“Henry” painted a middle-of-the-night mural (three enormous walruses riding three tiny bicycles) last night on the west side of 8th NW, between 65th and 67th. It was formerly a different Henry mural (one with lots of eyeballs) that had been painted-over black about a week ago. Then last night, I saw him out there with spotlights, and this morning the new mural is done.

The Seattle Police Department motorcycle drill team led off the main parade.

Followed by the presentation of colors by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 40.

Mayor Mike McGinn, a Greenwood resident, waves to the crowd.

Two of the many clowns throughout the parade.

Parade Grand Marshals The Coats sing the national anthem in front of the judges’ stand.

The Greenwood Knights Car Club shows off their sweet rides.

Mexican Dancing Horses.

You write your own caption for this sheepdog and his owner.

This drill team is still smiling after marching for an hour.

The Pacific Northwest Drumline.

And here’ the cutest kid ever, working the crowd.

The parade was sponsored by the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce and 27 local businesses (including PhinneyWood).

Here’s a clip of some of the action. We’ll post more photos and video tomorrow.

 

Here’s the stunningly coordinated (in dress and movement) Seattle Chinese Community Girl’s Drill Team performing in front of the review stand.

And the Seattle Schools All-City Band, which combined a dance number with a strong musical performance was a real crowd-pleaser too.

What did you like best about the parade?

Our sister site My Ballard followed up and found out the company has been around since the 1980s and they operate both the yellow helicopter and the blue/white one that flies the same route. The reason we’ve seen the yellow helicopter so much lately is because of recent promotions on Groupon and Living Social, which sold more than 900 tours.

(Photo courtesy Seattle Helitours.)

Don Quixote is mad… mad enough to dream an impossible dream while tilting after windmills with his trusty sidekick, Sancho Panza. Quixote’s romantic quest is as crazy as he is. But is his impossible dream madness or vision? The trial is about to begin. Taproot Theatre’s production—directed by producing artistic director Scott Nolte with musical direction by Edd Key—features fresh, acoustic arrangements and an intimate setting that transports the audience to the Spanish dungeon where Cervantes’ story unfolds. Man of La Mancha was written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The original production was staged by Albert Marre, and it was originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief organization that provides shelter and emergency supplies to areas hit by natural disasters. Contents of each box vary depending on the need, but generally include a tent for 10 people, thermal blankets, insulated grounds sheets, mosquito nets, water purification system, basic tool kit (hammer, axe, saw, shovel, pliers, wire cutters), wood-burning or multi-fuel stove, cooking supplies and eating utensils, and a children’s activity pack of coloring books and crayons.

We’ll be debuting five new Spanish wines brand new to market paired with some delicious treats to nibble on. All tasting fees will be donated to ShelterBoxUSA.org.

We last held an event for ShelterBox this past February after the massive earthquake in Haiti. Our event was a great success and, thanks to you, we raised enough money to send one whole box to Haiti ($1000, shipped). That’s shelter and the means to live for 10 people.

All too quickly we forget that ShelterBox is needed all over the world everyday. Their current deployments can be tracked on their website and include disasters you won’t hear much about on the evening news - flooding in Brazil and a landslide and flooding in Pakistan.

Thursday’s event is in collaboration with our good friends at BUILD. Next weekend they, along with other cycling enthusiasts, will be riding from Seattle to Vancouver, BC to raise money for this great cause. They started with the goal of raising $10,000 for ShelterBoxUSA.org - at $1000 per box that’s 10 boxes, or shelter for 100 people! (more info on their ride at the BUILDlls blog here). Please join us and help us blow them way past that $10,000 goal and help those who have just lost everything and truly need your help.

The entire parade route will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until after 8:30 p.m.  Seattle Police will direct traffic. Also, Greenwood Avenue North between North 95th Street and North 105th Street will be closed at 4:15 p.m. for staging.

Metro Transit bus routes 5, 48 and 355 will be rerouted from about 4-8:30 p.m. Click here for more information on the routes, or call Metro’s Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000. In a nutshell:

• Route 5 Express: Use stops south of North 79th Street or the temporary stop eastbound on North 80th Street & Greenwood Avenue North, from 5:15-8:30 p.m.
• Route 5 Local: Use stops north of North 105th Street or south of North 80th Street, or use the temporary stops along the reroute, from 4-8:30 p.m.
• Route 48: Use stops east of Linden Avenue or west of 8th Avenue NW, or the temporary stops along the route, from 5:15-8:30 p.m.
• Route 355: Use stops west of Linden Avenue or north of 105th on Greenwood, or the temporary stops along the route, from 4-8:30 p.m.

