Richard e-mailed WSB to share these photos, explaining:
Every Easter Sunday morning for the past few years, we’ve awoken to find the fences, shrubbery and landscaping in the alley between 36th/37th/Findlay and Juneau [map] artistically festooned with hundreds of yellow marshmallow ‘Peeps’. We have have a couple neighbors who we think are the ‘Peepers’, but we’re not sure (and we don’t feel like getting up in the middle of the night to catch them in the act!). The kids and families along our block love this, and we think it’s a great and fun tradition. I’m attaching some pics of their ‘artwork’. Happy Easter! (p.s.–I took all the pics this morning at 8:30)
ADDED 2:26 PM: And from somewhere else in West Seattle – Karensent a photo, saying her daughter discovered the chickens love Peeps too:
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: We got one more batch of photos from a mystery sender. This is our favorite:
ORIGINAL 9:56 AM REPORT: Just got note and text from Gary — orcas spotted west of the Alki Point lighthouse, heading “slowly south.” Off to look. 10:20 AM: Orca expert Jeff Hogan just called, says they’re off Lowman. 10:28: You need binoculars to see them – they are by Blake Island and heading south fairly fast. 10:46 AM: They went into the far passage off west Vashon, out of view, but keep an eye out later – Jeff says they’re transients. 11:46 AM: And now they’re heading back north, per commenter Jen – who also just called. Watch the comments; we’re heading back down the hill to look again! 1:35 PM: Just back from whale-watching – you definitely need binoculars – they’re out between WS and Blake Island again, and you can look for a very, very small boat, which is virtually next to them. We just watched them for quite some time from a vantage point near the West Beach Condos west and downhill from Marine View Drive’s north end (map); they did not seem to be going in any particular direction. We’re told that what some describe as “playing” – we saw tail-slapping while watching – could mean they’re feeding. Bottom line, they could be visible off our shore for quite a while. Keep an eye on comments here, and/or on our Facebook thread.
On this Easter Sunday/second-to-last night of Passover, here are some of the West Seattle highlights:
ANNUAL EASTER MORNING SUNRISE SERVICE: Forest Lawn, 6701 30th SW (map), 6:30 am. Sponsored by the West Seattle Ministerial Association, which says Holy Rosary‘s Father John Madigan will today become the first Roman Catholic priest to preach at the nondenominational tradition. Outdoors unless it’s raining, in which case it’s in the chapel; refreshments afterward.
OTHER CHURCH HIGHLIGHTS: Another outdoor tradition, West Seattle’s three UCC churches have a sunrise service at 7 am on Alki Beach (east of the Bathhouse) … Many churches have breakfasts and egg hunts, including WSB sponsor Tibbetts United Methodist Church, where breakfast is served 8-9:45, preceding 10 am service, which is followed by their egg hunt …
EASTER BRUNCH: Many more West Seattle restaurants serving brunch every weekend this year than last – it’s been a popular addition recently. One hotspot is WSB sponsor Skylark Café and Club, which serves brunch 9 am-3 pm; newly opened Heartland Café started taking reservations Friday so don’t show up without calling to see if any reservations are left; you can find Junction brunch ideas on the West Seattle Junction Association website; the fabled Salty’s on Alki buffet is being offered morning till night and has “prime … seating” reservable for parties of 4 or fewer, per Salty’s Facebook page.
SUNDAY SHOPPING: No holiday break for West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm, The Junction (44th/Alaska), as always (here’s today’s Ripe ‘n’ Ready list of what’s new) … It’s the third and final day of the spring sale at Alki Bike and Board (details here) … New wine shop Bin 41 wraps up its four-day grand-opening party with Pinot Noir tastings 11 am-2 pm … Avalon Glassworks is open and demonstrating glass-blowing 1-5 pm.
