month : 08/2016 296 results

A last and a first! ‘Princess Bride’ wraps up this year’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies while launching new location

August 18, 2016 12:50 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

The goofy classic “Princess Bride” is on the screen this Saturday night as the 2016 season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies comes to a close. But it’s not just an end – it’s a beginning, too, as the movies move to the new “festival street” (explained here), SW Snoqualmie between 36th and 37th SW, on the south side of the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor). The Southwest Seattle Historical Society (which sells and benefits from WSOM concessions) recorded this invitation from the Y’s Josh Sutton:

See the map to the new location on the SWSHS’s site; the Historical Society also will benefit from this week’s raffles. The movie’s free, and you can arrive as early as 6 pm; showtime is dusk, around 8:30 pm at this point in the summer. See you at the Festival Street!

West Seattle water views now part of Google Maps, along with Street View(s)

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That’s a Google Street View mapping-photography car we spotted on eastbound Avalon at 35th this afternoon. Google’s 360-degree views from the road have been around for a while, but our sighting coincides with word we got this week that the mapping service is offering something new in our area: Water views.

A PR rep for Google Maps e-mailed WSB to say that West Seattle views on/from the water have recently gone live; the mapping service partnered with Coastwise Imaging, using the Trekker backpack system (you can see the equipment on the Coastwise site).

If you want to see the water views, you can click any of the following four links we were provided – Alki Beach (starting near Anchor/Luna Park), Alki Point, Duwamish Head (starts by Seacrest), and the Duwamish Waterway (starts near Terminal 5, with the image showing the Shell-related vessels that left two months ago) – among 20 Seattle waterway views now available via Google Maps.

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PORT TRUCKS: New terminal-gate program to start next week, aimed at reducing backups

(SDOT webcam screenshot from June 2016 backup)

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are going to try something new starting next week in hopes of lessening truck backups as drivers wait to get into cargo terminals. From the announcement:

The Northwest Seaport Alliance will reimburse up to $2 million to extend gate hours at its international container terminals during peak season.

With cargo owners forecasting a 3 to 5 percent increase in volume during peak season, which will start in late August and continue through early November, the alliance proposes to help the marine terminal operators avoid congestion on surface streets in the port industrial area and keep import and export cargo flowing efficiently.

This program will reimburse terminal operators for some of the costs to operate flexed gates from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and lunch gate hours Monday through Friday during peak season.

It also would provide one off-shift gate per week. Off-shift gates are after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or any shift on Saturday or Sunday.

This is set to start on Monday (August 22nd), according to the full announcement, which you can see here.

UPDATE: Hit-run crash at Delridge/Cambridge

6:08 PM: Police and fire are at a crash scene on Delridge and Cambridge – avoid the area; we’re hearing that buses are being rerouted. We’re on our way to find out more.

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6:20 PM: Just arrived. Intersection just reopened. This is reported to be a hit-and-run; three people in the car that was hit are going to the hospital, we’re told, but none were seriously hurt. Police say the car that left the scene is red, possibly a Jeep.

West Seattle weather: Alert upgraded to ‘excessive heat warning’

WEDNESDAY REPORT: The heat alert from the National Weather Service has jumped to the next level – now it’s an “excessive heat warning,” 2 pm tomorrow through 9 pm Saturday. Tomorrow could reach the low 90s, with mid-90s possible Friday and Saturday; read the full alert here – and please note this line: “Never leave children, pets, or the elderly unattended in a parked vehicle under any circumstances.”

SATURDAY NOTE: The forecast is still calling for a major cooldown on Sunday, you’ll probably be happy to hear – high in the 70s. Then very-warm weather is forecast to return Friday (August 26th), with sunshine and 80s on Saturday (August 27th) in time for the West Seattle Car Show!

FOLLOWUP: Court fight continues over foreclosed Gatewood house, briefly put up for sale

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(WSB photo from August 2nd; house has since been taken off the market)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

It’s been almost two years since a high-profile foreclosure fight led to disabled veteran Byron Barton and wife Jean Barton being evicted a second time from the Gatewood house they long owned.

Their fight, it turns out, is not over.

