day : 30/07/2012 10 results

The trailer is for its PBS premiere this fall … but you can see the award-winning film “Love Free or Die” in West Seattle next week. St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church plans a screening, followed by a community forum on marriage equality, at 6:30 pm Thursday, August 9th. Read on for the invitation:Read More

West Seattle Crime Watch: Alarm spooks burglar(s), and more

July 30, 2012 8:06 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes this evening. First, a burglary today at Melissa‘s home:

At around 2 PM this afternoon our house at 36th AVE SW and Cloverdale was broken into. Our window at the side of our house was lifted and then shattered. The intruders had gloves on; when the officer dusted for prints there were only prints from gloves and the officer suspects there were at least two intruders based on his findings. Luckily for us as soon as they set off our motion detector off the alarm sounded and they left our house through our front door, leaving it wide open. The police did respond within 30 minutes. I am not sure what more we can do to protect our home short of getting a guard dog; we have an alarm, an alarm sign in the front of the house that is clearly visible and a smaller dog. Please be on the lookout for suspicious activity or those that don’t belong in our neighborhood and call the police if you do see or suspect something.

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West Seattle Brewing Company taking over ex-Tervo’s/Corner Store

July 30, 2012 4:38 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS beverages

4415 Fauntleroy Way SW has been a corner store for a long time – first as Tervo’s Market (till about a year ago), then briefly as the Corner Store and Deli – but now the space is being overhauled for a new incarnation as a brewery. It’s the future home of West Seattle Brewing Company. We first got a mini-flurry of tips some weeks ago that the space was being converted into something related to beer, but every time we went by to try to investigate, the doors were closed – till today, when we found Kevin Fawcett. He’s a longtime home brewer (and writer for Northwest Brewing News) who’s awaiting licensing to start making his beer in the Triangle space. Fawcett tells us the space appealed to him because of its large cold case – perfect for storage. He’ll start off by making beer to supply to resellers, but eventually might have a brew pub. We’ll keep you updated on West Seattle Brewing Company’s progress!

EDITOR’S NOTE, ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: Updated Tuesday morning to add the missing “West” before Seattle in the name. Fawcett told us in a followup phone conversation that he’s well aware of that name’s history, and there will eventually be some kind of display in his brewery looking back at the name’s origins.

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Strike update: City says no home pickup expected Tuesday

July 30, 2012 2:20 pm

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| Utilities | Waste Management strike | West Seattle news

2:20 PM: Here’s the first update looking ahead to tomorrow (Tuesday), as the Waste Management recycle/yard-waste truck drivers’ strike – supported by WM garbage-truck drivers – continues. The city says it’s not expecting Tuesday pickup:

Due to the continuing strike by Teamsters Union drivers, garbage, recycling and food and yard waste will not be collected Tuesday for most Waste Management residential customers. CleanScapes customers will have their carts picked up as usual.

Waste Management Tuesday customers should put out their recycling, garbage and food and yard waste carts next Tuesday, Aug. 7. Customers will not be charged extra for any additional items placed at the curb.

Customers who were missed for collection today (Monday, July 30), should put their garbage, yard waste and recycling out before 7 a.m. next Monday, Aug. 6.

The strike is affecting about 60 percent of the city, in Northwest and South Seattle. Teamsters Local 117’s contract with Waste Management expired May 31 and union drivers went on strike last Wednesday, July 25. Teamsters 174 garbage and yard drivers have been honoring the Local 117 picket lines.

Collections by CleanScapes, which covers about 40 percent of the city are not impacted by the strike.

SPU continues to urge Waste Management and the Teamsters to engage in good faith negotiations toward a speedy and successful outcome.

Under its contract with the city, Waste Management is required to continue services in the event of any disruption. Specifically, any missed collections due to any labor complications must be collected later in the week, or the following week. Waste Management will not be paid for any non-service.

The contract allows the city to deduct approximately $15,000 to $20,000 per day in payments to Waste Management for any services that are not completed the next day. For any interruptions that continue more than a week, contractors can also be fined substantially for service failure, up to $1.25 million per day.

Protecting public health and safety continues to be the city’s top priority throughout this collection disruption.

SPU will provide updates as needed. Customers with solid waste service issues or concerns may call the Call Center at (206) 684-3000.

Customers with labor/union questions or concerns should contact Waste Management or Teamsters Local 117.

Any more updates today – from anyone involved – will be added here, and this will be linked from the BIG STORIES headline list on the sidebar. We’ve created an archive for all our coverage dating back to the start – newest to oldest – find it here.

TUESDAY MORNING NOTE: Waste Management’s online update also says residential customers won’t get pickup in Seattle today, though they say commercial customers might.

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Garden party at Denny International Middle School this week

July 30, 2012 1:19 pm

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| Gardening | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(World Water Week work party at the Denny garden last March)
Big event just announced for Denny International Middle School‘s garden this Wednesday. From Seattle Public Schools:

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington Green Schools, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Storm will join community volunteers and students from Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School to spruce up the Joan Allen Memorial Garden at Denny school. During the Wednesday, Aug. 1 event, work crews will build raised planting beds from recovered cedar, plant fall crop seedlings, weed existing planting areas and improve the school’s garden storage shed.

The district says new Superintendent José Banda will be there, too.

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Admiral Safeway site sold for $30.7 million to new owner of Link, Mural

July 30, 2012 11:54 am

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

August 11th will mark a year since the opening of the new Admiral Safeway at 2622 California SW. But the anniversary will be marked under new ownership for the property.

