West Seattle, Washington
04 Friday
VIADUCT CLOSURE THIS WEEKEND: Looking ahead to this weekend’s Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closure, WSDOT wants to give you a heads-up about two signs you may have seen: They’re not entirely accurate. Kristy Van Ness explains why:
We’ve placed two variable message signs as you head north from West Seattle toward downtown, alerting drivers of this weekend’s closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. But… there’s a character limit on those signs, so they state that the viaduct is closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. We are still going to open the Viaduct at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, so those heading to the Sounders game can use the structure if needed, but just couldn’t fit those extra characters on the sign!
(added 1:52 pm) By the way, a big ceremony is scheduled this Saturday morning for the signing of the tunnel agreement approved by the Seattle City Council earlier this week. The media invite hasn’t gone out yet but we got the tip from Chas Redmond, one of the West Seattleites who are on the “portal working groups” hashing out what will be happening AROUND the tunnel. WSDOT tells us those groups may not reconvene for another month or so.
WATER TAXI REMINDER: King County just sent out a short reminder that, as scheduled all along, the Water Taxi route between West Seattle and downtown is still scheduled to end its season on Halloween. (Just this week, the City Council gave its approval to the plan for dock work to be done in the offseason, looking ahead to planned year-round operation of the route; we’re checking to find out the timetable on that.)
At Westwood Village, Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) sends word its move to a new, more visible storefront is complete, right on schedule, done in time for the new location’s debut yesterday. They’re now open Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 am-6 pm in the spot you see above, next to Chico’s, which is in turn just north of Barnes and Noble, in the heart of WV. Meantime, in The Junction, KeyBank is done with its remodeling work:
Kevin McClintic took that photo back in August, as crews did late-night work on the bank’s big remodel. Now we have word that the months of work are over, and the branch plans a “grand opening” celebration next week, with refreshments and snacks for those who stop in. Here’s what changed, according to a KeyBank news release:
Inside the updated branch is a new teller line, a pair of flat TV screens featuring information of interest to clients and a community wall of photos depicting local scenes and landmarks. New offices and conference rooms accommodate client meetings requiring privacy, and a new, comfortable waiting area is complete with a coffee cart.
Key’s new “Teller 21” technology places better information in the hands of tellers quickly, freeing up time for them to advise and interact with clients. Behind the scenes, processing and handling time is significantly reduced: for example, a check brought to the branch would once have been handled up to 12 times by tellers, proof operators and others involved in the processing function. With Teller 21, that check is handled only once.
(added 1:08 pm) One more note – we checked with Allison Rich, new co-owner of Angelina’s, regarding their progress toward reopening after the remodel (here’s our last “sneak peek” story). She says they’re now hoping to be ready around the middle of next week.
No, that’s not a rerun of the video featured here after the media tour of Beacon Hill Reservoir last year – it’s a brand-new look at the work to cover (underground) West Seattle Reservoir adjacent to Westcrest Park (map). When it’s done next year and ready to hold water, the man who had the idea to cover the reservoirs won’t be mayor any more – so he came out today for a firsthand look at part of his legacy. During the tour, we asked Mayor Nickels, now that much of the reservoir-covering work he started is done at several sites around the city, what he thinks about the decision to change from “floating covers” that originally were in the works:
The city decided to cover half of the original reservoir site (the southern half), and leave the other half as open space. The other city reservoir in West Seattle has been covered – Myrtle; it’s much smaller, but the project has taken longer because the waterproofing needed to be replaced (here’s the story we broke three months ago, and our most recent followup) – lessons learned from that will ensure that the same part of the process does not encounter the same problem here. Meantime, last time we visited the Westcrest site, in May, the uncovered half looked like this:
Now it’s been hydroseeded, and Canada geese have taken up residence on the lush grass – take a look at the difference. Bill Duyungan from Seattle Public Utilities is the voice you hear in this clip talking about it:
