West Seattle, Washington

03 Saturday

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month : 05/2017 330 results

WEST SEATTLE RESTAURANTS: Great American Diner and Bar on the way to ex-Shelby’s space
May 7, 2017 8:37 pm
|      139 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

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.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Police search after gun incident in North Delridge
May 7, 2017 7:20 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle police


(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.

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GIVING BACK: Arborists’ gift to South Seattle College Arboretum
May 7, 2017 5:31 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle news


(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 Tree

The 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.

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CONGRATULATIONS! West Seattle High School boys’ soccer team secures spot @ state
May 7, 2017 4:09 pm
|    Comments Off on CONGRATULATIONS! West Seattle High School boys’ soccer team secures spot @ state
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

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.

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SOCCER: Madison Middle School boys win again
May 7, 2017 1:43 pm
|    Comments Off on SOCCER: Madison Middle School boys win again
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

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.

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NEW VIEW: Overlook open, now that fences are down at Murray CSO facility
May 7, 2017 11:07 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

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.

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Options for your West Seattle Sunday
May 7, 2017 7:56 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(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)

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From White Center Now: Deadly shooting under investigation
May 7, 2017 7:40 am
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | White Center

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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GiveBIG on Wednesday: Is your local nonprofit part of it?
May 6, 2017 11:20 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

This will be the seventh year that we’ve put together an all-local (West Seattle/White Center/South Park) list for the annual GiveBIG donate-a-thon, which is happening next Wednesday, May 10th. We want to make sure we don’t miss anyone, though, so if your nonprofit is part of it this year, please send us the name and your special GiveBIG link as soon as you can – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

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Motorcycle rider hospitalized after Admiral crash
May 6, 2017 9:31 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

California and Walker are closed for cleanup after a motorcycle-car collision this evening. We just talked with police, who tell us the rider was taken to the hospital. They’re finishing cleaning up the intersection right now, and the damaged motorcycle is being towed.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car vandalized
May 6, 2017 6:30 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car vandalized
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

One reader report so far today, from Meredith:

Car window broken overnight on SW Austin St and 19th:

Broke my driver’s-side car window that was facing the street, sometime between 1 am and 11 am. No stolen property or other damage.

This is the second time this year. Neighbors across the street have had at least two car break-ins since August with stolen property but no vehicle damage.

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WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY: 1 week away! See the map/list now
May 6, 2017 4:18 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY: 1 week away! See the map/list now
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

In case you haven’t already seen it since we added the link to the WSB menu a few hours ago – the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day map/list for next Saturday (May 13th) is ready for your review! It’s here, along with the link to download the printable PDF guide.

300+ sales are signed up, some with their own nicknames/summaries, like the “2 geeks and a painter” sale, the “aging hipster and 10-year-old son” sale, the “I’m too lazy to sell it on eBay” sale, the “glass artist clearing inventory” sale … moving sales, including moving out-of-state sales and moving out-of-the-country sales … block sales, nonprofit-benefiting sales, business sales … Be sure to read BELOW the online map for tips on how to use it, including how to search it for a specific type of item you’re looking for.

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Reader report: Man hurt on Alki
May 6, 2017 3:17 pm
|    Comments Off on Reader report: Man hurt on Alki
 |   West Seattle news

If you saw the SPD/SFD response just west of the Alki Bathhouse, Marshall, the reader who sent the photo, tells us a man was unloading beach gear from his hatchback when a driver pulled up to drop someone off and rolled into him. Not seriously hurt, Marshall says; the “aid response” classification of the call would be consistent with that.

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Westside Plant and Garden Art Fair 2017, day 1
May 6, 2017 1:18 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gardening | Gatewood | West Seattle news

1:18 PM: Sunshine got you in the mood to grow something? Check out this year’s Westside Plant and Garden Art Fair, on until 3 pm today (and again 10 am-2 pm Sunday) at WSUU, 7141 California SW, in Gatewood. You can do more than shop – right now, until 2 pm, for one, Kevin Pinnell, “The Balloon Man,” is there to make balloon sculptures for kids. Live music until 2:30 pm, too.

ADDED SATURDAY EVENING: Thanks to Jonathan Rawle for the next two photos:

Above, WSUU member Eileen Duffy was showing her young friend Binegar what’s in the raffle prize baskets. Below left, plant volunteer Rose Sheppard offered advice on plant selection:

Again, you can check out the second day of the fair 10 am-2 pm Sunday.

