Hiroko's outfit caught my eye outside of Velo Bike Shop on my way home from work.  The days are getting shorter and so is my picture taking window.  When I found Hiroko, the last bit of daylight was creeping behind the horizon.

From the color to the lovely bow I adore these clever boots.  Hiroko's look is a great mix of feminine and unconventional preppy style.  This combination makes for a unique outfit that doesn't feel overly put together. 

For more street style photos from around Capitol Hill and the rest of the city check out my website:www.itsmydarlin.com

(Photo: It's My Darlin)

puddle, originally
uploaded by zenobia_joy.

Seattle Department of Transportation is gathering community feedback on their proposals to introduce paid parking on Broadway after 6 PM and add two-sided street parking to side streets in the area -- the last day to send in your comment is Monday.

You, however, can deliver your feedback in person Thursday night by attending the Capitol Hill Community Council's November public meeting. An SDOT official is on the agenda and will be ready and willing to gather your input on the updated Broadway parking plan. Oh, and you'll also get to feast on some yummy community potluck chow as the Council celebrates the harvest with an autumn meal. Bring something to share.

Capitol Hill Community Council

November General Meeting Agenda & Fall Potluck

Cal Anderson Shelter House

Cal Anderson Park

7-9pm on November 19, 2009

 

• Officer Introductions & Welcome
•  Open Floor & 1st Helpings
•  September Meeting Minutes/Finance Report
•  Committee Reports
  - Community Events
  - Policy & Planning
  - Open Space
•  Discussion Topics
•  Guest Speaker: Harper, Seattle Department of Transportation
  Discussion of community parking plan for Capitol Hill.
•  Mingling & 2nd Helpings
•  Close

You might not have noticed but another large media entity has geared up to offer a 'hyperlocal' site for Capitol Hill. The Seattle PI has had a Cap Hill blog forever but they recently gave it the same upgrade they've rolled out in a few other neighborhoods in the city. You can check out the Seattle PI site here. Or just enjoy this fine screen grab and save the click.

Like the PI's effort in other neighborhoods, the Hearst-backed online news outfit isn't committing any dedicated reporters or photographers to Capitol Hill and its posts come from unpaid community members. Contrary to what you might think, CHS is happy to have more people writing about the Hill -- we just wish they weren't doing it in a way that lines the pockets of a big corporation. Why not start your own site?

If you would like to help line our pockets, however, anybody can post an article to CHS. You just need an account -- then click the Post link in the menu and let it rip. And if you're serious about it, drop us a line and we can add you to our revenue sharing program. Yup -- unlike the PI, we pay. We're a community site, full of community voices. We welcome you to join the conversation.

A couple of Wednesday activities of CHS note:

• The first community design meeting to discuss the 230 Broadway development happens tonight at Seattle University. The project will replace a block along Broadway where Bank of America, Noah's Bagels and Cafe Septieme and others currently do business -- and also the parking lot where the weekly Broadway farmers market takes place.
  

  Project: 230 Broadway E map

  Review Meeting:	November 18, 6:30 pm
  	SU Alumni Relations & Admissions Building
  	824 12th Ave map
  	Meeting Room
  Review Phase:	EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
  Project Number:	3009249 permit status | notice
  Planner: Lisa Rutzik

• Seattle bloggers and the people that love them will be gathering at Central Cinema tonight for Blogsgiving 2009. Everybody is welcome -- we're raising donations for NorthWest Harvest so bring a few bucks or a couple cans of food to give. There will be free food and some wine to get the party moving plus Central's kitchen and beer taps will be open and ready for business. Stick around to catch Big Trouble in Little China afterward.

Monday is the deadline for community suggestions to name the two new parks being built on Capitol Hill. An e-mail from Capitol Hill Community Council president Jennifer Power spells out the parks department rules:

The Park Naming Committee is comprised of one representative designated by the Board of Park Commissioners, one by the Chair of the City Council Parks and Seattle Center Committee, and one by the Parks Superintendent. Criteria the committee considers in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. A park may be named for a person no longer living (deceased a minimum of three years) who made a significant contribution to parks and/or recreation. The Park Naming Committee will consider all suggestions and make a recommendation to the Superintendent, who makes the final decision.

