West Seattle, Washington
16 Wednesday
Friday-Saturday, SLGFF (WSB sponsor) has its first-ever West Seattle showings, at the Admiral Theater; again tonight, we’re giving away two tickets – read on for the how-to:Read More
That was the scene in the 2100 block of Alki SW (map) earlier this evening – and though it looks bad, nobody was badly hurt. This happened in the northbound lane — according to police and a witness, the motorcycle had stopped to let a woman walk across the street, in the crosswalk, when the red car came up from behind and plowed right into the stopped motorcycle. Its rider, a man, was hurt, but not seriously, and was taken to the hospital in a private ambulance; the woman driving the car wasn’t hurt but was clearly badly shaken up. The woman walking across the street wasn’t hurt at all – she’s the witness who talked with us. Traffic was being allowed around the scene.
While Election Day is technically still 13 days away, 
so many people vote by mail that it’s become more like Election Weeks. The presidential and governor’s races are getting lots of play, but you’ll be making other meaningful decisions too – particularly when it comes to several state and local ballot measures. One of the state initiatives, I-1000, “Death With Dignity,” will be explored at a forum tomorrow night at West Seattle High School, sponsored by the WS Ministerial Association, with speakers expected from both sides, 7:30 pm. Meantime, the most-debated local measure on the ballot — Sound Transit Proposition 1, raising the sales tax half a cent — got a thorough airing at this week’s Sustainable West Seattle meeting. If you’re guessing it was a warm, friendly pro-Prop 1 crowd since sustainability and transit seem to go together — not entirely:Read More
From Mary at Twilight Art Collective (west of Easy Street in The Junction), who usually e-mails us about openings and parties (like their Halloween gala), but is reporting something much different today:
Sad news from us this time. My motorcycle that I often park in front of the gallery was stolen from right in front of my house on 32nd and Holden last night 10.22.08. It’s a German-made MZ 125 sm. Very rare in these parts. I’ve made a flyer with two similar bikes. Mine is black with grey logos exactly like the ones on the lower picture. Please help!!
Here’s that flyer (Wednesday night update, Mary sends word that the reward is up to $500):
We told you last week about a vanpool open house that a West Seattle woman is organizing, coming up this Sunday. Just got word that its scope is now expanded – she started off with a plan to look for other vanpoolers interested in getting to Bellevue, but now, all would-be West Seattle vanpoolers are invited to come and find out about this commuting alternative and potentially make some commuting connections, whatever your destination happens to be. The open house is 4:30-5:30 pm at Uptown Espresso in The Junction. It’s not an official Metro event,, but you’ll meet some current vanpoolers there too, in case you have questions on how it really works. (If you can’t make it on Sunday but are interested in finding out more, e-mail the get-together’s organizer, Lisa: l.rough@comcast.net.)
(Left to right, Swedish West Seattle Rehabilitation Services’ Adrienne Tews, patient rep; Elisabeth Tomere, DPT; David Esquinasi, PT)
This afternoon, we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor: Swedish West Seattle Rehabilitation Services. It’s become a theme lately in so many things we write about: Services and businesses that are available right here in West Seattle, no need to leave the peninsula to find them. That goes for myriad services offered by Swedish West Seattle Rehab: You can see a detailed list of their services here. Their methods include diagnosis of musculoskeletal impairment and disability, manual therapies, complete postural analysis, specific exercise programs, biofeedback (S-EMG), and home programs. Those methods are used for areas of care including general orthopedics, ergonomics, headache treatment, women’s health, men’s health, sports/performance injuries, and post-operative care. You can find all these services at the West Seattle Rehab clinic in Swedish’s WS building at 3400 California SW (map); call them at 206/320-5510. Thanks to Swedish’s West Seattle Rehab team for joining the roster of WSB sponsors, all listed on this page along with information on how to join them.
Our first sighting of sub-$3 gas in this price-drop cycle – California/Charlestown 7-11. (Tuesday afternoon addendum – have since seen many sub-$3 WS stations, lowest is $2.93 at Arco and “Ruxbury.”) Got the tip from West Seattle Junction Association executive director Susan Melrose, who also revealed that the official Junction Christmas tree has been replaced:
The newly planted Fraser fir replaces the previous tree, which just hadn’t been happy in that spot and had gotten to the point where it was easy to imagine the poor thing catching fire if subjected to this year’s tree-lighting ceremony (even with low-heat LEDs). Elsewhere in The Junction, we spotted Halloween window decorations in the works at the Senior Center of West Seattle building:
Just around the corner, the Stop ‘n’ Shop is closed for several weeks of remodeling, with a grand reopening scheduled for November 15th (more soon on what’s in the works there).
