West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Justin Cline remembers back when, if he saw someone wearing something bearing the logo of his business, Full Tilt Ice Cream, “it was somebody I knew.”
Not any more, though, still, he says, “I see our shirts and stickers out there, and it blows me away. But – we make the ice cream the same way we did when I was making it all myself.”
The output’s too much for just Justin to handle these days – 2,200 gallons a week, he calculates, and then some.
Full Tilt marks its fifth anniversary tomorrow: June 20, 2008, Justin and wife Ann Magyar opened their doors in downtown White Center, in the same little hole-in-the-wall-ish spot where we talked with him this afternoon, after receiving a note letting us know FT-WC will donate its anniversary-day profits to the White Center Food Bank tomorrow, as usual.
White Center is the original store in a Full Tilt group that’s now grown to four, in addition to a partnership for Highscore Burgers, which opened on the eastside earlier this year, and a Full Tilt shop about to open on the campus of Microsoft, where Justin worked as a programmer 15 years ago.
That’s Ola Salon proprietor Rachel Karlin and Furry Faces Foundation‘s Teri Ensley at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor), where you still have time to go join the benefit to help make up for what the Luna Park salon lost in last month’s burglary. Appetizers, soft drinks, a silent auction, and good company are part of the event, explained in detail on Salty’s website – lots of cool things on which you can bid.
The salon itself has been the host of countless benefits – less than two weeks before the burglary, in fact, Ola had hosted a benefit sale during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, raising money for Transitional Resources, whose organization helping people with mental-health challenges is located just up Avalon Way. Get over to Salty’s by 9:30 pm to be part of this chance to give back.
Seattle Public Schools sends word that the School Board has just approved two versions of next year’s calendar – with one major difference: Version 1 includes three days with no classes because teachers are in professional-development activities; version 2 does not. Which will be used? Depends on what the state decides about those three days, which require the district to get a waiver from the mandatory 180 days of instruction. Both versions have the feature we mentioned last month – the return of a full week of mid-winter break, after a year without it. Read on for the full announcement:
When your grocery store is home to America’s Best Bagger, what do you do for an encore? Choose his successor for the next round of competition! That’s what happened this afternoon at Metropolitan Market-Admiral (WSB sponsor). National champ Andrew Borracchini emceed this afternoon’s in-store bagging competition; in our top photo, he’s with the winner, Isaac Rushing. Here’s our video from one of the heats:
Isaac doesn’t have an automatic ticket to the nationals – first, he has to go up against the bagging champs from each of Metropolitan Market’s other stores, to see who’ll be the chain-wide winner. The competition nationwide has been sponsored by the National Grocers’ Association for more than half a century.
4:27 PM: Trouble on the westbound bridge. The 911 log shows two incidents; the camera view above shows what is described as a medical call.
4:38 PM: One person who’s just gone through the area says it’s definitely very slow going getting onto the bridge, particularly from I-5. So if you use motorized transportation and can wait a while to head for home – that might be your best option.
4:43 PM: Via radio communications, police report “the high rise is clear.” The residual backup might take a while to ease, though.
(P.S. The live camera view also has been moved by WSDOT back to its regular angle at the I-5 interchange, but it showed the east side of the westbound high-rise approach while the incident was still unfolding.)
Last fall, city reps came to eastern West Seattle for three meetings on plans for reducing sewage overflows in Longfellow Creek, including potential raingardens and other types of “natural drainage.” The plans have evolved since then, Seattle Public Utilities is announcing this week, and they want your input on the next decisions that have to be made. For starters, SPU’s Susan Stoltzfus tells WSB, “further modeling and analysis” has shown the city that “the sewage overflows can be mostly controlled by making improvements to the existing storage tanks along Delridge Way and diverting some of the flow to King County’s system.”
That said, they are still pursuing “natural drainage” to help protect the creek “from polluted stormwater runoff which, even without sewage in it, can be more harmful to the health of the creek and the creatures that live in it.” And the new plan is for this to be installed along the route of a future greenway – a road improved for pedestrian/bicycle safety – that has yet to be chosen. If you live in the area – the city wants to hear from you.
(Click image for larger version you can zoom in on)
The map above shows the alternatives. SPU says everyone along the potential routes will get a survey in the mail asking what they think about the idea of a greenway and raingardens in their neighborhood – and a public meeting is planned, July 9th at Highland Park Improvement Club. (HP Action Committee has already announced that this meeting will be a substitute for what otherwise would have been its regular monthly meeting in late June.)
Information about the new proposals will be up on the city website within a few days, we’re told. In the meantime, if you live on one of the greenway routes, watch your mailbox – and if you have any interest in the project, plan to be at the July 9th meeting.
P.S. One greenway already is in the works, in North Delridge – SDOT published an update this week – and the city says it might be a candidate for after-the-fact natural-drainage projects.
