West Seattle, Washington
24 Wednesday
Heading up the switchbacks from mid-Lincoln Park to WSB HQ, we spotted these flyers on two utility poles (this one was at Northrop/Southern; map). The bold-face text says “Multiple coyote are living in this forest. Many neighborhood cats are missing. Our small dog was grabbed by a coyote from our patio while I was standing nearby (2/20/08). They are bold, hungry, and crafty. Please beware!” This just a few weeks after a citywide presentation urging calm coexistence with coyotes and other wildlife, with some enlightening info on their preferred food and how to keep them away from your house; read our coverage here.
Almost three months have passed since the big public meeting on the proposed “upzoning” of both sides of California Ave between Hanford and Hinds (plus a bit further south on the west side of the street), and two months since we talked to major property owners Mike Gain and Roger Cayce about it, so it seemed high time to check in with city planners. The lead planner on the proposal, Malli Anderson, just told us by phone that the official recommendation isn’t likely to be out for at least another month — two main reasons: 1. it’s an especially important proposal and they don’t want to rush, and 2. they’re swamped with other concurrent projects. She says she has “a ton” of citizen feedback to review as she works toward a recommendation, which will also have to go through Department of Planning and Development management; once that recommendation is out, several steps will remain, including a public hearing before the city Hearing Examiner, and then a City Council vote would be required before any zoning change could be approved. (Previous WSB coverage is archived here.)
We had a spirited discussion here a month ago when that cat (above left) turned up on a utility structure along Admiral Way, along the lines of “is graffiti EVER a good thing?” John pointed out the cat’s been painted over but its sibling under the Schmitz Park bridge was still there this weekend (above right). As of our drive-by an hour or so ago, the cat paintover already has been painted over by some entirely non-ornate white tagging. All this coincides with a note we received from Mark, who thinks it’s high time for a reminder about what to do when graffiti hits. Here’s what he writes:
Now that warm weather is returning, so is graffiti already. The Key Bank building right there at Alaska and California, the heart of the Junction, is a perfect example. Also, nearby 1st Ave. has become a prime target — I drive it daily and it’s getting worse every day there. The nature of the graffiti “culture” is that graffiti attracts more graffiti. It’s not just a hobby with these kids — it’s a lifestyle that’s a big part of their identities as they “stay up” to acquire “fame” within the graf scene. I know some kids (teens to twentysomethings) who live in West Seattle and are big into the Seattle graf scene. If they see their home turf as welcoming, they will keep on tagging it up like dogs marking their territory.
Anyway, Seattle city government has a Graffiti Prevention & Removal website (click here). You can report graffiti there, and there are tips for removing and preventing it. My experience has been that the city crews do respond to this input pretty quickly.
I’d hate to see our beautiful Junction and Alki areas — and the rest of West Seattle — be seen as even more of a ripe “canvas” for these spray can punks.
(Photo credits: Admiral cat, from last month, courtesy of Jerry at JetCityOrange; bridge cat, from this weekend, sent by John.)
Seattle Public Schools, and some private schools, just finished “mid-winter break.” Next up, spring break, semi-early this year – for SPS, it starts Saturday 3/29.
CANINE: That’s Mo the poison (and hurricane) survivor at his party at Beveridge Place Pub tonight (backstory here), posing with one of the baskets donated for a fundraising raffle.
COOKIES: West Seattle Girl Scouts announce … they’re here:
Here’s the official GS announcement on where and when you’ll be able to buy them:Read More
From Patricia:
My neighbor let me know his car parked in his driveway was broken into Friday early morning. We’re at 64th & Hinds. He had left an I-Pod Nano visible in his sportscar, the thieves busted the side window to get in. Guesstimate on break-in, most likely early morning between 2-4 am.
That’s a new map that could change your life, for the better: the draft of the first-ever West Seattle Walking Trails map, whose creators want to hear your take on it, before they draft the final version. (Click the image above, or this link, to download the whole thing as a PDF so you can zoom in to your neighborhood, your favorite walking route, or just to get a closer look at all of it.) One of the project ringleaders is the tireless West Seattle activist Chas Redmond, who explains what it is and how you can help with it:
Feet First, in partnership with Morgan Community Association, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the Southwest and Delridge District Councils, The Southwest Historical Society, every community association here in WS and other organizations such as the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, present the first draft of the now-Climate Action Now program grant-funded walking trails map.
