West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
The sky cleared enough for Comet PanSTARRS viewing again tonight – and we have photos to share in case you missed it. Above, from Trileigh Tucker – click the image for a larger view. The remaining images are from WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams:
To help answer the question of “where to look?” check out his wide view:
That’s Blake Island, with the comet off in the center right – click that image for a larger view. And to get a step-by-step tutorial on where to look for it any time the sky clears in the nights ahead, here’s what local astro-expert Alice Enevoldsen has written about that – she was out with comet-watchers on the south shore of Lincoln Park, and they also viewed Jupiter – Nick sent in this photo as a result:
P.S. Along with comet-viewing any upcoming night it’s clear enough, you’ll find Alice at Solstice Park this coming Wednesday night for her traditional equinox/solstice sunset viewing – 7:13 pm, full details here.
P.P.S. From the archives in case you missed their original appearances – nice comet photos from Saturday night; also, the Northern Lights, seen from Alki!
New date on the Southwest Design Review Board‘s schedule: Two projects, both along California SW south of Admiral, are now planned for reviews on April 11th. First up, at 6:30 that night, it’s the second meeting for 3829 California SW, a three-story, 29-apartment building that had its first review back in June of last year (here is the city’s official report). Second (starting around 8 pm), it’s the rescheduled meeting for 3210 California SW, the 166-apartment project proposed for part of the upzoned block between Hinds and Hanford; as reported here last week, this Early Design Guidance session was originally set for last Thursday, but neighbors discovered an error in the city notification, and it was postponed at the last minute. Formal word of these two meetings is likely to go out with Thursday’s Land Use Information Bulletin, but here’s where you can see them now. The two-project meeting will be at what’s become the SWDRB’s usual location, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).
From WSB contributing reporter Keri DeTore at tonight’s Sustainable West Seattle community forum: SWS has just announced not just one winner from its new grant program, but three. Keri says the newly renamed Delridge Grocery group received $1,000 – you can congratulate them at their membership “launch/lunch” event next Saturday – and another $1,000 was split by the Time Bank of West Seattle and DIY Bikes applicants, after SWS announced it had extra money to give. The three were among six applicants for the new program; in addition to making their pitches to the group, they also were rated in an online survey open to community participation. Main topic of tonight’s event is “gardening with nature”; we’ll have Keri’s report on that later – the forum continues at the SSCC Horticulture Center and Community Orchard of West Seattle until 9.
Last year, West Seattle High School’s baseball team went to state – this year, they’re off to a good start, reports Greg Slader, sharing the photo and this report (thanks!):
West Seattle wins over Lakeside 3-1. Sam Hellinger (top photo) pitched a complete game, giving up only one run on three hits and no walks. Solid defense and timely hits helped West Seattle to a 3-0 lead as they cruised to their first win. The Wildcats are 1-1 on the season and 1-0 in league play.
(Spencer Elder makes the play)
Next game is Thursday against Lakeside, before they head to Safeco Field this Saturday @ 4 pm.
ADDED 10:17 PM: Slider reports in comments that WSHS softball beat Lakeside today too, 9-1.
(Photo courtesy King County Ferry Board chair Joe McDermott’s office)
One week ago, we reported on the King County Ferry Board’s Executive Committee agreeing to accept the Spirit of Kingston and the recommendation that it take over the West Seattle Water Taxi run once it arrives. This afternoon, the county announced the Ferry Board has finalized the deal, and the move should happen when 7-day-a-week service resumes in a few weeks:
The Spirit of Kingston, the 65-foot catamaran that once ferried passengers between Kingston and Seattle, is about to become part of the King County Ferry District’s fleet of water taxis. The District unanimously voted today to acquire the eight year-old vessel at no purchase cost through an agreement with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – the agency that originally provided grant funding to the Port of Kingston to purchase the vessel.