We heard from Byron Barton recently when the house at 6548 41st SW went on the market, listed at $1,299,000.

The listing didn’t last long. Barton said he pointed out to the listing agent that the title would be “clouded”; a court case involving the foreclosure had not been resolved. He told WSB, “I have spent $20,000 in legal fees and waited two years to get my home back.”

The house was taken off the market two and a half weeks later, according to NWMLS records Barton obtained.

The case is still before the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 1, as the Bartons challenge the King County Superior Court ruling in their wrongful-foreclosure lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase, Quality Loan Service, and Triangle Property Development, the house’s current owner of record. The COA heard oral arguments in early June (see the docket here), and a ruling is pending. (As linked from the COA’s website, the Bartons’ brief is here; QLS’s brief is here; Triangle’s brief is here; Chase’s brief is here.)

In September 2015, the COA declined to overturn a separate decision against the Bartons’ challenge related to the eviction, but that ruling (see it here) specifically noted that it is not meant to be a reflection on anything involved with the still-pending wrongful-foreclosure suit.

Triangle bought the house in April 2014 for $646,000, according to King County records, half the recent listing price. In a comment on our first report about the Bartons in 2014, a Triangle representative said they intended to do remodeling/renovation work, not a teardown/rebuild, and city records show they did.

Meantime, Jean Barton is now president of SAFE (Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction), the housing-justice group that rallied with the Bartons as they challenged the evictions in 2014.

(Added 5:43 pm: We asked Byron Barton where they’re living now; Renton, he replied.)

YOU CAN HELP: Paella feast @ C & P – food and fun(draising) for West Seattle Helpline

August 17, 2016 1:23 pm
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 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox – a tasty way to ensure that West Seattle Helpline can continue helping neighbors in need:

PAELLA FEAST!

Celebrate one of the last of 2016’s summer weekends at C & P Coffee for a paella feast courtesy of Joey Serquinia, Chef de Cuisine of Harvest Vine, plus beer & wine, Spanish guitar, and Cupcake Royale cupcakes! All proceeds support emergency services at the West Seattle Helpline.

Sunday, September 11
4:00 – 7:00 pm
C & P Coffee (5612 California Ave SW)
Limited # of Tickets Available at: wshelpline.org/paella

Not familiar with what WS Helpline does? Here are the toplines.

UTILITY WORK: In case you notice discolored water near The Junction today …

We have a Seattle Public Utilities update on the repairs happening on 46th SW near Hudson, southwest of The Junction:

Part of this repair necessitates shutting off water for a small number of residents on 46th Ave. SW. The work will be finished tomorrow and those who are affected by the water outage have been notified. While we do not anticipate any impacts to other residents’ water, any time the water main is disturbed there is the chance of discolored water. If residents experience discolored water they should run their taps for two minutes before drinking. This water is perfectly safe to drink, however.

This is work related to repairs we first mentioned last month, but not related to The Big Flush (here’s our recent update on that, in case you missed it).

Seen off West Seattle: US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf

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Just happened to be at Don Armeni Boat Ramp and saw this U.S. Coast Guard Cutter passing by, headed toward downtown, so we looked it up. It’s the 418-foot USCGC Bertholf, homeported at Alameda, California. It made news in March for busting two drug submarines in less than a year; another article online describes the Bertholf as “the Coast Guard’s most advanced counternarcotics ship.”

P.S. Looks like it’s headed for Vigor on Harbor Island rather than for the Coast Guard station.

P.P.S. … or maybe not. A Vigor spokesperson tells us the Bertholf isn’t due for two more weeks – September 1st – for the work mentioned in the link above.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen shrubbery; ripped-off rings …

Two reader reports today:

STOLEN SHRUBBERY: From C:

Heads up to our West Seattle neighbors: These are what is left of the 8 shrubs we planted in June.

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Someone has made two trips to dig up 5 of them. Probably only a matter of time until they come back for the rest. We are out $600. We suspect someone doing a landscaping job cutting their expenses. If you hired someone who charged you for these, we have all been ripped off. People, this is why we can’t have nice things.

