day : 11/10/2012 11 results

How do you get early word of development/construction projects planned for your neighborhood – and if one goes to Design Review, what’s that like? Those were among the questions answered at this week’s monthly meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association – which also included other topics such as pursuing a grant to get a long-sought traffic signal:

Another fundraising walk/run in West Seattle: Miles for Midwives

October 11, 2012 9:58 pm

| Comments Off on Another fundraising walk/run in West Seattle: Miles for Midwives

| How to help | West Seattle news

We’ve learned there are two fundraising walk/run events coming up in Lincoln Park before the month is out. We’ve already mentioned the Monster Dash on October 27th, benefiting West Seattle’s Cooperative Preschools (WSB sponsor). But before that, October 21st is the date set for Miles for Midwives 2012. Organizers explain:

Miles for Midwives takes place every autumn to raise awareness around the benefits of midwifery and the important work of Washington midwives! Your participation helps to ensure that families in Washington State have greater access to quality women’s health care and the lower health-care costs associated with utilization of midwives. Proceeds from Miles for Midwives benefit the Washington Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives and the Midwives’ Association of Washington State.

You can register online by going here – it’s $25 if you sign up by October 18th, one week from tonight. On Miles for Midwives Day, on-site registration starts at 8 am, a “kids’ lollipop run” at 9:45, then the official run/walk (not officially timed, by the way) at 10 am, near Shelters 1-2 in the south end of the park. It’s a 2.5-mile loop along the perimeter, down to the water, around Colman Pool, back up into the park, and we’re told it’s stroller-/pet-friendly.

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West Seattle restaurants: Marination ma kai adds to menu

October 11, 2012 7:43 pm

| 25 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Update on West Seattle’s newest restaurant/bar, Marination ma kai at Seacrest Boathouse: Co-proprietor Kamala Saxton sends word tonight that after a week with a “limited menu,” they are adding hot breakfast, shave ice, and fish and chips as of tomorrow. The hot-breakfast offerings include Breakfast Sliders, Sunrise Burrito, Biscuits and Gravy, and Loco Moco; for lunch/dinner, they are adding the promised fish and chips, with kimchi or miso tartar sauce and a ponzu malt vinegar. If you haven’t been yet, they have adjusted their hours to 8 am-8 pm weekdays and 9 am-“late” on Saturdays and Sundays.

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West Seattle weather: 4 warnings, with rain on the way

October 11, 2012 4:28 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(No rain yet! Tonight’s sunset, via Twitter, by @sudsymaggie)
Four warnings today about the rain that seems to be finally heading this way:

First, the National Weather Service has issued a “special weather statement” – see it here.

Second, even though the first bouts of rain are NOT expected to be heavy, it still could cause power outages, says Seattle City Light. They explain why – and what you can do to try to lessen the chances – in this update.

Third, WSDOT warns about a potentially rainy commute tomorrow:

Drivers can do their part to keep traffic moving by following these basic tips for driving in wet weather: leave plenty of following distance between vehicles; focus on driving and not on the cell phone; and check conditions and traffic before leaving. Drivers may also want to add 15 minutes or more to their commute.

Drivers who get into a collision should: move to the right to get out of traffic; stay in the vehicle until help arrives; and never stand or walk into traffic for any reason.

WSDOT crews are planning for the wet commute as well. Incident responders will be out in full force clearing roads and helping drivers along the key commute corridors, including Interstate 5, Interstate 405, State Route 520, Interstate 90, State Route 99 and State Route 16 throughout Seattle, Bellevue, Everett and Tacoma.

Our brand new daily traffic/transit thread (for your updates and ours, starting in the early morning and accessible throughout the day) will track the situation too.

Fourth, award-winning environmental activist Laura “Diver Laura” James has a reminder on behalf of tox-ick.org:

With the rains coming, it is imperative that we do our best to pick up the errant dog poop that is lurking beside the sidewalks on the grassy hills and planting strips. This poop is FULL of badness (such as e. coli and parasites such as Giardia and Roundworms) There are baby seal pups in the waters around our large storm outfalls, its up to US to help protect them!!! Even if its not YOUR dog’s poop, please pick it up! Its a race against time (and rain)!

Additionally, if you are out walking and see small bits of roadside garbage, cigarette butts, bottle caps, pens, candy wrappers, plastic bags, etc… Take a moment to pick it up and get it into a garbage can, otherwise that trash has a one way ticket directly into Puget Sound via the storm drains! Don’t let it add to the Underwater Garbage Patch off Alki Beach!

