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UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. No lanes will be paved or closed this weekend.

This just in from SDOT: The contractor's plans on this have changed. They won't be paving this weekend but will be doing work on underground utlities on 10th between Roanoke and Miller. Two lanes will be open. No traffic will be detoured.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Weekend paving on a portion of 10th Avenue E. will bring some detour traffic from Capitol Hill down onto Boylston Avenue E. and make travel from Capitol Hill to Eastlake more complicated.

During the work, 10th Avenue E. will be closed northbound between a location just south of E. Miller to E. Roanoke.

Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will close a lane on the west side of 10th Avenue E. at 7 a.m. Saturday and begin digging up pavement about 8 a.m. They hope to reopen the lanes by noon on Sunday, if not sooner.

During the closure, northbound traffic will detour from Broadway to E. Roy, then to Belmont...

The war of the roses may be nearing an end.

An Eastlake garden that drew a complaint and the interest of the City of Seattle's zoning department will be trimmed to comply with city rules.

Mary Hansen, who owns the garden at the corner of E. Lynn and Minor E., met Wednesday afternoon with Tom Braderick, a city zoning inspector, and other city personnel (KOMO TV even came by) to see what she'd have to do to bring her colorful corner into compliance.

The complaint alleged that the height of her plants had created a line-of-sight issue at the busy corner. City rules require that all plantings within 30 feet of a corner be no higher than 24 inches.

In KOMO's report, Braderick says the problem isn't the flowers:

"We find this a very beautiful corner. What we do take issue with is any dangerous situation that is created with your green thumb."

The verdict? Roses along the street needed to be trimmed as did roses and some other plants hanging over the sidewalk and the street.

Hansen says that pruning has been done and she'll...

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. Links to a story by KOMO News was added.

One of the best known and most popular gardens in Eastlake is in trouble with the City of Seattle and part of it may have to be trimmed.

Mary Hansen has spent the last three years planting and growing her garden on the northwest corner of E. Lynn and Minor E. What was a nondescript corner of grass and a couple of shrubs is now a profusion of trees, vegetables and colorful flowers. People in the neighborhood may not know Mary but they do know her garden. The Seattle Times featured it and Mary's house in an article in April.

But sometime in the last few weeks, someone complained to the city's Department of Planning and Development that the height of the garden in the planting strips on Hansen's property violated city zoning codes and created a line-of-sight issue for cars turning at the corner. It's the second time the garden has drawn the scrutiny of city zoning inspectors because of its height.

In a letter dated July 16, a city zoning inspector informed Hansen that, under city zoning codes, any vegetation within 30 feet of the corner can be no taller than 24 inches high. Vegetation can't overhang the sidewalk unless it is at least eight feet up, the inspector said, then added:

"Even following these guidelines you are creating a very real and dangerous corner with your vegetation. Many people would not consider this neighborly.

"Please prune to develop the best line of sight from the corner as possible above and beyond the city requirements."

The letter notes that the inspector is "required to send you a $150 citation without warning for all future complaints." A second complaint would bring a $500 fine, he says.

In a report aired Friday (see below), KING 5 news quoted Planning and Development Customer Service Manager Bryan Stevens as saying the city isn't opposed to gardens but has to enforce zoning codes.

"It's beautiful landscaping, but it really is an issue of public safety at the intersection," Stevens told KING 5.

Hansen posted the city's letter at the corner and asked passersby to sign a letter of support "if you agree this garden creates community rather than danger (as the city contends)." She says she has collected several full sheets of names. Wednesday night, she brought the issue to the attention of the Eastlake Community Council.

"The garden isn't the problem," Hansen says, "the traffic is." She notes that traffic speeds down the hill on E. Lynn, creating a dangerous situation at the corner. Many of those signing her letter of support have written in agreement.

Don Bliss, a resident who lives diagonally across the intersection from Hansen, agrees. "A stop sign here wouldn't hurt," he says.

