West Seattle Christmas lights, 12/16/07
This is one of the flashiest displays in the greater Admiral area — 45th and Stevens, just west of PCC. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed us to make sure it made the WSB roundup! While snagging this photo tonight, we noticed several other well-lit houses along 45th north of this spot. Please keep sending in suggested locations – we’ll continue featuring local lights nightly through Christmas; you’ll find them all on our clickable, printable West Seattle Christmas lights map, viewable on the WSB Holidays page, with the nightly features archived here.
Neighborhood tidbits
-The collection of links on the WSB right sidebar formerly titled WEST SEATTLE MISCELLANY is now WEST SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS — several local activists have suggested it, and we hope it will be a reminder to everyone that West Seattle has some great groups well worth getting involved with. We’re pretty sure our list has all the big ones; if you have a smaller neighborhood group (whether it has a website or an e-mail group) and we missed it, please let us know.
-While checking in with those neighborhood sites, we noticed that the Highland Park Action Committee is looking for a 2008 chair, with this pitch: “Become the new HPAC chair and make a positive difference in our neighborhood. And what perks! like a cool secret handshake. You’ll find out the rest after you’re sworn in.” Interested? In Highland Park? Here’s the HPAC website.
-Tomorrow is when the full City Council is scheduled to take up the industrial-zoning issue that’s attracted the most coverage regarding how it could affect our neighbors to the east in Georgetown, but could affect some industry-/port-neighboring land in eastern West Seattle too. Here’s the full text of the proposal. Lots more coverage at Blogging Georgetown (multiple posts currently linked from its home page); Mid Beacon Hill wrote about it too (here); the measure passed a council committee last week (P-I story here). If you’ve got strong feelings on this issue, get them to the City Council (e-mail addresses and phone numbers here) by tomorrow morning.
West Seattle Christmas trees update: 1 lot’s on sale
We’re going to have to go out and check on the tree situation West Seattle-wide as time permits this afternoon – we figured some things might have changed since we did the research 2 weeks ago for our West Seattle Christmas Tree Price Check (read it here) — and in fact, we just got e-mail from this year’s new addition, the tree lot on Harbor Ave across from the 7-11. Jeff Sullivan wrote (as of half an hour ago):
We just wanted to let you know that we have around 40 or 50 trees left in a variety of shapes & sizes. We still have Noble, grand and douglas firs. All trees are just $20/each!
Merry Christmas to you!
Sincerely,
Jeff Sullivan
Skyline Secure Park
New business north of Morgan Junction
Heard the other day from Eric Renn, who’s getting ready to open West Seattle Digital in the storefront shown above at 6016 California, in the same block as Puget Sound Lock & Key, Star Nails, and West Seattle Cellars (Eric sent the photo too, after hanging the festive COMING SOON banner). He says WSD will be an authorized retailer for Dish Network, XM Satellite Radio, Clearwire, and VOIP.com (broadband telephone); he lives in West Seattle and plans to have the store open by the first of the year.
If the words “happy” and “holidays” don’t synch this year
Tonight at 7, Tibbetts United Methodist Church is presenting what its new pastor calls the “Blue Christmas/Longest Night” service. Rev. Dr. Joanne Carlson Brown describes it this way:
No, it is not just an Elvis song. For many people, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year. Maybe someone you loved died this year and this is the first Christmas without them. Maybe you lost someone around Christmas time and the anniversary is painful. Maybe you’ve lost your job or even your faith. Maybe it is just the holidays are way too much to handle. For whatever reason, if you find yourself at odds with the holiday cheer, come spend an hour with others in a time to acknowledge the grief, the sadness, the pain and to find a way to hope. This is a service of readings, prayers and music.
Tibbetts UMC is at 3940 41st SW (that’s 41st/Andover; here’s a map). When we first heard from the pastor about this, and she mentioned having just been appointed, we asked her for a short bio:Read More
Holly jolly … collision?
The 911 log shows a car crash after midnight at 35th/Avalon. No details except for a note that came in from Creighton (thank you), who wrote:
Big Car Wreck: Just drove past the intersection of 35th Ave and Avalon in front of the 7-11 mostly on the westbound side of the street. Odd scene as there were two Santas on the side of the road watching the cops sort it out.