We’ll of course track the weather, the traffic, and everything related, 24/7 as usual, including our new every-weekday-morning (weekends as needed) “traffic/transit today” open threads with commenters’ reports as well as updates from us.

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West Seattle online: New views via Google Maps’ Street View

October 11, 2012 3:28 pm

| 18 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle online

(Google Street View car near WSB HQ in July 2011 – thanks to Tony for the reminder comment!)
Two people have mentioned this to us today so far, so we’re sharing it: Google Maps‘ “Street View” 360-degree photography apparently has been updated for West Seattle – so if you have a minute, you might want to go see if that goes for your neighborhood. We can attest to one change: For a LONG time, if you looked at the Google Street View for California/Edmunds in The Junction, you would have seen the West Seattle Summer Fest road-closure signs and tents … from three or four years ago. Now, it’s a clear view (see here).

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Followup: Avalon and Genesee signal work about to start

October 11, 2012 1:54 pm

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| Transportation | West Seattle news

When Metro launched RapidRide C Line and a fleet of changes twelve days ago, you might recall, brand-new Route 50 had a partial West Seattle re-route from the start, since it couldn’t use its full intended westbound route until a long-awaited traffic signal was installed at Avalon and Genesee. So when is that signal finally going in? many asked. The most recent estimate was “by Thanksgiving,” and it looks like that’ll happen, since we’ve just learned that work might start as soon as next week. That’s according to John Vander Sluis of SDOT, who says the construction notice has just gone out to the neighborhood, saying the following:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be starting construction in your neighborhood soon. SDOT is preparing to install a new traffic signal at the intersection of SW Avalon Way and SW Genesee Street. The traffic signal will improve safety for everyone who uses the street and provide safer transportation options for you and your neighbors to reach local destinations. This project was requested by the community through the Neighborhood Project Fund, a city-administered program that works with communities to prioritize and build neighborhood projects. This location meets the criteria for a new traffic signal because of the traffic and pedestrian volumes at this intersection, as well as the past collision history.

The purpose of this project is to improve safety for all road users. Specifically, the project will:
· Improve the safety for drivers and pedestrians accessing and crossing SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee Street by installing a new traffic signal;
· Indicate the preferred crossing point for pedestrians by installing four new marked crosswalks;
· Improve accessibility for people with mobility challenges by installing six curb ramps;
· Replace damaged sidewalk near the new curb ramps.

SDOT anticipates that construction will begin within the next week and last about one and a half months, depending on the weather. Some parking will be restricted during construction and SDOT will place “no parking” signs 3 days before construction begins.

And in fact, just after hearing from Vander Sluis, we spotted SDOT workers on the southeast Avalon/Genesee corner, examining plans (above). The community request mentioned above, by the way, was spearheaded by North Delridge community advocate Mike Dady.

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Dinosaur Takeout: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor

October 11, 2012 12:18 pm

| 28 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

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

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Dinosaur Takeout, a West Seattle-based meal delivery service that brings ready-to-cook meals directly to your home or office. Here’s what its owners want to share with you about their business:

Owners Jeff Robbins and Brian Fraley have lived in Seattle for the past two decades. Currently they’re based in a commercial kitchen near the YMCA and deliver to West Seattle, Downtown, and surrounding neighborhoods. Their freshly prepped, ready-to-cook meal kits include customer favorites like Mustard-Glazed Salmon, Orange Piccata Chicken, Sausage & White Bean Stew, and Peppercorn Tofu.

Jeff says, “When developing the business, I asked myself, ‘How can I eliminate the time-consuming steps of planning, shopping, and prepping and still achieve the satisfying experience of preparing a fresh, home-cooked meal for myself, my family, and my friends without sacrificing quality or paying too much?’ That is when Dinosaur Takeout was born. I began creating new dishes and adapting classic recipes in a way that uses simple 3-step cooking instructions and a shorter, more convenient preparation time, usually around 20 minutes from the box to the table. Everything is chopped, mixed, and measured; the sauces are blended perfectly and delivered raw, the meat and poultry are obtained from local and reputable farmers, even our tofu is made fresh here in Seattle, and all the ingredients for a complete meal are packaged in a convenient, single, refrigerated box. It’s designed for single folks or couples, regardless of cooking skills, as well as experienced chefs and families who just want a night off.”

