West Seattle, Washington
12 Saturday
We told you last month that Mars Hill Church was planning water baptisms at Alki again this year. Tonight the church has posted an update on the event planned for next Tuesday night, including an FYI that “This event pertains to the West Seattle campus only and is not an all-campus event like last year.” The update also says the event will include “BBQ, epic beats via DJ Sandman, a brief message, testimonies.” (Here’s our coverage from last year.)
News tonight from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council e-mail list: The project to add play equipment for small children to Cottage Grove Park (map), creating a “tot lot,” has won a $15,000 matching-funds city grant, according to Betsy Hoffmeister. (This is the project we’ve told you about several times in the past few months, including this springtime request for input on three play-equipment options, and the architect search earlier this summer.) Organizers promise info soon on what happens next.
We told you about the big event the other night, but never did get around to asking for an electronic copy of the full recipient list. The P-I has put one up tonight, along with capsule descriptions of everyone’s achievements, and it’s pretty cool to read; check it out here. (Also includes one West Seattle recipient we missed in our report: Carol Madaio, who found a lost child on a busy WS street.) The event’s organizer, Cathy Wenderoth (who is a West Seattleite too!), kindly sent our official photo too; it’s now on our About page.
Just talked to Marsha, owner of the stolen pugs, and she confirmed what had been left as a comment on one of our earlier posts a short time ago: The dogs are safe. Here’s what happened: They got a call from the Kent Animal Shelter around 5:30 pm, thanks to the information on the pugs’ microchips. A woman apparently brought the dogs in this morning, said they had been in her yard and she was turning them in, and she left. They are in good health and appear to have 
been kept indoors since they were stolen back on Monday. Marsha says THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who helped look for them and expressed hopes they would be found safe – she told WSB, “That’s one good thing that came out of this – seeing how caring and supportive everyone was.” She told us about bumping into a young woman who was out in the Fauntleroy Park ravine area this morning, looking for the dogs because she’d read about it here on WSB and wanted to help. (Apparently the pug spotted in the 35th/Barton area earlier today is someone else’s dog.) That’s the second happy ending today, hooray. We asked her to send us a photo of the dogs back safe at home (Pippin, above left, and Bandit at right), so we can share that with you, once she gets a chance.
We’ve mentioned the “Skiffle” show and auction tonight at Youngstown Arts Center, to raise money for All-Access afterschool programs, free to their young participants; the auction will include original works of art created during group sessions this afternoon, and we stopped by in the middle of the work to take a peek, emerging with photos including the ones you see above. Last reminder, doors open @ 6, show @ 7, suggested donation $25 at the door.
This note came in from Marsha, owner of the stolen pugs:
“Pippin [left] has been seen within the last few hours running. She is freaked out and will not come to anyone. She was seen at 35th & Barton (people at Tony’s Fruit Stand saw her), she’s been seen on Roxbury & 34th and also heading west on Barton. Dic is helping us search and he said she appears to be heading north. If she is west of 35th, she may be in more familiar territory since we walk that area a lot. I walked through the ravine (where we also walk) but didn’t see her. My husband, Barney, and I are out searching. Please call our cells if you spot her and can’t catch her. If you can get her, please do and call us. Barney’s cell is 206 730-0143. Marsha’s cell is 206 915-3308. Thanks for all your help on getting our pugs back.“
We’ve had this on the WSB Events calendar ever since we spotted it on the USCG Local Notice for Mariners (a wonderful weekly bulletin to watch) — a fireworks show tonight for the conclusion of the Downtown Sailing Series races. We finally succeeded in getting details about the show, with a call to Olympia-based Entertainment Fireworks — they say the show will be from a barge offshore at Elliott Bay Marina in Magnolia, just west of the Port of Seattle’s piers. Time — probably 8:45-9 pm-ish. Rain or shine, says the fireworks company — their main pyrotechnics wizard, Ken Julian (with whom we worked while managing TV fireworks shows a few years back), is out assembling the show right now. So you’re likely to be able to see something from north-facing West Seattle spots.
Tension last night as the Admiral residents proposing a “play area” for the California Place mini-park faced vocal opponents who live nearby. Project organizers, meantime, stress that it’s extremely early in the process, while revealing a new possibility has emerged — “beautification” beyond the park. More on that, and last night’s meeting, just ahead:Read More
What a deal – awesome entertainment rolled up with the chance to help keep after-school arts programs FREE at Youngstown Arts Center. “Skiffle” is happening tonight, and we found a few more details on the big-name musicians who’ll be part of the show: the blog Bring the Noise quotes an e-mail from Pearl Jam‘s publicist as saying Bison, which is part of the “Skiffle” lineup, includes PJ’s lead guitarist Mike McCready, Dave Dederer from Presidents of the United States of America, Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, and members of the Dusty 45’s. More details in our previous mentions; tickets are available at the door for a suggested donation of $25, doors open 6 pm, show at 7. And don’t forget the auction that’s also part of the fun(draising) – original works to be created at Youngstown this afternoon by performers, youth program participants, and community members.
