The life of an urban tree is not the greatest. Two of my clients have had tree vs. sidewalk situations lately, so it's likely many others will have to address this too. Count yourself lucky if the tree in your parking strip has grown into the space allotted for it without heaving the sidewalk, getting into overhead power lines, or becoming a hazard. I hasten to add, these problems are not the trees’ fault, but the result of being planted in…
Yesterday may have been "May the 4th Be With You" day, but don't be surprised when you see Stormtroopers from Star Wars hanging out in front of Comics Dungeon on Saturday, May 7, beginning at 10am. Saturday is "Free Comic Book Day" and it's one of Comic Dungeon's busiest--if not THE busiest--days of the year. Last year, Helen reported that there was a huge line wrapping around the free table from 10:45am to about 12:30pm, and by 1:00pm, most of the…
Don't forget, Mother's Day is this Sunday, though I think we should celebrate moms all year long! O.k., maybe I'm pushing it, so I'll settle for a weekend instead. Here are some ideas to make the mom in your life feel special: Saturday 2:00pm - 4:00pm: Take Mom for a bike ride - Ride around Lake Union with Spokespeople. The ride includes a stop at the Center for Wooden Boats. For new, returning and reluctant cyclists. This 7.3 mile ride will…
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods has three Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) application cycles in 2011 for community groups who want to apply for the Small and Simple Projects Fund. The deadline to apply for the current cycle is 5pm on Monday, May 9, and applicants must register online here at least two days before submitting an application. Past awards of Small and Simple Projects Funds include the 46th Street Mural and the installation of new playground equipment at McDonald School which was…
I grew up in the American Southwest, so you’d think I’d have memorized the story of Cinco de Mayo by now. But like many, I’ve fallen victim to the blight of the Internet, i.e., a complete lack of short-term memory, facilitated by repeated exposure to high doses of Google and Wikipedia (and symptomatically treated with the hair of the same dog). I know there are others like me out there, so if you want to know more about the origins of…
In keeping with a 40 year tradition, the Wallingford Community Council will be meeting tonight from 7 to 9 in the Good Shepherd Center in room 202. We would have met on Sundays but the nuns didn't want us working then. Tonight's meeting will focus on the dump (of course) and bike projects in Wallingford. Virgina Coffman from SDOT will be talking about bike plans in the neighborhood that will impact Latona and Thackeray, and will give an update on the…
Wired Magazine's April 28 issue includes a profile of Wallingford's wacky, wonderful retailer Archie McPhee and owner Mark Pahlow, who founded the store in 1983. Wired's columnist Dylan Tweney describes his visit to the store, located in "Seattle's earnestly funky neighborhood," and mentions Pahlow's memoir, Who Would Buy This? which includes stories of how Archie McPhee once ran into trouble with the Secret Service, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Some other interesting Archie McPhee facts…