West Seattle, Washington
12 Friday
Thanks to the unidentified Electric Train Shop fan who just called to point this out to us: The Junction business has published an announcement on its website – it’s closing in about a month and moving to Burien. The writeup blames the impending move of the state liquor store (reported here in February) for a domino effect forcing the move.
Since Zippy’s Giant Burgers owner Blaine Cook told us last week that today would be the “best-case scenario” for opening the bigger new restaurant in White Center, we just checked back with a visit to the opening-soon location (9614 14th SW). Sadly, a few things still aren’t ready (hot-water heater trouble, for example) so he tells WSB it’ll be at least a few more days.
(Photo courtesy William Khazaal, pictured with son Gabriel)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Inspired by the success of West Seattle for Japan, the multi-business quake-relief benefit organized by West 5‘s Dave Montoure, another communitywide fundraising effort is in the works, and seeking more participants.
It’s World MS Day Seattle on May 25th, and while is meant to be citywide, it is West Seattle-born, and so far, most of the participants are from WS and White Center.
World MS Day Seattle is the brainchild of a West Seattleite, 36-year-old William Khazaal. If his name sounds familiar – maybe that’s because his family runs the popular Alki restaurant Phoenecia.
For William, it’s not just an idea – it’s for the fight of his life, as well as millions of others.
Right about the same time his dad died, William not only was studying at the University of Washington business school, and subsequently using his skills to help his mom and sisters reopen Phoenecia in early 2010, he was dealing with having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And all along the way, he was also busy as father of two sons, his now-almost-6-year-old, Gabriel, pictured with him atop this story, and Blakely, who is approaching 3.)
With all that, he barely had time to stop and think about what the diagnosis meant.
Thanks to everyone who’s asked about the fire/police response to Seacrest late this morning. A diver got into trouble – but there’s more to the story, as you can see in the photo above, shared by Roger. King County Department of Transportation spokesperson Rochelle Ogershok confirms that as the Rachel Marie was pulling into Seacrest, one of their crew members spotted “someone waving in the water, as though they were in trouble. When they got closer, they could see something was wrong. So the deckhand jumped into the water,” and managed to get the diver out of the water. The Coast Guard was called, and they along with other authorities took over. We know Seattle Fire units responded and are waiting for official word from them; WSB contributor Katie Meyer says scanner traffic at the time indicated the diver was described as a man around 50, believed to have been in distress after a rapid ascent. We’ll add any more information we get about his status.
ADDED 5:31 PM: SFD didn’t have additional information about the diver, aside from the same info we reported above. However, there’s a bit more about the heroism. KCDOT hadn’t heard about this just yet when we called – but now they’ve put together an entire news release:
King County employees participated in the rescue of a distressed scuba diver Tuesday morning as the Rachel Marie water taxi pulled away from the Seacrest Dock for their regularly scheduled 11 a.m. sailing. Several passengers witnessed the rescue operation.
“This rescue is yet another example of our county employees’ deep commitment to public service and their instinct to go beyond the call of duty,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “I thank the crew of the Rachel Marie for their good work, and I wish the diver a speedy recovery.”
Shortly into the trip across Elliott Bay, the ship’s crew noticed a diver who appeared to be in distress. The boat captain, Neal Amaral, maneuvered the vessel close to the diver as he called for assistance over the radio. Crew member Aaron Barnett [county photo at right], quickly dressed in an onboard rescue suit, jumped into the water, and assisted the diver. Barnett was in the water for about 10 minutes while the diver was maneuvered into a sling.
“We knew what we had to do when we saw him. There was no other option,” said Barnett, the deckhand who dove into the water to assist the diver. “We all worked together as a team. I just happened to be the one who went in the water, but the whole crew pulled together to help him. I’m just glad we saw him, and we hope he’s okay.”
The Seattle Port Police responded to the radio call in their vessel, and they, along with the Coast Guard, were able to get the diver to land and to the hospital for medical care. His condition is unknown at this time.
