The food is mediocre at best, I have seen the employees drop food on the ground and then put it back in the fridge as if nothing happened. They cook your food in a ton of oil so every dish they put out is super oily and gross. They use cheap ingredients and in the noodle dishes they use whatever noodles they can find for the cheapest instead of the noodles that they are supposed to use. I have seen them eating out of the woks before they plate the food that is going out to the customers. There is not a single chinese employee they are going off recipes from the internet instead of making a authentic chinese dish. The head chef is rude and doesn't take feedback from his customers so the food won't be changing anytime soon. The line cooks he's hired looks like drug users and come into work smelling heavily if cigarettes and pot. Sanitation is non existent there, Sanitation buckets are not in use and the rags they use get used for everything, spills on the floors, cleaning knives, wiping off plates and drying woks.... (more)

A man died in a leap onto I-5 near the Denny Way overpass Saturday night and was struck by a vehicle that did not stop.

According to the Washington State Patrol, troopers and medics responded to the scene just after 11:30p Saturday night following a report of a body in a northbound lane of I-5. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The area near the overpasses between Capitol Hill and downtown over I-5 has seen regular occurrences of people jumping, falling or attempting to cross the busy freeway to access fenced-off areas often used by homeless people to camp. A representative for WSP says the preliminary investigation did not show that the man was trying to cross the roadway or accidentally fell in Saturday night's incident.

Troopers say that the man was struck by a vehicle after the fall. The vehicle's driver did not stop and continued to drive away. WSP is trying to locate the vehicle but has no information about the make or model.

Traffic backed up as lanes of the freeway were closed during the response and investigation.

CHS respects the sensitivity of covering suicide and attempts to cover incidents like these by sharing the facts in a responsible manner that provides information about what is happening on the streets and in the community around you. Here are two resources to help those in need: National suicide-prevention hotline: 800-SUICIDE. Local Crisis Clinic: (206) 461-3222.

(Images: John Feit)

One impetus for alley experiments is found in the blending & compacting of roadway, sidewalk, and landscape into an area of less girth than our streets, and, therefore, to lesser expectations for openness and transparency. An indicator of this variance with the normative can be seen in the retaining walls that frequently demise the alley, but at a scale and opacity rarely seen on streets. Such robustness results from the fact that alleys and their walls are frequently used to terrace grades along our hilly landscape. Charged with retaining massive amounts of earth, alley walls cannot be bothered with the niceties of pedestrian scale and detail that are incumbent street side, and are therefore able to more efficiently discharge their duty. Pictured below is a landscape wall that directly and unapologetically dispenses with its retaining chores, and is a good representative of the normative condition.

On Capitol Hill’s alleys such large retaining walls often contain other service elements, including garages. Combining programmatic elements is perhaps only mildly experimental, and is much like the wall-garage combinations in Capitol Hill’s Harvard historic district. The wall-garage combo pictured below deftly combines it various services, and to the extent possible, is traditionally detailed and landscaped. And though thoughtfully executed and within the stylist expectations of the neighborhood, such a length of predominantly blank wall would cause an outcry if it were on the street and would be seen as an affront to neighborliness. On the alley, however, such a carefully designed wall/garage/landscape can actually be seen to be in the best of taste.

Just up the alley from the above example (next door to it, in fact) is a decidedly modernist interpretation of the same typology. And most likely for the same traditional type of home that the above serves. Bold in its geometry and Spartan in detail, its design is most certainly not derivative of the home is serves, and provides a contemporary counterpoint to what is typically seen on the street in this section of Capitol Hill. The only relief to the mass of the wall is the setting back of the three garage doors and one pedestrian door, both similar to the previous example, but again, lacking the architectural embellishments.

Not all alley experiments are so willful. While it is hard to miss the above two examples, alley experiments appear in smaller, subtler ways, with the glass block wall below a fine example. Glass block and good design are not typically uttered in one sentence, glass block  perhaps the most abused of modernist tropes; yet, pictured below is an attractive use of this beleaguered material as one is to find on the Hill. Here, the adjacent bamboo blends in perfectly with the wall; its distinctive, modernist lines adeptly blending with the lines of the glass block.

Fortunately, such modernist expressions are not restricted to the landscape. Entire modernist buildings are realized in our alleys, allowing for the fulfillment of the latent modernist design leanings of homeowners — leaning that they are otherwise too timid to express street side where they would be in full view of watchful neighbors whose design prerogatives most likely lean toward maintaining the decorum  of the otherwise traditional homes and landscapes. Alleys, on the other hand, are the perfect crucible for those having the vision — but not necessarily the brashness — to pepper a bit of contemporary in our neighborhood.

And it not simply modernist deviants that are to be found in our alleys. There are hyper-craftsman buildings  as well, where the vocabulary of the quintessential Seattle home is taken almost to extremes, and certainly closer to its proximate oriental influences. Not that such a finely crafted garage as picture below would be out of place on the street, but the fact that it is an alley dweller makes its discovery ever more delightful. That such care and craft would be expended on a ‘mere’ utilitarian object, bespeaks the importance of utility in our lives.

The most singular design example of alley experimentation I came across in this small section of Capitol Hill was perhaps one that expressed none of the previous mentioned dualities; in fact, it was an example of a home whose landscape and architectural expression on the alley make it indistinguishable from that on the street. Admittedly, it does take some means to maintain decorum on both street and alley frontages, but it also takes a bit of s contrarian stand, in that this homeowner does not feel the need to distinguished between servant and served . Those of similar means have chosen a different route, as witnessed by the to imposing garages at the beginning of this post, which are across from the one below.

