West Seattle, Washington
10 Friday
(Scroll down for updates as tonight’s Art Walk continues till 9 pm)
It’s officially West Seattle Summer Fest eve – streets are closed in The Junction as setup begins for the Friday-Saturday-Sunday festival. But it also enables extra fun for the Junction leg of the West Seattle Art Walk route tonight – with live performers in the street and in many of the venues. Here’s the list/map showing where you can go all over the peninsula. We’re covering it live – first official stop, though, is in Morgan Junction, where WSB sponsor West Side Yoga/Doga (NE corner of Fauntleroy/42nd) has art and live music:
The artist at WS Yoga/Doga is Emily Rieman from bestfriendphoto.com; they’re raising money tonight for Dogs Deserve Better. From Morgan Junction, we headed north to Admiral, where Art Walk night is opening night for The Cask (2350 California SW):
That’s The Cask proprietor Shon MacDughlas with some of what’s on hand at his “Old World ale/wine house.” (More in our preview from earlier this week.)
ADDED 7:07 PM: In The Junction – music! Here’s the band setting up outside West 5:
(added) And in action – the Yadda Yadda Blues Band!
Musicians already in action outside Twilight Artist Collective [video substituted later for originally published photo] – Musick Ward:
(There’s art inside too – here’s the preview, from the Art Walk website.) Outside Elliott Bay Brewery, Bubbleman was setting up – a Summer Fest eve fave:
At Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), folks from West Seattle See Dogs are hanging out – with two of the guide-dogs-in-training – that’s Lucca in front, Mattie in back:
Also along California north of Oregon (which remains open as a through street, with California closed south of Oregon continuously to Edmunds, and closed for about a block north of Oregon) – you can get a jump on Summer Fest shopping, with JF Henry already in sidewalk-sale mode:
Next photos up will be from Bin 41, “your Junction wine shop” (WSB sponsor) – they’ve got music (including, in photo, a cappella singers Dave and the Dalmatians) AND guest winemakers.
Two doors south of Bin 41 is ArtsWest, which opens a new exhibition tonight, “Perennial Passages“:
The artists are there – from left, Susan K. Miller, Suze Woolf, Jacqui Beck, and Yuko Ishii. As with many of the exhibits/displays that are up for Art Walk night, theirs continues for the rest of the month (ending dates may vary, so always check with the venue, or just go and see what you see!). 8:41 PM UPDATE: Two more photos (and we have more for later, but we’re adding these before wandering back through the closed Junction streets) – the first buskers we spotted:
And Bubbleman, as he performed:
ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: A few more scenes – here’s video of Jeremy Serwer performing at TILA Real Estate:
Inside TILA, Northwest Hope and Healing was the beneficiary of an auction of glass floats from Shannon Felix‘s Avalon Glassworks:
Also in The Junction, Brunette Mix (WSB sponsor) proprietor BJ prepared for her Summer Fest sidewalk sale, with some help:
Inside Brunette Mix, artist Akiko Masker:
Next Art Walk: August 12th. But as we mentioned, many of the venues display art inbetween Art Walks too – just take a look around next time you visit anyone on the list!
With even more road construction looming – short term like this, or longer term like this – the West Seattle route of the King County Water Taxi is bound to draw even more commuters starting later this year and early next year. That is, if it does start operating year-round, as is hoped – and as was the motivation for the Seacrest Pier upgrade. The big question for months has been, will there be money, given the county budget crunch? Last night in West Seattle, King County Councilmember Jan Drago told the Southwest District Council that she’s hopeful that, along with King County Executive Dow Constantine, they’ll soon be able to say they’ve secured the money. She pointed out that the big push is to just get enough money to keep it going through winter, because, “Come spring, there will be (Alaskan Way) Viaduct mitigation money.” The Water Taxi is a focus of hers because she chairs the committee overseeing the King County Ferry District.
