West Seattle, Washington
17 Friday
Shana from WestSide Baby says they’ve got a problem they’re very grateful to have – so many clothing donations, they need to find volunteers for a “Sorting Frenzy” work party 7-9 pm Thursday night at their White Center HQ. If you can spare the time to help make sure local families get much-needed help, RSVP to Sarah Grubbs at sarah@westsidebaby.org.
Thanks to Christina for the cameraphone photo of a car that flipped in her Arbor Heights neighborhood, near 34th/100th SW – a few other people have texted/e-mailed. Just as we were writing this, our photographer arrived and confirms nobody’s hurt (which is why it wasn’t on the 911 log) – someone hit a parked car, theirs flipped, but everybody’s OK.
The flipped car already has been righted, but 34th is still partly blocked till everything’s cleared.
The day after North Delridge Neighborhood Council members previewed their new website at their monthly meeting, the site is live at ndnc.org. It’s got features including a photo page – and contact info for council leaders. (The Admiral Neighborhood Association is working on a site too, and that’s part of their agenda tonight.) We’ll be adding the NDNC’s new site posthaste to the list of community-organization links in the WSB sidebar.
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Tierra Landscape, located in West Seattle. Walter Sepulveda, Tierra Landscape’s owner (left), brings more than 10 years of experience in landscape design and construction. Walter moved to Seattle from Argentina right after studying Forestry in Bariloche, at the University of Comahue. Tierra Landscape specializes in landscape design and construction. The mission of the organization is to design, build and maintain unique, modern, and creative landscapes that respond to individual needs. Tierra Landscape provides a complete array of residential and commercial landscaping services, including patios, walkways, fountains, and water features, outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, retaining walls, fences, arbors, and decks. While Walter was growing up, his family owned a brick warehouse where they built outdoor kitchens known in Argentina as Quinchos. His new line of outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens are based on this unique design. He encourages interested clients to visit his website at tierralandscape.net. Tierra Landscape also provides both commercial and residential maintenance services, including lawn care, irrigation, and seasonal planting. Residential landscape maintenance services range from one-time yard cleanups to weekly, monthly and seasonal maintenance programs. Tierra Landscape is offering 10% off patios to first-time customers, when you mention Tierra’s WSB ad.
We thank Tierra Landscape for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
(Seattle Times photo by Greg Gilbert, used with permission)
Thanks to Roxhill Elementary School parent Lisa for letting us know about a big event that Roxhill fourth- and fifth-graders enjoyed downtown on Monday – a trip to KeyArena for a special clinic sponsored by the Seattle Storm and the WNBA during an off-day in the Storm’s playoff push. In the photo used with permission of our partners at the Seattle Times, the Storm’s Swin Cash cheers on Roxhill fourth-grader Abigail Salas. (We found more photos in this online gallery from another site.) As you probably know, the Storm play Atlanta again tonight at the Key as their best-of-five series continues; Seattle won 79-77 on Sunday.
10:40 PM NOTE: In case you hadn’t heard, they won! 87=84. Game 3 of the WNBA Finals is Thursday in Atlanta.
Even if you don’t golf, you might consider coming to tomorrow night’s second meeting about the design of the driving range that’s in the works for the West Seattle Golf Course. The design team is scheduled to unveil its proposal for where they believe the driving range would “best fit” – and that was a subject of some discussion at, and after, the first meeting (WSB coverage here; city notes here), since some placements of the range on the west side of the course could lead to a tall net between West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park – where the stolen-then-returned-and-refurbished totem pole was rededicated a month ago – and its vaunted cityscape view. While you can certainly comment by e-mail, postal mail or phone, nothing beats being there to see/hear it explained, and to talk directly to the project team. The meeting’s at 7 pm tomorrow (Wednesday) in the golf course’s clubhouse, 4470 35th SW (the clubhouse is on the south side of the parking lot).
