day : 06/10/2010 13 results

Five days after the fire that ravaged its engine compartment, the Seafair Pirates‘ Moby Duck made a trip to the Pirates’ top-secret North Seattle HQ tonight – thanks to the donated services of Skyway Towing. The occasion: Pirate leadership – in red blazers rather than the standard pirate regalia – talking about what they need to get the World War II-vintage craft back on the road again before Seafair 2011, and what happened to do so much damage:

That’s spokespirate Mark “Keelhaul” Jensen, who explained that they’re hoping to raise $25,000 in donations, since that’s the original estimate. But they don’t just need money: The engine that caught fire is an old Chrysler, and the Pirates are currently debating gas vs. diesel — they are in dire need of someone who is an automotive electrical expert to go through the Duck. They are also in need of a place to work on The Duck – if anyone has warehouse or other open space, please contact them. They really need to get The Duck out of the elements, as the fire caused damage that’s already risking serious rust.

You can send money to
Seafair Pirates Moby Duck Fund
PO Box 27638
Seattle, WA 98165
or go to seafairpirates.org and click the PayPal link. Seafair Pirates president Rusty Harper – who lives in West Seattle – says if you can help, it’s part of saving a tradition, and they are grateful to have long had so much community support:

If you have questions or want to talk about helping out, call 206-365-1590.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Robbery suspects sought

October 6, 2010 9:32 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Tonight Seattle Police have published photos that they believe show two robbers suspected in five heists around the region – one of them in West Seattle, at the Admiral Way 7-11 on September 12th. The photos are from a Renton robbery about two weeks ago. One’s at left; you can see the others on the SPD Blotter.

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Got a car seat to recycle for reuse? WestSide Baby wants it!

October 6, 2010 8:00 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| How to help | Safety | West Seattle news

(Car seats turned in for recycling during 2009 event, photo courtesy WestSide Baby)
WestSide Baby is getting the word out tonight about its car-seat-collection drive, about to be kicked off with the help of Waste Management – with two events, one on the north side of the city and one at WS Baby’s White Center headquarters. That car-seat-collection event is set for 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, October 16th (10027 14th SW – map); or if you just can’t wait to get the car seat off your hands, 10 am-4 pm at the Ballard branch of Viking Bank (2237 NW 57th – map). IMPORTANT: Check out the criteria for whether your car seat qualifies to be recycled for reuse – details here.

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Seal Sitters’ new signs: First two prototypes appear on Alki

October 6, 2010 5:19 pm

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| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(One of the new Seal Sitters signs on Alki; photo courtesy of, and copyrighted by, Robin Lindsey)
Seven months ago, we happened onto Seal Sitters reps at an Alki coffee shop, minutes after they got news that the group would get a Neighborhood Matching Fund “Small and Simple” grant, $15,000 for education. (Matching Fund grants require that the recipients also chip in the same value in cash/materials/volunteer labor – they are not outright gifts.) As of this morning, Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey tells WSB, part of the grant money has become something tangible – two “prototype” signs on Alki, to educate people about the frequent beach visitors. Robin adds, “We are very excited about getting this valuable information on the beach and hope it will alleviate some stress for the (member of the) public that finds a pup and does not know what to do.” We can attest to the fact there are many people who need that info – three times in the past few days, we’ve received calls or messages asking us, and we’ve of course pointed them to Seal Sitters, who have a hotline at 206-905-SEAL. And it’s been a very busy few weeks for Seal Sitters and the pups they watch out for – the stories are all told at www.blubberblog.org – some of them heartbreaking, like the recent death of “Twiggy” the seal, and some heartwarming. You can also read more about the signage project on this blubberblog.org page.

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Southwest Library seeking artists for this fall’s show

October 6, 2010 4:00 pm

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| Announcements

From the Seattle Public Library:

Registration for the 19th Annual Artists Showcase at the Southwest Branch of The Seattle Public Library began Friday, Oct. 1 and continues through Saturday, Oct. 23. Interested artists can either register at the branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., or call 206-684-7455 to sign up.

Artists of all ages may enter up to three pieces for display. All artwork formats are accepted.

The Artists Showcase is a non-juried, nonprofit exhibit. The exhibit will be on display at the branch from Sunday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Nov. 13. A public reception with the artists will be held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Southwest Branch.

The reception is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Free parking is available in the branch parking lot. Coffee and dessert will be served.

