West Seattle, Washington

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month : 01/2014 299 results

‘The Whittaker’ chosen as name for 4755 Fauntleroy project, in honor of West Seattle native Jim Whittaker
January 10, 2014 4:27 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   4755 Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The largest development currently planned for West Seattle now has a larger-than-life name:

The Whittaker.

The name chosen for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW is a tribute to the West Seattle native who first made history as the first American to summit 29,028-foot Mount Everest, Jim Whittaker (right).

The legendary outdoorsman was, typically, outdoors when he talked with us about it – near the sea, not far from the mountains, standing in the rain at a spot where he could get a cell connection. Exactly one month shy of his 85th birthday, Whittaker says he has never had a building named for him before, jokingly telling us, “That’s usually something that happens after you’re dead.”

We also talked with spokespersons for project developers Lennar and Weingarten about the name choice and the status of what until now was just nicknamed “the Whole Foods project,” after its first announced tenant.

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New West Seattle Bridge lights already out; City Light investigating
January 10, 2014 3:03 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

(Screengrab from Wednesday night – note the unlit section on the left)
Several people have asked us in the past few days about a string of streetlights that have gone dark on the westbound high-rise West Seattle Bridge. It’s particularly noticeable because the bridge lights were changed to LEDs just a few weeks back, and if anything, those bulbs are supposed to last a lot longer than old-fashioned ones. We checked with Seattle City Light today, and spokesperson Peter Clarke says they’re working on it: “We have a crew assigned to check the lights out tonight when it’s dark so they can ID exactly which lights are out.” We’ll follow up again next week to see what they found out and what will be done about it.

P.S. We drove this stretch mid-evening Friday and noted that the lights are out on the north side, starting at the exit from SB 99 to the westbound bridge, until the peak of the high-rise.

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Morgan Junction murder trial: Still in ‘pre-trial motions’ phase
January 10, 2014 2:02 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Following up on our report from last weekend that the trial was about to begin for Lovett Chambers, charged with shooting and killing Travis Hood in Morgan Junction two years ago: gavel.jpgThe King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says pre-trial motions continued throughout this week and will continue next week, so the trial is not expected to get to opening statements until week after next. Those motions decide matters large and small, from what evidence will and won’t be admitted to how often the defendant can get a haircut during the trial (answer: weekly). Both sides have laid out their cases in trial briefs as well as motions, hundreds and hundreds of pages worth – some documents so big, we can’t get them to download through the online system. We’ve reported before that Chambers’ lawyers are expected to focus on self-defense as well as post-traumatic stress disorder; one recent document contends that the latter is due to what he went through in prison when he was much younger. According to court documents, his record has been clean for more than 30 years. Chambers is on trial for second-degree murder, reduced last summer from the original first-degree charge.

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West Seattle Green Space Coalition’s next meeting Sunday
January 10, 2014 12:54 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

If you’re interested in the community coalition that’s asking the city to slow down with its project to decide within months what to do with former substations that have sat idle for decades, this Sunday is your next chance. The West Seattle Green Space Coalition will meet at 3 pm Sunday (January 12th) at Delridge Branch Library (5423 Delridge Way SW). Last weekend, the coalition raised concerns about tree-cutting and other work under way at some of the sites even before Seattle City Light has taken its suggestions to the City Council. The sites are listed here. A few days after this Sunday’s meeting, WSGSC will be talking with the utility, so if you have any comments to share and can’t make it Sunday, e-mail co-chair Mary Fleck at maryfleckws@gmail.com.

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All-woman team to represent South Seattle Community College at Aerospace Maintenance Competition
January 10, 2014 11:07 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

For the first time ever, South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) is sending a team to the national Aerospace Maintenance Competition,coming up in Las Vegas this March. The team’s members are all women, points out CrystalRose Hudelson, who thinks it’s particularly exciting as interest in STEM studies and professions grows among women and girls:

Hudelson spoke with us at the team’s first meeting on Thursday. She is vice president and founder of the SSCC chapter of the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance; her teammates are Jennifer Lesher, Melissa Wang, Sarah McKenna, and Agnes Choung, and their coach is SSCC instructor Mary Hadley – Hudelson says they’re all donating their time and energy to make this happen. The school’s two-year Aviation Maintenance Technology program has more than a half-century of history – read about it here – and it’s hoped this will attract more female students, who currently comprise four percent of the project’s 200+ enrollment.

