Here's the latest from the streets of the East Precinct. Don't forget this Thursday night's EastPac meeting with SPD's Assistant Chief Sanford in attendance.

• 'Store-invasion' robbery ends in arrest: Another incident involving a group entering a Capitol Hill-area business, attempting to distract employees and, the bad part, snatching an electronic device ended with an arrest went down on E Pike last Saturday. Here's the account provided by a stylist at Emerson Salon of the group attempting the heist, their modus operandi and some details of how the stolen phone was recovered:  

I was the only stylist (we have no reception staff and are all self employed) who was able to greet these individuals (all the other stylists were with clients.) The male individual asked about the price of a haircut. Another was a shorter female who asked the price to do hair at Emerson Salon and I fielded their questions as they remarked," we're just checkin' this place out." I gave the male my business card and my coworker's business card in regards to hair services. Another male individual entered and attempted to walk upstairs to our laundry and break area. I stopped him by saying," Excuse me, you can't go up there. We only allow employees up there." to which he replied," I"m just checkin it out." to which I replied," We don't even let clients go up there so we'd appreciate it if you didn't."

This individual retreated from the stairs and and  by my coworkers station while  I watched him closely. I saw he picked "something" up. He moved away from the station and I could tell he was trying to hide his hand as he remarked,"Oh, that's my phone."

I observed him moved towards the front area and at that time I saw the phone and the credit card swiper attachment to the phone that is unique ONLY to this coworkers iphone. I said frankly, pointing,"Thats not your phone, its my coworkjers phone."

He tried to walk away from me and I said again,"Thats not your phone, She has a different swiper! Give me the phone. " I paused and waited a second then I grabbed his arm. he snatched it away. i grabbed his hand again. I said again,"that's not your phone. give me the phone!" he moved away. He opened the front door, and my other coworker was outside talking with a client he'd just finished with and saw what was happening. He "bodychecked" this male individual and then the altercation moved to the sidewalk. I tried to grab his arm a THIRD time and apparently I was screaming,"Its not your fucking phone. Give me the fucking phone!!!" 

Then the male ran towards broadway running south. I called 911. 3 coworkers went following after him. Cops called 3 min later and they had the guy and the iphone. Apparently, a good samaritan/strong gay man tackled him until the cops could arrest him after he saw one of my coworkers running to catch up with him.

The SPD report on the incident corroborates the stylist's details. In April, we reported on a similar theft at a massage studio on Broadway.

• E Pine office safe burglar makes big haul: A thief broke into a third-floor business office in the 600 block E Pine sometime in the overnight of Friday May 18th and made off with a safe full of cash and coin. The SPD report on the burglary doesn't make the amount of cash stolen public but the thief made off with a safe full of coins and bills, police say. The crime is being investigated as a felony level theft meaning at least $5,000 was taken. The burglar left no signs of breaking into the building's ground floor but police found pry marks on the door to the office.
• E Howell storage break-in: A burglar stole thousands of dollars worth of goods in a break-in of the storage lockers at a building in the 500 block of E Howell last week. Police found the locks had been bent or broken on several lockers in the Tuesday night burglary.
• Caretaker chases off man trying to break into empty building: A man living as a caretaker in an empty Harvard Ave E apartment building called police last Saturday afternoon after somebody tried to break into the building. The man told police he has lived in the empty building "for years" and has had "several encounters with trespassers, and transients trying to enter and squat in the building" but typically can handle the situations himself.

UPDATE: Following a wave of criticism, the City Council's land use committee has unanimously voted to strip out commercial zoning changes in lowrise and midrise neighborhoods from the Regulatory Reform package.

Allow ground-floor commercial uses in Lowrise 2 and 3 (LR2 and LR3) zones that are within urban centers or station area overlays (with permitted uses and standards similar to those in Midrise and Highrise zones)

"We need to do a better job of engaging with the community and having a dialogue," Council member Mike O'Brien said.

Committee chair Richard Conlin said that he supports the amendment to remove the new zoning but that he still believes the changes in commercial zoning would be beneficial and that this part of the legislation might be taken up again. He also left the door open to punting on the idea altogether. "We may be wrong in our assessment," Conlin said of the process that led to the creation of the small retail proposals.

Conlin said the remainder of the legislation will move forward.

Original Report: Capitol Hill residents again filled the City Council chambers Wednesday morning as Richard Conlin and the Council's land use committee pushed forward on Regulatory Reform legislation that would overhaul the city's development process and open up areas of multifamily-zoned neighborhoods to small commercial uses.

"I've just been in shock that my city council would even think to work this way," one homeowner who addressed the committee said Wednesday morning.

Many called for the committee to postpone any decisions on Regulatory Reform until a more complete community process on Capitol Hill can be completed.

"Have you realized yet that you have awakened a sleeping giant?" another speaker asked. "You have united the people of Capitol Hill in a way that we've never been united before," the man said.

Many speakers said they were longtime homeowners who had just become aware of the reform legislation last week as the Capitol Hill Coalition group increased its effort to spread the word about the potential commercial changes (see their flyer below) and the Capitol Hill Community Council approved a resolution opposing the measures.

Another speaker said the Council's actions could "destroy an oasis of residential goodness forever."

While the reform package is a citywide set of updates to zoning laws and regulations, some of the elements focused on areas near transit stations and within official "urban centers" apply singularly to Capitol Hill.

CHS began reporting on the sprawling Regulatory Reform legislation in March. In the time since, the council committee has attempted to shape the "corner store" elements of the package so that commercial changes would be limited to arterials, smaller retail spaces and even by restricting certain types of businesses in specific areas like banning restaurants from the lowrise/midrise commercial zones on Capitol Hill.

The proposed set of code overhauls was set in motion by a City Council resolution last spring setting up a framework for changes to Seattle's regulatory structure to boost the economy and create more jobs in the city. City planners then worked with "a roundtable of business, environmental, and neighborhood leaders" to craft seven proposals that range from raising the number of living units a development must contain before triggering an environmental review to codifying home-based businesses.

The Seattle Times looked at that "roundtable" process and documented what it calls the power of "developer interest" in driving the eased development rules. "Records show the mayor's group worked to stay out of public view and communicate "more confidential stuff," as one put it, via private email," the Times writes.

Beyond the issues around public process and the encroachment of mixed-use development into residential areas, other elements of Regulatory Reform have been lauded for its elimination of minimum parking requirements in areas served by mass transit and helping to potentially untangle the increasingly byzantine process of developing property in Seattle.

The committee is considering seven amendments that Council members hope will shape the legislation to help alleviate the fears voiced by the community members who spoke Wednesday morning:

If commercial uses are ultimately allowed in Lowrise 2 and Lowrise 3 (LR2 and LR3) zones in Urban Centers and Station Area Overlay Districts, decrease the maximum permitted floor area of such uses from 2,500 to 2,000 square feet.

Prohibit any commercial enterprises that locate in eligible LR zones from installing electric signs (non-illuminated signs and externally illuminated signs would be permitted).

Allow businesses that locate in eligible LR zones to apply for street use permits to place merchandise displays in certain portions of the right-of-way.

