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A small patch of First Hill on the edge of Capitol Hill has been without power today after underground equipment failed during this morning's heavy rain. This person reported hearing a large bang before the power failed. It might be the most localized power failure we've ever reported -- those in the dark live in the area between Union and Seneca and Summit and Boren.
View 11/20 Power Outage in a larger map
According to Seattle City Light, about 267 customers will be without power until around 6:40 PM tonight when repairs are expected to be completed. 300 customers were affected by a power outage earlier this week caused by a tree branch damaging wires in north Capitol Hill. Despite the outages, the city has come through this week's wind and rain storms mostly unscathed though the forecast calls for more rain and wind through the weekend.
You might have seen the ads on CHS -- they are our peculiar little gift to a friend leaving the neighborhood -- Bailey Coy Books has announced their final day of business will be Friday. But you'll have another chance to say goodbye. Bailey Coy is hosting its own wake party on December 3rd:
Our final day of normal sales operation will be this Friday, November 20th.
BUT...Please join us for our party/wake/auction/fundraising event that promises to be a blast!!!
For 26 years, Bailey/Coy Books served as Capitol Hill's literary hub, providing the community with a place to be amongst books, talk about literature and meet their favorite authors.
On Thursday, December 3, we're holding a wake for the store, in memory of all those years, and celebrating the customers who've walked through the doors, the authors we've hosted, the generations of books we've sold and the staff who have served us so well.
We'll also hold an auction of the memorabilia we've collected over the years. We want to say good-bye in style - and raise some cash to help the store.
Auctioneer Laura Michalek will oversee bidding on a pair of white boxer shorts signed by David Sedaris, original cartoons out of our guestbook by Matt Groening and Lynda Barry, a poster signed by Annie Leibovitz, an original painting from the Big Fucking Hands series by Ellen Forney, signed first editions and other very special and very odd items. We'll also auction off dates with two of Capitol Hill's celebrity politicians, State Senator Ed Murray and City Councilmember Sally Clark.
Entertainment will be provided by Fuschia Foxxx and the magnificent Dina Martina. Food and champagne will be served, all provided by local Capitol Hill eateries such as Poppy, Table 219, Charlie's and High Five Pies. Tickets are $40. We will pop the champagne open at 6 PM--the entertainment, and the auction, will begin promptly at 7.
Tickets will be available at BrownPaperTickets.com or at the door. Space is limited - so buy early and buy often.
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 CouncilNovember General Meeting Agenda & Fall PotluckCal Anderson Shelter HouseCal Anderson Park7-9pm 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
This might be the best e-mail tip we'll ever receive. A film crew? A new business finally open? Sex? Take it away neighbor Jeremy:
Not sure this is blog-worthy, but a film crew is filming a commercial for Johnson & Johnson at . Filming is today only. Also, have you written about the new leather/sex store next to old school frozen custard? Don't think I've seen anything on the blog yet. Probably of interest to lots of folks on the hill.
Well, I think we've mentioned the opening of Doghouse Leathers' new store next to Old School Frozen Yogurt in passing here on CHS -- um, yeah, very much in passing. CHS Tweeted about it but we haven't given the opening of the new Cap Hill leather shop its due here on the news blog.
Sorry Doghouse. We're happy to see that owner Daddy Jeff is a member of the site. We'll follow up with something a little more in depth, but for now, know that upper Pike is now your source for frozen yogurt AND retailing services for "the greater Seattle Men’s Leather/Kink Community." You can also follow the action on Twitter @DogHouseLeather. .
Oh. By the way. Here's the house from the Johnson & Johnson comercial. Watch for it on a television set near you.
Here is the latest batch of reports from the East Precinct for the first weeks of November. We also recently reported on the rash of car break-ins plaguing the area with a map of Hill car prowl hotspots.
We have created a new section in our forums for community Crime Reports if you see something or have something happen to you that you think the Hill needs to know about.
- : Sometime early this month, a person kicked in the door of a practice studio at 11th Ave's Chop House and took a 1970 Gibson L6S electric guitar. According to the very detailed report, the guitar has a natural wood finish with a custom Humbucker pickup installed near the bridge along with a custom three-way switch.
- : A man was detained after struggling with a police officer outside of the Harvard QFC following an incident involving the man and QFC security. Late on Friday, Novemeber 6, store security believed the man had stolen a can of beer from the store but the follow-up investigation by the police officer determined that the man had the can of beer in his pocket prior to entering the store but became angry when he was accused and began assaulting people with his umbrella. The man was released following an interview at East Precinct.
- : On Monday, November 2 around 10 AM, a man was spotted leaving a house and walking down E. Republican near 21st Ave carrying a TV under each arm to load into his car. A neighbor called police but the man was gone by the time the officer arrived. The officer found a basement window that had been broken out giving the burglar access to the house. No suspect description was provided in the report.
- : A man entered a 10th Ave E doctor's office on November 4th and threatened staff saying, "I'll punch you in the head." He had also been observed trying to tackle people and standing in the street stopping traffic kicking at cars and trying to knock over a motorcycle. The man eventually left the office after somebody inside brought their dog out for protection. When the officer arrived, the man was shirtless, on his hands and knees and growling at the dog. The man was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail for assault (12A.06.010), Pedestrian Interference (12A.12.015), Harassment 12A.06.040, and Criminal Trespass 1st (12A.08.040.B).
- : Late on Sunday, November 1, a man reported being assaulted after "trying to buy weed" near Volunteer Park at 17th and Republican. The man had contusions and swelling on both sides of face. He was also extremely inebriated, according to the report. He could not describe his attacker beyond identifying him as the man he was trying to buy drugs from due to his condition.
- : A burglary of a home in the 700 block of E. Olive Way netted $2,300 in ill-gotten goods on November 4.
- : A break-in at a residential parking garage in the 1600 block of Summit Ave netted the thief two prowled automobiles and a stolen 2008 VW Beetle used as a getaway mobile. There were no witnesses and no suspect has yet been identified, according to the report.
- : Finally, cleaning up with one from October we missed. A man can be seen on security video footage walking behind the bar at 15th Ave's Liberty and grabbing cash early in the morning of October 27. Staff at the bar said that $160 in tips and another $120 in cash from a wallet was stolen by the man who is described as a black male, 5'5", 130 pounds with "three days of facial hair growth, with short black hair, a pierced left eyebrow, and a pierced tongue with a blue ring in it," according to the report. The report says a staff member told officers the man said he was "from the Central District area of Seattle, had been born at University Hospital, and had a sister named [redacted] who was a stripper."
More about the L6S from VintageGuitars.org.uk
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 mapReview 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.
Broadway retail had another hole poked in the middle of it tonight as, under the cover of darkness, employees scrambled to gut the Hollywood Video next to Dick's Burgers and directly across the street from the empty lot where Sound Transit's light rail station construction is soon to begin.
A sign on the door said the location is permanently closing and directed customers to the next closest Hollywood Video in Magnolia. Despite the sign, a customer tried the locked door before dropping his movie in the return slot. He said he had just joined Hollywood's monthly movie plan.
UPDATE: Adding some information about the building itself, the $2.8 million, three-story brick building was built in 1929 and is owned by Ron and Edel Amundson, according to King County records. It is also home to online provider of phonics-based spelling lessons, Headsprout and a company called Antique Cycle Northwest. From the Department of Neighborhoods:
Historic Name: Del-Teet Furniture Common Name: Hollywood Video
Style: Commercial Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Built By: Frederick Anhalt Year Built: 1929
Significance
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.
This building was constructed in 1929 as the Del-Teet Furniture Store. Cyrus Teeter, who had a Denver store with a Dr. Delaney, identified this location as one of the busiest in Seattle and thus suitable for his second store. In the 1950s the store gained renown as the first to introduce modern furniture to go with new post-war housing styles. This was the first of several major furniture stores that opened on Broadway, earning it the name Furniture Row during the 1950s-60s. Del-Teet remained open at this location in to the 1990s. The building was designed by Frederick Anhalt, who was best known as a developer of French Norman and Tudor-inspired apartment buildings, particularly on Capitol Hill. His influence is evident in the arched windows on all three floors. Although Anhalt built several one-story neighborhood commercial buildings, this is his only building of this type--a three-story freestanding commercial structure.
Appearance
This three-story red brick building has a stepped parapet and arched windows on all three floors, including the street-level display windows. The storefront has a high degree of integrity, with wood-and-glass doors. The second floor projects over the first floor, supported by six square wood columns. Although the upper floor windows have a modern look, they are original. The building's only ornament is brick sills and arches around the windows and simple decorative brick insets below the cornice line.
The Broadway Hollywood Video is was one of ten locations still operating in Seattle for the troubled chain operated by Oregon-based Movie Gallery, Inc. The company has faced mounting pressure as industry leader Blockbuster has cut prices and invested in the online space to try to keep pace with services like Netflix. On Monday, Movie Gallery announced it was releasing its new iPhone app, DidjaC. The Blockbuster just down Broadway near Pine remains. The indie Broadway Video also continues to offer brick and mortar rentals in the area as do On 15th Video and Video Connection in other parts of the Hill.
On the corporate chain watch, another Pacific Northwest corporation shut down its Capitol Hill outlet this week with the closure of Taco Time on Madison. Meanwhile, Starbucks opens its latest new-concept cafe with Roy Street Coffee and Tea serving its first cups Wednesday morning at 6 AM.
Update: We've left calls for everybody involved with Hollywood and Movie Gallery that we can find on the Internet. Will update when and if we hear back.
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UPDATE: It was discovered the woman had not been shot and called in a false report, according to Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sean Whitcomb.
Original report:
Police and emergency crews responded to an apartment in 2000 block of E. John this morning after a woman called 911 to report she'd been shot in the leg, according to a dispatcher's report broadcast to emergency personnel. Officers were seeking two male suspects involved with the shooting. The woman was transported to Harborview. We do not have information on her condition at this time.
First Hill Streetcar Map, originally uploaded by Oran Viriyincy.
As we've been reporting all along, the city and Sound Transit have been pushing toward a plan to have the streetcar running between Union Station and Capitol Hill in service shortly after the 2012 apocalypse.
The two agencies made Streetcar 2013 official with this announcement released Monday:
Seattle, Sound Transit execute agreement for expedited streetcar construction
November 16 , 2009
The City of Seattle and Sound Transit are moving forward with plans to build a new streetcar line linking the city's First Hill neighborhood with Capitol Hill and the International District.
The city and Sound Transit have executed an agreement that includes an expedited construction timeline - the line is anticipated to open in 2013 instead of the 2016 completion that was earlier planned. The City of Seattle will build and operate the new line, which voters approved as part of the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot measure.
"This line will be the first two of 36 new miles of rail coming to our region," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who today added his signature to the agreement following recent approvals by the Sound Transit Board and Seattle City Council.
The First Hill Streetcar will serve major Seattle work centers, including Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle University and Seattle Central Community College. The line will provide easy access to the Link light rail system that opened this summer and the Capitol Hill light rail station when University Link opens in 2016.
"First Hill is home to more than 22,000 jobs and the streetcar will be a great new option for the people who live and work here," said First Hill Improvement Association Vice President Jim Erickson. "We look forward to working with the City and Sound Transit to meet the transportation needs of First Hill."
Sound Transit will cover the project's costs up to $132 million, and the city will take the lead on design, property acquisition and construction of the two-mile line connecting downtown Seattle, First Hill and the Capitol Hill light rail station. Sound Transit will cover operating costs when the line begins service.
The First Hill line will be the second modern streetcar line in Seattle following the Sound Lake Union Streetcar line which opened in December, 2008.
The City plans to begin construction in 2012. The final route will be determined as part of the environmental review process over the next two years. The Sound Transit Board included the streetcar line in the ST 2 expansion package after determining that a previously-planned light rail station at Madison Street and Summit Avenue on First Hill would be too costly.
With the passage of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure in November 2008, light rail is targeted to reach all the way to Lynnwood, Redmond's Overlake area and the Star Lake/Redondo area near Federal Way by 2023.
Next for the process will be the public and political discussion about what route the line will take as it passes between the International District and Capitol Hill by way of First Hill.
