West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
Seems summer begins in February. In the past week, we’ve been looking ahead to all sorts of big West Seattle summer events – and tonight, we have three previews from the latest West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival meeting. In the top photo, that’s the official design for this year’s Hi-Yu float, based on the “Sparkling Seattle” theme chosen from Junior Court Princess Riley Fredericks‘s idea in December (WSB coverage here). Once again this year, West Seattle Hi-Yu needs someplace to build the float – please contact the festival through their website if you have a site to suggest.
Next, tonight’s meeting resulted in the choice of a winning design for this year’s fundraising button:
The winning design was created by Marianne Unite, sister of Senior Court Princess Rosemarie Unite. You’ll see it on sale as Hi-Yu gets closer. Meantime, Princess Rosemarie and her court-mate Princess Victoria Ferrulli showed off this year’s princess gown:
Fashion expert Angela Nichols of Funky Jane’s Consignment – who’s also mom of reigning Junior Court Queen Taylor Nichols – calls the color “raspberry/salmon.” The queen’s gown will be the same design, but made in blue.
To our knowledge, no one reported spotting the distinctive dark fins of orcas off West Seattle shores today, but Trileigh is sharing photos tonight of a not-so-everyday sea-lion sighting:
My partner and I encountered a wonderful Sea Lion spectacle at the Lincoln Park beach this afternoon. There were several sea lions-at least three or four. At first they were just drifting around off the north beach, looking like logs except that they’d raise their heads every once in a while. Then we saw a single sea lion further offshore, resting on its back with flippers up, just like a big sleepy bear in the water!
We walked to the beach south of Colman Pool, and then things got really interesting. A big brown female sea lion was actively fishing, much to the excitement of the gulls flocking overhead and on nearby water … Word apparently got around, and soon she was joined by three additional sea lions (maybe those were the guys lounging around by the north beach). They dove and did headstands as they hunted underwater.
(The next photo shows) that the sea lions were pretty good fishers.
What a wonderful place to live!
(The city’s “Triangle Study Area,” which stretches a little beyond the boundaries of the 35th/Fauntleroy/Alaska Triangle itself)
6:12 PM: It’s already home to businesses and residential complexes like the West Seattle Family YMCA and Tom’s Automotive (both WSB sponsors), Alki Lumber and Diva Espresso, the VFW and American Legion halls, medical clinics for people and pets, Fire Station 32, the soon-to-be-made-over Seattle West Inn and Suites, the new Link residential/retail building and Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsors), the future lounge/restaurant The Bridge, Mountain to Sound Outfitters, the future Trader Joe’s and future Les Schwab Tire Center, and more … and from the south end of the West Seattle Bridge, it’s a gateway. So how will The Triangle evolve? Right now, it’s your chance for a closer look at proposed street-use and land-use concepts, potentially phased in over the years ahead, following months of work by city planners and a citizens’ advisory group – and your chance to share what you think about the concepts. The West Seattle Triangle Open House is under way till 8 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon in The Junction, enter from Oregon), with what’s promised to be a “short presentation” at 6:30. More to come.
7:05 PM: More than 60 people are here – both familiar faces from the business and neighborhood-association communities, and others who want to know what might be in store for this pivotal neighborhood. As shown in our photo above, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who has been involved in Triangle planning and brainstorming for almost three years – is here too. He spoke briefly (video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown):
Also speaking were city planner Susan McLain and architect David Hewitt. (They presented very brief toplines on the ways in which The Triangle could evolve, including pedestrian streetscapes in its interior, and the latest version of the Fauntleroy Way “boulevard” concept from SW Alaska to The Bridge – which could have two travel lanes in each direction plus a landscaped median – that’s not officially written into any city plans or budgets yet, though, according to our most recent checks.)
Also here, if you have questions – Paul Roybal and Christine Alar from the county and city respectively, answering questions about Metro’s coming-next-year RapidRide (see our latest story here). One of the Luna Park business leaders who is concerned about RapidRide-related parking loss, John Bennett, is here and voiced his concerns as the presentation ended. Harbor Properties’ Denny Onslow followed him, talking about Link, the mixed-use apartments/retail building that’s almost complete in The Triangle, which he expects will bring 300 new residents to The Triangle, as well as dozens of jobs in the restaurant, yoga studio, and child-care center that are moving in. The formal presentation just ended – still an hour left for Q/A, with planning reps, architects, and RapidRide, as noted.
