Jack Miller at Husky Deli has been getting condolences all day from folks getting the news about his Aunt Alyce, who worked at the store for more than 70 of her 90 years – until August 10th, less than two weeks ago. She died yesterday morning. She never married but leaves behind 20 nieces and nephews. She was born Mary Alyce Miller on November 15, 1919 in Peru, Indiana, and moved to West Seattle in 1931. In 1936, her father bought the Edgewood Farm Grocery, and she began working behind the counter. Jack Miller says she’s the one “who got the store through the war.” She worked to keep it open and operating even when wartime rationing and restrictions were in place. Jack says she was always dedicated to the family business, and that she taught him the value of a dollar earned. Alyce’s rosary and vigil will be 7 pm this Friday night at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, followed by her Funeral Mass there at 10:30 am Saturday.
(Scroll down for latest update – thanks to everyone who called/texted/e-mailed when this started!) ORIGINAL 2:38 PM REPORT: Getting reports including Seaview and Morgan. Also central Beach Drive. 2750 homes and businesses. Seattle City Light has crews en route but says they don’t know yet what’s wrong.
2:47 PM:City Light’s online update has increased that to 2,814. It’s NOT affecting us here in upper Fauntleroy – we were just on a story in Sunrise Heights and all was well there too. But the “Alki” description SCL has is not entirely accurate. Let us know if you’re off or on.
3:04 PM UPDATE: Added photo of powerless stoplight at California/Graham in Morgan Junction (next to a long-shuttered landmark of sorts). Note the comments for ongoing reports on the boundaries of the outage – we’ve got some Admiral, some Alki, some Morgan Junction. Nothing south of MJ so far. Some areas apparently flickered (like Arbor Heights) at the time it started, but stayed on – while others went out and are still out. But northward, we’ve got Alki Point and Admiral Junction, among others. Apparently east West Seattle is OK. The official start time of the outage, per City Light, was 2:26 pm.
3:26 PM UPDATE: Just checked with Scott Thomsen at City Light, now that we’re an hour into the outage. He says two crews are out “running the lines,” trying to trace the outage’s cause/source, but haven’t found it yet, so they can’t say how long till the power’s back on. He confirms that the southernmost reports have come from south Morgan Junction (SW Holly).
3:47 PM UPDATE: City Light has a cause now – trash truck hit a tree, knocking the tree into power lines. They say they hope to have most back by 4 pm, everyone by 8:30 pm. Let us know when you get it back. P.S. We’ve gone to The Junction to check – though there are points south and north that are out, Junction is OK.
3:52 PM: Getting reports of power coming back on in various areas – so let us know if a little while elapses and you’re still OUT. (added) P.S. – Doug just sent this photo of what we believe to be THE truck vs. tree scene – 49th/Raymond:
4:26 PM: Another quick update from City Light – more than 500 homes/businesses who don’t have their power yet should have it back by 6:30 pm.
(Photo added 4:29 pm – Alfonso took it from Alki – thanks for sharing!) ORIGINAL 1:57 PM REPORT:Amy just e-mailed to say she saw “a blimp over West Seattle.” If it’s what our first cut of research (we haven’t seen it ourselves yet) suggests, it’s actually a zeppelin.
3:01 PM UPDATE: Confirmed – it’s the Airship Ventures zeppelin. They documented their flight northward with photos on this website – no West Seattle photo (so far as we’re seeing), though.
11:07 PM NOTE:Christopher Boffoli went up to Paine Field (Snohomish County) to check out the airship (aka zeppelin):
Seattle Public Schools just sent a news release with a long list of new district administrators and principals. We’ve already published the news of the one West Seattle-specific principal announcement, Vicki Sacco taking over West Seattle Elementary (here’s our August 4th story). But there are a few other notes of interest: Former WS Elementary principal Gayle Everly‘s new job is on the list, co-principal of Bryant Elementary. Also, former West Seattle High School assistant principal Anitra Pinchback-Jones‘s new job is on the list too – she is becoming principal at Bagley Elementary, whose former principal Kimberly Kinzer will move to Denny International Middle School as a teacher. The new school year starts for most SPS students on Sept. 8 – WS Elementary, because of its improvement plan, starts classes Aug. 31st.
