West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
We’re always happy to publish wedding and anniversary announcements – and this one is momentous: 60 years of marriage for a West Seattle couple who tonight is sharing that news with the community:
John and Lois Constantine marked their 60th wedding anniversary on June 14 in Paris. The longtime West Seattleites were joined by their family for the occasion. The couple then embarked on a celebratory river cruise along the Seine through northern France to the Normandy coast.
John Philip Constantine, formerly of New York, and Lois Adele Wilson, of Everett, wed on June 14, 1953 at the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house at the University of Washington.
Following college, they settled in West Seattle, where they raised their sons Dow and Blair.
Lois taught Home Economics at James Madison Jr. High and West Seattle High School. John, a visual artist, taught college art and art history, retiring from North Seattle Community College. The Constantines remain active in the West Seattle community.
Congratulations, and may you share many more!
Could be a great way to start your weekend: Spend two hours at the Log House Museum Saturday morning:
Want to learn more — and help others learn more — about the West Seattle peninsula? Volunteer!
Like to interact with people? Fix computers? Update databases? Make small repairs? Transcribe interviews? Shoot videos and still photos? Plan events? Teach school children? Get a glimpse of our community’s past?
And do you have time to volunteer? The Southwest Seattle Historical Society needs you!
The next Volunteer Introduction Session for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (July 13) at the organization’s Log House Museum.
Whether you have lived here one year or 50, come learn about how to turn your desires and skills into meaningful tasks that will help preserve and promote the heritage of West Seattle and the greater Duwamish peninsula. It’s a way to look to the future helping others explore West Seattle’s past.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which operates the Log House Museum, offers this introduction to volunteering, led by Clay Eals, executive director. It will include a brief primer on West Seattle history. The museum is one block from Alki Beach, at 61st and Stevens. More info: 206-938-5293, loghousemuseum.info.
One week from tomorrow, a public dedication is planned for the machine that will dig the Highway 99 tunnel, known as “Bertha.” Today, West Seattleite Vlad Oustimovitch, who has been on the advisory committee for the project and related transportation issues, got a preview in a launch-pit tour – and is sharing his photos. Three more up-close photos – and some updated info – ahead:
(SCROLL DOWN for updates; see our midday coverage here)
Day 1 of West Seattle’s biggest celebration of the year! Our coverage continues:
KID ACTIVITIES INFO: Top question of the day here in the West Seattle Summer Fest Info Booth – which is also WSB headquarters during the festival – has to do with the kids’ activities and features. This year, SW Alaska west of California is the kids’ area, since the “food court” has moved to the east side of Alaska. You’ll also find activities like face-painting (thanks to Pathfinder K-8 School volunteers led by Lashanna, in our top photo) and art projects (thanks to Young at Art) in the Wells Fargo lot as usual. We were asked about the hours and prices; the rides are open until 8 pm tonight, with a one-day unlimited pass $20, $45 for all three days, or $1.25 per ride ticket, with ride prices varying from one to five tickets. And a reminder – there are two “parents’ rest stops” for a quiet spot to feed your baby, etc. – at City Mouse Studio (4218 SW Alaska) and at the Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) booth:
Nurturing Expressions is on the west side of California between Edmunds and Alaska:
FOOD HIGHLIGHTS: Joining your WSB co-publishers (Tracy and Patrick) here at the info booth are other members of the team, including Katie and Callan, who are not only helping answer festivalgoers’ questions, but are also helping rustle up information. We sent Callan on a mission to check out the food situation. First, here are the Junction venues with outdoor seating during Summer Fest:
*La Romanza Bistro (WSB sponsor)
*West 5
*Elliott Bay
*Bang Bar
*JaK’s
*Beer Junction
*Matador
*Terrible Beauty
*Pizzeria Credo
*Maharaja
*Shadowland
*Pagliacci Pizza
*Ma’ono – which is offering $5 shave ice, $3 fried-chicken drumsticks, $6 kalua pork lettuce wraps
*Seattle Fish Co.
*Shoofly Pie
*Talarico’s
Highlights from the food stands include deep-fried PB&J for $, deep-fried Twinkies for $4, coconuts for $4 at the QFC stand (across from us!), $6 brats, kosher dogs, or jalapeno cheese dogs at Husky Deli (proprietor Jack Miller‘s in our photo above), $4 fried banana with coconut milk at Pho Cyclo’s stand.
ADDED 3:08 PM: Stop by for your free West Seattle – We Have That ! sticker (explained here):
Other ways to show your West Seattle pride include West Seattle-branded T-shirts and other swag you can find at some vendors’ booths, including The Junction’s own Seattle Logo Pros, and another West Seattle business’s booth, Shockwave Tees, which shared this photo of their “Alki Seagull” shirts:
If you have any trouble finding a particular vendor’s booth, stop by the Info Booth, where we and community volunteers (currently, the new president of the Rotary Club of West Seattle, Len Burton-Hardin, is here) will do our best to help.
ADDED 3:42 PM: We’ve been rolling video on some of today’s performances. Music to come – but for starters, the performance troupe Illuminatio was at GreenLife earlier and will be back there at 4 pm – here’s an excerpt:
The performance will be repeated at 4 pm Sunday, if you missed both today. Meantime, here’s a snippet of Blackheart Honeymoon, first band of the day on the stage, which is on California SW north of SW Oregon:
ADDED 6:08 PM: It’s been a great crowd all day. The police in charge of festival patrol tell us it’s been quiet for them too. Continuous music is revving up now at the stage north of SW Oregon; the most-awaited act of the night is Young Fresh Fellows, coming up at 10 pm. Not all music is on the stage, though – check out the didgiredoo:
That’s one big reason to come on down – what’s on the official schedule is only a small part of what’s going on! P.S. Thanks to Rotarians Gary Potter and Josh Sutton for being part of the team here in the Info Booth these past few hours.
6:45 PM: And thanks to the many awesome people – those we had never before met, as well as those we had – who have stopped by today, to share information and/or to just say hi. It’s our favorite part of Summer Fest – and we have heard many others appreciate it for the same reason – getting to catch up with friends and neighbors from all over West Seattle that you don’t always see in person otherwise. Tonight’s closing time for booths is listed as 8 pm, by the way, but you may see some closing sooner. Tomorrow, things rev up at 10 am. We’ll have more coverage later tonight – including a look ahead to tomorrow.
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ONGOING: Quick links (which will keep floating down to the end of each Summer Fest report):
HOURS TODAY: Until 8 pm, but the music runs later
METRO BUS ROUTE CHANGES: Direct links to all route revisions are in the WSB transit/traffic report
MUSIC LINEUP: See it here
VENDORS/EXHIBITORS: Here’s the directory (use the column titles to sort alphabetically or numerically)
MAP TO BOOTHS: Vendors/exhibitors map is here (PDF; we’re not listed because you’ll find WSB in the Information Booth for the 6th consecutive year)
KID ZONE: It’s on Alaska WEST of California, where the food used to be – see more info above
FOOD ZONE: It’s on Alaska EAST of California (sort the vendor list by “location” and click ahead to the pages starting 151 and 176 for the “F” as in “food” entries – earlier in the list, note a few “Sidewalk Cafes” too)
GREENLIFE DEMO SCHEDULE: Find GreenLife on the south side of the festival zone; see the demonstration/event schedule here
ART DIVE: North side of the zone, on California just north of Oregon.
1:09 PM: The King County Sheriff’s Office has put out a bulletin for 81-year-old Roy Thompson, a Renton man who’s missing and was last seen in West Seattle this morning. Call 911 if you see him or think you have seen him. He is believed to be driving a 2006 gray Toyota Avalon with the license plate starting with AJY.
3:56 PM UPDATE: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West tells us that Thompson used his bank card at the SW Avalon 7-11 at 8:15 this morning and then at a Shell station in the 600 block of Elliott Avenue West between 10:40 am and 12:40 pm.
10:50 PM UPDATE: Sgt. West has just sent word that the man has been found, safe, in Bellevue, and was reunited with his family.
The festival is on! We’re live at West Seattle Summer Fest in the information booth right in the heart of the California/Alaska intersection. Important informational note for starters – Caspar Babypants is TOMORROW (SATURDAY) at 11 am in Junction Plaza Park, NOT today.
ADDED 11:48 AM: Remember a few things are different this year – including the kid zone, which has taken over the west end of SW Alaska:
As a result, the main food zone (top photo) is on the east side of SW Alaska. We’re checking out the highlights and will feature them in our afternoon report, in case you’re thinking of coming down for dinner (remember all the regular restaurants are open too, many with temporary sidewalk cafés). Along the same vein, Junction stores are all open for business too, many with sidewalk sales – here’s the big tent that Easy Street Records has set up:
As mentioned in one of our Summer Fest Countdown previews – here’s the basic pricing:
Used CDs – $1/ea
Used DVDs – $3/ea OR 4 / $10
Used Vinyl – $1/ea OR 12 / $10
Lots of other sidewalk sales happening – we’ll be checking more of them out.
