West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
Saturday, May 9th, will be the 11th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day and the biggest one ever. 
By the time registration closed late last night, more than 320 sales had signed up! All sizes, from individual homes to organizations/schools/businesses and multi-seller sites (including WSB sponsors Hotwire Online Coffeehouse and C & P Coffee Company), to block sales around the peninsula. WSB has coordinated WSCGSD since its fourth year (2008); here’s our update on what happens now:
*We are finalizing the list so we can make the map, which debuts on May 2nd so shoppers have a week to plan ahead – the clickable and printable/downloadable versions will be featured here on WSB and on westseattlegaragesale.com.
*If you’re a seller, please check that you got both receipts, the confirmation from us AND the registration-fee receipt from PayPal (which would be via our LLC name, A Drink of Water and a Story Interactive). If you had problems paying, please e-mail us at garagesale@westseattleblog.com if you don’t hear from us first.
*We’ll be mailing (e- or postal- depending on what you marked on the registration form) info packets to sellers, including the “official participant” sign you are welcome to use with your signage.
*If you need to cancel your sale, please call us – 206-293-6302 – by May 1st so we can take you off the map. After that, last-minute cancellations can be taken off the online map, but not the printable/downloadable version.
*In sale updates over the next week-plus, we’ll have a poster file available for anybody who wants to put one up at their school, workplace, wherever – we promote WSCGSD regionally, and have heard of shoppers coming from hours away, but your help in spreading the word will be awesome. The easiest web address to share is westseattlegaragesale.com, though the map will be here too (and will have a special “tab” under the sunset header).
*If you’re a prospective shopper – watch for the map starting May 2nd, and whether you’re just going to walk around your neighborhood and see who’s selling what, or planning a wider expedition, get ready for a great day. Note that some sellers might start earlier or end later than the 9 am-3 pm window on May 9th – if they provided that information, it’ll be in their “ad” info accompanying the map.
One more note: In years past, we’ve published info from nonprofits making special arrangements for sellers to donate leftovers, and/or inviting people to shop for potential donations of certain items the nonprofit needs, so that WSCGSD can have great community ripple effects beyond the fun of buying/selling. Any org thinking about either of these, please e-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com ASAP so we can discuss. Thanks!
One week from today, it’s May 1st, the start of Seattle Bike Month (which includes Bike To Work Day on May 15th). If you’re curious what it’s like to commute by bike from West Seattle – or to add it to your transportation options some other way – Monday night (April 27th) at Delridge Branch Library, it’s your chance to find out more. West Seattle Bike Connections is hosting a workshop, 6-7:30 pm. No charge, and no registration required – just show up, 5423 Delridge Way SW.
8:19 PM: The Morgan Junction Starbucks is usually open until 9 pm on Fridays, but not tonight – it’s closed early, and the sign cites “technical difficulties.” It’s one of more than 8,000 stores caught up in an apparent computer glitch of some sort that left their registers inoperable as of a couple hours ago. The company said the stores would close early if they weren’t already closed by the time this hit. No word yet on whether it’ll be fixed for tomorrow. (Thanks to the tipster who indirectly let us know about this by texting to ask why a TV crew was at the Fauntleroy/Avalon Starbucks drive-through. 206-293-6302, text or voice, any time!)
9:40 PM: Starbucks published an update on its website minutes ago saying the problem is “resolved” and they expect stores “to open normally” tomorrow.
In case you forgot about your ballot after it arrived a few weeks ago, now’s the time to vote on its lone measure: The levy to raise money to replace the area’s aged emergency-radio system. It’s a nine-year levy starting with 7 cents for every thousand dollars of property valuation. You can mail your ballot by Tuesday night as long as you use a stamp; if you want to turn it in for free, ballot drop-off vans will be at West Seattle Stadium and White Center’s Greenbridge Library, 10 am-5 pm tomorrow and Monday, 10 am-8 pm on Tuesday.
A revised version of the Transportation Levy to Move Seattle will go to the mayor next Wednesday, according to the report prepared for SDOT director Scott Kubly‘s City Council Transportation Committee briefing a day earlier. The report adds, “Outreach metrics to date include 4,700 survey respondents and over 1,500 people talked to in person through meetings, briefings, and outreach at events like farmers markets.” And in fact, SDOT is scheduled to be at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market again this Sunday (10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska), if you have something to say. (Or take the survey ASAP!)
Kubly’s report also includes these notes of West Seattle relevance:
*35th Avenue SW Road Safety Corridor Project: “Final recommendations for 35th will be presented to the community in late May/early June”
*SW Roxbury Street Road Safety Corridor Project: “Staff hosted a lightly attended drop-in session on April 16 … Implementation scheduled to occur starting August 17”
*In a grid laying out upcoming paving work around the city, the only West Seattle spots on the list are two curb-ramp sites on Alki Avenue, scheduled for early May: 1500 and 1700 blocks.
