Things have become much quieter over at Hamilton–signaling that, with exception of a few finishing touches, the school is ready for the big move. According to a letter they delivered to homes in the immediate area, we’ll be seeing moving trucks shuttle furniture, equipment and books between Lincoln and the 41st and Densmore side of Hamilton this month and next, as crews prepare for the first day of school on Wednesday, September 8.
The letter also announces two public events to mark the grand opening of the school:
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Thursday, September 2, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
On Thursday, September 2, 2010, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at Hamilton International Middle School. The celebration will start at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 10:00 a.m. If you are planning on attending this event, please R.S.V.P. to Dick Lee at (206) 252-0476 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Please assemble at the main Hamilton entrance on N. 41st St. at 8:45 a.m.
All Community Celebration, Saturday, October 2, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
On Saturday, October 2, 2010, an all community celebration will be held at Hamilton. This will be an opportunity for the community to come tour the renovated historical school building as well as the new gym, which adds 8,334 sq. ft. of indoor community recreation space, and the new Wallingford Park interface, with new school/community amphitheater. Refreshments will be served.
Speaking of the new Wallingford Park interface, I noticed that the gravel path on the playfield has been re-connected. Anyone go out there yet and measure the length? If not, I’ll break out my trusty Garmin and report back!
Here’s a photo album of the new school’s exterior and surrounds, created by 8 year-old budding photographer, LittleWallyDude.
LittleWallyDude is talented!
It is great to see this project nearing completion. Thank you for the coverage and the great shots, Margaret and LittleWallyDude.
Speaking as a yay-sayer, I want to chime in to remind folks that like in a Woody Guthrie song, this park is your park: the new amphitheater is part of our partially renovated public park, not School District or Hamilton “furniture.” Were part of the park to be swapped with the School District so that the latter could build on it, it would have taken Seattle City Council approval. The deal reached to have the gymnasium be a School District/DPR cooperative venture is entirely separate. (Please follow through with the status of both the cylinder lights and the need for black-out curtains on the east wall of the gym so Densmore there returns to a non-lit-up community street.)
All those years of meetings made things like this perfectly clear. I personally hope the redesigned community garden at the south end of the park called Wallingford Playfield (official name) fosters all kinds of community activities and that people and groups will take turns like they have in the past, signing in with DPR if the nature of the use/event requires: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/soccer.asp
Nancy Merrill
SDOT Volunteer Tree Steward
Friend of Wallingford Playfield
Thank you for your insight, Nancy, and for your continued stewardship in making Wallingford a lovely, leafy green!