Tag Archives: yards

Beacon Bits: Four Amigos, food safety, and funky foliage

KPLU has a lovely story about “the Four Amigos”: Roberto Maestas, Larry Gossett, Bob Santos, and the late Bernie Whitebear, activists who played a large role in Seattle’s history over the last 40 years. Maestas, of course, played a particular role in Beacon Hill’s history by helping found El Centro de la Raza, and leading the organization until he retired recently.

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BeHi Bonsai, the blog about the funky topiary foliage found throughout Beacon Hill, has found a yard that goes above and beyond the call of topiary duty: “Rings of foliage waft above the ground magically as if there is some unseen creature underground blowing leafy smoke rings for our amusement.”

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Health Department restaurant inspectors have recently visited a few more local establishments. Results of the inspections are posted online. The Aloha Grocery at 7762 Beacon Avenue South had 8 “blue” violation points (“surfaces not maintained, clean, sanitized”), El Delicioso at 2500 Beacon Avenue South had 5 blue violation points (plumbing issues), and Wing Luke Elementary School at 3701 South Kenyon Street scored a perfect 0. (Congratulations!) Dahlak Eritrean Cuisine at 2007 South State Street (at the foot of Beacon Hill, near Oberto’s) received 10 “red critical” violation points, for inadequate hand washing facilities.

Context: 45 or more red violation points force a re-inspection within two weeks, 90 or more red points force closure of the establishment, and 120 or more total (red and blue) points force closure of the establishment as well. So all of these businesses were in no danger of closure. Even one red violation is enough to result in an unsatisfactory inspection, however, and specialists work with the operators of the establishment to make sure that the situation is corrected immediately.

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“Bonsai” blogging on Beacon

This swirly tree is in Ocean Shores, but is not unlike the Beacon Hill bushes featured in BeHi Bonsai. Photo by MïK Watson.
This swirly tree is in Ocean Shores, but is not unlike the Beacon Hill bushes featured in BeHi Bonsai. Photo by MïK Watson.
A Beacon Hill resident with the nom de blog “bloggersucks” has started a blog, BeHi Bonsai, on a rather unusual topic — the sleekly — and sometimes oddly — sculpted hedges and trees found in the yards of some local homes.

“The Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle has some funky bushes. I’m not sure exactly where the aesthetic comes from, there is an obvious Asian aesthetic but I think that it goes much further than that and seems to have a funky Seattle twist. This blog is dedicated to exploring the excessive and amazing topiary designs of this area.”