Tough night for West Seattle HS: Ferndale 42, WSHS 3
That’s the final score, just in from WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand at Civic Stadium in Bellingham, covering the high-school-football playoff game in which the Wildcats (now 9-2) have just lost to the Ferndale Golden Eagles (now 11-0). Patrick says the stadium was jammed – more than 5,700 people (that’s about half the population of Ferndale, which is 11 miles north of Bellingham). Full report later.
New contender for Port of Seattle “CEM site”: Soccer complex
Last night in the WSB Forums, member “Bigmark” posted e-mail he had received seeking support for a soccer complex on Port land along Harbor Avenue. “Has anyone heard anything about this?” he asked. We sent an inquiry the person who had sent the mass e-mail that “Bigmark” received – and finally got more information tonight, including the Request for Proposal cover photo shown above. Turns out the soccer field is one of the latest proposals for the so-called “CEM site” – which we last reported on in July of 2007, when Jack Block came to the Alki Community Council to advocate for a residential/urban proposal for the site; our coverage from that meeting indicated that was one of two primary competing proposals, with the other being boat storage. But now, a soccer complex is in the mix, at least for some CEM land – here’s what its supporters have to say:Read More
Christmas countdown: The Junction gets decked
Driving through The Junction this afternoon, we spotted the lamp-post wreaths going up. Just in time for various holiday events happening this weekend (as you can see in the latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup). It also gives us a chance to mention that the dates are set for Junction fun you can enjoy before, during, and after shopping trips, as the West Seattle Junction Association (WSB sponsor) reminds you to “Live Local” this holiday season, and beyond. An hour of fun is planned for the West Seattle Junction Christmas-tree lighting, 5 pm December 6, including music and giveaways – dozens of Junction merchants are offering free tickets (available starting next weekend) for December raffling of thousands of dollars in gift certificates, and the tree lighting event will include an announcement of some of the winners (as well as holiday music and surprises). You’ll also see Junction fun on the following Sunday afternoons: December 7, 14, 21, with carriage rides and lots more – instead of picking just one “Hometown Holidays” weekend like last year, they’re spreading out the holiday joy.
West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Theater trio; holiday mania!
The photo at left is from “Bullshot Crummond” — which Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) is presenting at Youngstown Arts Center tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday afternoon — and as you’ll see in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, to be published a little later today, it’s one of THREE live-theater productions on the peninsula this weekend: 
In addition to this being the second and final weekend for “Bullshot Crummond,” it’s also closing weekend for “Black Gold” at ArtsWest, and the first of two weekends for a West Seattle High School Drama Club production — plus many local merchants are having special events this weekend to kick off holiday-shopping season – that’s all among more than 50 (!!!!) West Seattle and WS-linked events on our handy list ahead:Read More
WSHS hits the road: Football players leave for the big game
Photographed within the past hour, that’s West Seattle High School athletic director George Foster giving WSHS varsity football players the scouting report on tonight’s playoff opponent, the Ferndale Golden Eagles, before the Wildcats’ bus hit the road for Bellingham. Also handed out before the trip, lunches provided by the WSHS Foundation:
What’s the lunch of champions, you ask? We know it included peanut-butter bagels and Gatorade. Speaking of champions, check out the new patch:
As mentioned earlier, WSB will be in Bellingham tonight to cover the big game – short in-progress updates as they happen at twitter.com/wsbbizdev (which will display in a red box you’ll see on the sidebar here later) and the halftime/final scores here on the main page, also as they happen. ADDED 1:03 PM: We shot video of the team boarding the bus. Nothing dramatic but we like to share the unprocessed video when we can:Read More
Remember Freeway Fright ’07? It just won an award
That’s one of the iconic images from the coverage we dubbed Freeway Fright ’07 (all archived here) — the August 2007 I-5 lane closures that could have caused gridlock backing up into West Seattle, but didn’t because of commuter action like what’s shown above (an Elliott Bay Water Taxi run on Day 1 that carried about 200 people; photo was provided that day by the staff of County Councilmember Dow Constantine). The state Department of Transportation‘s communications team just won the National Partnership for Highway Quality‘s 2008 Gold Award for Public Communications for its effort to get the word out about Freeway Fright ’07 before and during the road work. They really did do a great job in reaching out to the public via myriad news sources (including WSB even though that was months before we became a full-fledged business) so we wanted to congratulate them, although in turn, their news release announcing the award congratulates YOU: “The project’s success really came from the public choosing to travel different routes, try public transit, work from home or defer their trips,” state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said. Speaking of the Water Taxi, looks like the King County Ferry District reauthorization vote is indeed happening next Monday (11 am); keep your Water Taxi support messages flowing in to info@kingcountyferries.org.
New WSB sponsor: Honda of Seattle and Toyota of Seattle
No more new-car dealerships in West Seattle – so if you want to buy, you have to go elsewhere, and two of your options have just joined the WSB sponsor team — though new-car sales is just part of what they do — Honda of Seattle and Toyota of Seattle. We always offer new sponsors a chance to tell you about their business, and here’s what they’d like you to know: “Since 1986 and 1991, Honda of Seattle and Toyota of Seattle, respectively, have been a family-owned business and an active member of the Downtown Seattle community. Our tagline says it all… we’re located ‘Close to Home. Close to Work.’ Whether online at HondaofSeattle.com or ToyotaofSeattle.com, or in person, we invite you to experience our hassle-free sales environment. 
As a family-owned business since 1986, we’re honored to give back to the downtown Seattle community that has supported our growth. We’re in the people business, so our sponsorships and donations benefit people of all ages – from Seattle Schools that educate our future work force, to Senior Services that cares for people in their golden years. Each year, we collect food and funds to feed hungry people in the Puget Sound region. We continue to devote a major part of our philanthropic budget to the uncompensated care program at Harborview Medical Center. We invite you to visit, have a cup of coffee, and discuss how we can satisfy your transportation and service needs.” Location and contact info for Honda of Seattle is here; location and contact info for Toyota of Seattle is here. We welcome them to the WSB sponsor team, whose support helps us bring you 24/7 West Seattle news, information, and discussion; current lineup is here, along with info on how to join!
West Seattle development: Busy day on 42nd
Brian Presser at TouchTech Systems in The Junction sends word that the crane at Mural, Harbor Properties‘ mixed-use building across from Jefferson Square, “is coming down” – and included that photo — clearly no acrophobes in that group! We showed you the crane’s arrival nine months ago; Mural is scheduled to open in April. (added 10:33 am) Here’s a crane piece, ready to be trucked away:
Meantime, WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli has an update on 4532 42nd SW, the doomed house a few blocks north of Mural:
That’s one of Christopher’s archive photos of the house, whose storied past includes service as a hospital. It’s been tabbed for demolition for a while – we were told of a late October target, and have seen a backhoe in position behind the house for a while; Christopher says the “heavy equipment” has shown up today – updates to come. (To see what’s going in at 4532 42nd, see the second half of this WSB report.)
Another followup to the Fauntleroy arrest early Sunday, following one break-in, another attempt, and a 
[photo by Christopher Boffoli]
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