West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
Again today, we begin the daily preview with the “live” SDOT cam at California and Alaska, serving this weekend as Summer Fest Cam, as West Seattle’s biggest party of the year continues. Our base is the Information Booth, which would be just offscreen in the lower left of the camera’s view. WSSF is the BIG event today, but not the ONLY one …
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST LINKS: The official hours are 10 am-8 pm again today, with the beer garden and music continuing for a few hours beyond that. Here again is the festival-zone map:
The “California Stage” is on California SW north of Oregon; the “Alaska Stage” is on SW Alaska east of California. The kid zone is near Wells Fargo, north of Alaska and off 44th SW; GreenLife, with a focus on sustainability how-to’s and demonstrations, is on the south end of the festival zone, west side of California, just north of Edmunds.
Vendor list and map: 3 ways to browse – searchable list, PDF list, zoomable map
Music schedule: Here (first performance at noon, Gunn & The Damage Done)
Alaska Stage schedule: Here (first performance noon, Rat City Brass)
GreenLife schedule: Here (first event 11 am, Connie Wurm from West Seattle Nursery talks “Backyard Chickens” – we photographed Sustainable West Seattle president Christina Hahs with a chicken at GreenLife yesterday:)
One more Summer Fest preview note – the “Guns ‘n’ Hoses” police-vs.-firefighters hot-wing contest is at 1:30 pm on the Alaska stage (details on The Wing Dome’s Facebook page).
Also today/tonight:
BIKE HELMET EVENT: At Roxbury Spine and Wellness (28th/Roxbury) – free helmets for the first 200 kids, with lots more going on at this 10 am-12:30 pm event (as detailed here).
‘SAVE THE POLAR BEARS’ CUPCAKE SALE: West Seattle student Sam is selling cupcakes at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) 10 am-1 pm today to raise money for Greenpeace’s Arctic work.
HELICOPTER AIRSHOW AT MUSEUM OF FLIGHT: West Seattleite Jen Boyer is show director, and shared the photo above, of the Apache that arrived yesterday for the American Heroes Airshow. Here’s our full preview; here’s the info on the MoF website. 10 am-3 pm, free.
SSCC PLANT SALE: Support the Landscape Horticulture Program at South Seattle Community College by purchasing plants today, 11 am-3 pm (details in the calendar listing)
NEIL YOUNG SONGS AT C & P: 6-8 pm, Harvest Moon performs at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW).
SECOND-TO-LAST SHOW FOR ‘XANADU’: Also in The Junction along with Summer Fest – “Xanadu” at ArtsWest ends its run Sunday, and tonight the young performers take the stage at 7:30 pm.
SUMMER FEST AFTERPARTY: Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction has live music again tonight as “the official WSSF aftershow party” venue – tonight at 9:30, it’s ‘One Man Banned’ Aaron Daniel, who defies description – you just have to see him in action.
And that’s only part of what you’ll find on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar.
The photo is courtesy of Master Steve Elmore of Evergreen Tang Soo Do Academy – it’s from 2001, when he and his first black-belt-test students were photographed with a leader who has just passed away and will be remembered in West Seattle today:
On Monday, July 9th, 2012, the Martial Arts world lost one of its most prominent and respected leaders, Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin. Grandmaster Shin passed away on Monday after battling cancer. He was the founder, president, and Grandmaster of the World Tang Soo Do Association which has over 100,000 members in over 38 countries worldwide, making it one of the largest Martial Arts organizations in the world today.
The two member schools in Washington, located in West Seattle, will be having a memorial in his honor at 1 pm (today) Saturday, July 14th, in Hiawatha Park. Students from these two schools, Evergreen Tang Soo Do Academy and Puget Sound Tang Soo Do, will be sharing memories and stories of this great leader, teacher, and mentor. Many high-ranking students and instructors will also be traveling to North Carolina to attend a service in his honor on July 22nd.
The two schools will also be making a donation to the American Cancer Society in Grandmaster Shin’s name and will accept donations from anyone in the community. Grandmaster Shin’s life and legacy will be kept alive by the nearly 250 of his students that train in Seattle today. He was an inspiring, compassionate, and dedicate man with the utmost character and integrity. He will be sorely missed by many.