Just out of the WSB inbox, a media advisory for Mayor McGinn‘s announcement of the “Seattle Jobs Plan” tomorrow morning. The announcement explains:
The Seattle Jobs Plan articulates a strategy for next generation economic development to help create a sustainable economy with shared prosperity. It is a framework of policies, programs and investments to create quality jobs, protect the environment and ensure that taxpayers get true value from the city of Seattle’s public investments.
The news conference is being held at Cascade Designs, and along with its co-founder John Burroughs, the mayor will be joined, according to the advisory, by Seattle Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Jill Wakefield, former president of West Seattle’s South Seattle Community College.
On Saturday, September 25th, 2010, the Bo M Karlsson Foundation’s Third Annual ‘Mahilaa Night’ will be held at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Address: 4408 Delridge Way SW.
This annual Seattle event is a benefit to raise funds for the education of underprivileged women in Nepal. For more information on the work we do, please visit our website www.bomkarlsson.org
We hope you’ll join us for a traditional Nepali dinner, wine bar, entertainment by Nepali musicians, a short film and, a silent auction. Items in the silent auction will include local arts and crafts, Nepali handcrafted goods and gift certificates to many Seattle businesses.
Suggested donation:
Single $35.00/Couples $60.00/Family of 4 $85.00
Tickets includes first drink
RSVP before or by September 15, 2010 at info@bomkarlsson.org or by phone: 206 354 3119
Another burst of warm weather is in the works, but as of this week, only one city-run wading pool remains open in West Seattle – Delridge, E.C. Hughes and Hiawatha have just had their final days of operation for the year, but Lincoln Park is open 11 am-8 pm daily (provided the daytime high’s projected to be at least 70) through September 6th. Also, Southwest Pool is scheduled to start a maintenance closure today, to run through Sept. 3rd; High Point Community Center also was scheduled to start a building-maintenance closure today. And an impending closure of note: One week till Seattle Public Libraries shut down for a budget-cut-compelled week, from Aug. 30th till after Labor Day (and note that the West Seattle [Admiral] branch already is closed for roof work that’ll last till the systemwide-shutdown week is over) – but you have ample opportunity to enjoy your libraries this week, starting with Baby Story Time at Southwest Library today, 11 am. Finally, our daily preview does include one opening: As first mentioned here a week ago, it’s grand-opening day for Uncle Mike’s BBQ in White Center (9640 16th SW) – a complete look at the new restaurant and its owners is now up at partner site White Center Now (check out the vegetarian options!). Meantime, more Monday activities around the area are listed on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
“Suite Arrangements is the result of many things coming together at once: personal interests, family experience, our evolving cultural ethic, and macro-economic picture, and the availability of a great location,” says Geoffrey Abdian, talking about the furniture store he’s about to bring to The Junction.
Where, you ask? If you are a keen observer of storefront changes, you probably noticed the “for lease” signs being replaced this weekend by butcher paper (photo at left) in the windows of Suite Arrangements‘ future storefront at 4706 California SW – formerly Funky Jane’s Consignment (which moved a block and a half north), then briefly Heavenly Wholesale/Leslie’s. Appropriately enough given the space’s history, Suite Arrangements will be a consignment store too – furniture consignment (among other specialties).
We’d been trying to track down this story for a few weeks, after getting tipped to a Craigslist ad seeking employees for a “small furniture store” planned for the heart of West Seattle. Our inquiry to the blind box in that CL post went unanswered, but then a few days ago, a more general announcement of the future enterprise appeared, and our second request for information was answered, amply, by Abdian.
