West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Thanks to Karol I for e-mailing this tip, which we confirmed via business-license records as well as this spot on MySpace:
Just a few words on a new business is coming to a part of Seattle which has few food places. Blaine and Rahel Cook are in the process of changing that.
Zippy’s Giant Burgers is coming to 16th and Holden about May 1, 2008. They are busy cleaning, painting and arranging the new furniture which they have carefully selected for their new venture. I am sure that they will be doing well, in particular since I will be one of their first customers.
Here’s a map of that location (street address 1513 SW Holden).
The half-dozen West Seattle students (profiled here with video last month) who are currently on “An Inconvenient Ride” now have “trip log” diary-style posts (read them here) on the environmental-awareness trip’s official website, and the few we grazed are rather honest, occasionally raw tales of the tough road trip they’ve taken on. Their photo gallery is even more up to date (find it here). The group is in Arizona this morning (the route is detailed here), and will then head up through California and Oregon en route to a slated arrival back in Seattle on Earth Day, April 22, for the “Global to Local” benefit at Benaroya Hall.
From Neighborhood Farmers’ Market Alliance director Chris Curtis: “Good news for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Not only is it going year-round now, but Wooly Pigs is scheduled to start there this week with their delicious pork products from their exotic Hungarian Mangalitza breed of pigs. Bacon, loin roast, chops and fresh pork sausage are available. Puget Beach Shellfish also plans on coming into West Seattle this weekend with fresh oysters. … Due to the extended cold – some produce is late … At last farm update, I was told that asparagus will be here in 2 weeks. Hothouse tomatoes and Japanese cukes are about 3 weeks out. ” Here’s what’s on the weekly fresh sheet:Read More
Ah, it’s sunset-photo season again! This is from Cove Park next to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal just as the Issaquah was about to head westward at sunset tonight. Now, from the middle of the bright height of the early-afternoon sun:
That’s some of the fun from Healthy Kids Day at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) today (second photo courtesy Josh Sutton from the Y). The activities were today only, but the Y has waived joining fees for the whole weekend, so that part continues tomorrow. So does the event that brought out this line on Harbor Ave just north of The Bridge this morning:
For the second straight adoptathon, Kitty Harbor (next to ActivSpace) had a line of would-be cat adopters waiting to get in as soon as the doors opened. The adoptathon continues tomorrow, 11 am-7 pm. Last but not least, a bonus photo that’s actually from last night’s lovely sunset:
WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham shot that from Don Armeni. (Prints of Matt’s WSB photos and his other work are available through his site, MattDurhamPhotography.com.)
RAMP BACKUP: Heading westbound on The Bridge past the Harbor/Avalon exit around 6 pm, we noticed traffic was backed up all the way to the bridge deck itself, and it looked like gridlock along Harbor, even worse than summertime. Guessing the road narrowing at the pump-station project along Alki is a major factor.
FIRE PITS? Received e-mail from someone noting the fire pits are absent at Alki. We can’t find any indication online that they would be permanently gone, and can’t quite recall if there’s usually a seasonal removal. Any enlightenment?
REMINDER FOR PET OWNERS: Dani sends an important reminder, which she titled “Hot Cars = Hot Dogs,” after a close call in the Alki area. Read on:Read More
BE A MASTER OF DISASTER! That’s Version 1.0 of a West Seattle map designed to make sure you “know where to go” in case of disaster: Neighborhood volunteers around WS are designating locations as community gathering sites if the unthinkable happens and a major disaster makes it impossible to get information and help the usual ways. These are sites where you will be able to go to find out what’s going on (click on the blue “pins” to find out more). As part of the month-plus campaign to help you become a “Master of Disaster” – knowing what it takes to keep your family safe – each of these locations, and others to be added as soon as we get confirmation from the other volunteers, will have a day set aside when you can drop by to get helpful info and say hi. The first dates are set: 11 am-4 pm April 20 for the Morgan Junction location (Thriftway), 7:30-11 am April 26 for the Delridge location (Delridge Community Center), 1-5 pm May 3 for the Olympic Heights location (Hughes Playground/School), 3-6 pm May 4 for the Admiral location (Hiawatha Park/Community Center). Help is still needed for some south/east West Seattle neighborhoods – e-mail Cindi Barker at cbarker (at) qwest.net.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AWARDS: Please join us at Capers in The Junction next Friday night (April 18), 7-8 pm, for the second quarterly informal gathering to announce the latest West Seattle Community Recognition Awards winners. This is no Oscars-style ceremony, just a get-together in the Capers cafe (tasty brownies last time!) to chat and spend a few minutes talking about our fabulous community and the people who make it great. (Here’s coverage of the first WSCRA event.) Hope you can come say hi; the WSB team will be there along with Julie Mireille Anderson of Divina, who hatched the awards idea, and friends old and new.
