West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
OK, doubters win on this one. National Weather Service is out with the new “forecast discussion” which pulls back the snow forecast for just about everywhere but Whatcom County and cancels the snow advisory. Sorry, West Seattle kids, looks like school tomorrow.
From the WSB inbox, sent earlier today by AlkiMac:
I found a dead full grown harbor seal on Alki’s south beach. It’s near the high tide mark at the Constellation Park & Marine Reserve at Richey Viewpoint. It’s partially decomposed. No telling how it died.
This gives us reason to remind you that there is a hotline to call if you spot a dead or possibly-in-trouble marine mammal — as we learned from Herongrrl‘s comment on this post — 206/526-6733.
From our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct (which, if you’re new here, is the “police station” for West Seattle, at Delridge/Webster by Home Depot): We start with a suspected drunk driver caught asleep at the wheel — in his Oldsmobile Cutlass, motor running, blocking an intersection. This happened after 3 am Saturday at 25th/Cloverdale. Officers woke the 26-year-old man up; one of his breath tests came in at two and a half times the level officially defined as DUI. Next — how a police car wound up with its back window smashed out:Read More
Problem #1: Stalled semitruck on westbound West Seattle Bridge just before 99, so if you catch the bridge from I-5, this may affect you.
Problem #2: Some southbound viaduct delays because of a car fire.
The weather, meantime, no problem at the moment …
This is unfolding in Magnolia but we suspect (given the comment tangent here) that many people in West Seattle are watching this — we certainly are — given the fact our peninsula is similar to theirs — large parks, greenbelts, wildlife including coyotes. No military housing here, though. Anyway, thought you might want to know there’s been a new development – no trapping OR shooting the controversial coyote for at least a week.
Seems the Charlestown Cafe/Petco project (most recent WSB update here; we checked directly with Petco a few weeks ago and they had nothing new to report) isn’t the only thing proceeding at a snail’s pace at California/Charlestown. That’s also the case for the determination of the fate of the brick apartments (file photo above) at 3811 California, which were pre-mourned by us and others when we first reported the surfacing last April of a proposal to replace them with a mixed-use building. A tenant’s tip back in October (WSB coverage here) revealed that the city Landmarks Preservation Board would have to evaluate the buildings before the proposal could advance. We just checked back with the Landmarks Board and the status of that part of the process hasn’t changed since October — Beth Chave tells WSB they “do not yet have a complete nomination application for this property, so it has not been scheduled for a review by the Landmarks Preservation Board.” (If and when the nomination paperwork is done, the site will eventually turn up here.) And the city planner assigned to the proposed mixed-use project, Holly Godard, says the final land-use decision on this site can’t be issued till the Department of Neighborhoods (parent of the Landmark Board) review is done.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Mark in the Admiral District:
Last week, a contractor of mine was doing some work at my house noticed a red Ford F-350 extended cab, with Oregon license plates (starting in 101) stop in front of my house with 4 people in it. One of them was inspecting my contractor’s truck and detached trailer when my contractor asked what they were doing. They pretended to be an “automobile dent repair company” and asked if he was interested in getting a dent removed from his truck, when they were clearly looking at possible ways to take his trailer. Please keep a close eye out for this truck.
Obviously, these folks could have been legit (so we have not included the entire license # from Mark’s note) but he was concerned enough to want to let others know, so we are passing it along.
The National Weather Service updated its forecast late this morning; a “snow advisory” is now up for the entire metro area through 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. The “forecast discussion” suggests there’s a chance the commute could be messy – we’ll keep eyes/ears on viaduct/bridge/WS conditions so you can check here before leaving work.
