West Seattle, Washington
22 Tuesday
Though we apologize for not having heard about it while it was happening (not everything’s on the scanner, so your text/call to 206-293-6302 is always helpful!), we DO now know why a sizable police response spent a while on Pigeon Point yesterday afternoon: Seattle Police media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson looked it up for us. Someone reported a suspicious item in a mailbox in the 4100 block of 20th SW (map). The police report says it was described as a plastic milk container with a screw top and foil, and it appeared “burnt.” Officers called in Arson/Bomb Squad specialists to have a look. The eventual determination, according to Det. Jamieson: It was “a device used to smoke marijuana.”
From the almost-out-of-its-cocoon WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
JOB SEARCH HELP/NETWORKING: “Notes from the Job Search” continues to meet weekly at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California Ave SW; WSB sponsor), 11 am.
ORCHARD TOUR: Tuesday’s the day for Health and Harvest Tours at Community Orchard of West Seattle (north side of South Seattle Community College campus), 2-4 pm on Tuesdays, details here
FREE SWIMMING LESSONS: Southwest Pool and Southwest Teen Life Center offers FREE lessons for ages 11-19. Every Tuesday, 3-4 pm. Call 206-684-4115 to check if there’s room.
‘OCCUPY WEST SEATTLE’ RALLY: We published the announcement early yesterday, and a lively (to say the least) discussion ensued. The group says it’ll start at California/Alaska at 4 pm.
TELL THE MAYOR WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND – PLUS, MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS: Mayor McGinn‘s back in West Seattle for a Town Hall at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 5:30-8 pm, details here. Starts with a community information fair (find out about neighborhood groups) till 6:30; then, a breakdancing performance till 6:40, at which time the mayor takes the mike (and there’ll be one for you too).
MEET THE PRINCIPAL: Your first chance to meet Dr. Shannon McKinney, announced last month as the principal for West Seattle’s new school K-5 STEM at Boren. Meet-and-greet starts at Madison Middle School, 6:30 pm. (Here’s our Monday report on the new school’s Design Team; here’s our interview with Dr. McKinney after the announcement of her appointment.)
NO ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, BUT… Admiral Neighborhood Association president Katy Walum says tonight’s regular monthly meeting is OFF, but she invites ANA members to come to the group’s table at the information fair preceding the mayoral town hall (see above).
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING: FCA *is* having its regular meeting, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW).
DENNY PTSA MEETING: Denny International Middle School PTSA meets tonight in the school library, 7 pm.
NIGHTLIFE: Skylark Café and Club acoustic open mic night, starts 7 pm … Rock music/pop culture trivia at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm … “Geeks Who Drink” pub quiz at The Wing Dome in The Junction, 8 pm … Trivia at The Bridge, $2 registration beginning at 8 pm and play starting at 8:30 pm. … Free pool at Beveridge Place Pub, plus discounts on bottled Belgian beer … Starlight songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.
(The requisite “proof it snowed” video, shot at 9:30 am)
ORIGINAL 6:33 AM REPORT: Spring officially arrives next Monday night. Winter isn’t giving up without a fight. A little more snow dusted the area overnight; we’ve had reports via Facebook and Twitter, from Admiral to Arbor Heights, and beyond. Let us know if there’s any actually on the ground where you are; it apparently snowed a little more heavily in points south and east. A “special weather statement” is in effect and warning that some snow and/or hail is still possible during what the National Weather Service calls “a showery, cool day” ahead.
9:04 AM UPDATE: Getting a notable snow shower here in Upper Fauntleroy at the moment.
Almost missed the chance to mention that it’s coming up fast … two months from today – May 12, 2012 – it’s the 8th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, 9 am-3 pm. If you’re new to the area, it’s not one big garage sale, but instead, many sales all over West Seattle (more than 200 last year), all on one day, which means almost everyone has one within walking distance – great chance to meet friends/neighbors old and new. Or, you can grab the map and see how many you can hit in the course of the day. We’ll be opening registration in three weeks, on Monday, April 2nd. If you want to see what past Garage Sale Days were like, you can browse the archives on our “official” WSCGSD site, westseattlegaragesale.com.
