West Seattle, Washington
17 Wednesday
In the discussion that followed our report on last Thursday’s Southwest Design Review Board meeting – the first look at early plans for two more major Junction projects (Conner Homes‘ buildings @ California/Alaska/42nd and Harbor Properties‘ building at 38th/Alaska) – the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce (whose executive director Patti Mullen and president Dawn Leverett, both profiled here recently, attended the meeting) was mentioned a few times. Some commenters were worried the C of C isn’t campaigning to attract the right types of businesses to West Seattle. Believe it or not, the C of C is truly interested in hearing what you DO want to see in terms of businesses for these new developments (and the rest of WS, for that matter), and asked us if we would throw that out to you for open discussion. So — what DO you want to see filling West Seattle’s commercial spaces?
Lots of e-mails asking about this one — after an intense helicopter/ground search over part of east West Seattle on Saturday night — finally got the info: Lt. Norm James at the Southwest Precinct says it started with a domestic-violence call, one person threatening another with a knife (in a situation where there already was a restraining order) — the victim was not hurt, but it took about an hour to find and arrest the suspect (Lt. James says the K-9 team made the capture in the 5300 block of 21st SW).
It’s not every day you can go on a field trip and see a world leader. But today, a lot of schoolkids from around the Seattle area got to do just that – this photo shared by a parent (with school permission) shows Mrs. Clark’s 6th grade advisory class from Madison Middle School during their Seattle Center trip today to the Dalai Lama’s “youth event.”
As discussed here a week and a half ago, not everybody wants a free street tree from the city. But a few people in that comment thread DID say “hey! we do!”, so in that spirit, we are passing along this SDOT announcement that just landed in the WSB inbox:Read More
Full disclosure, we are sentimentally attached to that 84-year-old building at California/Graham, as we mentioned when the redevelopment plan for that corner first came up almost exactly one year ago (first posted here, including historical reminiscences in the comments; there’s more history here). WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli subsequently went out and took photos of the building for posterity’s sake, including the two you see above. Over the course of the past year, the project has proceeded, as such things tend to do, and then came this morning’s city Land Use Information Bulletin, with only one item — this decision regarding environmental and design review. Next step, final permits for demolition and construction (what will be built there, you ask? 3-story live/work units and townhouses; here’s our coverage of the site’s last Design Review Board meeting, including a design photo).
That’s one scenario proposed in this CL item posted this morning seeking tenants for the Murphy’s Furniture site (which, as we reported in January, is being vacated – we have a message out to find out if Murphy’s has a new location yet). Reminder, you can browse the latest West Seattle-tagged CL listings any time on the second half of our “More” page.
In the months preceding the Seattle School Board vote to tear down Denny Middle School and build its replacement on the Chief Sealth High School campus (archived coverage here), one big question was, “what would happen to the Denny site?” The Westwood Neighborhood Council is watching that especially closely, and the sketch you see above is courtesy of WNC president Steve Fischer; he got it from Robert Evans, who’s working with Seattle Public Schools on the Denny/Sealth project. Fischer explains: “The graphic, as it was described to me by Mr. Evans, shows a ‘tennis center,’ parking lot, and softball field where the current Denny Middle School is situated. Mr. Evans informed me that this was the graphic that was to be sent out with the SEPA determination for the project and only shows the worst case scenario in terms of impervious surface area. Mr. Evans informed me that they intend to still work with the neighborhood on the development of this site.” Reminder, the city Landmarks Preservation Board considers the landmark nominations for Denny and Sealth — submitted as part of the required process in this project — this Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 40th floor, Municipal Tower downtown. (More details here.)
PARKS: Is the city Parks Department on the right track after the first draft of its “strategic business plan” following meetings around the city last fall? Tonight’s the second of seven West Seattle meetings where you can have a say. 6:30 pm, Hiawatha Community Center; other meetings are listed here.
PETS: Though Seattle Animal Shelter handles pet matters within the city limits, pet advocates from West Seattle as well as the rest of the county are expected at the King County Council‘s Town Hall meeting on county Animal Control policies and changes. 6:30 pm, Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien, preceded by an adoption fair that starts at 5:30 pm (and an advocates’ rally at 6). Read more here.
