West Seattle, Washington
24 Monday
(WSB photo from August 2012)
Another season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies is on the way (July/August, dates TBA). Last year, not only were there record crowds, according to organizer Lora Swift of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor and movie coordinator – the screen’s in the courtyard by her shop), but also a fundraising total of more than $1,500 for local nonprofits, via the raffle tickets sold on movie nights. So now it’s time to ask – what would YOU like to see this year? Please note, the movies need to be relatively family-friendly, since it’s an all-ages crowd, and not something shown in the past few years:
2012’s movie lineup was Pretty in Pink, Young Frankenstein, Lion King, Iron Man, Yellow Submarine, Top Gun
2011′s movie lineup was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Airplane, Despicable Me, Jurassic Park (1), Toy Story 3
2010′s movie lineup was Mamma Mia, War Games, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wayne’s World, Up, Star Trek
And there are a few other caveats – the “Star Wars” movies aren’t available for this kind of outdoor showing, for example.
But Lora and the WSOM committee would love to hear your suggestions – just post a comment! Thanks!
The design for the new Fire Station 32 in The Triangle will be shown off at an open house June 1st. First word of the event has just arrived in the mailboxes of neighbors including Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association, who shared a copy of the invitation. The station at 37th and Alaska is almost half a century old, and its replacement will be headquarters to SFD’s Battalion 7 – a larger role than the station has now, though it’s already home to the only West Seattle-based medic unit, Medic 32. Though the city has applied for permits, construction of the $15 million project is still a ways off, with demolition likely late next year, as we reported in a project update two months ago. You can find out more firsthand at the June 1st event, 1-3 pm, promising tours as well as a chance to see the design planned for the new station, which will be built on the current site, with station operations located to a TBD temporary site during construction.
In memory of the Easy Street Records awning (WSB coverage here), our “picture of the day” is the semi-live image from the SDOT traffic camera at California/Alaska in The Junction, which also shows the full-height Oregon 42 construction project at upper right. On to what else is happening today, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
EAT AT JOE’S, HELP THE FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: One of the signs at WSB sponsor Endolyne Joe’s exhorts, “Eat at Joe’s,” and when you do that tonight starting at 5 pm, you’ll be raising money for this volunteer-presented festival, happening this year on October 20th. (9261 45th SW)
RIDE TO REMEMBER LANCE DAVID: Join West Seattle Bike Connections and West Seattle Greenways at 5:30 pm tonight, departing from Seacrest, for a ride to remember Lance David, who died in last Wednesday’s bike-truck collision on East Marginal Way. Full ride details here.
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COUNCIL MEETING: Earlier time this month, but same location – 6 pm, Southwest Branch Library, with priorities and leadership on the agenda. (35th/Henderson)
(added) STORYTELLERS!
The Seattle Storytellers Guild presents TELLERS & WRITERS
A monthly program to craft & share our universal storiesPartnering with CHACO CANYON ORGANIC CAFE
Discover the power of storytelling with our featured guests:
7 pm to 8:30 pm – Pamela Sackett, Auntmama, Liz HibbardLooking for storytelling, writing tips – 6:30 to 7 pm
workshops with Liz Hibbard and Nancy Calos-NakanoWant a chance to tell a story? Sign up at 6:30pm
Memorized or written, there’s a place for you!
Chaco Canyon is at 37th/Alaska.
TRIVIA GIVEAWAY: Tonight’s Trivia That Rocks at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) will include a giveaway of tickets for the upcoming Seattle Queensryche concert. Trivia starts at 8 pm. (6451 California SW)
SING IT: Baby Ketten Karaoke tonight, 9 pm, Skylark Café and Club. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:21 AM: No sun-glare challenges this morning, though the forecast says it’ll be back – no other major impediments reported so far, either.
7:58 AM: Aiko reports a school bus stalled or otherwise mobility-challenged on 35th SW in the High Point area.
8:45 AM: Traffic alert for Delridge in the 5900 block – what’s on the 911 log as a car fire is, according to Tom via Twitter, a car-vs.-truck crash just outside K-5 STEM at Boren. We are en route to see what’s happening.
