As Rudyard Kipling famously wrote, "Run and find out" is the motto of the mongoose. Once you get to know an animal well enough, you'll discover its own personal creed. Long-time Wallingford resident Rita Amer has published a delightful new children's book, The Cat with the Golden Fang, whose heroine is an exquisite cat named Marta Petunia. Rita first had the inspiration for The Cat with the Golden Fang in the mid-80's, then moved to Seattle in 1989. Almost all of it…
This is an exciting time for the parents and children who are attending McDonald School Elementary next fall. If you're a parent of an incoming student, now is the time to start thinking about your involvement with the school. Parents are invited to join--and lead--the PTA for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. As a former board member for the PTSA at B.F. Day, I can attest that it's a rewarding experience, and the only way to develop high quality enrichment programs…
Okay, let’s get the banjo jokes out of the way first: Q: How do you tune a banjo? A: Everybody yells the answer: “Who cares!” Q: What’s perfect pitch? A: Tossing a banjo into the toilet without hitting the rim! Okay, enough already. Despite the fun to be had making fun of the banjo (don’t get me started on flute jokes) it’s a terrific instrument. It can be fun, mournful, cheerful, sad. Love classical music? Check out Bela Fleck’s “Perpetual Motion”…
Last week, we reported that, despite concerns that the Wallingford wading pool might be closed due to city budget cuts, we had spoken with the Seattle Department of Aquatics, and the pool would, in fact, open this summer (although many other neighborhood pools would not be so lucky). Several days later, another local blog reported that contrary to what we had said, the Wallingford pool was, in fact, still on the chopping block. Obviously, some readers were confused, as were we.…
Just a few blocks from the Tilth's Edible Plant Sale, another great Wallingford annual tradition was drawing big (albeit different) crowds: Free Comic Book Day at Comics Dungeon on 45th Street. An employee there told me there was a huge line wrapping around the Free table from 10:40 to 12:30 and that it's always their busiest day of the year, but this was even busier than last year. By 1 PM most of the good stuff had been taken, but this…
Despite chilly, blustery, damp weather gardeners turned out in record numbers this weekend for Seattle Tilth's Annual Edible Plant Sale. "Wristband entry", new this year, was in force where buyers were assigned a time to enter to even out the load. Arrive early if you don't want to wait! Long lines formed but there were plenty of other distractions. Donuts! Talks! Crafts! The lucky ones who had been able to get their plants finally emerged from the picnic shelter ready to…
The long winter of banality and tedium is almost over: Wallingford Art Walk returns this Wednesday, May 5th from 6 - 9 pm (and will continue the first Wednesday of the month for the foreseeable future). They won't be running the shuttle they did last year, but they are producing the handy map of participating businesses you see off to your right (click to download the full size version). We're big fans of the Wallingford Art Walk, not because the art…