“I commend the entire crew of the Rachel Marie for their quick-thinking and heroic actions this morning,” Ferry District Chair Joe McDermott said. “Their actions and those of the Coast Guard and Port Police helped to secure a successful rescue.”
Barnett and Captain Amaral are both former U.S. Coast Guard members. Barnett plans to graduate from the University of Washington this spring with a graduate degree in Marine Affairs.
Another business expanding to West Seattle from the north end has just announced its opening date. We first told you three months ago that Breathe Hot Yoga was coming to Link (WSB sponsor; 38th and Alaska in The Triangle); this morning Breathe announced it’s opening this Thursday (May 12), with free classes at 4 pm, 5:15 pm and 6:30 pm that day (the first two taught by proprietor Amber Borgomainerio), and the regular class schedule starting this Friday.
A few updates, with the 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day just four days away! This Saturday (May 14th), 257 sales big and small all over West Seattle.
MAP UPDATE: The online map has been out for a few days, linked from the sidebar as well as from its own tab in our top navigation (look for Garage Sale Map – here is the direct link). You can also see it full-screen-width at the site of the company we wound up using after Google Maps, for the first time in four years, proved overtaxed by 250-plus listings (scrambling the map after they were entered, oh well!) – so go here to see that version (be sure to choose VIEW then LIST to get the numbers and address list on the right). Benefits of this new map program – you can print individual listings (click on a listing on the list, and the info bubble that opens will have a print icon, as well as a way to plot directions); it still has Google Maps-type controls, for zooming in/out, etc. However, we’ve had to reinvent the way we make the PRINTABLE map, so that is not quite done but we should have it linked here sometime this evening.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC? WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR SALE? Go join the conversation on the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day page on Facebook, where both of the above have been happening – between buyers and sellers. We also invite you to use this for uploading photos on sale day. We still have the official website but FB works in this case, if you use it, for faster interaction directly between participants.
WANT TO JOIN IN? Registration closed two weeks ago BUT there are a few spaces left at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW; WSB sponsor) – 10 x 10, e-mail lora@hotwirecoffee.com or drop by the shop – and VFW Post #2713 (3601 SW Alaska) group sites (e-mail rzuber@clearwire.net OR just show up on Saturday morning, he expects there to be some room left). Lora also says that if you have items you’d just like to give to somebody to sell, you can drop them off (gently used) at Hotwire 7 am-7 pm this week and Animals First Foundation would be glad to have them for their Hotwire table.
Remember that most of The Viaduct is closed for most of Saturday, so there’s an extra reason not to leave West Seattle – just stay and shop (if you’re not among the sellers). But still encourage friends, relatives, co-workers to come on over – I-5, 1st Avenue South, etc., are not that tough to navigate! Again this year, we’re promoting WSCGSD outside West Seattle as well, in hopes folks will show up, shop, and then enjoy lunch (maybe even dinner) at our awesome local restaurants.
(Baby robin in Junction-area nest; photo by Katie Meyer)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, some of today’s highlights:
SBX ARRIVES: Vigor (formerly Todd) Shipyard on Harbor Island repairs/rehabs/builds a wide variety of vessels, but the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) scheduled to arrive tonight for 3 months of work might be the most unusual one yet. We’ve previewed it here, here, and here; if you want to track its progress through Puget Sound, you can use marinetraffic.com (as of this writing, it’s approaching Port Angeles, at 6 knots).
COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: It’s scheduled for a briefing this morning on the city’s Transit Master Plan – see the briefing document here. The politics site PubliCola previewed it, noting that West Seattle’s light-rail prospects may not be so rosy since WS appears to rate low in the rating criteria for an ideal such corridor. Other agenda items include a bicycle/pedestrian plan presentation (see the document here) with nothing conspicuously showcased from our side of the bay. The committee meeting will be on Seattle Channel (seattlechannel.org, or cable 21) live at 9:30 am.
