West Seattle, Washington
09 Monday
Just in from SDOT – read ahead for the full alert:Read More
One month ago, we brought you an update from the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival leadership, seeking new storage space for their float – which represents West Seattle in parades around the region. Today, Hi-Yu’s Carol Winston e-mailed to say that while they’ve gotten some “leads,” they’re out of time – the float MUST be out of its temporary storage space TOMORROW. Here’s what Carol says they’re looking for:
We need a secure area that can park our 24’ trailer with float vehicle on top. Ideally an enclosed site, such as warehouse space, large garage, etc. would be nice, but at this point just an outside fenced space would be an answer to prayer. We need the space for a month or so, although we also have to find space to start building the float. If someone had a space that would work for both….that would be awesome! It doesn’t necessarily need to be in West Seattle, but somewhere close by would be great.
UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL POST: If you can help, here’s who to call: Hi-Yu president Tim Winston at 206-938-2088.
Today we’re welcoming our newest WSB sponsor, Anytime Fitness. 
Here’s what this brand-new West Seattle business would like you to know: Anytime Fitness is a 24-hour coed fitness center where members can work out any time day or night, every day of the year. A 3000-square-foot fitness boutique that opened its doors in December, this is a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art cardio equipment, weights, and a personable atmosphere. Anytime Fitness also offers 24-hour tanning and membership reciprocity among its clubs, which allows members to use any of the more than 900 clubs that are currently open in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Looking for a new fitness routine? Getting ready for that 5k? Shaping up for summer? Owners Weston Smith and Dave Preston are dedicated to assisting their members in committing to important fitness goals by providing free fitness education, highly trained staff, and a non-intimidating environment that is sure to produce results! Anytime‘s smaller, intimate atmosphere allows its members to work more closely with their trainers, 
in an efficient and convenient setting.
On Saturday, February 21st, at 2 pm, Anytime Fitness will host Valerie Waugaman, known as ‘SIREN’ of NBC’s hit television reality series, “American Gladiators” (photo right). The public is invited and admission is free. Valerie is also a professional athlete, successful business owner, and motivational speaker who will be speaking on personal success and putting on a fitness workshop. She will be available for autographs and pictures.
Anytime Fitness is located on the second floor of the new Charlestown Center at Charlestown/California (map). WSB welcomes Anytime to our sponsor lineup, listed here along with information on how to be part of it.
The latest quarterly newsletter from the Fauntleroy Community Association is now available online (via PDF, here). Some of the issues covered are ones that we’ve kept you up to date on as well, including the latest on the Washington State Ferries Long-Range Plan (newest updates here and here; our Fauntleroy coverage is all archived here). But there’s also news you may not have heard, including the latest on a traffic-calming effort along 47th between Brace Point and SW 98th, seen here in Google Street View:
And the newsletter announces a series of conversations and events at Fauntleroy Church on a subject that’s so near and dear to us, we’re honored to have been asked to be part of it: “Re-creating Community in Our Day.” For six successive Wednesday nights starting February 25th, this topic will be tackled in a variety of ways, from the 2/25 kickoff screening of the acclaimed “Fauntleroy Story” documentary, to author/former city Department of Neighborhoods leader Jim Diers speaking on 3/25. (Your WSB co-publishers will be the speakers on 3/11, for the topic “the impact of media on our sense of belonging to a community.” Full list of events is on the Fauntleroy Church home page; other Fauntleroy community events are on the FCA website, including a reminder of the all-community, multi-topic meeting coming up February 18th, which will include an SDOT rep discussing the recently announced “rechannelization” of Fauntleroy Way between California and Edmunds.
First the freebies – swimming and yoga; then, the fun is all over the list, including Rainbow Bingo, baseball tryouts, a family night out for parents of diabetic children, a world-premiere musical event; and the ways to help include everything from a pancake breakfast to tea to a silent auction to “Have a Heart” haircuts — all among the more than 40 events ahead in this edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup (sponsored by Skylark Cafe and Club):Read More
That’s the poster that Stacey Bushaw tells WSB has been distributed throughout West Seattle to invite everyone to this Sunday afternoon’s event benefiting the family of her cousin, Steve Bushaw, the 26-year-old man shot and killed in The Junction last Sunday night. The two men who shot him are still on the loose; police have not provided any new information, so all we know is what we originally reported (here’s our coverage from the night it happened, plus followups the next morning and afternoon).