The Vegas competition, by the way, isn’t just for students – it includes professional categories too, and features 16 scheduled events, each allotting up to 20 minutes for completion. We’ll check back with the SSCC team as the competition draws closer!

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West Seattle Friday: Go Hawks! – the early edition – and more
January 10, 2014 9:36 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

The wind was already kicking up when we photographed the #12 flag flying with Old Glory at Alki Lumber on Thursday. That’s one sign of Seahawks spirit already in … and then we just received this photo from Al, taken on board “a school bus somewhere in West Seattle”…

And visible from outside the bus:

Signs of spirit at your business/workplace/school/house? Share a photo (or let us know where to go take one)! Along with game anticipation, a few things are happening today/tonight:

INDOOR GYM FOR TODDLERS: Got a little one who needs to burn off some energy, despite the fact this isn’t really playground weather? It’s indoor-gym time at Southwest Teen Life Center, 11 am-2 pm – just show up. $2 drop-in fee. (2801 SW Thistle)

HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Here’s who’s competing “at home” today – Chief Sealth IHS swim meet vs. Eastside Catholic, 3:30 pm at Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle) … West Seattle HS gymnastics meet vs. Holy Names Academy, 4 pm at WSHS (3000 California SW) … All three local high schools’ basketball teams are on the road tonight.

JONNY WOODS: Acoustic pop at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)

FLAT 5: Live tonight at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9 pm. Says the Feedback, “We pretty much told THE FLAT 5 that since they’re the all-time most requested band here … that they should just move in.” (6451 California SW)

SPEAKING OF SEAHAWKS SPIRIT: Russell Investments says its building will display #12 in lights facing Elliott Bay – visible from anywhere in West Seattle you can see downtown – again tonight. (See the Wednesday night photo here.)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday on the move
January 10, 2014 6:03 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday on the move
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Morning is dawning after a blustery night – whatever your method of transportation, watch out for tree branches and other blown-about debris. And hang on for another round of windiness tonight into tomorrow. Speaking of which, here’s the SDOT advice for the 12s.

FERRY SCHEDULE CHANGING: If you use Washington State Ferries, note that its new seasonal schedule kicks in on Sunday; it has fewer runs on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route.

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Memorial walk planned for pedestrian killed at 35th/Graham
January 9, 2014 10:30 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | Safety | West Seattle news

(December 29th photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
69-year-old James R. St. Clair, hit and killed while crossing 35th SW at SW Graham on December 29th, was the fifth person in seven years to die along what some call “I-35.” Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and local safety advocates are organizing a Memorial Walk as a tribute to Mr. St. Clair and a reminder that 35th still has its dangers. Cathy Tuttle from SNG is working with High Point reps to plan the event, most likely for the weekend of January 18-19. It will likely begin with a memorial gathering at the collision site, followed by a walk to a meeting place in High Point for lunch and a meeting with city officials to talk about the ongoing concerns.

We haven’t learned much about Mr. St. Clair since the crash, but Tuttle’s group says they found out he had moved to High Point from elsewhere in the city a short time before his death, so he hadn’t yet formed many connections here. They would like to invite family and friends to participate in the memorial walk; SNG’s contact info is here. We’ll publish an update when the event’s date and time are finalized.

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Police checking on reports of possible gunfire
January 9, 2014 9:50 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Police are checking on possible gunfire that has been heard – according to reports we’ve received – in North Delridge, High Point, and Puget Ridge. We haven’t heard anything yet indicating whether they’ve determined if it was shots or fireworks, but we do know that so far, no one has turned up anywhere as having BEEN shot.

