Yearly Archives: 2013

Capitol Hill’s indie workers get better plans, confusing options in state health insurance exchange

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In October as the program was being rolled out across the country, a group of freelance artists, developers, writers and etc. gathered in the foyer of Capitol Hill’s Office Nomads to learn what the Affordable Care Act will mean for the growing ranks of independent workers.

DSCN1047“This is supposed to be about improving health, not just about having a card in our pocket,” said James Whitfield, president of the nonprofit Washington Health Foundation, who was on hand to walk the group through the basics of getting covered in the Obamacare era. “Ultimately, the only thing that makes this cheaper is for us to become healthier.”

The gathering at Nomads, one of three coworking spaces on the Hill, included engineers, graphic designers, and others toting degrees and technical knowledge — not the Tea Party’s stereotypical group of uninsured or under-insured workers, but perhaps increasingly becoming the norm. (Full disclosure: CHS in a Nomads member.) Continue reading →

CHS Schemata | Marking time at Capitol Hill’s Bertschi School

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABertschi School is a private K – Fifth grade school on 10th Avenue E, on the northern slopes of Capitol Hill. Founded in 1975, and steadily growing to its current enrollment of about 235 students, its measured and incremental growth on the Hill is a fascinating example of both architecture’s and landscape’s marking of time as well as the fulfillment of the vision of the school’s founder to support high quality and progressive design.

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CHS Pics | Clinic Defense stands up for choice on E Madison

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IMG_7425A small but persistent group of anti-abortion protesters is a regular feature in front of the Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest headquarters on E Madison near 20th Ave. Saturday morning, the protesters at the women’s health service facility were outnumbered by a group that has dedicated itself to countering anti-abortion efforts. The Seattle Clinic Defense group says it rallies “to counter the anti-choice protesters who bully, intimidate, and harass clinic patients and staff.” On Saturday, CHS found the defense members holding signs and doing their best not to get blown away by the morning’s wild winds. You can learn more about the group and upcoming defenses at seattleclinicdefense.wordpress.com.

One year ago this week on Capitol HIll

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8446792124_1bcf8c15a4_oHere are the top CHS posts from this week in 2012:

  1. Celebrate R74 with a free slice of Capitol Hill’s ‘biggest rainbow cake’
  2. With eBay sleuthing, Capitol Hill bike theft victim fingered alleged 12th Ave operation
  3. Election 2012 | Election Night on Capitol Hill — UPDATE: Obama, R74 celebration on E Pike
  4. Capitol Hill’s new pinball bar John John’s Gameroom opens on E Olive Way
  5. 8446783738_3f14afa8af_oElection 2012 | 19+ Capitol Hill parties with the probability of dancing in the street
  6. Marijwhatnow? — SPD posts ‘Guide to Legal Marijuana Use in Seattle’
  7. No Cal Anderson skate rink this Capitol Hill holiday season
  8. Remedy still steeping six years later on Capitol Hill

Blotter | Shot fired in attempted Broadway hold-up

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See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt (206) 399-5959. You can view recent CHS Crime coverage here.

  • PT Cruiser bandit: Police were called to the Broadway Market QFC early Sunday to a report of gunfire and a man down in front of the grocery store at Broadway and Harrison. An officer arrived to find out a gunpoint robbery attempt had occurred — but the man down was only passed out and high or intoxicated.

    According to East Precinct radio dispatches, around 3 AM, a male suspect attempted to hold up a victim outside the QFC and fired a round in the air during the altercation before fleeing the area in the unsuccessful attempt. Police were looking for the suspect and his getaway car described as a white male in a red hoodie, khaki pants and carrying a silver handgun. The silver PT Cruiser he left in was reportedly last seen headed southbound on Broadway. The man who was passed out was able to leave the area without medical attention, according to SPD radio.

Capitol Hill busy with 911, downed wire calls as heavy winds hit area

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Screen Shot 2013-11-02 at 9.44.02 AMSeattle Fire spent Saturday scrambling to keep up with multiple 911 incidents and downed wires across Capitol Hill and beyond as heavy winds hit the area.

In one incident around 9:20 AM, a construction worker was reported injured by a falling awning near 10th and E Union. Seattle Fire says the worker did not suffer life threatening injuries and was able to extricate himself from the debris.

Meanwhile, around 9:30 AM, a tree fell across wires and was blocking both directions of E Thomas at 17th while wires were also reported down at 26th and E Mercer.

