There's a holiday coming on Monday: Labor Day. Will your Eastlake business be open? What hours? Planning anything special for the holiday?

Let us know by putting a note in the comments below or e-mail me at curtmilton (at) comcast.net. I'll publish a list of who's open sometime this weekend.

Have a great holiday!

A rash of car prowls hit the Eastlake neighborhood in the last week. The details:

• Aug. 23: Bicycle theft, 800 block of E. Allison, noon.
• Aug. 23: Theft of auto accessories, 2300 block of Boylston Avenue E., 4 p.m.
• Aug. 23: Car prowl, parking lot or garage in the 2300 block of Franklin Avenue E., 10 p.m.
• Aug. 24: Warrant, felony arrest, 1900 block of Franklin Pl. E., 4:18 a.m.
• Aug. 24: Car prowl, parking lot or garage in the 2900 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 11:15 p.m.
• Aug. 25: Car prowl, parking lot or garage in the 1500 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 7:30 p.m.
• Aug. 26: Car prowl, car prowl, 2200 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 7 p.m.
• Aug. 26: Car prowl, parking lot or garage in the 1600 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 7:30 p.m.
• Aug. 26: Car prowl, 200 block of E. Boston Street, 8 p.m.
• Aug. 26: Car prowl, 2500 block of Boylston Avenue E., 11 p.m.
• Aug. 27: Car prowl, 3200 block of Fuhrman Avenue E., 11:30 p.m.
• Aug. 28: Theft from a building, 2300 block of Fairview Avenue E., 9:45 a.m.
• Aug. 29: Car prowl,...

Work continues on 10th Avenue E. on Capitol Hill this weekend which will result in some traffic detouring on Boylston in the Eastlake neighborhood.

Work begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and should be done by 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The northbound lane of 10th E. will be closed to all traffic but transit. Northbound traffic will again be detoured at Broadway to Roy, then Belmont, then Lakeview and onto Boylston E. in the Eastlake neighborhood before heading to Roanoke and 10th Avenue E.

The detour route should be clearly posted.

Sounds like a fun time at the Eastlake Zoo Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m.: Mike Barbano, the Eastlake t-shirt guy, will be screen printing shirts at the Zoo.

And, at the same time, Christina Choi, owner/chef at Nettletown (which is diagonally across Eastlake from the Zoo), will be handing out free samples of her tasty sandwiches. Yum!

Barbano screened shirts at the Zoo in April. He runs Oxford Screen Printing out of his Eastlake home and his shirt designs are said to be very popular. 

Rumored is a possible sandwich eating contest at the Zoo involving Choi's sandwiches and local business folks as competitors. No word on a date or time but we'll let you know when we hear something.

It was a relatively quiet week for crime in Eastlake. The reports from Aug. 16 to 23 include:

• Aug. 16: Car prowl, 2500 block of Yale Avenue E., 11:30 p.m.
• Aug. 16: Burglary, no forced entry, 3200 block of Fuhrman E., midnight.
• Aug. 18: Assault with a blunt object or personal weapons (hands, fist, teeth, etc.), Franklin E. and E. Garfield, 10 p.m.
• Aug. 20: Property lost in a bar or night club in the 2300 block of Eastlake Avenue E., noon.
• Aug. 20: Electrical fire at the Lake Union Cafe, 3119 Eastlake Ave. E., 8:14 p.m. Minimal damage and a wedding celebration taking place at the venue continued. 
• Aug. 21: Car prowl, 2900 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 3:15 p.m.
• Aug. 23: Graffiti, 200 block of E. Boston, 12:30 a.m.

To see complete reports, go to the Seattle Police website.

Despite a couple of brief sprinkles of rain Saturday evening, the Eastlake Movie Night drew what may have been its biggest crowd ever.

The Disney/Pixar animated film "Up" was the feature. It drew a crowd of 80-100 people to the Rogers Playfield for a screening that started at dusk.

Kate Dulemba, who has organized all three of the Eastlake Movie Nights, said she thought it was the most children ever at one of the events. Families spread out on blankets or sat on chairs to watch the film, many bringing snacks to enjoy.

Speaking of snacks, Kate says a special thank you is due to Alcena Plum, owner/chef at Louisa's Cafe Bakery, who brought two kinds of popcorn and also cookies for the crowd. And Pazzo's on Eastlake sent over pizza for the movie audience.

