West Seattle Blog…

West Seattle scene: Different kind of ‘neighborhood watch’ sign

Some streets have prefab “Neighborhood Watch” signs. Some are homemade. Then, there’s this:

Alicia shared that photo from 30th/Henderson in Westwood last night, saying it had just “popped up.” (We went over to verify – it’s still there.) Wondering if any specific recent incident had inspired the sign, we checked the city’s “incident response” map; nearest notable crime shown on the map is a burglary attempt early last Tuesday one block east, in which, according to the police report, the victim tried to scare off the suspect, who was reportedly trying to kick their door in, “by yelling for his wife to call the police and get his gun.” The report also says police arrested a suspect nearby.

Morgan Community Association: Updates on Murray CSO, RapidRide, festival…

Salvage work has started at the residential properties that will be demolished to make way for the million-gallon underground tank anchoring the Murray Basin Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Project. An update on the CSO project was one of several major items at Wednesday night’s Morgan Community Association meeting: Click to read the rest of Morgan Community Association: Updates on Murray CSO, RapidRide, festival……

Time-travel with the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council

Well, in lieu of actual time-traveling, envisioning the future is the next best thing. And that’s what the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council – which hasn’t had a general meeting in a while – is getting ready to do, with the help of as many interested neighbors as they can find! One week from tonight, the journey begins:

What would make our neighborhood a great place to live in 2020?

The GSNC is embarking on a neighborhood Vision 2020 planning process, and we want YOUR input and involvement! Please come to our next meeting and share your ideas with us:
• What do you like about our neighborhood now?
• What short- and long-term changes would you like to see?*

Thursday, April 26, 2012
6:30-7 p.m. Social Time (refreshments will be served)
7-8:30 p.m. Meeting (with lots of time for input and perhaps a speaker or two)
Howell Auditorium, West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Avenue SW

* Some areas to think about:
Social events, parks, communication, traffic improvements, beautification projects, education and support, crime prevention, emergency preparedness, gardening, policy, shared interests/resources, volunteer opportunities

For more information (including a map), please visit our website at www.genesee-schmitz.org. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send your name and email address to gsncouncil@gmail.com

Admiral Neighborhood Association: Crime; concerts; Clothesline…

“Not only do we dream the ideas, we do the ideas,” said vice president Karl de Jong, toward the start of last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting. And with that, the toplines, including updates on some of the ANA ideas that have become reality – first, though, the crime-trends update: Click to read the rest of Admiral Neighborhood Association: Crime; concerts; Clothesline……

Early warning: Search/rescue drill may be visible from West Seattle

From the “very early warning department,” we have an alert about a “multi-agency open-water search-and-rescue drill” next Monday that might be visible from here. We’ll file it into the calendar, but if that’s your field of interest, you might want to know even sooner, so read on: Click to read the rest of Early warning: Search/rescue drill may be visible from West Seattle…

Beach Drive murder: Neighbors invite you to vigil, walk tonight

Three days after police announced that 51-year-old Greggette Guy had been murdered (WSB coverage here), likely hours before her body was discovered in the water off north Beach Drive, neighbors are planning a vigil and walk. Just received from Judy Bentley:

Neighbors of Emma Schmitz Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks Park will gather at 7 p.m. tonight, Sunday, March 18, for a walk and vigil to remember Greggette Guy and to claim the park as a safe public space. Please join us at the north end of the park, on the waterfront side of Beach Drive at 7 p.m. Bring flashlights and candles although it will still be light at the beginning of the walk. We’ll walk the length of the park together. We’ll anyone who needs company walking home. Please join us.

We have been following up with police, but so far they have no new information to report, and continue to request any and all tips that might help them solve the mystery of who killed Ms. Guy, who is believed to have come to the area for a waterfront walk last Sunday evening. On Thursday, they published this photo of her car, found Monday at Emma Schmitz Overlook:

That’s close to where the vigil/walk will start tonight (here’s a map). In a report published Saturday, Beach Drive Blog shows why there have long been concerns in the area.