Quick links (which will keep floating down to the end of each Summer Fest report):
HOURS TODAY: Until 8 pm, music runs later
METRO BUS ROUTE CHANGES: Direct links to all route revisions are in the WSB transit/traffic report
MUSIC LINEUP: See it here
VENDORS/EXHIBITORS: Here’s the directory (use the column titles to sort alphabetically or numerically)
MAP TO BOOTHS: Vendors/exhibitors map is here (PDF; we’re not listed because you’ll find WSB in the Information Booth for the 6th consecutive year)
KID ZONE: It’son Alaska WEST of California, where the food used to be
FOOD ZONE: It’s on Alaska EAST of California (sort the vendor list by “location” and click ahead to the pages starting 151 and 176 for the “F” as in “food” entries – earlier in the list, note a few “Sidewalk Cafes” too)
GREENLIFE DEMO SCHEDULE: Find GreenLife on the south side of the festival zone; see the demonstration/event schedule here
ART DIVE: North side of the zone, on California just north of Oregon
Questions about Seattle Public Schools‘ plan for the new Arbor Heights Elementary School? The district has announced a community meeting with updates and Q/A. It’s set for 7 pm August 7th. Here’s the announcement:
Dear Arbor Heights community,
Seattle voters approved the Seattle Public Schools Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy in February 2013, which includes the project to replace the existing Arbor Heights building with a newly constructed elementary school building on the Arbor Heights site.
The meeting will be presented by representatives of Seattle Public Schools capital projects team and Bassetti Architects and will include information about the projects’ early design progress. You will be able to learn more about the project scope, schedule, existing conditions and design explorations, ask questions and give feedback.
This will happen at the current AH Elementary, 3701 SW 104th.
Quick look ahead at today – West Seattle Summer Fest *AND* more:
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST: This is it! West Seattle’s biggest event of the year – blocks of activities, vendors, food, live music and other entertainment, all in the heart of The Junction.
We’ll be there live in the Information Booth at California/Alaska all weekend as usual – see the question mark on the map above. Our official coverage starts after it opens. But here are the quick links if you haven’t browsed yet:
HOURS TODAY: 10 am-8 pm, music runs later
METRO BUS ROUTE CHANGES: Direct links to all route revisions are in the WSB transit/traffic report
MUSIC LINEUP: See it here
VENDORS/EXHIBITORS: Here’s the directory (use the column titles to sort alphabetically or numerically)
MAP TO BOOTHS: Vendors/exhibitors map is here (PDF; we’re not listed because you’ll find WSB in the Information Booth for the 6th consecutive year)
KID ZONE: It’son Alaska WEST of California, where the food used to be
FOOD ZONE: It’s on Alaska EAST of California (sort the vendor list by “location” and click ahead to the pages starting 151 and 176 for the “F” as in “food” entries – earlier in the list, note a few “Sidewalk Cafes” too)
GREENLIFE DEMO SCHEDULE: Find GreenLife on the south side of the festival zone; see the demonstration/event schedule here
ART DIVE: North side of the zone
Other events of West Seattle note:
ELLIOTT BAY’S 16TH ANNIVERSARY: Being celebrated tonight at its West Seattle Junction location in connection with Summer Fest. Festivities start at 5 pm; details here.
LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Three West Seattle Little League teams already have won their respective divisions’ district championships, and one more goes for it tonight, the 10/11 All-Stars, who face Rainier at 6 pm at PacWest Field #1.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: Greenstage presents “Twelfth Night” at High Point Commons Park, 7 pm, free!
‘THE WAY OUT’: The Acrobatic Conundrum‘s show continues tonight at 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Details in the calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
That’s our video from the first half of last night’s Southwest Design Review Board doubleheader, the second Early Design Guidance meeting for 4745 40th SW (our coverage from the first one, in May, is here).
It’s a mixed-use project to be built on a site that currently holds a two-story office building across from the Alki Masonic Lodge and its parking lot. It’s planned for about 150 residential units, apartments with some live-works, and a 1,000-square-foot commercial space on its north side, which abuts the now-vacant site of a future city park.
As noted here briefly after last night’s meeting, the board gave its approval for the project to move out of the EDG phase, which means there will be at least one more design-review meeting. We’ll be adding our notes to this story later, but not likely before tonight, so for anyone who missed the meeting but is interested in the project and what was said by the architects, board members, and community members, we are publishing the video for starters.
Note that for this part of last night’s meeting, our video does NOT include a view of the projection screen (apologies), just the presenter, as well as the board and members of the public, so to follow along with visuals, review the packet of graphics provided to board members – see it here. If you have comments about the project – design, traffic, or any other related topic – you can get them to city planner Bruce Rips, whose e-mail address is bruce.rips@seattle.gov. (Our video from the second review last night, 4755 Fauntleroy, will be up soon.)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! West Seattle Summer Fest begins today, and California SW is already closed between Genesee and Edmunds (except for through traffic on SW Oregon) and along SW Alaska between 44th and 42nd. That means bus changes – check here and/or make note of these direct links to individual routes’ reroute info:
*RapidRide C Line
*Route 22
*Route 37
*Route 50
*Route 55
*Route 57
*Route 128
*Route 773 (Water Taxi shuttle)
The festival officially starts at 10 am today; we’ll have separate previews and live coverage later.
ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY THIS WEEKEND: Other major events are affecting traffic and buses, including Ballard Seafood Fest Saturday/Sunday – the city has a roundup of major events here. And if you are headed anywhere near the Eastside, take note of the double closure – the 520 bridge and part of I-405.
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