Stories

In March, the 30-year-old American Handel Festival is coming to Seattle's First Hill - with concerts. lectures, dance and theater productions -- even a horticultural slide show! -- right in our neighborhood, at St. James Cathedral, Trinity Parish Hall (and Church), the Frye Art Museum, the Sorrento Hotel, Plymouth Congregational Church, and Town Hall.  For a complete schedule of events, here's a link to the festival brochure: http://www.americanhandelfestival.org/wp-content/uploads/American-Handel-Festival-Booklet.pdf

The international Handel scholars will hold their conference at St. James Pastoral Outreach Center March 24-27.  Down the hill in Trinity Parish Hall 100 choral singers will be rehearsing Handel Choruses March 23-26, and enjoying a baroque dance demo by Seattle Early Dance, a short course on Handel, a recital by Baroque flutist Janet See, and much more.  Stop by and hear them sing!  Then on Saturday they'll move to Plymouth Congregational and sing a noontime... (more)

From our sister blog SeattleCrime, we received this SPD report of a 5'11" 250 pound woman who assaulted her neighbor in the 800 block of Columbia Street for slamming the door in the early morning hours of 8/5/10:

I responded to an assault with injuries at 8   Columbia St.  I contacted the victim who stated that she lives across the hall from the suspect,   Officers are familiar with suspect  from prior contacts.    has a history of  and is masculine of build and strength standing 5'11 and weighing 250 lbs.   .   saidthat all   does is stare at her.  On this occasion   hadgone outside to smoke. When she came back into the building the door she used slammed shut. That door is attached to suspect   apartmentwall.   came out into the hall and confronted victim  about slamming the door.   did not speak to   and tried to put her keys in her front door to go into her apartment.   thengrabbed her from behind and...

Hotel Sorrento has been putting on an innovative series of events featuring authors, musicians and performance artists. On Monday July 12, as part of the Night School series, the Sorrento will feature artists performing a scene from Intiman Theatre's upcoming production of Ruined, as well as a moderated conversation delving into how the play was created and developed with Artistic Director Kate Whoriskey, several actors, and Tim Appelo. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets for $20. The event takes place from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. 

Photo posted by @Mkyles007

This rather incredible collision prompted a major emergency response to Madison over I-5 at the tail end of Friday afternoon's commute but luckily none of the medics were needed. No details yet on what led to the tangle around 6:30 PM Friday.

First Hill Seattle received a tip from reader Robby Delaware, who alerted us that an interesting sculpture he had photographed at Jefferson Terrace, had fallen in to disrepair.  It was originally designed as a fountain and finished in 1969.  

The sculptor was James Fitzgerald (1910 - 1973), who designed the original fountain sculptures that decorated the entrance to the 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge when it opened in 1963.  These two fountain sculptures were later shut down to save money on electricity and maintenance.  The sculptures that we now see ("Aurora Borealis") were conceived by a businessman named Max Gurvich and donated to Washington State in 2002.  Fountain sculptures were Fitzgerald's trademark and his "Fountain of the Northwest" sculpture is still visible at Seattle Center.

We contacted Seattle Housing Authority to alert them regarding the sculpture's sad state and will update this post when we hear back from them. 

KIRO 7 just reported that one of two men suspected in the beating death of an 80-year old Arkansas woman has been arrested in Bremerton.  U.S. Marshalls arrested suspect Rene Patrick Bourassa Jr., while he in possession of Lillian Nelson, the victim's car.  

KIRO 7 reported last night that police suspected that two men wanted in connection with Lillian Nelson's homicide had fled to Seattle.  Police were able to track the two men through their use of Nelson's credit card at the McDonald's located at 1122 Madison.  Nelson's body was found in her empty Arkansas church Sunday morning between two church pews. 

The First Hill Improvement Association, a community service organization for Seattle's First Hill neighborhood since 1958, will hold its monthly general meeting tonight.  Nonmembers are welcome to attend:

Tuesday, June 8th, 6:30 pm  Swedish Medical Center B-Level Conference Room  #1

Ms. Allison Schwartz, from the Seattle Department of Transportation, will give us a final update on the implementation of new parking regulations on First Hill.

Ms. Candy Castellanos, Waste Division Project Manager from Cleanscapes, will provide us with information on the Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards Program. 

We will also be bidding farewell to Mr. Fred Savaglio from Virginia Mason Medical Center. Mr. Savaglio is retiring this month, and thus will be stepping down as Major Institutions Chair for the FHIA. We wish him all the best, and thank him for his many years of dedicated service to our organization. 

Street Treats, a just-launched mobile sweets vendor, will travel to First Hill on Tuesday, June 8.  You can avail yourself of their homemade cookies, High 5 Pie and Half Pint homemade ice cream on the corner of 9th Avenue & Cherry from 12 to 3 pm.  To find other locations and their schedule, check their website and follow them on twitter.

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Originally uploaded by Joey Veltkamp

Greg Lundgren has a beef with the death-care industry, with itscookie-cutter headstones and its flat, identical graveyards: It's impersonal, aesthetically bankrupt, and boring. He began his assault by making luminous, cast-glass headstones, then building a death-care gallery where artists and architects can show off monuments and urns of their own design. He's hosting a group show at this gallery,The Architect and the Urn, with work by Iole Alessandrini, Heather Flood, Stranger Genius Alex Schweder La, and many others. (Lundgren Monuments, 1011 Boren Ave, info@lundgrenmonuments.com. Opening reception 5–9 pm, free.)

Tuesday at noon, a "flash mob" gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Swedish Hospital.  Some of the "mobsters" were dressed as Swedish hospital workers, and some mobsters were actual hospital workers.  See if you can pick out which is which.  Of course, they danced and karaoked to something suitably Swedish--ABBA's "Dancing Queen":

Police and emergency medical crews are responding to Harborview this afternoon where a woman has been stabbed. SeattleCrime reports the victim is a 31-year-old female and says she came to the hospital with a stab wound to her abdomen. Central District News says HMC security "may have the suspect in the building. White male, 250, 40s, 6' tall, hooded gray sweatshirt, bluejeans."

UPDATE: SeattleCrime reports that the woman's injuries were self-inflicted.

Yesterday King 5 aired a report that Seattle-King County Public Health has begun cracking down on hookah clubs, claiming that they are circumventing and flouting the smoking ban.  The King 5 report was triggered by a Seattle-King County Public Health filing against hookah club Majiles Cafe at 912 12th Avenue (across from the Seattle University campus):

Some businesses have turned themselves into private, members-only "smoking clubs." Technically non-profit and using volunteers as employees, the ban does not apply to them, they said.  Abud said he modeled Majles after those clubs when he opened it two years ago.

"No one [who is] not a member [has] ever been here," said Abud.

But last summer, health inspectors disagreed. They said among other violations, Majles was not checking for membership and was letting anyone in. As a result, Seattle-King County Public Health fined Abud about $100.

Abud said he refused the fine, that paying would amount to admitting guilt.  Instead,...

Have you tried Kanpai's spicy baked mussels?  The Seattle Weekly recently included Kanpai in its Best Happy Hours issue.  Here is their report:

It's possible you were wandering around First Hill near Eighth and Marion one day when you were stopped dead in your tracks by a delicious smell you couldn't quite identify. That smell is Kanpai's spicy baked mussels, covered in scallops, roe (fish eggs), and something they call a Japanese spicy sauce (think Sriracha and mayonnaise). It is one of the best things I have ever had the privilege of putting in my mouth, and from 2:30–5:30 p.m. daily, 10–11 p.m. Friday–Saturday, and all day Sunday, you can get the world's most delicious appetizer for only $4.50.

Sushi Kanpai is located at 900 8th Avenue (corner of 8th & Marion) and serves lunch Mon to Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm and dinner Mon to Sun: 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM, Fri & Sat: to 11 PM.  

Seattle's Department of Transportation (SDOT) invites all First Hill residents, businesses and property owners to a public hearing to discuss "Final On-Street Parking Changes" for the neighborhood.  The meeting will be held 5/21/10 from 6:30 to 8 pm at Seattle Central Community College (Room 1110).  Public comments begin at 6:45 pm and are limited to 2 minutes each.  Below are the agenda items: 

What’s the plan?

• To improve customer and visitor parking, SDOT will change 1-hour and 2-hour ti me limitsigns to 2-hour paid parking

• To improve residential access, SDOT will make the following changes to First Hillrestricted parking zones (RPZs):

• Change unrestricted parking to new Zone 7 and Zone 21 blocks
• Add new Zone 21 parking to several blocks that are currently 2-hour paid parking
• Add 2-hour paid parking to existi ng Zone 7 and Zone 21 blocks
• Valid RPZ permit holders will not need to pay when parked on RPZ blocks

• SDOT will replace aging meters with...

Earlier this month, Seattle celebrated Sweden Week.   The Swedish Consulate in Seattle hosted the weeklong celebration of the enduring relationship between Sweden and the Pacific Northwest.  In conjunction with Swedish Medical Center celebrating its 100th anniversary and Sweden Week, Crown Princess Victoria visited the Broadway campus of Swedish Medical Center and was awarded  an “I heart Swedish Babies” T-shirt, whichSwedish created in honor of their centennial and is giving to all babies born at Swedish this year.     

Photo by Phillip Weiss via Flickr CCL

Last month, Partners in Preservation Initiative launched an online competition to distribute $1M in preservation funds to historic organizations and buildings across Puget Sound.  Early Thursday morning, Partners in Preservation announced that Schooner Adventuress in Tacoma won the online competition.  However, in recognition of the late rally staged by Town Hall supporters, Partners in Preservation has decided to award $125K to Town Hall as well:

In an impressive challenge never seen in the history of the Partners in Preservation program, Town Hall Seattle also staged a comeback resulting in several swings of the tally on the final day of voting. In recognition of the extreme closeness of the competition and the extraordinary efforts of both organizations to rally support, Town Hall Seattle will also receive their full grant request of $125,000. 

Photo: Department of Neighborhoods

First Hill's venerable Sorrento Hotel is already a Seattle landmark -- now it's official. The City Council approved the 1909 hotel Monday as an official Seattle landmark. The designation will help preserve the structure's design and character by subjecting future changes to a public review process.