UPDATE: Due to the high winds, the 520 bridge was closed to traffic around 11 AM. UPDATE x2: As of 1 PM, the bridge had reopened.

Seattle City Light (status page) reports scattered outages have knocked out power to thousands of customers but there were no significant disruptions yet reported on Capitol Hill as of 9:45 AM.

The National Weather Service says heavy winds up to 40 to 50 miles per hour will continue to buffet the area through 8 PM Saturday:

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM
PDT THIS EVENING...

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...SEATTLE...BREMERTON...TACOMA...
  OLYMPIA...CHEHALIS...ELMA.

* TIMING...THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST
  WINDS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE LATE MORNING OR AFTERNOON.

* WIND...SOUTH 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...BECOMING
  SOUTHWEST 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH.

* IMPACTS...WINDS THIS STRONG CAN SNAP SMALL TREE BRANCHES...
  TOPPLE SMALL OR SHALLOW ROOTED TREES...AND CAUSE LOCAL POWER
  OUTAGES.

CHS Pics | This week in Capitol Hill pictures

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Dance off, originally uploaded by Tim Durkan.

The CHS Flickr Pool contains more than 16,000 photographs — most of Capitol Hill images, many glorious. The pool is a mix of contributions from Capitol Hill — and nearby — shutterbugs. Interested in being part of it? If we like your photo and it helps us tell the story, we may feature it on CHS so please include your name and/or a link to your website so we can properly credit you. Interested in working as a paid CHS contributor for scheduled assignments? Drop us a line – our roster is full for general assignments but pitch us on an idea.

Below, more of what we found in the pool this week — with an extra serving of Hilloween fun.


Excuse me sir, a what?, originally uploaded by aaronbrethorst.

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Reminder: Ada’s Technical Books grand opening on 15th Ave E

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IMG_6836Saturday, you’ll have your first chance to welcome Ada’s Technical Books and its new cafe to 15th Ave E. CHS wrote about the reinvention of the former Horizon Books house here earlier this week.

Ada’s Grand (Re)Opening Party
Saturday, November 2nd Noon to 3p
425 15th Ave E
Join us in the (Re)Opening Celebration of our new space at 425 15th Ave East, Seattle, WA 98112. We can’t wait to show you how awesome it is! Raffles, giveaways, discounts and free samples.

White walls… and a view, Macklemore reportedly buying new Capitol Hill crib

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Picture 17Next week, Macklemore will be part of — of all things — a TV special about an “extreme makeover” at his future mother-in-law’s modest Florida home.

But CHS is more excited about the next time the rapper appears on MTV’s Cribs. People familiar with the situation say the global pop star with Capitol Hill roots is behind a million dollar-plus purchase of an amazing neighborhood home.

CHS isn’t going to reveal the location of the $1 million+ house and we have been unable to confirm the purchase with Macklemore’s indie management company but we do know the property deal is currently pending and moving toward a close in time for Thanksgiving. The large house with a spectacular view isn’t far from Dick’s Drive-In or Macklemore LLC’s Broadway mailbox nor the Eastlake apartment Ben Haggerty once called home. It’s his neighborhood. Last summer, his mom and dad’s old 11th Ave E home was sold for just short of a million. Meanwhile, CHS reported last week on the growing challenges for affordability in the Capitol Hill real estate market.

If the information shared with CHS is correct, it’s still possible the house being purchased won’t be the primary residence for Haggerty and fiancee Tricia Davis given the performer’s newfound fame and fortune.

Ryan Lewis and Macklemore’s award-winning The Heist album went platinum this summer and the duo are in the midst of a worldwide tour that reaches its grand finale in Seattle in December.

(Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

Haggerty wrote about his meteoric rise in this essay on the one-year anniversary of the album’s release. “It’s almost like I woke up one day and we were at the VMAs, tied for the most nominations with Justin Timberlake,” he writes. “I walked the red carpet with my fiancé who has been with me since I first pressed up Macklemore t-shirts, when we needed to sell at least $100 worth of merch at the show in order to pay rent or else we were fucked.”

In the same essay, Haggerty also wrote about the price of fame and his loss of privacy — something to keep in mind as we welcome the new Capitol Hill homeowner:

The zoo that Kanye speaks about is very real, and sometimes you don’t want to be the animal people are staring at.  Following.  Taking pictures of.  Standing outside of your hotel waiting for you to leave.  BUT, I understand it.  I was that person waiting outside of the venue at one point in my life.  And those people are the ones that have made this experience what it is.  I always try to remember that, have patience and show gratitude.