While not technically in our neighborhood, the Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO) at 6030 6th Ave NE is not far away – just east of Green Lake, alongside the west edge of I-5 and just south of Ravenna Boulevard. I’ve never noticed it, in part because, if you’re getting on I-5 south from, say, the Park and Ride, your view of the orchard is blocked by a cement sound barrier, and if you’re getting off I-5 north onto Ravenna, then you’re on the opposite side of the freeway.

FECO was started in 2010 by a group of determined area volunteers …

I happened past the intersection of Stone Way and 39th just now in time to see the fire department wrapping up after putting out a fire at 3837 Stone Way. This building was the former home of Aqua Serene, a plant nursery and seller of hydroponic and other gardening supplies. Across the street from All the Best Pet Care, the building has sat unused for many years, and you may know it better as a place to buy a Christmas tree. Trees are sold, seasonally of course, in the former parking lot of the store.

A police officer was taking …

If you’ve eaten at Westward or Ivar’s recently, purchased hardware at Dunn Lumber, biked on the Burke-Gilman trail, wandered east of Gas Works or tried driving along Northlake Way, then you have surely seen the encampment of RVs, in various states of disrepair, lining the north side of the street. Perhaps what first drew your eye was the enormous amount of trash piled up outside many of the vehicles. Or perhaps you witnessed the aftermath of one of the several fires that have taken place there – if not the actual fire itself.

We all know that the problem of …

We received this note from Dawn Rutherford, the Supervising Librarian of our neighborhood branch:

Just wanted to let everyone know that due to Omicron hitting so hard we’ve had a ton of unexpected closures. In order to try and have more predictable hours for folks, The Seattle Public Library is temporarily reducing hours at all our locations. More information can be found at https://www.spl.org/hours-and-locations/road-to-reopening. The Wallingford Library will temporarily be open just three days a week.

Wallingford Branch Hours:

If you’re dying for Himalayan food – perhaps a dal bhat – then you’re out of luck if your destination is the Himalayan Sherpa House in Tangletown. It is permanently closed. But if you’re fancying some delicious “seasonal northwest comfort food” then Restaurant Christine, now open in the Himalayan Sherpa House space, may be for you.

The owner and head chef at Restaurant Christine is Adam Furler. Furler held a stealthy, “super soft” opening of his place back on October 1, but plans something grander in the (hopefully near) future. “I still have done no advertising due to covid and …

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A few weeks ago, we had a technical problem that prevented these notifications from going out. That has now been fixed. However, if you count …

Seattle Public Utilities announced last week that they would be canceling their Friday collection back on December 31 due to “remaining icy and unsafe conditions.” If you were scheduled for a Friday pick up, like me, or your pick up last week was missed for any other reason, what do you do now?

SPU has this message:

All collections are scheduled to resume next week starting Monday, Jan 3. All missed residential customers are permitted to set out double their normal amount of garbage, recycling, and compost on their collection day for no additional charge. This includes recycling collection, even …