West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Two local meetings next week feature two hot topics:
MICROHOUSING @ SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: After stirring concern in other parts of the city, “microhousing” started turning up here (browse WSB development coverage), and now the City Council is considering setting new rules for it. Here’s the recent memo from Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Nick Licata and Council President Sally Clark to Department of Planning and Development director Diane Sugimura, who is scheduled to discuss microhousing at the Southwest District Council‘s monthly meeting next Wednesday (June 5th). Also on the agenda: A Seattle Public Schools manager with updates on the school construction projects in the works here (which include the Fairmount Park addition and the new Arbor Heights and Genesee Hill schools). The meeting’s at 6:30 pm Wednesday, Southwest Teen Life Center/Pool (2801 SW Thistle).
METRO @ WWRHAH COUNCIL – AGENDA/GUESTS UPDATE: We’ve already mentioned that the new Westwood Roxhill Arbor Heights Community Council will focus its entire meeting on Metro next Tuesday (June 4th), and you’re invited even if you’re not within WWRHAH boundaries – there’ll be lots of time for community questions. WWRHAH chair Amanda Helmick has shared the agenda/guest list – read on:
(Photo by Joan Stover; courtesy Southwest Seattle Historical Society)
It’s not a party without cookies – and this Saturday’s Alki Point Lighthouse centennial celebration will have them, provided you stop by the Log House Museum as well as the lighthouse during the two-location celebration. Above, that’s Carol Vincent, membership secretary for the museum’s parent organization, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, taking a break after leading a baking team in creating the first batch of Alki Lighthouse cookies to be given away there on Saturday afternoon. (Not pictured, but just as busy: Marcy Johnsen, board president; Joan Stover, board treasurer, and Kerry Korsgaard, board trustee.)
We first reported on the centennial celebration back on May 21st. Now that it’s almost here, the final details are in. SWSHS executive director Clay Eals says the “prime candidates” to get the cookies are kids who stop by the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens, just half a mile from the lighthouse) to color a special Alki Lighthouse coloring sheet; they’re hoping for a hundred.
A special exhibit is debuting at the museum, “Alki Centennial Summer: From Lantern to Lighthouse,” celebrating the lighthouse’s 100th anniversary. It’s an expansion of a pre-existing “mini-exhibit” about the lighthouse that’s been in the museum’s smaller gallery, expanding now to the big gallery with, according to the LHM’s official announcement, “newly displayed artifacts, rare vintage photos, artwork and other memorabilia to tell the inspiring story of how the lighthouse came to be, how it has operated as an aid to navigation over the years and how it continues to be a symbol of hope for all of West Seattle and beyond. The exhibit also will cover the decades prior to the construction of the lighthouse, when a single lantern provided the same function of aiding the navigation of sailing ships and steering them away from danger.”
Museum manager Sarah Baylinson curated the exhibit with SWSHS collection/exhibit volunteers, and it’ll be on display all summer long, with some new items, activities, and interpretive programs added from time to time.
But for Saturday – the schedule goes like this:
*Noon – Log House Museum opens
*1 pm – Lighthouse opens (first weekend tour day of the season, too)
*2 pm – Special program at the Log House Museum, with speakers including former SWSHS president Merrilee Hagen and West Seattle maritime author Joe Follansbee
*4 pm – Lighthouse and museum both close
By closing time, all 100 or more of the coloring creations will be on display at the museum. Questions? loghousemuseum.info or 206-938-5293.
If you are looking for a way to get gradually, gently active, health-care worker and neighborhood advocate Miranda Taylor has a recommendation: There’s space in the Saturday morning “Be Active Together” classes at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center, taught by instructor Calvin Jones from the Austin Foundation. Miranda describes it as “light activation of (the) body, with one or two exercises and stretches for each muscle group, 80 minutes on Saturday AM. Calvin leads a five minute meditation at the end where many of us take a rejuvenating catnap. Calvin learned from the best, our beloved late Willie Austin. If people are athletic types or already taking classes at a health club, this class might seem easy for them. However, many people are intimidated by the intensity of gym classes, and this is the perfect entry into movement from just above the couch.” She says the classes have room for about 10 more people; bring your own yoga mat or use one that’s provided. The classes are 10:30 am-noon on Saturdays, $5, at 6400 Sylvan Way SW – if you have questions, Miranda would be happy to answer them via e-mail at eastasianmedicinepractitioner@gmail.com.