9 AM: The crash involved a taxi that went into the back of a truck, on the southbound side of Delridge:
As bad as it looks, we are told at the scene that no one was hurt.
Big day at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum this Saturday – the LHM is participating in West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (sale #70 on the map) 9 am-3 pm, and from 11 am-1 pm will be hosting its monthly informational event for prospective volunteers. And from SWSHS executive director Clay Eals – some specific ways you can help:
Just in time for the warmth of late spring and summer, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is ramping up its tour schedule and native-plant garden — and volunteers are welcome to help out.
Volunteer committees have formed to focus on tours and gardening. The leaders are Mark Lewis for tours and Carol Vincent for gardening. Here are details on both:
(UPDATED 1:48 AM with removal of the rest of the awning)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s been battered over the years, but not broken. Now, though, Easy Street Records‘ famous neon-decorated awning is coming down.
Half gone already, as of a little while ago, when we took these photos, and the demolition crew is still on the job.
It was more than half a century old, according to Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan, and it’s a wonder it lasted this long: Almost three years ago, a truck hit a tree, which in turn took out part of the neon. At the time, Vaughan commented via Twitter that the neon had only just been fixed from the last time it was affected by truck trouble. (We’re not sure if that was the 2008 incident on which we also reported.) But overall, we were told at the store this afternoon, the awning was just flat old and rusty.
Beloved just the same – news of the awning’s imminent removal caused an uproar on Facebook this afternoon – as of this writing, 133 comments on Easy Street’s page, and more than 45 comments on the WSB Facebook page, where we had shared the ESR update.
Some concerned commenters asked if the awning could get protection from the city’s historic-preservation authorities. Short answer – Not without the building having landmark status. When the city inventoried local properties several years back, it offered the opinion that the Hamm Building – the 1926 home to Easy Street and other businesses – might merit that protection. To our knowledge, that hasn’t been sought. City records even show a demolition/development proposal dating back to 2007, though it doesn’t appear to have advanced from the early stages.
As for what if anything will replace the awning, ESR isn’t sure yet, they told us when we first inquired this afternoon. But one thing’s for sure – many West Seattleites, most of whom probably haven’t even heard of its in-progress removal, will miss it – as the understory of the sign that stands over the awning so often offering messages reflecting the community mood, even simple holiday greetings like the one in our November 2009 photo:
We’ll follow up to see what happens from here.
1:48 AM UPDATE: Thanks to Dennis for sending photos of the California SW-side removal:
And that side of the building, awningless:
The famous marquee remains:
ADDED TUESDAY: Thanks to WSB’er Datamuse for pointing out in comments that Easy Street’s website has this expanded statement on the awning situation.
First one we’ve happened onto, anyway: An apartment project proposed for 5949 California SW (map), north of Morgan Junction, is described as a “boarding house,” one of the phrases used in city documentation for what’s becoming more widely known as “microhousing.” Its initial paperwork listed five levels (one basement, 4 above ground) and five residential units – but, as noted in City Council discussions recently, there has been a city loophole in which microhousing was allowed through the system despite equating the number of common kitchens to the number of units, instead of just declaring the total number of rentable units. That loophole is on its way out, and revised paperwork for this “five-unit” project shows it will include 38 “sleeping rooms.” Here’s the city webpage for the project; it hasn’t turned up on the Land Use Information Bulletin yet, so we’re not sure yet about the deadline for comments, but will check tomorrow.
Thanks to the people who tipped us about some kind of police operation under way in the vicinity of the Super 24 store along Delridge. WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand arrived and found SWAT officers, guns drawn, and someone apparently in custody. No one is commenting at the scene so we are trying to find out more. Traffic was stopped on Delridge for a while but Patrick says it’s just been allowed to resume.