Ryan Murphy of Coworking Eastlake loaned his sound system for the evening.

Kate also wanted to send a special thank you to the unnamed member of the audience who volunteered gas to restart the generator that runs the projector and sound system after it ran out and shut down the show about 30 minutes in. The generator and the movie were quickly restarted and the evening didn't suffer for the interruption.

Clouds that had been building from the west brought two brief sets of raindrops but they were only a gentle sprinkle and most people stayed to the end. The raindrops soon passed and the moon came out to light the way home.

Kate deserves a big round of applause for organizing a great evening in Eastlake, Thanks!

Also deserving thanks were the sponsors of the evening:

• Coworking Eastlake
• EastlakeAve.com
• Eastlake Massage
• 14 Carrot Cafe
• Kristos Eastlake
• Lake Union Mail
• Louisa's Cafe Bakery
• Mary Hansen Design
• Pazzo's on Eastlake
• University Heights
• VideoQuest
• Voxx Coffee

[Full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. was a sponsor of the Movie Night and I also helped with the setup.]

If you wondered what all those skaters were doing at Seward School on Saturday, it was just part of the competetion in the 10th and final Street Battle Seattle.

Jeremy Townsend (who, according to his mom, lives in Eastlake) runs the event.

Skaters compete by showing their moves on street obstacles,like ledges and rails. Judges are professional skaters and there's a $1,000 prize for first place. 

Skaters don't know where in town they'll be competing until the morning of the event. They were at Seward for a little over an hour before moving on. Check the video to see what they were doing in Eastlake. More info on the Street Battle Seattle website.

Eastlake Movie Night is TONIGHT! The movie is the Disney/Pixar animated film "Up." It screens at dusk at the Rogers Playfield.

Bring your dinner and eat on the lawn or just bring something to sit on and enjoy the movie. The lawn can be a bit damp so bring something to sit on that will keep you dry. If you bring chairs, try for the lower beach-style that won't block the view of those in front of you.

Alcena Plum, owner of Louisa's Cafe Bakery, says she'll be supplying free popcorn. Other treats may be coming. You'll have to come to the event to find out what they are!

Sponsors of tonight's event are [full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. is a sponsor]:

• Coworking Eastlake
• EastlakeAve.com
• Eastlake Massage
• 14 Carrot Cafe
• Kristos Eastlake
• Lake Union Mail
• Louisa's Cafe Bakery
• Mary Hansen Design
• Pazzo's on Eastlake
• University Heights
• VideoQuest
• Voxx Coffee

Be sure to thank the local businesses that have helped to put on tonight's event. See you at the movie!

There's news about liquor licenses at two Eastlake restaurants:

• 14 Carrot Cafe: A brand-new license for the 14 Carrot was recently approved. They're now serving wine and beer, with mimosas (champagne and orange juice) for breakfast (and lunch, I guess, if you're so inclined). Other specialties include a Bloody Mary made with saki, a Bloody Terry (adds ginger and carrot juice to the tomato-based drink) and a Red Eye (a beer-based Bloody Mary). Plus, they have a selection of wine and beer, including imports.
• Siam on Lake Union: The Thai restaurant on Fairview E. has applied to move their liquor license out to new digs at 1629 Eastlake Ave. E. (see map), in the new building across the street from Grand Central. No word on when the restaurant will open in its new quarters but there's been lots of activity in the space as it's built out.

The Seattle Department of Transportation continues its work on 10th Avenue E. on Capitol Hill this weekend. The detour will send some traffic from Broadway down to our neighborhood.

Starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, the contractor will be building a concrete lane between the 520 overpass and E. Lynn. Northbound traffic will again be detoured at Broadway to Roy, then Belmont, then Lakeview and onto Boylston E. in the Eastlake neighborhood before heading to Roanoke and 10th Avenue E.

The work is expected to be finished by Sunday evening.

Are you ready for Eastlake Movie Night 2010?

"Up," Disney/Pixar's animated film from last summer, will be screened on the lawn at Rogers Playfield, starting at dusk on Saturday evening. It's free but the Eastlake Community Council is asking for a $5 donation if you can afford it.

Alcena Plum, owner/chef at Louisa's, says she'll be providing free popcorn. You're also encouraged to bring your own food and picnic on the lawn. 

"Up," which tells the story of a senior citizen who floats his house to South American in search of adventure, was another big hit for Disney/Pixar. It features the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer and Delroy Lindo.

