The A. Buono Construction and Cabinet shop on East Pike Street has weathered the Depression, the war years, the turbulent '60s and numerous economic and demographic shifts. But after 88 years in business, owner Frank Buono will close the doors for good for a simple and even positive reason: it's time for him to retire. Though he views the closure with a sense of melancholy, even sadness, Buono said the time was right. A third generation carpenter and cabinet maker himself, his three grown children found other professional pursuits. Buono chose to close the business rather than sell it.
Standing outside the swinging door of a busy coffee shop in the University Village, Marina Zuetell turns her back on the noisy crowds chattering inside. With her cellular phone pressed against her ear, she strains to hear what the person on the other end is saying. More than just about anyone, Zuetell knows all too well the importance of communication and what could happen if a message is unable to be heard. It is not easy to recognize what Zuetell does or who she is by the mere words "Medical Services Team"printed across the back of her jacket. These words do not spell out the long hours she spends as a diplomat, organizing her small team of volunteers in cramped offices scattered with ham radios and dials and tangled in wire.
They say that the older you get, the more you realize what you don't know. I'd have to agree with them, whoever "they" are. It's recently come to my attention that living a healthy lifestyle requires math skills and a darn-good calculator. I wasn't aware of this fact before now. Yesterday morning I got up and took the dog for a walk. To counteract this healthy behavior, I came home and ate a Pop-Tart. OK, it was two Pop-Tarts. It's all about balance.
I knew what the guy was going to do before he did it.The cloverleaf near the south end of the Ballard Bridge, where Nickerson, Emerson and Elliott Way come more or less together, is a tricky spot. If you're coming up Nickerson and bending right with the intention of heading north across the bridge, you have no stop sign, but you do have to watch yourself - and others. Somebody coming down around the mini-skyway from the direction of Fishermen's Terminal/Magnolia could plow into you on the left. And straight ahead - well, there is no "straight ahead" when you have something like a 180-degree turn to execute. But there's that transit stop on the bus lane that parallels the main Elliott Way traffic lanes.One Saturday - bright, sunny afternoon, clear as a bell - I had no motorist on my left, and no bus lurking at the bridge-end pickup area. But I did spot a bicyclist headed north on Elliott. He was in the bus lane, almost invisible, thanks to the transit rain shelter, but I saw him.
Noah Simon celebrates the unveiling of a time capsule with other members of North Seattle's Cub Scout Pack 144.
Seattle Public TheaterSeattle Public Theater (SPT) at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Green Lake Drive N., is celebrating its fifth summer on Green Lake with Shakespeare, Three Stooges Comedy Camps, Improvisation, Playwriting in the Park, Technical Theater and more in its Summer Youth Drama Program.Stone Soup Theatre, an intimate theater at 4035 Stone Way N., offers its SummerStage program, now in its 10th year, outdoors at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, the Seward Park Amphiteater and Heritage Park in Lynnwood. Taproot Theatre Company offers students age 4 to 18 the chance to explore the world of theater through its Acting Studio.
"Building Community and Sustainability," a one-day workshop about the Phinney Ecovillage, is being offered by the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) on June 16 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The informational workshop will highlight the principles of the Ecovillage: to live more sustainably and to build stronger communities.Cecile Andrews, workshop instructor and one of the founders of the Phinney Ecovillage, describes it as "ecovillage lite." The Phinney Ecovillage is not geographically defined, but consists of a community of neighbors in the Phinney Ridge area.
It's a Monday morning and the Downtown Dog Lounge on Elliott Avenue is bustling with activity. For some, the beginning of the work-week signifies not only a return to backed-up roadways, unopened e-mails and new voice messages but also another painful prospect: parting with one's pet.Elise Vincentini, the owner of the dog lounge, aims to make the separation as stress free as possible. Cheerfully she greets a steady stream of dog owners dropping off their pets for daycare, seemingly knowing the name of each customer and dog by heart.