Every night in April, in honor of Disaster Preparedness Month, we’re spotlighting something you can do to be ready in case of the unthinkable – simple steps, in many cases. And this one really is simple: Since it’s Easter and Passover, you may well have been seeing, or at least talking to, more of your out-of-the-area family and friends than usual. And they are the key to this hint: In case of a localized disaster – like an earthquake – you may be able to reach someone outside the area more easily than someone close by, so it’s important to pick a distant relative/friend who will agree to be your check-in point, then make sure everyone in your family has their phone number handy – so you can at least coordinate messages through that person, if you can get a call through to another area but not someplace locally. Put this person in your cell speed-dial, and in case land lines work but mobiles don’t, have their number in your wallet or something else you carry with you. Meantime, an option for checking in locally is to arrange to rendezvous at your nearest Emergency Communication Hub – there are now nine in West Seattle, chosen as part of a volunteer coordination/planning effort that’s been in the works more than two years, and it’s vital to know which one to go to if ALL lines of communication are down and you need to get information and/or help. They’re all on this map, which is part of the thorough West Seattle Be Prepared website, which was the subject of our Disaster Preparedness Month Night 1 report, while “getting important documents together and putting them in a safe place” was the topic for DPM Night 2.
Every Saturday morning, volunteers descend on some of West Seattle’s green treasures — for cleanup, for restoration, for a helping hand to make sure natural spaces survive in our city. One of them got some TLC today, and Mike Arizona shared the photo above, with this report:
On any given Saturday along West Seattle’s Longfellow Creek you will find volunteers working to restore the creek and the greens spaces that surround it to a more natural habitat. This Saturday was no exception!
Thanks to a energetic group of volunteers from Seattle Works, 500 square feet of the Delridge Natural Area was freed from invasive blackberry and the entire area was mulched and cleared of trash. Today’s volunteers prepared the site for planting of native plants and trees this fall.
Check out Longfellow Creek at www.longfellowcreek.org and learn how you can help preserve and enjoy a West Seattle treasure.
Most Fridays, our weekend preview features work-party listings around West Seattle for the following day; you can also check ahead for opportunities here and around the city via the Green Seattle Partnership website.
With highlights on the WSB Easter page including three outdoor sunrise services – including the annual nondenominational one at Forest Lawn and the three UCC churches’ gathering on Alki Beach – you might be checking out the forecast tonight. Right now, it looks promising – a chance of morning showers, making way for a partly sunny afternoon, says the National Weather Service.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society sent word today that a 95-year-old Craftsman in the Admiral District known as the “Bloss House” has been nominated for city landmark status, and a hearing is 2 1/2 weeks away. Above, the house (4055 SW Holgate) as photographed by the King County Assessor’s Office in 1938, and below, 2010 (in a photo by Historic Seattle, which made the nomination):
Log House Museum director Andrea Mercado explains, “The Bloss House is unusual in that it is an early West Seattle craftsman with almost all original era styling inside and out.” According to the nomination document, its living room is “unaltered,” with features including leaded glass and unpainted mahogany, among the home’s many other distinctive features inside and outside, and its owner is only the third since it was built in 1915 – artist Ruth Ward has lived in the house since buying it in 1971. In addition to reading the nomination document, you can also look at its supporting photos and graphics in this document. The hearing is set for 3:30 pm April 21st, before the city Landmark Preservation Board, which meets at the Municipal Tower downtown; if you are interested in commenting on the nomination and can’t go to the hearing, you can e-mail your thoughts to beth.chave@seattle.gov. (The list of city landmarks in West Seattle gained two additions last year – the Seaview Building at The Kenney [WSB coverage here] and The Sanctuary at Admiral, formerly Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist [WSB coverage here].)
YOUR MOTHER WILL LOVE COOKIE LEE JEWELRY FOR MOTHER’S DAY!!!
Go to the website for Cookie Lee, (www.cookielee.com), then place your order with Mary Toal, WSHS parent, by April 12th at : mary.toal@becu.org or at 938-2276.
All profits from Cookie Lee sales placed by April 12th will go to Grad Night 2010, to help keep our seniors safe on Graduation Night.
PLUS – all profits will be MATCHED BY BOEING EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION (BECU) – Please help us take advantage of this amazing and generous offer, and you will also enjoy high quality jewelry!!! Thanks Mary and thanks BECU!!!!
