West Seattle, Washington

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Spotlight Stories


  • Closure

    LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE: Continues today

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    WEATHER ALERT: Hot days expected

  • Loop

    LOOP THE ‘LUPE: See photos, video!

New “West Seattle Walking Trails” map: Ready for its closeup
February 24, 2008 3:01 pm
|      26 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Transportation | West Seattle news

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That’s a new map that could change your life, for the better: the draft of the first-ever West Seattle Walking Trails map, whose creators want to hear your take on it, before they draft the final version. (Click the image above, or this link, to download the whole thing as a PDF so you can zoom in to your neighborhood, your favorite walking route, or just to get a closer look at all of it.) One of the project ringleaders is the tireless West Seattle activist Chas Redmond, who explains what it is and how you can help with it:

Feet First, in partnership with Morgan Community Association, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the Southwest and Delridge District Councils, The Southwest Historical Society, every community association here in WS and other organizations such as the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, present the first draft of the now-Climate Action Now program grant-funded walking trails map.

This is the first public review – folks should examine it, suggest changes – both additive and subtractive. There will be a second draft based on the comments of the first draft. SDOT will have the final review and there will probably be some changes from that resulting in a – final – third draft.

In the meantime, the back side of the map – which will include write-ups on every neighborhood and organization and signature interest point – will hit the streets. Probably two weeks from now we’ll have the text draft, which will coincide with the closing of comments for the first draft. The back side review will also include a second review round.

Folks should comment not only on the trails, the evolution of which can be learned by reading the contents of westseattlewalks.org, but also on the use of symbols, the correct location of schools and parks (we’ve checked, always helps to triple check), the color scheme (we’re limited to two colors to get max number of copies), and anything else.

Within a month or so we’ll have 20,000 copies of this map, which will be folded to a size about like a Metro route schedule. We have a complex and involved distribution scheme which should allow everyone in WS to at least have access to a copy. Eventually we’ll reprint in larger numbers, but want this first version to not only serve the neighborhood, but serve as a learning tool for what an urban wayfinding system and info tools about such a system might be like and how they might be better. A year of using this map will teach all of us – including the users – a whole new dimension in getting around – we hope, anyway.

Here’s the link again to take a close-up look at the map as a PDF (using zoom if you choose). As Chas mentioned, there’s a lot of backstory on the parent site for that link, westseattlewalks.org – once you’ve reviewed the map, Chas asks that comments be sent to him (credmond@mac.com) and Feet First’s Seth Schromen-Wawrin (seth@feetfirst.info).

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‘Tis the season … to have your bid bash for kid cash
February 24, 2008 12:10 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Arbor Heights | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

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Not only is it school-choice season (Seattle Public Schools‘ deadline is Friday), it’s school-auction season. The photo above is from the Our Lady of Guadalupe GAIN auction last night at SSCC, courtesy of a mysterious correspondent calling himself “Rock Steele, Man About Town.” Before showing you a few other pix he sent, we want to note that at least five other local schools have auctions in the next month: Schmitz Park Elementary at the Hilton downtown on March 1 (flyer here), Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool at Youngstown Arts Center on March 8, West Seattle High School PTSA dinner/auction at SSCC on March 14, Gatewood Elementary (kicking off a centennial celebration) at The Hall @ Fauntleroy (also on March 14), Pathfinder K-8 at SSCC on March 15, Madison Middle School PTSA at The Hall on March 22. Again, that’s just the next month; others are on the WSB Events Page, and if yours is missing, please let us know so we can add it. Now, those other photos from last night’s OLG event:Read More

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Happening today: Noon dinner for Olivia, 4 pm party for Mo
February 24, 2008 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Noon dinner for Olivia, 4 pm party for Mo
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle people

oliviacathospital.jpgOLIVIA: She’s the 10-year-old Hope Lutheran fifth-grader we told you about last Wednesday (left), fighting Crohn’s disease, a chronic intestinal inflammation that’s hell on anyone and rare in kids. Her school and church are presenting a spaghetti dinner and silent auction, noon today at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym, to help with her mounting medical bills.

