West Seattle, Washington

05 Tuesday

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month : 07/2015 314 results

West Seattle restaurants: Eats Market Café closing; space plans show Wingstop on the way
July 8, 2015 1:59 pm
|      86 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

A longtime Westwood Village restaurant has just announced it’s closing – and according to city permit files, its successor is waiting in the wings, with the wings. After discovering plans for a change in her space, we asked Eats Market Café proprietor Toby Matasar for comment. Her reply is in the note she just forwarded us, and also sent to her newsletter subscribers:

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I have to tell you all that Eats will be closing at the end of July. The mall management has decided not to renew my lease. This is a huge loss not just for me but for my wonderful staff and for all of you, my favorite customers. We have all become a family over the last 10 years and it truly breaks my heart to have to say goodbye. I hope to see all of you in the next few weeks as we serve our final Reubens, Farmhouse breakfasts, Spinach salads, Burgers and all of your other favorite Eats meals.

I will continue my passion for feeding others at my new endeavor, NICHE, which will be opening next month on Capitol Hill. This will be a dedicated gluten-free cafe & bakery. There you will find some of the Eats classics, i.e., the Spinach Salad and the Veggie Burger, along with many new items. You can check us out on our website nicheseattle.com. We will have the same love and dedication for good food and friendly service that you have known for all of the years at Eats. We hope you will come join us in our new space and continue to enjoy our food and our smiles.

Thank you all for your patronage, love and support over the last 10 years. I will be forever grateful for knowing all of you and for your loyalty and your smiles.

Thank you from all of us at Eats
Toby

According to a site plan filed with DPD for the Eats space, work will be done to change it into Wingstop, on behalf of the local franchisee Rice Wings, owned by former Seahawk Sidney Rice. We haven’t yet reached them for comment; the Wingstop website shows Southcenter as the nearest current location.

P.S. For more on Matasar’s new Capitol Hill endeavor, here’s the story our friends at CapitolHillSeattle.com published in May.

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West Seattle Summer Fest countdown: See the vendor list! Plus, ride-zone hours
July 8, 2015 12:48 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

Two quick updates as West Seattle Summer Fest gets closer (this Friday-Saturday-Sunday):

VENDOR LIST GOES LIVE: If you’ve been awaiting the festival vendor list, your wait is over. You can see it now on this page of the Summer Fest website.

KID-STUFF FOLLOW-UP – RIDE-ZONE HOURS: After our preview of the kids’ activities, the question was asked – what hours will the rides/bouncy toys be open? Today, we have the answer – 10 am-8 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday.

EARLIER SUMMER FEST PREVIEWS ON WSB
*The basics
*The music
*The kid stuff
*The transit info
*“Summer Fest Eve”

…more tomorrow!

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 burglaries; 2 suspected package thefts
July 8, 2015 12:33 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch.

First, a burglary near 36th/Trenton, with an arrest reported. Summarizing the neighborhood-watch e-mail string that was forwarded to us – vigilant neighbors heard glass breaking and saw someone entering the house next door just after 4 am. They called 911; in the meantime, a suspect was spotted running through nearby yards, and as more neighbors got involved, he was reportedly cornered in the next block, and police took him into custody.

Another burglary Tuesday afternoon has not yet been solved, so far as we know. From Erika and Jackson:

We would like to make sure the readers of the WS Blog are aware of the burglary that happened at our home yesterday. We live on 17th Ave SW between Holden and Kenyon, and our home was broken into during the afternoon hours (Tuesday) when nobody was home at our residence.

We have lived on the block for six and a half years and have never had this happen before, and typically feel very safe in our home. We are very shaken up, have had property stolen and minor damage to the house, but everyone is OK. We also have an alarm system with ADT, and it took the SPD 2.5 hours to come to our house after ADT called their dispatch. We also called 911 four more times on our own. We are currently working with ADT and SPD to get transcripts of the day to learn how that happened, as we are very upset with the alarm company and police department’s reaction time to our burglarized home. The police officer who did take our case was also very surprised at how long we waited for his arrival.

As everyone in Highland Park, West Seattle, and Seattle knows already, we want our neighbors to stay vigilant, locks all doors and windows when you leave your property (or are even in your backyards), and be aware of suspicious activity.

We also have two reports of possible package theft. From Teresa:

I wanted to let you know that a large UPS package was possibly stolen off our front porch in the Genesee Hill neighborhood (Tuesday) afternoon. I say possibly because no one saw it happen, but the UPS driver confirmed he delivered it at 11 am and by 4:30 pm it was missing when I arrived home. The shipping company and UPS are working together to remedy this for me, but I wanted to make the neighborhood aware of the possible incident.