Require DPD staff to provide an annual report to the City Council on the number, type, and location of new commercial uses that may be permitted to operate in LR2 and LR3 zones in Urban Centers and Station Area Overlay Districts.

Require commercial uses in multifamily zones to meet the same odor standards as apply in commercial zones.

Clarify that the nightlife disturbance provisions in the Municipal Code apply to nonresidential uses located in any zone (see Item #7 on the agenda for the May 23 PLUS Committee meeting).

Allow renewals of temporary use permits with terms of up to six months to be processed as Type 1 decisions, except for renewals of permits issued for transitional encampments and facilities for light rail transit construction, which would remain Type 2 decisions. Retain all other existing rules regarding the issuance and duration of temporary usepermits.

The Capitol Hill Alano Club (CHAC) has announced that it will be shutting down by the end of the year. CHAC has provided a safe space for members of the LGBTQ community to meet and engage in 12-step recovery programs for over 30 years. The decision is "bittersweet," for the volunteers at CHAC, who are proud that the organization's original mission has been fulfilled, but have a lot of sentimental attachment to the space.

"It was a painful decision for us," said Tim Olson, CHAC's Meetings Liason. 

"The space has been crucial for me personally getting clean and sober, and has a special place in our volunteer's hearts." 

While the group has set a dissolution date for the last day of the year, the interim period also serves as an opportunity for community feedback and engagement. CHAC is welcoming the community to come up with solutions to CHAC's space issues.

"We are open to anything," Olson said, "if benefactors opened a space, we would look at keeping things going."

As Seattle Gay News first reported, the decision to dissolve CHAC is the result of two separate issues: ... (more)

There is hope -- and a plan -- for keeping the landmark Volunteer Park Conservatory open well beyond the park's centennial celebration this summer. We also have details of when the $800,000 $600,000 overhaul of the park playground will begin and what it will entail, below.

green house, originally uploaded by subsetsum.

Volunteer Park Conservatory stewards tell CHS the 100-year-old conservatory will definitely stay open -- and stay free -- through 2012. But fees necessary to keep the conservatory open are coming.

Audrey Meade of the Friends of the Conservatory says the group is feeling more hopeful about the future after the city announced last year it was preparing to cut back funding the facility. “We're getting more verbal support from the Parks Department,” says Meade.

They're also getting a plan. CHS reported on the community process to solve the Conservatory's budget woes last year. That plan was released this week. It recommends either either a $3 entrance fee solution or a $4 fee mixed with the addition of a new events tent space that could be used as a revenue driver to support the conservatory's estimated $400,000+ annual operations budget.

(Image: Seattle Parks)

Other options analyzed and rejected in the "business plan" included moving the conservatory structure to another location, turning the building into a permanent event space or mothballing the building.

The city hired an Arizona-based consultant in March to determine how to keep the conservatory open, financially solvent, and what the city's future role should be. Meade says the Friends were initially worried about the $50,000 hire, but feel confident after meeting the consultant he has the conservatory's best interest at heart.

“This guy really knows the business and we respect what he has to say. That being said, there will be some hard things to hear.”

Talk of an admission fee has circulated for some time, particularly following last year's consultant announcement. Meade says a new fee will largely depend on the consultant's final report. Either way, she says, the Friend's role in running the conservatory will likely increase substantially.

Also set to increase -- weddings. A big component of the final plan will likely include an increase in events hosted at the conservatory. The facility currently hosts around a dozen per year. The addition of a tent adjacent to the facilities could boost that number above 30. Sounds like it could be a lovely place for a wedding.

The group is still trying to raise $3.5 million for much-needed structural repairs. Meade says there has been some headway, but couldn't say how much has been raised thus far.

Parks says more than 85,000 visitors come to the conservatory each year. The report notes that if Seattle Parks chose to close the conservatory, it would be an unusual step:

The findings of this review included: (1) no other conservatory has been closed for financial reasons; (2) three have come close to closing due to financial constraints but have all remained open to the public; (3) most conservatories similar to VPC are supported largely by general revenues from their city; (4) many are trying or planning to increase earned revenues; (5) the staffing level at VPC, which accounts for most of the expenses, is reasonable by national standards; and (6) the ability of VPC to become entirely financially self-sustaining is severely limited by the size of the Conservatory and the lack of facility rental space.

The proposed fees wouldn't eliminate the need for Parks funding. Both plans would offset costs from between 40 to 75% after five years, according to the report.

The Friends group has also raised funds to place banners celebrating the centennial throughout the park (Image: CHS)

Playground overhaul update
Meanwhile, plans to upgrade Volunteer Park's play area are near complete with a project start date set for September 3.

On May 2 the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board approved the play area upgrade with no major changes. (The board had to sign off on the project after designating the entire park a city landmark last November.)

“Now we're just dotting our I's and crossing our T's,” says the city's project manager Virgina Hassinger.

The catalyst for the project was to get play equipment to meet safety standards and make the area wheelchair accessible. After the final play area schematics are in, the city's parks engineer will sign off on the plans. Then the work contract will go before the city Finance Department with RFP's going out in early June.

Due to neighborhood concerns over the play area and wading pool closing over the summer, construction on the new playground was pushed to September. The project should be complete by early November.

The wading pool, stair slide, and sculpture will definitely stay. Hassinger says the contractor has yet to provide a detailed diagram of the new play equipment. A “natural play” area will also be built along an “adventure trail” on the north edge of the park. These usually include boulders, logs, and sand pits.

Some grading work will be necessary to make the play area and bathrooms comply with ADA regulations.

The $600,000 project was originally budgeted at $800,000. Hassinger said the department lowered the budget after discovering original overgrown pathways that were less than 5 percent grade, making some grading work unnecessary. The extra $200,000 will be returned to the parks budget for future projects.

It has been a couple weeks since we learned the latest twist in the drama around Bauhaus Coffee, the Melrose Building and the Pinevue Apartments. The developers say they won't be tearing the buildings down. What that will mean, exactly, will shake out in coming weeks. In the meantime, here is another take on the situation from our friends at Sprudge. What does the original Bauhaus mean to Seattle's coffee culture? Parts of the answer may surprise you -- "...the coffee at Bauhaus has never been very good, and the stereotype of the snooty, aloof barista may owe a small part of its origin story to Bauhaus," Sprudge writes. The rest, however, is mostly a love poem. We've paired the offering with a piece sent in to us by videographer Aurea Astro capturing some of the ambient sights and sounds of a few moments inside Bauhaus. You'll find both, below.

Sprudge -- Seattle: From Bauhaus To Our House
Seattle cafes, like the walking tours of patriotic Boston or a visit to a National Park lodge, offer a kind of living history of place and time. They are to be cherished, but also to be enjoyed, utilized, dirtied and cleaned; historic cafes are alive in the best possible sense. When you’re talking about Seattle’s historic cafes, there are so many to choose from, but to me, the big three are Cafe Allegro (opened in 1975), Espresso Vivace (in 1987) and Bauhaus, which opened in 1993. These each played a major role in the progressive elaboration of what it means to be an American independent cafe. They each have their strengths and fans, and while I spent my formative years mainly in Vivace, where I worked as a barista, I recognize Bauhaus’ incredible historical influence, and have been disheartened to follow the news that it is being threatened, first with closure, and now with extensive “retrofitting” and modification. This is, in some ways, a proper eulogy for what Bauhaus means right now, in its current state, an epitaph this cafe assuredly deserves. more...

