Airplane noise has been a big issue recently and we wanted to let you know that Magnolia resident Robert Bismuth has been appointed to the roundtable committee for King county International Airport (KCIA) representing our area.  The roundtable is a stakeholders board that meets monthly to discuss issues concerning the operation of KCIA and impact of SeaTac operations. Noise and other environmental impacts are a prime concern of the roundtable.

Robert is also a trustee of the Magnolia Community Club (MCC) and sits on its board. This is the first time there has been a close a connection between the roundtable and the MCC.  Here is what Robert says:

What I’d like to do is make sure I represent what the views are in Magnolia and North Seattle and also convey to folks what is going on, how it is happening, what to expect, what to watch for, and a host of even simpler matters  such as how to tell traffic headed into Boeing Field from traffic headed for SeaTac, the different types of aircraft and their noise profiles/footprints, etc.

Robert also wanted to share this information from the recent round table meeting:
 UPS is about to start testing a continuous descent approach that can be used for the early morning flights. This approach has been designed by the FAA.  It effectively allows a UPS cargo aircraft to descend into Boeing Field with engines idling until somewhere over Elliot Bay when they’d bring the power back up in case they need to abort the landing. The tests will take two to four months and if successful this approach could go into immediate service thereby providing early morning noise abatement for all the affected communities.

Robert wants to hear from you regarding any concerns you have about airplane noise.  Leave your comments here or email him at airportnorth@gmail.com. 

It was a picture perfect late February weekend in Magnolia. Your neighbors hit Discovery Park by the droves, here are a few sunny shots from the weekend.

Magnolia Voice reader Justin also took some great photos this weekend:

Thanks for the great pics Justin!

Even your own Gladys and Abner went for a stroll!

The new name was officially unveiled at a community open house celebration this weekend.   The name better reflects the play-based fitness offerings.

Owners Steven and Monica Stanfield offered up lots of food and the chance to try out their classes at the open house.  You can check out their class schedule here.  They offer $15 drop in classes too.

plabase is located at 36th and Government Way.

Our featured pet of the week from the Seattle Animal Shelter is Goldie.

Goldie is currently staying in one of the shelter’s temporary foster homes.  She is described as one of the sweetest kitties on the planet by her foster mom, and she is also a good lap warmer. You can see that Goldie is is very cute with her round face, golden eyes and mixed tabby and tortoiseshell coat. 

Goldie is a stately senior at 14 years of age. Like many of us who reach our golden years, she has a medical condition that requires daily medication.  She is a trooper however and does not make a fuss when taking her meds.   Goldie still has lots of love to give and she is looking for a quiet home, hoping that some kind soul can look beyond her age and recognize her as a wonderful companion.  Please call the shelter’s foster care hotline at 206-684-0685 to learn more about Goldie.

Those of us who live here may disagree but Magnolia scores just 61 out of 100 points in a ranking by a new website that determines the ‘walkability’ of a neighborhood.    Walk Score has a patented algorithm that ranks neighborhoods by how hard it is to walk to nearby amenities.  The top neighborhoods are places “where “most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.”

Based on theses criteria, its no surprise that Pioneer Square and Downtown rank highest.  The Roosevelt neighborhood ranks high as do lower Queen Anne, Ballard, Fremont, Phinney Ridge and Greenwood.   Magnolia is considered only  “somewhat walkable.”

The most interesting thing on the website is the option that allows you to put in your home address and get a walk score for your location. 

Overall Seattle ranked high when compared to other cities in the country.

With this beautiful spring like weather, its time to start thinking about gardening.  The Magnolia Garden Center is offering rose care classes tomorrow (2/20) and next Saturday (2/27) starting at 10a.m.

You will learn how to have beautiful roses with healthy green leaves and tons of flowers.  The classes will include all you need to know to select, prune, care for and enjoy the bounty that roses provide in the , summer garden.  Best of all, the classes are free.

Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher today decided to relax the rule that would have banned smoking in parks effective April 1, 2010, and to approve the recommendation of the Board of Park Commissioners.

The Board recommended this language in the Code of Conduct: “Smoking, chewing, or other tobacco use is banned within 25 feet of other park patrons and in play areas, beaches, or playgrounds.”

“Based on the input from the public that followed my initial decision,” Gallagher said, I have decided that a gradual approach to a smoking ban is reasonable.”

This comes after the rule banning firearms in Seattle parks was tossed out last week by King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer, who said the city cannot pre-empt state law.  Our news partners at the Seattle Times report that a woman who liked to walk in Discovery Park and other Seattle area parks challenged the law that prohibited firearms in city parks.

This means that the city will now remove the metal signs in Discovery park and other city parks that show a handgun inside a red circle, with a red line crossing out the gun. In all-capital letters there is the warning: "FIREARMS PROHIBITED."

