Dori Monson: Phinneywood, get some real monkeys

After hearing about “festive monkeys” arriving in the Phinney Ridge and Greenwood neighborhoods for the holidays, KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson was excited.

“I’m thinking if there is a neighborhood and if I go there with my wife to do a little shopping and there’s a chance of little monkeys jumping around,” Dori said, “I’m in.”

The monkeys, part of a plan to attract shoppers to the area, were getting some coverage in the media. But after seeing the full reports, Monson was very disappointed to learn what the monkey headlines were really all about.

“It’s a bunch of Christmas lights in the outline of a monkey shape that they’ve hung all over the street,” Dori said. “There are no actual monkeys.”

The 150 monkeys illuminated along Greenwood and Phinney Avenues were organized by the Phinney Neighborhood Association, Greenwood Arts Council and supported by a City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund Small and Simple award.

Organizer Mike Veitenhans offered KING 5 an explanation of why they chose monkeys.

“Why monkeys? Well you’re asking about the monkeys and not asking about the white lights in Ballard, so it’s a little provocative. It’s also recognizing our neighbor [the Woodland Park Zoo] up the street.”

But Dori thought real monkeys would have been a much more provocative attraction for holiday shoppers.

“Hey Phinneywood,” said Dori, “forget about outlines of monkeys. We’ve seen reindeer outlines at Christmastime. That’s not going to do it. Get some real monkeys.”