day : 14/04/2011 13 results

From West Seattle High School girls’ basketball coach Sonya Elliott, news about one of her top players:

West Seattle girls basketball player Anna Hobby (has signed a) Letter of Intent to play basketball at Bellevue College. The 6’1” senior finished her final season averaging 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game, and was the team’s Co-MVP with teammate Ja’Narah McRae.

“I’m very excited for Anna,” said Sonya Elliott, the new head girls’ basketball coach at West Seattle, “It’s a great opportunity for her to continue her education and to grow as an athlete and as a person, which is what the athletic department emphasizes here at West Seattle High School.”

West Seattle wildlife: 2 coyote encounters, 1 with photos

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Two coyote reports tonight – the first one, with photos, from Jennifer in Fauntlee Hills:

Just wanted to let your readers know to keep small pets and kids indoors tonight!

Two big coyotes were in our backyard around 5:30. They were really aware of us watching them and stayed, watching us in return for a good 5 minutes or so before running off to a neighbor’s.

No photos, but a graphic story from Candice, after the jump:Read More

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Update: Police arrest burglary suspect near Lincoln Park

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Thanks for the tips about the sizable police response by the Lincoln Park tennis courts/Solstice Park area. Our crew just arrived on scene to try to find out what’s going on; updates as we get them – it was dispatched as an “aid response” but the lone fire unit is leaving now and the crew told us nobody was transported, and whatever is going on is a police matter. 8:52 PM: Scanner traffic indicates it may be related to a nearby burglary. Our crew at the scene says one person appears to have been detained and driven away. 9:02 PM: We’ve just talked to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams at the scene. He confirms that this is related to a burglary attempt on Murray SW (vicinity map – we don’t know which block), and the man who was taken away by police was identified as the suspected would-be burglar. Why the particularly sizable response (we counted at least nine cars on first drive-by)? Police say there was a report the suspect might have been armed. 9:20 PM: Via text messages, the apparent burglary victim says a dog alerted them to the break-in attempt.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘Prolific’ suspect charged; car, food thefts

April 14, 2011 5:45 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

3 updates in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight: A multiple-burglary case at a retirement complex in southeast West Seattle has resulted in six charges just filed against 41-year-old John Novotny – four counts of residential burglary, two counts of second-degree burglary. The crimes are alleged to have occurred last month. Novotny is accused of breaking into storage units and other areas at Arrowhead Gardens and stealing items ranging from Christmas ornaments to a sound system. Court documents say some of the stolen property was found in Novotny’s unit at the storage facility near the retirement complex, along with items believed to have been taken in burglaries from other West Seattle residences. Novotny is described in court documents as a “prolific burglar” and has been in the King County Jail since Tuesday and is due in court to answer these charges on April 28th. Meantime, we have two reader reports ahead – a stolen car to watch for, and delivered groceries that somebody made off with:Read More

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West Seattle schools: Young Authors’ Day at Arbor Heights

April 14, 2011 4:45 pm

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| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Arbor Heights Elementary was a sea of lavender today as students, teachers, and volunteers gathered for their annual Young Authors Day. Students proudly wore this year’s event t-shirt, featuring vote-winning student designs (one from each grade level) on the front and a chaotic array of friends’ signatures on the back.

The day kicked off with a performance of “Henry’s Freedom Box” by Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre. From there, students were assigned to small groups scattered throughout the school to read the book they’d authored. One student shared her creation with WSB — the story of an exciting taxi ride through New York City. The ultimate destination? Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was an excellent read.

(Ahead, the story continues – and you’re invited to an event tonight…)Read More

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Gates Painting: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor

April 14, 2011 4:10 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Gates Painting Co., LLC, owned and operated by Jake and Beth Gates. As is WSB tradition, here’s what they would like you to know about their business: Jake is a third-generation West Seattleite who has worked in the neighborhood since the early 1980s. Gates Painting handles residential, commercial & industrial painting projects. They take pride that approximately 90 percent of their work comes from past customers’ referrals. Always-updated painting techniques & dedicated professionals ensure a quality outcome for every project they undertake.

Jake says of his firm, “I always hear that people were happy with how streamlined and easy the job went. They really appreciated the staff’s attention to detail and their professional demeanor and that they were able to communicate easily with everyone involved in the process.”

He adds, “We are an ‘EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm.’ This enables us to legally work on all structures built prior to 1978; West Seattle has many homes that fall into this category. More importantly, it lets us exhibit safe work practices that protect all occupants, workers and the environment from highly toxic lead poisoning and ingestion.” Gates Painting is also “Certified Stain Expert” by Benjamin Moore. Jake says, “There are fewer than ten Certified contractors in Washington State. The training of independent certification enables us to identify common issues, remedy and find appropriate products to apply to insure a long lasting performance suited for the West Seattle area.”

