West Seattle, Washington
01 Sunday
Highlighting the indoor events on this soggy Saturday:
More toys! #deals pic.twitter.com/POHcVrdpOA
— West Sea Kids Sale (@WestSeaKidsSale) March 29, 2014
SALE BENEFITING CO-OP PRESCHOOLS: Today’s the day for the big consignment sale of kid stuff, benefiting South Seattle Community College Cooperative Preschools, under way now until 1 pm, with more than 100 consigners participating, at the VFW Hall in The Triangle. If you haven’t already, check the official Facebook page for advance info. There are also preview photos (like the one above) on Twitter at @westseakidssale. $1 donation requested for admission. Across SW Alaska, Mountain to Sound Outfitters promises a free barbecue for shoppers starting at noon – hot dogs, turkey dogs, veggie dogs. (3601 SW Alaska)
GIRL SCOUTS’ ROLLER-SKATING PARTY: Local Scouts are invited to celebrate this year’s successful cookie-selling season at a skating party, 5-7 pm at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. (9646 17th SW)
WS4OSO FUNDRAISING DINNER @ WS EAGLES: The West Seattle Eagles host a fundraising dinner to help slide survivors, open to the public, 5:30-7 pm: “Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and dessert for $9.” Check the WS4OSO page for the latest on what else is happening in West Seattle this weekend to help the slide zone. (4426 California SW)
ST. BALDRICK’S – HELP FIGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER: Even if you’re not signing up to get YOUR head shaved in support of childhood-cancer patients, you’re invited to be there and cheer on the people who are raising money for the cause by doing it. Donation opportunities, too. Emily Austin is the organizer and you’ll find her and the rest of the event at Mind Unwind, 6-8 pm. (2206 California SW)
MUSICA SACRA CHAMBER CHORALE: 7:30 pm concert at Holy Rosary tonight, “From Darkness Comes Light.” Details here, and note the free pre-concert lecture at 6:30 pm. (42nd/Genesee)
OLIO PLAYERS: ““Without A Clue or, Who Whacked Willamina Willagillespie from Walla Walla Washington” – onstage fun with The Olio Players at WSUU, details here. 7:30 pm curtain time. (7141 California SW)
Much more on the calendar – browse events for today/tonight and beyond.
(Photo added, courtesy Michael Bunch: Visitors with Riley Bunch & Randi Rankin)
The fourth annual World Water Week wrapped up at Chief Sealth International High School on Friday. Teacher Noah Zeichner sent word of just one of the aspects that again made it a “world” event:
The Global Leadership class at Chief Sealth IHS hosted a group from India who are in Seattle as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. This three-week U.S. Department of State-sponsored project for five participants from India will provide an increased understanding of the milestones that various ethnic and religious groups have achieved and the challenges such groups continue to face.
The students discussed water related issues with the visitors including fresh-water scarcity and water pollution.
Plastic pollution was the main theme for this year’s World Water Week at Sealth.
(Tuesday night photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Followup to the Brace Point house fire Tuesday night that was determined to be a case of arson: Friday afternoon was the deadline for the 54-year-old woman arrested hours after the fire to be either charged or released from jail. The jail register shows she was released Friday evening, and court dockets show no charges filed so far. She had appeared for a bail hearing Thursday afternoon, at which time bail was set at $100,000, but after Friday afternoon came and went without charges being filed, she was let out on conditional release. The probable-cause document from Thursday says her car was found parked just south of the house the night of the fire, with personal belongings and her dogs inside, as well as notes saying she was sorry and that she was leaving, offering advice to the home’s other resident about contacting someone regarding the insurance. The court documents said she was arrested after returning to the house about four hours after the fire; a five-gallon gas can missing from the home’s crawl space was found near where the fire started. We will be following up with prosecutors on Monday about the case’s future.
Dan Engel shares that video he recorded today as a house in his Seaview neighborhood was torn down – 6008 44th SW, one of the demolition permits mentioned in our roundup last Saturday. Dan says the 96-year-old, 1230-square-foot house took less than 20 minutes to take down; his video is at six times real time, so the entire demolition (minus cleanup) is shown in about 3 minutes. The house’s planned replacement is shown here.
