West Seattle, Washington
23 Saturday
We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor today, West Seattle’s Thunder Road Guitars! Here’s what they’d like you to know:
Thunder Road Guitars offers a unique, hand picked selection of fine vintage and used guitars and amplifiers as well as boutique effects from some of today’s most innovative pedal builders. Also offering professional guitar repair and a great selection of accessories for the gigging musician, it’s safe to say that Thunder Road Guitars has been a welcome addition to the West Seattle community.
Frank Gross, owner and founder of Thunder Road Guitars, has had a passion for vintage instruments from a young age and has worked in the instrument retail field for more than a decade. At the end of 2011 he decided to launch TRG, initially operating as a web-based business. The store quickly expanded, and Frank opened their physical storefront in his hometown of West Seattle in November 2012. Since opening in West Seattle, TRG has expanded to offer a larger and constantly rotating selection of fine vintage, used, and rare guitars and amplifiers, as well as more recently offering professional guitar repair services by guitar tech Chris Thompson.
Thunder Road Guitars is located at 3916 California SW (map) and is open Wednesdays – Saturdays 10 am – 6 pm and Sundays-Tuesdays by appointment, and online 8 days a week at thunderroadguitars.com. Stop in and say hello!
We thank Thunder Road Guitars for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Since our West Seattle Little League All-Stars update last night, one more district championship to report – Judy sent word that the Juniors won the District 7 tournament last night in Burien and are on their way to the state tournament starting July 20th in Spokane. And last night’s victory, she says, was a thriller: “They won 7 to 6 in the bottom of the 7th inning. They started their at-bat down 5 to 6 — so scored two runs to win.” The victory was over the home team, PacWest. Congratulations and good luck at state!
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! One West Seattle transit note today: SDOT was expecting to complete the final work on Phase 3 of the Delridge Repaving Project – overlapping a few days with the start of Phase 4 – in time for this morning’s commute, so Metro Route 120 should be back to its regular route on southbound Delridge Way between Holden and Thistle.
If you travel through SODO, note that the stadium zone is BUSY today – an afternoon Mariners game and two soccer matches tonight – SDOT has the details here.
We’re also looking ahead to bus and street changes taking effect in The Junction tonight and continuing through West Seattle Summer Fest for Friday/Saturday/Sunday:
That’s the live SDOT cam in The Junction, where no-parking restrictions take effect at 4 pm today along California SW between Genesee and Edmunds and along SW Alaska between 44th and 42nd, the streets that will close by 6 pm for Summer Fest prep and will stay closed until everything’s cleared late Sunday night. That means major bus changes in the area too – check here before you head out, 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)
Go bowling on Sunday and help local students! The photo and announcement are from Jeanne Flohr at Seattle Lutheran High School, who :
The SLHS football team is holding their annual bowling fundraiser this Sunday, July 14, 2013 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the West Seattle Bowl. This is a great way to enjoy fellowship and fun with family and friends while supporting Saints athletics. Proceeds from the event will benefit the SLHS football and cheer programs. Cost is $20.00 for two games, including shoes. Bowling teams are welcome. For more information, please contact Football Coach Jeff Scott at 206-696-5333.
West Seattle Summer Fest (co-sponsored by WSB) is almost here – and our countdown continues with more miscellany:
CLOSING THE STREETS: In the heart of The Junction, the no-parking signs take effect at 4 pm Thursday; California between Genesee and Edmunds and Alaska between 44th and 42nd will be closed by 6 pm and will stay that way until cleanup is over late Sunday night.
SUMMER FEST EVE/ART WALK ON THURSDAY: Along with Bret Wiggins‘ Elvis stylings outside La Romanza Bistro (WSB sponsor), The Bubbleman outside Elliott Bay Brewery, Yada Yada Blues Band outside West 5, there’ll be music at Click! Design That Fits, too – 44th and Morgan, with Alex, Maya and Conor, playing 6-8 pm. (And browse the Art Walk highlights – not only The Junction – on the official website.)
GOT LITTLE ONES? Once again this year, Donna Ryan will open her City Mouse Studio and Store (4218 SW Alaska, just east of Cupcake Royale, as “a space for parents of little ones to nurse, feed, change, relax, and break from the heat.” And on the south end of the festival zone, the Early Days moms’ support group plans a changing/feeding area in the Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) booth, which should be by Northwest Art and Frame, between Edmunds and Oregon on California.
SIDEWALK SALES: There’ll be plenty! A couple notes –
*JF Henry & Co. starts 8 am Thursday.