Neighborhood meeting updates: Admiral x 2, Delridge

No daily preview today because of the morning’s breaking news, but there are two meetings to note: Admiral District merchants meet today at 4 pm at the Benbow Room (agenda here); North Delridge Neighborhood Council meets tonight at 6:30, Delridge Library (agenda here). Meantime, the Admiral Neighborhood Association has a CHANGE OF PLAN for tomorrow night. Instead of its regular meeting, ANA is tabling at 5:30 pm tomorrow before Mayor McGinn‘s 6:30 pm Town Hall at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (agenda here).

@ Admiral Neighborhood Assoc.: July 4th parade future; more

(WSB photo of Sherri Chun speaking to participants before last year’s 4th of July parade)
The longtime coordinator of the 4th of July Kids’ Parade, which has grown far beyond its origins as a fun little North Admiral event, is asking the Admiral Neighborhood Association to consider taking it over. At Wednesday night’s ANA meeting (a day later than usual, to avoid a Valentine-night conflict), Sherri Chun came to talk about the parade’s past, present and future. That, and other toplines from the meeting, ahead: Click to read the rest of @ Admiral Neighborhood Assoc.: July 4th parade future; more…

2 community groups move meetings to avoid Valentine conflict

One was already on the calendar – one, we just found out about. The Admiral Neighborhood Association and Fauntleroy Community Association both usually meet the second Tuesday of the month, but since this year, that falls on Valentine’s Day, both have moved their meetings. ANA will meet at 7 pm Wednesday, February 15th (same place as usual, basement meeting room at Admiral Congregational Church); FCA will meet at 7 pm tonight (same place as usual, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse). The public’s always welcome at both.

Morgan Community Association: Park concerns; CSO design

After last Saturday’s shooting by Morgan Junction Park, some discussion centered on safety concerns in the park itself. Some of those concerns came up at last night’s quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association (a week later than originally scheduled, because of last week’s snow/ice).

Other major agenda items included an update on design of the Murray CSO-control project across from Lowman Beach Park, and upcoming electrical-cable work in Gatewood. Read on for details: Click to read the rest of Morgan Community Association: Park concerns; CSO design…

Know the perfect band for Summer Concerts at Hiawatha 2012?

(Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs at 2011 Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha finale)
We’re proud to have been a sponsor of the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha each year since the series began – and tonight, we have word that ANA is tuning up for the fourth season of free outdoor performances on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center! ANA president Katy Walum has just put out the call for interested bands:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association is putting out the call for bands to apply to perform for our 2012 Summer Concert Series at Hiawatha Park! The series will again run Thursday evenings, 6:30-8pm, on the park’s east lawn. This summer’s dates will be July 26th, August 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th.

Interested bands may e-mail us at info@admiralneighborhood.org. Please include with your message (1) a website or other means by which we may listen to samples of your music, (2) dates you are available, (3) your band’s price for a 90-minute set (please take into consideration that we are a community organization with a fairly limited budget, and that there is value in the great exposure your band could receive as a part of our series – last year’s series drew crowds of up to 1500 people per show), and (4) stage size and/or sound requirements for your group.

Our series last year included performances from The Gothard Sisters, Massy Ferguson, Caspar Babypants, LeRoy Bell, Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs, and Yogoman Burning Band. Highlights of prior seasons included Pearl Django with Greta Matassa, Camille Bloom, Swamp Soul (zydeco), and Alma Villegas (Latin jazz). We strive in our series to provide a range of musical genres that can appeal to all members of our community.

We welcome band recommendations from WS Blog readers, though it is helpful if readers can include as much of the above requested information as possible with their notes.

We also invite local businesses and others to sponsor our 2012 Summer Concert Series. This is an opportunity for folks to support a fantastic community event and to gain substantial exposure for their business! Please e-mail us (again at info@admiralneighborhood.org) to find out more about sponsorship levels and benefits available this year.

Thanks so much, and we look forward to bringing more fabulous music to Admiral/West Seattle in 2012!

