day : 23/05/2010 10 results

2 stolen-car reports to pass along – who knows, one could turn up on your street. First, from Robert:

1997 Honda Civic EX stolen from driveway in Delridge/Puget Ridge neighborhood (21st Ave SW) Thursday approx. 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
586 XVC: white, 2-door, tinted windows, sunroof. If spotted, please dial 9-1-1- then text me at 206.462.2972

And from Amber:

Our 1999 Dark Green Chevy Suburban WA License Plate 117-SPU was stolen from our driveway last night 5/22/10 from 3200 block of 46th Ave. SW. Our other car was broken into the same night but not taken. I am hoping someone took it for a joy ride and has left it in some other neighborhood, It is not new so
not sure why they would want it; otherwise it is a gas guzzler, but came in handy for our use for carpooling.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: A visit, a fundraiser, a rainbow

May 23, 2010 10:59 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather | WS & Sports

West Seattle Soccer Club players at Hughes Playfield in Sunrise Heights got to meet a pro this afternoon – that’s Seattle Sounders FC defender Zach Scott and son Kalei, who visited as WSSC’s spring season wrapped up. (WSSC’s Tim McMonigle previewed the visit and fall registration – which starts June 1 – in this WSB report on Saturday.) Also from this afternoon:

That’s part of the mini-bazaar set up inside the West Seattle Eagles‘ HQ in The Junction, for the season’s first big Pencil Me In For Kids‘ fundraiser. Creative Memories, Party Lites and Tupperware purveyors all were on hand, donating part of their proceeds to the nonprofit that raises money to buy school supplies for kids in need. Find out more about PMIFK here. Meantime, one last Sunday afternoon view:

If you were outside – perhaps at Seattle Summer Streets on Alki, as we were (here’s our afternoon coverage) – you probably got caught in the 4 pm-ish drizzle. It was a classic sun-rain mix, and as shown in Max’s photo, it brought along a rainbow. (The forecast for next week looks fairly mixed, so far, too.)

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Followup: Memories of West Seattle restaurateur Neal Saffer

May 23, 2010 9:15 pm

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| West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

After publishing an item Thursday night about the death of former Beach Drive restaurateur Neal Saffer, we heard from his daughter Diane, who shared the photo you see at right, along with a little more history about the restaurant her father ran for a quarter-century (the second paragraph was her response to a followup question):

My parents first moved to West Seattle in 1950. My grandparents, Waite and Crystal Quesnell, originally owned and operated the restaurant, and my parents Neal and Marge Saffer took it over the year of the Seattle World’s Fair.- Century 21. Over the years, many teenage boys had their first job at Quesnel’s and many of those young men continued to be lifelong friends of my parents. All the many waitresses have also become lifelong friends of my parents. My parents closed in February 1986 and was converted to living quarters, where my parents resided until 2004 when they moved to Port Orchard. …

Quesnel’s restaurant was at 4703 Beach Dr SW – the tall tan building on the water side of Beach Drive, at the foot of Jacobsen road. The restaurant was on the main floor, with bathrooms and storage & prep room in the basement, and we lived upstairs from the time I was 12 yrs old. In her later years, my grandma Crystal lived in the little house next door at 4701 Beach Dr until she passed away. The restaurant had a great view of the water, and the islands. It was a small, family dining room with 12 tables, and my dad cooked steaks on a charcoal broiler. There was a window at the charcoal broiler and people would look in and my dad would say hi to them when they first walked in the door. My mom was the hostess, and I began working there at 12 as a bus person, and later a waitress. They also owned The Shack Drive-In on Harbor Avenue and the grocery store next to it. Some West Seattle residents will remember those as well.

(That’s the same Shack from which Java Bean Coffee‘s sign came.) Mr. Saffer died last week of heart failure at age 86 and was buried Friday at Dignity/Forest Lawn east of High Point.

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Alki ‘car-free day’ aka Seattle Summer Streets, report #2

May 23, 2010 1:58 pm

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

(Our first report on “car-free day” is here; our coverage of the West Seattle 5K is here)

(South/east end of the Alki closure; if you are trying to drive westbound, you’ll be detoured up California)
Back to the beach after a break for other news. Good news: Sunny! Not-as-good news: Admiral is of course taking the detoured traffic, and much busier as a result; parking is challenging too. Take the Water Taxi shuttle from The Junction (or elsewhere) if you can – but do come down; it’s a lot warmer and great weather for a walk, ride, etc.

