West Seattle, Washington
27 Tuesday
On the west side of 50th, south of Edmunds (map). Got bright lights, or seen some? Please let us know! (P.S. We have updated the photo in last night’s post about the ’07 debut of the Menashe family‘s Beach Drive display, putting in a new one courtesy of Christopher Shoemaker, who took it after helping the family with the finishing touches.)
It’s open. One comment’s already come in on last night’s thread so we wanted to put up this post before anybody else came to the site looking to comment. Did you go? What’s it like? Discuss!
That’s Darius Dale, posing during his senior year @ West Seattle High School for WSB contributing photographer Matt Durham, who reports that Darius has made the All-Ivy Football Team @ Yale (scroll down this page to “second team offense”). Matt recalls, “When I met Darius, he struck me as a gentle giant. He was very kind and intelligent, and students and staff appeared to have an high affection for Darius. If my memory serves me correctly I seem to recall Darius was carrying a 4.0 GPA at the time of the photo. On first impression he appeared to be such an outstandingly well-rounded teen that I attempted to recruit him into the fire service, telling him to finish college first.” This page details Darius’s achievements at WSHS and Yale, where he’s now a junior.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from LyndaB — the photo above and this info:
Yet ANOTHER car collision at 35th and Juneau. Southbound. Occurred at approximately 5:40 pm today. Both drivers appear to be ok.
Here’s a map of where it happened.
Gee whiz, leave the house/computer for a couple hours and look what happens – for the second time today, Mosaic Homes announces it’s canceling a West Seattle condo conversion (thanks to everyone who e-mailed us about this; we also got our own e-mail, above, since we were on the mailing list). As we’ve reported previously, it’s been trying like mad to sell “Strata on California,” formerly the Graham Street Apartments at California/Graham north of Morgan Junction, but apparently not doing so well, hence the announcement above that Strata will be rented out. (And remember, as also reported here, the much-marketed West Water condo conversion less than a mile south is already resorting to rentals.)
All 3 are on our frequently updated everything-West-Seattle Events page, but also worth one more big shoutout:
4-8 PM @ ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY: Holiday bazaar! Food, music, shopping, fun; read more here.
6:30 PM @ WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL: The (so far) only scheduled public meeting about the upzoning proposal for a block-plus of California Avenue between Hanford and Hinds; property owners are expected to attend to explain their intentions, as well as city reps and concerned neighbors; everyone’s welcome. (Read our previous coverage: Yesterday, Monday, Nov. 20, Nov. 13 in 2 parts here and here, original report on November 8th.)
7 PM @ HIGH POINT COMMUNITY CENTER: The second of 6 chances within 1 week for West Seattle residents to have a say in the city Parks Department’s future plans (read our complete coverage of the first meeting here).
Exterior work is under way right now at the ex-Coyotes, finally confirmed firsthand to be the future home of Pegasus Pizza (whose original location next door will be torn down for a new building). The beige-ish panel actually features marbling much like the current Pegasus decor. Meantime, we talked to a worker outside the future Alki Urban Market – he said he had no clue when they’ll be opening; and down the street at the ex-Alki Mail/Dispatch, future Pioneer Coffee Roasting Co., someone’s inside working on a huge PIONEER sign. As for the water side of the street, a couple scenes from our breezy, chilly walk:
As part of Hometown Holidays in The Junction this weekend, 
there’s a Warm Clothes Drive under way for area families. As Susan Melrose, executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association, explains: “We are looking for all types of warm clothes to keep all members of our community warm through the winter. Clean out your children’s closet and hand-be-down piles looking for all types of winter clothes including jackets, pajamas, boots, long underwear, sweaters, socks, and more. We will collect these items at Hometown Holidays Headquarters (44th Ave SW and Alaska) all weekend long. WestSide Baby will pick up the loot on Sunday (December 2) at 5 pm. And if you don’t have these items, you can help this organization by bringing diapers too.”
