Farewell, “Kennedy” The Stevens Park Tree

The 120-year-old big-leaf maple that once shaded the small triangle of green space in our north Beacon Hill Commercial District (at Beacon Ave S. and S. Stevens St.) did the splits and dropped a large branch on Wednesday, June 27 at 8 a.m., knocking out the park bench below. Longtime area resident, Veretta Jones, had been sitting on the bench at the time, when she heard a crackle and a pop behind her—moving quickly to avoid injury. An inspection by a Parks Department tree crew immediately following the incident determined that the tree couldn’t be saved and was a safety hazard. Subsequently we learned that the cause of its demise, a disease working its way throughout the core of the tree, continues to spread underground to the remaining roots, even affecting other maples at the site (further details here). Beacon Hill residents will miss their beloved “Kennedy,” a community nickname for the tree, and the shade it cast on the small park. Many have voiced sadness and even outrage at the loss of the tree in conversations and online neighborhood group forums. Some even gathered to honor the tree and its passing, leaving flowers on the broad, freshly-cut stump. But that’s not the end of the story! We hope you’ll take advantage of the following opportunities to give input on the revitalization of Steven’s Place: Community Gathering – Thursday, August 30 (from 4:30–6 p.m.): Let’s write a new chapter for Steven’s Place park! We’ll honor the legacy of “Kennedy,” the grand maple that shaded our “triangle” park when we landscape the area and put in hearty, mature plantings (that we hope will last 100 years to come). Bring the kids, blankets, your ideas, and stories to share. Seattle’s Parks and Recreation folks will provide information and gather your input (download pdf flyer). Volunteer Work Party – TBA (Sept/Oct): Sign up to be on the work team! Seattle’s Parks and Recreation folks will provide a sign-up sheet at the Community Gathering. If you can’t make it out on August 30th look for project information thereafter through our website www.beaconbusinessalliance.org. 🔊 Shout-out to Seattle Parks Dept. for the love they put into our Mountain Playground with the recent tube slide fix and solar arrays all replaced! Thanks for keeping Jefferson Park beautiful and functional!

The remains of “Kennedy” covered in flowers

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Kusina Filipina Mural: What happened?!

After a full onslaught of tagging at 3201-3207 Beacon Ave. S. (intersection of Beacon Ave S. and S. Hanford), you may have noticed the vast and colorful, multi-artist mural that once graced the north wall is gone. The property owners wiped the whole thing out with layers of dull blue-grey paint. Another great loss to the Beacon Hill business walking district, coming on the heels of Kusina Filipina gone due to rising rents, the death of our 120-year-old maple (just two blocks north)… to mention just a few. How does something like this happen? In large part, murals come and go in neighborhoods due to community and business engagement, conversations and relationships—or a lack thereof, as may have been the case with the Kusina Filipina mural. BHMA is actively working with many building owners and developers to build relationships and advocate for community benefit, but in this case we haven’t had much contact and know the general state of vacancy and disrepair of the building continues to be a huge invitation to taggers. Do you want to see more mural art on Beacon Hill’s commercial walls? Want to input on how BHMA spends its streetscapes funds in 2019? We’d love to know your thoughts. Feel free to contact us info@beaconbusinessalliance.org and/or fill out the online survey.

Sign of the times? The empty building that once housed Kusina Filipina and the colorful mural.

 

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Beacon Hill Innovator—Curt Ligot