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli captioned that recent photo from the Fauntleroy Place worksite as, “They put the ‘hole’ in ‘Whole Foods’.” The developers behind that project and two others are part of an all-star slate lined up by the Fairmount Community Association for a meeting to which you’re invited: Reps from BlueStar and Harbor Properties (six Triangle/Junction projects between the two) will be there; the association plans to ask them to speak specifically about the projects closest to its neighborhoods, the ones planned along SW Alaska. Also expected to attend, City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Sally Clark. The Fairmount Community Association meeting is at 6:30 pm November 6th in the chapel at The Mount. Those six projects are all in various stages — for BlueStar, Fauntleroy Place is well under way, Spring Hill has finished Design Review, Gateway Center hasn’t gotten to DR yet; for Harbor, Mural is in its final months of construction, Link has finished Design Review, the motel site hasn’t gotten there yet — and this will be an excellent chance to hear what’s new, as well as the latest on new development rules (like the multifamily code proposal — aka townhouse design — Councilmember Clark helped unveil three months ago).
They’ve been practicing for weeks (see video of their latest dress rehearsal here) – and now it’s almost showtime for the Thrill the World/West Seattle crew, joining forces with the citywide group in the collective attempt to help set a world record this Saturday for dancing to the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller.” Tonight they have one last rehearsal, and then organizer Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) says they’ve gotten final approval for the official on-the-record-for-the-record dance to be in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Park at 11 am Saturday – then you have two chances to see them in West Seattle: 2 pm at Easy Street in The Junction, 9 pm at the Admiral Theater. (This is all in the Halloween section of the WSB Holidays page, too.)
Two of your West Seattle neighbors have e-mailed to let you know what happened when burglars targeted them – one in Arbor Heights, one on Genesee Hill. Sometimes, the Crime Watch reader reports we get are simple and emotionless, but not these two:Read More
A wild time at Camp Long tonight, as the “Living With Wildlife” presentation offered info about how to do just that – particularly so far as our two biggest wild neighbors are concerned, coyotes and raccoons. Both smart, both requiring specific behavior from all of us so that we can co-exist with as little trouble as possible. Read on for some facts and advice that might surprise you!Read More
Just heard on the scanner, while we were trying to check on a couple of fire/aid calls: “Naked guy at the gas station at SW Alaska and Fauntleroy – only thing we have … is that he is carrying a bottle of booze, and has no clothes on.” Update – an officer just caught up with “the guy … north of the 76 station.”
This Friday and Saturday, the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (WSB sponsor) includes screenings in West Seattle, for the very first time. For the second night in a row, we’re giving away two pairs of tickets – but not exactly the same way as last night: Tonight we’re spotlighting two of the documentaries that will be shown at the Admiral, both on Saturday: “Equality U” at noon Saturday, and “The Kinsey Sicks: Almost Infamous” at 4:30 Saturday. Festival organizers tell us “Equality U” (here’s its official website) received a standing ovation from audiences in San Francisco and L.A. Its director Dave O’Brien will be at the Admiral screening on Saturday, and free tickets have been offered to West Seattle High School’s Gay/Straight Alliance student group. “Kinsey Sicks” (here’s its official website) is as much comedy as documentary – and directors Alonzo Ruvalcaba and Ken Bielenberg are expected at the Admiral showing too. OK, so now – tonight’s giveaway. Courtesy of SLGFF, each night we’re giving away two pairs of tickets – one pair per winner – to either of those documentaries. First two people to e-mail us are the winners. Use this e-mailbox: westseattleblog@yahoo.com – include the name under which you want the tickets to be held at “will call” at the Admiral on the date/time of the showing you choose, as well as whether you want the tickets for “Equality U” or “Kinsey Sicks.” We’ll add an update to the end of this post as soon as tonight’s tickets have been won to let you know the giveaway is over – then, two more pairs tomorrow night. Good luck! 11:58 PM UPDATE: Tonight’s tickets have been won.
