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    SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT: This weekend’s closure

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    WS LIGHT RAIL: Sound Transit’s EIS date

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    WELCOME BACK! One school’s spirited start

Fauntleroy Community Association’s once-a-year event
March 24, 2009 8:46 pm
|    Comments Off on Fauntleroy Community Association’s once-a-year event
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

The Fauntleroy Community Association‘s annual meeting and membership drive is famous for treats from local food businesses – and tonight was no different. The 100-plus attendees got the chance to sample food from Endolyne Joe’s shredded beef to The Original Bakery‘s carrot cake. Some political heavyweights in the crowd, too, including City Council President Richard Conlin. Also at tonight’s event, FCA officers were re-elected, including president Bruce Butterfield, who talked about one of the group’s most recent achievements:

Some smaller changes may yet be in store for the dock, such as a covered passenger walkway, but the Legislature has not yet signed off on a plan for the ferry system’s future; while WSF has proposed Plans A and B, a citizens’ group based in Kitsap County has been advocating for a “Plan C” (read about it here).

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County Assessor Scott Noble breaks his silence
March 24, 2009 8:25 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Thanks to Jules for the tip that Beach Drive resident Scott Noble, now back to work as King County Assessor, has done an interview with channel 5 TV, and that media crews have been milling in the area all day. Here’s the first online version of the story – the video clip promotes a longer version to be shown on the station’s 11 pm newscast.

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Countdown continues to King County Water Taxi’s April 5 kickoff
March 24, 2009 7:33 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

As reported here last Thursday, the Water Taxi is now the King County Water Taxi, no longer the Elliott Bay WT. With its April 5th season kickoff (remember – free rides all day!) now just a week and a half away, the county’s issued a new fact sheet with a reminder of some of the other changes – see it here.

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Update: Motorcyclist hit in The Junction, taken to hospital
March 24, 2009 4:46 pm
|      48 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(photos by WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, added at 5:28 pm)
ORIGINAL REPORT: We’ve just arrived at California/Alaska in The Junction — a motorcycle has crashed outside Cupcake Royale — the bike is up on the sidewalk; paramedics are taking care of one person and it looks like they’re about to transport him/her to the hospital. Stay away from the intersection, including Alaska just east of the intersection — it’s blocked at 42nd SW. 4:55 PM UPDATE: Still awaiting official word from police; in comments, Mary from nearby Twilight Artist Collective writes:

A motorcyclist got taken out in the Junction. Apparently the car that hit him was taking an illegal left and hit him hard sending him up into the air for a brutal fall on the pavement several feet away from his bike which ended up in front of Cupcake Royale on the sidewalk.

5:13 PM UPDATE: Police have confirmed the reported illegal left turn that is blamed for the crash – they say a Prius hit the motorcyclist, who has been taken to the hospital; police say the rider is male but won’t elaborate on his injuries. Alaska is still blocked just east of California, and the northbound lane of California is blocked, but tow crews are there and it should clear up before too long.

5:28 PM UPDATE: Added photos by WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli – two above, and this one:

We’ll check back with authorities later in hopes of getting an update on the motorcyclist’s condition.

5:47 PM UPDATE: The intersection is now clear.

8:15 PM UPDATE: While no official information on the motorcyclist’s condition is available, Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area steward Stevo has just provided firsthand info in the comment section:

I’m good friends with the rider who was hit. He’s at Harborview with a broken femur. I spoke with his girlfriend as he’s all doped up. He lives right near the Junction, and is a very good, cautious rider.

We did hear a snippet of scanner traffic about someone with that exact injury, minutes after this happened, but couldn’t confirm till now that it was the same case.