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After 7-year reprieve, Charlestown Court again facing demolition for site redevelopment
January 9, 2014 7:13 pm
|      49 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

Going through the city’s development files, we discovered another building with history is back in queue for demolition and replacement: The Charlestown Court Apartments at 3811 California SW (map).

We first wrote about the brick Tudor fourplex in 2007, when a mixed-use building was proposed to replace it. A landmark nomination ensued, and while it was deemed not worthy of landmark status, a new development proposal that emerged in 2008 would have raised and preserved the 1920s-built complex’s facade.

2008, of course, was the year of the building bust, and the new plan went nowhere; the apartments have stood as-is ever since. Now, we find an early-stage proposal to tear them down and replace them with eight townhouses. The proposal – attributed to a Snohomish County firm – appears to have been in the city system just a few weeks, so no formal comment period has opened yet.

SIDE NOTE: Charlestown Court is right across California from the former Charlestown Café, where a 30-unit development of townhouses and live-work units is planned and makes its Design Review debut two weeks from tonight.

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Reader report: Possible luring attempt near Roxhill Elementary
January 9, 2014 4:45 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Though this might not have been a crime, in the context of recent unsolved incidents, a West Seattle mom wanted to report what happened to her daughter this afternoon. E-mailed by Kezia:

I wanted the WSB readers to know that a man tried to give my teenaged daughter an unsolicited ride this afternoon. She refused but it made her uncomfortable.

She was walking to pick up her younger sibling at Roxhill Elementary after school.

She described the stranger to me as looking middle-aged, either white or light-skinned Latino driving a gray or silver car “that was like a station wagon but not.” Maybe a hatchback? I will need to talk with her more when I return home from work.

I just wanted to let West Seattle folks be aware. Hopefully parents are talking about these kind of situations with their kids. Fortunately we have (done so) in my house, so my daughter felt prepared. We discussed walking home along a busier route.

We will update later if there is more information to share. Seattle Police, meanwhile, have published these suggestions for talking to kids about staying safe outside, and inside, their homes.

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Celebrate musicians, mentoring at SW Seattle Super String Saturday
January 9, 2014 1:49 pm
|    Comments Off on Celebrate musicians, mentoring at SW Seattle Super String Saturday
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(SYSO photo: Musician mentors student as they prepare to perform together onstage)
Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday is back again this year – a great day for enjoying the work of outstanding young musicians and inspiring kids who might want to follow in their footsteps. WSB is proud to be a media sponsor again this year. Here are the details:

On Saturday January 25 from 10 am- 1 pm, a free community event, Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday at Chief Sealth International High School at 2600 SW Thistle Street, kicks off with an inspiring performance by one of America’s premier youth orchestras, the Seattle Youth Symphony.

Following the performance, young violin, viola, cello and bass players from Southwest Seattle schools fill Chief Sealth IHS with the sound of their hard work and dedication. This event celebrates the elementary and middle school string players who are receiving coaching by professional musicians hired by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras.

The free public performance by Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra features Serge Prokofiev’s powerful ballet score for Romeo and Juliet – a work that has become one of the most revered orchestral scores composed for dance. The mini-concert continues with Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to the Der Freischutz, a Romantic-era opera inspired by German folk music.

After the public concert, violin, viola, cello and bass students from Southwest elementary schools (Concord, Roxhill, Sanislo, Arbor Heights, West Seattle, and Highland Park) and Denny International Middle School participate in an array of activities including instrument technique clinics led by top-level Youth Symphony musicians and SYSO coaches and learning how to play in a chamber music ensemble. Then the excitement builds as the string students join the Youth Symphony musicians on stage and are mentored by their high school-aged musical counterparts. All the musicians play “side-by-side” in this large orchestral setting, with the younger students inspired by the level of performance demonstrated by their older peers.

This is an event for the entire family and includes an “instrument petting zoo” organized by the West Seattle Community Orchestras introducing younger children to string instruments, and SYSO coaches and school music teachers on hand to discuss how parents can support their child’s musical learnng. Refreshments and resources are also available.

This event showcases Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras’ Southwest Seattle String Project, an initiative that provides professional musician “coaches” to work alongside public school music teachers and lead small group and individualized instruction.