Bliss likes what Hansen has done with the garden. "I've watched this corner get better and better," he says.

Hansen would like to see something done about the traffic speeding downhill on E. Lynn.

"My plan is to have something come from this," she says of the zoning issue. "I hope we can all benefit from this."

She'd like to see a four-way stop at Lynn and Minor. She plans to contact the Seattle Department of Transportation to see what can be done.

Hansen was planning on working on the the roses on the Lynn Street side of her lot this weekend, moving some bushes and reducing the height of others. She will be meeting with the zoning inspector who sent her the warning letter on Wednesday to find out what exactly she has to do to be in compliance. She's hoping she won't have to take out any of the plants on the Minor E. side of her lot.

RELATED STORIES:

• KOMO 4 News had a report on Saturday that includes video.
• KING 5 news reported on the controversy on Friday:

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. The Aug. 14 event will feature space for non-profits.

And we have a movie!

The Eastlake Community Council voted Wednesday evening to show "Up" as the feature at the Eastlake Movie Night on Aug. 21. The film features the voices of Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer and tells the story of an elderly man and a young boy who fly to South America in a house lifted by helium-filled balloons.

The film will be screened on the Rogers Playfield lawn the evening of Aug. 21. 

Although the community council will be funding Movie Night, they are still looking for sponsors. Businesses or individuals are encouraged to help out. Sponsors will be listed on the event poster. The ECC also is looking for a sound system and a computer projector (3,500 to 5,000 lumens) to show the film. 

If you can help, e-mail info@eastlakeseattle.org.

The ECC is also sponsoring Eastlake's Night Out event on Aug. 3. The anti-crime event will run from 6-9 p.m. on Yale E. between E. Boston and E. Newton.

The City's Department of Neighborhoods has contributed $1,000 to help fund the Eastlake event. Cecilia Grevson, who is one of the organizers for the Night Out, says there will be food (hotdogs, grilled oysters, vegetarian chili, watermelon, ice cream and more), music, kids games, emergency preparedness information and visits from fire and police officers.

If you'd like more info on the Night Out, contact Randy Wright at 206-255-1648 or Judy Schoen at 206-406-5529.

The third event on the summer agenda will be a community celebration and block party on Aug. 14 on Fairview between Hamlin and Fairview Park. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m.

The event will have music, an appearance by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, antique cars and booths featuring local non-profits. Eastlake residents are encouraged to bring their own picnic and dine out with their neighbors.

The community council board also discussed the Eastlake News, the ECC's quarterly publication. The long-time editor of the paper has had to give up the post and the board has been looking for someone to take over editing and design duties. Chris Leman reported that a former Eastlake News editor has indicated she would be willing to take on the job again. The board agreed to spend up to $800 on computer design software for the new editor to use in producing the paper.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says that maintenance work on the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge will continue this weekend.

Two of the northbound lanes will close at 3 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and reopen at 9 a.m. each day. Two lanes will remain open at all times.

The big noise begins at 4 a.m., WSDOT says. If you'd like earplugs, contact Mike Murphy at 206-440-4699. You can find current construction information at the WSDOT website.

It's summer and that means ROADWORK! Crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation will be doing their annual repairs on the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge deck for the next two weekends.

This weekend, they'll close two southbound lanes at 4 a.m. each day and work until 9 a.m. Next weekend, they'll do the same thing on northbound lanes. Express lanes will open as usual.

Be prepared for some noise, the WSDOT e-mail says:

This is noisy work. Crews will use jackhammers to remove broken concrete and dump trucks to haul it away. While we do our best to use quieter back-up alarms, the work will likely be noticeable. Residents can contact WSDOT at 206.440.4699 to get earplugs in advance of the work. 

Ah, the peaceful sounds of summer!

Got questions? E-mail holterj@wsdot.wa.gov.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn unveiled a new nightlife initiative yesterday (see Seattle Times coverage here).

