day : 25/08/2011 13 results

Famous as tonight’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha headliner was, he was a bit upstaged in terms of crowd buzz, by the TV celebrity who’s now been sighted twice in West Seattle in the past three nights – Conan O’Brien. Tuesday, it was his visit to Cactus on Alki (as seen on Facebook); tonight, “Coco” (dad of 2) was among the hundreds going gaga over Caspar Babypants, who got a jump on things:

Yes, we have video too:

Without concertgoers even realizing they had a chance at an extra celebrity sighting, Team Babypants drew perhaps the biggest crowd ever for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s hot series of free concerts:

Mr. Babypants was of course joined offstage by his wife/creative partner, artist Kate Endle, whose work is on his CD covers (among other collaborations, plus her own solo projects):

One more Hiawatha concert – next Thursday, 6:30 pm, another very hot ticket, Star Anna, who you might recall rocked Easy Street Records in The Junction earlier this summer. Free – come early, and bring your own blanket/chair. (WSB is proud to be among the series co-sponsors, as we have been for each of the series’ three seasons.)

ADDED FRIDAY: A couple more Conan-at-the-concert photos from WSB’ers:Read More

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Reader report: Man in car leaves runner concerned

August 25, 2011 9:46 pm

| 41 COMMENTS

| Safety | West Seattle news

Out of the inbox, from a woman we’ll just identify by her first initial, “C.” No crime appears to have been committed, so this isn’t a Crime Watch report, but she says the same man has approached her three times, twice in a car while she runs, and once in person, and she wanted to get the word out. Here’s her account of what happened:Read More

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Video: Tiny Tribe ‘flash mob’ at West Seattle Thriftway

August 25, 2011 8:14 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Never mind “cleanup on aisle 5” — this was “flash mob on aisle 5!” Well, we forgot to note the exact aisle number, but you couldn’t miss the flash mob – little singers and dancers from West Seattle’s Tiny Tribe preschool/day care. Tipster Toddy explains that Tiny Tribe has summer camp for its graduates, and as part of their travels this summer, they came up with a flash-mob routine, since the kids love music and dance, and they performed it last week at Pike Place Market – right next to the famous fish-throwers. Then they wanted to do it for a hometown crowd, and West Seattle Thriftway didn’t mind, Toddy explains, so they turned up in the produce department at 4:30 this afternoon, campers and tween-age Junior Counselors, surprising shoppers. Here’s the group shot:

Some of Tiny Tribe’s other adventures are chronicled here.

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Chief Sealth Class of 1961 reunion: Dinner, tour, golf, more

August 25, 2011 7:43 pm

| Comments Off on Chief Sealth Class of 1961 reunion: Dinner, tour, golf, more

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

They’ve made it half a century since high school, and the Chief Sealth Class of 1961 is ready to celebrate. What you see above is a special placemat designed for the celebrations coming up in just two weeks; Jim Stapleton shares the photo and the information about the specific events that are planned – from golfing, to touring the renovated Sealth campus, to a reception, a picnic, and a dinner. They’re all listed ahead, along with locations and in some cases contact information for people you need to RSVP to, ASAP – read on!Read More

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West Seattle traffic alert: Viaduct congestion reroutes buses

August 25, 2011 6:15 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:15 PM: Just got word from Metro that “Southbound Routes 21 Express, 54, 55, 56, 113, 120, 121, 122, 125 traveling on Alaskan Way Viaduct are being rerouted due to traffic congestion. Westbound on Columbia St & 2 Ave stop will be missed. Use stops along 3 Ave between Pike St & Cherry St.”

6:49 PM UPDATE: Metro says the buses are back to their regular routes. Still not certain whether there was a specific cause of the “congestion” – nothing on the 911 log.

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Bushaw murder case in jury’s hands: The closing arguments

August 25, 2011 3:06 pm

| 18 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(UPDATE: No verdict on Friday; the jurors continue deliberating Monday.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Seven women and five men are now deciding the fate of the two defendants on trial for the murder of Steve Bushaw, a West Seattle native shot to death in the middle of California SW on Super Bowl Sunday 2009.