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BRIDGE WORK UPDATE: Westbound closure Sunday night/early Monday
May 6, 2017 11:52 am
|    Comments Off on BRIDGE WORK UPDATE: Westbound closure Sunday night/early Monday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Quick note if you are a late-night/early-morning West Seattle Bridge user – the closures on the west end for streetlight work that started this past Monday night will continue on Sunday night (May 7th), according to an update from SDOT, and crews will be back to closing the westbound west end of the bridge this time. They’re scheduled to start detouring westbound traffic onto the Delridge exit at 8 pm Sunday, ending by 5 am Monday.

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PHOTOS: West Seattle/South Park open house for HALA rezoning, other city programs
May 6, 2017 10:12 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news

10:12 AM: We’re at Westside School (WSB sponsor) at 10404 34th SW in Arbor Heights, where the city’s second “open house” centered on the HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability rezoning proposals has just begun. (Use this clickable/zoomable citywide map to see how your neighborhood would be affected.) Unlike the December open house in The Junction, there’s lots of room for lots of people at this one – it’s in the upstairs multipurpose room at the school – the staircase is right inside the main entrance from 34th.

In addition to HALA – with general information as well as a table for each of this area’s five Urban Villages (The Junction, Morgan Junction, Admiral, Westwood-Highland Park, South Park) …

… you’ll also find tables for SDOT, Metro, the upcoming May 25th Highland Park Find It/Fix It Walk, and Democracy Vouchers…

… among other things. And the HALA HoloLens “what it would look like under the rezoning” view is indeed being offered.

We’re off to explore some more.

10:35 AM UPDATE: Along with the HoloLens, here’s some of what else is new at this event, if you’ve already been to meetings and discussions about HALA rezoning. For one, we haven’t seen these boards, attempting to put faces and names to the affordable-housing shortage:

Also, a new timeline – the next big touchstone in the process, the draft Environmental Impact Statement, was due out this month. This board says it’s not expected until June, which means a comment period ending in mid-July:

And on the individual Urban Villages’ tables, we’re seeing sheets pointing out projects involved in the city’s previous program for below-market-rate housing in some projects – that’s the Multi-Family Tax Exemption project, in which property tax isn’t charged on the residential portion of projects for 15 years if they agree to rent a certain percentage of units to people making a certain level of income:

That project is unrelated to HALA and has been in place for many years – most of the newer, larger developments in West Seattle are participants. Meantime, back at the “so what would things look like if the rezoning happens?” area in the corner, along with the HoloLens 3D view, there’s also a monitor running a slideshow showing the difference between, for example, development zoned to 40′ currently, and what it would become if HALA adds a floor, to 55′.

So if you come to this (or are here already), don’t miss that in the corner on the right side of the stage.

11:02 AM: Half over already. Here’s the current crowd – still lots of room:

We have to move on, so that’s our last look at this event. If you couldn’t be here and haven’t commented on HALA MHA yet, you can still do that via halainfo@seattle.gov.

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See what’s up for your West Seattle Saturday!
May 6, 2017 6:57 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Golden-crowned kinglet, photographed by Mark Wangerin, who says it requires much time and patience to catch a view of these guys!)

Spring is really and truly starting to unfold … and you can tell from the long list of West Seattle weekend events … these are just some of what’s on our calendar for today/tonight!

TROOP 284 GARAGE & BAKE SALE: 8 am-4 pm at Admiral Congregational Church – just received this photo:

See what the troop’s selling to raise money for camp and outdoor activities. (4320 SW Hill)

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST RUMMAGE SALE: 9 am-3 pm, second and final day of the big “famous and fabulous” sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, in the parish hall. (3050 California SW)

DONATIONS FOR REST: 9 am-noon, women helped by Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST) will benefit from your donations of new black leggings and undergarments, dropped off at Hope Lutheran Church. (4456 42nd SW)

FIND OUT ABOUT HALA REZONING AND OTHER CITY PROGRAMS … at the city’s open house this morning at Westside School (WSB sponsor), 10 am-noon. Here’s our most-recent preview. (10404 34th SW)

WESTSIDE PLANT AND GARDEN ART FAIR: 10 am-3 pm, day one of the Westside Plant and Garden Art Fair at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Gatewood Hill. Including a balloon artist to entertain the kids, noon-2 pm today. Details in our calendar listing. (7141 California SW)

