Plastic bags in the local supermarket might be a thing of the past very soon in Seattle.

For those who shop at PCC, that won’t change much. PCC doesn’t offer plastic bags and has thrown its support behind the City of Seattle’s proposed ordinance to prohibit retailers from using single-use plastic carryout bags as of July 1, 2012.

However, places like Marketime, Fred Meyer, 7-11 and many other Fremont-area stores could be affected.

The proposal also includes a 5-cent surcharge on paper bags. The idea is of course to get shoppers to rely on reusable cloth bags more often.

The Seattle City Council will be holding a public hearing on the proposal tonight at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in Council Chambers at Seattle City Hall (600 Fourth Ave.).

The sad news of missing PCC employee Jeff Johnson may have reached an even sadder conclusion. According to KING 5 news, a body has been found in Carkeek Park and friends believe it is Jeff.

PCC workers and some of Johnson’s loved ones began the park search at 2:30 p.m. They notified police of the discovery, and are waiting for positive identification.

According to investigaors, there is no sign of criminal activity.

While the question of how or why Jeff ended up in the park is the biggest one, another question is on the minds of a lot of Seattlites. Why weren’t local police more diligent in the search for Jeff?

“Police just don’t look for people like that,” a frustrated Busse says. “When it comes to adult missing people, they just assume they’ve taken off.”

Update 4, 9/1: Here’s a large image of the flyer so you can print it out, courtesy of Chris. If anyone is able to create an even bigger version, please send our way and I’ll post.

Update 3, 8/31: KING5 did a news story on Jeff last night…

“His wife says there were no signs of foul play in Johnson’s car, and no activity with his bank accounts. She also says his cell  phone wasn’t on him when he disappeared. “

Update 2: Jeff’s wife left a comment with an update on the car in the park.

He has not visited the park to my knowledge very often if ever. He is also not disabled etc. We think the truck was dumped there, but are not sure whether it was Fri, Sat or Sun am. The truck was found by seattle police Sun @10:00 am. Also not sure whrn gates are open and closed each day and if that happens on a regular basis. Any info about the park in that regard would be helpful. Thanks for your concern

Update 1:According to commenter mb, Jeff’s truck was found in Carkeek Park (950 NW Carkeek Park Rd) on Sunday 8/28 but Jeff is still missing.

Original: PCC employee Jeff Johnson apparently left home to go to work on 8/26 and never made it. Jeff almost always works the early shift and opens up the store. Friends and family have begun posting flyers all over town hoping someone might know where Jeff is and where he’s been since then:

Leo writes in with some details about Jeff

At 6′ 2″, 200 pounds,a walrus mustache, and friendly as the day is long, Jeff is hard to miss. The flyer has details about his truck including the license plate number. I think it said he was in his fifties. He usually parks his white pickup in the Fremont neighborhood while working at the store. He has worked for PCC for quite a while. Anyone having info can contact Fremont PCC or other number on the flyer.  Everyone hopes he is okay.

We’ll keep you updated, let us know if you hear any developments as well.

The Puget Sound Blood Center is in need of donors during the summer and especially following the 4^th of July weekend.   With a decrease in donations during the holiday weekend and an increase in accidents, they could use help maintaining a stable blood supply.

The Bloodmobile will be parked next to PCC on Evanston on July 5th between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Stop by anytime except between 1-2 p.m. and donate if you can. You can save 3 lives with less than an hour of your time. Volunteered blood is distributed to 70 local hospitals and clinics in the Puget Sound area.

For more information, please contact 1-800-DONATE-1 or visit www.psbc.org.

Things seem to have calmed down recently but there was a time about 2-3 months ago when walking to PCC was a lot like navigating an obstacle course. The obstacles, it felt like, were the never-ending deluge of street canvassers, clipboard-toters and donation-seekers that seemed perpetually lined up, just waiting to chat with you.

Now, almost all of them were doing so for good causes and are to be commended for having a belief in something so strong that you’d approach strangers on the street and attempt to convince them to join you in your fight (unless, of course, they’re just paid to do so regardless of the cause, and in that case, less commendation is in order). We all have issues and ideas that are important to us, and most often money is needed to make those ideas a reality. I get it.

But still…as someone who often just wants to get into PCC, buy my Zevia soda and organic string cheese and get back home, seeing five canvassers with clipboards staring directly at me with the intention of delaying my string cheese consumption one after another is just too much.

Dominic Holden at The Stranger seems to have an even stronger opinion on the matter and he’s come up with a solution for folks who want to bypass the whole process without having to interface with canvassers any more than they have to. He’s created these handouts as a half-joke, half-not-a-bad-idea-actually for days when you really do want to save the whales, but not the day after you already told them you don’t have any money and you already donated to save the whales online.

Image: The Stranger

Carrying on a tradition began by Fred Rogers in 1997, PCC Natural Markets and KCTS 9 are teaming up for the annual Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood  Sweater Drive.  Beginning Monday, January 11, through Sunday, February 7, collection bins will be stationed at all nine PCC locations, including Fremont (600 N. 34th St), as well as inside the KCTS station lobby.  Items will benefit Wellspring Family Services, which helps thousands of families in need in Seattle and King County.  The organization can really use children’s clothing but any new or clean, gently used sweaters and coats are appreciated.  For a complete list of PCC locations, click here.