Despite of, or perhaps because of, Capitol Hill’s heterogeneous alley landscape the above building and landscape I found to be the most compelling. The simplicity of its form and the honest expression of its  utility are captivating, its patinaed brick cladding matching that of the alley and the low landscape wall. While not experimental itself, it forms the quintessential alley building/landscape prototype against which to measure those homeowners who are more experimentally inclined, making the above artist forays resonant, and grounding them within a larger cultural context.

Recent CHS Schemata Posts:

• Capitol Hill's alley landscapes
• 106 steps of civic design greatness at the top of Capitol Hill
• A California transplant, in Pacific Northwest style, on Capitol Hill

John Feit is an architect on Capitol Hill, and works at Schemata Workshop. He blogs frequently on design and urbanism, with a focus on how they relate to and affect the Capitol Hill community.

Imagine yourself in a tiny hillside town outside Venice, in your Nonna’s kitchen, sighing with happiness as you dig into a steaming, aromatic bowl of fresh pasta.  Italy not in your plans this year?  Then imagine yourself at the corner of 15th and Pine, cozy in a corner of Anchovies & Olives, savoring new chef Zach Chambers’ version of the same. 

Spicy. Savory. A touch of garlic. The salt and depth of anchovies.  Light, crisp breadcrumbs.  The year after it opened, Ethan Stowell’s Anchovies & Olives was named among the top ten new restaurants in the country by both Bon Appétit and GQ.  And I know why.  It’s the whole experience, sure, but especially this pasta.

And now imagine yourself, less from an hour from now, exultantly serving your friends or family an equally impressive bowl of pasta with garlic, chili and anchovies at your very own table. Could you serve it as part of your Super Bowl spread? Beats bean dip.

Many thanks to Ethan Stowell for sharing his recipe, a staple of the Anchovies & Olives menu, with CHS readers.

A few notes for the home cook from my recipe-testing experience:

• I wish you luck finding fresh bigoli at your favorite Capitol Hill grocery store.  Here’s Mario Batali’s recipe if you want to make your own (and have a meat grinder handy).  I used dried bucatini (pictured in the photos), which is a similar shape, but you may prefer to seek out a fresh pasta for the texture contrast between its tenderness and the crispy breadcrumbs.  But I will tell you this: for the purpose of scientific inquiry alone (of course!), I also made this recipe with plain old spaghetti and whole wheat spaghetti.  Every variation was delicious.
• The breadcrumb recipe below makes more than you need for the pasta.  So you could reduce it by half (you’ll still have extra), or you could just plan to find another use for all those delicious fresh breadcrumbs.
• Be sure you have a chunk of good bread handy to soak up the decadent slick of oil in the bottom of the dish. 

Buon appetito.

Bigoli with Garlic, Chili, and Anchovy
Recipe provided by Chef Ethan Stowell

1 lb. bigoli pasta
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 t. chili flakes
12 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley, packed
4 T. breadcrumbs (recipe follows)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, less one-minute.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan. Add garlic, chili flakes, and anchovy. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until garlic is soft and anchovies melt into the oil.

When pasta is done, drain and tip into sauté pan. Add parsley and toss well. Divide between four deep bowls and top each with a generous tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Fried Breadcrumbs:
1/2 lb. bread slices, stale or lightly toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed with knife
Put garlic and oil in saucepan over low heat. Allow to infuse for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put bread slices in food processor. Pulse to chop then process for one to two minutes, or until finely ground. Add crumbs to garlic oil and cook over low heat for two to three minutes or until crumbs have toasted and absorbed the oil. Season with kosher salt. Crumbs will keep in an airtight container for about two weeks.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Previous Capitol Hill Cooks Posts

• It's time to host a Capitol Hill soup swap
• Tiny apple pies inspired by the corner of 12th and Madison
• 5th Ave E inspires a seasonal soup

Like most Facebook events, many on the RSVP list were no-shows, but the low turnout (and Starbucks corporate's stringent media rules) didn't lessen the enthusiasm at Friday's Gays for the Bucks rally to thank the coffee giant for its support of marriage equality.

Organizer Drew Bensen gathered attendees in the E Olive Way Starbucks parking lot for a group photo and a chance to address the assembled media. Bensen said that instead of retaliating against those who have called for a Starbucks boycott and protesters in general, this group was a peaceful rally to thank Starbucks and other large companies for their support of efforts in Washington state to legalize gay marriage.

(Image: Suzi Pratt)

(Images: Suzi Pratt)

"The commonality is we're all wine lovers," said Paul Taub, a Cornish music professor and one of the eight partners behind the wine shop. "It's like a hobby business -- nobody makes a living from it but we've never lost money either."

EVS's roots are in Fremont where it was founded in 1974 but its body and bouquet developed on Capitol Hill following its Valentine's Day 1987 move. 25 years later, it's one of a handful of wine shops in the area. But the quirky ownership set-up behind it is unduplicated.

"I don't think there are any shops -- any businesses in general -- run like this," Taub said. 

Currently the partnership includes, Taub tells us, "an oceanography researcher at University of Washington, a music professor at Cornish College for the Arts, a writer, a scientist at Microsoft Research, a U.W. microbiology professor, a former bookseller and U.W. administrator, an attorney, the communications director at Seattle Center, and a writer of esoteric novels."

Taub is now the senior partner of the group now that a partner who started back in 1972 has left the group. The partnerships go up for sale every now and then. Marketing is word of mouth only and, of course, the seven other people have to approve any new partner. There are easier routes to Capitol Hill wine shop ownership.