(SYSO photo: Double bass musician Todd Gowers coaches Denny IMS students)
This service is provided by SYSO at no cost to the schools or the families because SYSO is committed to enabling equitable access to arts education, especially in areas which historically have had lower participation rates in instrumental music due to economic barriers.

SYSO provides this program free to the Southwest Seattle public schools because of generous support from national and local funders. In fact, last month Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras was one of just twenty-three American orchestras selected by the League of American Orchestras to receive a 2013-14 Getty Education and Community Investment Grant specifically to fund SYSO’s school programs. To learn more about how to donate to SYSO’s school programs, contact info@syso.org.

West Seattle Blog and Classical KING-FM are Media Sponsors for this event. For information about the Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday event, please contact Kathleen Allen, Director of Education, Communications and Partnerships at Kathleen@syso.org.

Here’s our coverage of last year’s SWSSS event.

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From north to south on West Marginal Way: 2 project notes
January 9, 2014 11:54 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

West Seattle’s easternmost arterial has two items of note today – not related aside from the street they share:

3601 WEST MARGINAL WAY ‘URBAN FARM’: Last month, while the state was taking applications from prospective recreational-marijuana businesses, we mentioned that two applicants were seeking to produce marijuana in a building at 3601 West Marginal Way, alongside the West Seattle Bridge.

(King County Assessor photo)
There are now two permit applications in with the Department of Planning and Development – one filed in December to “change use of a portion of existing floor and mezzanine from heavy manufacturing to urban farm in existing commercial building,” one filed this week for an interior wall. The state has not yet announced its final licensing decisions.

7116 WEST MARGINAL WAY DECISION NEAR: Four months after the homeless encampment cleared out, this partly-city-owned site’s future might become clearer next week. We just checked with Food Lifeline to see if its proposal to build a regional center there for its hunger-relief work was still in play; the organization tells WSB this is one of two sites it has been reviewing and that its board is expected to make a decision this month about which to pursue.

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West Seattle Chamber of Commerce announces new CEO Lynn Dennis and new board, chaired by Nancy Woodland
January 9, 2014 10:44 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(WSB photo added 5:24 pm: New Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis with past chair =Dave Montoure)
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce has just announced its new board lineup and its newly hired CEO, successor to longtime leader Patti Mullen, who left two years ago. Here’s the announcement from the Chamber’s new chair Nancy Woodland:

Today the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Lynn Dennis as its full-time Chief Executive Officer.

The Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocate for the business community in West Seattle, connecting business owners, providing networking and educational resource opportunities and supporting the vibrancy of the diverse local business community.

“The CEO is the first person many new employers, business owners, developers, citizens and legislators contact when investigating the many economic strengths of our region. Lynn has exactly the right skill set to represent the Chamber as we continue to move forward to provide even more value to our members and the West Seattle community,” says Nancy Woodland, 2014 Chamber Board Chair.

Ms. Dennis served for the past year in an interim capacity, with the Chamber, focused on strengthening the Chamber’s infrastructure, establishing systems and setting the stage for future growth. She comes with more than 30 years’ experience in management positions with expertise in strategic planning, operations management, marketing, community outreach and systems implementation. As Ms. Dennis moves into the role of CEO, Mary Cropley will continue as the Chamber’s part-time Financial Manager.

“The Chamber is a sought-after voice with local government, community leadership.and our local business community,” shares Dave Montoure, immediate Past Board Chair. “Lynn’s experience as both a small business owner and in corporate management strengthens the voice of our local Chamber. We know we are in good hands as we work towards bolstering our engagement with local businesses, government and the greater West Seattle community. ”

In addition, the Chamber announces its 2014 Board of Directors and Executive Officers

Officers

Chair: Nancy Woodland – WestSide Baby [WSB file photo at left]
1st Vice Chair: Hamilton Gardiner – Holmquist & Gardiner
Treasurer: Ryan Letson – Jackson, Morgan & Hunt
Secretary: Paul Prentice – Prentice Design
Past Chair: Dave Montoure – West 5

