Happening tonight, in West Seattle and beyond
Besides the Clinton rally tonight at the Pier 30 Event Center (the time is now listed as 8-10 pm in some spots, 8:30 pm in others; we’ve got a message out to the port to find out if parking will be free), here are other events of note on this busy night:
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY MEETING: As mentioned in the post below, 7 pm, The Kenney. Agenda items include RapidRide.
HIGH POINT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: Concerned residents meet 6 pm tonight @ High Point Library. Ongoing issues include school-crossing safety (including the intersection featured in our video-enhanced report here).
DUWAMISH VISIONING: Tonight at Youngstown Arts Center, 6-8 pm. One of several events inviting area residents to imagine the future of the Duwamish Valley. (Flyer here.)
CO-EXISTING WITH WILDLIFE: The open house organized after the Discovery Park coyote controversy is happening tonight in Magnolia, Blaine K-8, 6:30-8:30 pm. Suddenly relevant to WSB HQ, as a neighbor stopped us this afternoon to say two coyote pups ran through his yard this morning!
STRESSED OUT? Starting tonight, Tibbetts United Methodist Church will be holding a Taize Service Thursdays at 7 pm in the sanctuary. Tibbetts’ pastor, Rev. Joanne Brown, says, “This is a time to slow down from our usual frantic pace through the use of music, readings, prayers and times of silence and reflection.” (Tibbetts UMC, 3940 41st Ave SW, 932-7777)
ALSO RELAXING: Art reception at the Alki Bathhouse (as mentioned yesterday), 5-8 pm, several artists showing and selling (free Tully’s Coffee, we’re told!).
Meet a winner: Cindi Barker
Last month, we announced the winners of the first quarterly West Seattle Community Recognition Awards, 
a new way to honor West Seattleites working to make a difference — the brainchild of Julie Mireille Anderson from Divina, with the nominating process open to everyone in West Seattle. As we open the next round of nominations, we are profiling the first three winners today, tomorrow, and Saturday — people you may or may not have heard about or met, people whose hard work makes West Seattle a better place. Today, we want to tell you about Cindi Barker from the Morgan Community Association, which has its next quarterly meeting tonight (7 pm, The Kenney); even if you don’t live in the Morgan Junction area, chances are that Cindi’s work has touched you:Read More
Three weather-related notes
First, the wind advisory is now over. Second, if you work or travel through South Seattle/Sodo, there’s a power outage in the area right because of downed lines (possibly including nonworking traffic signals; lots of scanner chatter about this; here’s the official City Light description). Third, thanks to Dan E for this photo of everything washed up on the Alki boardwalk after a stormy night:
Charlestown Cafe update, from owner Larry
Two nights after the Charlestown Cafe fire, another update from owner Larry Mellum: Regarding when the CC will reopen, he says, “I can’t really give you a time frame as yet but the damage doesn’t appear to be extensive enough to cause any kind of long-term closure. Our best guess barring any setbacks would be early next week if all goes as planned.” Larry also says it’s suspected that the fryer fire started because a thermostat failed and the oil got so hot (the cook tried to turn it off but couldn’t), it “spontaneously combusted.”
West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 updates, plus a van to watch for
Just off the phone with the Southwest Precinct — 
updates on 3 cases: FIRST — The Freshy’s robbery yesterday (original report here) — police say they know who they’re looking for and at least one suspect should be in custody soon — plus there’s a strong likelihood, as posted in the comments on the Freshy’s report, that the main suspect also was involved in a similar robbery at Cupcake Royale Monday night — “exact same M-O,” police say — ask a question about a bus route, grab a laptop and bolt. At least one witness from Freshy’s knew the suspect’s name; separate from that, regarding the discussion about descriptive factors — light-skinned black male, 17 years old, 6’2″, 190, is what’s on the report. No good description of the other suspect(s). SECOND ITEM: The Admiral rock-throwing suspects, as reported here and here: A second suspect has now been arrested; just one more left to go. (No description but police in this case too say they know exactly who they are after.) THIRD ITEM: Police are putting out two photos of a van linked to a wallet-snatching at South Seattle Community College three weeks ago, hoping it might lead to some tips:
That’s a light blue or gray ’90s Dodge Caravan with tinted windows, used as the getaway vehicle after the robbery at 7 pm January 17. Police say a woman who works in the campus library had just parked her car and was walking to work when a suspect described only as a black man in his 20s asked her for 50 cents. She thought he was a student, so she pulled out her wallet and was going to loan him the money after a promise he would find her in the library and pay her back; he then grabbed her wallet and ran, with four other suspects (no description) suddenly appearing and fleeing with him. (No description of them.) If you have any information on the van, or anything else about this robbery, here’s who to call: Detective Jim Rodgers in the Seattle PD Robbery unit, 262-2515.