She notes there were other signs of suspicious activity, such as an open side gate. Meantime, Josh in Sunrise Heights reported that while tracking showed 2 packages delivered to his home Monday, one was missing. So if you’re expecting deliveries … keep in mind that package thieves might be back in business in the area.

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City Council to consider two new laws ‘to improve gun safety’
July 8, 2015 10:07 am
|      47 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Two proposals today from City Councilmember Tim Burgess are described in his announcement as “part of the City’s latest effort to improve gun safety in Seattle.” One would be a tax to be charged to gun and ammunition sellers, with its proceeds “dedicated to prevention programs and research intended to reduce the burden of gun violence on Seattle residents and neighborhoods.” The other would require filing a report with SPD if a gun is lost or stolen. Read on for more:

Read More

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West Seattle Wednesday: Park; puppets; pop-up art; politics…
July 8, 2015 9:41 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Wednesday: Park; puppets; pop-up art; politics…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

(Tuesday WSB photo: Part of “Flyers” at Westcrest Park; play equipment in the background)

WESTCREST PARK EXPANSION OFFICIALLY OPENS: As previewed here yesterday. Have fun!

OFFICE JUNCTION MEETUP: Noon-1 pm, visit West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) to meet your fellow home-office, coffee-shop, laptop-at-the-beach workers for an hour at West Seattle’s only coworking center. (6040 California SW)

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: 2 pm at Delridge Community Center, Thistle Theatre “transforms a classic tale into a funny musical puppet show.” (4501 Delridge Way SW)

HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: Week 3 – buy organic vegetables grown steps from where they’re sold! 4-7 pm; more info in our calendar listing. (32nd/Juneau)

POP-UP ART ACTIVITIES: Kids up to 12 years of age are invited (must be accompanied by an adult), 4:30-6:30 pm at High Point Commons Park – details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way)

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Meeting at the Hall at Fauntleroy starts with PCO training at 6:30 pm. The 7 pm agenda, including a legislative update from Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, is on this page of the 34th DDs’ website. (9131 California SW)

FILM & BEER NIGHT: 8 pm at Admiral Bird, partnering with New Belgium Brewery – details here. (California/Admiral)

MORE! on our calendar, as always.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday alerts; transportation news; survey deadline; eastbound bridge crash
July 8, 2015 6:35 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Quiet on the outbound routes so far. So we start with recaps and previews:

TRANSPORTATION NEWS: Three stories from Tuesday –
*35th SW plan – extra meeting added, and word the mayor will be at the first one
*47th/Admiral signal – “completion celebration” planned next Tuesday
*Tunnel-project updates, including those big yellow stacks

And the big street festival is almost here:

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST (co-sponsored by WSB) happens in The Junction this coming Friday-Saturday-Sunday (July 10-11-12); streets close to vehicle traffic starting at 6 pm Thursday – California between Genesee and Edmunds (Oregon remains open to through traffic) and Alaska between 42nd and 44th. Metro announced its Summer Fest reroutes on Tuesday – they’re listed/linked here.

One more note:

SOUND TRANSIT 3 SURVEY: Today is the deadline for you to answer Sound Transit’s survey about next year’s ballot measure. One big question for our area: Should it include light rail for West Seattle? But that’s just part of it. The survey starts here.

8:39 AM: First problem of the morning for our area – a crash on the eastbound bridge at 99. No further details yet – it’s not on camera, though the backup certainly is.

8:47 AM: SDOT has turned around the camera and it shows the crash right AT the ramp (see the top-left image on this story – every time you refresh, it’ll show you the newest image). One tipster advises taking the low bridge to avoid the jam. Police are strategizing how to get traffic around it – potentially using the bus lane for general traffic, temporarily.

9:03 AM: From the scanner: Police are trying to direct traffic into the lanes that’ll get people around the wreck, but so far it doesn’t sound to be getting too much compliance.

9:19 AM: Crash still blocking two lanes at last report. We’ll update when we hear it’s cleared. And a reminder from Metro that this is affecting buses on the bridge too:

9:32 AM: SFD is headed to a “natural-gas leak” callout at 35th and Findlay – so be alert to possible traffic effects there.

9:46 AM: No major effects from that; meantime, the wreck on the bridge is cleared, but it’ll take a while for backups to subside.