If you haven’t already procured a “hard copy” — you can get the November/December Alki News-Beacon online here. In it, you’ll find an article we submitted, and editor Cami MacNamara graciously accepted — it’s about what you can do now to make sure you can still get online after disaster (windstorm, anyone?) strikes, featuring info from the presentation we prepared for last summer’s West Seattle-wide Emergency Preparedness Event. (The bonus online info mentioned in the ANB article is a downloadable doc you’ll find here.)
This morning, we welcome another new WSB sponsor – Square 1 Books, which is the place in West Seattle 
to buy new books from an independent bookseller. Square 1 is in Jefferson Square, steps from the rest of The Junction, and part of the heart of the West Seattle community — this weekend, as we mentioned yesterday, Square 1 is offering the chance to buy new children’s books at 15% off and have them given to local families through WestSide Baby. This past September, Square 1 sponsored an event for West Seattle readers to meet West Seattle authors, “Words from the West Side,” held at ArtsWest. And it’s got its own book club – you can keep up with its happenings via the Square 1 blog. Thanks to Square 1 and our other sponsors, who are listed on this page along with information on how other prospective advertisers can join them.
Two weeks ago, we brought you a WSB reader’s report that the office staff at West Ridge Park on Delridge told her the condo conversion to “Gables,” by the same people who brought you “Strata,” was slowing down. Then one week ago, we noted that the Mosaic Homes website no longer listed “Gables” as “coming soon.” Mosaic still to this date hasn’t returned our messages, but another West Ridge resident just e-mailed WSB to tell us this notice landed on the doorstep this morning:
“We are pleased to announce that the owners of West Ridge Park have decided to not go forward with the planned condo conversion at this time. The property as a whole will remain a rental property … We sincerely want to thank each and every one of you for your patience and understanding during these past months of change and uncertainty. We hope this announcement will please all of you. I know you are very excited that we are staying as a rental community, and hope each of you will stay with us in 2008.”
This was to be a huge condo conversion and got a lot of citywide coverage earlier this year, as harbinger of a trend — can’t help wondering if it might become the same thing now, in the opposite direction.
We went to tonight’s Southwest Community Center meeting for the Parks Department’s future Strategic Business Plan not realizing it would be an interactive format – listen to organizers for a few minutes, then break into groups and discuss ideas and opinions for most of the rest of the time. What resulted was a public meeting that really felt like a public meeting – with the emphasis on “public.” This was the first of six of these meetings happening in West Seattle over the course of the next week (full list here, continuing with High Point Community Center @ 7 pm tomorrow), and if you care about the future of our city parks, we strongly urge you to make time to participate in one of them. Here’s what we experienced tonight – including a high-level observer:Read More
… Sunday may be another story. Here’s the updated “forecast discussion.”
Earlier than usual tonight because as West Seattle Christmas lights go, this is breaking news – the Menashe family’s famous display on Beach Drive was finally on in full glory when we drove by a short time ago – THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: we’ve replaced our original cameraphone photo with a pic courtesy of Christopher Shoemaker, who took it after helping the Menashes with the finishing touches:
The house is on the water side of Beach Drive roughly halfway between Me-Kwa-Mooks and Lowman Beach. Meantime, if you’ve put up, or seen, an especially bright (or unique) display, please let us know about it!
So says e-mail we just received from Lessie. Won’t be able to confirm in person for a while, so if you’re anywhere near The Junction, more reports welcome.
You may have heard the first stirrings of Snow Suspicions ’07. Here’s a link to the National Weather Service‘s updated forecast (posted at 3:30 pm) – the outlook for the metro area says “local accumulations of an inch or so (are) possible, mainly on hilltops away from the water.” The “forecast discussion” further refines the metro outlook to “Seatac southward” — but you just never know until it hits (or doesn’t). By the way, we had a “snow day” exactly one year ago today; go to our November ’06 archive page and scroll down a bit to read the 11/28/06 posts. (No photos, sorry, we weren’t camera-equipped way back then!)