WESTSIDE SYMPHONY IN CONCERT: This group from the West Seattle Community Orchestras performs Bach and Beethoven selections in concert at Chief Sealth International High School‘s auditorium (2600 SW Thistle Street), 7 pm – here’s our preview with dress-rehearsal video from last night.
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: The Summer Concerts at Hiawatha lineup, City Council candidate Michael Taylor-Judd, and the debut of the new Admiral stickers are part of the agenda at the Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, Admiral Church basement meeting room (California/Hill), 7 pm
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Fauntleroy Community Association monthly board meeting, schoolhouse (9131 California SW), 7 pm.
NEW HOURS FOR HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE: The new weekly clinic at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden) has changed hours to 2-6 pm Tuesdays and will have live (soothing) music today too.
(Shared by a WSB’er during November 2010 snow woes)
Almost half a year has passed since our one notable night of snow last fall/winter. It may be long gone, but not forgotten by some, as evidenced by this note we received and were asked to share:
I need your help. Forgive the dates as this is pretty old but I am having a little trouble at work. I am a Metro bus driver and during the fall shakeup we were hit with the storm that snarled traffic for hours on 11/22/2010. I was driving the 54 leaving 3rd and Pike @ 418p. Four and half hours later we arrived safely at The Junction.
Months later I was notified at work an automobile driver says I hit her car that night. That was a very strange night but our little group developed quite a camaraderie battling the elements and the traffic on our trip over the Duwamish River. The bus was packed and there was a man with a smart phone standing/sitting in the front stairwell checking traffic on the various aerials we tried to get to the first south bridge. We told jokes, took potty breaks, zigzagged through SODO, all the while avoiding the gridlock on the 1st Ave South.
I hope to locate this individual or anyone else on the bus that verify my contention we struck no other cars that night.
Phillip Blake
206-793-4619
Metro ID 5290
Longtime West Seattleite June Kloster will be remembered at 1 pm this Saturday at Emmanuel Bible Church (503 North 50th Street), according to her daughter Patricia Kloster, who wanted to share her mom’s photo and obituary here:
June was born March 26, 1927, the youngest of 5 children of Matthew and Bessie Jarboe. She was very proud of being raised in LaConner, especially after it became such a popular destination for the tulip fields. She married Jens Kloster in Seattle in 1948 and in 1952 they moved to West Seattle where Alki became her favorite haunt!
Most of her married life she was a stay at home Mom and then a school secretary at Alki Elementary (after Ron and Patricia moved on to Madison) and Meany Middle School where she retired in 1992. Also, she was a NASCAR official on weekends with dad for many years at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe.
If you knew June, you knew her smile, jokes and amazing cooking/baking.
Thanks to Alex for sharing that photo via Twitter last night as Elliott Bay Brewing Company‘s facade work continues in The Junction. We first told you a week ago about owner Todd Carden‘s work to restore some of the facade’s historic features – but the best part of the story turned out to be WSB commenters who sleuthed out the storefront’s history (read about it starting here). Looks like Elliott Bay also has put up a photo gallery here.
Ready for Tuesday night tunes, symphony style? We visited the Chief Sealth International High School Auditorium tonight as Rob Duisberg was leading the Westside Symphony through rehearsal for tomorrow night’s concert (second half of a two-Tuesday doubleheader for the groups now collectively known as the West Seattle Community Orchestras). Bach and Beethoven both are on the program – as detailed here; $5 adults, $1 kids are the suggested donation amounts (more gratefully accepted, of course), with concert time 7 pm Tuesday (2600 SW Thistle).
Another postseason win to report from the local high-school sports scene: Chief Sealth International High School’s baseball team beat Bishop Blanchet today, 4-3. Other Chief Sealth teams have post-season games/matches this week too, as detailed on the school’s home page.
