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month : 02/2014 308 results

Why you’ll need a cheat-sheet for next weekend’s Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct closure
February 23, 2014 1:36 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(TUESDAY UPDATE: SDOT has added more details to its rundown of what’s happening)

Next weekend’s Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 closure – NOT related to the tunnel trouble, just the semi-annual inspection closure – is NOT the basic “entire stretch from Battery Street Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge closed from late Friday to early Monday” scenario. Here’s how next weekend will break down, according to WSDOT:

Friday, Feb. 28 – Sunday, March 2

Both directions of SR 99 will be closed between Valley Street and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Both directions of SR 99 will be closed between Valley Street and South Spokane Street from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Both directions of SR 99 will be closed between Valley Street and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday.

Both directions of SR 99 will be closed between North 48th Street and South Spokane Street from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday.

Both directions of SR 99 will be closed between Denny Way and South Spokane Street from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

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Video: 20 years in the making, Pastor Ron Marshall’s book ‘Kierkegaard for the Church’
February 22, 2014 10:05 pm
|    Comments Off on Video: 20 years in the making, Pastor Ron Marshall’s book ‘Kierkegaard for the Church’
 |   West Seattle books | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Existential philosophy and Christian faith might not sound likely to intersect – but when it comes to Denmark’s renowned 19th-century thinker Søren Kierkegaard, they do. Few know this better than First Lutheran Church of West Seattle pastor Rev. Ron Marshall, who has just published “Kierkegaard for The Church,” and gave us a show-and-tell the other day:

The book would be helpful both “for the educated layperson and pastors,” Rev. Marshall says. This Monday, 9 am-1 pm, he’s hosting an “open conference” about it at his church north of The Junction, open to the public, focused on the book and some of what you can hear him discuss in our video – which concludes with a shorter clip below, elaborating on who the book is for and on the Monday forum (at which you can buy a signed copy of “Kierkegaard for the Church”:

Behind the pastor and author in our clips is the Kierkegaard statue you can see at First Lutheran, by Northwest artist Dr. Rita Marie Kepner, dedicated when the church celebrated the bicentennial of the philosopher/theologian last year (WSB coverage here). As Rev. Marshall mentioned, First Lutheran commemorates him in November every year. Drop in Monday for minutes or hours and check out the statue, the discussion, the book.

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Video: West Seattle boys sing at ‘exploding oil trains’ rally
February 22, 2014 8:46 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle politics

Adonis and Aji from RainDagger Productions on Vimeo.

That’s video of brothers Adonis and Aji Piper, 9- and 13-year-old Pathfinder K-8 students, singing and playing a protest song they composed. They spent the final weekday of the week-long midwinter school break by participating in a demonstration and Seattle City Council committee meeting regarding a resolution urging increased scrutiny for a proposal to send more oil-carrying trains through the city. (Read about the resolution here.) Environmental advocates say the scrutiny is vital because trains are carrying more-volatile types of oil now, with literally explosive risks, as evidenced in several recent incidents around the continent. Joel Connelly wrote about the brothers in his coverage on seattlepi.com; today we received a note from the boys’ family, with a link to the video you see above.

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Are you ready? Get involved with your Emergency Communication Hub – and get ready for a citywide drill
February 22, 2014 6:03 pm
|    Comments Off on Are you ready? Get involved with your Emergency Communication Hub – and get ready for a citywide drill
 |   Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news


View West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs in a larger map

Know your nearest Emergency Communication Hub! That map shows the 11 community-volunteer-powered spots in West Seattle that would be activated in case of major disaster – someplace you could go to find out what’s going on when other communication channels are down. And this week, anniversaries remind us that the most likely disaster around here – earthquake – can hit at any time; three years ago today, the Christchurch quake in New Zealand killed almost 200 people; next Friday (February 28th) will be the 13th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake here in Western Washington, which left hundreds hurt. So while quakes are top of mind again, it’s a great time to get involved with the Hubs – which have now gone citywide – and to get ready for a big citywide drill that’s about three months away.

On May 17, between 9:00 am and noon, community groups and emergency volunteers from throughout Seattle will be participating in a disaster drill to test neighborhood emergency preparedness.

The groups, known as the Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs, will join the City’s Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) ham volunteers to simulate a volcanic explosion and it’s impact on Seattle, especially if the wind blows ash towards Seattle and resulting lahars (mud flows) impact infrastructure. “It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors” said Carl Leon, one of the drill organizers. “We set up neighborhood hubs where people can come to get information and share resources or skills to help those who have been affected.”