Who is Curt Ligot? Curt Ligot is an entrepreneur rising who’s developed an innovative holistic approach to physical strength, mobility, joint health, and more for those who seek to improve overall health and fitness. His Roundbox Fitness studio offers personal training programs for those who want to lose weight, get fit, or even reach elite athletic goals. The innovative program design and tech of Roundbox Fitness and the Beacon Hill Filipino family connection Ligot, a Beacon Hill native, doesn’t offer a quick-fix “fad” of a fitness program. He’s developed an entirely unique physical training style, including (proprietary) cutting-edge equipment, carefully crafted in his family’s laser machine shop, to achieve long-lasting results. In a fast-changing Beacon Hill, with many people and businesses losing their places here due to rising costs and gentrification, it’s notable that Curt and his family are of Filipino descent. It’s a win for the community when people of color and community heritage emerge as innovators and successful entrepreneurs, especially when you consider that Beacon Hill recently said goodbye to two long-term Filipino establishments, restaurants Inay’s Asian Cuisine and Kusina Filipina.   The innovation factor The results Roundbox promises can only be attained through hard work and dedication. But if you’re going to do the work, why do it with Roundbox? What sets Roundbox apart from the myriad fitness alternatives available today? Why not “Start Strong” with classes at Columbia City’s CrossFit RE? Or work your body, mind, and core at Yoga on Beacon?   Like all of the world’s most successful innovators, Curt saw a need for improvement, studied his market, and developed a new-and-improved way to address that need. He started out as a young lifter and climbed through the ranks to become an athletic coach and trainer, spending a decade with Seattle Athletic Club. Now with 20 years under his belt in the fitness industry—Curt has worked with a broad range of clients from children to senior citizens, including elite athletes. In collaborating with his clients’ physical therapists, chiropractors, and coaches over the years, he discovered “the glaring disconnect between fitness, athletics, and longevity.” Years of research and study later, he came to the “alarming conclusion” that there was no existing comprehensive system to address fitness in terms of longevity and overall health outside of strength and conditioning. That’s why, with the ideal “to deliver the best possible results” to his clients, he took the health and fitness industry head on when he sought to create a new realm of holistic fitness, merging “longevity and intensity.” He identified a gap between the “strength and conditioning” focus of popular fitness programs and the longevity of an individual’s overall long-term health, living a pain-free life, and practicing fitness sustainably. Thusly, Roundbox fitness teaches you to “allow dormant and neglected muscles and tissues to activate in a safe cohesive manner.”   The system and cutting-edge equipment The Roundbox website states that “By executing full body, multi-planar movements, you will increase mobility and eliminate aches and pains.” The movements Ligot developed are one side of the coin. The equally important other side is the equipment he designed and his family’s company, Lasermach, Inc., manufactured. “Existing fitness equipment has limitations and traditional methods don’t capture the full potential of the human body’s movements.” Testimonials available through Yelp and word-on-the-street claim Roundbox Fitness helps people achieve strength and fitness while also allowing joints to heal as needed. Finding a local space right here on Beacon Hill It wasn’t easy to get started. Says Curt, “In 2012 I had made the decision to leave my job at the Seattle Athletic Club and start my own studio … Though I had the funds and a business plan, no real estate company would give me a chance.” But Curt didn’t give up. “Ironically after driving around south Seattle hunting for warehouse space, I noticed a FOR LEASE sign on my way home … Though the size and location were completely opposite of my original business plan, I decided to give it a shot. “In complete contrast to my experience with large real estate companies, the building owner got back to me right away. Being a private owner and a local (Renton) he was extremely open and trusting. Within a week we had the lease signed and I was on my way to opening my first business.” The Roundbox community and a new product launch Curt’s impressive undertaking to revolutionize the fitness industry has a nice little following here on the hill. On opening the studio, he says, “The clients I gained were new and old Beacon Hill members of the community. People who live here, people who work here and everything in between. It gave me a much larger and diverse demographic to help refine and develop our system. The broad range of ages, nationalities and cultures gave me invaluable feedback on how to help as many people as possible.” He calls his Roundbox community a “tight-knit fitness family.” Six years later and going strong, Roundbox is preparing to launch their first fitness product to the market. See the Core Blades in action in their promotional video. On the product launch, Curt says, “The response we are getting just from a few weeks of exposure has been overwhelmingly positive. I can’t help but think that this will make a major impact on the fitness and wellness industry. The best part is it all happened right here in my hood. Thanks to a building owner that believed in me and dozens of Beacon Hill residents that built my business and helped me build what I have today.” Getting to know Curt and his Roundbox family has inspired this storytelling. Curt has built a winner and if you’re looking for a path to better fitness, and you want to do that right here in Beacon Hill, check it out for yourself. The Roundbox flagship studio is inside the blue building at Beacon Ave S. and S. Columbian Way (park in the center strip just south of Columbian Way. Studio entry located beside the Super Market doors).  

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Save the Garden House

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New Hours at Cucumber Lemonade!

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Restaurant Homer News!

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Upcoming Events:

 

Sunday, August 19

Pear-a-dise

Pear-a-dise is a free event open to the community

featuring pear picking, free pear-based foods for tasting,

kid’s arts activities, tours, tabling, live music and a raffle!

2–6 PM

Garden House 2336 15th Ave S.

For more information, see the event or contact: info@beacon-arts.org Marina King (206) 992-3775

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Friday, August 24

Summer Movies at Jefferson Park

“Monsters, Inc.”

Jefferson Community Center is hosting free movies this summer.

All shows begin at dusk.

Begins at dusk, arrive early to get a good spot!

Jefferson Park 3801 Beacon Ave S.

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Saturday, August 25

Book Expo 3

The Black and Brown Literary get-down. This third-annual event will take place at Centilia Cultural Center.

Details here!

1–5 PM

Centilia Cultural Center 1660 S. Roberto Maestas Fest. St

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Thursday, August 30

Stevens Park Community Gathering

Let’s write a new chapter for Steven’s Place park! We’ll honor the legacy of “Kennedy,” the grand maple that shaded our “triangle” park when we landscape the area and put in hearty, mature plantings (that we hope will last 100 years to come). Bring the kids, blankets, your ideas, and stories to share. Seattle’s Parks and Recreation folks will provide information and gather your input.

4:30–6 PM

Stevens Place Park Beacon Ave S. & 17th Ave S.