West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
We’re into the second week of idleness for the ex-GEE/ex-Huling dealerships along Fauntleroy. Since the Gees had till today to answer the eviction lawsuit filed by the Hulings, we checked with the Hulings’ lawyer to see what was going on. 
Randall Beighle of Lane Powell tells WSB that instead of an official hearing, he met informally this afternoon with Ryan Gee, and that they are in the process of coming up with an agreement for when the Gees will vacate the dealerships. Beighle says this would mean they’ll avoid a court fight over when the Gees will depart, though he also reiterates these talks have no bearing on the other lawsuit, filed by the Gees against the Hulings. He says the Gees hope to keep possession of the lots till the end of next month. As for another question many have asked — what’s the Huling family’s plan for the dealership sites? — Beighle says the Hulings are not currently marketing the properties and are still deciding what to do next.
All recommendations in the comments, please:
–Danielle is looking for a “nice dentist” in West Seattle who is in the Delta Dental Care PPO.
–Cleat is looking for an eye doctor recommendation, VSP insurance, “who would be the right one for someone who is diabetic and has skin allergies around the eyes … and has had 5 refractions w/o success in getting an exam that produces eyeglasses which give good vision!”
–Sandra is looking for a “reputable mechanic” in WS for the once-over on a vehicle she’s buying.
First update at the Sealady.org blog since just before the September 11th statue unveiling — they say they’re halfway to the $ they need for a plaza around the statue, and their new fundraising drive is “buy (plaza) bricks for the holidays.” This Alki Statue of Liberty mini-update gives us an excuse to reuse this photo Mark Bourne shared late last month, just ’cause we liked it so much:
Fish & chips fans, rejoice — The Sunfish shutdown, though a few days longer than first projected, is over.
Teri from the rescue group Furry Faces Foundation has suddenly found herself in a bit of a rescue situation – a lost cat turned up in her yard yesterday. Teri describes the cat as gray, no collar, looking confused (“maybe an indoor cat that got out, or new to the neighborhood?” Teri muses); if you’ve lost a gray cat in West Seattle, call her and describe your cat’s physical features, “unique personality,” and the area where your cat’s missing (no, she says, it isn’t Flint) — in the meantime, she’s taking the cat to a vet later to scan for a possible ID chip. You can reach Teri at funkietoo@hotmail.com or 206-932-1652.
An unexpected note landed in the WSB inbox overnight — from the lawyer for the 17-year-old who turned himself in the day after the fatal shooting at 59th & Admiral inside the black car marked with a white arrow in the photo at right. The lawyer, Bellevue-based Robert Perez, tells WSB his client remains in juvenile detention following a hearing yesterday, and adds, “I can assure you that the circumstances leading to the shooting were anomalous and it’s my belief that my client poses no danger to anyone in your community.” That comment was in response to our followup questions after Perez’s first note to us, which asked if we would post his “call for witnesses” — in the WSB tradition of posting many things verbatim so you can evaluate for yourself, here’s what he wrote:Read More
This morning, we finally heard from Fauntleroy Church (UCC) leadership regarding the Tent City 3 proposal, which, as we reported on Sunday with reader assistance, is now tabled. Rev. David Kratz forwarded a letter to the community dated Sunday, and added a few additional comments. First, the letter, in its entirety:
Dear Neighborhood Friends,
During the first week of October, a small group of men and women from Tent City 3 (TC3) came to our church to present information, and to ask if we would consider hosting them from December through February because of their pressing need for somewhere to live at that time. Because of their need, we agreed to have TC3 make a similar presentation to our congregation last Sunday. A majority of church members at the meeting favored exploring the possibility of hosting TC3, but there were many concerns about whether we are well-positioned to explore this question right now.
Homelessness and housing is a multi-faceted issue that seriously concerns us. The growing gap between the rich and the poor, the diminishing of the middle class, the rapid loss of affordable housing across the nation and in Seattle, and more importantly coming to know individual homeless people prompt us to discern how we should respond as followers of Christ.
Fauntleroy Church has a long history of service on behalf of the poor. One of the things we’re most proud of is having helped found the original First Avenue Service Center in downtown Seattle (now called the Family and Adult Service Center). FASC is a program that provides the homeless with basic human services, such as nutritious meals, a place to shower, laundry facilities, access to phone and computer services, as well as case management, assistance finding safe and affordable housing, vocational training, and much more.
This morning our Church Council decided not to host Tent City 3 in the near future. We do plan to continue educating ourselves on the issue of homelessness. We directed our Outreach Ministry to create a Homelessness Task Force, with the charge to explore the whole range of theological, biblical, social, and psychological dimensions of homelessness and seek appropriate responses for our church. We plan to start this effort in 2008. We will keep you apprised of our process. Perhaps you may want to join our conversations and learn with us–we would welcome your wisdom and questions. We honor our relationship with you just as much as we do our call to serve the “least among us.”
Sincerely,
David Kratz, Senior Pastor
Susan Towner Larsen, Associate Pastor
Steve Sundquist, Moderator, Church Council
Rev. Kratz added in his e-mail to WSB that he has read the comments on our previous posts and, “I would invite anyone who would like to participate in a broader conversation about how to respond to people who are homeless to become part of a mailing list we are starting. As the letter states in the winter we will take a broader
look and would welcome the wisdom of concerned folks.”
The restaurant taking over the ex-Ovio space in The Junction has finally pulled the wraps off its website (menu info here, explanation of its name here) — and it’s opening for business this Friday, after a shakedown cruise Thursday, announced in this e-mail sent out early today and forwarded by a WSB reader (thank you!):
Well, we are finally ready to open! We know it’s very last minute, but we wanted to thank you for your interest and offer you a chance to come in, say hello, and sample our fare before we officially open our doors this Friday. So if you are in the neighborhood and in an “adventurous†mood, we would love to have you RSVP and come in for our Pre-Opening Dinner on Thursday, October 18th.
Why “adventurous?†Well, because Thursday will be our first night serving a full menu and our last night of staff training, so there are bound to be a few glitches and surprises. For example, we are still waiting on our liquor license, so we may not be able to offer full bar service, but we are going to try to get our license by then. But if you are just a little bit patient and understanding, you will get a sneak peek at our totally remodeled interior and be one of the first to taste our new menu offerings.
And we will give you 50% off your food for being adventurous. Seating is limited, available only to those who have previously registered with us at www.Ama-AmaSeattle.com. And only those with reservations will be allowed in the restaurant this Thursday. So please RSVP today!
We hope to see you Thursday – or sometime soon.
We are extremely excited to meet all of you!
Rob and Paige
Ah, wine country: The rolling hills of Napa … Sonoma … Walla Walla … Puget Ridge. Yes, as in, the eastern highlands of West Seattle, home to South Seattle Community College and its award-winning winemaking program. Back in June, when we shared the news that SSCC’s Northwest Wine Academy had received a medal at the Seattle Wine Awards, some readers asked when its next wine release was scheduled. Last night was the night; our WSB videographer dropped in to talk to a couple of the program leaders, wine program coordinator Regina Daigneault and wine program winemaker Peter Bos:
At last night’s event, the academy offered its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Merlot for sale, $20 each, and offered pre-sale of its 2006 barrel-fermented Chardonnay and 2006 no-oak Chardonnay (each $18) and 2006 late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc ($15). It also announced two upcoming happenings we’re adding to our Events page pronto: the Holiday Barrel Tasting on December 7 and 8, and the Gifts from the Earth food/wine event on January 26, touting “30 Washington wineries and 15 celebrity chefs.” If you want to check on wine availability following last night’s event, e-mail Regina here.
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