With this record-setting heat, we’ve been getting questions about when the city’s wading pools open. Schedule’s not out yet, but the short answer: Not till next month. The questions, however, inspired us to check in on the new addition to West Seattle’s outdoor aquatics scene this summer – the Highland Park Spraypark, going in at the site of the wading pool that’s hasn’t been open since 2008. Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold says the spraypark is currently on track for completion by the end of this month, and shared construction photos with WSB:
The top photo, he explains, “shows concrete being poured in one pad and forming for the next – concrete for this project is part of the final phase.” The second photo shows “the very cool bronze inlays that tie to the planetary theme of the spray-park.” As he notes, most of the work has been “in-ground; a lot of piping for the spray-park equipment.”
Another new Junction-area development is set for its first hearing before the Southwest Design Review Board. A May 23rd meeting has just turned up on the SWDRB schedule for 4745 40th SW. The city’s online files say it is proposed for 150 apartments, 9 live-work units, and 100 parking spaces in a building of up to eight stories on a site north of SW Edmunds, south of a future city park, west (across 40th) from the Masonic Temple, and steps away from the southwest edge of the future Whole Foods (etc.) project (also across 40th). The May 23rd meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle at California/Oregon.
(Before then, the board will meet this Thursday [May 9th], also at 6:30 at the Senior Center, for its first look at 4535 44th SW, a 4-story, 35-apartment, 4-live-work-unit project first mentioned here in March.)
Shortly after we took that photo, a tow-truck crew righted the car, which had flipped onto the south side of the 20th/Henderson intersection, just east of Delridge Way. No official information on circumstances at this point but police told us one person had been taken to a hospital.
5:15 PM UPDATE: This was a two-car crash, according to Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore, whose department does not investigate the cause but does treat the victims, so he was able to tell us that the person taken to the hospital as a precaution was the 28-year-old woman driving the flipped PT cruiser. She got herself and a 3-week-old baby girl out of the vehicle before Engine 11 arrived; the 25-year-old woman and 4-year-old in the other vehicle were not hurt.
8:02 PM UPDATE: A commenter who lives nearby says the 4-year-old was actually in the flipped PT cruiser and the baby in the other car.
First of 2 West Seattle Crime Watch notes: If you’ve had a bicycle stolen lately, in addition to checking with police, keep checking our WSCW reports, because more keep coming in. We mentioned a few in this WSCW report over the weekend; then this morning, Anne e-mailed to say that TWO mountain bikes have turned up on her out-of-the-way street (steep slope of SW Lander), likely left by thieves. She says both are “men’s mountain bikes. One is a medium blue and one is red.” She has reported them to police but would like to get them back to their owners.
(added) If you’re missing a bike that might be one of those two – e-mail Anne at phastphood@hotmail.com.
Second, Chris says a hit-run crash on Saturday left these marks on his car:
My car was backed into (Saturday) morning in the West Seattle Trader Joe’s parking lot. I was parked next to the spot that’s not a spy on the north side of the parking lot. An older model navy blue SUV was parked in that spot and I believe it was this car that backed into me. I am looking for whoever did this or anyone who might have seen something. A photo of my back quarter panel with the offending back bumper mark across it is attached.
Third, just received as we were about to publish this, Annlee reports a car prowl at Lincoln Park:
I was enjoying a beautiful sunny day at Lincoln Park (Sunday) with my sister and kids. We got back to my car and noticed the doors were unlocked. I had only left my window opened a crack but it was enough for the thief to use someone’s broken-off antenna to hook and unlock my doors. My purse and my sister’s purse were stolen out of the trunk with everything inside them. Even my daughter’s sleeping bag was stolen and she was absolutely devastated. Please keep an eye out while visiting Lincoln Park. If you happen to see any gray purses or black wallets with IDs in them, please turn them in. If you happen to see anyone suspicious wandering around the parking lot with a pink princess sleeping bag, please call the police!
(February photo of Delridge Way work, from SDOT via Flickr)
The second phase of the Delridge Way SW repaving project is almost over, with the third phase expected to start next week. So says SDOT in this advisory just out of the WSB inbox:
The Seattle Department of Transportation expects paving work on Delridge Way Southwest to progress to the next phase on Wednesday, May 15. The contractor will detour southbound traffic on Delridge from Southwest Holden to Southwest Thistle streets, and reopen the stretch from Southwest Thistle to Southwest Trenton streets. The new detour, from Holden to Thistle, is expected to remain in place through mid July. This work is Phase 3 of the project that is rebuilding much of Delridge Way Southwest.
