West Seattle, Washington
11 Sunday
(Parent and baby gull at Jack Block Park, photo by Melanie Dixon)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
FIRST, THE VIADUCT CLOSURE REMINDER: Alaskan Way Viaduct closures – northbound, 5:30-8:30 pm tonight for the Torchlight Run; southbound, 11:59 pm tonight to 5 am Monday.
OUTDOOR SWIMMING: Colman Pool continues its 7-day-a-week summer operations (pool schedule/other info here) … To see which wading pools are open since the weather is forecast for 70+ degrees, check the schedule here.
P-PATCH BAKE SALE: Barton Street P-Patch Benefit Bake Sale at Tony’s Market (35th/Barton) across from the garden, till 2 pm (Facebook event here)
BIG SALE #1: Gigantic Yard Sale till 3 p.m. Admiral Church is having a fun-raiser (that’s not a typo!)and parishioners are off-loading a ton of stuff, from furniture (some antiques) to housewares, books, craft materials, and plenty of odds and ends. You do NOT want to miss it! Everything must go – and there’s a lot of it.
BIG SALE #2: The Community School of West Seattle is holding its Annual Fundraising Yard Sale, 8 am to 5 pm. All Quality Items. LOTS of baby/children’s items. Rain or Shine. Refreshments. Items from the sale will also benefit the Nickelsville Homeless Camp, WestSide Baby and the victims of the recent apartment fire southeast of South Park.
BIG SALE #3: Duwamish Longhouse Market Day & Rummage Sale at Duwamish Longhouse (4705 W. Marginal Way SW), 9 am – 3 pm. A bit of everything: arts & crafts, estate, rummage sale, and food. Free admission/parking.
HELP BEAUTIFY BOREN: Volunteer to help paint murals at Boren School, 9 am (more info here)
HELP BUILD A RAIN GARDEN: *10 am – 2 pm* *5902 SW California Avenue*
Join Sustainable Seattle and Alleycat Acres in digging the first rain garden in the Russell Foundation funded Sustainable Rain project! Come help create this garden at a business/residence, protect the Puget Sound, and support sustainable businesses. Come for as long as you can, meet great folks, and learn about rain gardens. Bring shovel (if you have), gloves, and water to drink. Bring kids if you can supervise them.
WESTCREST NEEDS YOU: Forest restoration at Westcrest Park main entrance, 10 am – 2 pm. Join EarthCorps & the Green Seattle Partnership as we improve the health of an amazing urban forest in Southwest Seattle! We will be removing invasive plants, planting native species and performing restoration site maintenance.
DAY AT THE RACES: “Da Grind” outrigger-canoe-racing event at Alki – first race at 10:30 (details here).
BIG SALE #4: Hebert’s Den gift shop is closing; closeout “garage sale” starts 11 am, 35th and Henderson, half off everything, furniture for sale too.
FOOD TRUCK NOTE: Parfait Ice Cream will NOT be in West Seattle today (per a Facebook note late last night).
GO BEACH-WALKING: Today brings a notable low tide, -2.1 at 11:13 am (here’s the monthly chart).
WINE AND CHOCOLATE TASTING: Join Cairdeas Winery and Intrigue Chocolates for a double release as Cairdeas Winery releases their 2008 Lewis Vineyards Syrah paired with Intrigue Chocolates’ newest truffle flavor, Fortunato No. 4. Other wine and chocolate pairings to experience include:
– 2010 Nellie Mae with Intrigue’s Grains of Paradise
– 2009 Cabernet Franc with Intrigue’s Cacao
When: Saturday, July 30th from 12:00 to 5:00pm
Where: Cairdeas Winery Tasting Room, 3400 Harbor Ave S, Suite 113
SHAKESPEARE AT CAMP LONG: At 7 pm, GreenStage presents “The Tempest”, directed by Michael D. Blum. Free. Follow the crowds through the woods to the open field by the climbing rock.
PARADE DOWNTOWN: Seafair Torchlight Parade downtown (106 entries, and West Seattle Hi-Yu is #70!), stake out your spot along 4th Avenue early if you’re going, starts at Seattle Center at 7:30 pm and heads southward to the International District.
CHILL OUT TONIGHT WITH AN OUTDOOR MOVIE IN THE JUNCTION: West Seattle Outdoor Movies , showing “Airplane!” – movies start at dusk (should be around 9 pm this time), courtyard opens at 6:30 pm next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), 4410 California SW. Pre-show entertainment by Louie Foxx (magician). Free; bring your own chair/blanket; affordable concessions on sale, benefiting nonprofits. (WSB is a co-sponsor of the Movies on the Wall series.)
