West Seattle, Washington

08 Friday

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month : 06/2008 315 results

If you use the city website to research development info …
June 2, 2008 2:03 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Development

Over the weekend, the city launched big changes for the Department of Planning and Development section of its website. Supposedly “easier to navigate,” according to the explanation in the dpdINFO newsletter posted today, but it took us a good long time to figure out where we could do the simple “look up a development by address or project number” search. That used to be accessible from the DPD home page, but now you have to go to the “permits” area, where you will find the lookup at web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus.

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West Seattle low-tide-week scenes, day 1
June 2, 2008 12:56 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle low-tide-week scenes, day 1
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle parks

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As reported here a few hours ago, we’ve got very low tides at midday all week – bottoming out on Wednesday with the lowest tide of the summer. The field trips weren’t waiting for that – the photo above shows Eastside kids swarming Constellation Park (buses parked nearby bore the names Issaquah, Bellevue, and Newport). We stopped by Lowman Beach, too, where these birds perched on tide-exposed infrastructure for an eagle’s-eye, er, seagulls’-eye view:

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Another business birthday: Illusions turns 30 today
June 2, 2008 12:40 pm
|    Comments Off on Another business birthday: Illusions turns 30 today
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

illusionsbanner.jpgWe’ve mentioned several business anniversaries in the past few days – and today, we have another one — Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) is celebrating its 30th anniversary today (photo at left shows a bright blue “thank you, West Seattle” banner out front in honor of the occasion; we unfortunately missed our chance to snap a photo of their anniversary cake first thing this morning). As do many businesses that celebrate milestones like this, they’re offering customers a gift — at Illusions, today it’s 30% off all retail items.

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Tidewalker alert: Lowest tide of the summer this week
June 2, 2008 9:26 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle beaches

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(WSB photo taken at Seacrest, May 2007)
If you can get out and get to the beach at midday, this week brings some excellent chances for low-tide walks. Here’s the chart; today the tide bottoms out at 10:19 am at -2.8; tomorrow, 11:04 am, it’s -3.8; then Wednesday, it’s the lowest tide of the summer, -4.1 at 11:51; Thursday is almost as good, -4.0 at 12:39 pm; and Friday it’s -3.4 at 1:38 pm. On Wednesday and Thursday, you’ll even have a chance to consult an expert, as the Seattle Aquarium will have its beach naturalists out at Lincoln Park and Constellation Park (south of Alki Point), 10:30 am-2:30 pm. (But almost any place on the West Seattle shore is a great place to see what is revealed at low tide — our other favorites include Cove Park just north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock and Seacrest, where the pilings beneath the pier host a nice array of starfish and other sea life, as shown in our photo above.)

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West Seattle Gas Price Watch: The 1-week pump jump
June 2, 2008 6:07 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Gas prices | Transportation

admiralchev601.jpgActually, it’s been a one-year pump jump – see that nostalgic photo at left? Admiral Chevron, exactly one dollar cheaper, exactly one year ago today (here’s the WSB report from 6/2/07). Anyway, back to the present: We were just getting used to $4/gallon regular, when suddenly $4.20-something/gallon regular began to appear … so we surveyed the West Seattle gas stations again late last night for the specifics on what’s happened in the past week, including not only the highest and lowest prices, but also which station went up the most in the past week and which went up the least:Read More

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West Seattle 101: Three outdoor-fun hot spots
June 2, 2008 1:30 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle 101: Three outdoor-fun hot spots
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle 101 | West Seattle parks

bookcover1.jpgThe sun’s coming back someday. Maybe even this afternoon, the forecast suggests. So we’re adding three outdoor-fun chapters to the West Seattle 101 (note the “tab” link on our header) section here on WSB. WS 101 lorimugshot.jpgis the all-things-West-Seattle book written by Lori Hinton, who’s been sharing selected chapters here on WSB for the past few months. Today, we add Lori’s stories about Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area for dogs and their people, the blazing beach fires of Alki, and historic Colman Pool (which reopens Saturday for its third and final preseason weekend); the full WS 101 on WSB archive is here.

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Saving Puget Sound, one photo at a time
June 1, 2008 10:44 pm
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 |   Environment | Seen at sea

Hadn’t heard of this till it turned up in tonight’s Orca Network “sightings” e-newsletter (subscribe here) — the state has launched a Flickr page to collect photos illustrating the problems facing Puget Sound, and is inviting contributions. As the intro text on that page aptly puts it, “One of the reasons many don’t know that Puget Sound’s health is failing is because we don’t often see what the problems are. We take its on-the-surface beauty for granted.”

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1 more West Seattle business celebrating an anniversary
June 1, 2008 8:23 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Besides these two anniversaries mentioned yesterday — the Skylark newsletter that just landed in our inbox reminds us, the North Delridge venue celebrates its 2nd birthday next Saturday. From the newsletter: “Next week we officially enter the Terrible Twos. Expect tantrums, public nudity, and incessant yet adorable questions from now on.” Skylark remains the only West Seattle eatery with a menu mentioning WSB (see why, here).