Sandwiches, salads, and pan pizza by the slice are all on the way to 4304 SW Oregon in The Junction, via restaurateur Cary Kemp, who opened Pizzeria 22 two years ago in Admiral. He tells WSB:
It is an old storefront from the 1920’s and was once a deli in the 1970’s. It will be called Quadrato, which means square in Italian, and we will use many of the imported Italian ingredients used at Pizzeria 22 to make sandwiches, salads, as well as Roman and Sicilian-style sheet pan pizza, which is cut into large squares and sold by the slice. Also available will be grilled panini sandwiches as well as Italian wine and local beer. We will be baking our own cookies and other sweets for dessert.
Cary adds:
The place is very small and will have counter-style seating with about 10 bar stools for indoor dining, also outdoor seating during the warmer months of the year. This will be a comfortable place to take a date for lunch or dinner, or order to go. We will also be teaming up with the Beer Junction and delivering our food to their location around the corner. We are very excited to be a part of the Alaska Junction and the great diversity of local stores that make this community one of the best in Seattle for buying and shopping local!
As always, it’s hard to predict how long it will take to remodel a space – this one used to be an insurance office – but Cary says his architect says they might be ready “as early as August!”
Since last week’s City Council discussion of possible next steps regarding the “Nickelsville” encampment now in its third year in West Seattle (WSB as-it-happened coverage here), we’ve been following up regarding what’s next. So far, there are two public meetings of note, both at City Hall downtown: One, as mentioned in last week’s coverage, is 5:30 pm June 25th; that’s the formal public hearing on Councilmember Nick Licata‘s proposal to expand the areas of the city in which encampments would be allowed; here’s the official notice with details. Before that, however, Licata staffer Lisa Herbold confirms to WSB that the committee he chairs – Housing, Human Services, Health, and Culture – will take up the overall issue of Nickelsville’s future during the committee’s next regular meeting at 2 pm Wednesday, June 12th. That will include the alternative proposals suggested by the mayor and by the encampment’s own Central Committee, in hopes the discussion will reveal which way councilmembers are leaning, though no final decisions will be made.
Meantime, as noted in a followup discussion at last week’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting, community members are urged to contact the mayor, councilmembers, and other decisionmakers with their opinions and ideas; HPAC’s website has more details, including contact information.
ADDED FRIDAY: Just noticed that, minutes after we published this update, Slog published a picture of a flyer that turned up posted in Crown Hill, equating HPAC – whose leadership met with the mayor last week, though no notable progress is reported – with NIMBYism. Anyone seen the flyer around here?
Just in from Washington State Ferries: “The Issaquah is out of service for necessary repairs. Maintenance crews are onboard the vessel and performing repairs. The 2-Boat Schedule will be in effect beginning with the 3:10 pm sailing from Fauntleroy, and the 3:15 pm sailing from Southworth.” We’ll update this when there’s new info.
5:21 PM UPDATE: 3-boat service is returning, says WSF.
(WSB photo, May 2012)
A week that began with one memorial ceremony at West Seattle’s Forest Lawn Cemetery will conclude with another: Tomorrow at 1 pm, you are invited to attend the annual Seattle Police tribute to the 58 members of the force who have lost their lives in the line of duty, all of whom are listed on the SPD website. The department’s Honor Guard (above) and the Seattle Police Pipes and Drums are scheduled to be part of tomorrow’s ceremony. (Forest Lawn is at 6701 30th SW.)
Thanks to Seal Sitters and local photographers, we’ve seen many awesome views of harbor seals, usually resting on local beaches and rafts. Today, something new – a view of how they look for food, moving beneath the surface of West Seattle waters. It’s courtesy of local photographer William Drumm (who’s on Facebook as “Barnacle Bill“). He recorded that video near West Seattle’s Seacrest Park, and says it’s being used in the Seattle Aquarium‘s new harbor-seal exhibit, which opens to the public this weekend.
