West Seattle, Washington

19 Friday

64℉

month : 05/2008 334 results

West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day map now available!
May 8, 2008 6:07 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | Fun stuff to do

Just two days till the big day, and now you can see who is selling what where. Go here. 9:42 AM UPDATE: Just got e-mail from someone who says he is part of a group coming here from the YAKIMA VALLEY! for WSCGSD. Re: the weather – if you read the “forecast discussion,” the chance of rain on Saturday keeps getting pushed back later and later in the day.

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SW District Council report #1: Park-money matters
May 7, 2008 11:59 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Southwest District Council | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle politics

The proposed West Seattle sites for a new city jail came up at tonight’s meeting of the Southwest District Council — representatives from neighborhood groups and other major organizations around the area of West Seattle that the city calls the “Southwest District” (map of all “districts” here) — but it didn’t attract as much discussion as the issue of money for parks. We’ll publish the jail update later; first, tonight’s park $ talk, plus your next chance to have a say on the future of West Seattle (and the rest of the city) parks:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Husky hero
May 7, 2008 10:31 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

We’d been working to confirm this one after a tip; police hadn’t been able to confirm the identities for us, but apparently it made tv news tonight: Husky Deli owner Jack Miller chased after a robber who stole a local real-estate agent’s purse in the lot behind his business a couple nights ago. The agent reportedly broke three fingers trying to stop the thief; her purse was recovered but the thief hasn’t been nabbed yet.

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Heads up: Door-knockers NOT to be worried about
May 7, 2008 7:47 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

During the recent barrage of “legit or not?” door-knocker/solicitor concerns, we’ve often thought that it would be helpful for organizations to send out advance word when they’ll have people canvassing … especially now that neighborhood-level media is on the rise and sites like ours could get that word out. Well, without us even having said it aloud, here comes an example of someone doing just that — Derek Birnie at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, which is preparing for the gala Delridge Day events on May 31, wants you to know this:

Trust these doorknockers!

Despite the worry and fear that some recent doorknockers hare inspired in WSB readers, we want folks to know that those young people knocking on your door this Saturday and next are legitimate; please welcome them!

Every Friday, a group of inspired young leaders meet at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center to help establish direction for the programming there. This programming committee has taken the lead in developing the program for this year’s Delridge Day and Open House at Youngstown on May 31.

Those emerging community leaders will be knocking on neighborhood doors this Saturday to extend a personal invitation to attend this free event. We hope their enthusiasm and courage will be met with friendly faces!

So, there’s something else happening Saturday, besides the Stamp Out Hunger letter-carrier food drive (be sure to leave a bag out by your mailbox or mailslot), West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, Pathfinder K-8 sprucing-up, Admiral Adopt-a-Street Cleanup, Seattle Walks, and more happenings you’ll find on our Events page. By the way, DNDA sent along two flyers: here’s the one for volunteer help between now and Delridge Day, and here’s one for the DD event itself.

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Water Without Waste progress report: 20,000 fewer bottles
May 7, 2008 6:47 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

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Water Without Waste’s founders from left to right: Elma Borbe with Sound Transit, Shauna Causey with Comcast, Felicia Kline with WaMu, and Paul Whyatt with Weyerhaeuser stand with Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin (center, seated) as he signs the Water without Waste pledge.
Since Water Without Waste kicked off its cut-your-plastic-water-bottle-use campaign earlier this spring (we told you about it after an Alki Community Council presentation in March), they’ve gotten pledges equivalent to 20,000 fewer water bottles. Here’s the full announcement:Read More

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Low tide, high beauty: West Seattle shore scenes
May 7, 2008 3:39 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle beaches | Wildlife

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WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli wandered the West Seattle shores during this afternoon’s mega-low tide — lowest of the month — to capture images like those, and a few more you’ll see ahead:Read More

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Followup: New city jail in West Seattle? City website up now
May 7, 2008 2:13 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Myers Way | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

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As mentioned here last night, the city has narrowed its list of potential municipal jail sites to four, and two are on the eastern edge of West Seattle, as seen in city aerials above — Highland Park Way/W. Marginal Way (map) and 9501 Myers Way (map). For those seeking more information and opportunities for feedback, a new section is live on the city website (here’s the start page) with everything from the reason why the jail’s needed, to the rationale behind the site-selection process, to how to send in feedback (online form here). The timeline for the process (choose a site this year, open in 2013) is outlined here. As pointed out in this WSB Forum thread, the jail proposal may well come up at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting (7 pm, President’s Board Room at SSCC) since Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be there; we just checked with his staff and he doesn’t have an official position yet on where the jail should be built (the two non-WS options are Interbay and 11762 Aurora).