Six West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports to share, that have come in over the past several days. For starters, two reports of mailbox crime: Above, Gregg says six mailboxes at 22nd SW and SW 104th in Shorewood were broken into on Tuesday. “Two were the security locking type. Did not seem to stop the mail thief.” Also on Tuesday, in the 8400 block of 25th SW, Bill says, “Mailbox block was destroyed by a moron with a rock. They’ve been replaced and reported to postal police.”
Ahead, four car-prowl reports:Read More
(See our 1st ongoing afternoon report here)
Now that we’re into the first evening of West Seattle Summer Fest, the music plays a bigger role – and there’s lots of it. Above, the Dolly Rottens played in the late afternoon. Their first show as an all-girl band, per their Facebook page.
(Photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
Right now, Caspar Babypants is on the Alaska Stage. Before he played, we photographed him with (right) artist Kate Endle and their friend Zoe (left):
(added) Here’s video of CB’s first song, “My Flea Has Dogs”:
And at 8 pm, rising star Star Anna performs (California Stage). Lots of street music as well – we’ve seen drummers, strummers, and more. Big occasions for Junction businesses, too – Elliott Bay Brewing is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and proprietor Todd Carden tapped a keg of special ale:
Along with year-round Junction establishments where you can get something to drink or eat, there are two beer gardens, one near each stage, are open too. We’re still in the info booth at California/Alaska till the vendors shut down for the night around 8 (with the music continuing a few hours beyond).
8:05 PM: The booths are now officially closing – you might find some stragglers; we’re folding up the info booth too, but we’ll be back here same hours tomorrow, 10 am-8 pm. We’re off to check out Star Anna (watch for video – and we have one more Day 1 roundup of photos in the works, too, along with a look ahead to tomorrow). Again, the bands and the beer gardens continue for a few hours more – as do your year-round drinking/eating places, several of which have special outdoor zones for the festival.
ADDED: A few more scenes from earlier on Saturday, all photographed by WSB contributor Nick Adams. First, the crowd:
The fun – 3-year-old Peter Ahern, in the kid zone:
And yet there’s always a chance to find a place of your own – Linda Lee found one while listening to music from the California Stage:
Near the stage, the West Seattle Eagles had pulled pork going on a big grill – Frank Wilkerson was tending it:
Looking for bird condos? That’s what Mike Cronk was taking back to his Mike’s Workbench booth:
Also from the vendors roster … Dean Mollen tunes a hand-made cigar-box guitar at Soul Cat Guitars –
If you’re looking up a particular vendor, the vendor list linked on this page of the Summer Fest website has weblinks for many of this year’s participants.
FIRST REPORT, 6:24 PM: Just got this from the victims’ neighbor:
My friend just asked me to e-mail about a possible (burglary) and stolen dog. It happened this afternoon (in the 4100 block of) 22nd Ave, a window was smashed and the dog, a 2 year old male English Setter named Holt, is missing and was likely stolen by the thieves. If you have any information or have seen this dog in the neighborhood please call, its owners are heartbroken.
206-390-5298. The friend is trying to find a photo – we’ll add if she sends one.
ADDED 7:25 PM: The story is now topped with a photo of Holt.
12:12 AM UPDATE: In the comment section, Holt’s owners say he has found his way home.
4:57 PM: Asked about the helicopter that seems to be searching in that area, Seattle Police here at Summer Fest told us there’s a bank robbery in White Center – so we’re trying to find out more from King County Sheriff’s Office.
5:03 PM: Sgt. Kathleen Larson with KCSO says the robbery happened less than an hour ago at the KeyBank on 17th SW in White Center. They’re looking for a man described as white, in his 20s, 5-5, wearing a beanie, gray sweatshirt, light blue jeans. He was last seen running out of the bank. No injuries reported.
Via Facebook, the owners of Marination have announced that they finally have the permits and construction has finally officially begun for their new restaurant/bar at Seacrest Boathouse:
Friends. We have a name, we have the permits, and we have officially (FINALLY!) started construction on Alki at the Seacrest Boathouse. You can expect a full bar, a wicked beer selection, an early barista, and unrelenting aloha on the best patio in Seattle. We cannot wait to invite each one of you to our newest addition in the family: Marination Ma Kai.
