10.31.2023

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Today’s Forecast

Let’s not waste a gourd thing

What to do with fallen leaves and rotting Halloween pumpkins

A pumpkin with a creepy smiling face sits on a rock outside.

Sure, your pumpkin may still look okay now, but wait a week or two. | Photo by Scott McLeod

Falling colorful leaves and creatively designed pumpkins are autumnal trademarks... that is until the gourds get gooey and the leaves start clogging up pipes.

You may be tempted to just throw everything in the trash, but there are more meaningful ways to get rid of your decomposing natural decorations.

Getting rid of the gourds

This is an easy one. Since pumpkins are food items, they can be placed in city-supplied compost carts.

They can also make a great addition to any compost pit you have started in your yard. Or, the squirrels may not mind if you just leave the cleanup to them.

If you’re looking to support the community, farms will often take whole, un-carved pumpkins as donations to feed animals like goats and pigs. Pumpkins for Pigs is a nationwide service that connects people with farms looking for such donations. But you can also check with any of your local farms to see if they’d be interested in a donation.

A bunch of yellow leaves sit piled up on the side of a Seattle road next to a city yard waste can. — Fall is so pretty... until you have to do the clean-up work.
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Photo via SDOT

Rake it away

There are differing philosophies about whether you should rake up all of your leaves or not. Leaving them may harm your grass, but also serve as a home for important wildlife. Regardless, you should help keep all that tree confetti out of the streets.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) offers free extra yard pickup services during November to encourage residents to keep gutters + drains on the road clear.

If you have an excess of leaves or don’t want to wait for SPU pick-up, King County also has a list of yard waste drop-off spots in the area.

Or if you’re feeling extra crafty, you can use those fallen leaves to make a solid mulch for your garden next year.

Events

Tuesday, Oct. 31

Halloween Factoria | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. | The Marketplace at Factoria, 4055 Factoria Blvd. SE, Bellevue | Free | Take the kiddos trick-or-treating at all of the marketplace’s stores where they can meet characters from Paw Patrol + play games.
Wine + Halloween Candy Pairing | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 6-8 p.m. | Reds Wine Bar, 321 Ramsay Way, Kent | $25 | Sample a variety of red wines and the candies they pair with best.

Wednesday, Nov. 1

“Hadestown” | Wednesday, Nov.1-Sunday, Nov. 5 | Times vary | Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle | $40-$175 | In this Tony Award-winning musical, two classic tales from Greek mythology are woven together with the Underworld as the backdrop.
“Twilight” Films Trivia | Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Wildrose, 1021 E. Pike St., Seattle | $6 | “Bella — where you been, loca?” See if your vast vampiric knowledge can win you and your team some prizes.
Bang The Gong : an All AAPI Cast Show | Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 9 p.m. | Queer Bar, 1518 11th Ave., Seattle | $6-$50 | Dance the night away with all Asian American Pacific Islander performers and funky K-pop jams.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Skip the Small Talk | Thursday, Nov. 2 | 7-9 p.m. | Locust Cider, 2003 Western Ave., Seattle | $15 | Enjoy snacks and drinks while you make friends and get to the real important stuff.
In-Person Class: Asian Dumplings | Thursday, Nov. 2 | 6 p.m. | The Bistro at SpringHill Suites, 1800 Yale Ave., Seattle | $59 | Learn how to make dumpling dough and three different filling types.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Sports

The Seahawks’ defense is getting a boost. Yesterday, the team traded two draft picks to the New York Giants for defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The veteran pass rusher has 40 sacks in his career and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2016.

Transit

Local Android users will soon be able to store their ORCA card information on Google Wallet and use the app for payments. The exact timing for the rollout is unclear. ORCA has not announced immediate plans for offering the same service on Apple products. (GeekWire)

Coming Soon

West African food pop-up Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen is opening its first restaurant in First Hill. Owner Tina Fahnbulleh said the menu will feature dishes she remembers from her childhood like waakyè, a rice and black-eyed peas dish. She hopes to open the new space in November. (Capitol Hill Seattle)

Closing

Ballard virtual reality arcade Portal VR is powering down. The owners cited financial strain from the pandemic as reasons for their decision to close the business located at 2601 NW Market St. The arcade’s last day will be on Monday, Nov. 20. (My Ballard)

Ranked

Well, this sucks, but according to a new study by LawnLove, Seattle is only the ninth best city in the US for vampires behind cities like Columbus, Ohio and Houston, Texas. While factors like lair safety and food + drink quality were used to make the ranking, obviously no one watched “Twilight”.

Outdoors

Dam — a new beaver family in Carkeek Park may cause some problems for the local chum salmon population. The beavers’ biggest dam has grown so wide it could present an obstacle for the salmon, which are set to return + spawn soon. (Seattle Times)

Fun Fact

Do you speak Chinese? Many in Seattle do, it turns out. That’s because it’s the most spoken language after English and Spanish both in Seattle and throughout Washington. Might be a good time to brush up on your Chinese.

Beauty

Looking for an unbelievably close shave? Try Meridian Trimmers, engineered to empower individuals of all genders to achieve flawless grooming. Get 15% off a one-time purchase with code “6AM.”*

Film

🍿 Pass the popcorn

Win all-access passes to SIFF’s Cinema Italian Style film festival

Want to enjoy a week around Italy without the long flight? In partnership with SIFF, we’re giving away an Italian film-lovers’ dream — a pair of all-access passes to the Cinema Italian Style film festival.

One lucky reader who enters our giveaway will receive:

A $100 gift certificate to Tutta Bella (fill up on local pizza and espresso)
All-access to the entire Cinema Italian Style festival for two (that’s a total of 15 films — a $350 value)
VIP tickets to the Welcome Party and Opening Film (think drinks, dancing, and a thought-provoking drama)

The festival begins Thursday, Nov. 9 and runs through Thursday, Nov. 16. All films will be screened at SIFF Cinema Uptown.

To enter, all you need to do is fill out a form that takes ~30 seconds to complete.

The winner will be announced on Monday, Nov. 6th. Stay tuned.

Enter to win

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Alina

From the editor

If you’re in need of a rake or leaf blower to start cleaning up your yard, don’t forget to check with your local tool library before buying something outright. By borrowing one of theirs, you’ll be saving money and the need for storage space.

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