The grass-covered side also has special drainage features – it’s something of a swale, SPU managers explained. Though the undergrounding structure work is almost done, the entire project is more like half complete. The project manager from Seattle Public Utilities, Stephanie Murphy, gave a quick rundown on the numbers –30 million gallons capacity for the covered reservoir, with the covering work to be complete by year’s end (more concrete will be poured tomorrow; the pour’s been under way intermittently since March) and filling scheduled for next summer. She was asked how it’ll be connected with the existing park:
We also got a look at the workings inside – including the electrical vault, with pumps and earthquake protection equipment – as explained when we toured the site in May, it’s got a special setup to make sure the reservoir stays half full even if a seismic event causes it to lose some water. The vault is accessible from a set of stairs leading down from part of the north edge of the cover. Here’s part of what’s inside:
The completion of the reservoir will create 21 new acres of park space that will connect to the existing Westcrest Park; $3 million from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy passed last year will be used to design and build the park’s features – the community-involvement process hasn’t officially begun yet, but the Highland Park Action Committee will be closely involved – its next meeting is a week from tonight, fourth Wednesday of the month (7 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club building). As for the mayor – as much fun as it must be to come out and have a look at part of your legacy, a structure that will be in place for decades, he has an interesting rest of the week ahead; we asked what’s ahead for him in the next few days, and he mentioned that on Sunday, he plays host to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
While we were reporting recently on the opening of Shipwreck Tavern in the Admiral District, talk turned to the fate of the former Admiral Benbow Inn nearby. We have a few more details this morning directly from Jay Wergin, who’ll be opening a cafe there (as previously revealed here) – here’s his announcement:
Coming soon to West Seattle: The Heartland Cafe, a family-friendly restaurant with a focus on great, affordable Midwestern comfort food.
Co-owner and longtime West Seattle resident Jay Wergin was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the classic dishes served at supper clubs, church picnics and back yard barbecues: bratwurst, Italian beef, chicken booyah, and of course, beer from Wisconsin, such as Leinenkugel and Milwaukee¹s Best. Together with Jeff Loren, a 25-year restaurant industry insider, who has run the show at Julia¹s and other prominent Seattle-area eateries, Wergin will open the Heartland Cafe in the heart of the Admiral District on the site of the former Benbow Inn. The iconic space is currently undergoing major renovations to restore the vintage pirate ship bar and transform the main dinner and banquet room into a family-friendly space. The Heartland Cafe is slated to open later this winter and will serve dinner during the week and breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a late-night menu on weekends. Stay tuned for updates … !
ADDED 2:02 PM: We asked Jay a few followup questions. For one, we’d heard of a “West Seattle Sausage Co.” coming to that vicinity – turns out that was an early working name for the project. For two, here’s a little more about the bar/restaurant delineation:
As for the layout of the place. A full service bar will be located in the pirate ship and will be identified as the ³Benbow Room² with the primary access to the bar (21 and older) from the alley entrance. The main restaurant and banquet room will be entered through the Admiral Street entrance (Next door to the Shipwreck).
He says the late-night all-ages dining will run to 3 am Friday and Saturday nights (of interest to us since your editor here has a 13-year-old fellow extreme night owl in the house).
(WSB photo from December 2008)
THINK SNOW – LONG BEFORE THE TEMPS DROP: Two weeks ago, the city rolled out its all-new snow plan (here’s our report; here’s the plan). Tonight, your chance to hear from, and ask, the experts, in person, 7-9 pm, Delridge Community Center. If you’re still not sure what’ll be different if we have a Snowpocalypse rerun, this is the place to launch your flurry of questions.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Huge agenda for MoCA‘s quarterly meeting, 7 tonight at The Kenney, including transportation, park, preparedness and utility issues.
FAIRMOUNT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: This group doesn’t meet often but when it does, there’s lots to talk about, as previewed here. Development (with Harbor Properties‘ update on Link) and crime are two major components of tonight’s agenda, 6:30 pm, The Mount.
