day : 05/07/2014 6 results

From Jon:

Power was out in the Seaview Addition from roughly 6 pm – 7:30 pm, on July 5th. A crow hit a transformer, and was killed. Immediately, a couple dozen crows set up in the heavily wooded lot across the alley, and made a raucus cawing dirge. There were several crows still cawing when City Light showed up an hour later. They indicated they were familiar with this crow behavior. They soon had the power restored, with a bird shield over the transformer. Only a few homes were affected by the outage.

This is the third outage of this type in the past week or so.

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West Seattle 4th of July aftermath: How you can help

| Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(UPDATED with pics from others who did some cleanup! Share your photo: editor@westseattleblog.com)

Got a little time before dusk? You can make a big impact by heading down to the beach with a bag. There’s been lots of talk today about the noise of last night – not quite as much about the debris in its aftermath. West Seattle advocate/activist “Diver Laura” James reports back on what she found when she went to the shore this afternoon to see the aftermath:

I went out for about an hour and got halfway down Alki Beach. The fireworks debris is not as prominent as it was last year after the private fireworks display, but there was definitely stuff to be cleaned up.

The public beaches are actually a bit cleaner than the private beaches and the park next to my house, mostly because the cops shut the beach down at 11 pm last night. I encourage everyone to take 15 min to half an hour and walk the local beaches in your neighborhood. If you don’t have a local beach, take a stroll by the local park. If you don’t have a local park, check your street. It may not be your fireworks debris, but I would put a healthy wager on all of us having shot off some assortment of noisemakers at some point for which others did the cleanup. Puget Sound and its inhabitants don’t care who fired them off, it’s who picks them up that really matters. While you are out there, feel free to pick up some other trash as well – plastic caps, styrofoam, plastic utensils, earplugs, wrappers, you name it… Every little bit helps and your individual actions count.

There is a garbage patch growing on the bottom of Puget Sound, and the only way we can stop it (other than everyone learning to dive and coming with me to clean it up) is to stop the trash before it reaches the waterways. So step up, bend down, and pick up that trash. Do it for Puget Sound, do it for our collective future. A lot of the cardboard and plastic debris is up in the high tide line, mixed in with the seaweed …

… but with a bit of patience you can pick it out.

If you can’t spare any time tonight – maybe tomorrow.

ADDED: NW went to Alki and shared this photo afterward:

ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: Here’s what Claire picked up:

Anybody else? editor@westseattleblog.com

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West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 countdown: When/where you can see/hear live music during the festival

July 5, 2014 6:26 pm

| Comments Off on West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 countdown: When/where you can see/hear live music during the festival

| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

By this time next weekend, we’ll be right in the middle of West Seattle Summer Fest, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year. So this weekend, the countdown continues, with our spotlight tonight on the schedule for live music, with 25 acts featured over the festival’s three days (Friday-Sunday, July 11th-13th).

The basics:

*One stage, toward the north end of the festival zone, on California SW north of SW Oregon (“CA” on map, above)
*Free
*Music starts at:
—-2 pm Friday (last band @ 9 pm)
—-Noon Saturday (last band @ 9:30 pm)
—-2 pm Sunday (last band @ 6 pm)

On the Summer Fest website’s music page, click on any act’s name to go to a website or Facebook page with more info. And note the beer garden’s right by the stage – but you can also enjoy beverages and food at The Junction’s year-round restaurants and lounges, some of which set up temporary outdoor-seating areas just for Summer Fest.

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Update: Colman Pool closed again tomorrow after ‘mechanical problem’

July 5, 2014 1:26 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

1:26 PM: Thanks to Anne from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) for the tip: Colman Pool (on the shore at Lincoln Park) is closed today, with a sign up citing “mechanical” problems (Anne also shared the photo of the sign). Another reader had e-mailed earlier in the day saying they’d walked by and noticed the pool was almost empty, but at the time there was no sign about its status. The lifeguard who answered the pool’s phone is tracking down more information for us to share, and we’ll add to this as soon as we get it; meantime, the city’s indoor pool in this area, Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle), is open as far as we know – here’s its schedule.

2:11 PM UPDATE: More information from the pool – one of the main circulation pumps failed overnight and the pool lost a lot of water. They’re working right now to find the part they need, and if it can be found and installed today, the pool could be refilled tonight and could reopen tomorrow – but note, as the sign in the photo says, the water would be cold, since there wouldn’t be time to fully reheat it, so, we’re told, they would have discount pricing. They’re promising to update their phone message and website, and we’ll update too.