Meander’s Kitchen in White Center says it is canceling the plan to host a show by singer Michelle Shocked next month, because of Shocked’s reported homophobic remarks in San Francisco last night. Via Facebook, Meander’s proprietor Miranda Krone made the announcement about an hour ago. The concert had been set for April 26th. The online reports about Shocked’s show at a San Francisco club include this one reporting that she used a phrase best known as the slogan of an anti-gay fundamentalist church, “God hates f-gs” and that she said same-sex marriage puts the world at risk of Biblical-scale destruction. This report says venues elsewhere in the country have canceled her shows as a result. We have not, however, seen any day-after quotes from Shocked herself, so far.
TUESDAY NIGHT NOTE: Update from Miranda – she says Meander’s will host a cabaret benefit for queer youth that night, instead.
For the third year, it’s World Water Week at Chief Sealth International High School – and the students/staff are hoping to shake us out of taking clean water/sanitation for granted. So many in the U.S. have it; so many in the rest of the world don’t. It’s a life-and-death topic, and yet it can be discussed with humor and inspiration – which is what you’ll hear from the man who’s traveled from the other side of the world to give the keynote speech tomorrow night, Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization.
(From left, Sealth students Natalia, Riley, Syd, Tasha, with, center, teacher Noah Zeichner and Jack Sim)
He’s at the school today, and speaks at 7 pm Tuesday in the Sealth auditorium, right after a 6 pm resource fair at the school, and you’re welcome to attend the event for free. (Donations are welcome – here! – to support the ongoing WWW-related awareness-raising work, though.)
(Click image for larger view – photo by David Schneider)
More sightings this morning of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) on the move off West Seattle shores. It was out of view by the time we got down to the water but we’ve since received this photo from David Schneider, who wondered about the cars on deck. West Seattle ship-watchers noticed the same thing when the carrier arrived in early 2012 for work in Bremerton – see the photos and comments here. With the work done, the carrier is moving its homeport to San Diego and that means “everything must go.”
Continuing our followups on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy 
and impending sale of West Seattle’s Allstar Fitness: This Friday is the day a federal judge will consider approving the proposed sale of the club to health-club entrepreneur and former Seahawks player Sam Adams. As first reported here on March 9, court documents say that Adams does not want to assume “long-term contracts” from before last August’s bankruptcy filing. He denied that in a conversation with WSB the next day (here’s our March 10th report), saying he expected to honor “99 percent” of them, but so far, the court filings have not changed. This Wednesday, March 20th, is the deadline for interested parties to file responses with the court. As of this morning, the online file includes only a handful of responses to the sale motion, and one response to a separate motion that is scheduled to be heard April 5th – a request that the judge give permission for court proceedings NOT to result in further mass notices.
One WSB’er suggested that in case members missed the mail notification and/or still don’t know whether they are on the list of contracts proposed as “rejected” contracts, we upload the publicly available court documents here. Here’s the one with the “prepaid contracts to be rejected” list – 17 pages holding more than 2,000 names. If you want to file a response to be considered before this Friday morning’s hearing on the sale motion – which includes the “rejected contracts” list – this court document originally included in our March 9th report explains how to do so by the Wednesday deadline.
(Surf scoter off Alki, by Patrick McCaffrey)
After a very busy weekend – with coverage from the green glow of the Northern Lights to green costumes on canines – it’s on with the new week. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, six notes for the rest of today/tonight:
CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON SURVEILLANCE-SYSTEM PARAMETERS: It’s not specifically about the system including West Seattle cameras that were installed unannounced, but the proposal that the council will consider during its 2 pm meeting today will, the city says, be used to vet policies before it is activated. Details are in this story from Saturday. There’s a public-comment opportunity at the start of the meeting.
ALSO @ COUNCIL – CAR 2 GO EXPANSION: The agenda at 2 pm today also includes an increase in permits for Car2Go, which launched in Seattle without including our side of the city, but says it’s changing that (as noted here last week). If you can’t get to City Hall for these or any other Council proceedings, you can watch live via the Seattle Channel, on cable or online.