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with two court notes:
COURT-CASE UPDATES: No definite date yet for the start of Duane Starkenburg‘s imminent trial on indecent-liberties charges for the 2010-2011 Lincoln Park attacks – the prosecutor’s still busy finishing another trial. We’ll keep you updated. … Meantime, the trial date for Angelo Felice, charged with murdering vaudeville entertainer Hokum W. Jeebs in Fauntleroy last year, has been pushed back five months to September, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB, as the result of a hearing last week.
READER REPORTS: A theft report from VCA:
Thought I would let people know that there are probably metal/copper thieves combing the alleys etc. near Alki. I just had two large copper pots (planters) stolen this morning. One was on my porch right next to my door which is on the alley side. I was only gone for 1 hour, and one of my cars was parked in alley, with my blinds open! Checked in with one of my neighbors across the alley and she did not see anything.
More reader reports ahead:Read More
Long past the Christmas season, the holiday spirit carries on at Holy Rosary School – it’s just finished distributing a share of the 
2011 Christmas Tree Lot proceeds to four charitable organizations in West Seattle: The WS Helpline, WS Food Bank, Salvation Army’s Hickman House, and the Kingston Foundation. “Holy Rosary School is proud to give back to our community,” says Refawne Acarregui, a Holy Rosary parent and tree-lot organizer who’s at right in our photo, along with Father John Madigan, parent/volunteer Currie Baker, and principal Michael Cantu. We caught up with them at the recent meeting of the Holy Rosary Parents’ Club. The 15 percent share of tree-lot proceeds equaled $5625.44, of which the four organizations each received $1406.36. (You might recall one other donation – after the lot closed, unsold trees were given away.)
A West Seattleite has just been announced as director of the new Governor’s Aerospace Office, created “to enhance Washington state’s competitiveness in the global aerospace industry”: He is Alex Pietsch, who has worked for the City of Renton since 2001 and leads its economic-development efforts. Here’s the news release announcing his new state-government role and explaining what it entails, including chairing the Washington Council on Aerospace and serving as executive director of the Washington Aerospace Partnership.
Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor – IHeartWestSeattle.com, the collaborative team of real-estate brokers Roger Steiner & Dale Wampler. Here’s what they’d like you to know about their business:
Roger and Dale describe themselves as “West Seattle residents, enthusiasts, and “hyper-local†real-estate professionals. What does that mean? While we’re definitely tuned in to Seattle real estate in general, we spend most of our time checking the pulse of West Seattle’s real estate market, seeing just about every new property that comes on the market, and carefully tracking what’s selling (and what isn’t). We believe there’s a better way for consumers to buy & sell, and that technology has changed the role agents play in the real estate process. So we’ve taken the best elements of traditional brokerages, and aligned them with all the advantages and conveniences that technology has opened up to our industry. The result is that we’re able to lower our overhead without sacrificing an ounce of customer service, and we then pass along the savings to you, our customer. We’re able to do this because of a few basics:
• Our partnership with RSVP Real Estate: RSVP is a locally owned real-estate brokerage with no parent corporation, no franchised offices, no investors looking for a return. At RSVP we take full advantage of today’s technologies, and just focus on satisfying our clients.
• Geographic specialization: Rather than run all over Puget Sound, we are focused on the West Seattle peninsula- this saves us time and money spent on the road (the Prius and the Vespa help too)!
• Efficiency: Being geographically focused saves us time in another way: When you contact us about buying, we won’t take that as a cue to start rushing around ‘getting to know’ what’s out there- chances are we’ll already know of a few homes on the market that might suit your needs. If you’re thinking of selling, we’ve seen several homes in your value range which have sold over the past 6 months, so we don’t start from scratch. Please visit our website to learn more about our unique fee structure, and look for us around the neighborhood!”
We thank IHeartWestSeattle.com for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
As promised, Seattle Public Schools has announced its design team for the new school it’s opening in West Seattle this fall, K-5 STEM at Boren. They’ve also confirmed that the team – whose job will be to start working out details for the new school’s operations – will have its first meeting 6 pm this Wednesday; that meeting will be at district HQ in SODO. We asked the district today who was on the team, and here’s what we received:Read More
(April 2011 photo by Kathy Mulady for WSB)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost one full year after the “closed forever” sign went up on the Charlestown Street Café‘s door – a new sign is up on the property at 3800 California SW:
We noticed the sign over the weekend, as did others (two WSB’ers sent us notes – THANKS!), and this morning we spoke with John Wunder at Associates West, the West Seattle brokerage handling the just-launched search for someone new to lease the property.
