Seattle City Buzz

The Pound is hosting a Spring Art Event on April 6th & 7th.

Are you an aspiring photography artist who enjoy the art of photographic printing? The Pound is home the the Photocloset, a great 24-hour access black & white darkroom facility.

Espresso Vivace announced they will be moving their flagship store to the new Brix condominium project on Broadway. Vivace will be the anchor tenant with a 2,200 sq ft store.

The new flagship Espresso Vivace Roasteria at Brix, which will take the place of the Denny Way Roasteria, is expected to take the art of coffee a step further - into the design of the coffee bar itself. The interior will not only bring in design elements of both the Sidewalk Bar and the Roasteria, but also will feature a mural under the main bar dedicated to Espresso Vivace’s history on Capitol Hill. Vivace is nearly as famous for its drink-topping coffee art patterns, including its caffe latte rosetta, as it is for its pioneering research on coffee-making techniques.

The current location at Denny & Broadway is expected to become the Capitol Hill station for Sound Transit’s light rail system.

Note:  This post was originally posted in 2007.  However, King County’s sale tax is increasing again on April 1st, 2008.  Click here for more info. 

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The King County Sales Tax, within the Regional Transit Authority, will raise from 8.8% to 8.9% on April 1, 2007. For restaurants, bars and coffee shops, the rate will increase to 9.4%. The extra .5% is to pay off Safeco Field debt.

The .1% increase is a result of the voter approved tax increase to expand metro bus service.

As a note to new residents, the Washington State Sales tax is 6.5%. However, County and City municipalities append their own taxes to that rate. Therefore, the sales tax rate will differ between municipalities.

Though the Seattle Animal Shelter is a city-run facility, the funds for necessary veterinarian care for homeless and uncared for pets brought to the shelter are provided through Help The Animal Fund (HTAF). Supported by donations, HTAF holds fundraising events throughout the year from bake sales to the Furry 5K Run at Seward Park.

A unique opportunity has become available through the Cash for Critters program. Cash for Critters takes in empty ink jet & laser cartridges and digital phones, and in turn, provides cash for non-profit animal organizations. The good folks at Metro Dog will be facilitating the program on behalf of the Seattle Animal Shelter. Please see the Cash for Critters website for acceptable cartridges and drop them off at Metro Dog.

The Northwest Womens Show is taking place March 23-25th at the Qwest Field Event Center. The show highlights information from businesses with products and services for women. There will be special appearances by Bob Green (Oprah’s trainer) and Marianne Willamson (”Oprah’s expert on spirituality, love and miracles”).

Time: 10-6 daily

Cost: $13 at the door, $11 in advance from Bartells

Starbucks is hosting a “coffee break” with free brewed coffee on Thursday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to Noon.

“This week, Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) will raise its coffee cup in honor of the daily grind by offering customers a break, a coffee break. On Thursday, March 15, 2007, from 10 a.m. to noon, complimentary, tall (12-ounce) cups of brewed coffee will be served in participating Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada.

“The Starbucks Coffee Break is about more than just enjoying a great cup of coffee,” said Brady Brewer, director of Marketing, Starbucks Coffee Company. “In today’s hectic, overscheduled world, it’s a reminder to take a break from your day to catch up with a friend or colleague. People connect with each other every day at our coffee houses and our Coffee Break is just one more opportunity for them and others to do so.”

Starbucks press release.

I came across this site as I was looking for Viaduct election results. King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties created the Regional Public Information Network (RPIN.org) to provide breaking news and alerts. From their website, RPIN:

…is your one-stop resource for news alerts from more than 75 government, transportation, utility, health and emergency response agencies serving citizens in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

RPIN keeps the public informed about street and highway closures, weather, major transit disruptions, and provides updates on what agencies are doing to respond to emergencies and incidents. The public also can sign up to receive e-mail alerts and pager headlines from RPIN partners and get helpful tips to prepare for emergencies.

Currently, most of the news/alerts are related to road closures, flooding and transit issues. The site also provides links and information on traffic cams, ferries, airports, public health, public safety and more. It’s a great resource for anyone who lives and works in the Tri-county area.

The King County Council is expected to pass the logo change from a crown to an image of Martin Luther King, Jr. It seems appropriate since King officially became the county’s namesake in 2005 (unofficially since 1986). Both the seals of Seattle and Washington State are images of their namesakes.

Proposed King County Logo:

Seattle’s Official Seal:

Seal of Washington State:

Daylight Savings Time is coming early this year thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In the past, we observed DST in April, but starting this year, it’ll now begin the second Sunday in March. That’s this Sunday…March 11th. So, remember to set your clocks forward an hour.

According to an article in the Seattle Times, part of the city’s proposal for paying for the cut and cover option is to tack on an average of $6 a month to homeowners utility bills - water/sewer, electricity, drainage. That’s, about $72 per year.

Now, that doesn’t sound like a lot of money. But, that’s on top of the taxes we’re already being assessed for the state’s portion. Since becoming a homeowner four years ago, my property taxes continues to go up in order to fund what seems to be everything under the sun. In fact, its gone up nearly $500 in four years.

I’m not sure how I’ll ultimately vote on the Viaduct issue but I’ve been leaning towards replacement. It has a more reasonable price tag and incorporates necessary safety measures and functionality. Besides, the vote is only symbolic in nature.