Just when you think you've heard the last of Northwest Noir, this region's Twin Peaks approach to life, another off-the-wall scheme surfaces.

Take Bill Uznay's plan.

Uznay, proprietor of Hanover Cheesecake, a wholesale bakery in Fremont, has plans for Fremont's statue of Lenin (the larger-than-life bronze figure, a relic from the Cold War, occupies a pie-shaped plot on North 35th Street).

"I'd like to see someone install a cash machine next to Lenin," says Uznay. "So far, I have called four banks, but none is willing to consider it."

(Part of the reluctance of the banks may stem from Uznay's notion that the machine should be installed on Lenin's backside.)

But Uznay thinks the symbolism, the meeting of a toppled communist icon and the capitalist cash-machine society, would draw attention to Fremont.

Well, he's certainly right about that last part.

Rite stuff: At the Pike Place Public Market, they're planning a folksy Veterans Day observance. Festivities begin at noon tomorrow under the clock.

The market's honorary mayor, Michael Yaeger, will handle the speechifying; jazz-club owner Patti Summers will sing, and a pair of World War II veterans will be honored. The vets, regulars at the Pike Place Senior Center, are Francis Troy, once a prisoner of war, and Alfred Leonard, who served as a Navajo code talker.

In honor of Veterans Day, market-style, fishmongers at Pike Place Fish will toss a fish - a salmon holding a U.S. flag in its teeth.

On location: The filmed-in-Seattle "Frasier" episode, complete with Seattle Mayor Norm Rice in a cameo role, airs at 9 p.m. tomorrow night, and local hot spots are organizing "Frasier"-watching parties.

One fan sure to be tuned in is photographer Ralph Widman, who sells scenic prints at the Pike Place Market. When the "Frasier" cast was in town, Widman sold a print of the Space Needle to Peri Gilpin (she plays Roz, the radio producer on "Frasier").

Widman not only recognized Gilpin, but discovered they're both from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The framed print, incidentally, has become part of the "Frasier" set. Look for it behind Roz's control panel.

Action report: Spotted around noon last Thursday was John Curley, KING-TV's "Evening Magazine" action reporter. A visibly agitated Curley was standing curbside on Fourth Avenue beside the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel.

He spotted a break in the traffic and sprinted directly across the street.

Was he being taped?

No. As it turns out, he was making a run for his car, parked at an expired meter on the opposite side of Fourth. Curley reached it seconds ahead of the parking-enforcement officer.

Nonskinny: The arrival of the first eggnog latte in Seattle is a watershed event akin to the return of the swallows to Capistrano on St. Joseph's Day, March 19.

In recent years, the nonskinny coffee drink has made its first appearance around Thanksgiving. This year, they're everywhere. Order one at your local supermarket, at the mini-mart or even at a drive-through espresso in Ballard.

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