West Seattle, Washington
31 Saturday
Not related to our earlier report, so we’re running this one separately. Magazine sellers are apparently back at it – and one Lincoln Park-area resident says the story two of them told him tonight turned out to be bogus – though the fine print, when he looked very closely at the receipt, didn’t lie – Read on for his description of the two and the story they told:Read More
Chow Foods, parent company of local restaurants including Endolyne Joe’s (which raised $1,000 tonight for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival), has just sent out a news release confirming reports its owners were splitting the chain (here’s the Capitol Hill Seattle report from last Saturday) and explaining what happens next. Read on for the details:Read More
VASHON PLAN: The link was sent around by the Regional Public Information Network tonight (you can subscribe to its as-needed updates at rpin.org), but since Vashon’s just a ferry ride away, we thought you’d be interested: Here’s the story of how the island’s fire department and volunteer preparedness group are joining forces.
COUNCIL BRIEFING TOMORROW: The Seattle City Council Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee will get a swine-flu update from county health officials (among others) during a special meeting at 1:30 pm tomorrow. You’ll be able to watch live via Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online here.
Alma on Alki wanted to get the word out about someone who came to her door tonight – read on for her story:Read More
But first, a video flashback:
Last July, WSB was at Grace Church to capture that moment on video when Margo Femiano was announced as Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival for 2008-2009. With less than three months remaining now till Queen Margo’s successor is coronated, it’s time to introduce you to the six candidates in this year’s scholarship competition: Two Chief Sealth High School students, two Holy Names Academy students, one John F. Kennedy High School student and one Mount Rainier High School student. Read on to see their photos and brief bios, shared by Hi-Yu pageant coordinator Shirley Enebrad:Read More
Less than two months now till school lets out, and local families are continuing to plan their kids’ schedules for summer. One brand-new option: Local synagogue Kol HaNeshamah is offering its first-ever day camp. We decided to take a closer look:
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Synagogue Kol HaNeshamah, housed at Alki Congregational United Church of Christ, will be hosting Camp Kol — a two-week summer day camp for kids this August.
Tammy Kaiser, director of Education and Administration for Kol HaNeshamah, describes it this way: “We will concentrate on Tikkun Olam, which translates into ‘repair of the world,’ as well as Tzedakah which is ‘righteousness or social justice’ and usually takes the form of charity. Part of this will be teaching environmental conscientiousness, and West Seattle is a wonderful learning lab with its beaches and tidal pools.”
There were smiles as well as sadness as J.B. Webster‘s fellow Seafair Commodores joined other friends, family and co-workers in celebrating his life during a memorial service today at Alki UCC. Mr. Webster’s family granted us permission to take photographs during the service; it’s been just five days since the first report of his death after a short illness. His daughter Tyler Webster played “Let It Be” during today’s service:
His son Logan Webster also played piano at the service (“Chimes“). More images from the memorial, and details of the service, ahead:Read More
It’s been on the WSB Events calendar for weeks, but we just got a request for one last reminder: Endolyne Joe’s is donating a portion of its proceeds tonight to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. 10:08 PM UPDATE: Carrie from EJ’s says they “met (their) sales goal” so that means about $1,000 going to the FFF.
(the coyote we spotted a year ago at Thistle/Northrop, a few blocks from this latest report)
Also out of the inbox, the first coyote sighting reported to us in a while – this one’s from Alice:
Keep your cats and small dogs inside, or protected. Yesterday, in the middle of the day, as i pulled into my driveway, a coyote walked casually across 44th Ave SW, @ 8200 block (map), and went into the greenbelt. This is just a few blocks above Lincoln Park.
Previously, our neighborhood lost many many cats, and at least one small dog to a hungry coyote. I believe they are nocturnal, so she must be hungry to be out midday.
All WSB coyote reports (including some with photos and video) are archived here, newest to oldest.
ADDED 5:44 PM: Another note that came in after we published this:
My sister lives in Snohomish. Her cat was killed by a coyote in broad daylight. They are not just nocturnal hunters. This happened at around 2pm, my nephew heard the cat screaming, etc. So, don’t be fooled, keep your pets inside.
And that’s what the experts advise as well, but they warn against other dangers to outdoor cats (cars, raccoons, other cats, etc.) too.
