Preview night at West Seattle’s newest restaurant, Avalon
If you’ve driven along Avalon tonight, you might have noticed people inside the street’s new namesake restaurant. No, Avalon is not open to the public yet – as reported two days ago, next Monday (January 3) is the big night – but tonight, it’s having what’s known as a “friends and family” night to work the bugs out. Stopping by for a few photos, we got co-owner Mary Palmer to pause for a photo, by the espresso machine:
Caffe Umbria is the coffee chosen by Avalon. Meantime, among the “friends and family” we found giving Avalon’s cuisine a try were two people already well-known in the local food world:
Justin Cline and Ann Magyar, who own White Center-headquartered Full Tilt Ice Cream, pronounced Avalon’s food “good.” Both of the desserts on tonight’s preview menu, by the way, included Full Tilt ice cream – salted caramel in the Chocolate Profiteroles, cinnamon with the Apple Pie Tartlet. (What else was on the menu, you ask? The appetizers offered were Duck Flat Bread with persimmons and fontina cream sauce, Mixed Green Salad with sherry vinaigrette, marinated cheese curds, pears and candied hazelnuts; Salad Trio of marinated winter vegetables; Crab and Cod Cakes. Entrees: Syrah Braised Short Ribs with root-vegetable gratin; Grilled Sturgeon with dandelion pesto, anchovy butter, caramelized cauliflower, fennel bulb and cavalo nero; Marinated Carleton Port Tenderloin with butternut squash, brussel leaves and pancetta; Braised Chicken Gremolata with mashed potatoes, sunchokes and lemon. Other potential menu items are on their website.)
Another semi-random act of West Seattle holiday kindness
A source close to West Seattle Nursery wanted to share this story because, they explained, WSN owner Mark Smith is not one for horn-blowing: Mark went to the Holy Rosary Christmas Tree Lot the Monday before Christmas, two days before the lot planned to close, and found out they still had 200 trees left – perhaps because of their new, off-the-beaten-path location. He offered to take some of the trees and sell them for the school; the source says WSN sold 26 trees and wrote HR a check for $607 – full proceeds from the sale, with WSN donating the labor not only to complete the sale but to give the trees a fresh cut and tie them onto buyers’ cars. HR donates 15 percent of its tree sales to charity, so that meant about $91 for charity, too. Concluded the source: “I just wanted to let you know this because it’s another story about why West Seattle is such a great place to live … the people.”
Another new business in the new year: Ex-pharmacy space
Two months after the would-be owner of West Seattle Pharmacy in the former Westside Pharmacy space at California/Brandon gave up his hopes of opening, the For Lease sign has gone away (thanks to Kathleen for that tip). WSB contributor Keri DeTore tracked down the new tenants who are taking over the space. While they don’t want to go fully public yet, they told Keri they are in the very preliminary stages of creating a “small, neighborhood restaurant and bar.” Though they haven’t even started seeking permits yet, they are hoping to open “a friendly place where people feel welcome,” sometime in the first half of next year. (P.S. Keri’s also writing today about the new tenant of the former Jade West Café – her story’s coming up.)
West Seattle Weather Watch: Snow/hail/sleet – again, briefly!
12:36 PM: Almost 12 hours after the only noteworthy snow shower – and it was a brief one, as we noted – there’s more falling right now, loud and sleety. (Five minutes later, the cars are covered in white – fleetingly.)
12:47 PM UPDATE: After about 10 minutes, down to flurry status. Added a video clip from the height of the shower. Newest forecast says we might see this off and on till midnight or so.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli, before the icy bits all melted from atop cars)
1:06 PM UPDATE: The latest from SDOT, which notes we might have to worry about ice tonight (lows are projected in the 20s):
SDOT crews will continue patrolling and treating streets in the north end of Seattle today as needed although streets for the most part remain bare and wet.
Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing early this evening with the possibility of up to one inch of snow or freezing rain. Crews will be out throughout the city to treat major arterial streets as needed and in preparation for the evening commute. Night crews will continue this work depending on conditions.
SDOT managers will closely monitor the weather throughout the evening and make changes if needed.
Drivers are advised to slow down this evening and tomorrow morning, and be prepared for ice, especially on bridges and other elevated structures.
2:09 PM UPDATE: And now it’s sunny! If we get any more showery weather, we’ll update this story rather than launching a new one. It’s clearly one of those days where the weather changes every five minutes and every five miles (if not less!).
Third state liquor store proposed for West Seattle
The state Liquor Control Board is hoping to open a third liquor store in West Seattle. We have Andy to thank for the tip on this one – he discovered the “business opportunity” listing on the LCB site, seeking three new contract liquor stores in King County, including these criteria:
Successful applicants will be responsible for providing a suitable store location:
* At least 1.5 miles from other liquor stores
* 1,000 feet or more from schools and churches (RCW 66.24.010 – 9A)
* Located within a retail shopping hub
With preference given to:
* Stores at least 2,100 square feet
* West Seattle/Admiral area of King County
We followed up with the LCB media team. Spokesperson Anne Radford confirmed, “We hope to open one of the three new contract liquor stores in the Admiral area. This store would be in addition to the West Seattle Junction/Westwood Village stores.” The deadline for applications was December 23rd, so there’s no word yet about a possible location/operator. Meantime, we also asked about the search for a new location for the Junction store, and Radford had this update: “We’ve extended the lease at the current West Seattle Junction store until the end of June. We’re still working on a new location in the area. We may have additional details by the end of January.” The lease originally was set to expire in February, as we reported last May; a “for lease” sign’s been up at the location for two months.
Another way to help Family Promise: Donate at ‘Amahl’
(Photo courtesy Twelfth Night Productions)
On Christmas Day, we published an update on Family Promise of Seattle, the West Seattle-based nonprofit that still needs to raise about $40,000 before it can start housing homeless families again – a service no one else in this area provides. Today, Family Promise board member Laura Bermes sends word they’re partnering with Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) during the upcoming “Amahl and the Night Visitors“:
Twelfth Night Productions, West Seattle’s own community theater, is partnering up with Family Promise of Seattle this holiday season to change the lives of homeless children and their families. West Seattleites are familiar with Twelfth Night’s productions and reputation of putting on quality theatrical productions, giving opportunity for local community members to shine on stage. But, did you know that the production company regularly partners up with local non-profits and community groups to make a difference right here in West Seattle?
This year, Twelfth Night will once again bring the holiday opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” to the stage. Amahl is a touching story about a poor young shepherd and his mother who receive a visit from the Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem. This fully scored orchestrated production is a perfect way to cap off your holiday celebrations, and is appropriate for patrons of all ages! And while you attend the show, volunteers from Family Promise of Seattle will be in attendance talking about the shelter, selling baked goods, and taking donations.
Amahl and the Night Visitors will be playing at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
(4408 Delridge Way SW) Jan 7th and 8th at 7:30 pm and Jan 8th & 9th at 3 pm. Tickets
can be purchased online or by calling 206-937-1394. More information about Family Promise of Seattle can be found at www.familypromiseofseattle.org.
Tis the Season… come and top off your holiday with this beautiful show, and step up to help West Seattle’s only homeless shelter for families open its doors once again!
Highland Park crash: 1 SUV, 6 parked vehicles
(Photo by @king5unit9, used with permission)
SPDBlotter has information this morning about the early-morning pileup in Highland Park (photo above was tweeted by KING 5): Police say a woman driving an SUV rammed a parked car at 9th/Henderson Place (map), with so much force that “a chain reaction occurred” and left a total of 6 parked cars damaged. The SUV’s driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center. According to KING photojournalist Jim Scott, the sideways vehicle in the picture was parked, not occupied.
