Followup: West Seattle’s Allstar Fitness put up for bankruptcy-prompted sale
Three weeks ago, we reported on the court-appointed Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee for West Seattle Fitness, the official name of the company operating West Seattle’s popular Allstar Fitness, and the likelihood he would be preparing the club for a potential sale. This week, trustee Richard A. Hooper is telling members that the club is indeed up for sale; he announced it via a letter available at the club’s counter. A member scanned the letter and sent it to us. At the heart of the letter (here’s the full scan):
… West Seattle Fitness has only one mission and that is to providea safe, clean, and enjoyable facility for use by its members and guests. Since the club opened, the staff has worked hard to make sure that this standard was met.
I have met with the management team of the club and we have discussed the mission as stated above and they have all assured me that they will continue to work to this end.
The facility is suffering from economic stress due to a number of factors that are complicated and will be difficult to sort out in the short term. As a result of this economic stress the only solution is to place the club for sale to another operator at the earliest possible date.
I am currently meeting with prospective buyers who would operate the club and who would bring funds necessary to repair and upgrade as needed for equipment and facilities. I think the process of locating a buyer, obtaining the necessary court approvals, and closing will take 60 days or perhaps slightly more, depending on hearings and legal issues. …
The letter says future updates will be available as “handouts” at the front counter. After we received the scanned copy of this one, WSB’s Katie Meyer spoke again with club manager Ramon Velasquez, who confirmed the letter’s distribution and the sale plans, saying there are at least three “very interested parties.” We first reported about Allstar’s bankruptcy filing back in October.
Saturday doubleheader at Log House Museum: Volunteer training; Neighbor Appreciation Day chili
The house that’s home to local history, the Log House Museum, has a doubleheader on Saturday: Its next volunteer-training event, and, whether you’re volunteering or not, free chili to celebrate Neighbor Appreciation Day. Here are the details on event #1:
Got time to volunteer? The Southwest Seattle Historical Society needs you!
Like to interact with people? Fix computers? Update databases? Make small repairs? Transcribe interviews? Shoot videos and still photos? Plan events? Get a glimpse of our community’s past? Whether you have lived here one year or 50, come learn about how to turn your desires and skills into meaningful tasks that will help preserve and promote the heritage of West Seattle and the greater Duwamish peninsula. Here’s a way to look to the future helping others explore West Seattle?s past. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which operates the Log House Museum, offers this introduction to volunteering, led by Carol Vincent, longtime historical-society volunteer, and Clay Eals, new executive director. It will include a brief primer on West Seattle history.
Bonus: At the end, those participating will enjoy free chili and corn bread on the museum’s porch, as part of the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day. The museum is one block from Alki Beach, at 61st and Stevens. More info: 206-938-5293, loghousemuseum.info.
The aforementioned chili is available to all as part of the citywide Neighbor Appreciation Day – stop by the museum 1-4 pm on Saturday (southwest corner of 61st/Stevens). Before or after chili, go inside and explore the museum’s newest exhibit “Telling Our Westside Stories: The Land.” (No admission charge, but they always appreciate donations.)
Crime Watch: Serial-robber photos – recognize him?
As first reported here and on partner site White Center Now (plus this update) in the past week, a serial robber has been at work in the White Center area – and further north, with last Wednesday’s holdup at the 30th/Roxbury 76 station. Today, the King County Sheriff’s Office has just released surveillance photos, with this information:
SUSPECT DESCRIPTION:
*Black, 35- 40 years of age, 5’11” – 6’0”, medium build
*Had darker black patch of skin under left eye
*Long, narrow face, Deep voice
The above-pictured suspect robbed four mini marts between January 11 and February 1, 2013.
His MO is to display a black semi-automatic handgun, possibly a Glock, and demand cash from the register. If you have information regarding the possible identity of the suspect, please contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311.
We are checking with KCSO to see if the photos are available in any higher resolution/size.
West Seattle Tuesday: Roxhill, Westwood, Arbor Heights unite!
(Late-December view of the Duwamish and Mt. Rainier, by Don Brubeck, via the WSB Flickr group)
Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ROTARY LUNCHEON: Visitors always welcome at the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly lunch meetings, noon at Salty’s on Alki. Today’s guest speaker is James H. Jackson, MBA, CPA, of West Seattle Certified Public Accounting firm Jackson, Morgan & Hunt. (Note: Salty’s and Jackson, Morgan & Hunt are WSB sponsors)
PRESCHOOL OPEN REGISTRATION AT HIAWATHA: 1:30 pm today, it’s open registration for Bright Beginnings preschool at Hiawatha Community Center – details in the calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Musicians of all ages are welcome to show up at the weekly rehearsals and check out WSCO. Tuesday night is rehearsal night, starting at 5:30 pm – full details on the WSCO website.
TACO TUESDAY WITH THE SUGAR SKULLS: Tacos, beer, and roller-derby skaters, all at Bird on a Wire Espresso (35th/Henderson) 6-9 tonight, explained here.
‘NEW’ NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Westwood, Roxhill, Arbor Heights resident? Join forces with neighbors to advocate for your neighborhoods on issues including crime prevention. Come to a meeting at 6:30 pm, Southwest Branch Library, 35th and Henderson. (Here’s the agenda, as previewed here yesterday.)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School‘s girls-varsity team plays its first postseason game of the year at Cleveland tonight (map), 7 pm.
… and, as always, even more on the calendar …
‘Soul Jambalaya’: Gospel, blues, jazz, more, at Sealth on Saturday
(Septimus at Soul Jambalaya 2012; photo courtesy Jeff Clark)
Saturday night, you’re invited to enjoy what’s become an annual tradition – a soul-stirring night of music in a wide variety of styles, performed by pros as well as students – all free! – on behalf of the Denny/Sealth music programs. Here’s the announcement:
“SOUL JAMBALAYA” will raise the roof at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 Thistle SW) on Saturday, February 9, 2013 @ 7:00 pm. Gospel, blues, jazz, funk, and reggae will be performed by The Total Experience Gospel Choir, Septimus, Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School jazz ensembles, and the Chief Sealth Honor Choir.
Admission is free – donations will be accepted to benefit the schools’ music scholarship program.
Many of those same performers were part of the first “Soul Jambalaya,” which we covered with multiple video clips, in 2011 (here’s our story), and returned for last year’s edition.
Lost and found on West Seattle beaches: Three wayward rafts
The past few days’ high tides have juggled at least three rafts on West Seattle’s shores.
(August 2012 photo by Gary Jones)
Above, the renowned Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft is missing from its usual spot between Alki Point and the west end of Alki Beach Park. Guy Smith tells WSB it drifted away late Sunday or early Monday; if you see it, please call 206-937-8742.
Just before and after we heard from Guy, we got two other reports of found rafts, but he says neither is his, so we’re publishing these photos in hopes someone recognizes one or both of them:
Melinda photographed that one at Constellation Park (off Beach Drive, south of Alki Point) at mid-afternoon Monday, saying she saw it float up “from the south” the day before. Next, Megan says she spotted the next one on the north beach at Lincoln Park, “just around the point”:
No guarantee these are still where they were when photographed, but the highest high tides are on the wane so there’s a chance they might be.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates – and more
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: No scheduled traffic alerts for today (but we’ll remind you again, the Delridge/Henderson intersection will be completely closed all weekend, Friday night till Monday morning – here’s a cool SDOT picture from the project page, showing the installation of new drainage pipes:
Meantime, we’re adding a Highway 99 cam to the basic template for this daily feature, since that’s a frequent trouble spot:
If you encounter traffic/transit/transportation trouble – in West Seattle or on the major routes in/out – let us know, provided you can do so safely/legally – 206-293-6302 is our number for text or voice.
P.S. The issue of Metro funding is back on the front burner, now that it’s warning the “Viaduct mitigation” money won’t last much longer and big cuts could be ahead. Here’s how Metro’s GM explains it; here’s a story from our partners at The Seattle Times.
9:23 AM UPDATE: Traffic alert from JL in comments – “Northbound 35th at Alaska – right lane closed for traffic light maintenance at 9:15 AM.”
High-school basketball: Post-season play, night 1, 3 losses
As the high-school-basketball postseason begins, the Chief Sealth International High School boys-varsity basketball team was the only local team playing at home last night, and their game was a heartbreaker, as the Seahawks were defeated by a last-second layup from visiting Bainbridge, for a final score of 53-51.
The other two games involving local teams weren’t as close: The Sealth girls were at Bainbridge, where they lost 46-23; the West Seattle High School boys were at Nathan Hale, which topped them 54-40.
Tonight (Tuesday), the West Seattle HS girls – who won their division in regular-season play – are at Cleveland, 7 pm.
Where might recreational marijuana be sold legally in West Seattle?
