day : 13/11/2009 11 results

That’s the question members of the city Landmarks Preservation Board will want to see sorted out, as became clear during this morning’s meeting of the board’s Architectural Review Committee. This was the first public meeting at which Tom Lin, owner of the fire-damaged landmark, and his consultants have discussed its status and its future since a comprehensive presentation before the Alki Community Council two months ago (WSB coverage here). The meeting also provided a reminder of the fact the historic building’s future is of interest outside West Seattle – those who offered comments included representatives from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, which five months ago declared the Homestead among the state’s most endangered buldings, and Historic Seattle; the Southwest Seattle Historical Society was represented as well. Read on for details on what was discussed and what the landmarks board – which has jurisdiction over the site’s future because of its landmark status – will do next:Read More

Firefighter followup: Highland Park’s tasty thanks for Station 11

November 13, 2009 9:17 pm

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| Highland Park | West Seattle news

As promised when a team from Seattle Fire Department Station 11 (map) visited last month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting (WSB coverage here), HPAC put together a delegation to bring the station a home-cooked dinner tonight, and we dropped by to catch the good deed in progress. From left, firefighter Dan Peterson, HPAC chair Dan Mullins, firefighter Shane Casillas, HPAC treasurer Shawn Mazza, Colette Napoli, SFD Lt. Russ Wiseman, firefighter Sean Williams, and standing tall behind them, HPAC vice chair Nicole Mazza, who organized the whole thing. (HPAC’s also organizing a Station 11 tour a week from tomorrow.) What’d they bring for dinner, you ask? Lasagna, salad, chips ‘n’ salsa, pickles, plums, cookies, chocolate, ice cream. Hopefully they got a chance to enjoy it; it was delivered just after 6, and the 911 log shows Engine 11 didn’t have an emergency call till almost 8:30.

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More West Seattle cleanup work tomorrow – plus, the city’s thanks

November 13, 2009 8:10 pm

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| Delridge | How to help | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

Last weekend, we told you about Delridge and Pigeon Point volunteers spending a soggy, breezy Saturday morning making their neighborhood nicer (here’s our story). Tonight, two notes: First, Rose Feliciano (left) will be out raking up leaves again tomorrow morning around 9 am along the bike trail by the bridge. She mentioned this on the Pigeon Point e-mail list; we asked if we could mention it here in case anyone wanted to help out, and she said OK, adding “the way to access the bike path is the north end of 22nd Avenue SW.” (Here’s a map.) Meantime, the folks at Seattle Public Utilities asked if we would publish this public thank you to Rose and everyone else out working last weekend – PLUS all the other cleanup program volunteers peninsula-wide:

I’d like to thank Nancy Folsom, Rose Feliciano, the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council-and all the other West Seattle volunteers who are making a difference in their neighborhoods by participating in Seattle’s Adopt-a-Drain and Adopt-a-Street programs. These volunteer programs continue to grow, showing that we all value the quality of life that Seattle offers. Adopting a street or a drain is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Please give me a call if you would like help getting involved: 684-7647.

Thanks again, folks!

Carlton Stinson
Seattle Public Utilities
Adopt-A-Drain/Adopt-A-Street Coordinator

Both programs have more info online, too – Adopt-A-Street here, Adopt-A-Drain here.

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H1N1 vaccine: Update from King County Public Health

November 13, 2009 5:46 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| Health | Swine flu | West Seattle news

Just in from James Apa at King County Public Health, at the end of a week in which people lined up to get H1N1 vaccine wherever it was available (above, one of West Seattleite Brandon Nicholson‘s photos from the line Wednesday outside a Sand Point pharmacy that briefly was the only one in the county offering vaccine to babies and toddlers):

We wanted to give you a quick update on vaccine availability in King County. Due to the national delay in H1N1 vaccine production, the supplies we have in the community aren’t enough to meet the demand right now, and it’s been a challenge for many to find vaccine. With the latest deliveries this week, King County has received approximately 165,000 doses of vaccine total since shipments began, and approximately 90,000 more doses are in the process of being ordered and shipped to King County.

Given the shortage, our current focus is on getting most of the available supplies to health care providers, so that they can vaccinate patients who are most at risk. As more vaccine becomes available, we’ll continue to provide it to health care providers to vaccinate more of their patients, so we encourage people in the priority groups to continue to stay in touch with their health care providers about vaccine availability.

To provide another option for people prioritized to receive H1N1 vaccine, Public Health is also allocating a limited portion of new vaccine supplies for distribution more widely through public venues. The 15,000 doses of vaccine we made available to pharmacies this week is the beginning of our widening distribution strategy.

He also suggested keeping an eye on the pharmacy list on the King County website – linked from our FLU tab atop all pages. We just checked again, and there’s no new availability listed in the West Seattle/White Center area right now.

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It’s not the fox watching the henhouse, but instead, the owl

November 13, 2009 4:01 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

We have been SO overdue for cute owl photos, ever since the charming saga of Wollet over the summer. And now, our unspoken wish is granted, courtesy of Jonathan French, who says his neighbor northwest of The Junction – proprietor of Better Coops and Gardens – has had this little visitor around all day in her carport workshop … watching her build chicken coops!