This is the first public review – folks should examine it, suggest changes – both additive and subtractive. There will be a second draft based on the comments of the first draft. SDOT will have the final review and there will probably be some changes from that resulting in a – final – third draft.
In the meantime, the back side of the map – which will include write-ups on every neighborhood and organization and signature interest point – will hit the streets. Probably two weeks from now we’ll have the text draft, which will coincide with the closing of comments for the first draft. The back side review will also include a second review round.
Folks should comment not only on the trails, the evolution of which can be learned by reading the contents of westseattlewalks.org, but also on the use of symbols, the correct location of schools and parks (we’ve checked, always helps to triple check), the color scheme (we’re limited to two colors to get max number of copies), and anything else.
Within a month or so we’ll have 20,000 copies of this map, which will be folded to a size about like a Metro route schedule. We have a complex and involved distribution scheme which should allow everyone in WS to at least have access to a copy. Eventually we’ll reprint in larger numbers, but want this first version to not only serve the neighborhood, but serve as a learning tool for what an urban wayfinding system and info tools about such a system might be like and how they might be better. A year of using this map will teach all of us – including the users – a whole new dimension in getting around – we hope, anyway.
Here’s the link again to take a close-up look at the map as a PDF (using zoom if you choose). As Chas mentioned, there’s a lot of backstory on the parent site for that link, westseattlewalks.org – once you’ve reviewed the map, Chas asks that comments be sent to him (credmond@mac.com) and Feet First’s Seth Schromen-Wawrin (seth@feetfirst.info).
Not only is it school-choice season (Seattle Public Schools‘ deadline is Friday), it’s school-auction season. The photo above is from the Our Lady of Guadalupe GAIN auction last night at SSCC, courtesy of a mysterious correspondent calling himself “Rock Steele, Man About Town.” Before showing you a few other pix he sent, we want to note that at least five other local schools have auctions in the next month: Schmitz Park Elementary at the Hilton downtown on March 1 (flyer here), Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool at Youngstown Arts Center on March 8, West Seattle High School PTSA dinner/auction at SSCC on March 14, Gatewood Elementary (kicking off a centennial celebration) at The Hall @ Fauntleroy (also on March 14), Pathfinder K-8 at SSCC on March 15, Madison Middle School PTSA at The Hall on March 22. Again, that’s just the next month; others are on the WSB Events Page, and if yours is missing, please let us know so we can add it. Now, those other photos from last night’s OLG event:Read More
OLIVIA: She’s the 10-year-old Hope Lutheran fifth-grader we told you about last Wednesday (left), fighting Crohn’s disease, a chronic intestinal inflammation that’s hell on anyone and rare in kids. Her school and church are presenting a spaghetti dinner and silent auction, noon today at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym, to help with her mounting medical bills.
MO: He’s the Hurricane Katrina survivor chow mix (right) who had a second brush with life-threatening danger last month (our original story here) in a poison scare with a possible link to Westcrest Park. This afternoon, Beveridge Place Pub is where a 4 pm party, including a raffle, is planned to help cover his costs.
As for what else is going on today – you’ll find the full list on the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
Just a few days after we broke the news that the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is going year-round, immediately – it’s time for another market day; here’s the “fresh sheet”:Read More
(photo by Jim Dawson)
The Seattle Chinese Garden at South Seattle Community College not only is getting ready to resume free tours (March 8 is the first one) and preparing to add a new feature, it’s getting ready to train a new crop of volunteers, with an intriguing training program:Read More
Thanks to John LaSpina for that shot (taken from The Mount) – one of several we want to share from some of today’s sights around WS, including two events that drew plenty of visitors:Read More
We just changed phone providers; our voice # is the same, but the address for text messages is different: 2062936302 – at – vtext.com — that’s the best way to reach us fast when you’ve got breaking news, just in case we’re away from the keyboard, so please consider programming it into the contacts list on your phone. (You can also find us on Facebook as WS Blog and on Twitter as westseattleblog, by the way.)