And now, on to some "Up" trivia, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

• In "Up," Pixar's "good luck charm," actor John Ratzenberger, continued the tradition of having a speaking part in every Pixar film. He's the only actor to be in every Pixar film.
• How many balloons does it take to lift Carl's house? In the movie, there are 20,622 attached to the house. In real life, it would take more than 12 million balloons (12,658,392, to be exact) to get the house into the air.
• Carl's face and gruff voice are based on actors Walter Matthau and Spencer Tracy.
• Russell's Wilderness Explorer sash has several in-joke icons on it, according to the Internet Movie Database, including a ball from Pixar's first short, Luxo Jr., the pinwheel "hang" icon from the Macintosh OS X software (Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder, owned Pixar before selling to Disney), and a piece of perforated paper that 2-D animators use to line up their drawings.
• Pete Doctor, who directed the film, does most of the vocal sounds for Kevin, the giant bird.
• "Up" is the only best-picture nominee to have only two letters in it's title.

For more "Up" trivia, go to the Internet Movie Database's trivia page here.

Gas Works and Eastlake are seen in this 1971 image. (Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives)

The Seattle Municipal Archives are a treasure trove of historical images which, fortunately, the department has decided to share on Flickr.

A recent image is of particular interest to Eastlake residents. It shows Gas Works in 1971, pre-park. Across the lake behind the gasification plant can be seen a number of Eastlake landmarks, including:

• a rather broad-looking and well-paved E. Hamlin Street
• the Wards Cove fleet headquarters (much modified since)
• the Anchor House building on Fairview
• the Coronado Apartments on Eastlake Avenue
• the Shelby Apartments on Boylston E.
• and the L'Amourita Co-op on Franklin E.

Seattle writer Benjamin Lukoff notes in a comment on the Flickr post that Gas Works Park would have been under construction in 1971.

"At this time, it was still going to be called Myrtle Edwards Park," he writes. The waterfront park in Lower Queen Anne was later named for Mrs. Edwards, a city council member from 1955 to 1969.

Go to Flickr to see a larger version of the photo and see notes on the image identifying the landmarks mentioned above. Be sure to look at the large, original version of the image.

If you're planning on driving from Eastlake to the Eastside this weekend, don't plan on taking 520.

The bridge will be closed for its annual maintenance from 11 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday. The closure runs from Montlake Blvd. in Seattle to 92nd Avenue NE on the Eastside.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation's website:

During the closure, WSDOT bridge engineers will conduct in-depth mechanical and electrical inspections on the main power supply to the bridge and the mechanical systems. Bridge engineers also will perform ultrasonic testing to analyze the condition of the drawspan’s steel vertical guide rollers. The guide rollers are a key part of the drawspan and are used to open and close the bridge for vessels or to relieve pressure on the bridge during heavy winds.

Two car thefts (both over night on Sunday, Aug. 15) highlighted Eastlake police reports for the past week. These crime reports are for the week from Aug. 9 to 16:

• Aug. 9: Threats in a home in the 100 block of East Edgar Street, 9 p.m.
• Aug. 9: Car prowl in the 2500 block of Yale Avenue E., 10 p.m.
• Aug. 10: Car prowl in the 2300 block of Fairview Avenue E., 7 p.m. Car was in a parking lot/garage.
• Aug. 13: Burglary in the 1900 block of Eastlake Avenue, 11 a.m.  A locked bicycle was stolen from a basement laundry room.
• Aug. 13: Car prowl in the 1500 block of Eastlake Avenue E., 7:30 p.m.
• Aug. 15: Car theft, 1800 block of Fairview Avenue E., 10 p.m.
• Aug. 15: Car theft in the 2300 block of Franklin Avenue E., 10 p.m.

See the complete Seattle Police crime report map here.

It's showtime for the Eastlake Movie Night!

"Up," the Disney/Pixar animated film about a 78-year-old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house and floats to South America, will be screened at Rogers Playfield on Saturday evening starting at dusk.

The film features the voices of Ed Asner as Carl Fredericksen, the aging adventurer, and Christopher Plummer as the bad guy, Charles Muntz. Plus, there's a group of evil, talking dogs, one good dog (Dug), and a giant bird named Kevin.

This year's Movie Night poster was designed by Mary Hansen (see attached image). Mary, who also designed last year's poster, has done several posters for Eastlake events. [Full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. is one of the sponsors of the event.]