After almost 3 1/2 years of having a lost/found Pets page on WSB, we’ve noticed that often, lost dogs are reunited with their owners fairly quickly. Then sometimes, there are the elusive ones – with multiple sightings – and the community keeps an eye out, and after a team effort, there’s a reunion. Seems like that might need to happen for August the Weimaraner. Josh sent word late yesterday about August bolting in Gatewood. Since then, there have been multiple sightings, Josh says – most recently, he just e-mailed to say, “August was last seen tonight around 7:30pm around Fauntleroy ferry. Please keep an eye out. He is very scared. Thank you!” If you see August, Josh’s phone number is on the Pets page.
David B found that on his door in northern Gatewood (near West Seattle Thriftway) when he arrived home this evening and sent the photo, while wondering:
I am wondering if this is legitimate. It seems odd to me since this has no contact info and is not at least sponsored by the city. Have you had anybody report the same thing ?
Not recently. However, if you roam the Web, you will find many references to this sort of thing – some reported as scams, some not, one even described as an “emergency cash generator.” We checked the city business-license database and the state corporations database, and there’s nothing called “Community Sign Painting” in either one. Doesn’t mean this isn’t potentially legitimate – but unless you meet the people and ask to see their license, buyer beware.
A singular opportunity for writers in our area taking place at ArtsWest –
Seattle Playwrights Studio Presents
9th Annual Playwright’s Festival
Hosted by ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery
Festival Run: May 28th – May 29th, 2011Seattle Playwrights Studio (SPS), under the aegis of ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery, proudly presents its 9th Annual Showcase of New Plays starting Saturday, May 28th through Sunday, May 29th. Each evening of the showcase will feature a different sampling of staged readings written by SPS members and performed by local actors in ArtsWest’s theater. ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery is located in West Seattle at 4711 California Avenue S.W.
Seattle Playwrights Studio provides playwrights the opportunity to hear plays-in-progress read aloud and to receive moderated feedback from fellow writers in a supportive environment. Over the last eleven years, plays developed within SPS have been professionally produced locally, and across the country.
Ticket Information: Tickets are $8; admission includes a wine and food reception after the show and a meet and greet with the playwrights, directors and actors. Performances begin at 7 p.m.; purchase tickets at the door or call the ArtsWest box office at (206) 938-0339. For directions, box office hours, and more information visit www.artswest.org.
Box Office hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12-7 PM
About ArtsWest: ArtsWest produces artistic events so fiercely compelling that they require conversation, improve the imagination, and promote cultural vibrancy as a core value for the communities of Seattle. ArtsWest is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Remember “Teach Me How to Study,” which brought a round of regional fame to the staff of West Seattle’s own Denny International Middle School? As principal Jeff Clark pointed out at the time, it wasn’t the Denny staff’s first inspirational video and it wouldn’t be their last. And in fact, the inbox has just yielded the link to their latest one – “The Test Goes On,” which the principal explains this way:
Denny International Middle School staff and volunteers made this video as a way to continue to inspire our students to achieve greatness academically. We have the best students in the city-it is fun to connect with them in this way. A special thank you to Gary Lai, Will Braden, Chanda E. Oatis, Artise Burton, Kristina Bellamy-McClain, Erin Jolley, Herman Garcia, Roxana Amaral, and Theila, Roberto, Trish, Andy, and Natalie from City Year.
Go Dolphins!
Don’t miss the West Seattle neighborhood shoutouts in the second half! (P.S. The previous video “Teach Me How to Study” is past 28,000 views on YouTube.)
Thanks to the WSB’ers who have e-mailed and called about a car-motorcycle crash at 35th and Holden, by Fire Station 37, whose Engine 37 was dispatched to check out the people involved. Helen reports the motorcycle ridera woman was seen on a stretcher.
3:55 PM: As the photo sent by Fulay shows, the crash actually was north of the fire station, right by the Chevron station. We’re checking to see what we can find out about the rider’s condition and the crash circumstances. This was dispatched as an aid call, not a more-serious medic call, so that would generally suggest NOT-life-threatening injuries.
