West Seattle, Washington
27 Tuesday
(Young male Anna’s Hummingbird photographed by Danny McMillin, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
No reason for rainy-day boredom. Here’s some of what’s on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CAMP FIRE CANDY SALES: 9 am-4 pm today and tomorrow, Camp Fire’s annual candy fundraiser will be happening at the Fauntleroy ferry dock (among other places), per the organization’s lineup. (4829 SW Barton)
RESTAURANT NOTES: 8 am-8 pm, Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) has bacon giveaways celebrating the return of Danny the Pig (9261 45th SW); 10 am-2 am, Mission marks its 10th anniversary (2325 California SW) – details on both are in last night’s roundup of restaurant notes.
GIVE A LIFE-SAVING GIFT: If you can donate blood, look for the mobile van from Bloodworks NW (new name for what was Puget Sound Blood Center) in The Junction. Walkup donors welcome. 9-11 am and noon-3 pm. (42nd/Alaska)
STAIRWAY WALKS DAY: 10 am at three spots in West Seattle (and others around the city) – advance registration was required, so this is just a reminder for those who signed up.
COMMUNITY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-2 pm, adults only; details in our listing. (20th/Roxbury)
GREAT START PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 11 am-1 pm, you’re welcome to come find out more. (4620 SW Graham)
GAMES, GAMES, GAMES: 2-5 pm, drop by Admiral Congregational Church for games and snacks. (California/Hill)
‘SOUL JAMBALAYA’ CONCERT: 7 pm, celebrate music traditions from blues to jazz to gospel to funk with student musicians and acclaimed guest performers, as previewed here. Free; donations accepted, to support Denny/Sealth music programs. Chief Sealth International High School auditorium. (2600 SW Thistle)
WEST SEATTLE MEANINGFUL MOVIES: 7 pm (doors at 6:30), “Urban Gardeners and Social Justice Heroes” – read about this month’s program here. Free; donations accepted. Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way)
‘KING OF BOOGIE WOOGIE PIANO’: 7:30 pm, Arthur Migliazzia brings boogie-woogie to historic Kenyon Hall, as explained in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
NOT DEAD YET: Catch them at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9 pm. (6451 California SW)
WHAT ELSE IS UP? Check our calendar.
Services for Jimmy D. Picinich Jr., 43, are planned February 19th at Holy Rosary Church. Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing:
Jimmy D. Picinich Jr., born April 30, 1971, passed away at home on January 30th.
Jimmy attended Holy Rosary, John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, and Shoreline Community College.
After completing his education, Jimmy began his career as a Seattle Longshoreman, a proud member of ILWU Local 19 for 25 years.
Jimmy leaves behind his wife Kelli, daughter Taylor, his loving parents Jim and Janet Picinich, sister Krista, brother-in-law Colin, nephew Jimmy, and niece Addison.
Services will be held at West Seattle Holy Rosary Church on Thursday, February 19th, at 10:30 am; reception to follow in Lanigan Gymnasium at Holy Rosary School.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
9:56 PM: Guardian One is in the area for the third time tonight. This time we’ve heard it’s a call near 20th/Delridge but don’t have details yet. Earlier, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Twitter timeline, the helicopter assisted with calls described as a hit-run search in West Seattle and a robbery search in White Center.
10:44 PM: We couldn’t find any police activity in that area but Guardian One’s subsequent tweet says it was helping with “a robbery north of White Center.” Fragments of scanner traffic lead us to believe it was a store robbery, not a street robbery, but we’re still trying to confirm with police. No helicopter visible in the area (or anywhere else as we drove back north along 16th, and then onto Delridge, from there).
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Delridge 7-11, per comment.
Yikes! Tanker truck on its side. 2 lanes of SB I-5 are blocked, and the ramp from EB WSB to SB I-5. Use alt routes. pic.twitter.com/g8ulqVtXyK
— seattledot (@seattledot) February 7, 2015
8:42 PM: A tanker truck is on its side on southbound I-5 just south of the West Seattle Bridge, so the offramp is closed. Updates as we get them.