(added 8:52 am) DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Thanks to Pete Spalding for one additional reminder – the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council also meets tonight, 7 pm at Youngstown Arts Center. Two city department heads will be there: Finance director Dwight Dively with a presentation on the mayor’s budget proposal; Neighborhoods director Stella Chao with a briefing on proposed changes to the Neighborhood Matching Fund.
Big group at Tuesday night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – so big that president Dot Beard exclaimed not once, but twice, how great it was to see them all. No special guest on the agenda, just an hour-plus of information about crime trends, questions/answers about crime concerns, an update from the local State Liquor Control Board officer, and word that West Seattle’s police force is growing – highlights ahead:Read More
This morning, we continue our city-candidate closeups; we took a look at them all before the primary election, and this week, with the general election nearing, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council – one race (two candidates) per day. Since tonight (Wednesday), the Seattle Times (WSB partner) co-sponsors the next live TV debate in the mayor’s race – 7 pm, KING5 – we’re publishing our mayoral candidate interviews this morning. (Editor’s note, 9:31 am – The Mallahan interview that also was published early this morning has disappeared from our database but will be republished by afternoon.).
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
One big issue has just taken a new turn in the race for Seattle Mayor: Mike McGinn had made a big deal out of his deep objection to a deep-bored tunnel to replace the Central Waterfront section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct – until Monday – when the City Council unanimously voted to authorize Mayor Greg Nickels to sign an agreement with the state committing Seattle to the tunnel plan.
“I disagree with the decision. I disagree with the timing,” McGinn wrote. “But the reality is, Mayor Nickels and the Council have entered into an agreement, and the city is now committed to the tunnel plan.”
He says that if he is elected, it will be his job to “uphold and execute this agreement” and not his job to “withhold the cooperation of city government in executing this agreement.” He makes it clear he will not quietly go along on the project. He says he will ask the “tough questions” because the city still does not know how much the project will cost.
From tonight’s Southwest Healthy Youth Partnership meeting at Madison Middle School: First up on the agenda, the future Westwood Village liquor store, and concerns about its proximity to Seattle Public Schools-owned Southwest Athletic Complex (as shown in Google Street View above – field’s south side at left, back side of future store location at right). Westwood Neighborhood Council‘s Donn DeVore recapped conversations he’s had with State Liquor Control Board reps and said the location seemed to be a done deal before anyone in the community heard about it. If that’s so, a few attendees suggested, perhaps productive next steps would be to work to keep signage off the stadium-facing side of the building and to talk with police about patroling behind that building (also home to medical offices and Staples); Westwood neighbors say they’d been noticing an increase in empty malt-liquor bottles around 26th/Trenton and fear the liquor-store move could increase that. Delridge District Neighborhood Service Coordinator Ron Angeles offered info about other West Seattle meetings addressing such concerns – like the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council (also held tonight – our report is coming up) and the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition (this Thursday, 6 pm, St. James Place). In other efforts, it’s almost Red Ribbon Week, which will be marked at local high schools, including (as mentioned here this morning) with special decals on helmets during the West Seattle High School–Chief Sealth High School football game Friday night; next week, students at Madison will make posters about positive choices. The Healthy Youth Partnership also is working on arranging a teen-drinking presentation by West Seattle/Vashon addiction/mental-health expert Stephen Brogan. Want to get involved with SWHYP? Contact Renae Gaines – rtgaines@seattleschools.org.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, the Fairmount Community Association (not to be confused with Fairmount Springs, which is more than a mile south, with Hansen View inbetween) meets at the facility that anchors its neighborhood – Providence Mount St. Vincent (at the top of the hill in the background of our first photo, looking up 37th SW).
