Seattle Fastpitch Club is holding tryouts for our 12U-18U teams on the following days:

Sunday, July 30th, 12:30-3pm @ Lower Woodland (Seattle, WA): Fields 4 & 5 (12U-18U)
Sunday, Aug. 6th 12:30-3pm @ Lower Woodland (Seattle, WA): Fields 4 & 5 (10U-18U)

Please arrive at 12:00 for check-in (please pre-register using the link below), and have your player bring the appropriate gear. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@seattlefastpitch.com.

Our new practice facility location is in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood and currently our players reign from Greater Seattle (Magnolia, Queen Anne, Viewridge, etc) Bainbridge Island, Redmond, and Lakewood.

We look forward to meeting new players from all areas and welcoming our current players!

Register here now!

GO SFC!!

The playground at Discovery Park is currently closed for expansion and renovation. Seattle Parks and Rec writes:

“The project is slated to be completed by this fall. Hang in there kids!  The playground will be back soon – better than ever!”

To stay up to date on the Discovery Park Playground project please click here.

Please remember to vote!

Magnolia community member Charlene Strong is a candidate for Seattle City Council Position 8. Many of you have met her in the Village and around the neighborhood, but for those of you who haven’t, here she is in her own words:

“Anyone who knows me, knows I am not one to give up or walk away if something appears to be too tough. It’s served me well, but does nothing to quiet the restless energy that there is still much more to be done. Serving others is an important part of my make-up.I find my greatest reward is ​when my work provides crucial help to individuals and groups that need it most​. ​ This, if you ask me, is where my greatest strength resides.  Bringing people together and helping parties to see the value in working together for real and lasting solution.

We face significant obstacles in this ever-expanding city. Homelessness, exploding housing costs, traffic, and a regressive and onerous tax structure. All these issues are complex and need a balanced nuanced and pragmatic ​voice and I believe I am that voice. I want to be a city councilperson who can be counted on to always be available to the people of this city, and give their issues the time and attention they deserve.

​With over 25 years in practice management and for the last six years working with my wife who owns a small physical therapy practice in Seattle we have witnessed the ever rising cost of doing business in Seattle. As with many businesses we feel we have no voice at city hall and that needs to change. The jobs that businesses like we own provide good middle class jobs that also support the vibrancy of our cities communities.  Each time a building is torn down to make way for additional housing the business that once occupied that local is left to seek new commercial space and often finds they can no longer to keep a business in Seattle. I would like to see how we can support commercial affordability to keep these businesses a part of our city.

I strongly believe we have a lot of opportunities to make a positive impact ​for ​ALL the citizens of Seattle, helping those who are struggling to participate in all this beautiful city has to offer and work to bring those who are enjoying greater success to the table to show them how their help will ensure a fair and equitable city that everyone can be proud to call home. I would like the opportunity to work on these issues for you and greatly appreciate your considering me as your next Seattle city councilperson, position 8.”
Charlene is Chair of the Washington State Human Rights Commission. She is a national speaker regarding civil rights issues in employment, healthcare and equality, and a member of the G​reater Seattle Business Association​. Check out more about her campaign here and here.

By reporter Steven Smalley

With the delayed opening of the renovated Magnolia Elementary on 28th Avenue West until fall 2019, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is examining boundaries between its buildings that could force relocation of students. There is plenty of interest among Magnolia parents, according to SPS.

“The delay will provide time for district staff and the City of Seattle to analyze the possibility of adding a school at Fort Lawton. For the past ten years, the City of Seattle has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers on repurposing the Fort Lawton site. The City has proposed using the site for affordable housing, a park, or other city purposes. Many families have expressed interest in adding a school at that site as well,” according to a release from Seattle Schools.

The U.S. Department of Education manages federal property that might be used for education purposes, according to SPS. Federal requirements include completion of construction within 36 months of receiving the land, a demonstrated need for an educational use of the land, and an “aligned budget” to accompany the request, according to SPS.

“Once we have clarity on whether we could meet the eligibility criteria, we will contact the city for further conversation about the timeline and what might be possible,” according to the SPS release.

Email questions or comments to growthboundaries@seattleschools.org

For specific questions or comments regarding Magnolia School construction or Fort Lawton inquiries, email Associate Suerintendent, Flip Herndon ltherndon@seattleschools.org

Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. the Primrose Players will give a performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 2330 Viewmont Way West, in Magnolia Village.

From the This production emphasizes the raw emotion of Shakespeare’s timeless text, and proves that the concepts Shakespeare wrote about so long ago, the fragility of the human spirit and mind, and the difficulty of reconciling the sensitivity and beauty of life with the harsh demands of the modern world, are as relevant today as ever.

Emily Robinson, soprano section leader of Ascension’s choir, will be appearing as Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother.  For those not intimately acquainted with the plot, her relationship with Hamlet is somewhat turbulent, since he resents her marrying her husband’s brother Claudius after he murdered the King.  Other cast members are:

Brandon Brown:            Hamlet

Rhys Henley:                  Horatio

Mark Edward Keller:      Laertes and others

Chris Maxfield:               Polonius

Noelle Mestres:              Claudius

Aaron Moore:                 Guildenstern and others

Dan Niven:                      Ghost and others

Tomoko Saito:                Bernardo and others

Alison Wiles:                  Ophelia

Come be a part of the inaugural production of a new company celebrating the power of a timeless masterpiece!

Admission is free and the event is open to the public so please bring your friends!  The approximate running time is 2 hrs, 15 min.

PARK(ing) Day 2017 is just around the corner – Friday, September 15th – and SDOT is now accepting applications for pop-up parks!  This day is an opportunity for anyone to create a mini park for fun and entertainment.  It’s also a chance to re-envision how we use our public space.

Anyone can create a park with fun activities like games, lounge chairs, food, exercises or almost anything you can imagine.  Check out their website to see official guidelines, inspiration, frequently asked questions, and to submit your FREE application.

*         Applications due August 18th, so don’t delay!

*         Community groups can also request up to $5,000 from the Neighborhood Matching Fund Small Sparks program (but the deadline to apply for financial support for PARK(ing) Day is Monday, August 7th)!  See their website or call 206-733-9916 to find out more.

*         And lastly, if your business or organization is interested in dipping your toe into Parklets and Streateries, PARK(ing) Day is the best day of the year to try it out.

We look forward to what your park has in store!