Gates Painting belongs to the Master Builders Association (MBA), Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW), Painting and Wall Covering Contractors (PDCA) and they are corporate sponsors of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Contact us today for a free consultation for your painting needs. Office 425-432-9782 ~ Toll-free 855-TEAM GATES ~ Fax 425-432-9793 ~ E-mail info@gatespainting.com

We thank Gates Painting 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.

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West Seattle Art Walk tonight! See the map, and a few previews

April 14, 2011 2:44 pm

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| West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Just a bit more than three hours till the April edition of the West Seattle Art Walk, a free showcase at dozens of venues all over the peninsula. Some of the venues change quarterly, and this is the first Art Walk this quarter, so be sure to check the walking map/venue list before deciding where to go 6-9 pm tonight. This quarter, the northernmost stop on the Art Walk is at the beach, Alki Arts (2820 Alki Avenue SW), and the southernmost stop is The Building (which you’ll find on SW Othello just west of California SW, past the Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation church). Many of the participating venues have previews on the official Art Walk website, with artist information/imagery and we have a few previews for you here too:

TWILIGHT ARTIST COLLECTIVE: We stopped in this Junction venue at midday for a sneak peek at the exhibition opening tonight, “The Birds,” curated by John Osgood – the photo above shows one of the myriad bird-themed/featured works in the Twilight display “loft.”

TALK ABOUT VIDEO AT ARTSWEST: A short ways south of Twilight, tonight’s Art Walk includes a special presentation – after the 6-7:30 pm reception for “Domestic Patterns,” ArtsWest presents a special OnStage discussion, “How to Make It as a Video Artist in Seattle” in the theater at 7:30 pm – free, with guest speakers Tess Martin (a video artist), 4Culture‘s Heather Dwyer, and Reel Grrls’ Maile Martinez. Legal, tech, marketing, and creative issues are all on the agenda.

SEATTLE REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES (WSB sponsor): Meet artist Igor Kashinskiy, classically trained in St. Petersburg, Russia, and displaying his work at SREA (4535 44th SW) right now, including the work shown above.

BIN 41 WINE SHOP: West Seattle artist Frances Hinson will be on hand as she shares “an array of photography from her travel and botanical portfolio,” as bin 41 co-owner T. Frick McNamara puts it. “You’ll be amazed when you see what photos came from her camera and which ones she crafted using the iPhone!” Also on display, a few pieces from T. Frick’s encaustic-painting portfolio. And the bin will feature “the brand new releases from Owen Roe’s second label Corvidae along with two wines from a top new Washington winery, Maison Bleue.”

MORE WINE: Art Walk night is also Wine Club night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW, and it’s tasting night at West Seattle Cellars (6026 California SW), which is featuring Oregon wines, as well as the art of Batya Friedman, mixed-media artist/sculptor.

SODA AND ART AT CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS (WSB sponsor): Click! (4540 California SW) will have free Dry Soda on hand while also showcasing the art of Junko Yamamoto.

WINDERMERE FAUNTLEROY: Toward the south end of the West Seattle Art Walk map, you’ll find not only art but live music here (6505 California SW) – “musical stylings of the Five Buck Band” as they tweeted at @wrefauntleroy, along with artist Scott Ward, plus sangria and hors d’oeuvres.

THE KENNEY: At 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, The Kenney’s offerings tonight include music by the Boeing Employee Choir!

M3 BODYWORKS (WSB sponsor): Not on the official Art Walk map, but art and treats are there for you to stop in and enjoy at 5236 California SW. Their announcement:

M3 Bodyworks Massage Clinic is proud to have renowned artist Susanna Bluhm display her art here at the clinic this quarter. Susanna had shown in Dublin, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Washington DC. She’s worked on many art projects here in Seattle as well. “An individual painting can become a new place in itself, with sensations of things that might happen in a place, such as weather, touch, landscape, temperature, sex, or noise.”

As in the tradition of M3, we will be having an open house with Susanna from 6 – 9 PM tonight. Our caterer this evening is Evey the Caterer, creating creole delights in the traditional Southern style.

Again, lots more previews at wsartwalk.com; the map/list is here; and you can “like” the West Seattle Art Walk on Facebook by going here.

