jseattle

Here are images and video from the Capitol Hill trick or treating scene near St. Joe's. We'll continue adding to this post as more pictures come in from the big night including scenes from Broadway and beyond.

Original Post:
We'll be taking, curating and posting images from Holiday fun across the Hill this weekend. Happy Halloween, Capitol Hill. Have something you want to share? CHS@capitolhillseattle.com or you can use simple HTML to add your picture in the comments. Looking for something to do? Here's our rundown of the Hill's Halloween fun.

Neighbor Kevin sent this lovely shot in via the CHS comments

UPDATE 8:13 PM:
A fun and mostly safe Halloween evening on Capitol Hill thus far. But be careful lazy, costume-less teens in the Capitol Hill trick or treat hot zone -- Dan Savage is waiting for you.

We'll have some more pictures from the night from CHS contributors plus the good stuff we find on Twitter, etc. We're also keeping one ear on the scanner. Thus far, the most interesting thing we've heard about was a flaming, homemade hot air balloon soaring westbound about 150 feet in the air in the vicinity of the huge crowds trick or treating around 15th Ave E and Aloha. The 3-foot-tall balloon was aflame and drifting around 7 PM. In less flammable news, we liked this politically-tinged costume idea found via Twitter.

UPDATE 4:20 PM:
Here are some kinda not-safe-for-work (but who's working) pumpkin pics courtesy of Babeland. Stop by to see the naughty gourds.

Original Post:

Dark & Stormy Night, originally uploaded by sea turtle.

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A little witch helps at the Seattle University/Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce street sweep. (Photo: Seattle University)

volunteer park conservatory,
originally uploaded
by carolynmanney.

green at night, originally uploaded by carolynmanney.

_D041000, originally uploaded by picsbysomeguy.

(Not Cap Hill but geeky fun)

Two East Precinct police officers and assistant City Attorney Tienney Milnor were recognized with community awards for their work on the Drug Market Initiative project. The Seattle Neighborhood Group recognized Milnor and officers Sina Ebinger and Chris Kelley with their annual Community Builders Awards for their work on the program which combines treatment options with aggressive prosecution. In its early days, the program has had some successes -- and also some people who couldn't stay clean.

Milnor's recognition comes as the City Attorney staffer has dealt with criticism of her handling of a community meeting with Pike/Pine club owners that left some feeling threatened and under attack by City Attorney Tom Carr and the East Precinct.

There's a Friday night dress rehearsal for the Sound-Transit sponsored art installation in the empty lot cleared for light rail construction at the corner of Broadway and Denny. Word from the artist Dan Corson and Sound Transit art program manager Barbara Luecke is the 'rehearsal' will start at 7 PM and run 'until the generator gas tank is empty' around midnight. Same plan Halloween night. There's been some scrambling to complete the installation as weather and some mis-sized fiberglass rods have slowed progress. The installation isn't yet in final form but most of it is in place and there are lasers. What else could you ask for?

Joining the election night celebration on Capitol Hill, the Approve R-71 campaign announced they will be holding their party at Pravda Studios on 10th Ave in Pike/Pine. Mike McGinn's campaign, meanwhile, will be watching the results come in down the street at the War Room.

Approve 71 campaign releases Election Night Party details

When: 7 pm Tuesday, Nov. 3

Where: Pravda Studios, 1406 10th Ave., Suite 200, Seattle

www.pravdastudios.com

For information on other local election night parties visit http://approvereferendum71.org/election-night-party/

Who:  Approve 71 Campaign Chair Anne Levinson, Approve 71 Campaign Manager Josh Friedes, the Approve 71 campaign team, volunteers, friends and allies

A Broadway small business has become entangled in business deal involving a wide-ranging Web of businesses and charities that has cost the independent retailer more than $20,000 in losses, according to its owner.

Bliss Soaps' owner Phil Wright tells CHS that he and his co-owner Chuck Sapronetti lost more than $20,000 on a wholesale order arranged with a business called Emperor's Essentials, a health and supplement product provider headquartered in Florida but active here in Washington state. Wright said everything with the deal -- one of the largest they've ever had -- seemed on the up and up until the last few weeks. Nearly three months after Bliss delivered the goods and got paid, Wright says Robert Friend, head of Emperor's Essentials, reversed the charges.

"He paid us. We made the products. Then he reversed the charges three months later. We didn't know which way to turn with it," Wright said.

Friend, it turns out, is not a stranger to financial controversy. He and his wife are involved with a group of charities that has been investigated for its questionable practices. Here is a Seattle PI article about the couple from 2007. Most recently, the activities of the American Veterans Coalition, which lists Friend as its 'registered agent,' were under scrutiny as the Gig Harbor-based charity settled claims in Arkansas and Kentucky. The office of the Washington State Attorney General would not comment on whether it is -- or is not -- investigating any of the charities Friend is involved with. Those include the AVC, the Cancer Assistance Network, the Disabled Firefighters Foundation, and the National Association for Disabled Police Officers. We have also requested information from the AG on any complaints against Friend, his organizations and his company, Emperor's Essentials. None of the organizations were included in the state's recent busts of so-called 'badge charities.