2:52 PM UPDATE: The section of street across from Coastal is the busiest – with a skateboarding ramp, a tent-covered inflatable “surfing” zone, and other activities.

A short distance east, there’s live music outside at Christo’s on Alki (and a few blocks west, a band was playing outside at Bamboo Bar and Grill, too).

3:22 PM: Craziest thing we’ve seen so far actually looked crazier in the prep than in the execution – the “skateboard slingshot” in that short clip. Otherwise, just a steady stream of foot-powered folks going by, except for the Water Taxi shuttles and local residents’ cars in the eastbound inside lane:

3:46 PM UPDATE: Another clue it’s not completely balmy – the beach-volleyball players are wearing long pants:

Also notable, it’s the first car-free day/Seattle Summer Streets since the 53rd Avenue Pump Station project (which started in early 2008 – the first of these events was in September 2008, second in May 2009):

Still time to take a walk in the middle of the street – which doesn’t reopen till 5. The breeze is picking up, though, so bring a jacket/sweater. 5:36 PM UPDATE: All over now … couple more things to add, first, our video of the Dizzy Crabshaw Band outside Christo’s at mid-afternoon:

And the chalk art outside Coastal:

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High-school baseball: Seattle Lutheran = Final 4; WSHS season ends

May 23, 2010 1:27 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Two local high-school baseball-playoffs notes: Seattle Lutheran is in the 2B Final Four, scheduled for next weekend in Yakima – thanks to Dan I for the tip; the SLHS scores page on SeattleTimes.com (WSB partner) reports they beat Northwest Christian (Lacey) 8-0 and Napavine 8-2, both games yesterday. Meantime, a heartbreaker for West Seattle High School yesterday, as they lost to Enumclaw 13-8 in Mount Vernon (here’s the Times‘ report).

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Also happening: Bikes, plants, rummage sales, “Pencil Me In…”

May 23, 2010 12:55 pm

| Comments Off on Also happening: Bikes, plants, rummage sales, “Pencil Me In…”

| Gardening | How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

A few more things happening in addition to Summer Streets (car-free day) on Alki, which began with the West Seattle 5K (WSB coverage here) — Just after 11, we stopped by Holy Rosary Church, to check on Bicycles for Humanity – volunteer Karin Goncalves said they were accepting donated bikes till about 12:30, but if you missed the window, as noted here earlier, a few other churches are part of the effort till late today (see the list here). Also right now, a couple of big fundraising sales, including plants from Furry Faces Foundation:

They’re raising money for animal advocacy (including spaying/neutering) with plant sales till 4 pm at 3809 46th SW (map) – adoptable pets are there today too! Also from the West Seattle Weekend Lineup:

*PENCIL ME IN FOR KIDS’ FIRST FUNDRAISER OF THE SEASON: 3-5 pm at West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW) – Creative Memories, Party Lights, Tupperware with 10%-50% of proceeds going to Pencil Me In For Kids (mission explained here).

*SALES AT COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF WEST SEATTLE AND SHOREWOOD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL: Both have rummage sales. CSWS (22nd/Roxbury) till 4 pm, Shorewood (on 28th SW just south of Safeway) till 5 pm.

*FINAL PERFORMANCE OF “TELL ME ON A SUNDAY”: 3 pm at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction.

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West Seattle 5K, report #1: And the winners are … everybody!

May 23, 2010 9:35 am

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(added 12:12 pm: clip shows the race start, 1st runner to last walker, about 2 1/2 minutes in all)

ORIGINAL 9:35 AM REPORT: The West Seattle 5K (co-sponsored by WSB) has 1,120 runners this year, 75 more than last year, according to the semi-official count from organizers. We’re waiting now for the first finishers. The sunbreaks are mostly gone but it’s still dry. 10:03 AM: Runners and walkers are still coming across, 39 minutes later. Here’s the first finisher, crossing the line, announced at 16:08:

That’s David McCulloch, finishing a full minute faster than last year, when he was the 6th male. The first female runner crossed at 17:41- Lauren Breihof from Western Washington University. (added 11:07 am, here’s video of her finish – the audio is incorrect, she was indeed the 1st female) – 16 seconds better than her time from last year, when she was the 3rd female:

(photo added 11:36 am) Shortly after the first finishers crossed, the inflatable start/finish line started to lose a little of its air – so volunteer power came to the rescue!

