(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce took its lunch meeting on the road today – or, more like, to the shore, at Port of Seattle-owned Jack Block Park, where attendees heard from Stephanie Bowman, co-president of the Port Commission.

She introduced new port CEO Ted Fick, in his second week on the job. His first task is to “take a fresh look at the port and how we do business,” explained Bowman.

Her topics: First, the just-completed cruise-ship season, a “thriving industry” with 197 ship calls this year – and, she noted, an industry full of spending visitors, helpful for a “sales-tax-(dependent) state.” Second, Sea-Tac Airport, where international travel is vital, and a terminal serving it is being rebuilt, and where, she said, the baggage-handling system is being improved, too, thanks in part to a “big grant from the federal government” – helping with a $400 million project.

The big issue of specific West Seattle interest: The fate of Terminal 5 (closed since midsummer, as reported here in July), steps away from today’s luncheon location.

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A round of West Seattle biznotes tonight:

CHILI COOKOFF COMPETITORS SET: The Junction Association says it’s filled out the field with nine restaurants ready to face off in a cookoff, the Chili Competition that’ll be part of the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival (co-sponsored by WSB) on Sunday, October 26th:

The 2nd Annual Chili Competition has its official slate of contestants. Thank you for helping to make this West Seattle Food Bank fundraiser possible.

Easy Street Café
Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub
Feedback Lounge
Husky Deli
Quadrato
Shadowland
Terra Cole Butchery
The Swinery
West 5

Husky took the title last year; you can help choose this year’s winner by buying a flight of chili during the event 11 am-1 pm on festival day. (The festival itself runs 10 am-2 pm, including the Farmers’ Market moved out into California SW for the occasion, plus a costume parade at 11:30 am, trick-or-treating at noon, and kids’ activities for the duration. See you there!)

SPEAKING OF QUADRATO … the Junction sandwich/pizza shop at 4302 SW Oregon, owned by Cary Kemp (who also owns Pizzeria 22 in The Admiral District), celebrated its 1st anniversary this week.

AND SPEAKING OF FIRST ANNIVERSARIES … also starting Year 2 is Second Gear Sports in Morgan Junction. Their announcement:

Second Gear Sports is celebrating its first anniversary this weekend! We have been so mightily embraced and supported by the entire community and we feel incredibly fortunate! On October 11, starting at 10 a.m. we will have cake, giveaways, and special discounts. At 2 p.m., Joe Albert from Bellevue’s FiveLo will be bringing a host of Seahawks-inspired gear, including their popular 12th Man ArmSox.

Second Gear is at 6529 California SW.

WEST SEATTLE CYCLERY ON THE ROAD: Actually, on the path:

Tomorrow, Thursday morning, West Seattle Cyclery will be under the West Seattle Bridge with our tent serving a little coffee, snacks and providing on the spot service. We should be set up after 6 am. We will be there until around 9-ish. We know that bike winter commuting in Seattle can be tough so we will be doing this on Thursday mornings a few times a month.

They’ll announce future dates online.

(WSB file photo of West Seattle Club)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

New information tonight from the ongoing proceedings related to the proprietor of the West Seattle Club (formerly the West Seattle Athletic Club). When last we wrote about this on September 3rd, the property’s owner was trying to reopen the most recent “unlawful detainer” complaint – an action that can lead to eviction – which had been put on hold when club proprietor Sam Adams filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy organization in June.

On September 3rd, Adams, landlord John Pietromonaco, and their respective lawyers were in federal bankruptcy court downtown to argue over whether that hold (technically a stay) could be lifted. Adams hadn’t paid even the partial rent owed, his landlord’s lawyer David Tall argued, and had had enough time to do so. Judge Marc Barreca agreed the stay on the “unlawful detainer” proceedings could be lifted.

Though that case had been closed for lack of activity since the June stay, Tall filed to reopen it, and a King County Superior Court judge granted that request in mid-September. A hearing subsequently was set for yesterday morning in the Regional Justice Center courtroom where such cases are heard on Monday mornings if things haven’t been worked out before the hearing date. (When a similar action was scheduled for a hearing in February, it didn’t happen, because Adams had made a payment.)

This time, there was a hearing, albeit a brief one. The property owner’s lawyer Tall was there; no one was there on Adams’ behalf. But in these types of hearings, the documents usually say much more than the words actually spoken in court, so we waited to see them before writing this update, and by late today, they were available online.

Bottom line to the main document, an “agreed order”: If the landlord gets $1,150,000 by October 24th, the “unlawful detainer” case will be dismissed. According to the “agreed order,” that money is “being procured by financing to be extended to Hollystone Holdings Inc. pursuant to a loan contract already executed by Hollystone Holdings by its officer, Sam A. Adams.” The “agreed order” did not include any further details of that financing, but as noted in our last report, Adams’ lawyer told the bankruptcy judge in September that his client was pursuing a $3 million loan.