CHS also talked to Rebecca Sherrell, charities program manager for the Washington Secretary of State's office. Sherrell said her office had no documentation of any state actions against the Friend charities.

Back at Bliss, Wright said he didn't know what to do. So he gave Friend -- somebody he says he's known from the business world for seven years -- a call.

"He tries to intimidate," Wright said of Friend." "'I'm so right,' 'you don't have a chance.' I think a lot of people back down from the intimidation."

CHS got a small taste of this when we contacted Friend at his Gig Harbor home through a number provided on one of his organizations' Web sites. Friend answered the phone with a cheery "Emperor's Essentials!" Then he learned he was talking to a reporter. "Do not call me," Friend said. "This is a private residence and I do not want this to happen again."

Later that night, Friend forwarded us this e-mail without additional comment:

Phil and Chuck,

 I am going to press criminal charges, a restraining order, and harassment charges, and take this to court very quickly if you do not stop your threats and harassment. Brian and I have been gentlemen to this point. Enough is enough. All your text's are documented and ready to be supplied to the legal authorities as needed. They are in black and white. There is no wiggle room in what  you are doing. Some of what you are committing is criminal, and a lot is blat en civil wrongs.

 We feel you have miss led us, duped us, and not provided us with what we have paid you for. We also feel you still owe us a sizable sum of money and have caused us large financial losses. Let's let the courts hand down a decision.

 I suggest you allow the courts to deal with this and they will decide whom owes whom what. We have everything documented and we will provide it accordingly at the prescribed time. I am sure you are aware that Chase called last night and are leaving the charge backs right where they are, with Emperor's Essentials. They have your documents and they have ours, and they have made their decision accordingly.

 We have been trying to be patient with you, but one more action, or phone call like today and we are filing charges.

 Be under no allusion, you have been put on notice. Govern yourselves accordingly.

 Robert Friend

Wright said Bliss won't back down.

"Yesterday, the intimidation almost worked until we saw the support of people coming out to support us," Wright said. Bliss sent out an e-mail to customers telling them about the situation and announcing a sale to help the shop recoup some of their losses.

"We've made most of it back," Wright said of the response. "We were getting an order an average of every two minutes online."

But Bliss isn't finished. Wright said he expects to report the deal gone bad to the State Attorney General's office and will pursue the matter in court.

"I don't know anything about the process," Wright said. "When you run a super honest business you usually don't care about these kinds of things."

A pirate's life at Miller Community Center (Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)

If you haven't yet figured out what to be for Halloween, maybe these photos from Thursday night's community party in Miller Park will inspire. Looking for something tried and true and surely awesome? Check out the CHS Costume History thread in the comments on this post. How many of your past brilliant costume ideas can you remember?

Update:
I'll be poking around the Hill today for images but please holler if you find anything cool. Like this shot from the CHS flickr pool featuring Slog reporter and man about Capitol Hill, Dominic Holden, a spoon and, apparently, a tiny, camera-toting man inside a pumpkin.

Tom Carr's worst nightmare, originally uploaded by Michael Holden.

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn is including a Capitol Hill stop in his last weekend of city barnstorming, according to this announcement from his campaign team. We already gave him the CHS endorsement but you can check in with McGinn on Halloween afternoon at 19th Ave's Miller Community Center. The McGinn campaign announced today it is holding its election night celebration at the War Room.

Mike McGinn to host four town halls this weekend.

"We know a lot of Seattle voters are undecided and want more information before making their choice," said McGinn.  "Seattleites take voting seriously.  We want to give everyone the ability to directly ask questions and this is an opportunity to do just that."

WHEN: 2pm, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE: Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave. E

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WHEN: 10:15am, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE:  West Seattle Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 2306 42nd Ave. SW

WHEN: 12pm, Saturday, October 31st
WHERE: Northgate Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 10548 5th Ave. NE

WHEN:  3:30pm, Sunday, November 1st
WHERE:  Columbia Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 4721 Rainier Ave. S

A brief post here on the Lincoln Park reservoir work we reported on yesterday that will require a portion of Cal Anderson park to be closed for more than a month beginning on Monday. Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Andy Ryan said the work is not related to the leaks that occurred in other similar city reservoirs this summer. He's looking into how much of the park will be shut down for the work which is scheduled to last through December 11.

He won our endorsement. On election night, he'll be partying in our 'hood. Mike McGinn's campaign is holding its election night party at the War Room with chow from Skillet Food, no cover and, sweet for the 'hood bloggers in the crowd, all the wi-fi you can eat. You might recall McGinn held his primary election night party at Havana. Whether this Tuesday ends as happily for the candidate will be up to you.

CHS does not condone this woman's actions. But we're also kind of tired of the Hitler thing.