West Seattle scenes: Frosted peaks, high seas
Nice views from Alki this morning, during the first serious sunbreak we’ve seen in a while: The view of the frosted Olympics with low clouds in the foreground, above, is courtesy of David Rosen from SlickPix Photography; we caught the high tide at Alki, two perspectives below:
Checking the tide table, seems this isn’t even as high as it’s been – it peaks today at 12.4 feet in a few minutes, but the highest tide of the month was 13.2 feet on Christmas Day. P.S. Note the 8 pm -1.2 tide this Friday – if the weather holds, might be a nice low-tide walk for New Year’s Eve.
West Seattle Weather Watch: The snow’s mostly elsewhere
12:59 AM: Thanks to WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz for the first heads-up – a sort of snow/sleet mix has begun to fall. Meantime, Stephanie saw an SDOT de-icer truck on the West Seattle Bridge right before midnight, as the city had promised. Official Sea-Tac 1 am temperature is 38 degrees, so it’s a little too warm to stick, so far.
1:13 AM NOTE: First shower over already – radar a couple over ago had suggested whatever comes, will be in showery installments, like this.
5:29 AM UPDATE: Nothing much through the night here in West Seattle. Checking out TV traffic reports, looks like South Everett has snow right now. (See this WSDOT camera.) So if you commute in that direction, be ready! Tacoma had a shower, too, but it’s stopped there.
8:15 AM UPDATE: Uneventful in-city commute. New forecast (from National Weather Service at 7 am) says showers are still a possibility.
The WSBeat: Road rage, cab-rider rage, and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Near Jefferson Square on Wednesday, a gentleman waved the car behind to “go around” when his groceries spilled to the floor and he needed a moment to rearrange them. The driver did, indeed, pass by, but then stopped and blocked in the gentleman’s car. An “overly excited/hostile” passenger jumped from the car and kicked a dent in the gentleman’s passenger door. Officers found the suspected offending driver (58 years old) and his son, the suspected kicker (36 years old) at dad’s Morgan Junction-area home. At first, dad lied and said he had been alone at the time, but he finally went in and got his son, admitting he was trying to “protect him.” It’s possible Sonny Boy will face charges of property damage.
Five more summaries ahead, starting with the case of cab-rider rage:Read More
Calling all bands: Play the popular Admiral summer concert series!
(WSB photos from July 2010, 1st concert of this year’s series)
Think summer in winter! West Seattle’s hottest outdoor-concert series is getting ready to line up next summer’s acts. From Admiral Neighborhood Association president Katy Walum:
The Admiral Neighborhood Association is now accepting Band Submissions for our 2011 Summer Concert Series at Hiawatha Park. Concert dates will be July 28th, August 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th, and September 1st. The ANA asks that bands include website information (or other means by which we may listen to music samples), number of band members and staging/sound requirements, and the best means of contacting the band. We also request that you submit your band’s fee for a 90 minute set, including a 10 minute break. When determining your fee for submission to play our series, you may wish to take into account the community, not-for-profit nature of our organization, and the high degree of visibility your group would receive as a series participant (last summer’s audiences numbered up to 1,200 people).
Please note that the ANA’s Summer Concert Series is a free, family outdoor concert event in a residential neighborhood.
The ANA will receive submissions through January 15, 2011; please submit to katy.walum@gmail.com. We hope to announce our 2011 series schedule by January 31st.
