West Seattle, Washington

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day : 07/10/2011 12 results

Lowman Beach sewer-overflow-control project: 2 updates
October 7, 2011 11:58 pm
|    Comments Off on Lowman Beach sewer-overflow-control project: 2 updates
 |   Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

As the county starts to design the project meant to reduce combined-sewer overflows from Lowman Beach’s Murray Pump Station, there are two updates: First, a community meeting has just been announced for October 20th, 6:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church. The “facility design process and project schedule” will be presented. Second, the county is now recruiting 12 people to be on a Design Advisory Group for the rest of this year, and most if not all of 2012. The Murray CSO-control project involves building a huge underground storage tank on what is currently residential property across the street from Lowman Beach Park. Interested in being on the advisory group? More details of what’s involved, who they’re looking for, and who to contact, are on this flyer.

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High-school football: West Seattle, Chief Sealth scores
October 7, 2011 9:36 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Tonight’s football games are in the books: At Southeast Athletic Complex, West Seattle High School beat Rainier Beach, 28-8; at Southwest Athletic Complex, in their last regular-season home game this season, Chief Sealth HS lost to Franklin, 40-0.

ADDED 11:30 PM: More on the WSHS win, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle music: John Doe coming to Easy Street Records
October 7, 2011 8:28 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Just caught the word on this one in the Easy Street Records e-newsletter, though hardcore fans may have seen it on their website earlier: Five years after headlining West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction, John Doe returns to West Seattle’s Easy Street for an in-store performance later this month. 4:30 pm October 23rd, free, all welcome.

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Loved Mobile Chowdown? Tomorrow, 2 trucks in Highland Park
October 7, 2011 5:17 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news

Last reminder … a restaurant-less section of eastern West Seattle will get some street-food love tomorrow: The Highland Park Improvement Club, shown in our photo (along with its sizable parking lot), will start playing host to food trucks on Saturdays, beginning tomorrow. It’s at 12th/Holden, just a few blocks east of where Zippy’s used to be. Lumpia World and Curry Now are scheduled for tomorrow, starting at 11 am and going till at least 3 pm, and HPIC is hoping to attract more as the Saturdays go by (Marination Mobile also continues its longtime weekly Saturday visit to 35th/Graham). Later on, you’re also invited to the Harvest Dinner at 6 pm tomorrow at HPIC – a potluck event (more details here).

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Before you head home: Downtown (and beyond) traffic alert
October 7, 2011 3:56 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

From SDOT:

A march is currently scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today. The march will start at the Seattle Central Community College on Broadway and will proceed westward on Pine Street to Fourth Avenue, escorted by Seattle Police Officers, ending with a rally at Westlake Park. Up to 500 participants are expected. Drivers should anticipate traffic congestion along the route and in the area around Westlake Park. Drivers are advised to take alternate routes if possible.

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Viaduct closure countdown: Bus, Water Taxi infoblitz ahead
October 7, 2011 3:03 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

(Among those in our photo from the 6th Ave. S. bus yard: King Co. Marine Div. Dir. Scott Davis, far left; Seattle Times [WSB partner] transportation reporter Mike Lindblom, a West Seattleite, at center)
Just back from a briefing this afternoon by King County Metro and Water Taxi officials, with yet more information to share about the looming Alaskan Way Viaduct closure (7:30 pm Friday, October 21, to 5 am Monday, October 31st). Some of the newest toplines include an infoblitz headed your way:

*70,000 mailers are going out, including free bus tickets

*Posters will be going up, distributed in West Seattle and elsewhere

*Metro has a special web section at kingcounty.gov/getyouthere

*Metro runs that take the Viaduct now will take 4th or 3rd Avenue that week. Coming off the West Seattle Bridge, buses will take the 1st Avenue South exit, and will travel up eastbound lower Spokane Street to turn left onto 4th – cars will not be able to turn left there, only buses, and a uniformed officer will be there to facilitate this.

*The West Seattle Water Taxi has a brochure about the extra runs it’s adding that week (the special schedule is linked from this infopage).