The most detailed West Seattle-related section of the report:
SW Admiral Way (California Ave SW to 63rd Ave SW)
*SDOT staff attended the Admiral Neighborhood Association (ANA) /West Seattle Bike Connections meeting on April 14th*Plan will accommodate existing maximum on-street parking occupancy
*The community briefing was very well attended and set record ANA attendance.
*Community feedback was mixed:
—-Most of the controversy was about the loss of half the on-street parking between 57th and 60th Ave SW and the number of vehicle run-off collisions with parked cars
—-Some people also expressed support for the project because it will provide a safer, calmer connection between Alki and the California Ave SW business district
*Next steps:
—-SDOT staff will repeat the parking occupancy study when the weather is nice to better capture Alki Beach spillover parking
—-SDOT staff will brief the SW District Council on May 6
—-SDOT staff will host a community open house on May 21
—-Installation planned for August 2015
You can see Kubly’s report in its entirety here (PDF). The presentation is scheduled toward the end of the City Council Transportation Committee meeting at 9:30 am next Tuesday (April 28) and will be live on Seattle Channel (online or on cable).
We’re welcoming a brand-new West Seattle business as a new WSB sponsor today. Glow [natural aesthetics] Medispa invites you to its upcoming grand opening!
Glow [natural aesthetics] Medispa and Katherine Dee, MD, are proud to announce the grand opening of West Seattle’s first physician-run medical spa. We provide proven professional medical treatments, non-surgical procedures, and clinical skin-care products to optimize your natural glow. Dr. Dee works with each patient to design a personalized skin plan to enhance your natural beauty, preserve healthy skin and prevent premature aging.
Kate attended Yale for college and medical school, and training at UW and UCSF. She spent the past 16 years as a breast-cancer specialist, receiving Top Doc honors each year since 2011. Kate found her way to aesthetic medicine as a result of 2 intersecting passions: Science and beauty. In her 40s, she found her skin had finally caught up to her age. Active all her life and wanting to stay looking and feeling young, Kate began a dedicated education in aesthetic medicine. Armed with the skills and the knowledge, she decided to help others use the science for themselves. A board-certified physician, she is a member of the GSBA and the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. Kate and her family have been a part of the West Seattle community for 15 years; she has long desired to practice in the area and is thrilled to be working in and with her community.
What Glow [natural aesthetics] Medispa hears most from our patients is that they want to “age gracefully.†They don’t want to look like they’ve had anything done, but they don’t want to look old! Our clients look refreshed, rested and rejuvenated, as if they have just returned from a relaxing vacation. We can successfully treat fine lines and wrinkles, sagginess, sun damage and pigment problems, spider veins and cherry angiomas, and skin tags. We do this with a range of tools: the right skin-care regimen, botulinum toxin treatment, dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, peels, radiofrequency treatment, microneedling, and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) – this popular treatment has natural powerful growth factors that stimulate skin cells. Consultations are free!
Please join us for our big open house and to meet Kate (Dr. Dee) in person – there will be refreshments and opportunities to win raffle prizes! Saturday, May 2, 4-7 pm – 5400 California Ave SW.
We thank Glow [natural aesthetics] Medispa for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Looking southward toward the new Westside School campus)
Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Two and a half years in the planning … seven weeks to “substantial completion” … one year after groundbreaking.
Westside School (WSB sponsor) moves into its new home in Arbor Heights this fall and is now showing off how it’s taken shape.
We toured the construction/renovation site this week with Westside’s head of school Kate Mulligan (above) and assistant head of school Don Cunningham, who has been the “owner’s rep” on the project. (They’re getting ready for an open house tomorrow at Westside’s current location – more on that later.)
First, some backstory: We first reported in November 2012 that Westside was planning to buy what was at the time Hillcrest Presbyterian Church, at 34th SW and SW 104th (map).
Westside, founded in 1981, has been leasing the former EC Hughes Elementary in Sunrise Heights from Seattle Public Schools since 2010, moving there from a former Highline Public Schools building just east of Arbor Heights. So in many ways, this is, as Westside has dubbed the journey of building and moving, “Heading Home” (a theme that figured into its groundbreaking celebration almost exactly a year ago).
The process of transforming the former church – via Sundberg Kennedy Ly-Au Young Architects and general contractor Kirtley-Cole Associates LLC – brought unique opportunities. This wasn’t a teardown project – it’s a remodel and expansion, as is particularly notable from the outside of the former sanctuary, with “pop-out” added space like this:
“We’re excited to repurpose an under-utilized old building,” Mulligan enthuses. “Because (of that), we get a lot of elements a pre-K-8 school doesn’t usually get.”