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Alki Homestead’s post-fire future: Two follow-ups
March 24, 2009 4:34 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Alki Homestead | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from January 16)
Two follow-ups this afternoon, the day after our Monday report about the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s announcement of concern regarding the fate of the Alki Homestead restaurant, an official city landmark, closed since fire heavily damaged its interior two months ago. We just talked with inspector Michael Griffin in the city Department of Planning and Development regarding the complaint filed last week about the building’s condition (noted online here). He tells WSB he has inspected the site and its only potential violations are that its roof and some windows are open to the elements, so building owner Tom Lin will be given a warning notice to take care of those problems. If he doesn’t, then a citation would follow. Aside from the roof/window openness, Griffin says, the property is “neat and tidy.” Meantime, we checked with the Historic Preservation division of the city Neighborhoods Department, to find out what role they might play, if any, in this situation. Landmarks coordinator Beth Chave tells WSB that she talked with Lin “about a month ago” to go over the review process required for repairs/changes on a landmarked property like this but hasn’t seen an application yet, so doesn’t have an “active file” about the Homestead site. (Meantime, owner Lin has not yet answered our requests for comment.)

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Also tonight: Book Fair, story time for Arbor Heights Coop Preschool
March 24, 2009 3:47 pm
|    Comments Off on Also tonight: Book Fair, story time for Arbor Heights Coop Preschool
 |   Arbor Heights | How to help | Westwood

Late word of an event tonight that’s part of a fundraiser continuing the next few days: Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool is having a Book Fair at Barnes and Noble through Thursday – shop at any B&N and mention code 497941, and the school gets credit. Tonight, everyone’s welcome to a special storytime with crafts activities, 6-7 pm, at B&N in Westwood Village.

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9 West Seattle students win Mayor’s Scholars Awards
March 24, 2009 12:24 pm
|    Comments Off on 9 West Seattle students win Mayor’s Scholars Awards
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

9 students from West Seattle middle schools are among 26 middle-schoolers citywide just announced as Mayor’s Scholars Awards recipients of $500 awards (to use for education or charity) – read on to see the news release with the entire list:Read More

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Meet the newest candidate for Seattle mayor: Michael McGinn
March 24, 2009 12:20 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle politics

That’s the introduction video posted today by the newly announced mayoral campaign of North Seattle resident Michael McGinn. Here’s his official site; he’s not on the official city filing list yet (though it hasn’t been updated online since last week) – three campaigns are listed there so far: the incumbent, Norman Sigler, and the potential campaign of James Donaldson, who has said he’ll make his yes-or-no announcement this week.

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Update: Parks Committee OK’s Manning/Admiral parcel plan
March 24, 2009 11:53 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Followup on a report we brought you last weekend, that the Parks Department is likely to take over a city-owned parcel at SW Manning/Admiral Way, once was proposed for sale on the open market: Just got the official announcement that the City Council’s Parks Committee gave its approval this morning to the plan to seek public comment before going ahead with that change — read on:Read More

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Another park update: Myrtle Reservoir site schedule “on hold”
March 24, 2009 11:20 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

myrtleforsmallimage.jpg

(From last year, approved “schematic plan” for Myrtle Reservoir park)
Thanks to “jsrekd” for posing the question in the WSB Forums — what’s up with the park site at Myrtle Reservoir (map), where construction was supposed to be starting soon? First stop, the project’s official page on the city Parks Department website – where a new update revealed that the Myrtle park-construction schedule is “on hold” and that work may not start until this fall. That led to a call to project manager Virginia Hassinger, who says the delay is because Seattle Public Utilities work on the newly covered reservoir is taking longer than expected — the same crew that’s working on the Beacon Hill reservoir-covering project (remember this story, with underground video?) is working on Myrtle. Once park construction does start, Hassinger tells WSB, it should take about three months; she says she can’t wait to get going and get it done, but they can’t take control of the site till SPU’s work is done.


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Got something you’re wondering about? We have a few other followups in the works and are always ready for more – send a note or call any time (all our various contact methods are here).

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Groundbreaking set for ARK Park in Arbor Heights
March 24, 2009 8:52 am
|    Comments Off on Groundbreaking set for ARK Park in Arbor Heights
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

arborheightsparksite.jpg

(WSB photo from August 2008)
Last August, we brought you first word of the plan for ARK Park in Arbor Heights, on the site shown above, which is owned by neighboring Arbor Heights Community Church. Now the date for groundbreaking is set, as well as for another fundraiser – here’s an update from project leaders Loretta Kimball and Jan Seidel:

1. Our February 9th Benefit provided an enjoyable evening of music to those who attended and helped us establish a solid Development Fund for ARK Memorial Park. We appreciate Chad Kimball and cast members of Memphis for their part in making our first fundraiser a success as well as the generosity of our donors!

2. A Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held at the site (102nd and 42nd Ave SW [map]) on Saturday, March 28th at 3:00 p.m. in memory of baby Allexandra Ramona Kimball on her 1 Year Birthdate Anniversary. Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall of Arbor Heights Community Church following the groundbreaking ceremony.

3. We are planning to hold our second fundraiser, a Spaghetti Dinner, on Saturday evening, April 18th in the Fellowship Hall at Arbor Heights Community Church. Dinner will be served between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. There will be family friendly activities such as a bouncy house, face painting, etc. Cost of the dinner is $5.00 for singles, $10.00 for couples and $15.00 for families.

You can read more about the park plan – which is a private/community-funded project, not a city park site – at this website.

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Happening tonight: Fauntleroy’s annual meeting; World TB Day
March 24, 2009 8:14 am
|    Comments Off on Happening tonight: Fauntleroy’s annual meeting; World TB Day
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Two of tonight’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle-wide Events calendar: Live in the Fauntleroy area? The Fauntleroy Community Association would love to see you tonight for the annual meeting and membership drive. 6 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (in the old schoolhouse). Also tonight: It’s happening downtown, but it could help save ANYONE’S life – and high-school students from West Seattle and vicinity have been working hard to make it happen — the World TB Day event at Town Hall (map), 6:30 pm.

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At Easy Street tonight: Party for new editions of Pearl Jam’s “Ten”
March 23, 2009 11:55 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The sidewalk stencils in front of Easy Street Records‘ front door in The Junction mark the spot where the party started at nine; the music — four new editions of Pearl Jam’s “Ten” — goes on sale at midnight. Inside, quite the crowd for a Monday night:

According to Easy Street’s party preview, free pizza and soda were part of the fare — and sale prices when the four new editions of “Ten” become officially available at midnight. If you are new to West Seattle, this location is particularly significant because (a) Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is a West Seattleite and (b) one of the band’s other famous releases is from a 2005 show at the store.

ADDED 5 AM: At midnight, the counter was mobbed:

Here’s video from a few minutes before midnight – that’s Easy Street owner Matt Vaughan saying “God bless West Seattle”:

Of course, someone asked if Vedder was there; Vaughan said no.

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Highland Park Action Committee: A “banner night”
March 23, 2009 11:28 pm
|    Comments Off on Highland Park Action Committee: A “banner night”
 |   Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The debut of that new banner (designed by Dina Johnson) was just one of the reasons why tonight could have been called a “banner night” for the Highland Park Action Committee, with highlights including:

**Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Adonis Topacio said crime’s trended downward in the Highland Park area in the past 30 days; hearing complaints about late-night door-knockers, he advised calling 911.

**HPAC chair Dan Mullins said he’s been in touch with a Shoreline neighborhood group that, like HPAC, has been working to keep the possible future regional misdemeanor jail out of proximity to residential neighborhoods, and said they agree the jail belongs downtown. He also read a quote attributed to City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, saying the city should be building “castles for education,” not jails.

**Mullins also had an update on the Westcrest Park reservoir’s future park project; he says the Parks Department doesn’t plan anything definitive for the site until after the Seattle Public Utilities work to bury the reservoir is done next year – then public meetings will ensue. Rory Denovan suggested a neighborhood summit be held BEFORE then, so neighbors can create a plan for what they’d like to see.

**Highland Park Improvement Club – whose building houses HPAC meetings and much, much more — is celebrating its 90th anniversary this November, and planning fundraisers and work parties before then, starting with a wine-tasting event April 23rd.

HPAC meets the fourth Monday of each month; its info- and photo-laden website can be browsed at highlandpk.net.

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TEAM Delridge tonight: Food for thought – and action
March 23, 2009 10:02 pm
|    Comments Off on TEAM Delridge tonight: Food for thought – and action
 |   Delridge | How to help | West Seattle news

That was the turnout tonight at Southwest Community Center for TEAM Delridge – community members getting together to envision future neighborhood improvements, including healthier food – since it is, after all, part of the King County Food and Fitness Initiative:

Two more TEAM Delridge meetings are planned, April 20th and May 18th, locations to be announced.

