The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Hill event returns again later this month and we’re happy to report that CHS and publisher Justin Carder will be honored during the annual review of the chamber’s efforts and look ahead at “the work plan and goals for the coming year.”

Carder will be presented with the 2015 Spirit Award in recognition of his efforts as publisher of this site. The publisher and the writers, photographers, and community contributors of CHS have provided daily coverage of the Capitol Hill neighborhood and surrounding contributors for years after starting as a hobby blog way back in 2006. Today, CHS is 100% advertising supported and serves more than 150,000 readers every month.

Past award recipients include light rail station development community advocate Catherine Hillenbrand, Cal Anderson Park champion Kay Rood, and preservation-minded developer Michael Malone.

The State of the Hill even will be held February 19th at Melrose Market Studios. Details and the announcement from the chamber, are below.

State of the Hill 2015 Event & Speech
Mayor Murray in attendance

2015 Spirit Award winner; Justin Carder of the Capitol Hill Seattle (CHS) blog

Thursday, February 19, 2015 5:30-8:30 pm

Capitol Hill, Seattle—

The State of the Hill address will be held at the Melrose Market Studios (1532 Minor Avenue, Seattle)                    on Thursday, February 19, 2015, from 5:30 to 8:30pm.  The annual State of the Hill address is the Chamber’s opportunity to celebrate the successes of the previous year and to communicate to Chamber members and friends – including public officials and City of Seattle agencies – the work plan and goals for the coming year.  It’s an excellent party.  We are pleased to host Mayor Ed Murray at this year’s event and justly proud to be able to welcome a City of Seattle Mayor from Capitol Hill.  We expect Council members and other City Department heads to be in attendance as well.

This year’s event is being organized by Sasha Summer Cousineau of Revel Rouser Events and, in keeping with years past, will present an evening that shows why the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, “is not your Daddy’s chamber.”  Guests’ taste buds will be treated to a champagne greeting and delicious bites from Capitol Hill favorite, Skillet Street Food Diner.  Throughout the evening guests will be delighted by the sights of entertainment from the Moisture Festival and the sounds of DJ Amon.   Moisture Festival, Melrose Market Studios and Skillet are all sponsors of this event and Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce members.

The State of the Hill event is where the Chamber presents the annual Spirit Award, given to a Capitol Hill community member who has provided exemplary service to the neighborhood.  This year’s recipient is Justin Carder, writer and publisher of the Capitol Hill Seattle blog, an invaluable source of information for the entirety of the Hill.  Justin’s work provides all of us with detailed, professional reporting and his in depth coverage of development and infrastructure projects in Capitol Hill is the best in the City.  His news & feature reporting have created a sense of community that is unparalleled in this neighborhood.  Justin Carder can truly be said to represent the Spirit of the Hill.

As this is the fifth year of presenting the Spirit Award, we will be acknowledging previous award winners during the evening.  These include Catherine Hillenbrand (for her work with the Champion on Sound Transit TOD site), Kay Rood (as an advocate for Cal Anderson Park and creator for the Cal Anderson Park Alliance), Michael Malone (historic preservation and advocacy around Pike and Pine) and Chip Ragen and Michael Wells (for their work as founding members of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce).