Sustainability « Wedgwood Community Council

Rebuilding Our Skills

By valarie, on April 16th, 2013

Do you know how to fix a dripping faucet? Turn off the gas in an emergency? Rewire a lamp? Change a tire? Install a new water heater? Is there something you wish you knew how to do, but you don’t and you don’t know how to find out? A new guild (group) with Sustainable NE Seattle will meet this Thursday evening, April 18, on the topic of Rebuilding Our Skills. We will build skills, sustainability and self-sufficiency by accessing the talents of our local area and sharing these talents with one another.

Come and be a part of rebuilding our skill base in NE Seattle and learn something you have always wanted to know how to do. The meeting will be a good introduction to the NE Seattle Tool Library, as you might want to join in with the fun people who are learning to use some tools! The Rebuilding Our Skills meeting will be from 6:30 to 9 PM this Thursday evening, April 18 in the Fireside Room (upstairs) at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE (enter from the NE 80th Street side of the building.)

Plates for a Party

By valarie, on March 22nd, 2013

Would you like to have a dinner party but you don’t have enough plates? Would you like to eliminate the waste of using paper plates and plastic glassware? You can join the NE Seattle Tool Library and borrow REAL china plates, plus eating utensils, wine and water glasses, pitchers, vases and white tablecloths. The Tool Library is now processing a wonderful donation from Seattle Good Business Network of enough dinnerware to serve 180 people!

The Tool Library is located at 2415 NE 80th Street, just west of the traffic light on 25th Ave NE at NE 80th Street. The Tool Library is a community-led project to provide pay-what-you-can community access to a wide range of tools, training and advice. The Tool Library aims to inspire its community to participate in home or neighborhood cooperative projects. Don’t have a tool? or don’t know how to use it? Bring your friends and neighbors, join the Tool Library and get know-how. While you are at it, bring in your bike and learn how to fix it, as well. The Tool Library is now sharing space with the Bike Shack, a volunteer-run, community bike shop which has tools to borrow during Tool Library hours. Check their website for the hours when a Bike Shack volunteer will be at the Tool Library to help advise you on repairs.

Starting Spring Gardens

By valarie, on March 19th, 2013

Get ready for gardening! The Thursday evening, March 21st meeting of Sustainable NE Seattle will feature a seed swap, seed planting, soil improving techniques and sharing of tips and skills. The meeting will be held at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, from 6:30 to 9 PM in the Fireside Room (upstairs.) Enter from the NE 80th Street side, where there is also parking. Bring any seeds, roots, starts, pots or planting trays to share or swap, or a great tip or practice that you would like to share.

Bylaws for SusNE on Thursday

By valarie, on February 19th, 2013

Sustainable NE Seattle is moving into its fifth year of operation! As an “umbrella” organization for many projects, SusNE is ready to take on more large projects in the future. The Tool Library is already underway, and SusNE needs to become a non-profit organization in order to support the Tool Library and future projects. The Steering Committee has developed a draft of bylaws with the intention of maintaining the spirit of the organization while addressing legal requirements. On Thursday, February 21 the draft of bylaws will be presented for your comment and discussion. Meet from 6:30 to 9 PM at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE in the upstairs Fireside Room.

Wedgwood and Other NE Seattle Neighborhoods Win $50,000 from CleanScapes!

By Johnson, on February 13th, 2013

Wedgwood and other neighborhoods that comprise the “Wednesday-North” collection area won the $50,000 Waste Reduction Rewards competition held by CleanScapes. The annual competition pits service area against service area to see which one can reduce their waste over a year. This includes reducing garbage, recycling, and compost to help conserve the valuable resources that go into handling each of those waste streams. According to the final results, the “Wednesday-North” service area reduced their waste by -2.2%. Each of the other service areas actually increased their waste during the year.

As the victors, CleanScapes has awarded $50,000 to those parts of Wedgwood, View Ridge, Inverness, Meadowbrook, and Matthews Beach towards a community project to be located somewhere in the service area. CleanScapes is soliciting project proposals from the community. Last years winning project was the new NE Seattle Tool Library! The applications are due by April 15th. Anyone can submit an application.