Suggestions should be sent to paula.hoff@seattle.gov

We've written about the naming process several times -- here are most of the suggestions we've seen on CHS. The only one we can endorse is the idea to name the 16th at Howell greenspace after Gray Lambert, the activist nearby Lambert House is named for. Some other ideas from CHS comments:

Summit at John An angled, sloped walkway separating a grassy grade and community garden plots. With skateboard element and picnic area	Howell at 16th A level turf area in the middle of the site, bordered by a collective garden to the north and a crushed rock plaza and allee to the south
Suggestions: Paradise Park Summit Slope Park Wayside Park Rest Stop Park	Suggestions: Shannon Harps Park Desmond Tutu Park Queen City Park Emerald City Park Parkcrest Park Maidan Park Flattop Park Mia Zapata Park Riot Park Seven Hills Park Capitolinus Park Second Hill Park Lambert Gray Park Obama's mother's park

Maybe we're not as tuned into the Hill's history as we should be but there aren't any ideas that seem like obvious choices. Honoring Cal Anderson at the time the Hill's park was being built, wrote community organizer Kay Rood, just seemed right:

State Senator Cal Anderson died of AIDS in August 1995, just as Groundswell was mobilizing on our first big grant project. One of our steering committee members suggested that we name the new park for him, and the idea seemed just right from the very beginning. I never knew Cal, but I know from all I have read and heard that he was an exceptional person. Widely praised for his work ethic and personal integrity, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the disenfranchised. A park in the heart of the 43rd District named for him would bring a pride of place to our community, a new name for a new future. We tucked the idea away. I figured we would know when the time was right to propose it, which was not until we had assurances that there would be a park worthy of Cal’s name.

Other Capitol Hill parks followed a more random path to naming. Tashkent Park, for example, is named for Seattle's sister city in Uzbekistan. There's a Jimi Hendrix Park (not on Cap Hill) -- why not a Kurt Cobain Park?

Some other notables with Capitol Hill ties who died in recent years:

• AIDS activist Bill Lake
• playwright August Wilson
• philanthropist James Ray
• politician and pharmacist George Benson and his wife Evelyn Benson
• peace activist Richard Carbray

Fore! Smash Putt, "a temporary mini golf course/art installation on Capitol Hill," is open for play:

Assembled inside a dingy 12th Avenue building by Rusty Oliver and a group of industrial artists who call themselves the Hazard Factory, it's 10 holes featuring crazy contraptions involving catapults, air compressors, power tools and 33-1/3 rpm turntables.

At hole No. 2, which is called "Driving Range," you can launch a ball through an air-powered machine gun toward the upturned innards of a piano: "Clang — ng-ng-ng."

At hole No. 5, "Roulette Francaise," a motorized scooter turns a platform that shoots your ball off in one of four directions — one containing a hole. (And feel free to toot the scooter's horn whenever, just for fun.)

View Larger Map

There's also beer and snacks in the Miniature Golf Apocalypse clubhouse. You can buy tickets and get more info at http://www.smashputt.com/ The playing season is a short one -- Smash Putt will only be open for play these final three weekends of November.

The Hazard...

Oh My Vampire Weekend, originally uploaded by jaycoxfilm.

I just report this stuff. I don't get to decide what happens. Corporate mega chain Blockbuster has decided its Capitol Hill outlet makes the perfect host for a Friday night celebration of teen girl cinema.

SEATTLE AREA BLOCKBUSTER INVITES TWILIGHT SAGA FANS

TO FRIDAY THE 13th CELEBRATION OF "NEW MOON"

Hundreds of Seats for Special Nov. 19 Advance Screening To Be Given Away At the Blockbuster Capitol Hill  Store On Broadway

WHAT:  Some Twilight Saga fans, eager for the new feature film "New Moon,"

won¹t have to wait until the movie¹s release on Nov. 20th to sink their

teeth into the next installment about Bella and Edward.  The BLOCKBUSTER

store on Capitol Hill is hosting a special celebration of ³New Moon² on the

night of Friday the 13th.  Hundreds of tickets to a special advance

screening of the film, to be held on Thursday, Nov. 19 courtesy of

BLOCKBUSTER, will be given away at the event.

The Friday the 13th celebration of ³New Moon² will feature:

·      Two free tickets to the advance screening for the first 100 fans at

the event.