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Another local church’s new project: (Nonreligious) kids’ programs
June 1, 2008 6:03 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

One more local church note — Alki Kid’s Place is starting up at Alki UCC, with afterschool and summer programs that organizer Cheryl Snyder notes are “nonreligious,” though they are official nonprofit programs under the church’s umbrella. Click to see the flyer with more info, including how to register.

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The other Junction building boom: 3 church projects on 42nd
June 1, 2008 3:40 pm
|    Comments Off on The other Junction building boom: 3 church projects on 42nd
 |   Development | West Seattle religion | West Seattle video

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After this morning’s groundbreaking for the Hope Lutheran School/Church expansion/renovation project, we caught the video above, as an illustration of the church building boom in that block of 42nd alone – Hope Lutheran leaders and members in a procession past the West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) construction project, on their way to continue their service at the Seattle Lutheran High School Gym, where they’ll hold services all summer while site work is under way. More on what’s happening with these projects, and another one under way at Holy Rosary a bit farther north along the same street, ahead:Read More

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Fond farewell to food @ Capers
June 1, 2008 1:09 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

After we reported the news a week ago that Capers in The Junction was ending food service at the end of May, more than a few laments were posted. Now, here’s the first account of what blogger e_bourne called “the last supper” (maybe more like the last lunch). (P.S. Capers is about to join WSB as a sponsor – and the official welcome tomorrow will include a question for you – so keep an eye out.)

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West Seattle Sunday scene: Smoke on the water
June 1, 2008 11:26 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday scene: Smoke on the water
 |   Seen at sea

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Thanks to Bob Bollen for e-mailing that shot of what appears to have been Coast Guard training off Alki around 9:30 this morning. (The USCG is out in West Seattle waters often, but not always in such colorful fashion.)

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Tomorrow: Next jail-sites meeting for Highland Park residents
June 1, 2008 10:17 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

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That’s the flyer Highland Park residents are circulating for their next major meeting tomorrow to strategize their plan of action in response to the city’s list of potential misdemeanor-offender jail sites — two of which are in southeast West Seattle:


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Tomorrow night’s meeting is a followup to the Highland Park Action Committee-called meeting two weeks ago (WSB coverage here). You’ll find a tentative agenda on this comprehensive special page that Dina Johnson has set up on the HPAC website regarding this issue; she says West Seattle’s State Rep. Sharon Nelson, one of the local leaders who’s expressed opposition to these sites, is expected at the meeting. The city website’s jail-project section has no official public meetings listed yet, though a spokesperson for the project told WSB two weeks ago that meeting dates/times would be announced “soon.” We’ll check on those meetings’ status before Monday night’s Highland Park gathering, which starts at 7 pm, HP Improvement Club (11th and Holden). Meantime, the city is continuing to accept comments through a form on this webpage. (Two more citizen meetings are ahead as well, and included on our Events list page: the 34th District Democrats are set to discuss the jail-sites issue at their monthly meeting June 11th, and another HPAC meeting is set for June 16th.)

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Happening today/tonight: 2 chances to dance
June 1, 2008 7:02 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle video

FIRST CHANCE: The second of two Nia classes to raise $ for earthquake relief in China is this morning at Youngstown Arts Center, 10 am. Jill Pagano from NiaDivas says the first one on Saturday brought in more than $200!

SECOND CHANCE:

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That video shows the Seattle Swing Dance Club in action when we checked them out a couple weeks back at the Masonic Hall in The Junction. That’s where they dance the first and third Sunday of each month — and that means today. As explained on the SSDC website, there’s lots going on when they get together on those Sunday afternoons/evenings — workshops, social dancing, and competition. Beginners are just as welcome as experts. This weekend they’re hosting a renowned guest instructor, Mary Ann Nunez (more on her workshops here). If you watched the video but are still trying to figure out this dance style, it’s explained here.

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West Seattle Farmers’ Market: What to look for today
June 1, 2008 5:53 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Farmers’ Market: What to look for today
 |   West Seattle Farmers' Market

Sunday morning — time to post the “fresh sheet” if you’re going shopping at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market today (10 am-2 pm, southeast corner of 44th/Alaska):Read More

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Delridge Day: Art Lending Library explained
June 1, 2008 12:45 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle video | WS culture/arts

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In Saturday coverage of Delridge Day @ Youngstown Arts Center, as well as in this report from the last Delridge District Council meeting, we talked about a new Youngstown feature making its debut — an Art Lending Library for the community. For the video clip above, we asked Seth Damm to explain — and show — more about how it works, and he had a few new details – including the delivery/pickup aspect! Drop by or contact Youngstown (website here) to find out how to “check art out” in this new way.

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