Kimberly, Author at Wallyhood

Current and Future SPS Parents, It’s Time to Get Noisy

Kimberly October 6, 2013 51 Comments

This fall, my daughter started school at B.F. Day. Monday through Friday, we wait on the corner for the school bus to pick her up. Across the street, a couple of children wait for the bus to McDonald Elementary. Other families walk past us on their way to John Stanford. On my block, the second grader goes to John Stanford, the first grader to McDonald and my daughter to BF Day. And next year’s kindergarteners are currently slotted to go to Green Lake Elementary.

It’s pure craziness. It makes having any sense of neighborhood school impossible. It costs a lot …

Grand Unveiling of Community Orchard Designs

Kimberly September 27, 2013 Comments are off

Last month, the Freeway Estates Community Orchard solicited input from the neighborhood to help shape the design process for this new community space. While, sadly, zeppelin dock did not make the final cut, plenty of other great ideas did including: food, flowers, classes, butterfly garden, flea market, exercise/play station, P-Patch, solar panels, sound wall movie nights, berries, herbs, HDA walkways, goats, bees, food exchange, tool sharpening and meeting area.

Orchard mistress Ruth wrote to invite the neighborhood to convene again for the grand unveiling of the landscape architecture plans. The meeting will happen rain or shine, as they have cleverly …

Green Your School

Kimberly September 18, 2013 2 Comments

Four years ago, my introduction into the world of public-school parenting was eased by finding my niche in the school early on. A personable woman – who turned out to be Wallywriter and waste-reducer extraordinaire, Barb – invited me to volunteer in the school lunchroom where I helped the student Green Team manage the sorting of compost, recycling and trash.

The following year, my son changed schools to one that didn’t have a lunchroom recycling and composting program. I called on Barb, who helped me figure out how to start a Green Team at our new school. I discovered that …

Sharing (and Mapping) Fruit

Kimberly September 15, 2013 4 Comments

Editor’s Note: The following post originally ran last year, but Wallyhood reader, Luna, recently asked us to remind our neighbors about the various ways we can share our ripened surplus fruit. Luna also adds, “If nothing else, suggesting people who won’t eat their crops put a sign in their yards that say something like “help yourself – and leave some for the next person!”

Last month’s post about the orchard pruning class resulted in lots of inquiries about what to do with a bumper crop of fruit. We are lucky that local options exist: City Fruit and Solid Ground’s Community …

Commute-Free School Year Activities

Kimberly September 4, 2013 Comments are off

This morning, children throughout the neighborhood will shoulder their backpacks to begin the new school year. But what will they do during those hours between when school gets out and bedtime? Or on the weekend?

If you are looking for back-to-school activities for your students, and if you want to avoid the nasty rush hour commute that often accompanies those activities, check out what’s available in the neighborhood. Think of it – supporting local businesses, saving gas, and wearing your kids out all at once!

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Firefly

Firefly Tutoring offers after-school homework help, 1to1 tutoring, and small math classes …

Is It Me You’re Looking For?

Kimberly September 1, 2013 3 Comments

Couldn’t resist a little bit of humor from the corner of 45th and Bagley! …

Bag That Wine

Kimberly August 16, 2013 Comments are off

If your favorite vintage is full-bodied and earthy with undercurrents of suspense, then you should make your way to Wine World tonight or tomorrow for their annual brown bag wine tasting.

Its real purpose is to get you tasting wines that you would never pick up off the shelf because their labels are too ugly. Those ugly labels will be disguised under the cover of a brown bag. No peeking is allowed.

Wine World’s brown bag tasting will be held tonight (Friday) from 6-8 pm and tomorrow from 2-6 pm. To further take the sting off the ugly label, they …

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