That’s Hawaiian for ‘to the sea.’
1:48 PM: Big police and fire response in south West Seattle is headed to an “rescue/automobile” call in the 1700 block of SW Roxbury. We’ll be there shortly.
2:09 PM: Turns out the crash was not as serious as it looked – fire crews canceled fast – it was along the city/county line. King County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the scene told WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli (who sent the photo above) that nobody had to be taken to the hospital. Tow trucks are there already and traffic is getting back to normal.
Thanks to everybody who tipped us to this: Chain-link fencing has gone up around the now-vacated homes that will be demolished to make way for the 3261 Avalon Way residential project, six stories and 120 apartments. (That’s usually the first step toward demolition – second step, “no parking” signs out front, though no sign of them as of this morning.) Here’s our most report on the planned project, from January, when the land-use permit was granted.
12:43 PM: The weather is calmer and the crowd keeps growing at West Seattle Summer Fest, with day 1 well under way – and we’re live in the Information Booth again this year; drop by to say hi, pick up the festival flyer, a free West Seattle Art Walk button, a West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Resource Guide, postcards and mini-flyers for other summer fun (WS Outdoor Movies, Delridge Day, the WS Junction Car Show) … The info booth is on the southwest corner of California/Alaska this year, right outside KeyBank, front row to everything. LOTS of people here so far. Here again are the handy info-links:
Vendor list and map: 3 ways to browse – searchable list, PDF list, zoomable map
Music schedule: Here
Alaska Stage schedule: Here
GreenLife schedule: Here
On the Alaska Stage right now, first event of the day – a West Seattle Hi-Yu presentation, including royalty like Queen Kayli, who had her umbrella handy earlier just in case:
The number one question is always – where’s the kid stuff? Again this year, it’s on the west side of the festival zone, in the Wells Fargo parking lot, under the WF drive-thru (that’s where Pathfinder K-8 and Curious Kidstuff are sponsoring art activities and facepainting). The ticket booth for the kids’ rides is right next to one of them, the scrambler-type ride, on the west side of the western food zone along SW Alaska.
Another area you might miss if you’re not looking for it – GreenLife on the south end of the festival zone – where we found Stefan Hansmire of Ncompass (WSB sponsor) with Chas Redmond and Bill Reiswig of Sustainable West Seattle:
Oh, and this just in – beer gardens open at 2!
2:07 PM: Sun’s out and the activity zones are all in full swing. Some highlights coming up:
Bubbleman (who performed in the street last night) is at the Alaska Stage at 3:45 today; that’s also where you’ll find Caspar Babypants at 6:30 tonight.
3:12 PM: Along with the sidewalk sale outside year-round merchants, the vendor booths in the middle, you’ll also find lots of local nonprofit organizations – like Northwest Hope and Healing, promoting next month’s Alki Beach 5K:
And Seal Sitters:
And speaking of critters … we met Morgan‘s mohawk-sporting Pomeranian, Bogie:
You never know who you’ll see.
4 PM: This is the Summer Fest breakout treat so far (well, besides the deep-fried peanut-butter sandwiches) – coconuts:
Young coconuts, for sale on the north side of the California/Alaska intersection – $3 each or 2 for five bucks. (That’s Jarred Shelton in the photo.) They’ll cut them open for you here – and you can also find them, not cut, at QFC (whose booth they’re in. Steps away, at Cupcake Royale, their ice-cream cart is debuting:
Small scoop about $3, regular scoop about $4. For a more adult type of treat, head to one of the beer gardens – one by the Alaska stage, one up by the California stage:
Feedback Lounge is managing the one by the Alaska stage. Co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert stopped for a photo earlier with West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose:
Summer Fest is on till 8 tonight (with bands and beer gardens running a few hours beyond that) – and of course continuing Saturday and Sunday. We’re in the info booth for the duration … thanks to everyone who’s stopped by to say hi so far – it’s always great to meet you.
7:20 PM NOTE: We have some evening coverage going in a separate story.