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN PEONY AND BAMBOO FESTIVAL: 10 am-4 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north end of the South Seattle College campus, with today’s highlights including a lion dance at 11:30 am, Bubbleman at 12:30 pm, and a performance with Chinese Dance, Song, Shaolin Martial Arts, and Sichuan Face Changing at 2 pm. (6000 16th SW)

KAREN KONZUK AT CLICK! 10 am-6 pm, stop by Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in The Junction for a trunk show and new collection preview with jewelry artist Karen Konzuk:

The folks at Click! shared the photo and tell us, “The new collection is called Stellar Continuum and features diamond dust and concrete with stainless steel.” (4540 California SW)

COMMUNITY ORCHARD OF WEST SEATTLE: 10 am-2 pm, come find out about the orchard on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, and lend a hand. Details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)

VIETNAMESE STORY TIME: 11:30 am-noon at Delridge Library. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

FREE KINDERMUSIK: 12:30 pm at My Three Little Birds (WSB sponsor). (6959 California SW)

SASSAFRAS POP-UP LAUNCH PARTY: 5-9 pm, apparel, tea, lipstick, and more at Virago in The Junction. (4306 SW Alaska)

NUCLEAR-WEAPONS CONCERNS @ WEST SEATTLE MEANINGFUL MOVIES: “Command and Control” is this month’s film. See the trailer here. Doors at Neighborhood House High Point open at 6:30 pm; film at 7, followed by facilitated discussion. Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility will be represented. No admission charge, but donations are welcome. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

‘FIRST DATE’: Second-to-last chance to see Twelfth Night Productions’ “First Date,” 7:30 pm curtain at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

THAT’S NOT ALL … you’ll find more for today/tonight/beyond on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.

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GIVE A LIFE-SAVING GIFT: Sign up now for Holy Rosary/Red Cross blood drive
May 5, 2017 10:30 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Health | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If you can donate blood, an upcoming drive in West Seattle invites you to sign up for a spot – they’re hoping to have 50 people donate:

Holy Rosary School is partnering with the American Red Cross to hold our first community blood drive on May 22 between 2 pm and 7 pm.

Giving blood is giving the gift of life. Please consider donating with us to support this life-giving organization. To register and reserve your spot, please visit: www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code HolyRosarySeattle (upper right of the page). The event will be held at the Holy Rosary School Hall, located at 4142 42nd Ave SW.

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FOLLOWUP: ‘Adopted’ flower baskets almost ready for West Seattle Junction debut
May 5, 2017 9:24 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news

Back in January, we reported on a new fundraiser in The Junction – the chance to adopt one of the 90+ flower baskets that are displayed in spring and summer. This year’s baskets are almost ready to go – the photo above is from the greenhouse where they’re growing until the weather’s consistently warm(ish) enough to bring them out. More than 80 were adopted, and you’ll see commemorative plaques next to them (including one for WSB – we signed up too!) when they appear within the next few weeks.

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TOMORROW: HALA (etc.) open house for West Seattle/South Park
May 5, 2017 8:07 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

One more reminder before the weekend begins:

If you have questions or comments about the proposed rezoning for the Mandatory Housing Affordability component of the city’s HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) plan, you’ll want to start your Saturday at Westside School (10404 34th SW; WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights, where various city departments are teaming up for an open house, 10 am-noon. HALA MHA and how it would affect West Seattle and South Park (see the interactive map here) is at centerstage – with something new, as we reported earlier this week – but other city departments will be there too, with information about a variety of projects. It’s an informal meeting, like the one back in December – but much more room this time! – so you can just drop in during that 2-hour window.

P.S. The city has had workshops about the HALA MHA proposals in all five of the West Seattle/South Park Urban Village areas. It’s posted most of the presentations and summaries on this page if you want to review them before the open house; while the Morgan Junction feedback summaries still aren’t there, two months after the final workshop, they were just sent to the Morgan Community Association, whose president Deb Barker forwarded it to us – see the documents here, here, and here.

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Memorial service May 11 for John Daniel Walters, Jr., 1943-2017
May 5, 2017 4:43 pm
|    Comments Off on Memorial service May 11 for John Daniel Walters, Jr., 1943-2017
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather May 11th to remember John Daniel Walters, Jr. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing with the community:

John (Danny) Daniel Walters, Jr., age 74, passed away Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at Highline Hospital after suffering a stroke.

Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, on February 5, 1943, to John and Mattie Walters. John lived in Texas until he entered the Navy in 1962. He served as a Radioman on the USS Graffias until honorably discharged in 1966. John then married Janet Marie Gould and together they raised a family in Seattle, where he worked as a pipefitter at Todd Shipyard.

John is survived by his wife of 50 years, Janet Walters; children Stacie and Ty; granddaughter Danielle, and grandsons Timmy, Patrick, Justin, and Alex; and sister, Sherry. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bobby and grandson Mikey. He loved playing the role of “Papa” to his grandchildren including Zeek and great grandson Jerimyah. John was a Family man first, always lending a helping hand and giving advice wherever he could. He went out of his way to touch the lives of everyone around him and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Service will be held May 11, 1 pm, at Tahoma National Cemetery.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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UPDATE: House fire in North Shorewood
May 5, 2017 3:19 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

3:19 PM: Thanks for the tips. There’s a fire in the North Shorewood area, and that’s why smoke (and at least one helicopter) is visible from Arbor Heights. Colby says the fire is at 26th/109th [map], and that roads are blocked in the area, and tweeted this photo:

We’ll be there shortly for updates.

3:33 PM: Our crew has arrived at the fire scene. The house is on 26th SW south of SW 109th. As noted in comments, Seattle Fire has sent units as mutual aid (including Engine 11):

Big response overall – this area is served by the North Highline Fire Department.

One person has minor injuries, we’re told, and was treated at the scene.

3:45 PM: The fire (at 10907 26th SW) is out or close to it, our crew reports, and investigators are on the way to try to find out how it started. We’ll check back at the scene later in the afternoon.

6:12 PM: Just went back. The investigator hasn’t been able to go in because the fire has been flaring up. So firefighters will stay on scene TFN just in case they’re needed.

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2 Fingers Social on the way to South Delridge
May 5, 2017 1:19 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Two veteran bartenders are working to bring a neighborhood bar to an evolving stretch of South Delridge.

West Seattle residents Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler have worked in bars and restaurants throughout the city since moving here from Oakland, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. Now the two have become business partners working toward a summertime opening of 2 Fingers Social at 9211 Delridge Way SW, a site that has seen a variety of businesses come and go in recent years, as noted here when we first mentioned an early-stage plan for the site in March.

Spence and Wheeler hope their experience in the food-and-beverage industry will help them establish their bar as a fixture in a rapidly changing area, where neighbors have already been working hard on improvements.

“It will be a place where people can come socialize with their neighbors and feel connected. It will have an old-school feel with a very old-fashioned aesthetic to it,” says Spence in describing the overall concept for the space. “It’s going to be a ‘bar’ in the traditional sense of the term, like what you would expect to see in a classic movie. It’d be a place where you would see Humphrey Bogart sitting next to Elvira.”

Beer and wine will be available at 2 Fingers Social, but the full bar will be the primary star. Spence and Wheeler are still putting their liquor lists together, but already have ruled out any cut-rate labels.

“Our well liquors are going to be what other bars serve as their calls,” says Wheeler. “Our prices may reflect that a bit, but people will quickly recognize that they’re getting quality drinks.”

Between the bar seating and tables, 2 Fingers Social will seat 50 people upon opening. The owners plan to eventually add outdoor seating on a patio in front of the building.

Though there is a heavy focus on the bar, Spence and Wheeler say their food offerings will be just as compelling. The menu will consist of hot sandwiches and sides. They plan to keep selections fairly limited and “off the beaten path.” Wheeler says they hope to work with the nearby shop Meat the Live Butcher on sourcing quality, local meats for their sandwiches. They will also have vegan and vegetarian sandwiches on the menu.

Both fathers themselves, Spence and Wheeler are dedicated to making the atmosphere of 2 Fingers Social as family-friendly as possible so that everyone feels welcome, whether they are coming for cocktails, dinner, or both.

“We want people to come into what would be an extension of our living room . . . if we could have a bar in our living room,” says Spence

The two are working hard on renovations and paperwork in the hopes they will be able to open within a few months, though typical delays in processing could push them into August before they could open their doors.

Once open, 2 Fingers Social will be open from 4 pm to midnight, seven days a week, with the potential to expand in the future into both the lunch and late-night hours.

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