West Seattle, Washington

19 Friday

65℉

month : 06/2008 315 results

New ways to help the two food banks that serve West Seattle
June 28, 2008 8:32 pm
|    Comments Off on New ways to help the two food banks that serve West Seattle
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help

This week we’ve received information from the White Center Food Bank, whose turf includes southern WS, and the West Seattle Food Bank, regarding new ways to help them continue to serve thousands of people in our area, a number that’s growing as times get tougher: WCFB is working right now to plan its annual Harvest Dinner/Auction (October 18 at South Seattle Community College) — its biggest fundraising event of the year — and will greatly appreciate your donations of auction items, gift certificates, or cash. Contact the White Center Food Bank by August 1st (the sooner the better) to let them know what you can donate; you can call Rick Jump at 206-762-2848 with questions and/or to get a form. Meantime, with West Seattle Summer Fest now just two weeks away, we get word that West Seattle Food Bank will be selling raffle tickets there again this year — grand prize is 2 unrestricted round-trip tickets to anywhere via Alaska Airlines, first prize is an 18-inch freshwater-pearl necklace from Menashe & Sons Jewelers, and the ticket itself gets you a 10% discount at Elliott Bay Brewery or Christo’s on Alki. You can even buy raffle tickets in advance – call the West Seattle Food Bank at 206-932-9023 – tickets are $5 each and only 1,000 will be sold.

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Charlestown Cafe grand reopening: Still on for Monday
June 28, 2008 5:31 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Charlestown Cafe | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Just checked with Charlestown Cafe co-owner Larry Mellum, and he confirms the grand reopening is still on for 6 am Monday (as first reported here a week and a half ago; then we showed you photos last Monday of the CC team getting everything ready), almost five months after the fire that shut the Charlestown down. We’ll be there to bring you the online equivalent of a live report. Says Larry, in an understatement: “Should be fun!” (WSB Charlestown Cafe coverage is archived here, newest to oldest.)

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Keeping cool on Alki
June 28, 2008 4:11 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

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Actually this group probably wasn’t feeling all that cool, huddling around a barbecue by one of the picnic shelters to roast marshmallows. Nice umbrellas, though. Down on the sandy beach, a Malibu-size throng:

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And a reminder that the Seafair Pirates’ Landing is one week from today – an Alki Ave. house has decorated its dolphin fountain with pirate headgear:

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The official National Weather Service top-of-each-hour readings are here (KBFI is Boeing Field – 85 at 4 pm – KSEA is Sea-Tac Airport – 89 – K91S is Alki Point but that doesn’t measure temperature).

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Always wanted to be in The Parade? Here’s an easy way
June 28, 2008 1:08 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle people

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Three weeks from today, on July 19, thousands of West Seattleites will line California Avenue SW, from Admiral to The Junction, to enjoy the West Seattle Grand Parade presented by American Legion Post 160 during the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival, with sights and sounds like those provided by the All-City Band (above, that’s a 2007 WSB photo of its tuba players). If this is your second or third summer reading WSB, you know we are absolutely crazy in love with parades, particularly this one. And we are thrilled to be able to help facilitate a group for this year’s parade — and to extend to you the invitation to be part of it, provided you meet just one criteria: You do, or have done, volunteer work for something. It can be something small and simple – you help out at your kids’ school – or something big (you’re part of a community group with meetings and events and everything else that keeps you busy week in and week out) – or something you’ve done just a time or two (painted out graffiti? picked up trash?). While discussing the idea of a parade unit with Morgan Junction volunteer extraordinaire Cindi Barker, the idea hatched: Volunteers of West Seattle Grand Parade Marching Unit. Don’t worry, no rehearsals, no choreographed moves, just show up on parade day and show off the “volunteer power” that keeps West Seattle running (though we’d like you to RSVP – e-mail volunteermarchers@gmail.com). Here’s part of the notice that Cindi has started to distribute on local mailing lists:

We’re not organized, scheduled or in any way coherent for this event, just like your average volunteer activity. The one thing that is firm:
If you show up decorated in anything that remotely resembles your volunteer activity, we will buy you a beer or soda at West 5 after the parade. Silliness and giant leaps of imagination are encouraged, have fun with your topic. Afterwards, you’ll be trying to explain yourself – networking at its finest, eh?

No need to RSVP or pre-register, though we’d like to hear from you, so if you think you might be interested drop us a line at volunteermarchers@gmail.com

If you decide at the last minute you can come along, just show up and join the Volunteers in West Seattle Grand Parade Marching Unit for the recognition you so greatly deserve. No meetings will be held along the parade route, in case you were wondering.