Katy Walum
President, Admiral Neighborhood Association

(The association does a lot more than sponsor concerts, of course, and if you’re an Admiral resident/businessperson interested in seeing what ANA is up to, check out its next monthly meeting this Tuesday, 7 pm, lower-level meeting room at Admiral Church, California/Hill.)

Metro changing its proposed changes, planner tells Admiral Neighborhood Association

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Admiral won’t lose as much Metro bus service as the first draft of the transit service’s “restructuring” plan proposed.

That’s what lead planner Jack Lattemann told the Admiral Neighborhood Association tonight, in the first public update on what’s happening since the public-comment period for that draft plan closed. The “restructuring” is planned in connection with next fall’s debut of RapidRide service in West Seattle (which will replace the 54).

And they got plenty of public comments, he said: 3,000 people took the online questionnaire; another 1,000 people provided non-online written comments. As an Admiral-specific result, he said, “I can assure you that we are going to submit a revised proposal that will include some level of bus service on California 7 days a week all the way as far north as Atlantic Street … it looks like that is going to be feasible,” said Lattemann. “We’ll have a second round of proposals out in about a month.”

That round will include another series of community meetings, he said, likely in the first two weeks of February. He says other “concepts” from the draft circulated online and at public open houses (including two in West Seattle) are being revised in response to public comments, too.

One option for that could be extending Route 128, Lattemann said, and that route already is up for an extension with service at least until midnight – California and Admiral both will be served at least that late, he said. (It also, he said, is up for the addition of two afternoon trips to help with the student load at those times.)

Click to read the rest of Metro changing its proposed changes, planner tells Admiral Neighborhood Association…

Update: Neighborhood meetings tonight in Pigeon Point, N. Delridge

Two updates on tonight’s roster of neighborhood meetings: First, thanks to Pete for pointing out that we had omitted a mention of the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council‘s meeting tonight; it’s their holiday potluck, Pathfinder K-8 (1901 SW Genesee), 6:30 pm. On the agenda is an update from Seattle Police on the rash of burglaries lately in that area (several of which have been included in West Seattle Crime Watch reports). Also – if you are going to tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (agenda here), thanks to Diane for reminding us that the location has changed; it’s not at the usual spot, but instead at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

West Seattle weekend scene: Neighborhood’s pre-holiday giving

Generosity abounds all over! Today we met these folks, who live along 45th SW between Edmunds and Erskine, just west of the south end of The Junction, after finding out that they have a tradition of cleaning up the neighborhood this time of year. Marilyn Wolf explained, “Whomever is available comes out and sweeps up the leaves on the whole block. The city donates the bags and some supplies and come and pick up all the bags for free when we are done. We also check all the drains in a 4-block radius and make sure they are cleaned by the city to cut down on run off. This is part of the city’s fall clean-up and adopt-a-drain program.” And after those blasts of wind earlier this week – clearing the storm drain is a big help in any neighborhood. (You can find out more about Adopt-A-Drain here.)

Admiral Neighborhood Association: Bus beef; Nakata tribute; elections; possible tree lighting

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“We’re an urban village. Urban villages are supposed to have bus service.”

So said one attendee at Tuesday night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, voicing opposition to the Metro restructuring proposal that could end Route 55 service in North Admiral.

Though there wasn’t a formal topic or presentation, the proposed Metro restructuring for next year, to be launched in conjunction with the debut of RapidRide, was a hot topic. Attendees were urged to speak up at Metro’s two West Seattle meetings about “restructuring” – the first of which is tonight (6:30 pm, Chief Sealth International High School). And ANA will draft a letter objecting to the prospective elimination of North Admiral service, while also extending an invitation for a Metro rep to speak at its December meeting.

“Can we make a trade for light rail?” somebody quipped.

