Queen Anne Fun Run 2012 Starting Line
Photo courtesy of Queen Anne Helpline

Last year, over 600 runners and walkers hit the streets of Queen Anne, and the organizers are hoping to have that number go even higher this year. The Queen Anne Helpline sponsors the event, with all proceeds helping Queen Anne neighbors in need.

The course is 3.3 miles, starting at 5th Ave W and W McGraw and finishing at Coe Elementary. Pre-registration runs though July 11th and your $35/person gets you a t-shirt and a morning of neighborhood fun. And, while we’re giving you an early heads up, if you procrastinate, you can still walk or run with a same-day registration of $40/person. All entrants under age 5 are free, but it’ll run you $10 for a kid’s t-shirt.

T-shirts and numbers will be available to registered participants at the Queen Anne Farmers Market starting in June. You can also register and pick up your t-shirts and numbers at the Queen Anne Helpline Office now. They’re at 311 W McGraw and are open Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.

Race Day Schedule:

• 7:00am – Number pick up, Queen Anne Lutheran Church, 8th Ave W & W McGraw
• 8:00am – Start Race (walkers)
• 8:20am – Start Race (runners)
• 9:15am – Awards ceremony and drawing for gifts from Queen Anne merchants, Queen Anne Lutheran church

Queen Anne Fun Run 2012 Best Hat Contenders
Photo courtesy of Queen Anne Helpline

Prizes will be awarded for the first-place winners in 4 categories: male, female, boy under 12, girl under 12.
Prizes will also be awarded for best crown or hat “exemplifying the spirit of Queen Anne”, so start looking for that special chapeau!

And, please note, while 4-legged friends are welcome to watch, no dogs are allowed on the course.

Kinnear Park, 1911
Photo courtesy of QAHS

In addition to brief QAHS business such as board elections, the meeting will spotlight the conservation efforts for Kinnear Park and the Southwest Queen Anne greenbelt.

Kinnear Park is located on the southwest corner of Queen Anne, and thanks to recent efforts by Friends of Lower Kinnear Park (FOLKpark) and Citizens for Off Leash Areas (COLA), it’s also now home to an off-leash dog park for Queen Anne (and visiting) canines.

Kinnear Park is one of several Queen Anne parks that were donated by residents, including Kerry Park, Marshall Park, Parsons Garden, and Bhy Kracke Park). As with our other Queen Anne parks, there are unique vistas to be had from Kinnear – views of Puget Sound can be had, and large champion trees fill the park with a rich canopy.

FOLKpark has been at the forefront of the revitalization of Lower Kinnear Park, and volunteers led by steward Howard Langevelt tend the Southwest Queen Anne greenbelt to the north. Howard and Debi Frausto of FOLKpark will join QAHS board members Holly Smith and Aaron Luoma to discuss the past and the future of the park and greenbelt.

Light refreshments will be provided and the free meeting is open to all. And, if you’re interested in the history or Queen Anne, you can join the QAHS at individual or family levels online. The QAHS meets bi-monthly with programs (like this one) about the history of Queen Anne, with the goal of preserving the heritage of our neighborhood.

The Uptown Alliance sent a letter to the property owners and management on May 9th, asking them to find an acceptable agreement to keep Tup Tim Thai open. Looks like Tup Tim Thai has reached an agreement, and will be staying put at 118 W Mercer St.

Alexander Hall, 1910
Photo courtesy of QAHS

Queen Anne residents don’t often linger on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. If they did, they might discover Alexander Hall, one of the most charming brick buildings in Seattle.

Nominated for city landmark status just this past week, Alexander Hall may indeed be the oldest building in all of Queen Anne. It certainly is among the oldest surviving masonry load-bearing buildings in town.

Alexander Hall hunkers on the southwest corner of the elliptic drive known as Tiffany Loop on the west side of 3rd Avenue West.  Designed in 1891 by English-born carpenter/architect John Charles Parkinson (1861-1935) for the Free Methodist’s new Seattle Seminary, it was first called the Red Brick Building.

Alexander Hall, 2013
Photo courtesy of QAHS

In spite of radical alterations to its fenestration and entryways that show in the now photograph, the building’s four octagonal towers, projecting bay and round arch entrance make it an intriguing example of Richardsonian Romanesque Revival design.