One of the more talked-about parts of the plan would be a change in liquor laws to allow bars to serve liquor later than they now do or even to serve all night. The idea is to let the market determine closing hours in the hopes that would prevent the mass exodus of bar patrons that occurs at the standard 2 a.m. closing time.

The mayor would couple that proposal with better training for bar security personnel, tighter noise restrictions and more late-night bus service.

Eastlake hasn't had the problems with bar-related violence that seem to plague Belltown. Still: Would later hours be desirable for some or all of the restaurants/bars in the neighborhood? What would be the advantages or disadvantages?

What do you think? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

For more information on the initiative or to leave comments or participate in a survey, go to the website for the...

Metro's Route 49 just brushes the edge of Eastlake: It comes down Capitol Hill on 10th E., jogs on Roanoke and then goes down Harvard Avenue E. before crossing the University Bridge.

On Aug. 7, Metro will close three of the stops on Harvard, at E. Edgar, E. Hamlin and E. Allison. Those stops also serve Route 25.

The stops are being eliminated to help cut costs and fuel consumption and to allow buses to move faster and more reliably. According to a Metro press release:

Currently, the [Route 49] corridor has 50 bus stops between Convention Place Station and the University Bridge, with an average spacing between stops of 835 feet. Metro will remove 13 of these stops, increasing the average stop spacing to about 1,145 feet.

To see a map of Route 49 and the stops to be eliminated, or to submit comments, go to Metro's website for the route by clicking here.

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. A link to coverage of the event from the Seattle Times has been added.

The latest round in the battle over NOAA's planned move from Eastlake to Oregon took place today.

NOAA announced last summer that it was leaving it's long-time location on Lake Union in Eastlake for Newport, Oregon. Despite protests from Seattle, Belllingham (which was vying for the base) and various officials, NOAA has broken ground on the new base.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Congressman Jim McDermott, Councilmember Jean Godden and other elected officials gathered on the banks of the Duwamish River today to sign a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urging him to reopen the NOAA site selection process. The letter (which is attached) says, in part:

We believe the NOAA should admit its errors and do the right thing by beginning this entire process anew. It is the right thing to do for the Agency and the American taxpayer.

The letter says that a recently completed...

The City of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods has trees and they're giving them away.

This is the 15th year for the Neighborhood Matching Fund's Tree Fund program. Seattle residents have planted 20,000 trees through the fund.

You'll need a group of five neighbors on your block (you and four others) to apply for the trees. You'll get between 10 and 40 trees, with up to one fruit tree per household.

Deadline for applying is August 16 and you'll find out within six weeks what you're getting. Planting occurs in the fall. 

You'll find all the information you need at this link, including the application. I've attached a PDF that explains the Neighborhood Matching Fund program.

In a press release, the Department of Neighborhoods explains the rationale behind the free trees program:

In 1972, Seattle’s land area had a tree cover of 40 percent.  Now, that cover has dropped to 22 percent.  This decline threatens nature’s ability to help manage storm water, reduce erosion, absorb climate-disrupting gases, improve public health and clean the air.  The goal of the Tree Fund program is to increase the percentage back to 30 percent, build community, and promote a clean and green environment for Seattle’s streets.

The July 5 post-fireworks clean-up event, sponsored by Starbucks, is under way in Eastlake.

Scores of volunteers gathered at Rogers Playfield this morning to begin picking up neighborhood litter after last night's fireworks show. Starbucks was providing shirts, coffee, food, plastic bags, work gloves and litter pick-up tools to those participating. There was even a shuttle bus to help people get around the neighborhood.

The event runs until 2 p.m. today.

Some areas, such as Fairview, were surprisingly clean despite the crowds that came for the fireworks. Sides streets like E. Lynn and Minor Ave. E. seemed to have more empty cans and bottles and spent fireworks. I did see a Parks Department truck coming down Fairview, picking up bagged trash just before the fireworks began, so that may have helped.