Last night’s version of the National Weather Service forecast did NOT include thunderstorms for today – but the 8:15 am update today added a “chance” for this afternoon. Seems to be a bit early, as thunder’s been quite audible for the past 15-plus minutes, and we hear it’s raining on the Eastside. None so far in West Seattle – but let us know what you’re seeing/hearing, because you know what they say about “microclimates”!
(Rendering of potential Fauntleroy Way ‘green boulevard,’ from June 2011 Triangle open house)
FIRST REPORT, 10:05 AM: Thanks to Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association for sharing a photo of a postcard she just received in postal mail at her home, so we can share the info with you – we have not seen any other mention of this yet, and it’s less than a week away: The city has scheduled its first open house on the Fauntleroy Way “Green Boulevard” concept – after including $250,000 in this year’s budget to study the idea of turning Fauntleroy Way into a “boulevard,” with a treed median, through The Triangle, between 35th SW and SW Alaska. Love the idea? Don’t like the idea? Want to know more? We’re asking SDOT when some kind of formal announcement is forthcoming, but the postcard Sharonn received says the open house is at 4 pm next Thursday (July 19th) at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). It also includes a city website address that as of this writing doesn’t appear to be working yet. We’ll update when we get more info from SDOT.
4:41 PM UPDATE: Some more info from SDOT re: the open house:
The open house will provide community members an opportunity to provide input on conceptual design alternatives for the Fauntleroy Way SW Green Boulevard Project. The project itself is between 35th Ave SW and SW Alaska Street on Fauntleroy Way SW and seeks to transform this section of the corridor into more of a gateway into West Seattle. The alternatives could include elements such as a landscaped boulevard, planted medians, better pedestrian zones, lighting and better crossing movements. This is all part of a larger plan that originates from the West Seattle Streetscapes Concept Plan.
We are inviting community members to come to the open house to review the alternatives, share their thoughts on the conceptual design plan and generally let us know what is most important to them about this section of the corridor.
SDOT’s Marybeth Turner also points out that “funding right now only allows for a conceptual design (10 percent) and a proposed alternative to be selected this year. Funding would still need to be secured to move this project into a design greater than 10 percent and then into physical construction.”
In discussion the past two weeks related to the now-scrapped proposal for a commercial zipline/tree-swing/etc. attraction in Lincoln Park (WSB coverage archived here), many said they would happily offer what they could, time and/or money, to help the park. So here’s your chance to volunteer some time – the next work party:
Get your green workout and help make West Seattle an even healthier place! Join Friends of Lincoln Park for a forest restoration and maintenance work party.
Sunday, July 15, 9 am to noon
Meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose St)Long sleeves and pants, sturdy shoes or boots highly recommended. Bring your favorite work gloves or we have extras to share.
We’ve done an amazing amount of invasive plant removal in the park, so maintaining our gains by going back to areas we’ve worked previously is vital! And we get the satisfaction of seeing what great work we’ve done.
Please contact Lisa McGinty, Volunteer Forest Steward, with any questions: 248.506.7155 or lmcginty206@gmail.com.
That’s the “live” city traffic cam at California and Alaska, which we’ll dub Summer Fest Cam for the next three days, in honor of West Seattle’s biggest party of the year, starting at 10 this morning. We’ll be reporting live throughout Summer Fest, while helping out at the central Information Booth (wave at us as you walk by, or stop to say hi!) right at that intersection. But first, to start the day, some handy Summer Fest links *and* other Friday highlights:
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST LINKS: Today’s official hours are 10 am-8 pm, with the beer garden and music running later. Here’s the festival-zone map:
The main music stage is on California north of Oregon, with a few acts and other community performances/events on the “Alaska Stage” east of California. The kids’ zone is near Wells Fargo, north of Alaska and off 44th SW; GreenLife, with a focus on sustainability how-to’s (tons of demonstrations and presentations!), is west of California, north of Edmunds, on the south side.
Vendor list and map: 3 ways to browse – searchable list, PDF list, zoomable map
Music schedule: Here (first performance 12:45 pm)
Alaska Stage schedule: Here (first event 1 pm)
GreenLife schedule: Here (first event 12:45 pm)
Also today/tonight:
FINAL WEEKEND FOR XANADU: You’re already in The Junction for Summer Fest, why not go cheer the young performers who’ve spent the past few weeks singing and acting the hearts out? “Xanadu” at ArtsWest ends its run Sunday, and tonight it’s onstage at 7:30 pm.