The ACS volunteers will practice sending situation reports of conditions in each neighborhood from the Hubs into the City’s Emergency Operations Center. In a real event, that information could be used by City response planners to assess conditions throughout the city and develop response plans.

Participating Hub locations in addition to West Seattle include Broadview, Capitol Hill, Kirke Park, Lake City, Loyal Heights, Magnolia, Maple Leaf, Queen Anne, Rainier Beach, Shilshole. All Hub locations will welcome visitors and people who would like to learn and participate in the Hubs.

For more information about becoming a Hub volunteer, contact Cindi Barker, cbarker@qwest.net, 206-933-6968.

For information about becoming a Ham radio operator or member of ACS, contact Carl Leon at
N7KUW@arrl.net.

And in the meantime, browse westseattlebeprepared.org for information that could someday save your life.

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Update: Car hits Pet Pros in Westwood Village; no one hurt
February 22, 2014 2:58 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Westwood | WS breaking news

(1st photo in, from Patricia – thanks!)
2:58 PM: Seattle Fire crews are responding to a report of a car hitting a building in the 9000 block of 25th SW, with a “heavy rescue” response.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
3:02 PM: It’s a car into the front window of Pet Pros at Westwood Village, according to texters and address cross-reference. No injuries reported so far. Thanks to Patricia for the top photo.

3:12 PM: Our crew is there and confirms nobody hurt. The car has already been backed away, though the sidewalk there is blocked off for cleanup (thanks to the person who texted the photo above this line).

(Another photo added: Jessie shared the view from across 25th SW – thanks!)
Police are still talking with people to determine whether this was a case of hitting the wrong pedal, a medical problem, or something else.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
3:33 PM: It’s now a cleanup scene – all that broken glass you see above, for examples. Also lots of onlookers, and at least one TV crew. We’re told the store is closed right now (we’ll check back later). In case you were trying to remember (we were), we looked up the date for a somewhat similar incident at the Westwood post office – May of last year.

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‘Money is not a reason to not play tennis’: West Seattle High School coach hopes you’ll help her swing at a budget better than -$15
February 22, 2014 2:08 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(Photo courtesy Cathy Thom)
Did you know there’s an extra charge to play a high-school sport – and some sports still have no budget? West Seattle High School second-year head tennis coach Cathy Thom she’s been told she has a budget of -$15. So she is trying to creatively raise some money to cover costs as the season approaches, and she’s launched a crowdfunding page as part of the plan. In an e-mail exchange, we asked Coach Cathy if she might want to illustrate with a photo of “sorry-looking equipment you need to replace,” and she replied:

Well, I need squeegees for the courts, and I’d love to take a picture of them, but some people stole them from the courts, and well, we need tennis balls and racquets — the essentials to running the season, and sorry I don’t have any pictures of items we don’t even have!.. But I’m also hoping to raise money to help kids with the sports fee(s). I can’t believe it costs $100 to play a sport. No wonder kids are opting out and playing video games! So I want to have extra funds available for those who can’t afford the sports fee or who can’t afford the uniforms.

Despite the challenges, two of Cathy’s players made it to state competition last year, and she’s hoping to get more there this year, “with proper equipment, and being able to focus on the kids more than focusing on my budget … My ultimate goal is to get this team to be top of the line. I’ve played college tennis (division 1) and know I’ve got the knowledge to get these kids in line to get tennis scholarships if desired. … I’d like to open up doors for these kids … So far it looks like I need uniforms for incoming players (jackets and shirts), tennis balls, squeegees for the courts when it rains, and some scorecards.” Just go here and use the PayPal “donate” button (if you don’t have a PP account, you can use a credit card).

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Countdown! 11 weeks until 10th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day
February 22, 2014 11:33 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

We’re starting to get questions about registration for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2014. The mega-sale day is exactly 11 weeks from today – the second Saturday in May, as always – which this year arrives on May 10th. If you’re a new arrival, it’s not one big sale, but rather numerous sales of all sizes, all around the peninsula; more than 250 sales each of the past few years. – (Here’s part of our coverage from last year.) The organization that started it closed in 2007 and agreed to let WSB take it over starting in 2008 (more history here), so this will be our seventh year coordinating and publicizing it, the tenth year overall for the event. Registration will open in early April – we’ll announce the date once it’s finalized. Sale hours on May 10th will be 9 am-3 pm as always. Favorite thing we hear afterward is how many people enjoy meeting neighbors, seeing old friends, making face-to-face connections, and that’s priceless.

