An apartment building, with retail on the street level!

Okay, so no surprise there. What is somewhat of a surprise is that, after all this time, something is actually going to emerge in the space once occupied by Kitaro Sushi at 1624 N. 45th.

Kitaro burned down December 7, 2011 as we wrote about here. I’m not sure an exact cause was ever determined, but reports at the time said the fire was electrical in nature. A dentist’s office was also damaged in the blaze.

And then time passed.

In 2015, the building was emptied and boarded up.

And then …

The end-of-the-year holidays are often at time when people look to share some of what they have with others who might have less. If you’re such a person and are looking for such an opportunity, look no further than FamilyWork’s Holiday Helper Family Sponsorship:

This year, we asked each child to choose a winter item they need and a toy they’re excited about. Our goal is to fulfill their wishlists and send each family home with a board game, so everyone can cozy up on a cold, winter night and bond over some family fun.

Just fill in their online …

Hey, itchin’ for some cultchuh? Wanna see some free theatah? Wallingford Presbyterian Church (1414 N 42nd St) is hosting Taproot Theatre Company’s Christmas Touring play Foolish Wiseman, here in Wallingford, walking distance from you, tomorrow morning, Sunday, December 9th at 10:30 am.

Meet Ogion [o-jun], the comical and little-known fourth wise man. Afraid of the dark, this befuddled hero has little chance of following the Bethlehem star until he runs into two thieves, Leah and Jacob, who believe it would be profitable to assist this foolish, yet wealthy, man. What they find at the journey’s end is a treasure more …

Megan James from Seattle Pops (1401 N 45TH St) writes:

We are offering Christmas Trees again this year at Seattle Pops (1401 N 45th Street, Interlake & 45th) with 100% of the Profits going to Adopt a Family Charity through the Salvation Army. Thanks to the community, last year we were able to provide for two local families in need who had just transitioned from a shelter to their own home and were in need of basic necessities as well as some gifts for the kids. All of our trees are Premium Noble Firs and range from 2ft – 8ft+…

As promised, here’s a round-up of opportunities to do your holiday shopping hyperlocally, from Wallingford artists (and very close neighbors).

Leading us off, Cindy Krafft writes:

I’m an artist in Wallingford making geeky and sometimes feminist quilts. My website is 8-bitquilts.com . I’ll also be the featured artist at Outsider Comics in Fremont during the First Friday Art Walk this coming week!

Yara El Hage writes that she’s from Lebanon, but has been living here in Wallingford for the past three years. She sells handcrafted jewelry and trinket dishes through her Etsy store, but offers local pick-up.

Aleesha Contreras is …

Over on the Wallingford / Fremont Facebook page, Denys Howard posted this old photo of a poster from a cabaret that used to sit along the Wallingford / Fremont border:

This photo is the northwest corner of N 36th St and Woodland Park Ave N, in East Fremont. At times in the past, what are currently two businesses on the ground floor were a single space.

In the early 1980s, it housed a cabaret called the Kit Kat Club, with its lobby on the corner and the performance space on the right.

My housemates and I would go down there …