitors are invited to explore and consider anew this ubiquitous feature of the modern world.

The opening reception is Thursday, March 14, 5–8 p.m. The exhibit runs from March 14–April 30, 2013. http://bitly.com/16kvlR1

Sound Community Bank, a local bank of 50 years, has opened a lending office at the corner of East Madison and Lake Washington Blvd. in the Landmark Real Estate Building. 

The new location is not a bank, but a loan processing office specializing in a variety of lending services. Sound Community is a portfolio lender, which means it originates loans, and also holds a portfolio of its loans instead of selling them off in the secondary market. 

Many in Madison Valley may know David Raney, the VP & Residential Lending Manager. David grew up here and formerly worked at the Washington Mutual in Madison Park. David believes that local lending will be a good addition to the business environment, and tells us that Sound Community is enthusiastic about being part of the neighborhood.

We were particularly impressed that Sound Community made certain its signage wasn’t too obtrusive—a refreshing change from previous banks.

Residents and businesspeople with questions about home refinance, credit approval, construction loans, and the like are invited to stop in and visit the new Sound Community Bank. The office is at 3101 East Madison Street, and open Monday–Friday 9–5. Loans made locally just like an old-time bank.

Joshua Buckingham, Senior Residential Loan Officer
David Raney, VP & Residential Lending Manager

City People’s is offering a wide variety of free gardening workshops in 2013.

Expert speakers will cover such topics as landscaping, pest and disease control, composting, and fertilizing. Also, there will be instruction in apartment gardening, the best techniques for year-round vegetable and flower growing, making hoop-houses and cloches, fruit canning, and even chicken farming.

Get thee to a nursery!

The Seattle Schools Capital Levy (Proposition 2) has been approved. In the new funding is a $14.5 million line item to modernize and re-purpose the Meany campus on Capitol Hill. 

The existing building, originally built as a junior high, would be modernized and reopened as a comprehensive middle school. The plan will address current and projected middle school growth in central Seattle, and reduce overcrowding at Washington Middle School.

Links: Read more information on the plan or to get involved in the design process.

The Madison Valley Merchants Association received a $15,000 grant from the Department of Economic Development to help with a variety of projects in the Valley, including promotion for Bastille Bash, website maintenance, and administrative help. 

Mayor McGinn was present to present the award to the 17 neighborhoods who received grants from OED. Accepting for the neighborhood were Molly Van Nostrand, Lindy Wishard, and Larry Levine.

Read the full press release.

February Framing Promotion

Baas Framing is offering a 15% discount on all custom framing (some exclusions apply). Baas carries an extensive selection of frames, assembled with expert workmanship. Sale dates: February 14-28.

Valentine’s Day Jewelry Sale

Members of the Madison Art Collective are offering a 10% discount on all jewelry, now through Feb 14th. The sale features four local jewelers, including glass beads by Hava Edery and vintage china jewelry by Material + Motion.

Hava Edery has recently joined their growing roster of local jewelers. She creates beautiful one-of-a-kind glass beads, and her colorful necklaces and purse charms add an artistic touch to any outfit.  http://bitly.com/Xf57LA

Functional Health has decided to sell its commercial space in the Madison Lofts building across from City People’s. The price for this high-visibility ground floor unit (1646 square feet) is $650,000. The sellers mention that owning this space is cheaper than renting.

Do you know a business that would be a good addition to the neighborhood? The space is ideal for a medical or dental office, retail or café. Please share this article with your friends and business contacts.  http://bitly.com/XXm8s3

Fury Consignment’s annual winter clearance sale starts Saturday, February 2nd at 10 am. All of the fall/winter clothing and accessories will be reduced 30-70%. Prices will be the lowest of the season, with lots to choose from! The sale will run 2 weeks. New spring and transitional items will start to arrive about one week into the sale.

If you’re thinking about consigning, Fury is booking March appointments for spring goods. Call at 206-329-6829 to schedule a time. www.FuryConsignment.com

The neighborhood of Madison Valley is soliciting qualifications from individuals or organizations interested in creating a design plan for the intersection of 28th Ave East and East Madison Street. The design may include restoration of the existing traffic triangle and crosswalk and creation of a new neighborhood landmark.