MO: He’s the Hurricane Katrina survivor chow mix (right) who had a second brush with life-threatening danger last month (our original story here) in a poison scare with a possible link to Westcrest Park. This afternoon, Beveridge Place Pub is where a 4 pm party, including a raffle, is planned to help cover his costs.

As for what else is going on today – you’ll find the full list on the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.

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What’s fresh at West Seattle Farmers’ Market today
February 24, 2008 6:34 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Farmers' Market

Just a few days after we broke the news that the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is going year-round, immediately – it’s time for another market day; here’s the “fresh sheet”:Read More

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Another West Seattle treasure gets ready for a new season
February 23, 2008 11:53 pm
|    Comments Off on Another West Seattle treasure gets ready for a new season
 |   Gardening | How to help

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(photo by Jim Dawson)
The Seattle Chinese Garden at South Seattle Community College not only is getting ready to resume free tours (March 8 is the first one) and preparing to add a new feature, it’s getting ready to train a new crop of volunteers, with an intriguing training program:Read More

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West Seattle Saturday scenes: Sunshine, FS 37, Kenney art
February 23, 2008 9:48 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle people | WS culture/arts

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Thanks to John LaSpina for that shot (taken from The Mount) – one of several we want to share from some of today’s sights around WS, including two events that drew plenty of visitors:Read More

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Texting WSB? Please note this address change
February 23, 2008 9:09 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle online

We just changed phone providers; our voice # is the same, but the address for text messages is different: 2062936302 – at – vtext.com — that’s the best way to reach us fast when you’ve got breaking news, just in case we’re away from the keyboard, so please consider programming it into the contacts list on your phone. (You can also find us on Facebook as WS Blog and on Twitter as westseattleblog, by the way.)

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Crime Watch reader report: Mail stolen from Westwood box
February 23, 2008 6:52 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

If you mailed any checks using the box outside the Westwood Village post office earlier this week, you might want to keep a close watch on your bank account. Just got this report from Jim:

A check we wrote to Time magazine for $19.00 on the 19th, and dropped in the mail box at the Westwood station (verified it dropped in the box) showed up at Moneytree in Seatac, about 2:45 this afternoon, made out to a Hispanic man for $600.00, for lawn work.

Moneytree called the house for verification, we were not home, so they refused the check. I was able to verify the draft number and the style of check, and confirmed it was the same draft.

The mail was put in the drive thru box Tuesday night.

Jim confirms this is being reported to authorities, both by him and by the check-cashing business where it turned up. Here’s an online form for reporting it to the US Postal Inspection Service.

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Denny-Sealth: Final vote now 4 days away
February 23, 2008 6:07 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

In case it’s fallen off your radar — the Seattle School Board‘s final vote on the Denny-Sealth project is four days away, at the board’s next regular meeting on Wednesday night. The agenda for the meeting is now posted online (including information as always on how to sign up to speak at the meeting – you can call starting Monday); find it here. There are two items on the agenda regarding Denny-Sealth:Read More

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Cute, cuddly kittens … want some for just a little while?
February 23, 2008 4:00 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | Pets

This Monday, West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation partners with Feral Care and the Seattle Humane Society to mark the upcoming “Spay Day” by spaying/neutering dozens of feral cats. Teri Ensley from F3 tells WSB that in the process, they’ve received kittens who need foster homes. If you love kittens but don’t really want one around for a LONG time, this might be the perfect opportunity:

So far, Feral Care has 50+ feral cats humanely trapped and rested quietly, just waiting to be fixed. Along with feral trapping … comes kittens. Yes, kittens already. Some are tame and some are feral. We are hoping we can find some people that are willing to foster 2-4 kittens as a time until they are fixed and ready for adoption events. The fostering stint will most likely be anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks … depends on the age and tameness status.

