Love Licton

The next time you walk or ride up Aurora you may notice it's cleaner than usual. In more ways than one, positive changes are starting to take hold on this historical Seattle Avenue. The city's proactive litter abatement pilot program has added Licton Spring's stretch of Aurora to its 2x weekly cleanup. This brave crew cleans up everything from coffee cups to used syringes, hopefully helping to encourage a sustainably clean street over time.

At the same time, SPD and Licton Spring's own North Precinct have been hard at work to bust a local pawn shop that incentivised theft within North Seattle. Along with the closure of the business, this had the side effect of finally permanently removing an Aurora fixture that we will all be happy to see go:

(See more on the spdblotter)

Finally, Aurora is going to be repaved and sidewalk ramps made ADA compliant over the next year. Which, while sure to be an inconvenience during construction and lacking the sidewalk improvements Aurora desperately needs, will hopefully be worth it upon completion as it plays a part in increasing road safety and accessibility.

While more work is needed along this historic stretch of Seattle, it's encouraging that we are starting to see progress toward an Aurora that we can all take pride in.

An anonymous reader of LoveLicton let us know about a celebrity living right here in Licton Springs:

The “tuxedo” cat, Henry, known by his stage name, Henri, Le Chat Noir, is a resident of our neighborhood, though he lives in quiet obscurity, not troubled by his You-Tube fame. He plays the role of a depressed, French cat in a series of videos that have garnered millions of viewers. Henry has over 170,000 Facebook followers and has been featured on Animal Planet and in People magazine. Henry also has two books out on his philosophy and a Wikipedia page. But no French Riviera for this feline! “I love Licton”, says Henry, “it’s the best place in the world for a spoiled, handsome cat.”

Want to see more Henri, Le Chat Noir?

• Henri on YouTube
• Henri on Facebook
• Henri on Twitter

Have your own uniquely awesome pet or something you want to share with your neighbors?

Let us know! We would love to feature your pet or story on our blog. Add a comment on this blog post or contact us directly.

A friend of the blog dropped a hint letting us know that a new traffic circle has been outlined for N 97th and Wallingford Ave N, which SDOT plans on having completed this summer! The circle will be a very welcome addition to the area, as, despite lots of warning signs and kids, sees more than its fair share of speeding.

This new circle will complement the existing one at N 95th, hopefully reducing speed driving up Wallingford.

On my walk up to N 97th, I also noticed initials outlines for a continuation of the N 92nd bike path by the new School.

You can find out about some more street improvements scheduled to be completed this year on SDOT's Greenway & School Safety Project Website.

Enjoy this great weather! And hopefully, as the season progresses, we will all be able to enjoy some safer streets!

Right to the northwest of Licton Springs park at the Seattle City Light North Service Center lies a beautiful art piece by Merrily Tompkins. The art not only serves as a sign of nicer weather, as flowers bloom from Tesla's head but also serves as a great reminder that technology and nature can coexist in harmony. In a way, it's the perfect Seattle art piece, a city nestled in some of the most profoundly beautiful natural environments while leading the way in our technological future.

For more information about this work:

• Public Art Archive
• Celebrating Seattle: Big Tesla

Next time you walk from Licton Springs Park to the Oak Tree Plaza, take some time to enjoy this unique and creative piece of art.

UPDATE: The meeting was originally set to start at 7 PM but was then changed to a 6 PM start time by Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Join other members of the community on May 1st, 6:00PM-8:30PM, to help shape the future of Mineral Springs park! The meeting will be open to the general public, so whether you live near the park or frequent it for disk golf, this is an important meeting to attend.

The meeting will be held at Meridian Health Clinic, room 110, 10521 Meridian Ave N, Seattle, which is right next to the park:

Hope to see you there!

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