The Sorrento joins nearly 50 properties across Capitol Hill and First Hill with historical landmark status. Here's the roster.

According to documents from the landmark designation process, the entity name of the hotel's ownership is First Hill Investors, but the members of the company are the Burke Family: Gary Burke, Debbie Battiger, John Burke, Mark Burke, Don Burke. According to the document, the Burke Family bought this building out of foreclosure in 1967. Developer Mike Malone, The Sorrento Hotel Partnership, is the lessee; the lease expires in 2030. The document stats that the Burke Family is the long term steward of the property and participated in the designation process as the... (more)

Independent bookstore City Books (at 1305 Madison Street) has been holding a closing sale for the past month.  It first announced that it was closing on 4/12/10.  Today is the last day of the closing sale and all transactions must take place before 5 pm.  Below is a description of what remains to be sold:

During the final two days of our store closing sale everything in our store is 75% off the original price or more! This includes all fiction, mystery, romance and kid books, Also all greeting cards, gifts, gift wrap and much more all at 1/2 off or more. Come in soon for the best selection.

Also retail fixtures must be sold - no reasonable offer refused for cards spinners, calendar spinners, acrylic stands, etc. 

City Books has been at this location on Madison for over a decade and invited the community to support it in an open letter published on the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog in January 2010.   

Our sister blog Capitol Hill Seattle reports today that the Transportation Committee of the Seattle City Council (Rasmussen, Godden, Burgess & Licata) passed Resolution 31207 by a vote of 4-0 approving the route for the First Hill Streetcar line.   The next step will be for the full City Council to vote on the Resolution on May 3.  

The resolution also includes a plan to create an extension of the streetcar route to reach north Broadway. The Capitol Hill Community Council's Complete Streetcar Campaign has been advocating for that extension and pedestrian and bicycle improvements along the streetcar route. The group is planning a rally and party a day after the full Council vote Tuesday night at Sole Repair. CHS voted to endorse the campaign last week.

DOT planners expect to begin construction on the streetcar route in 2011 with a planned start ofservice in late 2013.

Publicola published comments from Fred Butler, the Sound Transit board capital committee... (more)

On February 9, 2010, Glennis Parker was found dead in the 76 gas station parking lot at Terry and James.  Casey McNerthney of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that police are looking for Parker's adult stepson to question him about the homicide.  Police have received a tip that Parker's adult stepson quarreled with Parker over Parker's alleged molestation of his disabled younger brother.    The adult stepson has not yet been located, and Parker's widow and family deny knowledge of his whereabouts.

I took this photo yesterday on the southeast corner of Madison and 7th just east of I-5.  As you may be able to tell, a typical Seattle misty rain was falling at the time.

Overnight rains and wind have toppled a tree near Stimson Green Manor, KIRO has reported via Twitter:

@kiro7Traffic: Capitol Hill: A tree is down on Summit and Seneca, Chopper 7 is flying over head.

Sounds like not really Capitol Hill but we'll swing by to get some pictures and confirm the location soon.

UPDATE: The TV people got very excited but this tree fall was a small enough event to be quickly cleaned up and cleared away.

With a final decision on the First Hill Streetcar route expected in May, the City Council is seeking a last round of input at the public meeting to be held on Thursday April 22, 2010.   The meeting will take place at 5:30 pm at the First Baptist Church at 1111 Harvard Avenue.  Members of the public are invited to attend and speak directly to the Council about the route decision.  Note that the Seattle City Council will support Sound Transit in seeking funds to extend the proposed Broadway route beyond Denny north to Aloha.  

Vito's Madison Grill, the currently-defunct bar/ restaurant with a somewhat less than stellar reputation, appears to be under new management. The First Hill Improvement Association has a letter up from Greg Lundgren:

Dear First Hill Community Group,

My name is Greg Lundgren and I am a ten year resident of first hill, and own two businesses here, at 1005 and 1011 Boren Avenue (The Hideout and Lundgren Monuments). Myself and my business partner, Jeff Scott, recently signed a long term lease on the Vito's Restaurant and Lounge space, located at 927- 9th avenue, and are in the early stages of renovation.

We wanted to reach out to the First Hill community to share our vision and committment to providing a quality and safe cultural outlet to the neighborhood, and put to rest any concerns that Vitos of the future will function like Vitos of the past 20 years.

As residents and business owners on First Hill, our top priority is to improve the quality of the neighborhood in all regards. We are well informed about...

Partners in Preservation, a partnership between American Express and National Trust for Historic Preservation, invites the public to vote from April 15 to May 12 for the places they would like to receive $1M preservation funding.  The winner of the public vote is guaranteed to receive a grant.  The remainder of the $1 million in available funding will be distributed among a yet  to be determined number of projects by American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and an advisory committee comprised of Seattle-Puget Sound area civic and preservation leaders taking into account the results of the public vote.  The final grant decisions will be announced on June 15.  First Hill's own Town Hall is on the list (currently in 2nd place behind the Fifth Avenue Theatre) - you can vote once per day until 5/12/10.