(People) can get a kitten fix and help save their lives by offering a temporary home. Also, fostering would count as community service hours for those that have school requirements.

Ready to find out more about helping out a couple of those little guys till they are ready to find permanent homes? E-mail Teri at: furryfaces@hotmail.com By the way, if you have a non-neutered pet and $ is the only thing that’s kept you from taking that important step, you might qualify for this city-sponsored offer.

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Updates from land-use land (and real estate too)
February 23, 2008 12:03 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

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FIRST, THE REAL ESTATE: Yet another West Seattle apartment building is up for sale, with listing copy suggesting it might make a good condo conversion (though the pace of those seems to have slowed in the wake of the Strata and West Ridge conversion reversions). The photo above is from the listing, which is for the Siberay Apartments west of The Junction at 4546 45th SW (map), 17 units, $2,100,000.

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LAND-USE UPDATE – 4502 42ND: The preliminary plan for this 7-story project on the site of several old houses (photo above) at 42nd and Oregon didn’t get a good reception at its first Design Review Board meeting in October (WSB coverage here). Developers have now applied for the official land-use permit to build it, and the city webpage says they’ve paid for the notice and public-room rental required for the next Design Review meeting — but that’s not listed on the city website anywhere, yet. Keep an eye out for that to be scheduled shortly; we’ll let you know when we see it.

LAND USE REMINDER — 5020 CALIFORNIA (AND 9030 35th): The California Ave project is Spring Hill, the mixed-use building, not to be confused with Spring Hill, the restaurant. Its next Design Review meeting is coming up this Thursday, 8 pm, Denny Middle School (following a 6:30 meeting about 9030 35th SW, a smaller project first reported here). Recent WSB coverage is here (first Design Review meeting) and here (follow-up “open house”).

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Happening today: Raffle, 2 art events, FS 37 preview, more
February 23, 2008 9:04 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Raffle, 2 art events, FS 37 preview, more
 |   How to help | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

angelia2.jpgRAFFLE TODAY TO BENEFIT RED CUP OWNER’S FAMILY: We told you four weeks ago about the two Pearl Jam-signed prints to be raffled off to raise money for the family of Angelia Paulsen (left), Red Cup Espresso owner killed at age 36 in a crash on I-5 next month. The raffle is at noon today at the newly rechristened Angelia’s Red Cup Espresso in The Junction and it’s not too late to get in on it – tickets are $10; here’s the official flyer (with pictures of the prints).

HANDMADE BRIGADE: Noon-4 pm today, Freshy’s Coffee (South Admiral) is the place for this show and sale by local arts/crafts creators — everything is handmade.

FIRST-EVER ART WALK AT THE KENNEY: You’ve probably passed this Fauntleroy landmark a zillion times (if not, here’s a map). Now get a chance to walk the grounds of The Kenney during its first-ever annual Art Walk and enjoy art by staff and residents, along with treats – wine, hors d’oeuvres, gourmet chocolates. 2-4:30 pm today.

firesta37.jpgGO TO THE OLD FIRE STATION TO PREVIEW THE NEW ONE: An open house at Fire Station 37 (7300 35th SW; map) — which is an official Seattle landmark — will feature the newest info on plans for the new FS 37, to be built several blocks north at 35th and Holden. Engine tours are promised too; this happens 2-4 pm today.

FIRST ’08 WEEKEND FOR TONY’S: As we reported Thursday, Tony’s Produce at 35th/Barton has reopened after its traditional postholiday break. We stopped in on Friday afternoon for a quick video tour (less than a minute!) of what’s fresh right now (you’ll see some of the price signs go by too):

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More of today’s (and tomorrow’s) happenings are on our West Seattle Weekend Lineup list.