In addition to covering West Seattle Art Walk tonight – and any breaking news, of course – we’re also continuing to preview West Seattle Summer Fest, tomorrow through Sunday in The Junction. We asked the proprietors of Twilight Artist Collective (which has a great lineup for Art Walk tonight too) who they’ve rounded up for the Art Dive, since we didn’t see the list on the Summer Fest website (which DOES have copious amounts of information on other participants, so check it out if you haven’t lately) – and they provided the list! (You’ll find the Art Dive tent on California north of Oregon.)Read More
Just in from Camp Long‘s Sheila Brown – the list!
Sunset Owl, Bats and Moths
Ages 1 and olderWe’ll look and listen for owls, bats, and moths on a sunset hike. A bat detector will make the bats’ echolocation calls audible. Will juvenile Barred Owls be hissing their “feed me” calls? Please register by July 9 by calling 206-684-7434.
July 10 Sat 8: 30 – 10 p.m.
Course #57657 Activity Fee: $7
Dragonfly, Butterfly and Bumblebee Chase
Ages 1 and olderWe will provide nets and bug boxes. The bugs will donate their time. Learn the art of catching bugs from bumblebees (even a three year old can), to butterflies (intermediate) and dragonflies (the most challenging). Participants of all ages can share in the excitement while learning the story of each bug. With some luck we might find a garter snake too? Please register by July 9 by calling 206-684-7434.
July 10 Sat 3 – 5 p.m.
Course #57652 Activity Fee: $7Pond Exploration
Ages 1 and olderDipping in Pollywog Pond for all ages! Many Northwest salamanders, backswimmers and dragonfly nymphs live in our pond. Use nets to see what you can catch. We’ll share the excitement and stories of the critters we catch! Please register by July 9 by calling 206-684-7434.
July 10 Sat Noon – 2 p.m.
Course #57647 Activity Fee: $7Beach Days!
Ages 5 and olderBeach life will be revealed during a low tide. Give yourself a chance to ‘sea’ the diversity of life forms created over millions of years. Bring a healthy lunch to munch after exploring! Please register by July 9 by calling 206-684-7434.
Location: Me-Kwa-Mooks Park (-3.3 tide)
July 11 Sun 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Course #56776 Activity Fee: $7Beach Scrambles at Low Tide!
Ages 10 and olderTraverse the sandy, gravelly, slippery, rocky terrain between Constellation Park and Lincoln Park’s Lowman Beach, total of three miles one way. This will be a moderately paced hike on a variety of exposed tidal terrain. Bring plenty of water, food, waterproof sturdy shoes, sunscreen and binoculars. A shuttle will take participants back to Charles Richey, Sr. Viewpoint. Meet at Charles Richie Sr. Viewpoint, 63rd Ave. SW and Beach Dr. SW. This park is also known as Constellation Park. Please register by July 10 by calling 206-684-7434.
Location: Richie Viewpoint
July 11 Sun 9 a.m. – Noon
Course #56775 Activity Fee: $5Third Saturday Free Walks
Ages 1 and older FREEDeadhorse Canyon – Meet at Lakeridge Park. Why would anyone name a park after a dead horse? When you learn the history of this incredible place you will understand. Wear shoes that can get muddy and bring your binoculars! Find out
how you can help keep this place and advocate for our finned friends, the Coho. Please register by July 16 by calling 206-684-7434.
Location: Lakeridge Park
July 17 Sat 10 a.m. – NoonCourse #56778 FREE
Kayak the Duwamish
Ages 8 and olderJoin a bi-monthly community kayak tour with the Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition. Kayaking experience is not necessary. Explore the river to learn about Superfund sites, river history, and community activism. You’ll also see amazing habitat restoration sites and wildlife, including summer nesting ospreys, seals and sea lions, and shore birds. Tours will also provide basic information about how to make a water quality violation report, and how to take simple water quality tests. All gear is included. Youth 18 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at Duwamish Waterway Park, 7900 10th Ave. S. Please register by July 13 by calling 206-684-7434.
