Wednesday night West Seattle biznotes
BURGERS: Looks like Zippy’s Giant Burgers (16th and Holden; first reported here two weeks ago) is on track for the expected opening tomorrow. For one, it says so on their MySpace! For two, we went by earlier this evening and saw not only activity inside, but also a sign on the door, “Cash Only.” We’ll of course go by to check at lunchtime tomorrow if we can’t reach them by phone sooner.
FURNITURE: Driving through the Burien business district a few days ago, we noticed a big storefront with papered windows and the website address for Village Woodworks, the furniture store on California north of Alaska in The Junction. Checked to see whether that meant they are moving or expanding; Junction store management tells WSB it’s the latter — adding a second store, in Burien.
TERVO’S UPDATE: One week after we reported the sighting of a “New Ownership” sign and its temporary closure, the Fauntleroy Triangle convenience store has received a new paint job in the past several days:
You’ll notice the sign is painted out as well; new name to come, perhaps? Not according to the liquor-license application; click the button on this page and scroll down the results lists a ways — you’ll see the new owners’ names but not a store-name change. (As mentioned in that same update a week ago, there’s now a mixed-use development proposal in the works for this site too.)
Who needs the overpass, when there’s the Admiral marquee?
Got this photo from Admiral Theater employee Brandon, who says Sam asked for the prom-proposal space and they said, sure. We just drove by and it’s still up, but Brandon tells WSB it’s coming down around 9 pm. No word yet whether the would-be prom date has seen it and/or accepted! 9:39 PM UPDATE: Brandon just sent word that Stephanie said yes – and that he got a video interview with the happy couple a little while ago; he promises to send us the link when it’s uploaded.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Followups on recent cases
Or should we say, cases and casings … Just spent some time on the phone with Detective Nick Bauer from the Southwest Precinct, and he provided updates on some recent cases reported here, as well as a new one for which police could use your eyes and ears:Read More
Wednesday afternoon West Seattle miscellany
CONGRATULATIONS! Southwest Youth and Family Services, based in North Delridge, just got word today that it’s the winner of the city’s 2008 Seattle Human Services Coalition Outstanding Organization Award. SWYFS will be honored at City Hall on June 5th.
FASHION, ANYONE? The West Seattle-based organization Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients with some of the practicalities of life, still has tickets available for its gala fashion show at Showbox SoDo tomorrow night. Not only is NW H & H based in WS (its founder, Christine Smith, is a West Seattle mom and breast cancer survivor), but most of the fashion-show models are from West Seattle, and local boutiques are participating including Clementine, Sweetie, Carmilia’s, and Coastal. You can find out more about the show, including how to get tickes, at the NW H & H website.
RUMMAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND: Want to get in the mood for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on May 10? We just heard about another big rummage sale this weekend, Highland Park Elementary, 9 am-3 pm Saturday. The school explains that “proceeds will go towards buying a cargo container for the school’s Emergency Supplies to keep Highland Park students safe In the event of a natural disaster.” (If you have anything to donate, drop it off at the school by 3 pm Friday; 206/252-8240 if you have questions.) The rummage sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church continues this weekend too, Friday and Saturday.
SPEAKING OF WSCGSD: Turns out that WSCGSD, May 10, is also the day of the big food drive you can participate in without leaving your house – the National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” door-to-door food drive, where all you have to do is put a bag of nonperishable food out by your mailbox (or door if you get your mail there), and your letter carrier will pick it up. All donations stay local.
SPEAKING OF FOOD DONATIONS: One more mention, tomorrow night (6 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy) is also the first-ever “Instruments of Change” fundraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank. Find out more at the WSFB website. (4:10 PM UPDATE: Eve Holt at WSFB tells us the event’s sold out and they’re thankful to everyone for their support!)
Another long-requested safety improvement becomes reality
While over near High Point a short time ago, we detoured to see if the 34th/Morgan crosswalk promised by the city — after a long fight by neighbors and pedestrian-safety advocates — was in place yet. As the photo above shows, we discovered the SDOT crew is on the scene right now painting the stripes. This is the same spot where our video report in January documented the dangerous situation for kids headed to West Seattle Elementary (a few blocks south on 34th) and for their crossing guard. The city noted in this WSB update 2 weeks ago that this is a “temporary” crosswalk, but those who have long wanted it are cheering for it nonetheless. Perhaps no coincidence, it should be done just in time for a walk-to-school event later this week. 4:05 PM ADDITION: City Councilmember Nick Licata, who visited High Point a few months back to look at some of the pedestrian-safety concerns, has just launched a website devoted to the topic, although if you’ve got any of the types of photos he’s talking about, send them to us too, since our turnaround time’s an awful lot quicker.
