The challenge of jumping off the career path and then trying to get back on can be especially hard on parents. Judging my the number of prams navigating Capitol Hill sidewalks this spring, finding solutions to get moms and dads back into the workforce are going to become more and more important.

Capitol Hill mother of three Jamie Flynn launched a Seattle chapter of Mom Corps this month and is looking for resumes from college-educated and professional parents. Dads can apply, too. Mom Corps job candidates typically have a college degree, five years of work experience and have been out of the workforce for two years or less, but Flynn said their candidates are diverse.

Flynn was inspired to start her Mom Corps business when she watched company founder Allison O’Kelly interviewed on the Today show.

“I found the Mom Corps concept to be so compelling, because I was a working mother struggling with a lot of the same issues [they were] trying to address,” said Flynn. “When I realized that Mom Corps had started franchising its operations, I immediately jumped on board, because I realized that both Seattle area businesses and professionals would greatly benefit.”

Flynn built a career in law and commercial property development. She worked in London as an international finance lawyer, and was recently a regional development partner for Campus Crest Development, a national owner and operator of university student housing. She worked on projects throughout the Northwest, California, Nevada and Texas. For the last six years, she has lived with her husband and three daughters on Capitol Hill.

“Flexibility means different things to different people,” said Flynn. “It could mean a standard, 20 hour per week, part-time position, it could mean a contract, or project-based, position. Or, it could mean a full time job with some component of flexibility attached to it, such as a job that allows the employee to work from home part of the time.”

Interested Mom Corps applicants should go to the company website to complete an application and browse jobs placed by employers that are eager to work with parents. The site is free to use.

If you’re considering rejoining the workforce after a few years hiatus, Flynn recommends you consider the following:

1.  Make sure that you have the support of your family before going back to work.   
2. Get current.  Update your resume, update your wardrobe, learn any new computer skills that have changed in your field and learn whether there are any new trends in your industry.  That way you will have set yourself up for success.  
3. Get childcare, including having a back-up plan in place, because let’s face it, we all have to rely on our back-up plan from time to time.     
4. Be confident.  Be confident in your skills and your experience.  That confidence will shine through during any interview. 
5. Be happy with your decision to go back to work, rather than feeling guilty about leaving your family to re-enter the work force.  Just remember that a happy, balanced parent will lead to a happy, well-adjusted family.

Since the Seattle franchise just launched, listings are still pretty sparse but applicants should check back to the website in the coming months to see what positions will become available. Flynn said she doesn’t want to “jinx” the staffing opportunities she’s evaluating right now, but says the Seattle job force looks promising. She said she hasn’t connected with any businesses on Capitol Hill yet but is looking in to it. Her district covers Seattle and the Eastside.

“Suffice it to say, the Mom Corps concept is appealing to a broad range of companies, particularly because it provides them with high caliber, on-demand talent while promoting diversity in the workplace,” she said.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the vacant lot on E. Pine St. between Belmont Ave. and Summit Ave. will be full of barterers, musicians, artists and the curious. Hosted by People’s Parking Lot, Saturday’s community event will go from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“We’ll be loosely organizing, but the main goal here is to make it an event we create together, just by showing up and sharing,” said Sarah Kuck, People’s Parking Lot member and organizer for the group’s Earth Day Free Day celebrations. “If you’re a musician, bring your instrument. If you’re an artist, consider the lot your outdoor studio for the day, if you’re a baker or chef, bring us a taste of your latest creation, if you’re a dancer, think of the lot as your studio, if you love to talk and speak your mind, come find someone to chat with.”

People’s Parking Lot is a local group dedicated to utilizing vacant and unused city space in Seattle. Founded by Keith Harris, the group is planning a bunch of one-off events around the city, including community garage sales. They get permits and logistics cleared for public community events in what could be dismal or abandoned areas of the city. They are now affiliated with Shunpike, a group that helps support fledging art groups, so you can donate to the group through them.

The empty lot on E. Pine St. used to be an epicenter of nightlife on Capitol Hill, the block of the infamous Cha Cha lounge and Manray, among others.

