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Spotlight Stories


  • Meeting

    ALL TALK, NO LISTENING: Meeting stirs frustration

  • Money

    NONPROFIT NEED MONEY? Here’s who has it

  • 5K

    WEST SEATTLE 5K: Are you ready for Sunday?

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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Tonight: Highland Park Action Committee, TEAM Delridge, more
March 23, 2009 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on Tonight: Highland Park Action Committee, TEAM Delridge, more
 |   Delridge | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Two highlights from the WSB West Seattle-wide Events calendar – and a bonus:

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Busy agenda tonight for the neighborhood group that focuses on southeast West Seattle – including more information on the trash/recycling changes that kick in just a week from now, and the latest on the question of whether a city/regional misdemeanor jail will be built in West Seattle – plus, how many community-group meetings offer a raffle (last time, the prize was a gift card for Highland Park’s own JoJo’s Espresso!)? More details here. HPAC invites you to join the meeting at 7 pm in the Highland Park Improvement Club building, 11th and Holden.

TEAM DELRIDGE: It’s the next step in the ongoing King County Food and Fitness campaign to bring neighbors together as the Delridge neighborhood continues to grow and change – but it’s not just about food and fitness. More details here. Be at Youngstown Arts Center Southwest Community Center, 6:30 tonight.

P.S. Also happening tonight – technically tomorrow morning – Easy Street plans a midnight event when the new editions of Pearl Jam’s “Ten” goes on sale.

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Sign up now – for something you’ll hopefully never have to do
March 22, 2009 10:00 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Be on the lookout for that display around West Seattle in the months to come. It’s part of the next phase of an effort that really started to rev up last year. If you were a WSB’er last spring/summer, you may recall our coverage of special events introducing neighborhoods to community meeting places (like this one), designated just in case of major disasters — someplace you could go to get connected with information and help, if all the other channels fail. There currently are eight such neighborhood gathering spots around West Seattle which are now dubbed “emergency-communication hubs.”

Saturday morning, many of the volunteers who are working on this got together in Morgan Junction for a discussion including guests from the city and county — and that’s where we all learned about help that’s needed right now for a “corps” that hopefully will never have to spring into action – the Public Health Reserve Corps. Don’t let the name scare you off – they’re looking to sign up volunteers who are NOT health pros, too — read on for more about that, and about the state of disaster readiness in local neighborhoods:Read More

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West Seattle Hi-Yu: Tea success; last call for scholarship applicants
March 22, 2009 8:24 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Hi-Yu: Tea success; last call for scholarship applicants
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

What? A Seafair Pirate behaving? We caught the pirate known as “The Marquis” posing with the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Senior and Junior Courts this afternoon at The Hall at Fauntleroy, for the annual Hi-Yu Spring Tea – a smash success, selling out every available seat. This gives us the excuse to mention that the Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Scholarship Competition has some great opportunities for young women interested in competing to be part of the Senior Court chosen this summer, and there’s ONE MORE WEEK TO APPLY … here’s the official info again:

Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Scholarship Competition: Applications due
3/30/09

Young women who live, work or attend school in West Seattle are invited to apply for the Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu scholarship competition. There are several scholarship awards given out at the pageant, including, but again, not limited to: Athletic, Media Career, Community Service, Academic, Miss Congeniality, Creative Expression, and Hi-Yu Involvement. There are three titles awarded: Queen and two Princesses.

Each title winner receives a scholarship (Princesses- $1,000 each, Queen- $2,000), crown, and sash. The Queen will receive $1,250 at the end of her reign and $750 after completing the Miss Seafair competition. She will represent the community during the 2009-2010 festival year and travel to several Northwest parades with the Hi-Yu float. The Senior Court members must be available to participate in the Hi-Yu Summer Festival activities.

While there is some work involved, West Seattle royalty will have a lot of fun serving your community, making new friends, increasing confidence, and developing leadership. New this year, all candidates will have the opportunity to work with a local businesswoman as a professional mentor and spend a day with professional health & beauty professionals receiving advice on hair, make-up, and dress. Hi-Yu serves the West Seattle Community by providing fun and affordable entertainment for adults and children alike.

The application, found at www.hiyu.com, must be postmarked by March 30, 2009. Mail your completed application to Candidate Coordinator, West Seattle Hi-Yu, PO Box 16130, Seattle, WA 98116. If you have questions, call Shirley at 206-935-5224.

Again, here’s the direct link to the application. And one more photo from today’s Hi-Yu Spring Tea – a closer look at the design of this year’s float, which you’ll see in the West Seattle Grand Parade July 18th as well as a variety of other parades around Western Washington:

As reported here back in December, the theme “How Sweet It Is” was dreamed up by this year’s Junior Court.

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Traffic alert: Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens, post-inspection (etc.)
March 22, 2009 5:31 pm
|    Comments Off on Traffic alert: Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens, post-inspection (etc.)
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle traffic alerts

As reported here on Saturday, this weekend’s Alaskan Way Viaduct SCENIC_Alaskan_Way_AWV1.jpgshutdowns were for more than the semiannual inspection — lanes were restriped, soil samples were taken for the proposed tunnel, and more. And now – WSDOT sends word, The Viaduct is officially open again – and the Battery Street Tunnel has reopened early too.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Repeat car-prowl victim hit again
March 22, 2009 4:32 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from Lindsay — this happened just a few blocks from the one reported here Saturday, but it packs an extra frustration factor:

Our car (Mitsubishi) was broken into on the 3700 block of 34th Ave SW again! This is the 3rd or 4th time our car has been broken into in less than a year and a half. All other times it was done when our car was parked in the alley behind our house in a parking spot so we got a bright light that is always on over the parking spot. That didn’t stop them so we stopped parking out back. Now they broke into our car right in front of our house. Don’t know what else to do! This is very frustrating…

Here’s the official Seattle Police advice on deterring car prowls.

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Getting the word out: Water Day today, World TB Day Tuesday
March 22, 2009 1:52 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Volunteers tabled and walked along Alki today in honor of World Water Day — to make sure you know that something we take for granted — a clean, safe water supply — is still elusive for way too many people worldwide. Find out more here (including info about an event at Seward Park on May 30th, in which participants will try to walk 5 kilometers carrying 5 gallons of water — which water1st.org notes is “the average walk made by women and children in poor countries who lack access to safe, convenient water supplies”). Another day of awareness with local involvement is just two days away — World TB Day on Tuesday, with local students helping put on a big event downtown:

The World TB Day event Tuesday night at Town Hall is free – and promises to be an eye-opener. Full details here. If you thought tuberculosis was a thing of the past – this King County-specific information alone will cure you of that notion. (The local rate, in fact, hit a 30-year high in 2007.) Student organizers also have been sending out TB info via Twitter – follow their tweets (and see the archives) at twitter.com/worldtbday.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Fleeting mention of possible snow
March 22, 2009 12:54 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Last time “possible snow” was mentioned fleetingly in the “forecast discussion,” this happened. (Was that really only A WEEK AGO?) So in the interest of “no surprises,” we’re noting that it’s mentioned fleetingly here in the regional overview for tomorrow:

ONCE AGAIN…PRECIP TYPE MAY BE TRICKY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW…TEMPS IN THE LOWER 30S AND LOW SNOW LEVELS. COULD SEE LIGHT SNOW IN THE LOWLANDS…ESPECIALLY THE HOOD CANAL REGION.

Last year, we had a few brief bouts of spring snow, including one as late as April 19th (here’s the proof).

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Happening today: Viaduct closed, Farmers’ Market open, more
March 22, 2009 5:53 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Viaduct closed, Farmers’ Market open, more
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Fun stuff to do | Gardening | West Seattle Farmers' Market

(Saturday evening photo by David Hutchinson, taken near Don Armeni)
VIADUCT REMINDER: The second of the Alaskan Way Viaduct‘s two 12-hour inspection shutdowns is scheduled 6 am-6 pm (note that they often end “early” on the 2nd day) today, while the Battery Street Tunnel is to remain closed till 5 am tomorrow; go behind the scenes during shutdown day 1 in this WSB report.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Daffodils and goat-meat sausage are among the items on today’s “fresh list” for the market (see the complete list here), 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, 44th/Alaska – while you’re there, look for the Junction Plaza Park volunteers, who continue to gather pledges of volunteer help to get the park done.

WEST SEATTLE EDIBLE GARDEN FAIR PLANNING MEETING: 1:30 pm, Duwamish Cohousing – join the group that’s getting ready for an event to show the whole peninsula how to get involved in growing food. (More info in this preview we published Friday.)

Also today – World Water Day at Alki, a free concert at Hope Lutheran, the Hi-Yu Spring Tea, and more – full list in the Sunday section of our West Seattle Weekend Lineup.

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West Seattle scenes: Duwamish fundraiser, “Dynamite” contest
March 21, 2009 10:53 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

We dropped by the beautiful Duwamish Longhouse this afternoon in the middle of the Fry Bread for Justice fundraiser – unfortunately, they were between batches of fry bread during our visit, but Pam at Nerd’s Eye View tells a great yarn from her visit. (They’re planning more Fry Bread for Justice events – keep an eye on the tribe’s website.) And tonight, the finale of the Winter Movies on the Wall series – “Napoleon Dynamite,” preceded by a tater-tot-eating contest – just a bit of which was caught on video:

Nine entrants – not bad! The tater tots – and the $25 gift-certificate prize – were donated by Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor). Keep an eye out for more news soon about the popular Summer Movies on the Wall series, which will start in mid-July – outdoor movies every Saturday night for six weeks, beginning July 18th.

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New plan for city’s SW Manning parcel near The Bridge
March 21, 2009 8:03 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

There’s word of a breakthrough in West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s work on the issue of what to do about a city-owned parcel at SW Manning/Admiral Way near The Bridge that’s best known for its sequoia tree, which has a 4-foot-diameter trunk:

The 14,000-square-foot site was originally purchased in 1961 as part of the West Seattle Bridge right-of-way; several years ago, it was targeted for potential sale as surplus property, but neighbors and community activists expressed concern, saying it still had potential for public use. Now, there’s a plan in the works to not only keep it off the market, but to have it transferred to the Parks Department, which wasn’t interested in the site in years past, but is now. That “public involvement plan” is on the agenda next Tuesday morning for the council’s Parks Committee, which Rasmussen chairs; here’s what will be proposed as a next step:

A) A public meeting should be scheduled in the vicinity of the property. Notice of the meeting will be provided to all citizens who have previously submitted comments, as well as property owners and residents living within a 1200-foot radius of PMA No. 4273, community organizations, and others who might be interested.

B) The meeting will consider uses put forward by the community, including but not limited to the following: green space, park area, sculpture garden, off-leash area, mini skate park, flower garden, or P-patch. The proposed transfer of the property to the Department of Parks and Recreation will also be discussed. Other issues may include concerns about the tall Sequoia tree located in the northeast section of the property, the sloping nature of the parcel, and the pace of residential development in the neighborhood.

Rasmussen’s committee meets at 9:30 am Tuesday at City Hall downtown; if you can’t be there in person, you can watch live on cable channel 21 or online via Seattle Channel.

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Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, day 1: The media tour
March 21, 2009 5:55 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Safety | Transportation

Video, photos, and text by Christopher Boffoli
WSB photojournalist

WSDOT maintenance crews closed the Alaskan Way Viaduct for 12 hours today for its semi-annual inspection and repairs, and are scheduled to do it again 6 am-6 pm tomorrow.

And as West Seattle drivers no doubt cursed the increased congestion as they navigated alternate routes off the peninsula, a select group of lucky people donned hard hats and reflective vests for walking tours of the 56-year-old structure. Transportation Department organizers said that the weekend’s public tours were open to anyone who signed up, though they filled up quickly. Hundreds of people were scheduled to tour the Viaduct this weekend and many more were put on waiting lists.

In addition to the public walking tours, a media tour was organized for first thing this morning, and WSB went along for a closer look at what’s being done this weekend – not just the inspection, but also some work related to the Viaduct’s proposed replacement.
Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Minivan prowl; stolen Buddha
March 21, 2009 2:18 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

From Michael:

We unknowingly left our minivan unlocked last night (3/20/09) and this morning the contents were strewn about our front sidewalk. It appears nothing was stolen, but they went through all the bags and glove box. Location 34th Ave SW between Andover and Charlestown [map].

ADDED SATURDAY EVENING: From Dano:

Just wanted to share that I too, just felt the sting of theft…. I live on Alki Beach, and my beautiful concrete Buddha statue was stolen right off my street side patio. It makes me sad… I guess the person who stole it needed its peaceful presence more than me…..But still, I am sad.