*Water Taxi managers will be at the dock that first commute morning (Monday 10/24) and as many other mornings as needed to help out

A few other notes, some of which we have reported here before:

*Extra Water Taxi parking along Harbor – overnight parking will be prohibited those days, in hopes of opening more spaces for commuters – and at half of Don Armeni Boat Ramp (no special WT shuttle stop there, though), for about 200 total potential all-day spaces.

*The Water Taxi shuttles will include larger – though nonbranded – vehicles that week. Note that the larger shuttles can carry up to two bicycles each; current shuttles have no bike rack. The Water Taxi vessel has an 18-bicycle capacity.

*If you plan to try different commute methods on for size, considering entering the West Seattle Commute Choice Challenge.

ADDED 4:21 PM: The official news release related to this afternoon’s briefing is here.

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Official warning now out re: the fake ‘Wells Fargo’ messages
October 7, 2011 1:48 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

A WSB’er sounded the alarm last weekend, and many others followed. Now, the state Attorney General is out with an official alert about those fake e-mail, text, and phone messages that aren’t really from Wells Fargo (or any other bank):

State Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned consumers about a text-message trap to capture financial information and drain credit card and bank accounts. Such text message scams are called “smishing.”

“If you don’t wish to be smished, ignore text messages that look like they’re coming from your bank or credit card,” McKenna said. “Flip over your credit or ATM card and call the number on the back. If there’s a problem with your account, that’s the best way to find out.”

Consumers began contacting the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division early this week complaining about calls to their cell phones from those posing as Wells Fargo employees. An automated voice suggested that the customer’s account has been breached and directed them to “press one” for assistance. They were then connected to a person who asks for sensitive account information.

Many of the calls came to those who don’t even have Wells Fargo accounts. As the week progressed, the scam morphed to text messages from those posing as representing Bank of America, Chase, Citibank and Capital One.

“Phishing” scams trick consumers into turning over account numbers, PINs, credit card security codes, usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. “Smishing” is a similar scam launched over SMS (Short Message Service) messages – better known as text messages.

Scammers have long phished by phone and email. The text scam is a somewhat new variation. The Attorney General’s Office recommends that consumers never respond to any message requesting account or personal information. Instead, contact the institution using a phone number from a statement or from your bank or credit card company’s official Web site.

Phishing and smishing are criminal acts that the state Attorney General’s Office lacks authority to investigate. Consumers contacted by such scammers should file a complaint with the FTC: . Federal law enforcement monitors complaints filed through the FTC.

Consumers concerned they may have revealed sensitive information in a phishing or smishing scam should contact their bank or credit card company, if applicable, and monitor their bank statements, credit card bills and credit reports to watch for suspicious activity.

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BULLETIN: ‘The Hole,’ aka Fauntleroy Place, goes for $32 million
October 7, 2011 10:44 am
|      93 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

(WSB photo of ‘The Hole,’ May 2011)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We’re at the King County Administration Building downtown, where the stalled development site formerly known as Fauntleroy Place, better known in West Seattle as “The Hole,” has just been auctioned off, three years after development stalled and collapsed into a court fight.

After the case was settled back in June, the resulting foreclosure sale was scheduled for today, and happened without much fanfare, shortly after 10 this morning, as part of the regularly scheduled foreclosure auctions.

Pending completion of paperwork, payment, etc., 3922 SW Alaska LLC is the winning (and only) bidder, announced by King County Sheriff’s Office fill-in auctioneer Dave Easterly, at $32.3 million. See and hear for yourself:

3922 SW Alaska LLC has been the on-the-record noteholder; it’s an entity linked to Madison Development. Its bid was submitted in writing.

Now what? We had checked with a spokesperson for 3922 earlier this week, and the response we got back yesterday was: “We are confident and hopeful that the next steps determining the future of this site will take place soon, but it would be premature to discuss any details at this time.” We are of course checking again; it should be noted that Madison has a page on its website for Fauntleroy Place, listed as 64,000 square feet of retail, 180,000 square feet of apartments. They also have a project under way in West Seattle right now – Element 42, the apartments on the southeast side of the Admiral Safeway site.

Under previous developers, the project was scheduled to have a Whole Foods Market as well as a Hancock Fabrics store (the latter, to replace one torn down on the site), but Whole Foods formally pulled out of the project in July 2010, since terms of its lease – to have a store ready to go by a certain date – were not fulfilled.

