The Second Saturday Art Walk on E Cherry St just keeps growing. With the Central Space studios next door to Coyote Central at 23rd and Cherry providing an active block of artists in the heart of the CD, a new building with affordable studio space joined the walk for the first time September 2.

2522 E Cherry is already home to several artists and organizations, including Seattle Gay Scene and The Last Quest, a video production company. The building is about half occupied, and rent for the remaining spaces range from $250-350 per month.

Folks from The Last Quest hang out in front of 2522 E Cherry

In just a few years, Cherry St east of 23rd Ave has become a hot spot for artists. With Coyote Central moving in and the low rent studio space at Central Space drawing people of all trades, this year has seen a burst of activity on the street (see our previous story).

One challenge facing the Art Walk is finding a way to activate the block that housed NOVA High School, which separates the block with Central Space and Coyote Central from Twilight Exit (which has been an active participant) and 2522 E Cherry. Arrows drawn with sidewalk chalk led art walkers to the east section of the walk, but it seemed that few people were making trip.

Central Space, the heart of the art walk

It was a little low-key at 2522 Saturday because they decided to take part in the walk only ten days earlier, said Building Manager Les Sterling. But they hope to have a lot more going on at next month’s art walk October 8.

But this reporter has no complaints about the entertainment at 2522. Members of The Last Quest were screening some of their videos Saturday, including a fantastic short documentary about cavy (Guinea Pig) enthusiasts called “WCF?” by Cassidy Dimon and Katie Gregg. If you have ten minutes, it’s really great. Watch it below (you can also buy a copy on DVD).

WCF? from The Last Quest on Vimeo.

She’s very nice, in my backyard with my dog, follow sign at Olive & 25th.

Tomorrow, she’ll go to be checked for identification.

But we love you at Central District News. You can contact us 24×7 at [email protected], by phone at (206) 399-5959, via Twitter at @cdnews or on Facebook.

To report a crime, dial 911. To contact the East Precinct, call (206) 684-4300.

to get involved with crime prevention in the neighborhood, the first meeting of the newly renamed East Precinct Advisory Council is September 22.

If you felt the earthquake this afternoon (I’m at my office downtown right now), please go to the USGS website and report if you felt it. The information people report to the USGS really helps the scientists in their work studying earthquakes: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/

Hey, does anyone know what movie is being filmed in the alley of the Twilight Exit?

Hey, 

Does anyone know what movie is being filmed in the alley at the Twilight Exit?

Word.

EDITOR’S UPDATE:

After @DreamgirlDown alerted us to film via Twitter, we swung by to check in with the film crew:

We spoke with the film’s Producer Greg Brotherton. “Shadowed” is an “ultra low budget” independent thriller with an all-local cast and crew. They are filming two days at Twilight Exit both inside and in the alley. Today is their second day of production, and they hope to wrap up filming at the end of the month.

Mural in the Twilight Exit alley

Brotherton said Twilight Exit owner Stephan Mollmann (a CDN sponsor) has been very supportive of the film, allowing them access to the lounge for filming.

“Stephan is a friend to filmmakers everywhere,” said Brotherton.

The film’s writer and director, Joey Johnson, has been working on the film for a while. You can see some of his previous work at his website Daily Riots.

According to the film’s Facebook page, “‘Shadowed’ is a double-murder mystery, a scary movie fueled not by bloody gore or supernatural creatures, but by the dread we all feel when we believe someone is hiding just beyond the fire’s light.”

The “big bad guy,” as Brotherton described the role, will be played by Sean Nelson, an actor, writer and musician who has recorded and performed with a slew of bands and was lead singer of Harvey Danger. Other cast members include Conner Marx, Tara Simmons, Erwin Galan, David S. Hogan and Alison Monda.

Bruce Nourish at Seattle Transit Blog has been making the case for some changes to Metro bus routes that he claims would improve efficiency and rider experience (including changes to routes 4 and 3, which were noted in earlier posts here and here). Earlier this week, he proposed cutting the 48 in two, creating a south segment from UW to Mount Baker Station and a north segment from Loyal Heights to Bellevue Transit Center via UW. 

The main advantages, he says, would be increased reliability and the potential to put the southern segment (which goes along 23rd Ave in the Central District) on electric trolley wires with relatively little extra cost.

From Seattle Transit Blog:

Talk of splitting the 48 in the U-District probably began when the route was created, and has yet to stop. In general, there tends to be much more transit ridership from residential areas to urban centers, or between urban centers, rather than between residential areas. While reasonably good bidirectional demand exists throughout the route, much of the 48′s ridership is going to or from the U-District, and in that circumstance, splitting the route there has the potential to improve reliability for all riders, while forcing only a minority to make a transfer.  