Mayor Mike McGinn issued a statement expressing disappointment in the ruling. “Cities should have the right to restrict guns in playground, pools and community centers where children are present … It’s time for the state Legislature to change that law."

It may not come as much of a surprise that the Seattle Police Department’s year-end crime stats, released this week, show a slight rise in crime in 2009 when compared to 2008; back in December the FBI released national crime stats that uncovered the same upswing trend here in Seattle.

Based on SPD data, violent crimes went up 12 percent in 2009 from 2008, while property crimes rose 7 percent. Although this may seem like a significant increase, the FBI report comparing violent crimes in the first halves of both 2008 and 2009 in Seattle, indicated a much larger increase of 22 percent.

We recently reported that Seattle Police say that burglaries were up 31% in Magnolia, mostly attributed to a string of break ins during December.

Click to read the rest of the story…

Here is a topic that should be of interest to Magnolia residents.  The Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center is presenting a session on the behavior, biology and habitat of coyotes.

After our recent encounters with coyotes, the session on                          Thursday, March 4 at 7 pm is particularly timely.  Nature correspondent Denny Ryan, who writes the blog Knowing Nature with Denny, will explain why coyotes have been able to adapt to urban life unlike many other predators and what you need to know to avoid conflicts with coyotes and keep your pet safe.

The Learning Center is in Discovery Park at 3801 West. Government Way.  A $5 per person donation is requested at the door. 

Studio 122 is celebrating five years in Magnolia with an Open House on Saturday (2/20) from 11:00 am to 2:00 p.m.  They have also renamed the health and fitness center but won’t give up the new name until Saturday.

Author Frank Forencich will be a special guest at the Open House.  He wrote the books Play As If Your Life Depends On It and Exuberant Animal and will lead a movement session from 11:30a.m.-12p.m. A healthy brunch prepared by Chef Robin Carlson will be served at 12;30p.m. and there will be a food preparation demonstration at 1:00p.m.  There will also be prize packages, free classes and monthly memberships raffled off through the day.

Co-founders, Steven and Monica Stanfield will be on hand to give tours and answer questions about the services they offer. "The Open House is our way of saying thank you to the community that has been so supportive over the years and to share with visitors in a fun and relaxed atmosphere," says Steven Stanfield.  If you want more information you can call 206-624-6693 or email at  steven@studio122seattle.com

Studio 122 is located at 36th and Government Way.

UPDATE:  We just got these pictures of the boat fire from Magnolia Voice reader Steven.  It appears that the boat at a dock belonging to a home on Commodore Way was fully engulfed in flames  when firefighters arrived.  There was lots of black smoke billowing in the air.  The fire was put out quickly but looks like the boat is a total loss.

Thanks for the pics Steven!

If you were wondering about all the sirens this morning, Seattle Fire tells us that they were responding to a fire on a boat that was docked in front of a home on Commodore Way.  The fire was put out quickly and there were no injuries. 

Although graffiti may not be as prevalent in Magnolia as it is in other neighborhoods,you don’t have to look too far to see signs of it in our area.

We have started working on a collaborative project with the Seattle Times and its news partners, on how graffiti has impacted different neighborhoods around the city. Although we’re not yet sure what shape this project will take, we thought we’d start by posing some questions to the neighborhood: What are your thoughts on graffiti in Magnolia? Have you noticed any particular areas where vandalism is often targeted? Have you noticed if incidences of graffiti have increased or decreased in the area? Do you see graffiti as a growing concern? What do you think can or should be done to stop taggers? Post your thoughts in the comments below or email us at tips@magnoliavoice.com.

The Discovery Park Learning Center is offering a family oriented presentation on bears on Thursday (2/18) at 7 pm.  Dennis Ryan of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project will share information about the bears that live in the North Cascade Ecosystem.

Ryan will discuss the history, biology, behavior and issues of black bears and the small population of grizzly bears that live in Washington State. He will also discuss the status of bears around the world and issues such as the impact of global climate change on the polar bear population. You can learn more about bears here and here.

You may recall that a black bear that was nicknamed Urban Phantom was seen roaming in Discovery Park last May before heading north and being captured in Everett.

A five dollar donation is requested for the program.  They money will be used to fund environmental education programs at Discovery Park. If you need more information call the environmental learning center at 206.386.4236. The Learning Center is located at 3801 West Government Way in Discovery Park. 

Blaine School in Magnolia is looking for a coach for the middle school girls volleyball team.  This is a paid position and they are looking for someone 21 years or older who knows the sport and has a valid CPR and First Aid card.  If you are interested or know someone who might be right for the job, please contact John Miller for more information at (206) 252-1935 or jrmiller@seattleschools.org.