More to come! (Footnote: No official comment from Madison by day’s end. Hopefully next week.)

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West Seattle schools: Arbor Heights’ big night
October 7, 2011 10:42 am
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 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo courtesy Meri Patton)
It takes a village … of volunteers … to feed hundreds of hungry people, and here’s part of the team from last night’s PTA-hosted spaghetti dinner/fundraiser (and open house) at Arbor Heights Elementary. The hosts say they couldn’t have done it without donations from Avalon, Angelina’s, B&E Meats and Seafood, Franz Bakery, The Old Spaghetti Factory (Southcenter), Costco, and Target (Westwood Village).

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West Seattle Friday: Skin care; family fun; football; rock ‘n’ roll
October 7, 2011 9:12 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Friday: Skin care; family fun; football; rock ‘n’ roll
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

SKIN-CARE PREMIERE: Noon to 4 pm at Westside Dermatology (WSB sponsor), 4740 44th Ave SW, Suite 200. This event is open to the public! Westside Dermatology is launching two new topical antioxidants by SkinCeuticals. We will be demonstrating the importance of antioxidants in a daily skin care regimen and explaining why not all antioxidants are the same. There will be product samples, prizes, refreshments, and snacks. More information about the event can be found here: westside-derm.com/events.htm

FAMILY FUN: Everyone’s invited to Family Fun Night tonight @ Seattle Civic Dance, 6-9 pm. Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, bottom floor. 9131 California SW. Free but bring $ for pizza, pop, cookies, silent auction, raffles, cake walks, face painting to support the concert dances’ ongoing community performances. Live DJ Paul Thomson of STAR 101.5!

HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Tonight, two games at 7 pm – Chief Sealth hosts Franklin (Southwest Athletic Complex); West Seattle vs. Rainier Beach (Southeast Athletic Complex).

LIVE MUSIC: Tonight’s slate includes The Bend at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9 pm.

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Video: West Seattle’s elementary-crowding-relief future – 1 or 2 reopenings, 2 new?
October 7, 2011 2:08 am
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

When Seattle Public Schools announced the date for Thursday night’s West Seattle meeting on their “interim capacity-management plan” – the next round of proposals for solving school overcrowding (see them here) – local families pointed out that conflicted with several local schools’ open houses, curriculum nights, and other special events. Too late to reschedule, apparently – though district official Tom Redman said these meetings were set up in August (the dates weren’t publicly announced till a few weeks ago) – but in case you wanted to be there and couldn’t, we recorded it all on video, and that’s what you will see above.

As for the highlights of what happened: Opening the meeting at Madison Middle School, assistant superintendent for operations Pegi McEvoy described the presentation as a “draft” plan likely to undergo changes in an “iterative” process. Other staff members said that West Seattle has the most growth anticipated in elementary-student population over the next 4 years, which their plan is meant to address … a plan that comes just two years after a school (Genesee Hill) was closed.

The district’s suggestion of adding room for more than 1,000 kids by reopening Boren (5950 Delridge) next year and possibly Hughes (7740 34th SW) later – reported here on Thursday morning – was unpopular with meeting attendees from north West Seattle.

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New book for West Seattle photographer Machel Spence
October 7, 2011 2:02 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

West Seattle photographer Machel Spence, of mushroom-imagery fame, has a new book out, and will be showing her work at shows around the region the next two weekends: Snohomish County Mycological Society’s Fall Mushroom Show this Sunday, 10 am-5 pm at Floral Hall, Forest Park, in Everett, and the Puget Sound Mycology Society‘s Wild Mushroom Show, noon-7 pm Saturday, Oct. 15, and 10 am-5 pm Sunday, Oct. 16, Mountaineers Club at 7700 Sand Point Way NE in Seattle. She describes her book as follows:

80 pages of incredibly beautiful mushroom photographs taken by me in my local forests, I am giving 10% from every book sold to Fungi Magazine so the word about mushrooms can continue to get out in the world. I am a contributing writer and photographer for this non-profit magazine. There are 100 photographs of fungi from in and around West Seattle and Mt. Rainier. It’s a pocket book of pure loveliness for your eyes…

It’s available online here.

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