Author Archives: sheila harvey

Lakewood Seward Park Neighborhood Association is the home of our area’s Emergency Communications Hub. We are currently seeking volunteers of all ages and abilities! (No specialized skills required and you don’t need to be a member of LSPNA to volunteer.) This is a rare opportunity to get volunteer training online. Please join us!

WHAT: Hub 101 virtual training 

WHEN: Thursday, March 17, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

WHERE: On Zoom. Advanced signup required: https://signup.com/go/QqKLiEn

LED BY: Seattle Emergency Hubs founder Cindi Barker and Ann Forrest, well-known emergency preparedness educator

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

• New volunteers who want to learn about volunteer roles
• Volunteers who haven’t actively practiced with a Hub since the pandemic started
• Supporters who want to know more about how a Hub works

AGENDA: (1) Hub overview, (2) Parts of a Hub, volunteer roles, (3) How to set up a Hub—40 minutes

Then the group will divide into small groups to practice some simple scenarios—40 minutes

For more information about our Lakewood Seward Park Hub and other Seattle Hubs: https://www.lspcc.org/emergency-hub

Designing the perfect child’s bedroom takes some work; many kids have their own ideas about decor, even when they’re very young. When your child is on the autism spectrum, however, it’s especially important to make sure you get their room just right. Many kids on the spectrum have sensitivities to light and color, or they might have sensory processing issues that make the feel of certain fabrics irritating. To ensure your child’s comfort, make sure you get everything they need.

The key is to think about your child’s specific needs, both to stay healthy and happy. Talk to your pediatrician about how to get started, especially if your child tends to wander or doesn’t understand the consequences. One of the biggest safety issues that children on the spectrum face is injury stemming from the fact that they don’t realize certain actions can hurt them.

Keep reading for some great tips on how to create the best bedroom for your child’s needs.

Help Her Sleep Easy

The best way to help your child get better sleep is to take a look at her mattress. If it’s more than five years old, or if she’s a hot sleeper, look for one that has breathable layers to keep her cool at night. Comfort is key for kids on the spectrum, as it helps them relax. Also, considering finding good kids bedding and ensure that it’s soft and tag-free.

Keep the Colors Neutral

The colors in your child’s room are important to her ability to focus and relax. Bright colors are often discouraged for children on the spectrum, as they can create energy when she should be winding down. Calming or neutral colors are usually best; keep the decor to a minimum, as well, especially if she has sensory overload issues.

Create Areas

Creating areas for your child to play and learn will help her stay organized, which is great for her mental health and ability to focus. Use storage solutions to give her a place to keep puzzles, games, and books, and consider using bins and plastic containers to keep them out of sight.

Making sure your child is safe and comfortable is often a daily struggle, but with a well-planned-out room, you can rest easy and have peace of mind when she’s home while ensuring that she can play and learn in her own way. Talk to your child’s doctor for more information on how to choose the best furniture and decor for her needs.

Jenny Wise
jenny@specialhomeeducator.com

May is Bike Month, and we’re celebrating by kicking off the 50th anniversary series of Bicycle Sundays on May 3.

During Bicycle Sundays, a portion of Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motorized vehicles from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Seattle Parks and Recreation invites everyone in the community to bike, jog or stroll along the boulevard between the Seward Park entrance and Mount Baker Park’s beach during these times.

The 2015 event dates are: May 3, 17, 31; June 21, 28; July 5, 12; Aug. 9, 16, 30; Sept. 13, 20.

The Cascade Bicycle Club will sell helmets in Seward Park for $15 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and offer professional helmet fittings on June 21 and 28, July 5, Aug. 9, 16 and 30. King County law requires all cyclists to wear helmets. Wearing a properly fitted helmet reduces the risk of severe head injury by 85 percent.

Bicycle Sundays are sponsored by Seattle Parks and Recreation, Cascade Bicycle Club and Seattle Department of Transportation with the support of the Seattle Police Department.

