West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
If you’ve been saving up documents to shred – your next chance to get it handled is coming up this weekend, and it’s a fundraiser, too. Barb Charbonneaux is hosting a shredding event in the lot outside Implant Dentistry of Washington, 3720 California SW, this Saturday, 9 am-noon – that’s across the street from her office. She says it’s a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with a $10 donation “per banker-size box. There will also be bagels, juice and other treats available for a donation. All proceeds go to LLS.”
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli sends along this picture of fire crews responding to a pickup-truck fire in a garage in the 3600 block of 48th SW. We’ll have details later.
7:35 PM UPDATE: Christopher reports the fire was out when he arrived at the scene. The incident commander said there were no injuries, but the crew was checking for hot spots. Christopher also says the area was very smoky when he arrived and a fire investigator is on the way to investigate the cause.
The outside southbound lane is blocked on 35th at the scene of a two-car crash. One of the cars went onto the sidewalk on the southwest corner and into a hedge. An ambulance and tow truck are there; avoid the area for a bit.
(Refresh page for newest image from SDOT camera at 1st/Holgate – work crew’s on the right)
Just in from SDOT – an update on the 1st Avenue South water-main situation, followed by a slight change in the bridge-closure plan for tonight:
Emergency utility repairs to address a water main break will require the closure of roads and a sidewalk in the vicinity of First Avenue S and S Massachusetts Street until the evening of August 22.
In the overnight hours, a long lateral break occurred in a 16-inch pipe running north/south on First Ave S at S Massachusetts Street. According to Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), the pipe will be repaired and water restored to affected businesses by midnight tonight. However, the street repair and cleanup will extend through the evening commute on Wednesday, August 22.
As a result of the emergency repairs, the following right of way areas will be impacted through 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22:
-One lane northbound on First Ave S from S Massachusetts St to Edgar Martinez Dr will be closed
-S Massachusetts St will be closed from S Occidental Ave to First Ave S
-The eastern sidewalk on First Ave S from S Holgate St to Edgar Martinez Dr will be closedA Seattle Police Department traffic officer will remain onsite throughout the repair and cleanup to assist with traffic.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises motorists to use alternate northbound routes, such as Fourth Avenue S and Airport Way, to access downtown and south of downtown (SODO). Drivers and transit riders should additionally give themselves extra time to reach their destinations when travelling through this neighborhood. SDOT’s Travelers Information Map can also provide updates on traffic volumes and current conditions, and can be seen at: http://web5.seattle.gov/travelers/.
The Mariners game tonight against Cleveland starts at 7:10 p.m. and a crowd of 20,000 is expected. As a result of the First Ave S lane closure, much heavier traffic than usual should be anticipated. If possible, motorists not traveling to the baseball game are urged to avoid the SODO area.
Now, the bridge closure update, also from SDOT;
Southbound I-5 traffic to West Seattle on the Spokane Street Viaduct will be available until 11 p.m. this evening, in order to accommodate the large crowd exiting the Mariner game. It had previously been announced that the westbound lanes of the Viaduct from I-5 to SR 99 would be closed from 10 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. However, the closure for westbound Viaduct traffic coming from Columbian Way or northbound I-5 will begin at the previously announced time of 10 p.m.
(WSB video of Caspar Babypants at West Seattle Summer Fest last month)
More chances this week to enjoy outdoor entertainment before summer ends, starting with Caspar Babypants in the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series, which returns to the community center’s east lawn at 6:30 pm Thursday. This is the season’s second-to-last show in the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented series (with co-sponsors, listed in the right sidebar here, including WSB and our sponsors PCC Natural Markets, Merrill Gardens and Life Care Center of West Seattle).
For two other outdoor series, this is the final weekend. Friday night, Rainbow of Hawaii will bring the spirit of aloha to the 2012 Summer Concerts at The Mount finale at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor). In the courtyard/parking lot on the south side of the building at 4831 35th SW, you can buy dinner/drinks starting at 5:30 pm (this week’s full-meal deal is a jerk-chicken sandwich with mango salsa, plus side/dessert, or you can buy a burger or hot dog), music at 6 pm. Then on Saturday, West Seattle Outdoor Movies concludes its 2012 run with “Top Gun“:
The 1986 hit has been back in the headlines because of director Tony Scott‘s recent death, but it’s been on the WSOM schedule since spring. The movie’s at dusk in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), 4410 California SW. There’ll be live music for preshow entertainment, and free pizza from co-sponsor Pagliacci Pizza; the event sponsors also include Jackson, Morgan & Hunt, PLLC (WSB sponsor). Bring your own chair/blanket – and come early to stake out a spot!
More weekend (and beyond) events are listed on the WSB calendar – here!
