You may have heard that the PNA Business Group successfully gained a Neighborhood Matching Grant from the City to create a new Holiday Lighting tradition for the neighborhood, replacing the LED monkeys that had brightened the business district until they were retired in 2020.
The PNA is seeking to have 200 new LED lights – 50 each of 4 different animals – ready to go up in early December along our business corridor. The Holiday Lighting Committee, with representatives from the PNA, the Zoo, local businesses, and the community, was convened in January to chart the course for this project. The Mission is to create a new, quirky, secular, business district-focused lighting tradition in partnership with the Woodland Park Zoo that represents PhinneyWood.
To help hone down the massive list of possibilities, the Steering Committee decided that the focus should be Pacific Northwest, Cool, and Easily Identifiable with regards to the final choices. The Zoo submitted a list of animals that they house and could help create a new mythos for this tradition: pond turtle, lynx, river otter, owl, and wolf.
We are asking residents of the Phinneywood community to help narrow down the choices to a final 4 that we will develop. Because we want to make sure your favorite PNW animal that did not make the list has a shot, you can also enter any PNW animal as a “write-in” option as well. Are you passionate about that animal making it to the finals? Make sure you tell your neighbors and friends/family who live in the community to vote and why they should support your choice!
In the Spring of 2020, posters around lower Phinney appeared on telephone poles urging the neighborhood to “Save the Barking Dog”. Owner Dan Anderson was already feeling the effects of being closed for weeks and the subsequent shift to takeout-only dining. For a business that relied on a festive and warm atmosphere and friendly service, the future looked bleak.
In early summer, a coalition of City Councilmembers led by our own D6 representative Dan Strauss sponsored legislation that waived onerous sidewalk permit fees and cut red tape to make it easier for restaurateurs to offer outdoor seating during the pandemic. Almost overnight, the Barking Dog Alehouse seemed to double in size, and transform the sidewalk and parking spaces in front of the business into the same festive and warm atmosphere that once was enjoyed indoors. At the time, indoor dining was at 50% capacity, but the stipulation that each party must consist of five people or fewer and tables must be six feet apart made for unrealistic business expectations for most restaurants and bars.
“This idea came straight from the small business community that they felt would aid in their recovery,” Strauss said in a news release at the time. “Sidewalk cafes are a creative public health strategy, a necessary step to help our businesses survive the economic impacts of COVID-19, and an example of how we can better utilize our existing pedestrian spaces.”
Many other neighborhood spots soon followed suit, including Pie Bar, Snapshot Brewing (who teamed up with Taco Del Mar to offer “street tacos”), Oliver’s Twist, Prost!, Raiz, and many more.
Outdoor seating for Snapshot Brewing on 80th and Greenwood Ave
Fast forward to this summer. The Seattle City Council recently passed legislation to extend the Safe Start permits that allow for private businesses to utilize public sidewalks and parking spaces to establish safer retail and dining spaces through May of 2022. Phinneywood’s new street dining tents and sidewalk patios will be allowed to stay at least through that month — and, possibly, beyond. The city is looking for feedback on how to shape its Safe Start permits program for the future.
“Have you enjoyed a meal, drink, or treat on an outdoor patio at your favorite restaurant or café this past year? Chances are, if the outdoor seating was on the sidewalk or street, the coffee shop, brewery, restaurant, or ice cream shop may have been one of the 200+ businesses participating in our safe start program this last year.
Whether you’re a business owner who applied for a permit, employee who served customers outside, patron who frequented your local cafes, or anyone else who has thoughts on how we can improve these permits, we want to hear from you!“
The program has been a huge success for many businesses who have been able to take advantage of the streamlined permitting and gift of new space, with some neighborhood eateries reporting that they attribute making it this far into the pandemic because of the program. There are also challenges including keeping areas accessible for everyone and street safety.
Per Ashley Aust, Manager of Prost! Phinney Ridge, “We applied for the permit because we had to do so to stay open. We would not have survived the pandemic shutdowns without our new street seating.”
“Outdoor dining has been loved by so many small businesses and residents, and its exactly the vision we want for our city post-pandemic: vibrant neighborhoods where anyone can live, walk, work, and play,” the city’s announcement of the survey reads.
The program has also expanded to include a multitude of uses from outdoor cafes, retail merchandise displays, food trucks, and vending carts, to fitness gyms and studios, and retail and craft vending.
Washington Wild is teaming up with one of our local Lucky Envelope Brewing to celebrate the release of Public Lands Pilsner. This beer was created with a mission to help spread the word about the value and the importance of protecting the lands that surround our water sources. The link between healthy water sources and great beer is inextricable.
Washington Wild is a nonprofit organization that protects wild lands and rivers in Washington state through advocacy, education, and civic engagement. Within Washington Wild, the Washington Brewshed Alliance works with 70 brewing industry partners across the state to advance its mission of protecting the water sources that are essential for the production of great beer.
CURRENT SEASONAL BEER OFFERINGS
Beer: Peach Barrel-Aged Coolship Sour Ale (6.0% ABV)
Availability: Currently Available On Draft
Description: A blend of reserve Coolship Blonde Sour Ale barrels were combined with 60lbs per barrel of peach puree to create a puckeringly tart sour with subtle notes of Brettanomyces funk and flowery undertones of peach peel. Our spontaneous fermentation coolship program began in 2018 in front of Lucky Envelope Brewing. This process involves cooling beers in open air and allowing them to be inoculated with truly local microflora and fauna.