OR, ‘MOVIES ON THE LAWN’: Presented by Unique Families of Seattle
Free outdoor movie, “Brother Bear.” Arrival time: 8 pm (donations welcome), film starts around 9 pm. Put the kids in jammies and come on down! Private residence so space is limited, must RSVP to attend and get the address. E-mail joanna@uniquefamiliesofseattle.org.
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
On a rainy afternoon last spring, I got my first glimpse at what was soon to become one of Seattle’s newest mobile food trucks, making its debut this Sunday in West Seattle.
Parked on a quiet side street in North Delridge, it didn’t look like much at the time. The boxy, aluminum truck – which at that point had only recently been plucked off of Craigslist – still bore signs of its previous use by a plumbing company. However, like most entrepreneurs, Damiana Merryweather had vision, not to mention a contagious enthusiasm for what the truck could be. Perhaps more significantly, she also had an abundance of patience, which she would discover, is second only to money when it comes to starting a street food business in Seattle. But above all, Merryweather’s focus was on the food.
“We become deeply human when we sit down to a plate of food,” she would tell me later, in drier, more comfortable conditions: ensconced in plush chairs at a local café, with mugs of hot coffee in our hands. She added, “Food is such a catalyst for community, family holidays, friends….it brings us together. There’s a comforting human connection.”
Merryweather is an Oregon native who began on quite a different career path. Though she worked in and out of food-related jobs when she was younger, for more than a decade she had enjoyed a successful career in political campaigns and lobbying. But at a certain point she decided to come back to food. She moved to Seattle in 2006 and a few years later, was hired on as a consultant to aid the launch of the Swinery. “Working there reminded me of how much I love customer service,” she said, “And I don’t mean that in a cheesy salesman kind of way, but truly helping people. Engaging their imaginations about meals. Making connections.”
We’ve added a new page to WSB that you’ll see on the line of “tabs” underneath the sunset header (each of which takes you to a different “inside section” of the site) – over to the right, by the Forum tab, it’s WS In Motion, for the West Seattle In Motion program that we’re co-sponsoring this summer/fall. WS In Motion invites you to sign up to get incentives for driving a little less and walking/biking/bus’ing/etc. a little more – free bus tickets, deals at local businesses, and more. Plus, you get to contribute to a communitywide progress report that shows the results of participants’ combined efforts and adventures; the first one is what you’ll see on the new page right now. Haven’t signed up yet? Go here!
This year, West Seattle Outdoor Movies (Saturday nights in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor] at 4410 California SW) have something extra – an opening act. Last Saturday, local comic/juggler Matt Baker wowed the crowd (our report includes video); tomorrow night, it’s magician Louie Foxx, who shows off one big, quick trick in the short video clip above. Oh, and of course, there’s a movie too: “Airplane!” (Here’s the trailer.) Weather looks good; show’s free (bring $ for concessions and raffle items that raise money for local nonprofits, and also be sure to bring a chair or blanket to sit on); gates open at 6:30 pm – last week the movie started about quarter past 9, so 9 pm is likely tomorrow.
In our first report from last night’s community-organized West Seattle Candidates’ Forum, you saw video of one of the two races for which all primary-ballot candidates turned out, School Board District 6. This time, the other race with full turnout: King County Council District 8. Onstage, from left, were incumbent Councilmember Joe McDermott, moderator Mike Hickey, Diana Toledo, and Goodspaceguy. Transportation was a hot topic, as you’ll see; McDermott said he supports the $20-for-Metro “congestion relief charge” that’ll come up for a council vote August 15th, while Toledo and Goodspaceguy said they do not. (This race also is spotlighted at SeattleTimes.com [WSB partner] right now.)
P.S. We forgot to mention this in our first report – the ice-cream social that preceded the candidates’ forum raised more than $200 for West Seattle Food Bank, according to board member Pete Spalding, one of a multitude of community volunteers/advocates at the event in South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center
Just in from People for Puget Sound:
Free “Rain Water” Tour Aug 13 in West Seattle Highlights Solutions To Polluted Runoff
When it rains, pollution like oil, grease, pesticides and pet waste washes off streets, parking lots and other hard surfaces into local waterways and Puget Sound, harming the health of birds, fish, whales and people.