Those are two of the egg hunts we checked out this morning. Like most, Southwest CC separated the hunters by age group – this photo is from the youngest group as they toddled around the back lawn, with parents close by:
Back inside Thriftway, eggs lined the aisles (the eggs are filled, by the way, by folks at Highlands Community Church in Renton) as the littlest searchers (who get a head start) went through:
Many egg hunts featured additional activities – at SWCC, kids could color while waiting for the big event:
And Eastridge was collecting diapers for WestSide Baby:
In all, those were among at least eight egg hunts in West Seattle this morning, including all five city-run community centers – Marco shared this photo from High Point CC:
Some local churches will offer egg hunts after services tomorrow, and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church is even having one a week from tomorrow (April 11) at 11:30 am.ADDED: Thanks to Annette for sharing a photo collage from one of what we are sure were many egg hunts at private homes – this one in Gatewood:
The 64-car Chetzemoka is the first new vessel built for Washington State Ferries in more than a decade – since the Jumbo Mark II class trio – and this morning it made its Elliott Bay debut, leaving Todd Pacific Shipyards on Harbor Island under tow, headed for some finishing work in Everett. We watched it from a spot just east of Anchor Park – one week after standing at almost the exact same spot, watching that visiting gray whale. According to the project page on the WSF website, Todd has a contract to build two more ferries like the Chetzemoka, which is destined for the Port Townsend-Keystone route, where the state’s been using a leased ferry since the Steel Electric-class vessels were taken out of service (the 2nd will go to that route as well, while the third is scheduled to run between Tacoma’s Point Defiance terminal and Tahlequah at the south end of Vashon). If you’re wondering about the name Chetzemoka, it’s explained here.ADDED 11:15 AM: A closer view from further along the journey (from a photographer who asked not to be credited):
EGG HUNTS: The storm lifted just in time. The list’s on the WSB Easter page, but in short – West Seattle Thriftway(indoors) at 9 am, all West Seattle community centers at 10 am, the Eastridge-sponsored hunt at Lincoln Park at 11 am. (*And a few minutes after we published this, C&P Coffee sent word it’s having an indoor hunt at 10 am.)
PANCAKE BREAKFASTS: Alki and Hiawatha Community Centers are also having pancake breakfasts ($4/person) starting at 8:30 am.
LOCAL STUDENTS PLAY BASEBALL AT THE SAFE: West Seattle High School plays Auburn Mountainview at Safeco Field at 12:30 pm. Admission is free; gates open at 11:30 am.
And two sales to mention …
MS-FIGHTING GARAGE SALE: One week before this year’s MS Walk in Seattle, Lisa‘s team (shown in a photo from last year) is having a garage sale today in West Seattle for one last fundraising boost. 9 am-3 pm, alley behind 3040 46th Avenue SW (map).
HOMEMADE BRIGADE: The bazaar-style gathering of local craftsfolk is back at Freshy’s Coffee in Admiral, starting at 10 am.
ALKI BIKE AND BOARD: Its annual spring sale continues today; full details online,, including snow gear up to 70% off (even as the mountain snow continues).
WHITE CENTER CAMBODIAN FESTIVAL: A big event just south of West Seattle – 10:30 am-5 pm, on 98th SW east of 16th SW (map), it’s the annual Cambodian New Year Festival; more here.
Great weather for cozying up with a book! A day later than usual this week (other news got in the way), courtesy of Gretchen Montgomery @ Square One Books (WSB sponsor), we bring you her store’s 5 best-sellers in each of 4 key categories:
Hardcover:
1. Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar
2. The Long Way Home by David Laskin
3. Solar by Ian McEwan
4. Shell Games by Craig Welch
5. Bite Me by Christopher Moore
Paperback:
1. The Stieg Larsson Mysteries
2. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
3. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall
4. All About Lulu by Jonathan Evison
5. Shadow and Light by Jonathan Robb
Children/Young Adult:
1. Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant
2. Savvy by Ingrid Law
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
4. Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett
5. The Warriors Series by Erin Hunter
Teen:
1. North of Beautiful by Justine Headley
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
3. The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast
4. Fang by James Patterson
5. Twilight:The Graphic Novel by Stephanie Meyer and Young Kim
All month long, we’re planning a nightly spotlight on Disaster Preparedness Month, and steps you can take – not just the same old ones you’ve heard over and over again and maybe even tuned out – to be sure you have the best chance at “getting through it” should something big happen. Tonight, expert advice forwarded by the local folks behind the Emergency Communication Hubs around West Seattle – at the heart of this excellent web resource – something particularly timely if you are still working on your taxes and have some of these docs out already: The documents you need to compile and set aside ahead of time, so you wouldn’t lose precious time in recovery mode.
