West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Stacey shared this alert tonight. A reminder as always – might be legitimate, might not; always ask for a license:
FYI – 52nd and Stevens area. West Seattle neighbors – just a heads up. There is a guy going door to door “selling magazines” on our block. He was a bit too smooth….with the car prowls and burglary on Garlough – it was a concern.
City rules for door-to-door solicitors are listed here; the WSB archive of door-to-door alerts is here.
With a little more than a week to go till Seattle Public Schools classes begin, our partners at the Seattle Times report tonight that the district and its teachers union believe they’ve reached a tentative contract agreement. By most accounts, these had not been easy negotiations, so that’s bigger news than it might have been some years. The Seattle Education Association already had a membership meeting scheduled for Thursday, so if a deal has indeed been reached, that’s when teachers will vote. More details are expected tomorrow, according to the Times report.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
West Seattle has some great burgers, both sitdown and takeout – we are sure you’ve got your fave – but you have to admit, the peninsula is a little short on fast-food burger options. So a big announcement today by the fabled Seattle burger chain Dick’s has some West Seattleites abuzz as well as folks elsewhere around Puget Sound: Dick’s just announced it’s going to build a new location for the first time in decades. You can vote for the “South” option – including West Seattle – in the official webpoll
TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Redline owner Scott Goerig, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, e-mailed to clarify today that while the “Goodbye Redline” party IS on for Sept. 10-11, he has NOT set an actual closing date yet.
ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: We found out today that Redline Music & Sports Bar will be closing permanently after next week. As per a message on their Facebook page, they’ll be having a “Goodbye Redline Weekend” party on Friday and Saturday, September 10th-11th.
Here’s an excerpt from Facebook:
Hi friends~ many of you have supported me for the past 3 years and through MANY awards and MEMORIES it’s finally time to move on! (tear)
Thank you so much, especially those of you who sipped tea with me late into the night while moppin up…**LIVE MUSIC ALL WEEKEND** FRIDAY / SATURDAY 10TH/11TH
Come say goodbye to Redline all weekend long from sun-up to sundown! I know we can’t fit everyone in one day, hence if Friday doesn’t work just cruise on in Saturday instead!
BE ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR MY NEXT ADVENTURE! :)
A development proposal for the site including Redline surfaced last year – here’s our coverage of the Design Review meeting held for the proposal last November – there’s no indication the permit process has progressed further, though.
Also, just received word from Gretchen at Square One Books (WSB sponsor) about their temporary closure beginning next week:
Square One Books will be closed for 1 week, from September 1st-September 7th for inventory and an update of our computer systems. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
We know a little more today about the the death of the man found late Saturday night (previous coverage here). Det. Mark Jamieson in the SPD media unit told us this morning that the death did not appear to be related to criminal activity and as such was not being investigated by police as a homicide. The Medical Examiner’s office was able to confirm that an autopsy of the 32 year-old victim was happening today. But by late this afternoon they could say only that the “cause and manner of death is still pending.”
The photo above is courtesy of WSB reader Dan, who spotted this seemingly rare bird in West Seattle yesterday in Endolyne (south of Fauntleroy, on Marine View Drive overlooking Puget Sound).
From Dan:
Saw a very unusual bird at our bird feeder yesterday. Got a picture of it and sent it to a lady the local Audubon said was an expert. She identified it as definitely not local in nature and probably someone’s pet that got out. Below is her e-mail answer (quite a coincidence that she happens to be in Aftrica now but reads her local e-mail daily).
*********
Hi Dan,
Thanks for writing and sending the pictures. You’re right that that’s no goldfinch. It’s definitely not even a Pacific Northwest bird. In fact, since I am in Africa right now, I recognize it as a male Yellow-crowned Bishop. They are sometimes kept in captivity, so perhaps one has escaped. They are not migratory and it is highly unlikely one got from subsaharan Africa to the Seattle area on its own!
Hope this helps,
-Christine
Also spotted in West Seattle: WSB’er Timothy says he “met these two lovelies on a walk along Lincoln Park beach this morning,” and he wondered if there was a “domesticated goose escape” of some kind?