The grandstand will be set up in front of Bartell Drugs and Blockbuster. The parade announcer is Randy Rowland, voice of the Seahawks at Qwest Field and pastor at Sanctuary Church (which meets at Taproot Theatre and runs the Green Bean Coffeehouse).

About 100 floats, marching bands, drill teams, community and school groups, and the Seafair Pirates are in the parade. Grand Marshals are Seattle a capella group The Coats. The parade starts at 6 p.m. with the kids’ parade.

We’ll be there taking pictures and video and we’ll have a full report later tonight.

Alina just sent us this note about her missing kitty:

My baby cat, Cation, is missing. He is about five pounds, eleven months old…He’s been missing since last night (Mon July 27). He lives at 59th and Phinney. I know he’s very scared and probably hiding in some tiny space and making sad meows. He’s an indoor cat but escaped so the outdoors is very new to him. If you see him, please call at any time 206-465-1936. Thank you for your help.

One of the many drill teams in last year’s parade.

Sponsored by the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce and a number of local businesses (including PhinneyWood), the 60th annual parade starts at 6 p.m. The parade route runs along Greenwood Avenue North from North 95th Street to North 85th Street, then turns west on 85th to 6th Avenue Northwest.

A float celebrating Leif Erikson at last year’s parade.

The theme of this year’s parade is “Greenwood’s Got Talent,” and features Grand Marshals The Coats, who starting singing on Seattle street corners and have shared the stage with The Beach Boys, Tricia Yearwood, and many other famous singers.

We’ll be at the parade taking plenty of pictures to post. If you’ve got some great shots you’d like to share, pleas email them to us. (Disclosure: PhinneyWood is a sponsor of the Seafair Parade.)

The open house is from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the Greenwood Library.

The improvements are designed to reduce speeds, improve safety and benefit everyone who uses the street, including commuters, truck drivers, bus passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. SDOT is proposing the following:

• A center left turn lane and one travel lane in each direction
• Improved pedestrian crossings
• Bicycle lanes on both sides of the street
• Existing on-street parking will remain

As average speeds are in excess of posted limits, this proposal will help address the speeding problem on Greenwood Ave N. It will also make the roadway more accommodating for vulnerable users like pedestrians and bicyclists.

SDOT is interested in hearing from the public about these recommended changes. Comments can be submitted by e-mail to walkandbike@seattle.gov or by calling 206-684-7583. The comment deadline is August 17.

This project is part of the voter-approved Bridging the Gap transportation initiative.

Shoppers of all ages can build their own squash race car and compete with other veggie vehicles. A zucchini, wooden wheels, racing adornments and an official time trial track will be provided. The races take place from 3:00 – 6:00 pm under the market’s special events tent. The event is free and open to the public.

The temporary station at 6802 Greenwood Ave. N. has two large trailers for firefighters and a large tent for Engine 21.

The old station will be demolished and replaced by a new two-story, 8,576-square-foot station with more space for the firefighters and their equipment.

(Rendering courtesy Miller Hull Partnership.)

Firefighters will spend about one year working out of the temporary space, with trailers for living quarters and a large tent for Engine 21.

Project Manager Rich Hennings says the firefighters getting off their 24-hour shift Tuesday morning will bring their gear over to the new fire station. Professional movers will move the rest. Hennings says Engine 21 may be out of service very briefly during the changeover, but nearby stations would cover it. “For the most part they pretty much stay in service,” Hennings said.

The chain link fence will remain around the temporary site for security. A wireless doorbell on the gate is available for anyone needing to contact the firefighters. They will still be available for routine blood pressure checks.

As for the old station, old fuel tanks need to be taken out before construction begins. Some of the building will be salvaged by Second Use. A fence will go up around the old site probably next week as work begins. The old station will be demolished and replaced by a 8,576-square-foot, two-story station with more space for firefighters and their equipment.

There have started to be a number of small thefts of items stored outside at apartments and homes near 65th & Phinney. We had prayer flags stolen from our porch, a neighbor had a BBQ set (tongs, mitt etc.) go missing and another neighbor interrupted some one stealing a deck chair at 2am (the person ran off).

In and of themselves these are nuisance crimes, don’t involve breaking and entering (all the items were on outside porches readily accessible to the street) but it concerns me that some one or multiple people may be trying to see how soft a target the area is before actually breaking and entering and stealing something of significant value.

I thought that perhaps the Phinneywood blog might post something just to help people be on the lookout in the area and perhaps consider adding motion lights.

Has anyone else had similar thefts recently?

Last year’s inaugural Summer Streets program in April closed down Greenwood Avenue so that people could stroll down the street, enjoying the BubbleMan, chalk art, a whiffleball game, and more, in conjunction with the monthly artwalk.