Updates constituted most of the highlights from Wednesday night’s Southwest District Council meeting — representatives from neighborhood groups and other key organizations dealing with the section of West Seattle that the city calls the SW District (map). In the photo above is Dante Taylor, who’s traveling the West Seattle meeting circuit to remind everyone that the city’s Junction parking review is getting under way (all our coverage is archived here). Regarding the big question, whether pay stations will be the result, Taylor stressed nothing is settled – the study is supposed to determine whether they would be needed anywhere to keep cars moving and create a steady flow of people through the business district. One of his previous appearances (WSB coverage here) was at the January meeting of the Junction Neighborhood Organization, whose president Erica Karlovits is co-chair of the SWDC; she reiterated concerns her group wants to keep on the front burner – “park and hiders,” who drive to Junction neighborhoods and leave their cars while catching buses to downtown, and construction workers parking in neighborhoods. Ahead, another Junction item – the latest on the 42nd/Alaska park – and more SWDC notes:Read More
High-school students have a lot more responsibilities these days than we recall from way back when. Community-service requirements, and senior projects, among them. We’ve heard lately from a couple students with amazing-sounding projects – including this: The photo above shows Emily Meyer with her mom Betsy Meyer, who died last fall after years of battling early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, chronicled in a remarkable Seattle Times series (linked from this story about her death). Emily, a senior at Seattle Lutheran High School, e-mailed us this week to say that she’s planning a benefit to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association in her mom’s memory, and even though the event isn’t happening in West Seattle, she wondered if we could announce it here:
Remember This Benefit
Friday, February 27th, 2009
Doors open at 7:30pm; Show starts at 8:00pm
At The Vera Project
Located on the corner of Warren & Republican Ave N, next to the Key Arena in Seattle Center
Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 day of show
All ages are invited
www.myspace.com/rememberthisbenefit
Join us for a benefit concert with incredible musical performances by Kids and Animals, On the Last Day and more! Proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of the late Betsy Meyer, Seattle Times memorable person of the year. For more information contact the benefit coordinator, Emily Meyer, Betsy’s 18-year-old daughter, at 206.719.7188.
It’s in the WSB Events calendar, too. Meantime, we’re working on a story about two of Emily’s classmates, who announced their senior project recently in the WSB Forums, and are looking for help – look for that story tomorrow.
Still wondering “why Roxbury Safeway?” (No other grocery stores around here seem to have celebrity appearances.) Anyway – First, it was American Idol finalist Chris Richardson last March (WSB coverage here), now, “Oprah’s trainer,” Bob Greene, will be at Roxbury Safeway 11 am-1 pm tomorrow. Thanks to the non-West Seattle tipster who kindly let us know.
Sorry, no goat reunions today, but we do have two animal photos to share, and one in fact DOES involve police: That first photo – which we snapped by cameraphone during an afternoon errand at Westwood Village – is in desperate need of a caption. Just can’t think of it. Suggestions? Police told us they took these horses to WV to help them get used to car traffic. (The Seattle Police Mounted Patrol, by the way, is based right here in West Seattle, in Westcrest Park.) Meantime, traveling Beach Drive just north of Me-Kwa-Mooks, we had to pull over and admire this big bird, more than three times the size of the crows that were harassing him/her:
Peregrine falcon? UPDATE: “K” suggests, in the comment section, that it might be a young bald eagle. Photos like this seem to verify that possibility (and of course eagles ARE often seen around Alki/Beach Drive).
As mentioned in our previous post, the representative for the group with the $6.8 million winning Lotto ticket sold at Admiral 7-11 (original WSB report here) has claimed the check. He declined an interview but the Washington State Lottery sent the photo above and this news release with info:
This past Monday was not just another typical Monday for the members of Josal Partners. While reading the morning paper over a cup of tea, they realized they had won the $6.8 million Lotto jackpot.
“Incredulity would sum up the reaction,” joked John Gose, the group’s managing partner. Gose, who spoke on behalf of Josal Partners, is an attorney and an ex-marine. The partners’ reactions were clearly incredulous.
“Lottery is a daydreaming game and daydreams change from day to day,” said Gose about why the group plays. Whatever their daydreams were that day, they are a reality now.
The winners, who were skeptical about their “incredulous” situation, were sure to check additional sources to confirm the win after initially seeing their numbers in the Seattle Times. “I’m not good with numbers!” joked Gose. So one of the partners took the ticket to a “very accurate” accountant, who instantly proclaimed, “No #@%$, you won!,” after giving the ticket a good look.