Volunteers were being asked to sort out recyclables. Litter and recyclables were being left in several locations to be picked up later.

The clean-up route included Eastlake Avenue E., Fairview Avenue E. and E. Boston and E. Roanoke west of Eastlake. But, enterprising volunteers were fanning out to other streets looking for trash.

Volunteers came from all over the city and region. I talked to people from the University District, Wallingford, Beacon Hill, West Seattle and even Auburn. A couple of people said they used to live in Eastlake and wanted to come help. Several said they enjoyed the fireworks and wanted to do their part to clean up after the event.

Volunteers will be eating lunch at Rogers Playfield until 12:30 p.m. If you know of an area that needs attention, stop by the green tent and let them know where to head out to for their afternoon.

UPDATE: This post has been changed since first published. A video has been added. This was first posted at 11:35 p.m. on Sunday. 

The fireworks are over for another year and Eastlake's streets are busy as everyone heads home.

The wet weather finally ended several hours before the 10:15 p.m. show began. Thousands of people crowded Gas Works Park and the streets, rooftops, decks and docks of Eastlake to get a look at the show.

There were official fireworks on the barge in Lake Union and unofficial fireworks on most streets, many of which were still going on an hour after the big show ended.

I stood with a large and appreciative crowd at the corner of E. Lynn and Fairview E. The view was great, the crowd was well-behaved and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

People are now filing out of the area west of Eastlake, looking for a bus or taxi or trying to find their cars.

See you next year!

If you're driving to Eastlake, you'd better have a place to park because there aren't many spaces left.

People are circling the blocks in a vain attempt to find a place to park for the fireworks show at 10 p.m. But spaces are few and Parking Enforcement officers are towing people who park where they shouldn't.

Shortly after 3 p.m., tow trucks were removing three vehicles from the north side of E. Lynn beside the Eastlake Zoo and the Dog Zone. One distraught woman returned a few minutes later to find her car gone. The spaces are clearly marked as a "no parking" zone.

If you need to park, there are spaces available for $15 in the garage under the office building at Eastlake and Hamlin.

A large fireworks explosion on Rogers Playfield drew police attention shortly before 5 p.m. Two officers stopped by minutes later and talked to folks there, presumably warning them to not repeat the blast.

One group has erected a large tent at Rogers Playfield and they're sitting inside, waiting for the rain to quit. Another group is under the trees where it's drier. And yet another group is picnicing on the porch at Seward School.

There isn't a street party on Minor Avenue E. this year, but Christina Choi from Nettletown is cooking in the 2200 block of Minor. She's serving bratwurst sandwiches, beef short ribs and tofu sandwiches, along with desserts.

And, yes, it is raining. It's not a heavy rain but it is wet and doesn't seem inclined to quit just yet. Only in Seattle would people party and barbecue outside in the rain. But, this IS Seattle. 

Stay dry!

Good morning and happy Fourth of July!

Lady Liberty is inflated atop Kite Hill at Gas Works Park and the forecast, while it won't be as warm as last year, isn't bad: partly cloudy, highs in the upper 60s. If it rains, it looks like it won't be much more than a sprinkle. Maybe.

Here's a wrap-up of our Fourth of July coverage:

• Where to park and drive in Eastlake: Check our map and details on traffic and parking restrictions to see where you can and can't go. Have guests coming over? Tell them to get here by 6-7 p.m. and make sure they have a place to park or they're taking the bus.
• What's open? Our list shows what's open in Eastlake today and what hours they'll be open.
• Cleaning up after the fireworks: Join Starbucks Monday morning at 10 at Rogers Playfield to help clean up the neighborhood after tonight's fireworks. Starbucks is providing the coffee, lunch and t-shirts. For more info or to register, go to their website. You don't have to register but doing so helps them make sure they have enough food, coffee and shirts for everyone.

