Today, Tuesday, April 22nd, is the deadline for getting your ballots in for the Proposition 1 election. Do it do it do it.

Wallyhood encourages you to vote yes.

Proposition 1 would increase the cost of tabs from $40 to $60 and increase sales tax by one tenth of one percent, to help fund our public transit system. If it fails to pass, Metro will be forced to eliminate 74 bus routes entirely and reduce hours on many others, for a total reduction of over a half million hours per year.

Among those facing elimination is Wallingford’s 26, but please don’t approve of it for that reason. Yes, losing that route and seeing other routes that run through our neighborhood reduced will hurt us, but more important, the thousands of low income people who rely on the bus system to get to work every day will be impacted, while other people who might otherwise take the bus will opt to take cars, exacerbating our traffic problems, air pollution problems and accelerating climate change.

Bus cuts are all around bad.

The “No on Prop 1″ folks spin a tale about how they oppose the bill because it’s regressive (sales taxes and car tabs impact the poor more than the wealthy), and it’s true: it’s imperfect. But marking “no” on Prop 1 doesn’t magically cause a progressive solution to manifest, it just means that even worse things happen to the poor (i.e., reduction in affordable transportation options).

And why isn’t there a more progressive option on the table, like a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) on the value of people’s cars, so that those who pay less for their cars would also pay less for their car tabs? The Republican legislature in Olympia eliminated it. So, now you have them eliminating progressive taxes, then pretending that the only reason they oppose Prop 1 is because it’s NOT progressive.

(Photo by Elena Acin)

Erika Bigelow from the Wallingford Community Council sent along this announcement:

LOCAL LOGO CONTEST – $100 PRIZE!
The Wallingford Community Council is blasting into the 21st century but our lack of logo is holding us back. Our current bank of bungalows, while quaint, won’t fit in a profile pic on FB (or work on a poster). We need your help. Calling all designers, we are offering fame and fortune, for a new WCC logo. (Read: Fame = your name in Wallyhood and accolades given at the WCC June meeting. Fortune = $100)

Requirements:

• Black & White
• The words: Wallingford Community Council
• A bungalow (or suggestion of a bungalow) or two – reminiscent of our old logo would be nice, but not a make or break. We do need something to suggest neighborhood and/or Wallingford (view bungalows here: )
• All entries to be submitted by April 30, 2014 to [email protected] Winner to be announced mid-May.

A silver Subaru Impreza driver struck a bicyclist on Wallingford Ave near 40th Monday, according to Janice’s posting on the Wallyhood Forums:

My husband was riding his bike on 40th and Wallingford where he got hit on his bike and the person that hit him ran we need to find this person. My husband has a broken arm and stitches in his head I hope we can get help finding this person.

According to the report Neal DeWitt, the bicyclist, gave to KOMO and the police, the driver struck DeWitt on purpose:

“The car comes up kind behind and beside me, and the light changes, and he goes and I go, and it’s like he’s trying to get by me … and I’m like, ‘What’s the hurry?’”

Those words apparently angered the driver in the car, described as a Subaru Impreza. According to police, the driver hit DeWitt and then drove away.

“Next thing I know I’m laying on the ground going ‘Ahhh!’ and somebody’s moving my arm, my arm, my arm, my arm – it hurts,” DeWitt says.

The hit broke DeWitt’s arm and left bruises on his face.The police are seeking the driver for investigation of hit and run and felony vehicular assault.

(Thanks Jeff Dubrule for the tip)

The city recently announced a new “Parklet” program, partnering with local businesses to convert small areas, typically one or two parking spaces, into public enjoyment space, and Molly Moon’s on 45th and in Madrona are on the pilot program list.

The concept began in San Francisco, where the ReBar, an art studio, launched the first parklet in in 2005. It was open for just two hours, but it launched PARK(ing) Day, a nation-wide temporary parklet program. .

Emilia Arnold, Parklet project manager for MM’s, says:

We’ll be constructing a parklet outside of our Wallingford shop on 45th where we hope ice cream eaters and their friends (four-legged & otherwise) will use the space to have a seat, chat & basically just enjoy the neighborhood.

We’re hoping to have both parklets open by June, subject to the program’s timeline. One of our main goals here at Molly Moon’s is to create a great community gathering place with each of our shops, and we’re hoping our parklet will extend our community space to the street in a way that can benefit the entire neighborhood. We’re still finalizing the design, but we plan to incorporate some fun, playful elements & greenery.

The pilot program launched in summer 2013 with the opening of the first parklet at Montana Bar in Capitol Hill. Two additional parklets, hosted by Chinatown/International District Business Improvement Area and City Hostel in Belltown, were permitted during the first phase of the program and will be installed this spring.

The program is an experiment. The city expects to complete evaluations and make recommendations about whether to proceed with a formal program by the end of 2014.

(Photo of design for Seattle International District parklet)

Do your fruit trees drop more fruit on the ground than into your hands? Do you seek the secret to growing apples organically – without worms? Would you like to help harvest surplus fruit in your neighborhood and get it to those who need it most?

City Fruit, a Seattle non-profit that supports care and harvest of local tree fruit, will be expanding into the Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard neighborhoods this summer to harvest fruit that would normally go to waste. This fruit is then donated to food banks, shelters, and feeding programs.

In the past, Solid Ground’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest organized volunteers to pick this fruit. Due to funding cuts, Solid Ground will no longer conduct community harvests, so City Fruit will manage the harvest in the north end neighborhoods. City Fruit already collects fruit in West Seattle, South Seattle / Beacon Hill, and Phinney / Greenwood.

Want to learn more about City Fruit? Stop by the “Beautification Wallingford” event this Saturday, April 19, at Wallingford Center, and chat with City Fruit staffers and volunteers. You can sign up to have your fruit tree harvested or to volunteer to help with the harvest.

And while at Wallingford Center, lend a hand to take care of the street trees along 45th. Volunteers will be cleaning up garbage, grass, and weeds around the trees. Tools, gloves, and instructions will be provided.

Meet at Wallingford Center starting at 10 am. Rev up your volunteer engines with coffee and donuts at 10 am, and pizza at noon. A limited number of special gifts from the Dept. of Neighborhoods will be available to those who show up early.

Questions? Email: [email protected] Or check out City Fruit’s website.

John Bredeson and his family are hosting an event for our new house representative in Olympia, Brady Walkinshaw, this Friday from 6 – 8 pm at their home at 3817 Wallingford Ave N. He says that while it is a campaign event, it is open to anyone who wants to get to know Brady.

If you plan to attend or have any questions, please email John at [email protected]

Should you see a parade toting a a beer keg through Wallingford this Sunday, here’s what it’s all about:

For the fourth year in a row, Latona Pub continues the tradition of showcasing a selection of craft beers transported by foot, bike, and sailboat from local breweries to the Green Lake area pub during the week leading up to Earth Day. The sustainable beer transportation events will culminate in a celebration at the pub on Sunday, April 20.

Volunteers from Feet First will deliver the final keg—Hand Truckin’ Amber Ale—after a 10 mile walk from Two Beers Brewery in SODO to Latona Pub in Green Lake. A midway stop at Zeeks Pizza in Belltown for lunch will keep participants’ energy and spirits high.

In honor of Earth Day, it will be a “zero-carbon event” (volunteers will transport the ale 10 miles on foot), and it will benefit Feet First, the non-profit organization working to make Washington more walkable.

Volunteers will leave Two Beers Brewery in SODO at 9:30 am and plan to arrive at the Latona Pub at about 2:00PM. If you’re interested in joining, see the event web site.