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Daily news blog for Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood |
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The 10-foot black cat that was stolen from Mike White’s festively decorated yard two weeks ago has reappeared just in time for Halloween!
We caught up with Mike to ask him about the cat’s mysterious reappearance. After being on the KIRO Ron and Don show a couple weeks ago, talking about the strange theft, the Walgreens in Silverlake donated a new cat to the Whites to save Halloween. So there you have it!
Happy Halloween Queen Anne!
(Thanks to reader Jai Schellhammer for the picture!)
Comments OffTags: black cat, decorations, halloween, Mike White, Ron and Don show, Walgreens
Wondering which of your neighbors will be giving out candy this Halloween? Ballard resident John Tynes created a trick or treat map to show which homes in the neighborhood will open their doors to trick or treaters Sunday night. Since it was such a great idea, the map has been expanded to include Queen Anne, Magnolia and North Seattle. Before Sunday rolls around, you should see a lot more blue dots outside the Ballard area. Just click here to see the current map and follow the directions on the left column to add your house (Google account required to edit map).
→ 1 CommentTags: Trick or Treat map
Four buildings along Elliott Avenue were evacuated this afternoon because of a gas leak. The leak started about 1pm in the 1400 block of Elliott. KING 5 reports that crews were doing some routine maintenance when they broke a pipe. The southbound lanes of Elliott going past the site were also closed. The leak was capped in about 30 minutes.
Photo courtesy of KING 5
→ 1 CommentTags: gas leak, Puget Sound Energy
The investigative team at KING 5 is reporting that old military ammunition, some dating back to World War II and earlier, has been found at the bottom of Smith Cove. In April, a Port of Seattle Police dive team found empty shell casings in the waters around Pier 91. In September, divers brought up training rounds and projectiles. While most did not contain explosives, KING reports a few had live rounds with high explosive material and that some live munitions were brought to the surface when a cruise ship was docked above.
You can check out KING’s coverage here. They’re promising more tonight starting at 5pm.
Comments OffTags: KING5, military ammunition, pier 91, Smith Cove
If you’ve driven or walked down Queen Anne Ave N recently, you may have noticed some construction going on next to the Homestreet Bank, at 1835 Queen Anne Ave N, soon to be the site of a new Emerald City Smoothie franchise.
The company, which has smoothie outposts all over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut and Utah, says the Queen Anne locations is due to open in the next week and a half to two weeks.
We’re still waiting to here back from the location owner on a specific opening date, and what the new shop’s hours will be. The new smoothie shop is also hiring. Application information here.
Comments OffTags: Emerald City Smoothie, food, openings, Upper Queen Anne
The Department of Ecology is responding to a report of a small oil spill originating from Fishermen’s Terminal and extending into Salmon Bay. The department told KIRO 7 that it looks to be “tens of gallons,” and investigators have yet to determine where it’s coming from.
An aerial view from KIRO’s helicopter (above) shows a sheen on the water at the Terminal. We’ll update as we learn more.
Comments OffTags: Department of Ecology, Fishermen's Terminal, oil spill, Salmon Bay
The Seattle Police Department is looking for the suspect, who allegedly carjacked a man at gunpoint, in an armed robbery near Kinnear Park in Lower Queen Anne last Thursday, according to a report by SeattleCrime. From SeattleCrime:
On the morning of October 21st, the victim was sitting in a parking lot on Elliot Ave waiting until after 9:00 am when he could legally park on the street.
A man walked up to the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle, and asked for a piece of paper to write an address on.
As the victim opened his door so he could get to a paper and pen, the suspect came up to the victim’s door, carrying a chrome handgun, with his shirt pulled up over his face.
According to the report, the suspect is described as a Hispanic male, mid-20s, 5’8, and round 215 pounds. The victim recounted that the suspect told the him to get out of the car or he would shoot him. He did so, and the suspect proceeded to drive off in his car. Police searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect or the vehicle.
Comments OffTags: carjacking, crime report, gunpoint, Kinnear Park, SPD
The Seattle Public Library will raise fines and fees on Nov. 1, to help offset budget cuts.