2 more Delridge events to note this week — both potlucks, in fact. First comes the monthly FEEST Community Potluck at 5:30 pm Wednesday, Youngstown Arts Center, which, according to an e-mail alert, is “offering youth-prepared organic dishes, an opportunity to build community with youth members of the Food Education Empowerment and Sustainability Team, and a glance at King County Food and Fitness Initiative’s proposed Community Action Plan to improve and sustain resources in the Delridge and White Center neighborhoods.” Then Saturday, it’s the Community Potluck event organized by the volunteers working toward a Delridge Produce Cooperative, this Saturday from 11 am-2 pm, also at Youngstown (read more here).

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Post-print-P-I: See what some ex-staffers are doing now
March 23, 2009 8:16 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway

This is not West Seattle-specific, but most of these folks probably wrote about/photographed West Seattle at one time or another, so we’re sharing the word: One week after the last Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper went to press, if you are wondering what’s up with the staffers who did not stay on with the new online-only P-I, here’s a list of some of their new endeavors, compiled by former P-I food writer Rebekah Denn, who made news herself today as a James Beard Award nominee. The sites range from very personal (ex-copy editor diarizing about her unemployment) to continuations of the type of work the respective writers did for the paper (like this).

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Harbor Island crane fire: Demolition unintentionally hastened
March 23, 2009 6:44 pm
|    Comments Off on Harbor Island crane fire: Demolition unintentionally hastened
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
If you saw smoke – or at least, all the fire engines — on Harbor Island in the past hour, it was a fire on a crane at Terminal 18, 150 feet up. Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen says the crane was being demolished — and welding sparks ignited an accidental fire in a Fiberglas cab beneath where the demolition crew was working. Nobody was in the crane; nobody hurt; once firefighters used a basket and 500 feet of hose to get up to the fire, they made short work of it.

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Door-to-door alert: Magazine-sales warning from state AG
March 23, 2009 5:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Door-to-door alert

Door-to-door alerts are usually shared here by WSB’ers (here are our archives) but this time there’s one from the state Attorney General’s Office: If these folks come to your door, beware.

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ORCA “smart card” for transit: Finally close to arrival
March 23, 2009 5:00 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

News release this afternoon from the King County Council:

Paying your fare to ride the bus, ferry or light rail throughout the Puget Sound region will soon be as simple as swiping a single card, following approval today by the Metropolitan King County Council of a plan for rollout later this spring of the long-awaited ORCA regional fare coordination system.

“This system makes various forms of transit more accessible to all riders,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, sponsor of the ordinance and chair of the Council’s Physical Environment Committee that oversees transportation. “The new ORCA card will help riders have a more seamless and enjoyable transportation experience.”

The One Regional Card for All (ORCA) will be a non-touch smart card used for payment on seven transportation systems: Sound Transit, King County Metro Transit, Community Transit of Snohomish County, Pierce Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit and Washington State Ferries.

The system is easy and fast. ORCA uses an electronic smart card that automatically calculates any fare due. Passengers will simply “tap” their ORCA Card on target card readers and enjoy their ride. The card will register a valid pass or deduct the appropriate fare from a customer account. Customers can load transportation value or products on their card online or in person at select retail outlets.

The Council today authorized an updated interlocal agreement with the other six transit agencies that clarifies the roles of all the partners for the rollout of ORCA later this spring. Approvals must still come from the Everett City Council and the state of Washington. The regional fare coordination system has been under development since 2003.

Work on the ORCA system is now in final system design, software and Web site development, and testing to implement system updates and changes based on lessons learned in a customer Beta test. Concurrently, work is underway to complete installation of all equipment, develop employee training programs and plan for the rollout of the new ORCA card to customers.

ORCA has its own website, here.

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Monday afternoon notes: Trash countdown, and more
March 23, 2009 3:01 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Highland Park | Utilities | West Seattle news

TRASH COUNTDOWN: At WSB HQ, we finally got the official notice taped to the containers, after today’s pickup … although we’d already received the notice in the mail saying our pickup day, currently Monday, is changing to Tuesday. One week from today is when the changes – including higher rates and weekly yard/food waste pickup — start kicking in. One big reminder we took away from a Seattle Public Utilities presentation at last week’s Alki Community Council meeting – which is likely to be mentioned again at tonight’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting — is that, while you used to be able to opt out of yard-waste service, you can’t any more – it’s mandatory (even if you don’t have yard waste to recycle, the city is encouraging you to recycle food waste), but you can get a small container (full options listed here).