Reader report: Public thanks for Good Samaritans
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Amy:
Can you help me shout out to some helpful bystanders who came to my aid yesterday? My toddler, newborn and I were leaving Swedish Physicians (on California Ave & Hinds) and getting off the elevator to the parking garage when my son’s hand got trapped in the elevator door as it opened. I tried to pull it out to no avail and was screaming for help when several people arrived. One was a man holding a small child; he put the child down and managed to extricate my son’s hand. Another woman helped me push my infant’s stroller while I got my hysterical son back up to the doctor. In all the commotion I never thanked either one of them. Fortunately his hand is merely bruised, but it was very traumatic for him and for me and I really appreciate the kindness of strangers to get through a scary experience. Thank you, fellow West Seattlites!
“Atomic Boys” update: Almost there
As we first told you a week and a half ago, the former Hart’s Gifts on Admiral just west of California is becoming Max and Quinn’s Atomic Boys Shop-O-Rama, featuring “retro and nostalgic” merchandise. After seeing the sign go up (as shown above), we just checked with owner Kent Sadow regarding progress toward opening; he says it’ll be within the next few days, adding (for everyone wondering about retro candy possibilities), “Spent the better part of yesterday pricing Sugar Daddys, Good & Plenty, Chuckles, Candy dots (on paper) and a lot more.” He promises he will let us all know as soon as the “open” sign goes up.
Welcoming a new WSB sponsor: Jenaya Van Horn
Today, our traditional WSB sponsor welcome goes out to Jenaya Van Horn, MA, LMFT, CMHS, whose West Seattle practice offers individual, couple, and group therapy. As you will see on Jenaya’s ad in the right sidebar — the one that is headed SAY NO MORE! — what she offers includes EFT Coaching, and here’s what she would like you to know: “The challenges we face are part of being human. They present us with opportunities to learn more about ourselves and the possibilities that life can hold. Attending to these can give our lives greater depth and make life more meaningful. This is often described as ‘work’; however, I prefer to see it as a labor of love. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, trained in EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and Lifespan Integration, two approaches that I have seen to be helpful in resolving depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, difficulty making or acting upon decisions, addictive or self-harming behaviors, anger, grief, trauma and transitions; more gently and quickly than talk therapy alone. If you are ready to enjoy a healthy, happy life with purpose and want to explore what you can do to make your life better or different, then let’s begin.” Thanks to Jenaya for supporting WSB; if you are interested in becoming a sponsor, the first step is to check out our Advertise page. That page lists all our current sponsors; we hope that if/when you do business with any of them, you will consider thanking them for supporting WSB, as we get closer to sustainability. Thank you, and thanks to all of them!
63rd/Alki: New turn of events
The city Transportation Department says it’s looking at ways to convince more people to turn off northbound Alki Ave at 63rd, where the yellow “residential street” sign shown above seems to be too subtle a clue that the arterial ends there, instead of continuing up and through the narrow stretch where it becomes Beach Drive at Alki Point. Sandra Woods of SDOT tells WSB that might even include physical changes to the intersection, “to make the turn more obvious.” This is part of the next stage of the process regarding pedestrian improvements west of that intersection, now that the city has told concerned area residents it won’t do anything that would take away their existing non-parallel parking in the sidewalk-less zone. (That’s the proposal that brought an upset group to the Alki Community Council last month, as we reported here.) Woods emphasizes the sidewalk plan isn’t dead — it was the result of a neighborhood application/planning process — but will likely turn into some kind of what she calls a “nonconventional walkway.” Right now, the city is developing “conceptual drawings” to be presented at a future public meeting, likely late March/early April.
Late-night loveliness
First: Two notes about art. There’s an artists’ reception and sale this Thursday night at the Alki Bathhouse 5-8 pm; then, next Thursday night (Valentine’s Day), the West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction makes history with a record 20 venues participating. We just received the flyer; check it out here. (Or read more on the official Art Walk blog.)
Now, the beauty of nature. First photo is by Eilene Hutchinson (thank you!), who spotted this bird – believed to be a Cooper’s Hawk – on a wire over Spud’s:
And this is a shot we caught from Constellation Park at sunset tonight:
We 
With the Saturday caucuses suddenly in the national spotlight, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are both coming to Seattle in the next few days. Her appearance is scheduled for tomorrow night at Terminal 30, the cruise-ship facility 
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