Silver Tray (2101 N 45th St) has delivered on their promise of outdoor dining in Wallingford. Lucky writes:

The patio have done and open for a week since Mother’s day. Now, Silver Tray has outdoor seating.

Hooray, just in time for the summertime. Lucky adorably adds “Special thank you for all customers who help me to correct spelling on dinner menu.  Thank you for all of you who say, ‘Do not be discouraged with misspellings on the menu. You guy so awesome.’ I have already correct them.”

I swear, if I were to simply split an infinitive, the grammar police would swarm my inbox with invectives. Lucky does it, and she’s awesome.

Whatever.

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Has your child ever experienced the summer slide – wherein all previously learned subject matter slides right out of their head once summer begins? Firefly Tutoring has designed a summer math review course to help students entering 4th through 7th grades avoid that slippery slope of forgetfulness. Summer math reviewers  will meet twice a week from June 24-August 22, covering a year of math curriculum in one summer course. According to their website:

At each class, we will cover one topic from the Common Core and then provide ample time for students to work at their own pace on material targeted specifically to the individual student.  Highly qualified teachers will provide support.  Short daily homework is available optionally to help students make optimal progress.

Firefly Tutoring is owned by Wallingford parents Paul Schurr and Mona Reed, and offers tutoring in reading, writing, math, study skills and SAT prep in addition to their summer fare.

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Soleil writes:

Wallingford resident and my dear friend Felipe Canete passed away tragically yesterday from an apparent heart attack/failure. You may have seen him around the neighborhood with his son Rio Malai and wife Katy Canete.  He was far too young, at 35 years of age. He performed with bands Luc and the Lovingtons and Sing with Señor.

Soleil, Felipe’s business partner and band-mate, notes that they had a performance scheduled at Alphabet Soup for June 8th, which has obviously been canceled, and said there may be a small musical event to “pay tribute to his legacy of positivity, love and smiles.”

Our heart goes out to his wife and son and all those who loved him.

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including The Noble, apartments in Wallingford, for their generous support.

Just in on the mama-vine:

We know that starting a new school marks a new chapter for the entire family. Getting to know other new and incoming families can make the transition so much easier. We hope you will join us at our Spring Play Date for incoming McDonald families.

• What: Spring Play Date for Incoming Families
• When: Sunday, May 19, 3 – 5PM
• Where: McDonald International Playground

Sounds muy divertido to me!

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The folks running CityGrownSeattle, the farmstand stocked with produce grown here in Wallingford and in Ballard, wanted to let you know they’re opening up for their “preview day” tomorrow, May 18th. They’ll take Memorial Day weekend off, then, be back with regular Saturday farmstands in June and on through the summer.

Their farmstand is located at 4108 Eastern Ave N, hours are Saturdays 10 am – 1 pm. If you’d like to receive their “fresh sheet” email,  a list of the veggies they have available that week, email them at citygrownsea@gmail.com to get on their mailing list.

The Wallingford Farmers Market will be returning to Meridian soon (Wednesday, May 29th), as well (and CityGrownSeattle will have a booth there). More on that as we get closer, so hold your potatoes.

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On June 1, Night Light Nails will be moving two doors west from its present location (256 NE 45th St) to the former Comics Dungeon space, on the corner of NE 45th Street at Thackeray.

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KIRO 7 News reports that Ahcene and Irinia Aribi, owners of a Wallingford convenience store, BBC Smoke & Wine (2315 N 45th St.), are under investigation by the Seattle Police Department for “Trafficking in Stolen Property.”

According to KIRO 7 News:

Documents filed in King County allege the investigation started more than a year ago when a Safeway employee shopping at BBC noticed a package of razors that still had a Safeway security sticker attached.  Days later, an investigator saw packages of condoms with QFC stickers on the shelves. So Seattle Police detectives paid informants to repeatedly sell the Aribis wine and other items the informants claimed to have stolen, in exchange for $10 to $20.  Those “stolen” items were then bought by detectives and placed into evidence.

