‘That nook deserves to LIVE!’ — Bean Espresso revives famed Broadway coffee bar

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Like any environment, you can measure the health of the Broadway biospher by some of its tiniest organisms.

Bean Espresso seems like a good sign.

Bean has given new life to the storied Capitol Hill coffee stand once home to Vivace’s walk-up bar. It appeared in the 300 block Broadway E space last week.

As a possible indicator species, Bean Espresso might represent a utilitarian, no-frills era for the street. Affordability is also a factor. The stand is starting with some of the lowest coffee prices on the Hill. Continue reading →

Council calls for King County Assessor and Executive candidate Wilson to resign over stalking allegations

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Wilson has the Seattle conservative radio vote locked up

The King County Council called Tuesday for County Assessor and King County Executive candidate John Wilson to resign.

Wilson, who has strived to bring a more conservative voice to the race for the executive’s office, has been accused by his ex-partner of stalking and harassment. “The scariest message was one where I said, “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!” and he responded, “NEVER,’” the partner wrote in a court petition seeking a restraining order against Wilson who is currently in his third term as County Assessor. Continue reading →

Two dead after bus reportedly backs over smoking shelter in First Hill parking lot — UPDATE

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Two people were reported dead after a bus struck a smoking shelter in a parking lot near Broadway and Alder in the First Hill neighborhood Tuesday morning.

According to emergency radio updates, a 911 caller reported the horrific incident and said a bus had backed over the shelter occupied by two victims just after 10:30 AM in the parking lot behind the Hilltop House retirement community.

Original reports described the shelter as a tent but SPD clarified that the structure is a smoking area behind the building.

SPD says a third elderly woman barely escaped without injury. Continue reading →

Can they ever really fix the 8?

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By Matt Dowell

Jamie Guerriero loves and hates the 8.

“I live down in Lower Queen Anne, half a block away from the last stop,” he said about the often maligned bus route that links Seattle Center with Capitol Hill. “It’s so essential to get back up to the Hill.”

He takes the 8 up Denny two to three times per week to visit Capitol Hill friends and the farmer’s market and says the bus is either 5 minutes early or 15 minutes late all the time. And to take it during rush hour is hellish.

“For a 4:30 happy hour, I have to leave by 3:30,” he said.

Guerriero is car-less and is a big fan of the transit system in general. But the 8 has underperformed for the 13 years he’s lived in Seattle.

“It’s such a major route, but I get the feeling the Metro just doesn’t care about it.”

In fact, throughout Guerriero’s 13 years in town, King County Metro and SDOT have been working to improve the 8’s reliability. But it’s still falling short. Can it ever really be fixed?

This year, the Transit Riders Union and Central Seattle Greenways have renewed their “Fix the L8” campaign to get SDOT and Metro to address the issue.

“We’re on track for the least reliable summer we’ve ever had,” said Nick Sattele, a campaign organizer. Continue reading →

In Seattle City Council appointment process, SPD Chief Barnes weighs in on crowd control, camera tech, and school officers — UPDATE: Addresses clashes in Los Angeles as protest blocks Seattle immigration court

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Chief Shon Barnes, center, with recent new recruits (Image: SPD)

Mayor Bruce Harrell’s appointment to run the Seattle Police Department has been doing the job for weeks but still needs to be approved for the job. Tuesday morning, the Seattle City Council’s public safety committee will gather to finalize the process. While the formal appointment is mostly a rubber stamp, it does give the council members a very public opportunity for a conversation about policing and leadership with new SPD Chief Shon Barnes who says it his priority to re-grow the ranks of officers serving the city and re-establish trust with marginalized communities.