BOBBY DARIN TRIBUTE: At Kenyon Hall tonight, 7:30 pm, Bob De Dea salutes Bobby Darin in Singin’ and Swingin’ with Bobby D. More details on the KH website.
SUMMER FEST AFTERPARTY: Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction has live music tonight and tomorrow, billing itself as “the official WSSF aftershow party” venue – tonight at 10, it’s Gunn and the Damage Done.
And that’s only part of what you’ll find on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar.
Starting today, at West Seattle Summer Fest, West Seattle-based animal-advocacy group Furry Faces Foundation will launch a new campaign called “Tag Your Pet…It Ain’t Graffiti!” to raise awareness about the importance of pet tags, providing tags for $5 to $8 each.
In their announcement, Furry Faces says pet tags are the #1 way lost pets are reunited with their owners. For pets without tags, however, Furry Faces says the statistics are bleak. And even though 80 percent of pet owners believe it is important for their pets to wear ID, only thirty-three percent of them have their animals tagged. So thanks to the donation of a new pet-tag engraver, Furry Faces hopes to improve these numbers. Through their new program, they will engrave and sell pet tags and collars to owners on the spot, with funds from the sales going to provide tags for financially-restricted pet owners. Interested? Then stop by one of their upcoming events – list ahead:Read More
Besides roaming The Junction on West Seattle Summer Fest Eve/West Seattle Art Walk night, we also took a side trip north on Thursday night. First, to North Delridge, for a firsthand look at the West Seattle Tool Library‘s new mobile unit – a delivery/pickup trailer – as reported here; posing with the new trailer are the Ask-an-Expert/WSTL/Sustainable West Seattle crew who were on hand at the library’s Youngstown home when we visited. Next, over to the Admiral District for a few of its West Seattle Art Walk venues:
At Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor), we met Chloe Cho (photo above), who makes and sells beach-glass jewelry. A bit further north, Mind Unwind brought together art and science, as proprietor Krystal Kelley put it – the former, from artist Walter Scheirer, who she explained “has rendered the natural abstracts in insects using mis-tinted latex house paint on salvaged hollow-core doors”:
And the science, from collector Don Ehlen with Insect Safari, who showed “more than 2,000 insect specimens from all over the world”:
Finally, we dropped in on State Farm agent Brent Amacher, who was being neighborly by hosting portrait photogapher Dawndra Budd – who also works at Mission next door:
The next Art Walk is August 9th, 6-9 pm.
Laura “Diver Laura” James sent that first photo (by the way, you have a few more days to vote for her and help get a grant for Sustainable West Seattle) …Then, Annika got this view as the colors intensified further:
We got a text a few minutes ago saying lightning was visible from Alki. Then, we saw some in the northwest distance from here, just now – nothing in the forecast so far, but as we learned a few days ago, anything can happen, so let us know what you see/hear!
6:44 PM: We’re starting the night in The Junction, where the party is on, as the streets are now closed on the eve of West Seattle Summer Fest. Above, Lora Swift celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (north end of The Junction, close to where the Summer Fest music stage will be set up shortly) – West Seattle-created Venom Vodka is here, with owner Mark Miceli:
Also at Hotwire, DJ Lunaglow is mixing on the patio – more details on the party here. We’re roaming both West Seattle Art Walk stops and Summer Fest prep, and in many places, like here, it overlaps. Summer’s also in full swing at Twilight Artist Collective:
The new West Seattle Art Walk buttons are here, and that’s made Erin smile! Come to the info booth at Summer Fest tomorrow (where you’ll find us, too) to get yours, free. Back to what’s up tonight – it’s bazaar time at Easy Street Records:
The Art Walk fun goes on till about 9 – it’s Shop Late Thursday in The Junction too (some of the sidewalk sales are already under way – at WSB sponsors J.F. Henry and Click! Design That Fits, to name two where we’ve seen merchandise outside the storefront).
And we’ve got a crew roaming elsewhere in WS too!
