The Seattle Public Library closed way back in March with the first stay-at-home order, putting the kibosh on all manner of activities at our libraries including at our own neighborhood branch on 45th St. The banner above the SPL website says the closure will last at least until May 31, the current end of King County’s Phase I, but this could, of course, be changed. (A second banner announces a closure on Monday, May 25 — Memorial Day — making it double-closed that day, I suppose.)

While libraries these days offer many activities and services, book borrowing has always been …

Some much-needed improvements to the street crossings near Midvale Ave and Midvale Place will get underway on Monday, May 11 (today). You might know the crossing points as the places you pass by on your way from Stone Way to Aurora Ave., or perhaps the nearby Meowtropolitan is more familiar to you. Crossing the streets in this area can be a challenge, in part because of the irregular, triangle shape of the intersection.

While the triangle shape won’t go away, there will be some important additions that should improve safety for pedestrians and improve transit for bus riders. (See graphic …

Happening now, on Meridian Ave. Hopefully, coming soon to a street near you!

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Amid the numerous events canceled and postponed due to the coronavirus, it will surprise no one to learn that the 2020 Fremont Solstice Parade has also been, in their words, “postponed.” Some may prefer to call it a cancellation as the new date will be June of next year.

We received this from the Fremont Arts Council:

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the postponement of the Fremont Solstice Parade and Celebration at Gas Works until June 2021. 

After assessing the current and projected data related to COVID-19 and hearing from King County Public Health and the Seattle …

[Note: After this story was written, but before it could be published, Mayor Durkin announced a 2-day suspension of construction beginning Thursday, April 9, so that city employees and contractors could more rigorously implement social distancing policies at their work sites. Presumably, then, there will be no work on 40th St. during that time.]

Yes, I’ve cribbed my title from the Postal Service Creed, but today I’m going to apply it to the workers of SDOT and their contractors. For the past several weeks, virus or no virus, they have been out ripping up 40th St. and the adjacent sidewalks …

In a sign of the times (and I refer to our building boom, not our COVID-19 situation), Caron Architecture of Seattle has filed a site plan with the city to redevelop the space currently occupied by Murphy’s Pub at 1928 N 45th St. The 5-story, mixed-use, retail and apartment complex would occupy a large footprint comprised not just of Murphy’s, but the spaces occupied by the defunct Cutz Hair Salon, Fat Cat Records, Sushi and Amigo Ramen and the two-story building behind Sushi and Amigo which abuts 46th St.

The parcels are all held by Costas Antonopoulos, who has owned …

It’s been a few months since our last update on this project, but the work goes on apace. While the sidewalk work on 40th west of Wallingford Ave. is now more done than not, the No Parking signs have gone up on 40th east of Wallingford Ave., and SDOT is warning of a few weeks of work to take place at the Wallingford/40th intersection. Be aware that the bus stop in front of the Durn Good Grocery Store has been moved about 60 feet east to accommodate this work. Sidewalk work is wrapping up along 50th, but a new …