Artists may bring their work to the Southwest Branch before the showcase Thursday, Oct. 21 through Saturday, Oct. 23 and should pick it up after the showcase Sunday, Nov. 14 through Tuesday, Nov. 16. The Library will create display labels for each piece of artwork. Artists should attach their names and titles of each piece of artwork as they would like the information to appear on the display labels.

Artwork will not be offered for sale at the Library, but artists can provide cards with their names and contact information to be put near their displays. Visitors interested in purchasing artwork will be referred to the artists.

The reception is sponsored by the Friends of the Southwest Branch.

For more information, call the branch at 206-684-7455.

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West Seattle Wing Dome sets opening date: Tuesday, October 12

October 6, 2010 3:13 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Just got the word from marketing director Nicole Aly: The West Seattle Wing Dome, in The Junction, will open next Tuesday, October 12th. Opening date will be regular hours – 11 am to 10 pm. “We’re excited,” Nicole tells WSB.

(Fire-pit photo, courtesy The Wing Dome)
As we showed you in our sneak-peek tour inside the restaurant space (which used to be part of neighboring CAPERS) last month, with Nicole and manager Andy Pattalochi showing us around, this is the first Wing Dome to have a patio and fire pit, and she says that area will be open from the start.

(Beer-taps photo, courtesy The Wing Dome)
It’s been a little over a year since first word the Wing Dome was in talks for the West Seattle location; their other restaurants are in the metro area, and owner Consolidated Restaurants is Seattle-based. 4:50 PM UPDATE: Nicole called with one postscript – the patio/fire pit will be delayed a week or so.

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Myrtle Reservoir Park update: At least one more month of work

October 6, 2010 2:26 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(Christopher Boffoli‘s video tour of the park-construction site, from our update last month)
Since the most recent online update regarding Myrtle Reservoir Park had mentioned a scheduled construction-completion date this week, we checked again with project manager Virginia Hassinger. She has just shared an update that will be published on the Parks website and also posted as a sign at the park site:

We are making steady progress toward completion of the new park at Myrtle Reservoir in fall of 2010. We are eager to open this site to the public as soon as possible.

The final concrete pour was completed on Sept 30. The critical work for the next two weeks will be completion of the irrigation system, followed by importing and spreading of topsoil, and finally hydro-seeding. Other remaining work includes installation of landscape plantings, handrails, installation of bike racks, a variety of finish detailing, and site cleanup.

The Myrtle site has presented us with a variety of challenges in the last two months. We encountered differences in the grade between our plan and the final reservoir site. We also found existing underground utilities at elevations or locations that conflicted with our planned improvements. The designer (Nakano and Associates) and construction team (Ohno Construction) have been able to make field adjustments without compromising the design intent. We have added time to the contract to allow for these changes; our current contract completion date is November 12, 2010.

Parks is planning on a soft opening soon after the work is substantially complete. We want to get the lawn areas seeded as soon as possible. Actual germination and growth will be somewhat weather dependent. Protection of the new lawn is a concern and we are working on a plan that will allow us to protect the lawn while opening the play area and viewpoint to the public. An official public opening celebration, yet to be scheduled, will follow the soft opening.

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Followup: Alki shooting-at-police suspect returns to court

October 6, 2010 2:09 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Thomas Qualls has just made his first court appearance since pleading not guilty to three counts of second-degree assault. Those charges are a result of the incident at his Alki home one month ago (original WSB coverage here) in which police say that, after they responded to a call about suicidal threats, they wound up firing at Qualls as he fired an assault rifle at them. He was hit once in the abdomen and got out of the hospital less than a week after the incident; he was in a wheelchair for his court appearance today, but did not speak (this type of hearing, it should be noted, is not often an occasion for defendants to comment). The hearing was for “case-setting,” relatively routine; lawyers asked for extra time, and mentioned a potential plea-bargain offer (no details), while also saying they are still awaiting key reports in the case, including one for ballistics (the charges against Qualls carry “firearm enhancements”). If the case is not resolved sooner, the next court date will be in January. Qualls remains in King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

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Traffic alert east of West Seattle

October 6, 2010 1:23 pm

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| Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway

According to an SDOT traffic alert, the ‘heavy rescue’ call at East Marginal/South Spokane is a train-vehicle crash – avoid that area – SDOT says all lanes of East Marginal are blocked. 1:52 PM UPDATE: SDOT just tweeted that traffic has cleared.