7:51 PM: The public’s gone and the official participants have rolled up the renderings and folded up the aisles – it’s over. McLain says the presentation will be on the city website tomorrow (we’ll post a separate update when it turns up). Next steps, as she noted in her remarks – even more public meetings and comment periods, as city departments formally review these concepts for potential inclusion in official city planning records, where they would be consulted as redevelopment happens in the area in the years and decades ahead.
Just announced by King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart:
The armed robber dubbed the “polite robber” by local media was arrested this afternoon by Sheriff’s detectives and the SWAT Team. He was taken into custody without incident about 2:00 PM. His demeanor at the time of arrest is unknown.
The arrest took place at a residence in the Top Hat neighborhood where the man was living. The location is not far from the Shell Station at 2805 SW Roxbury that he allegedly robbed on Saturday, February 5th about 11:20 AM. He was carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol during the robbery.
The video of the robbery, complete with sound, was released by the store owner has since “gone viral”. The suspect was quickly identified from tips.
The man arrested is a convicted felon, including convictions for Forgery and Armed Robbery (!). He is 65 years old.
Here’s our previous story.
The Seattle Police Mounted Patrol Unit is downtown right now along with police leaders including Southwest Precinct Captain Steve Paulsen as part of big news for Highland Park (and the rest of West Seattle) – Zippy’s Giant Burgers may be leaving, but it looks like the SPD Mounted Patrol is staying. OK, Zippy’s isn’t part of the announcement, but just to keep things in context … The Seattle Police Foundation has committed to fund the Mounted Patrol, which has been headquartered next to Westcrest Park since 2001, for three years – but they need a little more funding from the public. The Mounted Patrol was scheduled to be disbanded entirely because of budget cuts (as first reported here last fall). We’ll have details of the campaign shortly; a website is up at saveourhorses.net.
2:58 PM UPDATE: The news conference to announce the campaign, by the stage at Westlake Park, was cut short by a downpour of rain and sleet (as you’ll see in this clip):
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
The Seattle Police Foundation is looking for more than $30,000 from the public to augment what it’s chipping in – and the Seattle Hotel Association is its partner in raising the money. The saveourhorses.net website is where you can go to find out about donating; once the downpour eased a bit, we talked with Sgt. Ballingham of the Mounted Patrol, who told WSB they’re “grateful” for the commitment to serve the Mounted Patrol and happy to be staying in West Seattle (which is their base, though they are deployed all around the city). Note that the fundraising campaign will pay for the horses’ care, food and support, while the Mounted Unit officers stay on the SPD payroll; at one point, it was expected they would be transferred to other parts of the department. (The Seattle Police Foundation’s executive director Renée Hopkins, by the way, is a West Seattleite.)
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
3:42 PM UPDATE: Added one more clip – SPD Deputy Chief Nick Metz explaining why the department values the Mounted Patrol. And if you want to read the official news release on today’s announcement, you’ll find it here.
Stopping by the Sustainable West Seattle booth at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market every other Sunday usually yields the proverbial wealth of information. This time around, Laura Elfline shared the announcement of the 2011 Green Home Tour, planned for 10 am-4 pm April 16-17. She says there’ll be at least a few West Seattle stops on the tour, presented by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild. And she said the tour sites haven’t all been finalized yet, so if you know of a sustainably designed/built home that might be perfect for the tour, you can reach organizers through tour@ecobuilding.org.
Among our newest WSB sponsors is the networking group Westside Professionals. Here’s what they’d like you to know: We want to grow our chapter by attracting other professionals with this sponsorship. 
We are the Westside Professionals Chapter of BNI (Business Network International) and meet weekly to pass business referrals. Our mission is to grow our businesses through word-of-mouth marketing and we are seeking like-minded professionals to join us.
We have openings for key professions and would like to obtain a massage therapist, electrician, plumber, pet-sitter, CPA, dentist, physical therapist, promotional products, veterinarian, health insurance, event planner, caterer, architect, business coach, moving company, attorney, interior designer, locksmith, florist, jeweler, handyman, senior services, advertising agency, property management, travel agent, and many others. It is a one-person-per-profession group, so that there is not competition from within for a type of product or service. New members would be joining and complementing: Photography, Banking, Web Development, Computer Training, Security Systems, Art Glass, Personal Property Appraisals, Dermatology, Window Coverings, Professional Organizing, Printing, Acupuncture, Automotive Services, Roofing, Real Estate, Skin Care, Mortgages, Painting, Information Technology, Naturopathic Medicine, Property & Casualty Insurance, Relationship Coaching, Chiropractor, Picture Framing, Auto Body & Detail, General Contractor, Landscape Services, Fitness & Cycling, Graphic Design, Financial Advisor, Hair Stylist, and Carpet Cleaning.