The signs were posted with the business owners’ permission, and are stuck on with wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive using vegetable starch and water. Someone apparently pulled off the poster outside Francine Seders Gallery, at 6701 Greenwood Ave. N.

Summer Streets is a joint project of the city and the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce. To see the other two signs, at Rosewood Guitar and Naked City, see SDOT’s blog post.

Sir Bump prevailed over the dragon (who turned out to cranky because he was just hungry) by feeding him his picnic lunch.

Elton is a youthful 3-year old boy who can be a little shy in new situations, but will make himself at home in no time. He’ll sprawl comfortably across his bed (or maybe yours?) with his legs hanging out when he naps and invite himself onto your shoulder for a snuggle when you open his cage for a visit. He’s a big kitten when there’s a feather toy or laser pointer to pounce (a sparkly mouse will do in a pinch). Elton would prefer a home without young children or dogs, though.

Elton is waiting for your shoulder at PAWS Cat City (8503 Greenwood in Seattle). He is neutered, microchipped, litter box trained, and up-to-date on his vaccines. His adoption fee is $90. Cat City is open Tue, Wed & Fri noon - 6 pm, Thu noon - 7 pm and Sat - Sun 11 am - 5 pm.

Want a virtual animal encounter? Check out the PAWS YouTube page for everything from kittens & dogs to harbor seal pups & bear cubs!

The new SPACE Venue & Education Center will be a co-working office during the day, and a rentable space for events in the evenings and on weekends. The 1,000-square-feet of space is essentially one big room, with tables and enough space for up to about 20 people to work.

“It fits what we do a lot better. It’s more contained; it’s just us,” SPACE Booking Manager Isaac Marcum says. “During the daytime we’re doing this project called co-working space, then in the evening we run different classes, we have baby showers, things like that.”

The co-working option will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $10 to drop-in and work, or a monthly membership fee of $50 for unlimited time. Internet, phones and printers are available.

“It’s kind of a step up from (working in) a café, so you can have your own space,” Marcum said. Co-workers can probably meet with clients there, although Marcum said that may be up to the community of workers to decide if meeting with clients is disruptive to the other workers.

Here are two Greenwood restaurants that received unfavorable inspections from the King County Public Health Department, and were posted this week.

Mr. Gyros at 8411 Greenwood Ave. N. earned 70 points at its July 7 inspection.

Red critical violations/high risk factors:

• Improper cooling procedures (30 points)
• Room temperature storage, improper use of time as a control, procedures not available (25 points)
• Toxic substances improperly identified, stored and used (10 points)
• Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained (5 points)

The 85th Street Café & Deli at 8420 Greenwood Ave. N. garnered 53 points at its July 7 inspection.

Red critical violations/high risk factors:

• Food in poor condition, not safe and adulterated; unapproved additives (10 points)
• Improper cold holding temperatures (>45° F) (10 points)
• Inadequate hand washing facilities (10 points)
• Thermometers not available or used as required to evaluate temperature of potentially hazardous foods (5 points)
• Food worker card not available or current, new food workers not trained (5 points)
• Raw meats, poultry, aquatic foods not stored away from ready-to-eat foods (5 points)

Blue violations/low risk:

• Inadequate equipment for temperature control (5 points)
• Single use and single service articles improperly stored, used (3 points)

According to the Public Health Department, 35 or more red critical violation points require a re-inspection within 14 days; 90 or more red critical violation points require the establishment be closed; and 120 or more total red and blue points also requires the establishment be closed.

According to the Phinney Neighborhood Association, Theilen uses market farmers for many of his recipes and will demo recipes using what’s fresh at the market.

The demo is free and begins at 4 p.m. Recipes will be distributed at the market and will be available online (link provided once we get it). To get a taste of what could be in store, check out the link for what’s fresh at area markets this week. 

Zambini Brothers of Vashon Island will perform “The Tasty Tale of Sir Bump.” The event is free.

Bicyclists and pedestrians on Fremont Avenue North will be allowed to continue straight through the intersection (when the light is green) but vehicles on Fremont Avenue North will be required to turn right or left onto 105th Street. The purpose of the restriction is to prevent excessive “cut through” traffic on Fremont Avenue North.

The Interurban North signed bicycle route connects downtown Seattle to Everett. Similar signalized crossings have already been installed on Fremont Avenue North at North 80th and North 85th streets.

This work is part of SDOT’s implementation of the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan and is funded by the Bridging the Gap transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in 2006.

The Community Online Reporting Program (CORP) allows the public to file police reports for certain incident types (Property Destruction, Car Prowls, Auto Accessories, Theft of Property (under $500), and Identity Theft) over the internet.