Fairmount residents have been keeping a close eye on development prospects for the area known as the Triangle, and recently got word that the city is ready to move into a new phase of helping the community plan that district’s future. So, looking ahead to tomorrow’s meeting, Fairmount CA president Sharonn Meeks arranged for the city rep on the project, urban designer Robert Scully, to join her and other group reps on a walking tour Monday afternoon. We joined them and walked The Triangle’s perimeter from and to Fire Station 32 (38th/Alaska):
The barbed wire around a parking lot east of the fire station (believed to be a holdover from days as a storage lot) is just one of the signs of a neighborhood in transition. More scenes from the walking tour, and what happens next, ahead:Read More
FULL TILT ICE CREAM WINS “BEST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON”: They’re headquartered in White Center but have been adopted by enough West Seattleites to feel like something of a WS annex, in the nonpolitical sense. As announced in the WSB Forums, Full Tilt Ice Cream has won its category in the KING 5 “Best of Western Washington” voting, and our video shows co-proprietors Justin Cline and Ann Magyar getting interviewed this afternoon by KING 5 producer Eric Riddle for the upcoming broadcast. Full Tilt first opened in White Center less than 2 years ago and has since expanded to Columbia City, with a Ballard location in the works too. (Any other WS/WC businesses win BoWW? Let us know!)
“SHOWMANSHIP” WIN FOR ZIPPYDOGS: Elise Lindborg from ZippyDogs, a West Seattle-based promotional-products company, is howling proud of their win for “Best Booth Showmanship” at this year’s Northwest Event Show, which recently drew thousands to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Lindborg, who identifies herself as ZippyDogs’ “Top Dog,” notes, “We try to make every day fun, and we strive to be helpful, professional, friendly, and yes, a little playful!” They’re online at zippydogs.com.
In the fog and mist, Creighton was wowed by the white stuff in his yard – not frost, certainly not snow – and wondered:
Ever see anything like this? My wife and I walked out into our back yard this morning and found the fog deposited dew on what appears to be spider webs covering our entire back yard. I’m impressed at the industriousness of a spider that could do all this overnight. Aside from being a wonderfully spooky Halloween yard is this common around here?
Closer look:
First one comes from North Delridge: Thanks to the anonymous
telephone tipster who called to share word that the Cottage Grove Shell store (5400 block of Delridge) had been broken into overnight. We went there to check it out and found boards on damaged doors (the store IS open); a worker told us that the burglar/s stole dozens of phone cards and lottery scratch tickets. Checking with police, we found out from Lt. Norm James at the Southwest Precinct that this store actually has been broken into twice in the past three days. Lt. James says, “Some type of pry tool used on both. There are currently no suspects in custody.” Detectives are investigating. Meantime, in other Crime Watch news, we’ve also heard from someone who’s had two cars vandalized in two days – and we have a followup from a resident in the neighborhood hit by a car-prowl spree last weekend – read on for those:Read More
If you follow @westseattleblog on Twitter, you know the side conversations are numerous. One of them involved a musing (see it here) three days ago about a campaign commercial online 
(see it here, “cued up” to the reference) in which King County Council Chair/County Executive candidate Dow Constantine is accused of spending money on “ferries going nowhere,” while an image of the King County Water Taxi is shown. We wondered aloud if that was meant to suggest West Seattle is nowhere. The ad apparently subsequently hit the airwaves, which led Joseph Brick to wonder the same thing and send the question to us and The Stranger, which quickly pursued responses and just sent us links to their resulting Slog posts. Short summary, with the links: The person who produced the “ferries going nowhere” ad (whose funding is noted here) notes it’s an “independent” production and that “the (Susan) Hutchison campaign hasn’t seen it” and explains they were referring more to plans to expand the foot ferries; the Constantine campaign contends it’s evidence of an “anti-Seattle campaign” by Hutchison “and her allies.” No published comment from the Hutchison campaign so far, but we are seeking one. (12:47 AM WEDNESDAY: Haven’t received a reply.)