Location: Duwamish Waterway Park
July 14 Wed 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Course #56777 Activity Fee: $50Bike and Bird at the Beach
Ages 8 and olderMeet at Jack Block Park, 2130 Harbor Ave SW. We’ll explore West Seattle’s scenic beach front to identify a variety birds with master birder, Woody Wheeler. This bike-based tour will include short side trips into Jack Block, Alki and Me-Kwa-Mooks parks and a bakery/hot drink stop along the way. We could see up to 30 species of birds while exploring these diverse and scenic parks that feature ecological restorations, and marine and forest ecosystems. Come prepared with bikes, sunglasses, water, sunscreen and binoculars. Families and beginning birders are welcome and we encourage to come along! If you need a bicycle, you can rent one for $July hour at Alki Kayak Tours, 206-953-0237. Please register by July 23 by calling 206-684-7434.
July 24 Sat 7:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Course #56763 Activity Fee: $15Full Moon Watch
Ages 1 and olderJoin a naturalist to watch the full moon rise over the Cascade Mountains. We will perch ourselves at Rotary Viewpoint and use a telescope to view the details on the moon’s surface. Location: Rotary Viewpoint (35th Ave SW & SW Alaska St). Please register by July 24 by calling 206-684-7434.
July 25 Sun 8 – 10 p.m.
Course #57290 Activity Fee: $7Kayak the Duwamish
Ages 8 and olderJoin a bi-monthly community kayak tour with the Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition. Kayaking experience is not necessary. Explore the river to learn about Superfund sites, river history, and community activism. You’ll also see amazing habitat restoration sites and wildlife, including summer nesting ospreys, seals and sea lions, and shore birds. Tours will also provide basic information about how to make a water quality violation report, and how to take simple water quality tests. All gear is included. Youth 18 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at Duwamish Waterway Park, 7900 10th Ave. S. Please register by July 27 by calling 206-684-7434.
Location: Duwamish Waterway Park
July 28 Wed 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Course #56779 Activity Fee: $50Tot Treks
Ages 2-3Explore the wonders of nature with your tots. Discover life in the pond, forest, and field and meet new friends. Please arrive 10 minutes early and wear weatherproof clothing. Up to two children can be registered with one adult. No strollers please.
$7 for one adult with one child. $3.50 for each additional person. Please register in advance by calling 206-684-7434.
Tide Pool Treasures
Course #56767 July 13 Tue Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Me-Kwa-MooksSlitherin’ Snakes
Course #56768 July 20 Tue 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.Campfire with S’mores
Course #56769 July 27 Tue 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.Volunteer!
Third Saturday Work Parties
All Ages FREEBegin a family legacy at Camp Long by restoring native habitat in the park. It’s a perfect time for restoration and cleanup. Make new friends while you preserve the future for yourselves, your children, and the animals and native plants.
For more information or to reserve your place call 206-684-7434 or 206-423-0762. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Care for a new Native Plantings!
Water, weed and mulch in preparation for a hot summer.
July 17 Sat 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Just got this from Garrett Farrell at Parks, regarding the Hiawatha track installation:
The rubber track subcontractor ATLAS TRACK has been delayed on another local job and the work will not start until the Monday the 12th at Hiawatha. The contractor is opening the fence and the public will have access until Monday morning.
(WSB photo from May, showing where the top of the new ramp will be ‘fused’ to the old roadway)
First warning of this came during the May media tour of the Spokane Street Viaduct‘s soon-to-open 4th Avenue exit ramp (from the eastbound side), and now the date’s set for the lane closure that will finish the process, but cause backups for several weeks in the meantime. From SDOT:
The new eastbound Fourth Avenue S off-ramp from the Spokane Street Viaduct (the raised roadway that links the West Seattle Bridge to I-5) is nearing completion. The Seattle Department of Transportation’s contractor begins work to connect the new off-ramp to the viaduct the night of July 19th. This work requires closing the eastbound right-hand lane of the viaduct, between approximately First and Fourth avenues S, for up to six weeks starting at 9 p.m. July 19th. Electronic sign boards will notify the travelling public in advance of the upper roadway lane closure.