On average, our members receive about $12,000 in business per year from their investment. It is a weekly commitment, but that’s why it works. We build relationships with one another and establish trust in order to pass quality referrals. Meeting Info: Wednesdays, 8-9:30 am
The Kenney
7125 Fauntleroy Way SW (map)
Meeting Room 2 (downstairs off the main lobby)
Bring 40 business cards and plan to speak for 30 seconds about the type of business you’d like to receive. Breakfast is included. For more info: Shannon Felix, sfelix@quidnunc.net or chapter President Chris Foss, chris@fossappraisal.com
We thank Westside Professionals for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Two reports to share this morning – one, a car break-in that netted the thieves religious items as well as more common loot, so the victim’s hoping you will keep an eye out in case they were discarded; the other, an attempted car theft. Both after the jump:Read More
That photo is by, and used with permission from, Alisa Lemire Brooks, one of the people lucky enough to see another breathtaking orca visit in West Seattle waters – after passing the west-facing shores late yesterday, a group turned into Elliott Bay toward downtown, and put on quite a show. Will they be back today? Impossible to predict, but one sight that IS expected in the bay (and out into Puget Sound) is the debut appearance of the new state ferry Salish, being towed to Everett from Todd Pacific Shipyards on Harbor Island where it was built (here’s our Friday preview; the tow was scheduled to start around 8 am) … Biggest event in West Seattle tonight: Come get a firsthand look into the potential future of The Triangle, at an open house where you can see the street-use and land-use “concepts” the city has drawn up after months of advisory-group meetings. One concept could involve rezoning to allow 8-story buildings along SW Alaska in The Triangle, city planners mentioned during a presentation at last week’s Southwest District Council meeting. What would you want to see as this area evolves? Officially share your opinion during the 6-8 pm open house at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon) … And 3 reminders from weekend coverage: It’s the first weekday since Metro’s latest service change; the Tony’s Market produce stand at 35th/Barton reopens today, with the late Tony Genzale‘s son Joey in charge, as reported here Saturday night; and the Lumpia World food truck, which drew lines in its Saturday debut (here’s the photo we tweeted), is expected back in the California SW Rite-Aid parking lot 11 am-2 pm today … More on the WSB calendar!
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Ready to tour the new Knowing the Spring Courtyard at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the campus of South Seattle Community College on Puget Ridge? It’s ready for visitors, Wednesdays-Sundays noon-4:30 pm, after a “soft opening” on Sunday afternoon.
That’s program director Julia Freimund welcoming visitors at the garden’s also still-in-the-formative-stages Discovery Center. More garden photos after the jump:Read More
(WSB photo from January 15th)
The crash that closed 26th SW by Shorewood Market for hours three weeks ago has turned fatal. The 14-year-old boy hit by a truck, identified by family friends as Carter Allen, died this weekend. According to family friend Ericka, his injuries included irreversible brain damage, and he died after being taken off life support. She says Carter was autistic, a student at White Center’s Evergreen High School, raised by his single dad Derek Allen, who also went to EHS. Ericka writes:
Carter was a very happy boy who always had a smile on his face. Derek has been by Carter’s side in the hospital nonstop since the day of the accident, going through the ups and downs holding out hope and waiting for the day that Carter would open his eyes and he could hear his voice. He was told that it would be a long road to recovery, but never figured it would come to this.
Throughout this whole ordeal, Derek has never once asked for any help and has just said when asked that they will be fine and work things out as he can. Derek is the type of person that he would give his last dollar and the shoes off his feet if someone was in need, and he never wants to bother anyone with his troubles. It would be wonderful if his friends and those that know Carter could show them just how important they are. The medical bills are going to be outrageous and the funeral expenses are to be many, so any financial help that we can give him will help and be very appreciated. I know that Derek would do the same for someone else if they were in this situation, no matter how little he had.
A PayPal account has been set up for anyone who would like to donate, and Ericka says there will be a fundraising event in the near future. While the crash remains under investigation, King County Sheriff’s Deputies had said days afterward that it appeared to be an accident.
| Comments Off on West Seattle Hi-Yu updates: Float sketch; button-design winner