City traffic alert: Three marches tomorrow
The city just sent out a traffic alert about three May Day marches tomorrow that might affect you even though they’re not in West Seattle – particularly if you use Alaskan Way or East Marginal Way – so we’re passing it along:Read More
Fauntleroy Place site activity: Not what it appears to be
Thanks to John Cashill for sending us that photo of the backhoe that’s in action on the future Fauntleroy Place site (Schuck’s/Hancock Fabrics, south of West Seattle Bowl) as of this morning. We checked with Eric Radovich at BlueStar – developer for FP as well as Gateway Center on nearby ex-Huling land and the Spring Hill mixed-use building – and he says that while the backhoe has broken ground, so to speak, this is NOT the official groundbreaking for the project: It’s “there to dig a trench for geological testing.” Before FP can officially begin, Radovich tells WSB, there are a few more approvals and decisions required, including word on an official closing date for the current Hancock store (the company will be one of two retail tenants in Fauntleroy Place – the other, you are probably well aware, is Whole Foods).
Traffic alert: Eastbound problem on The Bridge
Just passed a massive backup on the eastbound high bridge – radio report says it’s a car vs. motorcycle crash, nobody hurt but even as we saw the fire and police units just rushing to the scene about 10 minutes ago, the backup was already all the way to the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance. Not sure if Delridge/Admiral onramps are any better so if you have to use The Bridge, try alternate routes or just try waiting. Here’s the city cam looking westward over the eastbound backup (refresh this page for the newest image)
8:18 AM UPDATE: Radio report says the vehicles are now off to the side but the backup will persist a while.
Camp Long encampment update: Strategy visit
WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham, who broke the story of the homeless encampment at Camp Long (original report, with photos — and now 100 comments — is here), was there Tuesday afternoon as that city team visited to strategize the forthcoming clearing of the site. Matt reports:
Left to right, truck driver Brian Johnson, Southwest District crew chief Carol Baker, and Jason, all Seattle Parks employees, investigate the abandoned homeless encampment at Camp Long. They walked the littered trail to plan the logistics for removing the refuse efficiently. Baker said the delay in the removal of the encampment allows an outreach staff from the Human Services Department to contact the campers and offer social-services resources. Presently the Parks Department is waiting for the weather to break in order to roll in heavy equipment without bogging and rutting the trails.
Be a Master of Disaster: More neighborhood check-ins ahead
View Larger Map
Our state’s official Disaster Preparedness Month may have only one more day to go but the West Seattle neighborhood readiness campaign we’ve been telling you about will continue a few more weeks. To refresh your memory, the map above shows the West Seattle locations already designated as neighborhood gathering places for information and help in case of disaster — somewhere you’d be able to go, if the regular lines of communication weren’t working — and it’s important to memorize where your nearest one is, and to make sure your loved ones know too. (Some areas of south West Seattle are still a work in progress.) To help make it easier for you to know your gathering place, and to get info about how to be ready for the unthinkable, each area has set up a time for a drop-in event — Alki, (Alaska) Junction, Morgan Junction, and Pigeon Point have had theirs already; Olympic Heights (1-4 pm Saturday @ Hughes Playground) and Admiral (1-5 pm Sunday @ Hiawatha, new time) are coming up this weekend; the Fairmount event is coming up in 2 1/2 weeks. Click the spots on the map above for exact locations plus event dates, and keep watching here for updates. One more important thing we want to mention again: a checklist of supplies you can purchase right now to have on hand “just in case” – it has helpful specifics, not just the generalized lists you often see. We’ve uploaded it here so you can take a look and print it out for yourself for use in building a kit you can get to if you need it (and if you don’t have MS Word — here’s a PDF version).
UPDATE: Crime Watch reader report, Admiral home cased
ORIGINAL REPORT FIRST, THEN SEE 9:40 PM UPDATE BELOW
This just out of the WSB inbox:
Just to let you know that I think my house just got “cased.”
While I was upstairs rocking out with my headphones on, my dogs went nuts (which would usually happen in response to the doorbell, but I didn’t hear it). I didn’t go downstairs, but I looked out the front deck from the second floor.
About ten minutes later it happened again. This time I saw a white guy climb into a cream and darker tan colored older Monte Carlo type of vehicle parked in front of my neighbor’s house. It was being driven by another white guy. I think they were both wearing bandana-style headgear.