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West Seattle Saturday: Traffic alerts, calendar highlights…
February 22, 2014 6:43 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Mark Wangerin for sharing his recent photo of a raccoon spiffed up for what is the wild kingdom’s romantic season as well as ours. Here’s a look ahead to the day, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, but starting with traffic alerts:

HIGHWAY 99, 1ST AVENUE SOUTH: In the stadium zone, some lane/ramp closures you might want to know about this weekend. From WSDOT:

*The South Royal Brougham Way on-ramp to northbound SR 99 will be closed from 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24.
*The right lane of northbound SR 99 will be closed at South Royal Brougham Way from 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24.
*The right lane of southbound First Avenue South will be closed from Railroad Way South to just north of South Royal Brougham Way from 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24.

This is all part of work to reconfigure Highway 99 lanes that are south of the elevated viaduct.

SOUTHBOUND I-5 LANE CLOSURES: This weekend, the expansion-joint work on I-5 south of the heart of downtown is happening on the southbound “collector-distributor lanes.” They’re down to one lane, so steer clear.

****But you can have a great weekend WITHOUT needing to leave West Seattle to travel those highways. Highlights:

SOLAR SEMINAR: 9:30 am at the Senior Center, WSB sponsor Sunergize West Seattle is presenting a seminar to explain going solar and its benefits – full details in our calendar listing. (SE corner of California/Oregon)

GRIEF-SUPPORT GROUP: First session 10 am-noon at Grace Church – as explained here. (10323 28th SW)

WINE AND CHOCOLATE: West Seattle’s Two Brothers Winery is one of the stops on today’s Seattle Urban Wineries multi-winery tour – ticket information here. (3902 California SW)

SEATTLE PRIDE BASKETBALL TRYOUTS: Various age groups’ tryouts for Seattle Pride Basketball are today at Seattle Lutheran High School – the full schedule is in our preview. (40th/Genesee)

REMODELING/CUSTOM-HOME-BUILDING WORKSHOP: 2 pm at Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), come learn about remodeling and custom-home-building at a free workshop. Call ASAP to make sure there’s still room! Details including phone number are in our listing. (NE corner of California/Findlay)

VETERAN CENTER OPEN HOUSE: The West Seattle Veteran Center, in the historic American Legion Post 160 building, invites you to an evening open house at 7 pm, with music by Henry at War starting at 8 pm. All ages, free, $5 donation appreciated to help the WSVC work toward its goals; details in our calendar listing. (3618 SW Alaska)

MORE LIVE MUSIC AT … 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 8 pm at The Cask, 9 pm at Skylark Café and Club, 9:30 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). See the calendar for acts and more details.

CLOSING NIGHT FOR ‘PRIVATE EYES’: 7:30 pm, the final performance of Twelfth Night Productions‘ show, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

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Chief Sealth swimmers @ state championships: First-night updates
February 22, 2014 1:13 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Thanks to Trisha Montemayor for sharing another update on Chief Sealth International High School swimmers’ postseason competition: The two-day state championships conclude tonight at King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Trisha’s report on Friday night:

Sealth sent their 200 Medley Relay team to state and finished 22nd. Top 16 in each race move on to finals. Michael Stewart will be swimming in the consolation final of the 50 free, having finished tied for 15th today. Michael also finished 19th in the 100 free, just missing the finals for that. Carlos Morgan Montemayor swam the 100 butterfly and finished tied for 10th but will not swim it (Saturday), to concentrate on swimming the 100 backstroke. He will swim the Championship final, going into it in 2nd place.

Good luck to Carlos and Michael! If you’re interested in seeing the times and other results – go to this page and click any event in the left sidebar to bring up full results in the larger window.

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West Seattle High School girls’ season over after loss to Liberty
February 21, 2014 9:32 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(WSHS #22 Annalisa Ursino, #12 Lydia Giomi, #10 Charli Elliott; photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
9:32 PM: The final score in Bellevue minutes ago was 43-30, with the West Seattle High School girls’ basketball team out of the postseason after a loss to Liberty HS (Issaquah district), but the game was a lot closer most of the way than the final score reflects. More photos and details later tonight.

ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: First, the scoring rundown for WSHS – Giomi led the field with 10 points, #30 Lexi Iaone (above) was second with 7 points including the Wildcats’ only three-pointer of the game. #21 Gabby Sarver (next photo) was third with 5 points.

Elliott followed with four, and scoring was completed by #15 Sarah Cooper (photo below) and Ursino with 2 points each.

Liberty got out to a 5-0 lead before WSHS finally scored midway through the first quarter and went on to take the lead 7-5, promptly losing it when the Patriots hit one of several 3-pointers, answered by the one by Ioane, which gave West Seattle the lead again.

Everything was hard-fought, from rebounds to breaking through the two sides’ respective defenses.

WSHS led 12-8 at the end of the first quarter but Liberty came back out fighting in the next one – including its very vocal fan contingent (WSHS had a hearty turnout too) — and the lead see-sawed a while, with Liberty ahead 22-21 at halftime after a run including two 3-pointers.

West Seattle’s rebounding was strong in the second half but its shooting was on the cold side. They did take back the lead a few minutes in, 23-22, and the lead was extended to three points after a pair of foul shots by Giomi.

But five unanswered points, including yet another 3-pointer, by the Patriots gave them the lead again, 27-25, and Liberty held it the rest of the way, including a few flashes of full-court-press defense. They were one point up over WSHS, 29-28, at the end of the third quarter, and it wasn’t that close again. The Wildcats had many shots but few successes. They scored only once more, a basket by Sarver with just under 3 minutes to go, while Liberty opened it up, including yet another 3-pointer along the way, until the 43-30 final.

Head coach Sonya Elliott has the chance to keep the same strong team growing next year, since none are seniors – yet.

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Memorial planned March 8th for Betty Lou Benson, 1923-2014
February 21, 2014 9:27 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

A memorial service is planned on March 8th for Betty Lou Benson, whose family shares this remembrance:

Betty Lou Benson died peacefully at age 90 on February 12, 2014 after a short illness. She was born August 20, 1923 in Denver, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Denver (DU) in Education. She moved to Tacoma in 1949 to teach elementary school and met her husband, Norman, in The Mountaineers. He had also moved from Starbuck, Minnesota to Seattle to work for Boeing.

They married in 1951 and enjoyed skiing, hiking, and folk dancing together. They made their home in West Seattle for over 50 years where she was a homemaker involved in her church, school PTA, Camp Fire, and Boy Scouts. Early on, they purchased a cabin on Vashon Island, which is still enjoyed by the family today. Betty was a door-to-door Avon Lady in her Admiral district neighborhood and worked part time at the Louise North dress shop in the West Seattle Junction. Later she was active in the West Seattle Garden Club, Federated Women’s Club, and her Kappa Delta Sorority Alumnae group. She was always generous with her time and talents.

She also collected countless donations for the Salvation Army Hickman House for victims of domestic violence and was named their Volunteer of the Decade in 1998. After her husband Norman passed away in 2002, she lived 11 years at the Kenney Home, a very special community of friends where she received kind, compassionate care. She was a wonderful mother with a positive, gracious spirit. She always enjoyed people and was a dear friend to many. She loved the ocean, beach walks, and especially trips to Hawaii. She leaves behind her children Janet (Mark) Thomasseau and Gary (Jane) Benson and grandchildren Allison Thomasseau and Matthew Benson.

Remembrances may be made to West Side Presbyterian Church – Youth Special Event Scholarships – or Salvation Army Hickman House at 1101 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, March 8, 2014 at West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Ave. SW. Share your memories at forestlawn-seattle.com.

(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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Followup: Where Ryan Cox’s case stands, after this week’s arrest
February 21, 2014 7:02 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

As promised, we followed up on the latest arrest of Ryan Cox, the West Seattle repeat offender who has been in and out of the criminal-justice and mental-health systems: The City Attorney’s Office tells WSB he will spend up to four more months in jail as a result of his most recent arrest. It dates back to the assault case in which he pleaded guilty last year. His original sentence ended New Year’s Eve. Three weeks after that, he was arrested for violating probation; though the CAO sought to have him kept in jail longer, a judge released him on personal recognizance after one day. Local business owners say he still wanders the area with disruptive behavior, and brought their concerns to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting again this past Tuesday. Both new Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske and Seattle Municipal Court presiding judge Kimi Kondo, who also hears cases in the city’s Mental Health Court, were there. During the meeting, we discovered via the publicly viewable SMC docket that another probation-violation warrant had been issued for Cox’s arrest, two weeks earlier. The wheels began turning after the meeting; the following day (Wednesday) he was arrested and jailed. Since then, he’s appeared again in court. CAO spokesperson Kimberly Mills tells WSB that while they wanted all remaining jail time to be imposed (about 11 months), Judge Pro Tem Robert Chung instead revoked the suspension of 180 days – six months – and “struck active probation.” With the time he has served so far, that would mean a release date no sooner than mid-June, Mills says. Side note: The short account of Cox’s Thursday hearing says the court was addressed by an SPD officer regarding “community concerns”; Capt. Wilske had promised Tuesday night that he would make sure that information was brought to the court’s attention.

