But how does the driver REALLY feel about West Seattle?
That’s the question Mona from Hello Insomnia is asking after getting this bumper-sticker photo:
P.S. One WSB team member suggests a FARK-style PhotoShop challenge to fill in the blank on this bumpersticker. If anybody has the inclination and software to play around with it that way, send us the result! EARLY SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Several people already have come up with possibilities — jump ahead to see them:Read More
What do you do when you find a dead seal?
We had the occasion to ask that question this afternoon, unfortunately, after WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli happened onto a dead harbor seal on the rocky shore along Harbor Ave west of Salty’s. None of us were sure who to call. We sent a note to the Seal Sitters volunteers; Christopher called police, who in turn said they would notify the appropriate authorities. He was there quite some time and reports no one ever showed. Click here for the scene photo (taken from a respectful distance); hard to tell the cause of death, since the carcass was disfigured from bloating. RIP, little seal.
New allegation from GEE
Yesterday, we wrote to the PR folks for GEE Automotive to ask for the latest on the shuttered dealership — is it still for sale, is a buyer near, or will the inventory be cleared off the lot any time soon. Finally got a response today, in the form of the following press release claiming Steve Huling is to blame for a sale not going through. 6:05 PM UPDATE: A response from the Huling family is in the comments following this post (excerpt: “This whole episode is yet another attempt by the Gees to blame the Hulings for Gees’ lack of execution.”) Also, linked after the press release, is a document also sent by the GEE PR representatives, from Ryan Gee to Steve Huling:Read More
Also almost outta here: The Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole
Sunday marks 10 months since the raucous rainstorm that preceded the wild windstorm. One of the first effects of the pounding rain on December 14th of last year was the Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole at Thistle/Northrop (above photo shows the site today). Save for a little cleanup, and a temporary bridge built in January so walkers could still use the Thistle hillside stairs, plus improvements to city storm drains nearby, the sinkhole has remained, gaping, barely cordoned off, ever since. But not for much longer; flyers have just appeared in the Seattle Public Utilities sign by the sinkhole, saying that “we have resolved the outstanding property issues and are ready to commence with the repair project. We are currently waiting for authorization from the State/FEMA … We are anticipating on receiving authorization within the next week.” The flyer says the sinkhole, which the city calls a “gully,” will be filled in with “structural fill.” It’s accumulated some unofficial fill over these long months:
As for how this work might affect you if you use this area — the city says it may start “quickly and on very short notice,” will take 4-5 days, will involve some traffic restrictions at that sharp corner, and most significantly (the city flyer puts it in bold, so we will too): The stairs will be temporarily closed during the duration of the repair work. Very popular for people walking to and from Lincoln Park, so plan alternate routes.
Buildings on the block
New listing on the booming south end of Morgan Junction: 7025 California, currently home to Alki Mortgage, just steps from Caffe Ladro and Gatewood Elementary. Billed as “highly desirable multi-use opportunity”: $1.7 million. One more listing of note has been up a few weeks but we hadn’t gotten around to mentioning it: 9003-9007 35th, home to On Safari Foods and a martial-arts studio (though we will always remember it fondly as the ex-home of Bird on a Wire till that shop moved around the corner), $795,000.
Roll out the red carpet: A premiere at the Admiral
As the new leadership at the Admiral Theater continues morphing it into much more than a second-run moviehouse, 
they’ve got local independent filmmakers premiering a movie there this Saturday. We talked (via e-mail) with co-director Damon Agnos of “Haymaker & Sally,” which he explains as: “If you liked ‘Starsky & Hutch’ but felt it needed more action; if you were thrilled by ‘Scarface’ but wished Tony would sponsor a Little League team; if you enjoyed ‘Serpico’ but wished he didn’t get shot in the face; if you always wanted ‘Miami Vice’ to do an episode where Crockett and Tubbs grill the kid behind the counter at the local Kinko’s, then ‘Haymaker & Sally’ is for you.” (Poster at right, designed by Andrew Miller.) So why premiere the movie in WS instead of the usual indy-film haunts (Capitol Hill, U-District, etc.)? Read on:Read More
Denny/Sealth: Next community meeting now confirmed
As promised at the somewhat contentious meeting we covered earlier this week regarding the Chief Sealth High School/Denny Middle School shared-campus project, another meeting is happening in short order: October 25th. School district liaison Eleanor Trainor explains, “(This) meeting will differ from the two general update meetings we’ve had. This meeting will focus on the pedestrian links and community initiatives for the Sealth campus. It will be an open forum for neighbors to discuss ideas about the exterior spaces and the campus’ connection to Longfellow Creek.” Here’s the official flyer:Read More
Gatewood Elementary rustles up “Kids for Kids’
If you have driven by the above-pictured greenery along Fauntleroy a couple blocks north of Lincoln Park, you might not know there’s an elementary school behind all that. But the fine folks of Gatewood Elementary have a plan to clear things up: Gatewood parent Steve White wrote to let us all know about the impending arrival — one week from today — of those beloved Rent-A-Ruminant goats (seen along Admiral back in July). Steve says the objective of the goats’ work October 18-21 is “to mow down a hillside of ivy as part of our playground renovation project. … The ivy removal is part of ridding the school grounds of invasive plant species, and restoring the native plants.” The Gatewood playground renovation, Operation Imagination, has been three years in the making and is going well thanks to donations of time and money as well as various grants; it will be spotlighted during a day of fun events while the goats are on site, “Kids for Kids,” 10 am-4 pm Saturday 10/20.