The library will also send all accounts with a balance of $25 or more to a collection agency, and it will add a $12 charge when the account is sent to collections. For library account holders who are 12 or under, their parents will be notified when accounts becomes delinquent.
Comments OffTags: library fines, Seattle Public Library
The City of Seattle is looking for two people to join the Northwest Design Review Board, which shepherds new buildings and development through the city’s design process. The volunteer positions begin April 4, 2011, when retiring board members’ terms expire. Applications are due December 10.
The Northwest Design Review Board is looking for a design professional representative and a local business representative.
Board members are appointed by the Mayor and City Council and serve two-year terms. Members serve on one of seven boards that review projects in the city’s major geographic districts. Each board is composed of five members who represent:
- design professions
- development interests
- general community interests
- local business interests
- local residential interests
Applicants should have:
- knowledge of, or interest in, architecture, urban design and the development process;
- the ability to evaluate projects based on the city’s design guidelines;
- the ability to listen and communicate effectively at public meetings;
- a passion for design and community development; and
- the ability to work well with others under pressure. Prior experience with community or neighborhood groups is a plus.
Board members must live in the city. Following appointment, the local residential interests representative must act as an ambassador to at least one community group or association (e.g. community council) that operates within the board district. Similarly, following appointment the local business interests representative must act as an ambassador to at least one business group or association (e.g. chamber of commerce) that operates within the board district. Acting as an ambassador is often facilitated if the board member lives or works within the district he or she is serving, but residency in a district is not a requirement to serve as a local representative.
Board members should expect to work 12-14 hours a month attending and preparing for board meetings, which are held twice a month, in the evenings. Board members are expected to attend at least 90 percent of the meetings.
Comments OffTags: City of Seattle, Design Review Board, developments, local business, volunteering
The Nickelsville homeless tent camp is supposed to move out of its current location in the U-District on November 15. But instead of being forced to find another temporary home, it could soon have a permanent one in Interbay or Magnolia.
Nickelsville camp currently in the U-District
A citizens panel appointed by Mayor McGinn recommends that Seattle put a permanent homeless encampment on city land within a month and open up parks and the basement of City Hall to people with nowhere else to sleep.
KING 5 and our news partner the Seattle Times report the potential sites include two in the Magnolia/Interbay area. One location is on city property under the Magnolia Bridge next to the playfield (1451 23rd Ave W) and the other is the Interbay substation at 3222 17th Ave W. The remaining sites are in Haller Lake, West Seattle, and South Seattle.
The citizens panel will now look over the list and make its recommendation. We’ll continue to track developments and bring you reaction throughout the week.
→ 25 CommentsTags: Mayor McGinn, Nickelsville, Tent City
As it stands right now, the Queen Anne Community Center’s gym is still scheduled to be closed next year even though a deal to turn the gym into a television studio fell through. But there are more signs the City Council could reverse that part of the mayor’s budget.
City Council members heard more about the proposed cuts to five community centers across Seattle during a meeting yesterday. Our news partner the Seattle Times reports Council President Richard Conlin expressed concerns about reducing access to the centers.
“I can’t help feeling we’re making a mistake,” Conlin said.
Queen Anne gym
Earlier this month, Councilmember Tim Burgess also voiced support for keeping the QA gym open.
“This is not a City Council idea (to close the gym). It came from Mayor McGinn,” Burgess told the Queen Anne Community Council. “You have lots of support not to do this on the Council.”
The Council is expected to adopt a budget before Thanksgiving. The final public hearing on the budget takes place tonight (10/26) at 5:30pm at City Hall. Sign in starts at 5pm.
→ 1 CommentTags: budget, City Council, Mayor McGinn, Queen Anne Community Center, Seattle Parks Department
Red Mill Burgers in Interbay could soon have a lot of new neighbors. A mixed-use development is planned at 3040 17th Ave West. The proposed building would have five floors of residential units over street level retail and parking.
Current site at 3040 17th Ave West
Currently, the lot is made up of a small warehouse and old machinery for sale. The proposed complex would be called Interbay Apartments with 220 to 240 residential units, 160 to 200 parking stalls, and 4000 square feet of commercial space.