·       Dozens of additional advance screening tickets given away during the

event held 10 pm - Midnight

·      Screening of "Twilight" at 10 pm

·      More "Twilight" and "New Moon" prizes, including posters and DVDs, as

well as BLOCKBUSTER rental cards so fans can watch ³Twilight² again before

heading to the theater for ³New Moon.²

WHEN: Friday, November 13, 10 pm - Midnight

WHERE: Blockbuster on Broadway 1514 Broadway Ave (206) 324-6012

WHAT: "New Moon" Celebration & Ticket Giveaway

 Select tickets given away to the first 100 fans at the event.  (More given

away throughout the evening.) Also a 10 pm: Screening of the movie

"Twilight"

Artist ELITE, whose work was featured at Throwbacks NW this month, spotted at Featherston Gallery admiring the works of fellow artist Elizabeth Jameson (Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

Observing "Post-Bellum" by Elizabeth Jameson at the Featherston Gallery (Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

Guitarist Reji LeFleuer plays on the steps at Retail Therapy, adding sound to the paintings by featured artist Jenna Colby (Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

Babeland's Plastic Porn (Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

Listeners in Steampunk attire listen to Cherie Priest read her similarly themed Sci-Fi novel, "Boneshaker" at 15th Ave Coffee & Tea (Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

Out for Sustainability is hosting a conference on the periphery of Capitol Hill this weekend... at the Olive 8 Hyatt. The conference features a number of topics, ranging from gender and healthcare to the pros and cons of Washington state's DP rights.

The cost of the conference ranges from $5 - $35. For specifics on the conference, visit GayCapHill!

Flowers, candles and messages for Ben Hills decorate the Comet this morning in a tribute to the musician who died in Wednesday's tragic 11th Ave fire. A second man injured in the fire was treated at Harborview with non-life threatening injuries.

Some highlights from this second Thursday's Blitz Capitol Hill Arts Walk.  Live music at some of the venues this time:  Katherine Hepburn's Voice  at Cupcake Royale (7 pm),(KHV broke up! no band for Cupcake Royale!), Reji Lefleur at Retail Therapy (5 pm) and Lushy at Fetherston Gallery (6 pm). Note that  Seattle Asian Art Museum provides free admission during Blitz (5 pm to 8 pm). A few samples of what you'll see this month and a map of all the venues, below.

Maria Toro at Retrofit

Marion Resur at Caffe Ladro

Elizabeth Jameson at Fetherston

(Photo: It's My Darlin')

This is my first Hill Style post for CHS. You may have read about my street fashion site when CHS wrote about it earlier this year.

Dio caught my eye at the Walgreens on Broadway and Pine. I am such a big fan of throwing a bow tie into an everyday outfit. From the accessories to the well tailored coat Dio manages to look relaxed, dressy, dapper, and fun all at once.

For more street style photos from Capitol Hill and the rest of the city see my website: www.itsmydarlin.com

It's a federal holiday -- enjoy the free parking.

• Most government offices and banks are closed but the liquor stores, thanks to gosh, are open
• Metro is running many routes on a reduced weekday schedule
• Washington State turns 120
• And, yeah, the parking is free

Also, it's my little sweetie's second birthday. Happy birthday, buddy. Let's go play.

Join CHS and Gay Cap Hill for a little late-fall Happy Hour(s) at Purr! We'll be meeting up next Thursday, November 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This event is for anyone and everyone to attend so we hope to see everyone there! If you want to check out their happy hour offerings, visit Purr's web site.

Call Your Mom, She Worries,
originally uploaded by avitania.

Capitol Hill do-gooders -- that's you, right? -- have two options to contribute to society tonight.

One is easy, one is hard:

• Easy first. Sustainable Capitol Hill presents Greendrinks tonight. It's your opportunity to network with young, sexy types who enjoy recycling, bicycling and every kind of cycling you can possibly think of.

We will feature Sierra Nevada beer, a result of our having raised the most money of all the neighborhood Greendrinks in the last event in January. We'll also have some tasty snacks from Madison Market and some special treats from Bluebird Ice Cream! That's right, there's free ice cream as well.

As with all Greendrinks events, we'd appreciate it if you can help keep this a low-impact event by bringing your own glass for beer or other beverages and, since we have ice cream, a spoon as well.

