West Seattle Blog…

Admiral alert: Paving about to hit high gear

The city Transportation Department has posted a new update on the WS repaving project as the Cali work wraps up and the Admiral work begins. Note there are nighttime shutdowns set for Admiral right after the Fourth of July.

Bicycle mystery

Got a note tonight from a WSB reader on Gatewood Hill. Though the recent burglary spree didn’t hit his house, he thinks he may have found a stolen item in his own front yard: A boy’s mountain-style bike, “Rhino” brand. Nobody nearby seems to know whose it is, so he’s wondering if someone stole it, rode it for a while, then abandoned it. If you have any idea whose it might be, please e-mail us and we will forward your note on to him.

This’ll get your goat

Creighton, whose blog is on our Other Blogs in WS page, tells us goats are grazing the hill along Marine View Drive, just up from the Endolyne area of Fauntleroy, clearing brush and delighting onlookers; he sent this photo.

WS politicians thinking about greener pastures?

Just noticed this P-I article that mentions two WS Democratic (yes, we know that’s kind of redundant) politicians — State Senator Erik Poulsen and King County Councilmember Dow Constantine — are reportedly thinking about running for State Commissioner of Public Lands. Dow C has a re-election run to get through first, later this year; Erik P just got re-elected last year and holds his current office till 2010.

Leadership change at Mars Hill-West Seattle

Love ‘em, hate ‘em, neutral about ‘em, West Seattle’s resident megachurch branch is worth watching. Nine months after their WS arrival, 2-plus months after the official grand opening of their permanent WS home, they’re changing pastors, according to this post on one of Mars Hill’s many blogs: WS pastor Bubba Jennings returns to the Ballard branch as “campus pastor” while Adam Sinnett moves to MH-WS in the same role after serving as the MH director of student ministries (according to this page).

WS Gas Price Watch: Pulling away from the pack

While several other stations that had been selling regular below $3/gallon have now  stepped back up over that mark, Delridge Arco keeps dropping. The $2.91 shown below is 18 cents below the current Seattle average (according to AAA).

Latest teardown-to-townhomes lot

Just another little post-WWII house, 4854 40th, corner of Hudson, one block west of Fauntleroy. Demolition permit just granted, six townhouses on the way.

Batter up!

If you heard the screaming and cheering from high atop Alki Point over the weekend (we did, while out walking before the deluge) — Cami from AlkiNews.com lets us in on what’s going on — West Seattle Little League is hosting the District 7 All-Star Tournament at Bar-S Playfield. So far the WS 9-10 and 10-11 teams have racked up victories; more games to come for them (6 pm Wednesday), and the 11-12 team will play later this week too.

See it here first: WS Summer Fest music lineup

Back in March, Dave from the Junction Association (and West 5) asked for WSB reader feedback on West Seattle Summer Fest. Now, 40 comments and three months later, Summer Fest is almost here, and Dave has sent us the music lineup as it stands now (noting that most bands have WS ties – either based here, or with members living here). This list is not even on the Summer Fest site as of this writing late Sunday night, so click ahead to be among the first to see it: Click to read the rest of See it here first: WS Summer Fest music lineup…

Another viaduct vote?

That’s what a guy from West Seattle suggests we need, in this P-I “guest column.”

After the storm

Appropriate for this to show up on a day when a whole lot of rainbow-displaying was going on just a few miles away. Thanks to Christy from On Focus Photo for the pic, shot between Seacrest and Salty’s.

This week’s big WS meeting: Sealth/Denny/Westwood

Two schools here on the south side of WS may soon share a campus, and their neighbors want to hear more about what’s planned. So the Westwood Neighborhood Council is organizing a meeting about the Sealth HS/Denny Middle School project for this Wednesday, 6:30 pm @ Southwest Community Center.

Wacky weather

We all know that spring and early summer in Seattle can bring days interspersing sun and rain, but we can’t remember having seen it change quite as often and as dramatically as today … or perhaps the fact we were out on a very long walk from south WS to north WS heightened our experience … Here’s a photo from Alki during the 4 pm deluge (including a few hailstones too fleeting to catch with the camera):

Leading the parade

The West Seattle couple featured in the documentary “Inlaws & Outlaws,” Jane Abbott Lighty & Pete-e Petersen, are celebrity grand marshals of today’s Pride Parade downtown.

More on the commercial filmed at Hiawatha

Happened onto this post from a local “parkour” star who’s in the commercial we mentioned below.

About that sinkhole …

Six months after the deluge preceding the December windstorm created the Thistle/Northrop sinkhole (at the end of the 52-y-o hillside staircase) in Upper Fauntleroy, Seattle Public Utilities is finally about to do something substantial in the area. Before we elaborate: Two photos, one looking west into the sinkhole a few days after the storm (before the temporary bridge was built); the next, a recent look east at and below the segment of “suspended” sidewalk that’s been literally hanging there (blocked off from public access) ever since:

Now, the apparent plan: Flyers available at the Thistle/Northrop corner say SPU will start work next weekend on “drainage catch basins and inlets” both at that corner and a block east at Thistle/Cali. They describe the “new drainage structures” as “improved grates with curb openings to help facilitate storm water drainage when debris covers them.” As for the sinkhole itself, which now seems to be dubbed a “gully,” SPU writes on the flyer:

We are continuing to work with FEMA and private property owners to repair the gully that was eroded during the 2006 winter storms. We anticipate that this work, which will include rebuilding the sidewalks to provide access to the SW Thistle St stairs, will be completed later this summer. Thank you for your continued patience.

For walkers/joggers who are wondering (like us), we just sent a note to SPU to ask if the upcoming work will block off the stairs again … we’ll let you know what we hear.

Site tech rant: pulling … hair … out … by … roots

Two weeks after we first contacted our site host with concerns about site slowness … four days after we started a full-court press via phone … the saga has reached hair-pulling stage. Click ahead only if you want to read our vent. (If you can even get to a second page. Again, we promise to get this fixed one way or another …) Click to read the rest of Site tech rant: pulling … hair … out … by … roots…

Admirable Alki anecdote

This made us smile.

Saturday scenes around WS

First, the crowd gathered for the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse groundbreaking (the site is across from Herring’s House Park but parking was full there too, so we were reduced to drive-by photography):

Next, people wrapping up at Relay for Life @ West Seattle Stadium just before noon (the end of an intense 18 hours; you can still donate to their fight against cancer here):

Last but not least, the amateur-radio operators of the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service at South Seattle Community College, starting their 24-hour participation (through 11 am Sunday) in the Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day. They’re utilizing alternative energy, which explains why the tall structure in the photo isn’t an antenna, but rather an Air-X:

Lights, camera, advertisement

A big camera/production crew is very busy amid the trees @ Hiawatha this morning (with several large lights like the one in the center of the photo). Tipster says it’s a commercial for Mervyn’s (which would be a bit ironic since their nearest location, at Southcenter, is no more):

WS Emergency Preparedness event countdown: Reason #1

9 am-1 pm today, WSHS theater & commons (better to go late than not at all). Top reason to go: Your loved ones. Be ready to protect & help them when “it” happens.

Lyrical log

Stenciled on driftwood @ Lowman Beach, a line from a 1969 Led Zeppelin song:

West Gatewood, 2nd evening of summer

The sun, trying to outrun the clouds: