West Seattle, Washington
19 Friday
This came up in the WSB Forums today – and WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham got the photo. He writes: “A tour bus, packed to capacity with members of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI, which is conducting a symposium this weekend in downtown Seattle), visited Little Prague European Bakery at 6045 California Ave SW Friday morning to sample delectable Czech pastries. A Czech pastry’s dough is light and flaky sometimes filled with a fruit preserve or cream. What sets the pastries apart from others is the moderate amount of sugar used, resulting in other flavors reaching the taste buds. Little Prague European Bakery will set up their booth for the West Seattle Farmers Market the last Sunday in April to kick off the Summer Market season.” Prints of Matt’s WSB photos and his other work are available through his site, MattDurhamPhotography.com.
Tonight, the traditional WSB welcome to another new sponsor – this time, it’s 4415 SW Stevens (map), 
a home that’s up for sale, with an open house 2-4 pm Sunday. The photo’s at left; here’s what its owners want you to know: “The house is a 1929 Tudor, located about a block west of the Admiral PCC. There are quite a few similar looking houses in West Seattle of approximately the same age, but what distinguishes this one is that it has been beautifully restored & completely updated. Our new ad in WSB references that we had the house earthquake-retrofitted, one of several things that make the house safer than many houses of its vintage. The house has new electrical wiring; all knob-and-tube wiring was removed or decommissioned & vintage light fixtures were rewired or are new. The plumbing is updated including new water lines. There is a new gas furnace & updated ductwork. The lower level is fully finished. In other words, this house has no creepy old wiring, plumbing or basement! On the aesthetic side, the house has many beautiful period details; mahogany woodwork, original glass doorknobs, fireplace tile, & hardwood floors have all been refurbished. A primary goal of our remodel was to restore and preserve Old World Charm. We replaced old aluminum windows in the living & dining rooms with period leaded glass windows including a beautiful antique transom window with hand-cut bevels. The house has beautiful tile work & many other charming details. The exterior of the house had yellow aluminum siding for many years. We had it removed & discovered the original cedar siding underneath. We had a master carpenter recreate the traditional doorway arch with hand-cut custom molding. The yard is beautifully landscaped thanks to the previous owner; we have been amazed at the variety of beautiful flowers & plants. We hope that people will stop in at one of our open houses! It’s a beautiful home in a great neighborhood. We’ve enjoyed the convenience of being able to walk to nearby shops, parks & schools.” Here’s the website the owners set up to share more info about their home and open houses, including the one this Sunday, 2-4 pm.
Just out of the inbox from Tippy, whose e-mail carried that subject line. We don’t condone anyone hitting their kids (or adults for that matter) but we’re leaving in Tippy’s last line because it’s a rather clear summary of his feelings:
While traveling up Fairmount with my wife and kids around 4:00 p.m. today I was hit by a water balloon just before the intersection of Forest. I had my window open and it missed my head by mere inches. I stopped the car and gave chase. Being young and spry they escaped. I subsequently called the police (which showed up within minutes). I did find a stash of water balloons (black) and a pile of dirt clods and rocks. I also took and handed over to the police one brown shirt that was housing the water balloons. So, if parents are reading this and one of their lovely progeny is missing a brown shirt, whack them upside the head.
Now, if you’re wondering “so what? it was just water balloons,” from our coverage of some of the recent cases of rocks being thrown at cars (and BBs being shot at them) — which could have resulted in serious injury or worse — we recall some of the perpetrators having started their sprees by throwing more benign objects (Christmas lights, in this notorious case), and moving on to the potentially injurious ones. And one more note, coverage coming up just a little later tonight of West Seattle kids doing GOOD things, never fear.
Linked from the P-I education blog this afternoon: A Seattle Public Schools spreadsheet showing how many families listed each school in the district as their “first choice” for next year, and for comparison, the numbers for the previous four years. (Iif you haven’t been through this process before, the “school choice” system in SPS asks you to list and rank the schools you request that your child/ren be admitted to; the process is under review for possible future changes.) Take note that the elementary numbers are for kindergarteners, the middle-school numbers for 6th graders, the high-school numbers for entering 9th graders. West Seattle schools that were listed as “first choice” by more students this year than last, according to this document, are Arbor Heights, Cooper, Gatewood, Lafayette, Roxhill, Schmitz Park, and West Seattle (still listed under its old name, High Point) elementaries; Denny Middle School; and West Seattle High School. (See our Schools page for direct links to all WS schools’ websites.) Among those, the most dramatic jumps were at Denny, with 132 first choices this year, 87 last year; Gatewood, with 61 first choices this year, more than double the 26 from last year; Lafayette at 116, up from 75; and Roxhill, almost doubling, 31 this year after 16 last year. As the P-I also notes, a wide variety of factors play into how parents list choices, so this isn’t a completely clear-cut popularity poll, to be fair. (Here’s the spreadsheet link again; note the third page shows how many kids are currently waitlisted for each school.)