People For Puget Sound invites West Seattle residents to a free, family-friendly tour on Saturday, August 13, beginning at 10 AM, at Chief Sealth International High School, 2600 SW Thistle St. The tour will be led by knowledgeable experts who will show how to reduce and eliminate the flow of toxic pollution into our waterways.
At the start of the tour, participants will learn about the ecology of the Longfellow Creek watershed and continue to The Home Depot site to learn about traditional polluted runoff management methods and the effect of polluted runoff on local fish habitat.
The tour will then follow the legacy trail along Longfellow Creek, up 150 stairs, to the High Point neighborhood to view sustainable development solutions to polluted runoff. An optional discussion will conclude the event from 1 – 2 PM at the High Point Community Center.
The tour is free and family-friendly and is limited to 30 participants. To reserve your place, contact Emily Fales, EMfales@uw.edu
Two Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon. The first one was a theft that happened in a flash; the second, a car break-in that led to a garage break-in. (And we added a third at 4:04 pm – all are ahead:)Read More
Looking for something to do tomorrow? The Vietnamese Cultural Center at 2236 SW Orchard (north of Home Depot; here’s a map) reminds us that it’s open to the public noon-3 pm every Saturday. The center shared photos from last weekend’s sunny Saturday, including the next one featuring visitor Don Atwood, a local architect who helped draft an addition to the center:
Director Ducly Bui summarizes the center’s mission:
Vietnamese Cultural Center is operated by the free South Vietnamese since April 1975 to promote Vietnamese culture and heritage to their children born in US and introduce the country’s history and arts to the local community.
Admission is free. Our previous coverage of the center includes an overview in July 2008 – after many had wondered about its large statue (General Tran Hung Dao) – and last year’s Lunar New Year event, which also celebrated recognition of the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag.
In the two and a half weeks since we first told you about Village Green Perennial Nursery owner 
Vera Johnson‘s fight against potential foreclosure, she’s gathered thousands of electronic petition signatures, and rallied dozens of people in similar straits, so they can all learn about – and exercise – their legal rights. If you are facing default or foreclosure, the next support-group meeting is at 5 pm Sunday at Community School of West Seattle (9450 22nd SW). Vera says lawyer Edgar Hall will be in attendance to answer questions and offer “resources for pro-bono services,” among other things, and she invites attendees to “bring laptops, so we can look up our info and search for fraudulent docs – wi-fi available.” Then on Tuesday, she has an appointment with Bank of America; next Friday (one week from today), she’s planning to deliver to BofA the signatures from her petition on Change.org (not too late to sign – go here), which now total more than 8,300. A benefit is also in the works; you can follow the progress by “liking” this Facebook page.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The process of discussing with the city how to restore/reconstruct the fire-ravaged landmark Alki Homestead/Fir Lodge is so far as painstaking as the actual project itself eventually may be.
This morning, in their fourth informal appearance before the city Landmarks Preservation Board’s Architectural Review Committee downtown, Alloy Design Group architects Mark Haizlip and Greg Squires presented the three options they’re discussing.
All three options assume that the Homestead’s roof and foundation must be replaced – though committee members indicated they’re not all convinced about the former.
Before we get to the weekend, it’s the end-of-week summertime tradition – SDOT‘s list of areas around the city where big events are guaranteed – or likely – to have big traffic effects. The two-part Alaskan Way Viaduct closure (northbound Saturday night for the Seafair Torchlight Run, then southbound early Sunday through early Monday for construction) is part of the list. Read on!Read More
County, city, port, and School Board candidates were all part of last night’s community-organized West Seattle Candidates’ Forum at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center. One of two races for which all August 16th candidates participated, the School Board Position 6 faceoff, provided the most sparks, and news. For one, incumbent board member Steve Sundquist revealed that he believes two West Seattle schools will be reopened; public discussion to this point had focused on one (likely Fairmount Park, as reported here last month). The discussion also touched on some recent district controversies including the plan for some Seattle Public Schools to get trainees from the “Teach for America” program. We recorded the entire forum, in segments, and the clip above is the entire school-board discussion with (from left on stage) Sundquist, Marty McLaren, moderator Mike Hickey, Joy Anderson, and Nick Esparza. (Upcoming reports will include the other forum segments – city, county, and port.)