For more on the block of Pine at Melrose, check out these essays shared on CHS:

• Why Capitol Hill's Bauhaus block matters
• Save Bauhaus? Better save the Pinevue Apartments, too
• The welcoming patina of Capitol Hill's favorite interiors

CHS can say it until we're SPD blue in the face -- the city's crime rates are relatively low and Capitol Hill is relatively safe. We'll be updating the numbers again soon. We assume datapoints like these haven't changed greatly. Incidents like this can blow any rational discussion away. If you're concerned about safety on the Hill and East Precinct policing, consider checking out this Thursday's edition of the monthly EastPac meeting.

This month's gathering of the East Precinct Advisory Council is dedicated to hearing more about SPD's plans to meet Department of Justice demands for reform of the city's policing policies. But part of every meeting is dedicated to discussing community concerns and neighborhood "hot spots." If you're worried about crime in your area of the Hill, stop in and let the SPD brass in attendance know.

Asst. Chief Sanford presents the 20/20 plan at 5/24 EastPAC meeting

Thursday, May 24th
6:30 to 8:00pm
Seattle University's Chardin Hall, Room 142
1020 East Jefferson 
(Enter on 11th and Jefferson, park free in front of building)  

In March of 2011, the US Department of Justice began an investigation of the Seattle Police Department, focusing on whether SPD "engaged in a practice of unconstitutional policing through the use of excessive force and/or discriminatory policing". DOJ's findings conclude that these deficiencies do in fact exist, particularly within a "subset of officers who use force improperly".  For the entire report, please see:

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/spd_findletter_12-16-11.pdf

In response to the DOJ findings, the Mayor's Office and Police Department released it's own reform plan, "SPD 20/20 -"A VISION FOR THE FUTURE", identifying 20 changes to be implemented in 20 months.

SPD's Assistant Chief Mike Sanford will be presenting the 20/20 plan at our May 24th EastPAC meeting. Please review the plan before the meeting- http://www.seattle.gov/spd2020/ -and come prepared with questions, concerns, in support of or opposition to this plan, as well as additional suggestions for better policing.

Police are looking for a robbery suspect brazen enough to pay for his dinner using a credit card stolen in an armed street hold-up on Capitol Hill.

Police believe the man highlighted in these pictures is responsible for two street robberies in which he threatened his victims with a revolver. Details on the first incident in which a man was robbed of his wallet at gunpoint on April 30th are below. CHS reported on the second incident in which two women were robbed of their purses on May 4th at Summit and E Olive.

SPD today asked for the public's assistance identifying the man and posted these images from surveillance video captured at a Seattle-area restaurant where the suspect allegedly paid for the meal -- and left an unusually large tip -- using the stolen credit card.

Seattle police are looking for help identify a man suspected in two recent armed robberies on Capitol Hill.

The suspect first robbed a man near Summit Avenue and E. Thomas Street on April 30, and then mugged two women near Summit Avenue and E. Olive Street on May 4.

During both incidents, the suspect wore a bandanna over his face, and was carrying a revolver. Detectives believe he is a Hispanic male, between 22-29 years old, 5’6 to 5’8, with dark hair, possibly in a ponytail.

The suspect was later captured by surveillance cameras at a restaurant, where he paid his bill and left a large tip using one victim’s credit card. If you recognize the suspect in the photos, please call 911 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Photo CHS

Looks like if you want to occupy Seattle Community Colleges, it'll have to be by daylight.

In a decision over an issue inspired by Occupy Seattle's short stay on Capitol Hill's Seattle Central Community College campus and debated for months now, the community colleges board of trustees voted to revise rules regarding protest on campus to restrict overnight camping. A statement released by SCC Chancellor, Jill Wakefield outlines the new provisions made to school policy in detail.

One newly added provision states that college and non-college groups may only "use the campus for first amendment activities between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m." 

The Seattle Times reports that a new group has formed that believes the rules may violate the First Amendment.

Seattle Community Colleges have been the home of many protests in the past, but the Occupy Seattle encampments at SCCC last fall prompted the school to revisit its protest policies "to protect the health and safety of our campus communities," according to the statement. 

Occupy Seattle took up residence at Pine and Broadway at the end of last October and while organizers may have done their best to keep the camp functioning and maintain a "good neighbor" set of rules, introducing a settlement of dozens of tents into a constricted space meant constant challenges for the group -- and the Seattle Central campus. By November, the trustees passed an emergency rule banning Occupy's camp from Seattle Central. 

The new protest rules come after public hearings that helped shape the newly decided policy. According to the trustees, voices from the community were responsible for the repeal of a proposed revision that would limit where on campuses groups could exercise First Amendment rights to specific areas. Community input will still be a factor in future First Amendment activities regarding SCC -- a task force nominated throughout the district will meet for the first time this spring and work through December to more fully address free speech issues on campuses.

Below is the full statement from Jill Wakefield:

Friday, May 18, 2012

Changes to Washington Administrative Code 

Yesterday, our Board of Trustees approved a restriction on camping on our college campuses. This restriction was added to an existing section of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 132F-136), which has been in place since 1984.

This provision addresses issues of safety and security that were raised during the Occupy Seattle encampment last fall when the Thurston County Superior Court upheld an emergency rule prohibiting camping on our campuses. The ruling required the District to act quickly to permanently change this section of the Washington Administration Code to protect the health and safety of our campus communities.

The May 17 Board action followed a long process of review and public comment. Members of our campus community spoke out at public hearings in March and April, when an earlier WAC concerning the use of facilities for First Amendment activities was first proposed. As a result, we pulled both that WAC and its related procedure (# 270), off the table and asked the Board to limit its review to camping restrictions. The Board heard public comments on the revised proposal at its last two board meetings.

We still have work to do. As announced earlier this month, I am convening a task force to address the use of campus facilities for First Amendment activities. The group will examine our procedures to ensure we are meeting our commitment to the First Amendment as well as to the values that are integral to the delivery of education. Task force members were nominated from throughout our district. Their first meeting will be held this spring, and the group will conclude its work by December 2012. Thank you to the following individuals who have agreed to serve from the college community: Don Bissonnette, Ian Elliot, Rodolfo Franco, Kelly Grayson, Cessa Heard-Johnson, Tysen Hillquist, Larry Hopt, Hillery Jorgensen, Kenneth Lawson, Kimberly McRae, Orestes Monterecy, and Greg Morphew; as well as community leaders Al Sugiyama, Joan Weiss and an additional community member to be announced early next week.

The Seattle Community Colleges stand for both safeguarding free speech and providing excellent education. I am confident that the task force will provide us with their best thinking.

The Melrose Promenade would help more people capture some fantastic Seattle views

Four Capitol Hill area projects have been awarded $56,750 in Seattle grants to improve life on the Hill. The city’s Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple grant program funds, more or less, any non-profit group to take on, more or less, any project that’s free and beneficial to the community. The latest round of grants reveals some important community projects in the works including a new LGBT center on Broadway and a plan to transform one of the most underutilized streets on Capitol Hill.

