West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
After a partly rainy day, the evening shaped up quite nicely:
Thanks to Jason for that photo from tonight’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha event – Massy Ferguson joined by young fans. The rain stopped in plenty of time for the show to go on outdoors as usual (though the Hiawatha gym is always available as a backup), and Jason reports it was “a great show.” Next Thursday, Fly Moon Royalty! Meantime, two sunset scenes:
That one is from Carolyn, by Anchor/Luna Park on Alki Avenue, while further southwest, this one’s from Tim:
(added Friday morning) And Amy shared this view from over the Fauntleroy ferry run:
(back to original report) P.S. Sorry this site was inaccessible for a while earlier tonight. Still working on repairs and upgrades; we’re working to be readier than ever for whatever fall and winter bring. Luckily, a quiet night, but any time you can’t get us here, check the WSB Facebook page and/or Twitter feed, where we promise to get you the information about anything you urgently need to know, if the main site here is somehow out of commission.
Get over to the west side of Avalon Way south of the bridge right now and check out the third annual Luna Park Block Party – bigger than ever, with more businesses having opened since last year, among other reasons. One of them is Duos Lounge, which opened last December, and is serving up paella tonight, along with Spanish music:
Outside Ola Salon next to Duos, you’ll find not only the My Violette retail truck, but also West Seattle Brewing Company, visiting from their brewery and future tasting room (reported here a year ago) in The Triangle. They tell us they’re hoping to open to the public by October 1st. Back to tonight: The fun stretches northward from Ola and Duos, too, including face painting at Luna Park Café. It’s all on till 9 pm.
1:53 PM: At City Hall, Mayor McGinn just announced $400,000 will be added to the Seattle Police budget for violence-prevention patrols in trouble spots citywide. Obviously downtown is in the spotlight right now as one of those spots, but he stressed they’ll use data from around the city to decide where else to spend the money. It’ll largely go toward overtime for officers on the force now – Interim Chief Jim Pugel says that’s about 180 hours a month – though 30 more hires are in the SPD pipeline for the next year. The mayor is still answering questions at a live briefing right now; we’ll add the full announcement when it’s available.
2:11 PM: The mayor’s briefing is over. It was noted by at least one reporter in attendance that this came several hours after City Council President Sally Clark and Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Tim Burgess – present and past chairs of the Public Safety (etc.) Committee – published an item on the Council Connection website in essence challenging the mayor to do more.
5:53 PM: We promised we’d add the announcement when the news release turned up – here it is.
Once upon a time, not that long ago, evergreen forest blanketed our peninsula. Now, aside from green havens such as the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Schmitz Park, Lincoln Park, etc., it’s a tree here, a tree there. But if you have room for a conifer – or more than one – the city can match you up with trees looking for good homes. It’s part of the Trees for Neighborhoods program we mentioned recently; Katie Gibbons contacted WSB again today to say, “We’re down to two tree species and we’d love it if more West Seattle folks adopted some conifers. Currently, we have Austrian pine and Oriental spruce available. Both are large conifers reaching an approximate height of 40’ and a spread of 25’ at maturity. We recommend that these trees be planted in yards as they do get quite large and are usually not appropriate as street trees.” The two species they have are the Austrian Pine (left) and the Oriental Spruce. Interested? Free trees, watering bags, planting/maintenance training, and more are offered by Trees for Neighborhoods – go here to apply, and/or send questions to treesforneighborhoods@seattle.gov.
Two local elementary schools need help getting ready for the new school year – if you can spare some time starting NEXT WEEK! Here are the two requests we’ve received – first, from Roxhill Elementary:
Roxhill Elementary School is in need of volunteers to help open the school and set up classrooms. Our teachers work so hard this time of year to get school ready and would appreciate your help!
We have a variety of opportunities:
Monday, August 19 – 9-3
Thursday, August 22 – 9-3
Friday, August 30 – 9-3
Tuesday, September 3 – 10-2Come for the whole day or just a few hours! Projects include: painting, book organizing/leveling, bulletin board set up and much more! Please let me know if you are interested and the specific dates/times you can come. Contact Frances Coppa – jfcoppa@seattleschools.org – for more information. Service hours available!
