day : 13/07/2011 13 results

More nice weather, more door-to-door alerts. Tonight, three in West Seattle, and one from a WS woman who wants to put out a warning about what happened to her mom in Magnolia, just in case. Read on:Read More

West Seattle Rotarians celebrate Gov. Liberato, plan wine event

July 13, 2011 8:53 pm

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| Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

At this week’s Rotary Club of West Seattle lunch meeting, new president Sue Lindblom (from longtime WSB sponsor Illusions Hair Design) and new District 5030 Governor Ann Liberato paused for a photo-op with the brand-new banner celebrating the club’s status as home to the district governor. Busy times for the Rotarians – with several upcoming events, including a first-ever wine-tasting fundraiser:

*JULY 12 – the Rotary Kiddies’ Parade right before the West Seattle Grand Parade, all kids welcome to march, ride, walk, roll, 10 am, California/Genesee (“>pre-register here)

*JULY 22-23: Next round of the three-round Rotary Berry Sale (WSB sponsor) – raspberries will be ready for pickup. Order in advance, online.

*AUGUST 4 – the club’s 1st annual wine-tasting event/auction, with live music, “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” and of course, the wine! 5:30 pm, full details here. This is a fundraiser for the Rotary’s Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree and other humanitarian projects, locally and worldwide.

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Admiral Neighborhood Assoc.: Candidates, concerts, more

July 13, 2011 6:59 pm

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| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(From left, ANA secretary Jim Cavin, president Katy Walum, City Council candidate Brad Meacham, City Councilmember Bruce Harrell)

Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Political discussion, local business interests, community safety, and summer entertainment took center stage at the July meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association Tuesday night at Admiral Congregational Church.

Meeting highlights included discussions with two candidates for the Seattle City Council, details about the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series (lineup here), a presentation about disaster preparedness, and updates on ANA’s efforts to engage with Admiral-area businesses.

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Happening now: 1st week for High Point Market Garden Farm Stand

July 13, 2011 5:31 pm

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| Gardening | High Point | West Seattle news

Cheap, organic, fresh vegetables – as fresh as if you picked them yourself – are on sale right now at the summer’s first weekly High Point Market Garden Farm Stand shopping availability (32nd/Juneau, till 7 pm). The veggies are grown feet away:

Just park on Juneau – if you’re not walking, biking, busing – and look for the stand’s canopy:

Besides what you see in our top photo, they also have various greens including lettuce, plus peas, carrots, and potatoes. And if you miss it today, they’re open again every Wednesday TFN, 4-7 pm.

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West Seattle traffic-alert update: Spokane St. Viaduct closures canceled

July 13, 2011 4:51 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Just in from SDOT – the planned overnight closures of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct, rescheduled for this weekend, are now CANCELED completely, because of “material availability.” No new dates, yet.

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West Seattle Water Taxi vessel fixed, back in service

July 13, 2011 3:29 pm

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| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

After a “mechanical failure” that made Rachel Marie unavailable for this morning’s runs, the county says it’s repaired and will resume its normal West Seattle Water Taxi schedule for this afternoon.

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West Seattle businesses: The Beer Junction taps new location

July 13, 2011 2:49 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | WS beverages

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Just after celebrating its first anniversary, The Beer Junction is getting ready to move to a new location.

Though Year 1 has seen “faster than expected” growth, according to owner Morgan Herzog, that’s not why his store is moving.

It’s in one of the buildings that will be torn down for construction of the Conner Homes California/Alaska/42nd project – considered likely to start next year.

His lease wasn’t ending immediately, but Morgan says he was “excited to jump” at the chance when the perfect new location opened up:

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Suspicious stranger; bike theft; more

July 13, 2011 1:13 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch today – but first, two notes from nearby communities: Our partner site White Center Now is covering the WC raid that is reported to be linked to a federal sweep today regarding illegal cigarettes. The story’s here. Also, police are asking for help with solving a South Park hit-and-run – details here. Meantime, in West Seattle, we’ve been asked to alert the wider community to an alert that the Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club has reported to police about a suspicious stranger, a man reportedly seen hanging around by the back gate of the club three times in the past week (110th/32nd), white, long dark hair, in his 40s, associated with a red Chevrolet Silverado truck, plates have changed (one number given to police turned out to have expired 10 years ago).

Second note: Tom reports his blue Santa Cruz mountain bike was stolen from his garage at California/Raymond on Sunday or Monday, “an older full-suspension model with curved handle bars (not the typical straight handle bars you see on mountain bikes) and boxy looking chain stays.” He’s filed a report, so let police know if you see it.

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Chief Sealth International High School principal John Boyd leaving

July 13, 2011 10:29 am

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| Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated since original publication with the addition of a letter from SPS Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield regarding the process for choosing a new Sealth principal.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“After seven years, I’m ready to do something different, and challenge myself in different ways,” explains John Boyd, announcing his departure as the longtime principal of Chief Sealth International High School, which is also his alma mater.

Boyd has accepted a position as an executive director, supervising principals and schools, for Highline Public Schools, the district immediately south of Seattle, and the new job won’t take him far – his part of that district will include White Center.

He is announcing his resignation with a letter today (read it at the end of this story). Boyd also spoke with West Seattle Blog, and told us: “I had three main goals when I came to Sealth – improve the image of the school, recruit neighborhood kids – make it a place where people in the community felt like they could send their kids – and to improve academic achievement. I feel good about making progress in all those areas.”

Sealth was in the spotlight last fall as it moved into a newly renovated building, and this year brings another milestone – Seattle Public Schools’ first co-located middle and high schools, as the new Denny International Middle School opens next door. Sealth’s enrollment is skyrocketing, too, “going from 800 students to more than 1,100, and (next year) close to 1,200, with the second-highest wait list behind Garfield,” Boyd notes.