Went to the King County Courthouse this morning to check on the trial of ex-Huling Brothers sales staffers Adrian “AG” Dillard and Ted Coxwell, 
since we hadn’t heard anything since testimony began 10 days ago. While we were in the courtroom, the prosecution rested its case; the defense planned to start calling witnesses later this morning. DETAILS ADDED @ NOON: The last two prosecution witnesses, called while we were there, had testified earlier, but were brought back for more questioning — one was a former Huling employee, the other a Seattle Police detective. Fairly technical stuff — the ex-employee was asked this morning to identify various spots on photographs of the then-Huling dealership property and the apartment building where the victim in the case lived; the detective was asked about records showing vehicles owned by co-defendant Coxwell. We’ll keep checking on the trial as it proceeds in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Nicole MacInnes in the days to come.
As some comments have pointed out here, parts of West Seattle got a dusting of snow early this morning. Certainly a spotty snowfall — the photo above is barely a block east of us, along 42nd in Upper Fauntleroy, but there’s nothing on our street surface, just a thin layer on the car tops. Forecast calls for more tonight. 8:55 AM P.S. Looking ahead — a city news release reminds us that if you have a “street-condition emergency,” the number for reporting it is 386.1218.
SUMMER THEATER SIGNUPS: ArtsWest’s Musical Theater Conservatory for 12-16-year-olds is doing “Pippin” this year; signups start today.
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: Annual meeting, 7 pm @ Camp Long. More info here.
To see what’s happening later this week – such as the City Light meeting tomorrow about where crews will soon be trimming MANY trees in West Seattle — check the WSB Events list.
This time, it’s not another mixed-use development — it’s the West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) multipurpose building, which will be available for community use as well as church functions, with auditorium, gymnasium, and banquet-type space. Construction begins Wednesday, but the first symbolic shovel of dirt was turned at a brief ceremony today:
Participants in today’s ceremony included representatives of several generations of WSCC church members, from someone who just joined 2 months ago, to someone who’s been attending for more than 60 years. And the project’s been a while in the making, according to Allan Weber:
You can find out more about the project here; the city project page has the bullet-point facts (height, square footage). WSCC is on the southeast corner of 42nd and Genesee (map).
We’re not taking much stock in the forecasts any more either, but if you’re keeping track, next rumored chance is tomorrow night. P.S. Tomorrow is a day off for many local students anyway, even without snow; it’s the Seattle Public Schools “day between semesters.”
Thanks to Heather for letting us know she spotted signs of a new business moving into the above-pictured space on the south side of Admiral, just west of California. Research led us quickly to co-owner Kent Sadow, who answered our e-mail just as quickly:
We have bought out “Hart’s Cards & Gifts” and will be opening a new, really fun store. It will now be Max & Quinn’s ATOMIC BOYS Shop-O-Rama. We will still have cards and party supplies; however, the new store will be heavily themed towards retro and nostalgic games, toys, novelties, & candy. If it reminds us of when we were growing up and even before, we will try to carry it.
We are really excited to have this opportunity to open a store in this location, since we live just a few blocks away, our kids go to school next door, and have always loved being part of our community. … We hope to be open by week’s end.
According to a listing we just found, the land under John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster (map), known for the cow on the roof (file photo @ left), is for sale, along with three adjoining parcels. The listing doesn’t say which three, but King County property records show the deli lot is owned by the same person as the three lots immediately south. The listing, priced at $2,685,000, says in part:
Prime mixed use development site near the highest point of W. Seattle with commanding views of Sound, Olympics & Cascades. Corner lot with alley access. Four tax parcels (zoned NC2-40) to be sold together as one 27,256 sq. ft. parcel. Preliminary feasibility report indicates the potential for at least a 79,500 sq. ft. structure. (Note that the 23,600 sq. ft. lot next door has 71 residential units).
(That last line appears to refer to 7524 35th SW, which is the fourth lot south of the deli.) A different version of the listing on the agent’s website has a few more pix.