Halloween countdown
**FINDING THIS FROM GOOGLE IN 2009? CLICK THE HALLOWEEN TAB ABOVE FOR NEW INFO**
For everyone making Halloween plans: We’re adding West Seattle Halloween-related happenings to our Events page 
as fast as we can find ’em. Less than three weeks now till the big night, but all the major organized fun happens the weekend of the 26-27-28, including Trick or Treat in The Junction on Saturday 10/27 and pumpkin decorating @ the WS Farmers’ Market on Sunday 10/28. Got a Halloween event that’s not on our page? Let us know!
Another reminder: Viaduct closures this weekend
If you missed (or forgot) our alert last week: The Viaduct will be closed all day Saturday and much of the day on Sunday, for its next round of safety checkups. According to the official WSDOT info page, The Viaduct will close at 6 am both days, reopening at 7 pm Saturday, 3 pm southbound/4 pm northbound on Sunday. The earlier reopenings on Sunday are because of the evening Seahawks game; West Seattle gamegoers have an additional transportation option — special Water Taxi service that day, 3 pm-9:30 pm.
Traffic alert
Heading westbound on The Bridge up the Fauntleroy end, just passed a fresh two-car fender bender in the left eastbound lane. Traffic was starting to back up. Beware if you have to head out from that end of the The Bridge. 8:17 UPDATE: May not be causing too much headache; you can check Fauntleroy eastbound just past Alaska on this city cam.
No “Gathering” till next year
The community-connection organization Megawatt has called off this year’s “Gathering of Neighbors” showcase, which had been scheduled for November 3rd. An e-mail announcement sent out last night by Megawatt leaders says the group has been focused on a “strategic planning process” and adds: “We are incredibly proud of our community events and programs, and over the next few months will work to support these programs by focusing on and building our organizational infrastructure. As part of this process, we have made a strategic decision to postpone … Gathering of Neighbors until 2008.” Megawatt says it will continue offering its community “field trips,” including an artist-studio tour on October 25th; more info on the Megawatt website (and the listings are on our frequently updated West Seattle-wide Events page too). For anyone who already signed up for the now-canceled Gathering of Neighbors, Megawatt says it will refund the table fees within the next few days.
They’re not just going after “House” after all
Earlier this week, we discussed the notice (however official or unofficial) that frequent WSB contributor “The House” got on the windshield of his parked-on-the-planting-strip car in Westwood. At the time, he suggested that police should be focusing instead on the seemingly abandoned RVs lining nearby streets. Tonight, good news for “House” and neighbors — we spotted Seattle Police enforcers in action (on Trenton west of the Westwood Village turn-in) along RV Row:
Get ready to walk the (Art) Walk
Great news – looks like decent weather to stroll The Junction during tomorrow night’s monthly West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk. The official Art Walk blog lists participating artists, with a reminder that you can get a free glass of bubbly at West 5 if you mention you’re Art Walk-ing; we’ve also heard from Dan at Ginomai on the north end of the route (Genesee/42nd) and he says, “We have a number of studio open houses as well as an additional 3 West Seattle artists showing in our community room. Free off-street parking lot to begin your walk from!” 6-9 pm tomorrow.
Traffic alert: Truck/train track trouble just east of WS
If you are heading home from downtown or heading toward South Seattle, this could affect you: South Spokane Street/East Marginal Way is blocked by a truck that’s flipped onto the train tracks. This is under the bridge, so if you’re not taking surface streets, you should be OK.
Reader recommendation request, revised: Home wireless net
UPDATE from originally posted RRR: WSB reader Kmac wants advice on the best HOME wireless internet provider. Kmac elaborated in a comment on our previous post:
… I’m looking for PROVIDERS of wireless internet service at HOME. I really don’t want to call Comcast and sometimes I can’t go out and need to stay home. Yes, I’m one of the few folks still without internet service at home and bizarre, bizarre – I only have one wireless network close to home I can “link” to, but I have to be out on my balcony. I think I remember a year or so ago a company new to WS offering internet service, but they weren’t offering it everywhere – at least not yet in Alki. So…that is my need….wireless internet at home that isn’t from Comcast.
The company Kmac refers to is likely Clearwire. How’s that working for WS users? And how about the wireless phone companies who also offer wireless broadband? Plus — any little-known options? Comment away!
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