Jan Sewell, beloved local realtor, dies at 65

The one word that everyone seems to use when describing Jan Sewell is generous. Yes, she certainly had that less-than-common attribute, but her positive qualities hardly stopped there. In fact, when asked today to give their impressions of Jan, her many friends, neighbors and colleagues seemed not to know where to begin. Funny, outspoken, irreverent, caring, ethical. Those were the other terms that most often came to mind—along with icon, free spirit,...

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Tile artists return for show Saturday

For the third year in a row, the artists of Artisan Tile Northwest have chosen Madison Park as the venue for their Northwest Handmade Tile Festival. The two-day affair gets underway at Pioneer Hall (1642 43rd Avenue E.) this Friday, October 1, with an artists’ reception from 5 pm until 8 pm. On Saturday, there will be a curated show on the theme “Mythical Creature.” The participating artists have created special tiles related to this theme; and...

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Jodie Benson, a remembrance

[Jodie Benson, onetime executive chef at Peter’s in the Park and a resident of the neighborhood for more than 20 years, was known to many Madison Parkers for her humor and kindness. She died earlier this month. Her life was celebrated at a well-attended wake held two weeks ago at Bing’s. Her obituary is available here. This is a tribute to her memory.]Guest PostingBy Stan MoshierJust so you know, Jodie Benson’s favorite night of the week was Friday,...

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A survey of Madison Park road ends: Part One

The 37th Avenue East “Beaver Lodge Sanctuary”There are 149 streets in the City of Seattle that end at the water’s edge. These road ends are usually the unintended consequence of early City mapping, but they often provide a public right-of-way to shorelines where only private access would otherwise exist. This is not the case in Madison Park, of course, where our long and popular Madison Park Beach gives us immediate, large-scale access to Lake Washington....

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McGilvra still scores high

The beginning of the new school year provides a good excuse for an update on the academic ranking of our own McGilvra Elementary School. Last year, as you may recall, the State ditched the controversial WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) test. The newly elected schools superintendent, Randy Dorn (who was promptly arrested for drunken driving soon after assuming his new leadership/role model position) had campaigned against the WASL....

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Police Blotter 9/19/10

Burglary captured on videoThere have been two residential burglaries in the neighborhood over the past three weeks, one of which was captured on a home video surveillance system. That burglary occurred at 4:51 am on September 13 at a Washington Park home located in the 1000 block of 32nd Avenue E. The crime became apparent to the homeowners later that morning when the wife discovered her purse missing from her car, which had been parked in the garage....

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What’s the story on the new tax assessments?

.Values down 1.3% on average for our areaLate last week, the King County Assessor began sending out 2011 property-tax assessment notices to property owners in the Madison Park/Madrona/Leschi neighborhoods, collectively known (to those who follow these things) as Area 14. So by now most of us have received the news that our houses are not worth what they once were, at least in the opinion of the government.Unlike last year, however, when 94% of local...

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Art Walk makes its debut

Local artists take command“Who knew that there was so much talent in our own neighborhood?” That was the reaction of one impressed attendee who made the rounds last night. With the weather cooperating and art lovers converging on the neighborhood from near and far (mostly near), Madison Park Art Walk 2010 got underway Saturday evening with a bang.The event began with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception at Starbucks, which store manager Iaan Hughes...

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Madison Park Art Walk kicks off Saturday

Local artists to take center stageIt begins with a reception on Saturday and continues throughout the month of September at 23 different Madison Park businesses. It’s Madison Park Art Walk 2010, and the focus is principally on the art of talented Madison Parkers, though there will also be a few artists on show from a bit further afield—like Montlake, for example.In all, more than 50 painters, jewelers, sculptors, ceramic artists and photographers...

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From China to McGilvra

Mary Lane takes controlIt was with a certain sense of déjà vu that I sat in the McGilvra principal’s office today for a chat with the School’s incoming head, Mary Lane. The new school year is about to begin and McGilvra is under new leadership. That, of course, was also the situation last year when I sat in the same office talking to the then-new principal, DeWanda Cook-Weaver, about her plans for the upcoming school year. Those plans, as we now...

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