Image of the preferred design from City of Seattle/Fish Mackay Architects
We have calls in to the developer to find out more about the project and we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, the community is invited to attend a design meeting to learn more about the development (pdf file). It will take place Wednesday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Queen Anne Community Center.
Comments OffTags: development
After a few long months of vacancy, Interbay Cleaners is opening a new location at the corner of Queen Anne Ave N and W Roy in Uptown—the former home of Counterbalance Bicycles.
Interbay Cleaners is a “green dry cleaner,” meaning that it uses organic and environmental friendly materials, as opposed to traditional chemical cleaners. From the website:
We have taken our big bold step to go green in dry cleaning (often called “organic cleaning”), turning away from the traditional dry cleaning methodology that we gradually found out to be terribly harmful to you and our planet, earth.
Organic dry-cleaning means that it only uses environmentally friendly and health solvent, as opposed to the harmful and toxic solvent used in traditional dry-cleaning. Our solvent* has been used in cosmetics and as food additives for many decades. Proving it to be absolutely safe for our health and environment.
The local company has another location, at 1827 15th Ave W in the Whole Foods complex in Interbay. I dropped by the new store last week and spoke with general manager, Alex. He expects that the Lower Queen Anne location will be open later this week. He also says the store will have an outside drop-off receptacle where customers can leave clothes after hours, which will be guaranteed ready for pick-up by 4 p.m. the next day.
Comments OffTags: business
Seattle City Light will be running another planned power outage at Seattle Center from 11 p.m. tonight, Monday, October 25, to 7 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26 as part of their ongoing work to rebuild the aged electrical system in the area.
During this outage, Seattle Center Crews will complete cable replacement and install new junction boxes. The area affected by the outage is bordered by Mercer Street on the north, Denny Way on the south, 5th Avenue North of the east and 1st Avenue North on the west. All customers affected by the planned outage have been notified by mail.
According to Seattle City Light, this work is part of the systematic replacement of the electric system serving Seattle Center. Additional outages will be required to complete the work, but City Light says those affected will be, as usual, notified in advance. For more information contact Mark VanOss at (206) 684-3279 or at mark.vanoss@seattle.gov.
Comments OffTags: power outage
Imagine eating an entire broiled lobster at Canlis for $4 or a filet mignon for just $4.25. These prices will be a reality for 50 lucky people.
To celebrate the 60th birthday of Seattle’s iconic Canlis Restaurant, brothers Mark and Brian Canlis are letting people dine at 1950 prices – but there’s a catch. To enjoy the less expensive meal, you need a menu. The pair has signed 50 menus from 1950 and are hiding them throughout the area. Guests who locate the menu must bring it with them and dine before the restaurants actual birthday on December 11, 2010.
Clues to the menus’ hiding places will be sent out daily via the @Canlis Twitter account and the Canlis Facebook page. More information and all the small print can be found here.
→ 3 CommentsTags: Canlis
One of our readers, Maria, had her car broken into at the top of the hill last night. She writes:
I was parked on Garfield, between Queen Anne Ave and 1st Ave W last night, in one of the back-in spots right outside the Desert Sun. When I came out to my car in the morning, the front passenger side window had been smashed in. All they took was a purse that was empty except for a dirty Tupperware container. It was totally dumb of me to leave even an empty bag in full view like that, but after 3 years of living in the heart of Capitol Hill and the CD and never having my car touched even when I (foolishly) left my ipod, laptop, phone charger, etc. in it, I wasn’t expecting a $30 purse from Express to be break-window-worthy… it was a pretty cute bag though. Bummer. Incidentally, last week I got home around midnight on a Wednesday and parked in the same spot and when I got out there were two cops with flashlights out walking around the alley and the big parking garage right there looking for something/someone. Probably not parking there anymore.
Maria warns other neighbors to be on the look out, so “no one else gets smashed”
→ 1 CommentTags: car prowl, crime, SPD
Zillow has ranked Queen Anne one of the best neighborhoods to trick-or-treat this Halloween. Of the top five communities, Queen Anne ranks third, behind Wallingford and Ballard (we came in second last year).