With less than a month officially left in summer – more like about two weeks, unofficially, if you consider Labor Day the summer/fall bridge – the beauty shots become all the more poignant. Top photo, JayDee captured tonight’s glory from the Alki area; next, David Ginsberg‘s view of the Fauntleroy ferry:
And from Friday night’s Alki sunset, David Hutchinson brings us Seagullzilla:
(WSB photo from Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run in September 2009)
A couple things are different about this year’s Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run. First, it’s in August this time, not September. It’s just one week away – Sunday, August 29. Second, instead of walking and running along the Alki Beach pathway, participants will be out in the street on Alki Avenue SW, which will be closed next Sunday morning for the event – approximately 8 am to 11 am, according to Shari Sewell from Northwest Hope and Healing, the Alki Beach 5K’s beneficiary, a nonprofit that helps breast-cancer patients. You can sign up online till 11 am Friday morning – might as well do it now! – just go here.
Things really got rolling about 45 minutes into this afternoon’s community welcome party for the visiting artisans at the Seattle Chinese Garden, when lion dancers paraded around the grounds – our video shows a small part of the procession. At one point along the route, the artisans stood side by side to watch:
They and visitors heard from two presidents – Jon Geiger of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society (purple shirt) and new South Seattle Community College president Gary Oertli, both of whom kept their speeches short, saying they wanted visitors to spend their time touring the site instead:
Pulling back from that scene – the artisans were to the presidents’ left:
Their work has been focused on the Knowing the Spring Courtyard, the first major feature of the Seattle Chinese Garden to be built – you can see into it, looking over the dancers’ shoulders – that’s not a photo or painting, but instead a view into the future courtyard:
The project itself (explained here), in fact, is for the future as well as the present – a dream becoming reality, and a building of understanding across the miles, between the cultures –
We stopped by the Sounders FC Soccer Beach Blast Tournament on Alki late this afternoon just in time for the end of the men’s final. We can tell you the Vashon team, in orange, won – via penalty-kick phase following regulation. The Sounders were expecting more than 40 teams for the day of three-on-three play. If and when we spot other results, we’ll link them here.
Two years ago, The Junction was home to that PARK(ing) Day setup, calling attention to the final push to get nearby Junction Plaza Park completed. Now it’s done – but another PARK(ing) Day (explained here) is rolling around – September 17 – and the deadline to apply for your own temporary park is almost here. Friday’s the deadline to apply – this item on the Sustainable West Seattle website explains how. And we’ve already gotten word of one PARK(ing) Day “park” planned for West Seattle – arborist and tree-protection activist Michael Oxmanshares the following rendering, followed by an explanation of what it will feature – and how you can be part of it:
Now that I’m located out here in West Seattle, it’s time to give back a little to my new community. Some decoration and greenery in a vast sea of asphalt is in order. This is a demonstration project of what to do when we run out of oil, and have fewer cars. We certainly won’t need as many parking spaces. Parking Day shows what to do with them, by setting out plants, trees and oxygen-producing greenery to soak up some of that excess CO2.
West Seattle interpretive designer Pat Whempner and experience designer Sam Stubblefield are creating the design concept for the “Park.” Our Park will be a Free Speech Platform with a Free Speech Garden in the Junction neighborhood. Anyone can get up there on the podium and say anything they want for 15 minutes. No restrictions. The platform will provide space for speakers or musicians, and the garden will create a journey through a maze of plants telling the story of important historic free speech moments or asking important free speech questions.
Since the timing of the Sept 17th event is right for politicians, we usually have candidates sign up to reserve a time slot in advance to give their pitch. We’d love to have musicians serenade the strollers. If anybody wants to help with the construction, some carpentry, set up assistance, & plant loans would be appreciated. Other spaces can also be created by people that submit the $10 application for the street use permit through the sponsor, Feet First. It would be really cool to have a few spaces scattered around West Seattle.
A design competition among the expected 100 Parking Day spaces across the city will result in prizes being awarded to the most innovative projects. The Seattle Department of Transportation will be issuing one day permits to occupy the street. Did you know the street right of way footprint covers almost a quarter of the total land area in Seattle? We can certainly spare a few spots for a day.
… wait till next Saturday, when South Park promises up to 1,000 sales in a community-wide day of yard sales – and they’ve got a site for outside vendors to participate too. Details (along with photos from a big SP event yesterday) are on our partner site White Center Now.