4:05 PM: Updated information from Seattle Fire, via Lt. Sue Stangl: The motorcycle rider “refused treatment.” The car driver was taken to the hospital as a precaution; she was reportedly complaining of arm pain. Police at the scene tell us they’re still trying to sort out the circumstances of the collision; tow trucks have arrived so the scene should be clear soon. By the way, the 35th SW safety rally is still on for 4 pm this Wednesday, at 35th/Juneau, which is roughly a mile north of today’s crash scene.
Eagle-eyed WSB’ers have found stolen cars before – maybe you’ve seen this one. Out of the WSB inbox, from Angele:
My car was stolen between 7 pm Sunday night and 7:30 am Monday morning. It’s a white, 4 door, 1992 Nissan Maxima. Lic. #506SUN. It was stolen from California and Portland [map]. The car was locked, nothing visible on the inside, and the security system was intact. If anyone sees this car, please call 911. Thank you.
SPD is continuing to tweet stolen-car reports at @getyourcarback; here’s the tweet sent this morning for this car.
Congratulations to Madison Middle School “mathletes” who placed in the state Middle School Math Olympiad at Seattle University over the weekend. Coach Kathleen Myers, 6th/7th grade math teacher who’s on the left and shared the photo, reports:
Out of the 5 teams we brought to the competition, 4 placed!
-Our only 8th grade team won the only ribbon at Seattle U in session 2 problem-solving.
-Both of our 7th grade teams won a medal(the highest award) and two ribbons of excellence in the session 1 and session 2 problem-solving.
-One of our 6th grade teams won a ribbon of excellence in the session 1 long-problem-solving event.
At right in the photo is Colleen McClure, described by Kathleen as “a community volunteer extraordinaire” who “has no children at Madison but volunteers for many weeks from Boeing to assist the team.” Congratulations to all!
We first told you last week (Wednesday report here, Friday report here) what should be quite a sight, both as it approaches West Seattle and as it spends the next three months at Vigor Shipyard (ex-Todd) on Harbor Island for work: The 280-foot-high Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX), which belongs to the Missile Defense Agency and is usually based in Alaska. We just got word from Pamela Rogers in MDA Public Affairs that it will “enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca later today and begin its transit of Puget Sound to arrive at Vigor Shipyards Seattle (formerly Todd Pacific Shipyards) in Seattle, Washington, late Tuesday night.”
The update adds, “The first view of the SBX for some residents in the Pacific Northwest will likely be when the vessel is just off shore before entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca tonight. It should be visible from Port Angeles Tuesday morning. The vessel can be seen from various points as it makes its way through Puget Sound to Elliott Bay and to Vigor Shipyards Seattle, arriving late Tuesday night.” The MDA reiterates that the radar will NOT operate while it’s here.
2:38 AM TUESDAY: You can follow the SBX’s progress via marinetraffic.com – as of this writing it has just passed Neah Bay on the northwestern tip of our state’s coast, and moved into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
A 64-year-old Fairmount Springs woman is in the hospital today with what police describe as “serious injuries,” after an incident reported to them as a break-in. According to Seattle Police media-response unit Det. Mark Jamieson, the description is cautious because investigators are still trying to sort out what actually happened and how the victim was injured – he says they are not at all sure yet what actually took place, nor is there a description of a potential attacker, nor do they know for sure whether the attack was random or involved a stranger. He says all they do know for sure is that police were called to a home in the 5900 block of 41st SW around 4:30 am Sunday, that a woman is in the hospital with serious injuries, and that detectives are still working the case. When any additional information become available, we will add to the story.
(First two photos courtesy Karrie Kohlhaas)
A hub is born! The new North Delridge Emergency Communication Hub made its debut as part of the Saturday morning earthquake drill with groups like theirs from around the city. Volunteers gathered at the site – which joins the roster of other “hubs” around West Seattle where communication efforts will be coordinated in case catastrophe takes out the regular channels – at the Delridge P-Patch, to go through role-playing scenarios:
Karrie Kohlhaas described some of those scenarios in a note to her neighborhood mailing list (quoted here with permission):
–Family trapped in basement—138 people needing shelter—gas leak at the 76 station–water has been rationed by the city–looting at the Super 24–no fire fighters able to reach us–pack of dogs forming–lost child–Longfellow Creek flooded–another 6.8 aftershock–need rope and generator–heli-drop of water bottles on the way–another hub needs nurses–do they have a generator to loan to us? How can we get it from them?