The city yard belonging to SDOT on 8th SW in Highland Park could be said tonight to resemble something more like S-D-O-Tree. We got word this afternoon that 300 trees had just arrived, destined for plantings in various West Seattle spots, so we went over for a quick pic of city arborist Nolan Rundquist with some of his new charges, which include two types of elm. (These trees are spoken for, but if you’re interested in free street trees sometime in the future, find out more here.)
After jury selection was completed on Monday, testimony began today in the trial of the 18-year-old charged with murder in the deadly shooting inside a car at 59th/Admiral (map) a year ago. WSB is covering the trial start to finish — read on for today’s report from court:Read More
This morning, we brought you first word of the U.S. Coast 
Guard‘s decision (read it here) not to grant the City of Seattle request to restrict openings of the Spokane Street “low bridge” during weekday rush hours. We asked for reaction from both City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who had pursued the idea, and from SDOT, which made the official request. Heard back from both late today — read on:Read More
Thanks to WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli for providing that photo as well as information about the sizable “fire in single-family residence” call in Highland Park, 7700 block of 15th SW (map). “Food on the stove,” firefighters told Christopher, nobody hurt, but crews had to stay a while, using fans to clear smoke out of the house.
In the WSB Forums, someone’s looking for a little peace and quiet with their java. Maybe you have a suggestion to add?
That unassuming 65-year-old fourplex in the 3600 block of California SW (map) probably doesn’t catch your eye when you drive by. From the outside, it looks a lot like countless similar-vintage West Seattle multiplexes that have been torn down and replaced with townhouses or taller apartment buildings. But inside, it’s bright and comfortable – partly renovated to serve as the day center for Family Promise of Seattle, a project that started as an idea involving several West Seattle churches, and grew from there, as a way to help newly homeless families. Back during the “Nickelsville” hubbub last month, many asked “who in West Seattle is helping the homeless?”; this is one of the answers. You can get a closer look this Thursday, when Family Promise invites you to an open house to come see the day center and find out more about what the program and its volunteers are up to. We stopped by for a sneak peek – and to see if there was any help they needed from you right now (the answer: yes!) – read on:Read More
We’ve reported several times in the past two months about The Kenney‘s major redevelopment proposal (here’s our first in-depth report from August; here’s our coverage of last month’s community meeting), which has stirred some concern because one of the buildings is proposed to be six stories high. This Thursday night, it’s one of two projects going before the Southwest Design Review Board for “early design guidance,” and the city has posted the presentation submitted by The Kenney and its consultants. You can see the full 20-page presentation here (including side views of the three proposed alternatives); the third option is the one closest to what was presented at the community meeting, including a re-creation of part of its “park-like” northwestern corner:
The design-review meeting for The Kenney’s proposal is at 8 pm Thursday, in the Madison Middle School library, following reviewers’ 6:30 pm look at 4106 Delridge (5 stories of residential and retail; city project page here; that project’s presentation is not online yet – we’ll let you know when it turns up).
More work along the north side of Westwood Village, on Trenton, and it’s a bit of a snarl, so the Barton side is your better bet if you’re headed that way any time soon.
We see this list at every West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting we cover … and today it just turned up in e-mail, with tonight’s agenda. It’s not just about crime – it’s about safety. If you want the numbers for the graffiti hotline, abandoned vehicle hotline, Public Health rat reports, Parking Enforcement, street-light repairs, etc., all on one sheet you can tuck into your wallet or slap on the fridge – print this and snip off the agenda part. (Thanks to Seattle Neighborhood Group, which provides staff to assist groups like WSCPC.)
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
Just in from the U.S. Coast Guard: They’ve turned thumbs down on the City of Seattle request to restrict openings of the “low bridge” during peak commute hours (comments were taken May-July; WSB coverage here). We will keep expanding this report with more details over the next hour or so, but for starters, Austin Pratt of the Coast Guard told WSB by phone that the reasons include “massive” opposition by the Port of Seattle and local maritime concerns, as well as not enough traffic volume using the bridge to justify the change. Here’s the official document (published today in the Federal Register); technically, the action taken by the USCG was to “withdraw” the proposal to change the bridge rules. Read on for the key excerpt from the federal document explaining why this proposal isn’t going forward – as well as additional information we’ll continue to add:Read More
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