Not that West Seattleites need incentive to recycle – just look at the success of local dropoff events – but if you join in an upcoming “competition,” you might just help our peninsula win bragging rights. The Seattle Public Library and Call2Recycle will have battery-collection boxes in place for five days at six libraries around the city, from June 22nd (this Saturday) through June 26th, including the West Seattle (Admiral) Branch at 2306 42nd SW. Two days after the collection period ends, Call2Recycle will weigh the six neighborhoods’ contributions, and declare the “winner” Seattle’s Greenest Neighborhood. Here’s what they’ll accept:
Drop off all types of household batteries (weighing up to 11 pounds each), including both single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries commonly found in laptops and digital cameras. Obsolete cellphones can also be dropped off at the libraries for recycling.
The recovered materials, according to Call2Recycle, will be “used to create new batteries, concrete additives and a variety of stainless steel products.” (The organization’s website says it’s a nonprofit “funded by battery and product manufacturers committed to responsible recycling.”) There’s even more info online here.
(WSB photo looking east toward 47th/Admiral, 2011)
City money for a full traffic signal at 47th/Admiral just advanced one step closer to reality, after the City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee voted to send a package of midyear budget changes to the full council. We reported Tuesday on the council’s decision to go for the full half-million-dollar signal, which neighborhood advocates have requested for years. No councilmembers voiced opposition.
Immediately after that signal was discussed, another six-digit West Seattle item popped up – another $200,000 for designing “Green Boulevard” changes for Fauntleroy Way through The Triangle.
(One of two “green boulevard” options shown by SDOT last year)
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, long an advocate of the concept, described it as a “slowly progressing project” and yet one that’s needed as the area continues to develop as a residential/commercial area. The city’s 2012 budget, as reported here in 2011, included $250,000 to start design; if the additional $200,000 is finalized, that will get the design process to 60 percent. The “boulevard,” Rasmussen noted at today’s meeting, involves “primarily pedestrian improvements – sidewalks, curb bulbs, etc.” We’re checking for updated design documents, since it’s been almost a year since the last public discussion (see materials from that July 2012 open house here). Today’s committee meeting, meantime, was not a final vote on these and other spending proposals, so if you have something to say pro/con/otherwise, you can find contact information for councilmembers here.
Been to the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse since it became a nonprofit community center? You’re invited to visit tomorrow night for the schoolhouse’s first art show, 6-8:30 pm. Local artists’ work will be hung in the schoolhouse’s hallways, including Linda McClamrock, June Olson, Gail Ann, and Pamela Coffey. The schoolhouse (at 9131 California SW) is in the final phase of a fundraising campaign to pay for long-needed improvements – stop by and see what’s been done already.
(Great blue heron photographed near West Marginal Way by Mike Scharer)
Five highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FULL TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT 47TH/ADMIRAL? As reported here yesterday, the City Council is proposing full funding for the long-requested 47th/Admiral signal in its proposed midyear budget changes. Those changes come before the council’s Government Performance/Finance Committee at 9:30 this morning. (City Hall downtown; live on Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online)
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30 am at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library – details here. (2306 42nd SW)
EARLY DAYS: Baby in the household? This weekly support group meets today and every Wednesday, noon-2 pm, in the classroom at Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. (4746 44th SW)
OLA BENEFIT AT SALTY’S: As first reported here one month ago, burglars hit West Seattle’s Ola Salon. Tonight, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), help Ola recover from what it lost – and what was lost from an ongoing charity campaign – by coming to this silent-auction fundraiser with appetizers and soft drinks included in the $45 ticket price (beer, wine, cocktails available for purchase). Details on the Salty’s website. (1936 Harbor SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, reps from community organizations/institutions around eastern West Seattle gather for their monthly meeting – agenda highlights are here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Second day of repaving work on California SW between Frontenac and Myrtle – with some work already done outside those boundaries. And once again, here’s the Saturday reminder: Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon closures that day will include NB 99.
Thanks to Laurie Rasmussen for one final report on the West Seattle Little League Dodgers:
WSLL Dodgers played in the Championship game (Monday) night at the District 7 Tournament of Champions in Normandy Park. They won their Friday night game against Southwest Little League with a score of 16-2, and the second game on Sunday against Seattle Central Little League, 10-3.
(Monday) night, they played South Highline American.
It was a hard-fought game, ending the regulation 6 innings tied 8-8. In the extra inning, SHA went ahead and closed out the Dodgers in the bottom of the 7th inning, score 14-8. Dodgers took home second place for their District. WSLL Dodgers won 19 games in a row and ended their season with a 20-2 record. We couldn’t be more proud of these boys.
Players: Nate Rasmussen, Dylan Mastroianni, Michael Schwartz, Connor Berry, Jake Goulet, Evan Johnson, Cole Kirkland, Robbie Foisy, Aaron Johnson, Alex Lindholm, Owen Caufield, Emmett Weber.
Congratulations on a great season!
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