9:29 PM: From the State Patrol:
No injuries. A passenger car was also involved. That driver was arrested for DUI. Expect lane closures for several hours.
— Trooper Chris Webb (@wspd2pio) February 7, 2015
If you want to check the eastbound-bridge-to-southbound-I-5 ramp status between our updates, use the city’s travelers-info map, and choose, on the lower right, live video/SODO/6th & Spokane.
12:49 AM: Still closed – no estimate for reopening, WSDOT says.
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Per WSDOT’s tweet, the ramp (and all I-5 lanes) reopened just before 1:30 am.
Three local food notes:
UNCLE MIKE’S BBQ CLOSING DINING ROOM, FOR NOW: If you are a fan of Uncle Mike’s BBQ in White Center and haven’t been lately, get there fast – Proprietors Mike and Elizabeth announced via Facebook that they are closing the dining room (but NOT the catering operation) at “the end of (this) week,” and then Mike elaborated:
End of the week means Saturday or Sunday. Why are we closing the dining room? Several reasons but mainly because I’m going through cancer treatment & while we can handle catering events just fine, running a full restaurant takes a lot more work. Right now I want to spend more time with Elizabeth and focus on beating the cancer. In the near future I plan to offer take-out as well as catering – stay tuned! Thanks – Love, Uncle Mike
Uncle Mike’s, known not “just” for barbecue but also for fried chicken and even hearty vegan food, is at 9640 16th SW.
MISSION MARKS 10 YEARS: Happy 10th anniversary to Mission in The Admiral District! Tomorrow’s the big party – open for lunch and dinner Saturday with a special food/drink menu (featuring a pig roast!), 10 am-2 am, all ages until 9 pm with a DJ at 10. (2325 California SW)
Speaking of pigs …
LOVE BACON? JOIN THE CELEBRATION @ JOE’S: Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) is celebrating the return of Danny the Pig (reported here last week) – Rich from Joe’s explains how: “In celebration of Danny’s return, this weekend we will be giving away one pound of bacon to a random lucky table every hour from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM this Saturday & Sunday. Sunday night, we will be drawing a winner for one case of bacon at 8:00 pm.” (9261 45th SW)
Two quick biznotes:
PINK GORILLA GAMES: No longer in West Seattle, after 3 years at 6053 California SW in Morgan Junction. On the company’s Facebook page, they told a customer their landlord had sold the building and that they have no plans to look for another WS location. They’re still open in the International District, University District, and Bellevue. Thanks to Katt for the flag on the store’s disappearance. (WSB file photo from 2012)
RADIO SHACK: In case you were wondering (we were) – the company’s out with a list of locations that might close because of its bankruptcy, and the list does NOT include either of its two West Seattle locations, in The Junction and Westwood Village.
Terminal operators at ports including Seattle say they’ll shut down for the weekend, as the contract-talks stalemate with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union continues. The announcement comes in this statement from the Pacific Maritime Association, which says “weekend vessel loading and unloading operations will be temporarily suspended this weekend, with yard, rail and gate operations continuing at terminal operators’ discretion.” No comment yet from the ILWU, but its president was quoted yesterday as decrying the PMA’s previously voiced “threat” to close ports, made as the terminal operators’ organization went public with its latest contract offer.
Locally, the Port of Seattle’s newest online schedule shows six vessels due on Saturday/Sunday (one of them, NYK Daedalus, is already anchored in Elliott Bay, and another, ZIM Djibouti, is anchored off Manchester).