On July 16th, two eastbound lanes of lower Spokane Street will re-open between East Marginal Way S and Fourth Avenue S, with one lane continuing to Sixth Avenue. The change means drivers on lower Spokane, who were restricted to East Marginal Way S for south-bound travel, will be able to continue to Fourth Ave S to turn right and head south. Also, on July 15th, the sidewalk on the south side of Spokane Street will open for use.
If the Puget Sound Regional Council‘s executive committee agrees with the action that a council subgroup just took, the money committed to a replacement South Park Bridge – eight days after the old one shut down permanently – will be up to $95 million. Read on for the announcement just in from PSRC:Read More
Along with Myrtle Reservoir Park and the Hiawatha Playfield track, there’s more Seattle Parks work under way in West Seattle right now: Drove by Delridge Playfield and noticed the fences going up around the field, which is getting new turf funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy. Parks’ communications team confirms that construction work is beginning – they’ve just updated the project’s webpage, which points out that the finished field will incorporate “two striped soccer fields, one softball field, one baseball field, one woman’s lacrosse field overlaying the north soccer field, one men’s lacrosse field overlaying the south soccer field, two striped Ultimate fields overlaying the south soccer field, and one smaller Ultimate field demarcated with ‘cone dots’ overlaying the north soccer field.” Parks says the field is expected to reopen by early October, as per the contract we reported here a month ago.
Under the hottest-day-of-the-year-so-far sun, in Herrings House Park on the Duwamish River shore, the citywide media came to West Seattle to see a ceremonial letter-signing by Mayor Mike McGinn, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, City Councilmembers Jean Godden and Nick Licata, Harbor Island-based Todd Pacific Shipyards‘ Adm. (retired) John Lockwood, and King County Labor Council‘s Dave Freiboth. The letter (read it here) asks Commerce Secretary (and ex-Washington governor) Gary Locke to reopen the process that resulted in NOAA moving ships from Seattle to Newport, Oregon. Adm. Lockwood had the most fiery rhetoric – calling the move “bureaucratic arrogance” among other things:
The shortest speech – Councilmember Godden, who chairs the council’s Budget Committee, kept it to 30 seconds, ending with a vow:
A little cold water was thrown on the proceedings when a reporter told the mayor during Q/A that he’d just received a statement from Commerce reiterating they have no intention of reopening the process, but the mayor reiterated in turn that “it’s not over.” More shortly; the reason they chose Herrings House is that Federal Center South, right across the Duwamish, is considered to be a prime spot if NOAA did reconsider and stay in Seattle. (added) Here’s the official news release about the event.
Till 9 tonight, we’re under a “heat advisory.” So – you’re probably looking for outdoor dining (by the way, Phoenecia just applied for a sidewalk-café permit) or air conditioning, for this sizzling evening. So we’re building two lists in the WSB Forums, and you’re invited to join in – go here for the “restaurants with A/C” discussion, go here for the “other places with A/C” discussion.
First of three short reports from last night’s Southwest District Council meeting at South Seattle Community College: Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James gave members a quick briefing on crime trends – helpful since the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, which usually gets those briefings, isn’t meeting this month. Lt. James says that fighting car prowls has been an area of emphasis for the precinct for the past few months, and in June it appears to have paid off – 80 car prowls in West Seattle in June, down from 130 in May. Auto theft, he said, also is on the decline. And he mentioned that there currently are “more officers assigned to this precinct than we have ever had.” That’s enabled them to have an “09 car” – outside the regular patrol mix – daytime and nighttime, assigned to California SW businesses, particularly from Admiral to The Junction. Those officers “walk, talk, meet with business owners,” according to Lt. James. And without citing specifics, he also said they’re geared up for a “lot of activity on Alki” this first really warm summer weekend (which includes, on Alki, the Seafair Pirates Landing on Saturday).