More local baseball success to celebrate! The photo and report are from Bob St. Clair:
The summer baseball tournament season started in grand fashion this past weekend for West Seattle Baseball’s 11U and 10U All-star teams. Both teams played in the 15th annual SuperBash Memorial Day tournament hosted in North Seattle. Competing against the finest Puget Sound Pony League All-star and independent select teams, the 11U and 10U teams won the overall championships in their respective age divisions. In the championship game, the 11U team beat Stod’s Cobras by a score of 3-2, and the 10U team beat Seattle Select 11-8. Congratulations, West Seattle Baseball All-stars!
In the photo are the aforementioned 2013 10U (Red) & 11U (Blue) Superbash Champions: front row from left, 10U: Max, Bryce, Jesse, Liam, Ben, Aidan, Daniel, Teagan, Nathaniel, Connor; back row, from left, 11U: Cristian, Kellen, Isaac, William, Aidan, Reuben, Nuh’Kosi, Isaiah, Dominic, Max, Isaac, Jackson, Brandon.
Big response to what was reported as a possible house fire in the 4400 block of SW Juneau – but crews have just reported it appears to be a fence fire, and it’s tapped.
(Male spotted towhee, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
Four highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for the rest of today/tonight:
VILLA HEIDELBERG ‘ESTATE SALE’: As noted on Tuesday when we reported the sale of the longtime B&B, now to revert to family-home status, a big sale of furniture, decorations, serving ware, and more is under way today (till 6 pm), tomorrow, and Sunday. (4845 45th SW)
ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY PTA: At 6 pm tonight, it’s the last meeting of the school year, including a look ahead to next year. (3701 SW 104th)
WESTSIDE UNICYCLE COLLECTIVE: As announced here last week, it’s the first meetup for any and all local unicyclists, 6:30 pm, Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza. (61st/Alki)
apertureSTOP! Check out the monthly spoken word and photography event, 8 pm tonight, Twilight Gallery/Boutique in The Junction. (4306 SW Alaska)
(Denny Jazz Band)
More achievements by local student musicians in the waning weeks of the school year – the Chief Sealth International High School was the scene last night for performances by jazz bands from both Sealth and adjacent Denny International Middle School, whose principal Jeff Clark shared photos and this note:
The sweet sounds of jazz filled the auditorium as the scholars in the Denny and Sealth jazz bands skillfully performed. A special thanks to our partners at the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and all of our families and volunteers. Congratulations to all of our kids, to Mr. Pimpleton, and to Mr. Morales–your performance was fantastic!
(Sealth Jazz Band)
Denny, Sealth, and other Seattle Public Schools have just two weeks to go till summer break – the official last day is June 14th; some independent schools get out even sooner.
P.S. Any more school performances coming up before year’s end? Please be sure to send an announcement for our calendar! Thanks!
9:46 AM: Seattle Public Utilities crews are working on a water-main break right now on 42nd SW south of Edmunds, and as our photo shows, 42nd is closed at that spot. (Thanks to Brian Presser from TouchTech Systems for first word of this!)
11:34 AM UPDATE: Ingrid Goodwin of SPU tells WSB the repairs are complete and water is back on. She explains that it wasn’t a water-main break: “The break was on a single service line (3/4 inch) leading to the home(s) of a customer. Crews will remain on site until about 3 pm today, back-filling the hole and cleaning up the site. At this time, we don’t know what caused the leak.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning!
WESTSIDE DERMATOLOGY EXPANDS STAFF: Longtime WSB sponsor Westside Dermatology has expanded. A fourth board-certified dermatologist has just joined the practice, Dr. Kendell Wilske. She is well-known in the area, with 20 years of dermatologic experience including more than 10 years at Virginia Mason. Westside Dermatology says that adding another physician to the practice means they can improve access to care while decreasing wait times for appointments. Dr. Wilske will focus 100 percent on medical dermatology, as does Dr. Sacharitha Bowers, who joined the practice last December. Westside Dermatology is in The Junction, at 4740 44th SW, Suite 200.
NEW WOMEN’S CLINIC: Across the street at 4727 44th SW (Suite 207), West Seattle Women’s Health and Midwifery is now open, providing birth services as well as health care for women at all stages of life. Dr. Shari Luchino, DNP, ARNP, CNM, is the provider and nurse/midwife anchoring the clinic. She’s having an open house 10 am to 3 pm this Sunday (June 2), all welcome.
| 1 COMMENT