(November 2014 WSB photo)
Demolition starts Tuesday for the block-long 3210 California SW project, as just announced by contractor Exxel Pacific. Fencing has been up for more than two months, and tree protection went up a few days ago, so this has been expected for some time. The official flyer (see it here as a PDF, and embedded below) also gives a nod to what developer Intracorp is calling the project, Admiral East Apartments:
The 136-unit, 152-offstreet-parking-space project gained final Design Review Board signoff ten months ago. Intracorp had at one point also planned a 60-unit apartment building across the street at 3211 California SW, but as noted here (final item) last month, those plans have changed.
(Photo courtesy office of state AG Ferguson, who is at the podium)
11:04 AM: Just announced by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson – a criminal wage-theft/tax-evasion case with defendants including Sam Adams, who owned the former West Seattle (Athletic) Club until filing for bankruptcy and relinquishing it to the building owner last October. What follows is the official news release; we’re on a media conference call and will add any additional information that it yields (update: that’s added at end of story):
Attorney General Ferguson files criminal wage theft and fraud charges against athletic club executives Sam Adams and Dana Sargent
$500,000 in unpaid taxes, withheld salary, and unpaid insurance premiums
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed criminal charges in King County Superior Court against the owners and operators of West Seattle Athletic Club for stealing wages and evading taxes. In only the second wage-theft criminal prosecution brought by the state, the Attorney General’s Office seeks justice for harmed workers and Washington taxpayers.
Defendants Sam Adams and Dana Sargent are alleged to have engaged in theft and fraud totaling over $500,000. The defendants allegedly failed to pay state taxes, withheld wages from workers, failed to pay workers’ insurance premiums, and failed to pay unemployment insurance.
(Bald eagles on a Beach Drive rooftop – photo by Brian Baum)
Happy Friday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: 5-7 pm at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, the monthly Southwest Seattle Historical Society-presented literary event features author Theresa McCormick and her book “A Far Cry from Here: Growing Up and Out of Fundamentalism” – here’s a preview:
Words, Writers & West Seattle presents … from Avenue Collection on Vimeo.
No admission charge. (2800 SW Barton)
CORNER BAR: 6 pm, it’s Highland Park Improvement Club‘s popular monthly neighborhood drop-in party, featuring the Yada Yada Blues Band live at 9. More here. (12th/Holden)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Final Friday night of the regular season, with a full slate of home games – girls’ and boys’ varsity, for both West Seattle High School (3000 California SW) and Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle). WSHS hosts Franklin; CSIHS hosts Eastside Catholic. At both gyms, it’s girls’ varsity at 6:30, boys’ varsity at 8.
‘4000 MILES’: 7:30 pm, the Pulitzer-nominated dramatic comedy directed by Mathew Wright is onstage at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) – tickets available here. (4711 California SW)
MEMPHIS RADIO KINGS: Live at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9:30 pm, no cover. (6451 California SW)
AGAIN TODAY/TONIGHT, THERE’S MORE … so we invite you to browse the full calendar, for today/tonight and beyond.
What happens at your local community center(s) – a long list of activities, classes, and events, featured in the seasonal brochure – isn’t just the work of the city staffers who work there. A community-based advisory council is hard at work behind the scenes, too. The Alki Community Center Advisory Council is inviting new members, and center coordinator Marc Hoffman asked us to share the invitation for you to “support the community center staff’s efforts to meet our recreational needs – use your talents to better our community!” The council usually meets at the center on second Wednesdays. If you’re interested, contact Marc at 206-684-7430 or marc.hoffman@seattle.gov, and/or council president Roberta Fowler, r2fowler@yahoo.com.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Another rainy commute. No specific incidents or alerts in or from West Seattle so far, though.
NORTH DELRIDGE PROJECT: On Thursday, we found out more from SDOT about the upcoming work at Delridge/Andover and northward, including the plan to start week after next.
8:22 AM: A little trouble on northbound 99 in the Battery Street Tunnel:
Officers blocking right lane of SR 99 NB in Battery St Tunnel for disabled vehicle. Tow truck is on the way. pic.twitter.com/EfoY8RpjZ9
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) February 6, 2015
8:53 AM: The BSTunnel situation is reported to be cleared, but there’s a new problem on northbound 99 – a crash, with injuries, reported near the stadium zone. That’s all we’ve heard (via scanner) so far.