If the hubs ever have to swing into real action, that’s the sort of thing they may find themselves dealing with.
Delridge was one of two hubs participating in citywide radio communications during Saturday morning’s drill. The other was one that’s been on the list since the program began three years ago, for the Fairmount neighborhood (south of The Triangle). At that site on the Providence Mount St. Vincent grounds, Chas Redmond was among the volunteers equipped with radio and other tools (pencil and paper played a big role):
(That Fairmount photo and the next one are by Patrick Sand for WSB)
WSBP co-founder Karen Berge tells WSB that the exercise overall “went very well, and that the North Delridge hub team “hit the ground running. … Those of us at the Fairmount hub enjoyed hearing their enthusiasm, as well as their professionalism & resourcefulness.” Karen says Highland Park hub leader Dave Brown worked with the new Delridge hub volunteers and, “To us listening from the Fairmount hub, they all sounded like they knew what they were doing & had done it before.” Just so you get an idea of how this might all work – the scenarios include reports of major problems, which are all noted and tracked – this board at the Fairmount hub showed some of them:
Karen adds, “The improvements to the forms & processes that we’d made since the last drill were effective.” Here’s a diagram she included in her response to our questions about how it went:
She continues, “A key improvement is that we realized at the last drill that it is very important to have the radio operator away from other activities and noise. … This drill was more realistic in that we had considerable issues with radio interference & garbled signals – as we might during a real emergency. Still, we managed to effectively communicate – since many of us regularly participate in periodic drills as well as radio tests each Monday evening, it was easier to ‘fill in the blanks’. Our process also has some redundancy; at times that can seem tedious, but in this situation it was helpful. One key takeaway, from this morning drill in chilly spring weather, was that the ground temperature had an effect over time. By the end of the drill, all of us had very cold feet!” She has more photos from the Fairmount site on the WSBP blog-format update site.
Again, the intention of all this is to make sure that West Seattleites can help take care of each other in case of disaster – since authorities have repeatedly warned that they will be overwhelmed, and it may take days for any sort of official help to arrive. There is plenty of room for more volunteer participation in West Seattle Be Prepared – here’s a place to start. And even if you’re not ready to volunteer yet, know your nearest Communication Hub’s location, and make sure your family/neighbors know about it too. You’re also invited to the next WSBP training/education session, with a focus, again, on earthquakes – it’s coming up one week from tonight.
(State ferry M/V Issaquah leaving Fauntleroy, photo by Zargoman from the WSB Flickr group pool)
In the distance on the left side of that photo is Colman Pool, where work starts today on a project that needs to be done before the season starts Memorial Day weekend – here’s the alert we published a few days ago. Also from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
TRAFFIC ALERT: For West Seattle’s many south-end-of-downtown drivers, a reminder that through mid-afternoon Friday, 1st Avenue South is narrowed through part of Pioneer Square and the stadium zone. Details here.
MEET THE TOASTMASTERS: One of our area’s Toastmasters Clubs, the Daystar Dialoguers, invites you to its Guest Day at Daystar Retirement Village, Building 2 (2615 SW Barton), noon to 1 pm. Light lunch afterward. See full announcement here
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: The monthly NDNC meeting is at Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon), 6:30 pm, with King County Assessor Lloyd Hara as the special guest, explaining how his department works, plus the latest on market trends.
SEATTLE READS ‘LITTLE BEE’: The West Seattle (Admiral) Library branch (2306 42nd SW) is the location for tonight’s “Seattle Reads ‘Little Bee'” book discussion group, 6:45 pm. Chris Cleave‘s book is the subject of this year’s citywide “Seattle Reads” program.
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