If you mailed any checks using the box outside the Westwood Village post office earlier this week, you might want to keep a close watch on your bank account. Just got this report from Jim:
A check we wrote to Time magazine for $19.00 on the 19th, and dropped in the mail box at the Westwood station (verified it dropped in the box) showed up at Moneytree in Seatac, about 2:45 this afternoon, made out to a Hispanic man for $600.00, for lawn work.
Moneytree called the house for verification, we were not home, so they refused the check. I was able to verify the draft number and the style of check, and confirmed it was the same draft.
The mail was put in the drive thru box Tuesday night.
Jim confirms this is being reported to authorities, both by him and by the check-cashing business where it turned up. Here’s an online form for reporting it to the US Postal Inspection Service.
In case it’s fallen off your radar — the Seattle School Board‘s final vote on the Denny-Sealth project is four days away, at the board’s next regular meeting on Wednesday night. The agenda for the meeting is now posted online (including information as always on how to sign up to speak at the meeting – you can call starting Monday); find it here. There are two items on the agenda regarding Denny-Sealth:Read More
This Monday, West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation partners with Feral Care and the Seattle Humane Society to mark the upcoming “Spay Day” by spaying/neutering dozens of feral cats. Teri Ensley from F3 tells WSB that in the process, they’ve received kittens who need foster homes. If you love kittens but don’t really want one around for a LONG time, this might be the perfect opportunity:
So far, Feral Care has 50+ feral cats humanely trapped and rested quietly, just waiting to be fixed. Along with feral trapping … comes kittens. Yes, kittens already. Some are tame and some are feral. We are hoping we can find some people that are willing to foster 2-4 kittens as a time until they are fixed and ready for adoption events. The fostering stint will most likely be anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks … depends on the age and tameness status.
(People) can get a kitten fix and help save their lives by offering a temporary home. Also, fostering would count as community service hours for those that have school requirements.
Ready to find out more about helping out a couple of those little guys till they are ready to find permanent homes? E-mail Teri at: furryfaces@hotmail.com By the way, if you have a non-neutered pet and $ is the only thing that’s kept you from taking that important step, you might qualify for this city-sponsored offer.
FIRST, THE REAL ESTATE: Yet another West Seattle apartment building is up for sale, with listing copy suggesting it might make a good condo conversion (though the pace of those seems to have slowed in the wake of the Strata and West Ridge conversion reversions). The photo above is from the listing, which is for the Siberay Apartments west of The Junction at 4546 45th SW (map), 17 units, $2,100,000.
LAND-USE UPDATE – 4502 42ND: The preliminary plan for this 7-story project on the site of several old houses (photo above) at 42nd and Oregon didn’t get a good reception at its first Design Review Board meeting in October (WSB coverage here). Developers have now applied for the official land-use permit to build it, and the city webpage says they’ve paid for the notice and public-room rental required for the next Design Review meeting — but that’s not listed on the city website anywhere, yet. Keep an eye out for that to be scheduled shortly; we’ll let you know when we see it.
LAND USE REMINDER — 5020 CALIFORNIA (AND 9030 35th): The California Ave project is Spring Hill, the mixed-use building, not to be confused with Spring Hill, the restaurant. Its next Design Review meeting is coming up this Thursday, 8 pm, Denny Middle School (following a 6:30 meeting about 9030 35th SW, a smaller project first reported here). Recent WSB coverage is here (first Design Review meeting) and here (follow-up “open house”).
RAFFLE TODAY TO BENEFIT RED CUP OWNER’S FAMILY: We told you four weeks ago about the two Pearl Jam-signed prints to be raffled off to raise money for the family of Angelia Paulsen (left), Red Cup Espresso owner killed at age 36 in a crash on I-5 next month. The raffle is at noon today at the newly rechristened Angelia’s Red Cup Espresso in The Junction and it’s not too late to get in on it – tickets are $10; here’s the official flyer (with pictures of the prints).
HANDMADE BRIGADE: Noon-4 pm today, Freshy’s Coffee (South Admiral) is the place for this show and sale by local arts/crafts creators — everything is handmade.