5:52 PM UPDATE: Just got word that they haven’t yet procured the part they need, so the pool will be closed tomorrow too. It’s already noted on the pool website, which also makes note of the previously scheduled swim-meet dates during which Colman Pool will NOT be open for public swims – next Friday/Saturday (July 11-12).

SUNDAY NOTE: The part is expected Monday, which means the pool’s likely to reopen Tuesday. We’ll have a separate story a bit later.

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West Seattle Crime Watch update: Tire-slashing rampage overnight; reward fund set up to find out who did it

July 5, 2014 12:18 pm

| 50 COMMENTS

| Crime | Seaview | West Seattle news

12:18 PM: We don’t have an official count – and probably won’t be able to get one before Monday – but multiple people have reported multiple tire-slashings along 48th SW in the Seaview area overnight. Heading over just now for a look, we found the vehicle above – a neighbor, figuring out what to do about his own tire-slashed vehicle, said the SUV’s owner was off making arrangements; Doug had sent a photo earlier of that same SUV before the vandalized tires were removed, and said he saw four others plus a police officer talking to someone. This was near 48th/Juneau; a commenter reported being hit near 48th/Findlay. Even if some have already reported it, the more individual reports in the system, the better, so if it happened to you, please do file a report – you can even do it online.

3:01 PM UPDATE: We’ve heard estimates of more than 30 cars vandalized in this incident. Some neighbors are starting up a fund with a reward for information leading to the person(s) who did it. Several neighbors also have responded to our request for additional photos – this one just in, with the tipster noting, “Our poor neighbor’s car – all 4 tires”:

Chris sent several pictures, including his own Mustang and, below right, a vehicle you can’t help but notice any time you drive that stretch of 48th, which is a minor arterial:

4:17 PM UPDATE: And more:

Here’s the e-mail set up for reward-fund contributions and tips on who did it:

paybackforpunks@gmail.com

The neighbor who set it up says, “Anonymity will be respected. If we get a link to or screenshots of someone tweeting about the deed, I think that will be sufficient evidence. I’m hoping the punks posted some bragging-rights pics of their handiwork.” Note that police have taken reports, so you can contact them too.

ADDED: There’s now a GoFundMe account for reward-fund donations – find it here.

P.S. A reminder from police – if you live ANYWHERE in this area and have a security/surveillance camera, please check it if you haven’t already – it might have recorded a clue, if not an actual crime, but some cameras don’t store images for long.

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West Seattle Saturday: First day of the post-holiday weekend

July 5, 2014 6:30 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Alki Beach really did look like that, for a while, on the 4th of July – just a few hours before the rain moved in for a while. Whatever the sun decides to do today, we do have options for your post-holiday Saturday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, starting, in fact, at Alki:

BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: The Alki Volleyball Association has a full slate all day long.

CLEAN UP LINCOLN PARK: Three hours can make a big difference for a big park – the announcement explains why. 9-noon. (Meet at kiosk in Fauntleroy/Rose parking lot)

DONATE BLOOD: A holiday weekend is a time when blood supplies can get dangerously low. Help keep that from happening by donating between 10 am and 4 pm today at Holy Family – details in the calendar listing. (20th/Roxbury)

SAVE MONEY ON SIGNING UP FOR THE FLOAT DODGER 5K: 2 weeks until the 5K that precedes the West Seattle Grand Parade; if you’re not signed up yet, you can get a discount (and be eligible for raffle prizes) by doing it today at a special event at Float Dodger-presenting West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 11 am-3 pm. (California/Charlestown)

TOUR ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Another chance for free tours with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at Alki Point Lighthouse, 1-4 pm. (3200 Point Place)

MAD HATTRZ: Playing 9 pm-1 am tonight at Poggie Tavern. And it’s not just your regular band sets:

Pick a Song From The Hat! One of the best dumb ideas for a band anywhere – Each Show begins with a Hat containing about a hundred Songs – all sorts of Songs. Audience members randomly select Songs from the Hat; these Songs and their Stories materialize and become The Show. Stoopydkewl.

(4717 California SW)

DISCO COWBOYS: Live tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9:30 pm. (6451 California SW)

MORE! Just check the calendar.

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