Delridge will remain open to northbound traffic except for intersection work. Local access to businesses and residents will be maintained. SDOT will release a map and details of the new detour as the date approaches.
After the contractor completes work between Thistle and Trenton, Delridge will be striped between Thistle and Henderson streets. Also, crews expect to return by late May to the stretch between Trenton and Henderson for weather-dependent crack seal work.
This is a five-phase project. At the end of Phase 3, construction activity will move north to Phase 4, between SW Orchard and SW Holden streets.
It’s beautiful from the sky as well as the ground – North Delridge’s Dragonfly Garden (aka Pavilion)! has dragonfly-shaped landscaping too? Thanks as always to Long Bach Nguyen for sharing West Seattle aerial views like this! Meantime, while regular Monday events are on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here are three today/tonight-only highlights:
HIGH-SCHOOL BASEBALL POSTSEASON: Metro League playoffs start with West Seattle High School vs. Bainbridge Island at Hiawatha, 3:30 pm, same time that Chief Sealth International High School will be on the road vs. Eastside Catholic. (Thanks to Greg Slader, the WSHS parent who’s been contributing updates all season, for the details.)
HELP HI-YU – MEETING TONIGHT: 6:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, it’s the next general meeting for everyone interested in the West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival – which as you probably know is not a one-day one-time “festival” but instead a collection of summer events including the annual construction of the last Seattle neighborhood traveling parade float. As reported here over the weekend, Hi-Yu needs more community help to keep the 79-year tradition alive to see its 80th anniversary. Showing up tonight is a start. (California/Hanford)
TALK THEATER: Go behind-the-scenes in a live, free conversation with cast members and key staff from ArtsWest’s current production “33 Variations,” 7:30 pm. (4711 California SW)
If you’re interested in having a say before the Seattle City Council adopts citywide rules for marijuana production, processing, selling, and delivery – now’s the time to speak up. Today’s edition of the twice-weekly city-issued Land Use Information Bulletin includes an announcement of proposed amendments – such as the potential for indoor growing sites spanning up to 50,000 square feet – on which they’re now taking comments along with the main proposals. While the notice says comments will be accepted up until the final vote – not scheduled yet – councilmembers would like to receive comments by 5 pm May 15th, so there’s time for review. Here’s the notice, which also includes links to the proposed rules and amendments.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:57 AM: So far, checking the traffic-watching sources we monitor, “sun glare” is the only thing causing slowdowns here and there. The high temperature is expected to be in the 80s again today.
9:58 AM: If you’re downtown-bound, heads-up – we notice the 911 log lists a crash on NB I-5 just north of the bridge.
11:54 AM: SDOT just updated the Delridge repaving project, saying it’s expected to move to Phase 3, between Holden and Thistle, next week. Here’s the story.
Weekend wildlife scenes to share before the week gets going at full speed! Trileigh Tucker says, “A few of us had a wonderful time watching the Lincoln Park Barred Owls! They were trying (unsuccessfully) to get away from crow harassment in the central part of the park. Here’s what was happening: (The) owl does a luxurious wing and leg stretch! Note leg stretched out vertically below:”
Next, she explains, the owl “tucks his head in his feathers for a brief rest during preening”:
Did today’s summery weather put you in the mood for outdoor swimming? Less than three weeks remain before this year’s first swim sessions at Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore. We checked on the plan for the upcoming season after receiving that photo from photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen, who noticed the pool had been drained as of a few days ago. You might recall that last year’s season started late because of the $1.4 million renovation project; that work also prevented the pool from being filled with salt water from Puget Sound last year, since its new lining needed fresh water. Seattle Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad tells WSB the pool was drained last week for leak repair and was then filled with water from the Sound. First day of swimming at Colman Pool is Saturday, May 25th, for the first of three “pre-season weekends” before the 7-days-a-week summer schedule begins June 15th. Here’s the schedule booklet, including information on lessons, which are already being booked.