Kate Dulemba is heading the group of volunteers who will be making Movie Night happen. The Eastlake Community Council is sponsoring the event.

Bring your picnic to the playfield to enjoy before and during the movie. There's a rumor of popcorn and maybe some other food treats. We'll have more details later in the week.

See you at the movies!

The swings at the Rogers Playfield are missing but they will return, according to the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.

There is a manufacturer's recall on the swings. They've been removed to fix the fasteners. Signs at the park say the swings will be operational by late September.

At least one mom who talked to me over the weekend was distressed to see the swings missing and she noted it was hard to explain the problem to a 2-year-old.

UPDATE: This post has been updated since it was first published. Names of P-Patch volunteers have been added.

Video of the celebration, including Mayor McGinn's comments, is embedded below.

Under brilliantly sunny skies, Eastlake neighbors strolled a community celebration Saturday that featured music, pets, classic cars, ribbon cuttings and and an appearance by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

The occasion was the Eastlake Community Celebration to mark the completion of the Wards Cove green street and beach and the dedication of new plots at the Eastlake P-Patch.

Pets paraded on Fairview as visitors looked at classic cars gathered by resident Tommy Eggleston. At Fairview Park, a violin and cello duo (Jen Kozel on violin, local resident Paige Stockley Lerner on cello) played under shady trees to an appreciative audience.

Visitors had a chance to view and vote on the Eastlake walking fish decorating contest. The winner was Pam Farrow's pirate themed fish. She'll get a $100 gift certificate to the Eastlake business or non-profit of her choice.

At the Wards Cove parking lot, non-profit groups offered information on everything from proper bike helmet fit (Cascade Bicycle Club) to neighborhood issues (the Eastlake Community Council), water quality (People for Puget Sound) and the PARKing Day project (Feet First).

Mayor McGinn arrived on his bicycle around 2 p.m. and toured the street and P-Patch before the official ribbon cutting for both projects. McGinn noted that he often rides his bike up Eastlake but hadn't been down this stretch of Fairview for several years. He said he was really surprised by the dramatic improvements in the area.

In his remarks to the crowd, he put in a pitch for filling in the gap in the Chesiahud Lake Union Loop to make it easier for bike riders to access the section of Fairview between Hamlin and Furhman.

McGinn noted the city was becoming more dense and that that is something that happens in cities. Places in the city like Eastlake, where you can walk to work or a coffee shop or catch a bus, are becoming more popular, he said. "So, projects like this are just absolutely essential" to preserving the character of a neighborhood.

"This is a great example," McGinn said, pointing to the street. "I was kind of blown away coming down here ... because I haven't been down this street in a few years. To see these changes and the beautiful park, the P-Patch and the new walkway, it's just amazing. So kudos to everyone here who made it work."

McGinn then cut a ribbon to officially open the new walkway and beach at Wards Cove. He walked down the street to cut a ribbon marking the completion of the new plots at the Eastlake P-Patch, then toured the garden to see the improvements. The Department of Neighborhoods handed out t-shirts to Eastlake residents who were instrumental in the expansion project, which was funded with a mix of city and private money. Honored with shirts were Barb Donnette, Jean Johnson, Valerie Margulis, Rebecca and Bryan Partington, Lisa Hummel and Mary Jones.

The day included a chance to tour the renovated office building at Wards Cove and check out the display of historic images and memorabilia in the downstairs hallway. The afternoon finished with a Brazilian beat as the samba band Batucada Yemanja played in the Wards Cove parking lot.

I'd like to welcome our newest advertisers:

• Pazzo's, 2307 Eastlake Ave. E.: This Eastlake restaurant and bar isn't exactly new. They've been advertising for a few weeks and I apologize for not saying "thanks" earlier. Pazzo's has been on Eastlake Ave. seemingly forever, serving pizza, salads, calzones and alcohol. They routinely get raves on sites like Yelp and Urbanspoon. Oh, and they deliver. Pretty cool!
• Lake Union Mail, 117 Louisa St.: This venerable business has been at the geographic and community center of Eastlake for over 20 years. And that's mainly because owner Jules James is at the center of the Eastlake neighborhood. He knows everyone and everything that's going on. Lake Union Mail has rental mailboxes, does shipping, receives and sends faxes, hosts a visiting notary service and more.

Thanks for being Eastlake Ave. advertisers! If you'd like to advertise with us, check our self-service page. Advertising on Eastlake Ave. is inexpensive and effective. You're directly reaching an audience this... (more)

If it's a summer weekend, it must be time for road repairs. This weekend's roadwork isn't exactly in Eastlake but its impacts may be felt here:

• 10th Avenue E. partial closure: The delayed paving on 10th Avenue E. is now scheduled for this weekend. 10th E. will be closed to northbound traffic between E. Boston Street and E. Roanoke from 7 a.m. on Saturday until about noon on Sunday. Northbound traffic will head to the eastern fringe of Eastlake. It will be detoured to E. Roy, then Belmont E., Lakeview E. to Boylston E. and then onto E. Roanoke.
• I-5 paving: State paving crews will be working on I-5 again this weekend, from 4 to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings. They'll be patching the northbound lanes just north of the 520 exits. Lanes will be closed and they'll be using concrete saws, jackhammers, air compressors and "other noisy equipment," WSDOT says in an e-mail. The good news is that they say drivers will notice a smoother ride once the work is done. If you live close to the freeway, wear your earplugs...

An ailing tree in the Hamlin Street-end park was given a second chance at life today after it received a professional pruning thanks to its neighbors.

As we previously reported, the tree suffered badly during the cold winter of 2008-09. Parts of it were badly damaged and the tree was in danger of being removed. The city said it would replace the tree with a new one, but agreed to let neighbors try to save it with a professional pruning.

Two neighbors of the tree, Ruth Kunath and April Boyd, took on the project and gathered donations from neighbors to pay for the pruning. Mark Herkert of Madison Park Tree did the pruning between 10 and noon Thursday morning. A nearby crabapple tree was also trimmed.

In an e-mail, Kunath thanked Madison Park Tree for its work. "The eucalyptus is now pruned of dead wood, allowing the remaining energy of the tree to focus on new growth," she writes. "Best trees in any neighborhood now!"

Kunath praised the street end neighborhood for coming together to help preserve the eucalyptus tree.

The tree looks remarkable better. The numerous dead branches are mostly gone, allowing the healthy green leaves to show.

Donors to the project were:

• Chris Christensen
• Kathy and Steve Strawn
• Yong-Joo and Harry Hsiung
• Jamie Ziegler
• Mike Dederer
• Toby Diamond
• Marty Burkland
• Betsey and Bob Blossey
• Yvonne and Dave Jones
• Ed Peterson
• Michael Monnahan
• Rick and Joyce Miner
• Ruth Kunath
• April Boyd

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. The time for the event has been corrected and more details have been added about the event.

The program is growing for the Eastlake Community Celebration on Saturday.

The event, sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council and Wards Cove, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday on the stretch of Fairview between Hamlin and the P-Patch and Fairview Park, 2900 Fairview Ave. E. The event will celebrate the completion of the new plots at the P-Patch and the beach and street renovations along Fairview.

Mayor Mike McGinn is scheduled to arrived around 2 p.m. to tour the block and cut ribbons at the P-Patch and the beach starting at 2:30 p.m. Others on the ribbon-cutting program include Laurie Ames from the Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Program, Joel Blair from Wards Cove and a representative of the Eastlake P-Patch.

Other events on the schedule include:

• A pet parade at 1 p.m. Gather at 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Washington Employers Trust.
• Judging of the Eastlake walking fish decorating contest at 4:30 p.m. The winner gets at $100 gift certificate to the Eastlake business or non-profit of their choice.
• Music: A violin and cello duo (violinist is Jen Kozel; cellist is local resident Paige Stockley Lerner) performs at 1 p.m. by the P-Patch. Samba group Batucada Yemanja plays in the Wards Cove parking lot after the ribbon cutting. One member is local resident Janet Yoger.
• Classic cars organized by Fairview resident Tommy Eggleston
• Food for purchase from a local taco truck
• Booths featuring local non-profit organizations, including Feet First (PARKing Day), People for Puget Sound (info on keeping the Sound clean), Eastlake Community Council (info on Lake Union and emergency preparedness) and the Cascade Bicycle Club (fitting bike helmets for kids and adults).
• P-Patch tours and information: P-Patch volunteers will have pamphlets explaining how they did the expansion, a sign-up sheet for volunteers and hand-outs on the P-Patch and Department of Neighborhoods programs.
• A display on the history of Wards Cove and the debut of a new history of the houseboats by Historylink.org will be available as will the history display in the Wards Cove office building.
• Free water and t-shirts while they last will be available at the Wards Cove table.