KIDS & BOOKS: The next step in “West Seattle Reads” — which started with this event at Sanislo Elementary three weeks ago offering free books to kids from around WS — happens tonight at the Delridge Library, 7 pm (and 7 pm tomorrow at Southwest Library). Read the backstory here.
More events for today, tonight, and the weeks and months ahead, can be found here.
Couldn’t get these in earlier, but any time’s the right time for gorgeous sunset shots. This one above was the Friday night view from Lincoln Park as a kayaker headed north, taken by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham. Below, Robert Stever caught this view looking toward Blake Island and the Olympics earlier in the week:
That’s the updated version of a map we first showed you earlier this weekend – the first six spots around West Seattle designated as neighborhood gathering places in case disaster strikes and normal lines of communication aren’t working; this is where you would go for information and help. As part of a neighborhood-group-led process for the next month or so, each spot (and a couple more yet to be firmed up) will have a date set when volunteers will set up a table for you to come visit and pick up information to help keep your family safe. Tonight, another of those dates has been set: April 27, 10 am-2 pm, at Ercolini Park, gathering spot for people in the Junction area; also the site for Olympic Heights and environs is now set as Hughes Playground, and the date to stop by there will be 1-4 pm May 3rd. Other dates/places set for you to stop by if it’s your nearest gathering place: 11 am-4 pm April 20 @ Thriftway for Morgan Junction, 7:30-11 am April 26 @ Delridge Community Center, 3-6 pm May 4 @ Hiawatha Park for the Admiral area. But don’t wait till then to make sure everyone in your family knows where to go if the unthinkable happens – print out this map (clicking on “View Larger Map” beneath it will take you to the full version) and tuck it away if you think that might help.
A citywide program with strong West Seattle ties is making progress in its recently launched quest to expand music education for kids in all Seattle Public Schools. 
It’s called Rotary Music4Life, and its creative team includes two West Seattleites, former school-board member Irene Stewart, and SirenSong Productions‘ Bronwyn Edwards Cryer. Stewart tells WSB that many of the photos on the Rotary Music4Life site (see it here) feature Roxhill Elementary and Arbor Heights Elementary students, as well as Westside Symphonette musicians. At the heart of this program’s work is the search for donations of “gently used” — or new! — instruments needed so that kids who can’t afford to buy or rent instruments can still join in music programs. One of the city’s two drop-off spots for instrument donations is C and P Coffee in West Seattle. Rotary Music4Life intends to get 1,200 instruments for kids who need them; so far, their website shows 28 acquired (here’s the list of what’s needed; here’s how to donate).
When the recast Alki Statue of Liberty was triumphantly unveiled at Alki last September 11th (WSB coverage, with video, here), we all knew the original statue would eventually take up residence in the nearby Log House Museum. We kept checking for a while and eventually lost track of when it would arrive — till a recent e-mail exchange with museum managers enlightened us to the fact it’s on display now in the Carriage House gift shop adjacent to the Log House Museum, where we took the photo today, as well as this pic of related tchotchkes you can buy in the Carriage House:
The gift shop has many other offerings too, including several copies of the quintessential West Seattle history book — published 20 years ago (but still endlessly fascinating) — West Side Story. You can check it out, and see the original Alki Lady Liberty, during Log House Museum hours, Thursdays-Sundays, noon-4 pm, southwest corner of 61st and Stevens (map and other info here) – and don’t miss the silent auction with baskets, gift certificates, and more, in the LHM’s main room, now through April 27. P.S. Our most recent update on the “new” statue’s plaza/pedestal project is here.
