West Seattle, Washington
26 Friday
Just in from Charlestown Cafe co-owner Larry Mellum:
I finally have some good news to report. Everything is finally signed sealed and delivered!! Meaning that the Charlestown St. Cafe project is finally underway. I will do my best to keep you aware of our progress but as I have said previously, this is a four week project. Which means we should be open for business sometime around June 1st, with any luck possibly Memorial Day weekend.
It’s been almost three months since the Feb. 4th fire that closed the restaurant; we’ve been chronicling (scroll through our complete Charlestown Cafe archive here) the ups and downs of the owners’ quest for repair approvals ever since. Ironically, just days before the fire, we had reported the shelving of the controversial plan to build a Petco store on the site.
With so much going on last night, we sought some help making sure the major events could all be covered — and a WSB’er who has reported previously for us, Evan Baumgardner, agreed to handle one of them — the Seattle Public Schools hearing on the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse sale (one month after a community meeting about it, WSB coverage here). Here’s his report:Read More
From the “Campus Security Report” in the latest South Seattle Community College newsletter:
April 28: Student directed to leave the Library after repeatedly refusing to stop using his cell phone, to library staff and then security officers.
Actually that’s just one small snippet from a newsletter jampacked with other news from West Seattle’s only college; the folks at SSCC invited us to share the whole thing with you here.
We mentioned it briefly last night, and promised more details: After weeks of declaring the decision was made and space for a “skate feature” would definitely be reserved in the new Myrtle Reservoir park, city Parks Department managers announced an abrupt about-face last night. That left opponents happy, skatepark supporters fuming, and other issues with the park plan bubbling to the forefront:Read More
Just got the latest e-mail newsletter from Skylark. (More and more West Seattle businesses have newsletters available, often with tasty infobits and sometimes with special offers; worth checking your favorite businesses’ websites next time you’re idly wandering the interwebs.) Later this month, Skylark is launching what we suspect is a West Seattle first — a monthly open burlesque competition, pros and amateurs welcome, starting May 20 and on the third Tuesday of each month thereafter. Read more about it here. (Skylark also is one of the businesses who are among the 148 participants in West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on May 10!)
Thanks to WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli for those photos from tonight’s Day of Prayer gathering by the Alki Statue of Liberty. There was music as well as prayer; leaders from more than 10 local congregations had promised to participate, including West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor), Life Church, Arbor Heights Community Church, Eastridge Christian Assembly, the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Chapel, Holy Rosary, West Side Presbyterian, Mars Hill, Hope Lutheran, First Lutheran, and Calvary Chapel.
As promised last night by Brandon, who told us about the Admiral Theater marquee spotlighting a prom-date invitation, here’s his video interview with the happy couple after Stephanie told Sam “yes.” (We’re charmed by the start of the clip but the jury’s out on the soundtrack.)
A sudden turnaround by the city Parks Department was announced at tonight’s third public meeting on the Myrtle Reservoir park project: Two weeks after project manager Virginia Hassinger reiterated to the Morgan Community Association that the “final approved schematic design” for the park would include an area set aside for a “skate feature,” she and city skatepark plan manager Kevin Stoops told tonight’s meeting that plan had been taken off the table — as of earlier today. More in a bit.
That’s the screen on the wall in the courtyard outside Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), where Movies on the Wall are shown in the summer. As we mentioned two days ago, Hotwire’s Lora Lewis is collecting suggestions for this summer’s series — you can send one in via this WSB page, or by using ballot boxes set up at Hotwire and other places in The Junction. Lora confesses she’s already planning to kick off the season July 19 with the movie that was rained out three times at the end of last summer, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” At least one would-be voter asked what was shown last year; here’s the list:
Chicken Run
Best in Show
Wizard of Oz
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Edward Scissorhands
You can send in a suggestion by going to this page, any time before May 15.
We last mentioned this Alki project at 59th/Stevens when reporting on SDOT signage-prep work in the neighborhood two weeks ago. The house on the property where that sign is on display, an 83-year-old home purchased for $795,000 last year by Cobb Construction, is proposed for teardown, to be replaced on the 7,770-square-foot lot by two single-family homes and one three-unit townhouse. The public meeting just announced for May 22 (Admiral library branch, 6:30 pm) is “to gather comments on the project.” Most projects this size don’t get this type of public review; we called the planner assigned to the project, Janet Wright, who explained it’s the result of a petition signed by more than 50 neighbors, linked to the fact the project requires SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) review because it’s proposing 5 units on a lot that normally could ot have more than four. P.S. Two people have now pointed out, this site is listed for sale – $1,000,000.
Those are two more of the most recent photos WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham took at the Camp Long homeless encampment he has been investigating (first WSB report here; followup here). We just got an update from Dewey Potter at the city Parks Department:
The outreach people will try once more tomorrow to see if there’s evidence of anyone living at the camp site. If they are satisfied that the people have left, they will notify the crew chief and Parks will clean up the site on the next working day, Monday.
See that bun? It almost kept Zippy’s Giant Burgers (16th/Holden) from opening as planned today. We called this morning to see if Opening Day was on schedule and were told “If the buns get here …” They did, and the burgers are on the grill. Hours: 10:30 am-9 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 10:30 am-10 pm Fridays, 11 am-10 pm Saturdays, noon-7 pm Sundays. (Cash only.) Below, employee Chris LaFayette and owner Blaine Cook, proud of the new enterprise:
Sounds like the waterfront march mentioned here is indeed unfolding as expected … listening to the police scanner, which has frequencies from around the area as well as West Seattle, and they’re talking about traffic shutdowns on Alaskan Way, possibly Royal Brougham too.
