A Bad Year For Wacky Landmarks

This past year took its toll on Seattle landmarks. The Jell-O Mold Building on Western Avenue, the purple-and-green structure festooned with gelatin molds, came tumbling down in August. Taking its place: a seven-story commercial and residential structure.

November brought the demolition of the Blob, that sand castle on steroids at Queen Anne Avenue North and Roy Street. The free-form structure, which had housed a succession of restaurants, was the dreamchild of a Los Angeles businessman who designed it to look like a Mediterranean palace.

The parcel now belongs to Vancouver, B.C., developer Ronald Issacs, who plans to build a four-story complex.

This tear-it-down impetus paves the path to progress. But alas, it seems as if the city is losing some of its daft, off-center personality.

Purists now need to defend the few remaining, only-in-Seattle structures, odd architectural gems like the old Hat 'N Boots Service Station at East Marginal Way South and Corson Avenue South.

Some hope lies in Microsoft-co-founder Paul Allen's Experience Music Project, now under construction at Seattle Center. The Frank Gehry-designed structure looks like a rock band sounds.

But, as Seattle's Bill Trimingham points out, "(The Blob) could have been painted some bilious color and named the Paul Allen tribute to Jimi Hendrix. No one would have known the difference."

Having a ball: How do you celebrate a 75th birthday? Renton resident Darcy Jacobsen, 25, knew exactly what her grandmother, Lois Jacobsen, wanted on her 75th birthday. So she wrote asking a favor of Bjorn Bayley, co-owner of Ikea, the home-furnishings store near Southcenter.

"What my grandmother wants is a chance to play in the kids' ballroom," wrote Darcy, referring to the child-care center at the entrance to the store.

Bayley, charmed by the idea, made the necessary arrangements. When the store closed last Wednesday, family members arrived with the unsuspecting Lois. The family and 25 members of the Ikea staff then surprised her, singing "Happy Birthday" and welcoming her to the ballroom.

Lois was in kid heaven. First she cavorted around alone. Then she was joined by her husband, granddaughter and a 2-year-old great-grandchild. Four generations playing together showed that (to borrow from Northwest author Tom Robbins): "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."

All ears: Not to name-drop, but when entertainer Bernadette Peters ("Broadway Baby") comes to the Paramount Theatre Wednesday to do a benefit for Bridges, a new repertory theater, she'll bring along her drummer, Cubby O'Brien.

Does the name ring a bell? It does if you were once a member of the M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E Club. O'Brien is one of the original Mouseketeers.

Faux to the max: A holiday gift idea comes from a friend who just returned from the East Coast. She spent part of the five-hour flight reading the fine print in the airline gift catalog.

Her find: pearl earrings. The catalog says they're "faux pearls on a genuine glass core."

Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Local News section of The Times. Her phone message number is 206-464-8300. Her e-mail address is: jgod-new@seatimes.com