NewHolly Market Garden Pergola

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods recently awarded more than $600,000 in matching funds to support neighborhood projects across the city of Seattle. Thirty-three community organizations received awards from the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund Program for projects as diverse as street murals to street fairs. Click here to see a list of awarded projects. 

The Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds managed by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2013 spring awards ranged from $3,180 to $25,000, and the organizations have pledged to match the city’s $606,526 contribution with resources valued at nearly $734,838. 

“This program recognizes the dedication and volunteerism of community members working together to improve their neighborhood,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “Whether the projects are for physical improvements or a community celebration, the community decides what it needs; and with the help f the Neighborhood Matching Fund, dedicates its time and energy to make it a reality.”

The Neighborhood Matching Fund has provided funding to the city’s neighborhoods for the past 25 years. Its contribution to neighborhoods can be seen across the city from the Fremont Troll to Georgetown’s Hat n’ Boots. Recipients of the fund match their awards through a combination of locally raised money, donated materials, and volunteer labor. In 2012, community volunteers pledged to invest $1.69 of donations and sweat equity for every $1 of taxpayer support.

“The Neighborhood Matching Fund has been emulated by cities all over the world,” said Bernie Matsuno, director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. “What makes it so successful is the connection and engagement that happens when neighbors – who may not have known each other or been involved in a neighborhood project – come together to make improvements or create programs that benefit not only their community, but the city at large.”

The Small and Simple Projects Fund opens again to applications in the fall with a deadline of October 7. To learn more and to see the listing of 2013 Spring Small and Simple award recipients, visit www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/smallandsimple.htm.

The community knows Roxhill Park as the “Castle” park and at this celebration they will celebrate that it will still be known as “Castle” park and the new streetscape skatepark north of the play area.

In 1994, the community built the original castle play structure at Roxhill Park. In 2011, during the extensive community planning process for the Parks and Green Spaces Levy funded play area renovation project, the community learned that the castle would be removed. They made a commitment to organize the volunteers required to complete the “build” of another Leather and Associates play area design. The community build was realized over five days in early November 2012, resulting in the new castle structure and play area. The volunteer and community support was great!

“I didn’t understand the importance of this park when I signed on. But I get it now: kids need a place that is special, just for them, something that says ‘I value you.’ Well, nothing says ‘I value you’ quite like ‘I built this for you with my hands,” said Mat McBride, Delridge Neighborhood District Council Chair and Roxhill Volunteer Coordinator. “This park is a testament to the work of everyone who believed that. I’m honored to have been a part of it.”

The Parks and Green Spaces Levy included $450,000 for planning, design and renovation of the play area and $600,000 for the planning, design and construction of a skatespot. The community received a Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple Award of $20,000 that allowed for the community build out of the play area.

Seattle Parks hosted five public meetings for these combined projects and presented the skatepark designs for review by the Seattle Design Commission. The Citywide Skatepark Plan, developed through Seattle Parks and Recreation with extensive community input, recommended Roxhill Park as a good site for a skatespot. In Seattle, a skatespot is defined as a skatepark ranging in size from 1,500 to 10,000 square feet.

The Rob Dyrdek Foundation (now the Street League Skateboard Foundation) donated design services and skate features for the park from Street League DC Pro Tour.

Parks’ in-house landscape architects worked with California Skate Parks, who designed the skatespot. Parks awarded the construction contract for the skatepark to Grindline Construction of West Seattle.

The Roxhill Park skatespot is the Street League Skateboard Foundation’s eighth “Safe Spot Skate Spot,” a program conceptualized by Rob Dyrdek, which seeks to create safe and legal havens for skaters across the country. The main goals of the program are to provide communities with safe and legal skate plazas, increase and encourage the active engagement of people in the sport of skateboarding, and design and develop skate plazas in cities and towns throughout the world. The program also provides an alternative option for communities with limited budgets or space restrictions to develop real street-skating locations.

Roxhill Park improvements are the result of many public/private partnerships working together. This event celebrates both the completion of the project and the amazing work done by the neighborhood, the extended West Seattle community and the entire skate community. 

For more information on the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/projects/roxhill/  for more information about this event please contact Karen O’Connor at 206-233-7929 or Karen.o’connor@seattle.gov.

For more information on the Street League Skateboard Foundation, please go to http://robdyrdekfoundation.org/.

A Hub and Spoke High Challenge Course called “The Enchantments” (park elements at Camp Long are traditionally named after topographical phenomena in Washington state) has been added to the Low Challenge course. Construction was completed in October 2012; since then staff have undergone training for facilitation, tested systems and purchased equipment to start offering programs this spring.

“The challenge course at camp long has already impacted youth through its youth leadership program,” said Camp Long Advisory Council member David Kipano. “This program funded through the Department of Neighborhoods provides internships to train over 30 youth to be facilitators on the course and in their community.”

The installation and programming of the challenge course is a collaboration by Camp Long Advisory Council, an affiliate of the Associated Recreation Council, WSU Extension-4H, and Seattle Parks and Recreation with the support of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Large Project funding award and a King County Parks Youth Sports Facility Grant.