Have a happy Fourth of July!

The good news regarding the Fourth of July (Sunday) in Eastlake is that things haven’t changed much from last year.

As we reported in April, the parking and traffic restrictions will be pretty much the same as they were last year. The only big change in the Seattle Police Department’s traffic control is to make E. Newton the southern line of restrictions and closure. Officers will be posted along Newton at Eastlake, Yale, Minor and Fairview to control access.

The attached map gives you the traffic control plan on a single page. Here are the more in-depth details:

The big question: What do I tell people who are coming to my place to watch the fireworks, which start a little after 10 p.m.?

Last year, Officer Mark Wong of the SPD told the Eastlake Community Council: “I’d get down here before 6 to 7 p.m.” After that, the SPD starts to tighten up access in the area west of Eastlake and it can be difficult to impossible to drive in and park. 

Your visitors won’t need a written invitation, but they will need to know where they’re going and where they’re going to park.

Other things you’ll need to know:

Traffic/parking map: Click to see a larger version.

• Parking along Eastlake: There won’t be much. Parking is totally prohibited on both sides of Eastlake from Hamlin south to Newton from 11 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth. North of Hamlin, you won’t be able to park on the east side of the street. Warning signs are already up and officers will be out and ticketing people on the Fourth.
• Pre-show limited access: The area west of Eastlake to the water will have limited access during the day (gray zone on the map). During the day, SPD officers will check with people attempting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park and are aware that they’ll be towed if they park illegally.
• Traffic barricades along Eastlake: On the map, you’ll see orange barricades marked on Newton and along Eastlake. Officers will start staffing those positions around 6:30 p.m. Around 7:30 to 8 p.m., they’ll begin to assess the traffic and around 8:30 p.m. they’ll close car access to that area until after the show. You can always walk or ride a bike in to this area. After the show, barricades move from the west side of Eastlake to the east (blue circles on the map).
• I-5 off ramps: They’ll be closed from 9 to 11 p.m. (see photo). Mercer, Boylston and Roanoke are all closed at this time by the State Patrol. The Patrol will reopen them as quickly as possible after the fireworks. The Lakeview Overpass will also be closed for the show.
• Street flow after the show: Big changes after the show is over. The two blocks of Lynn from Eastlake to Boylston become a one-way street heading east. If you want to go south on I-5, get in the right-hand lane. Want to be north? Get in the left-hand lane. Harvard E. from Roanoke to Eastlake becomes a one-way street going north.
• Who ya gonna call? Officer Wong says if you see someone parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a driveway, call the police early ("The sooner before the 4th of July evening gets under way, the better," he writes in an e-mail) and they'll take care of it. Don't call the East Precinct. Instead,
• Fireworks: They’re illegal inside the city limits. But, folks have them and, as the SPD said last year, they just don’t have enough personnel to respond to them. If fireworks are potentially causing a fire or safety hazard, police urge you to call 9-1-1 and report it.

If you're planning on going to Gas Works, the SPD has a few tips at their blog.

That’s it for now. I’ll add updates if I receive any.

Starbucks is one of the sponsors of the Lake Union fireworks this year and, after the event, they're going to help clean up around the lake.

The company will be sponsoring a clean up event on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. One of the gathering places will be Rogers Playfield in Eastlake. (You can also go to the Center for Wooden Boats.)

Starbucks will provide the coffee, lunch and t-shirts. Go to their website to sign up. You don't have to sign up but they say that doing so will allow them to make sure there's enough shirts and food for everyone.

They're still looking for suggestions on where to focus the cleanup crews. Where in Eastlake should they go to do the most good? Post your ideas in the comments section below.

Our news partner, the Seattle Times, has a video online showing how crews are prepping the Lake Union fireworks display that will be set off Sunday evening.