To help with the transition, he says, he will stay on at Sealth “as long as Susan (Enfield, interim SPS superintendent) needs me. … It’s really important that there’s continuity, I told (both districts). I’ll have my fingers in both worlds for a while.”

But he’s confident Sealth has a bright future, even under somebody else’s leadership: “The school’s at a place where it will continue to thrive and succeed. There’s a great group of people in place there. It’s a school that people have a lot of confidence in.”

Click ahead to read Boyd’s letter to the Sealth community (and, added 11:55 am, Dr. Enfield’s letter to the Sealth community explaining the principal-selection process):Read More

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Admiral Safeway project: Apartments to be ‘Element 42’

July 13, 2011 10:02 am

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| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

As the new Admiral Safeway store gets closer to opening – now less than a month till the August 12th date – we have new information this morning about the apartments being built on the east side of the site. The developer is Kirkland-based Madison Development Group, also parent to the entity that is trying to take over the stalled Fauntleroy Place (aka “The Hole”) development. This morning, Madison has announced that the 78-unit apartment project along 42nd SW will be called “Element 42,” with 78 studio and one-bedroom apartments “designed for the working urbanite”; sizes range from 420-square-foot studios to 660-square-foot one-bedrooms with dens. They say the apartments will be available for leasing “in 2012” (what part of the year isn’t specified – we have a followup question out), and they don’t plan to announce the pricing until next year. Their announcement also says the buliding includes a 720-square-foot “amenity room” with a community kitchen, dining area, lounge area, and fireplace, and an “intimate 2,600-square-foot rooftop plaza” with views from the Olympics to the Cascades. You may recall, the building originally, under a different developer, was planned to include flex-work space and fewer apartments; Safeway said that developer couldn’t get financing for that project configuration, and the more-apartments plan was revealed. You can read Madison Development’s full news release about the apartment project’s status by going here (2-page PDF).

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West Seattle (etc.) Wednesday: Candidates, fireworks, tours…

July 13, 2011 8:32 am

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| West Seattle news | White Center | WS miscellaneous

(Jubilee Days carnival setup on Tuesday; photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB & White Center Now)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, with a couple biggies in White Center today too:

LOW TIDE: Good beachwalking day if you can get out to the shore – it’s down to -2.4 just before 11 am.

JUBILEE DAYS – CARNIVAL AND FIREWORKS IN WHITE CENTER: White Center Jubilee Days Carnival opens today at 3 pm, and the Jubilee Days fireworks are at dusk, both at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd St). More info here.

HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND OPENS Season’s opening of the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, 4-7 pm, 32nd Ave SW and SW Juneau. This is a weekly Farm Stand selling seasonal fresh organically grown produce right in the garden where the produce is grown. Accepts Basic Food EBT cards. Farm stand is open until sometime in September. More details here.

TOUR NEW DEVELOPMENT: Community Tour of the new low-income-housing Strength of Place Village in White Center at 14th Avenue SW & SW 100th Street, a project of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and Capitol Hill Housing. 4 pm-6 pm.

AVALON PLACE DEDICATION: Grand opening and ribboncutting for Avalon Place, 2988 Avalon Way, 5-7 pm. The 16-unit apartment building will serve men and women who are chronically homeless and living with mental illness. Speakers scheduled to include King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.

BACKYARD COTTAGE WORKSHOP: Free one-hour workshop on building a backyard cottage or “accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) put on by Ncompass Cottage Company (WSB sponsor). Held at the Community School of West Seattle (9450 22nd SW) at 7 pm. RSVP (or get questions answered) by contacting Stefan at 206-933-5961 or stefan@ncompass-llc.com.

MEET THE CANDIDATES: Greater Seattle Business Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce present a candidates’ mixer at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. ($10 members/$15 nonmembers)

‘ROCKY HORROR’ OPENS AT ARTSWEST: The summer apprenticeship program at ArtsWest is putting on “The Rocky Horror Show Live,” starting tonight, 7:30 pm. Full details and ticket info here.

TRAFFIC ALERT ON BEACH DRIVE: Paving scheduled on Beach Drive (details here) – if the weather changes SDOT’s plans, we’ll add an update here.

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West Seattle Water Taxi trouble: No service till 9 am

July 13, 2011 7:43 am

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| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

The West Seattle Water Taxi vessel Rachel Marie has had a “mechanical failure” and there’ll be no service on the run till 9 am, leaving downtown, according to an alert from King County Department of Transportation. They’ll be using the Melissa Ann, which is the Vashon-to-downtown boat.

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Speaking of music: 29-act lineup for Alki Art Fair, July 23-24

July 13, 2011 12:49 am

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Lots more outdoor fun to come this summer, and we have more information you can use to plan ahead – the music schedule for the Alki Art Fair, at the beach July 23rd-July 24th. WSB is a co-sponsor this year for the first time, and we’ll bring you preview information in the days ahead. Here’s the live-music lineup, 10 am-8:30 pm on Saturday 7/23, 10 am-7:15 pm on Sunday 7/24. Twenty-nine acts are scheduled over the two-day fair, which is running on volunteer power this year, more than ever, because of the city budget cuts affecting Alki Community Center staff. The Alki Bathhouse’s centennial celebration will be part of the fair, too, and that includes one onstage event, vintage swimsuit fashions at 2:30 pm on 7/23, courtesy of Southwest Seattle Historical Society. That’s the only non-music event on the schedule (here’s that PDF again).