11 days after the first word of the many ways you – and/or your kid(s) – can participate in Alki Family Fun Day on Sunday, September 12, a whimsical new video has just been made as another way to get the word out that they’ve still got spots for youth talent-show participants (as well as sponsors, vendors, and community groups). Early signup is especially vital for the talent show because they’re planning on one or two rehearsals. (Antonio Fernandez, who stars in the video with Izzy Krainick, is the talent show’s emcee and director.) The talent show will be part of a day also including a dog parade and concert. If you are interested in participating, e-mail Libby ASAP at libby@carrbiz.com – or call her at 206-938-8721.
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY SHUTTERED – BUT TEMPORARY PHARMACY TO OPEN: Just in case you missed the past three weeks of warnings – Admiral Safeway is now closed. Construction of its big new replacement is scheduled to start next month. Meantime, the temporary pharmacy in a trailer in its parking lot is supposed to open today.
ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS EXPANDS TO SUNDAYS: As noted here a few days ago, the legendary Highland Park burger joint will no longer be closed on Sundays, effective today.
WATER SAFETY DAY AT LIGHTHOUSE: A first-of-its-kind event is planned at Alki Point’s historic lighthouse; details here
FINAL PERFORMANCES FOR ‘HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING’ AND ‘THE BIRDS’: The former is presented by Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) at West Seattle High School Theater, the latterby ArtsWest, and both are onstage at 3 this afternoon.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET AND HIGHLAND PARK SUNDAY MARKET: Two markets again today – WSFM, of course, is year-round, 10 am-2 pm in The Junction (here’s the latest Ripe ‘n’ Ready fresh sheet); HPSM is in its second-to-last go-round this year, 11 am-3 pm at the Highland Park Improvement Club lot (check its FB page for the latest).
FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK: 9 am, meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (across from Rose St) to join a work party to help protect this green treasure. Bring garden gloves and hand clippers (extras available).
Christopher Boffoli‘s video from Day 1 of the Nature Consortium-presented Arts in Nature Festival – which continues today at Camp Long – begins and ends with the Cabiri, first with their aerial artistry during the day, then a fire-fueled performance at dusk. In case you are video-challenged, Christopher’s photo gives you a hint of the latter:
We have one other photo from Saturday night at the festival – Eileen shared the next photo while reporting that Hey Marseilles, Saturday’s final musical act at Camp Long Lodge, rocked the house:
Those are some of the artisans who’ve been here for two weeks now, visiting from China to help make the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s first major feature as authentic as possible – and now it’s your chance to meet and welcome them. Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, 1-4 pm, you’re invited to the welcome party at the garden site – on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge, north end of South Seattle Community College – for a welcome party. We took these photos last Monday afternoon during a quick tour of their worksite, the Knowing the Spring Courtyard:
That’s a look at the expanse inside the courtyard walls – the work is going on inside and out:
Tomorrow’s not just a simple open house – special programs are planned as listed in the full party program here, from a flower-arranging demonstration to a lion dance to martial arts (and more).
Dropped by Rocksport Bar and Grill (on SW Alaska a few doors east of California) for a photo of Jayme Miller and friend Sydni Smith just before the “Walk On, Jayme!” fundraising silent auction got rolling. In our photo, Jayme’s holding one of the many cool prizes donated by local merchants – Alki Tours, in this case. Go visit, bid on something, help Jayme with the massive medical bills she’s incurred while beating the odds in her battle to walk again, after she was suddenly struck by a rare neurological disorder (as explained here – our story includes video from the KING5 story about Jayme too).
FIRST AS-IT-HAPPENED UPDATE AT 7:34 PM: Still some room in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) for tonight’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of “Up,” starting at dusk – second to last movie of the season (this was scheduled to be the grand finale, but “Star Trek” was rained out two weeks ago, so it was rescheduled for next Saturday). Speaking of rain, yes, we know clouds are moving in, but Hotwire’s Lora Lewis has been watching the forecast all day and so far it looks like any rain won’t arrive till very late – cross your fingers. If you’re coming, bring a few bucks for the raffle, raising money tonight for Family Promise of Seattle (which has had to put its homeless-families-sheltering work “on hiatus” as first reported here). FP’s Laura Bermes talked to the crowd briefly about the agency’s mission and hopes of reopening:
Looks like there’s also still some burgers/dogs left at the free barbecue presented by West Seattle Christian Church/Preschool, if you get here fast!