“This is the 79th year for West Seattle Hi-Yu and it could be the last.” Those words of warning come from the volunteer leaders who are working hard to keep the Hi-Yu traditions – including the last neighborhood-powered traveling parade float in the entire city of Seattle – going. In addition to financial support – business sponsors and annual program-book advertisers – they need people. Hi-Yu relies on a volunteer board, and wouldn’t have one right now without the parents of current court members stepping in to “do everything to keep it going,” explains Regina Arceo-Schulz. But they need successors, and “we need the community to keep the tradition going. Please help support West Seattle Hi-Yu – attend the event, advertise in the souvenir book, volunteer to decorate the float and shadow the board members.”
Want to find out what that entails? Show up for the general meeting tomorrow night (Monday, May 6), 6:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Church (California/Hanford). And then on Friday night (May 10th), be there for the first big Hi-Yu event of the season:
West Seattle Hi-Yu Annual Gala
Auction, Coronation and White Rose Ceremony
7:00 -10:00 pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Life Center
7000 35th Ave SWHors d’oeuvres and no-host bar
Tickets are available for $30 per person or $300 for a table of 10
Buy yours from the link on the right side of the Hi-Yu home page at westseattlehiyu.com.
If you were in the Morgan Junction vicinity on Saturday, you might have noticed some early activity around the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) on Saturday. Hours before its usual 4 pm opening, the Feedback played host to the first-ever music-video shoot for the rising local band Daughters of the Dead Sea – from left, below, Jen, Iris, and Mia:
They were shooting the video for “Trophy,” a “newly recorded, unreleased song” that they tell us “will be featured on a split 7” with The Heels later this summer, along with another new track, ‘Little Heart.’ ‘Trophy’ is a two and a half minute number that we fondly refer to as our kick-ass punk-rock ‘love song.’ This marks our first-ever music video release and is set to be released early this summer. The 7″ will be the first recordings that the Daughters have released since debut EP The Killroom Sessions back in October 2012.” That one was a hit, the band’s bio info points out – debuting at #1 on local charts including Easy Street Records and voted 2012’s #1 record by Nadamucho.com.
This year’s wine-tasting event/fundraiser at Highland Park Improvement Club has gone totally uncorked. So much so, that’s what they’re calling it now – “Highland Park Uncorked.” It’s less than a week away – next Saturday, May 11th, doors open 6 pm, tasting at 7 – so time is running out for pre-registration, which carries a lower “suggested donation” rate – $15, otherwise $20 at the door, and a $15-or-under bottle of wine for the tasting event. You can sign up here (and read more about how the event will unfold, and why you’re bringing a bottle of wine).
If you need a little shade while browsing the West Seattle Farmers’ Market till 2 pm today, check out the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle tent over on the east side, where we found Patricia, Bob, and Karl. And if you have any no-longer-needed eyeglasses around the house – the Kiwanis booth has a dropbox. Another market sighting today: Don’t know if it’s their first week back, since this was our first visit in a few weeks, but Langley Fine Gardens from Vashon Island is back with a wide variety of plants, unusual flowers, and other ornamentals, as well as vegetable and herb plants. Before or after the market, wander over to Junction businesses (for food and drink, check out Junction-headquartered WSB sponsors Firefly Café and Creperie at California/Genesee – coupon! – plus Hotwire Online Coffeehouse on California a bit south of Genesee, and La Romanza Bistro Italiano – on California midblock south of Oregon)
Hundreds of young West Seattleites attend cooperative preschools – and now, a new program is launching to take the co-op concept past that early age. Here’s the announcement for West Seattle Cooperative School, with an open house coming up Thursday night:
West Seattle Cooperative School will be admitting students, K-2nd grade, in the Fall of 2013.
Open House: May 9th, 7-9 pm at South Seattle Community College, RAH 201.
We will open up admissions at this time and will have application forms available. Please come to learn more about our school, meet Teacher Wendy, and hear about the admissions process.
Our vision includes:
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