Note that freebie – if you really get into the spirit. WSB will be joining the group too, and you can watch this site for details as the parade gets closer, as well as morganjunction.org, where Cindi will have info posted too. If you’re not already in the parade, and you’re part of West Seattle’s amazing volunteer power, please consider joining us! (Your kids can march with the group too; nothing motorized – Cindi has arranged for a cool Mini Cooper to lead the unit, with “snappy music” as she puts it.)

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West Seattle Saturday morning scenes
June 28, 2008 10:50 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle weather

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Thanks to Christy Johnson of On Focus Photo for that incredible shot of this morning’s sunrise, taken just after 5 am. (Just LOOKS like a day that’s going to get close to 90 degrees; in fact, the National Weather Service now has a “Heat Advisory” in effect till 9 pm Sunday.) Christy also advises us she’ll have a booth selling her work at the upcoming West Seattle Summer Fest (7/11-7/13) in The Junction. Speaking of The Junction – if you’re driving in that area today, be forewarned about this:

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We told you Thursday about the plans for last night’s road work – and the “seal coat” you see above is the result of that, with cars kicking up some dust when we passed through earlier today.

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Happening today: Strength; slugging; signaling; housewarming
June 28, 2008 8:14 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Strength; slugging; signaling; housewarming
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | WS & Sports

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That’s one of the pics we took last year at the Bench Press and Dead Lift Championships at Alki — last summer (our coverage here) they were in August; this summer, it’s happening today. Other highlights from our West Seattle Weekend Lineup list include amateur-radio operators’ Field Day (you’ll find them on the southeast side of the South Seattle Community College campus; pic from last year is here), plus West Seattle Little League 9-10 and 10-11 All-Star teams in championship games this morning at PacWest Fields in SeaTac; and a housewarming celebration this afternoon for surfing-injury survivor Addie Killam (more at the blog that chronicled the volunteer effort to fix up the house she’s come home to). Lots more in the WSWL.

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Radio programming note: WSB on KUOW (94.9 FM) Monday
June 28, 2008 6:30 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle online | West Seattle people

If you’re near a radio or computer at 9 am Monday, your editor here will be one of several guests during the live interview show “Weekday” on KUOW (94.9 FM, or listen online here) — here’s their description of what we’ll be talking about (not on KUOW’s website yet so we’re excerpting from e-mail the booking producer sent us):

Neighborhood blogs

A townhouse is going up next door, someone got mugged around the corner, and a new coffee shop opened down the street. That’s the kind of thing you want to know when it happens near you. But it’s probably not going to make it into the city newspaper. Hyper local bloggers have sprung up to fill you in on your neighborhood news. Some bloggers are reporters. Some are software developers. Some are just curious citizens. One only writes haikus. Are local blogs how all of us will get more information in the future? Is it a sustainable business? Do you read a local blog? E-mail weekday@kuow.org.

Other scheduled guests are from Central District News, Rainier Valley Post, OlyBlog, and Hillku (whose writer also contributes to Capitol Hill Seattle). P.S. Our “Rain City Radio” online/phone chat from earlier this week is now archived here as an audio file (and linked from our “About” page, where we have a list of WSB-related coverage links below our bios).

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Happening right now: Relay for Life – West Seattle
June 28, 2008 1:21 am
|    Comments Off on Happening right now: Relay for Life – West Seattle
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

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Up late? Up early? Go drop by West Seattle Stadium and cheer on the Relay for Life of West Seattle teams as they continue their 18-hour American Cancer Society fundraiser — yes, that’s 18 continuous hours; R4LWS started at 6 pm Friday with the scene you see above, the “survivors’ lap.” That video shows the “survivors’ lap” at 6 pm Friday. Among the survivors participating — Fauntlee Hills’ Tammy Wooley, who we interviewed along with husband Kevin in this Relay for Life preview. The relay continues till an awards’ ceremony at noon today (preceded by the “kids’ lap” at 11 am).

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Water views, on the bay and on the hill
June 28, 2008 12:28 am
|    Comments Off on Water views, on the bay and on the hill
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | High Point | Seen around town | Seen at sea

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Thanks to JayDee for sending that view of a state ferry and cruise ship on Elliott Bay, photographed from the 4:40 pm Water Taxi run. A few hours later, we captured this view from High Point Pond:

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Good birdwatching at the pond – besides the two Canada geese on the pond in the photo, down by the water’s edge we saw two baby ducks and their mom (photo didn’t come out, unfortunately) and abundant barn swallows.

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Funeral tomorrow for West Seattle man who survived WWII attack
June 27, 2008 10:50 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Sounds like Eugene Morgan of West Seattle had an amazing life, even after surviving the USS Indianapolis attack in 1945. The P-I had several stories about him in recent years (this one from 10 years ago is particularly fascinating)- and now, it reports he has died at the age of 87. His memorial service is set for tomorrow, 1 pm, Bonney-Watson in Burien (scroll down this funeral-home page for the obit he wrote himself).