Madison Valley Merchants Association will provide approximately $19,000 for this project. Responses are due at 3:00 pm on March 8, 2013. Please click "more" to see detailed information about this RFQ. more

Seattle Salads is now delivering healthy lunches Monday through Friday in Madison Valley and Madison Park. The brainchild of youthful entrepreneur Desirae Rabe, the restaurant specializes in signature salads like Strawberry Mint and Lime Peanut. Also available are Build-Your-Own options, soups, family sizes and kids’ plates. View menu

With a quick one-time registration at NetWaiter, a lunch order can be processed online for delivery or pickup. Delivery hours are from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. http://seattlesalads.com

High-profile hair stylist and make-up expert Annie Fisher has joined the Marie Rodriguez Salon. Annie’s work has been featured in Vogue, Town & Country, and Allure magazines. She is also a hair color educator, and has taught advanced techniques to licensed professionals.
Annie offers a welcoming environment and makes her clients feel comfortable about their goals and self image. Call her at 992-1003 or visit her website: http://anniefisherhair.com/

Sewing workshops are being held in January and February at Vian Hunter. Designer Lisa Vian Hunter has teamed with Pennie Laird-Sangerman, a fashion industry veteran, to teach custom clothing design, pattern-making, as well as the basics of sewing and design.

Registration is open for the Pencil Skirt Workshop, Sewing 101, Design and Patternmaking, and the Young Designer Workshop, a six-week workshop for aspiring fashion designers, ages 13-19.

To register, contact Lisa at 206 860-5030, or by email lisa@vianhunter.com. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/13FMkej

A new photographic show from the Madison Art Collective has opened at the Baas Framing Studio. Exploring artistic themes in nature and the industrial world, “Eye On Photography” features four up-and-coming photographers with strong perspectives and high artistic quality. Works from Satya Curcio, Tony Ise, Karen Messick, and Bob Venezia are currently on display, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

http://www.baasartgallery.com/madison-art-collective

Seattle Public Utilities has asked that we refrain from placing children’s toys in the Storm Water Retention Pond.

The pond is a lovely green space with wonderful plantings, designed in accord with the wishes of a majority of residents. But because the pond can fill with water, it was not intended to be a playground for children. The city is facing liability issues and will have to remove any toys on the grounds. If maintaining the area becomes too difficult, it is possible that SPU would have to fence it off. Owners of the toys are asked to remove them voluntarily.

Alternative Play Space

If a group of residents would like to create a play space for children at a different location, I suggest we organize, fundraise, and collaborate with the city. No one is objecting to a play space — it just can’t be at the pond.

If you have questions or concerns please bring them to the Madison Valley Community Council or contact me directly. Thanks!

Lindy Wishard, President
Madison Valley Community Council, 206 552-0345

Madison Valley has received a city grant for the redesign of the traffic triangle at the interstection of 28th and Madison. The grant will cover the design and planning portion of the project. The goal is to create a neighborhood landmark and appropriate landscape design for this highly visible intersection. 

Planning will begin in January and is scheduled to be completed by November of 2013. 

Our local consignment shop Fury is featured in Forbes magazine as one of the best consignment shops in the country. Read the full article "Consignment Shop Treasures: Where To Go and What to Buy." 

According to French law passed in 1985, Beaujolais Nouveau may not be released until the clock strikes midnight on the third Thursday of November. This is a fruity and light-bodied wine grown from the Gamay grape. For those of you thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, this wine makes a wonderful pairing with turkey.

Beginning November 15, join us at LUC and enjoy all the flavors Beaujolais Nouveau has to offer. Luc will be serving a special 3-course dinner ($35) with 2 Beaujolais Nouveau wine pairings. ($18)

Opening Reception This Thursday!
Expansive Views  
Contemporary Landscape Painting at Madison Art Collective & Bass Framing Studio more

In honor of the impending elections, longtime valley resident Jerry Sussman has submitted some witty poems for our readers. more

Ever wonder how masterful dinners are created in a 4-star restaurant? Do you think you could do it? If all this sounds intriguing, and you’re a fan of great food and culinary adventure, then chances are you will enjoy the Kitchen Circus! It’s Rover’s new reality cooking competition that Thierry Rautureau has whipped up to delight local viewers and foodie fans. more