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
The night you need to be outside this month is February 20th, so call up Cliff Mass and ask him to arrange for clear weather that evening. Just after sunset we have a conjunction between the Moon, Mars, and Venus that isn’t to be missed, it’ll be stunning.
The next night, February 21st, Venus and Mars will be even closer in the sky. You’ll be able to easily see the pair in binoculars; use that moment to notice the difference in color between the two.
Hey, What’s That?
Unless it was the aforementioned Venus conjunction or Venus itself, which sets in the west shortly after sunset, then you’re definitely seeing Jupiter every night this month.
9:31 PM: Just wrapped up at Highland Park Improvement Club, the first forum of a campaign season which will result in West Seattle/South Park electing its first District 1 City Councilmember. Participating were the four candidates who have officially declared so far – from left to right in our photo below, Phillip Tavel, George Capestany, Amanda Kay Helmick, and Chas Redmond.
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
If you couldn’t be there, you’ll be able to watch it all on video, thanks to Edgar Riebe from West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media, and we’ll publish that in another report when it’s ready.
Thanks to HPIC for allowing us to have the event there, and thanks to the 80 or so people who came from all over the city (including some of the at-large candidates that West Seattleites also will vote on – we noted Councilmember Sally Clark, Bill Bradburd, Alex Tsimerman – sorry if we missed someone). The candidates answered about 20 questions, two-thirds asked by us (many suggested by readers) and one-third in the audience-asked final half-hour, wide variety of topics. Next forum we know of is planned for Saturday morning, March 14, presented by VIEWS – we’ll publish more about it when their official announcement is out.
ADDED 10:56 PM: Thanks to Michael Oxman for a snippet of video – this was a question asked by Hildegard Nichols from the local Green group, asking the candidates about their grass-roots cred.
11:46 AM FRIDAY: First version of the video is up. (Added: Also published to YouTube:)
We still intend to post a separate story later (report #2) with embedded video as well as more text highlights as well and a few additional photos. It should be noted that the filing deadline is still a ways off – May 15th – while the primary election is August 4th.
The first Design Review date is set for the CVS drugstore project at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW. We broke the news of the proposal a year and a half ago; after the initial “site plan” filing, it sat dormant for a while. Then back in December, we talked to a CVS rep who said the project was proceeding but not expected to open this year. Now, it’s on the way to Design Review – tentatively set for a March 19th meeting – and the packet just turned up online. Above is the site layout described as the one preferred by the project team (while not labeled as such, the top square labeled “parking” is the Les Schwab lot, not part of the CVS plan). The project now has two numbers and addresses in the city system, one for the building and west parking at 4722 Fauntleroy Way, one for additional parking off the alley, at 4721 38th SW. Here’s the packet currently in the city system (keep in mind, it might be revised before the meeting next month):
The packet put together by architects Schemata Workshop describes the proposal as “a single-story CVS retail building with a pharmacy and a loading mezzanine. The project will include parking and a drive-through for the pharmacy. Loading will be accommodated in the alley.” That’s the alley east of the 4700 block of Fauntleroy, where the drugstore is planned to replace the building that currently houses West Seattle Produce and the consignment store Suite Arrangements. While the site is primarily zoned for development up to 85 feet high, the packet notes that there is a covenant for no building higher than 30 feet. It also notes that the land is being leased, not bought. The Design Review schedule says this project will take up both potential meeting slots on March 19th, starting at 6:30 pm.
SIDE NOTE: If you missed the earlier coverage, the West Seattle plan is part of CVS’s expansion into this state; it has stores open now in Burien and Renton, and others planned in Seattle including Wallingford and lower Queen Anne – some of those designs are shown in the packet you can browse above.