“Once a vibrant, crazy, eclectic strip of culturally important businesses, the E. Pine lot now sits empty. This lot in particular inspired Keith to put a call out on the Internet for people to do something about this and other eye sores and empty spaces,” said Kuck. “This is our community, but others own the rights to the property that we live so close to. This can be frustrating. It made us ask ourselves, ‘How can we revitalize/make use of spaces we don’t own?’”

Bring things to barter, trade or celebrate, but don’t go expecting to turn a profit. Money exchange at the Earth Day Free Day event is not allowed. Since the event is on a private lot, there will be no involvement from the city on this project.

“Mostly, I just want people to come and enjoy themselves. Earth Day Free Day is about getting to know your neighbors, sharing what you have and celebrating that you get to live here,” said Kuck. “Just come have fun and celebrate being here!”

Check out their Facebook party invite and Earth Day Free Day blog post to get involved and for more information.

Saturday’s groundbreaking celebration for the new park at Summit Ave. and E. John Street signified new beginnings for the community, but also the end of a long community process.

After two years of fundraising and campaigning, Summit/John fund-raising group Unpaving Paradise,  the open space committee of the Capitol Hill Community Council, celebrated the beginning of the end of the former Diamond Parking lot that will soon be transformed into a park and p-patches.

Saturday, people stopped by to say hello and celebrate by drawing on the concrete with chalk, hula hooping and dancing. Café Metropolitan celebrated as well, with an extended happy hour today until 6 p.m.

Construction crews will start working on the space as soon as next week, and the garden could be completed as early as September.

“This has definitely been a team effort and has really brought the community together,” said Nanette Fok, grant writer and volunteer with Unpaving Paradise. “The whole neighborhood has been involved.”

Unpaving Paradise is a project that branched off of the Capitol Hill Community Council’s Open Space Committee and has been dedicated to park fundraising. Now, the group will be focused on park planning and planting.

Even though the budget doesn’t look so good for Parks, the nature of the p-patch program and the overall community support should sustain the park in years to come.

“Parks has been pretty clear with us [about budget cuts],” said Jennifer Power, Capitol Hill Community Council member and board member of the Open Space Committee. “But the community supports this park, and between the p-patch gardeners, the people using it and all the local businesses, there will be a lot of eyes on the park.”

If you are interested in getting a p-patch spot, the best way to earn your way to the top of what could be a very long waiting list is to get involved with the groups associated with the park – Unpaving Paradise or the P-Patch program.

“Capitol Hill is an area that really wants and needs the space, and are getting excited about setting up their own gardens,” said Laura Raymond, Project Coordinator for the P-Patch Development Program through the Department of Neighborhoods. “This new green space is emblematic of p-patches around the city and of a deep community commitment to it.”

Retired carpenter Bill Pond spends his Sundays cooking, starting his famous chicken noodle soup (textured and fresh with a spicy kick) around 10 a.m., with veggies he grew in his garden. While the soup slow cooks, he prepares for a hot dog meal that will feed up to 50 people, maybe more.

Around dinner time, he’ll pack the hot dogs and 32 quarts of chicken soup into his green truck, leave his home in Burien and head over to Capitol Hill. Then, he’ll pull over to the side of the road across the street from Dick’s Drive-In, put out some orange hazard cones and serve the food to the people lined against the construction fence waiting for him.

Pond has faithfully served the homeless, the hungry and the curious from the same place every Sunday at 6 PM for the last four years. Volunteers meet him on the corner and help serve the food and hand out to-go bags of flavored vitamin water, oranges and chips.

He even sets up the food on a printed picnic tablecloth, making it feel like more of a cookout than handout.

“Everything is handmade,” said Pond. “Even though they’re homeless, they deserve good food.”

The people Pond feeds vary in age, background and situation. Sometimes the serving line goes down the block, and they are welcome to come back for seconds if they stand at the end of the line.

Bill Pond serves Capitol Hill Sunday nights at 6 p.m.