FUNDRAISER FOR LOCKSMITH SHUT DOWN BY ARSON: Three weeks have now passed since the arson attack on Puget Sound Key and Lock in Morgan Junction; we checked with police this week, no arrests yet. WSB Forum Community members have continued working hard on a fundraiser that is now one week away — next Saturday night, 6-9 pm, Admiral Pub, with a silent auction and raffle, all ages welcome.
4TH ANNUAL WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY, MAY 10! Two days into registration, 20+ sales are signed up for what promises to be a fun day around West Seattle. It isn’t one big sale – it’s sales in neighborhoods all over WS (more than 100 the past 2 years), with maps distributed ahead of time, and promotion/advertising citywide to invite people to come shop in our beautiful section of Seattle. WSB is presenting it this year after creator/sponsor Megawatt closed; we’ve added some features like the online-registration option and “best sign”/”most unusual item” contests. Full details at our official WSCGSD site, westseattlegaragesale.com, including the online registration link (and a downloadable form if you’d rather mail your signup sheet in, plus a list of sites where you can pick up a pre-printed form).
Out of the WSB inbox, for your consideration as a way to help West Seattleites in need:
To Our Friends in West Seattle
From a Gathering of Concerned Spiritual LeadersWe greet you in this season when Christians proclaim the joy of Easter. Spring is a time when many faiths mark holy days and observe special traditions, a time when many of us are reminded that we are truly blessed.
Recently you received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service, with the heading, “Economic Stimulus Payment Notice.” It stated that individuals who qualify may receive as much as $600 ($1200 if married filing jointly) in our government’s effort to stave off an economic downturn. The coming payment is intended to boost the economy with extra spending that will follow. Whether or not you agree with this strategy, it appears the money will be on its way some time in late spring or early summer.
Recently, members of one of our congregations presented their pastor with an idea. What if a large number of people in our community decided to share a portion of this extra, unplanned “bonus†with neighbors? What if, for instance, households from all over West Seattle used the Biblical standard of 10% and gave $60 or $120 to local charities to help ease some of the financial pain so many are feeling. Food banks have been stretched, emergency funding sources are tapped out, and shelters are facing budget cuts. A thousand individuals giving at least 10% would provide $60,000. Why not several thousand people? Why not more?
We are the spiritual leaders of a number of Christian congregations in the West Seattle/White Center/Burien area. While we encourage folks to give any amount to whatever organizations they might choose, we are inviting members of our congregations to contribute to a special “Sharing Our Share†(S.O.S.) fund. It will be collected at each of our local churches and 100% will be divided equally among the West Seattle, West Seattle Senior Center and White Center Food Banks, along with West Seattle Helpline, Westside Baby, and a new community-based emergency-shelter program, “Family Promise.”
We invite anyone in the community or beyond to join us in this effort by contributing to the Sharing Our Share, S.O.S. fund, care of any of the congregations listed below. [WSB editor’s note: We have linked their church names to their websites, if available, where you will find contact info.] Your gift is, of course, tax-deductible. Again, we encourage a contribution of 10% or more with the assurance that every penny will go to these community based organizations. Together, we will not only help stimulate the economy, but help make an important difference in the lives of our neighbors and friends who are facing difficult times. What a great opportunity!
With Appreciation,
Terry Teigen and Kendall Baker
Admiral United Church of ChristDiane Darling
Alki United Church of ChristPaul Winterstein
Calvary Lutheran Church, L.C.M.S.David Kratz and Susan Towner-Larsen
Fauntleroy United Church of ChristPhilip Lee
Glendale Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A.Keith Eilers
Hope Lutheran Church, L.C.M.S.Erik Kindem
Peace Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A.Peter DeVeau and Kate Wesch
St. John the Baptist Episcopal ChurchJoanne Brown
Tibbetts United Methodist Church
The full list of West Seattle weekend events for today and tomorrow is in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup list we publish every Friday; find the latest one here (and if you’re ever looking for it, just go to the right sidebar list of WSB Categories and click on the last link – the newest one will be on top of the archive page that comes up). Highlights:
PARKS PLAN MEETING: Remember the round of meetings to gather input for the city Parks Department Strategic Business Plan? As we mentioned last month, the draft plan is out, and a new round of meetings is under way. The first of 6 in West Seattle is at 3 pm today, Alki Community Center. (Read the plan here; see the full list of meetings here – next one is Monday night at Hiawatha Community Center – you can also comment on the plan online.)