Directors

Wendy Damoth – Flower Lab
Sally del Fierro – Port of Seattle
Patrick Jablonski – Nucor Steel
Dana Perreault – Red 27 Engraving
Michael Pivar – Cornerstone Financial Group
Elizabeth Pluhta – South Seattle Community College
Trish Throop – Eldercare Consulting

To learn more about your West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, please contact Lynn Dennis, CEO at lynn@wschamber.com or call 206-932-5685. The Chamber’s next After-Hours event is at the Fast Signs Grand Opening on Thursday, January 16, and the 2014 Member Annual Meeting luncheon will be Thursday, January 30 (location TBD).

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West Seattle Thursday: 2014’s first Art Walk, and much more
January 9, 2014 9:49 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Photo tweeted Wednesday night by @Russell_News)
With two days until The Game, Seahawks fever is intensifying. Again last night, as visible from West Seattle’s northeast-facing shores, the Russell Investments building displayed #12 – tweaked since the Friday test shown here. The photo above is from Russell’s Twitter feed (we took a photo from Seacrest earlier in the evening, but that was before the display reached its final configuration). Update: Russell says this will be repeated FRIDAY night. Meantime, some of what’s happening today/tonight:

MICROHOUSING-RULES-RELATED APPEAL HEARING CONTINUES: Starting at 1:45 pm, testimony resumes in the Hearing Examiner’s chambers downtown, in a community-activist-led challenge to a city decision that the proposed rules for “microhousing” don’t need environmental review. This picks up where Tuesday left off. (Municipal Tower downtown, 40th floor)

CHALLAH BREAD-MAKING WORKSHOP: 5:30 pm at Delridge Community Center. Details in our calendar listing – contact the center to see if there’s room. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

Tonight’s peninsula-wide event:

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, JANUARY EDITION: 6-9 pm, 18 venues around West Seattle welcome you to see local art and, in many cases, meet the artist(s) whose work is on display. Here’s the walking map/venue list for the winter quarter, which includes WSB sponsors Chaco Canyon Organic Café, Click! Design That Fits, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, Wallflower Custom Framing, West Seattle Cyclery, West Seattle Office Junction, and a dozen other local businesses supporting the arts; see artist previews on the official WS Art Walk website.

COLLEGE APPLICATION SUPPORT: Tonight’s event offering support for college and financial-aid applications is at Chief Sealth International High School, but it’s open to all local 12th graders and their families. Details in our calendar listing. 6 pm, Sealth Library. (2600 SW Thistle)

MINI-OPEN HOUSE ON METRO CUTS: Tonight Metro reps will be at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s monthly meeting in White Center, which will start half an hour earlier than usual – 6:30 pm, to facilitate Metro’s mini-open house on the proposed cuts. (1243 SW 112th)

READ THE KORAN IN 4 WEEKS: The next session led by First Lutheran Church of West Seattle pastor Rev. Ron Marshall, who’s been teaching this class for more than a decade, starts tonight at 7 pm – details in our calendar listing. (4105 California SW)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates
January 9, 2014 6:03 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 PM: As Thursday begins, we look ahead to next Tuesday (January 14th), your chance to show you care about West Seattle’s transportation challenges, just by being there when the WS Transportation Coalition hosts reps from all levels of government. They plan to talk not only about the problems, but also about what can be done to tackle them. 6:30 pm in the theater at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – details on the WSTC website. Meantime, today’s traffic watch continues…

7:52 AM: In Georgetown, what SDOT says is a medical response is blocking the two center lanes of 4th S. at Front St., and Metro has rerouted the 131 and 132 off 4th between Michigan and Lucile

8:09 AM: If you are/were commuting with Danielle McGarrityvia the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry, you might have seen this:

Thanks to Danielle for sending photos! P.S. The Georgetown scene on 4th is clear and 131/132 are back to their normal routes.

5:48 PM: If you’re heading onto southbound 99 from north of downtown – note there is a vehicle reported to be blocking one lane in the Battery Street Tunnel.