Things don't change quickly at the shop. The latest new thing is the addition of a Friday night tasting to the long-time Saturday events. All tasting are free. Eight equal partners ensure a kind of equilibrium. Besides, each is also busy sharing the load of running the shop. There are no employees. When you have your purchase rung up, it's a partner behind the counter.

15th Ave E has also contributed to the shop's quirky and quiet longevity. 

"Somehow 15th Ave lends itself to having a business like this," Taub said.

Details on EVS's 25th anniversary and more about the shop, below. Happy birthday.

European Vine Selections Celebrates 25th Anniversary 

European Vine Selections (EVS), the "Wine Shop on Capitol Hill," announces the celebration of its 25th anniversary on 15th Avenue East. February 10, 11 and 12 kick off the year's celebration as we look towards the next 25 years of serving wine drinkers with outstanding, affordable wines.

 Join the eight EVS partners for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Valentine's Day for special tastings, a partners' potluck, and visits by long-time customers and new friends alike. The shop is located at 522 15th Ave East and is open daily from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Founded in 1974 as one of the first shops to carry fine European wines in Seattle, EVS moved to Capitol Hill in 1987 following 13 years in Fremont on Leary Avenue. Long-time Seattle wine connoisseurs will remember the early history of the shop, open only three days a week, when the Washington State Liquor Control Board tried to shut the business down, claiming it was a private club, open too few hours a week to serve the public. Hundreds of customers protested to the WSLQB, and the strong showing of community support influenced a ruling in the store's behalf.

 Since the move, EVS has continued to operate as a partnership of individuals with other careers who come together because of their passion for fine wines at good values. The wine selection has expanded to include Italian, German and new world wines of North and South America. Currently the partnership includes an oceanography researcher at University of Washington, a music professor at Cornish College for the Arts, a writer, a scientist at Microsoft Research, a U.W. microbiology professor, a former bookseller and U.W. administrator, an attorney, the communications director at Seattle Center, and a writer of esoteric novels. 

Join EVS, the diverse community of wine lovers developed by the founders of the shop and continued by the current partners, and customers in the quintessential Seattle neighborhood at the top of Capitol Hill in the celebration of 25 years as The Wine Shop on 15th. 

For more information on EVS and its 25th anniversary celebration, please visit www.evswines.com or call 206 323-3557 during business hours.

A woman died just after midnight Friday morning in what authorities say was a leap from the upper stories of the apartment building at 200 Broadway E.

Medics arrived at the scene around 12:06 AM Friday morning on the backside of the apartment building at the corner of Broadway and John. Police and the medical examiner were at the building late into the night.

We do not have information on the woman's age.

CHS attempts to cover suicide by sharing the facts in a responsible manner that provides information about what is happening on the streets and in the community around you. Here are two resources to help those in need: National suicide-prevention hotline: 800-SUICIDE. Local Crisis Clinic: (206) 461-3222

Phillips, Rabut and Garfield (Image: CHS)

A fashion and vintage venture has moved into the former home of Atlas Clothing and is ready to debut on Capitol Hill with a Friday night party. Kaleidoscope Vision is "an eclectic melange of rare vintage clothing, antiques, informational books, work from emerging artists & designers, and all around intriguing items, lovingly curated for you."

Three partners with San Francisco roots are behind the effort -- Ballardite Ria Rabut and, now, Hill locals Mackenzie Garfield, Sophia Phillips. All three were on hand Friday morning tidying up the newly overhauled shop space left empty when Atlas Clothing shuttered in August. Friday night, the new shop will debut with a grand opening party featuring free food and drinks and showing off Kaleidoscope's debut theme, New Family.

(Image: Kaleidoscope Vision)

Kaleidoscope Vision's, um, vision is to provide vintage shopping but with a rotating thematic approach that should keep the shop's look and feel changing over time.

Each monthly showcase centers around an ever-changing and evolving mood, with inspiration taken from a multitude of sources including, but not limited to, anthropological studies of native peoples, alternate realities, teenagers, the natural world and the infinitely mysterious beauty of the cosmos.

The new shop joins recently opened In Commune on 12th Ave as new players in the Hill's popular formal and informal vintage scene. In addition to long-time vintage and consignment shops like Area 51, Pretty Parlor and Le Frock, a weekly indoor flea market at the Century Ballroom and even more eclectic efforts like the occasional Hangover Flea Market at the Comet keep the scene lively.

Garfield says the Kaleidoscope Vision experience should stretch to include demonstrations -- in February, watch for a terrarium session as part of New Family -- to items like custom perfumes created for each theme. What does New Family smell like? You'll have to stop by to find out. We're told to expect things to get a little darker with the next theme, by the way. No, we don't know what that smells like, either.

You can learn more -- and shop online -- at kvbazaar.com

You'll want to order a Venti -- or some wine or a beer, wear your Nikes, bring your Kindle and reboot your Windows PC. There's a rally being organized for Friday night at the E Olive Way "Gaybucks" to celebrate Washington corporate support for progress toward marriage equality in the state.

No telling if the Gays for the Bucks - Thank Starbucks for the support! rally is a corporate marketing scheme but, in this case, no worries. UPDATE: Ebbie, in comments, says "NO" way to the corporate marketing and that this is grassroots all the way . Liza Svetlana Zinina posted about the 6p rally to our Facebook page, saying: 

Come join us in support of Starbucks and other Washington companies and corporations who have voiced their support of legalizing gay marriage in WA

As for the Gaybucks thing, CHS didn't invent it. The conversation about whether it's a good -- or, at least, not too annoying -- nickname percolates up here and there through the years. We're going with it. Tonight, especially, it seems appropriate.

(Image: CHS)

In the wake of the Komen Foundation's decision to reverse course after announcing it would no longer provide funds to the women's health service provider, Murray came to Seattle to speak on the ongoing fight to fund women's health in the country.