Krista Fink from Puget Sound Blood Center is hoping you can help them solve a problem – with lives in the balance – someplace for them to park their donation-drive bus. Her e-mail to us tells the story:
In the beginning of September, on Tuesday, September 4th, we have two mobile units that are still open that I need to fill and I just can’t find a location for them. I am hoping that maybe you will put something on your blog and maybe someone will see it and think “hey maybe my church can host a blood drive” or a business, youth group, etc. If we can’t find these mobile teams a ‘home’- a place to go, set up, and serve willing blood donors, then we will be missing out on over 80 donations. Because each blood donation saves 3 lives, those donations would save the lives of up to 240 local patients.
Please allow me to explain. We have a large number of donors in West Seattle. However, we have very few blood drives. Aside from the bi-annual high school blood drives at WSHS, we have a bus that comes to Westwood Village and one that comes to Jefferson Square every month and twice yearly we have a little bus at PCC. I’m looking for groups that might like to host blood drives so that we can provide more convenient opportunities for all of our wonderful West Seattle donors to donate at. Here at PSBC, we don’t necessarily create community- we are a part of it, and we operate for it, but we rely on other communities- groups of people who are already connected together in some way or another- who will support us. Blood Drives are wonderful ways to bring communities together- you never know who receives the blood and it could be your neighbor, your friend, your coworker, or the mysterious woman, a stranger, who is always in the same line as you at the coffee shop.
We have 17 mobile units (teams that go to various locations for mobile blood drives) that need to be scheduled for a blood drive every day in order to simply have the opportunity to collect enough blood to meet the needs of our inventory and provide a stable supply of blood for the community’s needs. Summer is tough- it is full of cancellations and a lack of donations as people are on vacation, the heat, people are busy, etc.
Specifically, we have a big bus and a big inside mobile team. The big inside mobile team requires a space of at least 900 square feet, three electrical outlets, good lighting and restroom access. The bus requires a flat surface and approx. 70 feet of parking lengthways as well as nearby restroom access.
Like I said, blood drives do create value for those who organize them, and the donors themselves. It’s an investment back into the community. There are already so many wonderful, dedicated blood donors in the area and I’m hoping someone can help!
(added) Krista’s office number is 425.462.4384 – her e-mail is KristaF@psbc.org.
(WSB photo from September 2011)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we continue working on an overview of major under-construction-and-impending West Seattle development, we are checking on individual sites, and have finally connected with a representative for the project that’s been known for five years as Spring Hill, at 5020 California SW, just south of The Junction.
Spring Hill was initiated in 2007 by BlueStar, the original developers of Fauntleroy Place, former name of “The Hole” (now known, under new ownership, as Spruce West Seattle).
BlueStar took Spring Hill all the way through Design Review, with final approval in September 2008. Then the project stalled (as did, more notoriously, then-Fauntleroy Place) and went to a foreclosure auction in 2009.
Last year, a Burien-based firm, F & M Development, bought it. Last September, they demolished the three vacant, vandalized multiplex buildings on the site (top photo). We tried repeatedly to reach them for comment and got no reply.
Then last week, a building permit application appeared on the city Department of Planning and Development website. That led us to try again – and this time we received a reply.
A call for volunteers in communities including Seattle has just gone out, one month in advance of a statewide count of bicyclists and pedestrians. The goal, according to an announcement on the WSDOT site, is “to benchmark the numbers of people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities across the state on September 25th, September 26th and September 27th.” Find out more – and sign up to help – by going here.
(Dragonfly at Schmitz Park last weekend, photographed by Machel Spence)
TRAFFIC ALERTS: One planned, one unplanned. Unplanned – The ongoing 1st Avenue South northbound lane closure in SODO, because of a water-main break. Planned – The westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to close again tonight, 10 pm-5 am.
SENIOR CENTER GOES HAWAIIAN: “Aloha Party” with lunch and music at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 11:45 am – details here.
COMMUNITY ORCHARD TOURS: Every Tuesday, 5-7 pm, at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, northeast end of South Seattle Community College campus.
BELLY DANCING: The monthly Alauda showcase is tonight at Skylark Café and Club, 7:30 pm (followed by karaoke).
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT: Roo and the Few at Locöl, 7:30-10 pm, info here … Weekly singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.
TRIVIA: Tuesday night means it’s Trivia That Rocks night at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm.
More on the calendar!
SODO traffic alert this morning – 1st Avenue South is down to one northbound lane between Holgate and Edgar Martinez Way, according to KING 5, because of a big overnight water-main break. There may be fewer West Seattle drivers using 1st Avenue South right now anyway because of the ongoing Spokane Street Viaduct offramp closure, but if you’ve been getting off at 4th and cutting back over to 1st – you’re hereby forewarned.
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