Brian adds, “People are always excited about getting new meals each week. Our menu changes weekly so there’s always something different. One of our clients said he feels like a celebrity chef on a TV cooking show because all his ingredients are chopped and ready to go. Enthusiastic feedback like that really makes us excited to keep inventing new ways for people to experience the fun of cooking.”

Dinosaur Takeout offers discounted monthly subscription plans in addition to their regular online ordering system. “Just drop us a line at info@dinosaurtakeout.com and say ‘I want to subscribe!'” says Jeff. “We’ll get back to you ASAP, answer your questions, and work out a subscription plan just for you. And remember, subscription plans make great gifts too!”

You can get more information via Dinosaur Takeout‘s ‘How It Works‘ page.

We thank Dinosaur Takeout 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.

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Election 2012 video: West Seattle Kiwanis forum on I-1185

October 11, 2012 11:52 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Kiwanis Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

As you’ll hear Karl de Jong of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle say at the start of our video – ballots will arrive in the mail next week. So it’s time to start checking out the lesser-discussed issues and races. The Kiwanis hosted a forum at their weekly lunch meeting to take a look at Initiative 1185 (full text here), which would change the requirements for tax/fee approval by legislators. Amber Carter from the Association of Washington Business spoke in favor of it, 36th District State Rep. Reuven Carlyle against it, in a compact half-hour-long discussion all captured on unedited video above. You can see all the statewide ballot measures for this election here.

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West Seattle scene: Tree ambassador’s multi-century project

October 11, 2012 11:24 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
If you drive down 46th SW between SW Raymond and SW Graham in Seaview (map) right now and notice tree-removal work under way – you might leap to the wrong conclusion if you don’t know the whole story, which was shared with us this morning by Jonathan Stumpf:

Once upon a time, Thundercloud Plums lined 46th Avenue SW, as well as many other streets in the Seaview neighborhood. Highly susceptible to breakage, most have fallen to windstorms during recent years. This week, neighbors between Raymond and Graham have pooled resources to remove the last of them, clearing the way to take advantage of an upcoming SDOT planting project. Nineteen Copper Beeches, alternating with Scarlet Oaks, will soon replace the dying plums on this block. The new trees should live up to 300 years, and although they will need a number of years to grow, eventually they will form a canopy over the street, to be enjoyed by generations to come. One of Seattle’s Tree Ambassadors, Brandis Gray, inspired the community stewardship of this planting strip.

The preparation work we found when we stopped by the block just now is being done by Stonehedge Tree Experts (WSB sponsor). If you’d like to find out about being a tree ambassador, just go here.

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West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk; ‘Lawfully Wedded’; WSHS open house; more…

October 11, 2012 9:00 am

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| West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

It’s West Seattle Art Walk night! Plenty of previews on the official Art Walk website, and some highlights below too, among other notes from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 11:15 am at Delridge Library (Brandon/Delridge). Stories, rhymes, songs, fun for 3-5 year-olds.

SLIME AND SCIENCE: 4 pm at High Point Library (35th/Raymond), for ages 7-9.

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: 6-9 pm, from Alki Arts in the north to Locol in the south, more than two dozen venues are on the West Seattle Art Walk roster for fall. Here’s the list/map; following are a few previews (and find more here):

C & P COFFEE WINE TASTING AND LIVE MUSIC: Choro Tocando brings the music, Gregg Curry the art, for the monthly wine tasting at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), 6-8 pm – bring an appetizer!

WEST SEATTLE CELLARS WINE TASTING & ART WALK: Glenn Brewer‘s watercolors, and “affordable Oregon wines” poured by Click Imports’ Franck Mossenta at West Seattle Cellars (WSB sponsor), 5:30-9 pm.

MEET ME AT THE MORTUARY – ART WALK AT HOTWIRE: Artist Todd D. Martin has a most unusual exhibit at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor; 4410 California SW) – details here.

ALSO IN THE JUNCTION – TAMMY SPEARS AT WALLFLOWER: Recent work by Tammy Spears and edible treats by Kitchen Klaus are what you’ll find at Wallflower Custom Framing (WSB sponsor) on the ground floor of Mural, across 42nd from Jefferson Square, during Art Walk tonight.

ZATZ A BETTER BAGEL COLORING CONTEST & ART WALK: Stop by Zatz A Better Bagel (WSB sponsor) for Art Walk tonight in The Admiral District and – if there’s a young artist with you – get in on the coloring contest! It’s been extended till the November Art Walk. (Here’s our original report with contest details.)

