No, that's not a typo. I'm totally bummed about the annual Bummershoot festival, which is why, instead of buying a pass this year, I chose to take a pass.The festival started in 1971, funded and run by the city of Seattle back in the days when government sometimes did things for its citizens just because it seemed a nice thing to do. It was free, and a wonderful end to summer that everyone could enjoy regardless of economic status - much like the Folklife Festival in the spring, which is still free, asking a donation of $5.Bumbershoot began to change in 1980 when Seattle invited a company, One Reel, to manage the event. I guess Bush wasn't the first one to think privatization.
There's been a lot of talk about the safety, or lack thereof, of our bridges since last month's deadly collapse of a span in Minnesota. It's beyond me why anyone is surprised that many of our bridges are unsafe. We have spent most of our public monies in the recent years on the bogus war in Iraq and other boondoggles like incentives for corporations and abstinence programs.And it's not just bridges. Anyone who has traveled lately in Europe or Japan, then come home and ridden Amtrak, knows we are woefully shy of safety or efficiency in railroading. That's really a shame, since American mythology of the 19th century is heavily train-based, what with the lonesome whistles and old John Henry.
Historic Pike-Pine building to gain an additional three stories "Ask the man who owns one," was the motto of the Packard Motor Car Company for decades. This it could easily be applied to the new Packard Apartments under development on the site of the Foley Sign Company's longtime home on the southeast corner at 12th Avenue East and East Pike Street.Originally built in 1910 for use as an auto showroom, the building has been used by car dealers, car mechanics and furniture dealers for many years. The building lies within the area between Boren Avenue and 14th Avenue East and between Pine and Union streets, known generations ago as Auto Row, and now as the Pike-Pine corridor.
A dense, urban neighborhood faces a delicate juggling actFirst Hill is unique among Seattle neighborhoods. One step up from downtown, the area is essentially urban and geographically locked down, with nowhere to expand but up. Open space is a rare commodity. Dominated by a cluster of hospitals such as Swedish and Virginia Mason-hence its moniker, Pill Hill-the neighborhood is heavily trafficked day and night. It is also home to Seattle University, another major institution that brings youth and bustle to the region.Joanne Coombs of the First Hill Improvement Association (FHIA) calls First Hill "the only urban center in Seattle," meaning the neighborhood technically qualifies for that particular designation by having a numerical balance in employment and residency..Coombs and her FHIA colleague Jim Erickson are quick to point out the pressing issues facing the First Hill neighborhood: transportation, housing, open space and public safety. In a sense, this looks like the generic wish list for any urban center; it is in the details, however, that one sees the way these issues are specific to First Hill and its residential population.
We all, at one time or another, are in search of a product or service, and naturally we want the best money can buy, for the least amount of money. Our lives are often dominated by such ques-tions as, "What doctor or dentist should I choose?" "Which house painter, mechanic, plumber or lawyer should I pick?"We live in a world of specialization where others now provide most of our services. The days of the jack-of-all-trades are past.The problem is deciding, or rather the process of deciding, which product to buy or which service to employ, and remember, you are the employer.In the past I've jokingly called this process "Yellow Pages roulette." You've opened the Yellow Pages, flipped to the section you're looking for and made your decision, often based on the biggest advertisement. Today, this would be relabeled "Internet roulette" as the Internet increasingly becomes the main source of information.
HENRY FREEDSort of. Not really. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends. I'm not looking forward to homework.
I was at the Mariners-Angels game on Aug. 28. The first inning was fantastic. As for the rest of the game, please insert Mad magazine-style, gross-out sound- effect words here.But some local players still ended the evening coming out ahead. They're the kids and teens who attend the Rotary Boys and Girls Club at 201 19th Avenue. That's due to Tom Herche. He runs United Warehouses, in the (for now at least) industrial district south of Safeco Field.
It's just a little space, jammed between a restaurant and a soap boutique at the north end of Broadway. But Glitz is filled to overflowing with vintage men's and women's wear, hats and memorabilia from the golden age of Hollywood in the '40s and '50s.Lyne Lara is the mistress of this magical wonderland. A manikin with Marilyn Monroe's head and shoulders greets customers who venture into the shop. This is the world of Glitz.Glitz opened last June at 617 Broadway E., the storefront recently evacuated by Film Stop. The shop is a second career for Lara, who was previously a psychotherapist and drug and alcohol counselor. She said she was looking for Marilyn Monroe paraphernalia when she discovered the manikin that watches the door.
With autumn around the corner, the weekend starts with the return of the Sketchfest. This year's line-up of comedy acts includes many out-of-town funsters. With four acts appearing most nights, each evening promises something to make you laugh.The Sketchfest begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, at the Erickson Theatre, 1524 Harvard Ave., with Karla (a pair of comediennes from Los Angeles) promising "brains, fun costumes, general spastickness and puppets."
Anyone who knows the HoneyHole on East Pike Street just as a place for drinks is missing the best part of this eight-year-old Seattle institution.Tucked into the street near Boylston, the HoneyHole is the creation Devon and Sean London, two brothers in their early- to mid-30s, both refugees from central California."We enjoy it," said Devon. "It is a classic story of wanting to provide something unique."The full name of the place is HoneyHole Sandwiches, and sandwiches are what the place is about. In fact the restaurant's motto is, "Damn, that's a good sandwich."
As summer vacations come to an end, students across the country are readying themselves for the start of a new school year. With all of the excitement this time brings, safety may not be the first subject that springs to mind. The American Red Cross Serving King and Kitsap Counties encourages parents to take time to talk with their children about safety before school starts.
DECISION: 429 13th Ave. E. (3007413) for a Land Use Application to subdivide one parcel into five unit lots. The construction of townhouses has been approved under Project #6098951. This subdivision of property is only for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the unit lots.
Award: Garfield assistant volleyball coach Jack Hamann won this year's Horace Mann Award for his 2006 book "On American Soil," which helped to clear the names of 28 African-American soldiers whom had been wrongly convicted by the U.S. government during World War II.Honors: Thirty-one University of Washington honored 31 local students were among the 700 fifth- through eighth-graders who were honored for their outstanding verbal and/or mathematical abilities by the University of WashingtoN.
Sonia '09 (left) and Mary '10 plant ground cover along the Upper School driveway at The Bush School, 3400 E. Harrison St., for the Confluence Project, a student-designed river-rock installation around the school's Gracemont circle. The project was dedicated last May.
It isn't the Blue Angels flying troupe this foursome (at right) is excited about, but an errant helium balloon. The group - brothers Kevin (in foreground, pointing), Tevin, Chris Jr. and their father, Chris Sr. ) were attending the Central Area Senior in Leschi for the annual Seafair barbecue on Aug. 5.