Columbia Citizens

Live locally.

Consult your community calendar.

• farmers market (Wed),
• Southeast District Council (Wed),
• Columbia City DINKs & SINKs (Thu),
• Seward Park Play area fundraiser (Thu),
• a book club discussion (Fri),
• Landmark District review committee (Fri),
• a running group (Sat),
• a workparty on Juneau (Sat),
• bicycle Sunday,
• a neighborhood planning open house (Sun, Wed),
• Arts Gumbo — Louisiana Creole (Sun),
• coffee with the Schools Superintendent (Tue),
• a canning class (Tue),
• and Citizens post more events all the time!

In the calendar, you can click through to each event's online information. If a local event is missing, please send a Citizen's alert.

We've still got Julie & Julia, The Informant, 500 Days of Summer, and starting Friday, we're adding Taking Woodstock.

On Facebook? Join the Columbia City Cinema group. Just another great way to stay on top of all that’s happening at Seattle’s Coolest Neighborhood Cinema.

See you at the movies.

This week, you can also enjoy music from Jazz Night School (4-6p). See you at the Market!

Homework Help Volunteers will assist students with homework on a drop in basis on Mondays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 7pm.

Library programs are free and open to the public. Everyone is invited to attend.

Juneau Street Park workparty

10am-2pm, Sat. 9/26, 46th & Juneau. Come create a green space together!

A group of neighbors in Hillman City is working together to improve upon a vacant lot at 46th and Juneau, 2 blocks south of Orcas. Bring your brawn, tools if you've got 'em, and join your neighbors in improving our community! For more info, go to juneaustreetcommunity.net.

Louisiana Creole Celebration

Sunday, September 27, 5 - 10pm
Presented by NW Zydeco Music and Dance Association

• 5pm — Bayou Blast playing French Creole and Zydeco tunes from the Bayou with Emcees Georgia McDade and Mary Lee Lykes, from LYKES to Dance
• 6pm — Mardi Gras line/parade with beads music and more
• 6:30pm — Free samples of outrageous gumbo from the King Creole Restaurant and gumbo-making demonstration
• 7:30pm — Sample Louisiana culture through face painting, Rub board playing, All about Accordions workshop, and Zydeco dancing downstairs

Location: Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 S Alaska St)
Tickets: $10 for general, $7 for students and seniors, $5 for children ages 8-18 (7 and under are free), $25 for families of up to 4 people
Tickets available online or at the door

See upcoming Arts Gumbo events...

Look, Listen & Learn hosts the Kids' Tent

Join Look, Listen and Learn as they host the Kids' Tent at the Columbia City Farmers Market Wednesday, September 23rd from 3pm to 6pm. There will be face painting, puppet making and activities for children of all ages to enjoy!

Learn all about the mission of Look, Listen and Learn to promote early learning and school preparedness for our children in King County who are at the greatest risk of not succeeding in school. Accessible to all families via local commercial-free TV stations, the show utilizes the latest brain development research in connecting children and families with early learning resources, programs and venues in and around King County.

read more...

We look forward to meeting you!

Facepainter Needed

Need facepainter for Sunday, Sept 27 Arts Gumbo event at Rainier Valley Cultural Center from 7:30 – 8:30pm. Focus of event will be Louisiana culture, so would like a focus on Mardi Gras masks and fleur de lis patterns (can provide). Can pay $50 stipend — Contact gro.elttaesdees|egdirmulpj#gro.elttaesdees|egdirmulpj or 760-4286.

Come to a free Musikgarten class!

Musikgarten classes are starting next week! Visit www.annsmusikgarten.com for a full listing. Classes available are for babies, age birth to 18 months, toddlers, ages 18 months to 3 years, and the Cycle of Seasons class is for preschoolers, ages 3 to 5.

Musikgarten is a wonderful curriculum, with singing, movement, simple instruments, stories, and focused listening. Come to your first class free and register after the class.

