West Seattle, Washington
14 Thursday
From the National Weather Service, updated at 4 am, still looks like the rain (aside from a spatter or two) SHOULD hold off till AFTER West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day‘s official shopping time ends @ 3 pm:
TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS NEAR 60. SOUTH WIND TO 10 MPH.
TONIGHT…RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING…THEN CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.
Need a WSCGSD map/list? Get it here.
FOOD DRIVE AT YOUR HOUSE/APT/CONDO/ETC.: Please put out a bag of nonperishable food by your mailbox or mail slot this morning – it’s the big day for the annual Stamp Out Hunger letter carriers’ food drive.
SPRUCEUP #1: All volunteers welcome as Pathfinder K-8 families and staff, with help from Seattle Works, brighten up their campus, with painting and landscaping projects and more, 10 am-2 pm, drop by and join in.
SPRUCEUP #2: Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s quarterly Adopt-a-Street cleanup is today; you can join in by meeting the group outside Metropolitan Market for free coffee/snacks at 9 am. (Plenty of time to shop the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day sales after this wraps up @ noon!)
(Updated 8:44 am to add the Gatewood report)
First, from Karla:
It’s 12:48 a.m. and my husband, son and I just got through cleaning up the two dozen eggs that were thrown at our house at approximately 12:30 p.m. We live just across from the Admiral Lookout — when I heard the first few eggs hit, I saw a boy approximately 17 years old in a black sweatshirt and black pants run north on 36th Avenue SW and then around the corner on Olga. I ran downstairs to tell my son who ran out our garage and saw some teenagers drive off in a black car. My husband saw the black car from our upstairs bedroom window as well. Just wanted to give everyone in our neighborhood a heads up.
Hours later, from Chris:
Just thought I’d write in about some vandalism that happened last night on Rose Street in Gatewood between 39th and 41st Avenues. It looks like someone drove up the street with a baseball bat, breaking all the drivers’ side mirrors on cars parked along the north side of the street. A neighbor of mine said he heard it happen around 2:30 Saturday morning. I don’t know if other streets were hit as well.
More updates as West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day approaches (9 am-3 pm tomorrow): Just before their second night of donation-accepting ended at 8 pm tonight, we stopped to see the Pigeon Point Neighborhood reps at Cooper Elementary (which benefits from their sale) …as you can see above, quite a haul. Also a possible candidate for the Most Unusual Item contest (can you guess what it is? PP Council prez Pete Spalding showed it off):
If you’re going to Pigeon Point, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council sale raising money for Cottage Grove Park play equipment is a stone’s throw away at 2512 SW Genesee. Here’s one of the items they hope to buy for the neighborhood’s littlest kids to play on:
Other neighborhood/block/business/group sales: The Community School of West Seattle, 9450 22nd SW, with more than 100 families participating – this was the first sale to sign up this year! … Block/multifamily sales include 8818 18th SW, 4115 32nd SW, 4136 Beach Drive, 6701 21st SW, SW Dakota between 46th and 47th, 3260 42nd SW, 5406 36th SW. Three coffeehouses on California SW have multi-participant sales: Hotwire (WSB sponsor) at 4410 California, C and P at 5612 California, and Freshy’s at 2735 California … Other businesses with sales include Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) at 2210 California, Skylark at 3803 Delridge, PB&J Textiles at 5962 Fauntleroy, Westside Glassworks at 1904 SW Dawson. And while we don’t know how big their sale will be, we were excited that our first West Seattle Neighborhood Garage Sale Day sign sighting — a sign not put up by us, anyway — was on a utility pole steps away from WSB HQ!
Quick links again:
*Printable map with sale listings (8-page PDF)
*List of places to get preprinted map if you don’t have printer access
*Clickable Google map showing all sales (so you can take a closer look at locations)
The STAR 101.5 “Teacher of the Week” promotion had another West Seattle winner today — congrats to Arbor Heights Elementary second-grade teacher Sally Shavey. This comes six weeks after Lafayette Elementary fifth-grade teacher Catherine Bloom won the same honor.
Haven’t had any coyote pictures in a couple weeks – till these pix taken by Pam at Fauntleroy/Mills (map). She writes:
On our way to work this morning, we saw a coyote roaming on Fauntleroy at the bottom of SW Mills St. I called Animal Control, thinking they might take some action – but they were totally unconcerned and said that coyotes are all over the place in Seattle. (Ironically, we had just seen a news story this morning about a coyote who had dragged a two-year-old around by her head…)
A neighbor said she’s seen coyotes in Lincoln Park on occasion – but it was still really interesting to see one roaming in people’s bushes in our neighborhood. Watch out for your kitties and little pups!
