Stories for May 2017

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Tuesday, May 30

Bert's Red Apple owner named 'Grocer of the Year'

Roger Croshaw was awarded 'Grocer of the Year' at the Washington Food Industry Association's annual convention. The award is given to independent grocers who have made a lifetime commitment to service in the industry.

Charlene Strong: City Council candidate believes Seattle needs to address growth, learn to make due with existing revenue

Seattle City Council candidate Charlene Strong describes herself as a pragmatic progressive, as someone who wants to capitalize on what the city does well and dispense with the things it doesn’t.

Friday, May 26

Support for First Presbyterian homeless shelter

While organizers of a 24/7 homeless shelter at Seattle First Presbyterian Church had braced themselves for pushback, First Hill residents provided mostly words of support Monday night, as well as questions about how it will work.

Convention Center developers ask for $30 million public benefits package

Developers for the Washington State Convention Center addition proposed a $30 million public benefits package in exchange for three alleyway and two street vacations during a packed meeting of the Seattle Design Commission on May 18.

Wednesday, May 24

Outside City Hall: The parents of Bertha's expensive journey

In April, Bertha, the world’s largest boring machine, finally broke through just west of Aurora, completing a 1.7-mile underground journey. However, the tunnel itself won’t be finished until 2019 -- four years from its original 2015 completion date.  

Aging With Care: Caring for elderly parents over long distances

Long-distance issues with aging parents are never easy. For most, frequent travel is not an option. For Bill, who is working full time and has two young teens and aging in-laws living with him, it would be difficult.

Tuesday, May 23

Town hall urges District 3 residents to support city income tax

A Seattle District 3 “Tax the Rich” town hall included a history lesson on why Washington state doesn’t have a state income tax -- and how the future could be a lot brighter for those paying the greatest costs in Seattle.

Despite travel troubles, Seattle International Dance Festival promises embarrassment of riches

The difficulty of obtaining travel visas for performers has made the 2017 Seattle International Dance Festival "more difficult than others," director Cyrus Khambatta said.

Monday, May 22

A community confronted by darkness

Jagger Gravning spent seven years on a film that dramatizes the 2006 mass shooting on Capitol Hill, without glorifying events; The film premieres June 6 as part of the Seattle International Film Festi

Kyle Huff killed six people and wounded two others at a rave after-party in the 2000 block of East Republican Street on the morning of March 25, 2006. He had been invited there after attending the “Better Off Undead” rave at the Capitol Hill Arts Center the night before.

Sunday, May 21

Garden Hotline: Summer bulbs

Imagine strolling through the garden just after sunset on a warm summer night and the moonlight shines on bright white lilies.

Garden Hotline: Summer bulbs

Imagine strolling through the garden just after sunset on a warm summer night and the moonlight shines on bright white lilies.

Friday, May 19

SIFF Review: 'Hello Destroyer' a bleak, must-see examination of the way men hurt men

“Hello Destroyer,” a Canadian drama playing at the 43rd Seattle International Film Festival, is a film supremely concerned with noise. 

SIFF Review: Tension sizzles, but doesn't ignite, in 'Pyromaniac'

Erik Skjoldbjaerg opens “Pyromaniac” quietly, from the first-person view of a car as it barrels down the road and sets upon a house at the edge of the woods. Inside, an elderly couple tidy their kitchen and untuck their sheets just so as they settle down for the night. They awaken to find their home in flames, the idyllic silence broken by the roar of the fire.

Wednesday, May 17

Pramila Jayapal on her first months in office

“I would have liked to be serving in a different Congress with a different president,” she said in a recent interview with Pacific Publishing Company. “But we are where we are.”

Tree Talk: Yet another gift from old Japan

Prized for its quiet elegance, the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is woven into Japanese culture like the threads of a kimono.

Monday, May 15

Ask Ray About Real Estate: Three ways to pay off your mortgage early

If owning a home is the “American Dream,” then owning a home without a mortgage is the dream taken to a higher level.

Green space protection group files appeal against Asian Art Museum expansion

A group against the loss of green space in Volunteer Park has opened a public process to stop the expansion of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Friday, May 12

Central Co-op won't expand to complement light rail

Members of Central Co-op gathered at Washington Hall on April 23 for the annual owner meeting to discuss and make crucial decisions for the co-op’s future, and learned that an expansion to complement Capitol Hill light rail wasn’t in the cards.

Revisiting the Park: Making bread (and losing it) on the old delivery route

The mid-20th Century  was a time for a new business enterprise to start up with little or no overhead, tax free.  It was a green company with few requirements--perhaps a 1927 Issue 45 Cal—it was a cash removal company called a Holdup!

Thursday, May 11

Food Matters: Jae's Asian Bistro and Sushi

Jae’s Asian Bistro and Sushi, at 2801 E. Madison St., is the result of a breakup.

Mayfair arrives in Madrona this Saturday

As in past years, the event begins at 9:15 a.m. at Al Larkins Park where decorated bicycles, tricycles, strollers, etc., their riders, and assorted friends, neighbors, and relatives will gather in eager anticipation for the 9:30 a.m. parade to the Madrona Playfield.

Healthy and Active: Spring soreness have you down?

Are the longer Spring days getting you back on the Madison Park tennis court or into your garden?

Monday, May 8

Aging With Care: Traveling tips for seniors

In our younger days, we never thought twice about heading out on an adventure. As we age, we now think twice, or maybe even three times, before committing to trips away from home.

The agony and the ecstasy of 'My Little Pony'

“I have had to witness some of my good friends being treated poorly,” the woman who calls herself Bunnycake wrote me over email. 

Outside City Hall: The bullies Nextdoor

Nextdoor is an online bulletin board where residents may post anything about their neighborhood:  lost cats and dogs, things they’re giving away or selling, upcoming events — or perhaps a post about criminal activity or something else amiss in their community.

Friday, May 5

Earthquake resistant, and expensive: Seismic retrofits could become mandatory for 1,000 Seattle buildings

Following a 2016 inventory list and report regarding the 1,150 unreinforced masonry buildings in Seattle, the city convened a policy committee that is now finalizing recommendations for a program that would make seismic retrofits mandatory.

Thursday, May 4

Life in Dog Ears: Gentrifiers, polyamorists and builders, oh my!

Life in Dog Ears is a new feature in which editor and obsessive reader Daniel Nash provides brief reviews and analysis of his reading list from the past month. Some selections are new, some are less new, and others are incredibly not new. Have a recommendation? Write Daniel at MPTimes@nwlink.com or tweet him @dlewisnash.

Shore Run and Walk returns June 11

The Shore Run and Walk will celebrate its 40th year on June 11. 

A City on a Hill: Je t'aime, Seattle!

The French have decided they love Seattle, and not just our pastoral fish-throwin’ and whale-watchin’ tourist draws. They love our arts scene.

Wednesday, May 3

The quick and dirty guide to the 43rd annual Seattle International Film Festival

The festival will feature a nice, round 400 films, split across 161 features, 58 documentaries, 14 archival showings and 163 short films. Actor spotlights will celebrate the work of Anjelica Huston and Sam Elliott.

Tuesday, May 2

Clash, arrests, at pro-Trump rally in Westlake

“I don’t know what I was expecting,” said a Trump supporter who identified himself as Mark. “This was the first time I’ve done any of this.”

More than a thousand march for immigrants and organized labor on May Day

A two-hour rally for sign-making and speeches -- delivered to an open field under cold morning rain -- began at Judkins Park, followed by a march to Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne that passed through the Central District, Capitol Hill, First Hill and the Sixth Avenue downtown corridor.

Monday, May 1