One last word …

… about the Never-Ending Popularity Poll. Today’s the last day to vote. We’re guaranteed to lose; USS Mariner probably gets as many people per minute as we get all day. But if not for some fine folks out there, we wouldn’t have made it to the Final Four as the last neighborhood blog standing … so thanks!

New scoop on what’s going into the ex-flower shop

Just got details on the restaurant in the works for the ex-Neilsen Flowers space at the north edge of The Junction. Its proprietor says it’s been a long slog to get some necessary city approvals (note permit just issued, six months after application!), but they’re finally making progress. It’ll be a 21-and-up restaurant and bar, called “Shadowland” (a change from the original plan, and a reference to a biography of West Seattle’s troubled movie legend Frances Farmer). They’re hoping to be open by summer.

Just doesn’t seem like the right phrase

“Open House,” sure, but “Grand Opening” for a mini-cluster of new $400K townhomes (Fauntleroy & Findlay)? Struck us funny, or maybe we’re just giddy from sunshine.

grandopening.jpg

2 big events this Thursday night

#1, second Thursday of the month means Junction Art Walk night. Haven’t received the full lineup from the fine folks at Divina yet, but got a heads-up from participating WS artist Kelly Rae Cunningham, who says she’ll have collage work @ Clementine.

#2, wondering what’s up with Fauntleroy Place? Will Schuck’s/Hancock ever come down, so Whole Foods etc. can go up? Next stage in the process is the Southwest Design Review Board meeting Thursday, 6:30 pm @ the Southwest Precinct. (We can’t go but would love postable notes — we’ll give you a byline if you want — from anyone who can.)

Pointlessness at the Polls, T minus 1 week

Four state legislators (including our West Seattle rep) say, even before the votes are counted, it’s time to revisit The Third Option.

In the transcript of his online Q-n-A session, lame-duck Councilmember Peter S says no/no will “send (politicians) a message” — but then in the next breath says he’ll ignore the vote results if they turn out “yes elevated.”

-The Muni League says voting no/no isn’t enough — vote blank/blank.

-Dylan says, don’t even vote.

Blue-Eyed Buddhist ‘fesses up to a yes tunnel/no elevated vote.

Pagliacci going south?

A frequent reader who got involved in the recent Pagliacci uproar says PP claims to have quietly stretched its delivery area south, finally. Maybe as far south as Holden. Anyone who can confirm this with an actual pizza delivery south of Morgan, let us know; Holden isn’t south enough for us, but we tried asking anyway, and got the slapdown. We also e-mailed Pagliacci management early today to inquire; no reply. (Though WS Blogger Spouse insists that if Pagliacci notes enough of a drop after Garlic Jim’s opens in two weeks, “bet you’ll see them deliver all the way to Southcenter.”) Well, we won’t hold our (garlic) breath.

Show your support for Charlestown Cafe

Mark Wainwright reports on the Our Town West Seattle group that he and the folks who run the endangered Charlestown Cafe have agreed on a time and date for a community meeting: 7 pm March 28, at CC. They’re hoping for a big show of support; mark your calendar now!

Pointlessness at the Polls, T minus 8 days

-The viaduct’s just in a bad place, period.

-What life would really be like during a rebuild.

-A rebuild would spend $50K on behalf of each of us, says the Sightline Institute. (Can we just take the $ instead?)

When not to leave town this summer …

… at least, you’ll want to be here if you’re a parade fan like us. Just got word that it looks like 11 am Saturday, July 21, for this year’s Hi-Yu Parade down Cali. (The Seafair parade downtown is one week later; Blue Angels, one week after that.)

Fame for Freshy’s

The SOA coffee shop Freshy’s gets a couple paragraphs at the end of a Washington Post article about the Starbucks malaise.

Cool tool for home history

If you live in one of West Seattle’s many older houses and have a bit of curiosity about who lived in your house way back when, here’s an unlikely tool: The city database of “side sewer cards.” Look up your address and you’ll find an image of the hand-drawn, hand-written records showing where your house connects its “side sewer” to the nearest main city pipe and who owned it last time it was inspected (check the back of the “card” for that info). And if yours goes back far enough that the person who originally owned it is likely to have left the planet by now, you can look ’em up on the Social Security Death Index.