And from Lafayette Elementary, via kindergarten teacher Christine Boyll:
Lafayette is seeking volunteers for a new program we’re starting called JumpStart. JumpStart gives incoming Kindergarteners a chance to get to know the school, their new classmates, and the rules and procedures of Kindergarten before the first day of school. The program runs August 19-23 from 9-noon each day. We’re really excited about it, but we need a few more volunteers to help ensure it’s a success. As a volunteer, your primary responsibility would be to lead small groups of students through specific activities. Clear instructions and materials will be provided by the teachers. You can volunteer for the whole time or part of it. Please let us know if you are interested or if you have any questions at jumpstartlafayette@gmail.com. Thanks so much!
-Christine Boyll
Thanks to Stephen for sharing the hawk photo, taken southwest of The Junction, where, he says, Steller’s Jays sounded the alarm. Speaking of announcements – from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, highlights for tonight:
NEW RESTAURANT OPENS: It’s the official opening night for Pecado Bueno, the new taqueria-with-a-bar restaurant, first reported here in June. While their regular hours include lunch, they’ll officially swing the doors open at 5 tonight. (4523 California SW)
LUNA PARK BLOCK PARTY: As first reported here last month, it’s the third annual edition of the Luna Park business district’s big event, 6-8 pm – here’s our original preview.
DUWAMISH RIVER KAYAK TOUR: Community kayak tours of the Duwamish River are back this summer, with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and Alki Kayak Tours, and tonight’s tour leaves from South Park’s Duwamish Waterway Park at 6 pm – details here. (7900 10th Ave. S.)
MASSY FERGUSON AT HIAWATHA: This year’s fourth free show in the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series gets going on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center at 6:30 pm (if the weather doesn’t clear, the gym is there as a backup), and this time around, you’ll hear the music of Massy Ferguson.
‘TAPPED’: Water = good. Using billions of plastic water bottles to drink it = not good. “Tapped” explains why, and Seattle Public Utilities reminds us you can see it free tonight, 6:30 pm, at the Admiral Theater. (2343 California SW)
GENESEE-SCHMITZ NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: As previewed here, two major items are on the agenda for this meeting at 7 pm – the city process now under way to determine what to do with no-longer-needed substation sites in West Seattle and environs, including 50th/Dakota, and the ongoing issue of small-lot development. The meeting’s at West Side Presbyterian Church. (3601 California SW)
Continuing our countdown to Saturday’s seventh annual Delridge Day festival – today’s updates are all on wheels!
SKATE COMPETITION: Organizers have just announced the prizes:
The skate competition committee just added a great new feature to round out this already amazing event! Groms 12 and under open clinic/skate jam for new skateboarders from 10 am-11 am. This is sponsored by Skate Like a Girl! The best part is, the top skaters will be entered into the skate competition without a fee. Parents must be present for release-form signage.
*Prizes for the Pro/Am portion of the competition are: 1st place: $300, 2nd place: $150 and 3rd place: $50.
*Prizes for the Master’s competition for ages 40+: 1st place: Arbor Longboard, 2nd place: Tony Alva Signature complete skateboard and 3rd place: a padset.
*Prizes for Women’s 13+ competition are: 1st place: Arbor Zeppelin Longboard, 2nd place: Pruno complete skateboard and 3rd place: clothing from Casual Industrees.
*Prizes for Men’s 13+ are: 1st place: DB Duch DH Longboard, 2nd place: Pruno Complete skateboard and 3rd place: skate deck and Casual Industrees t-shirt.
*Prizes for Groms 12 and under are: 1st place: Creature complete skateboard, 2nd place: skate deck and Casual Industrees t-shirt and 3rd place: skate deck.
Not registered for the skate competition yet? Signups on site on Saturday will start at 9; competition starts at 10.
