day : 03/02/2013 8 results

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Big scare in the 4500 block of 41st SW in The Junction tonight after that truck caught fire. WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli says the resident who reported it said the truck’s wheel/fire appeared to be burning first, and then the front of the truck burst into flames, with an audible explosion.

No reports of injury – SFD’s investigation unit, Marshal 5, was called to the scene to check it out; we’ll be checking to see what they figure out about the cause.

ADDED 11:02 AM MONDAY: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB their investigator “determined the 2000 Ford pickup truck’s fire was most likely an electrical fire. The damage estimate is $5,400.”

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Skies Over West Seattle: New WSB feature for skygazers

February 3, 2013 9:19 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

EDITOR’S NOTE: For everyone who’s wished they had advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wondered “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” – this is for you; West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things, has offered to write periodic “Skies Over West Seattle” previews. Here’s the first!

By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog

Even with our cloudy skies and immense light pollution, there is hope for skygazing in West Seattle. As with everything, what you need is to be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I’m here to offer some suggestions for what to do with those opportunities.

The easy part is to not forget to look up. It is easy for us to bend our heads towards the ground all the time: reading our phones, the news, and watching to make sure we don’t step in puddles. When you get out of the car or off the bus, take a second to turn your face up to the sky. Just before you go to bed, as you’re locking up, glance out the window, or step out for a moment, and see what’s up there.

Beyond that, the winter skies can be truly beautiful. There are many extremely bright stars, and recognizable constellations like Orion are high in the sky and up most of the night. The cold air of winter is also more still than the warm, roiling air of summer. This makes the stars appear more crisp. In astronomical parlance this is called “good seeing.” When it is clear out these situations together make the night sky breathtaking, even from the city.

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Update: Seattle City Light rescues cat from Genesee power pole

February 3, 2013 7:27 pm

| 73 COMMENTS

| Pets | West Seattle news

SUNDAY, 7:27 PM: That’s a cat in a tough spot in the rain – and since nobody seems to know whose it is, and it’s been up there for many hours, we went to check it out so we could crosspost on the Lost/Found Pets page. (We used a flashlight for a spotlight to get a photo – that’s the clearest one we have.) It’s sitting atop the stub of an old utility pole that’s fastened to the top of a newer one on the southwest corner of 46th and Andover, and the neighbors who e-mailed us earlier say nobody knows whose it is. If you are missing a relatively small black cat in that general area, you might go have a look. Food and water is waiting below if the kitty manages to get itself down. Otherwise, we have already forwarded the concerned neighbors the advice we’ve received repeatedly: Call a tree service. (The neighbors certainly would welcome any other suggestions.)

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: As of 8:30, when we went by, still there:

See the comments for more extensive discussion of who’s done what and who’s suggested what. As mentioned there, we (and others) are checking with Seattle City Light – whom at least one neighbor says was called on Sunday.

9:54 AM UPDATE: The cat’s down, thanks to City Light.

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Swap till you drop! Women’s-clothing swap to benefit Early Days

February 3, 2013 6:15 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Ready for a wardrobe refresh? This might be the ticket: A benefit women’s-clothing swap coming up three weeks from today in West Seattle, presented by and benefiting Early Days, a support organization for moms of babies. Read on for the official announcement:

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West Seattle restaurants: Harry’s Chicken Joint on the way

February 3, 2013 3:00 pm

| 24 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

We’ve been keeping an eye on – and getting questions about – the former Meander’s/Jade West space north of Morgan Junction at 6032 California SW. For a while now, a piece of paper in the window has read simply “Harry’s,” but we’ve had no luck reaching anyone there. Finally – a little more information has turned up in the window: The piece of paper has changed to the one you see above, reading “Harry’s Chicken Joint, opening soon.” That dovetails – or chicken-tails – with what Rick “The Psychic Barber” Cook (whose new location is nearby) told us recently, reporting that he had spoken to the owner, who told him “it will be a sort of homestyle eatery with the main focus on fried chicken and plans to be open late February.” (Just found a Facebook page too, though it has little beyond the address and phone number, where we’ve left a message.) More info soon as we get it!

4:51 PM UPDATE: Just talked, briefly, to Bruce from Harry’s – he says they’re not likely to have the sit-down restaurant open till next month because they’re doing some interior renovations, but right now they’re planning on something interim for February: Takeout chicken for patrons of nearby Beveridge Place Pub (which doesn’t make its own food but allows food to be brought in), starting within a week or so if all goes well.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen bicycle to watch for

February 3, 2013 12:43 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:43 PM: Relatively quiet weekend so far in West Seattle Crime Watch – not just in reader reports, but also via the other ways we monitor police responses (thanks to those who have texted/e-mailed about various sightings of multiple police cars – nothing that has turned out so far to be anything of major note, but we continue to watch for reports). We do have a bicycle-theft report this morning: David says the photo above is a bicycle similar to the one stolen from the porch of his home near 32nd and Trenton overnight, between 10 pm and 4:30 am, “a Magna “Grand Ledge” mountain bike, w/ broken left hand gear cable and round bell on right side handlebar.” The same household was hit by bike thieves a few years back, and a WSB reader spotted the stolen bike, so the victims are hopeful that might happen again. (In many cases, police explain, criminals steal bikes as transportation to another crime scene – so you might find a stolen bike in an area where one or more cars were prowled/stolen.)