Some people just walk into a place and take right over. That’s Seattle funnyman Pat Cashman making himself comfortable in Southwest Youth and Family Services executive director Steve Daschle‘s office this morning. Daschle wasn’t around but truth is, SWYFS really didn’t mind Cashman getting comfortable – he’s the guy who’s going to keep things lively during their biggest fundraiser of the year, the XAFLAD! (Somali for “party”) auction/entertainment gala coming up September 24th (a week from Friday) at the Columbia Tower Club downtown. He was at SWYFS HQ in North Delridge this morning for a briefing – even as volunteers like Nancy continued to toil on the auction items – some of which have been grouped into theme baskets (this one’s easy to figure out):
SWYFS has more than 150 donated items going up for live and silent auction, according to Nanette Westerman, who along with Shayla Simoes stopped to chat while Cashman and SWYFS’s Cara Kroenke strategized for the big night. Most are in storage, awaiting the auction…
…but some items just aren’t shelf material, like a stay in Barcelona, Spain, or two tickets to a fancy dinner and show, and even a sneak peek inside the fabled women’s restroom atop the Columbia Tower (yes, females can go inside for free – but the successful bidder will get a tour even with XY chromosomes, Westerman says). Whatever the auction brings in, SWYFS is going to need it, she notes – she says she’s already getting phone calls inquiring what kind of help the agency will be offering at Christmastime: “Things are fairly dire out there.” (SWYFS wears many hats – public-school classes on site, violence-prevention programs, family-assistance programs, and more – and has a service area that also stretches outside West Seattle.) A few $60 tickets to XAFLAD! are left, and you can buy them online here.
Greg Whittaker of Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) and Alki Kayak Tours shares two bits of news: First, tonight is the final Tuesday Night Stand-Up Paddleboard Demo Night – try a paddleboard for free, and/or race at 7 pm – it’s the last race of the season in the Northwest, Greg says. He adds, “West Seattle finished strong in the second annual Round the Rock event on Sunday at Seward Park. Local paddleboarder Tyler Hesse won his division for the 13-mile race around Mercer Island.” And Greg says he won his division in the 2.5-mile race, as did Kathy Kingen: “All and all, it is a strong showing for West Seattle for a new sport.” (Full results here.) Tonight’s paddleboarding event starts at AKT’s Seacrest HQ.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tomorrow morning, the longtime manager of Spud Fish and Chips on Alki will be at work before dawn.
They’re expecting quite the lunch rush – almost certainly a line, despite the fact it’ll be a Wednesday in autumn. The occasion? Spud turns 75 years old (and is sponsoring WSB to promote the occasion) – and throwing a party.
Manager Carol Kelly – at right with daughters Ashley and Tory, who were on duty with her there when we chatted Monday afternoon – has worked at Spud on Alki for about half the restaurant’s three-quarters-of-a-century lifespan … almost 38 years.
Just kind of happened that way, she explains – she graduated from West Seattle High School, and other members of her family were already working at Spud. “I really like working with the public … and it’s such a well-established place. … I enjoy it down here.”
Quite the view, of course, since from behind the counter – inbetween rushes – you can look right out at Alki Beach and Elliott Bay.
Tomorrow, the view will feature a lot of people, pomp and circumstance, and prizes.
Just in from the state Department of Transportation – a call to help with an official count of bicyclists and walkers in early October – read on for the announcement, and how you can sign up to help:Read More
(West Seattle Bridge onramp, by smohundro, from the West Seattle Blog Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, tonight’s big events again include chances to get involved in your neighborhood, and a chance to make music:
JUNCTION NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, 6:30 PM, GINOMAI
Agenda highlights: An SDOT transportation planner visits to find out how the parking changes resulting from the city’s Junction parking study are going over. What’s working well? What’s not? What needs to change? JuNO president Erica Karlovits says, “It is important for the city to get feedback from our neighborhood.” Plus, an update on Dakota Place Park.
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, 7 PM, ADMIRAL CHURCH
Agenda highlights: A WSDOT rep is expected for an Alaskan Way Viaduct program; Summer Concerts at Hiawatha will be reviewed; the recent rulings on the California SW “upzoning” proposal (here’s our coverage archive) will be discussed, as will the decision not to “rechannelize” Admiral Way north of The Bridge; plus, the ongoing push for a 47th/Admiral pedestrian light.
