Upcoming in September

Art Walk returns September 7Janet Wilson - "Pagoda in Rain"If three years running is sufficient to qualify as a "tradition" then Art Walk has now become a traditional late-summer event in Madison Park.  What was inspired by a one-time MadArt event in 2009 has now become an annual opportunity for area artists to display their works in the neighborhood's retail spaces during Madison Park Art Walk, now in its third iteration.Debra Thompson...

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Tree down!

Early morning topple smashes car, no one injuredAt about 5:00 am this morning a massive tree on the parking strip of a house at 1222 37th Avenue E. crashed to the ground, taking out an Acura parked across the street. Fortunately, no one was around when the incident occurred, so what could have been a tragedy is just a sad loss.For the tree in question was one of Madison Park's very few Heritage Trees, so designated by the City of Seattle. It was...

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Seen this trike someplace?

Last month we reported on the theft of a unicycle in the neighborhood. But without a solution to that particular case we're moving on. This month we focus on the recent theft of an oversized tricycle, apparently stolen on Monday from a Washington Park yard (this is not a photo of the theft in progress, by the way).  If the trike was taken for a joy ride, says the owner, the thief probably found the get-away pretty slow going and may well...

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Have we arrived yet?

This week Madison Park Blogger passed the 500-subscriber level, according to Google Feedburner, which provides this site's subscription service.  Since our inception in April 2009, we've been adding subscribers at a pretty steady clip of 10-12 readers per month. Most subscribers (434 to be precise) get their MPB via email, with the remainder preferring delivery via "readers and aggregators." On average, our postings now reach between 600...

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Geese Poop Park?

When opponents of fence removal at Swingset Park expressed concerns about the possible influx of interlopers to the park once the fence was down, they were probably thinking of Capitol Hillites, residents of the Central District, and other such inlanders. And when marshaling their arguments, the proponents of fence removal were clearly focused on the benefits of providing greater access to the water and not the other thing (providing greater...

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Police Blotter July 2012

An increase in criminal activity in the neighborhood usually goes hand in hand with the return of good weather each summer, but July seemed to be an exception to that rule. The number of reported crimes was pretty much on a par with what we see most months.  While there were four home break-ins and three car prowls, there was not a single car stolen from the neighborhood in July, which is a bit unusual (four cars were taken during July 2011).First,...

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The first pontoon makes its appearance

For those who missed the coverage in the local media this weekend, we offer this photo showing the first of the new "longitudinal pontoons" to arrive on Lake Washington. It's currently floating at a temporary moorage off of Medina, but it's destined to be one of 77 such pontoons that will eventually support the new SR 520 floating bridge as it progresses across the Lake in our direction. The pontoon was manufactured in Grays Harbor and floated through...

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Pagliacci site plan revealed

New pizzeria to open by early NovemberAs everyone has probably noticed, construction got underway several weeks ago at what most recently was the site of Spotless Cleaners (3015 E. Madison St.).  As we reported in April, Pagliaccci Pizza will soon be coming to this site on Madison Park's doorstep---and after hearing the news, several readers asked us to get the details.To do that we contacted Pagliacci co-owner Matt Galvin, who provided...

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Weird crime in the Arboretum

The Seattle Police Department's blog, much improved since the founder/writer for the now defunct website SeattleCrime.com became the principal blogger, recently posted this story about some nearby craziness:By Jonah Spangenthal-LeeOfficers arrested a 56-year-old man Monday night [August 6] after he went on a bizarre, log-hurling mischief spree near the Arboretum.Around 11 pm, the man ran into the middle of Lake Washington Blvd E., and tossed a log at the driver, smashing the car’s side mirror and denting the hood.  The man then fled into the...

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Madison Park 'best' in two categories

Cormac Mahoney and The Independent Pizzeria scoreIt seems that when the Seattle Weekly comes out with its "Best of Seattle" issue each year, Madison Park makes the list in at least one or two categories---and this year was no different.For those who are not regular readers of the Weekly, we note that the 2012 awards, published last week, included Madison Park Conservatory's Cormac Mahoney as "Best Chef" and, for the second time, The Independent...

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Another 520 shutdown this weekend

Lake Washington Boulevard also closed through ArboretumConstruction crews will be working on installing a "fish-friendly culvert" and demolishing the old Bellevue Way overpass along the SR 520 route this weekend, necessitating the closure of the State highway from the point of the Montlake Boulevard eastbound exit all the way to  I-405 in Bellevue. The shutdown will occur beginning at 11 pm on Friday and end at 5 am on Monday.At the same time,...

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New York Cupcakes: outta here

Another multi-location food purveyor has closed its Madison Valley store, Bellevue-based New York Cupcakes' ending its foray into Seattle after only eleven months on this side of the water. NYC's last day was July 31, according to Seattle Met's Nosh Pitt blog.  New York Cupcakes thus follows the lead of Woodinville-based Bill the Butcher, which closed its Madison Valley operation earlier in the month.We were not entirely surprised...

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A shout out for Restaurant Bea

'Cool comfort food' close at handCommentary While Madrona may be a bit off the Madison Park Blogger's beat, our near-neighbor up the hill is certainly not off the beaten path of many Madison Parkers who enjoy a good meal and prefer not to have to go very far to find it.  We've long been a fan of St. Clouds, a homey, family-friendly, good-food establishment that's been a staple of the Madrona community for a dozen years. Now, for those who...

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