As previously noted, the official government position is to promote coexistence, including avoiding behavior that will encourage coyotes to get too close to people for their good or ours; some tips are in this article we wrote in February. (The news story Pam mentions, by the way, is this one from the mountains east of L.A.)
The Weather Service still says rain not likely in the metro area before Saturday night, so we’re looking dry for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 9 am-3 pm tomorrow. Here’s hoping. Meantime, quick links in case you are not already all geared up for shopping 143 West Seattle garage/yard sales big ‘n’ small tomorrow:
*Printable map with sale listings (8-page PDF)
*List of places to get preprinted map if you don’t have printer access
*Clickable Google map showing all sales (so you can take a closer look at locations)
*Info on fundraiser sales and contests
We’ll be spotlighting business and block sales later tonight. One fundraiser addition: The WSB Forum Community sale at 2655 45th SW will include a chance to donate to a fund that’s being set up for longtime WSB reader JanS, a self-employed massage therapist who’s going to be out of work a while after hip-replacement surgery this coming week (read more in this forum thread). And a couple trivia points: The northernmost sale is 1418 Palm SW; the southernmost sale is 3737 SW 108th; westernmost sale is 3247 64th SW; easternmost sale is 7937 11th SW. We’ll be out and about with as-it-happens coverage tomorrow starting in the 8 am hour (though again, official sale time is 9 am-3 pm) – and more previews are coming up later tonight.
Followup to this post from this morning — Hi-Yu president Tim Winston just e-mailed to say:
We have managed to find drivers and the float will roll in the Sequim Irrigation Festival tomorrow @ noon. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. We will send parade pictures.
(You of course will be able to see the Hi-Yu Float right here in West Seattle during the Grand Parade down California on July 19th – but this is the first of more than a few other gigs it has to make between now and then!)
Not sure exactly how many vehicles were involved; debris scattered over a fairly wide range (note the foreground of above photo). Medics appeared to be helping at least one person. Obviously, stay away from the area TFN. 4:13 PM UPDATE: Tow truck is just now helping clear the scene; should be open again soon.
So we’re lunching at Easy Street a little while ago, enjoying today’s soundtrack (a Chic LP from disco’s heyday!), and … noticing bubbles floating by the street-level window now and then. Music-induced flashback to roller disco, maybe? Nope. Went outside and found those folks on the roof over West Seattle Optix — they explained simply, “It’s a great day for bubbles!”
Thanks to Michelle for the tip that a sign had gone up in the window of the former Basic Green Box spot in the 3400 block of California, between the townhouse cluster and the future Bohemian: We stopped by to check it out, and it’s going to be a West Seattle branch of Prost (here’s the site for its North Seattle location). (We also bumped into Bohemian’s owner, who says they hit a snag or two but are now hoping to open in June.)
Three and a half months after Megawatt passed the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day torch to us at WSB, tomorrow is the big day, 9 am-3 pm (get your map here if you haven’t already) – but there’s lots more going on tonight, Saturday, Sunday (which of course is Mother’s Day) in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup — 41 events on the list ahead:Read More
Once upon a time, the Community Centers (we have five in West Seattle — Alki, Hiawatha, Delridge, High Point, Southwest) each had its own activity brochure. Then came a sort of odd grouping which split West Seattle north/south for combined brochures; we even mentioned this at one of those parks meetings last year – suggesting it would make sense to have all the WS centers in one brochure. Voila, that happened (maybe it was already in the works anyway), with South Park included too; see that brochure here. If you enjoyed that format – or not – we just stumbled onto an online survey about it, while collecting info for the West Seattle Weekend Lineup (out within the hour). Take the “combined brochure” survey here.
First, the remodeling — WSB’er The House sent that photo of a sign spotted at Westwood Village QFC. Now, the move: Marilyn at Murphy’s Furniture has confirmed her new location in Pioneer Square (as first reported in January, she’s leaving Avalon; as first reported last weekend, Cafe Revo‘s taking the space): 314 1st Ave. S., next to Elliott Bay Books, hoping for an early-June opening. This is her last weekend on Avalon and she’s having a sale. Next, the opening — Last night’s West Seattle Art Walk participants included a new business on the north edge of The Junction, The Body Bar, and we stopped in to find out more – even came away with another prize for the Garage Sale Day contests – read on:Read More
More reader reports from folks who want to warn other West Seattleites, just in case, including one lying doorknocker just spotted. Read on:Read More
(Partial view of almost-done Hi-Yu Float in its ‘hangar’ this morning; Luna Park is the theme)
This just in, from the WSB inbox. If you or someone you know can help – that will keep West Seattle from going unrepresented as parade season starts!!!!
