day : 10/02/2012 15 results

It’s not on the online calendar, but we got word tonight from King County Wastewater Treatment Division that the Design Advisory Group for the Murray (Lowman Beach) combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control facility will meet Monday night. The rendering you see above is one of the preliminary design sketches discussed when they met last month (we covered a subsequent briefing given to the Morgan Community Association). At this meeting, according to Doug Marsano from the county, “The group will be reviewing refined design concepts and discussing the public art process.” The main feature of the project is a million-gallon underground storage tank to be built across from Lowman Beach Park on what are currently residential properties that the county is in the process of buying. All are welcome to the advisory group meeting at 6:30 pm, Fauntleroy Church, 9140 California SW.

You’re invited to 2 garden events in West Seattle tomorrow

February 10, 2012 6:46 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Gardening | West Seattle news

2 unique West Seattle gardens are having special events on Saturday:

(Photo courtesy Terri Lindow)
BARTON STREET P-PATCH – “BEE” THERE! The new P-Patch in Westwood is taking shape in a big way – and tomorrow the gardeners are inviting you over, not for a work party, but for a chance to learn! A Master Gardener is coming to the P-Patch at 34th/Barton 2-4 pm Saturday “to educate people about mason bees,” says Terri Lindow, adding: “This is a great opportunity to learn about pollinating bees and to see the P-Patch. Our crushed gravel pathways are in and the construction is entering the last phase. We’d love to show it off!” Bring your own seating – all they’ll have is a few “pop-up shelters.”

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN: 1-4 pm Saturday, the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle Community College campus is presenting a talk about “The Cultures and Landscapes of Western Sichuan,” 1-4 pm. Julia Freimund says, “Two UW professors will be talking about the ethnic groups, the landscapes (so lots of photos!), and the earthquake recovery efforts in Sichuan province.” Here’s a flyer with details, including admission info.

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West Seattle schools: New signs for Gatewood Elementary

February 10, 2012 4:32 pm

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| Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Just received from the Gatewood Elementary PTA‘s 2011-2012 Board – that photo, and this explanation:

We are proud to show off our two new signs at Gatewood Elementary. They are located at the corners of Myrtle and Frontenac along Fauntleroy Way SW. This is the final piece of our Operation Imagination project that included a new big toy on the playground, construction of an amphitheater, and of course the goats, who helped us with our ivy problem. This has been many years in the making and many parents who started on the project have sense moved onto middle and high school. Big thank you to them and everybody still at Gatewood who have been so instrumental in this fabulous project. Welcome to Gatewood.

Many years indeed! Checking our archives, WSB coverage of those milestones stretches back to 2007 – including the goats’ visit in 2007 and the new “big toy” in 2008.

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Trial to start March 7th in first case against Duane Starkenburg

February 10, 2012 4:10 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Duane Starkenburg, the Gatewood man charged a year ago with attacking women joggers and then charged last fall in a years-old child rape case, was back in court today. The “omnibus hearing” this morning was to determine whether his case was ready to go to trial. Ian Goodhew from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB that it was agreed Starkenburg will stand trial starting March 7th for the jogger attacks, but the child-rape case won’t go to trial till after that.

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West Seattle businesses: What’s up in the former Petco space

February 10, 2012 2:47 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Jason Rudolph with the inner workings of “Dook Larue,” the animatronic drummer of “Rock-afire Explosion“)
Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

If you’ve noticed recent activity inside the former Petco space in the Junction – Doug did, and tipped us off – here’s what we have found out:

Local resident and West Seattle business owner Jason Rudolph is currently renting the space for an indefinite amount of time to add additional staff for his technology company, Sound Advertising Group. It also gives him the room to work on “a little project that we’re doing just for fun – and if the community enjoys them, that makes it so much better!”

The project is the restoration of a 1980s animatronic band called the Rock-afire Explosion, formerly installed in a Showbiz Pizza restaurant.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Casing thwarted; Beach Drive break-in

February 10, 2012 2:19 pm

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| Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Another apparent case of crime prevention via vigilant residents/neighbors. We just heard from one who doesn’t want to be identified but does want to tell the tale of what just happened in his North Admiral neighborhood about an hour ago – read on for that plus a Beach Drive burglary:Read More

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West Seattle Whale Watch: Another orca sighting

February 10, 2012 1:40 pm

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| West Seattle news

Just got word from Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail – one day after orcas were spotted headed north, but closer to the other side of Puget Sound, today they’re headed south and visible from west-facing West Seattle (try Me-Kwa-Mooks, we’re told).