On the eve of the public meeting about the upzoning proposal for both sides of California Ave between Hanford and Hinds (and a bit south on the west side), two updates: Neighborhood opponents are distributing a flyer around the area with their concerns and full details of how to have a say (they sent us a copy; we uploaded it – click here to read it); supporters continue to add comments to our earlier posts (one comment is at the bottom of the list here; another one at the bottom here). Tomorrow night’s meeting is at West Seattle High School, 6:30 pm. For background info, the city’s page about the proposal is here; our report on informal presentations made 2 weeks ago to the Admiral Neighborhood Association by a developers’ rep and a city planner is here.
Cool falcon sighting, with photo, here – and it’s apparently related to the bird-watching trip mentioned in this article.
From David:
I am about to drop a considerable amount of money on a new fence and have been unimpressed by the big names that have come by so far to provide quotes. Some have
even taken 2 months to just get us an estimate ~! Can you please inquire with the community on recommendations for fence contractors/companies in the area that perform fast, reliable work?
As always, please respond by adding a comment; all WSB Reader Recommendation Requests are archived here.
West Seattle holiday gifts ‘n’ stuff with an extra punch – plus a request for ideas from you:
POINSETTIAS TO HELP STUDENTS: Today’s the deadline to get orders in for the Chief Sealth High School Band fundraising poinsettia sale; full details in our original post – we just checked and they DO have some left!
BOOKS FOR WESTSIDE BABY: This Saturday, during Hometown Holidays weekend, Square 1 Books in Jefferson Square is having a unique sale — as described on the Square One blog, “Purchase any children’s book from us Dec. 1-2 for 15 percent off and we will donate the book to WestSide Baby. The books will be distributed to families in need in December.”
CALENDARS FOR CANINES: Wendy Hughes-Jelen, from the High Point K-9 Club and other endeavors, has created the 2008 IGGY Ambassadors Calendar, which she describes further: “Entitled ‘Personal images of the dogs we love, photographed by members of IGGY Ambassadors — Emerald City (Italian Greyhounds of the Northwest)’, it is a large and elegant calendar, something to be treasured by ALL dog lovers.” 16% of the price of each calendar (what’s left after printing costs & the lulu.com publisher’s fee) goes to “help pay for vet bills and other costs associated with the very active Northwest Italian greyhound rescue community.” You can preview the calendar here; you can order it here.
NOW, A QUESTION FOR YOU: This came in as a WSB Reader Recommendation Request but relates to the topic of “gifts that keep on giving” — Adam e-mailed, “In lieu of giving presents, my wife and I have donated money which we might normally spend on presents to some of the many worthwhile charities. We are searching for recommendations for legitimate local charities for Iraq veterans and their families. Any reader suggestions?”
From Garrett:
Train slightly derailed, zig zag fashion, right under the intersection of 99 and spokane st viaduct. Don’t know if this will affect any West Seattle Bridge traffic!
8:45 UPDATE: John from WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits forwarded a city traffic alert e-mail that says: “All lanes on S Spokane St are blocked by a derailed train at E Marginal Way S. Seattle Police are providing traffic control.”
SENATOR HERE THIS MORNING: U.S. Senator Patty Murray and a long list of business and education leaders will be in West Seattle this morning, in Olympic Hall at South Seattle Community College, for a field hearing of Murray’s Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety.
FIRST STOP IN THE CITY PARKS HEARING TOUR TONIGHT: As we reported earlier this month, the city Parks Department is touring the city in a series of 30-plus public hearings on what should be in its forthcoming Strategic Business Plan. Tonight is the first of five hearings in West Seattle (7-9 pm, Southwest Community Center). Lots more info here; the full list of meetings is here; if you are absolutely certain you cannot make it to any of those meetings, the Parks Department has a “short online survey” you can take here. With so much parkland here on our beautiful peninsula — and remember, we’re the biggest neighborhood in the city! — it’s vital to have West Seattle opinions, hopes, and dreams represented in the forthcoming Parks plan.
Big response to this morning’s post about the Chief Sealth High School class offering free web design to some West Seattle nonprofits and small businesses next semester; the P-I’s Big Blog checked in with teacher Sam Reed, who told us this afternoon he’d heard from more than a dozen prospects; by tonight, it was up to 30.
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