We have been feverishly working to have the float ready for our first parade of the season, the Irrigation Festival in Sequim. At the last minute, both of our qualified truck drivers are unable to make the trip. It would be a shame to miss for our girls and volunteers, but also because Sequim makes every effort to have their float in our parade.
We desperately need someone who is experienced pulling and maneuvering a fairly large and heavy trailer to pull the float to Sequim early tomorrow morning and drop it in Port Townsend after the parade for next week’s parade. It is a long, but not too difficult day, leaving West Seattle at 5am and returning about 7:30pm. We will cover food and related expenses. It is possible that we can offer a modest stipend.
We would prefer a commercially licensed driver, however, we can also use someone with experience towing and maneuvering a 24’+ travel trailer.
The truck is a Hertz rental and the trailer has been checked out, so the equipment is decent.
If someone can possibly help us out, please email me immediately: timwinston at yahoo dot com.
Thanks, Tim Winston
President
West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival
Volunteers have been working for months to get the float ready. We saw other evidence of that during a brief look inside the float “hangar” this morning:
We run a lot of requests for help on WSB and they’re all good causes, but we have a soft spot for community parades and the people who give their time and treasure to keep this small-town tradition alive; no matter how growth and development change the look and feel of a community, this is one of the traditions that can continue to nourish a small-town soul.
As we publish this, it’s 33 hours till the 4th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (got your map yet?). Putting it together has been a blast. Now, it’s up to the shoppers and sellers (and the weather). Three updates:
EVERYBODY: We have yet another prize up for grabs in the WSCGSD contests – whichever contest gets more entries, we’ll award two prizes. In addition to the Illusions gift certificate and Hotwire coffee card (both WSB sponsors), tonight we received a gift certificate from the new Body Bar day spa north of The Junction (more on them tomorrow). The contests are: For shoppers AND sellers, “Most Unusual Item”; for sellers, “Best Sign.” For both contests, take photos of your entry and e-mail them to us at garagesale@westseattleblog.com; we’ll announce the winners here and at westseattlegaragesale.com Monday night.
SHOPPERS: Another advance shoutout to the sales that are raising $ for causes, and an addition: 7717 California is donating proceeds to the Orca Network. In addition, 9450 22nd SW is The Community School of West Seattle‘s big annual fundraising sale; 2512 SW Genesee is North Delridge Neighborhood Council raising $ for tot play equipment at Cottage Grove Park (more tomorrow on a chance to get involved with that NEXT weekend); 19th & SW Genesee is Pigeon Point Neighborhood on behalf of Cooper Elementary; 3003 61st SW is the Log House Museum‘s fundraiser; 7138 32nd SW is raising $ for childhood-cancer research via Alex’s Lemonade Stand (and will be selling lemonade too!) – read their personal story here; a few blocks south at 7955 32nd SW, a leukemia patient gets half the proceeds; 3919 41st SW benefits the Breast Cancer 3-Day; 1418 Palm is donating proceeds to the animal-rescue group Homeward Pet; 5637 42nd SW is on behalf of Kiwanis Club of West Seattle; 6115 SW Hinds is Alki UCC with its annual plant sale; and before you leave the house (or set up your sale) on Saturday, please put out a bag of nonperishable food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger letter carriers’ food drive!
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD SELLERS: Your Neighborhood Association needs your help. It, like other neighborhood groups, is building a neighborhood disaster-readiness kit and would love donations of any of the following items if you’ve come across them while getting ready for your sales, or if they’re left over after sale day. Read on:Read More
Thanks to Christina for sending these notes from tonight’s High Point Neighborhood Association meeting:
– They introduced a new website: www.highpointneighborhood.org
– Went over crime statistics – mainly bike thefts – about 8 in total for the last 3 months
– A manager from Lowe Enterprises came to report about the plans for the development on the corner of 35th & Graham. A couple of hundred mainly 1 bedroom-apartments on the housing side/some low-income, most market-priced – and about 6 to 8 retail shops (smaller ones like Coffee shop, Hairdresser, Beauty Salon, Restaurant, Dry Cleaner and maybe a Specialty/Deli-more-high-end-Husky-like kind of store). But there will be surveys in the neighborhood for the final decisions – nothing final yet. Sounded a little like a Mini-Jefferson Square to us.
