Sunday, May 11: Farmers Market Opening Day

It's that time of year for the start of the Broadway Farmers Market!

The market is held in the lot behind the Bank of America at 10th Ave E. and E. Thomas St. and it will run every Sunday until November 23 from 11-3pm.

This is a great way to connect with local farmers and see what delicious foods are grown right here in the Puget Sound region.

"In the spring, look for beautiful lettuces and braising greens, plant starts and other early harvest offerings. As the season progresses through summer and fall, you'll find all kinds of local berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, herbs, greens, summer and winter squashes, tomatoes, peppers, root vegetables, apples, pears, wild mushrooms, and more."

Sneaky mayor installs surveillance cameras in Cal Anderson

Yet another reason why Capitol Hill needs a representative organization like the CHCC…

Apparently Mayor Nickels took it upon himself to install surveillance cameras in Cal Anderson Park without notifying our community. He also didn’t include the Seattle City Council on his decision, and used funds from an alternate account in order to avert a restriction the council put on purchasing surveillance cameras last year. Sneaky bastard!

I say we protest by visiting the park with paper bags over our heads. Er, um, maybe the CHCC will have a better idea…

Resurrected CHCC to hold Candidate Forum this Thursday!

While having some not-so-good pizza at Bill's on Sunday, I noticed this headline in the Seattle Gay Newspaper: "Capitol Hill rejects Sound Transit's warplane décor". I was intrigued because (a) the warplane decor is an issue I've just recently become aware of (which I'll address in another post) and (b) I didn't realize Capitol Hill had a functioning representative organization.

It turns out the organization the SGN was referencing was the 43rd District Democrats, who passed a resolution against the proposed warplane art. I like the intent of the resolution. However, I'm concerned with the fact that the article implies that the 43rd District Democrats (a district that covers Capitol Hill, Fremont, Madison Park and Wallingford) are representative of our community.

That said, there hasn't been an organization that is better suited for the representative role... dot dot dot... until a few months ago, when a blogger decided to resurrect the Capitol Hill Community Council.

Ta da!

The CHCC has actually existed for a number of years, but went defunct a few years ago after their efforts to limit the height of new buildings on Broadway were not successful.

As it turns out, a new group of leaders are emerging within the organization. They are holding elections for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer roles in the next few months. There is a candidate forum on Thursday at the Capitol Hill Arts Center.

I think the CHCC is reconvening at a very important time for our community. And I'm looking forward to participating and supporting their efforts this year. I hope you will too!

CHCC Candidates Forum
Thursday, April 24th
6:30pm
Capitol Hill Arts Center (12th and Pike)
Details: http://chcc.wikidot.com

Weekend of Meals on the Hill

I've been on vacation for the last two weeks and, despite the wacked out weather, it's nice to be back on the Hill.

In celebration of being back, I've been eating out as often as possible. This weekend I hit the following:

Saturday

• Breakfast @ Joe Bar. I ordered my standard jamon and greyere crepe and Irish breakfast tea. I also threw in large glass of AJ, which was awesome.
• Lunch/Dinner - At home.

Sunday

• Breakfast @ B&O. The best meal of the weekend. My usual chorizo with ranchero scramble. Hold the potatoes and add fruit. Mocha.
• Lunch @ Bill's Off Broadway. Something was off with their crust, which soured the whole pizza experience. I'm hoping the dough just wasn't given enough time to rise, which caused it to taste flat and dry. I usually love their crispy, greasy crust!
• Dinner @ the Vegetarian Noodle Bowl. My first time here and I wasn't impressed. I ordered their tofu satay appetizer as my meal, having had a big lunch and breakfast. The tofu was tolerable, but their peanut sauce was dripping in grease. My eating companion also thought the Thai iced tea was "earthy". I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
  

Advance tickets on sale for Block Party 2008

I (shamefully) have never been to the Capitol Hill Block Party! Maybe this year.

From Neumo's email announcement:

THE CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY, 2008!

Friday July 25: Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, Girl Talk, U.S.E, The Dodo's, Jay Reatard, Akimbo, PWRFL Power, Past Lives, Black Eyes And Neckties, Champagne Champagne, Plus many more!!! Click Here For Advance tickets for Friday.

Saturday July 26: Surprise Guest!!, The Hold Steady, Chromeo, Kimya Dawson, Darker My Love, The Builders & The Butchers, The Hands, Vellela Vellela, The Physics, Man Plus, Little Party And Bad Business, Plus many more!!! Click Here For Advance tickets for Saturday.

You can also buy a 2-day Discounted Pass. Click Here For 2-Day Pass Tickets.

Tickets for The Block Party go on sale Friday April 18,10:00am. The Block Party continues to be one of the least expensive festivals in the country, with tickets only $18 in advance and a 2 day pass for only $34. Special Presale Starts TODAY!, 10:00am, through the links listed above. Password is BLOCKPARTY.

For More Info visit The Block Party Site on TheStranger.com. Tickets Available at www.ticketswest.com, All Seattle Rudy's Barber Shops, Select QFC's, Moe Bar/Neumos Seattle, or charge by phone at 1-800-325-SEAT.