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Mystery finally solved: THAT’S what those poles are for!
May 7, 2008 12:43 pm
|    Comments Off on Mystery finally solved: THAT’S what those poles are for!
 |   Seen around town | Transportation | West Seattle news

sensorpole.jpgWe asked SDOT what they were, we asked SCL, got nowhere, but finally the answer comes from one of our fellow community-news websites, MyBallard. Those mystery poles with two solar panels and a sensor belong to the Traffic.com network (this photo is from 99; there’s also one near Walking on Logs). We should have known this because our last “old media” employer, KCPQ, was a Traffic.com affiliate, and we knew they were expanding their detection network (which figures into travel-time calculation among other things) onto some of the roads not previously covered, like the Viaduct and the WS Bridge. (Traffic.com’s “latest incidents” updates, by the way, are permalinked from the WSB Traffic page, which also has West Seattle-relevant traffic cams.)

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Traffic alert: Harbor Island-area work the next few Saturdays
May 7, 2008 12:28 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Transportation

Just out from the city:

Weather permitting, Union Pacific Railroad will begin work this Saturday, May 10, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., removing, repairing and replacing railroad tracks and concrete approach panels on S Spokane St between 11th Ave SW and Klickitat Way on Harbor Island. Flaggers will direct traffic onto access roads around the work site. The work will be accomplished in three phases over the next three Saturdays. For more info please contact Jamie O’Shea at joshea@roadsafetraffic.com

No garage sales on Harbor Island, luckily; just stay on the peninsula and literally shop around.

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Alki sidewalk squabble getting snippier?
May 7, 2008 11:30 am
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | Transportation | West Seattle news

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This comment just came in below our report on last month’s contentious Alki sidewalk-project meeting; no one will see it on a five-week-old post, so we’re highlighting it here. From someone signing themselves “CS”:

As a property owner on Alki Beach – well, the enforcement of the sidewalk has already begun. We’ve been ticketed twice for parking on the “sidewalk” this past week, although we’ve been parking there without issue for decades. I called Parking Enforcement but their stance is – it was always illegal, and now we’re enforcing it due to public (anonymous) complaint. I called Theresa Casper, the Project Manager for the sidewalk proposal, but she denied having anything to do with it (ya, right). So there is no way for property owners to expect formal notice – if people start complaining – the police will start ticketing. However, our property extends into the water. We have never bothered enforcing the right to prevent people from walking on the beach. But we will now. So – the public can take the sidewalk back – but the property owners will take back the beach they own and you can bet I will be reporting any trespassers on it from now on.

In mid-April, the city told us design was proceeding, for now, on the sidewalk extension that the waterfront property owners are fighting, but hadn’t yet figured out how to handle one homeowner’s question about a process for getting the project stopped; sounds like it’s time for a check back with SDOT.

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3 days to Community Garage Sale Day: Map & contest updates
May 7, 2008 10:17 am
|    Comments Off on 3 days to Community Garage Sale Day: Map & contest updates
 |   Community Garage Sale Day

We have just posted a three-part update at the official West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day site (westseattlegaragesale.com), including the prizes confirmed for the contests (both contests are open to sellers; one is also open to shoppers!) and the latest on The Map. Final confirmed count: 144 sales! If you have time to browse through the WSCGSD site, we’ve been posting some infobits about sales, participants, and more.

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Pathfinder flamingos: The early bird gets the … photo
May 7, 2008 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

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Somebody breathlessly called WSB HQ early this morning to report this sighting on the lawn @ Pathfinder K-8 along Genesee Hill. We’re not just all about fire trucks and teardowns; we love happy photos too, so we were glad to head out for a look. If we were a betting person, we would suspect it has something to do with the big event coming up Saturday (update: actually it’s for Teacher Appreciation Week), and the flamingos remind us we hadn’t published the latest news release from the fine folks @ Pathfinder about the event, some advance work done last weekend, and how you can be part of Saturday’s festivities:Read More

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Happening today/tonight: Lowest May tide; two councils
May 7, 2008 6:03 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

LOWEST TIDE: Beach Drive Blog notes it’ll be another great afternoon for low-tide lovers. According to the May tables, it’s the lowest tide of the month.

