day : 28/06/2012 10 results

(WSB photo of Ladder 13 and crew at scene of recent South Park fire)
The extra fire truck added to West Seattle in February of last year will be gone after this Sunday. So say multiple sources who called and e-mailed to tell us that Ladder 13, based at Highland Park’s Station 11, will be taken out of service as of Monday morning, leaving Engine 11 alone at the station.

Ladder 13’s primary purpose, as explained when it first arrived, was to make sure West Seattle would be adequately covered despite the fact Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work complicated WS Bridge access for the emergency units that come from the other side of the bay when there’s a major incident. Now, the new 1st Avenue South onramp is available for emergency vehicles – per a newly installed sign on the westbound SSV. (However, last year it was also explained that Ladder 13 would help cover South Park, which won’t have fast access from crews east of the Duwamish till the new SP Bridge opens more than a year from now.)

The eventual end of Ladder 13 – commissioned just for this task, not a pre-existing truck number moved from elsewhere – was mentioned here back in February, when it was a topic of conversation during our stop at Station 11 on Neighbor Appreciation Day. The fire station is supposed to get a seismic/safety upgrade soon – as explained here – and we were told in February that would happen after Ladder 13’s departure. The timetable is one of the things we’re asking SFD about for a followup, but in the meantime, if you see Ladder 13’s crew out and about in the next few days, you might consider taking the opportunity to say thanks for their West Seattle/South Park service.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: We had asked SFD some followup questions. Spokesperson Kyle Moore notes that West Seattle’s “permanent ladder truck,” Ladder 11, will continue to be based at Station 32 in The Triangle, staffed by a four-person crew. Regarding South Park, he says:

South Park is served by Fire Station 26 located at 800 South Cloverdale Street. The station is staffed 24 hours a day with four firefighters and a fire engine.

The loss off Ladder 13 will have a nominal impact on the response times to the South Park area. The Seattle Fire Department looked at response times with the bridge closure in order to ensure the residents of South Park received the same level of medical and fire care. Our analysis shows that response times were not significantly affected by the bridge closure.

He also notes that the Station 11 work isn’t likely to start before early 2014.

Share This

Updated: Upcoming bridge (etc.) closures for the first week of July

June 28, 2012 7:40 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(EDITOR’S NOTE: No 99 closures this week, so this stands as the official “this week’s closures” list for July 1st and beyond ** UPDATED 7/2 to add 7/6 bridge-exit closure)

SDOT has announced next week’s plan for Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project-related closures – including a weekend-long westbound SSV closure scheduled for late night Friday, 7/6, till early morning Monday, 7/9. Full list ahead:Read More

Share This

Treetop ziplining at Lincoln Park? City mulls commercial partnership

June 28, 2012 3:11 pm

| 256 COMMENTS

| Lincoln Park zipline proposal | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON with opponents launching Facebook page)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Ziplining from treetop to treetop is a hot ticket for vacationers in various spots around the U.S., and elsewhere in the world.

Now it might be coming to a forested public park near you.

WSB has learned that the Seattle Parks Department is talking with a private company called Go Ape about installing a “Treetop Adventure Course,” including ziplining and “Tarzan swings,” at West Seattle’s Lincoln Park.

According to a PowerPoint presentation circulated by the company and shown to us by a source, Go Ape would charge around $55 a person ($35 for youth, its website says) for a 2+-hour turn, with sessions launching up to 14 people every half-hour.

The proposal has yet to be announced publicly, but the Parks Department has been considering it since ~~at least March, according to e-mail chains~~ last summer, according to documents also forwarded to us, and the first open public presentation is planned for a community-group meeting next month.

Share This

Lowman Beach sewer-overflow project: Permit-commenting time

June 28, 2012 1:17 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

King County has formally applied for the land-use permit needed to build a million-gallon underground tank across the street from Lowman Beach Park to reduce combined-sewer overflows from nearby Murray Pump Station.

Six homes and small apartment buildings, all of which have been vacated, will be demolished to make way for the project. The application was announced in today’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and it triggers a new public-comment period – according to the notice, if you’re interested in commenting, you have until July 11th – here’s how. The bulletin also includes a notice of a different permit application related to the project, a “Shoreline Substantial Development” application; its comment deadline isn’t until 7/27, and you can comment here.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Auto theft; 2 car prowls

June 28, 2012 12:47 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

3 quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes this afternoon: First, Jeff‘s black Highlander with gray leather interior was stolen Sunday in the 8600 block of 36th SW and hasn’t been found yet – so if you see one that appears out of place in your neighborhood, please call police. Next, two car-prowl reports on opposite ends of West Seattle, this one from Lauren:

Just thought that this might help others in the area. My car window was broken and my purse, which was shoved under my seat and covered, was stolen from Westcrest dog park at approximately 1 pm today. The officers that responded to my call stated that there was another similar car break-in at the park last week at the same time.

And another car-prowl report was posted in the WSB Forum – member “WS Born” reported that her daughter was parked along Harbor Avenue near the 7-11 around 6 am Wednesday, went for a run, and came back to find a window smashed and “items stolen” from her car.

