West Seattle, Washington
13 Tuesday
The sign in the above-left photo is one of two that brought a lot of smiles and comments when we published photos sent by their creator, Jim Sander, a month ago. Tonight, Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding says the sign’s been stolen – along with most of the community signpost that held it (“after” photo, above right):
At some point during the day on Friday some low-life scumbag decided to vandalize one of our Pigeon Point neighborhood signposts. These signposts were donated by residents of the Pigeon Point neighborhood. These sign posts are normally used to notify residents of upcoming meetings and events that are taking place in our neighborhood. Now we will have to come up with the funds to replace this signpost and the Welcome to Pigeon Point sign that was attached to the crossbar on top. These signs have been in place for several years and we have had some occasional damage, but nothing on this scope. If anyone has any information about this vandalism please send an e-mail to pigeonpointcouncil@comcast.net.
Ironically, the road closure/detour that inspired the signs is just a few days from wrapping up.
That’s a bit of video from Constellation Park/Richey Viewpoint south of Alki Point, favorite haunt – in weather like this – of TV crews and intrepid stormwatchers. We saw both represented while we were out, briefly, at dusk. Note the past/future driftwood in the surf – extra-dangerous, so don’t get close. (We were there about an hour ago; high tide was at 9:15, so the surf will pull back a bit in the hours ahead, with the next high tide at 7:44 am.) Meantime, on the forecasting front, the National Weather Service‘s wind advisory is now extended till midnight, and tomorrow morning looks showery/breezy (egg hunts are still on, though – schedule here). ADDED 1:05 AM: John Polnik shared this video from central Alki, where he says a small outage hit Phoenecia – we had driven through after 8 pm and saw the streetlights appear to be “strobing”:
City Light’s outages page did not show any West Seattle outages so whatever this was, was apparently small. SATURDAY NIGHT NOTE: Phoenecia was part of that micro-outage and tells the story on Facebook.
Attention has turned to the two future pump-station-overflow projects in south West Seattle over the past few weeks (Fauntleroy/Barton coverage here, Murray/Lowman coverage here), but it should be noted that work at the 53rd Avenue Pump Station expansion on Alki is still not all done – specifically, the street-restoration work. Martha Tuttle from King County Wastewater Treatment Division sent this update today:
King County continues to make progress on the 53rd Avenue Pump Station restoration activities. Crews recently completed sidewalks and curbs on the south side of Alki Avenue SW from 53rd Avenue SW to just beyond 54th Place SW.
Weather permitting, final paving of the roadway through this area will be completed over the next couple of weeks. In order to schedule this work, three days of clear weather must be forecasted. Neighbors and visitors should anticipate continued traffic revisions to complete paving. At times, traffic on Alki Avenue SW may be reduced to one lane. Traffic control and flaggers will be on site to help vehicles through the construction zone. King County thanks pump station neighbors and frequent users of the area for their continued patience.
It’s been 2 years and 2 months since the project began.
Once again this year, West Seattle Junction merchants are planning a one-day “tax-free sale” right after tax-filing season. The “Junction’s Tax-Free Day For All” sale, announced this afternoon, will be Saturday, April 17; like last year, participants will display red balloons so you know who’s participating, but you don’t have to wait till then to find out; the list of participants is on the West Seattle Junction Association website here, and some are offering coupons (you’ll see those here). Some participants plan in-store specials and discounts, too. Sale hours on April 17th will be 10 am-6 pm. (WSB photo from April 2009)
(Photo by Scott)
The wind has finally picked up, and the National Weather Service has extended its Wind Advisory till 9 pm:
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS BEFORE EASING. OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED… ESPECIALLY IN MORE EXPOSED AREAS.
The NWS hourly readings showed a gust of 51 mph at Alki Point at 3 pm. So far no reports of outages or other major problems in West Seattle – here’s the page to watch for power problems. Next high tide, for wave-watchers, isn’t till 9:15 pm. ADDED 4:16 PM: An advisory from Seattle Parks, related to the rain rather than the wind:
Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed all grass athletic fields on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3, due to the muddy condition of the fields caused by rain. All baseball and softball games and practices have been cancelled for today and tomorrow.
Synthetic fields remain open, and games on those fields will continue as normal. The closures will not affect spring egg hunts.