County records confirm a sale first reported by the Daily Journal of Commerce: Safeway sold it last week for $30,710,000, to an LLC called SVF Admiral Safeway Seattle, an entity of Southern California-based American Realty Advisors. That firm, we noticed during research, is also the new owner of the Link (4550 38th SW, sold in March for $62 million) and Mural (4727 42nd SW, sold in March for $42 million) mixed-use buildings in West Seattle, both developed by Harbor Properties and sold after its merger (we reported the sale plans but not final word on the buyer).

As best we can tell from the online paperwork regarding the Admiral Safeway deal, it includes the store and the retail building on the northwest side of its parking lot; the deed mentions the tenancy rights of Safeway, Menchie’s, and Umpqua Bank (WSB sponsor), the three businesses currently in place (with additional space still vacant in that smaller building). We have inquiries out to both Safeway and American Realty Advisors for more information, and will add anything more that we learn.

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Arena proposal: City Councilmembers’ concerns; County Council approval

July 30, 2012 11:26 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

FIRST REPORT, 11:26 AM: With the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board taking a stand against the SODO location proposed for a new Seattle sports arena (as first reported here last week), it’s higher on the radar here – so here’s a new development: Less than 3 hours before the King County Council holds a public hearing on the possible county investment in the plan, the Seattle City Council has announced it’s “in discussions” with would-be arena investor Chris Hansen, and has gone public with a four-page letter to him, signed by 8 councilmembers (all except Bruce Harrell). You can see the letter here; the concerns it outlines include the ones on which the WSCoC and Port of Seattle have focused:

… In particular, transportation issues must be addressed and freight mobility impacts mitigated to protect the city’s vital maritime and industrial job sectors. …

The letter spends even more time on concerns about “ongoing financial exposure” to the city and a “balance of public and private benefits.” But it also makes a point that “it would be unfortunate if the project were to founder now …”

Meantime, in advance of the public hearing and expected County Council vote this afternoon, West Seattle’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott co-authored an essay explaining why he believes they have “done (their) due diligence”; read it here. (If and when there is a vote, we’ll add that update to this story.)

6:46 PM: The County Council’s vote was yes. Read about it on their site.

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Followup: Design work starting soon for Avalon/Genesee signal

July 30, 2012 9:46 am

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| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

While talking with SDOT about a different project last Friday, we asked about the timetable for the future Avalon Way/SW Genesee traffic signal, mentioned often in various discussions of local road safety. Our most recent mention was back in February, when its future installation was described as tentatively set for the third quarter of this year (which we’re a month into). SDOT’s Paul Elliott checked on its status and tells WSB today: “Design for the civil work will begin in the next month and construction will be later this fall, with completion by Thanksgiving.” (He confirms that, as was said in February, the project also will include new curb ramps for accessibility.)

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West Seattle (etc.) Monday: 1st Blue Angels arrival; arena hearing…

July 30, 2012 6:12 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Thanks to Brooke Kipling for the golden view of Sunday night’s sunset, from West Seattle’s west shore)
Happy Monday! Here are the highlights of our look ahead to what’s up today/tonight – including events not in West Seattle but of interest here:

WONDERING ABOUT TRASH/RECYCLING PICKUP? The Waste Management recycling/yard-waste drivers’ strike continues, supported by garbage-truck drivers; the company is bringing in what it calls “substitute drivers,” saying they will focus on commercial pickups today. Here’s the newest information.

TRAFFIC ALERTS FOR TODAY/TONIGHT: From our day-by-day traffic-alert list: Southbound 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed 9 pm-5 am; the 1st Avenue South exit from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge will close 10 pm-5 am. And during the day, in West Seattle, there is one alert: Concrete trucks are expected at the Barton Street Pump Station expansion project next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock noon-4:30 pm, and the county warns some traffic trouble might result. (They will have flaggers to assist.)

1ST BLUE ANGEL ARRIVES: Seafair‘s big week always begins with a sight in the sky – the first Blue Angels jet to arrive (the other six are due tomorrow) is expected this morning. We’re checking with Seafair on the time. You’ll likely see it zipping around on media/VIP ridealongs, too. (ADDED 8:43 AM: The first jet has arrived. It’ll be out on “key influencer” ridealongs from 11 am-3 pm. Tomorrow’s group arrival is scheduled around 11 am.)

TIDEWALKING TIME: The next round of low tides starts today, -2 feet just after 9 am.

COUNTY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING ON SODO ARENA: 1:30 pm today, the public has another chance to tell the King County Council what it thinks about the SODO arena plan, during a public hearing at the council’s meeting in the courthouse downtown (as explained here). 1:30 pm; details here.

FAMILY STORY TIME: Tonight at the High Point Library branch (35th/Raymond), 7 pm.

More on the calendar!

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Followup: 4 days after Alki departure, tribal canoes’ final stop

July 30, 2012 4:32 am

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

So many people crowded the Olympia shore on Sunday to see the arrival of nearly 100 tribal canoes, that video is as close as Anne from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) could get to see the local participants – her clip shows the Duwamish Raven Canoe arriving in Budd Inlet. The southernmost reach of Puget Sound was the destination for the Paddle to Squaxin, which included – as we reported last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – an Alki Beach stop along the way. The Olympian reported on Sunday’s arrivals, all greeted by the Squaxin Island Tribe, which is this year’s host for the tribes visiting from all over the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have been paddling for more than a month. The gathering there, the weeklong Potlatch Protocol, will officially begin at 10 am today – and a live stream is promised on this webpage.