I went downstairs and found a (pizza) flyer on my “no solicitors” porch and, more disturbingly, discovered that a large plywood board (that keeps my dogs blockaded into the back yard) had been moved and not put back in place. To get to this board, someone would have had to walk clear alongside my house–between my neighbor’s house and mine. If they DID come into the back yard they would have seen the open door to the house proper, and that might have made them skedaddle, realizing that someone likely WAS home.
In any case, be on the lookout.
This happened around 5:50 tonight, around 37th and Admiral.
A reminder that the Southwest Precinct has reiterated repeatedly, if you see or hear anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to call 911. 9:40 PM UPDATE: The original e-mailer just sent an update saying it was a definite casing – read on to see why:Read More
Think your leaders aren’t listening? Invite ’em over!
That’s what Junction-area resident Sue Scharff (left) did. The intense wave of development proposals currently rolling through The Junction has her so concerned, she called the City Council to see who she could talk with. She was pointed toward the office of Councilmember Sally Clark, who chairs the Planning, Land Use, and Neighborhoods Committee. And today, at Scharff’s invitation, Clark (photo center) and assistant Dan Nolte (right) came to West Seattle to walk The Junction with her and her friend Andie Nauss, and listen to their concerns, while taking a realistic look at how this all fits into the city’s big picture. What did Clark say, and what did Scharff think afterward? We’re working on detailed coverage to publish later tonight.
Alki Homestead antique sale under way
17 years in West Seattle and we’ll confess we have never been inside the Alki Homestead (on 61st SW, just south of the Alki Bakery building). Curiosity about what came down out of storage for the forum-announced antique sale (continuing through 7 pm tonight) finally changed that, less than an hour ago — we dropped in right as the doors opened at 3 pm. Resisted the impulse to scoop up this entire table of $1-each servingware:
There’s furniture, paintings, silverware, crystal. And a bake sale with elegant offerings. We asked Homestead management if they might do this again if everything doesn’t sell; they said probably not in this format — whatever’s left over when this sale ends at 7 pm today will likely go back upst
Update: Small fire at Admiral District apartment building
A small fire at the James Apartments (on California north of Walker, map) is now out, nobody hurt, but about two blocks of California were closed for a while because of the huge response (thanks to those who called/texted/e-mailed us about it). The incident commander told us at the scene that the fire may have started in a ground-floor unit’s kitchen; that unit may be damaged too badly for its resident to return immediately. Investigators were on the way a short time ago to work on finding the official cause, as firefighters mopped up:
Update: Low-bridge-restrictions proposal close to going public
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
We just checked in with Austin Pratt — regional bridge commander for the U.S. Coast Guard — to find out why the proposal to ban most openings of The Low Bridge during rush hours still hasn’t gone to official publication, and therefore public comment. We first told you about this last month — West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s push for the restrictions to ease traffic troubles (March 3 WSB report), then the Coast Guard’s role in proposing and reviewing it (March 6 WSB report). As Pratt explained at the time, the proposal must be published in the Federal Register, and that launches a 60-day formal comment period and 30-day review period before a decision can be made; he was hoping that comment period would have started by now, but getting to the FR publication stage (which also will be reported in the USCG’s “Local Notice for Mariners“) required a series of approvals, and he told us a few minutes ago, “It’s on the Admiral’s desk today.” Barring any further delays, that means the comment period should finally open within a couple weeks; we will keep watch and let you know when it starts and how to make sure your voice is heard (which, as we reported last month, will require including the official “docket number” in your comment).
West Seattle Movies on the Wall – by (your) request!
THIS IS A 2008 POST – FOR INFO ON 2009 MOVIE SERIES, GO HERE
We’ve talked about Hi-Yu, we’ve talked about The Parade, we’ve talked about Summer Fest, and now, another West Seattle summer tradition is getting ready for its closeup: Movies on the Wall next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). This summer, it’ll be outdoor movie night every Saturday, July 19-August 23, with WSB as a co-sponsor; as part of that, we’re teaming up right now with Hotwire proprietor Lora Lewis to gather suggestions for what movies you would like to see shown! You’ll find ballot boxes at Hotwire and other Junction spots, and an online voting option right here on WSB – find it from the Cinema tab across the top of all pages – or just click here. You have till May 15 to get a suggestion in; we’ll post periodic updates on how it’s going and whether we’re seeing any trends!
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