That includes a gym – already part of the site – and a performing-arts center, which is on what was the choir-loft level and is now a full third level.
The transformation begins outside, where the project includes new sidewalks lining 104th and 34th.
Traffic will enter on 104th and route through the site southbound onto 34th. Queueing will happen on campus, not on the street. The campus has parking as well as an agreement with the New Apostolic Church to the south for overflow use when needed.
34th, on the west side of the campus – where dropoff and pickup will happen – is the street onto which Westside’s grand entrance and lobby are fronting.
Mulligan points out that everyone will come through that entrance.
It’s the season for sales! Early reminder about a big one on Saturday in The Triangle:
Tomorrow the West Seattle Co-op Preschool system will be hosting a spring/summer kids’ consignment sale on April 25 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the West Seattle VFW Hall, 3601 SW Alaska St., to help fund scholarships for families in need.
This sale will be a great way for families to purchase gently used baby/kids gear, spring/summer clothing, toys and books for terrific prices. Currently, 4,529 items are registered for consignment for a total value of $19,732! It’s going to be a sale you won’t want to miss! All proceeds from the sale benefit the scholarship program, helping local needy families send their children to preschool.
More info on the official sale website, and sneak peeks on its Facebook page.
(Barrow’s goldeneyes, photographed at Lowman Beach by Trileigh Tucker)
Great day and night ahead! Here are some reasons why:
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: 10 am-2 pm meeting at Daystar building #3, starting with registration (first program begins at 10:30), bring your lunch – details in our listing. (2615 SW Barton)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: If you can donate blood, consider stopping by PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) 10 am-4 pm today (except for the noon-1 break closure) – look for the bus in the parking lot. (California/Stevens)
FREE LUNCH: 11:30 am-1:30 pm, join Seaview United Methodist Church for the free soup-and-sandwich lunch offered every fourth Friday. (4620 SW Graham)
‘ART FOR FOOD’ FOR WC FOOD BANK: 6-8 pm, an art show at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center to benefit the White Center Food Bank, with wine and cheese, and live music by The Ellis Brothers. Tickets online, here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
FASHION SHOW @ WEST SEATTLE RUNNER: 7-8:30 pm, styles from Oiselle – a Seattle-owned company! – are on the runway at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor). Discounts, bites, more.
REEL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL: 7 pm, Mountain to Sound Outfitters presents the film festival’s West Seattle stop at Pershing Hall – details in our preview. (37th/Alaska)
‘BOBCAT BOB’: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
CAMP FUNDRAISER WITH WEST SEATTLE BIG BAND: 7 pm at Shorewood Christian Church, the West Seattle Big Band is performing at a summer-camp fundraiser – the night starts with dance lessons at 6 pm. Details in our calendar listing. (10300 28th SW)
‘ANGRY HOUSEWIVES,’ NIGHT 2: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), your second chance to see the new production of this “feverishly rompy rock-musical.” (4711 California SW)
‘PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE,’ WEEKEND 2: Twelfth Night Productions presents “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” by Steve Martin, an “Off-Broadway absurdist comedy (that) places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904,” 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Tickets are available online. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … via our calendar, with more for today/tonight and beyond.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning and happy Friday! We start with project notes:
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL: Concrete pouring could start on the south side of the intersection today, for new curbs and sidewalk, if the weather doesn’t interfere. The detailed update is here.
DELRIDGE/ORCHARD PROJECT UPDATE: In case you missed it – we published an update from Seattle Public Utilities, including added traffic effects at Myrtle next week.
And a transportation-news note:
LIGHT RAIL FOR WEST SEATTLE? After its Thursday board meeting, Sound Transit explained what’s next (“major public-involvement effort”) for its work toward the next ballot measure.
9:59 AM: If you’re headed toward 1st through SODO, you might try 4th instead, because of this:
Northbound 1st Ave S is currently blocked after S Lander St by a @SeattleFire response. Use alt routes &expect delays pic.twitter.com/p2w6qBPYTo
— seattledot (@seattledot) April 24, 2015
4:33 PM NOTE: SPU has e-mailed to say the Delridge/Orchard/Myrtle work mentioned earlier has been moved up: “The lane restriction on SW Myrtle St. at 24th Ave. SW has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29 (as opposed to 4/29 and 4/30, as previously announced).”
2:14 AM: Police, including a K-9 team, are searching right now in the Highland Park Elementary vicinity (and beyond). We don’t know what preceded the search but they’re looking for someone who has an arrest warrant on record.
2:49 AM: Sounds like it started with circumstances including a car, a report of a fight, and two people fleeing, including the car’s owner.
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