West Seattle, Washington
19 Friday
Our activity du jour was mass transit, including the Water Taxi, to the Maritime Festival. Got more than we bargained for on both ends of the WT ride. First, as we waited to board at Seacrest, two tugboat race participants from Global Diving & Salvage arrived to pick up their passengers (plus supplies for barbecuing and general revelry). Probably the busiest we’ve ever seen that slender little strip of wooden dock @ Seacrest (here’s a view as the WT pulled out):
On our way back, it became obvious that the 3:30 pm run on Maritime Festival day is THE time to get as close to the tugboat races as you can (without being a participant). Our captain warned direly that the largest class of racing tug would be heading our way as we left the dock, and implied we’d need surfing skills to survive the looming wake. Didn’t happen that way, thanks to our captain’s skills, but did get a great view of the racing tugs, justice not really done by the following photo:
If you want to try the Water Taxi tomorrow, waterfront highlights include a Mother’s Day Buffet Brunch at Ivar’s — maybe you can get the fry-scarfing-seagull-view table we enjoyed while lunching there today. (The restaurant’s not in WS but Ivar’s roots here were deep.)
In case you missed it in our weekend roundup … three particularly interesting events today/tonight worth one more shoutout: Megawatt’s WS Community Garage Sale Day till 3 pm (map/guide here), Seattle Majestics women’s football @ Sealth field @ 7 pm, and bellydancing at ArtsWest “afterhours” @ 10 pm. Have a great day, whatever you do. (And don’t forget to put out the bag o’food.)
Six months after the crash that killed Tatsuo Nakata at 47th/Admiral, a reader tells us the flashing lights/crosswalk sign have FINALLY gone up.
What has been the lowest posted regular gas in WS for at least a week or so jumped six cents in the past day: Delridge Arco is now up to $3.37/gallon regular. Let us know if you’ve seen cheaper. The statewide average is just a few cents higher. If you’re trying to save $/fuel, good news is, you can probably walk to your nearest yard sale tomorrow.
From the Southwest Precinct Public Safety Newsletter sent out this week. Ever wonder about whether to give a buck to one of those people holding cardboard signs along offramps? Check out the saga of one of them, quoted verbatim from the newsletter (after the click since it’s a bit long). Way to go, Officer Wilson!Read More
There’s a new development in Land Use Land regarding one of the first unique local buildings whose impending demise we lamented, 4532 42nd SW (original post from last August). An application is now filed (with less than two weeks for public comment) with some more specifics on what’s proposed there: Six stories, mixed-use, 35 residential units over 3,000-plus SF of “commercial space.”
From 130-plus yard sales in 1 day, to a wild hour to try the Water Taxi, to women’s tackle football, to bellydancing, there is so much to do this weekend, you’ll wish you could just skip sleep. Full list is one click away:Read More
No update for a few days because not much has changed. Lowest posted price  we’ve seen in WS is now $3.31 at the Arco on Delridge near Home Depot. Highest posted price (for regular) remains $3.49 @ 35th/Holden Chevron, which hasn’t gone up since one week ago.
As promised, Megawatt has just posted the map and guide to all 130-plus locations planning yard/garage/whatever sales this Saturday during its 3rd Annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. The guide splits the list into “quadrants” — check it out to see who’ll be selling what near you!
Thanks to Jerry from JetCityOrange for sending this video clip of the Cali/Seattle SW corner demolition, before it got to the rubble phase we photographed the other day.
Two weeks after we lost another true WS original, it’s time for the final tributes. Visitation for former city councilmember Charlie Chong is 4-7 pm tonight and 4-6 pm tomorrow night at Howden-Kennedy; vigil service is 7 pm tomorrow and funeral Mass at noon Saturday, both at Holy Rosary. According to CharlieChong.com, everybody’s welcome; the site also has information on where to make donations in Charlie’s memory.
When you stop at the store today or tomorrow, buy extra “non-perishables” for the Letter Carriers’ Food Drive this Saturday. It’s a mega-simple way to help others — put together a bag of canned/boxed/bagged food items, and leave it by your mailbox (door, if you have a mailslot) Saturday for pick up. Look how well WS did last year!
Many kind people have posted comments on the item below about John, a waiter from JaK’s and Skylark, stricken by an aneurysm last night. Now we are sorry to have to pass along bad news from Jessie at Skylark:
I have sad and terrible news. John is not going to make it.Skylark will be closed early tonight (7pm) so open mic is cancelled.ÂÂ
We’ll reopen at 11:30am (the normal time) tomorrow.I’ll follow up with details (wake info, benefit events for the hospital bills, etc) when I know them.
An update on the Fauntleroy Creek page says 20 of the creek’s coho are on their way out to the “saltwater phase of their lifecycle.” Check out the creek overlook (part of the view shown in recent photo below) next time you’re down by the ferry dock or the south end of Lincoln Park; it’s a little bit of wildness amid all our urbanity, kept up by a lot of hard (volunteer) work.
West Seattle’s Most Famous Politician says shopping at farmers’ markets (like ours) fights global warming. (Especially if you take the bus to get there!)
A reliable longtime reader sent the following note, wanting to get the word out. Usually we would try to confirm such tips through a second source but time is of the essence with someone fighting for their life:
John, a flamboyant and funny waiter working evenings at Jak’s Grill and weekend brunch at Skylark Cafe & Club, was hospitalized yesterday evening after suffering a brain aneurysm. Friends say the prognosis is not good, and he could really use the prayers of his customers and friends right now.
–Tonight, Cafe Rozella continues its 2nd-anniversary celebration with Show Brazil performing @ 7 pm.
–Tomorrow night, the Junction Art Walk (second Thursday of each month) is back. And now it’s got its own blogsite, with a list of who and what you’ll see.
–Also tomorrow night, “Carousel” opens at West Seattle High School (7:30 Thurs-Fri-Sat this week and next; advance tickets are half-price @ Square One).
The state ferry system’s new electronic ticketing arrives at Fauntleroy (and Vashon, Southworth, Tahlequah, Point Defiance) as of today. These are the last terminals/routes to add the system, so now you can buy tickets for any ferry route at dock kiosks or online (could be handy for those summer-weekend trips on the busiest runs).
Hadn’t heard anything about this weekend collision till today’s Times article.
No moss growing under some developers’ feet, er, backhoes. Less than two weeks after we noted that permits were granted for the SW corner of Cali/Seattle, the demolition work is almost done — “before” (April 25) and “after” (this morning) photos below:
Toward the end of this article about the still-rising home prices in King County, a recently sold WS home is featured as an example of “what the median price will buy you.”
Tonight’s the kickoff for a weekly West Seattle Ultimate Frisbee pickup game — just one catch; the first three sessions are in Tukwila, apparently because of a field-space crunch. If you want to join the fun, show up at the Tukwila Community Center field tonight @ 6:30. (Weather should be splendid.)
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