Two things to report in the ongoing question of whether an area for skateboarders will be built into the Myrtle Reservoir park, an issue of great interest to both skateboarders and park neighbors: First, a postcard has arrived, promoting the next public meeting (May 1), and the postcard says: “An area on the site will be reserved for a future skate feature.” Second – after the April 3rd city Design Commission review of the latest Myrtle design proposal (an electronic copy is not yet available but you can see our photo of it in our report about that meeting), during which Parks Department reps made statements conflicting with what they had told us for this report we published in February, we asked Colleen Browne (who manages the department’s project managers) for further clarification of its status, and this is what she has e-mailed in respnse:
The [citywide] Skatepark plan calls for a skate feature at either this site or High Point. At the present time we have a ProParks project at Myrtle. Therefore, we propose putting a skate feature into the park. We are looking for ways to fund it because it would likely be cheaper to build the entire park at one time.
So what’s next? Come hear/ask for yourself at the May 1 meeting, billed as the third of four public meetings on the project; it’s at 7 pm, High Point Community Center.
This just came in as a comment following the “bra-scattering burglar” West Seattle Crime Watch report five days ago; since most people won’t check in on comments from older items, we’re reposting it here:
He hit us too, we came home Friday night and found our house had been broken into as well (13th and Trenton) and I would guess it’s the same guy based on how he operated. The underwear drawers were all ransacked (but no underwear turned up in the driveway) and smaller electronics and such were taken. The weirdest thing was that he looked through our fridge and ate some leftover pizza while he was here (we’ve started referring to him as the Pizza Bandit). He was clearly in no hurry. He also had a coke and the police took the can with them to look for fingerprints. We can only hope he gets caught soon as obviously he is quite brazen. We’ll be installing security cameras this week in the event he decides to come back in the future. All in all a bad weekend!
Marc
We’ll be checking on this one with the Southwest Precinct tomorrow. Speaking of which, we posted a note on the Crime Watch page, but in case you were wondering (as were about half a dozen people who e-mailed us), we don’t yet have official information on what was at the heart of last night’s helicopter-accompanied search in Pigeon Point and environs – will let you know when we do.
Thanks to Karol I for e-mailing this tip, which we confirmed via business-license records as well as this spot on MySpace:
Just a few words on a new business is coming to a part of Seattle which has few food places. Blaine and Rahel Cook are in the process of changing that.
Zippy’s Giant Burgers is coming to 16th and Holden about May 1, 2008. They are busy cleaning, painting and arranging the new furniture which they have carefully selected for their new venture. I am sure that they will be doing well, in particular since I will be one of their first customers.
Here’s a map of that location (street address 1513 SW Holden).
The half-dozen West Seattle students (profiled here with video last month) who are currently on “An Inconvenient Ride” now have “trip log” diary-style posts (read them here) on the environmental-awareness trip’s official website, and the few we grazed are rather honest, occasionally raw tales of the tough road trip they’ve taken on. Their photo gallery is even more up to date (find it here). The group is in Arizona this morning (the route is detailed here), and will then head up through California and Oregon en route to a slated arrival back in Seattle on Earth Day, April 22, for the “Global to Local” benefit at Benaroya Hall.
From Neighborhood Farmers’ Market Alliance director Chris Curtis: “Good news for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Not only is it going year-round now, but Wooly Pigs is scheduled to start there this week with their delicious pork products from their exotic Hungarian Mangalitza breed of pigs. Bacon, loin roast, chops and fresh pork sausage are available. Puget Beach Shellfish also plans on coming into West Seattle this weekend with fresh oysters. … Due to the extended cold – some produce is late … At last farm update, I was told that asparagus will be here in 2 weeks. Hothouse tomatoes and Japanese cukes are about 3 weeks out. ” Here’s what’s on the weekly fresh sheet:Read More
Ah, it’s sunset-photo season again! This is from Cove Park next to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal just as the Issaquah was about to head westward at sunset tonight. Now, from the middle of the bright height of the early-afternoon sun:
That’s some of the fun from Healthy Kids Day at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) today (second photo courtesy Josh Sutton from the Y). The activities were today only, but the Y has waived joining fees for the whole weekend, so that part continues tomorrow. So does the event that brought out this line on Harbor Ave just north of The Bridge this morning:
For the second straight adoptathon, Kitty Harbor (next to ActivSpace) had a line of would-be cat adopters waiting to get in as soon as the doors opened. The adoptathon continues tomorrow, 11 am-7 pm. Last but not least, a bonus photo that’s actually from last night’s lovely sunset:
WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham shot that from Don Armeni. (Prints of Matt’s WSB photos and his other work are available through his site, MattDurhamPhotography.com.)