7:18 PM UPDATE: It is not Summer Fest Eve without the now-West Seattle-residing Bubbleman:
His traditional show filled the street with cheering kids – and now we’re a few steps away in the ex-Petco, current Sound Ad Group HQ pending the 4724 California development – the crew in here is working on another edition of the West Seattle Podcast, as we speak … and making sure those crazy animatronic creatures still work. (added) They do! Center of attention, lip-synching Justin Bieber‘s latest …
(There’s also AIR CONDITIONING in here, you should know.) Live music ahead in the street – Yada Yada Blues Band outside West 5, and there’s a troubadour outside the boutique zone on California south of Oregon. More to come.
9:15 PM: Your editor here wound up on the WS Podcast with Jason, Tao, and Celeste (and our son). Drop by sometime – they’d love to put lots of West Seattleites “on the air”! We then wandered out to check out the Yada Yada Blues Band outside West 5 (under the appropriately blue tent):
(added) A minute of video from their set:
West 5 is one of several Junction restaurants where you’ll find short-term sidewalk café setups during Summer Fest – sure, there are the standard street-fair food vendors, but you can also enjoy your year-round faves in new ways. Speaking of vendors, they are all working into the evening to get ready for tomorrow, when WSSF begins at 10 am:
We’ll add a few more photos… we also have a separate report from stops in North Delridge and the Admiral District. But tomorrow, all eyes are on the festival … we’ll start the day with some don’t-miss highlights,and you can browse music/community stage/vendors/everything at wsjunction.org/summerfest.
We’re continuing to keep you updated on new homes for the businesses that have to leave the future Equity Residential development site at California/Alaska/42nd – and today, we have another move confirmed, plus a “domino effect” of that move:
The furniture-consignment store Suite Arrangements is moving to 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, just south of Alaska, 
the former rental-outlet site where West Seattle Produce moved late last year (2011 WSB photo at right) – and in turn, WS Produce is moving into another part of the same building, just to the north. (The Beloved Mexico food truck is staying in the parking lot.)
West Seattle Produce is making its move this weekend, and plans to be open in its new space on Monday. Suite Arrangements says it’s having a sale right now to get ready for closing its Junction location on July 29th and reopening in the new Fauntleroy Way storefront on August 1st. (added) SA owner Geoff Abadian says in his formal announcement, “With all the development planned here in the next several years, the only way West Seattle can retain a good part of its distinctive charm going forward will be for existing small businesses to be more creative and more diligent about providing their distinct offerings, and for local residents to continue patronizing them, as many are committed to doing.”
Our most recent story with updates on all the other affected businesses is here, including reminders that Rocksport Bar and Grill and Rubato Records both shutting down after this Sunday (July 15th). Rocksport does not plan to reopen (and is having an auction July 24th); Rubato is still looking for a new location. Meantime, Super Supplements, which closed in The Junction last weekend, will reopen in its new Morgan Junction location tomorrow.
While checking WSB archives in relation to this morning’s “automatic gunfire detection” story, we noticed we had lost track of the case of 26-year-old Nicholas J. Bowman, 
arrested for allegedly shooting at a man behind Cactus on Alki late one night in March (WSB coverage here), after pointing and waving his gun at others outside nearby Bamboo. No one was hit or hurt; witnesses called 911 and described Bowman and his vehicle, which was stopped by police on Harbor Avenue. Investigators at the gunfire scene found one 45-caliber shell casing in the area; Bowman was charged days later with one count of second-degree assault. Online records say he pleaded guilty to that charge two weeks ago and will be sentenced July 27th. As part of the plea agreement, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office recommends a sentence of 3 years, 3 months – with 3 years of that being the mandatory sentence “enhancement” for use of a deadly weapon. He has no felony criminal history, but five misdemeanors, including three drug charges, larceny, and a driving violation. Bowman’s been in jail since his arrest 3 1/2 months ago. (March WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Following up on our report from last month, we checked today with Seattle Parks‘ project manager Kelly Davidson, and she says that West Seattle-based Grindline is the “apparent low bidder” for the Roxhill Skatepark (skatespot)/play area project (the playground equipment itself will be installed by community volunteers after the site is prepped). There were three other bidders but in reviewing the proposals, the Contracting Department, Davidson says, deemed the other three “unresponsive.” Grindline (whose bid was $572K, about $30K over the estimate) designed and built Delridge Skatepark, which opened last September; construction at Roxhill is expected to start next month.
