West Seattle, Washington
17 Wednesday
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.
Two cars were in a rollover accident in the 7700 block of 16th SW just before 7 pm tonight. Police said there were no injuries; the street was shut down for about 45 minutes.
This Thursday, the newest design proposal for the redeveloped Admiral Safeway site goes before the Southwest Design Review Board (8 pm, Youngstown Arts Center, after The Kenney‘s presentation at 6:30). Last week, we brought you a sneak peek at the latest plan, with photos of drawings shown at the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s monthly meeting. Company and architect reps told us at the time that electronic copies would be available within days, since they had to get the design-proposal presentation to the city – and in fact, it’s available online tonight – you can download it here – warning, big file (17MB PDF), which includes the drawing you see above, and much more.
VENTANA CONSTRUCTION WINS AWARD: Longtime WSB sponsor Ventana Construction announced it’s made the annual Top 500 List published this fall by Qualified Remodeler Magazine, which has been putting together the list for more than 30 years, with data compiled by Harvard’s Center for Joint Housing Studies. Ventana owner Clarence Higuera says, “To be recognized at the national level is a real honor for us. It’s confirmation that our focus on exceptional quality and customer service sets our company apart.” (Above, one of Ventana’s most recent projects.)
Meantime, maybe you’ve seen this new sight while driving southbound on 35th:
RED STAR MURAL: Red Star Pizza, the new name, under new owners, for what was Pizza Time (7514 35th SW), has acquired a sort of alien theme, its owners smilingly admit, after one of its workers started sketching whimsical aliens on a board inside the store. Those drawings cleared the way for the mural that’s now on the north side of the building. Red Star, by the way, has finally updated its website to reflect the new location/name.
Thanks to Chris for that photo – taken as he spotted it “dropping boulders into the water” off Beach Drive. We’ve had a few other notes about it; Beach Drive Blog posted about it last week, reporting it’s working on rip-rap to strengthen a bulkhead.
In case you want to watch as it happens, we’re noting this here before the vote: 
At the Seattle City Council meeting that’s under way now, councilmembers will vote on the Memorandum of Understanding that solidifies the city’s support for the deep-bore tunnel planned to replace the Central Waterfront section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. You can watch live here. Public comment at the start of the meeting included one person suggesting that the item should be tabled until after the election, since, in that person’s view, the Joe Mallahan-Mike McGinn mayoral race equals a referendum vote on yes/tunnel vs. no/tunnel. 3:19 PM UPDATE: Councilmembers have just voted unanimously in favor of the memorandum of agreement supporting The Tunnel, though there were a few sharp exchanges when Councilmember Bruce Harrell said he wasn’t sure why they were voting on this now, wondering whether they’re trying to “beat people over the head with our support for the tunnel” when, he noted, they’d expressed their support before. He also expressed hope that greater discussions is ahead for details of how the city will pay its share of the tunnel costs. ADDED 3:51 PM: Here’s the official City Council news release about this afternoon’s vote: (added 6:03 pm, other statements including that of mayoral candidate and tunnel opponent Mike McGinn)Read More
Alki resident Rich Medved stepped up as acting county assessor after former assessor Scott Noble‘s drunk-driving arrest came to light – but his time in that role was cut short by a stroke suffered in mid-July. Three months later, he has lost his battle to recover, according to an announcement today from King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who added, “Rich was well-liked within the Assessor’s Office and throughout county government and he will be greatly missed.” Until the stroke, Mr. Medved, 56, had been campaigning for the job in this fall’s election (five people are running now). He is survived by wife Teresa, four children and six grandchildren; no word yet on services.
Riverhouse Creperie, the coffee/crepes/gelato spot on the ground floor of ActivSpace on Harbor by The Bridge, just announced to its mailing list that it’s closing as of October 31st. Owner Kathaleen writes:
We regret to announce that, due to health concerns, Riverhouse will be closing its doors on October 31st, 2009. It has been a wonderful experience and I will always remember and be grateful for the fantastic people I met through this journey. I hope you have a chance to come in before we close our doors for good and that I will have a chance to say goodbye to some of you on October 31st.
Thank you for all of your support over the last two years and especially your support, good wishes and prayers that I have received over the last month. I am truly grateful and blessed to have had this experience.
Kathleen has written about her cancer battle on Riverhouse’s Facebook “fan page.” (Thanks to Chas Redmond for forwarding the e-mail announcement.)
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