*Easy Street Records‘ sale during Summer Fest goes like this:
Used CDs – $1/ea
Used DVDs – $3/ea OR 4 / $10
Used Vinyl – $1/ea OR 12 / $10
BENEFIT SALE: Nyla at Cherry Consignment, at 4142 California SW just north of the festival zone, will have this going on Saturday:
The Ruby Room is having its annual Dresses for Divas sale this Saturday, July 13, 2013 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m, at Cherry Consignment. Come buy a $10 party dress and support The Ruby Room send a low-income teen to her school dance in style.
PIZZERIA 22 HEADS SOUTH: Once again this year, Cary Kemp will be at Summer Fest – with “wood-fired pizzas all weekend long at our booth: Margherita, Pepperoni, and the Primavera.”
SEATTLE MOBILE RETAIL TOUR: Second stop for these six mobile retailers, with West Seattleites among them – full details on their Facebook page; they’ll be in the 7-11 parking lot at Edmunds/Erskine/California throughout the festival.
More to share Thursday morning – and it’s not too late to let us know what your business/organization/etc. is up to during West Seattle Summer Fest! E-mail editor@westseattleblog.com ASAP. We also want to know for our continuous live coverage, anchored again from the Information Booth at California/Alaska – see you there! Basic links to EVERYTHING Summer Fest are in our previous preview.
Exciting times for the West Seattle Little League All-Star teams in tournament play. Right now at Pac West in Burien, the WSLL 10-11 All-Stars are playing South Highline Nationals for a chance to advance to the District 7 semi-final game. Two other WSLL teams already have won their District 7 tournaments and are getting ready for state play:
Above, the 9-10 All-Stars; next, the 11-12 All-Stars:
Laurie Rasmussen shares the overview:
Both the 11-12 All Star team and the 9-10 All Star team won their respective divisions on Saturday to move on to the state competition beginning on July 13th. We are so proud of the boys of summer. Before the games began Saturday, with the 9-10 year old team on field one and the 11-12 year old team on field 2, the 11-12 year old team came over to field one to wish the younger team good luck.
Chris Frost from the 11-12 year old team told starting pitcher Nate Rasmussen, “Nate, I believe in you and know you can do it.” Rasmussen said it was very inspirational for him to hear those words from a player they all admire. It was a very special scene and had parents in tears with the sportsmanship of our WSLL boys.
For details on both of those championship wins, read on:
Tomorrow night – steps away from West Seattle Summer Fest Eve/West Seattle Art Walk entertainment and exploration – serious business will be under way on the second floor of the Senior Center of West Seattle: Two neighboring projects on the east edge of The Junction will return to the Southwest Design Review Board for its next doubleheader meeting. We’re previewing them briefly here along with our final, belated recap from the most recent SWDRB meeting. First, the Thursday projects:
4745 40th SW: As the meeting begins at 6:30 pm tomorrow, the board will see this ~150-apartment project for a second round of “Early Design Guidance.”
Here’s the official “packet” with the information and renderings submitted to the city pre-review, accompanied by explanations of how the architects believe they have responded to the board’s comments from the first review in May (WSB coverage here).
4755 FAUNTLEROY WAY SW: At 8 pm tomorrow, the board will see this ~370-apartment, grocery-and-drug-store project – biggest mixed-use project ever in West Seattle – for the fourth and possibly final time.
Here’s the “packet.” This project also has been going before the citywide Design Commission as part of the process of getting its “alley vacation” approved; our report on its most recent meeting is here. And there’s been a new development since even that meeting – a campaign branded as “Getting It Right for West Seattle” has appeared, focusing on this development. We are still researching it; an organizational announcement it’s circulating is signed by Elena Perez, who works as a community organizer for UFCW 21, which has mustered a delegation for just about every public meeting related to the project, whose grocery tenant is non-union Whole Foods. The stated goal of “Getting It Right” is a Community Benefits Agreement (here’s background from a different project). We expect to hear from the new group at tomorrow night’s meeting.
Meantime, ahead – one last round of notes from the most recent SWDRB meeting, which included the second “Early Design Guidance” session for the Admiral area’s biggest project ever, 3210 California SW:
The photo and coyote-sighting report are from Diane:
This morning once again, there was a raucous squawking of crows in the Delridge P-Patch. When we looked around, we saw a coyote run through the garden and walk into the picket-fenced yard alongside Cottage Grove Park.
We were harvesting peas from the Giving Garden plots. We’ve already harvested and donated over 250 pounds of produce to White Center Food Bank this growing season.
Congratulations to the gardeners on their generous gifts! Meantime, what the crows did is more or less what you are advised to do when you see a coyote, for your sake and theirs – scare it away. As always, we share this informational link with specific advice.