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West Seattle development: 1606 California SW penciled in for design review
January 8, 2014 11:56 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle development: 1606 California SW penciled in for design review
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Add another project to the Southwest Design Review Board‘s schedule for the first few months of 2014: A North Admiral apartment project first reported here last October, 16 units replacing a fourplex and house at 1606 California SW (map), is tentatively set to debut before the board on March 6th. The project site is zoned L(owrise)-3 and is proposed as three stories, with 21 offstreet parking spaces. (It’s not in a frequent-transit zone, so parking is required.) This is the eighth West Seattle project scheduled for design review in the next eight weeks.

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Biznotes: West Seattle Fabric Company ‘streamlining’; new Smallclothes owner; Beni Hoshi followup; Zippy’s tribute
January 8, 2014 9:36 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Four local-business notes to share tonight:

WEST SEATTLE FABRIC COMPANY STREAMLINES: North of Morgan Junction, you might have noticed the former Stitch and Sew Studio location at 5910 California SW has a “for lease” sign in the window. After 14 months, proprietor Monica Skov tells WSB she has decided to streamline and host classes out of their ongoing flagship retail location, West Seattle Fabric Company in The Admiral District. Monica tells WSB, “The Stitch & Sew Studio was a great experience for us to know exactly what our customers want – and simple, small, ‘learn to sew’ classes are what are needed.” So that’s what they will be offering, out of WSFC from now on, at 2210 California SW.

NEW OWNER FOR SMALLCLOTHES: The children’s store smallclothes at 3215 California SW has a new owner, Anne Thompson, who invites you to stop in and say hi. If you haven’t been there before, Anne says smallclothes is known best for “very well maintained, brand name, used clothing” for kids. She is a mom of two daughters and was looking to return to work outside the home after four years “when this opportunity came across my lap … I just couldn’t pass up the chance to own my own business.” She says smallclothes is now open on Sundays and while it’s under new ownership, its popular staffers are still there, and she’s added an additional staffer to help with logistics.

BENI HOSHI FOLLOWUP: We first noted in Monday night’s business roundup that Beni Hoshi Teriyaki by the 35th/Fauntleroy bridge entrance had suddenly gone out of business and removed its signs. We have since checked with the property owner, Seattle City Light, whose spokesperson Tyson Lin says the building was leased by the owner of a prior business and subleased to Beni Hoshi, so SCL has no direct knowledge of what happened. He also says the 2011 mention of studying the site for low-income housing development didn’t go anywhere: “(The site) was considered, but in the end was not included as an opportunity for this purpose.” So we still don’t know what happened and what’s next for the building.

ZIPPY’S TRIBUTE/BENEFIT: While writing this roundup, we noticed the following, posted on Facebook by Zippy’s Giant Burgers:

Our special burger (not really a burger in the traditional sense) for the month will be the pork tenderloin. This special is to honor Rahel’s father, who passed away over the weekend. He was an Iowa boy and the pork tenderloin sandwich is an Iowa favorite. On a trip to Wapello Iowa last spring we met with the local butcher and he gave us the lowdown on how to make this deep-fried treat. Simple and tasty.

*pounded out and tenderized piece of center cut pork loin. marinated in seasoned buttermilk over night. coated in cracker crumbs (we were directed to make our own cracker crumbs using regular old saltines)
*deep fried.
*served up on a bun simply dressed with yellow mustard, pickles and lettuce.
$8 – one dollar from each sandwich sold will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter.

Zippy’s is at 9614 14th SW.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Catalytic-converter theft; mailbox casing
January 8, 2014 7:38 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight – first, from Patrice:

Thought you might like to know that my catalytic converter, muffler, tailpipe were all stolen right off of my car sometime Monday night.

Turns out I have a wanted item. I drive a ’97 Toyota 4-Runner and the Cat converter is full of precious metals. I looked up info on a 4-runner blog and learned that some cities get rashes of these thefts and it only takes about 30 seconds to cut it off. Which is what they did to my car. Cut it all clean off.