11:38 PM UPDATE: Bike’s back, David writes in the comment section, thanks to Guy, who spotted it near California/Admiral tonight. Another reminder that our peninsula is one big neighborhood – so something that is stolen or lost might turn up miles away *(5, in this case) – report it to police, tell your Block Watch, but then let us know too so the word can get out peninsula-wide.

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Seattle Opera’s ‘Our Earth’ to feature West Seattle youth

February 3, 2013 11:51 am

| Comments Off on Seattle Opera’s ‘Our Earth’ to feature West Seattle youth

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

A first-of-its-kind Seattle Opera production will feature young local singers. The official announcement:

West Seattle youth (L-R above) Wilder Cufley, Zane Cufley, Sarah Rosoff and Monique Allen are have been cast in Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Our Earth and are pictured here with the four principal soloists (L-R) Thomas Thompson, Rachel DeShon, Sonia Perez, and John Coons.

Our Earth is Seattle Opera’s first-ever three-part opera for young audiences. The first performance in the series, Heron and the Salmon Girl, will premiere on Sunday, February 10, at Town Hall at 2 pm. Seattle composer Eric Banks has written three brief operas, with libretti by Irene Keliher, all set in the Pacific Northwest. They tell the story of local animals and people—including people who can transform into salmon!—and an ecosystem in danger. The Opera soloists play the human and animal characters and the Youth Chorus represents the waves of the Puget Sound. Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (which organized last weekend’s Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday at Chief Sealth International High School) performs the score:

Seattle Opera also partnered with The Nature Conservancy to inform the plot and characters – which include a hungry orca, a helpful heron, a grumpy fisherman, and a girl whose brother is in trouble in the big city. They all set off to find out what happened when the salmon fail to return to sea one spring. Later on in the trilogy, the characters continue their quest into a river valley and all the way up into the watershed, atop a forested mountain. Find information about the premieres of the second and third Our Earth opera here.

Next Sunday’s performance will also feature Seattle Youth Symphony performing with former Seattle Opera Young Artist Adina Aaron singing Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Siegfried Idyll. Tickets are $10 for youth under 18 and seniors, $20 General Admission. To purchase tickets, please visit www.SeattleOpera.org/OurEarth or call 206.389.7676 or 800.426.1619.

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West Seattle Sunday: Before and during the Super Bowl…

February 3, 2013 6:16 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Lincoln Park owl, photographed by Patrick McCaffrey)

A few Super Bowl spotlights are among the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar highlights we have for you today:

WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY SOCCER: Pickup game this morning and every Sunday morning, 7:30 am, rain or shine, at Delridge Playfield.

CASPAR BABYPANTS AT SSCC: The college’s cooperative preschool program is raising money via this morning’s benefit concert by Caspar Babypants at Brockey Center on campus, 10 am, details in our calendar listing.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, year-round, at 44th/Alaska.

SUPER BOWL AT MARINATION MA KAI: New place to watch – since it just opened last fall, this is Marination ma kai (WSB sponsor)’s first Super Bowl Sunday at the Seacrest Boathouse restaurant/bar, and not only is there a big screen (and a view), they’re offering a special bar menu – see it here.

SUPER BOWL AT FEEDBACK LOUNGE: Big plans for the big game at The Feedback (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW):

You asked for it and we’re giving it to you – a Super Bowl Party on both our new 10-foot BIG SCREENS, hosted by TOM HUTYLER, the voice of Safeco Field. We’ll also have a $7 all-you-can-eat Chef Wade buffet ($5 if you bring in non-perishable food items for the West Seattle Food Bank), half off top shelf spirits during half-time, a raffle with big prizes and lots more!

SUPER BOWL AT CHRISTOS ON ALKI: Here’s the lineup at 2508 Alki SW:

We have added another TV in the bar/restaurant! Game sound will be on as well! There will be several specials going on all day that are listed below:

**HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY (food & drinks)
** $2.75 Coors Lights, $4 Fireballs, $ 5 Touchdowns, $ 4 Ouzo
**Free raffle prizes
**$10 Large 1-topping pizzas

NOT INTO FOOTBALL? GO TO THE THEATER! At 3 pm, you can catch the matinee performance of “Shirley Valentine” at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction.

…OR ENJOY MUSIC AND COFFEE: Also at 3 pm, the G-Cleft-tones perform live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), till 5 pm.

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