Beer: Lucky Family Dry-Hopped Rice Lager (5.0% ABV) Collaboration with Urban Family Brewing
Availability: Wednesday, July 21st Release On Draft and 4-Pack Cans ($17)
Description: We are very excited to collaborate with our friends and neighbors at Urban Family Brewing to bring you our second iteration of our Lucky Family dry-hopped Rice Lager. A base of Weyermann Pilsner malt and flaked rice is patiently fermented with LE’s house lager strain and dry-hopped with Strata and Citra.
Beer: Public Lands Pilsner (5% ABV) Collaboration with Washington Wild
Availability: Friday, July 23rd release on draft and 4-pack cans ($17)
Description: This perfectly crisp summer Pilsner celebrates the importance of protecting and preserving Washington State’s wild lands. Our dry-hopped American Pilsner features all WA-sourced ingredients with malt from Skagit Valley Malting and Citra and Mosaic hops from Yakima Chief Hops. A portion of proceeds from Public Lands Pilsner goes towards keeping Washington green and wild. Lucky Envelope, Skagit Valley Malting, and Yakima Chief Hops are proud members of the Washington Brewshed® Alliance, a program of Washington Wild. Together, we’re working to protect wild lands and beer’s most important ingredient: water.
Beer: Nelson Juicy IPA (6.3% ABV)
Availability: Friday, July 30th Release On Draft and 4-Pack Cans ($17)
Description: The Nelson Juicy IPA showcases heavy whirlpool and dry hops of Nelson Sauvin balanced out with a touch of Mosaic. Nelson Sauvin hops are grown in the Nelson region of New Zealand and are coveted for their intense notes of crushed grape and tropical fruit.
Washington Wild is also hosting a giveaway for a chance to win a Washington Wild-branded GRAYL water purifier! Here’s how to enter:⠀
Post a photo on Instagram of a can of Public Lands Pilsner in the wild before August 27 (remember to always pack in, pack out, and respect the land).⠀
The graffiti removal cleaning party met as planned at 63rd under the Aurora Overpass at 64rd and Woodlawn Park, Thursday July 22. Community volunteers came for over two hours, nearly running out of graffiti remover. Additionally they had the support of the Seattle Human Services Department HOPE Team who earlier got the site cleared and bio-cleaned.
Kim Roney said thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. “It was wonderful to see all the effort come together. We had 12 or so people come in the time we were there and they were ready to help! We made some great progress and it was great to hear the encouragement from the passing motorists.”
The group will be planning next steps. Use the link below if you’d like to be involved and learn more.
Dacha Theatre, a Seattle based theatre company specializing in devised, immersive, and playful work is touring Star Play to the 6th Ave NW Pocket Park this Sunday July 25th at 2PM.
Star Play is an outdoor family play with music about the wonders of stars and the night sky! A wondrous, galaxy-sized adventure for all ages, Star Play is a storybook romp through the night sky that follows Pleione, the seventh brightest Pleiades sister, as she charts a course through the Milky Way to save the red giant Betelgeuse from going supernova. A Dacha original, this clear-eyed and starry-skied play with music embraces the singular magic of space and the power of storytelling — all while connecting the dots on some of your favorite constellations (old and new)!
Dacha has produced summer spectaculars through Seattle parks for five years, including Metamorphoses on the shores of Lake Washington in the summer of 2019. Their shows are always ticketed on a sliding scale with a pay-what-you-can option, and are full of movement, laughter, and music – the perfect summer excursion!
The Phinney Neighborhood Association is excited to share that the 41st annual Winter Festival & Crafts Fair will happen in person on December 4 and 5, 2021!
After the virtual fair last year, the PNA can’t wait to welcome back the fabulous local artists and makers, as well as devoted shoppers back into the Phinney Center for the holiday experience we all love.
Right now, they’re calling on all PNW artists, makers, and crafters to apply to be a part of the festivities and sell their work: art, pottery, ceramics, glass, jewelry, clothing, accessories, stationery, bath and body goods, gourmet edibles and drinkables, toys, and anything else handmade!
Applications are due Sunday, August 15 at midnight. All artists will be notified if they are accepted or not by Friday, September 10.
Invitation from the Mural Committee: Join us Thursday, July 22 during 12 – 4 for a graffiti removal cleaning party at the Promenade Mural. We don’t need people to commit to the whole time, just to stop by and help at some point during that time. People who come to help need to wear closed toe shoes and bring eye protection and masks are recommended as we are using chemicals to remove the graffiti. Even if people can just come out for 15 minutes it would be great to have the help.
Location: 63rd under the Aurora Overpass on 64rd at Woodlawn Park.
Seattle Foursquare Church is having its first Basic Bicycle Repair Event. On Sunday, July 18, from 12:30-2:00 pm, they will be performing basic repair and maintenance on bikes that need a little TLC. 400 N. 105th St., 98133.
The community showed an outpouring of support for the family of Mahamed mohamud, the 15-year-old boy whose body was pulled from Green Lake Wednesday. A gofundme started by family of Mahamed’s parents has raised over $39,000 of their ask of $18,000 to cover funeral costs.
Mahamed was an energetic, intellegent, and kindhearted 15-year-old boy. He spent his last day with us doing volunteer work, taking his sisters to get ice cream, and visiting his local library.
Almost 600 people have donated at the time of this writing. The gofundme organizer, Ikraam Osman, updated the page, noting, “I’ve notified his parents and they’ve been overwhelmed with all the support.”
