day : 16/09/2009 14 results

(Wednesday rainbow courtesy of Jerry at JetCityOrange)
Another one of those weekend traffic alerts to share from SDOT – and this one includes two West Seattle events, the Evergreen State Barbecue Championships on Alki (no roads closed but you’ll see barbecuers lining the boardwalk starting Friday night and running till Sunday evening) and the West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB) on Sunday (closing California SW from Genesee to Edmunds, and Alaska from 42nd to 44th). Here’s the full alert:Read More

New evening “care clinic” at My Family Doctor in West Seattle

September 16, 2009 9:49 pm

| 23 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle news

A new service from Dr. Terrill Harrington of My Family Doctor (WSB sponsor) – he’s trying the concept of an evening “care clinic” to see if there’s a demand for it. After regular office hours end at 4:30 pm, he’s reopening 6-9 pm for the care clinic. As Dr. Harrington explains it, it’s for people who don’t feel well and want to see a doctor but are having a hard time getting an appointment with their regular doctor or can’t take time off work in the middle of the day. His clinic is a bridge between you and your regular provider – after you see him, he can get in touch with your regular doctor for a full report on what happened, and he’ll check to make sure you connected with your regular provider. For now, he’s staffing the clinic himself, till it’s clear how much need there is; he was inspired to try it after looking at stats regarding why people visit the ER – many, he said, do so not because it’s truly an emergency but because they’re not feeling well and couldn’t get a timely appointment to see their provider, or because they have a sick child who seems to need immediate attention. He stresses this isn’t meant to replace an ER for major problems, and he’ll send you there if it seems more appropriate. His clinic’s at 3623 SW Alaska (map); phone (206) 362-8671 (that’s 206-DOCTOR-1).

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Update: West Seattle-based Seal Sitters report more pups

September 16, 2009 6:27 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Video courtesy Seal Sitters)
By Brenda Peterson, Seal Sitters
Special to West Seattle Blog

In the past two weeks we have had 5 pups on the beaches in West Seattle. Please be on alert as you walk the beaches (with binoculars!). If you see a pup please let our Seal Sitter hotline know. Call to report a seal pup on the beach at: 206 905-7324 (SEAL).

One vital thing you can do, even if you do not see a pup, is to let dog people know to leash their dogs because dogs and seal pups can pass diseases back and forth. We don’t want ANY of our pups to get hurt. These seal pups are being weaned and really need rest from their first fishing attempts. This is a critical time for weaning pups; they are often thin and exhausted from their first fishing forays without their mothers.

Though WA State has a healthy seal population, 50% of pups do not survive their first year. The main predators are dogs off-leash and people crowding them. NOAA advises that people please stay the 100 yards back from any resting pup and call Seal Sitters hotline for our trained volunteers. If you see a seal being harassed, please call NOAA’s enforcement hotline at: 1-800-853-1964 or NOAA local stranding hotline at: 206-526-6733.

We cannot cover every beach especially during this busy pup season, so those of you who regularly walk the beach, please be on alert for napping pups.

Last week a new Seal Sitter volunteer named a pup “Justice” after her grandson who was born after 9.11. “Justice” hauled out on a beach on 09.09.09 and was healthy and alert. He lifted his head at every passing school bus and garbage truck. He woke from a deep sleep every time a cell phone or loud voice startled him. Scientists have discovered that seal experience R.E.M. sleep just as humans do! Imagine trying to nap in the middle of an intersection – that’s how our beaches must seem to a seal pup. Thanks for your awareness and please help spread the word. Our Seal Sitter kids have been doing a wonderful job in their schools:

Atop this story is a video of “Justice,” who returned to the waves at 3:00 after hauling out at 8 a.m. It is normal to see seal pups on our beaches. Please educate everyone you know that West Seattle shores are a sanctuary for seal pups. Visit our website at www.sealsitters.org for more information, kids’ activities, and brochures you can print out to distribute on your walks. We hope that seal pups will realize they are among friends here on our West Seattle beaches!

On Tuesday 9.15 we had a pup actually on the sidewalk across from Cactus Restaurant on Alki Beach. Some new Seal Sitters were thrilled to take their first turn watching over this pup, who went back into the water at 7:30 p.m.

What We Need Now:

1. A Twitter person who can do quick, up-to-date blogs for those who want to follow Seal Sitters
2. Schedulers who can make calls so we do not tie up the dispatch line when a pup is on the beach
3. Computer-savvy volunteers who can help us with coordinating updates to volunteers
4. Donations of money or time to help us organize our all-volunteer organization
5. Grant writers so we can get some funding

You can reach Seal Sitters through their website – sealsitters.org.

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Traffic alert: Hit-run at Delridge and Henderson

September 16, 2009 5:35 pm

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| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle traffic alerts

Westbound Henderson is at least partly blocked at Delridge (map), according to the scanner, because of a hit-and-run crash. Two vehicles were reported to have been hit – no injuries reported at this point – and the vehicle that hit them is described as a maroon minivan. It may be a while before the vehicles are cleared, so you’ll want to avoid that intersection.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Pharmacy held up after it shut down

September 16, 2009 4:08 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Just found out (thanks to Anne for the tip) that someone working inside Westside Pharmacy, which was doing inventory after closing its pharmacy operations last night to move to the new QFC, was held up this afternoon. Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen says the robber went in around 2 pm, showed a silver revolver, demanded drugs, was given a bag of what actually were various “returned” drugs since the pharmacy had no stock left after the move, and took off. No injuries. Only description – white male robber, black male driver in a gray getaway car. 8:32 PM UPDATE: SPDBlotter has published an item about this, with a few more details.

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West Seattle Garden Tour awards: Greenery begets greenery

September 16, 2009 3:24 pm

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| Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

Thanks to Rachel Jackson at ArtsWest for the photo from last night’s West Seattle Garden Tour Awards at AW. The WSGT is a fundraiser as well as a great day of garden-wandering, and the photo shows WSGT president Lee Kramer (left) presenting a symbolic check for the fundraising proceeds to this year’s beneficiaries: Junction Plaza Park, Seattle Youth Garden Works, Transitional Resources, Plant Amnesty and ArtsWest (where the second week of AW’s season-opener “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” starts tonight). Jane Watson reports that the total amount raised this year was $22,500, adding:

Begun in 1995 as a fundraising event for the ArtsWest Theatre, the West Seattle
Garden Tour has evolved into an annual fundraising event for a variety of non-profit and educational organizations in West Seattle and surrounding communities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank this year’s sponsors, gardeners, volunteers and the West Seattle community for supporting the Garden Tour and for making the 2009 tour our most successful yet!

We would also like to extend an invitation to anyone interested in joining the WSGT as a volunteer. The WSGT committee meets every second Wednesday of each month at a members home for a group potluck and to plan the upcoming Tour. For additional information, contact us via our website www.westseattlegardentour.com.

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Want to study overseas? Rotary Club of West Seattle can help

September 16, 2009 3:02 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Just got word from Steve Fuller with the Rotary Club of West Seattle – through the end of next month, they are accepting applications for the Rotary International Youth Exchange program, which he says is “geared toward students, generally ages 15-19, interested in a short (6 weeks) and/or long-term (1 year) international educational opportunity.” Find out more about the program here; get your application in by October 31st. If you have questions, e-mail wsrotary@gmail.com

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For your Halloween calendar: 1 more trick-or-treat time set

September 16, 2009 2:14 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

The business-district trick-or-treat trifecta for West Seattle is now locked in – as noted in the past week or so, the Admiral District will be handing out treats 3-6 pm Friday 10/30, The Junction will welcome trick-or-treaters 1-3 pm Saturday 10/31, and Westwood Village manager Stuart Crandall has just announced their trick-or-treat session will be 4-7 pm 10/31. It’s all on the WSB Events calendar now in case you lose track and want to check back!