If you or your business is interested in sponsoring the 2011 ANA Summer Concert Series at Hiawatha Park, please contact Dave Weitzel at dave@weitzelconstruction.com.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Station scare; fast-acting thief
Two notes tonight (and stay tuned for this week’s WSBeat around 11 pm, barring breaking news): First, this didn’t turn out to be a crime, but we’ve received a couple of after-the-fact questions about police action earlier today at Fire Station 11 (map) in Highland Park, so in case anyone else is also wondering – when we checked with SFD spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl to ask about a reader report of “police tape” up at the station, she explained: “The crew found a PVC pipe next to the fire station that looked suspicious. SPD checked it out and determined that it was filled with sand and was not criminal in intent.” Meantime, from Deb at 35th/Cambridge (map), another lesson sadly learned about not leaving ANYTHING in your car, ANYWHERE, ANY TIME – she says this happened between 3:30 and 4 pm Monday:
I left my convertible parked outside my garage … for less than 30 minutes. When I returned, someone had slashed the top to unlock the doors and rummage though my glove box. I had only left my car briefly as I had just replaced the wiper blades and was going to run some errands (we’re talking 15 minutes tops). I believe the garage door scared him off and the thief only made off with my iPod (thank heavens it was a really old one, can’t hold a charge, and locks up regularly…enjoy it, buddy) but he left my stereo and faceplate behind. When it dawned on me what had happened, I glanced out to the street to see someone standing there looking at me in a tan coat with a hood with a backpack, maybe 6 feet? May have been the guy, maybe not…best to be on the lookout and just a reminder that even 2 feet from my house, it’s not safe to leave anything in your car.
‘Nightlife Initiative’ update: Still pursuing ‘flexible’ liquor hours
In a week with few other official government events, Mayor McGinn briefed the media tonight on the status of the “Nightlife Initiative“ he announced in July. The full status report is here (PDF). Many of the components only affect other parts of the city, but of note citywide, the proposal to pursue “flexible liquor-service hours” – such as later cutoff times – is still in play. Discussing the results of 2,400 comments tallied on the initiative, the mayor’s report says “… more than 80 percent of online respondents agreed or strongly agreed that, ‘Extending service hours will make our streets safer.'” The city acknowledges it would need to develop a proposal to present to the state, and says that the guidelines for “exploring” the idea would include:
Conditional license
1. Privilege for bar owners
2. Started as a pilot
3. Use of data throughout the process
4. Reduces police resources
5. Resolution of City Council needed for adoption
As for existing rules, the report includes an update on what the city’s interdepartmental Code Compliance Team is finding. Citywide, the number of businesses where sales/consumption of alcohol is allowed rose 18 percent in 2010, the report says, from 1,497 in 2009 to 1,766 in 2010. Fewer than 1 in 7 had “noncompliance issues”; of those, the Southwest Precinct (West Seattle/South Park) area had the smallest number – 10 – and the report says 9 of those fixed the problems, with 1 still a work in progress. Meantime, the report also notes a new law that’s about to take effect:
The Nighttime Disturbance Ordinance was passed by the City Council on August 2, 2010. It creates a new civil infraction for loud noise, threats or fighting that occur in a public place in a commercial or industrial zone between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. The noise provisions of the ordinance were approved by the Department of Ecology in November and SPD is currently conducting officer training on the ordinance. Enforcement will begin in January 2011.
Again, you can read the entire Nightlife Initiative report here.
New development proposal for just-cleaned-up High Point site
(Photo courtesy Marco via Twitter)
After a few months of digging and hauling, most of the cleanup work is done at 35th/Graham in High Point (map), and as the photo tweeted Monday by Marco shows, right now it’s something of a lake. In the process of checking out “what happens next?”, we discovered a new development proposal for the site – two years after a flurry of activity for the previous proposal.
The new proposal turned up at the site’s official page in the city’s Department of Planning and Development system: 90 townhouses and live-work units. That’s dramatically different from the previous mixed-use proposal, last seen at a Design Review meeting more than two years ago. That plan had included 200 apartments and 16,000 square feet of retail. Regarding the new proposal,site owner Seattle Housing Authority‘s spokesperson Virginia Felton tells WSB they’re not ready to discuss it in depth: “We are in negotiation with a developer … I can’t provide details yet – we need to have the actual agreement in place first. We hope to have that accomplished in a month or so. We are excited at the prospect of seeing development move forward on this site and think this will be a very positive addition to the neighborhood.”
As for what’s happening on the site in the near future, following the stimulus-funding (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) cleanup of old petroleum contamination (as first reported here), Felton says, “The excavation will be filled in shortly – leaving a shallow depression to collect water so that the street is not flooded during heavy rains.”
West Seattle Weather Watch: SDOT, Metro, WSDOT plans
ORIGINAL 12:48 PM REPORT: Just in from SDOT:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is carefully monitoring weather forecasts for Seattle and planning for snow and ice response accordingly. The forecast is for temperatures just above freezing overnight with up to one-half inch of wet snow possible, and an additional one inch of snow possible tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
After 10 p.m. tonight SDOT crews will proactively apply salt brine in roadway areas where frost or black ice is prone to develop, especially on bridges and other elevated structures around the city.
Starting at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning (Wednesday), SDOT spreader trucks will be prepositioned throughout the city, ready to spread rock salt on major arterial streets (primary snow routes, Levels 1 and 2) for the morning commute if conditions warrant.
The snow plan calls for plowing when there is more than one inch of accumulated snow on the roadway, which is not in the forecast at this time.
SDOT will continue to monitor the weather conditions carefully and respond accordingly.
For more information on Seattle’s winter weather response plan and to view a map of snow routes, please see SDOT’s website.
2:07 PM NOTE: Meantime, the National Weather Service’s “forecast discussion” is still downplaying the likelihood of some snow – another update should be out within the next two hours; whatever happens, they say, would be overnight into the early morning. And WSDOT has announced it’ll open the I-5 express lanes southbound at midnight, just in case.
ADDED 3 PM: Metro has weighed in:
With snow showers in the forecast for Wednesday morning, King County Metro Transit is urging bus riders to prepare by making sure they are signed up for Transit Alerts and that they know the snow routing for the buses they will ride tomorrow.
Then before traveling, riders should check kingcounty.gov/metro/snow for the most current status of Metro service. Updates to the online information will begin at 4 a.m. each morning.
Remember, Metro is operating with a reduced schedule this week, which means some commuter and school-oriented routes do not operate, and other routes have individual trips canceled. This is indicated by an “H” in the timetables.
Current weather forecasts indicate if snow falls Tuesday night into Wednesday morning in the lower elevations of King County, it should be mostly in the form of snow showers with no significant accumulations. But, the snow could be heavier at higher areas in east King County or if a convergence zone sets up inside the county. Bus operations could change rapidly.
We’ll be on early/late watch too, as always, including 1st word from Metro in the morning re: their plans.
Update: 1 hurt in West Seattle house fire on 12th SW
(Photo added 10:40 am)
10:30 AM: On our way to check out the house-fire call in the 8100 block of 12th SW (map) – scanner reports flames seen by firefighters who’ve arrived in the past few minutes. We can see the smoke, while en route, from about a mile away.
10:36 AM UPDATE: Via scanner, crews report the fire is “knocked down” – they’re ventilating and searching the house.
10:44 AM UPDATE: As you can see in our photo added a few minutes ago, the ventilation work is happening on the roof. Firefighters report everyone got out OK. No injuries reported. We don’t have information on the circumstances/cause yet. Police are now being sent to the scene to help with traffic control along this section of 12th SW.
11:03 AM UPDATE: New information from the incident commander – two people who were in the house when the fire started are being checked by medics, one for a possible burn injury. The fire damaged a structure on the side of the house as well as the house itself:
11:35 AM UPDATE: Added a few more photos. According to SFD, one person did indeed suffer a facial burn. No word yet on the fire’s cause, but we’ll keep checking back.
12:35 PM UPDATE: SFD has announced the cause as “food on the stove.”
Video: Muddy mess on 47th SW south of Fauntleroy
(Scroll down for newest info/photo/video)
(Photo added 7:06 am – this is what’s covering the road)
6:02 AM: Checking on the chopper that seems to be hovering in the Lincoln Park area, not far from WSB HQ. It seems to be searching over the water and is sweeping to the south, too. 6:25 AM UPDATE: Apparently a TV chopper checking on a reported slide. 47th SW is closed south of the 10200 block (map) – our roving crew just spotted the sign.
6:55 AM UPDATE: The actual slide starts in the 10400 block (map). This is at or near a spot that had been reported to the city a week ago, according to e-mail we had exchanged at the time with area resident Tony: He had spotted signs of an impending slide on December 19th; two days later, he said, SDOT “came out … and cleaned the road and coned off half of the sliding road.” No sign of a city crew yet this morning, but sunrise isn’t till 8 am.
7:20 AM UPDATE: From another neighbor, Mary, in comments:
I live on 47th street just a few houses down. It seems that the slide was caused by a tree that fell; that tree broke a sprinkler system that was NOT turned off or winterized. The water came gushing out and caused the slide. The mud is about a foot deep and the street sewers are backed up and clogged by the mud. The other slide area mentioned by Tony is down a few houses and is a different section. The area is still closed off and we are all waiting for the City to do something so that folks can get to work.
8:07 AM UPDATE: Looks like cleanup help is on the way. Our crew is headed back now that it’s light – and just called in to say they’re “behind a backhoe.”
8:23 AM UPDATE: Adding a photo of backhoe in action – will have video shortly. SDOT crew at the scene tells us it’ll take an hour or so to clean up.
8:50 AM UPDATE: And there’s the video. Neighbors tell us this may have happened 2:30-3 am – they heard something loud about that time, and woke up to mud.
10:17 AM UPDATE: Just went back to check on the situation. Not clear yet, but crews are making progress. Along with equipment to scoop and move the mud, they also have a vacuum truck to clear the clogged drains mentioned above.
West Seattle Tuesday: From nightlife to storytelling
First, the transit-rider reminder: Metro’s on “reduced weekday service” again today … A citywide event bound to be of interest here too – Mayor McGinn plans an update on the “Nightlife Initiative” at 6 pm tonight (Washington Hall in Squire Park) … Speaking of nightlife, a few notes – the ReKonstruction show with West Seattle-raised comedian Adam Cozens, mentioned in this WSB story, is tonight at Comedy Underground in Pioneer Square, 8 pm (hosted by West Seattle’s Alex Meyer) … Nightlife *in* West Seattle includes “Writers and Tellers Night” at 9 pm, Mac’s Triangle Pub (9454 Delridge Way), with the “Big Fat Liars Club” competition … At the other end of Delridge, it’s Caffeine, live on stage at 9 pm, at Skylark Café and Club, and 8 pm rock trivia at Feedback Lounge (both WSB sponsors) … For the much-much-younger set, there’s afternoon entertainment: Toddler Story Time at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson), 2 pm (more info here) … And looking ahead, we’re continuing to add to the West Seattle New Year’s Eve list on the Holidays page.
West Seattle (-ish) scenes that aren’t what they seem
(Photo by Guy Smith; click for larger version)
Two photos to share tonight that are both optical illusions of sorts involving water. Top, from Guy Smith, who explains (be sure to click the photo for largest version):
From Alki Point, December 26, 2010:
For those who like to contemplate our watery West Seattle horizons, the recent very high tide of 12.9 feet was a good time to do it. This photo taken from Alki Point shows the West Point lighthouse 6 miles north. The curvature of the earth coupled with the high tide makes the light house look half submerged; even though it sits way above water at high tide. The land at left center in the far distance is the only part of Whidbey Island we can see from this angle that sits above the horizon. It’s the tall part of Whidbey at Double Bluff; about 30 miles from Alki Point.
On the goofy side – this screengrab that Paul caught today from a WSDOT traffic camera:
He wrote:
I was just checking traffic cams before heading out to run errands and saw this image on the Spokane cam. I know it is just a raindrop or dirt but it startled me at first!
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