5:30-9:00 PM at CHS partner OfficeNomads (Boylston at Pine)

• And now hard. Results from this survey and meeting process from the summer will be examined and discussed tonight as the city's planning commission takes steps toward leading Seattle neighborhoods to develop new 10-year plans.

During June and July, many neighbors joined in meetings and many other hundreds participated in on line questionnaires to review the Draft Neighborhood Status Reports and comment on changes— good, bad, and unexpected —that have occurred since Seattle’s Neighborhood Plans were written in the late 90's. We explored growth, transportation, housing, economic development, utilities, neighborhood character, open space and parks, public services, public safety. The Planning Commission’s reports on comments can be reviewed at http://www.seattle.gov/planningcommission/

The Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) and the Seattle Planning Commission want to report back to you on the trends that emerged so far and to get your help to identify the continuing priorities and new issues that should be emphasized in the final Status Reports and a State of the Neighborhood Report that will be presented to the City Council and Mayor. These reports will contribute to policy decisions including decisions about whether or how to updates neighborhood plans. Your input will also be important as NPAC shapes its recommendations on conducting, prioritizing and funding updates to the neighborhood plans listed below.

Tuesday, November 10th/ Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway – Room BE 1110/11 6-8 PM Directions http://seattlecentral.edu/maps/

• Queen Anne
• Uptown
• Belltown
• Pike/Pine
• First Hill
• Eastlake
• Capitol Hill

Central Area

Parking meter, 1951,
originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives.

I stumbled onto this fascinating essay about life on Capitol Hill in the 1950s inspired by the writer's discovery of the "I grew up on Capitol Hill' Facebook group. The names and the stories have so much color -- it's a good lesson to go find out the names of those people in the world around you so you can write quality history later. The essay is also a lesson in how quickly the Hill's culture has changed while providing prologue for the family-friendliness of today's northern Capitol Hill with its mommy and daddies and daddies and daddies and mommies and mommies. There is also a taste of the clubbiness that still can pervade some Capitol Hill streets.

From Growing up on "the hill"

We did a lot of the things our classmates did: bought penny candy at the same mom-and-pop stores, took 25 cents to the Roycroft Theater every Saturday afternoon for a program that included a serial, a newsreel, a cartoon and a feature film; built wooden hydroplanes and tied them to the back of our bikes for our own versions of the Gold Cup Races run on Lake Washington.  We sometimes went to the original Red Mill on Friday night with our aunt and uncle so we could have fish and chips and not have to go home to a kitchen that smelled like fried fish.

We went to the Friday night social dancing classes when we were in seventh and eight grades, and stood on one side of the hall while the St. Joe's boys were on the other. I can still remember a couple of Jack Reilly's sequence of steps and calls from that 7th-grade square dance class where they partnered us up with the boys by marching us in intersecting lines.

more...

You've already seen some of the Hill-oween pictures we gathered and took during the fun last Saturday -- but there are so many new shots flying around the Internet in the days since that it would be a shame not to share those too. Thanks for dropping these treats into our CHS flickr pool plastic pumpkin. Special thanks to flickrite sea turtle who, once again, captured so many great images from Halloween on Broadway.

You'll see a lot of sea turtle's work in this slideshow of images from "capitol hill seattle" sorted by flickr's "most interesting" ranking from this year. Enjoy.

Urban Wildlife - Uploaded by: sea turtle

Richie Tenenbaum and Max Fischer, originally uploaded by pam sattler.

You are never to old to trick or treat!, originally uploaded by ERIK98122.

, originally uploaded by chelsey [ r ] scheffe.

Wedded Bliss, originally uploaded by sea turtle.

spooky house, originally uploaded by jillbertini.

Halloween on Broadway, originally uploaded by sea turtle.

donna at the polish festival
Originally uploaded by plexipixie

The 49th Annual Fall Bazaar takes place at Dom Polski, this weekend (11/7 - 11/8) from 12 to 7 pm each day.  

Booths upstairs will offer Polish crystal bowl and vases, Boleslawiec pottery, amber and silver jewelry, pottery, books, and crafts.  Downstairs, you can enjoy traditional Polish dishes of pierogi, sausage, cabbage rolls etc. served by the young generation of waiters clad in Polish folk costumes. You can also buy home made desserts and pastries.  The address is 1714 18th Ave. Seattle, and free admission and parking.