More than 60 people gathered at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene last night to brainstorm, commiserate, and most of all, prepare to fight back against burglaries and car prowls in the greater Fairmount Springs neighborhood – neighborhood organizer and e-mail-list-keeper Paul says his list, approaching 200 members, has grown to include folks in a wide area between The Junction and Morgan Junction. We reported last night on a side discussion at the meeting – how to handle door-to-door solicitors. Now, the main discussion: what can be done to deter crime. Some of it, you’ve heard before; some of it, maybe not. Read on:Read More
Just in from King County Public Health: The county will open four clinics to provide H1N1 vaccine to people with “significant health problems” and without health insurance. One of them is in White Center. Read on for the official announcement – which also includes info about a county flu hotline for everyone, starting tomorrow (877-903-KING):Read More
Double bill at Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor) again tonight – after “Spin Your Wax” open turntables at 6 (bring your “records” and play them!), the new monthly belly-dancing showcase is back 7:30-8:30 pm. Highland Park dancer/designer/activist Dina Johnson (who shared the photo from September’s show) forwards the announcement:
Come one, come all for another great night of dancing in West Seattle! Brought to you by Angela, Medea and Raqs Steady Eddie and of course the fair folks of Skylark Cafe. All ages welcome! Free! (but if you like the dancing, please tip us at the end) Delicious food and drinks. October’s show will feature Kat, Odori, Keiko, Pandora, Imei, Raqs, Steady Eddie’s students, Najma, and your hosts.
Skylark is at 3803 Delridge (map).
It’s been a while since we added to the coyote-sighting archive (which you can browse here). But it’s a good occasion for a reminder that authorities urge education/coexistence – don’t call in a coyote and expect to have animal control come chase after it. But do consider keeping your pets inside. This morning’s report is from Sherrideth:
Just wanted to alert the neighborhood that there is a coyote in Gatewood. Saw it
run across SW Austin as I drove to work this morning at 6:10 (10/20).
She says the cross-street was 39th SW (here’s a map). If you haven’t seen the state’s Living With Wildlife coyote info page before – check it out here.
Tonight’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar page:
SOUTHWEST HEALTHY YOUTH PARTNERSHIP: As noted in a much-discussed WSB report last week, this group will talk about neighborhood concerns regarding the plan for a state liquor store to move into the side of Westwood Village closest to Southwest Athletic Complex. SWHYP’s fight against underage drinking also will get a big showcase this Friday night at the West Seattle High School–Chief Sealth High School football game, when coordinator Renae Gaines says the players’ helmets all will display red ribbons. Plus – can you help the SWHYP? Here are ways to pitch in. Meeting’s at Madison Middle School (map), 6 pm.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Get the latest crime-trend toplines directly from Southwest Precinct leadership; ask questions, voice concerns, and/or just listen to what’s being done to make the peninsula safer. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (parking lot’s on Webster just west of Delridge, meeting room entrance is right off the parking lot).
We took a look at them all before the primary election; now, with two weeks till the general election, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council. First – Council Position 6.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Seattle City Council candidate Jessie Israel is critical of the current way transit works here and critical of how her opponent, Nick Licata, operates after 12 years as a council member.
Transit can work, she contends, but is so dysfunctional because several separate agencies with no common bond operate its various parts.
“The trick to transit is to have many options that all work together,” says the newcomer to electoral politics. “You have buses, you have bus rapid transit, you have streetcars and all of those things are coordinated and some of them serve as spokes coming out from a wheel and some act as circulators getting you around neighborhoods and some as a spine like light rail so you can move the
mountain to Muhammad.”
We took a look at them all before the primary election; now, with two weeks till the general election, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council. First – Council Position 6.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Often on the short end of Seattle City Council votes, and often questioning matters others support, Councilmember Nick Licata gets hung with the “Councilmember No” description.
Licata rejects out of hand his opponent’s comments that he often votes against something without positive suggestions.
