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[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…

No one needs to be told that Covid 19 has not just caused a whole lot of damage to global health; it has also caused widespread, serious economic damage as well. Literally millions of people have been rendered jobless nationwide in just the past couple of weeks. Front and center has been the food industry. It’s impossible to walk down Stone Way or 45th and not notice all the closed restaurants and cafes which have left unemployed cooks, wait staff, baristas…

During these crazy times it is great for us to get outside and put our focus into productive projects that provide an opportunity to use our pent up physical and emotional energy.  Edible gardening projects provide a chance to use our bodies and our minds and will offer us some nutritional sustenance in the coming months.  I was thinking about one of the first plants I successfully grew (given my long time history as a plant killer) and recalled that I…

Mike Ruby pointed out the King County Coronavirus dashboard that shows zipcode level data in King County.  Our zip code currently has 4 deaths from COVID 19 as of March 30th.  Our sympathies go out to those that passed, and everyone who has tested positive.  Mike's note accompanying his email follows:   King County reports every day the results of corona virus (Covid-19) testing and the number of those who have died from the virus by zipcode. The results for the…

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…

Vámonos Spanish Center in Tangletown is now offering virtual Spanish classes. It's a great way to support a local business and make good use of your extra time at home. I've been taking classes with them for a few months now and they've done a great job transitioning from in-person to virtual classes. I really look forward to it every week. Make the most of your time at home by learning Spanish. More from the owner Amanda Reichert: Learn Spanish Online…

There have been so many heartening stories coming out of this crisis. Globally, we've seen the introduction of the "balcony party", which I hope will stay "a thing" after the quarantines have passed. Here in Wallingford, people like Kenn Herman are working on 3-D printed face masks for healthcare workers. Parents (and grandparents) are putting teddy bears in windows for kids out for isolated walks to count. Pet owners are rallying around local businesses like Wally Pets to ensure the businesses and…