20th Annual PNA Wine Taste

The annual PNA Wine Taste is back! As every year, it offers a great opportunity to compare terrific wines while socializing with friends and neighbors. The event includes your choice of ten tastes of wine, fabulous hors d’oeuvres from Bill Drummond Catering and swinging jazz music performed by Live Wire.

This year we'll feature wines from Airfield Estates, Animale, Eaton Hill, Masset, Milbrandt, Northwest Totem Cellars, Portalis Wine Shop, Two Mountain Winery, Ward Johnson, Windy Point Vineyards, Yamhill Valley Vineyards, Zerba, Elevation Cellars, and more.

As an extra treat, our presenting sponsor, Ballard Market will offer tastes of their delicious crab cakes.

Tickets cost $25 for PNA members and $30 for the general public; designated driver tickets are $10. Tickets are available at the Phinney Neighborhood Center OR click here to order your tickets online.

http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/wine.shtml

20th Annual PNA Wine Taste

Phinney Neighborhood Center

6532 Phinney Ave N

Seattle, WA 98103

Saturday, February 27, 2010
7:30 - 9:30pm

Higher Purpose in Life Benefits Healthy Aging

Every Wednesday morning at nine, Ida Hamilton is busy setting up the first course, which includes doughnuts, cookies, breads, and other foods at The Phinney Neighborhood Association Soup Kitchen. Hamilton is a volunteer at the soup kitchen located at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Northwest Seattle. It feeds hundreds of people every week. Hamilton, who is 90 years old, rarely misses a Wednesday at the soup kitchen. She also volunteers at her church. “I like to help people, which is what I have done all my life. I was a nurse and my life is helping people,” smiles Hamilton....

Read the full article:
http://www.phinneycenter.org/articles/HigherPurpose.pdf

Site Development Update from Bill Fenimore

Bill Fenimore, Facilities Curator (Director, actually), sent this detailed outline of ongoing work as part of the upgrades to the site.

Improvements

1. Lighting

A. Community Hall

• New power and controls are in place
• Alternate system for special events in all LED
• Paid for by 4Culture grant
• I am refining the new system to meet the needs of the concerts and dancers
  

B. Classroom demonstration project (This is intended to be a proof of concept that justifies the decision to upgrade the remaining classrooms)

• Integrated Design Lab at the U of W did analysis and a report and proposal that I am hoping to begin to implement
• We would install new fixtures and controls paid for by auction “Fund an Item”. My goal is a finished room in time for this year’s auction if we can manage it. These lights would be highly energy efficient and sense the light level outside and modify their output. They would operate at several levels of output controlled by users. We are hoping that Brian Kemly (Kemly Electric) will help us on this by supplying the fixtures at his cost.
• We are considering an option to pursue added funding through SCL for louvers to bounce light off the ceiling
• This project will include new ceiling paint.
  

C. SCL Quick Lighting Upgrades to change out remaining inefficient fixtures other that the classrooms.

• This contract is being finalized and will be executed in the next 2 months
• Does not address classrooms in either building (as described above, we are going to incorporate advanced controls and day lighting technology)
  
  

2. Weatherization

A. Walls in the Blue Building are now insulated, tested and repairs completed, paint to follow
B. I have pricing for the ceiling (floor of attic) of the Blue Building but this decision is contingent on finalizing a plan to protect the water pipes in the attic.
C. Contract finalized with PSE for insulation in the ceiling of the Brick Building attic. Ventilation analysis will be necessary.


3. Interim upgrades to Controls Heat and Ventilation that I am considering (this is a wish list)

A. Honeywell remote thermostats for central administration of room temperature in Blue Building
B. Should develop analysis of existing heating controls in Brick Building
C. Separate H/V for Community Hall
D. Heat pump to replace electric heating in Red Room could be subsidized by SCL
E. Analysis of all potential to utilize existing ductwork


4. Blue Building Sewer

A. Sewer project is completed
B. Bodine construction is providing the repair at their cost.


5. Weather envelope Blue Building

A. Roof is in good repair and maintainable
B. Painting, caulking and sill repair is now annualized maintenance (lead paint abated in 2001-2002)
C. Gutters are deteriorated, but maintained
D. The single pane double hung windows should be up-graded and then tested with a blower door.


6. Weather envelope Brick Building

A. Roof on Brick Building is nearing completion
B. Repairs to the sheet metal fascia will be accomplished in house
C. Restoration of the exterior wooden brackets is not part of the weather envelop but necessary for the architectural integrity of the building
D. Brick is in fair condition with the exception of the Fan Room which is extensively deteriorated (due to the deterioration of a steel lintel)
E. Chimney was lowered and restored after the 2001 earthquake
F. Windows will be difficult to upgrade but will need restoration


Also, some interesting infrared images were taken during the survey for insulating the Blue Building...

The Great Divorce Extended

DUE TO DEMAND, TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY ADDS PERFORMANCE OF THE GREAT DIVORCE

Playing to sold-out houses, Taproot Theatre Company has added a performance of C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce on Tuesday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. Receiving its regional premiere at Taproot Theatre under the direction of Scott Nolte, The Great Divorce has captivated audiences with its fantastical and imaginative story, colorful characters and philosophical ideas.
First produced Off-Broadway in 2007 in an adaptation by George Drance and The Magis Theatre, The Great Divorce brings to life C.S. Lewis’ 1940s allegorical novel. One drizzly afternoon our author embarks on a supernatural voyage with a cast of eccentric, humorous characters that bear a remarkable resemblance to us. Theatrical, imaginative and thought provoking. It’s a bus ride from hell to heaven that, in the grand C.S. Lewis tradition, leaves you breathless and wanting more.
The Great Divorce runs Wednesdays through Saturdays through February 27, plus the added performance on Tuesday, February 16. Tickets are available through Taproot Theatre’s box office at 206-781-9707.

Taproot Theater reopens with "The Great Divorce"

Taproot Theater reopens with The Great Divorce
Reflecting the promise of the phoenix on a neighboring mural, the Taproot Theater has risen from the ashes of a devastating fire on October 23, and reopened with a production of CS Lewis’ “The Great Divorce.”

“The Great Divorce,” features the narrative of a journey through hell to heaven. Originally adapted for the stage by George Drance and the Magis Theatre Company, the Taproot production features ten talented actors portraying 25 varied characters.

When asking friends to accompany me to Taproot productions, I’ve often found them to be a little reticent. One finally asked me whether the theater had any religious affiliations. I explained that, while many of their plays were family friendly and in terms of theater, fairly safe, I’d never felt an overtly religious tone expressed in any of the theater’s productions.

However, this most recent play felt uncomfortable and evangelical. No subtle message here, the point of the piece was hammered into the audience, like it or not. I found the particularly disappointing, since the recent publicity about the reopening of the theater presented an opportunity for the local playhouse to capture a new audience, not scare them away. Of all the plays I have seen at the Taproot, this was far and away the most overtly theological.

I have enjoyed many Taproot plays for the consistent high quality of the acting, the gorgeous costumes, and intimate feel of the theater without feeling that the productions were meant to be preachy. And I will return to the Taproot where I hope to rediscover the positive and uplifting productions that make me feel inspired, not beaten down.