After a major disaster, you may need financial assistance and will want to document any property loss for insurance and income tax purposes. Having ready access to the documents necessary for completing application forms, as well as those which could be difficult to replace, will help reduce delay and frustration.
At A Minimum:
1. Gather property insurance papers (home, auto, boat, etc.) and make copies.
2. Gather health insurance papers (medical provider, dental provider, life, extended disability, etc.) and make copies.
3. Gather financial papers (bank, investment, retirement, etc.) and make copies.
4. Gather wills, powers of attorney, and estate papers and make copies.
5. Take photos or videos of all valuables as documentation for insurance claims.
• Store these copies and photos in a safe deposit box, or in a ziplock bag in your freezer (you may want to disguise these documents by putting them in a clean box like a frozen pizza box).
The latter advice is frequently offered by police, too, in case you become a theft/burglary victim. Even if you can’t do all this right now, find a few of the documents that are handy and start – get those to the safe-deposit box or freezer – add to it as you are able. Meantime, our nightly spotlights continue Saturday night; if you missed Night 1 on Thursday, it was simple advice – Know your hub, which you can do by browsing the West Seattle Be Prepared website (and joining its Facebook group too – check out the quake info posted today).
The sign in the above-left photo is one of two that brought a lot of smiles and comments when we published photos sent by their creator, Jim Sander, a month ago. Tonight, Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding says the sign’s been stolen – along with most of the community signpost that held it (“after” photo, above right):
At some point during the day on Friday some low-life scumbag decided to vandalize one of our Pigeon Point neighborhood signposts. These signposts were donated by residents of the Pigeon Point neighborhood. These sign posts are normally used to notify residents of upcoming meetings and events that are taking place in our neighborhood. Now we will have to come up with the funds to replace this signpost and the Welcome to Pigeon Point sign that was attached to the crossbar on top. These signs have been in place for several years and we have had some occasional damage, but nothing on this scope. If anyone has any information about this vandalism please send an e-mail to pigeonpointcouncil@comcast.net.
Ironically, the road closure/detour that inspired the signs is just a few days from wrapping up.
That’s a bit of video from Constellation Park/Richey Viewpoint south of Alki Point, favorite haunt – in weather like this – of TV crews and intrepid stormwatchers. We saw both represented while we were out, briefly, at dusk. Note the past/future driftwood in the surf – extra-dangerous, so don’t get close. (We were there about an hour ago; high tide was at 9:15, so the surf will pull back a bit in the hours ahead, with the next high tide at 7:44 am.) Meantime, on the forecasting front, the National Weather Service‘s wind advisory is now extended till midnight, and tomorrow morning looks showery/breezy (egg hunts are still on, though – schedule here). ADDED 1:05 AM: John Polnik shared this video from central Alki, where he says a small outage hit Phoenecia – we had driven through after 8 pm and saw the streetlights appear to be “strobing”:
Attention has turned to the two future pump-station-overflow projects in south West Seattle over the past few weeks (Fauntleroy/Barton coverage here, Murray/Lowman coverage here), but it should be noted that work at the 53rd Avenue Pump Station expansion on Alki is still not all done – specifically, the street-restoration work. Martha Tuttle from King County Wastewater Treatment Division sent this update today:
King County continues to make progress on the 53rd Avenue Pump Station restoration activities. Crews recently completed sidewalks and curbs on the south side of Alki Avenue SW from 53rd Avenue SW to just beyond 54th Place SW.
Weather permitting, final paving of the roadway through this area will be completed over the next couple of weeks. In order to schedule this work, three days of clear weather must be forecasted. Neighbors and visitors should anticipate continued traffic revisions to complete paving. At times, traffic on Alki Avenue SW may be reduced to one lane. Traffic control and flaggers will be on site to help vehicles through the construction zone. King County thanks pump station neighbors and frequent users of the area for their continued patience.
Once again this year, West Seattle Junction merchants are planning a one-day “tax-free sale” right after tax-filing season. The “Junction’s Tax-Free Day For All” sale, announced this afternoon, will be Saturday, April 17; like last year, participants will display red balloons so you know who’s participating, but you don’t have to wait till then to find out; the list of participants is on the West Seattle Junction Association website here, and some are offering coupons (you’ll see those here). Some participants plan in-store specials and discounts, too. Sale hours on April 17th will be 10 am-6 pm. (WSB photo from April 2009)
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS BEFORE EASING. OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED… ESPECIALLY IN MORE EXPOSED AREAS.