Wunder confirms that the most recent development proposal for the site (reported here shortly after the restaurant’s closure last April) fell through, though he doesn’t know why, since his firm was not involved with it.
No daily preview today because of the morning’s breaking news, but there are two meetings to note: Admiral District merchants meet today at 4 pm at the Benbow Room (agenda here); North Delridge Neighborhood Council meets tonight at 6:30, Delridge Library (agenda here). Meantime, the Admiral Neighborhood Association has a CHANGE OF PLAN for tomorrow night. Instead of its regular meeting, ANA is tabling at 5:30 pm tomorrow before Mayor McGinn‘s 6:30 pm Town Hall at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (agenda here).
(Scroll down for updates, including video interview with new information from police)
ORIGINAL 8:18 AM REPORT: A body has just been recovered from the water off the 3700 block of Beach Drive – near Cormorant Cove Park and Harbor West Apartments (the complex that juts out on pilings) – is under investigation right now. No word on identity or how the person died. We have a crew at the scene finding out more.
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand unless otherwise credited)
8:24 AM UPDATE: We’re told the body was found about 100 yards offshore, but don’t know yet who spotted it or how. Adding a photo of some of the emergency response at the scene. Police have put up yellow tape to cordon off the area where the body was placed, until the Medical Examiner arrives.
(This photo courtesy area resident who didn’t want to be identified)
9:14 AM UPDATE: Seattle Police have shared a bit more information via SPD Blotter:
On 3/12/12, at approximately 7:30 a.m., officers responded with Seattle Fire Department to the 3800 block of Beach Dr SW., to a report of a body floating in the water approximately 100 feet off shore.
The victim is a white female, 30-50 years-old. The cause of death is unknown at this time. Homicide Detectives have responded to the scene out of an abundance of caution. This is all the information available at the time. Additional updates may be added as more information becomes available.
10 AM UPDATE: Just talked to SPD spokesperson Det. Renée Witt at the scene in a video interview we will upload here when our crew’s back in house. She says they’re considering the death “suspicious,” until and unless proven otherwise, so the area remains sealed off while detectives investigate. (added) Here’s the video; she also told us the woman hadn’t been in the water for long:
About six weeks after its first official meeting, the first rally/protest involving Occupy West Seattle has just been officially announced. The group says it will target Chase Bank in The Junction tomorrow (Tuesday, March 13th), in connection with other rallies/protests nationwide. Read on for the news release we received via e-mail this morning:Read More
6:14 AM UPDATE: If you look at the regional map on the National Weather Service‘s Seattle home page, you’ll notice various types of weather alerts are in effect almost everywhere – but NOT here in the city. Nonetheless, the newest forecast says it’ll be very windy, to say the least (and you might already have heard evidence of that in the very early morning hours). As always, we’ll keep watch through the day, with updates if things go beyond general blusteriness. (And if you have anything to report – 206-293-6302, any time, text or voice; thank you!)
8:37 AM UPDATE: As commenter/meteorologist Patrick notes, a wind advisory is now up for our area. See it here.
9:08 PM UPDATE: The wind advisory expired this afternoon without anything serious happening. But the weather is still unsettled, and some snow might be mixed in with overnight/morning showers. Here’s the newest forecast.
One more cleanup to note before the weekend’s out – this one, underwater. After weeks of bringing up old batteries (as featured on TV this past week), West Seattle diver/photographer Laura James and friends have moved on to plastic sheets/tarps that Laura says are littering the sea floor.
She’s not sure if plastics recyclers will be able to take the sheets, but she plans to check.
Next Sunday (March 18th) at Alki UCC, family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Robert (Bob) Hallberg Sr., a longtime West Seattleite gone the day before what would have been his 89th birthday. Mr. Hallberg’s family shares this remembrance:
On February 29, 2012, we said goodbye to Bob Hallberg, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. Born in Tacoma on March 1, 1923 to Lucyle Nick and Robert Hallberg, Bob spent his childhood near Puget Sound. His deep love for the natural world stemmed from his early years with his Boy Scout family, especially at Camp Parsons on Hood Canal.
Eventually his family settled in West Seattle, where he met Ada Woodhouse, his Alki girl and future wife. Bob graduated from West Seattle High School, University of Washington and then Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy. He served in WWII.
