Solid Ground posted this update and photo taken from their office today to their Facebook page:

Fire across the street from Solid Ground’s HQ in Wallingford. The house has been used as a squat for some time; hopefully everyone got out ok. People should not have to illegally squat and live in dangerous situations in one of the richest cities in the world.

That house, along with the buildings that used to house Sutra and Sugar on Top, are all slated for demolition to make way for a new housing project.…

Countdown to candy day. Whether you’ve chosen to go the non-candy route (see Halloween Planning for some alternatives to candy for trick-or-treaters) or the candy bar route, if you’ve got kids, you’re going to have a big bag of candy coming into your house Saturday night.

Parents seem to have a variety of strategies on this one:

But for many of us, the candy just ends up in the trash. For …

When someone knocks at my door at dinner time, I groan. I’m not buying what they’re selling, and as a rule, I don’t “give” at the door (I prefer to do my research through Charity Navigator or the like, plus the economics of door-to-door fundraising means that a significant chunk of my donation would go to the fundraiser, rather than the cause.)

But tonight, I got a surprise. Fiber!

Yes, the long awaited deliverance from Comcast hell has arrived: CenturyLink fiber optic internet service is now available in Wallingford, with speeds up to 1 gig (I have no idea why …

Shima Sushi (4429 Wallingford Ave N) will wrap its last sushi roll in Wallingford this Friday, October 30th. The owners, the same folks who own Hawaiian Breeze (which is also out), say that they were unable to negotiate an affordable lease for the space, but plan to re-open elsewhere when they can find a spot. Customers who come through this week are being encouraged to sign up for their e-mail list to get the notice when they do.

I hadn’t been in before, but popped in last night to confirm the story. It’s always re-assuring to see the place filled …

You may have noticed that the new apartment complex going up at 45th and Interlake has a name now, Smith & Burns.

I puzzled about why they would call it that, and emailed my contacts at Mack Urban, but haven’t heard back.

Then, flicking through Flickr for a photo to use on another article, I came upon this, from the Washington State Archives:

The plot thickens! Why is that Shell station on Stone Way labeled “Smith + Burns”?

According to Historylink, “Smith Burns” was the name of the man who built the Smith Tower downtown in 1914. (According to Historylink, …

Kirkland’s Bala Yoga is opening a new location in lower Wallingford, soft opening this Thursday, October 22nd.

Mike Baiocchi, the Bala Yoga CEO (does “Yoga CEO” sound weird to you, too?) explained “we chose this location because we felt there was a need for a community like ours in the Fremont area. We have many students that have moved from the eastside to Seattle and now their favorite studio will be nearby. I also believe this area is less saturated and offers more opportunity for the locals to enjoy yoga within walking distance. Fremont is a great area with amazing …

Wallingford (and Seattle’s) first cat cafe, Seattle Meowtropolitan, is getting closer to stretching its legs: they’re hiring!

The first job listed is “Feline Guardian (Cat Lounge Attendant)”:

A cat lounge attendant is responsible for serving customers and felines with respect and kindness. At Seattle Meowtropolitan, your knowledge, patience, loving nature, and enthusiastic passion for working with cats will ensure that we provide a nurturing and fulfilling environment in the cat lounge.

While this should come as no surprise to applicants, it is noted that “YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH CATS – if you have any complications working with felines, this …