Just this week, we added a new area to the WSB Forums, for West Seattle-based businesses who are hiring. By request, we have retitled that section West Seattle Jobs Offered and added a West Seattle Jobs Wanted section (where we have moved 2 jobseekers who turned up in the original area). Please follow the rules posted on the main Forums page. Thanks!
From Meredith, the tale of truck trouble – and a driver who stopped to help:
At 10:30 this morning on the West Seattle Bridge eastbound, a cab/container-bed truck lost a pipe or metal post off the back. I’d say it was about four feet in length. The was no container on the flatbed, just pipes or poles sticking up. The company was Alpine Motors, truck number 17. Behind me I saw a car stop and the driver got out to get the pipe out of the roadway. I tried to flag the truck driver, but he was busy with his hand-held radio, perhaps calling in the incident on his own.
Though I didn’t have my phone with me, I borrowed one once I got to the zoo to call the incident in to the non-emergency line. Thank you to all the cautious motorists who take time to secure loads! This pipe or pole could have been a killer bouncing off the trick and into the roadway. Thanks, too, to the driver who slowed and stopped to get the road cleared for all those behind him.
Lots of fun indoors and out this weekend – “Sin Fronteras” (left) playing South American music at SSCC, jazz at Cafe Rozella, the kickoff for new “Family Night” get-togethers tonight, a school carnival and Yacht Club open house (you don’t have to have a boat!) also tonight, the Lions’ plant sale tonight and tomorrow, “Healthy Kids Day” tomorrow at the Y, a movie tomorrow night at West Seattle Christian Church for a great cause – and more, 44 events in all, listed ahead:Read More
We just spotted this in The Junction while distributing Garage Sale Day posters (sign up now!). Destination unknown. Seems oddly synergistic with two of our previous 3 posts.
A story playing out today in Seattle’s foodie world has a West Seattle hook — which we would never have known, if not for WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, who not only sent the above photo to illustrate the point of worlds that may exist outside your normal field of view, but also sent his story of the West Seattle link to Gypsy, the “famous/secret/underground/traveling/televised restaurant” that just closed:Read More
Just got the latest newsletter from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. The big highlight is something that’s often discussed here: the importance of staying watchful. Read it here (Word doc).
That’s a “design concept” Baylis Architects showed last night on behalf of Harbor Properties, for the site at 38th/Alaska where Harbor wants to build what its presentation noted would be the first mixed-use building in the “Fauntleroy Triangle” area. (See updated clickable WSB map of Triangle/Junction development and real-estate offerings.) The presentation spent more time discussing the characteristics and future of that area than of the proposed building itself, but Southwest Design Review Board members were impressed enough to advance the project to the next stage. Different results, though, for the other project on last night’s SWDRB agenda in the Chief Sealth High School library, the Conner Homes proposal for California/Alaska/42nd. Here’s what happened on both:Read More
Those are photos from May 2007 (top) and March 2008 showing Ercolini Park, years in the making at a storied site west of The Junction (48th & Alaska), and now maybe less than two months away from completion. Donated money and time have been key to getting it this far – they just finished fundraising last October — and now Ercolini Park volunteers have put out the call – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get the job done, by signing up to pitch in for whatever time you can give Saturday 4/26 and/or Sunday 4/27. Here’s their request:
The time has finally arrived to put on those work gloves and help complete our park. As you may have seen, we now have grass and are ready to install the play equipment. The play equipment supplier has scheduled construction to take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th. We need approximately 25 volunteers for each day. There will be additional work to be scheduled later that will include: spreading the wood chip play area surface, cleaning up the walkways and spreading beauty bark in the landscaping. We are setting up shifts starting at 9:00 am on each day. Please e-mail mkhjorten@comcast.net with your commitment of when you can volunteer and for how long. Please include a contact phone number so we can reach you if we need to. We have a neighborhood group (SNAP) that has volunteered to help with refreshments. This is also an area where you can volunteer. We will need sandwiches, snacks, beverages and assistance in providing lunch. Children are welcome to come and help but will not be able to play in the grass area or construction zone.