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Happening now: Why the Seattle Police Mounted Patrol is at Morgan Junction Park
February 21, 2014 5:47 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Horses in Morgan Junction Park! Not an everyday sight – but members of the West Seattle-headquartered Seattle Police Mounted Patrol are visiting while a fundraiser is under way next door at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW). It’s continuing until 7; the pub is 21-and-over, but all ages are welcome to stop by the park.

Details in our Thursday preview.

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From the mayor’s office: Land deal to expand Dakota Place Park
February 21, 2014 4:32 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

More than a year ago, when the city bought land for a future park in The Junction in an about-to-be-development-laden zone on 40th SW, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw noted in a meeting that it came when the city turned its focus away from pursuing land adjacent to Dakota Place Park. Now, that particular land is back in play. Mayor Ed Murray‘s office says he has signed and sent to the council a bill authorizing “the acquisition of two adjacent parcels of approximately 5,750 square-feet in total, located at 4041 and 4045 California Avenue SW, adjacent to Dakota Place Park …” The mayor’s office says the urgency of acquiring this site has increased because of a developer’s deal to buy the site; the city’s chance to buy it expires March 31st. We’re told the authorization will be introduced at the Council meeting on March 3rd and voted on shortly thereafter. No word yet on the proposed purchase price; the original/current DP Park site is a former Seattle City Light facility.

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Last chance to visit Log House Museum for a while! Temporary closure after this weekend, for new exhibit
February 21, 2014 2:50 pm
|    Comments Off on Last chance to visit Log House Museum for a while! Temporary closure after this weekend, for new exhibit
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy Log House Museum)
Making weekend plans? It’s your last chance to visit the home of West Seattle history, the Log House Museum, during its regular hours 12-4 pm Saturday and Sunday – after Sunday, it’s closing for a few weeks to get a new exhibit in place. Southwest Seattle Historical Society executive director Clay Eals shares the announcement:

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 15, 2014, for the opening of a new exhibit at the Log House Museum of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.

The new exhibit is the second phase of a three-phase exhibit whose overall title is “Telling Our Westside Stories.” The theme of the second phase is “Work.”

The first-phase exhibit, with the theme of “Land,” has been up since fall 2012 and will close on Sunday, Feb. 23. (Regular open hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. The museum is located at 3003 61st Ave. S.W., one block from Alki Beach.)

To take down the first-phase exhibit and install the second-phase exhibit, staff will close the museum from Thursday, Feb. 27, through Friday, March 14.

The new exhibit will open to the public at noon Saturday, March 15. It will examine various types of work done over the years by residents of the Duwamish peninsula and their attitudes toward it.

Besides artifacts, photos and printed interview excerpts, the exhibit will focus on brief videos that tell stories visually in the museum’s main gallery.

The bulk of the material generated for the “Telling Our Westside Stories” exhibits comes from interviews of community elders conducted by students at Madison Middle School and supervised by volunteers of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.

Volunteers have transcribed the interviews, culled related images and combined interview excerpts and images into brief videos.

“Eliciting and preserving the stories of our residents is an important part of what we do,” says Clay Eals, executive director. “It is straight down the middle of our mission to promote local heritage through education, preservation and advocacy.”

The exhibit, curated by Sarah Baylinson, museum manager, is funded in part by 4Culture and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.

The Log House Museum is at 61st/Stevens, a block inland from the heart of Alki.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Burglary investigation; car window smashed; bicycle-theft attempt
February 21, 2014 1:49 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Topping this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup – a burglary investigation under way in Sunrise Heights. Martin asked us about a police response near 34th/Othello (map); SPD’s Det. Mark Jamieson says a resident called it in as a suspected break-in, hearing what sounded like breaking glass and then hearing sounds in the basement, where she said no one should have been, though the house has a basement living area. Police took one person into custody, but we don’t know yet if they were officially arrested (remember, that is a further step beyond being taken into custody for questioning – just because you see someone handcuffed doesn’t mean they were arrested) – we’ll be checking back with police.

