We had a great time Zooming away together on Saturday night! Thank you for taking the time to join us (and stay a little longer, darn technology!) and for playing along with awesome Zoom backgrounds and fun headwear! 

It was wonderful to connect with friends both new and long-time. Creating a spirit of community in the virtual world is not easy, but you showed up with your stories, memories, and messages of positivity in a lively chat.  

And if you’re wondering, we didn’t plan for the spontaneous and heartfelt sharing from our random drawing winner, Shirley! Her story about the value the memory loss program has brought her family during her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis is just one poignant example from the evening.  

We’re so grateful – with Zoom Away, our community has raised over $18,500 for the PNA and the donations are continuing to come in!  

In case you didn’t make it to the event, you can check out the featured videos on our website. The folks in these videos are community members just like you and we hope their words remind you of the ways in which YOU build the PNA with your time, your energy, and your financial support. 

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please give today. Help us reach our goal of another $5,000 by Saturday, May 15.

If you’ve already given, thank you!  Donate Here

We hope to connect with you in person soon!  

Cheers! 

The PNA Team 

P.S. Want to get to know our new executive director? Come to a virtual Coffee with Christi:  today, May 12 at 10 am; May 14 at noon;  or May 20 at 5:30 pm. Get details and RSVP.

The Ballard High School (BHS) Playmakers will stage the teen angst rock musical Spring Awakening virtually on May 13, 14, and 15.

The nature of all teenagers is to question their parents. Back in 1890’s Germany on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, things were no different. Spring Awakening is based on German playwright Frank Wedekind’s controversial play from 1891. It was so scandalous in its day for addressing sex, violence, and suicide that it was not staged until 1906. This contemporary production was first staged on Broadway in 2006, with a rock soundtrack by Duncan Sheik. 

The story follows three teenagers in a small German village: blossoming 14-year-old Wendla; socially awkward Moritz; and their fearless classmate Melchior. Raised by prudish parents in a repressive school environment, they experience the dawn of their own sexuality. Inevitably they awaken to both joy and pain, with little direction from the adults around them.

“Teenagers face hardships in every generation and this year has been no exception,” says BHS Theatre Director Shawn M. Riley. “I chose this play because the message of Spring Awakening is that whatever you’re going through and whoever you are, your feelings are valid and you absolutely have a voice.”

Ballard’s virtual production is directed by Riley with musical direction by BHS choir teacher Courtney Rowley. Eia Waltzer choreographed the show and BHS alumnus Gustavo Gutierrez is director of photography and editing.

Note: Parental Guidance Advisory for explicit language and content.

Trigger Warning: The musical addresses adult and teenage themes, such as teen pregnancy, suicide, academic pressure, and social acceptance. During the run of the show there will be virtual talk-backs with mental health professionals. Look for meeting dates/times at ballardperformingarts.org as we get closer to showtime.

Tickets
The ticket price is $25. Order tickets at www.showtix4u.com and you will be provided a link to watch it on the evening you select. For any questions please contact Shawn Riley at smriley@seattleschools.org. 

Performance Details
The play will livestream May 6, 7, 8 and 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. Performers rehearsed completely via Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Purchasing  a “streaming” ticket is the same as buying a ticket to a traditional live production. You will receive an email from SHOWTIX4U.com with the link in it for viewing the show. 

NOTE: The ticket you buy will indicate the specific date you chose on the website. The link is only good for one viewing on that day. It is not a live link that can be sent to others to watch the show when you are finished with it.

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, 5/11), the Greenwood Community Council will be presenting on and discussing “Home Zones – A Proposal to Calm Traffic in Northeast Greenwood”.

Members of the Greenwood-Phinney Greenways group will present ideas and answer your questions about the “home zone” concept and grants they’re submitting to implement a home zone in northeast Greenwood. You can learn more about their proposal by visiting their home zone website. Here’s a brief description of what they’ll cover at tomorrow’s meeting:

A group of neighbors in Greenwood has secured a Community Partnership Grant through the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to install barrel-planters along key streets with heavy traffic and at corners to make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and children.

What is a Homezone?

• No safe walkways in our neighborhood currently.
• Strategic interventions will re-route traffic to arterial streets.

A Home Zone is an area that is protected from lots of fast moving traffic so that streets are safe enough to walk on. Home Zones keep local access for residents, emergency access, and deliveries while discouraging cut-through traffic. Home Zones can use a variety of design improvements such as diverters, speed humps, and other elements, but focus on improvements that have the best “bang for our buck”, recognizing that Seattle’s pedestrian budget is stretched very thin. In essence, Home Zones direct thru-traffic to arterial streets that surround a neighborhood, while allowing local traffic within a neighborhood. Read more on the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways website.

Greenwood Community Council Virtual Meeting
Tuesday May 11, 7pm
To join, use this Zoom link

After canceling their beloved outdoor concert series due to the pandemic in 2020, the Woodland Park Zoo today announced that they are welcoming guests back to the meadow this summer for the 37th annual ZooTunes concert season.

They are partnering with legendary local radio station KEXP to create a “unique and extraordinary concert season, featuring only local musicians.” This year’s artist line-up, which is still evolving, will be curated by KEXP and will focus on these local artists and musicians that were hit hard during the pandemic. The Zoo along with KEXP wanted to find a way to support our community and bring people together in music.