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Water Taxi scores record year – and dock expansion work begins

November 13, 2009 2:11 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

As the King County Water Taxi‘s West Seattle run sends out the official announcement of another record-setting year (which ended on Halloween), we also have word that work has begun on the expansion of its Seacrest dock – which will enable the foot ferry to go year-round starting next spring. Word from King County Executive-elect Dow Constantine‘s office is that work on the dock components already has begun offsite, and the 12-week expansion project will start onsite within a few weeks. Now, as for that recordsetting traffic – here’s the official announcement:

The King County Water Taxi West Seattle route broke the 200,000 rider mark in 2009, as the 12-year-old passenger ferry connecting West Seattle and downtown Seattle increased its annual ridership by 21 percent over 2008.

During the 2009 summer season:

—The West Seattle route served a total of 203,229 riders;

—Set individual monthly ridership records for each full operational month: May 2009 (31,557), June 2009 (33,865), July 2009 (46,861), August 2009 (43,981), and September 2009 (26,603);

—The 46,861 riders in July set the mark as the top ridership month in the history of the King County Water Taxi West Seattle route;

—August 2009 was the second highest ridership month in West Seattle route history (43,981 riders) and just the third month ever with 43,000 or more riders (43,020 people rode in August 2007), and

—Over the past five years, ridership on the West Seattle route has increased by 90 percent (from 106,316 riders in 2005 to 203,229 riders in 2009).

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Park gun restrictions: One-man challenge planned in West Seattle

November 13, 2009 12:04 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

4:36 PM UPDATE: From the mayor’s office, which is now handling all comment on this: “If this resident plans to enter a Parks facility with a concealed weapon, he will be asked to leave. If he refuses, he will be arrested.”

ORIGINAL 12:04 PM STORY: Seems like Southwest Community Center and Pool is just the place to be tomorrow, more than usual. First we published news last night of a group renting the pool tomorrow night for a clothing-optional swim (since their first choice, Ballard Pool, is closed for repairs) – now, a man says he’s planning to challenge the city’s park/community center gun restrictions (already targeted in a lawsuit) by showing up at SWCC at noon tomorrow with a concealed weapon. He cc’d us and other media on a “courtesy” letter to the city; his entire letter is ahead – but first, a note: We asked if he chose that time and place for a particular reason; he told us he was hoping to attend the “Dogs in the Hood” show. Read on for the letter:Read More

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West Seattle Volunteer Recognition: Tell the world!

November 13, 2009 11:09 am

| 1 COMMENT

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

We’re extending the deadline for nominations in the second round of West Seattle Volunteer Recognition – if you can spare a few minutes today or this weekend – the sooner the better – take this chance to tell the world about somebody you think deserves public props for making a difference. The first six West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients were honored last July; if your nominee last time wasn’t one of the recipients, please consider nominating them again, since we’re starting from scratch. This time, the Southwest and Delridge District Councils, along with WSB, will honor:

*2 individual volunteers from community/neighborhood-related group efforts
*2 individual volunteers from youth-related efforts
*2 individual volunteers from environment-related efforts
*1 group award

“Volunteer” means unpaid work, done for a nonprofit-type organization, facility, campaign (etc.), primarily serving West Seattle. And when you send your nomination – please remember that what you write is all the judges have to go on, so don’t hold back on describing the great work your nominee has done! The recipients will be honored in front of a big holiday crowd at the West Seattle Community Tree Lighting December 5th. To nominate someone, it’s a quick all-online process, no stamps, no cost – here’s the online form.

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West Seattle Reservoir’s new park: 1st meeting date finalized

November 13, 2009 9:24 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(Photo courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation, from project sign installation Thursday)
From the last meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee, we reported that Seattle Parks had set a December 3rd meeting for discussion of the West Seattle (Westcrest) Reservoir park design (here’s that story). Today, the official flyer’s out, setting the meeting time for 7 pm Dec. 3, High Point Community Center. Main point of the meeting, per the announcement: “To learn what the community priorities are for transforming the 20 acres of open space” that the reservoir-covering project will create. Here’s the official flyer.

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West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Let the shopping begin! edition

November 13, 2009 7:48 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

Holiday shopping season is here. This weekend includes bazaars – starting this morning at The Mount — CoolMom‘s Toy Swap ‘n’ Sale on Saturday — the Sunday sale at Curious Kidstuff (WSB sponsor), the West Seattle Fashion Brunch, and more. Last year, we procrastinated, and then the snow hit – so this year, it’s all about EARLY, just in case. Also this weekend, celebrating the old and the new – Highland Park Improvement Club celebrates its 90th birthday, and High Point Neighborhood Center celebrates its grand opening! Plus you’ve got fun chances to help the people who help animals – with Seal Sitters‘ jewelry sale and Furry Faces Foundation‘s Catsino on Saturday. More than 50 events/activities in all, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Hang onto your hats

November 13, 2009 6:21 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

The overnight “forecast discussion” calls this a “vigorous” cold front – but the wind, with gusts up to 30 mph, is supposed to ease a bit later. One other change in the forecast overnight – that talk of possible wet snow at 500 feet (which could have included the highest hills here) has evaporated, and now it’s back to 1,000 feet, which lets West Seattle (and the rest of the city) off the hook.

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