“It used to be just for the homeless,” said Pond. “Now it’s changed to anyone who is hungry.”

Pond says he started serving on Capitol Hill after an encounter with a panhandler at Dick’s. When the person asked him for spare change, Pond offered a burger instead. He ended up spending $20, all the cash he had on him, feeding the hungry people there.

The interaction inspired Pond to start serving people food he could make himself. He started at Pike Place Market, but was turned off by the druggies and drunks he said he found in his lines. In the beginning, the cops asked him what he was up to and he responded, “I’m just serving my friends.” After the inspiration at Dick’s, he started serving exclusively on the Hill. He started out handing out sandwiches, but now he serves homemade soup, chili or stew.

After the Seattle Times profiled him in 2008, a few volunteers joined him in his efforts, bringing sandwiches, chips and water bottles to hand out along with a cup of soup and a hot dog.

Capitol Hill resident Laura Delvillar and her husband started helping Pond two years ago.

“My husband and I noticed people struggling in our neighborhood and we wanted a more immediate way to help,” said Delvillar. “I wanted to make sure that my neighbors were getting the help they need.”

Another local, Brad Fisher, was making pastries and desserts for a living when he read the Times article and started bringing baked goods to hand out.

“I was inspired by the idea of this one guy trying to get out there and make a difference,” said Fisher. “I wanted to see the immediacy of what we could do to help the community.”

Pond is not an established non-profit, his work is not tax deductible and the money he spends on food comes directly from his own pocket and those of his volunteers. Times are tough, and Pond collects aluminum cans to supplement his costs. If people want to help, Pond asks that they donate money, not food. “I like to know where it’s coming from and what I’m feeding them,” said Pond. 

You can reach Pond at (206) 244-8521 if you want to get involved.

He used to serve on Wednesday and Sunday nights, but found himself throwing away food on Wednesdays as that day didn’t seem as popular. However, Pond and his volunteers have noticed an increased need from the neighborhood and would like to resume Wednesday night servings but lack funds to do it. Recent light rail construction on Broadway has jeopardized his normal spot, and Pond isn’t sure where he’ll set up if he has to move.

Even though times are tough, Pond says he feels compelled by a higher power to serve others as long as he can.

“God made me do it. I’m not a very religious person, God never spoke to me before. I’m pretty old school,” said Pond. “But if he’s going to come to me, I guess I’d better do it.”

Seattle Central Community College might be able to identify with some of its students with big plans but small budgets. The college announced it is planning a $40 million regional health care education center at its Capitol Hill campus. They just need to find a way to pay for it.

wind cradle seattle central community
college Uploaded by davidstoesz

“We’re looking to hire a firm to do studies to see if there is the potential out there to raise money,” said spokesperson Laura Mansfield. “Being a state entity, we have to do it within the process. Then, we’ll do a feasibility study to see if there’s interest out there from private donors and interested partners to raise money.”

The proposed building would be a student training center for SCCC students studying nursing, dental hygiene, opticianry licensed dispensing, respiratory care and surgical technology – the five health science degrees the college offers.

“Seattle Central has a strong investment in health sciences,” said Mansfield. “We are preparing students for careers in the global health industry and we want to be a player in it.”

Meanwhile, the school is also moving forward with plans to construct a new plant sciences lab in the empty lot next to the SCC garage between Harvard and Boylston. In the CHS comments, Wendy Rochill, Interim Dean of Science and Math, added more details about the school’s plan to fund the new project:

Seattle Central is thrilled to finally have the Plant Sciences Lab come to life. The funds for this project have been set aside for more than six years. As a capitol project, we can are limited by law to only use these funds for specific projects (for example we cannot use these funds for classroom instruction). We are pleased to have a chance to put this money into a project that will improve the vacant lot to the north of the garage. The only building present will be a green house for starting plants, over-wintering of plants, and projects such as herbs for the culinary arts program. There will be no lawn and the plantings will focus on native and sustainable agriculture. SCCC grounds crews will not be maintaining the area; it will fall under the auspices of the Science and Math Division Laboratory Technician who is a master gardener and native plant enthusiast.Some of the highlights of the new Plant Sciences Lab include the following:Urban food systems production through the Sustainable Agriculture ProgramHerbs grown for the Culinary Arts Program at SCCCSustainable building, landscape, and plantingsHands on laboratory experiences for studentsA great spot to enjoy native plant lifeAnd more as we develop programs to meet student, community, and college needs.