Also tonight – providing the weather clears (National Weather Service says the showers should stop) – it’s the rescheduled West Seattle Movies on the Wall presentation of “Finding Nemo” in the courtyard by Hotwire, with cooler-than-ever raffle prizes and free treats (get the full scoop on the raffle offerings, and more, here). If the weather still looks iffy later in the day, check back here because we’ll post up-to-the-minute info on whether the movie’s a go. 1:27 PM UPDATE: Lora at Hotwire says the movie’s still a go since the forecast continues to look promising. But we’ll have another update late in the day.
Just e-mailed by Delridge District neighborhood coordinator Ron Angeles, this note from Chief Sealth High School:
Chief Sealth High School is seeking a family to host our Chinese guest teacher. Zhu Dan teaches Mandarin Chinese at Denny Middle School and Chief Sealth. She would need to have her own bedroom. The guest teacher is responsible for her own food. Zhu Dan has taught Mandarin at Denny and Sealth for a year and a half and she will need housing through the end of the 2008-2009 school year. She is a pleasure to host. If you are interested in hosting, please contact Principal John Boyd.
His number is (206) 252-8550.
Just got a note from Dave at West Seattle High School confirming that the bike taken from a freshman during orientation earlier this week (original WSB report here) turned up in one of the bathrooms at the school (as mentioned in this comment last night). After getting Dave’s note, we checked with the family who originally reported the theft to WSB, and they told us that indeed, bike and owner are now reunited.
We have two updates from Greg, son of the Arbor Heights couple whose two pugs were taken by burglars (here’s the original report; here’s our update from yesterday, after police received information confirming they were stolen): First, he says a $1,000 reward is offered, “no questions asked”; second, he says, “Somebody thought they saw a wandering pug on Barton 1 block west of Delridge. If you are in the area, please keep an eye out. If you see a pug that looks lost, please take it to the vet. The two stolen pugs are microchipped.”
Still adhering to the “no spoilers on the home page” rule. Still going to the weekly “Project Runway” viewing parties at Ginomai, just around the corner from Blayne’s place-o-employment, Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). So read on for a few lines on how Blayne did tonight and what his Hotwire boss Lora Lewis had to say about it:Read More
First, from Karen:
Warning for the Westwood area – 18th Ave SW. A neighbor just stopped by to let me know that he saw two men going down the street in a pickup truck and taking anything metal they found. That included walking into our fenced front yard and taking the kitchen sink that was sitting out there while we put up new sheetrock. The police were notified but did not offer any hope of recovery.
And from further west, Amy sent in a door-to-door alert – might be perfectly innocent, always hard to tell, in which case comments might prove reassuring:Read More
Driving by the under-construction Cafe Revo (former Murphy’s) site on Avalon this evening, we noticed the new neon sign was lit — which indeed was supposed to happen this week, per an e-mail update sent to the Revo mailing list a few days ago, which also said:
We are waiting for our building permits to be finalized. In the meantime we have finished building all of our tables and the custom bar is halfway done. The exterior of the building is finished and the neon sign made for us at Western Neon, has been put up. … We plan to add some nice planter boxes in the front of the building soon as well. We currently are working with artist Glenn Case on some murals for the interior and our busy working with our vendors to get our equipment and front of house items chosen and ordered. Our cousins in Italy have e-mailed Sean more authentic recipes, including some recently from our close family friend in Cuneo, in the Piedmont region. Our hope is to be opened no later than early October, but once we have our permits in hand we will have a more clear opening date.
Cafe Revo proprietors Sean and Sofia Zadra Goff also have posted more in-progress photos (even their tables!) on one of their webpages (see it here); if you missed it earlier this summer, we talked with them for an in-depth preview back in June (read it here).
The first tip came from a post in the Alki Beach Community Yahoo! group, after someone spotted that sign on the front doors at the vacant (demolition permit still pending) Shoremont at 57th and Alki. And behind the building, police tape is up:
We’ve been trying since last night to find out exactly what kind of training you’re likely to see there tomorrow; it’s not being coordinated from the Southwest Precinct, as our contacts there didn’t know, but were trying to find out. So for now, in case you are in the area tomorrow and happen to see a heavy police presence, we thought we’d at least pass on the news about the posted signs. (The Fire Department uses vacant buildings too, as this webpage reminds us.) 7 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from the precinct – it’s tactical training: “Washington State Tactical Officers Association is conducting training at this site tomorrow. The training is being sponsored by SPD SWAT.”
Less than a week ago, we reported the Southwest Design Review Board told the developers of the 35th/Graham (map) mixed-use project it needed some work, so they’d have to come back for a second round of “early design guidance.” (WSB coverage here) Today, the city website shows the date for that has just been set – it’s been added to the agenda for September 11, which already had the next review for Spring Hill (BlueStar‘s mixed-use building at 5020 California, south of The Junction). Both projects will be reviewed that night at Hiawatha Community Center — 5020 California SW at 6:30 pm, 3420 SW Graham at 8 pm.