A total of 34 projects were awarded $534,666 after organizations pledged to match $760,123 in the latest round of grants. Contract signings and project completion dates will be set on a case by case basis. The city will award another round of grants this fall. You can learn more about the process here.

The Small and Simple grants are funded through the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund. Grants of up to $20,000 are awarded twice a year. Groups must pledge to match at least half of the grant in cash or volunteer hours so lend a hand if you want to get involved.

Here’s what we can look forward to around the Hill.

LGBT center on Broadway
The real-estate surrounding Central Link’s future Capitol Hill/Broadway Station is shaping up to be some of the most desirable in the city. Luckily, Sound Transit has pledged been asked to carve out space for community focused non-profits. The recently formed Seattle LGBT Community Development group will use its $7,000 grant ($10,000 match) to nail down specifics on a proposed LGBT community center in the space. LGBT community leaders have been searching for new center ideas since the Seattle LGBT Center at Pike and Bored shuttered in 2008.

“Given that Seattle has the country’s second highest LGBT population per capita, we should really have a showcase center,” said the group’s co-founder George Pieper. “We want to capture our culture.”

Pieper said the group, which officially formed in January, would use the grant to gather community input and work with a developer to draft a feasibility study this summer.

Last summer, the Seattle City City Council worked out an agreement with Sound Transit to provide a framework of specific community guidelines for the process to open up development around the station. The process for securing those contracts for developing the properties will begin soon.

Outdoor movies
Three Dollar Bill Cinema will continue their 6-year tradition of public movie screenings in Cal Anderson Park (remember last year’s “Footloose” flash dance?) thanks in-part to its $10,875 grant ($7,000 plus volunteer hours match). Outgoing executive director Rachael Brister said the grant will allow the LGBT-focused non-profit to again show four family-oriented movies this summer. According to Brister, each screening costs roughly $2,000, which includes permits, an A/V contractor, staff time, and showing rights.

CHS recently reported on Brister's exit and this summer’s movie lineup.

Melrose makeover
Supporters of the Melrose Promenade Project are convinced the scenic stretch of Melrose on the western precipice of Capitol Hill is the city’s next best street. Central Seattle Greenways was awarded $20,000 ($37,000 match) to help make it happen. The grant will fund a series of community cleanups and work parties along the street and trail. The group hopes to “increase safety, and create a more vibrant and inviting public open space.” CSG members and Capitol Hill Community Council members have been formally planning the project since at least last year.  

The Melrose Promenade project would redesign the street, particularly north of Denny, so that it is more comfortable for walking and enjoying the excellent views.

CSG formed this February to represent central neighborhoods in the city’s plan to create 11 miles of walking and biking routes each year. CSG is part of the broader Seattle Neighborhood Greenways coalition.

New E Madison park
A new neighborhood park at 19th and Madison has been in the works since 2010. The Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center was awarded $15,300 ($47,800 match) to build a public space on its property.  The center plans a “fully accessible, art-filled, sustainable park for all ages and abilities.” Project plans call for a "tranquil green oasis" in an urban patch of Madison that was once envisioned as a space for a mixed-use development. At one point, a group was also trying to build a parkour park at that location. Central District News wrote about the project here. (more)

One of the best things about capital hill is all of the great old trees we get to enjoy. Whether you live in one of the classic old homes or a spanking new condo we can look out our windows and see nature all around us. We can walk to amazing restaurants and Madison market and yet see nature out our window.

UNTIL someone moves in and decides that the house would be so much better if they ripped all the life around it out of the ground. If you buy a house buy it for the landscaping as much as the house. There are lots of houses with no trees and lovely grass. Buy that. Also trees are great screening there is a lot of us on this little hill and if you want some privacy you really need some trees.

So if you are the guy that cut down that old giant maple then I really really don’t like you.

Respect the existing landscaping.

Thanks

The Bite on Broadway, the first big event for a grassroots group of Broadway merchants, drew light attendance on a rainy Sunday night. Some images from the event are below. Rather than critique the event itself, let's step it up a level. As a Capitol Hill consumer, what types of promotions do you want to be part of? Are events like the Bite up your alley? Do we need to close a street like Portland?

That's show biz. The woman who has helped fill summer nights in Cal Anderson Park with quirky, campy and queer cinema is moving on to a new role. Three Dollar Bill Cinema has announced that executive director Rachel Brister is leaving the non-profit to join the Greater Seattle Business Association. Details on her move -- and this summer's slate of Brister-inspired flicks planned for Cal Anderson -- below.

Brister, left, is moving on (Image: Three Dollar Bill Cinema)

Meanwhile, 2012 marked the 17th year for Three Dollar Bill Cinema's Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. 

As for what she'll bring to the GSBA from her years coordinating gay film and events on Capitol Hill, Brister said it has been a lesson in giving.

"I've learned how important it is to do events for your community," she said. "It's really nice to be able to just give something back."

Brister tells CHS she'll continue to be busy in the Capitol Hill community -- she currently serves on the community council among her non-cinematic activities. More from Brister on her move in a statement sent out by Three Dollar Bill, below.

For now, you can plan to celebrate Brister's new gig and outdoor cinema with this summer's Cal Anderson roster. Stay tuned for 

• PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE -- July 27th
• VIVA LAS VEGAS' -- August 3rd
• THE WIZARD OF OZ -- August 10th
• THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT -- August 17th

The theme? Road trip. Films start on the darker end of dusk in the southeast corner of Cal Anderson Park. You can learn more at threedollarbillcinema.org.

CHS is a longtime community partner of Three Dollar Bill Cinema.

"Deciding 8 years ago to move across the country to become the Executive Director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema is the best decision that I have ever made. I love Seattle and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know so many wonderful parts of Seattle's LGBT and film communities. I am grateful to call myself a member of those communities. I have felt welcome since my first day on the job and I can't thank the Three Dollar Bill Cinema Board and staff enough for welcoming me then with such open arms. 

It is almost impossible for me to sum up my feelings around leaving Three Dollar Bill Cinema. This decision was not at all an easy one to make. Three Dollar Bill Cinema has shaped my life in Seattle and my position has taught me so much about what it means to truly work for a community and a cause. I have worked with an amazing, dedicated, and supportive staff and Board of Directors. I have been humbled by the size and skill of Three Dollar Bill Cinema's volunteer corps. And I have been in awe of Three Dollar Bill Cinema's growing and enthusiastic audiences year after year. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to guide and grow Three Dollar Bill Cinema to where it is today. I look forward to this organizations very bright future.

I am thrilled to be joining the staff of another organization that combines a community and a cause, the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA). The intersection of business and philanthropy is something that has always been important to me. My new position of Deputy Director will allow me the opportunity to combine business development and community leadership to expand economic opportunities for the LGBT community and those who support equality for all. 

I'd like to thank the staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers of Three Dollar Bill Cinema, as well as the Greater Seattle community for the opportunity to work with an organization that I love dearly for the past 8 years. I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity.