For more information about field closures, please call Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Citywide Athletics Rain-out Hotline at (206) 233-0055.
(The egg hunt list, by the way, is on the WSB Easter page.) ADDED 6:52 PM: Still no reports of major trouble. But the wind-whipped waves remain the big attraction – TV crews have been out at Constellation Park, and out on the water, the view was even wilder, as you can see in this photo Kevin McClintic took from the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry:
The weather eased a bit at noon, just as that group gathered in The Junction to commemorate Good Friday in a unique outdoor manner – walking “A Way of the Cross” along several blocks of the business district, with readings, chanting and prayer. Our video is from the beginning, as Hope Lutheran Pastor Keith Eilers reads, before the group begins walking southbound on California SW. (This was a nondenominational event, as is this Sunday’s annual West Seattle Sunrise Service at Forest Lawn, just after 6:30 am)
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT CHECKUP RESULTS: WSDOT says last weekend’s inspection of The Viaduct found “no new settlement or structural damage.”
NEW FERRY’S JOURNEY: The state’s new 64-car ferry Chetzemoka will make its first journey tomorrow, under tow to Everett Shipyard “for final outfitting and system testing prior to conducting dock and sea trials,” according to the WSDOT announcement. You should be able to see it from east- and north-facing West Seattle shores after it leaves Todd Pacific Shipyards on Harbor Island around 8; it’s due in Everett around noon.
As first reported here 2 weeks ago, the city has decided to have another “car-free” Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets day on Alki in connection with the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk for the second consecutive year – that’ll happen May 23. And this afternoon, SDOT just released the full list of CSSS days citywide – read on:Read More
(WSB photo from October 2009)
In ongoing reports about the convergence of various road projects and their effects on West Seattle drivers, we’ve been talking about the impending closure of the 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge as part of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, and how that will affect traffic. In particular, it’s going to mean many more vehicles – including buses – using the “low bridge” during the afternoon/evening rush hour (detour map here), with no access to the “high bridge” between I-5 and 99. Knowing this was ahead, the city asked the Coast Guard two years ago to consider restricting openings of the “low bridge” during rush hours; the Coast Guard said no. Now, as anticipated, the city is trying again – and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s office has just provided us with the official letter, sent this week. Specifically, they’re asking for restrictions between 3 pm and 6 pm weekdays, starting May 17, when the ramp is scheduled to close permanently (late next year, a new 1st Avenue S. on/offramp will be open), and continuing into 2011. As you’ll see if you read the letter, the city includes an example of how they expect traffic to be affected, for those flowing into the Delridge/Chelan/Marginal intersection on the bridge’s west end: Delays are projected to quadruple, from 40-ish seconds to 3 minutes. As for potential disruption of marine traffic, the city’s letter cites a one-year period in which about 30 vessels that had to go out at high tide went out during PM rush hour, and says those openings could be scheduled well in advance, with advance warning to drivers to plan around the bridge openings. So what next? The city is asking the Coast Guard to expedite review of its request – the request made in 2008 took months to review, but only six weeks remain until the 1st Avenue South ramp closes.
