West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(December 2012 at Alki, when king tides combined with ‘storm surge’ conditions)
The extra-high high tides known as king tides are returning, starting next week, after the “supermoon” full moon that you’ll see (as clouds permit!) this weekend. Nothing catastrophic is forecast so far – high tides plus stormy weather can be problematic, but fairly calm weather is expected so far. Still, for those who like to track these things:
Tuesday, December 5 – 12.8 high tide at 6:32 am
Wednesday, December 6 – 12.9 high tide at 7:23 am
Thursday, December 7 – 12.9 high tide at 8:14 am
In January, the king tides will rise even higher – over 13 feet on January 3, 4, and 5. Again, without accompanying stormy weather (as was the case in December 2012), they’re generally little more than a rising/falling curiosity, but worthy of note just the same.
Two unique ways to shop for holiday gifts in Fauntleroy tomorrow, right across the street from each other:
FAUNTLEROY SCHOOLHOUSE HOLIDAY MARKET: This continues 9 am-3 pm Saturday in the halls of the historic schoolhouse at 9131 California SW; we stopped by tonight to see what the artists and crafters are offering. We found everything from knit caps to Sophisticated Slime:
That’s Jordyn, who makes the “slime,” which is something like Silly Putty – something to keep your hands busy, at the very least. $4 for 4 ounces, with color, glitter, and/or scent added at no extra charge. Then down at the end of the south hallway, we found Tab with Fun Times Too – a variety of found items converted into clocks:
Only place you’re going to find a bowling-bag clock, among other things, Tab assured us. Those are just two of the vendors – lots more at the schoolhouse, 9 am-3 pm tomorrow. Then across the street at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) on Saturday evening, 6-8:30 pm, and Sunday between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm, it’s the West Seattle Alternative Giving Fair – where you can give to local nonprofits on behalf of those on your gift-giving list. Here’s who you’ll find:
Thanks to Judy Pickens for providing the list. Those are just two of many holiday-season events around West Seattle this weekend – see many more in our frequently updated Holiday Guide!
Jack Miller‘s legendary Husky Deli isn’t just having its annual Holiday Open House tonight – this is also the deli’s 85th anniversary.
And of course it’s the visitors who are getting the gifts, sampling the famous fare of the West Seattle Junction deli, founded by Miller’s grandfather in 1932. As the open house continues until 9 pm, you’ll also be serenaded:
If you are a brand-new arrival and don’t know the deli’s address yet … 4721 California SW.
The 18-year-old suspected in two Thanksgiving-night robberies in The Junction is now charged in one of them. Abdi K. Jama is charged with second-degree robbery, accused of throwing a woman to the ground and making off with her purse, working with two juvenile accomplices. The three also are accused of robbing the Junction 7-11 earlier in the evening, in both cases claiming they had a gun, though none was seen and none was found after their arrests.
According to the police narrative accompanying the charging document, the victim, who is not a West Seattle resident, was dropped off at California/Alaska at 11 pm Thanksgiving night to catch a bus home. She first noticed the three suspects across the street watching her; two crossed the street, including Jama, and the one with him grabbed her purse strap. When she tried to resist, that suspect said, “Just let it happen,” and then, “I don’t want to shoot you.” They both kept tugging at the strap until finally it broke and the victim fell to the ground, at which point they ran off northbound, with the victim in chase until she spotted a police car that had happened by. That officer, patrolling the area, had seen what was happening, sounded his siren, and notified other officers by radio. He lost sight of the suspects by 44th and Oregon, and with other officers searching, he went back to check on the victim. One juvenile suspect was found in a bus shelter near the original robbery scene, with the victim’s purse and items that had been in it. A K-9 team found Jama and the other juvenile suspect in an alley nearby.
Jama, who lives in West Seattle, has no criminal record, and his bail was set at $5,000; he was out on bond within two days. When filing this charge, prosecutors requested a warrant be issued with his bail increased to $50,000. According to the document on file, Judge Catherine Moore declined, and bail remains at $5,000. No online information is available about the juvenile suspects’ status so we don’t know if either or both has been charged.
(WSB file photo)
The West Seattle Church of the Nazarene‘s requested rezone for a six-townhouse project on its unofficial “park” space has moved up a week on the City Council‘s calendar. When the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee voted on it this past Monday, they said it would go to the full Council for a final vote on December 11th, but instead, it’s on the December 4th agenda that just arrived. This is the project with a complication – though it’s been in the works for four years, long before the HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program was launched, the city says the project should be subject to MHA, which means either a $200,000-ish fee or setting aside two of the townhouses as “affordable.” The church was hoping for a waiver but the councilmembers who voted last Monday did not grant one. The land in question at 5911 42nd SW currently is zoned for three single-family houses; the church had been offering to preserve part of the open space as part of an agreement accompanying the upzone request. Next Monday’s meeting is at 2 pm at City Hall downtown.
Thanks to the texter who tipped us to this: Police have recovered another stolen car, and arrested 2 suspects. This time, it ended in a Gatewood apartment parking area, on SW Orchard just east of California [map]; the silver Acura above is the stolen car. SPD tells us an officer spotted it being driven nearby and pulled the driver over after verifying the car was stolen. They were still on scene awaiting a tow truck to impound the car. We don’t know anything about the suspects yet but will be watching the jail register.