Also:

CAR BREAK-IN: Krista e-mailed: “I would like to report to West Seattle Blog and your readers about my boyfriend’s car window getting smashed in the Highland Park neighborhood. It was parked on the street, block of 9th Avenue and Trenton Street (map). They didn’t steal anything from the car and it happened late last night or early this morning.”

BIKE-THEFT ATTEMPT: Andrew has a warning for bicycle owners, and it goes with this photo:

A thief attempted to steal my bike while I was at work (Wednesday). Luckily they must have got spooked, because they left my bike in my driveway. I’m in the townhouses by California and Myrtle (map). Please remind people to not leave anything they don’t want stolen outside.
Thanks, got lucky this time!

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Update: Every-other-week garbage pickup idea has been thrown out
February 21, 2014 10:54 am
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:54 AM: Though at one point the “every other week pickup” idea appeared to be on a fast track to approval, the presentation that Seattle Public Utilities will make to a City Council committee next Tuesday paints a fairly negative picture. See the full presentation here. We’ve pulled out a few slides – above, the “downside,” which includes “significant resistance.” Next, the effects – basically, some residents would actually pay more for less-frequent pickups, while others would save no more than a few dollars:

To help increase recycling, SPU recommends some other possibilities:

Just before finishing this story, we learned about this note in The Seattle Times (WSB partner) – saying the mayor has made the call not to proceed (we’re checking with his office now). We first reported back in November that the City Council would decide early this year whether to go citywide with the idea, which had gone through a test run in four neighborhoods in 2012, including part of Highland Park.

11:07 AM UPDATE: And the official announcement has arrived from the mayor’s office, saying he read the same report excerpted above, and that’s what led him to turn thumbs-down on the idea – read on:

Read More

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West Seattle Friday: Soaring off into the weekend
February 21, 2014 10:40 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Eagle mobbed by crows

Thanks to Paul Brannan for the photo of an eagle, pursued by crows, shared via the WSB Flickr group. Flying into Friday night, here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

HELP THE HORSES! Tonight, 5-7 pm, is the benefit at Beveridge Place Pub and neighboring Morgan Junction Park (where you’ll find horses!) for the Seattle Police Mounted Patrol. Details in our preview published Thursday. (6413 California SW)

MOVIE NIGHT AT HPIC: Highland Park Improvement Club invites you to movie night! Movie info and more, in our calendar listing. 6:30 pm doors, 7 pm movie. (12th/Holden)

STATE COMPETITION FOR SWIMMERS: As noted here last weekend, swimmers from Chief Sealth International High School are among the student athletes in the state championships starting at 6:15 pm tonight at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

‘PRIVATE EYES’: Second and final weekend for the “comedy of suspense and intrigue” by Twelfth Night Productions.

(Production photo by Ron Dugdale)
7:30 pm curtain time at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

STATE COMPETITION FOR WRESTLERS: Also noted here last weekend, two Sealth wrestlers are in state competition starting tonight at the Tacoma Dome.

ONSTAGE AT KENYON HALL: Classical guitarist Meredith Connie and other featured performers are at historic Kenyon Hall tonight, 7:30 pm; details in our listing. (7904 35th SW)

BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: 8:15 pm at Bellevue College, the West Seattle High School girls-varsity basketball team faces Liberty for the chance to advance in the postseason.

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You can help! Get crabby at the Masonic Hall on Sunday
February 21, 2014 10:12 am
|    Comments Off on You can help! Get crabby at the Masonic Hall on Sunday
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Lots and lots of great fundraisers coming up around West Seattle – many are in our calendar, many in queue for mentioning here on the main page, but this is the only one we’ve seen featuring shellfish, and it’s two days away. For crab fans, from Gary:

Alki Masonic Lodge #152 is hosting its annual New England Style Crab Boil on Sunday (February 23), 4:00-7:00 pm at the Alki Masonic Hall, 4736 40th Ave SW. $30 per person (under 12 free). Meal features dungeness crab, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, and boiled potatoes, served family style with salad and clam chowder. (Steak is available for those guests who don’t favor seafood). All proceeds will help fund the annual Masonic School Awards Program. Contact Martin Monk, 425-681-5024, for information. Tickets are available at the door.