SEPTEMBER 1 UPDATE: Many thanks to those readers who reminded us that these particular geese are “well-known residents” of that area. As noted by WSB’er Carolyn:
They are indeed domestic geese, however, they were born (May ’09) down by the ferry terminal, and have lived in the ‘wild’ all their lives. They are well cared for by the folks in the neighborhood. They are used to people and to being fed.
Mom (Goose) disappeared this year in April, after about a 16 year residence in the area.
Finally, just a reminder that our Pets section is bustling hub of activity for lost/found animals around the neighborhood. This past weekend, the handsome parrot Miya (photo below) found his way back home:
That’s new principal Vicki Sacco greeting parents and students this morning at West Seattle Elementary in High Point. Students were decked out in new school clothes as they lined up to gather their school supplies before sitting down for a barbecue lunch prepared for them by the smiling cafeteria staff.
Orientation continued afterward with a school walk-through. Students will return for the actual start of classes at 8:15 am tomorrow.
We’re checking on several West Seattle cases with court hearings today. First one happened this morning, involving Marcus Allen Combs, the man charged with stabbing a woman in what investigators called a random attack in High Point on April 23rd. After he was charged, as reported here in May, he was sent to Western State Hospital for a three-month evaluation to see if he was competent to stand trial, and a hearing was set for today to make the determination. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe tells WSB today’s hearing resulted in a ruling that Combs IS competent to stand trial, so Combs will be back in court Sept. 27 for “case-setting,” – the hearing that determines what happens next in the case and when.
Thanks to the tipsters who phoned in sightings of two unmarked helicopters in the Gatewood area in the last 30 minutes. We’re told they were not news helicopters and we have no word of police activity in that area. At the moment they have flown off as quickly as they appeared. We’ll post an update if we’re able to find out what it was related to. But it is likely unrelated to any kind of law enforcement or rescue activity.
(Photographed Saturday, August 28th by Christopher Boffoli)
We had reported last week that some of the leaves of the now-closed South Park Bridge might be removed this week, as the process of taking apart the bridge begins.
We asked Linda Thielke, spokesperson for the King County Department of Transportation, if that might be happening today, and the answer is “no.”
From Thielke:
They are still doing prep work. Looks like the earliest it could be dismantled is mid-afternoon on Tuesday, but that is still a bit tentative.
1:42 PM UPDATE: Another update from Thielke, with the caveat that this plan could certainly change by tomorrow:
Looks like the barge with the crane will move in tomorrow morning. Then, there’s the work to hook the crane with the leaf. So, the lift is looking more like happening late afternoon Tuesday.
(Photos by Jason Grotelueschen)
With classes back in session for many West Seattle schools, you’re likely to see a school bus or two in your neighborhood very soon. The bus row in the photo above was spotted at Alki Elementary this morning, where the Alki and Lafayette bus drivers were meeting to discuss the official start of Seattle Public Schools’ schedule (September 8th).
Also, you’ll see signs at your local Seattle Public Library branch similar to the one below at High Point. While the libraries are typically nice and quiet, they will be completely quiet this week as the systemwide SPL closure begins today, as we’ve noted previously.
3:24 PM UPDATE: Added the correct start date for most SPS schools (Sept. 8th)
Topping our look ahead at what’s up in West Seattle today/tonight: It’s the first day of school for hundreds of West Seattle students – classes begin at Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Holy Family … If you’ve got a K-8 student who’s NOT going back till next week, you’re invited to “end the summer with a blast” with Sonics legend Slick Watts at West Seattle High School, today through Thursday – Hoop Camp registration info’s online at wattsbasketball.com … One more reminder that the week-plus systemwide Seattle Public Library closure starts today … And for those involved in the community work to help King County decide how to reduce combined-sewer overflows in Puget Sound, with the least amount of community impact, the next meeting of the Murray Basin Citizens Advisory Group is scheduled for tonight (full details here) … You’ll find even more for today/tonight if you check the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
| 9 COMMENTS