Red Apple Redux

Meanwhile, back in Newport Hills:  eff-stoplocal posted these shots from a momentous occasion.  They capture the most auspicious moment in the five year life of this blog so far.  I was actually able to step inside and experience the Red Apple Grocery Store, the namesake of Red Apple Elegy, for the first time since it closed five years ago.

In all its spooky Chainsaw Massacre glory I toured curious neighbors through the back loading docks and secret passageways, hidden closets and exposed wiring that was more Halloween than Christmas.  This was, after all, the venue for our annual Holiday Crafts Bazaar.  And we had our work cut out for us!

I especially like how eff-stop captured the red in Red Apple in a decidedly un-festive light.  It's been abandoned for five years now--what do you expect?  Hopefully, the tide is turning.  Stay tuned.

Holiday Season Kick-off

At the Holiday Bazaar in the old drugstore in newport HIlls last Saturday I spent a very cold day opposite
Daniel Santjer who had a booth selling his encaustic paintings and photographs.  They looked so much like  something Sean (over at Eff-Stop) and/or I might do that I had to go over and introduce myself.  A longtime Newport Hills neighbor whom I'd never met before turned out to be an artisan soulmate!  I got to meet his lovely wife Margaret and toddling son Joshua, too.  This is just the kind of synergy I love with fairs, markets and community events like this!

In this photo, Daniel (on the right) talks to another vendor.

The nicest thing about Dan was his good cheer, reaching out and talking to everyone around him, sharing secrets of his techniques, books about encaustic art and even giving me two of his matted photographs as a good-bye gift.  What a guy!

More holiday scenes from the annual Newport Hills Bazaar:

Past president of Newport Hills Community Club and recent candidate for Bellevue City Council Michelle Hilhorst chillin' (literally!) at the NHCC Membership table and sporting new purchases from the lovely ladies at this booth here:

We welcomed Kumon Learning Center recently to our somewhat less empty collection of storefronts and offices in the Newport Hills shopping center.  Wishing them well!

More wacky fashion attire here:

and here:

The local girl scout troops featured handmade candles for sale to support their activities and spread their own kind of holiday cheer....

Carla's stamp creations, the quilt lady's wares and lots of hats and scarves (as well as personal heaters) were much in evidence.  All in all, a good start to the holiday season here in the 'hood!

Newport Hills Community Faire part 2

Sean and Mike Bristow (ukelele player extraordinaire) go over stage logistics

Glen Patrick Doggett on stage

Kenny from the Mustard Seed hands out free water bottles

The grinding of the corn

Audrey and Piper in charge at the face-painting booth

Michelle works the crowd

Checking out the home-baked goodies and other hand-crafted wares for sale

Newport Hills Community Faire: First Ever!!

The stage was set.

The Tumblebus was booked.

The flyers were mailed out.

The day arrived: a perfect late September morning, sunny, warm, clear. After days of rain it seemed like a gift from the weather gods.

The kids began arriving, and flocked to Mike Intlekofer's amazing emporium of farm implements.

Jason and Erin Leach visit Sandi Tampa and Dorothy Bracken at the Newport Hills Community Club membership table.

This year's Community Club president Lisa Vierick displaying some of her
ice skating moves.

Nobody works a crowd like Farmer Mike!

Carol Murphy works the table for Sustainable Bellevue.

To be continued...

Pole Dancer

I'm still here! Just sort of enjoying the summer and redirecting energy toward Sustainable Bellevue and a Community Faire for Newport Hills.

This is Piper in full hiphop regalia--the "pi" sign on her shirt is her dancer-nym, courtesy of teacher Matt.

Unfortunately, the barber who has had his shop next to the dance studio for as long as I've lived here, has decided to move on. The Red Apple businesses continue to close, with a rumor that our beloved Sahara Pizza is next for the chop.

Hollywood in Newport Hills

The whole neighborhood was abuzz with the doings at the Red Apple yesterday.

For a 12-hour period the former supermarket was transformed into an "extras holding" area for a movie being shot at Perry Ko's restaurant next door. The movie is titled "Late Autumn" and in this scene a Chinese family is attending a wake. Movie stars milling around in dark suits, running to the Chevron for snacks and using the bench outside the Mustard Seed for informal conferencing.


Click here for
eff-stop's unique photo take on all the drama. He gets full credit for the photos you see here. Definitely the most excitement in Newport Hills evuh!!!

Merry Christmas from Newport Hills

Every year, on the Saturday before Christmas, Newport Hills has had a tradition of hosting a firetruck to weave through every street in the neighborhood, siren blazing, followed by a station wagon bearing oranges and candy canes for the kids.


