West Seattle Blog…

It was like a graveyard …

Only two little groups of trick-or-treaters at our house. One commenter a couple posts down says her neighborhood on the north end of WS (we’re on the south end) got more than a hundred. What happened at your place?

Rising from the dead on Halloween night

The Third Option lives!

(And have we mentioned there’s a fourth option?)

Halloween night drive-home sightings

All along just a few blocks of Fauntleroy, including the last stretch of The Bridge:

-The Walking on Logs peeps in spooky garb, including jack-o-lantern heads

-A spooky (well, spooky if you’re a Dem) yellow truck idling near Walking on Logs, with huge Mike McGavick campaign signs all over it (the same one was haunting the parking lot on the north side of Yasuko’s this morning)

-The former Rainier Roaster finally has a “Starbucks, Coming Soon” banner draped over the old RR sign

No trick-or-treaters yet in our neighborhood. Boo.

Chiller thriller

Bundle up for a cold Halloween night (latest forecast here). After your trick-or-treating is done, this West Seattle house sounds like THE haunt of the night. Perhaps a close second — this guy’s house.

Ballot-measure boo-boo

Somebody at the pro-Seattle Prop 1 HQ must have thought it would impress us in West Seattle if they mailed us a big glossy color pamphlet telling us where in WS we might see benefits if the Prop 1 property tax passes. Just one little problem. If you got this pamphlet, take a look at the left side of the map inside — it suggests that Prop 1 will provide $ to “repaint crosswalks at the California/Alaskan Way Junction.” Hellooooooo? Alaskan Way is the street that runs along the foot of that viaduct thingy that is NOT included in Prop 1 (as the back of the flyer seeks to reassure us); at The Junction, Cali intersects with ALASKA STREET. The pro-Prop 1 website is a little odd too. Check out this page … did they simply run out of space at the bottom when it came time to talk about trees?

Junction road-work update

Signed up for the e-mail updates on the Cali Ave paving/crosswalk project, so we seem to have received this before it turned up on the city news release site:

Work on the east half of the mid-block crosswalk between SW Edmunds and SW Alaska has been completed. This entire mid-block crosswalk should be completed within the next two weeks. Click to read the rest of Junction road-work update…

Now as for the REAL holiday …

So many Halloween happenings this past weekend, you might feel as if the actual holiday has come and gone. Don’t pack that costume away just yet! Here’s some of what’s happening around WS tonight and tomorrow … TONIGHT: Fall Festival at Southwest Community Center, 6-8:30 pm … HALLOWEEN: Alki business-district trick-or-treating, 1-6 pm … Admiral business-district trick-or-treating, 3-6 pm … Cooper Artists’ Housing trick-or-treating (back of the old Cooper School aka Youngstown), 5-7 pm … Westwood Village trick-or-treating, 5-7 pm … Fall Fun Festival @ Delridge Community Center, 6-8 pm … E-mail us if we’re missing something! P.S. Check the weather forecast here. Brrrr!

Sign o’progress?

A shiny new city land-use alert sign (the posts look like they just came out of the lumberyard) is now up in front of the Schuck’s/Hancock Fabrics parking lot that eventually will make way for Fauntleroy Place. No new milestones on its city DPD tracking page; the architect’s site (it’s craftily framed; follow “what we do” to “business/commercial” to “mixed use” and find Fauntleroy Place there) says construction will start in 2008 — we wondered, is it really that far away? Maybe so, given that several city agencies/commissions still seem to have some questions (or so you’d gather reading the last page of these minutes from last month’s meeting of the city Design Commission).

Antennas on Alki

We mentioned a few days ago that the West Seattle shoreline would be headquarters to some participants in Seattle Wireless Field Day. Just found an interesting blogpost with details on what it was really all about, including a cool photo of the blogger’s setup at Don Armeni.

Learn a bit of history

Today’s Pacific NW magazine in the Sunday Times tells the story of the original Cooper School, now restored as the Youngstown Arts Center. Whether you read it online or in dead-tree format, don’t miss the pix. (And if you are interested in the history of other West Seattle schools, you can find it all here — including recollections of the days when they couldn’t build public schools fast enough to serve the booming WS population; what a 180 we’ve done since.)

Neighborhood-nickname creep

First, we spotted a mild outbreak of NoMo. Now, comes SOA — on a flyer for Tuesday’s expanded trick-or-treating in the Admiral business district (3-6 pm), with half a dozen or so businesses south of Lafayette School joining it this year, and identifying themselves as SOA (South Of Admiral). What next? WeCa? EaCa? NoFa? SoFa? AlAl? (as in Almost Alki, a la the marketing of Verge Condos)? We could at least turn Beach Drive into SoAl. But I’m still looking for a justification to meld Luna Park and someplace-or-another into LunaSea …

Sweet!

