Seattle Parks and Recreation is taking another furlough day this Friday to help fill the budget gap. That means all community centers, swimming pools, and environmental learning centers will be closed. (Child care and late-night programs will still operate at the community centers.)

On Monday, March 15, Park Department administrative offices (communications, correspondence, Park Board support, web management, public outreach, human resources, finance and administration) will be closed.

Golf courses will operate as usual, as will the Seattle Aquarium.

Several years ago, Sandel Park held a summer evening concert series, every Sunday in August. Musicians were paid mainly by passing the hat through the audience. It was a lovely way to gather with neighbors, bring a picnic, and enjoy local musical groups.

But the shoe-string budget led to the concerts’ hiatus after four years, says Julie Howe Gwinn, one of the organizers.

The main reason we stopped holding the concerts is that our “sound guys”/owners/operators of all the sound equipment , my neighbors Tim and Phil Hanseroth, signed a record deal along with their lead singer Brandi Carlile, and took off to tour the world….and they are still going strong! (Their third album came out in October if you havent heard it yet.)

So we were left without the free use of equipment and expertise that enabled us to put on the concerts inexpensively and simply. So I thought I would throw this out into the world… Is anyone interested in helping get the concerts rolling again? We need someone with sound equipment and the committment to run it at each concert at no cost.

If you are interested or you know someone who has equipment and may be interested, shoot me an email cjgwinn@msn.com.

Discovery Park in Magnolia is looking for people who want to be park docents. The docent coordinator tells us that many of the current docents come from our neighborhood.

Docents lead many of the programs here at Discovery Park, including teaching school groups, tots, families, seniors, and more! We provide our docents with extensive training in Northwest natural history and interpretation techniques so they can feel comfortable venturing into the world of education at a park. Docents are the reason that Discovery Park is able to provide so many educational programs to the public. They are able to help children touch their first sea star or hear a red-winged blackbird by the ponds. They teach the importance of our natural world through games, sensory activities, and FUN!

Training for the Docent Class of 2010 begins Feb. 24, and applications are being accepted through the end of January. You can contact the docent coordinator at 206-386-4237 for more information, or download an application.

The Seattle City Council is seeking a new member for the Board of Park Commissioners, a seven-member volunteer advisory board. Candidates should have the following qualifications:

• Experience with community engagement;
• History of working collaboratively with a broad range of people and interests;
• Experience with parks, landscaping, urban design, gardening, or comparable issues and interests;
• Demonstrated concern for neighborhoods and neighborhood parks;
• Established record of objectivity and the ability to think broadly;
• Willingness to commit at least 10 hours per week; and,
• Active in our city in an advocacy capacity.

Resumes and letter of interest must be received by Feb. 5. Electronic submissions are preferred. E-mail your letter of interest and résumé, and contact information for three references to Philip Roewe.

Paper submissions can be sent to:
Philip Roewe, Office of City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Seattle City Council, PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025

Three Board members are appointed by Seattle’s mayor, three by the Seattle City Council, and the seventh by the Board of Park Commissioners. The current vacant position is a Seattle City Council appointee. Members serve three-year, renewable terms.

The Board convenes at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, and typically holds approximately twelve public hearings each year.

Board members spend an average of 30-40 hours per month on Seattle Parks and Recreation business. In addition to the regular meetings, members attend committee meetings, park dedications and celebrations, and other community gatherings. Board members receive a number of briefing papers, listen to and read an extensive amount of public testimony, and receive a large volume of general information from Seattle Parks and Recreation and other city agencies.

Candidates should have a strong interest in parks and recreation opportunities for people of all ages and capabilities. Candidates should have regular access to a computer and e-mail, as most information is sent electronically.

The Seattle City Council is committed to promoting diversity on the Board, and encourages women, young people, senior citizens, people with disabilities, sexual minorities, and people of color to apply.

Carkeek Park’s pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks to the beach is closing on Wednesday through Feb. 10 for painting. Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Seattle Department of Transportation are working together to clean and paint the bridge, which is over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks on the west side of Carkeek Park, just north of Greenwood.

Don’t forget that tonight is the Sandel Park playground renovation meeting from 6:30-7:45 p.m. at the Greenwood Library.

Sandel Park, at 9053 1st Ave. NW is getting $350,000 from the 2008 Parks and Green Space Levy to improve the play area for ages 2-12, as well as other site improvements to improve safety and disability access.

If you’d like to help out with identifying and building a new park in Greenwood/Phinney, there’s a workshop tonight from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Greenwood Library.

In the voter-approved 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy, $7 million was set aside for park development and acquisition projects. The first step in the nomination process begins with a Proposal Letter, which is due Feb. 1. Tonight’s workshop will focus on developing those Proposal Letters.

If you can’t attend tonight’s workshop, three more workshops are scheduled in other neighborhoods: Thursday, Jan. 7 at High Point Community Center, 6920 34th Ave. SW; Tuesday, Jan. 12 in the Parks Department’s Board Room, 100 Dexter Ave. N.; and Thursday, Jan. 14 at New Holly Learning Center, 7058 32nd Ave. S.

Paul May sent us this photo of damage done to the lawn at Sandel Park.