“I often use the analogy of building a bridge to describe trust-building. But what is often forgotten is that a bridge must be built from both sides. That doesn’t mean placing the
burden of reconciliation on communities,” Barnes said in one answer in response to written questions from the committee. “It means police must lead by acknowledging the past, being transparent in the present, and investing in long-term change. Communities are not responsible for repairing the harm done to them. That work begins with us.” Continue reading →

Seattle Fire Department: Capitol Hill apartment building fire ‘originated’ in solar panels — UPDATE

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The Seattle Fire Department says its investigation has determined Friday’s fire atop the Holiday Apartments “originated” in the solar power system atop the four-story building at 10th and John.

CHS reported here as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze and black smoke billowed above Capitol Hill Friday afternoon.

SFD did not say how the panels caught fire but photovoltaic systems can fail under extreme conditions or when there are other factors like faulty wiring or component defects.

Temperatures were in the high to mid-70s when the fire began. Continue reading →

Seattle Office of Inspector General announces Cal Anderson ‘May 24’ review

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The Seattle Office of Inspector General has announced it is conducting a review of the Seattle Police Department’s attempted crowd control actions and arrests against protesters in Cal Anderson Park demonstrating against an anti-trans Christian group’s rally in May.

Issues beyond policing like why the group was issued a permit in the first place for the May 24th concert and rally in the popular Capitol Hill park could also be part of the investigation conducted by the OIG component of Seattle’s police oversight system.

“The review will also include examination of broader City functions that may have contributed to the negative outcomes,” the announcement reads. Continue reading →

20th anniversary HUMP! coming to Dan Savage’s neighborhood this weekend

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Capitol Hill’s very own Dan Savage is bringing a neighborhood Pride approach to this year’s 20th edition of his annual HUMP! film festival that was born in the days before “amateur” was the most popular category on Pornhub and has grown into a showcase of “unapologetically human, sex-positive short films—each five minutes or less—crafted by independent filmmakers and everyday people from around the world.”

With planned smaller neighborhood screenings in Seattle for the 20th anniversary year of the festival, of course the sex columnist/podcaster/film buff is bringing HUMP! to his home turf. HUMP! is coming to 15th Ave E’s Quality Flea Center this Saturday: Continue reading →

SIFF financial struggles add to uncertainty around reopening of Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theater

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The 570 seats of Capitol Hill’s historic Egyptian Theater have been empty since last fall. News of layoffs and financial issues at SIFF are making its path to reopening even more uncertain.

The Seattle International Film Festival says the E Pine theater will remain shuttered for the indefinite future as it has announced it is laying off nine full-time employees — around a fifth of its administrative staff — and more cutbacks.

“SIFF is downsizing and restructuring in order to remain open and continue to deliver on its mission,” the announcement reads. “SIFF has continued to struggle financially post-pandemic and revenue has not kept up with our expenses, specifically fixed costs, including staffing, rent and mortgage payments, insurance, and ongoing maintenance.”

The Egyptian’s struggles stem from another category — terrible luck. Last November, a devastating water leak in the building’s fourth floor mainline damaged several floors of the five-story, 110-year-old structure which houses the former Masonic Temple where SIFF Cinema Egyptian operates. Continue reading →

Police investigate after woman assaulted, ‘thousands’ stolen in home invasion targeting Capitol Hill mansion — UPDATE

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A woman was pepper sprayed and held down while thieves ransacked a $6 million Capitol Hill mansion in a home invasion robbery early Saturday morning, according to police and East Precinct radio updates.

Police say two suspects described only as black males entered the residence and confronted the victim just after midnight. The suspects pepper sprayed the woman and held her down while they ripped off “thousands of dollars of items” from the home.

UPDATE: The property is owned by a corporation registered to the management company that represents Macklemore though it does not appear that the celebrity was home at the time of the robbery attempt. The Seattle rapper has just returned to the States after performing in Ireland, according to social media updates.

SPD says the victim, who works at the home as the children’s nanny, was able to free herself, escape the house, and call police to the northwest Capitol Hill area home where three children were still asleep inside. Police say the suspects fled with the loot shortly after the woman’s escape. Continue reading →