UKULELE MUSIC AT CARMILIA’S FOR ART WALK: Proprietor Linda tells us “there will be a four-part ukelele band playing ’80s cover music along with great photos by Pauline Smith.” (Carmilia’s is at 4528 California SW in The Junction)

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY AT BAKERY NOUVEAU: It’s a juried show – all month long, but check out, and meet photographers, tonight during Art Walk. (The photo above is by Larry St. Pierre.) Here’s the announcement:

Bakery Nouveau displays stunning images of the Seattle Chinese in a juried show now on display. Images taken from morning light to moonlight display the skill and artistry of ten photographers. They participated in a series of August workshops at the Garden led by Vashon Island photographer Ray Pfortner. Meet the photographers at Bakery Nouveau on October 11, from 6 to 8 pm, during the West Seattle Art Walk. Indulge all your senses and enjoy a delectable pastry while admiring the photography. Bakery Nouveau is at 4737 California Avenue SW.

Also happening in West Seattle tonight:

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8:30 pm, it’s the traditional fall open house event for WSHS families – as noted on the WSHS home page:

It will be an opportunity for you to learn about our schools’ performance data, communication methods and support. You will have time to meet your student’s teachers to find out what your student will be learning, and hear about his/her teacher’s expectations and support. Your student will be bringing home their schedule for you to follow. Please meet in the Theatre at 6:30 pm.

‘LAWFULLY WEDDED’ – FREE! 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall, an ArtsCrush presentation – here’s their preview:

“What is love? What is marriage? People have widely differing views, and through personal interviews, theatre, poetry, and music we will explore these views. This collaborative production is sure to speak to your heart! Don’t miss this thought provoking and relevant production.”

Presented in West Seattle in conjunction with Twelfth Night Productions and Kenyon Hall. Admission free.

NIGHTLIFE: … Pub quiz night at A Terrible Beauty (California/Edmunds), 7:30 pm … Danny Figgins Trio plays live at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 8-10 pm … The Deep Cuts with DJ Kingblind at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW), 8 pm … Amir Beso performs at The Cask in The Admiral District, 8 pm… (Live music at YOUR venue? Please send us the info so we can include it on West Seattle’s most comprehensive events calendar! editor@westseattleblog.com)

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Traffic/transit today, from & to West Seattle: Thursday 10/11

October 11, 2012 6:24 am

| 60 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:24 AM: We asked on Wednesday what you think about a daily dedicated thread for traffic and transit reports, from you and from us – consensus seemed to be, go for it. So here we go. No big trouble currently – we’re monitoring various sources and will update if there’s anything of note.

7:39 AM: Still quiet. No rain yet but the weather folks say tomorrow might bring a wet commute. Also of note tomorrow, no classes Friday in Seattle Public Schools, which will likely alter traffic patterns.

9:58 AM ALERT – ramp from West Seattle Bridge to I-5 north is closed, apparently a diesel spill. Keep an eye on the live camera at the top of the page – we’ll update when it’s cleared.

10:42 AM UPDATE: SDOT says a stalled vehicle linked to this is cleared and the live cam looks OK now so we’re dropping this story back to its time-appropriate slot on the home page.

5:19 PM UPDATE: Couple of Metro-related notes – First, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who represents West Seattle (and White Center, Vashon/Maury, and some surrounding areas), has sent his latest “e-newsletter” summarizing his view of the bus changes, what’s been done about concerns, what’s in the works, and what he says “you can do” – read it all here.

Meantime, Metro has not yet provided the numbers it used to generate the information referred to in the “Very preliminary numbers, from some initial checks, show about a 15 to 20 percent ridership increase” quote from the system’s boss, Kevin Desmond. What we got back from spokesperson Jeff Switzer today was:

Metro planners made direct field observations Oct. 4 and 9, 10, 11, with plans for more data collection in the field and through our automatic passenger counters that are on about 15% of Metro coaches (more on RapidRide). The increase noted was during the morning commute from 7-9 a.m. We also had reports of crowded buses and passed stops that prompted us to add trips for the RapidRide C line. While the data is preliminary, we hope that this continues to signal increasing ridership demand.

We have renewed our request for the actual numbers – however preliminary and small they might have been – that suggested a “ridership increase.” Switzer subsequently elaborated, “Metro is still gathering data to confirm that the initial observations are accurate and consistent.”

8:08 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Trileigh for the tip – stuck semi-truck at California and Edmunds causing some trouble, with traffic having to make its way carefully around it.

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