If you follow WSB on Twitter and/or Facebook, you might already have seen that photo; we posted it while in transit this morning, after stopping on Harbor Avenue for this rescue in process, which only lasted a moment. We were en route to a potential breaking story and couldn’t stop to find out what happened – nor did we see what preceded this, just that it looked like a young seagull, hurt or at least stunned, and that the person in the green jacket knelt to pick it up, and carried it off to the water side of Harbor, by Seacrest Park’s east end. If you are the person in the photo and/or know what happened, consider a comment, or e-mailing us – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.
P.S. If you aren’t sure what to do if you encounter injured wildlife – in response to this photo, Lesley tweeted this link to info from PAWS.
A reader question last week resulted in this short story about work starting soon on pedestrian and drainage improvements along the north end of Delridge Way. SDOT promised more information – and now we have it:
Beginning Monday, February 16, SDOT will begin construction to build curb ramps at the intersection of Delridge Way SW and SW Andover Street, widen the sidewalk along the east side of Delridge Way SW and install storm drainage improvements. This project will help improve safety and access for all roadway users in the neighborhood.
Crews have set up construction barriers near the work area to facilitate the installation of new Seattle City Light poles. Leading up to construction, you will see increased pre-construction activities, construction equipment and crews, and placement of temporary “No Parking” signs.
Below is information regarding the construction schedule and impacts that will take place in the project area. Please note that this schedule is dependent on weather and may change.
2/16 – 3/6 Construction will start at the intersection of SW Andover Street and Delridge Way SW as crews remove existing asphalt and install new storm drainage and curb ramps. You can expect curb lane restrictions, parking restrictions, transit stop relocations, pedestrian and bicycle detours around the work area.
3/9 – 3/27 Work begins north of SW Andover Street to extend the sidewalk, rebuild the 23rd Avenue SW/Delridge Way SW intersection, and install storm drainage. You can expect temporary driveway and parking restrictions, lane restrictions, and pedestrian detours around the work area. Access to the West Seattle Bridge Trail will occasionally be restricted; bicyclists and pedestrians may detour around construction activity via 23rd Avenue SW or use an alternate route. At times, 23rd Avenue SW at Delridge Way SW will be closed to through traffic. Local access will be maintained. We will provide additional advance notification before driveway access is restricted.
More information on the project background, funding and schedule can be found at the project webpage at seattle.gov/transportation/DelridgeImprovements.htm. Construction information will be posted here as it becomes available.
As for construction itself, during this work you can expect:
· Temporary driveway closures of up to 7 days; advance notice will be provided
· Closure of 23rd Avenue SW at Delridge Way SW
· Parking and lane restrictions near the work area
· Construction during normal work hours, between 7 AM and 6 PM, with possible weekend work
· Noise, dust and vibration associated with concrete removal and paving
· Impacts to bus stops
· Restricted access to the West Seattle Bridge Trail (see note above)
· Pedestrian and bicycle detoursWe expect construction will be complete in April 2015, depending on weather.
(Tree silhouetted against the fog, photographed by Long Bach Nguyen near High Point Library last weekend)
Two months in the making – with the candidate lineup changing up to the last minute – tonight’s the night for the first District 1 City Council forum. That starts our look ahead to tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!