In other Fouth of July news, the Times and other news sources are reporting that One Reel, the producers of the Lake Union fireworks, are planning on counting on more donations to fund next year's event. This year's fireworks almost didn't happen when One Reel wasn't able to find a corporate sponsor to provide the $500,000 it costs to produce the event.

In a press release issued Thursday, One Reel says they'll change their funding model for 2011:

While One Reel didn’t initially consider soliciting donations for the 2010 event, the overwhelming public response to saving this cherished Independence Day celebration caused the organization to rethink the sponsorship model that has been in place since the event was first created in 1988. As of July 1st, family4th.org will be prepared to accept donation pledges and sponsorship inquiries for the 2011 event.

In March, One Reel announced that they'd been unable to find a sponsor to replace JP Morgan Chase, which had paid for last year's show after it took over Washington Mutual, the previous sponsor. One Reel said there wouldn't be a show this year. But KIRO's Dave Ross and several local business stepped up to mount a fundraising campaign that gathered enough money to put on the show.

Our news partner, the Seattle Times, reports that a new federal audit finds that NOAA didn't consider using cheaper, existing federal facilities in Seattle rather than move to Newport, Oregon.

NOAA announced last summer that it would leave its long-time base on Lake Union in Eastlake and relocate to Newport. Despite appeals by Bellingham, which also tried to win the base, and Washington elected officials, NOAA has insisted the move was the best decision for the agency.

The new audit comes from the Commerce Department's Inspector General. NOAA is part of the Commerce Department, which is headed by former Washington Gov. Gary Locke.

The Times story says of this new audit:

The report also takes NOAA to task for failing to analyze the total, long-term cost of moving the ships to Newport, which lacks major maritime facilities and is more than 200 miles from the Seattle-based researchers who commonly use the vessels.

The Times' story says it's unclear if the auditor's report will cause NOAA to reassess it'...

I'll be posting later this week about traffic restrictions in Eastlake on the Fourth of July. One development that might send a few more folks our way on Sunday: Lake Union Park at the south end of the lake will be closed on the Fourth.

The Parks Department sent out a press release today saying that the park will be closed because it's "under construction, and not suitable for crowds." A small portion of the park will be open to provide access to the Wooden Boat Show.

Lake Union Park has been undergoing a multi-year, $30 million renovation and is scheduled to have a grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Our report in April on Fourth of July restrictions is here.

UPDATE, 11:18 a.m.: Real-Time 911 shows the call is now closed. The P-I says firefighters report the leak was caused by a ruptured pipe. More from SeattlePI.com is here.

Seattle Fire Department personnel have responded to a "major" natural gas leak in the 3200 block of Harvard Ave. E.

The building, a 1920s-era apartment that also houses several businesses, was reportedly evacuated.

Casey McNerthney at SeattlePI.com reports that fire crews reported that gas in the building's boiler room was turned off at 10:50 a.m. McNerthney reports that fire officials say there were no injuries.

The emergency call is still active at this time (11:15 a.m.).

Expect some traffic snarls this weekend if you're heading to Fremont, the University District or University Village. These probably won't affect Eastlake but you never know:

• Fremont Solstice Fair and Parade: You have to hope it's dry on Saturday so the body paint won't run all over the streets of Fremont. The Solstice Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The parade, with its famous naked bike riders, is at noon on Saturday. Street closures are within the following boundaries: 1st Avenue N.W. on the west; N. 36th Street on the north; Fremont Avenue N. on the east; N. 34th Street and N. Canal Street on the south. Streets will be closed starting at 1 p.m. today (Friday) and won't be open until midnight on Sunday.
• N.E. 45th Street viaduct closure: The western end of the N.E. 45th Street viaduct is closed so it can be replaced. It won't reopen until September. Be aware of the closure if you're trying to get to University Village or Sand Point. Click here to see a photo...

And, no, it's not me! The winner, named last night at SeattleWeekly.com's Best of the Web 2010 Awards, is Monica Guzman.