“I’m a big fan of mass transit and I want to see it succeed,” said outgoing ANA secretary Jim Cavin. He, by the way, was the lone group leader not to be running in the election that also happened during last night’s meeting, along with a discussion of two potentially big events the group is planning before the year’s out – a tribute, and a tree lighting: Click to read the rest of Admiral Neighborhood Association: Bus beef; Nakata tribute; elections; possible tree lighting…

Alki Community Council: Landslide prevention, community-center cuts, Art Fair’s future

Three major items from this past Thursday night’s Alki Community Council meeting:

(WSB photo of November 2009 slide behind Alki Avenue building)
LANDSLIDE COMMITTEE UPDATE: Jerry Smith told the ACC that Mayor McGinn‘s office has acknowledged the letter sent by the council’s Landslide Committee, asking to form a “joint task force” to help tackle the recurring slide problem. (We reported on the request, and an accompanying petition drive, here.) They expect to hear from Council President Richard Conlin once he’s back from traveling. Smith emphasized that they know nothing can be done to stop slides, but they are hoping to find ways to reduce the threat – such as “drains at the bottom of hillsides.” The committee also is interested in a city vegetation survey they found out about (the city owns much of the land on the slopes behind Alki Avenue residential parcels); Smith pointed out that the trees on the Harbor Avenue slope now are not “natural vegetation,” describing them as “basically weeds” that “fall over when the ground gets wet” and “don’t hold the soil.” They expect this to be a “very, very long-term project,” but are encouraged by the acknowledgment. ACC vice president Randie Stone, leading the meeting, noted that her famous “flower houses” on Alki had been hit by slides this year, back in March. Property owners are not “asking for money,” the ACC summarized – they just want to “be vigilant and proactive so we can minimize the damage.”

Ahead – toplines from the Alki Art Fair and Alki Community Center discussions: Click to read the rest of Alki Community Council: Landslide prevention, community-center cuts, Art Fair’s future…

Alki Community Council tonight: Slopes, shoreline, more

Sorry, no full-size West Seattle Thursday preview today – you can always check the Events calendar page – but there is one community meeting you might want a heads-up about: Alki Community Council meets tonight, 7 pm at Alki UCC Church (62nd/Hinds). A sure sign of fall is on the agenda – city reps talking about landslide mitigation. Also on the agenda, the “street end improvements” for the shoreline at Bronson (east of Salty’s; seattle.gov photo at left) and emergency preparedness. Full agenda here; all welcome.

Neighborhood power! Two West Seattle block parties tonight

You don’t have to wait for Night Out to have a block party … tonight, we got word of two in West Seattle. First note in announced the 2nd annual Seaview Swine-Que - last year’s edition was in September (just as well they didn’t wait this year, at this rate we may have fall snow). Can’t have a Swine-Que without the swine:

Joel Hagman provided the music.

Thanks to Shelly for the tip again this year; she says they procured a Beer Junction sponsorship once again too.

Not long after her note came in, we got word from Patrick in North Admiral that HIS neighborhood had its second annual block party under way:

Neighbors in the Walnut/College area hit the street to celebrate. Like Seaview, they had a bouncy house:

No pig here; the North Admiral party was potluck. P.S. Next organized “block party” type event on the West Seattle calendar is just six days away – Picnic at the Southwest Precinct next Saturday (August 20), 1-4 pm on SW Webster between Delridge and the south Home Depot entrance!

Coming up in Arbor Heights: Crime meeting and block party

Arbor Heights Community Church sends word of two upcoming neighborhood events: A crime-prevention meeting with Seattle Police is planned for 7 pm Tuesday, August 30th, at the church (4113 SW 102nd). All AH residents are welcome, as is also the case with the annual block party, happening even sooner – official announcement ahead: Click to read the rest of Coming up in Arbor Heights: Crime meeting and block party…

North Delridge Neighborhood Council: DESC, Stockbox, new logo

Highlights from this week’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting included a push for another community forum about the proposed Downtown Emergency Service Center 75-unit apartment building to house homeless people living with mental illness. NDNC leaders said that DESC was suggesting smaller gatherings, but discussion at the meeting solidified a sentiment that a big-group forum was important, as there hadn’t been one yet – given the June 27th meeting (WSB coverage here, with video) from which dozens were turned away given the small size of the venue. No meeting date yet. As reported here two weeks ago, the proposal is now in the city permit system.

