One month until West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2016!
We’re now exactly one month from the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – Saturday, May 14th, many sales of many sizes all over the peninsula, 9 am-3 pm. We at WSB have been coordinating it since the fourth year and are excited about another awesome day in which West Seattle becomes the epicenter of person-to-person recycling.
In Week 2 of registration, the list has grown to 110+ sales, north to south, east to west; at apartments, townhomes, houses, businesses, retirement centers, schools, and of course the multi-seller courtyard sales at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) /Ginomai Art Center and C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Some are selling to raise money for nonprofits, some are selling to de-clutter and make a few dollars, some are selling just for the fun of seeing who shows up. You’ll find almost everything for sale somewhere – clothes, shoes, furniture, baby gear, books, dishes, toys, art, plants – just spotted a listing for an outboard motor, and one for a car! We’ll highlight more items in the weeks ahead.
If this is your first year – we close registration relatively early (we’ll announce the end date before the end of next week) so we can make the map/listings available a week in advance, to help people figure out where they want to go – some garage-sale devotees come from as far as Eastern Washington! So if you’re going to sell, better to sign up sooner rather than later. Just be sure you have your listing info (up to 20 words this year) ready, and head to the registration form here. (If you have just a bit of stuff to sell, you can inquire directly with Hotwire or C & P about one of their spaces.)
HAPPENING NOW: West Seattle Art Walk, April edition
If you think the West Seattle Art Walk is just a Junction event – not so!
NEW STOP IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: Brand new on the Art Walk map/list tonight, Brace Point Pottery, at 42nd/100th in Arbor Heights. Three artists are featured tonight, including Warren Pope and his “Sea Creatures”:
Two potters are also featured – studio proprietor Loren Lukens and Konstantin Reutov (photo below):
As with most WSAW venues, Brace Point Pottery is open until 9 – plus you’re invited to visit during studio open-house hours 10 am-5 pm tomorrow and Saturday.
ADDED 7:24 PM – SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE: The gallery at SSC is in the Brockey Center toward the south end of campus. This month’s exhibit is “Butterflies: A Fantastically Queer Journey,” including Bianca Wright‘s photographs of transgender women and graphic designer Allan C. Carandang, whose work on display includes bright and bold images of drag performers:
The artists weren’t there yet when we stopped by a little while ago, but we talked with gallery coordinator Akiko Masker. She talked with us about the gallery’s mission to encourage and support diversity, working with the Queer Straight Alliance not only in relation to this exhibit but also for an event coming up at SSC on April 30th, Queer Con. “Butterflies” (which includes nude images) will be on display in the gallery until then; admission is free, and gallery hours are usually Mondays-Fridays, 10 am-4 pm (tonight, until 9)
See the map/list of tonight’s Art Walk venues in our daily preview.
West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Bellevue Police say local bust linked to ‘large ID theft ring’
(WSB photo from Tuesday)
Back on Tuesday, we brought you first word of a Bellevue Police raid at a house in Highland Park. BPD didn’t have a lot to say that day, but now they do:
Bellevue police Tuesday arrested five people suspected of being part of a large identity theft ring that allegedly operated out of a residence in West Seattle. Investigators with the department’s Special Enforcement Team were conducting surveillance on a residence in the 9400 block of Ninth Avenue SW in West Seattle when they saw two people leave the residence and get into a stolen car.
After obtaining a search warrant for the residence and vehicle, they arrested five people in the residence, including the two who had gotten into the stolen car earlier. They arrested the suspects, two women and three men, on suspicion of crimes including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and identity theft.
During the search of the residence, police found credit cards, Washington drivers licenses and personal and financial documents of dozens of people. They also found and seized equipment used to make fraudulent identifications and financial documents.
In the stolen vehicle they found multiple crowbars, suspected stolen credit cards, gloves, screwdrivers and a brass knuckle-shaped stun gun.
(Bellevue Police photo)
Multiple shaved keys and narcotics were recovered inside a small backpack that officers had observed one of the suspects place inside the vehicle. A stolen credit card was also recovered from the center console. Investigators were able to link the stolen vehicle and one of the suspects to an April 7 vehicle prowl in Bellevue.
Investigators are contacting victims, including multiple Bellevue residents, and the investigation is being forwarded to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.
We’ll keep an eye on the case to see if any local crimes turn out to be part of it.
BIZNOTES: Thunder Road Guitars owner on new city committee; name change for Admiral salon
Two biznotes this afternoon:
LOCAL REP ON MAYOR’S COMMERCIAL-AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE: A West Seattle entrepreneur is one of the members of a new committee just announced by Mayor Murray to tackle a topic that resonates here as well as in other neighborhoods: How to ensure that small independent local businesses can afford to keep operating in our city.
The local member is Frank Gross, proprietor of Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. He was there (city photo above, third from left) as the mayor announced the new Commercial Affordability Advisory Committee in the International District. The committee, says the city, “will consider a broad range of solutions to commercial affordability, including incentivizing the construction of smaller commercial spaces, further activation of public spaces to the benefit of food trucks and other small businesses, and inclusion of affordable commercial storefronts in more affordable housing projects.” Read the full announcement – and see the full list of committee members – here.