ZooTunes is a key fundraising event for Woodland Park Zoo with proceeds going to support the zoo’s animal care, both local and global conservation programs and critically important education programs. Much like the local musicians they are partnering with and promoting, the Zoo was hit very hard in 2020, with revenue shortfalls in the hundreds of thousands due to not being able to welcome guests for much of the year.

So far the artist lineup for 2021 include The Posies (power pop from Bellingham since 1987), Naked Giants (a Seattle-based rock group) and Polyrythmics (Seattle based progressive funk, psychedelic rock and modern afro-beat). Tickets for these shows will go on sale Friday, May 21, with more acts to follow.

For safety, the Zoo will offer “pod seating” in 2, 4, 6, and 10-person units. Pods are safely spaced between each other with foot paths between pods to maintain social distancing.  

Mask up and come discover board games new–and old–created right here in Seattle! Meet the teams behind popular games such as Far Away (by Cherry Picked Games), JunKing (by Junk Spirit Games), Rainbow Rabbits (by Rainbow Rabbits Cards), and more! Plus, get a sneak peek at yet-to-be-released games that are coming soon to Kickstarter. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your next favorite game night game.

This event is sponsored by former Phinney Ridge (and now Ballard and Bellevue) business Mox Boarding House, which was Card Kingdom for many years in the space that now houses Ridge Pizza.

Are you a game creator and want to participate? Email becky@rainbowrabbits.com for more information

Saturday May 15th, 10am – 2pm in the Phinney Center lower parking lot

The Seattle Folklore Society is pleased to present a virtual concert tomorrow evening with traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’ Connor, accompanied by guitarist Richard Mandel.

Saturday May 8th, 7pm – 9pm. Buy Tickets here: https://knct.club/3ul8ZOV

Your ticket will allow viewing during the Saturday night stream, or anytime up until 7PM the following evening. (Tickets will be in sale until 5pm Sunday). SFS is committed to keeping prices accessible to audiences while providing pay to working artists. Tickets start at $10, $20 per household suggested.

Gerry O’Connor is from Dundalk, Co. Louth, where he grew up in a family of musicians, dancers and singers, all taught at home by his mother, Rose. His father Peter was himself a singer whose seven uncles all played music. Rose passed her skill on to hundreds of others over the next four decades, students traveling from Armagh and Dublin as well as counties Meath and Louth to learn from the doyenne of fiddle teachers.

Richard Mandel fell into the well of Irish music in the mid-1990s and was soon driving every session he could get into. As a first-call accompanist, Richard has performed with legendary Irish musicians including Paddy Keenan, Jimmy Keane, Gerry O’Connor, Mick Moloney, Paddy O’Brien, Tony DeMarco and many others. Richard plays in the trio Three Mile Stone with mandolinist Marla Fibish and fiddler Erin Shrader.

Mark your calendars and pack your bags, it’s time to take a (virtual) vacation on Saturday, May 8 from 6-7 pm via Zoom. The PNA’s annual neighborhood party will be a fun evening awaiting you with familiar faces, prizes, and a chance to see the PNA’s mission in action. May this be the last virtual fundraiser you ever attend! Attendees will also explore some of the gems hidden in our own backyard. It’s free to join the trip – you’ll have the opportunity to support the PNA along the way if you’re so inspired. You can reserve you ticket here.

It’s free to join the trip – you’ll have the opportunity to support the PNA along the way if you’re so inspired. Check out the itinerary. The PNA will be having weekly drawings for gift card packages up to the big night and at the event. So the earlier you RSVP, the better your chance of winning cards to our awesome local businesses like 74th St. Alehouse, Coyle’s Bakeshop, The Yard, Phinney Books, Thaiku, El Chupacabra, Champion Wines, Ken’s, Nutty Squirrel, Celine, and more Big thanks to the PNA Board of Directors for supporting our local businesses and this event by purchasing the gift cards.

It wouldn’t be a PNA party without a theme and costumes, so set your Zoom background to a place you’ve been longing to travel and dress up for your adventure. (Wondering how to change your Zoom background? Check out this article or video.)

Alice Ball Park opened in June 2019, miraculously replacing a small convenience store, teriyaki/burger business and the former Bleacher’s Pub. Located just north of the Greenwood Library, the park is a much-needed addition of green space along Greenwood Avenue.

It was recently announced that the park’s designers and landscape architects, Osborn Consulting Inc. (formerly Cascade Design Collaborative), received a Washington Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA) Merit Award for Public Design.

“Much loved. Well used. Community driven” are the words used to describe the park. Born through the vision and hard work of Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Libraries, a creative design team, and, most importantly, engaged and active neighbors, Alice Ball Park reflects what is possible when the public design process goes right. It is a multi-use space for visiting, playing, reading, and attending community events. The park features an eight-foot-wide loop walking path around a large central lawn, plaza/gathering space with seating, reading nook area, digging discovery place for kids, nature discovery trail, and planted areas. The project also includes low-impact design strategies featuring amended soils, porous concrete, and increased infiltration created by the new open space.

Seattle Parks and Recreation put out a call to the community for ideas to name the park. The name selected was Alice Ball Park, after Seattle chemist Alice Ball. Jesse Ballnik, PNA Member and then a third-grader at Daniel Bagley Elementary, spearheaded the campaign for the name. She created a video about Ball and postcards for neighbors to send the City, plus garnered letters of support from local businesses and scientists.

Alice Ball was African American chemist who developed an injectable oil extract that was the most effective treatment for leprosy in the early 1900s. Born in Seattle in 1892, Ball graduated from the University of Washington in 1915 and became the first woman, and African American, to graduate with a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii.