If you were to see Jonathan Cohen making his daily trek to the Wallingford QFC with his four-legged canine pal, you might mistake him for an ordinary guy. Having lived in Wallingford for 36 years, he is perfectly at home in this demographic, right down to the khaki work pants and sensible shoes. After a few minutes of conversation, you would piece together that he is a devoted dad who is unabashedly proud of his two children. That he has a sharp intellect. That he has lovingly restored an iconic hundred year old Wallingford home. He could be Wallingford’s Everyman.…
Breakfast, With a Side of Books
Whoever said lightning never strikes twice clearly never spent much time in the lunchroom of the Lincoln High School building, where I have had the good fortune to meet two very exceptional kitchen managers.
Last summer, I was lamenting the departure of beloved lunch lady (and all around interesting human being) Joanne Querin-Sorenson, who was smartly snatched up by McDonald Elementary School when they moved into their permanent building this fall. My son’s school, APP@Lincoln, remained in the Lincoln High building and began the search for a new kitchen manager. Enter new amazing lunch lady, Jo Simonian.
Jo walked into …
Cool Dad Offers Talks About Warm Planet
You might have missed Seattle Public Utilities’ recent Sea Level Rise Map, which predicts routine flooding throughout parts of Seattle by 2050. But Mike Foster – lower Wallingford resident – sure didn’t. And even though Wallingford looks to be spared from regular floods (thanks Ballard Locks!), Mike is on a mission to help his neighbors get serious about stopping climate change.
“I’ve been working on my personal carbon footprint for 20+ years,” Mike told me. “But that’s not enough anymore. Quietly driving an electric car or recycling, that’s just the beginning. It’s time to speak up in our communities and …
Wallingford – Leading the City in Veg Consumption
Are you an observer of Meatless Monday, a flexitarian, or otherwise reducing your meat consumption? If so, you apparently are not alone! Seattle Times news librarian Gene Balk recently analyzed Seattle’s consumer spending habits and the availability of meat-free cuisine by neighborhood, determining that Wallingford ranks first in the city for its love of veggies. Yep. We eat our five daily servings here in the ‘hood, out-munching runners-up Fremont, Ballard, Greenlake and Queen Anne.
A stroll along 45th Street with vegetarian main courses in mind reveals some tasty temptations. From the strictly vegetarian like Sutra and Jhanjay to the …
Community Greenhouse Seeks Seedling Nurturers
If you’ve got the itch to get your hands in the dirt, the Wallingford greenhouse, aka “A Growing Community,” could use your help!
You might remember that last summer, we featured Wallingford resident Cyrus Appell, who has donated the use of his backyard greenhouse to the greater good for the past five years. Thanks to the time donated by dozens of volunteers, thousands of seedlings have been distributed to giving gardens throughout Seattle. At harvest time, the fruits (and veggies) of their labors are shared with food banks to help provide organic, local produce for those who otherwise might not …
Bus Bulb Update
Last summer, I posted about the construction of bus bulbs and other transit improvements along 45th Street. After a recent post about proposed changes to N. 40th Street, Wallyhood got an earful about the bus bulbs on 45th. So I thought it would be a good time to check in with Mr. SDOT, Jeff Bender, who explains all manner of transit and traffic improvements to the willing lay person.
To recap, bus bulbs, or sidewalk extensions that allow buses to load and unload passengers without pulling out of traffic, were installed along 45th to try to improve the speed and …
Kindergarten Registration and School Tours
Reportedly, your child won’t receive an admission letter to Hogwarts until they turn 10. If you are wondering what to do about your child’s education during the intervening years, one of our local public elementary schools might be the answer.
In Wallingford, public school students attend one of our three neighborhood reference schools: McDonald Elementary, BF Day Elementary or John Stanford International School. Your reference school is determined by your address, which you can enter into the handy-dandy Seattle Public Schools “reference school generator” here.
While Seattle Public Schools accepts students at their neighborhood reference school on a rolling basis …