RAMP BACKUP: Heading westbound on The Bridge past the Harbor/Avalon exit around 6 pm, we noticed traffic was backed up all the way to the bridge deck itself, and it looked like gridlock along Harbor, even worse than summertime. Guessing the road narrowing at the pump-station project along Alki is a major factor.
FIRE PITS? Received e-mail from someone noting the fire pits are absent at Alki. We can’t find any indication online that they would be permanently gone, and can’t quite recall if there’s usually a seasonal removal. Any enlightenment?
REMINDER FOR PET OWNERS: Dani sends an important reminder, which she titled “Hot Cars = Hot Dogs,” after a close call in the Alki area. Read on:Read More
BE A MASTER OF DISASTER! That’s Version 1.0 of a West Seattle map designed to make sure you “know where to go” in case of disaster: Neighborhood volunteers around WS are designating locations as community gathering sites if the unthinkable happens and a major disaster makes it impossible to get information and help the usual ways. These are sites where you will be able to go to find out what’s going on (click on the blue “pins” to find out more). As part of the month-plus campaign to help you become a “Master of Disaster” – knowing what it takes to keep your family safe – each of these locations, and others to be added as soon as we get confirmation from the other volunteers, will have a day set aside when you can drop by to get helpful info and say hi. The first dates are set: 11 am-4 pm April 20 for the Morgan Junction location (Thriftway), 7:30-11 am April 26 for the Delridge location (Delridge Community Center), 1-5 pm May 3 for the Olympic Heights location (Hughes Playground/School), 3-6 pm May 4 for the Admiral location (Hiawatha Park/Community Center). Help is still needed for some south/east West Seattle neighborhoods – e-mail Cindi Barker at cbarker (at) qwest.net.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AWARDS: Please join us at Capers in The Junction next Friday night (April 18), 7-8 pm, for the second quarterly informal gathering to announce the latest West Seattle Community Recognition Awards winners. This is no Oscars-style ceremony, just a get-together in the Capers cafe (tasty brownies last time!) to chat and spend a few minutes talking about our fabulous community and the people who make it great. (Here’s coverage of the first WSCRA event.) Hope you can come say hi; the WSB team will be there along with Julie Mireille Anderson of Divina, who hatched the awards idea, and friends old and new.
FUNDRAISER FOR LOCKSMITH SHUT DOWN BY ARSON: Three weeks have now passed since the arson attack on Puget Sound Key and Lock in Morgan Junction; we checked with police this week, no arrests yet. WSB Forum Community members have continued working hard on a fundraiser that is now one week away — next Saturday night, 6-9 pm, Admiral Pub, with a silent auction and raffle, all ages welcome.
4TH ANNUAL WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY, MAY 10! Two days into registration, 20+ sales are signed up for what promises to be a fun day around West Seattle. It isn’t one big sale – it’s sales in neighborhoods all over WS (more than 100 the past 2 years), with maps distributed ahead of time, and promotion/advertising citywide to invite people to come shop in our beautiful section of Seattle. WSB is presenting it this year after creator/sponsor Megawatt closed; we’ve added some features like the online-registration option and “best sign”/”most unusual item” contests. Full details at our official WSCGSD site, westseattlegaragesale.com, including the online registration link (and a downloadable form if you’d rather mail your signup sheet in, plus a list of sites where you can pick up a pre-printed form).
Out of the WSB inbox, for your consideration as a way to help West Seattleites in need:
To Our Friends in West Seattle
From a Gathering of Concerned Spiritual LeadersWe greet you in this season when Christians proclaim the joy of Easter. Spring is a time when many faiths mark holy days and observe special traditions, a time when many of us are reminded that we are truly blessed.
Recently you received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service, with the heading, “Economic Stimulus Payment Notice.” It stated that individuals who qualify may receive as much as $600 ($1200 if married filing jointly) in our government’s effort to stave off an economic downturn. The coming payment is intended to boost the economy with extra spending that will follow. Whether or not you agree with this strategy, it appears the money will be on its way some time in late spring or early summer.