There’s a another good reason to split the 48: the south section already runs under trolleybus wire (used by the 4 and 43) for much of its length. Were this bus split, only about 1.5 miles of trolleybus wire would be required, between John and Cherry, and Dearborn and Plum. At the current cost of $3 million per mile for trolleybus wire, electrifying this route would probably cost less than $5 million with minimal construction risk or environmental process entailed. Along with the roughly $12 million project to move the 3/4 wire from James to Yesler, this project would be perfect for the $20 million earmarked for trolleybus expansion in the city’s $60 VLF proposal.

Riders going from the north leg of the route to the south (or vice versa) would need to transfer where the segments meet in the U District. But Nourish claims the majority of riders on the route already transfer either at Montlake or the U District, and the split would potentially open up a transit connection from North Seattle to Bellevue that does not exist today.

What do you think of this idea? Would you use the “forty-late” more if it were more reliable? Is the promise of one less diesel bus route in the neighborhood worth the lack of a one-seat ride to North Seattle?

Here’s the route today (from the Metro timetable):

Ms W’s classroom, via DonorsChoose

Leschi Elementary teacher Ms W believes a key to learning to read is listening to others. She wants to lend CD players with audio books to students whose families do not have the time or are unable to read books to them. But she needs help raising the money to buy the players.

Like many others at Leschi Elementary, Ms W has launched a DonorsChoose campaign to raise the $200 she needs to acquire the players. From the project description:

There isn’t a child alive who doesn’t like to be read to. My students and I cherish our read aloud time together, but once a day just isn’t enough!

My school is a Title I school located in a lively neighborhood where many families do not have the funds to provide any financial assistance to their children’s classrooms. We have many families who are newly arrived to the country after fleeing turmoil in various East African communities.

…

We are a beautiful and diverse classroom. My students deserve supplies that will provide them the greatest chance for success in school and beyond.

---

…

Many of my students do not have someone at home who is able to read to them because they are working, taking care of a family or perhaps do not read in English. Additionally, many of the languages that the families do speak at home (Tigrinya and Somali) are expensive and hard to come by in the form of children’s books.

By gaining these CD players and headphones in our classroom, my students will have the opportunity to hear many different stories, voices, and languages read to them on a daily basis. This will provide my students with a model of fluid and expressive reading and will allow them to enjoy books above their level while practicing the important skill of listening.

“Certainly, we’ve got a lot of needs, and not all of them are funded,” said Teresa Wippel at Seattle Public Schools, noting that the state legislature is not fully funding education. “We are always grateful for any support.”

There are 11 DonorsChoose campaigns for Leschi Elementary, including Ms T’s need for a rug so up to 30 Second and Third Graders can sit together during group lessons. In fact, Leschi Elementary leads the city in the number of DonorsChoose projects currently hoping for funding. There is one project currently at Stevens, a request by Mrs. F for items that would help kids get organized.

With most schools now in session, this is one way to give a classroom in your neighborhood a little boost.

Your neighbors at Hidmo want to invite you to a very special family reunion this Saturday:

 IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 — 2:00-6:00pm
Washington Hall (153 14th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122)

Seattle, WA—Hidmo will host a family reunion to celebrate its unique and non-traditional family of artists, organizers, activists and community members at their new headquarters at Washington Hall.

There will be opportunities to tour the hall and check out the new shared office space and its occupants.  In one room DJs will be trading shifts on turntables and some of Hidmo’s favorite artists will drop by to do special performances.  On the main hall stage, there will be card games, dominos, board games and chess while in the green room, a story time will be taking place with elders and youth.  Children are encouraged to come and take part in activities in the kid’s corner, and everyone can walk away with some new Hidmo swag made at a screen printing station outside.

For more info visit www.hidmo.org, call 206-434-6584 or email [email protected]

Mayor Mike McGinn’s town hall tour of Seattle continues with a Saturday visit to Madrona:

As part of the Engage Seattle initiative this year, in order to ensure that as many people as possible who live, work, or play in Seattle are able to voice their concerns and offer their feedback directly to the mayor, we’re holding a series of town halls and other outreach events in every part of the city.

It’s my great pleasure now to invite you to join Mayor McGinn for a Madrona Neighborhood Town Hall at the Madrona K-8 School on September 10th. You can download a flyer here, or the details are as follows:

Madrona K-8 School
1121 33^rd Ave
Saturday, September 10th
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Madrona K-8 School is located near the 2 and 3 bus lines; for full transit directions, go to metro.kingcounty.gov.

 

McGinn appeared at the Garfield Community Center in March.