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Spotlight Stories

West Seattle Weather Watch: ‘Warm’ now, snow by Saturday?
November 27, 2014 12:42 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Weather Watch: ‘Warm’ now, snow by Saturday?
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

12:42 PM: Thanks to John for the rainbow photo, looking toward the Fauntleroy ferry during one of today’s sunbreaks. This Thanksgiving Day is already making history – as of two hours ago, the National Weather Service tweeted, Sea-Tac Airport had already tied the record high for this date, 58 degrees. We don’t know if it went any higher, but right now, it’s a few degrees lower, and it’s going to keep sliding, with temps in the 30s expected by Friday night, along with a chance of snow – a chance that remains in the forecast up until about mid-morning Saturday. See the newest outlook here.

ADDED 3:06 PM: Thanks to Janna for sharing the new rainbow photo – taken at Alki!

ADDED 5:13 PM: Now there’s a special weather statement about the possible snow. So far, NWS says it’s more likely to the north on Friday night but might be more widespread Saturday morning.

West Seattle Thanksgiving 2014: Who’s open, & other holiday info
November 27, 2014 6:07 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(Photo by Don Brubeck)

Good morning! We are thankful for you. Here’s info you might find useful:

WHICH GROCERY STORES ARE OPEN AND WHEN: Here’s the list.

WHO’S OPEN FOR COFFEE: See the first section of our Holiday Guide.

WHO’S LEADING A WORKOUT : Also in the first section of our Holiday Guide.

WHO’S SERVING A FREE COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER: The Hall at Fauntleroy, noon-3 pm (9131 California SW; details here, including donations you can drop off before it starts) … Freedom Church, noon-3 pm per the marquee (35th/Roxbury) … West Seattle Eagles, 2-5 pm (4426 California SW; details here)

WHICH RESTAURANTS (AND BARS WITH FOOD) ARE OPEN TODAY AND/OR TONIGHT: Here’s the list (please note, it is a list of who told us they planned to be open – if an establishment told us they would be closed, they are NOT listed).

TRANSIT CHANGES: Metro is on a Sunday schedule … The Water Taxi is NOT running … Sound Transit buses are on a Sunday schedule … Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run is on a normal schedule.

THINGS YOU CAN DO AFTER DINNER: West Seattle Lights/Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular starts tonight, 7 pm, as previewed here Monday. Bring food for the West Seattle Food Bank! (3908 SW Charlestown) … The Admiral Theater is open this afternoon/evening – see the schedule here (2343 California SW)

DOES YOUR DOG NEED A BREAK FROM THE HOLIDAY BUSTLE? WSB sponsor Camp Crockett is open today.

See more – for today/tonight, plus dozens of events through the rest of the holiday season – here.

West Seattle development: ‘Whole block fenced off’ for 3210 California SW project
November 26, 2014 8:47 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

As noted by one of several people who e-mailed us today to ask about that development site, you seldom “see a whole block fenced off.” It’s pre-demolition fencing, just put up this week at the redevelopment site known as 3210 California SW, which we’ve been covering for seven years – from the original rezone proposal for an entire block between Hanford and Hinds turned up in city files in 2007, to the subsequent development plan’s emergence in early 2013, to its final approval at Design Review. So here’s a refresher on what’s going in, once that block of buildings is torn down:

(Rendering courtesy NK Architects)
It’s a 4- and 5-story project with 134 apartments, 2 live-work units, 152 offstreet-parking spaces, and about 6,000 square feet of commercial space, being developed by Intracorp. It went before the Southwest Design Review Board five times before receiving a recommendation for final approval in April; by the fifth meeting, the developer lowered the north part of the complex to four stories, with its other two sections remaining at five.

The demolition permits were granted three months ago, but we don’t know how soon the demolition will start – once a fence goes up, the next thing to watch for is the arrival of no-parking signs, and then, of course, the heavy equipment. The contractor is Exxel Pacific, according to this page on the website of the project’s architecture firm, West Seattleite-owned NK.

SIDE NOTE: Wondering what happened to everything and everyone who were in the buildings? For starters, the city website says tenant-relocation licenses were granted for 23 units in all. Some of the buildings held businesses, like the Styling Studio, whose owner decided to join another salon, as he told us in June; the former Cayce and Gain Property Management, now Cayce Real Estate Services, moved to the Andover business park in North Delridge. Cometa Playschool is still in operation, at a different location.

Update: Another crash on Sylvan, no injuries reported
November 26, 2014 7:40 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

7:40 PM: Suddenly Sylvan Way, which runs through High Point between Upper Morgan and Delridge, is a hot spot for crashes. Police and fire are currently at the scene of another one near Sylvan Way/Sylvan Heights (map). No details yet, but it’s affecting traffic, with at least one lane blocked.

8:24 PM: The crash involved just one vehicle; it ran into a fence and took out a tree. Police told us at the scene that no one was hurt. This was very close to the spot where a driver hit a tree two nights ago.

City Fruit harvests city $ for work in West Seattle, elsewhere
November 26, 2014 5:29 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

(2012 photo courtesy City Fruit)
You’ve probably heard that the City Council gave its final approval to the next city budget plan this week. Attention tends to be drawn by the biggest issues – but some of its relatively small points are notable, too. Tonight, we hear from one of the many nonprofits that will benefit from some part of the budget, City Fruit, which works in West Seattle and elsewhere to keep backyard fruit from going to waste if its owners don’t want/don’t need/can’t harvest it:

City Fruit is grateful to the Seattle City Council for including $68,000 in the 2015 City budget for the organization’s gleaning programs. City Fruit recognizes Councilmember Sally Clark for her leadership on this issue. The funding will support City Fruit’s harvesting efforts on both public and private property.

In addition, City Fruit thanks Councilmembers Jean Godden, Bruce Harrell, and Tom Rasmussen for their sponsorship of the budget package.

Hazel Singer, vice president of the City Fruit board of directors, thanked the Council, saying, “Funding from the City is critical to our harvest. With this support, we will be able to continue serving five neighborhoods in Seattle and add an additional area, Northeast Seattle, to our territory.”

With the City’s support in 2014, City Fruit harvested nearly 28,000 pounds of fruit, a record for the organization. Nearly all fruit was donated into Seattle’s emergency food system, including food banks and meal programs. In addition, the organization hosted over 50 work parties in support of public orchards and stewarded nearly 400 trees on public land.

As explained on the City Fruit website, the nonprofit pays for harvesting help rather than relying on volunteers, and that’s part of the cost it has to cover. If you want to donate harvestable fruit in the future, here’s how.

West Seattle restaurants open Thanksgiving Day – and one unplanned closure tonight
November 26, 2014 4:15 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Just one more reminder before we get to Thanksgiving Day itself: If you are NOT cooking tomorrow, some West Seattle restaurants do plan to be open at least part of the day. As we do every year, we have compiled a list, and you can see that list here. (Keep in mind that proprietors do reserve the right to change their plans at the last minute, so if you find someplace closed that we had listed as planning to be open, or if you find someplace open that’s not on the list, please let us know – text/call 206-293-6302 or e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com; we’ll be updating as needed.) Other holiday info (coffee shops, grocery stores, free dinners, church services, more) is atop our Holiday Guide.

One unplanned restaurant closure *tonight* – Zippy’s Giant Burgers has been having big trouble getting something fixed for the past couple days and, according to a Facebook update, won’t be able to reopen until after the holiday.

P.S. One *new* place IS open – this is grand-opening night at The Westy, as recently announced/previewed here.

West Seattle holidays: Admiral’s brand-new Holly Jolly Holiday Fest, and why you’re invited to bring a gingerbread house
November 26, 2014 3:15 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle holidays: Admiral’s brand-new Holly Jolly Holiday Fest, and why you’re invited to bring a gingerbread house
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

Some of what you’ll find in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide are traditional annual events – and some are brand new. Like this:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association – which brings you Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, as well as its year-round role as a community council – is presenting the first-ever Holly Jolly Holiday Fest, noon-4 pm Sunday, December 7th, at The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander).

One big component: A gingerbread-house contest! NOT on-site building – build yours before the event and bring it to The Sanctuary that morning, as explained in the official rules, which also explain the prizes, and the youth/adult divisions (age 16 is the dividing line).

But that’s just part of the fun, which also includes, as announced, “live holiday music, a craft bazaar, and a food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank” as well as … Santa Claus! “A photographer will be available to take portraits with Santa for a small donation, or you can bring your own camera.” See you there on Sunday, December 7th, noon-4 pm!

West Seattle scene: Why people are in line outside Easy Street
November 26, 2014 1:27 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The line outside Easy Street Records in The Junction right now – wrapping around the building and up the alley – isn’t in advance of a Black Friday deal. But it DOES involve the day after Thanksgiving. At 3 pm, as explained on the Easy Street website, tickets go on sale for a just-announced performance by Foo Fighters, Friday at the Showbox downtown. The show also includes a screening of “Sonic Highways,” the HBO series in which the band travels to cities around the U.S. while recording its new album.