Five months after we first reported on Kristine Atri’s plan for West Seattle’s first “escape room” venue, The Escape Artist, she says its opening is just days away. It’s opening in what were three vacant spaces spanning both floors, and both sides of the ground-level breezeway, of the commercial building at 4517 California SW. “Escape rooms” offer scenarios where you pay for the experience of solving puzzles to “escape” from some sort of simulated danger or problem, and as Kristine told us last summer, she is opening The Escape Artist after becoming a big fan of such experiences herself. Depending on how next week’s final inspection goes, the first day in business will be either Tuesday or Wednesday.
(WSB photos)
Tomorrow is the big night – we confirmed today that Nickel Bros is still on track to move the 5458 California SW “log house” to its new home starting late Saturday night. Their crews are on site again today making final preparations.
As announced back in March, the house is being moved to a new location in Admiral. The owners of the California/Findlay site were originally going to demolish it to make way for six live-work units, but Nickel Bros got permission to offer the house for sale/move – their specialty – and it all worked out.
It will be taken directly up California SW most of the way, starting some time after 11 pm Saturday night, continuing into early Sunday morning. It should be quite a sight, as was the last on-the-road house move we covered, in 2010 (which involved two hours of travel time to get from The Junction to Admiral). We will of course cover this as it happens, so if you’re up late/early, check in!
(Decorations at West Seattle High School, photographed after we covered a basketball game earlier this week)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
HOLIDAY MARKET: 4-8 pm, it’s the start of this year’s Fauntleroy Schoolhouse Holiday Market. Come see who’s selling what in the historic schoolhouse. (9131 California SW)
LAFAYETTE CRAFT AND BOOK FAIR: Support a school while doing some holiday shopping tonight! It’s the annual Lafayette Elementary School Holiday Craft & Book Fair by Scholastic, 5-7 pm. “Come shop, visit with friends, and celebrate the season of giving!” (2645 California SW)
FIRST NIGHT FOR WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: Music-synched lights east of The Junction. 5:30-9 pm – more schedule info here. (38th Ave SW between Genesee and Dakota)
HUSKY DELI OPEN HOUSE: Get a taste of the holidays at the annual Husky Deli Open House in The Junction, 6-9 pm. (4721 California SW)
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish & School invites you to help “Light Up the Night”:
There will be caroling and the lighting up of the grounds. People will be invited to a cookie and hot beverage reception in the Walmesley Center (gym) after the grounds are lit. There will be crafts for children. We ask that people bring non-perishable food items for the St. Vincent de Paul food bank.
with Christmas caroling, hot chocolate, and of course, the ceremony to turn on the lights on the church grounds!
Bring your food donation(s) to the sleigh in the Walmesley Center. 7 pm. (35th SW/SW Myrtle)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Both West Seattle High School teams play Nathan Hale at home tonight – 7 pm girls, 8:30 boys. (3000 California SW)
HOLIDAY CAST PARTY: ArtsWest‘s Holiday Cast Party opens tonight, 7:30 pm. See the nightly lineup in our calendar listing and check for ticket availability. (4711 California SW)
And from our year-round West Seattle Event Calendar:
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY: At South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), 11 am-3 pm:
South Seattle College and the TRiO Educational Opportunity Center are hosting an educational opportunity drop in event for both South students, their friends and family, and community members! Come receive one-on-one assistance with FAFSA and discuss degree and certificate programs, high school completion, English language programs, apprenticeships and more! No appointment necessary!
(6000 16th SW)
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: David B. Williams and Jennifer Ott are the featured authors at this month’s Southwest Seattle Historical Society-presented reading/signing event at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, 5-7 pm. Here’s their video invitation, courtesy of the SWSHS:
Their book tells the amazing story behind Seattle’s Ship Canal. (2600 SW Barton)
CORNER BAR: Highland Park Improvement Club‘s monthly pop-up bar is tonight, starting at 6 pm, featuring The Black Tones performing starting at 8 pm, all ages until 9 pm. (1116 SW Holden)
BOOK SIGNING: Drew Bensen reads from and signs the book he co-authored, 7-10 pm at Inner Alchemy. (7354 35th SW)
AT KENYON HALL: Laura Love, Terry Hunt, and Orville Johnson, 7:30 tonight. Check to see if reservations are still available! (7904 35th SW)
AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Christy McWilson + The West Seattle 2, The Riffbrokers, Jasper Tollefson. “Americana folk and rock.” 9 pm. $8 cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Got something for our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Please send the info as early as you can! editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
The photos are from the proprietors of Srivilai Thai Cuisine, who sent word late last night that the restaurant is now open at 3247 California SW (where Blackboard Bistro closed in August): “We won’t have our signage in place until Wednesday of next week, but everyone is welcome to stop by and have Thai food, beer and wine nonetheless.”
As we reported in September, they plan to serve lunch and dinner 7 days a week, phone number 206-257-5171.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:12 AM: Good morning. No incidents in/from West Seattle so far this Friday morning.
SATURDAY STREET CLOSURE: The West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Night Market and Tree Lighting will close SW Alaska between California and 42nd tomorrow, approximately 2-8 pm (the Night Market runs 3-7, the Tree Lighting in Junction Plaza Park is at 5). This means Metro reroutes, too, for the 22, 50, 128, and C Line – the reroute docs are all linked from this page.
9:20 AM: Tipster says the Admiral/California signal is blinking again. Please remember that means it’s an all-way stop! (And thanks as always for tips throughout the day/night, especially via our 24/7 hotline at 206-293-6302, text or voice.)
10:12 AM: Dave tells us an SDOT crew has just fixed the signal.
| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SHORES: King tides ahead, following ‘supermoon’