"We stood up and we spoke out," Murray said of the rapid spread of protest following Komen's announcement. Murray said she was surprised by how quickly the word spread and people sent email and letters of protest to elected representatives.

Local Planned Parenthood officials say about $50,000 was donated across the state in the wake of the Komen controversy.

Original Report: Senator Patty Murray will be on E Madison Friday to help rally support for Planned Parenthood following a decision by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to end its support of the women's health service provider.

The senator will speak at the E Madison health center, one of four Planned Parenthood facilities in the city. 

A fifth is planned for First Hill as part of a decision by Swedish Medical Centers to no longer provide elective abortion services.

The Murray appearance is slated for 11:45a at the 2001 E Madison Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest headquarters.

Marchers at last February's Walk for Choice (Image: CHS) (more)

(Image: CHS)

It seems Capitol Hill auto row history will finish with a whimper, not a bang. The owner of the Bellevue Jaguar and Land Rover dealership has purchased E Pike's Phil Smart Mercedes Benz and plans to move the business to a new facility on Airport Way, according to a statement released this morning.

The Phil Smart dealership opened on E Pike in 1959 and has continued as a family-run business:

Phil Smart Sr. has turned over the management of this "family business" to his son, Phil Smart, Jr., who continues in the great tradition of his father. Under his guidance, Phil Smart, Inc. has flourished and is one of the largest volume dealers in the region. Senior, as he is affectionately known, works tirelessly in the local community, committing time and resources to making our city a better place for us all.

Old timey E Pike (Image: Phil Smart)

The move mirrors the 2009 exodus of BMW to a larger Airport Way facility in 2009.

The Smart family's connection to the area won't end with the dealership's move by new owner Al Monjazeb. The family continues to hold the land most of the block the dealership is built on between Pike and Pine for now, at least. What it plans for the soon-to-be empty dealership space is not known. CHS calls to the facility last week were not returned.

The facility left behind by BMW up E Pike looks to remain used if underutilized for the foreseeable future. We reported in January on a potential $10 million foreclosure on the property that has been planned for redevelopment for years. In the meantime, portions of the building have been leased to short-term tenants.

The Mercedes exit will leave 12th Ave's Ferrari of Seattle dealership as the last of its kind on the Hill. UPDATE: We have forgotten about Seattle Volvo at 1120 Pike in the past -- and we did again this morning. The dealership, perhaps, presents you with a more affordable alternative to (car) shop locally.

Like the Smart situation, the Ferrari and Maserati dealer's ownership also owns the prime piece of real estate where the $300,000 cars are on display. We speculated on Ferrari's potential exit from the Hill in 2009 when the BMW dealership began pulling up stakes. "It’s business as usual," Tino Perrina told us in 2009. "We’re doing well and have no plans to move." Of course, in the same article. a rep for Phill Smart also said the dealership had no plans for leaving Capitol Hill.

(Image: CHS)

• 'Ripped-off Capitol Hill kid' on CNN: Remember that kid who used an "app" to help East Precinct cops bust a man for breaking into his E Boston St house? We're told he'll be appearing on CNN with Anderson Cooper soon.
• Beware bump carjackings: East Precinct is warning community groups about "bump" style carjackings after an attempt in the Central District last week in which a woman was targeted by two men who were eventually foiled by her keyless starter. More from the precinct soon but, in the meantime, go ahead and drive to a lit, safe place if you are in a collision in an area where you might be vulnerable.
• Harvard Ave homicide update? After identifying the victim in the January 17th Harvard Ave shooting death last week, CHS has been told that there might be more information released in the Darek Darewski murder case soon.
• Burglaries: A thief made off with engagement rings, a digital camera, a laptop and credit cards after busting a window pane to gain entry to a house in the 1700 block of 21st Ave on Tuesday. A burglary Monday night at an apartment building in the 1600 block of 14th Ave didn't seem to yield much as residents reported that their storage units had been rifled through but nothing appeared to be missing. The complainant told police that homeless people had been found sleeping in the storage area in the past. Finally, a January 24th rip-off on First Hill wasn't reported until last week. The case? A man was seen entering numbers from his cellphone into the security code panel of a building in the 1100 block of 8th Ave. Once inside, the man grabbed a table from the lobby and left out the front door, table and all.

It's a little quiet around the Hill this weekend but there are still a few fun things to get out and do. Have something coming up on Capitol Hill others should know about? Add it to the CHS Calendar.

Thursday, February 2

• The Children's Film Festival continues at Northwest Film Forum through the weekend.
• Zakes Mda: Memoirs of an Outsider at Town Hall Seattle
• Two Rhone Stars tasting at 12th and Olive Wine
• Wine star Randall Grahm book signing and tasting event at Oddfellow
• Grahm is also slated to stop by Vino Verite for tasting event
• Super Happy Fun Time Hour at the Lobby Bar

Friday, February 3

• Cocktails at the Centre of the Earth continues at the Annex
• Andrew Ross: Phoenix: Lessons from the World’s Least Sustainable City at Town Hall
• Punchline Fridays at Jai Thai
• A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem continues at Hugo House
• Kaleidoscope Vision opening party
• Gays for the Bucks - Thank Starbucks for the support! rally

Saturday, February 4

• Weekly children's story time at Elliott Bay, 11:30a
• Massage for the Novice at Discoverypoint School of Massage
• Century Ballroom's weekly indoor flea market, 11a-3p
• Learn more about Cabernet Sauvignon at SCCC
• Seattle U hosts the annual Search for Meaning Book Festival 2012. It's free. The big keynotes and general sessions are "sold out" with early registrants but there is still plenty going on around the campus. Schedule here.
• Kanape celebrates its first year on Broadway
• No War on Iran protest at Westlake
• Ladies Musical Club free performance at Frye Art Museum
• Queers Take Over Seattle at the Seattle Art Museum
• The Callers and Urban Tanuki Samurai finish up at Washington Ensemble Theatre

Sunday, February 5

• 5th Annual Urban Poverty Forum at Town Hall
• World Nutella Day @ Faire Gallery Cafe

We are doing it again!!! 4th year in a row!! Tell your Mama, tell your friends!