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West Seattle sunset: As seen through the smoke
July 7, 2015 11:23 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle sunset: As seen through the smoke
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Smoke from fires to the north of us filtered tonight’s sunset in a big way – enough to see sunspots in some of the views we received, including the one by Neal Chism, above. The big pink moon sun was just a disc suspended in the sky for a while, as shown in John Bartell‘s photo …

… until, as shown in Long Bach Nguyen‘s photo below from Gatewood, it edged behind the Olympics:

Long also shared a sunspot view – note the band of smoky haze:

You might recall similar sunset views back in April, when smoke drifted this way from fires in Siberia.

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47th/Admiral/Waite signal & crosswalks: Celebration next week
July 7, 2015 9:39 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(June photo by Dave Brewer)
SDOT has announced a “short completion celebration” one week from tonight – 6:30 pm Tuesday, July 14th – for the traffic signal and crosswalks installed at 47th/Admiral/Waite. City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and SDOT director Scott Kubly will join the Admiral Neighborhood Association on the southwest corner of the intersection, by Alki Mail and Dispatch. The announcement from SDOT also includes the final update on the project itself:

Power was wired to the signal equipment last week and this week, crews are:

· Removing the existing flashing beacon and old stop signs

· Installing new signage, including “No parking” and “No right turn on red”

· Testing and activating the signals (during signal activation, a uniformed police officer will be on site to direct traffic during this work)

Thank you for your patience during construction.

It’s been four months since work began – as predicted in SDOT’s pre-construction announcement – and a little over two years since the City Council overruled then-Mayor Mike McGinn and proposed full funding for the signal.

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2 nights to 2015 ‘West Seattle Summer Fest Eve’ in The Junction: Art Walk and more
July 7, 2015 8:22 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

That’s artist Mindi Katzman, who we photographed this afternoon as she put up her new show at CAPERS in The Junction today, getting ready for Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk. (Mindi also created the distinctive trophies for last year’s West Seattle Car Show; read about her new CAPERS show here.) While WSAW happens on the second Thursday evening EVERY month, the July edition is our favorite because it coincides with what’s informally known as “West Seattle Summer Fest Eve” – the streets in the heart of The Junction close by 6 pm Thursday for festival setup, and that’s when WS Art Walk begins. Here’s how to plan your Summer Fest Eve:

*Art Walk venues/previews – wsartwalk.com
*Entertainment in the street – Per wsjunction.org‘s Summer Fest Eve preview:
–Magic & music at Elliott Bay
–Music at West 5

Or just come stroll in the street, watch the festival zone take shape, have dinner at a Junction restaurant. Get your Summer Fest going early – see you in the street Thursday night. (P.S. Anybody else with something special in The Junction on WSSF Eve – let us know! editor@westseattleblog.com)

EARLIER SUMMER FEST PREVIEWS ON WSB
*The basics
*The music
*The kid stuff
*The transit info

…more tomorrow!

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Congratulations! West Seattle Little League 10/11 All-Stars also headed to state tournament
July 7, 2015 7:37 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Thanks to Deborah Hazlegrove for the photo and report:

The West Seattle Little League 10/11 All-Star team won the District 7 Championship and is headed to state! The state tournament is in Vancouver (WA) this year and begins on July 18. The team was led by Manager Isaiah Brent and Coaches Steve Savage and Ted Godwin.

Good luck to them, and to the 13-year-olds who (as noted here) are state-bound too!

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West Seattle scene: Chamber of Commerce on a roll
July 7, 2015 6:13 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

No, that wasn’t a Segway tour rolling through The Junction earlier this evening. The two-wheel travelers were members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, visiting businesses to drop off copies of its brand-new directory.

Above, that’s Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis (at center, Segway-less) with Clay Eals from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Katie Krause from Daystar Retirement Village, pausing for a photo op. You can get a copy of the directory at the Chamber’s office, or stop by the Info Booth at West Seattle Summer Fest (in the heart of Walk-All-Ways at California/Alaska) this Friday-Saturday-Sunday.

P.S. We’re told the Segways did come from the Admiral District business that offers the two-wheeled tours you’ve probably seen around the peninsula, West Coast Entertainment.

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About those big, bright, yellow stacks you’re seeing by The Viaduct
July 7, 2015 5:36 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news

5:36 PM: That photo from a Highway 99 project webcam shows a new landmark in progress – two of the four bright-yellow ventilation stacks going up at what will be the “south operations building” for the tunnel. Each one is 40 feet tall, made of 3/8-inch-thick steel, and built in Longview; the other two will be within a day or so, according to WSDOT. The “north operations building” at the other end of the tunnel route will also have a set of stacks like this. Read more about this week’s installation here.