(Click image for full-size, zoomable PDF of the map)
As the state continues gathering public feedback on how to set up the Initiative 502-mandated framework for a recreational-marijuana industry (follow the process here), other governments are looking at how it might affect their jurisdictions. And citizens are wondering where marijuana stores might eventually open. A recent story in The Stranger included a map drawn up by the city Department of Planning and Development, showing a hypothetical overlay of where marijuana businesses might be prohibited or allowed. It’s based on city rules in development for medical-marijuana zoning, and I-502 outlines for location restrictions on recreational-marijuana shops. We subsequently requested and received the map, which DPD explains is not on their website “as it was just an internal analysis (although we are happy to share it).” DPD’s Brennon Staley continued with a caveat: “I just want to highlight that the map is only an estimate of how City and State regulations would be implemented based on proposed City restrictions and the 1000-foot buffer rule contained in Initiative 502. The buffer restrictions will be determined by the Liquor Control Board at the time of license application and will be reviewed based on the known location of certain uses at the time of application. The map is not an official zoning map and should not be used for determining compliance with existing or potential regulations.”
Yellow denotes where both recreational and medical marijuana businesses could be located; light blue zones, potential locations for medical marijuana businesses; gray zones, neither. The map doesn’t get to street-name level, but if we’re reading it correctly, it looks like the potential zones for both types of marijuana outlets might include the south Delridge Triangle, Upper Morgan, Harbor Island, and a couple small sections of California SW between The Junction and Morgan Junction.
As for when the official rules will be in place – DPD’s medical-cannabis-zoning page suggests an ordinance could go to the City Council any time now; the state timeline says retailer rules will be adopted in late summer.
New Seattle Police cameras: Q/A with the assistant chief in charge
(City map of camera/communication system – click for larger, zoomable view)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While installation of 30 federally funded, Seattle Police-run cameras continues – with 9 up as of the end of last week, according to SPD – who will operate them and who will have access to them is not yet decided.
That’s according to SPD’s Special Operations Bureau commander, Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh, who we interviewed late Friday.
We reported on several key points of the conversation hours after it concluded, in our third report about the cameras; our first one appeared here last Tuesday, with a bit of information about the previously unannounced, unreported installations, after a first round of research followed WSB readers’inquiries.
Then Thursday, our second report included details of the project gleaned from the video archive of a little-noticed City Council committee briefing and vote back in May.
As shown in our Friday coverage, we confirmed that the six cameras we had seen along West Seattle’s waterfront boulevards are only half of the 12 planned for West Seattle; the southernmost camera is also already up, over the southbound RapidRide bus stop at the Fauntleroy ferry dock.
Ahead, full details from our conversation with Assistant Chief McDonagh, which we recorded on video and have excerpted with links to specific points in the conversation:
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‘Now is the time’: Constantine’s State of the County address includes call for gun-violence prevention
In his State of the County address today, King County Executive Dow Constantine included a call for “strategies” to prevent gun violence, pointing out that gun-related deaths outnumber motor-vehicle deaths in the county. Here’s the official news release:
King County Executive Dow Constantine today signed an executive order directing Public Health – Seattle & King County to develop innovative, data-driven local strategies for preventing gun violence in King County.
“Gun violence is a public safety crisis. It is also a public health crisis. Locally, we can approach gun violence as a preventable public health problem,” said Executive Constantine, as part of his 2013 State of the County address. “State and federal law pre-empt our ability to regulate firearms, but that should not stop us from thinking innovatively about what we can do within our own authority.”
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West Seattle Monday: 5 highlights from the calendar
(Eagle at Alki Point, photographed by Patrick McCaffrey)
Happy Monday! Five highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you will find even more of what’s up today/tonight, and beyond):
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: The theme for today’s recipes – Thai. 3 pm, Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW), details in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE ELEMENTARY INFORMATIONAL MEETING … for parents of prospective kindergarteners, 5 pm; contact organizers (info in our calendar listing) for location and other details.
BUTTON DESIGNERS AND VOLUNTEERS WANTED! That’s the call to the community from West Seattle Hi-Yu</a>, which invites all to its general meeting at 6:30 pm tonight, St. John the Baptist Church (California/Hanford).
NEW DAISY SCOUT TROOP FORMING: Interested parents of kindergarten/1st-grade girls are invited to find out more at the main school hall of Holy Rosary School (42nd/Genesee), 6:30-7:30 pm, details in the calendar listing.
OPERA PREVIEW/LECTURE: 6:30 pm, West Seattle (Admiral) Library, a free lecture previewing Seattle Opera’s upcoming “La Boheme” – details in the calendar listing.
Update: Truck fire in Junction likely caused by electrical problem
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Big scare in the 4500 block of 41st SW in The Junction tonight after that truck caught fire. WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli says the resident who reported it said the truck’s wheel/fire appeared to be burning first, and then the front of the truck burst into flames, with an audible explosion.
No reports of injury – SFD’s investigation unit, Marshal 5, was called to the scene to check it out; we’ll be checking to see what they figure out about the cause.
ADDED 11:02 AM MONDAY: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB their investigator “determined the 2000 Ford pickup truck’s fire was most likely an electrical fire. The damage estimate is $5,400.”