Recently, members of one of our congregations presented their pastor with an idea. What if a large number of people in our community decided to share a portion of this extra, unplanned “bonus†with neighbors? What if, for instance, households from all over West Seattle used the Biblical standard of 10% and gave $60 or $120 to local charities to help ease some of the financial pain so many are feeling. Food banks have been stretched, emergency funding sources are tapped out, and shelters are facing budget cuts. A thousand individuals giving at least 10% would provide $60,000. Why not several thousand people? Why not more?
We are the spiritual leaders of a number of Christian congregations in the West Seattle/White Center/Burien area. While we encourage folks to give any amount to whatever organizations they might choose, we are inviting members of our congregations to contribute to a special “Sharing Our Share†(S.O.S.) fund. It will be collected at each of our local churches and 100% will be divided equally among the West Seattle, West Seattle Senior Center and White Center Food Banks, along with West Seattle Helpline, Westside Baby, and a new community-based emergency-shelter program, “Family Promise.”
We invite anyone in the community or beyond to join us in this effort by contributing to the Sharing Our Share, S.O.S. fund, care of any of the congregations listed below. [WSB editor’s note: We have linked their church names to their websites, if available, where you will find contact info.] Your gift is, of course, tax-deductible. Again, we encourage a contribution of 10% or more with the assurance that every penny will go to these community based organizations. Together, we will not only help stimulate the economy, but help make an important difference in the lives of our neighbors and friends who are facing difficult times. What a great opportunity!
With Appreciation,
Terry Teigen and Kendall Baker
Admiral United Church of ChristDiane Darling
Alki United Church of ChristPaul Winterstein
Calvary Lutheran Church, L.C.M.S.David Kratz and Susan Towner-Larsen
Fauntleroy United Church of ChristPhilip Lee
Glendale Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A.Keith Eilers
Hope Lutheran Church, L.C.M.S.Erik Kindem
Peace Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A.Peter DeVeau and Kate Wesch
St. John the Baptist Episcopal ChurchJoanne Brown
Tibbetts United Methodist Church
The full list of West Seattle weekend events for today and tomorrow is in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup list we publish every Friday; find the latest one here (and if you’re ever looking for it, just go to the right sidebar list of WSB Categories and click on the last link – the newest one will be on top of the archive page that comes up). Highlights:
PARKS PLAN MEETING: Remember the round of meetings to gather input for the city Parks Department Strategic Business Plan? As we mentioned last month, the draft plan is out, and a new round of meetings is under way. The first of 6 in West Seattle is at 3 pm today, Alki Community Center. (Read the plan here; see the full list of meetings here – next one is Monday night at Hiawatha Community Center – you can also comment on the plan online.)
HEALTHY KIDS DAY: It’s one of the biggest events of the year at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor); tons of fun, with full info here. 10 am-1 pm today.
ADOPT A CAT: Last time Kitty Harbor (profiled on WSB here) had an adoptathon, the person who runs KH, Delyn Kosbab, said folks lined up outside before the doors opened. She’s doing it again this weekend — 11 am to 7 pm today (KH is just south of ActivSpace on Harbor Ave).
SPECIAL BOOK/MUSIC EVENT WITH WEST SEATTLE AUTHOR: Clay Eals has received widespread acclaim for his biography “Steve Goodman: Facing the Music.” A few weeks ago, 200 people attended a presentation he gave about it, with eight musicians playing Goodman’s music, in Lake Forest Park (see photos from that event on this page), and tonight you can hear about Goodman’s life and times from Eals, with music by singer/guitarist Tom Colwell, accompanied by bassist Bruce Hanson, and Mark Myers on dobro and harmonica, 7 pm at Admiral UCC (California/Hill), free of charge. (Read more about Clay Eals and the book here.)
Eight days after the 34th Legislative District Democratic Caucus at West Seattle High School (WSB coverage here), the King County Democratic Convention happens there Sunday. Interesting sidenote found online – notable non-Democrat Tim Eyman is hoping to speak.
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