This service will allow the public to file a report at a time that is best for them without having to wait for an officer to respond or call them back. The public will be able to print a temporary copy of the report as soon as they submit it. The report will be reviewed by police personnel, and, once approved, the filing person will receive an email with a copy of the final report attached. The report will transfer directly into the Seattle Police Department records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis as if the report had been filed by an officer.

This option is for low level property crimes only. It does not replace 911 or the non-emergency number. If the caller feels that they are in danger, or the crime just happened, or the suspect may still be there, 911 is still the best option. The Community Online Reporting Program is an option for people that want to report a low level theft, but do not necessarily need an officer to respond in person.

The web-based crime reporting service can be accessed by going to the Seattle Police Department’s homepage (http://www.seattle.gov/police) and clicking the “File a Report” Quick Link.

“We are hoping some of the Phinney-Greenwood businesses will join us in support of auction with a procurement item donation, event sponsorship and/or product samples for our VIP bags,” Erin Quick, of Ruby Room’s board of directors, said.

Auction items are needed by Aug. 27. Contact Erin at (206) 437-6782. Dresses, shoes and accessories are also donated throughout the year and made available to girls in need at no cost.

“We know this is a building where no chemicals are used, no hazardous materials, so right now what this appears to be is pepper spray,” Helen Fitzpatrick, the Public Information Officer for the Seattle Fire Department tells us at the scene. “Medics evaluated 8 people, the longer they’re exposed to the air the better they feel and no one will be going to the hospital.”

I saw one person in handcuffs sitting on the curb, but neighbors said they saw three or four people in handcuffs earlier.

Det. Mark Jamieson from the Seattle Police Department says the call came in just before 11 a.m. Neighbors told police they heard yelling, glass breaking and some sort of explosion inside. Det. Jamieson didn’t know whether any of those detained would be booked.

The northbound lane of Third Avenue Northwest was blocked off from NW 90th Street to NW 92nd Street, while the southbound lane remained open.

Thanks to Baldwin for the tip!

While driving home from a movie tonight at about 11PM, my girlfriend and I discovered a small black cat in the middle of the road at the corner of 103rd and Linden.

It appeared to have been hit by a car, and was no longer breathing or showing any signs of life. It had no collar or other distinguishing marks. There was a black and white cat with a white face sniffing around at it when we arrived, but that cat quickly ran off.

After flagging down a car or two to see if anybody recognized it, I moved it next to the fire hydrant on the northeast so that it was at least out of harm’s way.

Give your pet a good squeeze if you’ve got one - we gave ours some cuddles when we got home.

Chris sent us a photo of the cat, which we are not posting. If you think it may be your cat and you want to see the picture to identify it, please email us.

Results will be published in the Aug. 4 issue.

You must fill in at least five categories, and submit your name and email address for your vote to be counted. One vote per person, please. Email addresses are checked for validity but will be purged after voting is over. You will not be put on any list.

To determine candidate ratings, volunteers throughout King County have joined the Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Committees to study the public record, review candidate questionnaires, speak with references, and conduct interviews with candidates. Committee members then rate each candidate on four criteria: Involvement, Character, Effectiveness and Knowledge. The possible ratings are: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Adequate, Not Qualified and Insufficient Information to Rate.

The non-partisan ratings process is similar to a job interview and investigates each candidate’s potential to be effective in the office he or she seeks and to beneficially serve the community. Political affiliations or stances on particular issues are not considered during the League rating process. The Municipal League attempted to contact every candidate in a contested race. Candidates were rated even if they declined to participate.

Check out the full list of ratings of candidates for state representative, state senator, judge, county council and mayor here.

• Greenwood Block Watch “Night Out.” (Neighborhoods throughout the city and the country will host parties on Tuesday, Aug. 3, to bring neighbors together.)
• Greenwood-Phinney Summer Streets, which is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13. (Last year’s inaugural Summer Streets in our neighborhood was in April.) LeAnne Nelson from Seattle Department Of Transportation will brief the council on Summer Streets preps.
• Greenwood-Phinney Fruit Harvest. City Fruit is a local organization that provides volunteers to harvest private homeowners extra fruit to donate to food banks and food programs for people in need.
• Election Forum for local election on Aug. 17 and Nov. 2.
• Update regarding Greenwood land use & transportation issues/projects.

If available, updates will be provided on:

• City of Seattle multi-family code change proposal.
• Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood Plan study.
• Central Greenwood rezone discussion.
• Greenwood-Phinney Neighborhood Park Acquisition (location TBD).
• Greenwood Parks Opportunity Fund proposal (@ 85th Street / 1st Ave).
• Greenwood Park Neighborhood Matching Fund proposal (p-patch).
• Greenwood Sidewalks Neighborhood Matching Fund project.