I want to be artistic - lash out with a journalistic force to be reckoned with - or not. Just depends on the day, the amount of rain and if I get out of bed at a reasonable hour.
I share my photos with you, but these aren't yours - so be nice, don't steal them. Unless otherwise noted, these are my handiwork and you need to ask if you want to use them. So thank you for appreciating my efforts - and towing the line of civility and good manners (wink)
Noon tomorrow there is a few of us local bloggers that will be grabbing some coffee at Liberty Cafe and hanging at Happy Delusions, both to be found at the top of South Third Street in downtown Renton. Randy Corman from Renton Community Update, Rich Zwicker from Renton425, LynarDeluca from AllaboutRenton, Mary Clymer of Happy Delusions Weblog and hopefully Freakazoid Freddy from Displaced Hipster's Guide to Renton and representing The Picaroon will be Mrs. Mortimer, our Blog Monitor. She won't be able to stay for too long, however - Mortimer needs his hourly dose of prune juice these days to keep regular, and there is always the daily dusting to be done, and the cats to be hand fed and the laundry to be folded - well, you get the picture.
Art and music - that, along with a great drink in your one hand (caffeine or otherwise), and cupcake in the other was the exactly what last night's Block Party was primarily about. Aside from meeting the very talented etching artist, Joey Katzer at Happy Delusions and viewing the new art installation at Liberty Cafe, my favorite art presence were the chalk drawings on our South Third Street boardwalk. Anyone could drop down and join in - and surprisingly, many did, like Samantha Goetz-Granquistpictured above.
The family artwork of 4 generations turned Liberty Cafe into something that felt like a art salon of old. So many canvases were hung that the work covers nearly floor to ceiling. The ambiance created is colorful, vibrant and inspiring. The above painting is just one of many that caught my attention last night. Mark Arnold Remington, the impetus behind this family congregation of art, said that about 200 hundred people came through the door last night and he couldn't have had more fun if he tried.
Joey Katzer here with her copper plate etchings. A self professed shy and retiring individual, having a show at Happy Delusions for Joey was quite a stretch. Her work is of an incredibly high caliber and one can only hope that she will grace us with her presence more often. Check our her Flickrphotostream here and marvel at her detail. Joey's work has a permanent site in Mary's store, but the full complement of her work will remain up throughout the weekend.
I thought that these mini Common Ground cupcakes with theDTR/I heart Renton buttons on them were the best idea yet in promoting our dear little main drag. Still hearing people question those "in the know" about the meaning of "DTR". How long is this gonna take? Acronyms, we Americans usually eat this stuff up! Get with the program already, Renton! If you have a DTR button, help out by wearing it proudly and giving people the "look" when they query what it means. That will teach them not to make our downtown part of their weekly rounds!
And the MUSIC - well, DC's Bar & Grill hosted DJ Nich Sullivan of the soon to open Tyrannosaurus Records for the later part of the night and he had things rockin'. DJ Phil Anthony was over at Liberty Cafe and I recommend him highly. If you happened to miss this month's event. stay tuned and catch up with the fun next time around. Why go outside the zip code when you can hang right here and have fun?
What began as a few Meet the Artists nights at Happy Delusions, then grew to Liberty Cafe having First Fridayevents, is now a full on Block Party with the whole top block of downtown Renton's South Third Street joining in for a night of music, art and " a darn good time" tonight. I credit Mary Clymer with this groundswell of party fun, creative endeavor and the reason that tonight will be a very good time in the ole DTR. The energy and excitement of having businesses stay open late one night of the month to give Renton residents a new reason to get out and about our historic downtown has been her brainchild for sometime.
Rachel and Crystal
Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes will be serving up mini DTR cupcakes free with any drink purchase tonight. You will have to provide your own mustache, however. Music will be provided by a young local talent named Hailey (sorry if get the spelling wrong there).
Mark Remington Arnold - one of the family of artists
Liberty Cafe will have DJ Phil Anthony spinning tunes, and featuring a new art show on it's walls - the work of 4 generations of one family. Paintings from Grandma Alma EthazeldaVickers King on down were hung just the other day and how fun to see how one generation influences the next. If we are lucky, Johnny Uysal, the other ownership half of the cafe, will be playing his congos - and he is good.
Work by Joey Katzer
Happy Delusions will be featuring local artist Joey Katzer. Joey has been a friend of owner, Mary Clymer, since grade school, always won every art competition and is ubertalented. Currently a first grade teacher in Skyway, her impressive works can be viewed here. Stop by for a little libation and a bite of something sweet and meet the artist herself.
