I took a stroll up 45th Street Saturday afternoon to check in on the local Wallingford businesses amidst the pandemic. There were a few surprises.

First stop was Slave the Needle tattoo parlor, where business was healthy (I saw three people getting inked on a Saturday afternoon), if a bit slow. There, they told me there had been a few cancelations, what with childcare during the day suddenly an issue, and of course tattoos being a luxury when paychecks are reduced or eliminated.

Better news awaited me at American Mary, one of our many local pot shops: “People need weed, …

The COVID pandemic is impacting us all in some obvious ways: public and private schools are closed at least through April 24, businesses of all types have seen their clientele evaporate as people practice “social distancing”, store shelves are emptied of essentials like toilet paper and disinfectants.

It’s also impacting some of the most vulnerable in unexpected ways. FamilyWorks Food Bank and Family Resource Center, which provides essential groceries to elderly, poor and homeless in our community, gets much of the food donations they share with those in need as surplus from local food stores, but those donations have suddenly …

Continuing to shuffle through the trove of historical photos that were dropped on my porch (anyone want to cop to it?), let’s take a look at this sweet then-and-now pair:

I wasn’t able to dig up much about the 45th St Central Market pictured, nor do I have a date for that photo. The care on the left seems like it is a 1930’s model, though, and I did find that the Lady Betty Bakery moved from 1912 N. 45th (where the market above is pictured) to 1806 N. 45th in July 1932, so between those clues, I would guess …

You may remember how we welcomed Elise Worthy as the new owner of Kids on 45th back in 2017. Elise and team have transformed the store with a fresh look, new ways to consign and community events.

In the note sent to consignors below, Elise has made the difficult decision to step down and close the store at the end of March. Like Susan before her, she would love to pass the baton to a new owner and keep the store going. So, consider this an invitation! If you or someone else in the community would like to explore this …

This just in from the Meaningful Movies Project: “Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, this event is CANCELLED. We’ll try to reschedule it for a later date. “

This Friday’s Meaningful Movie tells the story of American labor leader Dolores Huerta.

Date: Friday, March 6 Time: 6:30pm Place: Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Place N. Cost: Free, but a $5 donation is suggested to help defray expenses.

From their website:

Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous …