West Seattle, Washington
10 Sunday
Wanted to make sure you’ve all heard about an event that’s still a few weeks away, but likely to be the West Seattle smash of the spring. Posters are up all over town; tickets are on sale; Husky Deli even has a clever little Beanie Baby animal display promoting it. Three weeks from today @ Hiawatha — the first-ever “West Seattle Pet Rodeo and Snooty Walk.” (We plead guilty to not having a clue about what a “snooty walk” is supposed to be.) Besides the critters, WS-dwelling human celebrities are promised too, including Hizzoner’s spouse Sharon Nickels and former “Almost Live!” (love those 1:05 am Saturday night reruns) star Tracey Conway.
Just a bit north of Verge Condos on Harbor Ave, two more big buildings (six stories) just got permits, with plans for condos over retail: 3257 Harbor and 3303 Harbor.
Just written up by the Northwest Asian Weekly — had not heard it before, though it appears the decision happened earlier this month: No felony charge in the crosswalk crash that killed Tatsuo Nakata.
It’s Friday, and that means time for the West Seattle weekend roundup. Indoor and outdoor fun to follow …Read More
Drivers beware, road crews aren’t just working on the north-of-Junction repaving today — there’s also some work in the heart of The Junction itself. Looks like restriping, possibly also on the “raised crosswalks.” No lane closures when we passed through just now but could be a little congested later, so consider yourself forewarned.
Almost forgot to mention one other bit of news picked up at the Charlestown Cafe meeting: A big WS job we mentioned three months ago is no longer open. The Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association has a new executive director, Derek Birnie. The DNDA site doesn’t have much on him yet, but here’s a bio from a previous gig. DNDA has a lot going on, most notably — at the moment — the new Community Resource Center that’s ever-closer to completion at 35th & Morgan.
Someone from WS is advertising on CL that they need a new tank for their fast-growing 7-foot python.
-One person who now declares herself an ex-Admiral Safeway customer because of the parking crackdown says the parking patrollers are marking tires. So, she wonders, what if you happen to spend an extra-long time in the store?
-Another reader wrote to ask the nearby Sanctuary At Admiral what they’re doing about parking, and got back a note from its owner, saying its guests have permission to park in the Safeway back lot. OK, so, now we have exceptions for them, Lafayette Elementary, and the senior citizen field trips. Who else?
The state had said it wouldn’t release results of last weekend’s viaduct inspection till tomorrow but the information is actually already available. Bottom line appears to be, it’s still in bad shape, but hasn’t gotten any worse since last checkup. Whew.
Finally found an apparent name for the bakery taking over the ex-Bobby’s Hobbies spot. The latest round of construction-related permits mentions “Shoofly Pie Company,” and while there’s not much at the dot-com address for that name, it’s registered to someone in WS.
-Thanks to the reader who tipped us that Bakery Nouveau is featured on the cover of Seattle Magazine’s new “best restaurants” issue. Yum.
-A new exhibit at MOHAI will feature 19th-century paintings from a daughter of the Denny party’s namesake.
-Also from the P-I, Ted Van Dyk has a good post-viaduct-vote rant. Reminds us of the interesting sight we saw while traveling up Cali after the Charlestown meeting last night — an apartment window plastered with not only a YES ELEVATED sign, but also RECALL NICKELS and even mock Times front pages with the apartment-dweller’s fantasy future headline NICKELS DEFEATED. (Perhaps a Steinbrueck relative lives there!)
That’s one way we would sum up organizer Mark Wainwright’s main theme for the spirited crowd that sardined itself into the northernmost room of Charlestown Cafe tonight. Not to say there won’t be some rabblerousing …Read More
If you drive east from WS, thru South Park and Georgetown, you need to know about this. As for our WS paving work … lots of dirt to be seen in the center of Cali as you travel the zone … if you are imaginative, it might make you wonder what WS looked like pre-paved roads, although on that stretch of Cali, the pavement apparently goes way back!
Just in case you forgot: It’s not a political meeting, not an official meeting, really just a grass-roots get-together for folks concerned about the closing of the Charlestown Cafe and/or what might replace it (currently, it’s proposed as Petco’s new home once that store leaves The Junction), and what they can do about it. 7 pm tonight @ the cafe.
Busy day for north West Seattle in the city’s land-use-permit department: First, the city says again that the King County project to upgrade the pump station on the east edge of Alki is OK by them. Second, a townhouse project at Cali & Seattle just cleared some hurdles — with this construction permit, another construction permit, this demolition permit, and another demo permit.
Since their site’s been on our Other Blogs in WS page pretty much the whole time their son gestated, we want to publicly congratulate The Perrys of West Seattle on their new arrival. All together now — awwwww!
With the first major service in its new West Seattle digs just days away, Mars Hill has just posted a blog entry pleading with its parishioners to not fulfill neighbors’ worst fears regarding a potential neighborhood parking nightmare. The post’s heading, “Obey Jesus: Park and Ride,” kinda says it all.
Exactly seven months after we first mentioned Garlic Jim’s was on its way to The Junction — it’s grand-opening day. Will it live up to hopes ‘n’ hype? Will it take a bite out of Pagliacci’s business? How far south will they deliver? How good is its “gourmet” pizza, anyway? Any and all comments/reviews, this thread is here for you. (P.S. Before you recycle today’s junk mail – check for GJ coupons/menu – we got some and plan to use ’em.)
The former video store and the ex-we-can’t-even-remember-WHAT-it-was-before to the west are now both rubble, barely a week after demolition work began. This view looks west from 41st (Jefferson Square sign off to the left):
Busy dance card tomorrow night for West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine. He’s the guest of honor at a fundraising “roast” at West 5, kicking off his next campaign. But his staff tells us he’s hoping first to drop in and “touch base” with the gathering crowd at the Charlestown Cafe meeting, which they regret was scheduled long after the West 5 shindig was nailed down. (Afterparty, anyone?)
Perhaps it’s the ol’ law of attraction. We were browsing library shelves far from West Seattle last weekend and playing book roulette — just grab something that looks somewhat interesting. We didn’t read the author blurb, didn’t recognize the name, just saw the sci-fi/fantasy type plot summary and said “why not.” Started reading it last night, thought a name in the author’s family acknowledgments looked familiar, followed the Google trail … yes, the author is from West Seattle. Of ALL the books to pull out of the stack! Just started it so no review, but add this to your list of WS authors. P.S. Speaking of WS authors, the WSB reader behind “Heidi, Geek Girl Detective” (a “serialized mystery webcomic”) has posted Book One’s final chapter.
A WSB regular found a weather cam at Madison Middle School. (2 additions to the cams page in 3 days, can we stand the excitement?) Anyway, thanks, and keep the discoveries coming!
So sad that he died the day before he was scheduled to return to home base. (Besides that newspaper link, the CG has an updated press release with photos.)
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