I took advantage of a seemingly rare break in our recent nasty weather to get out to the southern border of the ‘hood.  That welcome excursion provided a few observations and insights—not enough to warrant individual articles, but this being a slow news weekend, I thought I would lump them into a rambling post for you.

 

 

Oil Spill on Lake Union

In my recent former life, I responded to oil spills for NOAA.  When I heard through the grapevine that there was one in my own back yard here in Wallingford, of course I had to go have a look.  …

Just in time for the darkest days of the year:  Historic Seattle is hosting a free holiday light experience at the Good Shepherd Center for the duration of December.  This is a partnership with Alliance Française and the Meridian School (two tenants in the building, which Historic Seattle owns).  Go get a little light therapy while we count down the days to the solstice and the new year!

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On Friday afternoon, 3 December, an altercation occurred outside of Wallingford institution, Murphy’s Pub. According to the Seattle Times, a 61-year-old man was stabbed by another man.

An eyewitness to the incident, now under the Wallyhood Witness Protection Program, provided this account:

“I walked from my home to CVS, crossed the street at Meridian and 45th and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. There were lots of kids walking around at this time. Maybe school had recently gotten out? I went into CVS and was inside for 1-2 minutes, came out to walk to Bartell’s. At that time, two …

On Thursday, the jury in the Lita Byrnes murder trial reached a verdict in King County Superior Court. The jury found:

– Guilty on First Degree Premeditated murder
– Guilty on Second Degree Felony Murder
– Yes on Use of a Deadly Weapon
– Yes on Deliberate Cruelty

These charges make the defendant eligible for a life sentence. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10th, and anyone may write a victim’s impact statement as long as they send it to the victim’s advocate by November 24th.

For those who don’t feel comfortable writing a full statement, the justiceforlita group …

While just about everyone in our neighborhood—and in the city as a whole, for that matter—has experienced some sort of property crime, real acts of violence are thankfully rare in Wallingford. However, one of note in the latter category that did happen here, and hit close to home for many in the community including the editors of Wallyhood at the time, was the tragic murder of Lita Byrnes in 2018. People who knew and loved her have not forgotten, and we heard from some who have been following the trial of the accused murderer. They are asking for support as …

If the Wallingford neighborhood has a heart, a strong case could be made that Meridian Park and the Good Shepherd Center are a big part of it. The Meridian School and the Wallingford Community Senior Center serve two ends of the local age spectrum. The Wallingford Farmers’ Market draws in big crowds during the summer months. Seattle Tilth attracts eager crowds with an interest in plants with classes and plant sales. The venerable old Good Shepherd Center is home to a delightful mixed bag of community-oriented groups. The old building itself maintains the funkiness that, even in the face of …

This year, Halloween falls on a weekend—Sunday night. For those trick-or-treaters (or their supervisory staff) wondering if there are organized events planned in and around Wallingford: you’re in luck!

Come have fun on Halloween (10/31) from 5-8 pm at the Haunted Alley! There will be Halloween games, decorations, and lots of candy (distributed in creative COVID-safe ways). The Haunted Alley will be one-way to aid social distancing and hand sanitizer will be provided at activity stations. Masks required. Entrance on 52nd St. between Kirkwood Pl. N. and Kensington Pl. N. This event is free and all are welcome, but the …