HEALTHY KIDS DAY: It’s one of the biggest events of the year at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor); tons of fun, with full info here. 10 am-1 pm today.
ADOPT A CAT: Last time Kitty Harbor (profiled on WSB here) had an adoptathon, the person who runs KH, Delyn Kosbab, said folks lined up outside before the doors opened. She’s doing it again this weekend — 11 am to 7 pm today (KH is just south of ActivSpace on Harbor Ave).
SPECIAL BOOK/MUSIC EVENT WITH WEST SEATTLE AUTHOR: Clay Eals has received widespread acclaim for his biography “Steve Goodman: Facing the Music.” A few weeks ago, 200 people attended a presentation he gave about it, with eight musicians playing Goodman’s music, in Lake Forest Park (see photos from that event on this page), and tonight you can hear about Goodman’s life and times from Eals, with music by singer/guitarist Tom Colwell, accompanied by bassist Bruce Hanson, and Mark Myers on dobro and harmonica, 7 pm at Admiral UCC (California/Hill), free of charge. (Read more about Clay Eals and the book here.)
Eight days after the 34th Legislative District Democratic Caucus at West Seattle High School (WSB coverage here), the King County Democratic Convention happens there Sunday. Interesting sidenote found online – notable non-Democrat Tim Eyman is hoping to speak.
Tomorrow night, West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) invites you to come watch a movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” for free, 6 pm in the downstairs social hall, with concessions sold — popcorn, snacks, and Italian sodas — as a fundraiser for a special trip some WSCC teens are taking to Mexico this July. No, it’s not a trip to go lie on the beach; they will be driving from Seattle to Tijuana in rented vans as part of a 19-member group helping Amor Ministries build a home for a family. Above, you see some of the participants; left to right, they are 15-year-old West Seattle High School sophomore Thea N, 14-year-old WSHS freshman Miriam N, 13-year-old Madison Middle School 8th grader Lauren S, 12-year-old Madison 6th grader Darrian T, 15-year-old WSHS sophomore Dominique T, 15-year-old Chief Sealth High School sophomore Ian H. WSB interviewed three of them by e-mail with the help of WSCC’s Norma Hernandez, who says, “We’ve been told to expect the temperature in the hundreds; they’ll be sleeping in tents, with no running water or flushing toilets. The group is payig 100% of the cost of the materials, travel expenses, and tool rentals (manual tools, since no electricity is available).” Here’s what the teens have to say about their trip and other ways they’ve helped people near and far:Read More
This came up in the WSB Forums today – and WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham got the photo. He writes: “A tour bus, packed to capacity with members of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI, which is conducting a symposium this weekend in downtown Seattle), visited Little Prague European Bakery at 6045 California Ave SW Friday morning to sample delectable Czech pastries. A Czech pastry’s dough is light and flaky sometimes filled with a fruit preserve or cream. What sets the pastries apart from others is the moderate amount of sugar used, resulting in other flavors reaching the taste buds. Little Prague European Bakery will set up their booth for the West Seattle Farmers Market the last Sunday in April to kick off the Summer Market season.” Prints of Matt’s WSB photos and his other work are available through his site, MattDurhamPhotography.com.
Tonight, the traditional WSB welcome to another new sponsor – this time, it’s 4415 SW Stevens (map), 
a home that’s up for sale, with an open house 2-4 pm Sunday. The photo’s at left; here’s what its owners want you to know: “The house is a 1929 Tudor, located about a block west of the Admiral PCC. There are quite a few similar looking houses in West Seattle of approximately the same age, but what distinguishes this one is that it has been beautifully restored & completely updated. Our new ad in WSB references that we had the house earthquake-retrofitted, one of several things that make the house safer than many houses of its vintage. The house has new electrical wiring; all knob-and-tube wiring was removed or decommissioned & vintage light fixtures were rewired or are new. The plumbing is updated including new water lines. There is a new gas furnace & updated ductwork. The lower level is fully finished. In other words, this house has no creepy old wiring, plumbing or basement! On the aesthetic side, the house has many beautiful period details; mahogany woodwork, original glass doorknobs, fireplace tile, & hardwood floors have all been refurbished. A primary goal of our remodel was to restore and preserve Old World Charm. We replaced old aluminum windows in the living & dining rooms with period leaded glass windows including a beautiful antique transom window with hand-cut bevels. The house has beautiful tile work & many other charming details. The exterior of the house had yellow aluminum siding for many years. We had it removed & discovered the original cedar siding underneath. We had a master carpenter recreate the traditional doorway arch with hand-cut custom molding. The yard is beautifully landscaped thanks to the previous owner; we have been amazed at the variety of beautiful flowers & plants. We hope that people will stop in at one of our open houses! It’s a beautiful home in a great neighborhood. We’ve enjoyed the convenience of being able to walk to nearby shops, parks & schools.” Here’s the website the owners set up to share more info about their home and open houses, including the one this Sunday, 2-4 pm.