From Andrea (here’s a map of the location she mentions):
Around 8:30 p.m. last night a suspicious man knocked on our door claiming to be selling home security. He was from “Icon Security” but after googling the company we discovered it was fake. He asked my husband strange questions such as if he was married and how long we’d lived there. We called the police an hour later after realizing he was a fake, but they said they couldn’t do anything as too much time had passed. The told us to call 911 right away if it happens again. I’d like to know if anyone else has encountered this man. We’re located around 29th and Holden.
In separate e-mail, Andrea’s husband described the solicitor as a “chubby 30-ish white guy.”
This just out of the WSB inbox:
Just wanted to let you know that local production company Penny Dreadfuls shot a three-minute short for entry into the SIFF-Seattle Times 3-Minute Masterpiece contest at West Seattle’s very own West 5 in mid-April. The bar provided the perfect backdrop for “Annie’s First Dates,” a three-minute tale of our young heroine’s quest for love and the bizarre characters she encounters on the way. Dave – one of West 5’s owners – volunteered to get up at 3 am to let the film crew in to shoot on a Saturday and Sunday; he stayed with us for the entire duration of the shoot and EVEN MADE US COFFEE!
Please check out the short on YouTube –
youtube.com/watch?v=bUEqI2ErRP0 – and leave us your comments, or check it out on our website: penny-dreadfuls.com. And give some major props to West 5 for being perhaps the greatest bar in our great neighborhood!Thanks,
Jenny Hawes
Producer, Penny Dreadfuls
Nine days to go till the 4th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day! Today we finish mailing info-packets to participants, which will be followed up by supplementary e-mail with a few extra infobits. We now have a final count of participating sales: 147, a new WSCGSD record! We’re posting more details daily on the official WSCGSD site at westseattlegaragesale.com (the latest update is here, including the contests we’re having – one of which will be for shoppers too, not just sellers! – and where maps will be available). 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 10, garage-salers’ paradise all over West Seattle — if you can help spread the word outside WS (we’ve put up posters in WS, bought ads and placed announcements around the region and the Web, and sent news releases, of course) maybe consider printing this 8 1/2 x 11 miniposter and tacking it up on your nearest bulletin board? Thanks!
A member of Team WSB reports a stalled car on the eastbound high bridge is starting to slow things down. It’s stalled “roughly even with Nucor” so the Fauntleroy approach will be most affected.
This is the day we warned you about. Three newsmaking events in West Seattle tonight:
**Seattle Public Schools public hearing on the proposed Fauntleroy Schoolhouse sale, 6:30 pm @ the schoolhouse
**National Day of Prayer, 12 local churches participating, 6:30 pm @ Alki Statue of Liberty
**Next public meeting on the Myrtle Reservoir park project (most recent WSB coverage here), 7 pm @ High Point Community Center
Then, as mentioned yesterday, May Day events on the other side of the bay might affect you as you get around the city.
And if you get around by water, note that today marks the start of the “peak season” — and peak fares — for Washington State Ferries. (More here; find fare information here.)
Much more (including an Alki Bathhouse art reception and West Seattle-based Northwest Hope and Healing’s fashion show) on our Events list.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Janell:
Next school year, two exchange students will be coming to West Seattle High School; Sealth is an option also. Ximi, a 17-year-old girl from China, likes community service work and plays the zither. She is an A student with good English. Vanessa,16, has grown up in a village in the Black Forest of Germany but was actually born at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue. Her English will be excellent. She loves to play soccer and also likes snow sports. Seattle host families are needed for both girls. Each will come with her own spending money including for school lunches, and full insurance. Host families are asked to provide a bed (room can be shared if appropriate) and meals eaten with the family. A Seattle area rep will provide support and activities. For more information about hosting either Ximi or Vanessa, please contact janellgregson@yahoo.com. Their profiles and photos can be forwarded.
This morning it was the Times on townhomes, tonight it’s the P-I on the grocery-store imbalance.
BURGERS: Looks like Zippy’s Giant Burgers (16th and Holden; first reported here two weeks ago) is on track for the expected opening tomorrow. For one, it says so on their MySpace! For two, we went by earlier this evening and saw not only activity inside, but also a sign on the door, “Cash Only.” We’ll of course go by to check at lunchtime tomorrow if we can’t reach them by phone sooner.
FURNITURE: Driving through the Burien business district a few days ago, we noticed a big storefront with papered windows and the website address for Village Woodworks, the furniture store on California north of Alaska in The Junction. Checked to see whether that meant they are moving or expanding; Junction store management tells WSB it’s the latter — adding a second store, in Burien.
TERVO’S UPDATE: One week after we reported the sighting of a “New Ownership” sign and its temporary closure, the Fauntleroy Triangle convenience store has received a new paint job in the past several days:
You’ll notice the sign is painted out as well; new name to come, perhaps? Not according to the liquor-license application; click the button on this page and scroll down the results lists a ways — you’ll see the new owners’ names but not a store-name change. (As mentioned in that same update a week ago, there’s now a mixed-use development proposal in the works for this site too.)
Got this photo from Admiral Theater employee Brandon, who says Sam asked for the prom-proposal space and they said, sure. We just drove by and it’s still up, but Brandon tells WSB it’s coming down around 9 pm. No word yet whether the would-be prom date has seen it and/or accepted! 9:39 PM UPDATE: Brandon just sent word that Stephanie said yes – and that he got a video interview with the happy couple a little while ago; he promises to send us the link when it’s uploaded.
Or should we say, cases and casings … Just spent some time on the phone with Detective Nick Bauer from the Southwest Precinct, and he provided updates on some recent cases reported here, as well as a new one for which police could use your eyes and ears:Read More
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