The “agreed order” also says that any and all “liens against the premises” must be paid with the expected loan money. Meantime, as this plays out in state court, Adams’ Chapter 11 case continues; documents in the federal file say one of the upcoming matters to be decided is the future of the club lease.

Two local storefronts have new tenants:

FIRST DAY FOR FLOURISH BEAUTY: The former Young At Art storefront at Fauntleroy/Raymond is now home to the salon/spa Flourish Beauty. Proprietor Tiann Stubberfield e-mailed to say this was their first day in business. Tiann describes herself as “a born and raised West Seattle gal!” You might know her most recently for running Coco Bar at Ola Salon; she adds, “All of the gals working here are also West Seattleites who have been practicing for anywhere from 3-15 years.” They’ll be celebrating their opening with an open house Sunday, October 19th, noon-4 pm.

LIKA LOVE GOES BRICKS AND MORTAR: The mobile boutique you’ve seen around West Seattle for some time now is acquiring a fixed location. Malika Siddiq‘s Lika Love is moving into the former Clementine’s storefront at 4447 California SW in The Junction, with a grand opening planned 4-8 pm on October 9th.

One month until Halloween – and if you have kids, you know you can’t put off costumes until the last minute, whether you’re making them or buying them. There is another option – swapping costumes – and you’ll have a chance this Wednesday (October 1st) at My Three Little Birds in south Morgan Junction. Proprietor Jennifer Young says you can bring in a no-longer-needed (doesn’t fit, etc.) kids’ costume 1-5 pm that day and trade it for another one. Her shop is at 6959 California SW. (Anyone else doing costume swaps this year? Let us know!)

Three Junction businesses in the heart of the current construction zone – on California and 42nd between Alaska and Edmunds – are involved in the launch of a new program that’s adding validated free parking, courtesy of the two contractors at work there. The announcement sent by the West Seattle Junction Association explains how it works:

Construction companies, Andersen and Compass, have teamed up with the West Seattle Junction Association to offer parking relief to customers of businesses who neighbor their construction projects. With these two projects combined, more that half of the 4700 block of California/42nd is under construction. As part of developing the sites and making public safety a top priority, the projects have taken upward of 20 on-street parking spots. Adjacent businesses are feeling the pinch since they are surrounded by construction activities and lost parking.

The City of Seattle’s Access Seattle Team, composed of members of the Department of Transportation and the Office of Economic Development, helped facilitate a solution for area businesses. Both Andersen and Compass have agreed to help fund a new free parking program intended to aid their business neighbors. Customers of participating businesses can now get up to two hours of free parking in Jefferson Square’s underground parking garage using Diamond Parking’s Call to Park service. Elliott Bay Brewery, Wallflower Custom Framing, and Talarico’s Pizzeria are launching the program, but more on their block may join.

How it works: Customers of participating businesses will park in the Jefferson Square underground garage on 42nd Street and immediately bring their license plate number to business staff who will pay for 1-2 hours of free parking. Customers will be responsible for staying within the specified time or can add time using calltopark.com. Easy!

This program is available now; please give it a try! Construction may be noisy and sometimes inconvenient, but Junction restaurants and retailers still need your business to keep what’s familiar to our West Seattle neighborhood. Though The Junction may be changing, your tried-and-true businesses will stay the course. This program is available on a trial basis through January 2015.

Thank you to Compass General Construction, Andersen Construction and the City’s Access Seattle Team, for their collaboration and support.

(Annie’s Nannies staff photo, by Denise Danzer)
Big year for the regional child-care agency Annie’s Nannies (WSB sponsor). It’s celebrating 30 years in business, and now, it’s just announced a headquarters move – from Ballard to West Seattle. On October 6th, according to the announcement, Annie’s Nannies will open its new office at 6041 California SW (Suite 105), on the north end of Morgan Junction. Chief Operating Officer Teah Achman is quoted in the announcement as saying, “We’ve been ‘space-challenged’ for a while now. West Seattle is a good fit for the business and our staff.” Founder Annie Davis adds, “I started this business in my bedroom with $1,500 and a phone. Since then, we’ve found top jobs for thousands of people, but it’s been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs with the economy.” Along with child-care professionals, Annie’s Nannies also coordinates hiring of family assistants, elder companions, and other personal employees.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two months after the owner of the West Seattle (Athletic) Club fitness center filed for personal bankruptcy, he and his landlord were in court today because an order to pay part of the club rent hadn’t been complied with.