Last night was a busy night for community-group meetings. We made it to Fauntleroy (story here) and Admiral (story to come), but for coverage of the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Council, we point you to this thorough summary just published on the WWRHAH website by council secretary Joe Szilagyi. Topics included how to advocate for a safer SW Roxbury, one Arbor Heights neighborhood’s push for a traffic circle (here’s their online petition), and asking the city to help the county stave off those potential Metro cuts. Watch WWRHAH’s website and Facebook group for TBA info on the August meeting.
Motorcycle noise, car-share parking, and Lincoln Park were among the topics discussed at last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting. Toplines ahead:
Multiple WSB readers sent word of Internal Revenue Service agents at Admiral Pub this morning, seen there as early as 7:30 am. Here’s what we have found out so far: A WSB crew has gone there twice to try to get information – the first time, we saw one man with IRS-CI on his jacket. He said he couldn’t comment but added he believed the pub would open as usual today. No vehicles or agents were visible outside at the time, but after another reader reported seeing agents carrying out boxes around 11 am, our crew went back; the agents were gone by the time we got there. Local U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Langlie tells WSB only that this is “an ongoing matter” and that there will be no further comment. The person who answered the pub’s phone also would not comment except to say they will indeed be open today.
After we reported Sunday on the stolen pickup spotted by WSB reader James, whose 911 call led to two arrests (one in his photo above), police reported finding the truck full of stolen items. And they have just published an SPD Blotter update with 70 photos of some of the items, in hopes of getting them back to their owners. Here’s just one of the photos, showing some of the items, which range from camera equipment to jewelry to books and more:
Too many photos for us to republish the other 60-plus here – so please go directly to SPDB to have a look.
Meantime, both suspects, a 20-year-old man and 33-year-old woman, remain in the King County Jail, as noted in our Monday followup, and we’ll have another update later when the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces its decision on new charges against them. Both already had prior warrants out for their arrest.
5:18 PM UPDATE: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Ian Goodhew tells WSB charges were filed against either suspect today because they did not receive the case from police as a “rush file.” That means the $20,000 bail set for each has been dropped – the law sets a deadline for releasing suspects if they are not charged. However, each suspect still has unresolved warrants, and that means her bail is now at $15,000, his at $10,000, according to their current statuses on the jail register; we will be watching to see if that changes. Goodhew says, “We are following up with SPD and asking them to get us the cases ASAP so we can evaluate and file if possible.”
Just got word from Seattle Parks that Highland Park Spraypark will not open today. They have had parts on order to fix a problem that has shut it down at least twice since its official opening a week and a half ago, and in the meantime, a “temporary solution” stopped working, so it’s closed until the parts are installed. The parts have arrived and the installers will be at the spraypark tomorrow morning; whenever they’re done, the spraypark will open, but they don’t know how long that will take. Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad says the problem is a malfunctioning “electronic filter control valve (with) a leak in the pressure line.”
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Wednesday! One early reminder to share today – tomorrow (Thursday) night at 6 pm is when the roads in the heart of The Junction close for West Seattle Summer Fest setup; California from Genesee to Edmunds, and Alaska from 44th to 42nd. There will be bus reroutes too – check your route here.
1:11 PM UPDATE: Thanks to tipster P for word of a big crash on northbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle exit. Blocking lanes, says WSDOT via Twitter – so avoid I-5 for a while if you’re heading north.
Relatives and friends will gather this Friday afternoon to celebrate the life of John Picinich. Here’s the remembrance shared by his family:
John Antonio Picinich, 76, passed into eternity on Friday, July 5, in Susak, Croatia. He was born in Susak, Croatia, on September 14, 1936, to the late Antonio and Gaudenzia Picinich. John was a longtime resident of and business owner in West Seattle. He is survived by his wife of 3 years, Debra Kohler of FL; previous wife Rita Michelotti, of West Seattle, and his children, Marina (Matt) Bovenkamp, Gina (Steve) Evans, Nello (Michelle) Picinich; 10 grandchildren (Micah, Ariana, Rebekah & Siena Bovenkamp; Rachel & Hannah Fox; Benjamin, Landon, Maia & Amelia Picinich), and siblings Tony Picinich and Karmela Kurilic.
John was a loving father and husband. He enjoyed his work and had a passion for boating. He loved his homeland of Susak. He was a friend to all and loved by many. His charismatic personality will be missed.