RIPPED-OFF RINGS: Watch for these rings in online listings, pawn shops, etc.:

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They belong to a West Seattle couple who are getting married in a week and a half … and are now ringless. Their friend Wil sent the photo; Wil says the rings were stolen from the couple’s car in a parking garage on First Hill. If you see one or both, contact police.

5 for your West Seattle Wednesday

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(Rhinoceros auklet, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:

NETWORKING MEETUP: Noon at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), drop in to meet local entrepreneurs and other nontraditional workers. (6040 California SW)

HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm, shop the farm stand for produce grown and harvested by local residents on the mini-farm next to it. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)

GROUP RUN AND BOOK SIGNING: Tonight at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), “come for our weekly Wednesday group run and join for the book signing at 6:45 pm. Lance Carter, author of Six Word Lessons For Successful Triathletes: 100 Lessons for Training and Racing, will be at the shop.” (2743 California SW)

ALKI FRISBEE FEST: 7 pm at Alki Playfield, bring your disc(s), your friends and family, and come play. (58th SW/SW Stevens)

34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: Meeting this month at the White Center Library, with election endorsements on the agenda, 7 pm. (1409 SW 107th)

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:43 AM: Good morning! No current incidents in or from West Seattle (we watch the outbound routes including the bridges, SODO surface routes, NB Highway 99 and I-5 north of the bridge, just in case you’ve ever wondered what exactly we mean by that).

9:48 AM: Thanks to Anna for the alert – a streetlight is down across southbound Fauntleroy Way at Frontenac (south of Morgan Junction). SDOT is aware. Meantime, SDOT tweeted this alert regarding bridge onramps for the next several hours:

FOLLOWUP: What the city says are your rights in case of cable (TV) outages

While most of the CenturyLink outage reports we covered here recently involved fiber internet access, some involved TV – and that caught the attention of a city division you might not have heard of: The Office of Cable Communications, part of the Information Technology department. We heard today from Jim Loter, a spokesperson for that division, which he explains “is responsible for regulating the cable television providers that offer services in Seattle.” He had seen the WSB reports and wanted to make sure you know about “customer rights during cable TV outages,” and pointed us to a new item on the city website Tech Talk which details those rights, including a pointer to the webpage for the Cable Customer Bill of Rights. Again, this is just for TV, not internet, but if you’ve had trouble with an unresponsive provider – it might help.

THIS WEEK’S OUTDOOR MUSIC: What’s ahead @ Hiawatha, The Mount, Arts in Nature Festival

August 16, 2016 8:05 pm
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 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Three notes about outdoor music ahead this week:

DUKE EVERS @ HIAWATHA: Thursday night brings this year’s second-to-last Summer Concerts at Hiawatha show on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (Walnut/Lander). This week’s performer is the Duke Evers Band (video above). Show’s at 6:30, free; bring your own chair/blanket, and you’re welcome to bring a picnic dinner or other refreshments if you feel like it (or walk over to nearby Metropolitan Market, PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle [WSB sponsors] or Safeway, all of which have delis with hot and cold food). The series is presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with local business sponsors including WSB.

85TH STREET BIG BAND @ THE MOUNT: Friday night, swing to the classics with the 85th Street Big Band for the second-to-last summer concert of the year on the south side of the Providence Mount St. Vincent campus (4831 35th SW). The music starts at 6, and it’s free; dinner and drinks are available for purchase starting at 5:30 pm (see our calendar listing for this week’s menu).

MUSIC @ ARTS IN NATURE FESTIVAL: Saturday and Sunday, music is a big part of the Nature Consortium (WSB sponsor)-presented Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long (5200 SW Dawson). See the full performance schedule here, including the 7 pm Saturday (August 20th) performance by headliner Big World Breaks:

Ticket info is here (you can buy yours online too, including a full-weekend pass); festival hours are 11 am-9 pm Saturday, 11 am-6 pm Sunday.