Foo Fighters have been performing “surprise” shows in connection with the show’s episodes, and the Showbox plan fits right in with that.

West Seattle traffic alert: Crash at 35th/Barton
November 26, 2014 11:07 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

Thanks to Cami for the photo of this crash at 35th/Barton. Looks so far like no serious injuries, but with pre-holiday shopping traffic and Westwood Village just a few blocks easy, we’re making note. Eastbound Barton is closed at the scene, according to what we’ve heard via the scanner.

11:48 AM UPDATE: Just went over to check. The intersection is clear.

West Seattle holiday giving: How these preschoolers helped, and how you can too
November 26, 2014 10:22 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Thanks to Tauna Evans, pre-K teacher at Holy Rosary Preschool, for sharing the photo to let us all know about her students’ lesson in giving: “We have just completed our 3rd annual ‘Help the Hungry’ food drive. All donations were delivered to the Holy Rosary St. Vincent de Paul Society. The food will be distributed to those in need right here in our West Seattle community.”

IF YOU’RE IN THE GIVING MOOD TODAY, FOOD BANK DONATION HOURS: There’s still time for you to get donations to either or both of the nearest food banks – West Seattle Food Bank (southeast corner of 35th/Morgan) is open until 3 pm, White Center Food Bank (8th SW just south of SW 108th) is open until 5 pm. Beyond today, we are posting ongoing donation drives of all types in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch; holiday info
November 26, 2014 6:07 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch; holiday info
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy day before Thanksgiving! We start with another reminder about holiday transit schedules:

*Metro will be on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day and a “reduced weekday/no UW” schedule on Friday.

*The Water Taxi does NOT run on Thursday *or* Friday.

*Sound Transit‘s express bus serving our area (560) will be on a Sunday schedule for Thanksgiving Day, normal schedule for Friday.

*Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run will keep a normal schedule. WSF reminds you that lines will be longest in the westbound direction this afternoon/evening. For Fauntleroy, all the space/wait info, plus dock-area cameras, can be found here.

CITYWIDE ALERT FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND: If you’re not leaving town, you still might need to know times/places for parades, runs, etc., and that’s all in the SDOT alert.

One more day to get in on WSHS Music’s fruit fundraiser
November 25, 2014 11:39 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Music Boosters supporting the West Seattle High School music department sent word of this – tomorrow (Wednesday) is the last day to get in on it – and note that if you don’t need all that fruit, you can still help the students while donating your donation to feed those in need!

The WSHS Music Department is currently selling 20-pound boxes of oranges or grapefruits, for $28.00 each. Funds raised will help offset student costs as both the orchestra and band will be traveling to perform in Disneyland this next May. Fruit can be purchased from any WSHS music student, or contact westseattlehsmusicboosters@gmail.com by 11/26, for more information. Boxes can also be purchased for direct donation to the West Seattle Food Bank. The fruit will be delivered around December 5th.

West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports: Package thieves; car prowler(s); abandoned bicycle
November 25, 2014 10:06 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight:

PACKAGE THIEVES, AGAIN: From Jan:

We have found several empty delivery boxes on our parking strips in our North Admiral neighborhood. Clearly, someone is following the UPS trucks today. Please remind readers to have packages delivered to an address where someone will be available to receive: business, school, etc.

LINCOLN PARK CAR PROWL: David explains, “I thought I would send this incident your way to get the word out and maybe help warn others that the car-prowl problems at Lincoln Park (and other park areas) are indeed current and ongoing.” Here’s what David reported to police:

While at work as a dog walker, I left my vehicle at 9:55 am on the date of the incident in the Lincoln Park parking lot across from SW Rose St. I returned at 11:00 am. Later, while driving to a class I am taking I realized my backpack was not in the vehicle. I had left the vehicle locked and saw no signs of forced entry. The backpack was on the floor of the passenger seat. I did leave the vehicle unlocked for under 5 minutes on the street (in the 4100 block of) SW Othello St and (the 9600 block of) 46th Ave SW but the longest period I was away for it was at Lincoln Park.

ABANDONED BIKE: In cases like this, the bike likely was stolen. So if this looks familiar …

… Morgan says it was spotted on the roadside near 16th/Dawson in the Puget Ridge area.

Second meeting set for Highland Park Opportunity Fund project
November 25, 2014 4:28 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Mark your calendar before checking out for the holiday – if you’re interested in the Highland Park Opportunity Fund project, improving the play area at, and access into, the park at 1100 SW Cloverdale – next community meeting is set for January 13, 2015, at Highland Park Elementary School from 6:30 – 7:45 pm. Above is the presentation from the first meeting (last month); notes from that meeting are online too.

Video: WSHS students join walkout in Ferguson aftermath
November 25, 2014 1:48 pm
|      66 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

1:48 PM: Via both SPD and a campus source, we’re told some West Seattle High School students have joined the walkout to show opposition to the Ferguson, Missouri, grand-jury decision. Some other schools in the city including Garfield and Roosevelt had hundreds walk out.

2:20 PM: We just missed the walkout but got some reader video we’ll add when back at HQ. Police we talked with just off-campus estimated about 75 participants and say it unfolded peacefully.

2:44 PM: Added the aforementioned video atop this story (recorded by a reader from the top parking deck at Admiral Safeway, looking west), plus our photo of the police who were still at California/Stevens when we arrived. Another texter said some had walked out at Chief Sealth International High School earlier today, but we have not confirmed that. The district’s message about the walkouts is on the SPS home page.

West Seattle Thanksgiving 2014: Serving up holiday info
November 25, 2014 12:33 pm
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

Just in case you are wondering:

*Where you can work out before stuffing (yourself)
*Where you can find a free holiday meal
*Which West Seattle grocery stores are open on Thanksgiving and when
*Which West Seattle restaurants/coffee shops are open on Thanksgiving and when

That’s all in the Thanksgiving section atop the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide (which also continues with dozens more events continuing on to Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s) … so we thought we’d nudge you now.

P.S. If you have information to add to the guide, or see something that has changed – please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!

Followup: 47th/Admiral traffic-signal project goes out for bid
November 25, 2014 11:35 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Though the city had said as recently as September that work would start on the 47th/Admiral traffic signal this fall, it won’t be any sooner than winter, since the project is only just now out to bid. The solicitation on the city website and in public notices says bids are due December 10th, which is two weeks from tomorrow. The notice projects the signal will cost up to $350,000. It has long been in the works, with the campaign to improve safety at the intersection tracing back to the death of 26-year-old Tatsuo Nakata, hit and killed by a driver eight years ago this month; in summer of 2013, after then-Mayor McGinn proposed an incremental improvement at the intersection, the City Council found funding for a full signal. Whenever work starts – we have a message out to ask about the new projected timeframe – the city estimates that the signal construction will last about three months.

ADDED: In response to our inquiry, SDOT says that the current plan is to start construction in February.

West Seattle Tuesday: T-Day minus two; here’s what to do
November 25, 2014 10:30 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Golden-crowned kinglet, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
A few notes for the rest of today:

ONLY A DRILL: The King County Sheriff’s Office confirms this tactical drill is still on for today despite the murky weather. So just FYI, you might notice some helicopter/maritime traffic passing here en route to Des Moines.

ARTS/CRAFTS AND BAKE SALE: The “mini-Harvest Festival” sale at the Senior Center of West Seattle is under way until 1 pm. (Oregon/California)

WEST SEATTLE LAND USE COMMITTEE: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, the still-fledgling committee meant to take a peninsula-wide view of issues related to development and zoning has its next meeting, and it’s still in the formative stages – all are more than welcome, even if just to sit and observe. (Oregon/California)

LADIES SING THE BLUES: 8 pm, special all-star edition of Blues To Do at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (6451 California SW)

PLANNING FOR THANKSGIVING? LOOKING AHEAD? The WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide has dozens and dozens of listings and infobits to help you find everything holidayish on this side of the bay.

West Seattle schools: Personalize Pathfinder’s playground
November 25, 2014 9:09 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo by Holli Margell)
Glass art as a holiday gift? That’s one way to support the playground project that Pathfinder K-8 has embarked on. Organizers explain: “Having been awarded significant grants from both the City and County, we are working to raise $50,000 in cash from our school families and broader community. We have a lovely donor recognition program that will be a lasting symbol and legacy of your gift to our community. Please see the giving levels” here. Hint – the glass tiles are part of it; you can fund one (or more) with an inscription to forever be part of the new playground; see the design here.