In case you’re away from home and it’s not doing the same wherever you are: Monsoon-quality rain here now. Plus, from the Sound, the unmistakable boom of ship horns – not as high-pitched as ferry horns. Soupy out there! P.S. Good news in the latest “forecast discussion” — it says, in part, “Saturday will likely be the warmest day of the next week.”
New information today on the missing pugs we told you about yesterday, gone from their Arbor Heights home after a burglary — Southwest Precinct Sgt. Jeff Durden just called to say a witness who read about it on WSB has told police the dogs were definitely stolen – they were seen being loaded into a vehicle. Police are still working to see what kind of description of that vehicle they will be able to publicly release without jeopardizing the investigation. We’ll let you know when more information is available. 1:10 PM UPDATE: And here it is — Sgt. Durden says neighbors saw a dark blue SUV stopped near the house Monday afternoon around 2 pm, with a male driver and male passenger. They saw one of them come out of the home’s front yard, pick up the pugs, put them in the SUV, and drive off. They didn’t realize at the time that anything was wrong, so they didn’t call police until they read here about the burglary and missing dogs. They didn’t get a license plate, and not very much detail on the people in the SUV, except that one appeared to be in his late teens/early 20s, “dark complexion,” possibly Asian or Hispanic, close-cropped hair or shaven head. The police non-emergency number is 206/625-5011, or you can call 911 if you have a tip that needs immediate action.
Got a tip that the tree-trimming had finally commenced at the Alki “Flower Houses” (original coverage here). Got there just moments after the trimmers left. Owner Randie Stone was there but declined to comment, citing legal advice. Photo momentarily. 1:25 PM UPDATE: Here’s one of the angles we shot today – we don’t have an exact comparison in the “before” photos:
Here’s another photo from today, followed by one of the two we received at the time of the original report. On getting a report of tree-trimming in action, we rushed out so fast there wasn’t time to revisit the original story so that we’d be sure to shoot the EXACT same angle, but we’re hoping to be back out that way a little later today.
(that’s another WSB photo taken today)
(that’s a July photo from Alma Taylor-Smyth, who lives in one of the “flower houses”)
We weren’t sure whether to chuckle or cry when we found out last night’s Seattle Police Department Citizen Appreciation Awards event would keep us from visiting the Southwest Precinct to personally report on the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, which we consider a monthly must-cover. Luckily, we were able to draft previous WSB contributor Evan Baumgardner into service for the occasion – and he brought back important info, including an update on a recent business break-in, other West Seattle crime trends, and a request for ideas from YOU – here’s his report:Read More
We were lucky enough to meet some of the folks at KUOW public radio earlier this summer, during their June 30th broadcast about local “neighborhood blogs” (archived here). Looks like we may get a moment or two on their airwaves again this afternoon – for “The Conversation,” they are interviewing one of the country’s best-known political-blog operators, Daily Kos‘s Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, and one of the topics is going to be “anonymous online comments,” which he allows and so do we — as do the majority of websites that enable and encourage discussion. The show is scheduled 1-2 pm (94.9 FM, or listen online) and as one of the people who might provide a “local perspective,” we’ve been told to expect a phone call in the last quarter-hour. (In the meantime, we’ll be busy trying to distill our heartfelt but rambling philosophy into a potential soundbite.) 2:01 PM UPDATE: Clarification for anybody who listened: We would describe our comment policy as “partially moderated” – your comment is held for review if it contains something from a list of words we have programmed into the system, mostly profanity; if it is from an IP address that’s never had a comment approved before (and that can throw regular commenters into the filter all the time); if it has 2 or more URLs, which can be a sign of spam. This site is hit with more than 2,000 spam comments a day — usually horrible nasty mega-X-rated stuff – and our filter keeps all but a fraction of a percent from ever going through, but it does also occasionally, for unknown reasons of technological temperament, throw legitimate comments into, not the moderation queue but the spam basket, which we try to graze quickly at least once daily for such instances — however, we are sure that it’s accidentally eaten a few legitimate comments that we never even saw. Once in a rare while, we turn on “moderate all comments” for a while if the spam filter seems to be acting up, which happened earlier this week, and that may mean a delay in review/approval of your comment.
We last checked in July 24 on the volunteers organizing to create some type of “play area” at or near the North Admiral mini-park shown at left, California Place (northwest corner of California/Hill, just east of Admiral Congregational Church; here’s a map). One of the organizers, Manolita Slye, just wrote to say they’re meeting again tonight (as we mentioned in last month’s story, they’re meeting twice monthly as the effort gets off the ground) — 7 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. She mentioned something we’d also been told in a recent note from someone else — apparently opponents are starting to organize — so she is hoping that more of the families who have expressed support for the potential play area will show up tonight.
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