DISTRICT 1: FIRST LOOK: 6:30 pm doors, 7-8:30 pm forum at Highland Park Improvement Club – WSB is presenting the first candidates’ forum of the history-making first-ever District 1 City Council race. Voters approved a monumental change, 7 district-elected councilmembers and 2 at-large as of this year, instead of all 9 at-large, and now we see how that changes city leadership. As of right now, four candidates are vying for the West Seattle/South Park spot – in order of declaration, Chas Redmond, Amanda Kay Helmick, George Capestany, Phillip Tavel – and this is your first chance to see and hear them on a shared stage. (12th/Holden, with overflow parking suggested at Riverview Playfield a block north)
DESIGN REVIEW X 2: Two developments are on the Southwest Design Review Board agenda tonight: 6:30 pm, the fourth review for 4505 42nd SW; 8 pm, the second review – six years after the first one – for 4106 Delridge Way SW. Both are mixed-use projects; click either aforementioned address for a direct link to the “packet” showing you project graphics and information. Both reviews are upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (Oregon/California)
‘4,000 MILES’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm curtain for this Pulitzer-nominated dramatic comedy at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery (WSB sponsor), whose artistic director Mathew Wright is directing. (4711 California SW)
COUNTRY AT THE BENBOW: 9 pm, the Benbow Room bill includes Darci Carlson and Burley Mountain. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THE REST OF THE CALENDAR … for today, tonight, and beyond is here.
(January 2015 photo by James Bratsanos – cargo ships anchored off Manchester, a holding zone for Tacoma)
Depending on how you interpret what the two sides in the Seattle-and-beyond West Coast dock talks are saying right now, a deal – or a port shutdown – could be close. It’s been more than half a year since the International Longshore and Warehouse Union‘s contract with the terminal operators, under the umbrella of the Pacific Maritime Association, expired. The PMA says it made an offer Wednesday that it calls “all-in” – detailed here. The ILWU describes the two sides as “extremely close” and says it’s “dropped” some issues in hopes of a resolution. But the organizations’ respective statements indicate continuing disagreement over what’s led to loaded freighters waiting at anchor and trucks backing up from the docks – the PMA continues to allege “ILWU slowdowns” while the union alleges the problem is an “employer-caused congestion crisis.” In a video linked from the PMA website, its president James McKenna claimed West Coast ports are as little as a week from “collapse” and says the offer is “as far as we can go at this time.” ILWU president Robert McEllrath, meantime, says, ““Closing the ports at this point would be reckless and irresponsible.”
Spotlight topics at this week’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting included how the area’s “urban village” has fared in city spending, plus, potential White Center/North Highline annexation.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
The big commute news so far this morning is the rain, which means slow going – be safe.
METRO SURVEY: Among the transportation stories reported in the past day – Metro’s on the road to a long-range plan, and as part of it, invites you to take an online survey. The link’s in our story.
9:42 PM: Another West Seattleite has announced he’s joining the District 1 City Council race. Phillip Tavel sent his official announcement tonight, describing himself as an “attorney and entrepreneur.” Tavel says he is ready to “make tough decisions for our community and our city” on “existing projects,” singling out the Highway 99 tunnel: “Stopping the existing tunnel project is the most responsible decision we can make. The remaining project money should be used to increase transit and implement a lower-cost alternative that actually delivers on the promise to reduce traffic.” He lists a professional background including teaching high-school physics, co-founding an entertainment company, and working as a trial lawyer, now in private practice, as well as serving as a court-appointed advocate for children. He also leads the long-running Wednesday trivia night at Talarico’s in The Junction. This is not his first run for office; Tavel ran for District Court Judge last year.
We are waiting to hear whether he’ll accept our invitation to join previously announced candidates Chas Redmond, Amanda Kay Helmick, and George Capestany in the District 1: First Look candidates’ forum, presented by WSB, tomorrow (Thursday) night at Highland Park Improvement Club, doors open at 6:30, forum at 7.
12:01 AM UPDATE: Tavel has confirmed he’ll participate.
Something to say about tech at school? Here’s your chance:
Seattle Public Schools wants to give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback and input into the district’s Technology Vision process. To accomplish this we are scheduling five “Town Hall” meetings around the District. One in each of the five major regions …
WEST SEATTLE REGION: Monday, March 2, at West Seattle High School cafeteria
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. so that attendees can browse sample results from the Tech Summit. The structured meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Interested individuals who are unable to attend any of the Town Hall meetings are encouraged to submit their vision, ideas, and comments to techvision@seattleschools.org
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