Nutella is the European tasty spread that is so delicious it is sinful! Faire Gallery has been known as the home in Seattle for making “Nutella Mochas” with real Nutella! They have been hailed as “dessert in a cup” and “addictive”.

This year for World Nutella Day on February 5th, Faire Gallery Café is throwing one “Chocolately Party”!! All day long we will be offering our Nutella Mochas, Nuella Martini’s and chocolate fun!

And the true party begins at 9:00pm with Monktail Creative Concern leading an improv jazz jam session.

We will also feature “One Night Only” dishes like Nutella on Poundcake, Nutella on Toast, Nutella Bruchetta and more!!!

• Super Bowl XLVI -- 9+ places to watch on Capitol Hill

The just-released revisions to Metro's proposed Fall 2012 service changes don't include any significant Capitol Hill area-related updates from the the proposals for routes on and around Capitol Hill CHS documented in November. You can look at that in two ways. On one hand, Metro planners decided not to incorporate any feedback you provided via their online survey or at a series of public meetings on the changes. On the other, at least the agency isn't proposing to tweak your commute any further.

Meanwhile, a community group is rallying around pushing back the changes proposed for Route 2. Details below.

A quick spin through Metro's "Have a Say" site shows this message in red for nearly all the area routes CHS took a look at:

The exception is Route 2. But the agency isn't, yet, backing off its plans to slice the route connecting Queen Anne and First Hill via downtown. Instead, the revision from the November proposal is a tweak designed to replace service on the QA end of things.

Our updates from November plus insights from Seattle Transit Blog's Bruce Nourish, then, still stand. We've included most of that information again, below. Not everything in central Seattle was static, however. Central District News reports that Metro has backpedaled on its proposal to trim route 27.

Nourish, meanwhile, sums up the rest of the revised proposal package here.

He provided this overview of the proposed fall 2012 changes to us in November. We also recommend reading the comment thread on that post for some good discussion of the changes and the process. Thanks much to Aleks Bromfield for his contribution to that discussion.

Bruce Nourish notes on Metro Fall 2012 service proposals:

* Route 11 gets a major boost in weekday midday frequency from 30 to 15 minutes, while nights and weekends remain at 30.

* Route 14N (the part of the 14 north of where it turns on Pike) is split off from the 14S and will cease service around 7 PM on all days; frequency will drop to 45 minutes on the weekends and weekday midday, staying at its current rush hour frequency.

* Routes 10, 11 and 14N will now terminate on 2nd Ave & Pine/Pike downtown, exactly like the 43 does now. This means you'll have to walk/transfer to get to the south parts of downtown and other places that those routes previously went to (Colman Dock, West Seattle, Jackson St/Mount Baker), but will make these buses much more reliable.

* Route 12 will now loop around at Colman Dock, requiring a walk/transfer to get to the north end of downtown. Its frequency will not change, but see the next point.

* Route 2's northern segment, from the point where it now turns from Seneca to 3rd Ave will be deleted; instead, it will be routed down Madison/Marion just like the 12 (It's probably worth showing the map below, to help readers understand this). The 2 will maintain its current frequency, but will be staggered to provide very frequent service from Colman Dock to the three-way intersection of 12th Ave, Union and Madison: 7.5 minutes during the day Mon-Sat and 15 minutes on evenings/Sundays. This is a very high level of service, some of the best in the city.

* Routes 9X, 43, 48, 49, and 60 remain unchanged on Capitol Hill, but see the next two points.

* Route 48X is replaced with more trips on the 48N, but the 48X operates only from Crown Hill to the U-District, so that shouldn't affect riders on the south part of the route.

* Route 60 is unchanged in Capitol Hill. Way to the south, it will stop serving the VA Hospital on Beacon Hill and be extended slightly in White Center, moving its terminus to Westwood Village.

At this point, the most significant community effort in the area now seems to be focused on preserving Route 2 service. Here's a flyer being distributed by a group hoping to push Metro to re-think the change.

R2 - Flyer 1-24

You have more opportunities to provide feedback either online or at one of the upcoming community meetings including the closest to our area on February 27. A rep from Metro also left a comment on our previous post inviting calls or email on the changes:

(206) 263-9768 (voice mail, but we listen to it every day and take down all messages as part of the public record) haveasay@kingcounty.gov

They’re not all Crooks!

I seem to be hearing more and more people say, “Ah, they’re all crooks!” whenever any positive comments are made about a particular politician.

Most recently I heard it while a group of volunteers were serving a lunch and complimenting the president on his State of the Union address. There were comments made by others about how it was all “just political” and that he didn’t mean anything by his comments beyond trying to lure in the unsuspecting. One of the people in the group asked a detractor whom they were going to support. The comment about all of them being crooks was readily accepted by a number of people inclined to vote for anyone but the current president.

It appears that those making such statements are unable, or unwilling; to sift through their minds the choices available that might be running au contraire to their preconceived ideas.

Enough with the equivalency remarks!