 My passion for Three Dollar Bill Cinema, its mission and programs will never waiver. Thank you all for the support you have given to this organization and to me over the past 8 years. I look forward to seeing all of you in the audience at the next Three Dollar Bill Cinema screening."

This is your Manhattan without Drugs (Image: Manhattan)

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• One of the most interesting stories of the Capitol Hill food and drink economy over the last three years has been the rise of Laura Olson and Chris Pardo as some of the most active innovators in the scene. In relatively rapid succession, the duo's Pterodactyl Group has opened Po Dog, Auto Battery, Grim's, Manhattan Drugs and, now, The Social/EVO Tapas on Capitol Hill. CHS fields rumors on a semi-regular basis of plans for more. For now, however, there will be less.

Olson and Pardo are out at 12th Ave steakhouse concept Manhattan Drugs leaving a man in control of the restaurant who, until now, had been a silent partner in the project funding the restaurant from its beginning. Though, really, remaining Manhattan partner Jin Park remains silent, at least as far as CHS is concerned. We talked to a representative for the investor turned restauranteur to ask about what happened and what's next at the restaurant -- now re-dubbed to a simplified, and focused Manhattan.

"What you're going to see are very subtle shifts," Park's rep told CHS. "We think it should represent a higher focus for fine dining."

"It's been known for drinking and fun place to be -- that was what Pterodactyl is known so well for," he said. "There needs to be a higher focus placed on fine dining. There was a bit to be desired on that front."

That last part is probably an understatement. You can give this brutal review from the Seattle Weekly a read for a taste of what was was amiss at the Drugs-incarnation of the restaurant.

To achieve the goal of producing a higher quality experience, the re-energized Manhattan plans to do more to empower the people running its kitchen to succeed. It's part of the reason Park is staying out of the spotlight -- chef  Khampaeng Panyathong should have a chance to shine.

Meaty issues at play at Manhattan (Image: Manhattan)

The plan, the representative said, is to give the executive chef "complete control" of the menu to allow the chef to be "more inspired" and bring "more fun elements" to the offerings. "The old menu was more represenatitive of what other steakhouses around town had," the representative said. You can expect more surprises with the new slate.

"The main face is KP," the rep said of the new Manhattan.

Other parts of the plan are more about making a deeper investment in Manhattan as a fine dining experience. There are plans for a more up-to-date selection of wines and pairings. Manhattan also plans to invest in its staff. "We brought in some new staff with more experience in fine dining establishments," the rep said.

More experience can cost more. The rep also insists Manhattan's new ways will maintain the restaurant's current price points. 

"We just want to make sure that the restaurant and its space can be as succesful as possible," the rep said. "It fills a niche but at the same time we want to be hitting price points and quality. If those things require a larger investment, so be it but I don't want to get into that."

We first reported on the plan for Manhattan Drugs last September. Just before New Year's, the new joint snuck under the 2011 wire and debuted.

The new Manhattan is very careful not to trash its old self -- the rep wouldn't comment on why these kinds of initiatives weren't part of the restaurant from the start. 

But the break-up of the partnership was certainly never in the plans. "Things changed as events happened," the rep said and would not comment further.

Via email, Pardo told CHS only "our vision for the direction of the restaurant differed."

"We love the space and wish them success in all their endeavors," Pardo wrote.

Manhattan and Auto Battery are CHS advertisers. 

• Speaking of The Social, here are pictures from the new dance club's first Friday night.

• Our food and drink coverage didn't become so, what would you call it... comprehensive until 2009. So our source for determining May birthdays is a little shallow. Holler if there are birthday boys and girls we're missing. In the meantime, Capitol Hill congratulations to Healeo (2009), Porchlight (2009), Highline (2010), Sitka & Spruce(moved to Hill in 2010), Elysian Capitol Hill (1996), Sun Liquor (2006?), Marjorie (2010), The Confectional (2011),Artusi (2011), and Skillet (2011).
• Off Hill, celebrate 20 years of Cafe Flora.

• Free burgers Memorial Day Monday at Li'l Woody's.
• Stranger's Bethany Jean Clement manages to deliver another brutal review of a Capitol Hill restaurant with compassion and, dare we way it, love.
• Canon nominated for something else.
• 3 of Seattle's top 10 waffles can be found on Capitol HIll or in the CD.
• Yes, somebody held up Capitol HIll's take-and-bake Zaw Pizza.
• Poppy does TV:
• Nope, we don't know what happened to the "new owner" for Pike Street Beer.
• The Broadway state liquor store rights are back on the auction block.
• Barrio is celebrating "Heat Week" with a jalapeno eating contest on June 9th.
• Plum is looking for people interested in joining a CSA to bring Hand-Farmed Organics to Capitol Hill.
• Marjorie has a new chef.
• Want to pretend you're Molly Moon? Here's how to make her salted caramel ice cream. Without a machine.

I feel very fortunate to live right in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. I am never quite sure about Seattle - truth be told - as I find the weather very difficult to handle around here. That being said, I love my neighborhood. It's urban, hip, eclectic, young, alternative, busy, and changing right before my eyes everyday. After all, the Beehive faces the new light rail station. Everyday, the crew moves closer to completing this massive project.

Even though this neighborhood is about as urban as you are going to get in Seattle, it really feels like a true neighborhood for the community who call this area home. In the park, I see the same faces, have gotten to know the dogs in the neighborhood, know the people who live on my block, etc. I love the fact that we get to have this neighborhood feel at the very same time that we can walk to cool shops, restaurants, and run errands, such as the grocery store, post office, bank, all within an easy walk. It's not too often you find such a sweet spot,... (more)

Seattle Police are looking for this man who a woman says attacked her in a frightening incident in late April on Capitol Hill. Details on the attack and the attacker's description from SPD are below. We'll follow up with more as we learn it.

Seattle police need your help identifying a man who attacked a woman on Capitol hill last month.

On April 28, 2012, the victim made plans to meet a friend at a club near Boylston Avenue E. and E. Olive Way. At approximately 10:30 p.m.,the victim parked her car near a coffee shop on E. Olive Way. The victim was using a GPS App on her phone to navigate her way from her car to the club.

The suspect approached the victim at E. Olive Wy and offered to escort her to the club. They walked eastbound on E. Olive Wy. He led her northbound on Belmont Av E. and then turned eastbound on E. Thomas St. The victim looked at her phone and realized they were going in the opposite direction of the club. The suspect led her into an alley off of E. Thomas St and said this would get them back toward the club.

The suspect had a lanyard, attached to keys, hanging out of his pants pocket. When the two walked into the alley, the suspect fell a step behind the victim. He dropped his lanyard/keys onto the ground. The suspect picked up his lanyard/keys, reached over the victim’s head, wrapped the lanyard around her neck, and began to strangle her from behind.

The victim fell backward on to the ground and the suspect straddled her, pinning her to the ground. The suspect punched the victim in the head and face. The victim fought back. She punched the suspect several times in his face and believes the keys she had in her hand may have cut his face. The suspect covered the victim’s mouth with his right hand, and she bit down on that hand. The suspect then ran off northbound through the alley toward E. Thomas Street.