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Greenbelt cleanup: Can you pitch in too? Local students hope so!
March 21, 2009 11:14 am
|    Comments Off on Greenbelt cleanup: Can you pitch in too? Local students hope so!
 |   Environment | How to help | Pigeon Point

As you probably noticed in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, lots of work-party action in local greenspaces today, as is the case most Saturdays – but if you can spare some time TOMORROW, here’s a request we just received:

My name is Sam Westler and I go to Chief Sealth High School. A group of students along with myself are hosting a work party to remove the invasive plants in the West Duwamish Greenbelt. We are working from 10-4 on Sunday March 22nd, and we would like to get the word out to as many people as possible. Everyone is welcome to come help out. We are meeting in the Cooper Elementary School parking lot at ten.

If you haven’t been to Cooper, which is on Pigeon Point, here’s a map.

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West Seattle scenes: Sanislo “Jamboree”; Olympics’ appearance
March 21, 2009 8:50 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle scenes: Sanislo “Jamboree”; Olympics’ appearance
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle schools

The Alki Masonic Hall in The Junction went Wild West last night for the Sanislo Elementary PTA’s Jamboree, raising money for programs at “the small school with the big ideas,” as the PTA website calls it.

Thanks to Dartanyon for sharing pix from the Sanislo dinner and auction. Two other photos to share this morning – the Olympic Mountains are “out” in all their snow-frosted (albeit hazy) splendor, and as Shannon observed in the note accompanying the pix, that doesn’t always last long:

Thanks again to everyone who e-mails photos (and news tips!) to share – we’re reachable many other ways too, all listed on the WSB Contact page.

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Today/tonight: Scouting for Food, Movies on the Wall, more
March 21, 2009 7:56 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | WS culture/arts

Reminder – The Viaduct is closed till 6 pm for the first day of its semiannual inspection; the Battery Street Tunnel is closed around the clock till early Monday morning. But why leave West Seattle? Highlights from the latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup include:

SCOUTING FOR FOOD – You may have received a door hanger about this; we reported on it two weeks ago. Local Boy Scouts will go door to door to collect food donations to help fight hunger; if they’re not in your neighborhood, you can still take donations to the West Seattle Food Bank (map) 10 am-2 pm.

FRY BREAD FOR JUSTICE – 10 am-5 pm at the new Duwamish Longhouse (map) – $20 donation, food and entertainment to help the tribe raise money to keep fighting for federal recognition.

CASUAL INDUSTREES SALE – This sassy West Seattle clothing business doesn’t have a regular storefront but it’s opening the doors for a big sale this weekend – 6205 SW Admiral (map), 10 am-6 pm today.

FREE MOVIE – “Napoleon Dynamite” is the grand finale of the first-ever Winter Indoor Movies on the Wall series presented in The Junction by local businesses (including WSB!) – free (but bring money for concessions and nonprofit-benefiting raffle), 7 pm, the new West Seattle Christian Church activity center (map), bring your own chair(s), doors open at 5:30 pm.

“ECLECTIC” MUSIC – That’s how guitarist Andre Feriante described the show he and others will present in the Admiral Theater‘s Listening Room series at 9 tonight ($12).

Much, more more in the WSWL.

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Delridge-area problem properties: A call for “quick demolition”
March 21, 2009 2:34 am
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Safety | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

We reported Thursday about a stirring of hope that some high-level city attention may finally be given to a problem that’s been plaguing the Delridge area in its redevelopment throes: Even as some of Delridge’s old homes make way for new construction – particularly townhouses – some houses sit abandoned for years, and become magnets for trouble — like the one above, which sits prominently over the northbound Delridge approach to The Bridge. While, as we reported last night, the city says it was cleared and “secured” a few weeks ago, the proprietor of nearby Skylark Club and Cafe (WSB sponsor) pointed out in a new e-mail discussion (including city councilmember Sally Clark, who promised to come tour the area) that it was also reportedly “secured” last year, too (after a small fire we reported here, attributed to transients). And North Delridge Neighborhood Council co-chair Mike Dady says he would like to see this lead to changes that can help areas beyond Delridge, too:

My hope is that we will see Council Member Clark and Diane Sugimura follow through and visit Delridge within the next couple weeks. But my greater hope is that we don’t just have a band-aid or quick-fix put on wound that is affecting not just Delridge, but many other parts of the city. These are properties that are in the hands of absentee property owners, speculators or developers who allow them to sit vacant, completely unattended or monitored, and looking like, well…..looking like a pile of you-know-what and attracting problems that are in some cases beyond the imagination.

