The recession’s latest casualty: The Halogen Gallery (2316 Second Ave.), which closes on Dec. 18. Owners Beau and Rebekah Simensen said they “have appreciated all of the support we have received this last year. We are looking forward to finding other ways to contribute to the art scene, Seattle and beyond, in the coming years. Thanks for everything!”

Halogen’s last show is a group exhibit called “Astatine,” named after the Periodic Table’s rarest naturally-occurring element.
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The Punk Rock Flea Market returns to Belltown on Dec. 5, opening at noon in the Underground Events Center, 2407 First Ave. Over 60 vendors will offer handmade clothes, gifts, snacks, and knickknacks, plus used books, records, stereo gear, housewares, and baby goods. The $1 admission fee includes a 21-and-over concert at 8 p.m. featuring Hungry Cow Sideshow, the Variables, Mexican UFO, and DJ Port-a-Party.
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Street Bean Espresso is a new nonprofit coffeehouse at Third and Cedar. (It’s in the same building as Kroll Map Co., which has donated the space for a year.)

Belltown’s New Horizon Ministries started Street Bean to provide job training and employment for “young adults working to exit street life.” Each employee receives four weeks of barista training and can work at Street Bean for up to two years. According to executive director Linda Ruthruff, “100 percent of the profit from every beverage and pastry you buy helps young people leave the streets behind.”

It’s currently open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri., with weekend hours to be added later.
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Fifteen years after Rwanda sank into genocide (one million killed in 100 days), Western Avenue-based filmmakers Tracy and Greg Stone went with a film crew to explore how the African nation’s citizens are rebuilding their lives.

Their documentary, Wounded Healers, premieres Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. at the SIFF Cinema in Seattle Center. It depicts three Rwandans (including two staffers for the Stones’ nonprofit group, Rwanda Partners) and “their post-genocide journey through the stages of hurt, hate, and healing.”

The film’s trailer is at woundedhealers.org.
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Another Belltown-connected documentary, Turning Points, has been produced by the Real Change newspaper. It premieres Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave. NW. The 40-minute video was made by Real Change vendors, staff, and volunteers. Its subjects include “The incredible potential that lies within each of us” and “the healing power of community.”

Later this month, Real Change street vendors will sell the video on $6 DVDs.
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Should Belltown look more like Bellevue? Kate Joncas, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, thinks so.

She said this at a Nov. 18 meeting of the Belltown Community Council, while making another request for Belltown property owners to join the Metropolitan Improvement District  (MID). That’s a City-organized scheme in which downtown property owners pay a special tax levy to support janitorial workers, bicycle “ambassadors,” and other services. Several times since 2004, Belltown property owners have declined to either join the MID or establish their own.

At the BCC meeting, Joncas said Belltown retailers need the MID’s cleanup services in order to compete with Bellevue Square. But, as Cydney Gillis writes at SeattlePI.com’s “Inside Belltown” blog, many remained skeptical. Gillis quotes Belltown Inn general manager Brian Zaugg, “We have a staff of 20-odd people (and) do all our sweeping. We don’t need to pay another $12,000 a year to have somebody sweep up cigarette butts. We do that.”

Also at the meeting, City Councilmember Tim Burgess (a MID advocate) said he had no immediate plans to make Belltown join the MID via City legislation.
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The one-story retail structure at Third and Battery, which had housed the Free Sheep Foundation art space (and, years before, the Exotique Imports record store) was razed in November on behalf of landlord Martin Selig. Selig plans to put up a three-story commercial structure there, but will use the land for parking until the real-estate market improves.