(Photo by David Hutchinson)
When the results are available online (they’re not yet, as of just past noon) – you’ll find them linked here. We’re also reviewing our photos for more memorable moments and will add some in a second wrapup later!

10:40 AM: The 5K’s over and all its trappings are being packed up; the Summer Streets festivities officially begin around 11 – it’s still dry, but chilly, so bundle up!

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Alki ‘car-free day’ 2010 – Seattle Summer Streets – report #1

May 23, 2010 8:32 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Before we start adding photos and updates, we start with the reminder: 9 am-5 pm, it’s the third annual city-organized “car-free day” on Alki, starting with the West Seattle 5K walk/run (co-sponsored by WSB; final signups are under way now; the race itself starts at 9:20). The closure/detour map is here. Don’t let a little drizzle discourage you. 8:53 AM UPDATE: At the beach now – and so are sunbreaks! Also happening, as West Seattle 5K emcee Marty Riemer (see photo just added below) just announced, people who ignored the “no parking” signs are about to get towed (see photo just added above).

Race time has just been revised to 9:25 – all the better, since more sun is coming out with each moment that goes by.

11:04 AM: See our race coverage in this separate story. Meantime, the Summer Streets setup is complete – here’s the skateboard ramp in place across from (and sponsored by) Coastal, and some other exhibitor/participants including Mountain to Sound Outfitters:

We’ll launch a separate Summer Streets story for the afternoon.

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West Seattle preparedness: “Rattle in Seattle” drill a success

May 23, 2010 8:14 am

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| Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

The preparedness volunteers who gathered at Ercolini Park to join in Saturday’s “Rattle in Seattle” drill (explained here) admit at least one person was a bit startled – walking by and overhearing radio transmissions, incoming and outbound, like this (listen closely – it’s only 10 seconds long):

That particular “catastrophic failure” was supposed to involve the 35th/Myrtle reservoir/water tower site. But that was just one of numerous hypothetical catastrophes reported in the drill, which took on an old-time disaster-movie feel after you’d been watching/listening long enough – gas-station fires, and more. Most important of all – each of these volunteers was tracking what was being reported in her/his neighborhood:

They are the “focals” – key contacts/organizers – for the Emergency Communication Hubs around West Seattle, mapped on the website we’ve told you about many times before, West Seattle Be Prepared. If a true disaster happens and takes out standard lines of communication, overwhelming city services (that line was heard at one point during the drill, “City services are maxed out”), volunteers will set up at the “hubs,” equipped with the radios they used during this drill, to join a communication network that not only will make sure authorities are aware of what’s happening, but also will communicate, neighborhood-to-neighborhood, what’s needed – so that other volunteers can be dispatched where they’re needed, whether their expertise is first aid, search-and-rescue, or something else.

The Communication Hubs are also where you will be able to go to find out what’s happening and to seek help – and that’s why it’s important to have them in all neighborhoods, so that you or someone representing your family/block/etc. wouldn’t have to go far, even if you had to walk or bike. But they only work through volunteer power – and there’s room for lots more help – start by joining the West Seattle Be Prepared Facebook group – if you’re not on FB, there’s contact info on the main WSBP website too.

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Reminder: Bicycles for Humanity today – got one to donate?

May 23, 2010 6:49 am

| 1 COMMENT

| How to help | West Seattle news

Today’s the day for the Bicycles for Humanity donation drive, collecting bikes for South African villages where they’re urgently needed – and dropoffs start even earlier than the original announcement we published earlier this month. 7:30 am-noon, you can take a bicycle to West Seattle’s Holy Rosary Church to donate. (Other churches in Seattle are collecting later, in case you miss that window.) If you missed the explanation of what it’s about, the news release is ahead:Read More

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