Before the case went to those jurors on Wednesday afternoon, they were the audience for impassioned arguments from the three lawyers in the case – King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Baird, defendant Brandon Chaney‘s lawyer Jim Roe, and defendant Bryce Huber‘s lawyer Tony Savage.

All three are veterans, decades in their profession, countless cases. Yet for them, for the jurors, for King County Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque and her staff, for the defendants, for their families, for the victim’s families, for those who have observed, this trial has consumed the final month of the summer of 2011.

As each lawyer in turn faced the jurors on Wednesday to make his last pitch, the spectators in the courtroom sat as rapt as the jury, listening, watching. Who would deliver the knockout blow? Who would tie together the complex evidence – from cell-phone records to relationships involving key yet uncharged figures in the case – to render the most believable version of, this is what really happened in the weeks, days, hours, minutes before gunfire in the middle of California SW cut short a man’s life at just 26?

For the jury, of course, the task was different – simply, did the prosecution prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Chaney and Huber are guilty of murder, though two other men have pleaded guilty to firing the deadly shots?

The day began with the official instructions to the jurors:Read More

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West Seattle restaurants: ‘Experienced restaurateur’ buys Bohemian

August 25, 2011 1:02 pm

| 36 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

WSB’ers are graced with sharp powers of observation, clearly! We’ve received a near-deluge of notes (thank you!) from people who saw the SOLD sign go up over the FOR SALE sign at the ex-Bohemian (3405 California SW), which closed last December. Public records yielded no information, so we checked with the listing broker, Jason Miller at Ewing and Clark. Here’s what he could tell us: The sale just closed yesterday. Miller – who lives in West Seattle – says the buyer does not want to be publicly identified yet, but is an “experienced restaurateur.” Miller says the sale took a while for reasons including, he says, it’s tough to get financing for restaurant projects right now – and unlike some properties on the market, this one involved purchasing the entire building, not just the restaurant business. More info when it’s available!

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Still speeding: Latest West Seattle notes from SPD

August 25, 2011 12:41 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The Seattle Police website SPD Blotter has just published another of its occasional roundups on what the Aggressive Driver Response Team is up to, and it’s West Seattle-focused, like many in the past. The furthest-over-the-limit speeder noted this time is 73 mph on the 45 mph West Seattle Bridge; see the full SPD Blotter report here.

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Big day for Lafayette Elementary playground; your turn’s next

August 25, 2011 11:13 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The upgrade-in-progress playground of West Seattle’s most populous elementary school, Lafayette, are swarming today with hundreds of volunteers in bright orange shirts. The ING Direct Investing team members are working on playground components including maps of the world (top photo) and the U.S., and the new play structure itself:

They’re also painting, and planting, in and around playground walls:

And they’re helping install the bricks that helped raise money for the project, which is using a combination of community donations and city matching funds:

Next step: This weekend, a community work party, which might stretch to a second day if needed. Here’s the announcement from one of the project chairs, Holly Grambihler:

We still need your help to finish our project. Our next big Lafayette volunteer work party is scheduled for Saturday, 8/27. We will start work at 9 am and will work until 4 pm. We’re hoping to once again to complete our tasks on Saturday and work on Sunday 8/28 only if needed. …

The main objectives of the weekend work party are to put the final touches on the playground. We’ll be spreading fresh wood chips around the new big toy, and completing any planting and weed pulling. In addition, we will be working on finalizing any of the interior painting projects (we’re painting the front lobby, around the classroom doors and in the new portables), and helping move the teachers into their portables.

Please bring work gloves. Also, we are in need of: wheel barrows, shovels & rakes, tarps to help carry the wood chips, and planting/weeding tools. Please make sure to have your name on your tools. … Please bring snacks/lunches. We’ll provide waters.

Kids are okay to bring – but there will still be a fence separating the satellite play area, and they will not be able to play on the new big toy yet. We may have a special project or two for the kids!!

The playground’s grand opening is set for September 6th, 5-7 pm – on the eve of the first day of school.