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Time for finishing touches on new Gatewood play structure
June 27, 2008 10:30 pm
|    Comments Off on Time for finishing touches on new Gatewood play structure
 |   Gatewood | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

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We’ve chronicled the community dreaming, planning, and working that led to this point – now the Gatewood Elementary play structure (chosen just a couple months ago) is up and just a few finishing touches remain till it will be ready for kids to use. Next one happens tomorrow morning – see the pile of wood chips at the right side of the picture? Starting at 9 am tomorrow, show up and you’ll likely be handed a shovel to use to dig in. Next week, a little more work remains to be done before the school district can give it a final inspection and then hopefully thumbs-up for the fence to come down.

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Design Review meeting set for High Point mixed-use megaproject
June 27, 2008 4:57 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Development | High Point | West Seattle news

Just added to the city webpage for upcoming Design Review Board meetings: 3420 SW Graham, aka the shopping/residential complex to be built at 35th/Graham. 6:30 pm August 14, location TBA. Project page here (13k sf of retail, 300 parking spaces, 220 residential units, in three 4-story buildings).

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West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Heat-wave edition
June 27, 2008 4:51 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Heat-wave edition
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

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Luminarias like those will grace the field at West Seattle Stadium tonight, 10 pm, during the American Cancer Society-fundraising Relay for Life of West Seattle (WSB preview story here), which begins tonight with a 6 pm survivors’ lap, and continues all night, till noon tomorrow. Many other weekend highlights, including “Music Nights” resuming tonight at Cafe Rozella (with Children of the Revolution at 7 pm), a welcome-home party for surfing-injury survivor Addie Killam … 37 West Seattle events/activities ahead for tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday:Read More

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One week till the 4th of July: Fireworks rules; more holiday events
June 27, 2008 3:16 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | Holidays | Safety

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Tomorrow at noon, the fireworks stands in unincorporated King County will open — including some that are literally just barely over the line from the Seattle city limits, where they’re banned. (The photo above shows one of the stands in White Center.) So it seems like a good time for a reminder about the rules: As spelled out on this King County page (which is also linked on our WSB West Seattle 4th of July page), you can buy them starting tomorrow but you can only use them between 9 am and midnight on the 4th, and only in the unincorporated area (or a few cities where they’re legal, listed further down this page; closest one is Normandy Park). If you want to check whether a certain address or place is in the unincorporated area, this page shows how to do that. And the only fireworks legal in those areas are the ones you buy at stands like the one shown above – the serious explosives sold at tribal stands are NOT legal off reservation land. And we should note, fire chiefs around King County would rather you just not set off fireworks at all, legal or not; last year there was one big fire and several small ones blamed on fireworks here in West Seattle. Last note – thanks to everyone who’s sending word of West Seattle 4th of July events; we have several more on our 4th of July page now, including the Avalon Glass Works sidewalk sale, a sale at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), and the C & P Coffee community barbecue/potluck – as well as the latest on the big fireworks displays visible from here, the West Seattle parades, and other assorted holiday-related info.

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Viaduct “scenario” side note: West Seattle Bridge deja vu?
June 27, 2008 1:32 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle online

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Our summary last night of the newly unveiled Alaskan Way Viaduct “scenarios” included that one — Scenario E — which envisions buildings beneath a new single-deck elevated structure (which in turn would have a green-space “lid”). In an odd coincidence, WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli had just a few days earlier sent us this:

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He found it in the municipal archives — some sort of prototype for a new West Seattle Bridge, proposed in the ’70s, with residential and business spaces built into the structure. The fabulous history book West Side Story discusses three high-level-bridge designs presented at a February 1972 public hearing, followed by years of squabbling over bridge-building (sound familiar?) until finally the 1978 freighter crash forced the issue — but we don’t know if this was one of the three, or just a fanciful scenario.

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Welcoming a new WSB sponsor: North Admiral view home
June 27, 2008 12:38 pm
|    Comments Off on Welcoming a new WSB sponsor: North Admiral view home
 |   West Seattle online

On one of those days when you can see forever – not a cloud in the sky – we welcome a new WSB sponsor: A North Admiral view home that’s up for sale. Here’s what its owners want you to know: “Two longtime West Seattle residents and avid West Seattle Blog readers are selling their North Admiral View Home and think advertising to WS Blog readers would be a great way to spread the word. Are you looking, or know someone looking for view property in Seattle? This home is well-priced and located on a quiet, secluded section of Walnut Avenue. It boasts a wonderful city/bay view, two decks, lots of natural light, an open layout and more. It’s move-in ready with new paint and carpets. There’s potential to expand in a neighborhood of million-dollar-plus homes. Enjoy bird and weather watching, walk to Metropolitan Market, the library, Admiral Theater, restaurants, bus, water taxi, beach and Hiawatha Playfield. Take a look and call listing agent Mitch Forrey (his number’s on that website, or e-mail him here) for more information.” The home’s address is also on its website, along with word of an open house at 1 pm this Sunday. WSB thanks the home-sellers for their support, along with all our other sponsors, listed here along with information on how to join them.

