Monthly Archives: March 2022

The Pine Box rising back to life and celebrating 10 years on Capitol Hill

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Sitting in the 100-year-old chapel of a former funeral parlor, drinking a pint of “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” lager feels a little like you’ve stepped back into a punk bar in the early ’90s. This is a ghostly space. Maybe it’s the old growth fir tables and bar top, made from the shelving that once held urns and lined cabinets holding caskets, or it could also be the “female apparition” seen by multiple bartenders. Regardless, the beer is cold, the people are friendly, and The Pine Box is celebrating ten years of making peace with spirits, pouring spirits, and being spirited on Capitol Hill.

“We’re still here. Even as this neighborhood keeps changing.” Ian Roberts, part owner and a regular sight at The Pine Box, also runs Seattle Beer Week and White Center brewery Future Primitive Brewing.

“First ten years, it’s been good, it’s been great,” Roberts said. “The last two years had ups and downs, a little scary, but I can’t think of doing anything else.”

Roberts says the Capitol Hill — and Seattle beer drinking — communities kept them going through the first ten years, including two years of a pandemic. “My livelihood was based on being a bar and doing events and gathering people, and all of a sudden I can’t invite people here. I can’t tell people to come here. I’m pretty cautious, I have two young kids at home…It’s hard to plan events and do your life, and also be socially responsible. So many times I’ve been putting the brake on things in the past two years. I felt like I need to, for me personally, for my family, for the safety of my employees.” Continue reading →

Attention Capitol Hill commercial drone pilots: New state registration rule begins April 1st

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(Image: CHS)

Attention, Capitol Hill and Central District drone pilots. If you use the remote control flying cameras for work, you have some more paperwork to do starting April 1st.

The Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division is reminding pilots that, starting April 1st, people or businesses using drones for commercial purposes must register their drones:

The $15 drone registration fee will support WSDOT Aviation’s work to assess and collaboratively work on integration of emerging technologies.

Steps on how to register commercial drones can be found on the Aviation Division’s website.

The new rules follow the Washington State Legislature’s passage of a bill in 2021 directing the WSDOT Aviation Division to create and manage a commercial drone registration program.

Commercial drone operators must now register their aircraft every year.

The rules join a multitude of federal and local restrictions on the aircraft including rules that prohibit the flying cameras from all city parks.

You can learn more about the new state registration requirements here.

 

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Capitol Hill Community Post | Executive Constantine and Clean the World launch mobile shower for people experiencing homelessness in King County

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From King County

King County launched the mobile shower at several locations across the region to support basic hygiene needs for people experiencing homelessness. The mobile shower, purchased with American Rescue Plan funds, is part of key strategic initiatives laid out last year to support people experiencing homelessness. This program brings clean water, soap, and washing facilities that reduces the risk of infection and illness like COVID-19. Currently, the mobile shower visits sites in North Seattle, downtown Seattle, South Seattle, and South King County. The program is slated to expand locations throughout the year. Continue reading →

On the List | Global Climate Strike in Seattle Friday in Cal Anderson Park

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A 2019 climate striker

In 2019, around 3,000 — many of them young students — took to the streets of Capitol Hill, rallying in Cal Anderson and marching as part of a global climate strike. Smaller strikes have followed. The pandemic has changed the world. But the planet? Still getting hotter.

Global Climate Strike
Cal Anderson Park
Friday, March 25 1 to 3 PM

Friday, organizers from the The Action Network are holding a new strike with Cal Anderson — and the events unfolding in Ukraine — at its center: Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Station’s escalator problems apparently here to stay

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By Elizabeth Turnbull

Before a new and deeper subway tunnel opens in Seattle in the coming decade, maintenance issues at Capitol Hill Station and across the current light rail system are making riders wary of relying on a consistent escalator system for deeper transit rides in the future.

Sound Transit officials say they are monitoring the escalator problems at the station which marked its sixth year of service this month.

“We are aware of some of the issues that we’ve had with existing escalators in our stations,” said Rachelle Cunningham, a public information officer at Sound Transit. “And that’s something that we would definitely take into consideration as we’re planning for future stations.”