Please join us for a ground breaking ceremony to be announced soon.

Conservatory Postcard, originally uploaded by JTContinental.

The City of Seattle is scrambling to cover a multimillion dollar budget deficit. Now, people close to the situation say Parks and Recreation will take the biggest hit, with first cuts planned as soon as July, according to the Associated Recreation Council, an independent non-profit that partners with the city department.

“Community members need to share their personal stories with the Mayor and City Council members if they expect the doors to stay open and the parks maintained,” said Christina Arcidy, Project Coordinator for ARC, in an e-mail sent to CHS. “There are no public meetings or formal requests for public comment, so individuals must reach out to their elected officials and start a dialogue if they want to have an impact.”

Cuts could include lawn and mowing maintenance for all Seattle parks. Pools and public facilities in all parks, including Volunteer, Cal Anderson and Miller Parks, will not be open to the public any longer, or may have shorter operation hours.

While none of the major planned cuts have been confirmed by Parks or the city, CHS received confirmation from a City employee with knowledge of the situation who asked to remain anonymous about the severity – and certainty – of the cuts being planned.

“Overall, I’ve been told in meetings that everything, including pools, community centers and environmental centers in all parks and open spaces will receive dramatically less attention,” said the employee. “Parks facilities and [public] open spaces will be considered for cuts and reductions in service. This is unprecedented, to my knowledge.”

The official word from Parks is that the jury is still out on definite cutbacks. There is a Budget Public Hearing scheduled for April 28 at 5:30 p.m. at New Holly Gathering Hall, and a follow-up one on May 4 at 5:30 p.m. at North Seattle Community College.  

————————————–

UPDATE 10:10 AM:
Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad sent CHS the following e-mail this morning:

Please stop reporting that Parks budget cuts are a “done deal.” I can tell you unequivocally that they are not. The Superintendent has said repeatedly that “everything is on the table.” In fact, I just spoke with him this morning, and he reiterated it again.

While I hesitate to conjecture about what meetings the anonymous employee is referring to, it is possible that he/she is talking about potential budget scenarios that the department is considering. This is a normal part of the budget cutting process. We have not yet received directions from the City Budget Office (CBO) regarding our target reductions; however, we anticipate that we will have to make mid-year reductions, as well as 2011 reductions.

To wait until after we receive direction from CBO to begin considering where we will make those reductions would be nothing short of careless. It is our responsibility to the taxpayers to begin having conversations internally about where we can fill the budget gap. Pool and community center closures are being considered, but so is everything else.

 ————————————–

“It’s too early to know,” said Dewey Potter, Communications Manager for Seattle Parks and Recreation. “Parks and Recreation will certainly share in the reductions needed to make up for that [$50 million] shortfall. The City Budget Office [CBO] has not yet issued its 2011 budget instructions to departments. When we receive them around the end of April, they will be based on the latest revenue forecast and a target budget number for each department.”

The anonymous employee, however, said that the cuts are already a done deal and that Parks is already planning the reductions.

“To my knowledge there are no more votes on this, and the decisions are final,” said the employee.

Cal Anderson Park Alliance president Kay Rood was hesitant to comment on rumors and says CAPA will follow any marching orders they receive from Parks about how to proceed, but haven’t heard any official word yet on what will happen with the proposed budget cuts.

 “We are generally aware of the well-publicized and serious city-wide budget problems, that some mid-year adjustments are being discussed and considered,” Rood told CHS. “However, Parks has not contacted CAPA directly with budget cuts specific to Cal Anderson Park.”