Just out of the inbox from Tippy, whose e-mail carried that subject line. We don’t condone anyone hitting their kids (or adults for that matter) but we’re leaving in Tippy’s last line because it’s a rather clear summary of his feelings:
While traveling up Fairmount with my wife and kids around 4:00 p.m. today I was hit by a water balloon just before the intersection of Forest. I had my window open and it missed my head by mere inches. I stopped the car and gave chase. Being young and spry they escaped. I subsequently called the police (which showed up within minutes). I did find a stash of water balloons (black) and a pile of dirt clods and rocks. I also took and handed over to the police one brown shirt that was housing the water balloons. So, if parents are reading this and one of their lovely progeny is missing a brown shirt, whack them upside the head.
Now, if you’re wondering “so what? it was just water balloons,” from our coverage of some of the recent cases of rocks being thrown at cars (and BBs being shot at them) — which could have resulted in serious injury or worse — we recall some of the perpetrators having started their sprees by throwing more benign objects (Christmas lights, in this notorious case), and moving on to the potentially injurious ones. And one more note, coverage coming up just a little later tonight of West Seattle kids doing GOOD things, never fear.
Linked from the P-I education blog this afternoon: A Seattle Public Schools spreadsheet showing how many families listed each school in the district as their “first choice” for next year, and for comparison, the numbers for the previous four years. (Iif you haven’t been through this process before, the “school choice” system in SPS asks you to list and rank the schools you request that your child/ren be admitted to; the process is under review for possible future changes.) Take note that the elementary numbers are for kindergarteners, the middle-school numbers for 6th graders, the high-school numbers for entering 9th graders. West Seattle schools that were listed as “first choice” by more students this year than last, according to this document, are Arbor Heights, Cooper, Gatewood, Lafayette, Roxhill, Schmitz Park, and West Seattle (still listed under its old name, High Point) elementaries; Denny Middle School; and West Seattle High School. (See our Schools page for direct links to all WS schools’ websites.) Among those, the most dramatic jumps were at Denny, with 132 first choices this year, 87 last year; Gatewood, with 61 first choices this year, more than double the 26 from last year; Lafayette at 116, up from 75; and Roxhill, almost doubling, 31 this year after 16 last year. As the P-I also notes, a wide variety of factors play into how parents list choices, so this isn’t a completely clear-cut popularity poll, to be fair. (Here’s the spreadsheet link again; note the third page shows how many kids are currently waitlisted for each school.)
Just this week, we added a new area to the WSB Forums, for West Seattle-based businesses who are hiring. By request, we have retitled that section West Seattle Jobs Offered and added a West Seattle Jobs Wanted section (where we have moved 2 jobseekers who turned up in the original area). Please follow the rules posted on the main Forums page. Thanks!
From Meredith, the tale of truck trouble – and a driver who stopped to help:
At 10:30 this morning on the West Seattle Bridge eastbound, a cab/container-bed truck lost a pipe or metal post off the back. I’d say it was about four feet in length. The was no container on the flatbed, just pipes or poles sticking up. The company was Alpine Motors, truck number 17. Behind me I saw a car stop and the driver got out to get the pipe out of the roadway. I tried to flag the truck driver, but he was busy with his hand-held radio, perhaps calling in the incident on his own.
Though I didn’t have my phone with me, I borrowed one once I got to the zoo to call the incident in to the non-emergency line. Thank you to all the cautious motorists who take time to secure loads! This pipe or pole could have been a killer bouncing off the trick and into the roadway. Thanks, too, to the driver who slowed and stopped to get the road cleared for all those behind him.