Everyone is not a crook and everyone doesn’t cheat on his wife or stash money in overseas banks. Not everyone... (more)

Swedish Medical Centers will have no changes in end-of-life policies and will transition elective abortions to a new Planned Parenthood clinic on First Hill as the plan to share resources in a multi-billion dollar combination of two massive health care providers won't be challenged by the FTC, according to Swedish and Providence Health and Services representatives.

In a statement released Wednesday, Swedish and Providence outlined the efficiencies expected from the combination of shared facilities and resources. In October, the Seattle Times reported that Swedish was working toward no longer offering elective abortions as the affiliation was being shaped and would instead back a new Planned Parenthood clinic on First Hill.

Despite the changes on the abortion front, Swedish officials have said there will be no changes in end-of-life policy at its facilities. Frequent CHS contributor Andrew Taylor spoke to Q13 in October about concerns regarding the end-of-life policy in light of the affiliation.

This fall, both organizations announced small layoffs, citing financial reasons.

Here is the statement on the finalized Swedish-Provident agreement:

Officials from locally based Providence Health & Services and Swedish Health Services announced today that the affiliation between both health systems is official. This unique affiliation will allow both organizations to work together to improve health care quality, access and affordability for residents of Western Washington.

Swedish joins with Providence’s Northwest and Southwest Washington operations to create a new organization serving the greater Puget Sound area. This new region includes all of Swedish’s operations in King and South Snohomish counties and Providence’s operations in King, Snohomish, Thurston and Lewis counties.

Through this affiliation both organizations will collaborate to better deliver health care to the region, while at the same time maintaining their individual identities and heritage. Providence will retain its Catholic identity and name, and Swedish will retain its name and will remain non-religious. While the organizations’ names and brands won’t be changing and patients won’t see any difference in how they access care, by working together, Providence and Swedish can reduce costs and increase quality and access for patients in Western Washington.

“This is an exciting day for both organizations,” said John Koster, MD, Providence Health & Services president and CEO. “Together, we will reach new levels of excellence and will be able to improve quality and access for Western Washington in a way we couldn’t as separate organizations.”

Finding a safe place to cross busy streets and dodging speeding cars are two of the biggest impediments to increased walking and biking, and groups from all over Seattle think they have the solution.

From North Delridge to Beacon Hill to Wallingford, citizen groups pushing neighborhood greenways — basically corridors of low-traffic residential streets with added traffic calming, greenery and safe crossings at busy streets — have been making the case to SDOT that fast, family-friendly walking and biking routes would be a cost-effective way to make their neighborhoods safer, healthier and more connected to their neighborhood destinations (schools, parks, commercial centers, etc).

Now (with the help of yours truly), a group is forming to promote neighborhood greenways in the CD and Capitol Hill. The first community meeting is 6:30 p.m. February 9 at Central Cinema. Presenters will explain how neighborhood greenways work, and the group will discuss ways to promote them to the city and to others in the neighborhood.

From Central Seattle Greenways:

Neighborhoods throughout Seattle are realizing their dreams for family-friendly walking and biking routes using Neighborhood Greenways – safe, low-cost and low-stress walking and biking corridors connecting people with the places they want to go. By adding traffic calming, safe crossings at busy streets, and extra trees and greenery, a network of low-traffic streets can be transformed into useful, park-like routes around the neighborhood.

In 2012, the Seattle Department of Transportation will fund or build Greenways in Wallingford, Beacon Hill, Ballard, North Delridge and Greenwood, with plans to continue funding community-driven Greenways through 2013. Let’s make sure Central Seattle – Central District, First Hill, Capitol Hill, Madrona, and Leschi – doesn’t get left behind!

Neighborhoods that have been successful at bringing Greenways to their streets relied on engaged citizens to build community consensus around routes and advocate for them during planning and funding processes. Following this recipe for success, we invite you to participate in Central Seattle Greenways, a community group dedicated to bringing Neighborhood Greenways to Central Seattle.

Join us for our kickoff community meeting at Central Cinema (21st & Union) on Thursday, February 9th, 6:30-8:30 pm, as we start building momentum for safe, direct, and low-stress walking and biking routes that serve Central Seattle’s residents, families, businesses and neighborhood organizations.

For more on the meeting, check out the Facebook event. To keep up-to-date with the group, you can follow Central Seattle Greenways on Facebook.

For more on what neighborhood greenways are (and how they work), here's a good video from StreetFilms:

Portland's Bike Boulevards Become Neighborhood Greenways from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Congratulations. Still some work to do.

  (more)

If a tree falls in the city, and doesn't damage any parked cars, does it make a sound?, by sea turtle.

Frequent CHS Flickr Pool contributor sea turtle makes a point. Or something. But, yes, a tree has fallen along Belmont Ave E's downward slope off the northwest side of Capitol Hill. Yes, it's been there for days. Being a little pinched for time, we haven't made any calls about it so don't know SDOT's plan -- or if it's already been dealt with. We also turned the question of what kind of tree it is (or was) to the social media arborists at https://facebook.com/capitolhillseattleblog

Let the debate begin.

For those looking to tackle or be tackled, Sunday is your day. Here's a roster of Super Bowl XLVI festivities planned on and around Capitol Hill. Of course, most any place on the Hill with liquor+TV will be showing the game but below we call out a few highlights from those players putting in special effort. If you have a game plan you want to share, let us know in comments. Hut, hut, hike.