ADDED 7:47 PM: We stopped by Thunder Road this afternoon to ask Gross about the committee (and to take the photo we’ve added above). He says he participated in a discussion with the city and the West Seattle Junction Association and was contacted about the committee as a springboard from that. He says he hopes the committee’s work will make a difference; he knows the search for affordable space is tough, as you might recall, his shop was previously in a smaller space between Admiral and The Junction, and he feels lucky to have found its current spot toward the south end of the heart of The Junction. He says the committee will have its first meeting before the month is out.
NAME CHANGE FOR ADMIRAL SALON: A new sign atop what was Shanti Salon and Spa at 2138 California SW announces its new name: Ella & Oz Salon. Its staff tells us that Ella & Oz “remains an Aveda salon offering a full menu of hair services along with enhanced Aveda rituals. Additionally, their team is joined by an Aveda-trained, professional esthetician offering skin treatments including facials, body wraps, as well as full waxing services.”
Milestone for Fire Station 32 rebuild: Demolition of old station
12:13 PM: Demolition of the former Fire Station 32 is finally under way, six months after we reported that the project to rebuild FS32 is nine years behind the schedule in the original plan for the voter-approved 2003 Fire Levy. The new station, to be built at the same 38th SW/SW Alaska site, will look like this:
(From Fire Station 32 “schematic design” packet dated August 2013, by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson)
Until the new station is ready, temporary Station 32 remains on the site of a future city park on 40th SW between Alaska and Edmunds. Among the equipment based there is Ladder 11, which we spotted driving by its former home while we stopped for our photos this morning:
The project is budgeted at $18.6 million. Construction is supposed to last about a year.
3:14 PM: We went back to check on the progress, and the crew was having a tough time knocking down the tower, even using a piece of debris as something of a battering ram.
As of 3 pm, it appeared they were stopping down for the day, but we’re going back to doublecheck.
12:35 PM FRIDAY: We went by the site three times this morning. No activity spotted during visits one and two – then, when we went back an hour after #2, the tower was down.
FRIDAY EVENING: Some of the building is still standing; the photo above this line was taken looking over the fence on SW Alaska, after the crew finished for the day.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Van stolen
Be on the lookout for Kit‘s van:
My 2003 white Ford E250 van was stolen between midnight Wednesday and 3pm Wednesday (the 13th) from the covered parking at 4540 45th Ave SW, The Westerly Apartments. The parking area actually faces Glenn Way. It has some body damage on the passenger side, and it has a bumper sticker on the back that says “Film is Truth.”
I have reported it to the police.
West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk night; Tinkerlab; education conversation; more!
Biggest event on tonight’s schedule – the April edition of the West Seattle Art Walk! Here’s the map/venue list – note that this list stretches from Arbor Heights to Admiral to Puget Ridge and beyond:
6-9 pm, you’ll find art at those 15 locations, and at most of them, you’ll also get to meet the artist(s). See the official Art Walk site at wsartwalk.com for highlights.
Also from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
TINKERLAB: The next in this series of creative, fun, free STEM-related drop-in events at local libraries is 4-6 pm at High Point Library – details here. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
EDUCATION CONVERSATION: As previewed here last night, 5-7 pm, you’re invited to Neighborhood House’s High Point Center to talk about hopes, dreams, and concerns related to local schools, the only West Seattle event scheduled as a prelude to the Mayor’s Education Summit later this month. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
FREE TAX PREP: Time’s running out to get your taxes done, and if you need help, you have a few more chances for the free assistance offered by the United Way of King County, including 5-9 pm tonight at the West Seattle Food Bank – details here. (35th SW/SW Morgan)
SECOND THURSDAY OUT! 6 pm, meet at the Senior Center of West Seattle: “Social time followed by dining out at Lee’s Asian Restaurant. All GLBTQ and their neighbors and friends are welcome. No membership required. Come and meet your neighbors and build community.” (California SW/SW Oregon)
LIVE MUSIC: Guitarist Travis Hartnett plays the Admiral Bird tonight, 6-8 pm. (California SW/SW Admiral Way)
MORE FOR TODAY, TONIGHT, BEYOND … on our complete calendar.
YOU CAN HELP! Donations sought for Alki Art Fair silent auction
This summer’s big events are getting closer – and the Alki Art Fair (co-sponsored this year by WSB) has a request right now:
Did you know that the Alki Art Fair includes a silent auction?
Want to promote your business/product while also helping us raise money?
Please consider a donation. Past auctions have included lots of original artwork, gift certificates for local health+beauty services/ restaurants/ shops/ performances and more, and fun items for home and garden use.
Please email info@alkiartfair.org if you can help.
The fair is set for July 23-24 along the Alki Beach Park promenade.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Spring-break Thursday
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:23 AM: Another quiet morning so far, second-to-last weekday of Seattle Public Schools‘ spring break. One road-work note: SDOT says the 30th/Yancy/Avalon project will switch to the east side of the intersection today. During this phase of the project, 30th and Yancy will both be closed at Avalon.
NEW METRO SURVEY: This one’s about late-night bus-riding. If you use the bus between midnight and 5 am, Metro really wants to hear from you. Even if you don’t, your replies could be helpful. Take it here.
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