As the club is a major West Seattle business with thousands of customers, community interest in its status remains high, so we’ve been following the bankruptcy-court-case filings – almost 100 of them – since Sam Adams and wife Erika Adams filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late June (reported here on June 30th).

Today’s hearing was not the first held for various motions since then, but it’s the first one we have attended. Sam Adams and John Pietromonaco, owner of the club’s North Delridge site and building, were both in the downtown federal courtroom as their lawyers argued a key point relating to the three-week-old order for rent to be paid.

First, a bit of background:

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Four West Seattle biznotes tonight:

AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKER VISITING: This Friday night at The Cask (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, acclaimed Australian winemaker Daniel Binet from Ballabourneen Winery is visiting for a “Meet the Winemaker” event. Ballabourneen describes Binet as, in addition to winemaker, “entertainer, bon vivant and inspiration behind the wines, creativity and culture of the company.” (See his bio here.) Stop by the Cask at 2350 California SW Friday night to say hi and try his wine.

FORMER SHOOFLY PIE SPACE: The state’s liquor-license application announcements give a hint of what’s on the way for the space vacated when Shoofly closed earlier this month – a license application is in for that address, 4444 California SW, in the name Coastline, and the applicant is Aaron Shepherd, proprietor of Copper Coin in Admiral. We have a message out seeking more information.

CHERRY CONSIGNMENT CHANGE: Just up the street from there, Cherry Consignment proprietor Nyla says her store at 4142 California SW will be exclusively focused on women’s wear and accessories as of next month, and that she plans “to expand our current selection of gently used garments to include more plus, petite, and maternity sizes.” This means they’ll no longer accept men’s clothing for consignment as of August 31st.

ALKI SEAGULL MERCH AT NEW LOCATIONS: Misa e-mailed to say Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle and Alki Kayak Tours at Seacrest are “now carrying the Alki bird (seagull logo) merchandise including the classic bumper stickers, T’s, sweatshirts, and hats.” People ask often where they can find these items, so that’s word of two more options.

Another West Seattle retailer has just added a location downtown, but wants you to know it’s NOT leaving WS. >Fleurt (WSB sponsor) proprietor Sam Crowley explains:

Many have reached out to me after hearing Fleurt is closing in West Seattle and moving to Pioneer Square – as Clementine is doing. This is NOT true for Fleurt – Fleurt West Seattle is open and there are no plans to close this shop. Fleurt West Seattle is our “home” and flagship store. We are constantly growing our business in the areas of retail gifts, flower deliveries, full service flower shop, weddings and events. We are truly grateful to all our customers for their loyalty, love, and support for the past 4 years, and we look forward to many more years.

This Thursday (August 21st) is Fleurt Pioneer Square’s grand-opening party (112 S. Washington), from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Lately, we’ve reported on a few local businesses closing without warning. Tonight, we have advance notice from a local business that is planning a temporary closure for “freshening” and promises it WILL reopen. From Linda Sabee, proprietor of Carmilia’s in The Junction:

This November will be our twelve-year anniversary and over these many years, I’ve seen much change in our beloved West Seattle Junction. I’m a long-time West Seattle resident and opened Carmilia’s because I love this neighborhood and saw a need for a contemporary fashion resource in our shopping district.

When we opened, Carmilia’s was the only modern fashion offering in our ‘hood’. Shortly thereafter came Sweetie, followed by Edie’s and finally Clementine. It’s been a sad display of a contracting shopping district to watch these other shops close one by one and either quit the business entirely, or move on to more thriving shopping destinations in the Seattle area. As the pioneer for fashion in West Seattle, I am determined to stay in the business of dressing the women of West Seattle and anyone else who visits our wonderful neighborhood.

Carmilia’s will be closing and papering up our windows starting Sunday, August 17, to do some painting and general freshening up. Historically, the latter part of August is quite slow, so we’re clearing out as much of our summer and spring inventory this weekend to prepare for our projects. We will reopen the end of August, full of fall inventory and with a fresh look. I hope for the continued and hopefully re-energized support of this community of shoppers.

Linda is planning a September 4th party but expects the shop to reopen before then and promises to update us when there’s an idea of a date.

P.S. Of the shops she mentions, as covered here earlier: Sweetie shut down in 2013; Edie’s closed its WS shoe shop last winter but remains open on Capitol Hill; Clementine announced last month it’s moving to Pioneer Square by next month. (Photo: King County Assessor website)

Today, we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor: West Seattle Window and Door, owned by Joseph Miller (right), a West Seattle resident. Joseph grew up in Seattle belonging to a family with a passion for remodeling, music and the arts. Joe’s father, Jerry Miller, lead guitar player for the legendary San Francisco rock band Moby Grape, shared his love for music and film with little Joe. This led to Joseph’s love for music; he later started his own band, Open Blue.

