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Bethesda Lululemon Murder Case Takes Bizarre Turn

19 Mar

Along with many other present and former residents of Bethesda, I was shocked to hear of the murder of Jayna Murray, who died last Friday inside the Lululemon store on Bethesda Row. That evening, Murray and Brittany Norwood returned to the store after closing to retrive a forgotten item. According to Norwood, two masked men then entered the store, tied her up, sexually assaulted both women and somehow killed Murrary during the struggle.

Turns out, none of it was true. Police found no evidence of sexual assault from the two women, noted inconsistencies with Norwood’s story, searched her car and began to consider her a suspect. After they found just two sets of footprints in the store, Norwood became the prime suspect. They now believe she faked her injuries to avoid detection.

The crime rattled the usually crime-free affluent D.C. suburb. Witnesses now claim to have heard both women arguing the night of the crime. Norwood will appear in court soon.

Lululemon murder scene.

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John McCardell Bucks Another Trend, Lowers Tuition at Sewanee

17 Feb

Sewanee will cut tuition by 10 percent

The University of the South, commonly known as Sewanee, will decrease tuition by 10 percent for the upcoming school year, becoming the first significant private university to do so in recent memory.

“Higher education is on the verge of pricing itself beyond the reach of more and more families,” John M. McCardell Jr., the school’s Vice Chancellor (and, incidentally, my former college professor and advisor at Middlebury) said, in a press release.

He told the New York Times, “Given the realities of higher education in the current economy, we believe that some college or university needed to step up and say, ‘Enough.’”

Students will see the college’s $46,000 annual price tag drop by 10 percent next year. The school can afford the measure, and hopes to expand its national profile and become more competitive with regional colleges that have been siphoning students away from Sewanee.

Gawker, in reporting the news, wrote “This moderate price cut at an otherwise unremarkable regional college earned stories in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.” Pretty smart move, huh?

 

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Review: Sitka and Spruce

16 Feb

So, I had read lots of wonderful things about Sitka & Spruce before actually eating there myself. Lots of reviewers thought it was pretty much amazing. Now, admittedly, it’s the type of place I would like. Nestled in the rear of the new Melrose Market, the restaurant is the anchor of a building devoted to seasonal, local ingredients. There’s a butcher shop, flower shop and sandwich place all offering local, delicious things to eat. But the restaurant is the real star.

We picked a bit of an odd time to come. Valentine’s night, for one. Sitka and Spruce is not usually open on Mondays, but they’ve made an exception over the recent weeks for taco nights, which feature Mexico City-style tacos. The restaurant space itself is tiny, so it added to the casual feel of the evening. Much like Fremont’s Revel, the space has a large butcher table that both chefs and customers utilize. You get to watch everything that’s going on in the kitchen.

For starters, we selected guacamole and chips. Chunky, and delicious (Darcy liked it even more than I did). The tacos themselves were delicious (I opted for the flank steak, while Darcy had tacos al pastor). I thought both were good, and seemed really authentic. Nothing was overly pretentious. The food was simple, but showcased superior ingredients.

Complimented by really kind and friendly staff, the restaurant totally lived up to the hype I’d heard about it. With a menu that changes daily, I’m excited to go back and experience something completely different. Check it out, fellow Seattleites.

Inside Melrose Market's Sitka and Spruce

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Snickerdoodles!

15 Feb

Last night, Darcy and I decided to make some snickerdoodle cookies (for no reason in particular). For a recipe, we consulted with Foodista…

Amish Snickerdoodles

Watch the cookies take shape…

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough

The dough almost looks good enough to eat as is

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough

You form the dough into 1 inch balls, which are then rolled in cinnamon-sugar

Warm Snickerdoodle Cookies

8 minutes later... perfection and delicious snickerdoodle cookies

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New Jobs

13 Feb

That’s right. I’m on to new adventures, splitting my time between two new internships.

1) Foodista.com: Check it out. This awesome website is attempting to become the “wikipedia” of food. I’m working as a blogger for them, utilizing my love of food news and the food movement to craft blog posts on a daily basis. Check out my foodista profile here. And check up on the status of my blog posts as often as you can stand.

2) Seattle Business Magazine: I’m now an editorial assistant at the Seattle Business Magazine. It’s a small, local magazine that comes out monthly. It focuses on business issues (obviously). My primary responsibilities include fact-checking, researching for other stories, blog posts and writing my own stories (first story pitches are due next week).

Should be lots of fun! I’m excited.

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