Highlights from the West Seattle Weekend Lineup and WSB Events page:
–West Seattle Farmers’ Market continues on its winter schedule (11 am-2 pm)
–West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) breaks ground today for its new multipurpose building
–Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe schools both have open houses this morning/afternoon
-A concert to benefit the Chief Sealth High School Library will feature 15-year-old violinist Daniel Perrine tonight at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church
Will West Seattle go for Obama? Edwards? Clinton? Romney? Paul? McCain? Or? 
Here’s another reminder that Washington caucuses are two weeks from today, 1 pm on Saturday 2/9, various WS locations for Democrats, Southwest Community Center for WS Republicans. The caucus results will count for all the Democratic presidential-candidate nomination process in our state, and half the Republican process (the GOP’s other half will come from the Feb. 19 WA primary). Tons of info links in previous WSB coverage (here, here, here) and on the websites of the 34th District Democrats and King County Republicans. Plus, a reader e-mailed WSB tonight (thank you!) to point out that February 1st is the deadline for the Democratic Party to receive the equivalent of an “absentee ballot” — it’s an affidavit that can be filed by those who say they can’t make the caucuses because of religious observance, disability challenges, or military service. You can download the form here (the second page of the PDF includes the three options for sending it in — postal mail, e-mail, or fax). P.S. Caucus talk is under way in the WSB Forums, too.
As first reported here yesterday afternoon, city Parks Department reps have met with “stakeholders” 
in the project to build a new plaza for the Alki Statue of Liberty. Major developments from that meeting included a new, longer timeline for the plaza, some design revisions, and another round of public involvement in the process, including an expected public meeting in April. In the day since the meeting, we’ve gathered more reaction and further details on what happens next, starting with a detailed update — and call for action — from Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project co-chairs Libby and Paul Carr:Read More
The new Pegasus sign is up at the ex-Coyotes, ex-Chez Million, ex-Lighthouse, ex-Point:
Further east, new colors are painted on Slices (whose front fence was shown in the Craigslist version of this ad last month; we wrote to the listed e-mailbox but got no reply) and in the background, the ex-Alki Mail turned future Pioneer Coffee Company:
The West Seattle-based animal helpers at Furry Faces Foundation are working on Spay Day USA events coming up next month, including a special clinic day for feral cats, 
but there’s one thing you can help them with RIGHT NOW – they need donations of clean, used towels. The towels are used to keep the animals warm while they recover; towels donated now will be reused for future events too. Teri Ensley of FFF (aka “F-Cubed”), says the success of spaying/neutering campaigns will help more than just the cats directly involved — it means “less kittens will enter our shelters which will increase the adoption rate of adult cats because they don’t have to compete with the cute little kittens.” (Seen above, two cats we adopted as adults – them and us! – from local shelters.) Take your clean, dry used towels to Pet Elements in Morgan Junction (6701 California Ave SW). And if you have a question about Spay Day USA, e-mail Teri (furryfaces@hotmail.com). There are some other ways you can help – check the WSB Pets page.
From “Rick on 36th”:
Great view of coyote heading SW in the lower 3rd of the park. I was approaching one of the big trail junctions in the woodsy area and it loped past us at an angle. I was surprised at its size, seemed on the bigger end of coyotes in my experience. Pretty darn tall and long but skinny. Big bushy tail held low and real perky ears. Kinda mottled coat. No lost German Shepherd was this.
As of the 3:30 am “forecast discussion,” anyway. 12:10 PM UPDATE: A few flakes spotted up here in Upper Fauntleroy! Serious stuff wasn’t expected till later so we’ll hold off on an official “snow panic” thread.
Just a few things to share from our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct, starting with an apparent flasher at Westcrest Park: This happened at 4:30 pm Wednesday, but wasn’t reported till a day later. Two girls, 12 and 13, told police they saw a man running up and down a hill (between the off-leash area and the rest of the park) with his private parts not-so-private. They left the area, then saw him again in another part of the park, “stretching and exercising,” and still exposed. No detailed description of the suspect was available. Next: The hit-and-run suspect who wasn’t hard to find:Read More
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