Each volunteer needs to come with a pair of work or garden gloves. Other items that will be needed:
-Shovels and rakes
-Rachets, sockets and wrenches (9/16†and 5/16â€)
-Cordless drills
-Several utility knives
-6’ step ladders
-Several wheelbarrowsTasks will include: unpacking and moving parts into place, play equipment assembly, moving dirt from post holes, clearing construction debris.
Each volunteer will need to sign in and out with the Volunteer Coordinator at the site to insure that we get credit for your time. If you provide refreshments, please submit a receipt to the Volunteer Coordinator, so we can get credit for your in-kind donation. We need to match $12,000 of our Dept. of Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant. This all goes toward that effort.
There will be a tent erected in the center plaza area, but the construction area will not be covered so dress accordingly. Hopefully, we will have beautiful weather. Let us know if you have any questions. Pass this on to your neighbors.
After the grass has had time to mature we will have a dedication ceremony, probably at the end of May or first part of June.
Sign up to help by e-mailing this address: mkhjorten@comcast.net
The West Seattle Junction Association has just announced details of its first-ever Pet Fest, planned for Sunday, April 27, in the Wells Fargo parking lot at the northeast corner of 44th and Alaska. It’s for people who are seeking pets as well as people who already share their lives with one (or more) — two groups will have adoptable pets on site all day. Also on hand: Artists specializing in “pet portraits,” local animal-relief groups, pet-health experts, and more. An “Ugliest Dog and Ugliest Cat in West Seattle” contest also is promised (you can sign up now at Next to Nature in The Junction). This is all part of a really big day in The Junction — though the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is now officially year-round, it’s still celebrating “opening day” that day with wagon rides and music. More info on the Junction festivities at the WSJA website.
We have been checking in periodically with Seattle Animal Shelter director Don Jordan to find out what was going to happen to the dog that survived the police shooting in Westwood on February 26, and to the owner of that dog and another that was killed after attacking a man and his Chihuahua. In early March, Jordan told us the owner faced more than $1,000 in fines from citations. Today, he says his investigator is almost done writing up a report recommending that the owner face a criminal charge, “negligent control of an animal.” As for the surviving dog, it’s still in Animal Shelter custody, and its future depends on what happens with the criminal-charge recommendation. If a charge is filed, the dog will remain with the shelter TFN as evidence. If the prosecutor decides not to charge the owner, Jordan says, the dog would likely be returned to the man, because there was no prior history of violations involving this dog (though the owner did have a history of violations with other dogs). We’ll keep checking to see what happens. Meantime, an update on this elusive dog:
That’s Kit the Akita, who’s been in the Lost/Found section of our Pets page for almost three weeks now, with a particularly heartwrenching story: He got away just a week after starting a new life following rescue from an abusive situation. He’s apparently been spotted around Westwood but is hard to catch, according to Lynn, who e-mailed with this update:
There was another attempt to catch Kit April 3rd by a woman who lives in the area … I hope many people are watching out for this boy and trying to catch him. He has been seen crossing busy roads and is very vulnerable out there, if he is still alive at this point. I spoke with the woman who lost him the other day and she has tried very hard to catch him and is very, very sad. Animal Control tried live trapping, but apparently didn’t have a tranquilizer gun; it looks likely they could have got him that way since they were near him for quite some time, according to what I was told.
As the Pets page post says, call (206) 518-1611 if you find or see this dog – not the number on his old tags, which were from the previous owner and hadn’t yet been changed..
First: Jerry from JetCityOrange, who (as mentioned in the original report) works in the building, has now uploaded some video. Now, the cause: Helen Fitzpatrick from the Seattle Fire Department says some incense was left too close to papers, which caught on fire. The reported “explosion” was actually a can of shaving cream exploding, according to SFD, which also says nobody was hurt; no other units were affected; damage estimate, $25,000.
In the wake of our Pothole From Hell experience the other night (reported, and then deeply discussed, here), this was one of three SDOT trucks we saw working in the suspect lane (southbound, left, Fairmount Springs area) this afternoon.