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Welcome back to a returning WSB sponsor: ArtsWest
February 23, 2008 6:03 am
|    Comments Off on Welcome back to a returning WSB sponsor: ArtsWest
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts

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(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham of mattdurhamphotography.com)
We’re happy to welcome back ArtsWest, which sponsored WSB during the run of its holiday production “O. Henry’s The Gifts of the Magi” and has rejoined us for the play that continues its opening week with a 7:30 pm performance tonight — the Seattle premiere of Rebecca Gilman‘s “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball.” ArtsWest executive director Alan Harrison describes it as “a play about success and failure and the pinnacles and pitfalls of each.” Here’s the official ArtsWest plot synopsis: “Dana Fielding is a successful artist whose latest exhibition completely flops. As does her personal life. To dig herself out of her crisis, she is admitted to a psychiatric hospital and seeks inspiration from – and takes the identity of – the bad boy of baseball, Darryl Strawberry. ‘The Sweetest Swing in Baseball’ is a funny, biting tale of insanity, health insurance, and being all that you can be (even when you’re being someone else).” Dana is portrayed by Heather Hawkins, shown above with castmates Trick Danneker and Gavin Cummins; Shana Bestock directs. ArtsWest is producing “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball” in association with Seattle Public Theater. After tonight’s performance, it continues Wednesday-Saturday nights for the next 3 weeks at 7:30 each night (tickets available online here). Thanks again to ArtsWest for supporting WSB — you’ll find their ad in the exclusive banner spot atop our Crime Watch page, a special sponsorship spot that we’ve made available on all our extra-content pages (the newly reformatted Other Blogs in WS update page, plus our Events list page, the Pets news/pix page, as well as Traffic cams and info, Schools, and the brand-new More page) — find out how to join them and our other sponsors, by going here.

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Crime Watch reader report: Genesee Hill car break-ins tonight
February 22, 2008 10:25 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | WS breaking news


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Just out of the WSB inbox:

Our car was just broken into in the last hour. We live by 53rd and Andover . Our friend’s car was also broken into several blocks away.

10:55 PM UPDATE: After talking with police, the reader also reports the dispatcher said the thieves appear to be “looking for ID info, car registrations and anything with your photo on it (like work ID’s). We only lost a CD and a video game … I think.”

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West Seattle photos: The latest seaside scenes
February 22, 2008 10:22 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | Seen at sea

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Tonight’s sunset at Lincoln Park, from WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham (prints of his WSB photos and other work are available at his site, mattdurhamphotography.com). We have three other seaside scenes to share, these taken by Mac Lerch south of Alki Point:

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Any birders recognize that last group? The wings look ternlike but the only terns we’ve seen around here are white.

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Want to help build a playground for little kids to have big fun?
February 22, 2008 6:06 pm
|    Comments Off on Want to help build a playground for little kids to have big fun?
 |   Delridge | How to help | West Seattle parks

In east West Seattle, Cottage Grove Park “needs a tot lot,” according to North Delridge community organizers who are determined to make one happen. They say the park originally was supposed to have play equipment for 2- to 5-year-olds as well as the older kids, but the “tot lot” didn’t make the $ cut; now they’re ready to make it happen anyway. Can you help them — with ideas, materials, time? Join them for their first discussion tomorrow at Bubbles on Delridge (map), 4:30 pm. (If you can’t be there but might be able to help, e-mail betsy@hoffmeisters.com)

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Clearing the way along Harbor Ave
February 22, 2008 5:25 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town

Heavy-equipment cleanup under way this afternoon along Harbor Ave, just southeast of the complex in which Sleepless Coffee nestles:

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No development proposals in the work for this parcel so far as we can tell; however, we’re experiencing memory loss — wasn’t this the “other” parcel with one of the famous old boats? It’s not the one we showed here – that’s still intact (so to speak) a few blocks southeast.