Nils B. Peterson donated five acres of his kitchen garden for the seminary. Five of his children were among the first 12 students to attend classes when the building opened in April, 1893. Alexander Beers served as the school’s first principal while his wife Adelaide took charge of the academic side of things.

In 1940, the Red Brick Building was renamed in honor of the first principal, but Seattle Pacific College trustees, fearing malicious associations with his patronymic used only his first name.  In a very welcomed change of policy, Seattle Pacific University itself initiated the process to designate the building a city landmark.

Kids 6-14 can join one of five football teams, and kids 6-11 can join the cheer squad. The recruiting zone for the Interbay Eagles is broad, ranging from the Ship Canal south to Yesler and from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. All Queen Anne kids are welcome to join in!

Football practice begins in August, five days a week through the end of the month, then going to three days a week during the school year, prepping for Saturday game-days. Practices are held at Interbay Field, across from QFC and just off Dravus.

There are six regular season football games on Saturdays, with the first game set for September 7th, followed by the play-offs and ending the season with a championship game.

Program registration fees are $160 for Football and $150 for Cheer. You can register online or call 206.494.0268 for more information.

The SPU Theatre department describes the play as a twist on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale with the prince turned into a frog when he refuses to give up a bouquet of flowers. The Prince and his Servingman embark on a journey to find the only Milkmaid who can undo the spell.

Mamet’s version of the classic Grimm fairy tale was first staged in 1982 as a short play in Chicago in 1982. The Chicago Tribune described it as follows:

SPU promises it will provide entertainment for the whole family, but notes that children under 5 will not be admitted. On their Facebook page, they suggest that a 4th grader will enjoy it, but it may not hold the attention of a 1st grader.

The production runs May 21-25, with a 2pm matinee performance only on the 25th. All performances begin at 7:30pm except for May 25, which is a matinee only performance at 2pm. Tickets are $6 each, with group rates available for 20 or more.

For tickets, visit the box office online or call 206.281.2959.

After Sunday, you’ll be able to read the full sign!

You’re likely familiar with Picture Perfect Queen Anne from past Queen Anne View posts – well, some neighbors in East Queen Anne have partnered with PPQA to help beautify the entrance to our neighborhood with plantings and graffiti removal this weekend.

In a partnership with PPQA, the formerly maintained gardens at the  7-way stop are going to get back in ship-shape, and residents are looking for volunteers to help prune, weed, dig, haul or bring refreshments to a work-party this Sunday, May 19 at 8am.

In addition to the garden rehab, neighbors will be using paint donated from Seattle Country Day School to re-paint and cover graffiti on the Queen Anne mural under the Aurora Bridge (northbound 99 entrance).

Whether your skills or interests lean to gardening or painting, there’s an opportunity to help beautify one of the major entrances to Queen Anne! And, if you can’t make tomorrow’s event, you can donate to a fund for mulch, new plants, and ongoing maintenance via Casa Latina.

To help out via hard work or donated funds, contact Sharon Parker via email or 206.229.3681. Or, just show up bright and early Sunday morning at the 7-way stop and help beautify Queen Anne!

Queen Anne View has not met any of these pets – SAS is providing us with the description, as they know them well. We encourage potential adopters to get in touch with SAS and work with them to evaluate the compatibility of your home and a new pet.

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Meet Spice!

This beautiful, medium sized (about 30 lbs.), ten year old, terrier mix lady is looking for a quiet and relaxing home to call hers forever. Whether it’s on a long walk or a night watching TV, Spice is happy to be your companion. One look into her eyes and your heart will melt. She is house trained and sleeps through the night. Spice follows the general commands such as sit, stay, and lay down and is very capable of learning new ones – she is very food motivated and especially likes apples, carrots and celery! She would love to sleep on the bed with you at night but has learned that she needs to be invited up, and will sleep quietly on her own bed.

Spice was surrendered to the Shelter because her owner could not afford her medical care. She has since had surgery to remove her bladder stones and received the medications she needed to clear up a nasty urinary tract infection. She’s all recovered and back to her peppy self! She will need to stay on a special diet to prevent more bladder stones from forming but it’s readily available and affordable.