Bob and Ada were married in 1948 and spent a short time away in Iowa and California with National Civil Defense. He was present for the atomic bomb test in the Nevada desert. Within a few years they returned to “God’s countryâ€: Alki and Puget Sound.
The first signed, benched, and delivered RapidRide C Line stops in West Seattle are on both sides of California SW by the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Street and sidewalk work to facilitate the stops and stations for the new bus service, set to launch this fall, has been under way for 4 weeks, but these are the first signs we’ve seen. (The sign and bench are the basic amenities for a RapidRide stop; other stops/stations will have shelters and real-time bus schedule information.) The stop in our photo is on the east side of the street, just steps from Fauntleroy Church, where we spotted it after stopping for a photo of today’s Toxic-Free Kids’ Fair:
The fair, previewed here on Saturday, was a presentation of the church’s Green Committee, which has another of its always-busy Recycle Roundups coming up on April 29th – save your electronics and other items to bring by, 9 am-3 pm that day (the church website will eventually have a list of what they’ll take and what they won’t).
You’ve seen her photos here on WSB and elsewhere (including her own site), and last night Trileigh Tucker contributed some of her work (with her in the photo, an image of Snoqualmie Falls) to the gala/auction for West Seattle Community Orchestras. This was the second year WSCO held a gala, and the first time at Highland Park Improvement Club, where of course, there was music – including Elliot Reid‘s guitar performance:
WSCO’s fundraising helps make sure more young musicians can participate in their programs. They’re usually looking for new members, and their groups practice on Tuesdays – check out their website at wscorchestras.org for the latest info. From their Facebook page, we’ve gathered listings for upcoming appearances – the Symphony Orchestra at 7 pm March 20th at Bridge Park, the Debut and Intermediate Orchestras at 6:30 pm March 27 at Highland Park Elementary and at 6:30 pm May 8th at Chief Sealth International High School, and the Symphony Orchestra at 7 pm May 15th, also at CSIHS.
One more West Seattle school fundraising auction to be sure you know about – the 18th annual Pathfinder K-8 auction, at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, next Saturday (March 17th). The theme: “On this side of the rainbow, we make dreams come true!” The price of making dreams come true? $35 a ticket, and you can buy yours online by going here. From organizers:
Parents love supporting businesses that help support our school. We have an incredible lineup of donations from AWESOME local businesses including Cactus, Breathe Yoga, West 5, West Seattle Junction Association, Farmers’ Market, West Seattle Thriftway, Sound Physical Therapy, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, and Southgate Roller Rink, just to name a few.
Whether you’re going or not, there’s a twist this year: An online auction is under way, and you can bid right now.
(Click for larger image)
The date is finally set for the Seattle Design Commission to hear from the developers of Youngstown Flats (the almost-200-unit project under construction at 26th/Dakota in North Delridge). But when they make their presentation to the SDC at 9 am this Thursday (in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall downtown), it won’t be about the building – it’s about the greenspace across 26th SW, which is actually a city-owned “street end.” The rendering above is what they hope to do to change it from a grassy lot, which you might not realize leads to a stairway down to Longfellow Creek, into a “green, inviting space,” as they explained earlier in the project. They are seeking a street-use permit to enable that, and that’s why the project is going before the Design Commission, which is required to review proposals for using city right-of-way as something other than traditional streets/sidewalks. P.S. The public is welcome at commission meetings, and is offered a chance to comment, too.
Today marks one year since the earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan. To commemorate that, we are reminding you about West Seattle Be Prepared‘s neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs – places to find information and to gather if disaster ever hits here. Look for the “hub” nearest to you on the map above; and explore West Seattle Be Prepared‘s other online resources. Meantime, here are today’s highlights, from the still-undergoing-renovations WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
MEET THE COFFEE VENDORS: If ever there was a morning calling for coffee, it’s the morning after the night you lose an hour of sleep.
SEATTLE BIKE EXPO CONTINUES: Not in West Seattle, but Cascade Bicycle Club is sponsoring WSB through today to invite West Seattle bicyclists to the Seattle Bike Expo – 9 am to 4 pm at Pier 91 in Magnolia (Smith Cove Cruise Terminal). See the schedule of speakers/events here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska. New at the market: Pampeana Empanadas with sweet or savory empanadas “that combine the traditional flavors of Argentina with the freshest northwest ingredients.”