FIRST-EVER ART WALK AT THE KENNEY: You’ve probably passed this Fauntleroy landmark a zillion times (if not, here’s a map). Now get a chance to walk the grounds of The Kenney during its first-ever annual Art Walk and enjoy art by staff and residents, along with treats – wine, hors d’oeuvres, gourmet chocolates. 2-4:30 pm today.
GO TO THE OLD FIRE STATION TO PREVIEW THE NEW ONE: An open house at Fire Station 37 (7300 35th SW; map) — which is an official Seattle landmark — will feature the newest info on plans for the new FS 37, to be built several blocks north at 35th and Holden. Engine tours are promised too; this happens 2-4 pm today.
FIRST ’08 WEEKEND FOR TONY’S: As we reported Thursday, Tony’s Produce at 35th/Barton has reopened after its traditional postholiday break. We stopped in on Friday afternoon for a quick video tour (less than a minute!) of what’s fresh right now (you’ll see some of the price signs go by too):
More of today’s (and tomorrow’s) happenings are on our West Seattle Weekend Lineup list.
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham of mattdurhamphotography.com)
We’re happy to welcome back ArtsWest, which sponsored WSB during the run of its holiday production “O. Henry’s The Gifts of the Magi” and has rejoined us for the play that continues its opening week with a 7:30 pm performance tonight — the Seattle premiere of Rebecca Gilman‘s “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball.” ArtsWest executive director Alan Harrison describes it as “a play about success and failure and the pinnacles and pitfalls of each.” Here’s the official ArtsWest plot synopsis: “Dana Fielding is a successful artist whose latest exhibition completely flops. As does her personal life. To dig herself out of her crisis, she is admitted to a psychiatric hospital and seeks inspiration from – and takes the identity of – the bad boy of baseball, Darryl Strawberry. ‘The Sweetest Swing in Baseball’ is a funny, biting tale of insanity, health insurance, and being all that you can be (even when you’re being someone else).” Dana is portrayed by Heather Hawkins, shown above with castmates Trick Danneker and Gavin Cummins; Shana Bestock directs. ArtsWest is producing “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball” in association with Seattle Public Theater. After tonight’s performance, it continues Wednesday-Saturday nights for the next 3 weeks at 7:30 each night (tickets available online here). Thanks again to ArtsWest for supporting WSB — you’ll find their ad in the exclusive banner spot atop our Crime Watch page, a special sponsorship spot that we’ve made available on all our extra-content pages (the newly reformatted Other Blogs in WS update page, plus our Events list page, the Pets news/pix page, as well as Traffic cams and info, Schools, and the brand-new More page) — find out how to join them and our other sponsors, by going here.
Just out of the WSB inbox:
Our car was just broken into in the last hour. We live by 53rd and Andover . Our friend’s car was also broken into several blocks away.
10:55 PM UPDATE: After talking with police, the reader also reports the dispatcher said the thieves appear to be “looking for ID info, car registrations and anything with your photo on it (like work ID’s). We only lost a CD and a video game … I think.”
Tonight’s sunset at Lincoln Park, from WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham (prints of his WSB photos and other work are available at his site, mattdurhamphotography.com). We have three other seaside scenes to share, these taken by Mac Lerch south of Alki Point:
Any birders recognize that last group? The wings look ternlike but the only terns we’ve seen around here are white.
In east West Seattle, Cottage Grove Park “needs a tot lot,” according to North Delridge community organizers who are determined to make one happen. They say the park originally was supposed to have play equipment for 2- to 5-year-olds as well as the older kids, but the “tot lot” didn’t make the $ cut; now they’re ready to make it happen anyway. Can you help them — with ideas, materials, time? Join them for their first discussion tomorrow at Bubbles on Delridge (map), 4:30 pm. (If you can’t be there but might be able to help, e-mail betsy@hoffmeisters.com)
Heavy-equipment cleanup under way this afternoon along Harbor Ave, just southeast of the complex in which Sleepless Coffee nestles:
No development proposals in the work for this parcel so far as we can tell; however, we’re experiencing memory loss — wasn’t this the “other” parcel with one of the famous old boats? It’s not the one we showed here – that’s still intact (so to speak) a few blocks southeast.
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