It seems to me that the City Council and the Mayor’s Office needs to revise the Seattle Municipal Code to allow quick demolition and removal of problem prone structures as it is nearly impossible to keep trespassers out of vacant building, even if it is boarded up with plywood, lumber and lag bolts. Allowing houses without water service turned on and functional plumbing to become de facto shelters for transient or homeless people is not an acceptable solution to that very separate and difficult issue.

To allow these dilapidated properties to remain as is, for many, many years in some cases, creates a public safety problem, wastes citizen energy and is a drain on DPD, SPD, SFD and KC Public Health budgets and staff time.

Sincerely,
Mike Dady
North Delridge Neighborhood Council Co-Chair

It’s not just the vacant houses that he’s concerned about, but also the occupied ones that are literally trashed outdoors – like this junk pile spotted recently behind a multiplex in the 4800 block of Delridge (map):

The discussed city-involved tour of Delridge hasn’t been scheduled yet, to our knowledge, but we will continue to follow up. You can also bet this will be on the next NDNC agenda – the council meets the first Wednesday of each month, so that’s 6:30 pm April 1st, Delridge Library.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: A date for the tour is now set for early April, according to Mike Dady, and at least one citywide media outlet may be along, after reading about it here.

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West Side MOPS Spa Day: Big break for little ones’ moms
March 20, 2009 11:56 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Two words: Chocolate fountain.

That alone may have been enough to recommend the annual West Side MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) Spa Day today at West Side Presbyterian Church. Any and all of the group’s 65 members were welcome to come indulge in free pleasures donated by local businesses – from that chocolate fountain and other treats, to chair massages …

… and hair help …

… and lots more. As event coordinator Leah Barham put it, if you have little kids (she has a 3-year-old and a first-grader) you don’t tend to take time to take care of yourself, so Spa Day gives MOPS moms a chance for a relaxing break. Without the kids – they were in another area of the WSPC building. That’s also how MOPS runs its meetings, 1st and 3rd Fridays, October through May – while the moms get together, the kids are having a good time in the MOPPETS program. Lots more about MOPS at the group’s website; meantime, read on for a list of the businesses that supported today’s event (Leah says they’re grateful for so much generosity even with the challenging economy):Read More

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Traffic alert: Tunnel closed now, Viaduct closing in the morning
March 20, 2009 11:19 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle traffic alerts

Reminder – It’s twice-yearly inspection time for the Battery Street Tunnel and Alaskan Way Viaduct; the tunnel was scheduled to close as of 11 pm tonight and stay closed till 5 am Monday; The Viaduct is to be closed 6 am-6 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

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Different kind of rescue on Alki tonight: Beached sonar device
March 20, 2009 7:56 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

That sonar-equipped, self-propelled seafloor-mapping device caused a stir along Alki Avenue this afternoon, then again tonight. Around midafternoon, its owners say, it failed a test; then someone apparently mistook it for an overturned kayak and rescuers briefly responded. It wound up on the beach in the 1300 block of Alki — where some passersby wondered if it were a “torpedo” — and there it stayed till a crane could be brought in a short time ago to retrieve it:

It couldn’t just be carried off the beach, its owners explained, because it weighs 1300 pounds. (Here’s a little more about it.) So they had to summon the crane (and police came out to be sure it could get close enough to the seawall, safely). 9:12 PM UPDATE: Adding video of the crane operation. (Note, the mapping device achieves liftoff about 49 seconds in.)

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Fire call on SW Trenton: Wood stove trouble
March 20, 2009 5:42 pm
|    Comments Off on Fire call on SW Trenton: Wood stove trouble
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

911 log just closed a “fire in single-family residence” call in the 1800 block of SW Trenton (map) — it wasn’t a fire after all. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli checked it out and says: “Only one engine on the scene now – SFD told me there was a wood-burning stove with something left in it, and the smoke surprised the residents.”

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