For more information, including bicycle trail etiquette and traffic codes, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/bicyclesunday/. Mt. Baker Beach, Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center and Seward Park remain open to all users.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is coming up on Saturday, June 13

The marathon and 1/2 marathon race courses have not changed since last year. New to the race this year in an 8K that will take place inside of the existing marathon course.  All races will still start and finish at the Seattle Center, the exact start location will shift slightly from last year.  This year the start will be at 4th Avenue & Denny Way and the finish at Mercer Street and 3rd Ave.

Runners will enjoy a scenic start as they head south through downtown and east to Lake Washington.  Participants will take in iconic views of Seattle from Lake Washington Blvd. and Seward Park before heading back to downtown in the I-90 Express Lanes,, and returning to Seattle Center on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

The attached course map and road closure/reopening times should help you plan your day.

SEA_14_CourseMap

SEA-Road-Closure-Grid-20142

Rumors were confirmed last night at LSPCC’s annual meeting:  Third Place Books is opening a third location in Seward Park!  PCC’s Acting CEO Randy Lee is hopeful that the Columbia City PCC will be open for business in mid-June or July, and that they can close down Seward Park one night and open up Columbia City the next day for a seamless transition.  Third Place Books will be ready to go with renovations upon PCC’s move, and could be open as early as next December.  Plans include a full service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, a café, a beer and wine bar in the basement, all housed in a book store with gathering places for community and non-profit groups, neighbors and friends. 

 We are concerned of course about competition for Caffe Vita and Bookworm Exchange, but we hope that an additional offering in our business district brings more business to the community overall.  We will mourn the loss of our neighborhood grocer for sure.  How great is it that there will be minimal down time in the space?  We are so thankful to PCC for recruiting Third Place Books and paving the way for what we believe will be a good investment in our neighborhood.    

In other news, Flying Squirrel is expanding west into Sharhon’s Too beauty salon space, and Sharhon’s is moving next door to Noah’s.  The Combined Sewer Overflow tanks on LWB @ 49th and 53rd are going through final testing, and construction should be complete near the end of January.  Construction of the North Henderson large CSO tank in the tennis courts location of Seward Park is to begin mid-January. 

Elizabeth Rogers donates a portion of profits to one charitable cause every quarter and LSPCC is pleased to be the recipient of her generosity this quarter.  You can read more about Elizabeth’s local business here

Saturday, August 16, is a picnic in the street along Rainier Avenue in Columbia City.

This free event opens the city’s largest public space—its streets—so people can walk, bike, roll, run, skip, and shop, without having to watch out for cars.

The Lakewood Seward Park Community Club with the Rainier Valley Historical Society will be sponsoring a pie eating contest, like the Pow-Wow days of summers past, at 1:00.

$100 prize will be awarded!

Come join in or just watch the fun!

Tuesday August 5^th, the City of Seattle will be celebrating the 30th Annual Night Out Against Crime.   Our registration link for Night Out 2014 is now active.  Please go to:  http://www.seattle.gov/police/nightout/default.htm

Night Out is a national crime prevention event designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite our communities. 

Neighbor participation in Night Out continues to grow every year.  In 2013, over 1,400 Night Out events were registered city-wide.  It’s fun, it’s free and it’s a great chance to reconnect with neighbors and share information with each other while learning more about crime prevention. 

Getting together with your neighbors, recommitting to watch out for each other, and reaffirming you will report suspicious activity to police are ways to show you care about your community.  You do not need to be in an active Block Watch to hold a Night Out event.  However, if you would like to form a block watch, please indicate that on your registration (we have a check box for that). 

If your neighborhood plans to participate in the 30^th Annual Night Out on August 5, check out the Small Sparks Fund from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods has a fund to support your event and activities.  Community groups can request up to $1000 to help fund Night Out planning efforts and activities such as outreach efforts, educational fairs, block bbqs, bike parades, and neighborhood cleanups, to name a few. The deadline for applications is Monday, Jun e 23 at 5:00 p.m. (but you need to register on our web-based application system before June 20 to apply).

For information on the application process, visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/smallsparks.htm or call 206-733-9916. The Small Sparks Fund is open to applications year-round.

Night Out is a national Crime Prevention event designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite communities. To learn more about Night Out, visit www.seattle.gov/police/Nightout/.