Calico Cheesecake, Cafe Lure and the Tapestry Saloon - that great trilogy of restaurants is secretly planning something. Whatever it is - you know it will taste great!
Tyrannosaurus Records, while not yet ready to open for business, will be on hand to give us a listen and a view of what to soon expect from our first independent music store. Owner Nich will be partying with the rest of the block tonight, so come by and see where your next music hang is soon to be.
DCs Bar & Grill -which has the best $5 lunch for those on the fly and a need for a tasty something to bite into for those of you not yet in the know, will also be hosting some shenanigans tonight -
$1 BEER $4 MARTINIS
Wow! Can't beat that!! I am soooo there!
Block Party Top of South Third Street Tonight from 6pm - ? BE THERE!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
From North to South, the only other alternative to I-5 is the Eastside Corridor. Expansion in population, more people on the road to work - this has affected the commute people face each day and has brought up the idea of connecting I-405 with SR 167 to create a "seamless corridor". WSDOT is considering adding toll lanes from Puyallup to Lynnwood in addition to the present toll free lanes, offering commuters a choice in their travel needs and helping to expand the transit service (both van and bus), improve the interchanges, and provide an overall system that is better equipped to handle our present and future traffic needs.
Want your voice to be heard? Follow the link here to the WSDOT page that explains further their plans and allows you to weigh in on this plan. Your input is important and will be included in a report to the Governor and Legislature in January 2010
Thanks to Laurie Finlayson for bringing this to the Picarron's attention!
Not long after the last article I posted about the possible closure of the downtown Renton post office, it seems that it was saved from the chopping block and a Kent post office (Ken - Midway FSTA) was put up for scrutiny instead. Life has kept me a little too busy as of late to have posted this sooner. But I have kind and well informed readers to keep me on the straight and narrow.
The link here has a list of the post offices nationally that are under consideration for closure action. The listing for Kent is almost at the very end.
Due to the increase in computer use and other overnight postal services, the post office has seen a great downturn in business and it has adversely hit their bottom line. Will things turn back again in their favor or is this just a sign of the times? My guess is the later, though I am highly inclined to think that if we radically decrease our postal service there may come a time when we will be at a loss for not having preserved such an essential, albeit old world, service.
A tropical theme so suitable to Renton's recent heatwave - Hawaiian Day at the Market. One small, but personally never overlooked aspect of the Market are the decorations sprinkled about, helping set the tone for the day's activities. Leis were around many a neck today, and even though the weather was a remarkably cool 75ish, shave ice was still a major hit and there was some swaying of hips throughout the day.
Welcome to Hawaii in Renton!
TINY 'S Organic Fruit and Vegetables from Wenatchee, WA is a stand that few miss on their market meanderings. Samples galore of some lovely eats entice many a shopper. The stand is located right near the music and today some of the lovelier staff were sporting grass skirts along with their leis. The stand remained busy.
Okanogan Harvestis a Farm Network, a market booth that represents a group of farmers for whom having individual stands would be cost prohibitive, but by banding together, their presence and products can be known. Click on the above link and peruse their blog.
I love bundles of status and other flowers that dry easily, remaining pretty long after other cut flowers must be thrown away. I have bouquets from a year ago, reminders of other good market days.
The Renton Senior Activity Center has their very own Hawaiian Dance Troupe - Nahula O WahineIlikea. Boasting 18 members, they swirled and swayed for the market today. This is Rosalie's profile - isn't she a beauty?
Music by the Lava Flow Trio - damn, I love that name!
I can't resist - Have you beenleiedlately?
This is a special, behind the scenes shot at the Hawaiian Shave Ice stand. I want to ask, how big can you make my ice?
I have to feature at least one shot of veggies, requisite for all healthy diets. Okay, there it is.
My parting pictures for you. Look back and forth between the two and you can see the dance.
If nothing else, it is for moments like this that you should stop by the market every week.
The City of Renton will be hosting a National Night Out at the Highlands CommunityCenter located at 800 Edmonds Ave. NE tonight in honor of America's Night Out Against Crime. It begins at 4 and goes until 7:30, with kid's activities and a chance for adults to come to know neighbors and bring awareness to the concerns of keeping our neighborhoods crime free and safe places to live.
This program is designed to heighten awareness around crime and drug prevention, pull together the community to help support and protect one another, raise interest and support for anticrime efforts and the relationship between the community and the police force, but most importantly, to let the criminal element know that we are all fighting back.
How can you join in? Why just sit out on your porch tonight from 7 -10 pm, locking your doors with the outside lights on and spend the evening shooting the breeze with your neighbors and friends. One small step - one moment of community and unification across the states.
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