Share This

Siren Song Wines: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor

June 28, 2012 11:20 am

| 18 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS beverages

(8/14 note: To check whether a business is still a current WSB sponsor, please go here)

This morning we welcome West Seattle’s own Siren Song Wines as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what winemaker Kevin Brown (at right, with Holly Brown) would like you to know about Siren Song – which is part of a special event at a local restaurant this Saturday:

Siren Song Wines is a boutique winery in West Seattle specializing in premium varietals and blends. We’ve won multiple awards including a gold medal for our 2009 “A Night in Madrid” at the 2012 Washington Wine Competition.

Our customers love the high quality and variety of wines that we make. For example, we made 7 wines in 2009, which is challenging for a small winery. They also love the advantages of our wine club.

We belong to the Seattle Urban Wineries group. We are partnered with many West Seattle restaurants including La Romanza, Phoenecia, Pizzeria 22, and Blackboard Bistro, as well as with Bin 41 and West Seattle Cellars.

Siren Song Wines is online at sirensongwines.com. They are also part of the Roast Pigapalooza event at Blackboard Bistro this Saturday:

This will be the party of the summer – one that you don’t want to miss! We will be roasting a whole pig, presenting various small plates, and sipping delicious wines. This will be very “West Seattle casual.” Chef Jacob Wiegner will be preparing this wonderful, imaginative dining experience. Kevin Brown of Siren Song Wines will be presenting a tasting of three wines from his 2009 vintage. Price: $30/person plus tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, call (206) 257-4832.

We thank Siren Song Wines for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Share This

Highline Medical Center exploring ‘affiliation’ with Franciscan Health System

June 28, 2012 9:42 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Though it’s based in Burien, Highline Medical Center has clinics in West Seattle – where it’s starting work in The Triangle on a new home for its Urgent Care Center – so its announcement this morning is of potential interest to local patients. Highline says it’s looking to join forces with another regional health-care organization:

Highline Medical Center in Burien and the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System announced today they have agreed to explore a strategic affiliation.

Share This

Update: West Seattle’s Constantine, Cody, McDermott on health-care ruling

June 28, 2012 8:12 am

| 50 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

You’ve probably heard already that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of of President Obama’s health-care law (here’s what it means for our state). The first West Seattle politician to comment is King County Executive Dow Constantine – his statement, ahead (10:25 AM UPDATE – we also have heard from West Seattle’s State Rep. Eileen Cody and County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and are adding their statements after Constantine’s):Read More

Share This

West Seattle Thursday: Fruit fundraiser; Design Review; ‘Shop Late’

June 28, 2012 6:57 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(An Alki Ave.-crossing river otter, in Alex‘s photo, shared via Guy – who’s photographed one too)
From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

TRAFFIC ALERTS FOR TODAY/TONIGHT: From our day-by-day combined list of closures: The closure of eastbound surface Spokane St. between 4th and 6th continues all day today and all night. Southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 will close again tonight, 9 pm-5 am. (And another reminder, it’s scheduled to close 11 pm Friday-9 am Sunday, too.) We don’t have word from SDOT whether the SW Alaska rechannelization work will continue today, but if you are Junction/Triangle-bound, be ready to possibly wade through a construction zone.

BENEFIT CHERRY SALE: As previewed here Tuesday, the parents of a Green Lake woman fighting a brain tumor plan to set up alongside Emma Schmitz Overlook (on Beach Drive across from Me-Kwa-Mooks) 11 am-1 pm today to sell cherries to raise money for her ongoing expenses. (Here’s an update on what type of cherries they’ll be selling.)

WADING POOL UPDATE: Depending on the weather, this is scheduled to be opening day for the Delridge wading pool. Check the hotline at (206) 684-7796 to see if the city will open its pools today (it did yesterday!).

FIREWORKS SALES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS: They’re banned inside the Seattle city limits, but if you’re reading this in White Center or another part of unincorporated King County, personal fireworks go on sale at noon today, but can only be used – in the areas where they’re legal – on the 4th of July.

TEEN SKETCHBOOK/FAN ART: 12-18-year-olds are invited to bring their work to the Southwest Library today (35th/Henderson), 1-2 pm. Details here.

‘SHOP LATE THURSDAY’ IN THE JUNCTION: 6-9 pm – participant list here, including Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) and Twilight Artist Collective teaming up on a T-shirt sale – promising lots of cool art-print designs, 20 percent off. Also: Sweetie Boutique is celebrating its 9th anniversary, 7-10 pm, with a sale and raffles.

DESIGN REVIEW MEETING FOR 3829 CALIFORNIA SW: A proposed 30-apartment building gets its Early Design Guidance review before the Southwest Design Review Board at 6:30 tonight, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). Here’s our report from last week, including a link to the design “packet.”

WEST SEATTLE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: This month’s WSDW meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course is Movie Night, with “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy,” the Valerie Plame Wilson story, at 6:30 pm, followed by a discussion, preceded by dinner/hors d’oeuvres. If interested, call ASAP to see if there’s still room – contact info and other details are here.

XANADU, NIGHT 2: ArtsWest‘s youth-apprenticeship musical based on the roller-disco movie skates across the stage for its second night, 7:30 pm.

BURLESQUE: 9 pm at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW) – check for online ticket availability (or buy at the door).

Share This

West Seattle weather: Sights in the sky, and what’s ahead

June 28, 2012 4:55 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

In case you missed them … some of the Wednesday end-of-day cloud formations appeared to have been brushed across the sky. Thanks to Karen White for the top photo; Michele Smith took the next one from Shorewood: