A Mystery Wrap Man Hits Wedgwood. Ospreys Take Over Dahl Park.

Happy Tuesday!

This time of year, the end of the summer always seems to surprise me — or perhaps it's the fact it's nearly the start of school. (Fingers crossed that Seattle Public Schools stays on schedule this week.)

🌯 First, a mysterious prank making the rounds: a postcard has been circulating around NE 94th St about someone calling himself Arthur Bruntzle, allegedly going door-to-door handing out free honey mustard chicken wraps — no explanation given, no payment accepted, chicken supposedly "tested at a lab" per the postcard itself. Turns out we're not even special: the same postcard has surfaced in North Carolina, so this is some kind of prank template going around, not a Wedgwood original. Readers have still had fun poking holes in the local version — one neighbor tracked down the listed return address and reported live from the scene that it doesn't exist.

🦅 Random fact of the week: if you've walked past Dahl Park lately, you may have noticed a very large nest perched on the light towers over the athletic fields. The nest belongs to a pair of ospreys (not eagles as some viewers guessed) and they've been spotted flying in and out feeding their young all season. Apparently ospreys love a good light tower (they're also nesting at UW and Nathan Hale). If you want eagles instead, the Union Bay Natural Area is your best bet. Happy birding!

🏈 One more for tonight: the season finale of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks airs at 6pm PT on HBO Max — final roster cuts and the last preseason tune-up before the real thing starts Sept 9. If you missed last week's episode, it's worth catching up on: Coach Mike Macdonald gave an emotional tribute to his late mentor O.J. Brigance, and rookie DT Uso Seumalo apparently brought the house down with a talent-show rendition of "No Woman, No Cry."

🚴 Also worth noting: Saturday, Sept 12 marks the 55th anniversary of the Burke-Gilman Hike-In — the grassroots event that helped push the Burke-Gilman Trail into existence back in 1971. Fittingly, UW just announced $16 million in state funding to rebuild a rough stretch of the trail near campus, so the thing those original hikers fought for is still getting better more than five decades later. The anniversary celebration is at Matthews Beach Park (and free!) — more details below.

Here's what else is going on close to home this week.

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It’s back to school season and it’s the perfect time to clean-up your car. Now that you’re wrapping your summer trips, it’s time to prepare for the fall. Given how much we spend in our cars, I highly recommend a good detail (especially the interior!) and I love Seattle Mobile Detailing. They came right to our house, took their time with both the interior and exterior, and never once made it feel rushed. The result was a car that looked (and felt) brand new. They've got 700+ five-star reviews and serve the greater Seattle area — the whole point is convenience, so you don't drive anywhere, you don't wait anywhere. If your car could use a little love, book an appointment here and use code: SEATTLE10 for 10% off!

🎶 All Voices: A Multigenerational Choir — Fall Session — Sundays, 3:30–5pm, starting Sept 13 (10 weeks: 9 rehearsals + 1 performance) — Seattle Waldorf School, 2728 NE 100th Street

Open to any vocal ability, any age (best for kids 5+) — sing with a live band alongside friends and family in a multigenerational setting. Learn more here! This will be the sixth session for All Voices, with the fall term tuition at $200 for one voice and $500 for three (scholarships available). All Voices is offering a free trial rehearsal on Sunday, 9/13 if you'd like to see what they are about! The season wraps with a performance at the Magnuson Park Theatre on 11/15.

🚴 55th Anniversary of the Burke-Gilman Hike-In — Sat, Sept 12, 9am–3pm — Matthews Beach Park, 5100 NE 93rd St

Celebrate a Northwest Legacy: Join cyclists, walkers, families, and neighbors to honor the original 1971 “Hike‑In” — the grassroots action that helped create the Burke‑Gilman Trail we treasure today.   You are encouraged to ride your bicycle or hike in with friends and family. Bus Route 75 stops on Sand Point Way adjacent to Matthews Beach. This free public event is a celebration of the seminal event in the creation of the Burke-Gilman exactly 55 years after the original. → Event details

🚴 Related: UW just announced $16 million in state funding to rebuild the stretch of Burke-Gilman between Rainier Vista and NE 47th St — the narrower, root-heaved section east of campus that's long been a rough ride. Expect wider paths, separated bike/pedestrian lanes, better lighting, and improved drainage, with construction starting Spring 2027. Timed nicely with the anniversary above.→ Read more from UW

🎨 Nature Walk with Rec'n the Streets — Thu, Sept 3, 11am–12:30pm — Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery (meet outside the funeral home, W side of Aurora)

A free guided walk through one of the neighborhood's quieter, greener corners. Meet at the funeral home on the west side of Aurora.

🐝 Lower Maple Leaf Block Party — Thu, Sept 3, 5–9pm — 11th Ave NE & NE 78th St

Come check out the newly repainted bee mural in the intersection and stick around for the party: food donated by Mojito, live music from The Unoriginals Band, free drinks, the YAY ice cream truck (treats for purchase), and games for kids. Everyone's welcome.

🏈 Reminder! Apple Cup — Washington Huskies vs. Washington State — Sun, Sept 6, 1pm (NBC) — Husky Stadium

UW opens its 2026 season at home against Washington State in the 118th Apple Cup. Not this week, but close enough that it's worth planning around if you're headed near campus that Sunday — expect stadium traffic and a packed light rail. → Full 2026 Husky football schedule

💆 Body Collective Massage Studio — 2nd Anniversary Open House — Sat, Sept 12, 3–7pm — 3240 NE 45th St (Bryant/Laurelhurst)

Ann opened Body Collective two years ago as a women-owned therapeutic massage and bodywork studio, and she's marking the anniversary with an open house: complimentary 15-minute chair massages, studio tours, a raffle for a free 60-minute massage, a chance to meet the therapists, and light refreshments. She'll also be sharing some special treatment deals for the month at the event. A couple weeks out, but worth putting on the calendar now. → Visit Body Collective

Something happening in the neighborhood? I want to know about it! Submit your event here. I review submissions each week before sending.

Most highway construction pauses for the holiday weekend, but the Ship Canal Bridge lane reduction sticks around regardless. If you're heading to the ferries, plan around the worst crunch: westbound (onto an island) Thu–Fri, Sept 3–4, and eastbound (departing an island) Sun–Mon, Sept 6–7. Toll rates on the 99 tunnel, 509 Expressway, and 520 bridge stay in effect through the holiday.

🥞 Cafe Javasti (Wedgwood) — 8617 35th Ave NE (also a Maple Leaf location at 8410 5th Ave NE)

A birthday last week reminded me it was time to write this one up. Their coffee is genuinely great — I'm an Americano drinker, and it's never once disappointed me. But the real draw is the crepes: my kids go straight for the Nutella banana + strawberries (extra whip, obviously), and I always end up with the savory one — tapenade and arugula, specifically. It's been open on 35th since 2001, and it still feels like exactly what a neighborhood cafe should be. I love that it is always hopping and reminds me that we have a vibrant community.

That new bee mural in Maple Leaf (11th Ave NE & NE 78th St) isn't a city commission — it's from SDOT's intersection painting program, which lets any neighborhood group apply for a free permit to paint a mural at a non-arterial intersection. A few rules apply (no stop-sign intersections, no words or logos, no copyrighted designs), but otherwise it's remarkably open-ended. If your block has an intersection just begging for some color, it might be worth a look.

→ How to apply

In case you missed them — a few guides worth bookmarking:

🥡 NE Seattle's Takeout Roundup — neighborhood by neighborhood, the order-ahead spots that keep coming up over and over in our house

🎂 Where to Host a Kids Birthday Party Near NE Seattle: 17 Venues — from our backyard to worth-the-drive

🌃 Date Night in Northeast Seattle — restaurants, bars, and spots worth staying out for

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