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West Seattle Weekend Lineup: February finale
February 22, 2008 2:39 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

*If you are coming here from the Sustainable WS newsletter, welcome, and please click the West Seattle Weekend Lineup category link beneath the headline to find the current WSWL … thank you!*

The last full weekend of February is full of fun … from a pancake breakfast to a soup and chili cookoff, from a pruning workshop to an open house for the Fire Station 37 project, from Parents’ Afternoon Out and Parents’ Night Out child-care offerings to Sunday fundraisers to help a brave child and a beloved pet. We’ve listed 39 events:Read More

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Harbor Island spill update
February 22, 2008 2:19 pm
|    Comments Off on Harbor Island spill update
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

Updated information from the Seattle Fire Department is that up to 600 gallons of dimethyl carbonate got into Elliott Bay after the Terminal 5 spill early this morning involving a punctured container being offloaded from the Hyundai Patriot. SFD was “wrapping up” its role in the operation as of early afternoon, with other agencies still involved in containment and cleanup. The fire department says no one was hurt.

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Seen in West Seattle traffic: Sign(s) of the political times?
February 22, 2008 12:36 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle politics

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Spotted by the WSB Sales Guy while out on rounds.

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Myrtle Reservoir park process: Skateboard-feature update
February 22, 2008 11:56 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

With the next public meeting set for the Morgan Junction park design, seems like a good time to update the Myrtle Reservoir park project, since it’s on a similar timeline. Virginia Hassinger from Seattle Parks tells WSB the next public meeting for Myrtle is not set yet because “we have several site specific details we are still discussing with Seattle Public Utilities.” However, according to two other Parks officials, Colleen Browne and Kevin Stoops, when the final proposed Myrtle design is presented, it will include some sort of skateboard feature. That’s what so much discussion has centered around in previous public meetings (WSB coverage of last month’s meeting is here). The schematic option below, from the 1/23/08 meeting, shows the area of the park proposed for the potential skatepark feature):

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The City Skatepark Plan had earmarked either Myrtle or High Point for a skateboard feature, and Browne says it makes sense to proceed with proposing it at Myrtle because that’s the “bird in hand” — a project under development now, while in comparison, there is no new park development of any type currently on the drawing board at the High Point site. Another question had been where the money for a Myrtle skateboard feature would come from (also discussed at last month’s meeting), since the Skatepark Plan did not come with funding of its own; Stoops tells WSB it would come out of the Myrtle park’s budget. “It’s a million dollars,” he noted, referring to the budget, saying this would be just another feature to be budgeted in, “like landscaping (etc.).” Hassinger says comments on all aspects of the project continue to be welcome; her contact info is on the official project webpage.

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Emergency shelter moves back into West Seattle
February 22, 2008 10:03 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

A shelter for up to 20 men that was located in West Seattle until a year ago just moved back, according to a flyer received by neighbors (read a scanned copy of it here). The Calvary Lutheran Shelter, operated by SHARE, was at the church of that same name at 35th/Cloverdale from 1999 till last year, when CL sold the site to the former Gatewood Baptist Church (now Life Church). nazarene.jpgNow, as of last Friday, it’s located in the Church of the Nazarene building at 42nd/Juneau (photo left; map here), according to the flyer, which says there’s an informational meeting “for immediate neighbors” this Sunday night. The flyer includes info about how the shelter is managed and notes that the church has “temporarily hosted several other SHARE shelters in the past 5 years.” We have a message out to SHARE to ask a few followup questions; if you are interested in more information about the need for places for homeless people to go, the recent One-Night Count results are enlightening, as are pages from other groups such as the Committee to End Homelessness in King County. 11:18 AM UPDATE: Just talked with a rep from SHARE, and here’s what else we found out:Read More

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Here’s what all the helicopter noise was about
February 22, 2008 8:52 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   WS miscellaneous

Got some notes from folks awakened by helicopters: TV choppers covering this spill at Terminal 5. (Which part of the port is that, exactly, you ask? Here’s the official Port of Seattle directions.)

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