P.S. Still no new schedule for the tunneling machine, so far.

ADDED 6:38 PM: But there will be one soon, WSDOT says tonight: “Today, the Washington State Department of Transportation received a new schedule from Seattle Tunnel Partners, the SR 99 tunnel contractor. We intend to release this schedule information to the public, but first need time for a preliminary review. WSDOT and STP will provide an update on their repair efforts and their schedule sometime next week.”

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Cannabis crackdown: County, state target ‘unlicensed’ marijuana businesses in unincorporated area; City Council discussion ahead too
July 7, 2015 4:19 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

Tomorrow morning in White Center, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and King County Sheriff John Urquhart plan to brief the media on what their advisory describes as an “effort aimed at closing down unlicensed marijuana businesses operating in unincorporated King County,” which includes WC. Sources tell us they’ve already been circulating letters to some of those businesses. Some unincorporated-area community advocates have long been expressing concern about the proliferation of medical-marijuana enterprises in North Highline, particularly White Center; it’s been a frequent topic at North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meetings, including one we covered in April. This follows passage of a new state law requiring that medical marijuana be handled as a sideline in state-licensed recreational-marijuana shops. (One of the latter recently opened in downtown White Center.)

Here in the city, Seattle is moving toward a crackdown of its own – the issue is, in fact, on the agenda for the City Council’s Finance and Culture Committee tomorrow afternoon.

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The wait is over: Westcrest Park expansion atop West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow
July 7, 2015 2:05 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(City of Seattle photo by Jason Huff: ‘Flyers,’ installed @ park expansion last year)
More than five years in the making, the Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, Seattle Parks and Recreation will open the 20-acre expansion of Westcrest Park at the West Seattle Reservoir, located at 9000 8th Ave. SW in the Highland Park neighborhood of West Seattle. The new park expansion is the fifth reservoir lid-park collaboration between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).

The 20-acre expansion of the park captures panoramic views of the mountains and city skyline, while integrating a range of multi-generational amenities. Features include a flexible great lawn, a new play area with two zip-lines and a hillside slides, swaths of native prairie, strolling paths, parking and streetscape improvements, restrooms, and public art.

(Added: WSB photo taken today)
A mix of oak species will provide strategic shading, frame views and contribute to Seattle’s urban forest and habitat for generations to come. Site Workshop collaborated with the community, Seattle Parks and Recreation and SPU on designing the park and Mid-Mountain Construction built the park.

A new public artwork by David Boyer, “Flyers,” was installed in the park [photo above]. The piece consists of 15 bird- and plane-like kinetic sculptures mounted on steel poles. Grouped in three locations around the park, the sculptures will move to face the wind and the articulating tails will pivot as the wind blows. His inspiration for Flyers comes from airplanes in the SeaTac flight path and birds in the Duwamish Greenbelt. The artist worked with Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation and local community members to develop the wind-driven artwork. Flyers was commissioned with SPU and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 1% for Art Funds and managed by the Office of Arts and Culture.

In addition, the Department of Neighborhoods constructed a P-Patch in Westcrest Park featured in our park design. This feature is funded by the community garden funding included in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

Seattle Public Utilities has replaced open reservoirs with underground structures to improve the quality and security of Seattle’s water supply. That replacement also provided for new park space at Jefferson Park, Cal Anderson Park, Myrtle Reservoir Park and Maple Leaf Reservoir Park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a community celebration for Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Development rules @ Seattle Council: ‘Low-rise corrections’ get final OK; ‘lot boundary adjustments’ notice to be discussed this afternoon
July 7, 2015 1:21 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Updates on two development-rules issues @ Seattle City Council:

‘LOW-RISE CODE CORRECTIONS’: That’s the video from Monday afternoon’s shorter-than-usual full City Council meeting, with just one item of note on the agenda: The “low-rise code corrections” bill got final approval, 8 to 1. These are tweaks to the rules for development in “low-rise” zones (the backstory is in our June 1st report). The “no” vote was West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who proposed a long list of amendments before the earlier committee vote but only got three of them through, and expressed disappointment today that no other councilmembers had come forward with potential changes. He later published his full statement online, here. Councilmember Kshama Sawant voiced concern about affordable housing in low-rise zones being torn down and replaced by “luxury units,” but she voted for the bill.