West Seattle restaurants: The Lodge Sports Grille finally close to opening

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With a recent wave of restaurant openings in West Seattle, there’s a new WSB inbox leader for the question “when will it open?” – The Lodge Sports Grille in The Junction. More than 14 months have passed since we first reported in June 2015 that The Lodge would open a location in the east building of Junction 47; the space seemed idle for so long, some wondered if the plan had been scrapped. Our questions went unanswered for a while but recently, an unmistakable sign of life appeared: The liquor-license application. Then today we reached proprietor Shawn Roten by phone, and he told us yes, The Lodge is very much still on the way to West Seattle and probably “five to six weeks” away from opening. He also invited us to stop in and check out the interior work – so we did, for the photos you see above and below:

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So what’s taken so long? The city permitting process, Roten said, ruefully – it’s added four and a half months to the buildout. But now things are at full speed ahead, with all the work being done on-site, to the point where, as he explained, “it looks like a wood shop”:

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As the original announcement last year explained, Roten is “a former home-builder who custom designs and builds all his restaurants to complement the neighborhood, (and) builds bar tops that range from 50 feet to 70 feet in length.” The Lodge is described as serving American-style food and craft beers, in a family-friendly atmosphere with HD TVs showing sports events. Roten says he expects to be up and running in time for most of the Seahawks season.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Another stolen CR-V

STOLEN 99 Honda CR_V

Another stolen vehicle to watch for – this one, reported today by Ron:

Sorry to have to report my [blue] ’99 Honda CR-V (WA plate 009-YQY) was stolen late Sunday/early Monday morning from my condo’s parking lot. This is the Town Square Condominium complex right across from Westwood Village. Surveillance cameras show the car driving out of the lot at 2:38 AM with the lights off. If seen, please contact Seattle PD and refer to Incident #16-294962.

At least in our reader reports, CR-Vs seem to be “popular” with West Seattle-area car thieves lately.

West Seattle weather: Heat alert for Thursday-Saturday

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(West Seattle sunset view from last Saturday night – photo by Cameron Oliva)

ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: You’ve heard that hot weather’s on the way – now the National Weather Service has announced an “Excessive Heat Watch” alert for Thursday-Saturday. The NWS warns that the high temperatures those days are expected to be in the upper 80s to mid-90s, and that could be a health risk for some. Read the full text of the alert here. (The official highest temperature at Sea-Tac so far this year is 93 degrees back on June 5th.)

WEDNESDAY MORNING NOTE: We checked – the alert’s still in effect, same time/temp frame.

West Seattle development: Housing proposals, sales pending for ex-substations in Pigeon Point, Highland Park

We’ve discovered that both of the former West Seattle City Light substations put up for sale on the open market five months ago, with “major price reductions” less than two months ago, now have sales pending and early-stage development proposals.

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(WSB photo, March 2016)

2100 SW ANDOVER: This 8,000-square-foot corner site in Pigeon Point was appraised at $350,000 and originally listed at $400,000, then cut in late June to $200,000 asking price. It now has a proposal for 5 rowhouse units, and the Commercial MLS website shows a sale “pending.” The city page for the site lists the “owner” as Greenstream Investments in Bothell. So does the site plan in city files, which shows three units would face onto 21st, one would be on the corner of 21st and Andover, and one west of that would face onto Andover only. The plan shows three units with “garage parking,” two as “no parking.”

8822 9TH AVENUE SW: This 13,000-square-foot site also is shown on the Commercial MLS site as having a “pending” sale.

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It was originally offered to King County for its appraised value, $355,000, as a stormwater-retention site, but as explained in our March report, the county decided against it. It then went on the market for $500,000, until a “major price reduction” to $200,000 in June, concurrent with the one for the Pigeon Point site. This site’s city webpage notes a new proposal for 11 townhouses, though it’s filed under a revised address of 8822 9th SW instead of 8820. There is nothing in the files yet showing how the 11 units would be configured; the city files show the “owner” as 9th Avenue Townhomes LLC, whose owners in turn have a Puyallup address.

BACKSTORY: These are two of six ex-substations for which the City Council authorized disposition last fall; three of the other four have potential community-group purchases/projects in various stages.

West Seattle restaurants: Admiral Mioposto adds delivery

You can now get food from Mioposto Pizzeria in Admiral (WSB sponsor) delivered! Mioposto has just partnered with ChowNow, and that means you can order via the Mioposto website – choose ORDER ONLINE from the navigation bar. You can also download Mioposto’s app, through the Apple Store, Google Play, or by texting MIOPOSTO to 33733 (it’ll text you back with the download link). Note that ChowNow has a 2-mile delivery radius, $25 delivery minimum, and a flat-rate $5 delivery fee. Mioposto is at 2139 California SW, open 4 pm-10 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 4 pm-11 pm Fridays, 10 am-11 pm Saturdays, 10 am-10 pm Sundays.