One last reminder … Junction trick-or-treating 1-3 pm today. Given the influx of young parents into WS, I predict a surge of people carrying babies and toddlers in pumpkin suits. Have a blast!

Their existence is not the problem

Oh good heavens, today’s Times opens up the coyote can-o-worms yet again. Can we just say one more time … PLEASE. DON’T. LET. YOUR. CATS. ROAM. OUTSIDE. EVER. PERIOD. Coyotes are not even remotely the worst threat they face. Human-linked threats (such as cars) are a zillion times worse. We’ve shared our lives with eight cats so far (no, not all at once) … all perfectly happy, safe, and healthy in the house (or apartment).

Violent start to Hallo-weekend

According to media reports, two relatives got into it along Alki Ave Friday night (in the Bamboo vicinity), and one stabbed the other. One left the beach in a squad car, the other in an aid car.

Trader Joe’s news, of sorts

Just made our semi-monthly pilgrimage to Burien. As of a few days ago, TJ’s is taking American Express. (Well, we were excited, anyway.)

Hallo-weekend, part 2

Beyond the trick-or-treat events (see post below), here’s some of what else is happening this Hallo-weekend around West Seattle … Our favorite is WASL Haunted High at Youngstown Arts Center tonight … Tomorrow night at Youngstown, it’s “Grease Frightening” (scary tweaked photo on the info page) … Also unusual, the themes for the arts conference at Mars Hill/West Seattle today & Saturday … Admiral Theater moves up the monthly “Rocky Horror Picture Show” (get in the mood with this video) screening to Saturday night (scroll down this page) … “Haunted Hoedown” tonight at Skylark Cafe … As mentioned earlier this week, Seattle Wireless Field Day is Saturday at 3 locations including Alki … The WS Chamber puts on Monster Bingo tonight at the golf course … Free Halloween Family Swim, 7 tonight at the Southwest Community Center pool … Halloween Carnival at Alki Community Center, 6:30-8:30 tonight … “Halloween in the Forest,” two sessions tonight at Camp Long … “Freaky Fall Festival,” 6-8 tonight at High Point Community Center, and in a slight variation, it’s the “Freaky Fall Carnival” 6:30-8:30 tonight at Hiawatha CC … “tick, tick … BOOM!” ticks on this weekend at ArtsWest … Leave a comment or e-mail us with anything we’re missing (and don’t worry, we’ll get to the Monday & Tuesday Halloween festivities in a day or so)!

Hallo-weekend, part 1

Not enough time at the moment to post ALL the stuff that’s happening this pre-Halloween weekend — we’ll get to that first thing in the morning. But we’ve gotten some notes asking about, and telling us about, the business district trick-or-treat events, so here’s the full scoop lowdown on those: Junction trick-or-treating is Saturday afternoon, 1-3 pm (the nice folks down there say “don’t let the road work keep you away,” and honestly, there’s not much of it left anyway); Admiral trick-or-treating is 3-6 pm on Halloween (Tuesday, if you’ve lost track); Alki trick-or-treating is also on Halloween, 1-6 pm (the WS Chamber site has all three of those on one convenient page); and what a coincidence (oddly NOT listed by the WS C&C, or are they and WV on the outs?), Westwood Village has trick-or-treating 5-7 pm on Halloween night.

Our all-time favorite restaurant person

Lydia from the Easy Street Cafe gets a lot of ink in today’s warm-n-fuzzy Seattle Times portrait of a visit to The Junction. Even if WS Blogger Spouse and I only get around to chow at Easy Street every few months, she always greets us as if she saw us every day. That takes talent (and heart).

Life after Schuck’s

A few posts down, a comment asks what’s up with a couple sites between Admiral Junction and The (Alaska) Junction, including the burned-out Schuck’s @ Charleston & Cali. Just so happens, the Design Review Board meeting for that site is tomorrow night at the Madison Middle School library. Anyone who’s able to go (we can’t), we’d love a firsthand report!

Divinely online

The relatively new shop Divina north of the Junction has a website now (discovered via the Herald). This led us to wonder whatever happened to the plan for a “Divina Cantina” just east of the shop’s location. Owner Julie tells us she’s trying to work out some code issues with the city — if all goes well, the Divina Cantina would be a tapas bar — if not, she’s got “a backup plan to make the space a gallery of sorts.”

Geek capital of the …

Not sure if all this is enough to qualify WS as Geek Capital of the World. (Though we aspiring geeks at WS Blog World HQ think it’s a great place to be.) But two upcoming WS events are noteworthy for those with technotendencies: This Saturday, Alki is one of three spots for Seattle Wireless Field Day; in a few weeks, Youngstown Arts Center will host Seattle Mind Camp 3.0.