LOT-BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS – NOTICE FOR NEIGHBORS? This afternoon at 2 pm, the Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee gets briefed on a followup to some rule changes last year regarding “lot-boundary adjustments” – which, as the briefing memo acknowledges, can have this effect: “Development on sites created through LBAs have sometimes surprised neighbors who were unaware that a potential development site existed. To address that concern, Council indicated that it would consider whether notice requirements should be established for LBAs.” The briefing will include a mention of three options to consider for how neighbors are notified, if at all:

Lot Boundary Adjustments notification

This is NOT a formal proposal yet, so no vote will be taken. If you want to watch live, it’ll be on Seattle Channel, cable channel 21 or online, coming up at 2 pm.

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West Seattle Summer Fest 2015: Metro bus reroutes – see them here
July 7, 2015 12:55 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news


In the information booth at West Seattle Summer Fest (where you’ll find us again this year), a perennially popular question is: Where do I catch my bus? Metro has just published this year’s reroutes, in effect from 5 pm Thursday (July 9th) through late Sunday night (July 12th). We’re linking them all below, in case you want to get familiar with them in advance:

RapidRide C Line Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 22 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 37 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 50 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 55 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 57 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 128 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 773 (Water Taxi shuttle) Summer Fest reroute – here

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SDOT’s 35th SW plan: Two more chances to hear about it; Mayor Murray expected at first meeting
July 7, 2015 10:46 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo: 35th SW, looking south from SW Holden)
FIRST REPORT, 10:46 AM: Last Friday, after we published the announcement of the July 15th meeting at which SDOT will unveil its plan for 35th SW, commenters pointed out at least three other notable West Seattle events scheduled for that night. If you were already going to one of those other events but also want to hear the 35th SW details, good news – one more meeting and another info opportunity have just been announced. So here’s the full list of SDOT’s three planned events:

Wednesday, July 15, 2015
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Neighborhood House – Room 207
6400 Sylvan Way SW

Thursday, July 16, 2015
6:00 PM to 7:45 PM
Southwest Branch Seattle Public Library
9010 35th Avenue SW

Tuesday, August 4
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Night Out – High Point
Central Commons

SDOT presented “design alternatives” for 35th in March; during the lightly attended walking tour in May (WSB coverage here), project manager Jim Curtin said “Option A” was shaping up as the most promising one for most of the project zone.

ADDED 11:56 AM: We e-mailed SDOT to ask if the three events would have different focuses – short answer, no, but spokesperson Marybeth Turner did add this: Mayor Ed Murray is expected at the July 15th meeting.

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West Seattle Tuesday: From the walls to the wheels to the water…
July 7, 2015 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Mom Northern Flicker feeds son – photo by Mark Wangerin)

Happy Tuesday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

ART EXHIBIT OPENS AT SSC: “Sightseeing through the Eyes of Northwest Artists” is the new exhibit at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Gallery, opening today (gallery hours until 3 pm), with a reception next Tuesday. Details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)

BIKEMOBILE BIKE REPAIRS: The Bike Works truck is back in the lot behind Neighborhood House’s High Point Center 1:30-4 pm, where it’s scheduled to be every Tuesday until September – read here about its mission. (6400 Sylvan Way)

WEEKLY DEMO & PADDLE RACE: Paddleboarding and kayaking @ Alki Kayak Tours, 6-8 pm demos, 7 pm races, no preregistration required. (1660 Harbor SW)

‘DRINKING LIBERALLY’: Talk politics with this group at Pizzeria 22 during the monthly meetup, 6-7:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (4213 SW College)

SEE IT ALL! Browse all the listings for today and beyond on our calendar.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; Summer Fest lookahead
July 7, 2015 7:27 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; Summer Fest lookahead
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:27 AM: Good morning! Only problem in the area so far this morning has been for people heading north toward the 1st Avenue South Bridge from White Center southward – a crash on NB 509 at Cloverdale. The most recent report says it’s cleared off to the shoulder, though.

This week’s big reminder:

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST (co-sponsored by WSB) happens in The Junction this coming Friday-Saturday-Sunday (July 10-11-12); streets close to vehicle traffic starting at 6 pm Thursday for setup – California between Genesee and Edmunds (Oregon remains open to through traffic) and Alaska between 42nd and 44th – so we’re sounding the alert early. More countdown coverage later today. No transit-reroute info on Metro‘s site yet, but that’ll be part of our coverage and previews when it appears.

7:37 AM: New problem – per WSDOT, “On the I-5 northbound on-ramp from West Seattle Bridge, there is a disabled vehicle partially blocking the ramp.”