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, 7 PM, THE HALL AT FAUNTLEROY
Agenda highlights: RapidRide update – this has been the hottest topic in recent months for FCA, as they have voiced serious concerns with the proposed design for the RapidRide stops by the Fauntleroy ferry terminal and its potential effects on traffic; also, the upcoming Fauntleroy Fall Festival (which has a fundraising pasta dinner coming up this Friday).
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS START REHEARSING, CHIEF SEALTH IHS:
Here’s our original announcement, with contact info if you’re interested in joining as the rehearsals begin.
Fauntleroy Church‘s second recycling event of the year had an even bigger response than the first one – that’s the first of two Fauntleroy updates from Judy Pickens:
Sunday’s Recycle Roundup sponsored by the green committee at Fauntleroy Church relieved West Seattle residents of 20+ tons of recyclables. A steady stream of donors filled five large trucks with everything from computers to bicycles and dishwashers. 1 Green Planet will disassemble everything responsibly for use in making new products.
Now, a look ahead to a big event later this fall:
Judy continues:
Photographer Mark Morgan, shown here with a prospective customer, found last year’s art show at Fauntleroy Church well worth his time. Be among the West Seattle artists and crafters at the 2010 Fine Art and Holiday Gift Faire Nov. 19-21! Details and application form at www.fauntleroyucc.org. Deadline is Sept. 30. (Photo courtesy Enid Havens)
Received two reports tonight about what may be affiliated solicitors – read on:Read More
West Seattle’s busy sign-painter Japhy Witte, aka the “Sign Savant,” was at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor) this afternoon, to decorate Skylark’s exterior at 3803 Delridge Way with signs of the changes kicking in a week from today: 7 days a week – no more Monday closures – but no weekday lunches (brunch continues); also, there’s a new campaign to make sure you know you can call ahead to order Skylark dinner for takeout/pickup (convenient if you come off The Bridge at Delridge) – 206-935-2111, as the sign says:
(The menu is online, of course, as is the live/no-cover music schedule.) Skylark announced the changes last week – proprietor Jessie SK told us today that a few people were so excited about Mondays, they showed up today, but she wants to remind everyone, the first Monday is NEXT week, September 20th, doors opening at 3 pm.
(The night after that, incidentally, is Skylark’s very popular monthly Alauda belly-dance showcase.)
Two notes tonight about upcoming events at local schools: First, there’s an addition to the schedule for the September 25th open-house celebration at Chief Sealth International High School, according to word tonight from principal John Boyd: The event will start with a 9:30 am “early-bird preview” for parents/guardians of Sealth students, before the “all-community celebration” begins at 10 am. Tours will be offered of the new galleria and the renovated gym and main Sealth building.
Second, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson is launching a series of “coffee chats” and regional meetings, and two West Seattle stops are on the list: She’ll be at Sealth Thursday, September 30, with other top district officials, 6:30-8 pm, for a “welcome back” meeting geared toward all public-school families in the WS area. Then as part of a series of “coffee chats,” Monday, October 25, she’ll be at West Seattle Elementary, 6-7 pm. Both of the superintendent’s WS visits are scheduled to have interpretation available in Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese, according to the district announcement.
(Photo added 10:44 pm, from first post-summer edition of Bingo on Alki)
Three quick notes, two involving weekly activities resuming after summer hiatus: First, Fran e-mailed to say that Monday night Bingo on Alki resumes tonight, 6:30 pm at Alki UCC – you’re welcome to play any Monday night. Second, Mary Pat from Alki Community Center sends word that Friday night skating is back this week:
Come start off school in a fun way! Bring your family to Alki Community Center for Friday Night Skate. Enjoy free hamburgers, chips and lemonade. Cost is $3 per person. (Skaters & nonskaters) You may bring in your own clean skates or borrow them from us. Come enjoy our new sound system. Time is from 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. For more information please call 684-7430. Alki Community Center is located at 5817 SW Stevens St. Skate Night will continue every Friday, excluding October 8th, November 12th & 26th, December 24th & 31st.