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Morgan Junction murder trial, day 2: Prosecution’s first witnesses
February 21, 2014 9:18 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The wheels of justice seem to rotate excruciatingly slowly as a case moves toward resolution – via trial, via plea bargain, via something else. A status hearing is rescheduled, then rescheduled again, then rescheduled again.

If and when a case gets to the courtroom, you would imagine, it’s full speed ahead.

Not necessarily.

For one, there is the pace of testimony. Most witnesses are not the dramatic bombshell-droppers of TV, movies, theater. They are brought in to provide a few details that might (or might not) prove later to be key

There’s the matter of logistics.

On Thursday, the first day of witness testimony in the murder trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers began an hour later than planned.

The first scheduled witness for the prosecution, it seemed, had overslept.

Dominoes then fell, as the second scheduled witness had been told to show up around 10, the third witness around 10:30, so neither had arrived. Calls were made. A cab was even sent to fetch one witness.

The fourth scheduled witness was on videotape – but that couldn’t be moved to the head of the line because of an ongoing discussion over what could be heard on the tape besides the witness – a discussion requiring further review and a decision from Superior Court Judge Theresa Doyle before the video could be played for jurors.

Eventually, it all worked out, and the first witness to arrive took the stand at about 10:10.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday updates; weekend closures; and … snow?
February 21, 2014 7:02 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(More cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing of note on area roads/highways right now.

WEEKEND I-5 LANE CLOSURES: The I-5 expansion joints work will affect the southbound collector-distributor lanes on the south side of downtown this weekend – detailed here.

REMINDER OF NEXT WEEKEND’S HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE: As first reported here last weekend, the next full-weekend closure of Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct is coming up NEXT weekend, late night February 28 until early morning March 3rd.

SNOW ON THE WAY? The National Weather Service is still warning of a snow chance starting Saturday night. Here’s the updated Special Weather Statement issued early this morning.

7:38 AM UPDATE: Bus-rider alert, from Samb via Twitter: “Card reader for Northbound C Line California/Fauntleroy giving error message for all cards.”

8:58 AM UPDATE: SFD is being dispatched to a crash at 1st/Spokane, car vs. utility pole, possible power lines down. Don’t know yet exactly what side of the intersection, so we don’t know yet how it might be affecting traffic.

9:26 AM UPDATE: JEM reports in comments, “The accident on 1st is north of Spokane St. The right lane was blocked before you get to Horton, where that lane is right turn only. So will slow things down if you are exiting to 1st from WS Bridge.”

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2nd Early Design Guidance meeting ordered for 2626 Alki Ave. SW
February 20, 2014 10:11 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

(Renderings: Roger H. Newell AIA Architects)
Eight months after architect Roger Newell presented the 2626 Alki Avenue SW proposal to the Alki Community Council – not mandatory, but always a gesture of goodwill to consult community groups early on – it debuted in the city public-meeting process tonight, before the five-member Southwest Design Review Board.

(Ironically, ACC members couldn’t be there because it was their regular meeting night, during which they heard about a different Alki project – we were there too; watch for the story tomorrow.)

After two hours, SWDRB members decided 2626 Alki SW (map) should come back for a second Early Design Guidance meeting, because “it’s too maxed out right now” on the site, as member Todd Bronk put it. A key point of concern will be the details along the 59th SW side of the building. They’re also interested in seeing it broken into two buildings, considering that the site has two different zoning designations – one building could address each.

The one-meeting project ran long, though, as the board slogged through new citywide Design Review guidelines that recently took effect.

You can follow along with the presentation via looking at the “design packet” here. Three structures on the site now would be demolished (current tenants include Lucky LadyZ marijuana dispensary, Saigon Boat Café, Alki Landing Properties and Alki Beach Dog); the proposal calls for a three-story building with up to 15 apartments, 5 live-work units, and more than 3,000 square feet of commercial space.

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First a takeover, then taken over: New owner for Emeritus Senior Living, with 2 West Seattle locations
February 20, 2014 9:48 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks to the tipster who just pointed this out: Less than a year after Emeritus Senior Living took over 38 Merrill Gardens retirement centers, including the two in West Seattle, Emeritus itself has just been sold. The buyer is Tennessee-based Brookdale Senior Living Solutions, whose closest current facility is in Federal Way. Details from our partners at The Seattle Times; here’s the official announcement from Emeritus.

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