Reader report: 35th/Roxbury trouble
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Jessica (thank you!):
Last night, our neighbors had their home broken into while they were out of town. The window was broken on the alley side of the home, and I’m guessing it was someone from the neighborhood who knew the homeowners were gone (given the silence of the dogs). The police found no prints (they used gloves) and saw “small shoe marks”. The burglars took smaller items that were quick to grab.
Last week, our neighbors across 35th Ave told me about 3 incidents of cars being keyed.
And we frequently see drug-activity at the 35th Ave SW and Roxbury corner.
It would be so helpful if people see strange activity to report it to the police as soon as possible. Hopefully this gets the word out in the South end.
That’s exactly what the West Seattle-based Seattle Police Department team at the Southwest Precinct would say – keep the non-emergency number handy, 625-5011 – and crime prevention coordinator Benjamin Kinlow would certainly add, set up a Block Watch if you don’t have one already. Another excellent resource for the area in Jessica’s note is the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety group; here’s the WSB report on their October meeting, and their upcoming meetings are listed here.
West Seattle Christmas lights, 12/15/07
Jodi e-mailed WSB (thank you!) about a house in the 4000 block of Fauntleroy, which runs parallel to the end of The Bridge; we hope this is the right one — impossible to see street numbers in the dark, and there are several nicely lit homes on the block, but this one is the brightest, and the photo barely does it justice because there’s a whole lot of blinking and strobing going on. It’s the latest addition to our clickable/printable West Seattle Christmas lights map, linked from the WSB Holidays page and now featuring 28 locations, all around our peninsula, and all also archived here.
Mourning the monorail; looking ahead
Photo courtesy of Vlad Oustimovitch, remembering the monorail-that-wasn’t, on the date once touted as a potential opening day.
First, the background for newcomers: The concept of a citywide Seattle Monorail – eventually envisioned as starting with the “Green Line” between West Seattle and Ballard – passed several city votes dating back to 1997 before an uproar over its financing plan led to one last vote that killed it in 2005. The monorail agency already had been set up and was collecting money from car-tab taxes; it had bought property in West Seattle that has since been resold, some of which is just now being developed, such as the parking lot behind Petco that’s becoming Mural, and the ex-Video Vault spot in Morgan Junction that is becoming the new Beveridge Place Pub and a neighboring park. (Other sites, from their original monorailproperty.com pages, included: 35th/Avalon, 35th south of Avalon, the former Herald office further south on 35th.) So on this Opening Day That Wasn’t, you might wonder, what’s next for mass transit in West Seattle, considering that Sound Transit light rail isn’t pointing our way? Some interesting ideas can be read on the Sustainable West Seattle Transportation Action Group blog; regarding more concrete plans, two public meetings are set in West Seattle next month for the “RapidRide” bus plan (both dates are on the WSB Events page).
Fire guts South Delridge house
The exterior appears intact but the charring over the broken-out windows suggests this house was gutted by the overnight fire there. It’s 9415 Delridge (map), on the north edge of the Delridge/Roxbury business district, at a location identified in county records and online searches as home to B & J Plumbing (we have left voicemail for that business to check on this); 911 logs show the fire callout was at 1:50 am. There’s no official Fire Department press release on this, so here’s hoping that means nobody was seriously hurt.
Saturday midmorning miscellany
-If you planned to participate in the West Seattle High School Travel Club babysitter fundraiser tonight, the Travel Club needs you to know that the babysitting had to be canceled because “Ms. D” has pneumonia and the event can’t happen without a staff member present at all times. However, good news, the Night Out dining fundraiser tonight is still on – full details at the WSHS Travel Club blog.
-Yeah, so it’s a little breezy and wet out there today – some other awesome events are happening indoors throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening too, besides the dining fundraiser — from the C and P Coffee Arts/Crafts Fair under way right now, to several holiday concerts this morning/afternoon, and more – the WSB West Seattle Weekend Lineup has full details.
