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Spotlight Stories


  • Closure

    LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE: This weekend’s plan

  • Safety

    VIDEO: Crime Q&A with police, politicians

  • Parking

    ALKI PARKING: Are changes ‘done deal’?

Looking for work? Liberty Bell Printing offers free resume copies
March 10, 2009 3:54 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle online

A freebie too hot to just keep in the WSB Forums’ Freebies, Deals, Sales section — Michael Hoffman at Liberty Bell Printing (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is offering free resume printing:

We know it’s hard out there and Liberty Bell Printing wants to help. Now through the end of March, bring in your resume ready to copy and we will give you 20 FREE copies on stationery paper. Tell us you saw it on West Seattle Blog and will will give you five more FREE for a total of 25!

That’s black/white printing, by the way. Liberty Bell is on the east side of California, a few doors north of Edmunds (map), open Mondays-Fridays, 9 am-5:30 pm.

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Presentation now viewable for Conner project’s Thursday review
March 10, 2009 3:15 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

We showed you new images like that one last Thursday (WSB coverage here) when Conner Homes brought the “alley vacation” portion of its Junction megaproject (California/Alaska/42nd) back before the Seattle Design Commission. Now, two days before its next Design Review meeting here in West Seattle (6:30 pm Thursday @ High Point Library), that entire planned presentation is available online – download it here (15 MB PDF). Many are images we’ve shown you during and after the past few Design Commission presentations (courtesy of architects Weber Thompson), but there’s lots of additional detail you’ll want to see if you’re interested in this closely scrutinized two-building project at the heart of The Junction. Here’s another image, showing the east building on the Alaska/42nd corner:

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Got mad design skills? The Junction needs you
March 10, 2009 2:25 pm
|    Comments Off on Got mad design skills? The Junction needs you
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Just sent around by Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association (a guest speaker at tonight’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, 6:30 pm at Ginomai, 42nd/Genesee), so we thought we’d share:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

West Seattle Junction GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Organization Background:
The West Seattle Junction Association (WSJA) is a small non-profit organization whose mission is to develop, encourage, promote and participate in activities that enhance a healthy economic, social and environmental climate for the West Seattle Junction community.

The West Seattle Junction Association has completed an initiative that provided a comprehensive, cohesive, and strategic approach to branding The Junction. We have a new logo, tagline, website, and other supporting work. We are seeking a West Seattle business, person, or team to get to know our brand and work with committee and event leaders to help implement and ensure a consistent brand.

Scope of work:
WSJA seeks a professional to be the organization’s “go to” graphic designer. This person/team would provide brand guidance and graphic design to committee and event leaders as needed. Examples of work produced:

1. Design of posters and supporting materials for Summer Fest, Car Show and other events.
2. Design and language content for advertising pieces.
3. Design of Live Local materials including bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc.

Application:
Please submit your letter of interest, portfolio and hourly rate by March 18th at NOON. Make sure to include examples of posters and other promotion materials. Please submit via email to:susan@wsjunction.org. Online portfolio is very helpful.

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Noisemaker-wielding protesters return to West Seattle
March 10, 2009 1:40 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

We saw them this morning on our way to a story interview – didn’t get a photo, didn’t see them when we headed back the other way, but perhaps they were just on break (we’re checking again now) because we have since received several e-mails (thank you!) asking about them, and that’s why we’re mentioning it: The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters was protesting another West Seattle worksite, with drums and cowbells in addition to picket signs. This time, it’s the Avalon Center construction site at 35th/Avalon; the signs said they’re protesting Rain City, a contractor firm. Last time they were spotted here, a week and a half ago (WSB coverage here), they were protesting a scaffolding company at an apartment building undergoing renovations south of The Junction. (Update – no sign of them again at 1:45 pm, so we’re concluding at this point they’re done for the day.)

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Lobbying for jobs’ sake: Local tourism advocates visit Olympia
March 10, 2009 12:18 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Greg Whittaker of Alki Kayak Tours took, and sent, that photo after a day of lobbying in Olympia on behalf of tourism. He says everybody in the photo is from the 34th Legislative District — which includes West Seattle, White Center, and Vashon — and explained: “We talked with (Sen.) Joe McDermott and (Rep.) Sharon Nelson promoting support of our industry which provides jobs and tax revenue for much-needed programs (that) are going to be receiving huge cutbacks.” Two of the tourism-related bills in the Legislature this year are House Bill 1290 and Senate Bill 5265, which would enable King County to create “tourism promotion areas” – right now, it’s the only county in the state that’s not allowed to create such areas, which can raise tourism-promotion dollars through hotel/motel taxes. ADDED WEDNESDAY: One more photo:

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Fauntleroy ferry riders: Spring schedule officially announced
March 10, 2009 11:52 am
|    Comments Off on Fauntleroy ferry riders: Spring schedule officially announced
 |   Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

It kicks in Sunday, March 29, and will include the addition of three-boat weekend service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. Full Washington State Ferries announcement here; see the schedule online here.

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$9 million in grants for Seattle Public Schools
March 10, 2009 9:57 am
|    Comments Off on $9 million in grants for Seattle Public Schools
 |   West Seattle schools

The official announcement was made this morning — $9 million in grants for the budget-crunched district, with the lion’s share coming from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Boeing among three other contributors. Read on for the official news release sent by the Alliance for Education:Read More

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Happening tonight: Junction, Admiral, Fauntleroy gatherings
March 10, 2009 9:22 am
|    Comments Off on Happening tonight: Junction, Admiral, Fauntleroy gatherings
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

If you live in the vicinity of any one of these neighborhoods, tonight’s your monthly chance to see what’s happening and – if you choose – how to get involved. In The Junction, the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meets at 6:30 pm at Ginomai, 42nd and Genesee (map), with the agenda including Junction Plaza Park and area crime (Lt. Steve Paulsen from the Southwest Precinct and Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association will both be there). The other two meetings are both at 7 – Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s agenda (Admiral Church basement meeting room) includes presentations by two city council candidates, Dorsol Plants (of Highland Park) and David Bloom, and the Fauntleroy Community Association (in the old schoolhouse) will discuss topics including the upcoming FCA annual meeting and the state of the Washington State Ferries Master Plan. All these meetings are open to the public — even if you just want to sit in the corner and listen.

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Gatewood church up for sale again
March 10, 2009 8:01 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Gatewood | Triangle | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion


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The big brick church at California/Othello (map) is in the market for its third new owner in less than three years. Then-Gatewood Baptist Church was sold in September 2006 to a developer as part of a $3.2 million package including the former church school to the east (now art/craft studios) and church-owned property across California that became a “micropermitted” townhouse cluster. The developer sold the church building to Seattle International Church six months later for $1.8 million; now, two years after that deal, it’s on the market for $2.1 million. It’s not the only church building for sale in West Seattle right now; Eastside Christian Assembly in the Triangle remains listed at $2.6 million.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: So long, snow; sun – hello
March 10, 2009 5:43 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Weather Watch: So long, snow; sun – hello
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(newest image from the city’s “live” cam on The Bridge, looking east)
At least, that’s what this morning’s forecast says. It did get into the 20s, so you might have some scraping to do this morning if you park on the street. No city road/bus trouble; check the “latest incidents” links on our Traffic page if you want to make sure all’s well before you leave.

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4 days till wedding-and-a-movie at The Admiral; you’re invited!
March 10, 2009 5:15 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Admiral Theater | Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

No, you don’t have to bring a gift. Just be there for the “Mamma Mia” singalong movie showing Saturday night. As reported here last week, 64-year-old Melodie Anderson and 60-year-old John Babcock are getting married onstage at The Admiral at 7:30 Saturday night, right before the movie, as the culmination of a love story that’s stretched across 18 years and two states, starting as an off-and-on involvement following their meeting at a holistic-health-practitioner school in San Diego, then intensifying when John followed Melodie to Seattle, where she had moved to be closer to her grandchildren. Admiral entertainment director Dinah Brein-McClellan and her team hatched the idea of an onstage wedding to go with the romantic theme of “Mamma Mia,” put out the call for interested couples, and really fell in love with John and Melodie’s story, which took a dramatic turn two years ago, as Dinah relates:

In 2007, Melodie discovered she had cancer and through it all, John never left her side. “You really see what someone is made of when you go through something like that – bald head, throwing up, he was there for me.”

The experience made the couple realize that life is precious and short and they were ready to ‘seal the deal.’ The couple got a marriage license, but due to the recession and some financial losses on properties they owned they were forced to put a wedding on hold and soon the license lapsed. When Melodie told John about the offer that the Admiral had on the table, he was a bit dubious. “Melodie is really spontaneous, unorthodox and outgoing, very different from me but that’s why I love her,” he said.

To celebrate John and Melodie’s wedding, so far, The Admiral is providing a nondenominational minister, Coffee to a Tea with Sugar is donating a wedding cake plus 200 mini-cupcakes for the audience, Cafe Revo is giving the wedding party a celebration dinner for 4, and an anonymous donor is offering a stay at a Lake Chelan vacation home. (Got anything to add? Dinah’s still looking for someone who can contribute wedding decorations and flowers – dinah@admiralentertainment.com) You can be part of the fun (and sing your heart out afterward) just by going to Mamma Mia! Saturday night, 7:30 pm, $8/ticket, available online at Brown Paper Tickets.

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West Seattle scenes: Looking back; looking up
March 10, 2009 3:25 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | Wildlife

Thanks to Manuel for pointing out the “newest” Seattle Municipal Archives addition uploaded to Flickr – it’s dated 1900, with the address listed as 1613 44th Avenue SW (known in 1900 as Olympia Avenue). Here’s the area today, from Google Street View:


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Though that house looks a lot like the one next to the grocery store in the 1900 photo, county property records show nothing older on the block than 1909, so it’s apparently just a coincidence. As for the store, it may have been the first one in West Seattle — the definitive account of West Seattle history from 1851-1987, West Side Story, opens Part I, Chapter 3, with a poem titled “The Birth of West Seattle” that is attributed to “John D. McGee, proprietor of the first grocery store in the town of West Seattle, and part-time poet.” (You can find many more historic photos of West Seattle and the rest of the city in the Municipal Archives; thousands are on the city website, and 600+ on Flickr.)

One other photo to share this early morning, from Alki:

Iris Chamberlain is previously from back east and thinks this might be the first bald eagle she’s ever seen – she e-mailed to share the photo after seeing the eagle in and around the tree across from Alki Bakery.

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2009 city election update: Who’s running, who’s not, who might
March 9, 2009 11:32 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgWe’re tracking city and county politics here, since it’s a major election year, with 4 City Council seats plus mayor and county executive also on the fall ballot. New developments tonight, including: Nick Licata says he’ll run for council re-election, NOT for mayor; so that means two council seats with incumbents running (Licata and Richard Conlin) and two open (Jan Drago and Richard McIver aren’t running again), with a long list of declared candidates already, and two of them are going to appear at tomorrow night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting (7 pm, Admiral Congregational Church basement meeting room): Dorsol Plants (former Highland Park Action Committee chair) and David Bloom (who spoke at the Southwest District Council meeting last Wednesday). One question continuing to generate speculation: With so many having said they will NOT run against Mayor Nickels this fall, who will? Two have filed so far (Norman Sigler and David Wolbeck), and e-mail is circulating pointing out that former councilmember Peter Steinbrueck hasn’t ruled out a run yet, and in fact, has messaged the founder of a Facebook group titled “Peter Steinbrueck, for the love of Seattle, RUN FOR MAYOR!” to say “What three things … would people like to see changed?” (His note was excerpted over the weekend at Seattlest.) So we’re throwing out the question here too: Whether Hizzoner is re-elected or whether someone else takes over – what, if anything, would you like to see changed in Seattle?

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Remember the fake Seacrest explosion? See the finished product
March 9, 2009 10:30 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

You may remember back in January, when a new MTV show called “The Phone” shot a sequence at Seacrest, including a staged car explosion. Now we have a clip of the finished product. If you are a Jimmy Fallon fan, you saw it a week ago. But this just came to our attention now – courtesy of Seacrest neighbor Adam, who also provided the inset photo (and others in our original coverage) – the clip was played during Fallon’s interview with Justin Timberlake, who is executive producer of “The Phone” (the video below is coded to start just as he introduces the clip):

The show is set to start airing April 21, 10 pm, on MTV, according to this article that also includes the official “trailer” (with a bit of the Seacrest sequence and other Seattle scenery).