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West Seattle traffic alert: SW Spokane Street paving Sunday

August 25, 2011 8:42 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle traffic alert: SW Spokane Street paving Sunday

| Transportation | West Seattle news

If you’ve seen the portable messageboard on Admiral flashing an alert about SW Spokane Street – this is what it’s about. Just in from SDOT:

The Seattle Department of Transportation will be working Sunday, August 28, on the eastbound street level of the 2600 block of SW Spokane Street. The work … will not impact motorists entering the West Seattle Bridge/Spokane Street Viaduct eastbound; however, eastbound street level traffic will be detoured via southbound SW Avalon Way, eastbound on SW Genesee Street and then northbound on SW Delridge Way. Detour signs will be posted to direct traffic. The crews will begin removing the surface layer of the street at 7 a.m. and finish the paving work by 5 p.m. During the construction, all sidewalks will remain open.

Also note that Sunday is the Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk, which will close Alki SW to Anchor (Luna) Park for about three hours starting at 8 am – still time to sign up and be part of it!

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Now official: ‘Mobile Chowdown’ will be in West Seattle next

August 25, 2011 8:05 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

Food-truck fans, mark your calendars: Exactly one month after we first reported that the next “Mobile Chowdown” food-truck roundup was likely to be in West Seattle, organizers say they’ve finally finalized the plan, and the trucks are on the way. October 2nd is the date, The Junction is the place – open to all ages, unlike some past Chowdowns. We’ll be checking today for any additional details; organizer Michi Suzuki told us last month that they hoped for more than 20 trucks. California will close for the occasion, Edmunds to Oregon.

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West Seattle Thursday: Caspar Babypants, late shopping, more

August 25, 2011 7:52 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(WSB photo from last Thursday’s concert @ Hiawatha)
Perfect weather for an outdoor concert – which is one of the highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

CASPAR BABYPANTS AT HIAWATHA: Second-to-last show tonight for this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series, and the headliner is the hottest act in kids’ music, West Seattle’s own Caspar Babypants! Free concert, 6:30 pm, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association and a long list of co-sponsors (listed on the right side here); bring coins to donate to Wellspring Family Services (whose kids’ coin drive is under way, with a custom CB song up for grabs).

NEW SEALTH PRINCIPAL AT COMMUNITY SAFETY MEETING: It’s the first major community-meeting appearance for new Chief Sealth International High School principal Chris Kinsey, 6 pm tonight at 9421 18th SW, during the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting, also expected to take up topics including last week’s WC murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi and the proposed reopening of the White Center nightclub formerly known as Club Evo, to be known as Club Reventón.

GO SHOPPING TONIGHT: The final August edition of Shop Late Thursdays in The Junction, until 9 pm; here’s the list of which shops are participating.

WINE TASTING: Two tonight – a special tasting from 6-7:30 pm at Bin 41 wine shop in The Junction, 4707 California SW; join Christopher Chan, executive director of the Rainier Club, as he shares a medley of the top wines awarded Double Gold status at the annual Washington Wine Awards. … At West Seattle Wine Cellars, 6026 California SW, it’s Rhône Wines, from C&G Wines, 5:30-8 pm.

WHAT’S UP AT YOUNGSTOWN: From DNDA, we get word of a ong list of happenings tonight and other Thursdays at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – 4408 Delridge Way SW
9:45 – 10:45 – Ultimate Hardbody Workout – Allyson Elzea, certified instructor – 206-437-0873 or SeattlePriorityFitness.com
Noon – West Seattle Nooners (Building Business one Lunch at a Time) – More info at westseattlenooners.com
6 pm – West Seattle Aikikai Aikido – Call 206-235-5100 westseattleaikikai.com
7:30 – Cabiri (aerialist classes). For more information contact – charly@cabiri.org

(added) WEST SEATTLE PHOTOGRAPHER’S EXHIBITION: This evening 6 – 8 pm, long-time West Seattle resident and fine arts photographer Rick Bringolf opens his exhibition titled “Waterway” at Glazer’s Photographic Gallery, 517 Dexter Avenue North (photographic rental building). Featuring large-format, black and white images of the Port of Seattle, this event is open to the public. “Waterway” runs through October 13th.

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Followup: 250 checked at Nick of Time heart screenings

August 25, 2011 7:10 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The Nick of Time Foundation says 250 young people came to the Galleria at Chief Sealth International High School on Wednesday for free heart screenings, and 14 needed followup. The organization offers the screenings in hopes of detecting hidden heart problems that can be deadly, as was the case for its namesake, 16-year-old Nick Varrenti.

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