7:52 AM: Update from WSDOT – that vehicle’s been cleared from the ramp.

8:57 AM: Crash at California/Fauntleroy – no details but be aware if you’re headed that way.

12:57 PM: Keeping the promise we mentioned above – Summer Fest reroutes for Metro have just gone public – we’ve put them all in one list, here.

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You in? Run the West Seattle Float Dodger 5K pre-parade again this year!
July 7, 2015 1:39 am
|    Comments Off on You in? Run the West Seattle Float Dodger 5K pre-parade again this year!
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Ready to run the same route as the West Seattle Grand Parade? Again this year, the big parade on Saturday, July 18th, is preceded by the Float Dodger 5K, presented by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), with proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not only do you get to dodge floats – you get a chance at great prizes, and even one for the “middle-of-the-pack runner” – a cake donated by legendary Bakery Nouveau, the “It’s Sweet in the Middle” prize. Costume contest for kids (you’re welcome to wear one too). And after the race – watch the parade at West Seattle Runner, where there’ll be a beer garden provided by The Beer Junction, also raising money for the LLS. Sign up right now online, or stop by West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) as soon as you can – that’s where the Float Dodger 5K begins at 9:30 am, one week from Saturday.

P.S. Look how much fun it was last year!

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West Seattle Crime Watch update: Stolen Subaru recovered
July 6, 2015 8:31 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch update: Stolen Subaru recovered
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:31 PM: Someone stole that car this afternoon in Morgan Junction. Justin sent us the photo and report:

Black 2003 Subaru Baja with license plates A12916Y. Has a blue and white Scottish flag on the back window. Last seen in enclosed lot at 5953 California Ave SW between 1 pm and 5:30 pm on Monday, July 6, 2015. It had only 2 or gallons of gas in it at the time of theft.

If you see it – as Seattle Police always advise – call 911.

12:23 AM: Justin says the car’s been found.

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Still seeking summer activities in West Seattle? Four possibilities
July 6, 2015 7:20 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

If your child(ren)’s summer isn’t already completely locked in, and you’re still considering summer camps/activities … four possibilities:

BASKETBALL/LIFE SKILLS CAMP @ CHIEF SEALTH: The 18th annual camp has two more weeklong sessions ahead, July 13-17 and August 3-7, both produced by Hoops4Life. It’s for girls and boys going into grades 2 through 9 this fall. For more info and registration: hoops4life206.com.

LEARN TO PLAY TENNIS: The U.S. Tennis Association (WSB sponsor) is back this summer with a variety of options at West Seattle’s Solstice Park – not just for kids, but also whole-family, teen, and adult sessions. Click the park here in the category you’re interested in checking out.

ECO-ARTS CAMP WITH NATURE CONSORTIUM: Six 1-week sessions start July 20th, and there’s still time to sign up kids 5-12 years old for the camps offered by Nature Consortium (WSB sponsor). Read about them and register here.

CAMERA ACTING FOR KIDS: Playhouse Northwest Acting School here in West Seattle is offering this one-week camp August 18th-22nd, culminating in a short film production – more info, including how to register, here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Alki police response; Belvidere vandalism
July 6, 2015 4:42 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

(Added: WSB photo)
SUSPECTED STOLEN CAR: If you’re seeing a big police response in the Alki area, police were pulling over (or otherwise dealing with) a suspected stolen car, which usually calls for a “felony stop” response, guns drawn. Via the scanner, police report detaining two people, and searching for a passenger who got out of the car and “walked away” in the 56th/Alki area – only description so far, “18-year-old white male, white shirt, green stripes, Seattle Sonics hat.”

BELVIDERE VANDALISM: Here’s a reader report about an odd case of vandalism on 37th SW sometime during the day on the 4th of July:

Since this is a relatively unique act of vandalism, we thought we would reach out to the blog in case it has happened to others in West Seattle and as a precaution to other residents (although there is really no way to safeguard against this type of crime.)

On Sat we came home at 6:30 PM to a running hose that had been cut. The water was turned on and the hose was intentionally and cleanly cut causing the running water to seep into our foundation and eventually into our lower level where it has caused significant damage. We filed a police report and heard from the neighbor that he saw a 25-30 year old white male with a blue shirt and dirty blonde hair on our back deck around 1:00-3:00 that afternoon. (We weren’t home from 10:00-6:30 on the 4th.) There were no signs of a potential break-in and we have an alarm system which was armed and not triggered. Thankfully, this was the only damage that was done. However, it has caused significant damage to our property and it is highly likely that it was completely random.

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