• Purr loses points for calling it the "Superbowl" but wins the game on enthusiasm. 15? That's a lot of plasma.
• Rookie Chino's is also bringing lots of love to its game for Super Bowl Sunday with a special menu and "cheap beer." Go team, go.
• The sports authority that is Travel + Leisure magazine name CHS advertiser Auto Battery as one of the top places to watch the game... in the country.
• Halftime. Here's CHS advertiser Primo showing you how to make fried taco ravioli:

• Support the Emerald City Softball Association when you watch the game at R Place.
• "50c wings and happy hour food and drinks" at Captain Blacks.
• The Bottleneck opens at 3p.
• CHS advertiser Other Coast can hook you up with a sandwich platter.
• And somebody thinks they may have seen a little of the Puppy Bowlon the screen at the Comet last year.
• Scan our past posts for more viewing ideas: 2011 | 2010 | 2009

We'll continue to update the 2012 roster until kick-off. (more)

Brenda, you've looked better (Image: Sound Transit)

After only seven months of digging, Sound Transit contractors already have bored more than 60% of the twin tunnels running between Husky Stadium and downtown via Capitol Hill. An update on the project from Sound Transit and a few notes from CHS are below.

The monthly newsletter update -- you can sign up here -- also makes some positive notes about the Montlake Murmur issue with our neighbors down the Hill. Notes from last month's community meeting posted in the most recent edition of the Montlake Flyer (PDF) are less sanguine and the group notes it has asked Sound Transit to return for its March meeting to offer further updates on the noise and vibration problems some residents are facing.

CHS has reported that similar vibration issues felt around Volunteer Park have mostly faded away. We still receive an occasional burst of one and sometimes two or three reports from an area as tunnel boring machines pass nearby but nothing on the scale of the Montlake complaints.

Boring began last May with a dignitary and champagne-fueled ceremony at Husky Stadium. The Broadway to downtown component got underway in June. With the tunnel boring progress, we've asked Sound Transit if their contractors are ahead of schedule but haven't yet heard back. UPDATE: A Sound Transit rep says they're happy with the progress but even after the tunnel routes have been bored there will still be more work digging out the cross passages required to connect the twin tunnels.

Meanwhile, Sound Transit says that TBM Brenda is back on the move again climbing her way on a second journey from Broadway to the Paramount. Here she is in early December after having broken through on her first journey downtown. From the picture above provided by Sound Transit as she began her second trip, you can see the underground work has been tough on her skin.

(Image: STArt)

Sound Transit also announced the addition of a new work on the big red construction wall. "Otters Holding Hands"  by artist Vida Rose now appears at Broadway and Denny. The paintings were inspired by a popular YouTube video.

Here's the latest update sent out by Sound Transit:

The tunnel boring machines are continuing their underground journeys. All three have made tremendous progress. Brenda has started her second trip towards downtown Seattle (see below). Togo and Balto are both due at the Capitol Hill station this spring.  

Brenda is Off on Her Second Run  Brenda is digging her second tunnel from Capitol Hill to downtown Seattle. She made her first run in a little less than six months, digging 3,795 feet. Her estimated arrival in downtown Seattle is in early summer. Once Brenda has reached her final destination below Pine Street she will be disassembled, and parts of her will remain underground. Too bad she can't be part of the official Seattle Underground Tour.

View Brenda's trailing gear and lots of great construction activity at the Capitol Hill construction site.

Construction Vibration As Togo and Balto dig their way south to Capitol Hill, their passing has not gone unnoticed. In recent months, some residents above the path of the tunnel have reported hearing a low rumbling from the machines as they dig. However, the disturbance only lasts a day or two. Digging at 50+ feet per day, the TBMs quickly move on.

A number of people have also reported experiencing noise and vibration from the construction supply trains used to carry heavy tunnel segments up to the TBMs, mainly in the Boyer and Shelby-Hamlin neighborhoods. Sound Transit has reduced the impact from the supply trains by grinding the joints between sections of temporary rail, and installing thick rubber pads underneath the temporary rail support. The mitigation appears to work well, as many residents report the noise and vibration is now unnoticeable or substantially less of a nuisance.

It is possible that construction vibration may be noticeable above the alignment on Capitol Hill as the TBMs work their way towards the station at Broadway and John. If you have concerns about the tunnel construction or questions about noise, please contact Sound Transit's 24-hour construction hotline at 1-888-298-2395.

Tribe Seattle -- the men's club formerly known as Basic Plumbing -- has shut down on 10th Ave after 17 years on Capitol Hill:

From tribeseattle.com

Thanks to Jeff Hennes from Doghouse Leathers and the Cuff for alerting us to the closure. Hennes also helped us fill out some of the history of the bathhouse as he remembers it:

BP had opened about 1995 in the Villa Apts Building on Pike before it was remodeled.  This leaves Club Z and Steamworks as the only two private men's clubs. 

We've left messages with management and Vernon Anderson, president of the corporation that ran the club, to see what else we can learn about the decision to shut down. A check of city records shows no new projects underway or violations at the address.

Over the years, the 10th Ave location for the unmarked sex club had become more and more a juxtaposition between an older, grittier Pike/Pine and the new era including neighbor Elliott Bay Book Co. down the street.

The building Tribe/BP called home has been owned by the same landlords since the '90s. It remains the home of the Comet and The Lobby Bar. We reported in August on change coming for the retail spaces in the neighboring building on E Pike as restaurant Ballet and art space Square Room were told they would be losing their leases. Ballet has worked out a month to month deal to stay until the next project is ready to move in or Ballet finds a new home. The Square Room has since closed its storefront. UPDATE: Square Room says it didn't lose its lease, exactly. See comments, below.

CHS never ventured inside Tribe so we'll have to turn it over to this first person account posted on Yelp of all places describing the club. It's written by an apparently disinterested party but gives you an idea of what you'd find behind the red door on 10th Ave:

As it so happens, late one night I escorted a friend who wanted a bit of fun. True to the virtues of friendship, he paid my entrance fee and bought me a membership.

