Balo USA, a Wallingford-based nonprofit, is having its first in-person party Friday, October 21st from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm at OmCulture to raise money in support of its school and programs in Kolkata, India.

I spoke with founder and friend, Anne Leache, about this wonderful, grassroots organization. In 2005, Anne was volunteering with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity (which warrants a separate conversation and blog post!). There she met fellow volunteer, Elisabetta (Betta) Ravaioli, an Italian lawyer. The following year Betta returned to India, committed to working further with orphaned and impoverished children. She started Balo, a small school …

Post by Christine Deavel

On September 26, 2022, my partner-in-all-things, John W. Marshall, and I closed on the sale of
our building at 2414 N. 45th Street in Wallingford, a neighborhood where one or both of us has
had a footprint since the 1970s.

We bought what was a residential building in 1994 as a new home for our newly transformed
bookstore, Open Books: A Poem Emporium. We were moving the store just a few blocks east
from 1716 N. 45th, where we had run Open Books as a general bookstore for seven years.
Now the inviting site of Chocolati …

You may have seen our posts on the Freeway Estates Community Orchard, a garden/orchard neighborhood project on 6th Ave NE between 60th and 64th. Over the last decade or so, community members in the Freeway stretch of north Wallingford along 5th and 6th avenues next to I-5 turned a vacant lot into a lovely piece of public land. They grow food for volunteers, the U District food bank, and community events like…the fall cider fest coming up Saturday, October 15th.

From 2:00-4:00pm come on down to the Estates for the annual celebration. Try some cider, catch some live music …

A guest post from neighbor, Daniel Stevens — 

Hi neighbors!

Long time reader and Wallingford resident here passing along an upcoming neighborhood event for lovers of all things fruit trees and sustainability (and if those two didn’t draw you in: how about all you drink cider from top cideries and breweries in the city like Fremont Brewing, Seattle Cider, Greenwood Cider, Schilling and more plus dinner and some killer silent auction items).

My wife’s organization, City Fruit, is hosting their annual Celebrates gala at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center celebrating their 2022 harvest season and honoring the many neighborhood volunteers …

Colorectal Cancer Alliance and local allies host first Seattle walk October 8 at Gas Works park. 

More than 50,000 people in the U.S. die of colorectal cancer each year. With screening it is one of the most preventable cancers, but the stigma associated with colorectal cancer often creates a deadly silence. Seattle is holding its first Walk to End Colon Cancer on October 8, 2022 at Gas Works Park to reject the stigma, stop the silence and cancel the killer.

The untimed 5K walk is a community building event that brings together people who have been impacted by colorectal cancer …

The Covid Vaccine Clinic at the Senior Center on October 6 proved so popular that all the adult appointment slots quickly filled up. The Senior Center has now been able to line up additional support and another day long series of appointments is available as of 9/28/22. For adults and children 5 years and older, register here. For children under 5 years, register here.

Go to our updated Wallyhood post to find more information about the clinic. You will need to answer the questionnaire about things like, “Are you sick with Covid-19?” before you can reserve your spot but it …

…and no, we don’t mean the Greatest of All Time (Sue Bird, of course).  We are talking literal goats, i.e., ruminants, here. If we can convince Sue to talk to us, you’ll be the first to know.

Those of you who have ventured into lower Wallingford lately may have noticed the return of the goat herd that visits every year (except last year) around this time, in the fenced area along NE 40^th.  This is a steep and heavily vegetated piece of property that frequently hosts encampments and occasionally small wildfires. But in late summer, Rent-a-Ruminant appears on …