West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Thanks for the tips! Four months after the abrupt shutdown of Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery at 4752 California SW in The Junction, a new restaurant is going to give the space a try. After a text about signage in the window, we went down and found what you see above – signage saying Great American Diner and Bar is on the way. We also talked very briefly to a man who said he’s the new proprietor; he was pressure washing out back and said all he could tell us right now is that he’s hoping to be open in a few weeks. We’re not finding a liquor-license application or business license online yet, but we’ll be going back in hopes of finding out more. Great American will be the sixth restaurant/bar in 10 years in the California/Edmunds space.
(WSB photos, added 8:08 pm)
7:22 PM: Thanks for the texts. The big police response in North Delridge (and beyond) has to do with a search for a suspect and at least one of two vehicles reported to be involved in some kind of incident at Delridge and Findlay. The vehicles were described as a blue SUV and a Mustang. This is from the scanner – we don’t know yet what started all this but at some point along the way, one of the drivers was reported to be trying to run over officers. More as we get it.
7:48 PM: The search for one suspect who reportedly bolted toward the Longfellow Creek greenbelt continues, with K-9. (Other areas are being searched too.) The Mustang is being towed from the gas station on Delridge north of Findlay.
We just talked with police, who say the suspect they’re seeking was associated with the Mustang and is being impounded because there might be a gun in it. And that, they tell us, is how this started – a gun-flashing incident involving a confrontation between people in the 2 cars. No gunfire or injuries reported.
(Roger Brown of Apical Tree Services, up in a giant poplar tree)
West Seattle’s own botanic garden just got a big gift from local arborists. Here’s the announcement from the South Seattle College Arboretum, accompanied by photos:
In celebration of Arbor Day, local arborists certified by Plant Amnesty took to the trees of The Arboretum at South Seattle College last week, providing some much-needed expert pruning services.
“I am so happy that this work is getting done,” says Mark Pollock, Arboretum Coordinator. “The value of these services is somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000. It’s a tremendous gift to us and we are very thankful.”
Plant Amnesty describes itself as “a 1000-member mock-militant nonprofit organization whose mission is to end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs caused by mal-pruning.”
Established in 1987 by the late Cass Turnbull, the organization is devoted to educating the public about the proper way to care for trees and shrubs and to providing referrals to qualified arborists and landscape gardeners.
Every year in celebration of Arbor Day, Plant Amnesty arborists volunteer their time to prune trees for a good cause. This is the second year that they have chosen The Arboretum at South Seattle College for this benefit.
(From left, Roger Brown of Apical Tree Services, Darrin Kuebler of Thor Tree, Eric Matteo of The Tree Stewards, and Mark Harman, retired owner of Stonehenge Tree Services)
(From left, Dana Harper and Jory Virtue of Legendary Tree)
(L-R, Rich Appleton and Jack Bautsch from Plant Amnesty)Arborists who donated their time this year were from:
Apical Tree Services
Fluent Tree
Grün Tree Care
Ira Ford Ecological Design
Legendary Tree Services
Major Tree
Symbiosis Tree Care
The Tree Stewards
Thor TreeThe Arboretum at South Seattle College is a 5-acre botanical garden that serves as a laboratory and workshop for students in the College’s Landscape Horticulture Program. The garden is also a destination for local residents both as an outdoor classroom and as a soothing escape from the city. The Arboretum has one of the best conifer collections in the United States and is designated as a Reference Garden by the American Conifer Society.
Find out more about the Arboretum by going here.
Congratulations, Wildcats! The photo, video, and report are from Jason Woycke:
The West Seattle High School boys’ soccer beat O’Dea on Saturday to go to the Metro semifinals. The win also guarantees them a spot in state playoffs. After 90 minutes, the score was 2-2. They played overtime before ending the game with penalty kicks. Sam Carballo had a couple saves and Noah Woycke scored the final PK that sent the team into a frenzied celebration:
WSHS is scheduled to play Garfield in the semifinals on Tuesday night at Interbay – see the bracket here.
Thanks to Matt Prevost for the photo and news that the Madison Middle School boys-soccer team is having a great season. Latest win was on Saturday vs. Aki Kurose, at Garfield High School.
The boys go for their sixth victory vs. Whitman at 9:30 am next Saturday (May 13th) at Rainier Beach HS, which is also where they play crosstown rivals Denny at 11 am May 20th.
In our most recent update on the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control facility across from Lowman Beach Park – now complete after more than three years of construction – King County mentioned that the fences would come down this week and the stairway through the site would be open to the public. We just checked back for the first time in several days, and indeed, it is.
That opens up Puget Sound views from atop the facility – which holds a million-gallon storage tank to prevent/reduce overflows during storms – and from the stairway landings (photo above). You also can get a closer look at artist Robert Horner‘s “rammed-earth” installations:
As mentioned in the last update, a community celebration is planned on June 10th, 10 am-noon.
(Barred owls, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Sunday! Here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
COMMUNITY CLEANUP: Volunteers are cleaning up in Morgan Junction this morning starting at 9 am. Can you help? Details in our calendar listing. (California/Fauntleroy)
WESTSIDE PLANT AND GARDEN ART FAIR: 10 am-2 pm, the fair continues at WSUU in Gatewood. Here’s the event schedule. (7141 California SW)
SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN PEONY AND BAMBOO FESTIVAL: This event too continues for a second day. 10 am-4 pm at the SCG on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Here’s the activity/performance schedule. (6000 16th SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction – see what’s fresh and who’s returning! (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
POSTCARD-MAKING FOR NUCLEAR-WEAPONS CONCERNS: Noon-1:30 pm in The Junction, West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice invite people of all ages to help make postcards with messages of concern over nuclear-weapons spending: “Let’s tell our elected leaders we don’t need or want another nuclear-arms race. … Show (your elected representatives) how you would like to spend a trillion dollars!” (California/Alaska)
CAMP SECOND CHANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 2-4 pm, open to the public – it’s the next meeting of the Community Advisory Committee for Camp Second Chance, the city-sanctioned encampment on the Myers Way Parcels. Meeting details are here; a tour will be included. (9701 Myers Way S.)
LIVE SWING MUSIC: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm, with Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifters. (5612 California SW)
‘FIRST DATE,’ LAST SHOW: 3 pm is the closing performance of “First Date,” the Twelfth Night Productions comedy at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
King County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a shooting that left one man dead along 16th SW south of SW 98th early today. The street remains closed between 98th and 100th. Our full report is on partner site White Center Now.
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