Just yesterday we wrote about Sandel Park receiving $350,000 from Seattle Parks & Recreation to renovate the playground. Judging by all the comments to that story, the park has a serious problem with vandalism and vagrants.

Sandel Park at 1st Ave. NW. and N. 90th St. is about to undergo some renovations, thanks to a $350,000 grant from the 2008 Parks and Green Space Levy.

The park was identified in the Parks & Green Spaces Levy for the renovation of the existing play area. The focus of this project is to provide access and use improvements that will provide better site circulation, and make the park and play area more desirable to gather and play.

Preliminary designs have been underway for the last several months. Now the public is invited to the first public meeting from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 13, 2010, at the Greenwood Library.

The design process will last through March, then construction is expected to happen from April through September.

Here are a few things from the neighborhood you might want to know about:

Music Center of the Northwest’s “Messiah Sing/Play Along” last Sunday night raised 240 pounds of food and $632 for FamilyWorks Food Bank.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting another public meeting to plan and design the new 9th Avenue NW Park. The meeting is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday (tonight), at Whittier Elementary School, 1320 NW 75th St. The 39,000 square foot property was purchased with funding from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy and is being developed with $800,000 from the Parks & Green Spaces Levy.

Woodland Park Zoo is offering one free child’s admission with a paying adult if you mention the offer “Winter Fun” at the entry gate during schools’ Winter Break. The offer runs Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.

Someone witnessed a hit-and-run accident last Friday, and wants to know if the victim needs a witness.

My husband witnessed a hit and run at the intersection of 3rd NW and 65th Friday around 6:50pm. He didn’t stop for the victim because he saw an opportunity to follow the perpetrator. Unfortunately he was unable to keep up with the guy. We did call the Seattle PD N Precinct to report what he saw, but also wanted to send his contact info to PhinneyWood in case you hear of someone looking for a witness to the accident. The victim car was a black Prius and the perpetrator was a light blue Honda.

If you need to speak to this witness, please email us and we’ll put you in touch.

Time is almost up for the Greenwood-Phinney Historical Society’s contest to find the oldest house in our neighborhood.

We do have houses built before 1906. Perhaps we still have a few houses that were built before 1900? Hint: if you find a construction date of 1900 in King County Tax Records keep digging! The house might actually be older than that. Building permits will give you a more accurate construction date.

Houses must be within the Phinney-Greenwood neighborhood (50th to 105th Streets, Aurora to 8th Avenue NW) but contest entrants need not live within the neighborhood. The house does not need to be yours! You can enter any house in the neighborhood that you feel might be the oldest! More than one entry per person is acceptable. Please include your name and contact information so that we may contact you if you are the winner!

When you’ve found your “contestant” take a photograph of it and photocopy your documents identifying the construction date of the house. Winning entry will be determined by oldest construction or building permit date of all entries received. Entries must be received by January 15, 2010. Send your photo(s) and documents to: GPHS Oldest House Contest, c/o Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103.

Winner receives a copy of “Seattle’s Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood” signed by author Ted Pedersen and breakfast for two at Mae’s Phinney Ridge Café.

The slippery edge of the sandbox at the 6th Avenue NW Pocket Park (commonly known as “Our Park”) is being renovated. The entire sandbox, climbing boulders and pathway behind it are currently closed off by a chain link fence.

Since the park opened in the spring of 2005, there have been concerns about the slick, sloping edge. The edge was designed to keep sand from migrating out of the sandbox, but it quickly became apparent that it was not safe. (Disclosure: I was on the neighborhood design team which hired and worked with the park’s designers.)

GGLO Landscape Architect Marieke Lacasse, one of the original designers, redesigned the sandbox edge with a flat edge and bench all the way around. Work started the middle of last week and will take about 10 days.

Just a reminder that you can help plan a new park somewhere in Greenwood-Phinney. The Seattle Parks Department will meet with neighborhood folks from 6-7:45 p.m. next Monday, Nov. 2, at the Greenwood Library.

If you know of a spot in the neighborhood that would make a great park, then this is your chance to be heard. Funds for this new potential park are coming from the 2008 Parks & Green Spaces Levy. Here’s the Parks Department’s acquisition criteria, to help you find a suitable site.

• Site location within or adjoining the Urban Village
• Minimum area = approximately 10,000 square feet (about 1/4 acre)
• Frontage on key pedestrian routes
• Flat terrain or gentle slope to facilitate ADA accessibility and uses such as short-term sitting and picnics, as well as to minimize site development costs
• Sun orientation and avoidance of shading from existing or future Midrise buildings (i.e., location on SW or SE corner of block preferred)
• Location adjoining existing and/or immediate future uses that will generate appropriate park uses and provide “eyes on the street” to deter inappropriate uses – both for as much of the day as possible
• Willing sellers
• “Underutilized” sites without existing uses or structures that contribute significantly to property value or to demolition costs; i.e., vacant properties or properties with “tear-down” buildings
• Properties with no or minimal relocation costs; i.e., vacant properties or those with fewer tenants
• Absence of development permit activity or development very early in process
• Minimal remediation costs for hazardous materials