I live in the Admiral District on Walnut. [map] The car was parked in the street. Other folks may want to know so they can try preventive measures. I’m just sick about it.

And from Lori:

Monday early a.m. (between 3:30 and 5) and early evening two incidents of a person with a flashlight outside houses in the 50th and Alaska [map] neighborhood. Possible mailbox thefts. Police have been notified.

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What should Seattle Parks ask local voters to approve? Speak up January 25th
January 8, 2014 6:07 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

checkbox.jpgMore than five years after voters passed the Parks and Green Spaces Levy in 2008, Seattle Parks and Recreation is expected to bring a new measure to the ballot this year. First, it’s holding three community meetings, one here in West Seattle, to see what you think of the work done by a citizens’ advisory committee to get to this point. The meeting is set for 1 pm Saturday, January 25th, at High Point Community Center (free child care provided); read on for the Parks announcement of what it’s about, and how to offer your thoughts even if you can’t be there:

Read More

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Solar storm leads to aurora alert for tonight – if you can see it
January 8, 2014 2:41 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

A big sunspot is acting up, and that’s led to solar-storm activity, with the possibility of aurora sightings if the sky clears at all. First word came from our Skies Over West Seattle correspondent Alice Enevoldsen, and we also received tips from Mike and Mat. The best explanation is at spaceweather.com; you can also watch the Space Weather Prediction Center. According to a chart shared by Alice, the peak activity should be between about 10 pm our time tonight at 4 am tomorrow. She says it’s “worth driving out from under the clouds for.” (Unfortunately we’re not seeing anyplace cloud-free, even on the longer-range weather radar. But there’s always hope.)

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West Seattle road work: ‘Microsurfacing’ for Arbor Heights, Fauntleroy
January 8, 2014 2:29 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(Click image to see full-size map)
Residential streets in Arbor Heights and Fauntleroy will get a bit of a facelift this summer – with a process called microsurfacing that SDOT is using instead of chip seal. The map above shows the general project area, but that does NOT mean every block of every street will get this treatment. But some preparation work is starting now:

To prepare the streets for microsurfacing, SDOT crews will make minor repairs such as filling potholes, depressions and cracks. Locations identified as candidates for such repairs may be marked with white paint.

Trees and vegetation will be trimmed as necessary to allow the microsurfacing crews to complete their work.

The project area is divided into five sections. The northeast section will be prepared first, and SDOT will prepare each section before moving onto the next.

The prep work will begin as early as January as weather permits and may continue into the summer. This work is expected to occur intermittently as SDOT deploys crews for this project and for other maintenance projects throughout the city.

Full details about the project are here, including contact info at the end of that page if you have questions.

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Update: New interim chief announced for Seattle Police: Harry Bailey; West Seattle community forum for permanent-chief search
January 8, 2014 11:08 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

11:08 AM: The official announcement has just been made at City Hall: Mayor Ed Murray has appointed a new interim Chief of Police, retired former assistant chief Harry Bailey. The previous interim chief, Jim Pugel, returns to his previous assistant-chief role. The mayor is appointing a committee to help find a permanent chief and hopes it will happen fast – by April. More details are in this report from our partners at The Seattle Times (we’ll update the link when they publish a longer story later). Though Chief Bailey retired more than five years ago, he worked as a liaison/consultant for SPD and the mayor’s office as they worked through reform, ethics, and community relations in the past few years, as did Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler, who is with Bailey in the 2012 photo at right, shared with us during Night Out coverage, when the two visited SW Precinct Advisory Committee rep Pete Spalding (who shared the photo that night) and neighbors on Pigeon Point. First reaction in is from the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild, which calls the appointment an “excellent decision,” adding, “Chief Bailey is highly respected by the rank and file officers and the communities of Seattle.”

12:10 PM: The official news release is out and it includes word of a new city website related to the search for a permanent chief; there we find that community forums are set as part of the search, including one in West Seattle, 6 pm January 30th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

ADDED: The mayor has also sent a letter to the SPD rank-and-file – see it here (PDF).

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