Finally: Seven weeks to go till Halloween. We mention that only because the dates are set for two big trick-or-treating events (and we are already starting to get inquiries!): Admiral Treats and Treasures is set for 3-6 pm, Friday, October 29, according to Parris from Max and Quinn’s Atomic Boys; the West Seattle Junction trick-or-treating event is set for 1-3 pm Saturday, October 30th. We’ve got a message out to see what’s planned at Westwood Village this year. This’ll all be on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, where we already have other fall events, even the West Seattle schedule for the Christmas Ship!
We’d heard a bit about West Seattle’s “Green Bikes” but hadn’t come across one for a WSB photo-op till Jason Grotelueschen photographed the one shown in our photos – then today, they got a citywide spotlight on Slog (read the story here; thanks to Max for the link). They’re donated and fixed-up bikes you can borrow (if you come across one); Guy Olson is leading the West Seattle Green Bikes effort and has a Facebook group for it here if you want to find out more.
Just got a few questions about this, and they coincided with a heads up from the Southwest Precinct: Police training is under way at the vacant Genesee Hill Elementary campus, continuing till late tonight. ADDED 3:33 PM: You can see why, if you drive by and don’t see the sign, you might think something had happened – long stretch of yellow tape. From SW Genesee, you will also note that at least one entrance to the playfield below is blocked off. SW Precinct’s Lt. Norm James, by the way, says the neighbors did get advance warning.
Two weeks from today – 2 pm September 27th – Mayor McGinn will unveil what is by all accounts expected to be a bleak budget – cuts at many turns. When the summer “midyear” budget ax loomed, you heard a lot of pleas from parks and libraries workers and patrons. But we haven’t heard much from the Department of Neighborhoods. Among programs including the popular P-Patches, it runs two Neighborhood Service Centers in West Seattle, where you can do everything from pay a city bill to borrow a wagon full of paint to get rid of graffiti – and a lot more. The Delridge District Coordinator, Ron Angeles (photo right, with graffiti-paintout equipment last April), has just shared this with his mailing list, headed “DON and I Need Your Support”:
Dear Friends
Today is the time to take action! Please urge the Mayor and City Council to minimize reductions to the budget for the Department of Neighborhoods.As the 2011/2012 biennial budget is being created, the Mayor and City Council are facing a $67 million budget shortfall. Cuts ranging from 9-15% are anticipated for most City Departments.
Community building and civic participation are at the heart of the mission of the Department of Neighborhoods. In difficult economic times it is more critical than ever that we have programs and services, such as the Neighborhood Matching Fund, P-Patch, Neighborhood District Coordinators, and Neighborhood Service Centers that bring people together to look out for and support each other.
Please think about the value of the programs with DON and the impact they have on the city and your neighborhood and share your experiences with the Mayor and City Council. For example, if you’ve been part of a Neighborhood Matching Fund project describe how it has changed your neighborhood, brought people together and created relationships as well as leveraging the City’s investment in itself. The same story can be told for your experience with a P-Patch community garden or your interaction with a Neighborhood District Coordinator. Let the Mayor and City Council know that you value citizen engagement, community building and the resulting strong connected communities. Working together these services and programs bring efficiencies to government, provide proactive solutions to problems and bring together groups in the community. For many, the Department of Neighborhoods is the face of City government and the liaison to other parts of the city.
Now is the time for you to speak up on behalf of the Department of Neighborhoods as the Mayor’s budget is being formulated. He will announce his budget on September 27th. We’re hoping you will join us in supporting the vital work being done by DON by contacting the Mayor and City Council now through letters, phone calls, or meetings. Also, public hearings will be held on September 29, October 13 and October 26. The hearings are an opportunity to offer public comments of no more than two minutes and a chance to voice your priorities and concerns. For more information about the City budget process and upcoming public hearings, please see:
http://www.seattle.gov/council/newsdetail.asp?ID=11035&Dept=28We recognize that all Departments will have to help meet the budget deficit and are not suggesting that the Department of Neighborhoods is untouchable. However, we are suggesting that the Department offers essential services and that reasonable reductions be made with minimal impact on the public. Thank you.