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Burglary victim catches suspect

September 16, 2009 11:55 am

| 39 COMMENTS

| Crime | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Last night at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (earlier reports here and here), Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen briefly mentioned that officers had been busy yesterday afternoon chasing after burglars who’d hit at least three places. He also said an arrest had been made thanks to alert citizens noticing and reporting someone suspicious. This morning we have the story firsthand from one of those citizens – who happened also to be among the victims – and actually tracked down one of the suspects:

Our home, in which we have lived for 26 years, near 35th and Morgan [map], was robbed September 15, 2009.

Our neighbor saw a youth with a backpack leaving the area about 4 PM.

My wife arrived home at about 4:30 PM and found a window screen off a back window, door open, drawers open in bedrooms, my son’s coin containers on the floor, and a laptop computer missing.

I returned home about 5 PM and decided to check the Westwood QFC to see if the thief had deposited the coins my son had saved for years on his dresser.

There was the thief, feeding my son’s coins into the Coinstar machine. I introduced myself and asked to look in the backpack, there was the computer and my son’s iPod speakers…I detained this young man until the police arrived.

Several youths left the parking lot in a white car with a spoiler in a hurry when the police arrived.

Our possessions were returned and the thief was described to me as a convicted felon.

We have asked police for more information today about this case and any other related break-ins yesterday and will add to this story when those details come in. 4:54 PM UPDATE: Talked with Detective Brian Ballew. He says they’re not sure if this suspect is linked to the two other burglaries yesterday afternoon – the only thing in common is that “large amounts of coins” were taken in the others. Also they’re not sure if anyone else was actually involved with this break-in – the one suspect who was nabbed matched the description of the one person seen afterward – but someone did drop the suspect off at the QFC, and, as described above, left in a car described only as “white … with a spoiler.” Det. Ballew also confirmed the suspect was booked into jail and that he has a record.

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West Seattle Food Bank reports records – and gratitude

September 16, 2009 11:03 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news

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Even as signs of economic improvement break through the clouds, local nonprofits that help those in need are still very much in need themselves, of your ongoing support. Latest example: We heard this morning from West Seattle Food Bank board president Pete Spalding. He reports:

At our board meeting of the West Seattle Food Bank last night we were discussing our continuing to see record numbers of clients. I wanted to share with you that in July we served over 3,000 households, which worked out to over 7,600 individuals and we distributed over 100,000 pounds of food. The continuing generosity of the West Seattle community and our very loyal donor base is a never ending wonder to me.

To help all those people, it takes a lot of donations, from a lot of sources. Just this week, we’ve received info on results of a few contribution-yielding efforts – for example, the Holy Rosary Christmas Tree Lot reported its distribution from last season, including $2,057 to the WS Food Bank and two other nonprofits; the Food Bank also was among the beneficiaries from raffles that raised hundreds of dollars before West Seattle Junction Summer Outdoor Movies on the Wall presentations, and from the Paint Ball event that raised $500 at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) during last week’s West Seattle Art Walk. And while we were at the new Junction QFC store opening this morning, it was pointed out that they’ll be partnering with WS Food Bank in the “grocery rescue” program, where food that’s about to be “culled” from market stock will instead go to the food bank. You can donate any time online – just go here.

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2 days till Holy Rosary School’s 20th-anniversary Westfest

September 16, 2009 9:33 am

| Comments Off on 2 days till Holy Rosary School’s 20th-anniversary Westfest

| West Seattle news

Changes this year for Westfest (WSB sponsor), the family fun festival coming up this Friday-Saturday, presented every fall by West Seattle’s Holy Rosary School on the north side of The Junction. One of them, a new festival-site layout – it’s viewable on the Westfest website – click the map on this page to enlarge it. Westfest also has rolled back the ride prices (and you can get a third-off discount for buying in advance). Read on for the official Westfest news release with details:

Friday, September 18th, 2009 6 -10 p.m.
Saturday, September 19th, 2009 10 a.m. 10 p.m.

Holy Rosary School
4142 42nd Avenue SW
(map)

westfest.holyrosaryws.org
WestFest is fun!