Just announced on KIRO radio (97.3 FM): Barely one full day after chef Tom Douglas and host Dave Ross kicked it off, hours after Seattleites learned that nobody had come forward what had become the city’s last fireworks show, the one on Lake Union, the pledge drive has reached its $500,000 goal – that’s how much longtime promoter OneReel said it would cost to put on the fireworks and accompanying festivities. They asked for donations from local businesses in $1,000 increments; here’s the list so far — WSB contributed $1K, as did West Seattle’s Ventana Construction, a WSB sponsor, as is Merrill Gardens, which pledged a short time ago to cover the “remaining balance.” (If anyone else on the list has West Seattle ties, let us know so we can add a shoutout!) The drive picked up major steam when Microsoft and Starbucks announced late yesterday that they would each contribute $125,000 as a matching donation if other contributions totaled $250,000, which they now have. (7/4/09 Hamilton Viewpoint photo by Gilbert)
This morning we welcome a new WSB sponsor, REDLINE Music and Sports. New sponsors are offered the chance to introduce you to their business, and here’s what proprietor Scott Goerig (right) wants you to know: “REDLINE Music and Sports is more than just a ‘bar.’ I say this confidently, as everyday somebody new still comes in the door and immediately becomes a repeat customer. We are still somewhat of a hidden gem in West Seattle; a delicate mix of a welcoming staff, 70+ menu items (we love homemade and fresh!), diverse nightly events, and a non-pretentious atmosphere where you can relax next to the fire and dine on Chef Joshua’s Hand-tossed NY-Style Pizzas. When the weather’s right you can even hang out and relax on our outdoor patio, the largest of any night spot in West Seattle. Perhaps that’s why in just over 2 years we have won ‘Best New Business‘ 2007, ‘Best Food under $10‘ and ‘Best Bartender‘ 2008, and runner-up ‘Best Bar/Pub‘ and ‘Best Happy Hour‘ 2009 (Best of the Westside), as well as many other accolades. Our energy and dedication are simply unmatched, as we knew it wouldn’t be easy to change West Seattle’s perception of the former businesses that have resided at 4439 35th Ave SW [map] over the past decades. When writing this I couldn’t decide which old adage fits REDLINE best — ‘don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it’ or ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ Especially with all the amazingly unique businesses in West Seattle, I truly believe it is what’s inside that counts. It wasn’t easy, but shaking the negative connotation associated with our old red building was only made possible by giving customers GREAT food, AFFORDABLE prices, and a FUN atmosphere. If you haven’t visited us yet, please come say hi and learn what hundreds of other West Seattleites already have; a wonderful experience is located just off 35th near KFC and kitty-corner to the West Seattle Golf Course.” You’ll also find REDLINE online at redlinemusicsports.com.
We thank REDLINE Music and Sports for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
(Storm-watching seagull at Alki, photographed by Cheryl, from the WSB Flickr group)
WINDY AND WET: The latest forecast has the city under a “wind advisory,” with 50 mph gusts possible. The rain is supposed to ease a bit this afternoon, even as the wind picks up (projected for “midday”). We’ll track the forecast and any weather-related problems as the day goes on; here’s how to contact us if anything happens you want others to know about.
HEARTLAND CAFE’ OPENING DAY: The new Admiral restaurant offering homestyle Midwestern food (and the Benbow Room, in a nod to the building’s past) will open its doors to the public at 3 this afternoon. Here’s our preview from earlier this week.
“WAY OF THE CROSS”: We’re checking with organizers to see if the weather is going to change the plan for this nondenominational Good Friday walk in The Junction at noon. Here’s our original preview. 10:27 UPDATE: From Rev. Peter DeVeau at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church:
We’ll meet at the corner of southwest corner of SW Alaska and California Ave SW at noon. If the weather is too windy and wet we’ll walk up to “Torn,” 4506 California Ave SW. The Skate Church in the Junction is providing a place out of the storm should this be needed. We are thankful for this act of radical welcome and hospitality.
FLASHLIGHT EGG HUNTS: These are scheduled tonight at two West Seattle community centers and we’ll also be checking on their status – for now, see the schedule on the WSB Easter page.
HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD NIGHT: If you live in the High Point area, you’re invited to the HP Neighborhood Center 7-9 pm for the next Neighborhood Night event – more on the HP Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page.
More on the WSB Events page; tomorrow’s egg-hunt schedule (and more) on the Easter page.
With windstorm concern stirring tonight, perfect time to kick off a series of special updates you’ll see here during April – Disaster Preparedness Month. Again, nobody’s expecting a disaster, but a little readiness never hurt anyone. 
First thing we want to spotlight is the easiest thing to point you to: The West Seattle Be Prepared website. It’s showcased in our right sidebar, and we talked about it during the Chile aftermath. But that’s been a while! First and foremost, this site shows you the Emergency Communication Hubs (here’s the map) – 9 places designated around the peninsula where you can go in case something disastrous shuts down all the regular lines of communication – places where you can get information and find out how to get help, places chosen in coordination with neighborhood-group leaders and volunteers who have been working for more than 2 years now on the readiness plan. (If you have checked the Hubs map before, take note there’s now a Hub in Highland Park – might be new since the last time you looked.) Then take a spin around the website in general. The “What’s New” page might be a good place to start. And join the Facebook group for West Seattle Be Prepared, while you’re at it. Coming up, some key dates to mark on your calendar for this month – including a statewide drill, neighborhood workshop, and more. Then next week, after the holiday, we’ll get down to some practical advice – and a request for you to show others what you’ve done to get ready.
One day after the announcement that Seattle was likely to go without a major fireworks display this 4th of July, a pledge drive rocketed to life – spearheaded by celebrity chef Tom Douglas and KIRO Radio talk-show host Dave Ross. Businesses were invited to chip in, in increments of $1,000 (Douglas and Ross kicked it off with $5,000 and $1,000 respectively). We can’t bear the thought of fireworkslessness on the 4th, so WSB threw in for the minimum. (So did our friends who run neighborhood-news sites in North Seattle, Next Door Media.) And more than 80 other Seattle businesses have chipped in so far, according to the running list on KIRO Radio’s website – but the big mo came late in the day, when Starbucks and Microsoft announced they will contribute $125,000 each, if the donations from the rest of the business community total at least $250,000. As of right now, according to the progress bar on this webpage, there’s only a little more than $50,000 to go. (Want to pledge? Scroll down this page.)
10:02 PM UPDATE: Cliff Mass says it will NOT be like the Hanukkah ’06 and Inauguration Day ’93 storms
That’s part of the “Significant Storm Briefing” presented today by the National Weather Service – you can see it online. The most important message for our area – a High Wind Watch is in effect for Friday morning and afternoon, with gusts possible past 50 mph in the afternoon (read the High Wind Watch here; and here’s the city forecast). You may know all the preparation suggestions by heart, but just in case you don’t, read on for a news release from Seattle City Light:Read More
(Thanks to Fritz for sending the photo)
On our way to the “heavy rescue” call at 29th/Trenton (map). Details as soon as we have them. 6 PM UPDATE: This is a two-car crash, one a flipped red SUV, the other a damaged black Volvo station wagon, according to our crew on scene. Looks like responders are tending to at least two people. 6:17 PM UPDATE: Police say it looks like one of the vehicles may have run the stop sign; they’re also checking on whether alcohol played a role. Both victims are being taken to hospitals by private ambulance, and no major injuries are reported. A dog was in one of the cars and got out OK but was so upset it bit a firefighter’s hand; the firefighter was treated at the scene. Fire vehicles will be clearing but Trenton is closed at that spot until the wreckage is cleared.
8:28 PM: The scene is long since clear, but we are adding that photo of the dog, and the following video with general scenes from the incident, both by Christopher Boffoli:
As promised yesterday, we followed up with police on the “Highland Park burglary pattern” mentioned during a Community Police Team briefing at the Admiral Crime Prevention Summit Tuesday night. Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James summarizes what’s happening:
We have had a string of daytime residential burglaries – 29 in the month of March. The one significant pattern for them is that they are forced entries. We have made a couple of burglary arrests and identified suspects of burglaries in that neighborhood but haven’t tied those to the string of burglaries. We’ve put extra patrols in that neighborhood. Again, as you know – we’ve stated over and over how much we need the citizens out there to be vigilant and call when they see something suspicious.
If you see that suspicious activity/person NOW – call 911. Meantime, we also asked Lt. James about overnight robberies. He confirms that the 7-11 at California/Charlestown (map) was held up just before 2 am today, by robbers described as “two males,” one with a handgun. Police believe the same suspects may have been responsible for a robbery attempt in South Park three hours earlier, at the SP Grocery in the 8900 block of 14th S. (map) And back in West Seattle, Lt. James also confirms a call we heard on the scanner and mentioned via Twitter – A man in the 5400 block of 31st SW (map) answered his door around midnight, and a man “brandished a handgun and forced his way in. The victim got the suspect to leave somehow without being injured or taking anything. This suspect doesn’t match the two commercial robbery suspects.” (Thanks to Diane for the 7-11 tip, after she heard it on a Channel 5 newscast.)
Holy Rosary School vice principal Ted Mohrbacher is excited about the preschool that HR is opening this fall, and not just because it’s a project on which he’s worked intensively for a year.
The biggest thrill comes from the fact his son will get to be a pre-K student there. “He’s very excited; he asks every day, when does he get to go to school?”
We talked with Mohrbacher (photo right) and principal Dr. Randal Peters (photo left) after hearing they’re trying to get the word out that Holy Rosary is adding preschool as of this fall, while they realize the news comes “a bit late in the game,” after many if not most families have made 2010-2011 school decisions already.