DIY BIKES: Ride your bike to Delridge Day! Alki Bike and Board‘s Stu Hennessey sends an update on DIY (Delridge Inspires Youth) Bikes, which usually has a bike-repair work party at Youngstown on Sundays, but this weekend will instead be at the DD festival on Saturday – you can bring your bicycle(s) for basic maintenance, cleaning, and lubing, Stu says.
Delridge Day is lasting longer this year – 11 am to 4 pm (but as noted above, skating begins at 10) – in and around the Delridge Community Center/Park/Skatepark, between 26th SW and Delridge Way, south of Genesee. See the schedule for entertainment and family games by going here; you’ll also find more than 70 community groups and businesses with booths and tables in the park (including WSB, since we’re a festival co-sponsor; see you there!).
(WSB photo from August 2012: Part of the crowd at last year’s Garden Party)
It’s a summertime staple – the annual Garden Party fundraiser for our area’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats – and tomorrow (Friday) is the night, West Seattle Nursery‘s the place. This year’s theme is “Fiesta,” with a Tex-Mex buffet and live music, and some of the auction items even fit the theme – including a week in Sayulita, Mexico. Also up for grabs to the highest bidder(s):
* a half-case of wine from the Vashon winery,
* a yachting tour of Lake Union with Dow Constantine
* a week on the island of Majorca, Spain in a luxurious condo,
* cocktail party at Rep. Eileen Cody‘s home, co-hosted by County Councilmember Joe McDermott
This year’s guest auctioneer is Seattle City Council President Sally Clark, and the event’s always a draw for other local political leaders, so you never know who you’ll get a chance to chat with. Tickets are $34 individual/$60 couple; the event starts at 6 pm Friday at WS Nursery (California/Brandon).
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
As we keep an eye on what’s happening today – with your help – we’re also looking ahead, so here are two reminders:
*Friday night/Saturday morning, Highway 99 closures – newest details here
*Next Monday-Friday, a key road closure between Highland Park/Puget Ridge and Delridge – details here
*For that road closure, Metro Route 120 effects start TODAY – explained here
8:21 AM: The stalled semi mentioned in comments has been cleared from the westbound lanes of the low bridge, per SDOT. A possible truck problem is now mentioned in e-mail from Nicholas: “A semi missed the turn on Andover to Nucor, and now appears to be stuck on the hill heading back up to Avalon.”
9:28 AM: If you take the 1st Avenue South Bridge on 99 northbound, note that there’s a big SFD callout on East Marginal Way north of the bridge (map) right now, listed as hazmat/spill/leak – no details yet but the callout is likely to affect 99 traffic in that area between bridges, so be forewarned.
10:11 AM: As discussed in comments – here’s what SFD has tweeted about the East Marginal incident: “… a report of 1 patient who felt dizzy & nauseous after opening envelope. … Medic evaluating 1 patient. Envelope islolated. Workers in building being sheltered in place. HazMat team will evaluate envelope.”
(1930s photo, taken for King County Assessor’s Office)
As an e-mailed reminder puts it, it’ll be the “house party of the century”: This Sunday is the day you’re invited to the North Admiral home of Greg and Sharon Nickels, for either or both parts of a two-part event: “If These Walls Could Talk: The Centennial of Hizzoner’s House.”
(July 2013 photo by Jean Sherrard)
They’ve lived in the 100-year-old Craftsman for more than a quarter century, and in addition to working extensively on its restoration, have hosted many a gathering…with visitors including Al and Tipper Gore …
… and supporters from the former mayor’s own campaigns …
As explained here, the entire afternoon is a fundraiser for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, starting with a 1-3 pm VIP event including talks by the Nickels and a presentation on how to research your home’s background; reservations are required. For the 3-5 pm event, including tours of the restored home, admission will be collected on a walk-up basis. (Again, full details are here.)
P.S. You can get ready for the big day by checking out the backstory, as told on the Log House Museum website by Brad Chrisman, and also checking out the preview in “Now and Then“ from last Sunday’s Seattle Times, as well as the extras added to that story on the website that is co-authored by Paul Dorpat from “Now and Then.”
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