West Seattle, Washington
11 Friday
No further details, but we have verified the reader tip (thank you!!!!) that a note on the door of Coyotes on Alki says “closed till further notice,” bearing yesterday’s date. Some may wonder if the 17-month-old restaurant has fallen victim to the curse of everything that’s been in there since The Point Grill (which we personally still miss), but it might just be closed because of the side-sewer work for which a permit was granted today.
While we were at Alki to get a visual on the Coyotes note … stopped for this gratuitous shot of the 4th-to-last sunset of Summer 2007:
Four clips from today’s event: First, the kids — from Gatewood Elementary, Denny Middle, and Chief Sealth HS, with EarthCorps assistants:
Here’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai assisting with one of the trees — this is what she’s famous for, if you aren’t familiar with her work; this online reference calls her the “Tree Woman of Kenya”:
Also at Pelly Place: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine. Our videographer asked him for a few words, and he reminded us he’s no stranger to ravine restoration:
Last but by no means least, part of the poetry performance by Gatewood Elementary students:
No wonder the traffic was nuts getting through the last leg of the Fauntleroy “exit” from The Bridge. Somebody has a sign on the overpass for the first time in weeks. Given what anti-banner watchdogs have done in recent weeks (see comments on this post), we expect it to have lasted approximately 3 minutes after our driveby. So we snapped a quick pic in case “Torie” doubts somebody really tried to wish her (?) a “happy b-day.” Yes, yes, we know, banners are illegal and a traffic hazard and all that, but we have to say, without them, West Seattle feels like a slightly lonelier place.
Just a quick advance mention of two WS weekend events that hit our radar today — the Evergreen State Barbecue Championships are happening on Alki both days this weekend (usually quite a scene with barbecue crews camping out in RVs nearby); the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Sunday is hosting Zucchini Races, 10 am-1 pm, inviting kids to build and race “vegetable vehicles” like the one below (photo courtesy Neighborhood Farmers’ Market Alliance):
Just out of the inbox (reminder, our RRRs have their own category for your referencing pleasure):
We need a recommendation for a general contractor. We’ve been in
West Seattle for a year and moved here from out of state, so we don’t
know where to begin. The plan is to convert an area of our basement,
the garage and washroom into two bedrooms and a bathroom. We’re
looking for all the obvious; someone reliable, reasonable and good.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations.
The WSB photo/video crew is just back from the tree planting at Pelly Place held today in connection with Earth Summit II at Chief Sealth HS. First photo shows Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai assisting students with the tree planting:
The photo below shows Gatewood Elementary students who read a poem at the event. Others in attendance included King County Councilmember Dow Constantine; no mayor sightings — he is in Eastern Washington today. We will post video from the Pelly Place event later.
The Times (second item) says Shing Chin, who ran Ovio with wife Ellie Chin till the end of June, has a new job as assistant general manager of the Waterfront Seafood Grill on the downtown side of Elliott Bay. In other newspaper food news, the P-I’s weekly column mentions WSB toward the end, noting our “breathless reports” about WS restaurant comings and goings. (Hey, food is big news. 150-plus comments are the proof in the pudding.)
From our first visit to a West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting last night: First thing on the agenda, an update from WS-based Seattle Police officers, with inside info about what’s happening on our streets. Overall, crime-wise, they say things are relatively “quiet” right now — certainly doesn’t mean no crime at all (as evident here), but no huge problems. One new trouble spot mentioned by Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Adonis Topacio: Reports of transients camping in Lincoln Park; if you encounter this, he said, send him e-mail with the specific location (his contact info is on this page). Also mentioned last night: Despite scattered problems, the police verdict on the just-ended summer season on Alki is “it was a great year”; recent speeding crackdowns deploying the Chargers in areas such as Highland Park Way and the 1st Avenue South Bridge have netted dozens of violators, including drivers going past 60 mph in 30 mph zones. Still lots more to tell you from last night’s meeting, including how to fight blight (such as drug houses and trashy properties) in your neighborhood, and how to keep the WSCSP group from losing a vital resource — check back this afternoon.
Every so often, somebody asks where to find an I (HEART) WEST SEATTLE bumper sticker. We kept thinking maybe we’d get into the bumper-sticker business, but other priorities kept getting in the way. Luckily, WSB reader Tom just posted last night (the 9:48 pm comment below this post) that he’s set some up through the online store CafePress.com. Here’s the link to the sticker Tom is selling. Design shown at right (image grab from CafePress.com); just says I (HEART) WEST SEATTLE, no other logo or business name, $2.99 plus 75 cents shipping/handling. We don’t know Tom personally and aren’t affiliated with this but nonetheless we say bravo.
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