Skies Over West Seattle: New WSB feature for skygazers
EDITOR’S NOTE: For everyone who’s wished they had advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wondered “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” – this is for you; West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things, has offered to write periodic “Skies Over West Seattle” previews. Here’s the first!
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
Even with our cloudy skies and immense light pollution, there is hope for skygazing in West Seattle. As with everything, what you need is to be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I’m here to offer some suggestions for what to do with those opportunities.
The easy part is to not forget to look up. It is easy for us to bend our heads towards the ground all the time: reading our phones, the news, and watching to make sure we don’t step in puddles. When you get out of the car or off the bus, take a second to turn your face up to the sky. Just before you go to bed, as you’re locking up, glance out the window, or step out for a moment, and see what’s up there.
Beyond that, the winter skies can be truly beautiful. There are many extremely bright stars, and recognizable constellations like Orion are high in the sky and up most of the night. The cold air of winter is also more still than the warm, roiling air of summer. This makes the stars appear more crisp. In astronomical parlance this is called “good seeing.” When it is clear out these situations together make the night sky breathtaking, even from the city.
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Update: Seattle City Light rescues cat from Genesee power pole
SUNDAY, 7:27 PM: That’s a cat in a tough spot in the rain – and since nobody seems to know whose it is, and it’s been up there for many hours, we went to check it out so we could crosspost on the Lost/Found Pets page. (We used a flashlight for a spotlight to get a photo – that’s the clearest one we have.) It’s sitting atop the stub of an old utility pole that’s fastened to the top of a newer one on the southwest corner of 46th and Andover, and the neighbors who e-mailed us earlier say nobody knows whose it is. If you are missing a relatively small black cat in that general area, you might go have a look. Food and water is waiting below if the kitty manages to get itself down. Otherwise, we have already forwarded the concerned neighbors the advice we’ve received repeatedly: Call a tree service. (The neighbors certainly would welcome any other suggestions.)
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: As of 8:30, when we went by, still there:
See the comments for more extensive discussion of who’s done what and who’s suggested what. As mentioned there, we (and others) are checking with Seattle City Light – whom at least one neighbor says was called on Sunday.
9:54 AM UPDATE: The cat’s down, thanks to City Light.
West Seattle restaurants: Harry’s Chicken Joint on the way
We’ve been keeping an eye on – and getting questions about – the former Meander’s/Jade West space north of Morgan Junction at 6032 California SW. For a while now, a piece of paper in the window has read simply “Harry’s,” but we’ve had no luck reaching anyone there. Finally – a little more information has turned up in the window: The piece of paper has changed to the one you see above, reading “Harry’s Chicken Joint, opening soon.” That dovetails – or chicken-tails – with what Rick “The Psychic Barber” Cook (whose new location is nearby) told us recently, reporting that he had spoken to the owner, who told him “it will be a sort of homestyle eatery with the main focus on fried chicken and plans to be open late February.” (Just found a Facebook page too, though it has little beyond the address and phone number, where we’ve left a message.) More info soon as we get it!
4:51 PM UPDATE: Just talked, briefly, to Bruce from Harry’s – he says they’re not likely to have the sit-down restaurant open till next month because they’re doing some interior renovations, but right now they’re planning on something interim for February: Takeout chicken for patrons of nearby Beveridge Place Pub (which doesn’t make its own food but allows food to be brought in), starting within a week or so if all goes well.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen bicycle to watch for
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:43 PM: Relatively quiet weekend so far in West Seattle Crime Watch – not just in reader reports, but also via the other ways we monitor police responses (thanks to those who have texted/e-mailed about various sightings of multiple police cars – nothing that has turned out so far to be anything of major note, but we continue to watch for reports). We do have a bicycle-theft report this morning: David says the photo above is a bicycle similar to the one stolen from the porch of his home near 32nd and Trenton overnight, between 10 pm and 4:30 am, “a Magna “Grand Ledge” mountain bike, w/ broken left hand gear cable and round bell on right side handlebar.” The same household was hit by bike thieves a few years back, and a WSB reader spotted the stolen bike, so the victims are hopeful that might happen again. (In many cases, police explain, criminals steal bikes as transportation to another crime scene – so you might find a stolen bike in an area where one or more cars were prowled/stolen.)
11:38 PM UPDATE: Bike’s back, David writes in the comment section, thanks to Guy, who spotted it near California/Admiral tonight. Another reminder that our peninsula is one big neighborhood – so something that is stolen or lost might turn up miles away *(5, in this case) – report it to police, tell your Block Watch, but then let us know too so the word can get out peninsula-wide.
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