Since it’s West Seattle Summer Fest eve, we’ll also be publishing previews throughout the day – more than a few participants (festival site map) have sent us extra info about what they’ll be up to, and if you’ll be there, you’re welcome to do the same! (Here’s all the ways to get info to WSB.) Kids’ activities at Summer Fest go far beyond the bouncy toys in the Super Terrific Happy Fun Zone – there’s also an area where kids can work on arts and crafts and other activities, hosted again this year by Pathfinder K-8. Plus, here’s your chance to get a jump on a coloring contest that one Summer Fest merchant is presenting for kids 12 and under – Dawn Jump from Prudential NW Realty asked us to help get the word out about the contest, and we invited her to share a scan of the coloring sheet (it’s available at PNW offices at Jefferson Square, but you might not be able to get there before WSSF). Print it out here, start coloring, and take it to the PNW booth during Summer Fest (again, here’s the map – they’re #48), where Dawn says every young artist will be entered in a drawing for “a variety of prizes,” plus they’ll be displaying the art too. P.S. Another BIG art feature for all ages @ Summer Fest is the Art Dive – presented by Twilight Artist Collective – look for the big tent full of local arts/crafts (marked by the palette icon here).
Though the 43 venues (list/map) participating in West Seattle Art Walk tonight (as well as the August and September editions) stretch far beyond The Junction (Alki to Endolyne, as the Art Walk poster/postcard puts it), the Summer Fest eve street closure in “Downtown West Seattle” plays an integral role. As mentioned here earlier this week, street performers – “buskers” – are invited to play in the shutdown streets; by late this afternoon, California will be closed from Edmunds to Oregon, and Alaska between 42nd and 44th, and they’ll remain closed until after the Summer Fest booths, stages, etc., are taken down Sunday night. (One of the headliners will be back – Bubbleman is expected outside Elliott Bay Brewery tonight.) The closed Junction streets are not the only reason this is usually the biggest West Seattle Art Walk of the year – the great weather usually brings everybody out, and tonight, it’s the perfect reason to get out of your probably-not-air-conditioned house (here’s the newest forecast). Many venues have beverages and snacks, free to Art Walk visitors, and tonight, with the theme “Art Walk Live!”, there’s lots of live music, not just in The Junction.
Many venues’ highlights are now posted on the official Art Walk website. Just a few – the grand opening for The Cask in Admiral (reported here Tuesday); Alki Bathhouse has a guitarist playing live (beach breezes!); WSB sponsor Bin 41 has tastings with popular Oregon winemakers Athena and Stewart Boedecker plus TWO live musical groups (details here) ; at newly returned WSB sponsor West Side Yoga/Doga in Morgan Junction, stop in for the Dogs Deserve Better benefit featuring artist Emily Rieman and “live surf music”! Other WSB sponsors participating in tonight’s Art Walk are Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (artist info here), Brunette Mix (artist info here), Cupcake Royale, 8 Limbs Yoga (artist info here) – all in The Junction – and Click! Design That Fits in Admiral (artist info here). Again, you can browse artist info for many of the venues on the official Art Walk website; here’s the venue list and walking map. Stay cool, spend tonight at the Art Walk! We’ll see you there – and we’ll be reporting “live” here and via Twitter – 6-9 pm tonight.
It’s West Seattle, and the rest of the city, as you’ve (probably) never seen it – resembling a very-old-school video game. The guy who brings 8bitSeattle.com to our attention, West Seattleite Jerry Whiting of JetCityOrange and Azalea Software, describes it as “a new city map in the style of 1980s video games.” Jerry says Brett Camper made the maps, starting with New York City. His companies sponsored Brett’s Seattle work – without knowing ahead of time that this happens to be Brett’s hometown. It’s all just for fun, Jerry explains (speaking of fun, he’s the guy you may recall who had the webcam wedding, and has also drawn fame for his Lava Lamp Cam). Jerry says that 8bitSeattle.com also has 8-bit images of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline, as well as “links to things geeky and nerdy.” Jerry also points out he’s “a map freak” so getting involved with this just made sense. Explore the 8-bit Seattle map here.