ADDED 3/31: The clip originally featured above has been removed from YouTube – as of this moment, the official trailer is still there:

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West Seattle Weather Watch: 2 cold nights ahead
March 9, 2009 10:07 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Photo by Brian Presser – Junction construction worker during midday snow shower today)
The chance of snow showers is supposed to run out soon, according to the latest forecast, but the big weather news will be VERY cold overnight lows – 20s tonight, maybe even into the teens tomorrow. ADDED EARLY TUESDAY AM: An ode to this endless winter, by West Seattle poet Carol Smith – read on!Read More

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Update: Out-of-control pickup hits cars in Junction, driver hurt
March 9, 2009 7:02 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
ORIGINAL 7:02 PM REPORT: On the way to check out a crash at California/Alaska – Leighellen reports via Facebook that the medic response has blocked the intersection, so if you’re heading that way, try 42nd or 44th till there’s word the scene’s clear.

7:09 PM UPDATE: We’re getting closer and – as GenHillOne also notes in comments – this apparently is in the block of California between Alaska and Oregon. More shortly.

7:18 PM UPDATE: See comments for an eyewitness report. The wrecked pickup has been cleared now and one lane of traffic is getting through southbound on that block, but half the road between Alaska and Oregon is still blocked by investigating officers (and there’s some cleanup that’ll need to be done on the streets too). Police confirm that the pickup driver has been taken to the hospital to be checked for possible head and back injuries, though they won’t say officially what may have caused him to hit other cars – how many other cars, we don’t have a total, though comments and e-mails have described anything from 5 to 20 – they’re on the east side of California. Thanks again to everyone who has e-mailed, Tweeted, and FB’ed with info about this – as well as those continuing to add eyewitness reports to comments.

7:50 PM: Adding photos above and below from WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli:

The northbound lane is still blocked by the investigation. We also got a call from Amy T, who had an incredibly close call – she was in her just-bought car at the California/Alaska intersection when the driver passed her apparently just before hitting the cars in the next block. In addition to the witness reports in comments below, via e-mail, Karla says, “I can NOT get that noise and smell of the smoke out of my head! It was truly the most incredible accident I have ever witnessed. I’m still shaking!” And we talked at the scene with Friends and Company owner Doris Goulet, whose car was among those hit; she echoes that it’s amazing nobody else was hurt – most stores were still open when this happened, and the pickup could just as easily have plowed into a store.

8:20 PM UPDATE: Yet another eyewitness report from Mark, via FB:

I was just there and saw it right after it happened. It looked like the driver of a Dodge 4X4 lost his right front wheel right just north of the intersection of California & Alaska. The truck kept going north smashing into at least eight cars parked at the curb – some with minor damage, some undriveable. It skipped some and hit others as it apparently swerved right again and again due to the missing wheel. The truck stopped at California & Oregon, where I saw the ambulance workers pull out the driver, who looked to be a middle-aged man, and load him onto a gurney. He was alive and moving when they loaded him into the ambulance.

LATE-NIGHT NOTE: We will check with police first thing in the morning to see what updates are available regarding the driver’s status and the total number of damaged vehicles, among other questions.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Official final total from Officer Mark Jamieson in the SPD media unit: 13 vehicles damaged, in addition to the 35-year-old driver’s truck:

(photo by Mark Ammann, added Tuesday)
The official summary of the incident doesn’t mention a possible medical problem as was being investigated at the scene last night as a possible factor, but focuses on suspected “impairment,” for which a blood sample taken last night will be tested. The driver of the first vehicle he hit also was treated at a hospital for possible back pain. As for official charges/citations, the decision on that will come later – once the collision investigators’ report is finished, it’s usually forwarded to prosecutors for that official decision on charges/citations, which might take weeks or months.

TUESDAY MIDDAY: Here’s how the police media unit tells the story at SPDBlotter.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car break-in
March 9, 2009 4:04 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from Amy:

We live on 37th Ave SW near the Hanford St intersection [map] and wanted to alert other West Seattle residences that our car was broken into, sometime early this morning, we believe. They stole our Garmin unit as well as an MP3 player.

As we hear time and time again at West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meetings (next one, 3/17, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct), these thieves are particularly keen on GPS’s, so even if you take yours inside at night but leave suction cups visible in the car, your car may be an attractive target.

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CFL bulb recycling: Councilmembers suggest library dropoffs
March 9, 2009 2:46 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

They save a lot of power – but you can’t just toss ’em. So what if you could take CFL light bulbs to your nearest library for recycling? That’s the idea two city councilmembers are floating – read on:Read More

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Monday afternoon updates
March 9, 2009 12:51 pm
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(new info and photos added below as the afternoon goes on)

Hailing now – the ground is covered. The weather folks say the next round of nasty weather is moving southward toward us – and it’s been seriously wintry up north, as evidenced by this photo Scott C just sent from his workplace in Everett:

1:08 PM: Hailstorm’s over. For now. As noted in a comment on our morning weather post, the afternoon is expected to be unpredictable too; the assessment from Cliff Mass — “If it is going to snow significantly in Seattle … it will be later this afternoon …” Also just in – thanks to Sharonn Meeks for an amazing photographic look from downtown as the storm moved in:

And here’s a few seconds of video from when the hail was falling here:

1:41 PM: Snowing now. Wish we had a time-lapse camera just rolling on the whole day.