Lots of fun indoors and out this weekend – “Sin Fronteras” (left) playing South American music at SSCC, jazz at Cafe Rozella, the kickoff for new “Family Night” get-togethers tonight, a school carnival and Yacht Club open house (you don’t have to have a boat!) also tonight, the Lions’ plant sale tonight and tomorrow, “Healthy Kids Day” tomorrow at the Y, a movie tomorrow night at West Seattle Christian Church for a great cause – and more, 44 events in all, listed ahead:Read More
We just spotted this in The Junction while distributing Garage Sale Day posters (sign up now!). Destination unknown. Seems oddly synergistic with two of our previous 3 posts.
A story playing out today in Seattle’s foodie world has a West Seattle hook — which we would never have known, if not for WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, who not only sent the above photo to illustrate the point of worlds that may exist outside your normal field of view, but also sent his story of the West Seattle link to Gypsy, the “famous/secret/underground/traveling/televised restaurant” that just closed:Read More
Just got the latest newsletter from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. The big highlight is something that’s often discussed here: the importance of staying watchful. Read it here (Word doc).
That’s a “design concept” Baylis Architects showed last night on behalf of Harbor Properties, for the site at 38th/Alaska where Harbor wants to build what its presentation noted would be the first mixed-use building in the “Fauntleroy Triangle” area. (See updated clickable WSB map of Triangle/Junction development and real-estate offerings.) The presentation spent more time discussing the characteristics and future of that area than of the proposed building itself, but Southwest Design Review Board members were impressed enough to advance the project to the next stage. Different results, though, for the other project on last night’s SWDRB agenda in the Chief Sealth High School library, the Conner Homes proposal for California/Alaska/42nd. Here’s what happened on both:Read More
Those are photos from May 2007 (top) and March 2008 showing Ercolini Park, years in the making at a storied site west of The Junction (48th & Alaska), and now maybe less than two months away from completion. Donated money and time have been key to getting it this far – they just finished fundraising last October — and now Ercolini Park volunteers have put out the call – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get the job done, by signing up to pitch in for whatever time you can give Saturday 4/26 and/or Sunday 4/27. Here’s their request:
The time has finally arrived to put on those work gloves and help complete our park. As you may have seen, we now have grass and are ready to install the play equipment. The play equipment supplier has scheduled construction to take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th. We need approximately 25 volunteers for each day. There will be additional work to be scheduled later that will include: spreading the wood chip play area surface, cleaning up the walkways and spreading beauty bark in the landscaping. We are setting up shifts starting at 9:00 am on each day. Please e-mail mkhjorten@comcast.net with your commitment of when you can volunteer and for how long. Please include a contact phone number so we can reach you if we need to. We have a neighborhood group (SNAP) that has volunteered to help with refreshments. This is also an area where you can volunteer. We will need sandwiches, snacks, beverages and assistance in providing lunch. Children are welcome to come and help but will not be able to play in the grass area or construction zone.
Each volunteer needs to come with a pair of work or garden gloves. Other items that will be needed:
-Shovels and rakes
-Rachets, sockets and wrenches (9/16†and 5/16â€)
-Cordless drills
-Several utility knives
-6’ step ladders
-Several wheelbarrowsTasks will include: unpacking and moving parts into place, play equipment assembly, moving dirt from post holes, clearing construction debris.
Each volunteer will need to sign in and out with the Volunteer Coordinator at the site to insure that we get credit for your time. If you provide refreshments, please submit a receipt to the Volunteer Coordinator, so we can get credit for your in-kind donation. We need to match $12,000 of our Dept. of Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant. This all goes toward that effort.
There will be a tent erected in the center plaza area, but the construction area will not be covered so dress accordingly. Hopefully, we will have beautiful weather. Let us know if you have any questions. Pass this on to your neighbors.
After the grass has had time to mature we will have a dedication ceremony, probably at the end of May or first part of June.
Sign up to help by e-mailing this address: mkhjorten@comcast.net
The West Seattle Junction Association has just announced details of its first-ever Pet Fest, planned for Sunday, April 27, in the Wells Fargo parking lot at the northeast corner of 44th and Alaska. It’s for people who are seeking pets as well as people who already share their lives with one (or more) — two groups will have adoptable pets on site all day. Also on hand: Artists specializing in “pet portraits,” local animal-relief groups, pet-health experts, and more. An “Ugliest Dog and Ugliest Cat in West Seattle” contest also is promised (you can sign up now at Next to Nature in The Junction). This is all part of a really big day in The Junction — though the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is now officially year-round, it’s still celebrating “opening day” that day with wagon rides and music. More info on the Junction festivities at the WSJA website.
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