POST-MOVIE NOTE AT 10:08 PM: Though it started sprinkling shortly after the movie began, and escalated for a while into a steady shower (concurrent with a thunderstorm scene onscreen!), the movie continued to its conclusion (by which time the rain had stopped). Dozens of hardy moviegoers pulled up their sweaters, or even popped up an umbrella, and stayed. Lora thinks that might be the first time in her years of overseeing the movie series that rain didn’t stop the show. The projector was manned as usual by WSCC pastor Dan Jacobs, who managed to put up a rain shield (leading, toward the movie’s end, to a “danger, projector is overheating” onscreen warning, quickly dealt with) and kept things running. Be there next Saturday night for the rescheduled “Star Trek,” and think clear skies!
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
The Nature Consortium‘s Arts in Nature Festival is for all ages – from print-making kids, to the musicians in the Seattle Festival Orchestra‘s Little Band:
If you haven’t been to the festival yet, you have till 9 tonight – then again from 11 to 5 tomorrow – on the lush green grounds of Camp Long, with venues throughout the woods, the meadow, and inside the newly renovated lodge. Among the performers – the aerial-dancing Cabiri:
Here’s the schedule – note that tomorrow kicks off with a slate including Caspar Babypants; its leader Chris Ballew then performs a benefit show to raise money for the Nature Consortium right after the festival, 5 pm tomorrow at Camp Long Lodge. (Tickets are available online here.)
Back in December, we introduced you to Kenny Wolfe, who was taking over the former Westside Pharmacy immediately south of West Seattle Nursery. He thought he’d have the renamed West Seattle Pharmacy – closed when its former owner moved to the then-new QFC in The Junction last fall – open before long. Eight months have passed, and he and wife Scarlett Wolfe are finally almost there, as the brand-new sign in the window (top photo) says. We pulled over to check in last night when we saw saw that sign and another one on the shop’s north side, just painted by West Seattle’s popular “Sign Savant“Japhy Witte, so fresh that he was still there talking with them when we walked up.
(Photos via iPhone from Deanie Schwarz) ORIGINAL AS-IT-HAPPENED REPORT, 1:58 PM: Horses from the Seattle Police Department Mounted Patrol – headquartered right here in West Seattle, next to Westcrest Park – are always a big hit at the Southwest Precinct “Picnic at the Precinct,” and you can go meet them – and the human members of the force, too – till 4 pm. High-tech, too:
MORE PHOTOS ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: City Councilmember Sally Clark stopped by – that’s her at left in the photo above, with Deanie Schwarz, Deb Greer and Karen Berge of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network, (which has scheduled its next meeting – Sept. 28, 6:30 pm @ the precinct), and at right, SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. Thanks to Karen for sharing the photo. Other community crimefighters on hand included Dot Beard, president of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council:
After no meetings in July/August, the WSCPC will meet again on Sept. 21, 7 pm @ SW Precinct. Meantime, we haven’t shown you any photos of actual police so far! Found a couple by the bouncy house:
Also spotted SWP Capt. Joe Kessler and Lt. Norm James – both busy talking with picnicgoers so we didn’t get them on camera. Back to the high-tech – two robots were on hand this year:
Here’s the whole scene, looking west down Webster:
The people in yellow T-shirts were with King County Council candidate Diana Toledo‘s entourage (we do our best to get candidates on camera when we see them at public events) – she finished second in the primary and is moving on to the general vs. State Sen. Joe McDermott.
After a few hours of fun, it was time to ride off into the sunset – or rather, into Home Depot’s parking lot:
Finally, our daily preview does include one opening: As 
Where, you ask? If you are a keen observer of storefront changes, you probably noticed the “for lease” signs being replaced this weekend by butcher paper (photo at left) in the windows of Suite Arrangements‘ future storefront at 4706 California SW – formerly 
| 48 COMMENTS