2:26 PM: Traffic alert that may or may not be weather related – Sylvan Way through High Point is currently closed at SW Holly, near Forest Lawn (map) – we haven’t heard back from police yet but a nice person at FL tells us it appears to be some kind of accident; nothing on 911 log so we can only hope that means no medics because no injuries.

3:01 PM UPDATE: Police say it’s a jackknifed semi. We’re headed over to check the status of the scene. Meantime, OUTSIDE West Seattle but possibly affecting your commute, Metro is starting to report some bus trouble on the Eastside as well as “hilly areas” in Rainier Beach; here’s the “adverse weather” page.

3:16 PM UPDATE: The truck (photo above) has been pulled off to the side of the road – traffic’s been getting around, albeit slowly. One more update to share: Elementary and middle-school afterschool activities have been canceled for this afternoon/tonight throughout Seattle Public Schools (per schoolreport.org).

4 PM NOTE: Just mentioned this in comments – our Traffic page doesn’t just have the West Seattle-relevant traffic cameras, it also includes two links you can use to check for traffic incidents around the metro area – one goes to Traffic.com’s “latest incidents” for the Seattle area, the other goes to the WSDOT Twitter bulletins about the Seattle area. Both are at the top of this page.

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From land-use land: Alki application, Delridge decision
March 9, 2009 12:12 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Delridge | Development | West Seattle news


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Two West Seattle items in the city’s latest Land Use Information Bulletin: On Alki, immediately south of Cactus on 63th SW, a land-use application has just been filed for two 3-story buildings totaling 7 units. Here’s the notice, which has links for comments to be submitted, through 3/22.

Second: In South Delridge, a decision is in approving a land-use application to build two 4-unit townhouse buildings on a 9,500-square-foot lot at 8605 Delridge (map) that currently holds one house. Read the decision here.

SPEAKING OF TOWNHOUSES: The proposed changes to the Multi-Family Code (zoning), involving townhouse design and more, will be the subject of a briefing this Wednesday, 9:30 am at City Hall, before the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Neighborhoods Committee. Here’s the committee agenda (which also includes a rezoning request for some High Point Land); here’s our report from January.

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Check your can: Trash/recycling pickup-change notices arriving
March 9, 2009 10:33 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to Bob Loblaw for sending word – and pic – of the notice taped to his trash can after this morning’s pickup: In his Fairmount Park neighborhood, at least, Monday pickup will move to Tuesday as of the week of March 30th. We have Monday pickup here in Upper Fauntleroy too, but have NOT received any such notice, so we’re not assuming everyone with Monday pickup is switching to Tuesday – just wanted to remind you to start checking your receptacles (the city says you should get a notice no later than March 23). This is all part of the package of big changes including weekly yard waste/food waste pickup (other recycling will remain every-other-week), no more glass separation for recycling, additional materials allowed in recycling (like aluminum foil) etc. — all detailed here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Not just mail theft – mailbox theft
March 9, 2009 9:41 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

We usually don’t publish exact addresses of crime victims, but in this case, the address matters because it’s part of what was stolen: At 8424 46th SW near Lincoln Park, someone made off with the address sign you see at left AND the mailbox. Chris e-mailed the photo along with the report that the theft happened sometime between noon Saturday and 9 am today, and is most concerned about getting back the mail. The sign is lettered in stainless steel and matches a nearby trellis.

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Denny-Sealth construction work: Next alert for neighbors
March 9, 2009 9:17 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That’s the doorhanger that people living around the Chief Sealth High School (permanent) campus will get this week, according to managers for the project that includes both Sealth renovations and the construction of the new Denny Middle School on the Sealth campus. It includes major digging for gas and water lines. As we reported last week, the district changed its mind about a big “groundbreaking” celebration for this phase, but the work proceeds, with the goal of Sealth moving back in fall of 2010, and Denny opening in 2011.

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