Guzman, until recently the main writer for SeattlePi.com's Big Blog, moved to Eastlake last summer with her fiance, Jason Preston. She left the P-I last month to join a local startup, Intersect.

She tells TechFlash's John Cook:

"It is a little bit bittersweet to think that I just left the visible blogger position at the P-I, but more than that it is awkward."

I sat next to Monica for a couple of years at the P-I where we both worked on the paper's website. Monica was the one who harangued me into trying Facebook and Twitter (still using both every day), and who answered my endless questions about new websites and proper blog netiquette. I, in turn, explained old pop culture references and related how the news used to be delivered by oxcart and covered wagon, not the Internet.

Monica and Jason will be getting married later this summer. I'm taking bets that all the Tweeting at the ceremony will make them a top trending topic on Twitter!

Congratulations, Monica!

To read more of Cook's story (he also blogged for the P-I and was once more informally crowned Seattle's Sexiest Blogger by Dan Savage), click here.

And, a tip of the hat to the WestSeattleBlog, named the city's best neighborhood blog at the same event. Congrats, Tracy and Patrick!

Starbucks is not only one of the sponsors of the Lake Union fireworks this July 4, they're going to help clean up afterwards.

The coffee retailer announced that its employees will be cleaning up at three locations around Lake Union on Monday, July 5: the Center for Wooden Boats in South Lake Union, Gas Works Park and a location in Eastlake yet to be determined. Starbucks is partnering with the Seattle Public Utilities, CleanScapes (they haul our trash) and the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance to clean up after the holiday on land and water.

Volunteers will get lunch and a t-shirt, courtesy of Starbucks, and will be entered in a raffle. Seattle Public Utilities will donate cleaning supplies and CleanScapes will haul off the trash.

Hours for the event will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, July 5. To sign up, go to www.starbucks.com/seattle. If you'd like to clean up on Lake Union (limited space is available), go to Puget Soundkeeper Alliance's website or call 206-297-7002.

What do you think? Where in Eastlake should...

WSDOT video of this morning's press briefing.

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced this morning that installation of test noise-reduction panels on the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge will begin on Wednesday.

We first wrote about the test project a year ago. The WSDOT will install noise-absorbing panels on the underside of the upper deck of the Ship Canal Bridge to see if they reduce reflected traffic noise and how will they hold up. The test project will run for three years.

The Seattle Times reports on this morning's WSDOT press briefing. Installation of the panels will take several months, the Times reports:

The 500-foot test section will consist of about 700 4-foot-by-8-foot panels. The state says the location is good because it includes noise on a double-deck structure and also noise moving over water.

The state hopes those who live near the test section will notice less noise.

If the test section proves successful, the WSDOT will seek funding from the State Legislature to hang the panels on the rest of the Ship Canal Bridge.

The Times says that single lanes on the I-5 express lanes will be closed during the day during installation. Parts of sidewalks under I-5 between E. Allison and E. Gwinn will also be closed.

Read more of the Times' story here.

WSDOT has photos from this morning's event on it's Flickr page.

Our video from last summer's community information meeting on the project is here:

Newport, Oregon, got good news shortly before ground breaking on NOAA's new headquarters there earlier today: NOAA's review of its decision to relocate to the Oregon coastal city says they made the right choice.

NOAA announced last summer that it was moving from its long-time base on Lake Union in Eastlake to Newport. Despite protests from Washington's Congressional delegation and other cities that bid for the base (Bellingham and Port Angeles), NOAA maintained that the Newport decision was the only one it could make. NOAA said the proposed rent in Bellingham was too high. Oregon used a state subsidy to lower its rent, a practice that isn't legal in Washington.

After a Government Accounting Office report questioned the move, NOAA was required to review the decision and find further justification for the move. 

NOAA's ships had been based on Lake Union for about 60 years. A fire late in the evening of July 4, 2006, destroyed two piers at the facility, which is not owned by NOAA but by a group of local...