Sometimes it feels as though business after business has been pushed out of the North Broadway business district. But one small, local business recently announced it will move into the area within the next year or so.Espresso Vivace, the popular coffee house at 901 E. Denny Way, has been in its location just off Broadway, with a fine view of what is now Cal Anderson Park, since 1988. But its building is facing the wrecking ball when Sound Transit begins work on its Capitol Hill light rail station. The new station will require leveling the whole block and the block directly to the north.Vivace plans to move its operation to the new Brix condominium complex now under construction on Broadway at East Mercer Street (the former Safeway site).
Walking down East Galer Street from Volunteer Park, where the cherry blossoms are at their peak, I couldn't help but wonder. I was in a residential neighborhood of houses I would never be able to afford, with little traffic. It seemed an unlikely place for a café - especially one that is only open in the daytime.What was I missing? Was this someone's terrible business mistake or a very clever idea?The Volunteer Park Café, at 1501 17th Ave. E., is in the kind of old building that was the grocery in every neighborhood 50 or 60 years ago.
Pacific Northwest Ballet begins a three-week festival of Northwest choreographers and dance companies on Thursday. "Celebrate Seattle" opens with two works by Seattle choreographers Kent Stowell and Mark Morris.Well known to PNB audiences, Stowell served as artistic director of the company for more than 25 years. Although he was born in Idaho, Stowell spent his early years as a dancer in San Francisco and New York. His influence on dance in this region did not begin until he and wife Francia Russell agreed to lead the fledgling PNB. Under the couple's guidance, the company grew to its current stature, making the transition from regional company to one renowned for its stewardship of Balanchine's dance legacy as well as its willingness to stretch in its collaborations with outside artists.
The Age of Chivalry may not be dead, but it's under attack in the new national touring production of the Broadway musical "Camelot."Based on "The Once and Future King," the modern classic by T.H. White, the 1960 Broadway musical "Camelot" was created by Alan Jay Lerner (book) and Frederic Loewe (music). Two themes play out in their adaptation: Arthur's dream of a civilized world where might serves right, and an ill-fated love triangle between Arthur, his wife Guenevere and his most trusted knight, Sir Lancelot.Supposedly, Lerner's children wanted to improve the original "Camelot" by revising the book and streamlining the action. They promised a grittier production that was darker, sexier and shorter. Well, it is shorter. And it is grittier - at least the costumes are, circa Renaissance. However, the touring production fails to deliver the sex and darkness.
Puppets and their puppeteers are equally a pleasure to watch in Seattle Children's Theatre's new "Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like," based on a beloved book by author Jay Williams and the enormously popular illustrator Mercer Mayer.In this all-ages story set in ancient China, the characters are performed by sumptuously costumed puppets designed with highly expressive yet all-purpose faces. But their human minders and voice actors also occupy the simple if elegant set, making no effort to hide. They wear costumes appropriate to the tale and, while never upstaging the puppets visually, prove irresistible.
Last Saturday, March 31, Falstaff's Windsor Forest became a ballroom for enthusiastic partygoers attending Seattle Opera's gala. The fete in the forest included a reception, an exclusive sold-out performance of the opera and then an elegant dinner and dance at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. This is the first time Seattle Opera's black-tie gala, which raises money for the company's education programs, has taken place in Bellevue and included a fully staged opera. It was a great success, and dare I say they had a ball
Longtime Magnolia resident Martin O. Packard died peacefully at his home in Lynnwood on Feb. 28, 2007.He was raised near Port Townsend and qualified as an All-Peninsula football player at Port Townsend High School. As a Washington State Cougar, he was a conference champion wrestler and an intramural boxing champion.
Bengt "Ben" Erik Gullberg, a Magnolia resident since 1966, passed away on March 24. He was 78.Mr. Gullberg came to Seattle first as an exchange trainee student to study the paint industry. He worked for two years at Cowman Campbell Paint Company in Ballard, as well as taking courses at the University of Washington before returning to Sweden to apply for a resident visa. He returned in 1954 and worked as the chemist in the paint-formulating lab at Reichold Chemicals Inc. on West Marginal Way.
Bengt "Ben" Erik Gullberg, a Magnolia resident since 1966, passed away on March 24. He was 78.Mr. Gullberg was born Feb. 14, 1929, in Malmo, Sweden, to Axel Erik and Ester Matilda Gullberg. He was the second of four brothers. He was educated in Sweden, graduating from Malmo Handels-gymnasium, where his father was the principal.Mr. Gullberg came to Seattle first as an exchange trainee student to study the paint industry. He worked for two years at Cowman Campbell Paint Company in Ballard, as well as taking courses at the University of Washington before returning to Sweden to apply for a resident visa. He returned in 1954 and worked as the chemist in the paint-formulating lab at Reichold Chemicals Inc. on West Marginal Way. There he met his wife, Kay, and they were married in 1960. Shortly afterward, he became the general manager at Matson Paint Company; after a few years he joined Rudd Paint
5 Spot on the move already
Magnolia Community Center's 10-year-old girls basketball team, the Canadian Muchachos, captured the silver medal in the all-city Bronze League Championship tournament March 25 at the Meadowbrook Community Center in Northeast Seattle.The Muchachos entered the tournament with a 7-1 regular season record, after clinching the division title on March 18 with an exciting 20-18 win over Hiawatha Community Center's Eagles. The Magnolia team was given a first-round tournament bye due to their division title.
Education issues, ranging from early learning through higher education, have been among the highest of priorities for the Legislature.Earlier this year, I asked voters about a number of issues, some of which are highlighted below.A rating system of 1 to 5 was used, with 1 being "should be funded or has the highest priority" and 5 being "should not be funded or has the lowest priority." The percentages shared here are the total of 1s and 2s. BUDGET In the area of the budget, respondents felt most strongly about supporting community-based mental health and chemical-dependency services, with 65 percent showing agreement.
The April 2 shooting death on the University of Washington campus of UW employee Rebecca Griego at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Jonathan Rowan (who then turned the gun fatally on himself) has sparked intense debate about the immediate and lasting dangers of domestic violence.The fact that Griego received numerous threats, including death threats, from Rowan - and had consequently tried and failed to have a restraining order imposed on her stalker - has aroused among us a sense of rage, frustration, fear and a sickened kind of futility.
Zoo-garage protestor Alyne Fortgang (at right, left) informs Anne and Chris Weber (with their daughter Ruby) about the proposed parking garage on Saturday, April 7. The Webers, who visit the zoo every week, say they were surprised to learn about the plans, especially since they haven't had trouble finding parking in the neighborhood before.
The Seattle School Board voted unanimously to invite two (2) finalists to continue in the Superintendent Search process. These individuals were selected from an outstanding national group of six semifinalists interviewed by the Board over the weekend. "We had a very qualified pool of semifinalists from which to choose," said school board president Cheryl Chow.The two finalists are Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., currently Superintendent, Charleston County School District, Charleston, S.C.; and Gregory Thornton, Ed.D., who serves as Chief Academic Officer of the School District of Philadelphia.