The ribbon cutting takes place at 3 p.m. at the East Shelter and there will be refreshments at 3:30.

Open House Activities:

• “The Enchantments”: Opportunities to try out the Hub and Spoke Course will be $20 per person, limited to 24 people. Register at the front desk the day of the opening.

• Low Course Elements: “Orca Breach,” “Pacific Crest,” “Salmon Crossing” and other elements will be available to try as groups gather. Check in at the East Shelter.

About High Challenge: The “Hub and Spoke” challenge consists of high platforms, interconnected activities, routes on slim beams, wobbly steps and swings and ropes to clutch onto or walk upon. High course elements have traditionally been used as a tool to challenge individuals physically and mentally and to strengthen relationships and build team cohesion. The High Challenge Course is designed to develop self-esteem, confidence, positive risk-taking and self awareness, and to help people confront fears and exceed self-imposed limitations.

Scott VanderWey, WSU 4-H Adventure Education Director, said the activities will help increase teens’ self-confidence and positive risk taking. “Having a high ropes course provides the opportunity for students to have a peak experience which can manifest itself into more positive behavior,” he said. The research-based approach known as Social Emotional Learning has proven to increase student motivation, student attendance, mastery of subject material, and a more positive school climate.

4H Challenge Benefits:

4H Challenge Courses provide a structured, consistent, and ongoing curriculum which allows cohorts of youth or community members to progress through a series of tiered learning activities that enhances other programs such as youth leadership, family wellness, community organization and development, health education, peer and adult mentoring, drug prevention, adjudicated rehabilitation and job development skills.  

4-H Challenge programs change the way participants interact with their group, build healthy relationships and develop the critical life skills necessary for a successful life.  The underlying psychological and educational assumption behind challenge courses is that if a person is supported to move out of his/her comfort zone, and has a successful experience, then powerful conditions exist for positive change. Groups who engage in a long-term relationship with 4-H Challenge can expect to see a measurable increase in participant commitment to the group and a decrease in negative and non-participatory behavior. The positive benefits are of special importance for youth to become successful and productive adults. 

Camp Long is located at 5200 35^th Ave. SW. For more information, please call 206-684-7434.

A group of neighborhood activists in Belltown felt that their community was full of resources and strengths, but that community groups, businesses, non-profits, and the government could be working more collaboratively. Through a series of discussions, the Belltown Community Council and other local organizations decided to form a steering committee and plan a 1-day training to encourage cross-sector cooperation. They selected Jim Diers, the first director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and UW Professor, to facilitate the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) training. The steering committee had members from community groups, the non-profit sector, business, the faith community, the UW School of Social Work, and Christa Dumpys, a Neighborhood District Coordinator from DON. They combined their resources and worked together to solicit donations, organize the event, and do strategic community outreach to ensure that those in attendance represented a broad variety of neighborhood stakeholders. The group received a Small Sparks award from the Neighborhood Matching Fund to cover the cost of the training.

The ABCD training was held for 33 participants on March 9, 2013 in a donated space at the brand new City University campus in Belltown. Jim Diers spent the morning presenting the key tenets of the ABCD philosophy, discussing strengths and challenges of community work in Belltown, and highlighting examples of successful local partnerships. Participants had a midday break, which gave them a chance to network with one another and enjoy the tasty food that was donated by local restaurants and coffee shops. The afternoon portion of the training gave everyone a chance to present their vision for Belltown, share project ideas, and find others in the community who wished to team up. Small groups formed around their areas of interest and began to start work on projects which included: creating a neighborhood information sharing website and discussion group, working with local artists to develop public art in new and unused spaces, and finding ways to maximize use of the new Belltown Community Center. There is a lot of excitement around the community project ideas that came out of this training and we’re excited to see what they lead to in the coming months! 

by Jake Hellenkamp, UW School of Social Work Intern

Saturday, March 30, 2013
4-6 p.m.
Rainier Community Center – Multi-purpose Room
4600 38th Ave S, Seattle, WA  98118

Featured cuts by – Seattle’s finest barbers:
Abe’s Barbershop/Brooks Barbership/Fade Master Barbershop; Hi-Def Cuts/Hodges Hair Quarters/and more

Facilitator: Z-twins Radio Personality:  Mr. Frank Barrow

Disclaimer:  “Basic” haircuts are free.  Any designs or specialty cuts will be done only at barber’s discretion and at your own cost. 

Presented by:  Fathers and Sons Together (FAST) in partnerhsip with the Seattle Parks and Recreation “Power of Place” Youth Violence Prevention Program and the Neighborhood Matching Fund.

Facilitating the forum and providing design/build services is the University of Washington’s Neighborhood Design/Build Studio. Every spring the studio, comprised of university architecture students, undertakes a small community project in Seattle.

The opportunity to design and build the Gathering Plaza is made possible by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund Large Project Fund Award. The goals of the department awards are to engage people in civic participation, foster stronger communities, make government more accessible, and preserve and enhance the character of Seattle’s neighborhoods.

Anyone wanting to attend the forum, learn more about the Beacon Food Forest or volunteer may visit the website at http://beaconfoodforest.weebly.com or contact the volunteer coordinator: foodforestvolunteer@gmail.com