Read on for more about what they’re offering and why:Read More
In case you haven’t seen it in the Events calendar, we received this announcement from the Seattle Mariners (who don’t start play at Safeco Field till April 12th):
The West Seattle High School Baseball team will be playing in the 4th Annual High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field this Saturday April 3rd at 12:30 pm. West Seattle will be playing Auburn Mountainview (currently ranked 8th in 3A state baseball). The gates at Safeco Field open at 11:30 am. Entry into the game is free. Parking in the Safeco Field parking garage will be $5. Following the West Seattle game, Nathan Hale High School will be playing Foss of Tacoma.
When we reported yesterday that the Route 773 shuttle for West Seattle’s King County Water Taxi run would include weekday-midday Morgan Junction service, the schedule wasn’t online. Now it is – with service 9:45 am-1:34 pm weekdays – see the schedule here.
ORIGINAL 11:48 AM REPORT OF “MAJOR HEAVY RESCUE”: We are on the way. We have two reports that a car has crashed into a bank. More from the scene shortly. 11:54 AM UPDATE: We’re there – a car has crashed into the Westwood Village Bank of America. 11:59 AM UPDATE: Looks like NO major injuries, so far. Unofficial word is that this was an accident, not something deliberate. Here’s another of our cameraphone photos from the scene:
12:08 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen has given a quick briefing at the scene. She says two people are being taken to the hospital to be checked out – one, a customer who was at the ATM and dove out of the way – another, a bank worker. Injuries are NOT believed to be major. As for the driver, no injuries reported at this point. The car already has been backed out of the bank:
12:28 PM UPDATE: In case you were wondering – the bank IS closed TFN because of this. (We’ll check back again later.) 12:53 PM: A couple photos from Christopher Boffoli – firefighters, and photojournalists, in action:
ADDED 2:37 PM: Video from Christopher, with what Vander Houwen told us at the scene:
As of right now, registration is open for the 6th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (our third year of coordinating the event), 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 8, 2010. Here’s the form to register online. If you haven’t heard about it before – this is NOT one big sale, but rather, one day with many sales all over West Seattle, big and small (last year set a record with more than 180). There’s a registration fee to cover coordination costs including putting all the sales on two types of maps, printing and distributing copies, and promoting West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day around the region – same fees for a third consecutive year. If you don’t have a good place to sell your stuff, but still want to participate, get in touch with Lora @ Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – again this year, she plans to open the Hotwire courtyard as a group-sale spot (and if anyone else is interested in doing that, please contact us to coordinate – garagesale@westseattleblog.com). Registration will be open for 3 weeks – today through 11:59 pm April 22 – but whether you’re selling or not, mark your calendar, set an alert, whatever it takes, for BIG garage-saling on May 8.
P.S. Along with periodic updates here on WSB and in our regular Facebook and Twitter channels, we also have a separate WSCGSD site – you can browse it to see highlights from the past two years’ sales, if you want to get a feel for what it’s like – and a Facebook fan page (join here). And if you’re having a garage sale before or after WSCGSD, remember you can list it for free in the WSB Forums‘ Freebies/Deals/Sales/etc. section.
(Editor’s note: We weren’t planning an extensive preview of the Swinery’s reopening. But the story of its proprietor acknowledging problems is a compelling one, and the interview yielded details of future plans as well. Yes, the story’s long – longer than Christopher’s much-read July Swinery preview – so if you are interested, note it’ll take a while.)
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Bacon lovers will rejoice when the Swinery re-opens its doors for regular business hours today for the first time in several weeks.
The deli and butcher shop closed in February after owner Gabriel Claycamp announced on his website that the business had no choice but to close in order to complete ongoing renovations in their new West Seattle commercial kitchen at 3207 California. However, Swinery insiders came forward to say that there was more to the story. They alleged that management problems ultimately prevented the Swinery from paying vendors and employees, and that a lack of profitability forced the owners to suspend their operations.
We followed up with Claycamp to talk about that – some of the challenges his business has faced since opening last September – and to talk about some of the changes that customers can expect from the relaunched shop, including hamburgers and duck fat potatoes from the new walk-up window, tubs of bacon-chocolate chip cookie dough, and more of the celebrated artisan bacon, which will soon be sold nationwide.Read More
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