Just back from ActivSpace on Harbor – where the road may still be closed a little while, in front of the building, while the fire investigation wraps up. The fire was out fairly quick; one witness told us it apparently started in a small recording studio on the south side of the building, when some equipment fell and sparked a fire. No injuries that we know of. 3:54 PM UPDATE: Photo added – above, firefighters checking out an elevator-equipment area for any lingering sign of smoke or fire; below, a little bit of the street scene as we walked up. ADDED 4:25 PM: Additional photo at top from Jerry of JetCityOrange, who works in ActivSpace, from just outside the area where the fire happened.
That’s West Seattle Yacht Club commodore Jim Hanson, showing us the club’s official flag on the bow of his boat “At Ease,” moored at Des Moines Marina, where we talked with him about the club’s open invitation to you to join them for an open house tomorrow night, whether you have a boat or not, and about WSYC activities including their plan to sail in the upcoming Opening Day parade:Read More
During the Starbucks freebie discussion the other day, WSB frequent contributor/Forum Community member JanS mentioned in comments here she’d heard McDonald’s would offer free espresso on Friday. Now, 3 days later, the official announcement, and a cutesy website to accompany it. (Not nearly as amusing as this new website, though.)
Thanks to Westwood Neighborhood Council president Steve Fischer for sending word that as part of the process in the Denny Middle School rebuild/Chief Sealth High School renovations shared-campus project, Seattle Public Schools has submitted landmark nominations for Denny and Sealth. (This is a required part of the process because of the buildings’ age; before significant work, or teardown in the case of DMS, occurs, the city must determine whether they merit landmark designation.) The Landmarks Preservation Board will have a public hearing on both nominations during its meeting at 3:30 pm next Wednesday (40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown; other West Seattle items are on the agenda including approval of the Hiawatha Playfield project and Fauntleroy Church window work, since both involve landmarks). Also, there’s word of a SPS-sponsored public meeting April 22 at CSHS cafeteria, 6:30 pm, to review the “environmental checklist” for the Denny/Sealth project. Meantime, we were at Sealth today and noticed easels are up in the commons, with “dot voting” going on to prioritize 30 possible projects that could be funded with the money the school is slated to get beyond safety-related renovations. Last update — As we first reported a week ago, the legal challenge to the Denny/Sealth project is proceeding, though SPS confirms it has filed to have the complaint dismissed, because it “believes that the case is without merit.”
The new Land Use Information Bulletin from the city (published twice weekly; you can sign up in the right sidebar here to get it by e-mail) has several projects of West Seattle interest this time. We wanted to call attention here to three of them: First, in Admiral, the official notice of the Southwest Design Review Board meeting in two weeks for 2743 California SW (we told you about it a week ago when it turned up on the city website). Second, in Gatewood, looks like a plan is in the works for the building just west of Seattle International Church, 7148 44th SW, which was used as a school when Gatewood Baptist Church owned it (and was offered for sale separate from the church in fall 2006); here’s the city project page, which says the use is changing to “artist studios.” Third, after two “early design guidance” SWDRB meetings, the official land-use application is in for Spring Hill, BlueStar‘s proposed six-story mixed-use building at 5020 California (most recent WSB coverage here).
As of this morning, through Friday, April 25, registration is open and the first signups already have rolled in for the 4th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, which is happening 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 10. (Backstory: WSCGSD is a creation of the late great community-connection organization Megawatt; its leadership hoped its signature events would go on, and allowed WSCGSD to be taken over by WSB, while Gathering of Neighbors will now be presented by DNDA.) If you haven’t participated before, as a sale-holder or shoppers, just to be clear: This is NOT one big day in one location — this is one day set aside for people to have sales all over West Seattle – as many as people sign up to have – in the past few years, there’ve been more than 100! – all promoted with a map and citywide advertising. For the first time, you can register online — go to the official West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day website at westseattlegaragesale.com to do that, or to get a downloadable registration form you can print out and mail in, or to see the list of locations where you will be able to pick up a registration form starting later today (just in time for the West Seattle Art Walk tonight – some of our form-distribution locations are Art Walk participants). And even if you’re not going to have a sale as part of WSCGSD on May 10, please set aside some time to shop till you drop – as happens every year, we will have maps available online and at several in-person locations starting a few days ahead of time; we’re also promoting/advertising the event to areas outside West Seattle so shoppers will flock this way. One more new feature this year: Contests – including “best sign” and “most unusual sale item.” Questions? E-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com – and keep checking westseattlegaragesale.com for updates.
The call was “fire in single-family residence,” lots of units in the 5600 block of 42nd SW. 8:31 AM UPDATE: No fire. Scary smell triggered the call, but no smoke/flames to go with it.
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