The suspect is described as a white male, 23-25 years old, 5’09 tall, 170 pounds, slender build, dirty blond or strawberry blonde hair with a short buzz cut. He was wearing a white baseball cap, beige “Members Only” jacket, beige/khaki work pants (similar to Dickie’s brand), white tennis shoes (with white soles).

The suspect may have lacerations to his face and a bite wound on the inside of his right hand.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this suspect or information about this incident is asked to call the Seattle Police Department Sexual Assault tip line at 206-684-4882.  Anonymous tips are welcome.

In addition to vigorous debate over potential changes to the city's zoning laws around small commercial development in residential areas of Seattle, the most recent Capitol Hill Community Council meeting also revealed an important naming decision moving forward with Sound Transit's U-Link project that will bring light rail to Capitol Hill by 2016. As we see, it you have two choices -- and it's a pretty big deal as far as the long-term "brand" of the light rail line and the neighborhood go.

Should it be Capitol Hill Station -- or Broadway Station?

Here's what a Sound Transit community rep who couldn't make the meeting provided in email form to the council outlining the station naming proposals currently being considered by the agency:

All the tunneling for the projects is complete! ST will now focus on construction of cross-tunnel passages between the two tunnels for ventilation and emergency/safety exits. At some point this coming summer, the ST board will adopt formal station names for the University Link and North Link projects. The proposed station names are: Capitol Hill Station, University of Washington Station (Husky Stadium), U-District Station (Brooklyn), Roosevelt Station and Northgate Station. If the community has any comments about the proposed station names, please contact Wilbert Santos at wilbert.santos@soundtransit.org.

While the potential names for the station might seem rather dull and generic, there are some important long-term implications for the area from a "brand" perspective. In Capitol Hill Station, Sound Transit delivers a resource that embodies the neighborhood as a whole and is instantly recognizable as a general location throughout the city and region. Broadway Station would be a more focused decision and, in that focus, has the potential to help continue to lift up an important Seattle thoroughfare and the idea of Broadway as an independent entity in the city. Or, yeah, maybe it's just about picking the most clear and easy to understand name for the project. Your call. 

By the year 2030, Sound Transit project that the Capitol Hill StationBroadway Station station on Broadway on Capitol Hill will serve some 14,000 daily riders.

Keep retail off Capitol Hill's residential streets. That was the message attendees at Thursday's Capitol Hill Community Council meeting will send to city officials in the coming days.

“The development community has a interest in controlling as much space as possible,” said Hill resident Oliver Osborne at the meeting. “It has nothing to do with the needs of the community.”

Debate over the city council's Regulatory Reform package took up the bulk of the Capitol Hill Community Council's most recent meeting Thursday night. Included in a long list of tweaks, updates and economic enhancements to Seattle's development and planning code, the 67-page zoning overhaul would also enable small commercial and retail outfits to permeate off arterial roads into areas of the Hill many consider residential.

A map of zoning changes being circulated by a Capitol Hill group opposing Regulatory Reform. Click for larger version

The major complaint voiced at the CHCC meeting was that the proposed ordinance would open the door to unwanted and unforeseen commercial uses. Concerns were raised over increased noise and traffic on residential streets due to deliveries and garbage pickups.

The 30 community members in attendance unanimously passed the following resolution in opposition to the proposal :

RESOLUTION

We are deeply concerned about the proposal to bring commercial uses into the heart of our neighborhood currently pending before the Seattle City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Sustainability (PLUS) committee.

We oppose this commercialization proposal.

We ask PLUS and the Seattle City Council:

(1) Not to adopt the proposal; and

(2) To engage the residents of affected neighborhoods in an open, serious, frank discussion of the pros and cons of various options in an effort to achieve consensus.

Adopted by unanimous vote this 17th day of May, 2012.

Seattle Gay News publisher and CHCC officer George Bakan said he would present the letter at the council's Planning, Land Use and Sustainability committee meeting, this Wednesday at 9:30a. The committee will be discussing the reforms and taking public comment.

For some, part of the problems with the Regulatory Reform package has been the way the proposed changes were created -- you can hear from one member of the roundtable of developers, planners and community members right here -- and how they've been communicated to the neighborhood's they will impact the most.

At a Seattle City Council committee meeting earlier this month, land use chair person Richard Conlin said many concerns were being overstated. "I have to say, I think it is going to make some modest changes that I think will be generally positive," he said.

A group calling itself the Capitol Hill Coalition has also formed to oppose the reform package. You may have seen these flyers posted on utility poles around the neighborhood by the group. According to the coalition's web site, its goal is to eliminate the provisions around introducing commercial zoning to certain lowrise and midrise areas around the city. The long-empty John Court development retail that we looked at here -- What's wrong with the retail space at John Court? -- last sumer is one of the group's "poster boys" for why Regulatory Reform's commercial zoning changes aren't needed on the Hill.

Regulatory Reform Smaller Images

While the Regulatory Reform package's retail changes are part of a citywide set of laws, with the focus around "urban centers" and "station area overlays," Capitol Hill holds the lion's share of the land where the new zoning laws would be applicable. There are also opportunities the amendment creates that most anybody could get behind -- more cafes on the edge of Cal Anderson Park, for example. The Regulatory Reform package also has other important amendments for Capitol Hill including a loosening of the rules around temporary uses to be more "micro-business" and pop-up friendly.

A community council working group, open to all community members, is slated to meet May 31 at 6p in the Cal Anderson shelter house to discuss further action.

In other CHCC news:

• Elections: The Capitol Hill Community Council will hold officer elections during its next meeting, July 19th at 6 p.m. at the Cal Anderson Shelter House. Most current officers are not seeking reelection. Anyone who lives in Capitol Hill, as defined in the council's bylaws, is eligible to run.
• Marriage equality: The group discussed passing a resolution in support of marriage equality. It was tabled until the next meeting.

The Capitol Hill Community Council is open to everyone who lives and works on Capitol Hill. Meetings are held at the Cal Anderson Shelter House on the third Thursday of every other month. For more information visit capitolhillcommunitycouncil.org.

Yup, within a five-minute bike ride of my Capitol Hill apartment, barred owls are in residence.

Barred owl mesmerized by a potential meal in Interlaken Park

Territorial, vocal crows helped me locate both mother and father in Interlaken Park last week. Barred owls are of a mammal-like bulk (21" tall) and relatively unfazed by human presence--they will stretch, emit wisdom, yawn, gambol, sleep, be serene, faire la toilette, hunt, etc. within 10-15 feet of a person (in this case, me.)  

There is consternation and controversy regarding this species. According to the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society:

I always thought that you needed an ice cream maker to make ice cream. Not so! I’m not saying this recipe is a completely casual undertaking, given the daredevil feat of making a dark amber caramel. But once that's done, all you need are a pan and a fork and a bit of freezer space to produce a perfectly creamy scoop of Molly Moon's salted caramel ice cream at home.

(Images: Em)

Luckily, just in time for summer, the new Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream cookbook makes this salted caramel recipe, and many others, available to home cooks on Capitol Hill and beyond. The book has all the classic and quirky flavors you've come to expect of Molly Moon’s. Scout mint? Check. Baby beet sorbet? Indeed.  Honey lavender?  Oh, yes.