More information can be found via the following links:

Project Application Forms
Project FAQs
Project Selection Process

The complete Press Release from CleanScapes is below:

PRESS RELEASE | February 08, 2013
SEATTLE, WA– Last night at Seattle’s NE District Council meeting, CleanScapes announced that the Wedgwood, Meadowbrook, Inverness, Matthews Beach and View Ridge neighborhoods won the 2011/2012 Seattle Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards competition. They will receive a $50,000 community improvement project selected by community representatives and funded by CleanScapes.

In this annual competition, CleanScapes challenges the neighborhoods it serves to reduce their solid waste footprint. To increase their odds of winning, residents compost leaves and grass in their yards; use washable rags, dishware and napkins; share tools with their neighbors; and donate unwanted but usable items to charity. Residents of this year’s winning neighborhoods decreased their solid waste by 2% from September 2011 through August 2012, compared to the same period the previous year.

“This program is about making the connection between waste reduction and enhancing the communities we serve,” says CleanScapes founder and President Chris Martin. “This is a great opportunity for Seattle residents to get engaged in reducing waste and to be rewarded for their efforts. We are looking forward to seeing some great proposals for a community project.”

Starting today through April 15, 2013, all Seattle residents are invited to submit project proposals for the $50,000 reward. To be eligible for consideration, proposals must be for a capital improvement project located in the winning neighborhood collection area. Proposed projects must be easily accessible for active use by the public and can cost up to $50,000. Last year’s winner built the NE Seattle Tool Library where members can borrow tools for household projects and yard work.

Seattle residents can submit project proposals and learn more about the Neighborhood Waste Rewards Competition by visitingwww.cleanscapes.com/Seattle (see Special Programs, Neighborhood Rewards). To request more information please email EducationOutreach@cleanscapes.com.

CleanScapes is the trusted partner for communities seeking to enhance residential and commercial vitality by providing innovative streetscape maintenance, recycling and solid waste services. CleanScapes was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1997, and currently provides sustainable solid waste and recycling collection to the communities of Seattle, Shoreline, Issaquah, Des Moines and Carnation.

Sustainability Up Close

By valarie, on February 10th, 2013

What is sustainability? Whether you’ve already participated in Sustainable NE Seattle activities or you are brand new, please come and learn how to plug in and take advantage of our wonderful community. On Tuesday evening, February 12 at 7 PM a get-acquainted meeting will be held at 7308 23rd Ave NE.

Topics of the discussion will include the group’s motivations and mission and how you can participate in Sustainable NE Seattle’s major annual events. You can learn how to join sub-groups (guilds), how to navigate the website and how to start your own project.

We are neighbors supporting each other to live more resilient, healthy and sustainable lives. Join the discussion about who we are and who we want to be in Northeast Seattle.

HandsOn! Skill Fair to be held Saturday at Meadowbrook and Ravenna Community Centers

By Keeley, on February 5th, 2013

From our friends at Sustainable NE Seattle:

A new wave is sweeping the country. People are recognizing the joy, satisfaction and security of being able to provide for our own needs, shifting from dependence on giant corporations to a healthy interdependence with our local community. Let’s re-learn the skills our grandparents knew!

In partnership with Ravenna Eckstein and Meadowbrook Community Centers, Sustainable NE is organizing its third annual community skills fair called “HandsOn!” Folks from our neighborhoods have stepped up to share a variety of skills such as food preservation, gluten-free and regular baking, basic plumbing and electrical, tool repair, simple bike maintenance, and making lotions, just to name a few. Visit the workshop schedule for a list of classes, and check back often in case new ones are added! And to cap off the fun, we’ll be ending the day with an All Community Potluck and Dance.

NOTE: We’re still looking for volunteers to work at set-up, tear down and check-in counters, so please contact susnesteering@gmail.com if you can help!

Additional information:

–The skills workshops are being held in the community centers simultaneously, along with a couple of classes at the NE ToolLibrary. Vanpools will be available for those needing transportation.

–Full-day admission is $15 for those who pre-pay through the Parks Department website (with event barcode 96781), or is $20 at-the-door. Some of the classes requiring materials will have a small materials fee as well.