Out of the WSB inbox, from the Seattle Municipal Court – starting May 1st, pay your unpaid tickets, and they’ll waive collection fees and interest:Read More
ZEEKS PIZZA: We checked in with Zeeks Pizza‘s Dan Black to see if everything was on track for the grand-opening plan at the new Morgan Junction location (California/Fauntleroy) this Friday – he says yes, with one change: Instead of opening at 11 am, they will open the first day at 4 pm. (Here’s our story from last week about their delivery boundaries.)
DINING OUT FOR LIFE: Last week, we passed on the word from the Lifelong AIDS Alliance that it needed one more restaurant to match last year’s total of 155 participants (food/drink venues that will donate part of their proceeds this Thursday). Just heard back that two local establishments that saw the note here have signed up – and now, citywide, Dining Out for Life has a record 160 participants! The two local additions are Coffee at the Heights (whose proprietors mentioned in comments on that report that they were signing up) and Full Tilt Ice Cream; they join WSB sponsors Skylark Cafe and Club and Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill, as well as Abbondanza Pizzeria, Eats Market Cafe and Buddha Ruksa (full Seattle participant list here).
(video of “test burn” added 2:20 pm)
(photos changed/added 11:55 am)
Northbound 59th is blocked to traffic as the Seattle Fire Department continues training burns at a house south of Admiral Way that once belonged to Ivar Haglund. Here’s our story from yesterday with more background. More later.
11:55 AM: So far this morning, the crews have done two “burns” inside the house – in both cases, igniting hay and pallets, then extinguishing it, and using a large fan to clear the smoke from the house. Several fire engines and a ladder truck are there too, as is a large group of red-shirted firefighter trainees – they are simulating house-fire conditions as best they can, according to an informal briefing one veteran firefighter gave spectators across the street. The house itself will not be torched, he confirmed. He also said they can only have one fire going inside at a time, for safety reasons; then it’s extinguished, the hose is rolled out, and they start the setup again. Here are the photos shared by historian Paul Dorpat (who left an extensive comment on our story yesterday – first, a 2003 photo of the home; second, the tax-survey photo from the ’30s:
Just received a flurry of e-mails wondering about loud picketing at the Capco Plaza/Altamira Apartments site north across Alaska from Jefferson Square. Heading out to check; there have been short bursts of picketing at several West Seattle construction sites in recent weeks, and it’s previously been the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters targeting a subcontractor at a site (here’s our story from March; here’s our story with video from late February; we also saw and heard them, chanting via bullhorn, at an Alki remodeling site about two weeks ago). Often it’s a fairly short demonstration, although the one in late February went on for a few hours. (Added: Two e-mails say the signs indicate the target is K2MG.)
2:42 PM UPDATE: Went by just before 2 pm – unless they’ve come back since, it appears to be over.
2:10 PM WEDNESDAY: Just left in comments:
I am an owner of K2MG and I apologize to all of you who were effected by the Carpenter union protest at the Junction Construction site.
K2MG is an Open Merit Shop, which believes in allowing the employees the right to help in determining wages and working conditions. K2MG believes in the system of Free Enterprise and that, the employer must have concern for the general welfare of the employees and that there must be a fair compensation for work performed. Similarly, we believe that the employee has an obligation for satisfactory performance of assigned work.
The PNRCC claims they have a labor dispute with K2MG however; the description of a Labor Dispute is when the company’s employees are unhappy with their employer. K2MG can proudly say our employees are very happy with the wages they receive along with our benefit package K2MG provides. The Unions main goal appears to be to force our company out of business by their negative and untrue campaign to discredit our company and others like ours with intent to gain a larger market for the local and national Union drywall contractors.
That photo of Seafair Commodore and West Seattle Realtor/community leader J.B. Webster is from the 2007 West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade, shared by fellow Realtor (and Fauntleroy Community Association president) Bruce Butterfield. Less than a week after Mr. Webster’s untimely passing, family, friends and colleagues will gather this morning at Alki UCC Church (61st/Hinds; map) to celebrate his life, at 11 am. Dozens of tributes have been left as comments on our original report — read them here; our followup story about a fund set up for his wife and children is here.
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