The escalator breakdowns make the stations less useful, frustrating riders as Sound Transit has been blaming issues like “farebox recovery” for its flagging numbers.

Earlier this month, two escalators were not working in the Capitol Hill station, one with a handrail issue that was fixed, and another which was not set to be fully repaired until April 1, according to John Gallagher, a public information officer at Sound Transit. Continue reading →

With strike in 4th month, King County ponders public concrete manufacturing

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(Image: King County)

A concrete workers strike that has paralyzed the region’s construction project remains at an impasse with the contracting companies refusing to budge and the labor dispute stretching into its fourth month. New legislation being considered by the King County Council would study the feasibility of the county or its cities developing public concrete manufacturing facilities.

“Clearly, the local concrete industry is failing the people of King County, and I won’t let our region’s infrastructure hang in the balance. For the future of our infrastructure and our economy, the public sector must act to secure a reliable supply of concrete, even if that means manufacturing our own,” County Executive Dow Constantine said about the proposed study. Continue reading →

More on MariPili, the Galician tapas bar replacing Cafe Presse on Capitol Hill

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By Hannah Saunders

Cafe Presse, an authentic French drinking and dining joint, closed its doors in February. This May, it will be replaced by an authentic Galician-style drinking and dining joint, MariPili.

“It was my grandmother who taught me how to cook, and MariPili is kind of based on my grandmother,” said Grayson Pilar Corrales, owner and founder of MariPili. “She taught me how to cook from a very young age. She is Galician and she’s from Spain—as well as my grandfather. So, she was always cooking Spanish food and teaching me Spanish recipes.”

MariPili was a nickname for Corrales’ aunt, Maria Pilar, who passed away before Corrales was born.

“It was always significant to my grandmother that I was named after her, and so to honor her and to honor my grandmother — because that’s who the concept is based on — I’ve named the restaurant MariPili,” Corrales said. Continue reading →

City Council considers extension to ease rules for home-based businesses beyond the pandemic

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The Seattle City Council’s land use committee Wednesday is expected to pound out a short extension of the city’s “Bringing Business Home” legislation, new rules passed during the pandemic that were designed to create flexibility in city codes for small businesses run out of apartments, homes, and garages.

The proposed six-month extension of the program would buy time for the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections and the Office of Economic Development to come up with “permanent changes to development standards for home occupations,” according to a memo on the extension.

The home-based business policies adopted in 2020 eased a variety of restrictions including allowing entrepreneurs “to operate in a house’s off-street parking stall or garage and have one non-illuminated sign with the business name if it is not larger than 720 square inches.”

 

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Seattle weighs options after court strikes down ‘Eviction Defense for Renters’

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A key component of Seattle’s efforts to protect renters from eviction as the city emerges from years of COVID-19 restrictions has been struck down by the Washington State Court of Appeals.

CHS reported here in May 2020 on Seattle’s “Eviction Defense for Renters,” a policy that was designed to provide renters with a six-month cushion after the lifting of COVID-19 eviction restrictions. The Seattle City Council legislation from then council president M. Lorena González was intended to create “a defense a tenant may use for six months should a landlord take their tenant to eviction court” and establish that renters can use “non-payment of rent for any reason as a defense to eviction, as long as they submit a declaration of financial hardship to the court. Continue reading →

Victim in Saturday stabbing homicide identified — 2nd Capitol Hill homeless man murdered this month

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Caradonna

Saturday, Jonathan Caradonna was stabbed and killed on 13th Ave E — the second man living homeless on the streets around Capitol Hill to be murdered in March.

Tuesday afternoon, the King County Medical Examiner officially identified the 32-year-old. Cause of death: multiple stab wounds. Manner of death: homicide.

Seattle Police say Caradonna died Saturday after he was found that morning in an apartment building doorway along the 100 block of 13th Ave E where he staggered and could be heard yelling for assistance after the attack. Police have released no suspect information and announced no arrests. Police were reported checking the area around a nearby 7-11 where a male had been in a possible mental crisis previous to the incident and were also on the search for a greyhound puppy reported missing by the victim. Continue reading →