It's been a long time since Seattle's last big shake had everybody diving under desks and thinking about being more prepared for emergencies. If you were here for the Nisqually earthquake in 2001, you'll be happy to know that we apparently got lucky. These scientists say 'the big one' might end up being even bigger than previously thought when it finally strikes the city.

All of this toward freaking you out a a bit and encouraging you to give serious thought to attending a community meeting on disaster preparedness this Saturday -- or, at least, getting prepared on your own.

The Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare group is bringing its seminar to the Capitol Hill library Saturday at 10:30 AM. You'll learn how to be prepared as an individual -- and as a community -- for emergencies big and small and, yes, even snowy.

The SNAP group has also been working with community groups in the city to prepare neighborhood disaster response plans for the areas. Where on Capitol Hill will people gather in the event of a major catastrophe that destroys homes and apartment buildings? That's the kind of thing you might want to have a plan for as a community. As an individual, much of it is as simple as making sure you have the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of your neighbors and extra water.

And being prepared on Capitol Hill is an especially good idea. WARNING: More freak-you-out stuff follows. At a recent meeting of the Capitol Hill Community Council, Seattle Office of Emergency Management's Mark Howard said Capitol Hill's older homes are a big concern in a significant earthquake. Howard said older houses on the Hill are often not attached securely to their foundations and the risk is that they will collapse in the event of a strong earthquake. Howard said the most vulnerable area of Capitol Hill is the west side along I-5 where there is also the risk of landslides. Freak-out stuff over.

With that as inspiration, for you do-it-yourselfers, here are some SNAP resources linked to from the Seattle Office of Emergency Management Web site:

SNAP Meeting Packet Items for Shelter and Special Needs, Communications and Damage Assessment:

• Getting Organized Meeting Agenda (PDF)
• Neighborhood Coordinator Task List (PDF)
• Search and Rescue Task List (PDF)
• Shelter and Special Needs Task List (PDF)
• Communications Task List (PDF)
• Utility Control Task List (PDF)
• First Aid Task List (PDF)
• Damage Assessment Task List (PDF)
• Help/OK Sign (PDF)
• Neighborhood Response Site Signs (PDF)
• Getting Organized Worksheet (PDF)
• Getting Organized Beginner Drill (PDF)
• Download All SNAP Host Kit Materials (PDF)
• Download All Preparedness Materials (PDF)
• Download All Task List Materials (PDF)
• Download All Meeting Packet Materials (PDF)

SNAP Drills:

• Conducting Effective Neighborhood Drills (PDF)
• Planning Process for a Neighborhood Drill (PDF)
• Neighborhood Drill Log (PDF)
• Getting Organized Beginner Drill (PDF)
• Beginner Tabletop Drill - Task Responsibilities (PDF)
• Intermediate Functional Drill - Map Your Neighbhorhood (PDF)
• Advanced Drill to Drill Kit (PDF)
• Download All Drill Kit Materials (PDF)

Special Medical Needs (PDF)

Store Emergency Water for Disasters (PDF)

Supply Kits

• Family Disaster Supplies Kit (PDF)
• Pet Preparedness (PDF)
• Car Kits (PDF)
• Work/School Kits (PDF)

Storing Emergency Water (PDF)

As an independent retailer I notice a lack of ongoing coverage of retail activity.  Sure things get coverage when they open, when misfortune strikes or when they close.  Reading this blog over the last month I have definitely seen a lot of love shown towards local retailers like Bliss and Bailey-Coy.  So why wait for these types of events to share our love for what makes our local shopping experiences unique to our neighborhood? 

There are dozens of retail gems that are just waiting to be discovered in the diverse community that is Capitol Hill - and First Hill.   I am proposing a companion column to the Food & Drink Notes called New in Store.  Retail establishments could submit info that I would compile and post on a regular basis.  Maybe you are teaching a knitting class, have a new Tarot reader in  the store, or got some cool new products in that you know people would love if they only knew about them. 

If this has been done or tried in the past - I apologize....