NDNC attendees, meeting Monday night outdoors in the Delridge/Genesee park area, also heard a presentation about a new business headed to Delridge:

Stockbox Grocers‘ founders were in attendance to announce they plan to open its first West Seattle prototype on September 1st, in a parking lot at the Westhaven Apartments (24th/Holden).

Presenting the plan to NDNC, Stockbox’s Carrie Ferrence explained it’s a “miniature grocery,” meant to be permanently housed in a recycled cargo container, though the two-month West Seattle experiment will be in a 20 x 8 “portable office” structure. Stockbox is a for-profit startup that hopes to grow to multiple locations with mini-corner-store type operations, but for now, they’re planning to start in the Delridge and Skyway areas. They’re also trying to raise $15,000 more capital via a Kickstarter campaign. They’ll start by being open 3-8 pm (to catch people heading home) weekdays, 8 am-8 pm weekends.

Also at NDNC: A round of voting resulted in a choice for the organization’s new logo:

That was one of nine entries in the council’s open-to-the-public logo contest. Turns out, though, the artist isn’t from Delridge – but rather, from Edmonds, according to NDNC’s Patrick Baer, who spearheaded the contest.

NDNC also discussed plans for upcoming events including the Delridge Day festival, 11 am-3 pm on September 17th, which they’re organizing – vendor booths (still time to apply), food, and more, plus the centerpiece of the day, the skatepark dedication – the festival site will be in the adjacent park area. Asked if there will be live music, project lead Amanda Leonard said Parks is working on that. NDNC needs lots of volunteer help to make Delridge Day a success;

NDNC also reiterated the public invitation for this weekend’s Longfellow Creek walk: Meet at 26th/Brandon (Greg Davis Park) at 1 pm Sunday (August 14th) – kids and pets welcome.

You can find out more about the North Delridge Neighborhood Council at ndnc.org; meetings are first Mondays, 6:30 pm, Delridge Library unless otherwise announced – like this summer’s outdoor versions!

West Seattle ‘Night Out’ 2011: Parties around the peninsula

(WEDNESDAY NOTE: We’ve received several more photos from Night Out parties, and have added them to this report, which now includes scenes from 18 parties!)

6:11 PM: At some West Seattle “Night Out” block parties tonight, it’ll be as much carnival atmosphere as anything else – the folks at 32nd and Kenyon shared that photo of the bouncy house awaiting neighborhood kids. In Upper Fauntleroy, the block party we’ll be missing while out covering others already has one young attendee in place:

That’s Colin, who’s 9. We’re in Gatewood right now, as of 6:10 pm, and heading to as many stops as we can make before 9 pm (let us know if your party’s running late – we found one last year after dark).:

That’s the first of two Gatewood parties we’re stopping by – 97-year-old Louise is the star of the show; she’s lived on the block since the ’40s. Thanks to Holly for letting us know about the party in Louise’s ‘hood.

6:21 PM: A few blocks southwest of Louise and company, this jovial Gatewood group is barbecuing:

Thanks to Jill for the invite.

6:29 PM: Heading east into Westwood, a few adjacent blocks have so many parties, Kelly e-mailed to tell us they’re offering “passports” to encourage people to visit them all and meet more neighbors. Here’s Denise, who came up with the passport idea:

6:49 PM: Scenes from three of the parties in Kelly and Denise’s neighborhood:

More to come – South Delridge/Highland Park next!

7:01 PM: Marcia Ventura invited us via Facebook to stop by the 9000 block of 13th SW:

We didn’t realize that there we would also find local artist/belly dancer Dina Lydia Johnson – who made the sign in the photo (and is also a photographer – she took a group shot right before ours) – and her fellow community advocate husband Blair Johnson, as well as more of their neighbors. Next stop – High Point Community Center.

