As I briefly describe in Drunk of the Week, there was somewhat of a "clownpocalypse" in Belltown on Sunday. Red noses aside, the real purpose of the unexpected clown party was to collect signatures to present at a meeting yesterday with Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board. The signatures were to try to save the 125-year-old building that's home to the Wayne Apartments, the Lava Lounge, and the Belltown Studios. AND THE BEST NEWS—landmark status was granted!

While Shorty's Pinball isn't technically on the newly landmarked property, housing developers usually need to bulldoze an entire city block to build their big, fancy high-rises. KIRO7 has an excellent video of yesterday's meeting at City Hall. It looks like, for now at least, Belltown's best block can remain the same "Belltown" that I, and hundreds of other FRICKIN' CLOWNS, know and love. Look at all these photos...