They really worked hard to find a grocery store but with the new Whole Foods and QFC coming to West Seattle, no big chain is interested. Lowe Enterprises are convinced that all new stores are not in competition to shops on California as people travelling south on 35th are on their way home – and wouldn’t drive down to California anyway. Most of them wouldn’t know at all what kind of businesses are located at California right now. ;-)
A half-acre park in the middle of the square, 2 u-shaped buildings with 3to4 stories and an open space right at the corner of 35th & Graham for neighborhood gatherings are planned. But these plans have to be signed off by the city first.
We try to get to as many neighborhood association/council meetings as we can, but occasionally something slips through, so we really appreciate getting a report like this – thanks again, Christina! – to be able to share it with you too.
David Hutchinson sent that closeup of Canada goslings near Don Armeni. Yes, we know, not everyone’s a Canada goose fan, but there’s still “awwww” factor. We got this wider shot of geese families this morning near Seacrest:
And from the Water Taxi this afternoon, a shimmering sunbreak as a state ferry headed west:
By the way, just heard the weekend forecast from the only TV meteorologist we truly trust, our former co-worker Walter Kelley at Q13 – he says no rain on Saturday unless you’re near the coast. Yay for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day rainlessness!
Just one of those days – lots of crime news to be shared – first, from Detective Nick Bauer at the Southwest Precinct, confirmation that the suspect arrested this afternoon (mentioned here) was indeed the third suspect from this morning’s Admiral break-ins. He says police found this suspect with the help of some detective work from a citizen. He also notes that seven burglary suspects have been caught in the past week, which he says is fairly unprecedented; also, one person who reported their break-in here on WSB has been reunited with some of their stolen stuff, thanks to some of those arrests. Now, a reader report we didn’t get till just now, so can’t check it with police till tomorrow — this one involves Angelia’s Red Cup Espresso in The Junction, only 4 months removed from the death of owner Angelia Paulsen (amazing community outpouring in the comments here) in a crash on I-5. Dawn e-mailed WSB to say:
Wanted to report that my favorite coffee place got broke into last night …. I went to Red Cup Espresso this morning and noticed that there was glass every where and the drive thru window was broke. So I asked and sure enough was told that someone broke the window and took the register …. this is soooo low. not only is Sean dealing with the death of his wife and owner of Red Cup and trying so hard to make ends meet and keep the joint open but someone robs from him …. I hope this person has bad karma for the rest of his or her life.
From the latest Land Use Information Bulletin: This is described as a “revised application” so perhaps it’s come up before, though we can’t find evidence of that on the DPD website — the project-page address is 3601 Fauntleroy (see city map above; here’s a G-map) and the public-notice page describes the project as “Land Use Application to allow 21 single family residences in an environmentally critical area (clustered housing). Parking for 30 vehicles will be located within the structures and 8 surface parking spaces will be provided on the site.”
One of the neighborhood-group sites with a sale participating in West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day this Saturday is accepting donations tonight and tomorrow — the Pigeon Point Neighborhood sale is a fundraiser for Cooper Elementary, and Matt Swenson from the PP Council asked if we’d post this:
Past garage sales have raised more than $3,000 for the kids at Cooper. We will be accepting donated items tonight (Thursday, 5/8) and Friday, 5/9 from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M., and on Saturday morning from 8:00 – 9:00 A.M. Please bring donations to the covered basketball court at the north side of Cooper Elementary (1901 SW Genesee St). Items must be received by a volunteer. We’re hoping for plenty of donations and for lots of visitors on Saturday!
Lots of other fundraising sales – we’ll mention more tonight and tomorrow, and you can see them now on the official map, available in printable and Web-explorable versions at westseattlegaragesale.com.
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli shows SWAT team members, with shields)
Just got word from the scene, the standoff is over. Relatives tell WSB it started about 1 pm when the suspect tried to cut himself with a knife; a relative called 911, and the standoff ensued from there. Again, according to what we have been told at the scene, no one was hurt, and things in that area (5400 block of 31st; map) should begin returning to normal.
UPDATE: Here’s some pictures from WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli.
Just after 1 pm the initial response included a City Light truck.
That’s the house where the suspect lives. It’s about 100 yards west of 31st. Police kept residents and the media on 31st and allowed no one to go no further for the first hour – except the suspect’s aunt, who went in with a negotiator:
About 30 minutes before the standoff ended, neighbors were allowed back into their homes:
ADDED 7:18 PM: This video clip shows an unusual side effect … two school buses that needed to get through the area, which is on a narrow, steep street, and had trouble getting around everything from police to fire to TV crews:
| 5 COMMENTS