(From cover of Miller-Hull Partnership design packet for 1307 Harbor SW, showing project outline)
Both design packets are out now for next Thursday’s Southwest Design Review Board doubleheader. The first meeting (6:30 pm Thursday, April 3rd) is for 3210 California, and we reported eight days ago on its revised design. Now, the packet is out for the second project of the night (8 pm Thursday), 1307 Harbor SW, the site including the former Alki Tavern. We showed an early rendering here back on March 3rd; the official packet can be seen here. One feature that stands out: A potential hillclimb between California Way and Harbor Avenue. The packet also lists the toplines:
Development Objectives:
• 100,000 square foot mixed-use structure containing approximately:
– 21 residential apartments, totaling about 25,400 square feet
– 11,800 square feet of commercial office space
– 7,500 square feet of light manufacturing
– 6,700 square feet of ground floor retail
– 4,200 square feet of restaurant
– 41 parking spaces below grade, totaling approximately 14,400 square feet
Because of the varying grade on the site, it would rise 70 feet from ground level at Harbor Avenue, the packet says. Review for yourself, and if you have something to say about the design – this is the early stage, where height/size/shape are the focus – say it during the public-comment period at the meeting, Thursday, April 3rd, 8 pm, at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).
Just two weeks until Seattle Public Schools‘ spring-break week – and if you have a West Seattle-area 4th through 8th grader interested in music, this might be the perfect way for her/him to spend that week:
Denny Sealth Performing Arts is once again sponsoring a Spring Break music camp this year, for 4th through 8th graders. Here’s the invitation from the Denny and Sealth music director Marcus Pimpleton:
The camp is a fun and laid-back way for students to spend the break exploring music with other youth from the West Seattle area. The camp will operate April 14th-18th from 9 am – 2 pm and be held in the music rooms at Chief Sealth International High School, 2600 SW Thistle.
Students spend two hours of each day specializing on their primary instrument in an ensemble (band, orchestra or choir) plus 45 minutes of sectionals with their primary instrument. They have another 45 minutes each day to explore a secondary interest (steel drums, guitar, drumline, color guard, choir or jazz band). The rest of the time consists of games and lunch. A suggested donation of $120 is requested, but families are welcome to give as much or as little as they can afford. For more information, please contact mjpimpleton@seattleschools.org.
The registration form is available here.
Thanks to Judy Bentley for sharing photos of the rock art near the north end of Constellation Park, south of Alki Point. Earlier in the week, Patricia O’Connor‘s photo of the sun/star formation was shared on the WSB Facebook page; today, Judy’s photo showed patterns beyond the sun/star:
As Judy put it – “artist unknown.”
(P.S. Judy didn’t mention this when writing to us but we happen to know she too is an artist – with words – and one week from today, on Friday 4/4, she’s the next featured author in the Words, Writers, West Seattle series – details here.)
As the Snohomish County slide disaster reminds us, lives can be changed or ended in an instant, without warning. In some cases, preparedness wouldn’t have made a difference. But in many, it can. If you can spare five minutes right now, for starters, you can make a difference – West Seattle community advocate Mat McBride, who also happens to be a private-sector preparedness professional, explains:
While Oso has our collective attention, there’s a local preparedness initiative happening. I’m part of the team updating Seattle’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the public feedback portion is underway. This is an important process, as it helps the Office of Emergency Management identify the priorities from its key stakeholders – us. There are two opportunities at present:
* Take the online survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SeaHazMitSurvey. It takes all of 5 minutes to lock in West Seattle concerns and priorities.
* Attend the public meeting: April 8 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. South Seattle
Interpretation and accommodations are available upon advance request to Donna Voss, Project Manager, at (206) 233-5089 or by email at:
HazardMitigationPlanUpdate@seattle.gov
The survey took us just four minutes – its centerpiece is a list in which you can rate your level of concern about types of disaster both natural and man-made.
This pup’s helping in the aftermath of the Snohomish County slide …
Compelling photo of a muddy search dog at the scene of the fatal Washington mudslide. NA-66FR pic.twitter.com/7tbUvjx4Pc
— CNN Newsource (@CNNNewsource) March 28, 2014
…can you?
You don’t even have to head 65 miles north to Oso to do so. The WS4OSO – West Seattle for Oso – benefit just keeps growing. Proposed by West Seattle community-builder/fundraiser Tracy Dart on Wednesday night and formally launched shortly thereafter to give West Seattle businesses and residents a way to reach northward with a helping hand, it now includes events tonight and tomorrow as well as various opportunities on the main day, Sunday. Highlights:
*Tonight, West Seattle Bowl is donating part of the proceeds from its bowling/cider event (details here)
*Saturday night, the West Seattle Eagles will host a fundraising dinner, open to the public, 5:30-7 pm: “Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and dessert for $9.”
*Sunday, at least 27 West Seattle businesses are signed up for various types of participation – you’ll want to check with any individual participating business you visit, to be sure, but the list so far is in a couple spots on the Facebook page – mostly here, with additions here and here.