(Ron’s counterpart at the Neighborhood Service Center in The Junction is Stan Lock. They are often the unsung heroes of many events, programs, and citizen-assistance actions large and small.) As we reported here last week, one of the City Council’s budget hearings will be here in West Seattle, at South Seattle Community College on October 13th.
Checking on a court appearance scheduled today for Stephen Hayes Kirk, the suspect who’s been in jail since his arrest a month ago after a wave of so-called “smash-and-grab” burglaries, we discovered prosecutors have now charged him in two of the West Seattle cases: Uptown Espresso (Delridge) on July 29th, and Luciano’s Pizza on August 8th (photo at right). Though Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating more than two dozen of the smash-and-grabs, mostly in West Seattle and points south, he initially was charged only with three Burien cases (prosecutors have added a fourth Burien case now too). According to the additional court documentation, 
a man believed to be Kirk (photo left) was caught on surveillance video in both of the West Seattle break-ins; detectives already had him under GPS surveillance (detailed here) by the time of the Luciano’s burglary, which netted loot described as a tip jar with about $20 cash/coins. At Uptown, which was hit twice, the cash register was taken, and then dumped in a bank parking lot 21 minutes later – where surveillance video also caught what authorities believe was Kirk’s distinctive red truck – one in which he also was known as a customer of West Seattle Recycling, which the court papers note also was hit by a smash-and-grab during the spree. Kirk pleaded not guilty two weeks ago to the first three charges filed against him, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he’s being arraigned on the new charges this morning. (We started reporting on the smash-and-grabs July 16th, when we got word of this one at The Swinery; police first confirmed to us August 2nd that eight West Seattle smash-grabs were all believed linked.)
1:58 PM UPDATE: KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says Kirk pleaded NOT guilty to the new charges, with his bail increased to $150,000 (what it was for a short time after his arrest, before being cut to $25,000), and is due back in court October 4th.
Thanks to Brian Presser of TouchTech Systems in The Junction for sending along that photo of the crew that’s working on the crosswalk at California/Oregon right now. That’s not the only new paint you’ll see along local roads – we also got a weekend tip from WSB’er “Jack Loblaw” that the West Seattle Bridge was getting some stripe-painting attention too. Typical for this time of year, as crews try to get work like this done before the weather turns for the worse.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
On Friday morning, Swedish Automotive owner Dave Winters looked out the front windows of his almost-finished new location at 7901 35th SW, as Seattle City Light crews hooked up the power – another milestone on the way to move-in day.
It’s been under construction six months (here’s our report from when the work began), but Swedish (a longtime WSB sponsor) has had this on the drawing board a lot longer.
This coming Friday, Winters and his team are scheduled to do their last work at their long-outgrown old site a few blocks north, before a weekend of moving. We visited him the other day to take a look at the new space, which you’ll be able to tour during a community celebration/open house on September 25th (that coincidentally is after the same day’s morning open house at the new campus of Chief Sealth International High School, which happens to be Winters’ alma mater).
He was one of three tour guides with us on Friday – joined by Sören, who’s handling parts, and daughter Farleigh, who was about to head back to the University of Oregon, where she’s studying architecture (while home for the summer, she’d done some work with project architect Curtis McGuire).
Click ahead for a look at some of Swedish Automotive’s new features, with a sustainability focus – plus what we’ve learned about who will move into its old site (when we first reported the lease-signing in late July, the tenant wasn’t ready to go public):Read More
After a very busy weekend in West Seattle (just scroll down the WSB home page and see the proof), today/tonight are relatively low-key: For everyone who started school last week, it’s the start of the first full week of classes. … On the neighborhood-meeting calendar (here’s our preview of the entire week), North Delridge Neighborhood Council previews its new website and gets an overview of two city $ programs during its meeting at 6:30 tonight, Delridge Library … Weekly rehearsals for Seattle Glee Clubs‘ no-audition, male-and-female Prelude group start in West Seattle tonight – contact info’s in this preview … And on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, you’ll find all the regular Monday night excitement, including Bingo at Alki UCC.
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