(Photo by Machel Spence)
Five highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
GOLF WITH YOUR FELLOW COUGS: 8th annual King County Cougar Open at West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW). Starting at noon, the WSU Alumni Association invites you to share an afternoon of fun with fellow Cougars. Players of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. Sign up by yourself or with friends. Registration info here.
AT THE LONGHOUSE – FREE! Johnny Moses presents Medicine Songs of the Pacific NW at Duwamish Longhouse (7405 W Marginal Way SW), 6:30-8:00 pm. Johnny Moses is a noted native NW storyteller and introduces two new CDs that preserve NW Salish Culture for future generations. Free event!
‘FLAVOR’: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, “a unique night out showcasing the music and art of immigrants, to benefit OneAmerica and our community.” Tickets: $20, available online (includes snacks). Featured Artists: Music by Abyssinian Creole, Owuor Arunga, The Heartfelts, and The Seattle Fandango Project; comedian Solomon Georgio; Poet, Rapper and Cultural Carrier dakóta; photography by Carina A. del Rosario, Geo of Blue Scholars, Thig Nat of The Physics; jewelry by Marissa Esteban.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK, FREE! 7 pm at Camp Long, GreenStage‘s 23rd season of free Shakespeare in the Park presents “Antony and Cleopatra”, directed by Patrick Bentley. Follow the crowds through the woods to the open field by the climbing rock.
SWEET, SWEET MUSIC: 7:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW): Sarah Ackers, Betsy Boyer, and Bronwyn Edwards will entertain with soulful, folksy, bluesy music for all. $5/person or $15/family at the door; includes dessert.
(Harbor’s Denny Onslow talking to SW Design Review Board about Nova; photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Toplines from Thursday night’s two-project meeting of the Southwest Design Review Board at the Senior Center of West Seattle: Harbor Properties‘ 62-apartment Nova, proposed for a 36th/Snoqualmie site north of The Grove/West Seattle Inn motel in The Triangle, won unanimous approval.
Board members said the design brought before them (here’s the presentation “packet”) addressed the concerns/suggestions they had brought up during Nova’s “early design guidance” review earlier this year (WSB coverage here). You can track Nova via its city webpage here; we’ll be following up with Harbor regarding expected construction timetable. (P.S. For those wondering how much demand there is for new apartments – Harbor’s Onslow noted that its recently completed Link Apartments [WSB sponsor], two blocks from the Nova site, is now 70 percent leased.)
For the “early design guidance” review of the 117-apartment 3247 Avalon proposal (“packet” here), to cover what are currently five single-structure lots (one vacant) overlooking the West Seattle Golf Course: Board members asked the project team to give it another try and come back. They expressed comments similar to two members of the public who spoke – that all three design options bring the proposed building too close to its neighbors on both east and west sides; the latter sparked the most concern.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – two reader reports. First, from Mike:
My house at 32nd and Roxbury [map] was burglarized for the second time in 4 months (Monday). The first time, the neighbor reported seeing a primer-gray mid-’80s pickup truck in my driveway during the burglary but thought it was a friend. The second time, no one saw anything; however, the thieves stole a black powder musket and 3 cameras and smashed a window to get in. The black powder musket was in a Flambeau case, and they broke one of the latches that close the case in the process of stealing it.
Next, a scam, also out of the WSB inbox: J&J tell the tale of what a friend fell for; even if you think you would know better, you might want to warn your more-trusting friends and relatives. Read on:Read More
(Photos by Torin Record-Sand for WSB)
A great start tonight for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s 2011 Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series – hundreds of people out to enjoy the perfect weather, good company, and The Gothard Sisters:
As ANA president Katy Walum had recently announced, the Beloved Mexico food truck was there too – a new feature so concertgoers can buy dinner if they’d like to, as frequently requested in the past:
The KidPicks truck from PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor and a major sponsor of the concert series too) is back again this season with tasty, healthy treats to sample:
And the portable edition of Full Tilt Ice Cream “bike” was there (ice-cream bars and Otter Pops):
What about the music, you ask? The Gothard sisters dance and play instruments as well as singing – (updated) here’s some video:
And make plans for the next five Thursday nights, 6:30 pm – next week, again on Hiawatha’s east lawn, it’s Massy Ferguson; August 11th, the series takes a brief beach break with an Alki show for Yogoman Burning Band; then 8/18, 8/25, and 9/1, it’s back to Hiawatha – full season slate here. (WSB is proud to be among the sponsors that help ANA bring this family-friendly fun to the community for free; see the full sponsor list on the right side of the schedule page.)