*Cash donations will be collected in the Farmers’ Market vicinity on Sunday.
If you’re interested in participating, contact info is in the original announcement published here Thursday.
ADDED 2:58 PM: By request, especially for those who don’t use FB, here’s what we’re seeing on the official page so far, in terms of participants. Again, this is VERY grass-roots, and participating businesses/organizations are doing what they can and choose to do, so if info is not listed in terms of what percentage of proceeds (etc.), please inquire when you stop in tomorrow – thanks!
Thanks to Myrtle for the Thursday afternoon view of clouds and sun, looking eastward from SW Dakota. Here in the midst of a thoroughly gray Friday morning, we look ahead to the rest of the day, via highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: Under way now until 2 pm at Daystar Retirement Village. The club says you’re welcome to drop in for all or part of the meeting, which concludes with a 1 pm presentation about container gardening. More details in our listing. (2615 SW Barton)
ZARNI AT SALTY’S: Singer/songwriter Zarni De Wet performs at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5:30-8:30 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)
AUTHOR READING: Christopher Anderson reads from, signs, and sells his new book titled “Alki“ – read more about it here – tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
JUNCTION DEVELOPMENT MEETING: As reported here on Thursday, a new community group is organizing to oppose plans for a 40-apartment building at 4139 41st SW and it’s meeting at 7 pm tonight at the Holy Rosary School Hall. (4142 42nd SW)
GRIEVES, LIVE AT EASY STREET: 7 pm at Easy Street Records, Seattle rapper Grieves performs live in-store. (California/Alaska)
‘THE PASSION ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE’: Live performance by Leonardo Defilippis at Our Lady of Guadalupe; details in our calendar listing. 7 pm. (35th/Myrtle)
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: 7:30 pm, Kim Roy conducts WSCO in a “Concert of Classics.” Free (donations appreciated), Chief Sealth International High School Auditorium. (2600 SW Thistle)
VIDEO/YOGA: Yoga and video art, side by side, Center Studio (WSB sponsor), 7:30-9 pm – read about it in our calendar listing. (9611 16th SW)
Lots more on the calendar!
The “de-paved” lot outside Highland Park Improvement Club was a major topic at this week’s meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee, which convenes at HPIC. As work continues on greening the HPIC grounds following last Saturday’s work party (WSB coverage here), two events are ahead: Boeing employees will volunteer at a work party on April 19th; a week later, on April 26th, the site will be a Sustainability Stop on the annual Northwest Green Home Tour, with co-hosts including Sustainable Seattle and Stewardship Partners, and a chance to look at nearby RainWise installations too. Find out more about the tour here (scroll way down that page to see HPIC, “stop #11”; two West Seattle homes are on the tour too).
Two more toplines from HPAC’s meeting, ahead: Read More
Rainy Friday commute ahead. Above, the eastbound West Seattle Bridge view; below, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct view:
7:07 AM: You can see more cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page. Looking ahead to the weekend, no major projects on the routes through/from/to West Seattle, but if you’re heading off-peninsula, check out SDOT‘s citywide weekend preview here.
8:01 AM: Still no major incidents. WSDOT reports most major routes are slower than usual.
The family of West Seattleite Mary Jane Holtan shares this remembrance and announcement of her upcoming memorial:
Mary Jane Holtan, 75, passed away on March 20th, 2014.
A Memorial will be held on April 5th at 4 pm at Alki United Church of Christ, 6115 SW Hinds.
Mary was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, to Ralph and Alice Platt, on April 27, 1938. She went to school at Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie.
She married Oryland (Bud) Holtan on May 7th, 1960. Mary is preceded in death by her husband, her parents Ralph and Alice Platt, and her two Brothers James Platt and David Platt.
She is survived by Dean Holtan (son), Sheila Holtan (daughter-in-law), Janice Platt (sister-in-law), and several nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Mary’s name online (here).
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After an abbreviated Wednesday session in which the ailing defense team “powered through” the proceedings, as Judge Theresa B. Doyle put it, she granted their request to put the Morgan Junction murder trial into recess Thursday for an extra day off, so it resumes on Monday.
The defense is likely to rest its case next week after calling witnesses including defendant Lovett “Cid” Chambers‘s wife Sara Chambers.
Wednesday’s testimony started with vocabulary and ended with testing
The former Rocksport bartender who says she clashed with shooting victim Travis Hood over his use of the N-word was back on the stand as the day began.
11:38 PM: Happened to hear this on the scanner – Guardian One was in the vicinity and volunteered to help check out a call police were en route to, a possible prowler sighting/possible shots heard in the 30th/Roxbury vicinity. Now we’re hearing that sheriff’s deputies told police the shots were in
White Center county territory to the south, involving someone firing a gun after an incident involving a car. No report of injury. The helicopter isn’t seeing any evidence of a prowler so might not be around for long.