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Two guests are scheduled tonight at this monthly meeting of representatives from neighborhood groups and key organizations: West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, and Fauntleroy resident Ron Richardson, best known for the sign outside his house but currently advocating for public campaign financing (he stopped to talk with us about it at the Sustainable West Seattle Festival last weekend). The meeting’s at 7 pm in the President’s Board Room @ South Seattle Community College, all welcome.

NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Its monthly meeting is at 6:30 tonight at the Delridge Library, and one of the items on the agenda is West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day — the NDNC is one of two local neighborhood groups having fundraising sales on Saturday; its sale at 2512 SW Genesee will raise money for tot-size equipment at Cottage Grove Park, while elsewhere in east West Seattle, the Pigeon Point Neighborhood is having a sale at 19th/Genesee to raise money for Cooper Elementary. Back to NDNC and its meeting tonight – lots more to be discussed, too.

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Tonight’s edition of “you write the caption”
May 6, 2008 11:37 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Development | Seen around town

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Been meaning for a few days to photograph the “Developer’s Dream” real-estate sign on that house (1774 Alki; can’t find a listing or price online). Didn’t notice the smaller sign till we downloaded the pic.

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Yet more reader reports of unusual activity
May 6, 2008 9:59 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town

Seems like it’s important to say first, we’re not sharing these types of reader reports in the spirit of having everyone freak out about the motives of every stranger they encounter. But from the comments and discussions, there seems to be power in people sharing this kind of information in this way — even if it’s just to gain knowledge and reassurance. Maybe someone out there knows what these incidents were really about and can enlighten everyone. So, toward that end, two more unusual sightings — this time involving people taking pictures — read on:Read More

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Fire callout in 9400 block of 16th SW
May 6, 2008 8:45 pm
|    Comments Off on Fire callout in 9400 block of 16th SW
 |   West Seattle fires | WS breaking news

Listed on 911 log as “fire in single-family residence”; just heard scanner traffic describing it as “exterior house fire.” Thanks to Todd for the tip. Off to check it out. Map here. 8:58 PM UPDATE: Our person at the scene says it’s no big deal; the fire crews “didn’t even break out the hoses.” However, traffic’s being rerouted – for now, anyway – at 16th/Barton.

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Of ants and power lines …
May 6, 2008 8:44 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Utilities | West Seattle news

Just wanted to let you know we’ve got messages out on this one, though we’d love to hear from anyone who attended the meeting we didn’t hear about till it was too late (we’ve managed to get onto dozens of media-info lists but sometimes something slips through) – The community-organizing group ACORN held some kind of rally tonight in North Delridge about a reported problem involving Seattle City Light and ants. Lisa kindly transcribed the flyer as follows:

“[ACORN logo] DANGER!!! Ant Infestations and Faulty Power Lines threaten our safety!

Join us to tell City Light that we will not put up with it any more. We’re taking action to address unsafe electrical conditions and ant infestations on county property!! We need YOU there!!

What: Meeting with Seattle City Light’s Supt.
When: Tues., May 6th, 5 pm
Where: 4716 26th Ave SW

Tell your neighbors, bring your family and friends! Wear red for solidarity! Call ACORN today 206.723.5845

During our recent wave of doorknocker reports, a couple folks mentioned ACORN stopping by, but nothing about ants, power poles, or rallies. The e-mails we got about the event tonight (thank you!) but not in time for us to go. (Went to the area a little while ago but no trace of whatever was going on a few hours earlier.) We’ll let you know what we find out tomorrow.

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Updates: WS murder-suicide couple IDs; jail site list trimmed
May 6, 2008 7:37 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Highland Park | Myers Way | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

*We first told you yesterday morning about the deaths of a couple in a 2nd/Roxbury home. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms it was a case of murder-suicide; 48-year-old Traci Creamer, the first person murdered in West Seattle in 2008, died of head injuries and suspected strangulation blamed on her 44-year-old husband Jeffrey Creamer, whose death from wrist wounds was ruled a suicide. As we reported yesterday, police say they had a long history of domestic violence. Online court records we checked appear to bear that out.

*The city’s list of more than 30 potential jail sites for misdemeanor offenders is down to four, and two are on the eastern edge of West Seattle: Highland Park Way/W. Marginal Way (map) and 9501 Myers Way (map). According to Delridge Neighborhood Services Center Coordinator Ron Angeles, community meetings are expected this summer.

