PI

We're all on tenterhooks, what with North Korea, Donald Trump, and the Hawaiian Alert, so that BOOM that rattled windows rattled hearts across Wallingford, as well. If I'm reading the LightningMaps.org website correctly, though, it was just a very, very close lightning strike, centered close to the QFC (but sounding like it was in my backyard over by the John Stanford School). The rain intensified noticeably a minute or so after, which I've noticed is common with big lightning strikes. Maybe it's…

The Wallingford Community Senior Center is hosting a free screening of the film "Speaking of Dying" this Tuesday, January 23rd from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. They're inviting local seniors and their adult children to attend: Fear of dying is most often fear of the unknown. Because of this fear, far too many of us die in ways we would not wish to— often in ICUs, tethered to feeding tubes, in intolerable pain, or unconscious and unable to say a meaningful goodbye…

This is the second of a completely ad hoc string of stories about the special aspects of Wallyhood that hide in plain sight.  The first was about the late night/early morning hours in Wallyhood. Paul Brown, "Brownie", has quietly run Wally Pets (4411 Wallingford Ave N) for close to seven years.  He has been showcased in Wallyhood multiple times ( 2011, 2013, 2017).  Many of you shop at Wally Pets as do I.  I started shopping at Wally Pets because my…

Historic Wallingford held it’s official launch on Saturday, January 6 at The Good Shepherd Center. It was attended by more than 140 people who came to learn of the new organization’s mission and of it’s planned activities. Most of the attendees haled from Wallingford but I personally talked with folks who came from Queen Anne, Ravenna and Ballard showing the interest that Seattleites have in learning and perpetuating the history of our great city. The crowd was welcomed by Rhonda Bush,…

 Since June 2015, Murphy’s Pub has been hosting a free monthly stand-up comedy show, Wallingford Laughs, on each second Wednesday. I had a chance to catch up with Andre Pegeron, the show’s producer, to find out more about him and how comedy found its way to Wallingford. Unfortunately, a week after our meeting, Andre informed me that, after a two-and-a-half-year run, the show is coming to an end due to low attendance, and this Wednesday, January 10, will be the final…

As we creep up on the ninth (!) anniversary of this little town square on the Web, I'd like to repeat my oft-repeated invitation to the whole neighborhood to participate. I've struggled over the years to come up with quite the metaphor for what we're trying to build here (backyard fence over which news and opinion is passed, coffeehouse without the coffee), but the goal is consistent: provide a forum for conversation within the neighborhood to build the bonds of community.…

Wassailing is an old winter time tradition from the apple growing regions of southern England. It involves traveling around the local orchards singing and toasting the apple trees to encourage them to bear a good crop. Apple trees are everywhere in this region, even in the heart of Seattle. Sound and Fury, a local group of Morris dancers, hold an annual wassail to celebrate this beloved fruit. In a special free event at the Meridian playing field this Saturday, January 6…