Last night, the political-news website PubliCola reported that this year, abortion-rights-supporting organizations NARAL and Planned Parenthood were not being allowed to have booths at West Seattle Summer Fest – see the PubliCola report here, and a followup here. The PubliCola report has been a hot topic in the WSB Forums all day long. Minutes ago, West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose sent WSB and PubliCola this statement – saying they’ve changed their minds.
After the 2009 West Seattle Summer Fest, the West Seattle Junction Association (WSJA) decided to not accept organizations into the event to discuss the issue of abortion. In past years, WSJA received strong negative feedback from the public against how the issue of abortion was being presented though we had asked these organizations to be contentious. Many families wrote, called and emailed that the graphic displays still offered by certain groups were not appropriate for their children. Summer Fest is a family and community oriented event, therefore WSJA listened to community input and chose not to accept any organizations to debate abortion. This seemed like a fair way to address the issue since not all applicants are accepted into the festival due to limited space. The first responsibility of the WSJA is to our community and we were responding to community feedback.
Now the West Seattle community has spoken out again. After it was publicized that pro-choice and pro-life organizations would not be registered with Summer Fest, we received calls and e-mails that many do want this issue to be presented at the event. Our organization has no position on this issue and our decision to not accept organizations from either side of this debate was based solely on the feedback of the community who we tried to accommodate.
Based on recent community input, WSJA has made the decision to allow one booth for each side of the issue into this year’s festival. In our effort to be neutral, we created a far greater stir than expected. We hope to respond to and remedy the initial complaints by having vendors sign a statement that all displays and handouts are subject to approval by WSJA.
A summer day in the life of a West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court queen or princess – On the 4th of July, we photographed Queen Kailin and Princesses Isabella and Kaitlin at the Admiral Kids’ Parade in the morning, and then again at the Burien Independence Day Parade in the afternoon. And that’s just part of the fun. Hi-Yu leaders tell WSB they’ve extended the deadline for girls to apply to be on the next Junior Court: You now have till July 13th – that’s next Tuesday. If you’re interested, you can e-mail Hi-Yu’s Deena Mahn at dbmahn@comcast.net 
and she’ll reply with all the info you need (or if you’re interested in downloading the application right now, you can get it here. Plus, you’ll find application forms at the Hi-Yu booth at West Seattle Summer Fest this Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Qualifications, you ask? Ages 8-11 by September, and must live and/or attend school in West Seattle. Apply by Tuesday, and there won’t be too much suspense – coronation is the following Friday, July 16th.
From WSB Forums member BookGal, via e-mail:
I just witnessed a full grown coyote running up SW Juneau Street and head north on SW 37th Street [map]. Yes, in broad daylight! It almost looked like the crow was chasing the coyote and by all the very loud cawing, it was reading the coyote the riot act. I still hear a crow in the distance.
As always, here’s the “coexisting with coyotes” info; previous sighting reports are archived here.
The whiteboard with the produce prices proudly proclaims that this is the first farm-stand day of the season at the High Point Market Garden (32nd/Juneau). We just stopped by, and found out that the produce is so fresh, they’re picking it even as customers are shopping! Here’s the stand to look for, on the east side of the beautiful “farm” plot where it’s all grown:
They’re open till 7, and subsequent Wednesdays, 4-7 pm. Read more about the market-gardens program here; meet some of the farmers here.
At 4 pm, Sea-Tac’s temperature was 89 degrees … breaking the old record of 88 (set in 1953). And the forecast still says it’ll be hotter tomorrow. Then Friday will cool a bit, according to the updated “special weather statement.”