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Family dental care by Dr. Kathleen Saturay: New WSB sponsor

February 10, 2012 1:28 pm

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| Health | West Seattle news

Today we welcome West Seattle dental-care provider Dr. Kathleen Saturay as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s her message for you:

(Dr. Kathleen Saturay at center, with Reshvin at left and Angie at right)
“I am extremely excited to be part of your community. I’m Dr. Kathleen Saturay and I have just opened my practice in the West Seattle Dental Center at 3255 California SW. I have been providing dental care in the Seattle area for the last three years and received my DDS from Loma Linda University. I offer comprehensive dental care and treatment for the whole family, especially for children & young adults. Angie, Reshvin, Glenda and I are focused on our passion for dentistry and allow each patient the time necessary for a comfortable and productive visit. This ensures my young patients understand that having a healthy smile is a good thing, and pretty easy, too. I have been a West Seattle resident for many years and wanted to base my first practice in my ‘hometown,’ so when the opportunity presented itself, it was one I was not going to pass up. Because of my firm belief in children’s oral health, I am currently accepting DSHS, all insurance plans, and will customize financial arrangements for those families in need.

“Currently I am accepting new patients, and my office hours are Monday and Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm. Let me show your children how easily a healthy smile can be part of their lives through brushing and flossing, and of course, regular visits to my office. Oral hygiene visits can be fun, full of great tips and an excellent way to establish positive homecare. We’ll be waiting for you! Find us online at drsaturaysmiles.com or call to make an appointment at 206-935-0100. Keep smiling!!”

We thank Dr. Kathleen Saturay 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 Bridge closure alert: Fauntleroy Expressway closed all day on Sunday, February 19th

February 10, 2012 12:13 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

>(Fauntleroy Expressway at top of page; aerial photo by Long B. Nguyen; expanded view here)
Just in from SDOT – they need to close the Fauntleroy Expressway, the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge, for a full day on Sunday, February 19th, as the earthquake-safety project continues. The closure actually will start Saturday night, February 18th, and run as late as midnight Sunday night. Here’s the announcement, just in:

Fauntleroy Expressway and SW Avalon Way Closures, Feb. 13-19
Full closure from Saturday night through Sunday night

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close the Fauntleroy Expressway (from 35th SW to the Delridge ramps at the west end of the West Seattle Bridge) during the night next week, February 13-17, as previously announced, and also during the weekend beginning Saturday, February 18, at 9:00 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 19.

During these closures the following detours will be in effect:

· Westbound motorists traveling to West Seattle via the West Seattle Bridge will be directed to use the Delridge Way SW off-ramp.

· Eastbound motorists on Fauntleroy Way SW will be detoured at 35th Avenue SW and will be directed to the West Seattle Bridge via SW Genesee Street and Delridge Way SW.

Additionally, northbound traffic on SW Avalon Way will be restricted February 13-19 during these dates and times:

· Monday, February 13, through Friday, February 17, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
· Saturday, February 18, starting at 6:00 p.m. until Sunday, February 19, at 11:59 p.m.

During these times the following detour for SW Avalon Way will be in place:

· Northbound motorists traveling on SW Avalon Way will be detoured to eastbound SW Spokane Street. They will then be directed to perform a U-turn at 26th Avenue SW onto westbound SW Spokane Street and then north on Harbor Avenue SW. Northbound trucks and Metro buses traveling on SW Avalon Way will be flagged through the work zone.

These closures are required as part of the seismic retrofit of the Fauntleroy Expressway in order to make it more likely to withstand the force of a major earthquake. The work is funded by the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006.

For more information and a map of the detour, visit SDOT’s project website.

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West Seattle safety: 1 long-sought signal soon, another – not

February 10, 2012 11:46 am

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| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

North Delridge neighborhood leaders have long been pushing for a traffic signal at Avalon Way and SW Genesee – and now if all goes according to SDOT‘s schedule, it’s just months away. In comments following our report on a contradictory-but-brief discussion of its status at the Southwest District Council meeting, two commenters said that signal is actually planned for installation this year. So we asked SDOT for official confirmation. Communications director Rick Sheridan‘s reply:

SDOT will install a full traffic signal at Avalon Way & Genesee, which will cover all legs of the intersection. We will additionally install new curb ramps to improve access for pedestrians and the disabled. The work is tentatively scheduled for the third quarter of 2012.

The status of another signal long sought by West Seattle neighborhood activists, at 47th/Admiral, has NOT changed, however. We asked Sheridan about that too:

We did reevaluate all signal requests in December 2011. Given limited funding for signal improvements, this location did not rate high enough compared to other locations where a signal would be beneficial.