For more information contact Chris Leman at cleman@oo.net or 206-322-5463.

Eastlake residents are encouraged to bring their own picnic and enjoy it in the park. Eastlake Ave. will be on the scene Saturday. See you there!

As planned, Metro dropped three stops on Harvard Avenue E. just across I-5 from Eastlake.

The stops, at E. Edgar, E. Hamlin and E. Allison, were eliminated on Saturday. Those stops also serve Route 25.

Metro eliminated the stops to save fuel and speed up Route 49. A map showing the eliminated stops is here.

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. More details have been added.

According to a Seattle Police Department radio dispatch and a subsequent police report, there was a strong armed-robbery of an employee at the Azteca Restaurant, 1823 Eastlake Ave., Saturday evening shortly before 10 p.m.

The SPD radio dispatch said the suspect kept his hand in his pocket. The employee thought the suspect might have a gun but none was seen. According to an Azteca spokesperson, the suspect took cash off a server. An SPD spokesperson says he was carrying a baseball bat.

The suspected robber was described by the SPD as being an Hispanic male in his 30s who was wearing a gray jacket.

When other employees came to the server's aid, the suspect ran out of the building. He fled on foot south on Eastlake toward Lake Union, according to the Azteca spokesperson. An SPD spokesperson says that a large boat cruise had just docked and that Eastlake Avenue was filled with pedestrians and the suspect was not apprehended.

We are looking for classic cars to feature during the Eastlake community Celebration August 14th from 12 PM - 5 PM. If you have a classic car or know someone who has one and would be interested in showing it, please contact Tommy Eggleston asap at 206 323-0978.

Thank you.

Tommy

News notes from around Eastlake:

• Night Out block parties: We have some attendance totals for the two Night Out block parties that took place in Eastlake on Aug. 3. Jules James, a resident on Franklin Avenue E., estimates that about 80 people visited the party in the 2600 block of Franklin during the evening, which was more than 2009. Cecilia Grevson says that the party on Yale Avenue E. was visited by 250-300 people. Both of those totals are significantly higher than 2009. The purpose of Night Out is to help neighbors get to know each other, to build a sense of community and to prevent crime.

• Restaurateur nominated for award: Susan Kaufman, owner of Serafina and Cicchetti, has been nominated for a 2010 Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year Award (there are five nominees total). The award, given by the Women Business Owners, is named for Cashman, an American pioneer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and gold prospector. The award is meant to recognize and honor "women business owners who have enhanced the status of women entrepreneurs through their vision, perseverance, and fearless, relentless leadership in business and the community," according to a press release. Kaufman, a native New Yorker, grew up eating Italian food. After creating two successful restaurants in Juneau, Alaska, she opened Serafina on Eastlake Avenue in 1991. Kaufman, who lives in the neighborhood, has been active in the Eastlake community for years. The restaurant has won numerous accolades and awards. Last year, Kaufman purchased the building behind Serafina and turned it into her newest restaurant, Cicchetti. The winner of this year's Nellie will be announced at a banquet at the Fairmont Olympic on Oct. 14. 


• Movie Night needs sponsors: Plans are moving forward for the Eastlake Movie Night on Saturday, Aug. 21, on the lawn at Rogers Playfield. The film this year is Disney/Pixar's "Up." Putting on the show costs the Eastlake Community Council some bucks (they have to pay for a license to show the film and rent a generator, a sound system and a DVD projector). Sponsorships are welcome from businesses or individuals. (Full disclosure: Eastlake Ave. is a sponsor.) Sponsors at the $50 and above level will be listed on the Movie Night poster and I'll post them here on the blog. If you'd like to be a sponsor, e-mail info@eastlakeseattle.org.


• 2010 Seattle Floating Homes Tour: One of the most distinctive features of Eastlake (and Lake Union in general) is the numberous floating homes that line the lakefront. Once a year, the Floating Homes Association sponsors a tour of several homes on Eastlake and Westlake as a fundraiser. This year's event, featuring 12 homes, is Sunday, Sept. 12, from noon-5 p.m. Tickets are $25 and you can purchase them from BrownPaperTickets.com, by calling 1-800-838-3006 or by stopping by 220 Nickerson St. in Fremont 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on the weekends. For more information, go to the Floating Homes Association's website.