There are always quite a lot of Halloween festivities happening in Queen Anne. Given that the holiday is just around the corner, here’s a roundup of what’s on our spooky celebrations radar:
Halloween Carnival, Queen Anne Community Center—Friday, October 28, 10 a.m. to 12 noon (pumpkin patch), 6 to 8 p.m. (carnival); Activity Fee: $3 per child
Come join us for a ghoulishly good time. Wear your favorite costume! We’ll have carnival games, treats and entertainment! This party is for children of all ages.
Special Halloween Farmers Market, Sunday, October 31
Trick or Treat on Queen Anne Avenue, Sunday, October 31, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Know of a Halloween event happening in the neighborhood that’s not on our list? Email us at tips@queenanneview.com to add it.
Queen Anne Manor Halloween Party, Friday, October 29, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Come and join us for Food, Costumes, Music, and Fun at Queen Anne Manor!
Coe Elementary Monster Mash, Friday, October 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Music, games, bake sale, arts & crafts, bouncy house, cake walk, and more! Open to the community—come in costume and bring the whole family. No admission cost—some activities require tickets which can be purchased at the event. To volunteers contact Dena Angelos at paulangelos@hotmail.com.
Kevin and Margaret Frisch’s “Project Halloween”, Sunday, October 31, 2428 2nd Ave West
→ 1 CommentTags: events, halloween, Trick or Treat
Queen Anne resident Mike White is considered canceling Halloween at his house—forever—and the ramification may ripple throughout the neighborhood. Every year Mike and his family have taken the holidays very seriously, going all out with decorations—many of them oversized—for Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, even Easter. “We even have giant turkeys up for Thanksgiving,” Mike says.
But this year one of his newest prized decorations—a 10-foot-tall inflatable cat—was stolen right out of the White’s front yard. The blow was so deflating for the family, Mike says he’s thinking of discontinuing their decorative tradition permanently—a decision that would no doubt affect not only their family, but the hundreds of children and neighbors who get enjoyment out of the festive spirit of the family’s 6th Ave W home.
“No longer will we decorate our house! For over 20 years our family has been decorating for every holiday making the neighbor kids and adults smile. Well last night our newest addition a giant blow up cat over 10 feet tall was stolen out of the front yard. Ten years ago our Giant Grinch was also stolen,” he says. “What has come to our society when people just have to do these things? The giant hole in our front yard will stay there—I am not going to replace it. The kids from near by Coe Elementary will just have to do without. For years classes have visited our yard. I don’t know I may take down all the decorations and not have Halloween.”
Mike says his family has filed a police report for the missing cat, and has even talked about the incident on KIRO FM’s Ron and Don show earlier this week.
“Like I said in e-mail its not the cost it is the principle, you ask any family on Queen Anne they have been watching us decorate for every holiday,” Mike says. “We enjoy seeing the smiles on kids and adult faces, being so close to Coe Elementary lots of kids pass our yard. My belief is someone has this giant cat in there house thinking how cool it is, and they’re right it is cool, but bring it back—no questions asked—so all can enjoy, and Halloween will go on.”
If you know anything about the missing cat, please call the White family at 206-285-4997. As Mike said, the family would like to resolve the issue without getting police involved further.
→ 9 CommentsTags: crime, Halloween decorations, holiday spirit, Mike White, SPD, theft
The Seattle Department of Transportation is warning drivers of street closures and traffic slowdowns due to President Obama’s visit to Seattle today and tomorrow.
Unfortunately, for security reasons, they can’t say which streets will be closed or when.
Seattleites should be prepared today and tomorrow for occasional street closures or traffic slowdowns as President Obama arrives at a local airport, travels to various events, and departs on Thursday. Little information on the routes and times of his movements are announced for security reasons.
The President arrives tonight, so travelers can expect a possibility of rolling closures on the freeway or major arterials leading from a local airport. There will be street closures to provide security near the Westin Hotel tonight and tomorrow.
Tomorrow morning there will likely be closures on local streets as the president attends an event at a private residence, and then attends an event at 11 a.m. at the Edmundson Pavilion on Montlake Boulevard NE next to Husky Stadium.
Rolling closures are again likely on the freeway or major arterials as the President travels to an airport when leaving the city after the event at the Edmundson Pavilion.
Comments OffTags: commuting, President Obama, SDOT, street closures, traffic