“The win has provided funds that would not have otherwise been available,” explained Gose. “The money will be going toward paying off debts and providing education for children and grandchildren.” Another member of the partners added there has also been some talk of shopping for a new truck.
The winners said that this was their first time experiencing a big Lottery win. The same can’t be said of the store that sold the ticket. The West Seattle 7-Eleven where the winning ticket was purchased has sold a big Lotto jackpot before. A Federal Way man won $11 million in 1994. As part of the Lottery’s retail program, this 7-11 will be receiving a retail bonus of $68,000.
Gose had some interesting logic to share for all potential Lottery winners out there about picking numbers, “A five is cuter than a three, and fours are different.” Keep that in mind next time you play.
We just got a call from the state lottery office. Someone has claimed the $6.8 million prize we reported on last weekend. The winners are said to be a group of people and we’ll have an interview with the group’s representative this afternoon. The lottery folks say the representative is from West Seattle and that’s why he bought the ticket at the Admiral 7-11. 4:14 PM UPDATE: The representative changed his mind about doing interviews (even by phone) but the lottery reps say there will be more information in a news release … later. We’ll add it when we get it.
CHOCOLATE BEER: Noticed this on the Elliott Bay Brewing blog that’s one of the 100 automatically and continuously tracked by the WSB Blogs page. Seems EBB is pouring a West Seattle-brewed “chocolate porter.”
FEEDBACK LOUNGE: Got an e-mail question about this a little while ago so you might be wondering too. We checked recently with Jeff Gilbert to see about the progress on Feedback Lounge, which is moving into the old Beveridge Place Pub space (between the ex-Corner Inn/future Zeeks Pizza and the “new” BPP). He’s hopeful they’re down to a matter of weeks; you can read more details in this recent update on the Feedback Lounge MySpace site.
REALTY GROWTH: Tough economy for almost everyone, but that’s not keeping local real-estate firms down. We were first to report the Prudential Northwest consolidation into Jefferson Square two weeks ago; today, we got word from John L. Scott/Westwood co-owner Cynthia Reid that their staff has added three new members: Jennifer Cross, Gwen Fraser, and Steve Brissenden. (5:26 PM UPDATE: And two more agents today, they have since written to say: Jan Campbell and Corky Burr.)
AND A WSB REMINDER FOR ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES: Our busy (46,000+ posts) WSB Forums have a West Seattle Jobs Offered section where you can post a job opening FREE. Our only requirements are: (A) The job must be physically located in the West Seattle-White Center area, and (B) the post must be clear WHO is hiring – no blind ads, please. And there’s one other area in the Forums that might be of interest to local businesspeople — Freebies, Deals, Sales is open to anyone to post, FREE, about freebie/bargain offers in the West Seattle area — two ways we’re trying to help youget out information that can help us all make it through tougher-than-usual times.
Earlier this morning, we mentioned it’s a busy day/night for school tours and open houses around West Seattle (see the list here). Within the past hour, the tours at Lafayette Elementary were joined by a high-profile guest – Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson (whom we photographed above with Lafayette principal Virginia Turner in the planter-box area outside). Dr. Goodloe-Johnson also visited nearby Madison Middle School before the Lafayette stop, and was headed back to district HQ in Sodo next. (Just three days ago, she was at West Seattle High School for the health-center celebration we covered here.)
That’s a quick clip of one of the hottest tickets at last year’s West Seattle Summer Fest, Green Pajamas, and we’ve pulled it out of the archives to let you know that application forms are now available online for bands that want to play in this year’s Summer Fest. So are applications for prospective food and craft vendors. The forms are all linked from the Summer Fest home page, which you can find here; the festival’s set for July 10th-12th. (We got first word of this at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting; more headlines from SWDC are coming up a bit later.)
Fall seems far away – unless you are in the process of deciding where your child(ren) will go to school next September. Today’s a busy school-tour day around West Seattle, so here are the highlights:
Denny Middle School tour: 8:15-9:15 this morning
Lafayette and Schmitz Park Elementaries’ tours: 9:30-11 am today
Arbor Heights Elementary tours: 9:30-11:30 am today
West Seattle Montessori (WSB sponsor) tours: 6-8 tonight
Chief Sealth High School‘s open house/Choices Night: 6:30-8:30 tonight (here’s the flyer)
The master list of all upcoming Seattle Public Schools tours is linked from atop the WSB Events Calendar; other tours/open houses are listed on the calendar; and you can check individual schools’ websites from the WSB Schools page. P.S. As Oliver points out in comments, many tours require/prefer advance sign-ups, so call the school first.