The passing of Pope John Paul II made any Catholic, or ex-Catholic, mull over his influence for the past 30 years even if he existed only in the far margins of mind. Born to Italian immigrants, what choice did I have but to be raised Roman Catholic? Before sleep I'd stare up at a crucifix until, at the age of 11, 12 maybe, I removed the anguished Jesus so that a smiling John, Paul, George & Ringo could claim the walls of my room. Braced with newly seized preteen cool, I remember thinking no man, even if nailed to a cross, was going to dictate how I lived - probably the reason my father spent a reasonable portion of time chasing me through the yard, sliding his belt backward through each loop. I know his form of discipline may sound beastly today, especially when the rules of parenting have shifted so. Though he rarely struck me, the fear he instilled was likely the only reason I was never in any serious trouble: too scared of the consequences at home. But, at 15, under a canopy of grapevines, I faced a fear more palpable than one of a God I couldn't see. Struggling against my father's anger equaling my own, I grabbed the strap from his hands. Imagine how that went over.A stubborn man and a headstrong girl make for two tempers in full dress.
More than 40 McClure Middle School sixth- through eighth-grade students barnstormed their way through last week, culminating in the annual friends-and-family show at Ballard High School on Saturday evening. Their production, "The Bard Is Back," savored the chaos as the students and staff of fictional Hilltop School present the super-intendent's wife's new musical version of "Romeo and Juliet," the first show at the school in the 20 years since ... "the curse"!
It's close, yet so far from the madding crowd. With 52 miles of picturesque shoreline, breathtaking views of Mount Baker, the Cascade ranges and the Olympics and a thriving arts community, Camano Island is a secret jewel of the Northwest. This is a destination with distinctive appeal, offering a real-life island experience without the hype. There are no trendy tourist traps, no tacky gift shops selling souvenir key chains and mugs. Nor are there the proverbial taffy or fudge shops lining the streets, or vendors hacking their wares along the beach. It's all about the pristine beauty of the environment and the pace of life, and residents will tell you they like it just fine this way.
With graduation days upon us, it's a fitting time for young families to begin planning for their youngsters' graduations. A national program called Upromise was created to en-able that by fundamentally altering the affordability of and access to college for America's families.This is the way it works: First, go to www.upromise.com or call 1-800-UPROMISE and join, for free. You will be asked for basic information (name, etc.) and to register your credit, debit, grocery and/or drugstore card.
Some things in life are inevitable. Death, taxes, getting a thermonuclear wedgie at least once during junior high and having your daughter total your car. We have just experienced that last one. It's akin to the thrill of a thermonuclear wedgie, but with more drama and less underwear involvement. Allowing your teenage child to take possession of thousands of pounds of machinery that moves and is controlled by the uncontrollable was never a good idea. I'm amending my Parental Belief Declaration to include a new section entitled Drivers Licenses Shall Not Be Awarded To Any Person Below The Age Of 35 Under Penalty Of A Thermo-nuclear Wedgie. This amendment comes right after the paragraph on Why Body Piercings Are Evil and Things That Make Your Mother Cry.
Lady Luck is a frequent traveler, but certainly one of her primary desti-nations is Las Vegas. Basking in the desert heat, the tanned temptress of chance randomly decides the fate of for-tune seekers. From Ar-mani-clad high rollers to nickel- slot players armed with buckets at their side to haul any potential loot, all are at her mercy.I learned from a recent experience in Sin City that she is not kind to most gamblers seeking riches. I watched my friends slowly but surely squander their dough at the blackjack table. They were not alone, based on the dwindling piles of chips I observed at various tables, but their frustration was tempered by belief in an inevitable change of luck.
Last Saturday was this year's start for the Magnolia Farmers Market, and it was with great joy that I went to welcome them back to our communities. I expected great crowds, balloons bouncing about, some lively music and warm reunions with my favorite farmers from years past. And I was salivating just thinking about the fresh goat cheese and tender lettuce greens for my lunch.Regrettably, there were no balloons, no music, no great crowds.