Even as operating funds for Parks maintenance and programs come under increasing budget pressure, Capitol Hill continues to see investment in new neighborhood green spaces and facilities. Potter provided a list of scheduled Hill projects and their timelines:

Renovation of the Volunteer Park playground (Parks and Green Spaces Levy) -Planning begins in 2011, there are no web documents available.

Seismic and HVAC work at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park (Parks and Green Spaces Levy) – no web page yet, planning begins in 2011

Capitol Hill Urban Center Village (Parks and Green Spaces Levy)– No budget or schedule set yet but Parks hosted a public meeting on a proposed 12,000 square foot property on Federal Ave. E. and E. Republican St. on Feb. 23 of this month.

Garfield Playfield lighting replacement project (Cumulative Reserve Subfund): Part of an ongoing project to replace outdated light systems, the total cost for this project is $11 million and construction began in November of last year.

Garfield Playfield infield improvements (Cumulative Reserve Subfund): Budget of $50,000 but was almost completely funded by King County Youth Sports Facility Program. Construction began February of this year and is scheduled for completion in April.

Seven Hills Park: Approved to break ground in March with construction scheduled for completion in mid-July

John and Summit Park: Construction documents are complete. The project is expected to bid in February and construction is expected to break ground in spring 2010.

Meanwhile, people working to maintain existing Parks assets are concerned. Friends of the Conservatory, a group established to advocate for Volunteer Park and the Conservatory, are extremely worried about budget cuts within Parks, and they fear that the 98 year-old Conservatory is facing permanent closure.

“We have not had any formal conversation with Parks. That being said, the handwriting has been on the wall for some time,” said Audrey Meade, office administrator of Friends of the Conservatory, speaking on behalf of the board of directors. “There have been some conversations we’ve had off the record and we know exactly where we stand. It’s not looking so hot… There are imminent deep cuts coming, either cuts in operation or the Conservatory may be closed completely.”

The Conservatory officially opened in 1912, is free to the public and is one of only three Victorian-style greenhouses on the West coast. It is an extremely fragile building, and the city has spent millions to restore it since the Friends of the Conservatory fought for funding in 1980. Friends recently applied for a grant from the Opportunity Fund of the ProParks Levy to rebuild an aging support greenhouse.

They have been working hard to get the entire facilities renovated by the official centennial celebration in 2012. They only have a third of the building left to renovate before it’s finished.

The Friends of the Conservatory sent out a newsletter through their channels last week, officially recognizing the fear of closure to their supporters in an attempt to rally the troops around saving the Conservatory.

Volunteer Park Conservatory, 1914, originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives.

“We are working really hard right now, putting our heads together about what the best thing to do is,” said Meade. “We want to show the city that we can help with the budget challenges. We’ve been around 100 years and have weathered many economic crises, including the Great Depression. Those leaders saw its significance but it seems that the Mayor and City Council are choosing not to.”

The annual Friends of the Conservatory meeting is open to the public and scheduled for April 27, and the annual Plant Sale is on May 8. The group says they will have more information available at those gatherings.

“It would be devastating to the Seattle community if we lost it,” said Meade. “It’s a refuge for all types of people. A lot of people come here from the hospitals looking for soothing quietness. It’s accessible to everyone, and we get a lot of retired groups and little kids that come and just stare at the collections. It’s peaceful, it’s inspiring, it’s romantic,” said Meade. “It fills a lot of needs you can’t find in a concrete jungle.”

Potter said that concerned citizens should reach out to Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher through e-mail or snail mail and can also leave comments through an online form on the Parks website. 

In what could be a preview of things to come, Parks sent out this announcement of scheduled closures for April, sent on the behalf of Mayor McGinn and Superintendent Gallagher:

Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed on Friday, April 9, and Monday, April 12, for a furlough day. Youth Violence Prevention Initiative sites will furlough on Wednesday, April 7. 

City of Seattle employees are taking 10 days off without pay in 2010 to help fill the budget gap. Seattle Parks and Recreation has worked hard to schedule furlough days in a way that has the smallest possible impact on customers, and that provides as much coverage as possible.

These facilities and services are closed on Friday, April 9:

·Grounds maintenance

·Community centers (except child care and late night programs, which will still operate).

·Swimming pools

·Environmental Learning Centers

·Lifelong Recreation (except Food and Fitness programs, which will still operate)

·Business Service Center

These facilities and services are closed on Monday, April 12:

·Administrative offices (communications, correspondence, Park Board support, web management, public outreach, human resources, finance and administration)

·Planning and Development Division

·Magnuson Park office

These facilities will operate normally:

·Golf courses will operate as usual.

·The Seattle Aquarium will assign furloughs individually to ensure that its 24-hour animal care responsibilities are met and that it stays open to the public.   

We’re not sure what, exactly, this says about Capitol Hill, but before he got into local politics, Thomas Whittemore, the City’s new East Neighborhood District Coordinator, studied monkeys. He majored in primatology at Harvard University and the University of Chicago.

“When I decided to cease my graduate career, I traveled for two years around the world,” said Whittemore. “While I was traveling and interacting with people, [I realized] I was much more interested in people than monkeys.”

Whittemore replaces Jose Cervantes who retired from the position this month. The City of Seattle’s Department of Neighorhoods decided to fill the opening position with somebody from within the department. Whittemore moves into the Capitol Hill office after serving as Acting Neighborhood District Coordinator for the Greater Duwamish and Central Districts.

“Part of my job as district coordinator is working with underrepresented populations, which is inspiring to me,” said Whittemore. “I hope to bring that passion to the East district, no matter who the underrepresented are. My role is to bring community issues forward, not as an advocate, but as facilitator.”

The Neighborhood District Coordinator acts as a liaison between the general public and city officials. Whittemore’s office is a resource for groups or individuals who want to plan local events, make changes in politics or get involved in different events or groups around the city. He can act as a Capitol Hill representative to anyone new to the neighborhood or ready to begin their career as a civil servant. He can also help find interpreters and arrange for public officials to attend important community meetings if needed.

You can contact Whittemore here: [email protected]

See more of Whittemore’s cartoons here

Whittemore told CHS he became so fascinated with politics that he started a career as a political cartoonist and was published in The Seattle Times and Seattle Weekly during the ‘90s. Whittemore and his wife lived on Capitol Hill from the mid-80s until they moved to Ballard in 1991, where he first got involved with local government as Ballard District Council President in 1997. He ran for City Council in 1999. Most interested in matters of political and social inclusion, he spent a lot of time volunteering with people with disabilities and the ACLU. He said he helped launch the Small Sparks Fund and participated in many other civic engagement programs around Seattle.

He noted that he’s excited to see the results of the 2010 Census, which will provide an even bigger window into the important issue on the Hill and plant the seeds for greater community involvement.

“All these things take time. Working with people with disabilities I learned that, and it’s good for me to understand that things don’t happen rapidly,” said Whittemore. “You have to do culturally relevant outreach and inform those who are supporting you in the community that these strategies are critical to proper engagement.”

Some important goals for neighborhood planning include making sure all meetings of public interest are held at accessible times or locations. He encourages groups to send out information in creative and grassroots ways that resonate with the community. He also hopes to connect more with immigrant and minority groups around the Hill.

“At the neighborhood service center, people walk in with all kinds of questions. They might ask about housing or health services, and we can give them resources,” said Whittemore. “I also do outreach with other local groups and organizations. I might [attend] a meeting they’re holding and help facilitate it and make sure they’re thinking about different issues involved.”

Capitol Hill residents can drop by Whittemore’s office, located in the upstairs office of the Capitol Hill Library, during office hours, or schedule an appointment with him to meet somewhere to talk. He said he’s excited to put his creative arts and civic leadership background to use on the Hill.

“There is so much going on around Capitol Hill, with changes from the light rail to the streetcar and beyond,” said Whittemore. “It’s important to hear what the neighborhoods feel about their future and my role is to support them.”