That’s Tamea Duckworth, who not only is community sales manager for Sylvan Ridge Townhomes in West Seattle, she lives there too. We’re introducing you to her, because today we welcome Sylvan Ridge Townhomes as one of the newest WSB sponsors. And per WSB tradition, it’s their chance to let you know what they’re about: “Most Sylvan Ridge clients are in the 1st-time-homebuyers category, or moving up from a condo. People visiting Sylvan Ridge find our floor plans very unique because of the openness on the main floor. Our double-sided gas fireplaces with built-in bookshelves act as a room divider between the dining & living room. The upper-level master suite and second bedroom have vaulted ceilings for a spacious and airy feel. We are one of the few townhomes here in West Seattle that have two-car attached garages, and we are our own community, meaning we are in our own little cul-de-sac surrounded by trees, so it’s very quiet. All our homes have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room.” Tamea adds some information about her personal touch: “I have tried to be not just a friendly & informed sales agent here at Sylvan Ridge but, a good neighbor as well because I do actually live here, so I schedule window washing, dryer vent cleanout, got the community involved with the neighborhood-watch program. I am now working on our upcoming 2nd annual community picnic.”
This month at Sylvan Ridge Townhomes, a new phase with 10 more homes is scheduled to be ready. Our home of the week is priced at $299,950. We have other homes from $314,950 that qualify for our limited-time $8,000 buyer bonus. The Sylvan Ridge sales center and available homes are open Fridays through Tuesdays, 12 to 6 pm, at 2733 SW Sylvan Way, above the Home Depot and down the hill from the junction of 35th and Morgan. Tamea can also be reached by phone at (206) 933-6800 or tduckworth@matrixrealestate.com, and more information is available on our website at www.sylvan-ridge.com.
We thank Sylvan RIdge Townhomes for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
The fences are going up around the track at Hiawatha Playfield today, as the Parks Department had warned field users would happen – this is so the last phase of the Hiawatha renovations, the rubberized track, can be installed. Project manager Garrett Farrell says the contractor has until July 23rd to finish the job, so the track and field are scheduled to be off-limits for the next few weeks. (Summer events at Hiawatha including the July 16 Family Fun Fest and West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court Coronation, the July 17-18 Mediterranean Fantasy Fest, and the July 20th Hi-Yu Concert in the Park – with West Seattle Volunteer Recognition Award winners honored! – are on the other side of the community center.)
You’ve probably heard about the controversial decision for NOAA to leave Seattle, where it’s had vessels on Lake Washington, and move to the central Oregon coast. Just got word of a media event in West Seattle tomorrow to urge the federal government to reconsider, and to take a look at “existing federal facilities” including Federal Center South on the Duwamish. Scheduled to appear tomorrow morning at Herrings House Park is a contingent including Mayor Mike McGinn, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, City Councilmember Jean Godden, and, from Harbor Island-headquartered Todd Shipyards, retired Adm. John Lockwood. They’re planning to announce a letter they’re sending to Commerce Secretary (and former Washington governor) Gary Locke asking that the NOAA-siting process be reopened.
Saw the name on the liquor-license application lineup recently but couldn’t get the scoop – the name Blackboard Bistro, 
attached to new liquor licensees for 3247 California SW, the Eness/Beato/O2/Ovio/etc. spot. But this afternoon, Nancy Leson at the Seattle Times (WSB sponsor) has the full story – she reports that Eness is making way for Blackboard Bistro to open next month. Its proprietor worked most recently at Olivar on Capitol Hill. Read all about it here. 6:21 PM NOTE: We went over to the restaurant to look for signs of the transition, and to see if anyone was around to talk to. Aside from the “Blackboard Bistro” liquor notice, there is no sign of the impending change; a flyer taped to the window just says the restaurant will be closed July 1-12. THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: A spokesperson for Blackboard Bistro says Eness is definitely “closed for good” and that Blackboard plans to open “mid-August.”
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