TEAM DELRIDGE EVENT TONIGHT, LOCATION CORRECTION: We listed the wrong location in an earlier note – it’s at 6:30 pm at Southwest Community Center (map).

CAMP LONG EVENT THIS WEEKEND: Coming up next weekend, a great way to enjoy and support one of West Seattle’s greenest treasures: a coffeehouse and dessert-auction fundraiser at Camp Long, 7 pm this Saturday night, with music by Jim Page and Grant Dermody. Reservations recommended, call 206-684-7434 or 206-938-3870. $10 per adult; kids over 5 are $5, and a naturalist program will be available for them to enjoy during the event.

IT’S A REALLY BIG TREE: Over the weekend we reported on the new plan for the SW Manning/Admiral Way site that’s best known for its sequoia tree. City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, whose Parks Committee will look at the plan tomorrow morning, visited over the weekend – for a sense of the tree’s size, check out this photo of the tree, with Councilmember Rasmussen standing next to it:

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Two traffic alerts just beyond West Seattle: I-5, 1st Ave South
March 23, 2009 12:26 pm
|    Comments Off on Two traffic alerts just beyond West Seattle: I-5, 1st Ave South
 |   West Seattle traffic alerts

The I-5 and 1st Avenue South projects both have updates – we’ve mentioned them before but these are the very latest status checks forwarded by SDOT:Read More

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From the WSB Forums: What that helicopter was up to
March 23, 2009 10:40 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | Highland Park | White Center

helicopterwatch.pngGot a few notes very early Sunday about the area’s law-enforcement helicopter, Guardian One, spending some time over the Delridge Triangle area. WSB Forum members launched a discussion and we have added a little more information this morning – the call started with King County Sheriff’s Deputies who say it involved a report of a “fight in progress” – here’s the entire WSBF thread, in case you haven’t already read it there.

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Alki Homestead future: Historical Society goes public with concern
March 23, 2009 7:54 am
|      41 COMMENTS
 |   Alki Homestead | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from January, shortly after the fire)
Two months after the fire that closed the historic Alki Homestead restaurant, repairs have yet to begin, according to city online records which show no permits have been applied for, though records do show a complaint was filed with the city last week about the building’s condition/status. This morning, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which operates the nearby Log House Museum, has issued a news release expressing concern about the Homestead’s future:

Because of community uncertainty over the fate of the Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead Restaurant after an early-morning fire damaged the building on Jan. 16, 2009, the Executive Board of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society states the following:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society advocates protection and preservation of significant historic structures on the Duwamish Peninsula. We nominated the Alki Homestead Restaurant building for city landmark status and the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a Seattle landmark on Oct. 18, 1995. Then and today, the building needs preservation.

The Alki Homestead, known 100 years ago as Fir Lodge, is a Seattle icon. It was the anchor of a beachfront estate created by the Bernard family. The carriage house that became the historical society’s Log House Museum is the only remaining structure of five outbuildings on that estate. Both the Homestead and The Log House Museum are–and should remain–vital and intertwined sites in our Seattle history for generations to come.

We support the building’s preservation. We urge:
-that the building be protected immediately in its damaged state: that the roof be covered, broken windows boarded up, and the entire structure protected from the elements and from intrusion;
-that the yard and landscape be maintained, perhaps with help from neighborhood volunteers; and
-that all landmarked features be preserved in the restoration of the building.

We are confident that there are many ways in which the building can be used to insure that it has an economically viable future. We urge community support of a vision that restores the landmarked building and sustains the site as a valuable element of the Alki community, the Duwamish Peninsula , and the city of Seattle.

After the fire, Homestead owner Tom Lin had said he still hoped to proceed with a sale of the restaurant operation – not the building itself – which was in the works before the fire; he also said it might take more than six months before the Homestead could reopen. We have a message out to him for comment on the Historical Society’s statement, and the status of plans for repairs/sale, and will let you know what we hear back.

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