Basic Plumbing isn't like other bathhouses where you disrobe and walk around in a towel or nothing at all. Quite the contrary, you just walk around and around and around and around in semi-darkness wearing the clothes you came in with.

The labyrinth-like rooms and pathways are all situated on one floor. Along one corridor are a series of short stalls; I'm assuming this area is perfect for gay midgets or men who simply want to have a seat on their knees. I seem to remember a lounge area where you can surf the web or purchase a soft drink. God knows when I'm at a bathhouse I always want a Mountain Dew when I'm chatting with friends on MySpace.

(Image: Suzi Pratt)

"Construction" is not really the right word for an "ultra lounge." An ultra lounge is created. Starting next week, honest-to-goodness construction creation work will start at the Broadway home of one of the next generation of Capitol Hill gay dance clubs.

Scott Smith gave CHS a tour of the soon to be transformed auto garage space that will become the 12,000 square foot Q dance club over the next several months. "Right here is where 'the Beast' will be," he said as he pointed to near what is currently the roll-up door to Broadway in the former Capitol Hill Collision space. The "super-sofa" feature will cap the west end of the club -- near the bourbon bar, naturally.

(Image: Suzi Pratt)

In the meantime, Smith and business partner Andy Rampl -- "the straight one," Smith says -- might want to consider re-opening the garage business. A driver cruised right into the old garage space during our visit. Smith says he's been asked to give an estimate. But there's not long to wait. Next week, you should see activity begin at the 1426 Broadway garage across the street from the Harvard Market QFC.

That puts Q on pace for a summer opening -- possibly sometime in June. Maybe July. Given the enormity of the project it's best to leave things a little fuzzy.

The Social, already partially built out on E Olive Way, is now zeroing in on an April debut. Todd Nordahl, formerly of the late, great Rosebud, is heading up the restaurant portion of the project backed by a group of Capitol Hill entrepreneurs and the Laura Olson empire:

The Social is under way on Olive Way (Image: the Social)

We are excited to announce our latest venture: The Social - a three level 12,000 sqft ultra lounge/ restaurant and nightclub. The Social is located on East Olive and will feature three distinct rooms, including four bars and a 3000 sqft restaurant. The entertainment venue is being designed by award winning Capitol Hill firm Pb Elemental (recently named one of the Decades Best by Seattle Magazine). Our focus is to provide a well designed, fun, and high quality venue for the LGBT community. The Social is a joint venture of three Capitol Hill small business owners Alex Garcia (Emerson Salon, Banyan Branch), Shanon Thorson and Laura Olson (Po Dog, Auto Battery, Grim's) . Drawing on their specific talents we will be featuring a gourmet food menu, holding daily events and drawing from national and international DJ talent. The Social is scheduled t o open this summer, watch for updates on facebook.com/ TheSocialSeattle. We are excited to join the expanding scene on East Olive with Tommy Guns, CC Atties.

Olson's Auto Battery and Manhattan Drugs and Garcia's Emerson Salon are CHS advertisers.

Despite the progress being made by the new guys, it hasn't been the best time for the elder statesmen of Broadway dance clubs but there are signs things are getting better. We recently reported on the challenges faced by Neighbours as the City of Seattle required a series of upgrades to allow the club to continue at full capacity. Neighbours Underground appears to be a casualty of the process but the site has been busy this week with contractors working on the sprinkler system at the nearly 30-year-old club.

Q, it turns out, also has a plan for downsizing but this scheme is built in from the get-go. Smith says the 12,000 square foot space will be sectioned off to a 5,000 square-foot venue by sleek aluminum curtains on slower weeknights so the club can continue to operate without it feeling lonely in the nooks and crannies of the space. Add multiple DJ booths and a major investment in bleeding edge equipment and Q should be able to build a bustling party on any night of the week.

Today, however, you'll only find the huge, empty garage. There's an old auto elevator the partners are trying to get rid of if you are in the market. Smith walks east from the entrance along the south wall and explains the long, dramatic corridor that will extend the length of the club and provide a space for what promoters hope will be long lines of patrons able to wait inside, safe from the rain and, of course, looking fine. The hallways was a requirement from the Fire Marshal but, like other quirks of the 1912 building, Smith says the plan is to make it an asset. Same goes for the some 5,000 square feet of office, etc. space above the club. There's no plan to put it to use yet but it will probably come in handy at some point.

There's already been a change in plans for the main bar to a much larger, four sided "walk-around" counter flanked by three lounge seating areas and the mezzanine lounge that overlooks it. The project architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson also decided to pop open the space above the bar to create a 20 foot ceiling and open up the wall behind it that will be lighted with digital color washes.

In other words, Q ultra lounge will be even more ultra than originally planned when it debuts after a few months of creation. (more)

In the second such incident in only four days, a pedestrian was struck by a car at 15th Ave and E Denny Way Tuesday night.

Early reports indicated the female victim in her 20s was conscious but suffered arm and leg injuries. She was transported to Harborview. Thanks to Alexander for more details from the scene just after 8p:

FYI, looks like another car vs. pedestrian (or possibly bike, not 100% sure) at 15th and Denny, tonight at around 8pm. SFD sent two ambulances, an engine, and the medic supervisor. It appeared that the person was being transported in the Medic unit, which I believe indicates relatively serious injuries. I hope they are OK.

In an incident Friday afternoon at the same intersection, a woman was struck by a car as she crossed 15th Ave. The driver was evaluated for impairment but does not appear to have been cited. We do not have any updates on the woman's condition or the extent of her injuries. (more)