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND PREPAREDNESS: No Japan-earthquake/tsunami anniversary events in West Seattle that we have heard of (it was one year ago today), but Seattle Center downtown is hosting a day of remembrance and preparedness starting at 10 am. All the information is here.
WINTER’S NOT OVER YET … NOR IS M2SO’S WINTER GEAR SALE: 11 am-5 pm, Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) is open at 3602 SW Alaska with its extended sale on winter gear – which it’s not too late to use, given how the season’s been going in the mountains!
TOXIC-FREE KIDS FAIR: Bring the family to find out how to reduce the toxics in your kids’ (and your!) lives. Learn how to select toxic free toys and care products for growing bodies. Bring a toy or product for instant analysis. Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) invites you to today’s free, fun event, 11 am-1 pm. Here’s our preview.
WINERY’S GRAND REOPENING CONTINUES: Cairdeas Winery celebrates its new wines and tasting-room reopening at 3400 Harbor Ave SW (street level of ActivSpace), noon to 5 pm.
CELEBRATE GIRL SCOUTS’ 100TH ANNIVERSARY: CAPERS in The Junction will be serving tea and Trefoils (the original Girl Scout Cookie) 1-3 pm, and Scouts from The French-American School of Puget Sound will be selling cookies. (One more week to go for the cookie sale in this region, by the way.)
LAST DAY OF THE BEER JUNCTION’S MOVING SALE: After today, The Beer Junction closes its original store at 4707 42nd SW, and gets ready to open (within the next two weeks or so) its new one – but first, a clearance sale, 10 percent off everything. Here’s our report from yesterday.
BARTON STREET P-PATCH: 1 pm-3 pm today, the gardeners are celebrating as they start official planting – peas in the P-Patch! 34th/Barton.
SAVE-THE-SALMON BENEFIT: Environmental advocates fighting against a mining project in Alaska are having a silent auction 1-6 pm at Beveridge Place Pub. Our friends at the West Seattle-based Washington Beer Blog wrote about it here.
BIKE-REPAIR EVENT IN WHITE CENTER: West Seattle and White Center bicycling experts team up once a month for DubSea Bikes, a chance to get minor bike repairs done for free – 2-4 pm at the White Center Food Bank‘s HQ, 8th and 108th, details here.
FIRST MATINEE FOR ‘LITTLE VOICE’: It’s the first Sunday matinee for ArtsWest‘s new production “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice,” 3 pm in The Junction.
ZUMBATHON AT THE Y: West Seattle Y (WSB sponsor) hosts a Zumbathon benefiting the Y’s Partners with Youth: 5 – 7 pm. $20/person, must have photo ID, no child care. From the announcement: “Every year the West Seattle Y Partners with Youth campaign raises over $400,000 to put into programs for West Seattle kids, youth and families. It’s our way of bringing the Y experience to all who want it. This year anyone can help by coming to our Zumbathon event, non-stop shaking for two full hours in the West Seattle Y gym. Come get your party on!”
Another ravine got some TLC on Saturday – Orchard Street Ravine in Gatewood. Cindi Barker shared the photos, and she reports, “We were planting bare root plants in a huge, just cleared area, and also filling in some gaps in previously planted areas. The weather held off until the end, it was a very productive day.”
Don’t know where Orchard Street Ravine is? Here’s a map.
(Screenshot from 3/7/12 school-board meeting video)
Gatewood Elementary visual-arts specialist Julie Trout was in the spotlight at this week’s Seattle School Board meeting, honored as Teacher of the Year for the Puget Sound Educational Service District, which includes 35 districts. Here’s the clip – forward to about 2 minutes in:
Julie is now a contender for state Teacher of the Year. We had hoped to catch up with her at Gatewood’s “Bids for Kids” auction last night, after a fellow teacher told us she had “planned and designed all the student art projects” that were featured. We didn’t cross paths, but did see her students’ work, including these creations:
As is the case at most of the school galas, participants really get into the spirit. Gatewood had a Hollywood theme; Tracy Chantorn was channeling Audrey Hepburn as she handled drawing tickets:
Prime time for school auctions – which have become indispensable for raising money to supplement the basics, in an era of public-funding challenges – continues at other local schools throughout this month.
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