The NWS hourly readings showed a gust of 51 mph at Alki Point at 3 pm. So far no reports of outages or other major problems in West Seattle – here’s the page to watch for power problems. Next high tide, for wave-watchers, isn’t till 9:15 pm. ADDED 4:16 PM: An advisory from Seattle Parks, related to the rain rather than the wind:
Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed all grass athletic fields on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3, due to the muddy condition of the fields caused by rain. All baseball and softball games and practices have been cancelled for today and tomorrow.
Synthetic fields remain open, and games on those fields will continue as normal. The closures will not affect spring egg hunts.
For more information about field closures, please call Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Citywide Athletics Rain-out Hotline at (206) 233-0055.
(The egg hunt list, by the way, is on the WSB Easter page.) ADDED 6:52 PM: Still no reports of major trouble. But the wind-whipped waves remain the big attraction – TV crews have been out at Constellation Park, and out on the water, the view was even wilder, as you can see in this photo Kevin McClintic took from the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry:
The weather eased a bit at noon, just as that group gathered in The Junction to commemorate Good Friday in a unique outdoor manner – walking “A Way of the Cross” along several blocks of the business district, with readings, chanting and prayer. Our video is from the beginning, as Hope Lutheran Pastor Keith Eilers reads, before the group begins walking southbound on California SW. (This was a nondenominational event, as is this Sunday’s annual West Seattle Sunrise Service at Forest Lawn, just after 6:30 am)
NEW FERRY’S JOURNEY: The state’s new 64-car ferry Chetzemoka will make its first journey tomorrow, under tow to Everett Shipyard “for final outfitting and system testing prior to conducting dock and sea trials,” according to the WSDOT announcement. You should be able to see it from east- and north-facing West Seattle shores after it leaves Todd Pacific Shipyards on Harbor Island around 8; it’s due in Everett around noon.
As first reported here 2 weeks ago, the city has decided to have another “car-free” Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets day on Alki in connection with the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk for the second consecutive year – that’ll happen May 23. And this afternoon, SDOT just released the full list of CSSS days citywide – read on:Read More
(WSB photo from October 2009)
In ongoing reports about the convergence of various road projects and their effects on West Seattle drivers, we’ve been talking about the impending closure of the 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge as part of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, and how that will affect traffic. In particular, it’s going to mean many more vehicles – including buses – using the “low bridge” during the afternoon/evening rush hour (detour map here), with no access to the “high bridge” between I-5 and 99. Knowing this was ahead, the city asked the Coast Guard two years ago to consider restricting openings of the “low bridge” during rush hours; the Coast Guard said no. Now, as anticipated, the city is trying again – and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s office has just provided us with the official letter, sent this week. Specifically, they’re asking for restrictions between 3 pm and 6 pm weekdays, starting May 17, when the ramp is scheduled to close permanently (late next year, a new 1st Avenue S. on/offramp will be open), and continuing into 2011. As you’ll see if you read the letter, the city includes an example of how they expect traffic to be affected, for those flowing into the Delridge/Chelan/Marginal intersection on the bridge’s west end: Delays are projected to quadruple, from 40-ish seconds to 3 minutes. As for potential disruption of marine traffic, the city’s letter cites a one-year period in which about 30 vessels that had to go out at high tide went out during PM rush hour, and says those openings could be scheduled well in advance, with advance warning to drivers to plan around the bridge openings. So what next? The city is asking the Coast Guard to expedite review of its request – the request made in 2008 took months to review, but only six weeks remain until the 1st Avenue South ramp closes.
And they are the key to this hint: In case of a localized disaster – like an earthquake – you may be able to reach someone outside the area more easily than someone close by, so it’s important to pick a distant relative/friend who will agree to be your check-in point, then make sure everyone in your family has their phone number handy – so you can at least coordinate messages through that person, if you can get a call through to another area but not someplace locally. Put this person in your cell speed-dial, and in case land lines work but mobiles don’t, have their number in your wallet or something else you carry with you. Meantime, an option for checking in locally is to arrange to rendezvous at 
Tonight, expert advice forwarded by the local folks behind the 
Once again this year, West Seattle Junction merchants are planning a one-day “tax-free sale” right after tax-filing season. The 
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