7:20 PM: Turns out the HPCC party is more a series of small gatherings elsewhere in High Point. We’re now en route to the HQ of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network, in Hansen View, near Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor). But we do have a new photo, e-mailed from Alki by Lisa Dawson:

7:39 PM: As we head toward Pigeon Point, photos from the WSBWCN leaders’ block:

Biggest crowd we’ve seen so far – they had 80 people last year and think they’re close to that this time. They had a high-level SPD visitor too – Assistant Chief Dick Reed, with WSBWCN’s Deb Greer and Karen Berge, and neighbor Jim:

8:08 PM: At the Pigeon Point party, Pete Spalding told us they’d already had a visit from Assistant Chief Reed – as well as precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen. And Seattle Fire Department made its annual stop at that high-profile party – here’s the Engine 36 crew from just down the hill at the north end of Delridge:

The kids of Pigeon Point were creating street art:

And the grownups were nominating neighbors for a new “garden recognition” award to be named after the late Vivian McLean, a neighborhood giant known for (among many other things) her beautiful garden:

Visiting from nearby Puget Ridge at the center of the photo, by the way, that’s Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board and Sustainable West Seattle (seen recently atop the award-winning Trikeceratops in the West Seattle Grand Parade). Pete pointed out that West Seattle Nursery donated the plant atop the nomination table.

We’re in North Delridge now – but first, Cheryl shares a photo from her block party in Fauntlee Hills:

8:36 PM: From the North Delridge party, more Seattle firefighters meeting neighbors:

And we’re now in Seaview, where SPD Community Police Team Officers Kevin McDaniel and Ken Mazzuca are visiting a party (photo added 8:54):

Thanks to Alison for the invite. We then rolled over to South Admiral – where the block party we were going to check out was packing up – does happen by this time of night. We found some night owls in Fairmount Springs last year and are going to head that way before wrapping up the Night Out 2011 journey. We’d still welcome your photos, too, as we’re likely to have one more roundup tonight or tomorrow. (editor@westseattleblog.com)

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Decided to add the additional pix here. First, from Barbara, in the 8800 block of 38th Ave SW, where Ladder 11 stopped by:

In the Admiral District, Kendall shared a photo from their party *at* a fire station (29):

From Cinda on 42nd SW in Gatewood (where she says the second photo shows neighborhood kids writing “42ND ROX”):

Next one is from Seaview, where Karl reports a great turnout in the “48th Avenue corridor from Hudson to Brandon”:

From 52nd/Stevens, BD shares this photo of “one of the dads, doling out s’mores at the Night Out party. We were all about the fire and s’mores over here”:

Still a few more to come!

Night Out eve: Still time to get West Seattle parties on the map

(2010 Night Out photo of 48th/Dawson party, by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Tomorrow night is the biggest block-party night of the year around West Seattle and the rest of the U.S. – Night Out. Years ago, it started as National Night Out Against Crime, and that’s still its focus, to bring together neighbors and neighborhoods in the interest of crime prevention and deterrence. It’s not too late to get your party on the citywide map – a few West Seattle events are there now, but we know there are more! (10 am Tuesday is the deadline.) And thanks to party organizers who have sent us info on locations/times for the traditional WSB “as it happens” Night Out report – if you wouldn’t mind us potentially stopping by, please e-mail us the address and who to ask for. It’s a great chance to celebrate neighborhood spirit.

2 weeks till Night Out – registered your West Seattle block party yet?

Only two weeks till this year’s Night Out Against Crime, Tuesday, August 2nd. Still time to register your block party so you can close the street, providing it’s not an arterial. Here’s where to sign up.. You can also check out the Night Out page on Facebook – find it here. And if you wouldn’t mind us stopping by your party as we travel around that night trying to get to as many as possible, please send us the address (here’s how to reach us) before party night, and let us know who to ask for! Also note the city is inviting people to map their parties by adding them to a calendar – this is the first time ever for that – once you’re in the calendar, there’s a map on the city Night Out page showing locations that have been added!