Contact Ann for more info, ten.tsacmoc|omisja#ten.tsacmoc|omisja.

the neighborhood brunch crunch

For years, neighbors have gotten together each month to share news and some laughs over a good meal. It's a fun neighborhood tradition, and a relaxed way to connect and get to know each other better.

Our brunch-o-meter is now near empty! We need gracious hosts. November and beyond are available for you to share this longstanding neighborhood tradition. If you're interested or would like to know more, please contact me (email, or 329-5912) — or go ahead and sign yourself up on the brunch page. Thanks.

read more...

Lakewood/Seward Park Septemberfest

The Lakewood/Seward Park Neighborhood Association presents… Septemberfest 2009!

Sat, Sept 26th, 6 - 9pm
4916 S Angeline at 50th Street
Join us for beer, brats, and fun!
No admission fee

Please see attached poster.

Arts Gumbo Book Discussion Group

Join us this Thursday, Sept 24 at 6:30pm to discuss Jolie Blon's Bounce by James Lee Burke. Book group meets at Columbia Branch Library (4721 Rainier Ave S); discussion lead by Georgia McDade. Books available at no charge at Bookworm Exchange (4860 Rainier Ave S).

Southeast District Council

A forum for all neighborhood associations, business associations, and other organizations active in the valley.

Wed, Sept 23, 2009 6:30 - 8:30pm
Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave S

Women's Retreat: Relaxation, Renewal, and Empowerment

Saturday October 3, 2009. From 9:30am to 4pm

Celebrate and savor our journey through life in a joyful day of renewing and deepening our sense of self and connecting with other women. Relaxing and empowering processes will awaken our senses, create energy and balance, and inspire creativity. Our day will include: Mindfulness Meditation and Movement, Relaxation and Guided Imagery, Art, Music and Writing. Our time together will be enhanced by the surrounding beauty and sacredness of the old growth forest and lake of Seward Park. We will leave for our own journeys feeling deeply nurtured with a sense of well being, calm and inner resourcefulness.

Location: Audubon Center - Seward Park
5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S. Seattle, WA 98118
Fee: $60

read more...

Food Drive Volunteers Needed Oct 4th

Where: QFC, 2707 Rainier Ave S
When: Sunday, October 4th 10 am – 4 pm

What volunteering looks like: Volunteer shifts are two hours long. During this time, you pass out a grocery list to people entering the store. Some people purchase items inside the store and drop them off with you. You give them a warm thank you and a smile and pack the groceries into the containers provided by Rainier Valley Food Bank.

read more...

A Chinook Book, direct to your door

This is a win-win-win for you, for sustainable local living, and for Graham Hill Elementary.

Chinook Book is a coupon book that supports local businesses and gives straightforward and simple ideas about improving health and reducing impacts on the environment. Coupons are easy to use: for food, services, and fun family activities.

A couple trips to the grocery store pay for the book — the rest is gravy (local, organic, cage-free gravy).

Please take a look at the Chinook Book website for a listing of all coupons. Each book sells for $20, and the school receives $10 of that.

Cash is fine, or checks made out to Graham Hill PTA. Just email me: moc.liamtoh|nalpttocs#moc.liamtoh|nalpttocs I'll bring it to you. Thanks.

Columbia City in the news

• In the Times: BookFest's coming.
• The Weekly posted about Mike McGinn's Town Hall meeting.
• The P-I attends McGinn's press conference.
• Columbia Citizen Allison Austin Scheff covers the local street food scene — last month she wrote about imminent sushi restaurant in Seattle Mag.
• The South Seattle Beacon reports that the Rainier Valley Historical Society has updated their website, and thumbnails a vintage neighborhood photo.

Hillman City Posts

• Welcome cody bay.

• Site members can update their own posted comments, send private messages, upload small files, and have broader write-access across the wiki. It's easy to join.

• KateK updated the Sustainable South Seattle blog.