Long weekend round-up

Some random bits from Wallingford cyberspace:

• FamilyWorks is in need of diaper donations, specifically, sizes 4, 5, and 6. You can also now follow them on twitter! For more information about FamilyWorks, check out the update sent in by a FamilyWorks staffer for our previous post regarding a homeless family in the neighborhood.
• Of course, we are also on twitter, as is the Wallyhood blog. Follow us at twitter.com/wallingfordseattle and Wallyhood at twitter.com/wallyhood. Just so you know, our twitter account is being run as a grouptweet. This means that as a follower of our twitter account, you can actually contribute to the Wallingford Seattle twitter stream by sending a direct message to us ("d wallingford [your message here]"). But don't send us any deeply personal comments unless you want to share them with all of @wallingford's followers!
• Sharp eyes spotted activity inside the old Loki Cafe space, but word on the street is that it was just folks boxing up goods for a liquidation sale. Still no word on a new tenant. Too bad that Loki didn't make it—they were a welcome throwback to the Jitterbug days, and our kids were even given Loki Cafe t-shirts which I guess are now collectible items.

A plea for action

A reader just sent in this note:

Have you noticed the couple with the two year old son panhandling in front of QFC and Bartells on 45^th Street? I was really disturbed to run in to them while walking down the street at about 2PM this afternoon. What I’m wondering is what kind of help is available for people like these, through social service agencies, Family Works, even local churches? Is there a way readers of your blog can suggest things to do? I was in a hurry or I might have at least bought them some groceries, but this can’t be a sustainable situation especially with such a young child. Can we as a community do something to help?

Comments and suggestions welcome...

UPDATE: A comment from a FamilyWorks staffer.

Hi - I work at FamilyWorks and we would be happy to help this family. We run the food bank and family reource center. We are in the same building as Solid Ground, which may be able to help with housing. We are located on the first floor of 1501 N 45th Street on the corner of 45th & Woodlawn. Our general hours are M-Th 9:30-5pm , Fri 9:30-3pm. Please send the family our way and we would be happy to help them.

If you want more information on FamilyWorks you can visit our website at www.familyworksseattle.org or find us on Facebook (FamilyWorks Food Bank and Resource Center) and Twitter (FamilyWorks).

So now you know...

Not all local businesses shedding jobs

In fact, there are some bright spots in the local economy. To wit, Molly Moon's Handmade Ice Cream announced on their blog that they're hiring 15 scoopers and 2 ice cream makers to staff their growing ice cream empire. Check out the details and see if you've got what it takes to earn the "all the ice cream you can eat" benefit.

[Sobering chart from speaker.gov.]

Past views of Wallingford

Today's Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine's Now and Then column shows two pictures of the corner of Wallingford Ave N and N 45th St, one from 1950 and one present-day. It's pretty interesting to see what's changed on that corner in the past six decades, and what's the same, and to read the story of how the iconic "WALLINGFORD" sign atop QFC came to be.

(Photo from Seattle Times)

Friday's Wallyhood Blog has a sobering post about crime in Wallingford, but concludes with an amusing clip from Almost Live. Their take on the neighborhood (circa 1991) might be unrecognizable to many current Wallingford residents.