“My response is, show me,” he says. “My record is one of the most productive on the City Council. I was elected by my fellow members as president of the Council. While I was president of the Council we had two major initiatives. One was adding more police officers and the other was pedestrian safety when we started and finished the pedestrian master plan. I have a track record of passing legislation and affecting legislation. Everything from getting new park space in different parts of the city, support for the arts and basic transportation service including Bus Rapid Transit [RapidRide] up to West Seattle.”
CANDIDATES ON TRANSIT: Want to know more about where the candidates stand regarding where and how you stand — or sit, and ride (aka on the bus, light rail, etc.)? The relatively new group Transit Riders Union of Metropolitan Puget Sound has published the questionnaires it received back from candidates in key races. Chas Redmond shares the link; note that one candidate in each of the two top races failed to respond.
WSB PROFILE PLAN: Over the next five late night/early mornings, we plan to publish West Seattle-focused stories on the key city races – two stories a night, one about each candidate in a given race, reported and written by veteran West Seattle journalist Jack Mayne. If you happen to see this item shortly after we publish it, we’re starting, in the next two WSB stories, with Jessie Israel and Nick Licata.
After tonight’s meeting (first of two) about the upcoming Delridge Playfield improvements – to be paid for by $3 million in Parks and Green Spaces Levy money – we know a little more about where the project goes from here. Most of the 30-plus people gathered at playfield-neighboring Delridge Community Center tonight had concerns about how the field will be used once its artificial turf and new lighting are in. Per the presentation, it is designed with two baseball fields and two soccer fields, with a 360-foot disc run. Some on hand tonight asked if specially colored circles could be added to the turf for lacrosse play as well. Project manager Ted Holden, a landscape architect with Seattle Parks, said he could bring plans with that option to the next meeting (7:30 pm November 23, also at Delridge CC). The field’s new lighting also was discussed; most questions centered on when they would be turned off at night – 11 pm, according to Holden, who also said that any concerns residents have once they’re installed can be addressed by Parks staffers making adjustments as needed. As for the timetable, if all goes according to plan, construction would start next May, with completion in September. (The official project page is here.) ADDED TUESDAY NIGHT: Nancy Folsom has published her comprehensive notes from the meeting at the Delridge Leadership website; you can read them here.
Just back from a meeting tonight involving neighbors banding together to fight crime – not a regularly scheduled meeting, but one called by the Fairmount Springs neighborhood, and held at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau). We’ll publish a separate story about crimefighting tips and questions, including answers by Block Watch leaders as well as Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca, but first a short story with a separate topic that came up – 
always a hot topic here: Door-to-door solicitors. When a meeting attendee asked, “So what’s legal?” deputy city attorney Beth Gappert, who is liaison to the Southwest Precinct and therefore based here in West Seattle, jumped up.
“Residential selling IS legal,” she began, but then went on to very clearly explain the rules that we’ve linked to here, time and time again, though without quite as vivid an explanation. “The company that’s selling is required to have a license. Each employee must have a residential agent’s license. It must be displayed prominently on their clothing. And each employee must have a copy of the company’s business license.”
Sounds easy enough, but Gappert went on to say that she’s checked the records and “only about half a dozen businesses have residential sellers’ licenses in the city – so the vast majority of sellers do NOT have licenses.” That means they’re operating illegally – as is the case if a solicitor of any kind knocks on a door despite a “no soliciting” sign – and, she added, “It is illegal if you ask them to leave and they refuse.” If ANY of those circumstances happen, Gappert stressed – with Officer Mazzuca at her side – “I highly encourage people to call the police over this issue. We know this precinct is going crazy over solicitors. I see the reports. I read about it on (WSB). … Make a report, be willing to testify, so we can prosecute. … Officers in this area are ready to go after them.”
Still got questions/concerns? Come to tomorrow night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting — Gappert is almost always there, as are CPT officers and leaders — 7 pm Tuesday, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). Meantime, watch for our second story from the meeting, with advice from the police, and neighbor-to-neighbor, on fighting and deterring the crimes we hear about the most these days – burglaries and car prowls.
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