ANNIVERSARY CAKE: The 25th anniversary celebration at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) continues with cake today marking the anniversary of its reopening following reconstruction after the 1997 fire. All customers are welcome to drop by for a slice starting at 4 pm.
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: Dig into sustainable gardening with SWS at its community forum tonight – 6 pm on the north end of the South Seattle Community College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus, in the Horticulture Center/Community Orchard of West Seattle vicinity – details here (and be there to see who wins a $1,000 grant).
FAMILY STORY TIME: At High Point Library (35th/Raymond) tonight, 7 pm.
‘ON STAGE’ DISCUSSION @ ARTSWEST: Go behind the scenes of ArtsWest‘s acclaimed current production “Next Fall” during a free event in the theater, 7:30 tonight, explained here.
(Video and photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
The Alki Tavern‘s long farewell – dating back to the January announcement of its plan to close – ended late last night, with the last “last call” after 38 years. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there; his video includes final thoughts from proprietor Gill McLynne, and scenes from the final night and weekend. We’ll be adding one last round of photos; in the meantime, if you missed any of these galleries from the final days/nights:
*Seafair Pirates’ visit
*Last ‘Taco Thursday’
*Wednesday night memorabilia auction
ADDED 10:16 AM: The last look at last night, in photos:
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Monday! If you ride a bus today, extra reason to thank your driver: It’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
Looking ahead:
*The official start of spring is less than two days away (very early Wednesday).
*Also starting on Wednesday, Phase 2 of the Delridge Way repaving project, which means the detour zone shifts.
*Drainage work is planned on the high bridge tomorrow and Wednesday, between commute times.
*Next weekend, the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Special Bridge Repair Project closes ramps including from the bridge to Beacon Hill and from the bridge to northbound I-5.
Some Arbor Heights residents asked about a police search late Sunday night. Here’s what we’ve found out from Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams: A man was arrested for violating a domestic-violence court order in the 3700 block of SW 106th (map). He ran as police were answering the call; a search ensued, with a K-9 unit, and Lt. Williams says they “found him hiding under a porch, and arrested him. The suspect had some non-life-threatening injuries caused by his flight and some self-inflicted injuries that occurred before police arrived.” After hospital treatment, he’ll be booked into King County Jail. According to Lt. Williams, nobody else was hurt.
Sunday night’s not usually the most bustling time at a coffeehouse – particularly on a St. Patrick’s Day when it seemed everyone was out drinking green beer and/or marking the end of an era – but Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) was crawling with people last night.
The occasion: A shoot for the in-production time-travel online series “Causality,” which just debuted this trailer at Emerald City Comicon downtown earlier this month:
They’ll be filming at another West Seattle location later today, we’re told.
THREE SEALS FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY: No holiday for the Seal Sitters. On their Blubberblog website, you can read about today’s three pup sightings, all in the Jack Block Park vicinity – a pup dubbed Shamrock who appeared to be making a first-time visit; the return of rehabiiltated pup Ruby; and a third pup who’s nameless so far.
CHEMICAL BAN TO GET PUBLIC HEARING THIS WEEK: Tuesday afternoon, HB 1294 gets a public hearing in the State Senate Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee. This bill would ban two toxic flame-retardant chemicals that get into the food chain and are stored in the fat of marine life – especially our area’s seal pups – as well as humans. As noted in this Blubberblog report explaining the need for a ban, it recently passed the State House. You can e-mail your thoughts to our area’s Sen. Sharon Nelson by using this form.
SLIPPING-AND-SLIDING ‘SURFING’ SEAL-PUP CLIP: Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey called our attention to this clip, which you might already have seen, since it’s passed a million views on YouTube:
Ethan Janson set up the surfboard platform off Three Tree Point in Burien. As Robin’s Blubberblog post notes, and as Alki residents and visitors have seen firsthand, platforms are a boon to seals of all sizes, so they can rest without coming ashore and having to deal with other animals (humans included). Follow the link to find out more about building your own – she writes that Alki’s own Guy Smith, builder of the Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft, was a later consultant to the video-maker!
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