But salted caramel is the shop's iconic flavor, far and away the most popular. And after making a batch of it this week, I was reminded of why it’s such an enduring favorite. (Not YOUR favorite yet? A perk of making it at home is that you can control the darkness of the caramel and the amount of salt. I highly recommend following the recipe as written, but nobody will know if you want to dial it down a bit in the privacy of your own home.) So whether you have a fancy ice cream maker or just a fork, this recipe is for you. Salted caramel ice cream for the masses.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Adapted from Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream (makes 1 to 1 ½ qts.)

1/8 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ c. sugar
1 Tb. butter
3 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 Tb. kosher salt

Have your ingredients measured and beside the stove before you start making your caramel (except for the salt, which you add later). Put the lemon juice in a light-colored, heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the sugar ¼ c. at a time, stirring each addition with a wooden spoon until it dissolves completely into liquid. (Some of the sugar may crystalize on the side of your pot, just ignore it.) When all the sugar is added and dissolved, continue to cook, watching like a hawk and stirring occasionally for about 4-6 minutes. During this time, the sugar will caramelize and the color will change from a light golden to a dark amber hue (it may also begin to smoke a bit). Use your eyes, nose, and good sense to decide when you have achieved a dark-but-not-burnt caramel, and immediately lower the heat to medium-low as you trade your wooden spoon for a whisk and whisk in the butter.

When the butter has melted, begin to add the cream and milk verrrry sloooowly. Seriously, slowly. The caramel will steam and bubble and some hard little caramel lumps may form. No worries, keep whisking, be patient, let them dissolve. When the mixture is smooth, remove it from the heat. Pour it into a shallow pan and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least an hour.

Remove the cold creamy pan of deliciousness from the refrigerator and whisk in 1 Tb. (yes, 1 Tb.) kosher salt. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (I churned mine longer than a usual batch, about 35 minutes, because the salt makes this ice cream so soft). Or if you don’t have an ice cream maker (or if it’s busy churning another flavor already), leave the mixture in the pan and transfer the pan to the freezer. If you’re going the no-ice-cream maker route, stir the mixture thoroughly with a fork every half hour or so until the entire pan of ice cream is a uniform texture (at first it will freeze around the edges, then you will stir it up, then it will freeze around the edges again, etc.).

When your ice cream is ready (it will still be quite soft), transfer it to a sealed freezer container and freeze at least four hours before serving. This ice cream never freezes very hard because of the salt content, so plan to serve and eat it quickly!

Note 1: I thought that the saltiness of this ice cream was perfect. If you find the finished product too salty-tasting, however, serve it over a rich brownie or under a blanket of hot fudge. Now it’s perfect, right?

Note 2: This magic no-ice-cream-maker method works better with this recipe than with others I’ve tried it with. Just a heads up in case you plan to use this method with other recipes: it always works, but usually the texture of ice cream made with the fork-and-pan system is icier/grainer than ice cream made with an ice cream maker. With this recipe, however, the results were indistinguishable.

Capitol Hill Cooks is a home cooking recipe series featuring ingredients, ideas, and recipes from the neighborhood. Have a recipe you think we should share? Drop us a line at chs@capitolhillseattle.com. Em also writes about home cooking at emmycooks.com

Previous Capitol Hill Cooks Posts

• Arugula pesto, inspired by the Broadway Farmers Market
• Phad Pak, inspired by 15th and Madison
• Not-Guinness beer bread, inspired by 13th and Pike
• More... 

Shawn- Broadway & Denny

Shawn had just returned from a backpacking trip through Turkey and Greece when I passed him on Broadway.  You might see him on your next train ride down to Portland.  He serves the drinks in bar car on the Seattle-Eugene route for Amtrak.

More street style photos at www.itsmydarlin.com

Here are the top posts from this week in 2011:

• Harvard Exit theater cleared during SIFF screening of Earth Liberation Front movie
• WSDOT's *other* battle: Hill neighborhood group ready to fight against 520 plan
• Jury will hear Broadway Steps copyright lawsuit
• Another break-in reported as man arrested near Capitol Hill burglary hotspot awaits charges
• Spinasse expands, Artusi at side, Skillet's crazy start, 'G' for Grubwich
• The Confectional and its mini-cheesecakes go big on north Broadway
• With a splash of champagne, tunneling to Capitol Hill begins

Here are details of a few issues the Seattle Fire Department and police tackled around Capitol Hill on Saturday. If you see an incident others should know about, send email to chs@capitolhillseattle.com, or call/txt CHS HQ at (206) 399-5959.

• Car vs. bike on Belmont: A bicyclist suffered injuries Saturday morning on Belmont Ave E after a reported collision with a car. No details on what caused the crash just before 11a but the cyclist's injuries were not life-threatening and the driver was not cited.
• Car vs. Puch in Central District: The rider of a Puch suffered serious injuries when the moped was struck by a car at the intersection of 25th and Spring early Saturday morning. SPD says the motorized cycle's rider showed signs of alcohol impairment when he was evaluated following the 1:30a crash. Our partners at CDNews have more details on the incident.
• Small fire at E Pike apartment building: The usual large contingent of Seattle Fire units that respond to fire alarms at multi-family structures arrived at an apartment building at 617 E Pike Saturday afternoon to find a small fire burning in a planter on the building. SFD was able to use a "deck gun" from a fire engine to quickly knock down the flames. The department says discarded smoking material was to blame. The fire did $500 worth of damage.

IMG_4253, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

After a few false starts, Capitol Hill's first new dance club to open in years debuted Friday night to an enthusiastic crowd and with only a few reported hiccups. Is it hot in here or is it just me!?!

It's me.

Picture of the first Friday night at The Social and its little friend EVO Tapas Kitchen, below.

The Social project is one of this year -- the Laura Olson-Chris Pardo-Alex Garcia-backed the Social and Broadway's Q Capitol Hill. This is how the Social's social media-savvy backers described their venture:

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 LGBTQ 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 to open this summer, watch for updates onhttp://www.facebook.com/TheSocialSeattle. We are excited to join the expanding scene on East Olive with Tommy Guns, CC Attles and Fred Wildlife Refuge.

Early on, the Social gained some buzz for its plan to incorporate technology and social media into its experience. We don't know about the iPads but we noticed the club issuing drink coupons via its Facebook page. Kinda beats Groupon, no? The club has also walked a fine line around its positioning as a gay dance club. "Everyone is welcome at The Social!" Garcia told Seattle Gay Scene. "All people, gay or straight, will feel comfortable. We want it to be a place where everyone can come in with their friends and have a good time."

We visited Todd Nordahl to talk about his food+drink component of the project here. 

IMG_4298, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4262, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4666, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

EVO Bar, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4695, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4315, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4690, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4593, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4539, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

IMG_4482, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.

Thanks to CHS contributor Douglas McLaughlin for all of the pictures. His slideshow below will take you from an early evening at EVO into the night at the Social.

This week, the crow learns that the "young" in "young republican" stands for "cupcake." What did you learn?