Get a little wild at this film fest as Conservation Northwest brings the 8th annual Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival on Tour to Capitol Hill tonight:

(Image: Conservation Northwest)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Reception: 6 pm

Films: 7 pm to 10 pm (with intermission)

Broadway Performance Hall, Capitol Hill

Tickets: $9 (or $11 at door)

Tickets available now at Brown Paper Tickets

The films:
The featured film of the evening is Division Street, a thought-provoking look at the impact of roads on wildlife, wild places, and the human landscape. Other engaging and entertaining short documentary, fiction, and adventure films highlight how ordinary people are creating real change across the globe. The film festival is the largest of its kind on the West Coast!

The fun:

    ▪    Free snacks and great deals on Sierra Nevada Brewing Co beer at the reception and intermission

    ▪    Door prizes from national sponsors (first 100 guests in the door)

    ▪    A free raffle ticket for everyone to win some great prizes! (more available by donation)

There's a big news event in between then and now that might make you forget about it -- but here's an early reminder about Wednesday night's meeting of the Capitol Hill Design Board to review the latest plans for the 1530 11th Ave project. We've covered the redevelopment planning process of the old brick building that was once a factory and part of Capitol Hill's early auto industry. Wednesday's meeting is a chance for the design board to weigh in on the plans for the development and for the community to have a say in the process.

Here are some thoughts and questions from the CHS comments about the project:

joshmahar: I think the additional parking in lieu of arts and culture space would be a travesty and must be stopped.

kstinebeck: agree that the double height commercial space should be in 11th. In reality, because of the grade up to 12th, there is no reason this feature should be wasted on Pine. I personally don't mind metal siding as long as the bottom of the building speaks to the top.

mmariano: The new design proposal is (currently) very unfortunate. Look a block away to a good addition to a historic building - the old Packard building is respectfully restored and the addition is true to the year it was built. Replicating the historic parapet of Sunset Electric and other faux historic details do not make a good building in its entirety. Hopefully the Design Review Board meeting will be well attended by the community.

Finish Tag: Very frustrating to see a complete lack of options on this project. Basically the Applicant is saying (to the Board and to the neighbors), "Thanks, but we don't need your input." The Design Review Board still expects to weigh in on options for SOME aspect of the building at a second EDG, if not the massing. This packet looks like a Recommendation meeting packet, just without the colors. They were asked to come back for a second GUIDANCE meeting for a reason.

CapHillMax: So while we are talking about preservation, does anyone not see the folly of plopping a residential building right on a street that is full of bars, late-night restaurants and clubs?

Dennis Saxman: This would only be considered preservation in George Orwell's 1984

Project: 1530 11th Ave map

Design Proposal available (3.65 MB)

Review Meeting:	November 4, 6:30 pm
	S U Alumni Relations & Admissions Buildings
	824 12th Ave map
	Meeting Room
Review Phase:	EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
Project Number:	3010451 permit status | notice
Planner:	Lisa Rutzick

Here are images and video from the Capitol Hill trick or treating scene near St. Joe's. We'll continue adding to this post as more pictures come in from the big night including scenes from Broadway and beyond.

Original Post:
We'll be taking, curating and posting images from Holiday fun across the Hill this weekend. Happy Halloween, Capitol Hill. Have something you want to share? CHS@capitolhillseattle.com or you can use simple HTML to add your picture in the comments. Looking for something to do? Here's our rundown of the Hill's Halloween fun.

Neighbor Kevin sent this lovely shot in via the CHS comments

UPDATE 8:13 PM:
A fun and mostly safe Halloween evening on Capitol Hill thus far. But be careful lazy, costume-less teens in the Capitol Hill trick or treat hot zone -- Dan Savage is waiting for you.

We'll have some more pictures from the night from CHS contributors plus the good stuff we find on Twitter, etc. We're also keeping one ear on the scanner. Thus far, the most interesting thing we've heard about was a flaming, homemade hot air balloon soaring westbound about 150 feet in the air in the vicinity of the huge crowds trick or treating around 15th Ave E and Aloha. The 3-foot-tall balloon was aflame and drifting around 7 PM. In less flammable news, we liked this politically-tinged costume idea found via Twitter.

UPDATE 4:20 PM:
Here are some kinda not-safe-for-work (but who's working) pumpkin pics courtesy of Babeland. Stop by to see the naughty gourds.

Original Post:

Dark & Stormy Night, originally uploaded by sea turtle.... (more)