All posts by dennis

Crime/Emergency

Updates to Police and Fire Call Information Resources

One of the most popular pages on this site is “What’s that Siren?” The page lists a number of resources for finding out about police and fire department activity in the neighborhood.

The SPD is now making a broader range of police reports available to the public (but, the reports are “redacted”, and registration / sign-in are required).

Additionally over the last month, a couple of you (Steve and Alysse) have written to indicate the KOMO Scanner web site was no longer working for Mac computers. I updated that to a different link, which unfortunately still does not work for Mac’s. I have also added a couple more web sites which offer live feeds of the police and fire radio transmissions. One of the new sites claims to be Mac usable.

If you’re interested, you can check out and bookmark the newly revised “What’s that Siren?” page.

Garage Sale

Fourth Annual Crown Hill Neighbors Garage Sale, July 24th, 2010

This is the article for the 2010 garage sale.

Garage Sale SignLooking for the 2011 garage sale? Click Here.

Sign ups are open for this year’s Crown Hill Neighborhood Garage Sale. Sign up to list your sale here. (updated: listings are now closed) View the map and list of participating households here.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity! Lets fill the map with participating sales this year. Add your sale and buyers will come!

Calling all Crown Hill Neighbors to participate in our Fourth Annual  CHNA Garage Sale.  The sale will be held on Saturday, July 24th from 9 AM to 3 PM.  This year, the Ballard Seafood Fest moved two weekends earlier (July 10th and 11th), so everyone should be able to eat seafood and participate in the sale.  About 35 households participated last year with loads of cool stuff. Great way to meet your neighbors.

Is your house overflowing with clothes, furniture, toys, appliances, etc which could find a home with one of your neighbors or garage sale cruisers? Want an excuse to buy those 70’s bell bottom pants? Remember, one household’s junk is another’s treasure! This is your chance to buy or sell, and a wonderful opportunity to mingle with the crowds. Last year’s sale had about 35 participating selling households, and many more sale cruisers.

Do your kids need an excuse to set up a lemonade stand? This is a great opportunity. Last year, we had lemonade, coffee, cookies and cupcakes.

It’s definitely time to start setting your merchandise aside, and plotting joint sales with neighbors so you can take turns visiting other sales.

Questions about the sale, please contact: garagesale@crownhillneighbors.org or (206) 706-7663.

Churches, Homeless

Congregation Hosted Safe Parking for People Living in Vehicles

The Ballard Homes For All Coalition (BHFAC) is spearheading an effort to encourage the churches of Ballard to make one or two parking spaces available for the use of homeless individuals living in their vehicles. BHFAC was formed in response to 36th District Representative Mary Lou Dickerson’s call to action from November 2007:

It has come to my attention that Ballard is experiencing an increase in homelessness, especially among more vulnerable populations such as the elderly. After talking with a few people, including Rob Mattson, it is also evident that Ballard lacks many of the necessary services to assist people living on the street. Given the dropping temperature, this is something we urgently need to start working on.

On June 3rd, 2010,  BHFAC held a public meeting at the Crown Hill United Methodist Church on their program “Congregation-Hosted Safe Parking for People Living in Vehicles.”  This program aims to create safe places for homeless people living in vehicles to park.

Continue reading Congregation Hosted Safe Parking for People Living in Vehicles →

History

History Articles About Crown Hill Cemetery

This article links to a two-part series on the history of the Crown Hill Cemetery. The articles are posted in “Beyond The Ghosts … A Cemetery Blog” by GE Anderson. The mystery of Lily the Tabby Cat interred there is almost as intriguing as the Cipher in Room 214 burial.

These articles are also included in a project the author developed “Stones & Bones … Discovering Secrets in Old King County Cemeteries” which is available at her web site as well.

Cemeteries can tell many tales of the past. Know any tales of  folk interred at Crown Hill Cemetery? If you are interested in sharing, please contact me: dennis@crownhillneighbors.org. Similarly, if you are interested in Crown Hill history in general or have any tips, please contact me.

Government, Sustainability, Transportation

Walk Bike Ride

WBR Logo

Walk Bike Ride is a Seattle initiative to:

  • Create an equitable transportation system for all by providing more affordable travel choices
  • Focus on the places where people want to be and add qualities that make them want to stay
  • Prioritize right-of-way space to emphasize walking, biking and riding

The initiative emphasizes the transportation choices we make each day and encourages us to walk, bike, take public transit more often to: 1) save money; 2) improve our health; 3) improve the health of our communities.

The city wants your input and has scheduled a series of meetings:

Continue reading Walk Bike Ride →