ADDED 12:10 AM: A texter on the county side of the line says deputies are still out looking for evidence of the reported gunfire, in the 28th/104th vicinity.
ADDED 12:31 AM: Our texting tipster adds that deputies did find shell casings in that area. But still no indication of any shooting victim or damage. The deputies arrived on the scene quickly, he says, because they were in the area for canvassing related to the ongoing search for the Roxbury rapist.
Just in via text (206-293-6302), that photo of a sign mentioned today by several readers, who said the operators of the Taqueria El Antojo food truck posted it, telling customers they have to leave the Morgan Junction spot where they’ve been parked for the past six months, by the Short Stop market and adjacent cleaners north of Morgan Junction Park. The property is expected to become an expansion site for the park – the city’s been working for about two years to buy it – but county records do not show a finalized sale. If we hear about a new location for the truck, we’ll mention it – please let us know if you see it first.
Two reminders tonight:
SATURDAY SALE BENEFITING CO-OP PRESCHOOLS: As announced a month ago, the big consignment sale benefiting South Seattle Community College Cooperative Preschools is on for Saturday (March 29th), 9 am-1 pm, with more than 100 consigners participating, at the VFW Hall in The Triangle (3601 SW Alaska). Lots of advance info on the official Facebook page. We also got word today that Mountain to Sound Outfitters across Alaska will have a free barbecue for shoppers starting at noon that day – hot dogs, turkey dogs, veggie dogs.
MONDAY = DAY 1 FOR WS COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY REGISTRATION: The 10th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day is coming up Saturday, May 10th – coordinated by WSB again this year – and we start signups next Monday, March 31st. If you’re new to West Seattle, this is a day of sales all over the peninsula, from single homes/apartments to group sales to school/team/organization sales, all depends on who signs up! Watch here and on the official WSCGSD website at westseattlegaragesale.com for the link when the form’s ready on Monday.
Since the West Seattle Transportation Coalition was formed six months ago, it’s been led by volunteers who were careful to reiterate their status as an interim board. Now, they have an official board – still volunteers; while technically there’s an election ahead in May, the deadline for applying has past, and 10 candidates emerged for 11 spots (the 11th will remain unfilled TFN), so the vote’s a formality. Meet the board here and see the issues the WSTC plans to tackle on the road ahead, starting with its next meeting – all welcome – 6:30 pm April 8th at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center.
A new group has just formed to oppose the 40-apartment, 5-parking-space building proposed for that site at 4439 41st SW in The Junction. We’ve written about it twice in the past four weeks – first, here, when we discovered March 4th that the original townhouse proposal for the site had morphed into an apartment building, and then last week, when the comment period was extended. The group invites you to a meeting at 7 pm tomorrow (Friday, March 28th) at Holy Rosary:
Led by a group of neighbors, the newly formed group, Residents of the Junction will have a meeting to discuss apodments being built in our neighborhoods.
Neighbors in the Junction area of West Seattle are meeting Friday night, March 28, at 7:00 pm at Holy Rosary School’s meeting hall, located at 4142 42nd Avenue SW to rally support in blocking the development of 4439 41st Avenue SW, currently a single-family home, into an apodment complex with 40 – 300 square feet each- units and five parking spaces. (Project #3015444).
All in our community who are interested and/or affected by this, and other, development in our community are welcome to join us at the meeting.
The objectives of the community meeting are as follows:
· summarize the shared concerns to create a group letter/petition to the city (planning, council, Mayor, etc.).
· identify a critical path for the group to pursue, once the comment period is over.
· identify areas of expertise and resources within the group and assess what additional resources are needed.
· identify other neighborhood groups who have expertise in organizing opposition to over development of our neighborhoods.
· identify research for various group members to conduct and report at an agreed upon next meeting time.
If there is adequate response, it would be great to grow the size of the group through active recruiting and get the appropriate professional expertise to make the apod style development in our community infeasible.
One note – while the neighbors’ announcement refers to this as “apodments,” that’s a trademarked term for one brand of microhousing, and while this project is proposed as small apartments, so far as we can tell from the online plan set, they are not technically microhousing – they have individual kitchens.
(WSB file photo of The Kenney)
The Kenney (WSB sponsor) has announced a new “investment lender relationship” that, it says, allows the center to “remain a nonprofit, charitable organization.” Here’s the news release we received with the details:
A new investment lender relationship has been established for The Kenney. The Kenney has been seeking a new lender and/or sponsor to provide a stronger financial footing for The Kenney. Through that process, Seattle Healthcare Investors, a limited liability company, was formed, which is now the lender for The Kenney.
