Sarap Cafe has set up a food truck in the Pratt Fine Arts parking lot at 19th Avenue S & S Jackson Street. Sarap Cafe’s proprietor, Victor, said he set up shop about two months ago. He worked in food service in Las Vegas for many years, but now lives in Kent.

Victor chose to locate Sarap Cafe in Seattle rather than in Kent because food cart regulations are different in the two cities. In Kent, food carts have to relocate every three months, but in Seattle they can stay established in one location for as long as the property owner approves, he said.

Sarap Cafe serves up cold cut sandwiches, egg rolls, noodle soups, milkshakes and coffee.  For $5.20 customers can get a combo consisting of a sandwich, bag of chips, and a can of soda.  Six egg rolls are $3.00 and sandwiches alone are $3.20.  The friendly service is included free of charge. 

Sarap Cafe is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-3:30 and accepts cash only.  

“Stop Foreclosure, yellow signs “

First the sign is not mine but is alarming – please read the correct information below”

Making Home Affordable is a free help program that the OBAMA adminstration put together to help you or a family or neighbor. It is free – HAFA

You do not need to list your house to get the help and first off listing your house could compromise your ability. Call your Bank who has your mortgage and ask about the MAKING HOME AFFORDABLE PROGRAM.

Here is what you need to know:

: The Washington Department of Financial Institutions website: www.dfi.wa.gov

King County is exploring private development options to find a cost-neutral replacement option for the Youth Services Center at 12th and Alder. The building has a laundry list of issues, from a water main break and malfunctioning elevator to persistent mold and hazardous materials in the window caulking. Voters rejected an initiative last year that would have raised sales taxes to pay for a facility replacement.

From the King County press release:

“All options must be on the table to better serve the justice needs of children and families in King County,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, Chair of the Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee. “The state of the current facility is unacceptable, and I will continue to push options until we find a solution. For example, surplus County property could be traded with an interested developer in exchange for a replacement facility.”

The Youth Services Center, located in Seattle on 12th and Alder, provides juvenile justice services for all of King County and family support for those navigating the legal system.

“Last year we worked with the community to explore options for replacement of the Youth Services Center and the surrounding county-owned site. But with no revenues for the project, we have to get creative,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We’re asking the development community to come to us with ideas we might not have recognized before. I hope their suggestions will help us find a way to address juvenile justice needs while fulfilling the community’s vision.”

Congratulations to the Madrona K-8 girls and boys basketball teams for sweeping the middle school K-8 championships on Saturday. The boys team beat Ballard’s Broadview-Thompson K-8 and the girls toppled Magnolia’s Blaine K-8 at Washington Middle School.

A celebration – including trophies and a banner at the school gym – are in the works. The photos show the victorious squads post-game. Did anyone make it to games in person? 

As we reported on February 9, Charlie’s Flame Broiled Burgers closed their doors on February 12 after just over a year in their location at 2608 S Judkins St.  Thankfully Madison Valley resident Michael McGloin has purchased the building, is giving it a quick update with new interior paint and signage, and is opening Judkins Street Cafe in the location on Tuesday, February 15. 

McGloin said his chef, Steel Orr, has worked in the restaurant business off and on for decades and will be creating classic comfort food, including homemade soups, natural beef burgers, mac ‘n cheese, and lasagna.  They will also have veggie options.  The Judkins Street Cafe menu will also offer selected sweets and pastries in the morning.  The cafe will have a minimal set menu and offer multiple specials that change depending on what is in season and what can be purchased locally.  The restaurant will be serving La Panzanella breads and offer Cafe Vita drip and french press coffees, but no espresso at this time.

“We’ll see,” said McGloin.  “We’ll see what the neighborhood wants and adjust the menu and service accordingly.” 

Judkins Street Cafe will have a soft opening on Tuesday, February 15.  Their regular hours will be Tuesday-Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, and they will be closed on Mondays.  

Looking for last-minute Valentine’s Day plans? Bottlehouse will be open for special Monday Valentine’s Day hours from 6-11pm. 

Here’s the details:

Live Music, Special Wine Pairings … & Dessert Bar hosted by some of Seattle’s most notable confectioneries, including everyone’s favorite dessert truck, High Five Pies, and Madrona’s own Cupcake Royale. Limited seats.

It’s down to the wire so you should still call (206-708-7164) to reserve a spot. 

Any other Valentine’s Day happenings in Madrona we should know about?

Girls 7-12 years are invited to participate in a six week self-defense and empowerment series, presented by Harmony Arts!    Mondays 5:45-6:45pm , starts Monday Feb 21st. $60 for the series, some scholarships are available.   Located at 16th and S. Main St.  in the central district.  Contact for details:  (206) 229-7582  www.harmonyarts.us    [email protected]

 Girls will practice self-defense skills including, boundary setting, verbal de-escalation, walking away from a situation, saying no, escaping grabs, street safety & strikes kicks. Group includes yoga, relaxation techniques and elements of kung fu & dance. Games, small & large group discussions and writing enhance the skills taught. We empower girls to build positive social skills, body image, boundaries, self-confidence, self-awareness and self-expression. Confidential group creates a safe and supportive environment for girls to grow to their fullest potential. Instructors are sensative to issues of trauma and general adolescent challenges. No belt ranking in this class

23rd & Union is a docu-drama looking at the effects of gentrification on communities of color and other marginalized populations, director Rafael Flores told CDN in August. The film mixes real interviews with dramatized fictional characters to tell a story that takes place around the murder of Philadelphia Cheese Steak owner Degene Berecha.

The film, which is scheduled for release this summer, also looks at “tension between young African-American men, Ethiopian immigrants and gay couples in Seattle’s Central District.”

The Washington Community Action Network held a “sneak attack” on the Chase branch at 23rd and Jackson yesterday. According to a release from the organization, the protest was part of a series of similar events demanding that “Chase give back outdated tax breaks to stop devastating budget cuts to essential services.” From the group’s release:

“Big Wall Street banks caused this recession and they need to share the burden,” said Darasavanh Kommavongsa, Washington CAN member and mother of two, who may lose health care coverage because of budget cuts, “I’m so afraid for my girls – both have severe eczema and asthma and need constant treatments. What will I do if my girls lose their health coverage? We are human beings who deserve to be healthy and sustain our families just like bank CEOs.”

They have posted more photos on Flickr.

In January, the group crashed a Chase event with a megaphone (see video below). They have also held protests similar to the Central District event at Chase and Bank of America branches in Tacoma and Bellevue, all in the past few weeks.