What are you up to this evening?
I just got off work -- I work over at Cupcake Royale -- and I’m waiting for my friend to pick me up.

Do you have time to answer a few questions for CHS?
Sure, but my friend will be here soon, so there’s a possibility that we’ll be rudely interrupted. If that happens…well, just make something up!

Seriously?! I can just make something up?
Sure, that’ll be fun! I’ll look forward to reading it.

Okay, then … so where are you headed to this evening?
I’m going to a Toby Keith concert.

Country singer Toby Keith? You mean, like, ironically?
Why would that be ironic?

Dunno… Somehow, I wouldn’t have pegged you as a Toby Keith fan.
Actually, he’s playing at a fundraiser for the Bellevue chapter of the Young Republican Club. I’m the Vice-Chair, so it would be rude if I didn’t attend. But yes, I am a huge Toby Keith fan.

Wow. You don’t find a lot of Young Republicans working at cupcake shops on Capitol Hill.
Or do you? You also thought I wasn’t a Toby Keith fan. Maybe you shouldn’t make so many assumptions about people.

Good point. What are some of your favorite hangouts on The Hill?
As a rule, I never, ever go out in this area. I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those “independent restaurants” with their weirdo elitist foods. When the Hill finally gets an Appleby’s, or a Chili’s, or a T.G.I. Friday’s, then, we’ll talk.

Okay, you don’t like the food. What about local bars, or cafes, or music venues?
Awful, awful places. All the music sounds like someone’s hitting an electric bongo drum with a live cat. Thump-thump-thump. They call that music? And I only drink Budweiser, which is really hard to find around here.

What do you like least about Capitol Hill?
There aren’t enough new condos, for one. I think we should tear down buildings like the one where Bauhaus is, and put in a high-rise with a T.G.I. Friday’s on the ground level. Along with a bank. Or maybe The Gap. Is there anything worse than “independent retailers”?

You have some strong opinions.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the pedestrians and bicyclists. They make me sick. Don’t they know that walking and biking hurts the oil industry? Think about that, hippies.

What do you like best about working on the Hill?
It’s near the freeway.

Are you sure you won’t mind me making up an entire conversation if your ride gets here early?
I won’t mind at all. Just don’t go dissing on Toby Keith. Or supply-side economics.

What are you up to tonight?
I’m coming from a yoga class at Samhadi Yoga, down the street. I’m probably going to just go home and make dinner, but it’s so nice out -- I kind of don’t want to be indoors.

I hear that! Do you live on the Hill?
Yes, I’ve lived here for about a year and a half. Before that, I lived on the Eastside, with my parents—I moved back in with them after college, until I got a place of my own.

Why did you pick this neighborhood?
Even when I was a kid, I always knew I wanted to live on Capitol Hill someday. Growing up I danced at Cornish, so this was always my ‘hood. I fantasized about growing up and moving to the Hill. As a kid, my favorite parade was the Pride Parade—it gave me a very romantic view of this neighborhood.

Has it lived up to your expectations?
It has. I love being able to walk to everything. On the Eastside, that’s not so easy.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in your ‘hood?
That’s a tough one! It’s probably a tie between Smith and Spinasse. I go to Smith all the time for drinks and food. For a nice dinner, I love Spinasse, but it’s a lot more expensive, so… I guess “favorite” depends on the price range.

What do you think is the sexiest place on the Hill?
Cal Anderson park on a hot, sunny day. It’s full of gorgeous, sexy people wearing very scanty clothing!

What do you do for a living?
I’m training to be a birth doula. You know, people who support mothers in labor?

How did you get into the baby-birthing business?
I’ve always been interested in women’s health, but I studied International Relations and biology in college. But the first time I saw a baby being born, it hit me like a frying pan—this is what I need to do. Every time I see a baby fly out of a vagina, I realize I’m in the right line of work. It’s just awe-inspiring.

On an unrelated note -- not that I don’t love vaginas and/or things flying out of them -- but I noticed you’re wearing those foot-glove shoes. How do you like those?
I love them. They look funny, but they’re incredibly comfortable. My boyfriend and I both have a pair. Yes, we’re “that Capitol Hill couple in the foot-glove shoes.”

That’s adorable.
I don’t know about that, but at least we’re comfortable!

Do you live on Capitol Hill?
Not exactly. I have a place in the Central District, but when I’m working, I stay with my girlfriend, who lives a few blocks from here [Melrose & Pine]. Also, I volunteer with the Capitol Hill Art Walk, so I spent a lot of time in this area.

Are you an artist yourself?
Not in the traditional sense. But I make Anti-Claus hats and other goth/Steampunk gear.

Wait… Anti-Claus, or Anti-Clause? Do you hate short grammatical units?
It’s Anti-Claus—they’re like Santa hats, only black, instead of red, with the white faux-fur trim. You know, like an Evil Santa? You can see an example on Etsy at PressureFootConcepts. The hats are mostly a seasonal thing, though.

I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you go to Burning Man.
Yes, I have in years past, but I’m not sure if I’m going this year. I hear it’s already sold out.

Are you a Seattle native?
No, I’m originally from Northern California, in the Valley. But I’ve lived here for 17 years.

What brought you here?
I was hitchhiking across the country, and I ended up in Seattle at the end of the trip, and I never left.

What do you do for a living?
For the past seven weeks, I’ve worked here [at the Pine Box], in security. Over the past 17 years, I’ve worked in security at bars and clubs all over town.

This place is known for its beer selection. Are you a big connoisseur of the hops?
Not until seven weeks ago -- I didn’t even know what a “sour beer” was. Working here has opened my eyes to the world of good beer. I’m getting an education.

Continuing Education in Beer is not a bad job perk. So I have to ask -- and I promise CHS readers this is the last time I’ll ever use this question -- Beers: Marry, Boff, Kill. Go!
Well, a few weeks ago we tapped this amazing keg of Belgian Biscotti Stout here at the bar. There were only 11 kegs ever produced. Best beer I ever had -- it actually tasted like a biscotti. But they’re not making any more of it…

The hard-to-get aspect isn’t good for a marriage.
Yeah, and it’s unavailable, so it’s the perfect beer mistress. Yeah, I’ll boff the Belgian Biscotti.

Marry?
PBR. It never gets old.

A good quality in a beer-wife. Kill?
Guiness. I hate Guiness.

When you’re not working, do you have any favorite haunts on the hill?
Bauhaus, for one. I’ve been going there for years -- I first met several of my good friends there, ages ago.

What do you like best about working on Capitol Hill?
I love how you feel like you’re part of a community. It’s like being in a small town, but in a big city. I’m very happy here.

Thanks to Suzi Pratt for the picture of Joseph!

Previously from CHS Crow:

• Anil, Sheri & Linnea -- 'I like to keep a bit of mystery in the game'
• Marcus, Jaye & Danielle -- "My pronoun is 'she' "
• Jeremiah, Bridget & Marc -- 'Your foam has to be just the right consistency'

Artist Jeff "Weirdo" Jacobson will be creating a mural today (inspired by the upcoming June 1st SAMRemix) from 11:30am - 7pm outside of The Stumbling Monk on Capitol Hill. Swing by and watch the mural creation in process!