With all the coverage of the demolition at the old Denny International Middle School site, it’s gone almost unnoticed that the new Denny, adjoining Chief Sealth International High School, is almost done. Tomorrow, we get a sneak peek inside the new Denny – so last night, we stopped by for a few exterior photos, including the basketball court and playfield:
The new Denny faces SW Kenyon, and its parking/bus dropoff-pickup entrances are separate from Sealth. You can find out more about the project here, and we’ll have many more details after tomorrow’s interior tour.
Sightline Institute, which advocates for sustainability, recently set out to find out where in the Northwest it’s against the rules to hang your laundry out to dry. With help – including Diane‘s thread in the WSB Forums – they discovered several communities, including the High Point development here in West Seattle – a place where clotheslines aren’t allowed, though “green” features abound. Sightline says the ban is a missed opportunity for saving a significant amount of electricity. So why isn’t outdoor laundry-drying allowed at High Point? We asked the Seattle Housing Authority, which manages the development, and spokesperson Virginia Felton sent a lengthy reply – including word that the policy might be up for reconsideration:Read More
The first Blue Angels plane to arrive in Seattle will get here Monday morning (with the rest arriving Tuesday), as reported here earlier this week; Monday’s the day they take selected media and community leaders up for a ride. And South Seattle Community College just sent word that SSCC instructor Heidi Lyman is one of those community leaders. She’s a former aerospace engineer described as “exuberantly passionate about math” and expecting she can incorporate that into what she takes away from the flight – SSCC’s announcement quotes Lyman as saying, “I often talk about the equations of motion in space as position, velocity and acceleration, using examples such as bike riding, skiing, sky diving and bungee jumping,” explained the former aerospace engineer. “A flight with the Blue Angels will be an incredible example to use!” She’s set to go up at 11 am Monday.
At the King County Courthouse downtown, we’ve just left the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque, where jury selection is now complete for the trial of Brandon Chaney and Bryce Huber, after prospective jurors went through almost two full days of questioning. Eight women and six men comprise the fourteen-juror panel (12 jurors and two alternates) who remained in the courtroom after the rest were dismissed. Huber and Chaney are on trial for the February 2009 West Seattle shooting death of 26-year-old Steve Bushaw; two others, Danny O’Neal and John Sylve, have pleaded guilty. The trial is now in recess until 9 am Monday, when prosecutor Jeff Baird and defense lawyers Tony Savage (for Huber) and Jim Roe (for Chaney) are scheduled to begin opening statements.
MONDAY MIDDAY NOTE: Opening statements haven’t started, after all – one of the jurors had to be excused from the case, and they are going through a new pool of jurors to select a replacement. That’s expected to take the rest of the day.
Various updates this afternoon as the biggest Seafair events get closer – for one, Metro has issued a transit advisory for Saturday, including some West Seattle bus routes- plus, the Museum of Flight is out with more details of its “Blue Angels Week” activities while the Navy flyers are based there next week (just over the ridge from West Seattle) – and more – click ahead!Read More
As reported here previously, SDOT is planning “>a “rechannelization” for SW Alaska from The Triangle to The Junction – adding a bike lane and transit lane, and reducing the lanes used by other vehicles as well as removing some street parking. Most recently, we mentioned a public-comment period is under way. SDOT has told WSB they are NOT going to have a public meeting solely devoted to this proposal as they’ve done with two previous “rechannelization” plans (Fauntleroy Way and Admiral Way). The city feels it does not need a public meeting because it already has done “extensive outreach,” according to SDOT’s Jonathan Dong – so if you have something to say, e-mail him before the weekend’s out (July 31 is the deadline, jonathan.dong@seattle.gov). SDOT reps are also expected to be available to talk about it at tonight’s West Seattle Candidates’ Forum at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center (southeast side of campus, 6000 16th SW), with community tabling and ice cream at 6:30 pm, candidates and issues at 7:30 pm.
9:55 AM: If you haven’t headed toward downtown (or beyond) yet – you might want to wait. We were on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge for a while around 9 am and it was worse than usual for that time; then, heading back en route to cover the Morgan Junction crash, it had worsened by 9:20 am – probably because of what’s listed on the 911 log as a crash on northbound I-5 at Spokane. 10:22 AM: We’re adding a larger version of the “live” bridge cam, so you can check it for updates.
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