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West Seattle Halloween: Three days of trick-or-treating

October 6, 2010 11:45 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Fun stuff to do | Holidays | West Seattle news

Last month, we reported the days/times for two of West Seattle’s three annual business-district trick-or-treating events: Admiral Treats and Treasures is set for 3-6 pm, Friday, October 29; West Seattle Junction trick-or-treating 1-3 pm Saturday, October 30th. Today, after a visit to the Westwood Village offices, we have their date/time as well: Sunday, October 31st, 4-7 pm. (Till the forthcoming WSB Halloween page is up and running – got an event to share? – you’ll find all this on the Events page – be sure to share your event info!)

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West Seattle-linked team auctions ‘Bacon Kevin Bacon’ for charity

October 6, 2010 9:42 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(YouTube photo montage of Bacon Kevin Bacon – substituted for previous video clip, which seems to be broken)
In recent months, you might have seen the What Do Bacon Do? folks around West Seattle — at the WS Art Walk last April, street festivals, etc., with their festive felt Bacon People. Right now, they’re gaining new attention for their role in a fundraiser – and they’ll even be on KING 5‘s “New Day Northwest” at 11 this morning, we just found out. The photo above is the reason why – they were part of the making of a bust of actor Kevin Bacon, crafted from, what else, bacon. West Seattleite Wendy Watkins is on the WDBD team and explains it’s being auctioned on eBay – three days to go, and the bidding’s past $4,000! – to raise money for Ashley’s Team, a foundation to help families dealing with childhood cancer (Ashley is a leukemia patient who is also the daughter of the owner of J&D Foods, a partner in the BKB endeavor and best known for Bacon Salt). Sorry, though, BKB is not edible – as the eBay description notes, it’s been “well-lacquered.” (Bid here!)

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West Seattle Wednesday: ‘Greener Skies’ @ SWDC, and more

October 6, 2010 8:22 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: The Southwest District Council is scheduled to hear about potential local effects of Alaska Airlines’ “Greener Skies” proposal tonight (the same presentation was set for the Alki Community Council last month but didn’t happen after all), 7 pm at South Seattle Community College‘s board room … The city budget proposal is likely to be discussed by SWDC too, and at City Hall downtown, the council Budget Committee‘s all-day meetings continue – the departments making presentations today include Seattle Public Library at 3 pm – agenda here (includes links to the presenting departments’ budget outlines), all shown on Channel 21 and seattlechannel.org … Presented by Seattle Lutheran High School today at neighboring Hope Lutheran, 11 am-2:30 pm, “Understanding the Mysteries of the Teenage Brain” by Victoria Tennant, a presentation for teachers and other professionals but open to everyone ($40; e-mail brianabowen@clearwire.net) … The entertainment list includes weekly trivia (6:45 pm) and open mike (9 pm) at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), and Fine Films at Freshy’s presenting “Sweeney Todd” (2007), 7 pm.

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Election countdown: Keeping up with local candidates, day-by-day

October 6, 2010 1:03 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

In our nightly update/refresher course, as the November 2nd election approaches (with mail-in ballots scheduled to be mailed by the county one week from today): The ballot’s full of hot statewide ballot measures – but in terms of candidates, two local races are for open seats :

STATE HOUSE, 34TH DISTRICT, POSITION 2: If you didn’t pay attention in the primary, this is the seat that Rep. Sharon Nelson is leaving for the State Senate (where she is running unopposed, for the seat given up by State Sen. Joe McDermott, who is seeking election to the King County Council). Joe Fitzgibbon of Burien and Mike Heavey of West Seattle, both Democrats, are the two finalists from a four-person primary race. Much of the campaign action has involved doorbelling – but you can pick up other bits and pieces by following them on Twitter (Fitzgibbon here, Heavey here) or Facebook (Heavey here, Fitzgibbon here). Recent news includes Fitzgibbon’s endorsement by OneAmerica Votes Washington and Heavey’s endorsement by the Seattle Times.

KING COUNTY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 8: This is the seat Dow Constantine left to run for King County Executive; Jan Drago was appointed to the job early this year, after leaving the Seattle City Council, but never planned to run to keep it. So after what was also a four-candidate primary race, the nonpartisan position now has State Sen. Joe McDermott (see above) and Diana Toledo in the running, both from West Seattle. Recent news includes Toledo’s endorsements from the two candidates who didn’t make it out of the primary, Shawn McEvoy and Tim Fahey, and McDermott’s endorsement by IBEW Local 46. These two don’t seem to be tweeting, but you can follow them on Facebook for quick bursts of campaign notes – McDermott here, Toledo here.

Your full list of what/who is on the forthcoming ballot can be found online by going here. There’s one campaign forum coming up in the area with all four candidates on the same night – 7 pm October 21st, sponsored by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, at the Greenbridge YWCA, 9720 8th SW.

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