Spice lived the first ten years of her life as an only pet and is not used to being around other dogs, cats or kids. She would prefer to be your only dog but has adapted well to living with her foster mom’s two larger, mellow dogs. She can be leash reactive with unfamiliar dogs but is easily distracted with treats. She would do best in an adult only home as children seem to make her uneasy and she wants to chase the smaller ones. Cats are a new thing for her and she’s very interested in barking and chasing them right now, but she might learn to live with a dog-savvy feline with supervision. Around the house, unexpected noises may cause a bark or two but you can rely on her to keep your home safe from unwanted guests.

On top of it all she will warm your home and your heart. This gal deserves as much love as she will give to you. Request a meet with Spice today and you’ll be closer to adding some Spice to your life!

Spice (SAS #13-3034) is being adored in a SAS foster home. If you would like to meet this dog, you must submit a Dog Adoption Application to SAS. Download the application and follow the instructions for submission via email or fax. If you have general questions about this dog, you may call the Shelter’s Animal Care Staff at 206-386-4294.

We all know the Mercer closure will make navigating around Queen Anne and the Seattle Center tricky this weekend, and that means a lot of confused drivers (locals and visitors alike). But, plenty of events to suit all sorts, an all-day Ballard festival, the Seattle Storm preseason opener, a road race at Gasworks, a free panel discussion with the Mayor at the Queen Anne Community Center, the U-District Street Fair, SIFF International Film Festival, and much more!

Traffic:

• Mercer: weekend closure of sections of Aurora/99 and Mercer St, 11pm Friday, May 17 – 5am Monday, May 20

Multi-Day Events:

• Boeing Boeing, Seattle Repertory Theatre, April 19-May 19
• Sister Angelica & Human Voice, Seattle Opera, May 4-18
• 44th Annual U-District Street Fair, University District, May 18-19
• SIFF International Film Festival, SIFF Uptown & Film Center, May 16-June 9

Friday, May 17

• Queen Anne Dispatch Friends & Family Event, 9am-10pm FREE
• 17th of May Festival, Ballard, 10am-8pm (festivities at 10am, parade at 6pm) FREE
• The Sheds, The Vera Project, 7pm
• Seattle Storm vs Tulsa Shock, Key Arena, 7pm

Saturday, May 18

• Seattle’s Best 15K and 10K, Gasworks, 7:30am
• Queen Anne Quick Styx Girls Lacrosse Jamboree, Queen Anne Bowl, 9am-5pm FREE
• Heather Christo Book Signing and Scones, Stuhlbergs, 10:30am FREE
• Chinese Arts and Culture Festival, Seattle Center Armory, 11am
• Coal Train Impacts in Your Neighborhood: Panel with Mayor McGinn and Prof. Dan Jaffe, Queen Anne Community Center, 12:15-1:15pm FREE
• Handbag Sample Sale & Trunk Show, 2408 Warren Ave N, 3pm-7pm
• Y-WE Speak, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 6pm
• Sounders vs FC Dallas, CenturyLink, 7:30pm
• JSusan Carr Ensemble, Queen Anne Christian Church, 8pm

Sunday, May 19

• Seattle University School of Law Graduation, Key Arena, 10am
• 31st Annual Nordstrom Beat the Bridge, Husky Stadium, 8am
• Kids Storytime with Charles Ward, Queen Anne Book Company, 1pm-2pm FREE

Have an event that you would like us to report on? Drop us an email at tips@queenanneview.com

Courtesy of Strata Architects

The City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has conditionally approved a new apartment building project at 717 3rd Ave N.

Llewellyn Place will be a 3-story building with 20 residential units, an outdoor courtyard, a rooftop deck including space for gardening, and an underground parking garage with parking for 11 vehicles.

Strata Architects is helming the project, which will include the demolition of the existing structure at the location. The 7,680 square foot lot is situated between a 4-story apartment building to the north and a 5-story mixed-use building to the south.

The project must address the usual conditions around excavation, disposal of hazardous materials, construction parking, street  and sidewalk closures, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Groundbreaking on the new project is expected this year.