The new lender purchased the debt and outstanding note from the previous lender, which is exiting this sector of financial investing. This was a mutually-agreed upon transaction between the new lender and The Kenney board of directors.
PRESERVING THE PAST. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE:
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
This edition of The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …
*Intruder #1: Responding to reports of a man staggering and weaving near Palm SW and Edgewood SW (map), an officer saw a suspect inside a fenced yard. The officer parked the car but the suspect had disappeared. Because the gate was locked, the officer climbed the fence and noticed the front door was partially open. He announced himself at the door and informed the resident of what was going on. The homeowner opened — and then quickly closed — a powder-room door and said, “He’s in there.” The man, a 28-year-old Des Moines resident, was handcuffed. No other suspects were discovered. He was booked into king County Jail for investigation of burglary.
*Intruder #2: After knocking loudly, a glassy-eyed man opened a screen door and tried to enter a residence in the 2300 block of Alki Avenue. The female resident slammed the door and called 911. When officers arrived she saw that he was lying on the ground in front of a nearby residence. He gave officers a false name, couldn’t remember where he was or how he had gotten there. He was incoherent and repeatedly referenced “Navy Seal Team Six” but told officers he was not on any medication. An ID check on a credit card and with the man’s birthdate identified him as a bi-polar man from a previous incident who had been off his meds and was sent to Harborview for suicidal behavior. A neighbor had seen the man try to gain entrance to an apartment laundry room and then try to start a grill with his lighter. The suspect was transported for a mental-health evaluation.
7 more summaries ahead, including a followup to last week’s High Point helicopter-and-ground search, and a 4-year-old left alone:
(WSDOT aerial of slide zone, via Flickr)
Here in West Seattle, 65 miles away from the agonizing search of the slide zone in and around the Snohomish County town of Oso – 25 dead, 90 missing – you might wonder what you can do to help.
Here’s one answer, hatched overnight on social media by one of West Seattle’s most-prolific fundraisers, Tracy Dart: This Sunday, support West Seattle for Oso, WS4OSO for short. Local businesses are jumping in to offer various ways you can help by shopping at their stores and/or dining/drinking at their restaurants/lounges; volunteers will be circulating in neighborhoods including The Junction to collect money; and other ideas are percolating. Best thing you can do right now is “like” the Facebook page that Tracy set up early today: facebook.com/ws4oso – or at least go there to see who’s participating so far (full list to come before Sunday). If you use Twitter, follow the hashtag #WS4OSO. If you are not much for social media, no worries, we’ve pledged to publish updates here. More to come!
ADDED 12:06 PM: Minutes after we published this, the first official news release arrived, including an early list of participants, and how to reach Tracy if you would like to join in:
Thanks to James Bratsanos for that view of a state ferry (update: the new Tokitae, on sea trials!) in the mist off Blake Island this morning. Looking ahead to tonight – five options between 6 pm and 11 pm, from here to the other side of the Duwamish, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SPRING FLING IN THE JUNCTION: 6-9:30 pm, special shopping event in The Junction, with six businesses participating, including longtime WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits. Details in our preview from earlier this week.
SOUTH PARK BRIDGE: 6 pm at Napoli Pizzeria, come see and hear the latest on the new bridge, now projected to open this summer, including a photo slideshow. Details toward the bottom of the county’s latest construction update. (8600 14th Avenue S.)
WHALE TRAIL: Tonight – what you DON’T know about whales, including how they evolved, in the latest talk presented by The Whale Trail at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
DELRIDGE NIGHT OUT: 7-11 pm, music at Skylark Café and Club to benefit the Delridge Grocery Cooperative. Details here. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DUWAMISH ROWING CLUB FUNDRAISER: Not happening IN West Seattle, but the rowing club serves West Seattle as well as South Park and Georgetown, and is inviting you to a movie-watching benefit tonight, 7 pm at Georgetown Stables – “Blondie Goes to College” – also food, beverages, a drawing, and more fun. Info in our calendar listing. (980 South Nebraska)
(Editor’s note – turns out this is FRIDAY night!) VAUDEVILLE! Sourdough Slim’s Wild & Woolly Vaudeville Show with Eric Simmons, 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall. Details in our calendar preview. (7904 35th SW)
More on our calendar!
| Comments Off on West Seattle Saturday: Mega-sale benefiting preschools; WS4OSO dinner @ WS Eagles; St. Baldrick’s head-shaving to fight cancer…