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Another Junction development reactivates: Design Review set
May 6, 2008 5:22 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

453242nd.jpgA year after the last time we had a reason to mention it (and two years after its “early design” review), 4532 42nd SW (just a stone’s throw north of the QFC/Office Depot megaproject) — shown at left — is active again, with a Design Review Board meeting date appearing today on the city website. The date is June 12; the time and place aren’t listed yet, it’s that new. The project is still described on its city page as “6-story structure containing 3,085 sq. ft. of commercial space at ground level and 35 residential units above. Parking for 54 vehicles.” We’ve now added it to our clickable Junction/Triangle major development (and major real-estate listings) map:


View Larger Map

By the way, if you care to bookmark it, we’ve given that map a permanent home on this WSB page-in-progress.

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Green light for improvements to the “other” viaduct
May 6, 2008 3:09 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Spokane St. Viaduct project | Transportation | West Seattle news

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That’s a rendering of what the new 4th Avenue offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct — the elevated roadway between the high bridge and I-5 — will look like. It’s one of the renderings we got after meeting a few days ago with city reps to find out full details on the two-phase project. We’re still working on the in-depth report but wanted to show you this after hearing that city councilmembers okayed the first installment of $ for the project today. This ramp will be the first part of the project to be built, starting this fall, and will exit onto 4th (with southbound and northbound turning options) across from City Light HQ. The second part of the project involves widening the SSV by building an entirely new section on its north side:

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Our forthcoming report will also include details on the different impacts drivers will experience during the SSV work — with major closures for the lower part of Spokane Street, especially during the widening project, which is still more than a year away.

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Be careful on the phone as well as at the door
May 6, 2008 12:11 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Safety | Utilities

An alert just in from Seattle City Light, warning about telephone scammers who are surfacing again:Read More

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Door-to-door concerns update: Comcast response
May 6, 2008 12:00 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

After our post last night about an alleged Comcast employee turning up at WSB HQ at 7 pm, we promised to follow up with Comcast. We got help from a Comcast communications manager we’ve actually met, Alki resident Shauna Causey, who sent this:

Safety and security are extremely important to us especially in WS where Larry Carpenter recently ran into some questionable folks at his door.

We have 3,200 Comcast employees in Washington State so Comcast employees are in West Seattle on a daily basis. Since I don’t have a name, I can’t speak for the employee that you met, although there are several simple guidelines our neighbors can use to recognize legitimate Comcast workers. Keep in mind that many of these guidelines are also useful for identifying employees of other companies that have reason to work inside or outside a home, such as the power company, gas company or other phone company.

Comcast requires that all employees and contract employees wear ID badges at all times. No employee or contract employee is allowed to work inside or outside a customers’ home without an official company ID badge, which will include a photo ID and company logo. Customers can ask to see a Comcast representative’s ID badge. Comcast employees also have clearly visible uniforms, including shirts, hats and vests all of which have the Comcast logo.

All vehicles driven by employees and contract employees are clearly marked with Comcast logos and identification. A Comcast contractor’s van will say: Comcast Authorized Contractor.

Comcast will not ask to work in your home without your prior knowledge. If a customer is unsure of work that is to be performed inside or outside their home, they should call 1-800-COMCAST to verify the work.

If a customer is unsure or uncomfortable, remember there is always the option to ask the person to leave. All Comcast employees and contract employees know that they are to leave the premises when instructed to do so by the resident. Our employees know that legitimate appointments can always be rescheduled.

If you have feedback, questions or concerns, we want to know about them. You can email We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com or feel free to e-mail me directly at Shauna_Causey@cable.comcast.com. We’re always looking to improve our customer service and we would love to hear your feedback.

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Zippy’s Giant Burgers, by the numbers
May 6, 2008 10:34 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle restaurants

Rahel Cook, co-owner of the wildly popular new Zippy’s Giant Burgers with Blaine “Zippy” Cook, just posted this update in comments under our last post – since most people won’t go back to see comments on a two-day old post, we’re highlighting it here:

Thanks all for the raves! We certainly were blown away, to say the least about the turnout!

Here are the stats:
Thursday = 55 lbs of beef, gone by 6 pm!
Friday = 66 lbs of beef, gone by 7 pm!
Saturday = 88 lbs of beef, gone by 8:30 pm!

We finally ran out of buns on Sunday and that’s what kept us from opening. We got a
big delivery of buns on Monday, but yet again, we sold out by 8 pm! …

Thank you all for showing up and supporting your local Burger business. Keep on
coming and don’t be afraid to tell us what you like or don’t like!

Here comes day 5!

ps. We’ll be closed on Mother’s Day as we all have mothers and I’m one, too. We’d
like to celebrate all moms! :)

By the way, in a separate comment in the same spot, Rahel also is asking if anyone’s interested in their compostable food waste.

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