–Visit the Sustainable NE event page for a full explanation on how to register OR call either community center (Ravenna: 206-684-7534; Meadowbrook: 206-684-7522).

Hope to see you then!

Community Emergency Prep Meeting, Wed 1/30

By dock, on January 25th, 2013

A home emergency kit

Wedgwood Presbyterian Church
Wednesday, January 30th, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Congratulations – we survived the “end of the world” that was predicted in December. Whether you were concerned about that or not, now is a good time to reflect: had there been a natural disaster that day, would you have been prepared? Would your neighbors have been ready? And would the overall community been able to help you if you faced issues that were bigger than you or your neighbors could handle?

A number of people in NE Seattle have been working on these questions over the past year or two, and some changes can be seen. Many families have prepared disaster kits for their homes. More than a dozen new blocks have organized disaster plans. And emergency communications hubs have been planned and/or tested in Wedgwood, Maple Leaf and Lake City. That is good progress, but more needs to be done.

In drills run at the communications hubs in 2011 and 2012, we practiced sending radio messages to Seattle’s Emergency Operations Center – with made-up scenarios saying that we had a fire at a specific address, or someone who needed kidney dialysis. These were fun drills, and everyone seemed especially eager to try out the radios.

However, through those drills, the city realized the radio system would be overwhelmed by traffic were we to be reporting individual incidents. Now, the process will be to call in only generalized community assessments, as well as incidents that involve more than 100 people. All other situations, and often the large reported incidents as well, need to be dealt with by local community resources. Which means that we need to organize things ahead of time, so that these resources are ready.

So we’re hosting a meeting on Wednesday, January 30^th from 7:00-9:00 PM at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church to bring together people in the community who are willing to come and help figure out what needs to be done to get our community prepared. This will be a working meeting, with participants asked for input, suggestions and ideas, and from this we hope to determine what the most important steps are for getting our community prepared for a disaster.

Please join us for this meeting. Remember, preparations done before a disaster will reduce the impact of that disaster. We’re not a gloom-and-doom bunch, just pragmatists with a goal. Eventually there will be a major earthquake here, so let’s be prepared to help each other. Know that, be prepared for it, and hopefully it will happen many generations from now. In the process, getting involved and meeting your kindred spirits from the neighborhood can be fun. We will work hard to make this meeting enjoyable, interesting and productive.

Chickens in the Home Garden

By valarie, on January 15th, 2013

Cluck, cluck! Have you ever thought about keeping chickens? Chickens are part of a sustainable lifestyle and they can be integrated into your backyard. On Wednesday evening, January 30, the Center for Urban Horticulture will have a class on keeping chickens in the home garden. The CUH is at 3501 NE 41st Street in Laurelhurst. The CUH has plenty of parking and is level-entry into the McVay Courtyard and the classroom. The class will be from 7 to 9 PM with instructor Jessica Bloom of NW EcoLogical Landscapes. Early registration (before January 23) is $35. You can register on-line or by phone: call 206-685-8033.

McVay Courtyard at the Center for Urban Horticulture

Believe it or not, chickens can be trained like other pets. Not only are they egg-producing but they and the garden will benefit one another. At the class on January 30th you will learn how to design habitat, including the Top Ten must-have plants that you and your chickens will enjoy. Chicken-raising myths and best breeds will be among the topics covered at the class. You can fall in love with chickens and with gardening at the same time!

Grand Opening Celebration at the Tool Library

By valarie, on January 13th, 2013

Sustainable NE Seattle invites you to attend the Grand Opening of the new NE Seattle Tool Library, 2415 NE 80th Street, this Saturday, January 19 at 10 AM. You can sign up for membership and there will be a meet-and-greet, then the official opening ceremony at 11 AM. Stick around until 2 PM for tool lending, refreshments, and the “Taste of the Tool Library” demonstrations. There will also be a drawing from the names of all members to win an array of prizes donated by local businesses.

Because of the support of the very successful West Seattle Tool Library, funding through Cleanscapes Waste Reduction Award Program and the support of building owner North Seattle Friends Church, there is now a NE Seattle Tool Library. The Tool Library will help reduce waste, increase neighborhood resilience and strengthen community ties. Please join in the celebration on Saturday!