Imagine a sunny Fall weekend in September that brings together family and friends from the West Seattle community, an event put on by the Holy Rosary School and Parish that¹s safe and tons of fun for all ages. You¹ll find rides, kids games, an entertainment stage, specialty food booths, BINGO, a used book sale, a raffle, an arts & crafts fair, and much more on the Holy Rosary School grounds.

WestFest is community!

Now on its 20th year, WestFest has become our community¹s Fall Family Festival. In it, we celebrate the culmination of a summer well spent as well and the beginning of an exciting new school year!

Join us this year for our 20th anniversary! In celebration, we are rolling back prices on the kid¹s ride wristbands to $10 for unlimited rides. (Purchase in advance at Curious Kidstuff 4740 California Avenue, West Seattle. Phone 937-8788). Wristbands will be available at the festival.

My ID Club will be on site to make ID cards for kids. Check them out at MYIDCLUB.org. This is one of the only times they will be in West Seattle! Hope to see you there!

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Update: Junction QFC opens, after sneak-preview tour

September 16, 2009 6:50 am

| 58 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL 6:50 AM REPORT: That’s QFC president Donna Giordano, one of many executives in the Bellevue-headquartered chain (owned by national chain Kroger) here at the new Junction QFC, which opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 am. We just finished a preview tour with QFC media liaison Kristin Maas taking us around as workers bustled to finish the last-minute touches. Got to see some items we didn’t know they were offering – like gelato:

Here’s the sandwich menu:

The main parking for the store is on a deck you enter from 42nd, with elevators and a staircase leading down.

The street entrance at 42nd/Alaska has a seating area, as does a corner right inside the store, close to its Starbucks kiosk. The store is managed by Jeff Brown, who used to run the Westwood Village QFC:

We’ll add video and info after the ribbon-cutting – just as we finish this (writing from inside the store), someone announced over the loudspeaking, “Ten minutes till ribbon-cutting! Everyone start clearing the store. Have a good time, and remember, customer first.” The store’s open 24 hours a day and is the chain’s 75th store, first one they’ve opened in two years, since the Uptown store near Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne. It has 110 employees, and a QFC news release says “60 of them are new to QFC – net new jobs.” ADDED 7:51 AM: Here’s the ribboncutting less than an hour ago:

Dozens of early-bird shoppers poured into the store afterward; we’ll have another report coming up with more video, including what Capco Plaza owner/developer Leon Capelouto – a longtime Junction entrepreneur – told us right after he went inside. (If you’re on Facebook, be sure to “friend” us at WS Blog – we’ve just added an “album” with all 20-plus stills we took inside the store before it opened.)

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Happening tonight: Delridge Neighborhoods District Council

September 16, 2009 6:03 am

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| Delridge | Delridge District Council | West Seattle news

One major event on the calendar tonight — the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council‘s regular monthly meeting: Reps from major community groups and organizations in eastern West Seattle will gather to talk about successes, challenges, projects, ideas and more – and you’re invited. 7 pm, Youngstown Arts Center (4408 Delridge; map). ADDED 8:44 PM: Got word from DNDC’s Pete Spalding of Pigeon Point that the date is set for the DNDC/Southwest District Council candidates’ forum – 7-9 pm October 15th at Youngstown.

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West Seattle Crime Prevention Council report #2: Hailey case

September 16, 2009 1:22 am

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Second of at least 4 reports from Tuesday night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting: A rep from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms that the case of 19-year-old West Seattle repeat offender Skyelar Hailey is being reviewed to see if the Repeat Burglar Initiative could apply. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg didn’t mention it specifically in his speech to the group (though he had a lot to say about the juvenile-justice system and how he believes repeat-offender juveniles are not appropriately dealt with – Hailey had a juvenile record), but Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen mentioned Hailey’s August arrest (detailed here), and a Satterberg assistant spoke up to say the RBI deputy is taking a look. Hailey is still in jail, by the way, though his bail was cut two weeks ago to $15,000. He’s due back in court next month.