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Own a piece of the Charlestown Street Café: Auction set April 29

April 14, 2011 12:47 pm

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| Charlestown Cafe | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to the WSB’er who called (206-293-6302, 24/7) to let us know that the Charlestown Street Café has just turned up on the schedule for auctioneers James G. Murphy Co. (And thanks to Rob, who just sent a note about the same thing.) The auction is scheduled at the restaurant site (California/Charlestown) at 10 am April 29th, after a two-hour preview period 8-10 am. The full catalog is not online yet, but some items are up for preview right now. (In case you missed it, the café “closed forever” – as the paper-plate sign in our photo declared – on April 3rd, with owner Ron Hanlon citing the economy.) Murphy handles many auctions in our region, and this announcement revives memories of the auction for another beloved longtime restaurant – the Corner Inn, back in 2008 (WSB coverage here).

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West Seattle restaurants: Easy Street Café closed for water woes

April 14, 2011 11:21 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Just called Easy Street Records to check on what owner Matt Vaughan announced via Twitter – its West Seattle café is closed until at least tomorrow morning because of a water problem in its historic building. Easy Street confirms the café is closed today, and that part of the upstairs section of the record store is off-limits (though the main floor of the retail store is OPEN). We then checked with a major upstairs tenant in the same building, Nicholson Kovalchick Architects, to see if the problem was building-wide, but NK’s Brandon Nicholson tells WSB all’s well in his office.

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West Seattle jail-site-fight postscript: City/county long-term deal

April 14, 2011 11:13 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle jail-site-fight postscript: City/county long-term deal

| West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

Just a few years ago, the Highland Park Action Committee led the fight against what originally were two possible sites in West Seattle for a new city jail – which was said to be necessary because the county would soon be unable to house city inmates. The plan eventually was dropped, but there remained the lingering possibility a city facility might be needed. A deal announced this morning appears to shelve that potential need for at least twenty years – news release after the jump:Read More

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Planned water shutoff north of Morgan Junction tonight

April 14, 2011 10:49 am

| Comments Off on Planned water shutoff north of Morgan Junction tonight

| Utilities | West Seattle news

If you are directly affected, you should have received a notice by now, so this information may be most helpful for those who drive through the area and see the work: Seattle Public Utilities will shut off water overnight tonight along a two-block stretch of California SW north of Morgan Junction, between Graham and Juneau (map). According to Ingrid Goodwin with SPU, crews will make “an infrastructure upgrade – install a new section of water main pipe along California Avenue SW to allow for new water services.” The shutdown is scheduled from 11 pm tonight to 5 am tomorrow, and Goodwin adds, “SPU crews have adjusted their work shifts in order to perform this work without using overtime.” (Thanks to Kelley for the original tip on this.)

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West Seattle schools: Denny, WSES principals’ spotlight at big event

April 14, 2011 9:38 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That photo is courtesy of Josh Sutton from the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor), who says two local principals were in the spotlight downtown this morning at the Alliance for Education breakfast event in the Westin Hotel ballroom. In the photo onstage at left, that’s Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark officially accepting the Thomas B. Foster Award, announced in a surprise presentation at his school last month (WSB coverage here). This morning, Josh says, “Jeff wore his Denny Blue Suit and thanked the dedicated teachers & students of Denny for their dedication to education.” (Can’t miss the bright-blue suit!) He added that acting Superintendent Susan Enfield had a “big shoutout” for West Seattle Elementary‘s principal Vicki Sacco and her students for the big gains they’ve made year-to-year (as reported here in February).

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West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk; ‘Hood Hunt; open house; Triangle

April 14, 2011 8:13 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Alki Beach, 1920, from the Seattle Municipal Archives via Flickr, click pic to see larger version)
ART WALK NIGHT!: More than 30 venues are on the map for the monthly West Seattle Art Walk – follow that link for details on who’s showing art where, and the full venue list – 6-9 pm. Watch WSB for a preview later this morning with some of the individual venues’ highlights.

‘HOOD HUNT: The ‘Hood Hunts are a series of grass-roots non-competitive scavenger hunts around the city, and ‘Hood Hunt #10 (Facebook event page) is tonight in West Seattle. The Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) is the starting point; meet there to start any time between 6 and 7 pm. There are 20 checkpoints in half a square mile.

COMMUNITY CENTER OPEN HOUSE: High Point Community Center (3920 34th Ave SW) is holding a preschool and school-age programs open house, 6:30-7:30 pm. See full details here

TRIANGLE PLANNING, PHASE 2: West Seattle Triangle Advisory Group starts looking at Phase 2 of Triangle planning, Senior Center of West Seattle, 6 pm (here’s a preview)

EQUITY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: That’s the topic of a community forum at 7 pm at the Freedom Church in West Seattle (9601 35^thAvenue SW). Sponsored by Countywide Community Forums of King County.

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