-Got a note from Jim Curtis, executive director of the North American Self-Defense Association. He’s not WS-based but he’s about to launch a class here and wanted to get the word out:
I am now registering students for a new Umibushi Goshin Jutsu self-defense class I’m teaching at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center … It’s every Wednesday from 4:40-5:30 PM … If people sign up this coming week then they get a free uniform … Umibushi Goshin Jutsu is a practical self-defense system combining techniques and strategy from karate, jujitsu, boxing and Marine Corps hand to hand combat. It’s easy to learn and does not require extreme flexibility. Also, I am seeking a new webmaster for the North American Self-Defense Association and would trade self-defense classes in exchange for this service.
If you want to find out more about the class, you can contact Jim directly at umibushi@yahoo.com.
3 Reader Recommendation Requests to start the weekend
From Alice:
I’m looking for a good, reasonably-priced personal trainer in the West Seattle area… hoping some of your readers can give me some suggestions!
From “bookbiz”:
Can your readers recommend a good acupuncturist either in Seattle or West Seattle? My wife’s foot doctor recommended the treatment, but we don’t know where to begin the search. Thanks for any help.
And from Marylyn:
I am a soon to be new West Seattle resident, and am in need of a good dog walker.
If you have recommendations for any or all of these requests, please post a comment here. And remember – all WSB RRRs, and their responses, are archived here. Thanks for helping your fellow West Seattleites (and future ones!).
Seen on the street: Junction carolers
Sorry for the subpar drive-by photography but in this case, it’s the spirit that counts – we were stopped at walk-all-ways in The Junction, headed back home from the latest Christmas-light photography (tonight’s update is minutes away), when we saw and heard this group doing a raucous rendition of “Feliz Navidad” right outside the professional offices south of JaK’s Grill. Much whooping and clapping ensued, from the spectators as well as the performers. Fun times.
Charlestown Cafe: Not expecting to close any time soon
Checked in with Charlestown Cafe owner Larry Mellum today, after a few recent e-mails from WSB readers who had heard reports of a lease extension. He says they’re still officially month-to-month, but not expecting to be leaving any time soon, since the proposal to tear down the building and build a new Petco store seems to be moving slowly, with no official action since the August public meeting at which the Design Review Board turned thumbs-down on the design for a second time (detailed WSB coverage here). Meanwhile, we received an e-mail comment on the subject of Charlestown’s fate and West Seattle’s direction in general, and wanted to include it in our next followup, so here it is:Read More
Why police were swarming around West Seattle HS
Many people e-mailed WSB to ask what the big police presence at West Seattle High School today was all about: We just got off the phone with Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct, who explained that various student conflicts during the week led to some concern about a possible “disturbance” today — so just to be on the safe side, they put on a show of preventive force — and Lt. Paulsen says it worked, with a quiet day at the school. He says there also were officers present around Chief Sealth HS as well, and there will be some continued presence at WSHS next week too, though not quite at today’s level; Lt. Paulsen also noted that today worked out as a great exercise in cooperation between the schools and the police department.
Completely off the topic of WS but since you asked …
Last month we received a couple e-mails from people asking if we’d heard a rumor that the popular NORAD Tracks Santa website wasn’t going to be running this year. We couldn’t find the site at the time and wondered if those rumors might be true. Glad to report that we checked back and … they were false … you can find the preview site for NORAD Tracks Santa here.We always love following the web tracking every year … reminds us of the pre-pre-Internet days of our childhood, when radio announcers would check in with NORAD to see where Santa had turned up on radar.
West Seattle Cub Scouts meet the mayor
Here you see West Seattle Cub Scout Pack 793 Webelos I & II meeting with Mayor Nickels Thursday afternoon. Thanks to Angela for sending the photo and info — She says, “The scouts met with the mayor to complete their Citizen Badge. He gave the boys information about how the Mayor’s office is run and then let the boys ask him questions. One brave little scout even asked about his plans for the Alaskan Way Viaduct!” Pictured with the scouts are their den leader and cubmaster, Pat Heidal and Nick Roach. (Find out more about Pack 793 at their website here.)
Today we welcome West Seattle Realtor 
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