While finishing his degree at the University of Washington, Joseph wanted to carry on the tradition of making the neighborhoods in Seattle energy efficient and beautiful. With this passion he decided to start West Seattle Window & Door. He is delighted to have his mom, Michan Rhodes, on board showcasing almost 30 years’ experience in replacement window/remodel consulting & design. She has been on the Northwest window & door scene for the past 28 years and has built a stunning design oriented portfolio to show for it.

Michan Rhodes began rolling little Joe and his younger brother and sisters around the neighborhood in a red Radio Flyer wagon looking at gardens and houses, visiting with neighbors, and sharing her ideas on how to beautify and restore their homes while embracing the original charm. Giving them the facelift needed for their homes, while adding energy efficiency and value, is and has always been her mission.

West Seattle Window & Door is committed to providing Homeowners, Contractors, Builders, Architects, and Designers with a high level of expertise and technical knowledge on an array of custom quality product lines at competitive prices. We will listen to your needs, discuss and interpret your distinctive style and space, and help you come up with a personally tailored design plan.

West Seattle Window & Door is a full-service company that meets with each customer one-on-one while taking direct responsibility for each project. This process has led to a steady stream of referrals. We believe you can maximize your investment without sacrificing quality or craftsmanship. Embrace what you already have without compromising your vision.

(Above: Before & after)
We offer Leaded Glass, Wood, Vinyl, Aluminum, Fiberglass, Wood Clad, Sound Reduction, Enlarged Openings, Bay Windows, Entry Doors, French Doors, and New Construction Window Packages at competitive prices. Free design consultations! All job estimates are free! We have a showroom located on Beach Drive (by appointment only). We are looking forward to moving our showroom up to one of the Junctions just as soon as the right spot presents itself. We are that West Seattle Business that supports the neighborhood & community.

West Seattle Window and Door is licensed, bonded and insured in compliance with all Washington state laws. Find WSWD online at westseattlewindows.com.

We thank West Seattle Window and Door for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Apparently the Port of Seattle‘s now-empty stretch Terminal 5 north of the west end of the high bridge is really starting to draw notice; though we reported on the reason almost two weeks ago, we’ve received a flurry of inquiries about it this weekend. So in case you missed the story too: Terminal 5 is empty because it’s closed. Its last ship arrived on July 23rd – here’s the story we published that day. Port commissioners have approved some funding to plan a modernization project, but completing it will require nine-figure spending and they haven’t started to discuss where that might come from. Meantime, the line that used T-5 is now sailing to and from Tacoma, while other cargo operations that were using it have been consolidated where the port had room.

(WSB photo, July 13th)
Ever since the closure of Admiralty House Antiques one year ago, the fate and future of 2141 California SW has been a subject of much interest. Two weeks ago, the 1920s-built brick building came out from under wraps after months of remodeling/renovation. And that’s brought in more questions about what’s going in. Today – new information, courtesy of this for-lease listing. The listing declares that an “experienced restaurant operator” is being sought for the larger of the two spaces into which it was divided. Peeking into the listing, the accompanying flyer shows Prospect Mortgage moving into the smaller space.

Daystar Retirement Village has joined WSB as one of our newest sponsors – and here’s what they would like you to know!

Welcome to Daystar Retirement Village! We are a locally-owned-and-operated retirement community with independent and assisted living apartments located in the south end of West Seattle.

Independent living at Daystar does not mean you have to “go it alone”! Our independent residents have amenities you might find in a fine hotel included in the monthly rent at Daystar. Things like scheduled transportation, zero maintenance apartments, full appliances in independent units (including washer and dryer), and well-being checks throughout the day, are some of the services our independent residents benefit from.

For those residents who need a little extra assistance to maintain their independence, we can provide Personal Assistance Services that include numerous medical and non-medical tasks for an additional monthly fee. For all residents, we have 24-hour staffing, flexible meal plans, housekeeping, free parking, emergency call system, locked front doors with surveillance cameras, and we’re pet-friendly!

Daystar offers a variety of diverse activities. It is your choice whether you want to participate but we truly have something for everyone. Art and history classes, trips to tourist sites and local shopping, Tai Chi, ice cream socials, movies, barbeques, and wellness classes are just a small sample of what you’ll find here.

Our location is another great advantage. We are just across the street from Westwood Village, which offers multiple restaurants, a gym, a US Post Office, Starbucks, Rite Aid, Target, and numerous other amenities. We have been a member in this community since 1988; we hope you will come visit us. We have someone here to give you a personal look around Daystar every day of the week. After your visit you will understand why the folks who live here often say: It’s so good to be home! Call 206-937-6122 and/or send a note here to schedule a visit.

We thank Daystar Retirement Village for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.