This afternoon at 2 pm, the City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, chaired by Councilmember Bruce Harrell, looks at a high-tech solution to a recurring problem: How to tell when reports of gunshots are really gunshots – and how to find out about gunfire if no one reports it. The committee will see a presentation for a system called ShotSpotter, which involves acoustic sensors – a media advisory for today’s meeting summarizes it this way:
How will the Automated Gunfire Locating System work? When gunfire occurs outdoors, acoustic sensors will activate instantly and software will triangulate and identify the exact location of the gunfire. A gunfire and acoustic expert analyzes and validates the audio data and routes the alert to the police dispatch center. Within minutes, the police will receive critical information and arrive at the exact location of the gunfire knowing how many shots were fired, the original shooter’s position, speed and direction of travel (if shooter moved) and exact time of gunfire.
The company’s PowerPoint is online as part of the committee agenda, so we took a look, and noticed the map above – labeling part of West Seattle as an area recommended for the sensors, because it’s one of three areas in the city that together represent 55 percent of the shots/shootings/weapons calls (the West Seattle area mentioned is described as representing 8 percent of the calls), while only comprising 18 percent of the city’s acreage. Today’s meeting is a briefing – no specific proposal is up for a vote; too soon for that, and note that the slide deck says the cost of this is $40,000-$60,000/square mile annually – but if you’re interested in watching, Seattle Channel will have it live, on cable 21 and online at seattlechannel.org.
ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: Our partners at The Seattle Times covered the hearing; here’s their report.
Thanks to Don Brubeck for the photo! Forecast says the fog will clear away as it has the past few days – it’s peeking through even as we finish this roundup – and we should have sun for Summer Fest Eve/Art Walk/everything else happening tonight. Highlights:
JUNCTION STREETS CLOSE AT 6 PM: That’s when the West Seattle Summer Fest setup begins – since the peninsula’s biggest party of the year happens the next three days, it’s a big night of work to get ready. But also …
SUMMER FEST EVE IN THE STREETS: The setup is usually fairly low key, and that’s why fun stuff happens in the street on the night before Summer Fest, too. Bubbleman will be outside Elliott Bay, 6 pm; the Yada Yada Blues Band plays outside West 5 – as previewed here. AND …
SHOP LATE THURSDAY IN THE JUNCTION: Wander the streets AND the shops, till 9 pm, at participating merchants (listed here).
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: In The Junction, in the Admiral District, on Alki, and other locations around West Seattle, tonight is the monthly Art Walk night, and even outside the Summer Fest zone, the spirit is more festive than ever on the July Art Walk night. Preview some of the venues and artists via the official Art Walk website; get your walking map/venue list here. Among the highlights: “Summer Lovin’,” themed John Travolta (!), group show opening at Twilight Artist Collective. 6-9 pm.
WINE CLUB AND LIVE MUSIC: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW):
Relax with a glass of wine and feel the warmth of Choro Tocando and the music of Brazil. Wine club meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Join us as we explore a new theme each month and feel free to bring an appetizer! $5.00 tasting fee or wines by the glass or bottle. 21 and older please.
BIG NIGHT AT THE WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Ask an Expert, *plus* the Tool Library’s mobile-unit debut, and a visit from Spark Truck, all happening tonight, 6-8 pm, at the Tool Library’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center headquarters (4408 Delridge Way SW)
WHITE CENTER (ETC.) ANNEXATION INFO MEETING: If you’re on the county side of the line and want to know more about the Burien annexation measure coming up on the November ballot, the next informational session is tonight at 6 pm, Dubsea Coffee in Greenbridge (8th SW, a block south of Roxbury).
DRUM CIRCLE ON ALKI: Second edition of this new weekly tradition. 6:30 pm, meet near the Alki Statue of Liberty. Details here.
DESC DELRIDGE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 6:30 pm at Youngstown – agenda details here.
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Their agenda tonight includes a resolution related to the SODO arena proposal (read the text here). More meeting info at 34dems.org; meeting’s at 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).
GENESEE-SCHMITZ NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Outdoor meeting tonight, on the upper playground of the Genesee Hill School campus, 7 pm.
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