KIRO 7 News reporter, Amy Clancy, interviewed the Aribis on Tuesday, who deny the allegations.

Image courtesy of Google Earth

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The primo yard sale experience in Wallingford is happening this Saturday, when the annual John Stanford International School Yard Sale Tour takes place from 9 am to 3 pm.

In addition to toys, kid’s gear, books, and housewares, there will be bake sales at all locations and raffles for some great prizes. Proceeds benefit the JSIS PTSA.

Come out to our seven locations and support your local public elementary school! Maps are available at the host homes.

This year’s fabulous yard sale tour locations:

2305 N 39th St

3833 Sunnyside Ave N

3933 Corliss Ave N

4011 Corliss Ave N

4202 Corliss Ave N

4312 Woodlawn Ave N

2115 N 46th St

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Meghan Sweet, the director of the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club, writes:

Wallingford Boys & Girls Club, along with all six of its sites (serving Wallingford, Fremont, Lake City, Greenlake, View Ridge and Maple Leaf), is having its 5th Annual Celebration on June 7th. The event is free to attend (we don’t want any of our families to be left out!), although there is a silent auction and a soft ask during dessert. This is a great event for neighbors that already know and love the Club, and want a fun way to support it, and for new folks who are curious about what we do. The event is basically a big party and features a lot of youth performances, along with staff, board, and supporter recognition. We are still looking for more silent auction items and sponsors as well.

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[Ed note: Several weeks back, a reader, Anne Leache, wrote in and said she had reached out to a local homeless woman in front of QFC, and was interested in sharing the story she had heard. We of course welcomed the story. As Anne dug in, though, things became more complex. This is her story.]

As a Wallingford resident, avid walker, and business patron, I pass through the Wallingford Ave. and 45th intersection on a regular basis. For two years, I have seen the same young, blond homeless woman sitting or standing outside of the QFC hoping for a handout. She always has a gentle smile and despondent sadness in her eye. I have always wanted to help her, but I never knew how. Finally, I decided to simply pray for her. A few weeks later, I walked by and introduced myself and my children and learned that her name is Adrian.

During a conversation with several of my girlfriends at the Grizzled Wizard two weeks ago, Adrian’s situation was mentioned with the question of why we don’t do anything to help the people right in front of us, when we are often donating to others around the world. That simple statement gave me the courage to find a way to help Adrian. That night I went to bed and was awakened at four in the morning with the thought, “Hey, I can get her story, find out what she needs, put it on the Wallyhood blog, and our awesome neighbors can work together to help her out.”

The next morning I was jazzed up and ready to go! I had a plan! With a skip in my step, I got up to the QFC, and there she was. I was excited to tell her my idea, and I saw her face brighten as I did. She asked what would happen if there were negative comments, and I thought, “Why would there be negative comments? People in this neighborhood want to help. If they know why you are here, and what you need, they will rally behind you.”

It didn’t take long, and I talked her into sharing her story. Over the next week, we spoke daily, and she shared her life and history with me. She also wrote her story out. It is a tragic litany of divorced parents, her father getting killed in a motorcycle accident, her mother turning her away after her father’s death, her father’s retirement money being signed over to his girlfriend, with nothing left for Adrian. With her last two dollars she ended up on a bus and got off in Wallingford because she was afraid to go downtown. That was two years ago, and she has been here ever since. The hopeful part of her story was that she has housing starting May 13th in a shelter on Aurora.

I got so caught up in her life, it was all I could talk about with my friends. I told them the tragedy and the horrors of sleeping on the streets, of being turned away from coffee shops and false accusations made by store clerks. I had the final version ready to submit to the awesome Wallyhood people on Sunday night, and I imagined the positive feedback she would get as soon as it hit the street.

I was so excited about it, I couldn’t stop relating every detail to my girlfriend Jennifer at dinner Sunday night. Our kids were entertaining each other, our husbands were out and about, and we had that rare and cherished time to talk. After I gave her all of the minutia, Jennifer, in her kind and gentle way said, “Have you done a background check on her?” Well…. no, of course not. I trust her. “Well it would make your story more credible if you had some proof to back it up.” By the way, Jennifer is a reporter on NPR and a very smart and awesome lady! I totally agreed thinking, “Yeah, that is a great idea. Adrian will love it!” I didn’t know her last name, but we could call the shelter and make sure she was scheduled to move in. As I was putting the dishes in the washer, Jennifer got the computer and in no time, we had the number to her upcoming home on the classy 99.

After three rings, a man answered the phone. I briefly told him what I was doing, and he was happy to check his registrar. Then he asked the name again. Finally he said, “I am sorry, but I don’t have an Adrian on my wait list.” WHAT????

I left my kids with Jennifer and quite nearly RAN to the QFC. Fortunately she lives a five minute walk away. Adrian wasn’t there, but another man was sitting in her spot, so I asked him if he knew where I could find her. I have learned the panhandlers know each other and each other’s stories and are often quite loquacious. John fit the stereotype and was very affable and informed. He knew Adrian, and without my asking another question, he told me more than I ever wanted to know, and the real tragic story came out.

I did a little more investigating, and learned that there are a plethora of homeless shelters for women in Seattle. There is no reason for a woman to be homeless, especially for two years, and most likely, Adrian isn’t homeless. She has a boyfriend (an attractive and friendly young man with a blue and white baseball cap. I had the fortune to meet him several days later as he was filling out job applications on the curb while Adrian was in the bathroom), and apparently, she lives with him.

The frustrated manager of the QFC told me that he sees her getting dropped off in a car with her bags at the store early in the morning. He has done everything he can to diffuse the situation, but the police can’t do anything as long as she is on public property. John told me how wonderful the neighbors of Wallingford are, and that it is easy to average $100 a day, just sitting around with a sign. He also told me that in the house where he lives just behind the QFC, there are several rooms for rent for $310 a month – just $10 a day, an easy score for a panhandler in our neighborhood.

So where does Adrian’s money go? Word on the street is smoking the big H. Heroin. When I gently confronted her the next day with the information that I had uncovered, she denied it all, but when I asked her to prove to me that what she was saying was true, she refused. I explained to her that if I was going to tell her story and take a stand for her, my reputation was on the line, and I needed proof. She was unwilling to assist. I offered for her to take a drug test to corroborate her story, and she said that was too personal. She also vehemently denied having a boyfriend, and insisted she had a place to live lined-up and would be off the Wallingford streets as of May 13th.

As we were conversing, a young meticulously dressed and adorned man in his late teens or early twenties walked up and was standing next to the dumpster waiting for Adrian and the other seemingly homeless man she was with.  I walked away.  An exchange took place between the three people I left behind.  I returned to Jennifer who was across the street watching my kids.  As I was filling her in on the conversation, the two men that had momentarily been with Adrian left in different directions.  I can’t say with certainty what happened because I wasn’t close enough to hear or see the details, but my newly opened eyes and jaded heart suspect that John and the store clerks are right; drugs are being dealt and used in our neighborhood, just outside the store where I buy milk for my family.

As I reflect back on the situation, I feel naive and disappointed.  I have always been one of those people who wants to help save the world, and I felt sorry for the jaded older generations who smirked or shook their heads at my antics.  I want to continue to see the world as a hopeful place, but as my vision clears, I understand the sage wisdom of age more and more.  I would love to help Adrian off the streets and see her fulfill her dream of delivering babies, but until she is ready to take the initiative, the only thing I can do is exactly what I started with… offer a smile, a prayer, and keep my money in my pocket.

(Photo by Curtis Cronn)

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Satay Malaysian Street Food (1711 N. 45th St.) is hosting its first “Dog Night” this Wednesday, May 15, from 6:00pm to close. They welcome dogs and their humas to dine and drink on the back patio; and as an added treat, Wally Pets will be providing doggie snacks for all canine customers.

RIP, Wallyhood Rover Reporter, Scout.

Makes me sad to miss it, as our beloved Wallyhood Rover Reporter, Scout, lost his battle with cancer two weeks ago. We hope he’s out there, somewhere in the great unknown, sniffing out news (and rolling around in it).

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On Wednesday, May 15 from midnight to midnight, you’ll have a chance to donate to your favorite local nonprofits through The Seattle Foundation’s second annual GiveBIG giving event, and we wouldn’t be a true neighborhood news blog if we didn’t mention two of our favorite Wallingford nonprofits that could use our support. FamilyWorks and the Wallingford Community Senior Center impact many lives each day and a gift on May 15th to them will help continue important work of serving the community.

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The kindergarteners at John Stanford International School are hosting their annual plant sale to raise money for their sister school Juan de la Barrera in Puerta Vallarta. The sale will be on the playground (on 4th Ave. NE, above 40th St. NE) near the basketball court on Saturday, May 11 from 10-1 pm.  We’re told there will be lots of tomatoes and basil, cucumbers, and other veggies, flowers and houseplants including lots of beautiful orchids. Perfect timing for Mother’s Day!

All of the seeds this year came from the Seed Savers Exchange which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to conserving and promoting heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Supporting the sale this year will not only help their sister school, but will also promote plant diversity.

The plants are mostly organic and they will have varieties chosen to do well in our climate.

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JSIS 5th grader Clarissa Henry and former JSIS student Esai Prescod are one of three finalist teams in the  “Grow Your Own Business Challenge” sponsored by Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaire’s Club and the Fairholme Foundation. This is a  national competition to promote youth entrepreneurship.

Clarissa and Esai are “Team WiN WiN, ” which stands for Waste Not Want Not. “It’s a win for the environment and a win for us,” said Clarissa.

The partners created a business plan that includes preserving and selling surplus produce in the form of candied ginger. They submitted their proposal along with nearly 4,000 young people from around the U.S. As one of three team finalists, they will present their idea to Mr. Buffet on May 20 in Omaha, Nebraska. The winner will receive $5,000.

One-fifth of the team’s final score will depend upon their standing in the online public vote for their business idea. Anyone can vote once per day per computer or other smart device. No registration or submitting of information is required to vote.

Watch their video and then vote at http://www.smckids.com/vote  or http://smclearnandearn.com/content/gyob-online-voting-teams

Good luck, Clarissa and Esai!

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OK, Steve Winwood won’t be there but YOU should be. Come and learn some new steps and kick up your heels in community with others to support two local non-profit organizations strengthening individuals, families and seniors in the north end.

It’s Dance 4 Wallingford, a multicultural and intergenerational community dance party on Saturday May 11th, 2013, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at the Wallingford Community Senior Center (WCSC). The idea for the event came from the “World Dance Parties” that other Seattle organizations have hosted.

The event, entrance free to the public, will include mini-lessons on various dances, including samba, contra, waltz and polka, followed by all-out dancing. The project is a collaboration between WCSC and Family Works Food Bank and Resource Center to build community in the Wallingford neighborhood. Special thanks to our dance instructors: Fresh Fitness, Mariah Pepper, Geoff Cole and Blanka Jindrich.

The Wallingford Community Senior Center is located in the lower level of the Good Shepherd Center, at 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. The event is free of charge and open to the whole family. There is a suggested donation of $10 for individuals, $15 for couples, and $20 for families. All proceeds will benefit the Wallingford Community Senior Center and FamilyWorks. Refreshments will be available including light appetizers, non-alcoholic drinks and a cash wine/beer garden.

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Ivar's Salmon House with Copper River Salmon, for their generous support.