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; Battery St. Tunnel reopens after crash closure
November 25, 2014 6:35 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:35 AM: We start with a problem affecting Northbound 99 – a crash has closed the northbound side of the Battery Street Tunnel.

6:55 AM: Still closed, no ETA announced for reopening. Seattle Fire was not dispatched to the crash, which indicates no one was hurt. Here’s the traffic cam that looks southward at the northbound traffic from just before the closure point:

7:08 AM: Per scanner, the tunnel is clear and about to be reopened. A stalled car nearby, though, might still complicate matters for a bit.

7:12 AM: Officially reopened, per SDOT.

7:33 AM: Avalon is “crawling,” reports WS Since 1979 in comments, just before the eastward turn to Spokane/bridge ramp.

Update: Man shot in arm in Arbor Heights, taken to hospital
November 25, 2014 1:36 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

1:36 AM: Police and fire are rushing to the 3700 block of SW 106th (map) in Arbor Heights for a report of a man with a gunshot wound to his arm. It’s not known yet if it was accidental.

1:59 AM: The patient, a man said to be around 30, has been taken to Harborview Medical Center. Our crew is just back from the scene. Police there are still sorting it out but believe it was accidental and aren’t seeking any suspects at this point.

11:45 AM: We don’t have followup information from SPD yet, but we did check with SFD regarding the victim’s last known condition – “stable,” we’re told.

West Seattle giving: 8-year-old Joseph’s one-day food drive
November 24, 2014 11:56 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The spirit of giving can start young. These pictures show what 8-year-old Joseph Meats, a third grader at Our Lady of Guadalupe, did this past weekend. His mom Christi Meats explains, “He wanted to do something nice for Thanksgiving and the up and coming holidays so he decided to go door to door and ask for food for the food bank!” So they distributed a flyer to some homes in Admiral and Arbor Heights last Thursday asking that people leave food donations on their doorstep for pickup yesterday.

Today, he brought it all to the West Seattle Food Bank after school.

His mom adds, “His goal is to inspire others so it was fun to watch him succeed in raising awareness as he left his wagon out during the Seahawk game and people kept dropping off food!” (And if you’re inspired – contact the WS Food Bank directly, or keep an eye on our daily calendar previews and Holiday Guide for giving opportunities of all kinds.)

No indictment in Ferguson: Tonight’s aftermath in Seattle
November 24, 2014 6:58 pm
|      40 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

6:58 PM: Here’s what’s happening in Seattle right now, after the announcement in Ferguson, Missouri, tonight that a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown:

(Photo tweeted by reporter Paige Cornwell of The Seattle Times [WSB partner])
-A protest march is under way in the Westlake Center area downtown. Pine Street is closed between 4th and 5th and might also close to 6th.

-Mayor Ed Murray is planning to meet the media inside City Hall at 7:15 pm, with others listed in the advisory announcement as “Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, Pamela Banks (Urban League), Pramila Jayapal (state senator-elect), Estela Ortega (El Centro de la Raza) and others.” UPDATE: The mayor’s office says it will be live-streamed here.

-King County Executive and West Seattleite Dow Constantine has sent a written statement:

“We all mourn the loss of a young man’s life. This is a moment to say what is in our hearts, with tolerance, respect, and restraint, as we were asked to do by Michael Brown’s family.

“The events in Ferguson have laid bare the ongoing racial divide that stretches across the breadth of these United States. Here in King County we have made equity and social justice a central tenet of our work — a value that each employee will consciously and daily pursue as we serve the public. Our task now must be to learn from this moment, and to redouble our efforts to create the long-term, systemic changes our nation needs to fulfill its destiny.”

-So far, we have not heard of any gatherings in West Seattle. We will update as the night goes on.

ADDED 7:18 PM: President Obama is speaking. One quote, tweeted:

7:26 PM: Mayor Murray waited until after the President’s speech to start his event.

The downtown protest march, meantime, has moved east to Capitol Hill.

7:43 PM: Another Times photo tweeted from the Hill:

And a note from the city:

The Seattle Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center closed at 8:45 p.m. The police department continues to provide support for free speech events city-wide.

10:32 PM: Things weren’t quite winding down. Protesters moved on to I-5:

10:37 PM: Police report some violence:

10:52 PM: The freeway has reopened. Protesters are reported to be headed back toward Capitol Hill.

11:51 PM: Still there.

You can of course find endless reporting out there on every scale of what has happened; if you’re looking for a direct link to the transcribed grand-jury proceedings in Missouri, here they are as posted by NYTimes.com.