Here's what's happening in our neighboring 'hoods this past week: Our neighbors in the U District finally have a new blog of their very own, courtesy of the same Ballard-based Next Door Media company that is behind many "local" blogs north of the ship canal. Since they share articles with each other, you may have already seen some of their work (e.g., 1, 2). Welcome to the local blogging scene, guys. Two bodies were found at an Aurora Motel. Police believe…
The Senior Center's "New Start" community pancake breakfast on April 25 brought out 204 attendees and raised $1,700 toward the center's $25,000 challenge grant. The event was put on by a group of 40 volunteers, ranging from 12-years-of-age to the eldest, who was in her eighties. Additionally, the center raised $900, which will go toward the actual event cost. WCSC's Executive Director Kathleen Cromp tells us that while they wanted to raise money and move closer to their 25K goal, the…
I saw this Tuesday morning at the corner of 45th and Corliss. The Crazy Beans drive-thru espresso stand all packed up and ready to hit the road. The moving crew told me they were hauling it up to Mukilteo, but didn't know if there was going to be a replacement. Now where are we going to go for our in-the-car quick-fixes of caffeine? Remember the Roosters place that used to be there? That one got shipped off somewhere else too. Is…
As Rudyard Kipling famously wrote, "Run and find out" is the motto of the mongoose. Once you get to know an animal well enough, you'll discover its own personal creed. Long-time Wallingford resident Rita Amer has published a delightful new children's book, The Cat with the Golden Fang, whose heroine is an exquisite cat named Marta Petunia. Rita first had the inspiration for The Cat with the Golden Fang in the mid-80's, then moved to Seattle in 1989. Almost all of it…
This is an exciting time for the parents and children who are attending McDonald School Elementary next fall. If you're a parent of an incoming student, now is the time to start thinking about your involvement with the school. Parents are invited to join--and lead--the PTA for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. As a former board member for the PTSA at B.F. Day, I can attest that it's a rewarding experience, and the only way to develop high quality enrichment programs…
Okay, let’s get the banjo jokes out of the way first: Q: How do you tune a banjo? A: Everybody yells the answer: “Who cares!” Q: What’s perfect pitch? A: Tossing a banjo into the toilet without hitting the rim! Okay, enough already. Despite the fun to be had making fun of the banjo (don’t get me started on flute jokes) it’s a terrific instrument. It can be fun, mournful, cheerful, sad. Love classical music? Check out Bela Fleck’s “Perpetual Motion”…
Just a few blocks from the Tilth's Edible Plant Sale, another great Wallingford annual tradition was drawing big (albeit different) crowds: Free Comic Book Day at Comics Dungeon on 45th Street. An employee there told me there was a huge line wrapping around the Free table from 10:40 to 12:30 and that it's always their busiest day of the year, but this was even busier than last year. By 1 PM most of the good stuff had been taken, but this…