Both Mrs. Wallyhood and I work at home, so I was in my living room this morning when she called down to me "someone's on the porch." "How exciting," I thought. "A package has arrived. I love packages!" When I opened the door, though, and looked left and right, there was no package, just a young man walking down the steps away from the house. I called to him, and when he turned around, I saw he was holding a basketball that…
Hot on the heels of the news that Wide World Books & Maps might close, J.W. Marshall, owner of Open Books: A Poetry Emporium (2414 North 45th St), has announced his intention to sell or close the 45th Street literary nook: Dear Friends of Open Books, It is with mixed feelings that I tell you I will retire from bookstore ownership sometime this year. This spring will mark the 21st anniversary of Open Books as a poetry-only bookstore, as well as mark…
When I first folded Wallyhood, I received a few emails from people who offered to take it over. I was worried about what it would become, and demurred, but in retrospect, I think that was selfish. As I've been talking to people in the neighborhood, I've come upon all sorts of stories that really ought to be shared. The recent string of arsons, for example, and the subsequent arrest of the (alleged) culprit. And more that I didn't post: Wide World…
The arsonist we heard about last week has been caught, according to the SPD Blotter: Officers arrested a man Monday in the Wallingford neighborhood after residents spotted him lighting a fire in a recycling bin outside a home. A witness called 911 around 6:30 PM when he spotted the suspect open his neighbor’s recycling bin and set fire to the contents. The suspect ran away when the witness yelled at him. Seattle firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames that were just feet from…
Heidi, who lives near 44th and Latona, forwarded this note from her neighbor Tim: The Seattle Fire Department was out knocking on doors today. Apparently there has been an arsonist in the neighborhood setting fires outside homes. As recent as today. The very nice fireman suggested that we all be aware and importantly to remove anything near the house that the arsonist could light on fire. I scanned in the flier the PFD is handing out; he asked if I might let my neighbors know. I…
(This article was contributed by Sophie Hayes, a journalism student at the University of Washington.) The city’s Office of Planning and Community Development is encouraging what they believe could be one solution to Seattle’s housing crisis: backyard cottages. Backyard cottages, or detached accessory dwelling units, are small homes built on already-existing lots. Homeowners in single-family residential neighborhoods in Seattle have had the option to build them since 2010. Some homeowners rent them out for additional income, while others use them to expand…
(I know, I just wrote that we're done here, but lots of folks had been asking about the helicopters over Wallingford the other night, and this story of a going on in the neighborhood needs to be shared.) On Sunday, Ian wrote: Thought your readers might be interested to know that we had an attempted burglary at our house on the 3600 block of Bagley Avenue this evening. My wife and I were watching TV in our living room when I…