An open-house celebration of his life will be held on Friday, July 12, from 3-5 pm at Hope Lutheran Church, 4456 42nd Ave SW.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Photos by David Hutchinson)
Quite a sight Tuesday morning east of Alki Bathhouse – a test run of sorts for the still-in-progress sculpture that Seal Sitters is bringing to the boardwalk’s east end:
Seal Sitters is happy to announce that Turnstone Construction has completed the site preparation work of our Year of the Seal: Sentinels of the Sound sculpture project. The day began with the placement of a number of large rocks at the site. These rocks are modeled on the Blakeley Formation, which can be seen at low tide at Constellation Park south of Alki Point and on Bainbridge Island.
Georgia Gerber (at left-center in photo above with Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey) arrived with her almost-completed sculpture of a harbor seal mother and pup to assist with the final adjustment of these rocks. The sculpture was then returned to her studio on Whidbey Island for the finishing touches. It will be installed at the site in mid-late August. Turnstone employees then completed work on the simulated beach scene by early (Tuesday) afternoon. They will be back (today) for final cleanup and removal of the construction fence.
Seal Sitters wants to thank Turnstone Construction for an excellent job
Speaking of art, Seal Sitters has launched an art and essay contest for K-5-age kids – read about it on the group’s Blubberblog site.
The speech that King County Executive Dow Constantine gave at the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly lunch Tuesday was really two speeches. For the first 11 minutes, it was largely a recap of achievements in his first full term, as he approaches a re-election bid, without a major, campaigning-all-out opponent. For the seven minutes after that, he turned to the disappointment of being left by the Legislature without a means to avoid cuts in Metro service when two temporary funding sources run out next year without – at this point – replacement. Constantine talked about the rise in West Seattle bus ridership “going down the drain because the State Legislature just walked away without doing anything about transportation.” But, he said, a regional coalition will “continue to push (for a transportation-funding solution) because we don’t have an alternative.” A transportation-funding package made it out of the State House before the Legislature’s second special session ended last month, but it hit a dead end in the State Senate.
ROTARY NOTES: The West Seattle club’s new president Len Burton-Hardin (right) is in his first month of presiding, after an installation banquet two weeks ago. In a message to club members, he declared that the theme he has chosen for his year is “Celebrating Us,” in honor of Rotarians’ ongoing community efforts including the holiday-season Children’s Shopping Spree. The club also participated in the recent West Seattle Relay for Life cancer-fighting fundraiser and is gearing up to present another edition of the Kiddie Parade preceding the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 20th (details here).
Our West Seattle Crime Watch roundup tonight includes reports from the past few days, right after a followup. First, a followup on the Beach Drive flag theft first reported here Friday: Citywide media has picked up the story, including this KING 5 report Sunday and ongoing discussion on KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don Show – here’s their update posted tonight. Ron & Don and their listeners have put up a reward now totaling $1,500. Meantime, we exchanged e-mail again today with Sharon Kennedy, who originally reported the theft to us; she said they are amazed at the community kindness, including:
And get this, a UPS driver came over yesterday, knocked on the door and said that his father died in Vietnam, and he wanted to give Duff his father’s flag from his casket!
Makes me tear up to write this, so overwhelmingly generous!
Meantime, their flag is still out there – somewhere.
Now, the new Crime Watch reports, starting with this one received today from Jeff:
My truck got broken into a few nights ago in Arbor Heights. My wife and I have had vehicles broken into in the past, but this time is more than just a feeling of violation. Whoever broke into my F-350 pickup decided to punch the lock, and when they did so, not only did they destroy the plastic unit that surrounded the lock cylinder, but they also dented my door. The cost to fix this far surpasses the funds that I have.
I’ve included a picture to show what I’m describing, but the image does not clearly illustrate the damage that occurred during the destructive break in. I’m hoping that whoever damaged my vehicle might see this and realize the financial hardship they create on a family that just wants to buy enough diapers, formula and pay the mortgage on time. I know there are kids out there that sometimes participate in damaging activities. Maybe he or she will think twice after reading this.
Carl had a bicycle theft, car prowl, and even (briefly) lost dog over the weekend:
(Saturday night) there was a car prowler in our neighborhood that left the neighbor’s papers on our front lawn and stole my daughter’s bicycle. I suspect the same thieves left open our side gate, which is how the dog got out. … Here are the details as submitted – abridged – to the Seattle PD:
A purple women’s Schwinn 21spd bike with a large (replacement) seat was stolen from the front porch last night. Also found at the property were papers from a neighbor’s car suggesting evidence of a car-prowl that occurred over night. The papers were returned to the neighbor at [7500 block of] 28th Ave SW at 10:20 AM. No further information or identifying details of the stolen bike are available, save that it is in used – not new – condition.
Their dog, at least, returned even before we could post an announcement on the WSB Lost/Found Pets page. But the bicycle theft was particularly painful, Carl says, happening right before his daughter’s birthday.
Jennifer shared this bizarre note left by someone who had to walk down an off-the-beaten-path driveway in the 10200 block of Marine View Drive to get to the door – and she says the note bore no relation to anyone in her home or any property with which they’re associated:
This is a note we received on 7/5/2013 between 10:45 AM and 11 AM.
Police report filed. A neighbor did get license plate and make and description.
Hispanic Male. Clean Shaven. Dark Black Hair. 5’10”. Stocky Build. Vehicle: 4 door sedan, Maroon / burgundy. No Bling
License Number: 819Z–Our property … is tucked down OFF of MVD and the perp. is able to see into 3 plus properties by leaving us a bogus “neighborly” note. Just a heads up… Please post so folks in Arbor Heights and elsewhere are notified of such scams for scoping out break in options.
And Andrew has found a bicycle, possibly stolen:
I found a bike in an area of tall grass over at the intersection of 14th and Kenyon in Highland Park. Not sure if it was stolen or if the owner ditched it.
(November 2012 photo by Nick Adams for WSB: Sam Reed refereeing during 1st-ever Sealth Alumni Game)
Another change in the top ranks at Chief Sealth International High School: Athletic director and activity coordinator Sam Reed announced tonight that he is leaving for a new job in another school district. He gave us permission to republish this excerpt from the announcement, sent via e-mail to the Sealth community:
I hope this e-mail finds you well and that you and your families are enjoying your summer to date. I’m writing to say that I have made the difficult decision to accept a new opportunity that will take me away from Chief Sealth International High School.
At that time I will begin my next challenge, this time as the Assistant Director of Student Life for the Tacoma School District. In that role, I will oversee athletics and ASB for the District’s 5 comprehensive high schools and 10 middle schools. Ultimately the lure of a new and larger challenge outweighed the reality of losing that day-to-day contact with the students – and for those that know me well, you know how hard of a decision this was.
In my absence I have left my recommendations for a short-term succession plan with building leadership. I trust that people will be in place come the start of Fall sports and the beginning of the school year.
I cannot express enough how special my six years at Sealth were. This was so much more than a job for me – and many of you and your children played a large role in that. My family and I live (and will continue to live) in this community and we have genuinely enjoyed our time as Seahawks. The kids and this community continually amaze me, and they have given me far more than I have given them. Still, I am very proud of the work that we have done together, and leave with confidence that a strong foundation has been laid for the next generation of students and athletes.
Reed’s departure follows the resignation of two-year principal Chris Kinsey (whose successor was announced last week) and the retirement of longtime assistant principal Lupe Barnes. This past year, Reed also served in a regional role as Metro League president.
This year’s primary election is August 6th, four weeks from tonight. Tomorrow night, our area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, has one more round of endorsements to make, for one position on the Burien City Council and three on the Seattle School Board. (Endorsements already made are listed here.) The meeting also will include a review of the legislative session that’s just concluded with two special sessions, featuring updates from all three 34th District legislators, Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon. The public’s welcome at the meeting, which starts at 7 pm Wednesday (July 10th) at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).
Thanks to the tipster who forwarded the e-mail announcement: Wax On Spa, which bills itself as “Seattle’s original waxing spa,” is about to open in The Junction, its . No telltale paper-covered windows gave this one away – its entrance will be on the alley east of California SW, north of SW Alaska (same entrance at 4546 California SW as WSB sponsor Fitness Together). According to the e-mail announcement, they’re opening Friday and will have reps at the nearby northeast corner of California/Alaska during Summer Fest on Saturday. The announcement also says – in the spirit of at least one competitor – “liquor license coming soon”; the state filing says it’ll be a “snack bar” license, meaning beer only. Wax On also has locations in Belltown, Capitol Hill, Fremont, Portland, and Boulder, Colorado.
A two-car crash at 46th/Andover (map) this past hour left one car upside down, and sent two people to the hospital. That’s what WSB’s Katie Meyer, who also took our photo, reports from the scene.
Both were transported via private ambulance, indicating the injuries weren’t believed to be life-threatening. The flipped car had collided with a van, though the circumstances aren’t known.
HomeStreet Bank will have its first West Seattle branch within a few months when its purchase of the AmericanWest Bank branch in The Junction closes. The deal for HomeStreet to buy that branch – which was Viking Bank until AW bought that company in 2011 – and an AmericanWest branch in Bainbridge Island has just been announced. Ahead, the official news release:
| 14 COMMENTS