This year, the truck was not in the budget, but we made do with the ever-cheerful Sandi Tampa (with the bullhorn in the backseat), who gamely shouted out the names of residents as she and newly-elected Newport Hills Community Club president Michelle Hillhorst made their way in an open-air Bug. I was very impressed, although I couldn't stop for long as my neighbor and I were on our way to see Black Nativity at the Intiman Theatre. They must have been freezing! There was also a sleigh with Santa and his elves tossing oranges and candy canes following behind. Aah, the simple pleasures!



What really impressed me no end was the follow-up to Santa's tour: the first-ever holiday bazaar held outside the empty Red Apple. Talk about freezing! These brave pioneers are sowing the seeds of community right where we most need it, and when it's most needed: on the first anniversary of the store's closing. Talk about spirit! And hope for the future! And amazing knitted tree ornaments! It was rather short notice for participants, but I can feel my inner Martha tuning up already in anticipation of next year's event. Maybe I can pay off this year's gifts with the proceeds...these photos are from the Newport Hills Community Club blog and I'm pretty sure were taken by our ace blogger, Grace Whiteaker.

A Few More Updates since last summer

New Lake Heights/Newport Hills entrance signs are up and running--ceremony this morning at 10:30 on 119th and 48th...and at Tuesday's NHCC meeting we'll celebrate with cake.



Mojo Espresso cart is now gone. Current whereabouts unknown.


Blue Bug and the Trailer of Mystery (along with the ladder) are also gone.


The Red Apple sign is down to it's last "e"




Some construction activity going on at Eastside Catholic--updated pictures to follow

Sunny Day Newport Hills

My response to Mayor Grant Degginger's challenge to come up with a vision for Newport Hills would look something like this:



1. New grocery store (smaller footprint with two stories of condos above)
2. Fruit and produce stand
3. Neighborhood kiosk for announcements, etc.
4. New site of Mojo Espresso stand
5. Farmer's market
6. Community garden and outdoor movie theater


Out of sight, out of mind?

We all need aerial photographs for dreaming purposes. They let the sun in on a cloudy day--every one of the areas I circled above gets full sun for most of the day, even while leaving plenty of spaces for parking. I always wondered as I parked my car near Pike Place Market or at the top of a parking garage why my car was getting a better view than I was.

Another way to look at these photos is to see the number of spaces we provide for our cars: then imagine exchanging one parking space for a raised garden bed. One little island of 20 spaces could provide a lot of space for a community garden.

I originally came up with this little daydream about six months ago. Since then Newcastle Fruit and Produce, whom I've been wooing to open a branch here in Newport Hills has let me know that the idea doesn't hold much potential. In the words of one of the owners: "Out of sight, out of mind."

Keepin it Real

In one of my earliest blog entries I teased a bit about how proud the local bank was to be introducing drive up windows in 2005. Even in 2009, they're still proud. Shortly after that the sign, prominently displayed on the most visible intersection in the community, came down. They turned off the lights on one of the three drive-up windows. To this day, I have never seen a single car pull up to any of the windows.

I mention this because in the current climate of bailouts and corporate greed, there's something very real about the state of our local bank. A slight out-of-touchness that I find oddly touching.

Double-click on the picture below to enlarge for full effect:

Ink, Grass Roofs and the Easter Bunny

Maybe it was passing the neon pink closing signs fifty times a day.

OK I'll admit I've been drifting in a rather bored fashion of late. Was the whole Red Apple theme played out? Had I hit the bottom in terms of finding anything of interest around the 'hood? Inertia was plaguing my soul. I felt alone. Worse, I was beginning to feel weird. Like, what is this obsession with my neighborhood?

When I was young I wanted to be Samantha on Bewitched. Now I was Mrs. Kravits keeping an eye on things--looking for the Blue Bug in Stod's Parking Lot, puffballs lurking around the corner, garage doors sending coded messages.


Then things started happening. We're talking ink and lots of it. First, a big article on the front page of the B section in the Seattle Times on Wednesday. Next, Mustard Seed and Newport Hills Drinking Liberally Group on the front page of the Bellevue Reporter. No typos, and a well-written article on the latest democrat trying to unseat Dave Reichert in the Fightin' 41st District: Suzan DelBene. Well, they spelled her name wrong, but still, lots of ink. And I was there!


On Thursday I introduced myself to Pastor Paul of Newport Hills Community Church and secured a site for the April 25 Earth Day info fair and community garden kick-off. Not sure yet about the swapmeet part of it. It sounds like a lot to organize in a short time.

On Friday I visited my sister-in-law in Ballard and met up with Vic Opperman, the founder of Sustainable Ballard who is very keen to get a Sustainable Bellevue going. What an inspiration. Got a tour of the Ballard Library green roof--awesome!







This morning my daughter and her friend roused themselves early to go help hide eggs at the Newport Hills Easter Egg Hunt and I made friends with a neighbor very interested in biodynamic farming, who introduced me to the Easter Bunny.

Happy Easter everyone!