SDOT has implemented several enhancements at 47th and Admiral to improve safety. These include curb bulbs on SW Admiral Way to shorten the crossing distance, high-visibility signage overhead and roadside to warn drivers, and flashing beacons. We also installed “stop lines” and signs to direct motorists where to stop if a pedestrian is using the crosswalk. We have also measured vehicle speeds approaching the crosswalk from the east, and the data shows good compliance with the posted speed limit on Admiral. This corridor is also equipped with radar speed signs at each end to educate drivers and enhance compliance with the posted speed limit.

The fifth anniversary of the deadly crash at 47th/Admiral was marked in November by a rally (WSB coverage here) organized by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, which continues to lobby to get a light.

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High-school basketball: Post-season win for Chief Sealth boys

February 10, 2012 11:06 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Chief Sealth International High School‘s boys-varsity basketball team has another post-season game tomorrow night, after a victory last night at home. Our summary and photos, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Friday: Wine, chocolate, drama, bluegrass…

February 10, 2012 10:39 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Doug Branch, from the WSB Flickr group pool)
Before we get too much further into the day – highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

SSCC VALENTINE WINE RELEASE AND SALE: At the Northwest Wine Academy on the South Seattle Community College campus, 1-5 pm today and tomorrow, featuring the pouring and releasing of “a limited edition 2009 Syrah Clone 4 pack.” Also, chocolates made by the SSCC pastry department.

WINE AND CHOCOLATES: Tonight’s tasting at Bin 41 Wine in The Junction is a pairing with Theo’s Chocolates. Details here.

TASTING EVENT AT METROPOLITAN MARKET: From Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor): “Celebrate the week of Valentine’s Day by raising a glass and toasting the occasion with all of the romantics in your neighborhood. Join us for a complimentary Sparkling Wine and Champagne tasting paired with either Hama Hama Oysters or Crab Cakes served with spicy pink aioli. Dessert tasting includes Chocolate Covered Strawberries, French Macaroons that will give you the sweet taste of Paris, and Crème Brûlée topped with Theo’s Chocolate.” 5-7 PM, 2320 42nd Ave SW.

‘ONCE UPON A MATTRESS’: “Once Upon a Mattress,” presented by West Seattle Montessori (WSB sponsor), Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, 7 pm

‘SEUSSICAL’ SOLD OUT! We’re told the Alki Elementary musical featured on WSB yesterday is now sold out, both shows, but in case you happen by West Seattle High School tonight and wonder what’s up – the show’s in the WSHS Theater at 7 pm.

BLUEGRASS AT KENYON HALL: Convergence Zone Bluegrass Band, 7:30 pm, details on the Kenyon Hall website.

(Photo courtesy ArtsWest)
FINAL WEEKEND FOR ‘ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT’: Tonight is the third-to-last performance of the current production at ArtsWest, which describes “All Through the Night” as “Shirley Lauro’s explosive and highly theatrical World War drama about German gentile women fighting for survival from inside the Third Reich.” 7:30 pm tonight – tickets available online at artswest.org or via phone at 206-938-0339.

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WestSide Baby already making history with expected Tea turnout

February 10, 2012 8:55 am

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| Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Glass-art “babycakes” like that one, created and donated by Avalon Glassworks, will be part of the fundraising fun on Sunday, when WestSide Baby takes its annual Benefit Tea to the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center for the first time. WS Baby executive director Nancy Woodland confirms there’s still some room left if you haven’t already procured your ticket – but she also says the expected turnout so far already has made history – more than 500! Want to join them, 2-4:30 pm Sunday, for tea, treats, auction fun, and guest speaker Kathy LeMay? The WestSide Baby website has ticket info. (Never been before? Here’s our coverage, with photos and video, from last year.)

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Overnight crash: Driver brings down utility pole on 35th SW

February 10, 2012 5:21 am

| 26 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
35th SW is open again in the 4800 block, near Providence Mount St. Vincent, after being closed for a while because of an overnight crash. Christopher Boffoli covered it for WSB. He says a Prius going southbound hit a light pole – bringing it down, along with wires, which required City Light attention:

Police told Christopher the driver wasn’t hurt, but was under investigation for suspected DUI.

The crash happened just before 3 am.

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High-school basketball: Senior night at Seattle Lutheran

February 10, 2012 5:13 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Wednesday night, Seattle Lutheran High School celebrated its senior basketball players – and senior cheerleader Valerie Reid, above – while closing out their regular season at home against Rainier Christian‘s teams. Ahead, our summary of the games – Lutheran won both – and photos of the senior athletes:Read More

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