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High Point Youth Blessing Ceremony under way now
June 27, 2008 11:44 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | Neighborhoods | West Seattle video

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As mentioned in our preceding post, this community event is happening right now — prayers and hopes for a safe summer. We stopped by toward the start of it for the clip you see above. If you are not stuck in, oh, say, an office outside West Seattle, it is a spectacular day and High Point Pond Park (30th/Juneau; map) is in an amazingly panoramic spot. “Food, games, music, and fun” are promised too.

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Conviction in West Seattle murder — five years later
June 27, 2008 10:52 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | High Point | West Seattle news

Thanks to Christopher Bell for sending the link — the case wasn’t on our radar: The P-I reports a man was found guilty yesterday in the deadly shooting of 14-year-old David Chhin, who was shot in August 2003 while riding his bike at 35th/Juneau. (Coincidentally, just five blocks west of there, at High Point Pond Park at 11 this morning, the community is gathering for a Youth Blessing Ceremony, in hopes this summer will be a peaceful one.)

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35th/Roxbury strip mall for sale
June 27, 2008 6:03 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle online

New listing — $1.5 million, with the notation: “Please drive by, seeing is believing.”

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More on the new Viaduct “scenarios,” and what’s not among them
June 26, 2008 11:41 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

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It’s drawn the most support at West Seattle public meetings about what will replace the “central waterfront” section of The Viaduct, which the state vows to take down 2012 no matter what — but the possible option shown above, a retrofit, is one of three options now totally out of the running, according to a state/city/county briefing this afternoon, presented by these three government representatives (left to right, Bob Powers from the city, Ron Paananen from the state, and Ron Posthuma from the county/Metro).

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We liveblogged the briefing in detail here; the briefing materials are now available online here; but if you want a summary of what this all boils down to, and a quick look at the renderings for each of the 8 “scenarios” (plus what didn’t make the cut), here goes:Read More

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Jail-sites meeting tonight: Fury about the locations, and the process
June 26, 2008 9:49 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

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That two-minute video shows you the most emotional moments — out of MANY emotional moments — at tonight’s city-organized public forum about the two West Seattle sites that are among the “final four” possible city-jail locations. Highland Park Elementary teacher Laura Drake truly brought down the house; we were at a table with Highland Park Action Committee leaders and members, and some were dabbing at tears after Drake finished. Concern, as well as raw emotion, also centered around the process, the meeting’s format, the lack of background information about how the city whittled down its original list of sites, and much more – here’s our full report (finalized in the early am):Read More

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From two of tonight’s other events …
June 26, 2008 9:40 pm
|    Comments Off on From two of tonight’s other events …
 |   Delridge | Neighborhoods | Seen around town | West Seattle politics

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The jail forum (much more to come) was tonight’s biggest event but not tonight’s only event. At Youngstown Arts Center, area Democrats gathered to help West Seattle’s three state legislators kick off their re-election campaigns: left to right, it’s State Sen. Joe McDermott, State. Reps. Sharon Nelson and Eileen Cody.

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And on the other end of Delridge, at Cafe Rozella, that’s Branden Born and Alon Bassok from the University of Washington, who will be there for the next few Thursday nights to chat with anyone and everyone about how the Delridge and White Center areas could be even more livable, framed in the issues central to the King County Food and Fitness Initiative. (6:30 pm next Thursday, join ’em there!)

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Quick update: Jail meeting wrapped up
June 26, 2008 8:53 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

The jail meeting has wrapped up aside from “individual conversations” for which city reps have stayed, and Highland Park residents among others are busily engaging them in those conversations. The meeting got very emotional at times, particularly in the last 15 minutes or so during which the city reps were supposed to be addressing the concerns raised by small groups – but meeting attendees became very frustrated with the lack of specifics. Bottom line is that the city held this to gather public comment and notes that the final decision is still about a year away – a key point on the timeline will be a consultant study due next month that supposedly will show whether the city is on the right track in pursuing a low-rise option, or should perhaps pursue a high-rise option, which could send the whole thing back to the drawing board. Also ahead – the County Council is reportedly going to talk Monday about the proposal to extend its jail agreement with the cities. More to come.

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