Earlier this week, a cacophony of crowing brought my entire family rushing to the front window, wondering which predator was attacking the crows nesting in the tree outside our home. Turns out, there wasn’t a predator. However, a very young crow sat bemusedly on the ground beneath the tree looking like it hadn’t the faintest clue about how to return to the nest. The agitated parent crows continued their belligerent cries until said youngling managed to get itself back to safety. The next morning, the crows dive-bombed me repeatedly as I tried to walk my daughter to the bus stop. …
Help Stop the Summer Slump!
While it’s true that many of us fondly remember carefree childhood summers of building forts and weaving dandelion crowns, an entire learning-free summer (while good for the soul) can come at a huge educational cost. To help kids stay engaged and prepared for next school year, FamilyWorks is teaming up with the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club to provide tutoring for school-ages children this summer. If you love to read (and like children), they could use your help!
FamilyWorks’ Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth writes:
We are currently seeking volunteer tutors for our summer Reading Buddies program in collaboration with the Wallingford …
Thank a Bus Driver!
Today is bus driver appreciation day – your chance to let your bus driver know if s/he’s been doing a good job of fighting traffic so that you don’t have to! Given that a Metro driver was shot at this past year, it seems like some gratitude might be overdue! The Bus Driver Appreciation Day website even has some fun thank you cards you can download and sign for your driver.
Here’s the official word from Metro:
For hours on end, bus drivers manage to keep a schedule, check fares, give directions, remember stop requests and more, all while safely …
Parenting Support? Yes Please!
Nearly every parent I know has lamented at some point during their parenting career that children don’t come with instruction manuals. I hear that some parents exist who possess an inner knack for parenting that transforms them into “baby whisperers” once they become mothers or fathers. Luckily, there are parenting coaches [and myriad other support people] to help the knack-less rest of us.
In this quest for knowledge and guidance, platforms like alldayparenting play a pivotal role. Here, parents can find a wealth of resources, from articles on child development to practical tips on handling parenting dilemmas. The community and …
Give (Anything) to Your Neighbors
What do you do with your extra stuff? Take it to Goodwill? Save it for a charity garage sale? Give it to strangers via Freecycle or Craigslist? Toss it in the landfill (just kidding, Barb!)?
If you’ve ever thought that you might like to give away your surplus items to people right in your own neighborhood, and that joining a “giving economy” might be a great way to get to know your neighbors and build a sense of hyper-local community, check out this new Facebook group, powered by the Buy Nothing Project.
The Buy Nothing Project began last summer on …
Pedestrian Safety On Stone Way
Desiree, the mother of a Hamilton student who was severely injured in 2005 while crossing Stone Way in a marked crosswalk, wrote to invite the neighborhood to participate in a community meeting about the crosswalk:
The crosswalk at Stoneway and 41st is on the agenda at the next Fremont Neighborhood Council meeting this coming Monday (tomorrow). Because it is on the pedestrian bridge route that connects our two neighborhoods, it affects both neighborhoods.
Fremont Neighborhood Council Meeting
Monday, February 24, 2014, 7 – 8:30pm
Doric Temple, 619 N. 36th St.
7:25 Stone Way and N. 41st Crossing Update Mike Morris-Lent, …
Treehuggers, Level Up!
One of the great things about living in Seattle is that people here dig trees. There are door-to-door tree volunteers who do things like inventory street trees. Old trees can be designated and protected as heritage trees. The “Lovely Ladies with Loppers” tend unloved fruit trees and restore them to productiveness.
The City of Seattle even has an official “ReLeaf” program, established to protect and expand our urban forest. Its admirable goal is to reach 30% tree cover by 2037. There is a lovely (truly – filled with gorgeous tree photos) report published last year outlining the city’s Urban Forest …