FOLLOWUP: Morgan Junction Park expansion site clearing now; planning/design still distant

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Six days after it began, demolition of the former commercial building on the Morgan Junction Park expansion site is almost complete. Our photos from this morning shows the crew clearing the rubble, though the former Short Stop Market sign is still standing.

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As discussed in our coverage last week, this was originally purchased by Seattle Parks for $1.9 million as a “landbanked” site – to hold until money was found to design and develop actual park features. That money, as we also reported, will come from the Park District levy that voters passed in 2014. So the remaining question is: When?

We tried reaching some of the directly involved Parks staffers last week, without success, so today we asked the communications team to help us find the answer. Spokesperson Dewey Potter replied, “The planning and design processes for landbanked sites will take place in the order in which they were acquired, and we’re starting the processes for them as Seattle Park District funding becomes available. All will have begun planning and design by 2018. The Morgan Junction site is scheduled to begin planning and design in 2018.” The original Morgan Junction Park to the south opened in 2009, so it’ll be a decade old before the expansion is fully developed.

P.S. While landbanked sites are NOT on the agenda, the Park District oversight committee is having a meeting tonight, 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.), with a public hearing on “major projects challenge” proposals.

Half a dozen highlights for your West Seattle Tuesday

August 16, 2016 9:22 am
|    Comments Off on Half a dozen highlights for your West Seattle Tuesday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(Hummingbird on dogwood, photographed by Tom Slattery)

The sun’s due to emerge from the fog before day’s end. In the meantime, a clear view of highlights from our calendar:

BABY STORY TIME: 10:30 am at Southwest Library, geared toward wee ones up to 12 months old. (35th SW/SW Henderson)

LUNCH AT THE LIBRARY: The free summer-meal program continues with lunch available for kids/tweens/teens at Delridge Library, Tuesdays-Thursdays, 12:30-1:30 pm. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

JUSTIN KAUSAL-HAYES: Performing live at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)

FREE TAI CHI: Second week for the added session of free Tai Chi on Alki with Lao-Shi Caylen Storm, 6 pm. (60th SW/Alki SW)

SOUTH SOUND TUG AND BARGE: The band “wraps up its summer residency” at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm tonight, no cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

BABY KETTEN KARAOKE: Not your everyday (or every-night) karaoke, 9 pm at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

LOOK FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE … with West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar, here.

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; bus-stop closure reminders

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

7:02 AM: It’s a foggy Tuesday morning. No incidents of note on major outbound routes. Reminders:

BUS STOP CLOSURES: Through mid-November, the northbound South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) bus stop is closed because of construction; here’s the official notice. … And if you catch the bus downtown to get back to West Seattle, remember that the C-Line, 21E, 55, 56, 57, 120, 125 stop on westbound Columbia at 2nd is closed until mid-October. Here’s that official notice.

SATURDAY: Kids’ Day with Puget Sound Beekeepers – ‘bee’ there!

August 15, 2016 8:47 pm
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 |   Fun stuff to do | High Point | West Seattle news

(Photo from 2015 PSBA Kids’ Day at West Seattle Bee Garden)

Remember the West Seattle Bee Festival back in May, a fun but damp day? If you’ve been looking for a reason to make a return trip to the West Seattle Bee Garden in High Point – this Saturday (with sunny, very warm weather expected) brings it! The Puget Sound Beekeepers Association is presenting Kids’ Day at the Bee Garden 10 am-1 pm on Saturday (August 20th), with hive demonstrations, honey tasting, scavenger hunt, pollination simulation, crafts, even the “waggle dance.” And the kids will learn along the way how important bees are to our everyday lives. It’s all free, courtesy of “your friendly local beekeepers,” who work hard to protect and nurture these amazing (and sometimes misunderstood) insects. The Bee Garden is on the north side of Commons Park, 31st SW and SW Graham.