With just days left to tell Metro what you think about proposed Route 50 – which would include bus service between North Delridge and The Junction – Metro reps told the North Delridge Neighborhood Council tonight that the new route is no slam dunk. That’s just part of the news resulting from tonight’s meeting – read on for the full report:Read More
From David Hutchinson, taken during a walk around Alki Point. Shortly before that arrived in our inbox, we had heard that today’s high temperature tied a record … 63. Almost spring-like. Another sunset view, sent as-it-happened from Scott B:
Tomorrow’s supposed to be closer to “normal.”
From the West Seattle Soccer Club, that’s the GU18 Ladyhawks, one of three WSSC teams still in the Commissioners’ Cup statewide tournament as the quarterfinals approach. Here are the other two, followed by information on how to register for the WSSC spring season, a process that’s happening right now. First, the BU14 West Seattle Deportivo Moctezuma:
And the BU11 West Seattle Jets:
Tim says the fact each of these teams have made it into the Elite 8 for their division is big, because the Commissioners’ Cup is meant for organizations’ “select teams,” but since WSSC is a recreational club, they don’t have “select teams,” so the volunteer coaches and players are doing a great job competing at this level. We’ll update you on how these West Seattle teams fared, after the weekend. Meantime, the WSSC Spring Season is now signing up younger players. Here are the details:
The spring season is a lower key soccer season than our fall season, and it is for U7-U12 players (has to be 5 or 6 years old by April 1, 2009 for U7 or 7-11 years old by August 1, 2009 for U8-U12). There are no practices and games are held on Sunday afternoons at various West Seattle fields. Games start on April 5th and are played on six Sundays, ending May 31st. There are no games on Easter, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Sunday.
You can sign up through the WSSC website at westseattlesoccer.org.
Out of the WSB inbox:
I wanted to let folks know that our neighbor’s house was broken into today somewhere between 10 and 11 AM. We live on the 8700 block of 16th between Trenton and Donovan (map). It appears they came over the backyard fence and entered through a window — (writing to ask) if anyone happened to see anything, and to be aware if they see any suspicious persons around. They stole specific items such as a laptop, video camera, etc.
WSB charter sponsor Hotwire Coffee is launching a new service – call ahead and your drink will be ready. Bev-O-Matic, as the flyer puts it. Hotwire’s Lora Lewis didn’t even ask us to plug this but we saw it in her promotional mailings and thought it sounded like news to us – hadn’t heard of any other local coffee shop doing phone-ahead orders.
Illusions Hair Design told us they have a few appointments remaining for next Sunday’s Have a Heart Day, when stylists donate their time to raise money for West Seattle Helpline – benefiting many families in our community – and Pencil Me in for Kids. Noon-5 pm Sunday; call (206) 938-3675 ASAP to doublecheck if there’s still an opening. Even if you’re not getting your hair cut there that day, you’ll be able to drop off cash/check donations for those two organizations; Illusions is at 5619 California SW (map).
Maybe it’s the sunshine. We have received two phone calls in the past hour or so inquiring about this. So maybe we shouldn’t wait any longer for a reminder: Yes, WSB **is** sponsoring the fifth annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day this year — our second year sponsoring the event, which was created by the late, great nonprofit Megawatt. It’ll be on Saturday, May 9th. If you’re new to West Seattle or somehow missed last year, you can check out some of the coverage on our companion site, westseattlegaragesale.com (beware, we haven’t updated it lately, but scroll down and you’ll see all the posts from last year’s event). We’ll announce registration dates and other key facts soon.
We’ve told you before about the King County Food and Fitness Initiative, focused — among other things — on making fresh, healthy food more available in the Delridge and White Center areas. One idea to help make that reality is the proposed Delridge Produce Co-op, and organizer Galena White is hoping to hear from anyone who would like to get involved. She just launched a website with information; from the opening page: “My goal is to see a storefront filled with a variety of inexpensive organic produce on Delridge before 2010.” You can see the website here; get in touch with Galena if you’d like to help make the co-op dream come true.
| Comments Off on Traffic alert: Alaskan Way Viaduct’s Seneca ramp closed Saturday