Pointlessness at the Polls, T minus 9 days

March 4, 2007 11:59 am
|    Comments Off on Pointlessness at the Polls, T minus 9 days
 |   Viaduct vote

-Times columnist Danny Westneat takes a walk under the viaduct with a guy identified as a West Seattle writer (we’re guessing this is him, though there’s no geo info on that site) and arrives at the conclusion that he’s joining us No/No-ers.

-Missed this one in the Saturday Times: Tunneling would raise our utility bills.

-And it’s a Times trifecta in this PATP update: E-mail your questions now for tomorrow’s online session with lame-duck councilmember Peter S, following last week’s appearances by Nick L and Hizzoner.

Save a kitty

Just noticed (thanks to Seattle City Buzz) that the next Seattle Animal Shelter cat adopt-a-thon is next Saturday @ Alki Community Center. Both of our cats are ex-shelter kitties; besides getting joy from having them share our lives, we get to bask in the warm and fuzzy feeling we probably saved theirs.

Sleepy Bear in a body bag?

travelodge.jpgOr so it appears, at the only motel in West Seattle, where the Travelodge sign is now tarped over. Tried calling; no answer. Checked the Travelodge website; it says only “dates for this property are not available on our system at this time.” Hmm. (On a somewhat-related note, why IS that the only motel or hotel in WS? We kinda get the Alki angst over the lodging proposal there, but surely there is room somewhere within our borders for a nice non-B&B place to stay … you’d think. We had one a century ago!)

West Seattle waterfront, pre-dawn

Looking around YouTube to see what people have posted from WS lately, found this.

Pointlessness at the Polls, T minus 10 days

-Even a “new” viaduct would include a section of repaired/retrofitted viaduct, says the P-I.

-A fan of a seldom-discussed option, a bridge over Elliott Bay, lays it out in the Times.

-Pro-viaduct commercial, analyzed.

-Anti-viaduct commercial, analyzed.

-Near the end of this councilmember-who’s-leaving profile, West Seattle’s Most Famous ex-State Supreme Court Justice thinks 100,000 people live in WS.

Putting up a good front

March 2, 2007 11:54 pm
|    Comments Off on Putting up a good front
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle businesses

bakerynouveauawning.jpgSome facade fine-tuning in The Junction: Bakery Nouveaudivinasignless.jpg has finally erased the last traces of the previous occupant from its awning (left); Divina‘s front sign (right) is temporarily missing while some roof work is under way.

It finally happened …

… a night when we could barely get into a WS restaurant. Maybe it’s all those folks moving into all those townhomes, or else it’s just that we’ve got great places dishing up great food. First we tried The Junction; barely found a place to park; walked into our restaurant of choice, were told we’d have to wait at least half an hour. Eventually moved on to Admiral; nowhere to park but that dingy garage near Bartell … eventually managed a table at one of the few not-so-trendy places nearby. Anyway, congrats to the places where business is booming; reservations might be in order soon!

And the name is …

The National Weather Service just announced the winning name in the contest (here’s a Times writeup) to name the December 2006 windstorm: The Hanukkah Eve Windstorm. We still think “Thursday Night Football Windstorm” would have been better. At least the winning name came from somebody in Burien, which was hit just about as hard as we were in WS.

First weekend in March

March 2, 2007 7:05 am
|    Comments Off on First weekend in March
 |   WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

If you have time to do more than sit around plotting a party for the early start of Daylight-Saving Time next weekend (or St. P’s Day, beyond), here’s what you can do THIS weekend (after the jump):Read More

The Final Four!

Bless all you WSBers (we need a T-shirt, don’t we? soon as we get a logo!) who campaigned to help us get this far in the Metroblogging Seattle popularity-poll-that-won’t-stop. Now, we are in the Final Four (vote here) and proclaimed as “having moxie.” (Actually, we haven’t been there. Yet.)

Death Star Trench By The Sea?

March 2, 2007 6:02 am
|    Comments Off on Death Star Trench By The Sea?
 |   Development

Things are pretty tall and dense along the stretch of Beach Drive between Weather Watch Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks. This is likely to continue the trend, replacing a few surviving century-old homes:

beachdrive.jpg

Let’s talk tacos, amigos

“K” e-mailed us to ask if we have any taco truck recommendations, in WS or White Center vicinities. Sorry to say, we haven’t gotten any more exotic than Taqueria Guaymas. Anyone with a recommendation for “K”?