O2 no more

Thanks to a WSB reader for writing to inquire why the number for O2, the Cali Ave restaurant launched by Ovio, was disconnected. Reminded us that we had seen a liquor-license ap several weeks ago for the same address under the name “Beato Food and Wine”; went by O2 back then, saw no signs of change, forgot about it till now. But today, there it is in the window — a sign saying O2 is closed but Beato will open soon. (The sign also touts a website that as is usually the case with these things, isn’t up yet. Argh.)

Is no news good news?

At least once a week, someone writes to ask if we’ve heard anything new about the longstanding rumor that Trader Joe’s will sweep triumphantly into West Seattle, at last relieving so many of us of the need to frequent Burien. Got another such note today and we’re thinking it’s time to publicly say, we unfortunately have not heard a word of anything new. The rumors for a while circulated around the future development near Metropolitan Market … which doesn’t even seem remotely close to groundbreaking anyway. But we know the WSB visitorship includes a few insiders from the business and development communities; if anyone cares to share any inside scoop, we promise your anonymity’s safe with us …

Bye-bye, Raj

We didn’t think he was long for this world after the School Board smackdown of his Phase II Closure Recommendation last Wednesday, just hours after it came out. And now comes the news – superintendent Raj Manhas is leaving.

Last chance

If you want a chance to decide on all the hot topics and hot races on the fall ballot — have a say on strip-club rules (Seattle Ref 1), special deals for sports stadiums (Seattle I-91), Hizzoner’s road tax (Seattle Prop 1), The Exec’s bus tax (King Co. Prop 2), etc. — today’s your last chance to register to vote, if you’re not registered already. But you gotta do it in person.

Good wine for a good cause

Now that the weekend’s over … you don’t have to wait till next weekend to have fun. Just discovered an exceptionally worthy-sounding wine tasting & auction happening here in West Seattle, this Thursday, to raise $ for WS Helpline. You can even buy discount tickets online.

Fauntleroy’s fish

The annual salmon drumming at Fauntleroy Creek, 5 pm today, isn’t just another event. If you are relatively new to WS, you probably haven’t heard how this creek made a comeback. It’s easy to drive by or use the Fauntleroy ferry dock without ever knowing about the charming little creek overlook area (and its spectacular spring hedge of Darwin’s barberry) right across the street. It’s been six years now since the restoration, which brought inspiring success, but over subsequent years, heartache too. It’s a little beacon of hope that we haven’t lost (or destroyed) everything that’s pure and true and original about our beautiful home, so the salmon need every ounce of energetic encouragement you can give them by joining the welcome-home party tonight.

It’s not ALL shouting, scuffling, and rabble-rousing

In fact, there’s an olive branch of sorts extended right now across the north side of the Fauntleroy walkover — a huge banner reading THANK U, SCHOOL BOARD. Couldn’t tell in the dark if it was courtesy of Cooper, Pathfinder, or both. But it deserves a little notice while the Wednesday night rumble is still getting play.

Congrats

… to West Seattle HS for the Huling Bowl victory against Chief Sealth last night. While we walked around Westwood Village in the same time frame (see below), we couldn’t miss the raucous cheers (and band drums) echoing from the field to the north.

H*ll with Halloween, Noel’s a-knockin’

Christmas stuff keeps coming out earlier and earlier every year. This year seems more out-o-control than ever. Three examples are in full force at Westwood Village as we write: The Rite-Aid Halloween stuff is already on sale, with Christmas creeping into the aisles; in the “seasonal” section @ Target, it’s already gotten to the point where cute-n-cuddly Animated Lighted Sea Lions (for your yard) are rubbing elbows, er, flippers with the Animated Teeth-Chattering Skeletons; and Pier 1’s window signs proclaim this to be Ornament Preview time. WAIT UNTIL HALLOWEEN’S BODY IS COLD, FOR GOD’S SAKE! ISN’T NOVEMBER FIRST EARLY ENOUGH?

Meantime, if you are doing early holiday shopping anyway, here’s a sincere recommendation: The 2007 West Seattle Calendar. Here’s where you can buy it. (Honestly, who needs “16 Months of Precious Pugs” when you can represent for WS Pride!)

Construction updates

Got a closer look Friday at two of the higher-profile projects around WS: In The Junction, raised-crosswalk work has begun with an extensive dig-up on the east side of the southern block (near Petco). One observer noted he thinks the city should be putting up ground-lit crosswalks (as in White Center) instead of these speed-bump crosswalks. Too late now … Over at the ex-Rainier Roaster, workers were doing something with the second-story siding as the drive-thru Starbucks transformation rolls on. Wondered if they’re going to turn the 2-story building into a 1-story facility for SBUX, but the permit aps say “non-structural improvements.”