West Seattle, Washington
05 Thursday
As previewed here, today was the day Chef Gino Williamson of The Home Skillit served up lunch/dinner to the community to help raise money for his plan to open a restaurant. We stopped by for a quick photo before his event wrapped up – he was busy! But he emailed late tonight with this message: “Please thank everyone that came out today and supported. I haven’t felt that good in a long time. It is awesome and reassuring that our community is also a caring community. I’m happy to live here.” He’s raising money for rent and renovations to open Gigi’s Café – named for his daughter – just south of where he was serving food today/tonight, in the building that’s currently the Super 24. (That building has a new owner as of this month.) He has 45 days to amass the funding. If you missed the chance to try his food and support his plan, Chef Gino will be back at 5441 Delridge Way SW to do it again next Thursday (January 27th), 2-7 pm.
Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
MYSTERY STABBING: Shortly before 3 this morning, police say, they got a report of a stabbing victim in the Home Depot parking lot, and found the victim “a block away at a gas station” with a stab wound to his left arm. However, police add, the victim “would not. provide specific details about the incident,” and they couldn’t find evidence of a scene. The victim, they say, “stated reeatedly that he did not want to ‘press charges’.” Nor did he want SFD to take him to a hospital; according to the police summary, he “opted to self-transport to Harborview for treatment.”
CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN: Via text: “Our catalytic converter was stolen in 1700 block Alki Ave SW. 2007 Hyundai Tucson. Between the 14th & today. (We don’t drive often).”
PACKAGE THEFT #1: From Ted:
I watched this woman park and scope out three of my neighbor’s porches on 46th off Admiral around 10:30 am. I confronted her when I saw her take a package. She initially said she lived in that house then admitted she didn’t but said she lived in the neighborhood. Then she dropped the package and ran. Sadly I didn’t get a good picture of her but did of the car.
Unfortunately she removed the license plate prior to the prowl.
PACKAGE THEFT #2: From Monte:
3:17 am Tuesday morning, thief left a half-eaten creamsicle in exchange for my package. Dark-skinned male, around 6 feet, average/slender build. Winter coat with a fur-lined collar, flat-brimmed ball cap with the sticker still on it.
The package contained replacement straws for a water bottle.
The Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meetings are always information-packed. Last night, MoCA’s online meeting spanned an especially wide range of topics:
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
NEW BUILDING OWNER: MoCA invited Tim Overland, new owner of the Ivy Court mixed-use building (6525 California SW), to appear. He said his company owns and operates other buildings in the Northwest too. They bought Ivy Court in November (property records show it sold for $12.3 million). It was built 30 years ago by the family that once operated a drugstore where Starbucks is, about a block north at California/Fauntleroy. They plan to renovate Ivy Court – redo the roof, repaint the building, add a brick facade, remodel the apartments as tenants move. The vacant commercial space in the building has been leased to (updated) a fitness studio, moving up from Harbor Avenue. The building likely will be renamed.
EARTHQUAKE READINESS: For the next three meetings, this will be a spotlight topic for MoCA.
Last weekend, SDOT repaved two blocks of storm-rutted SW 106th east of 35th SW. This weekend, more repaving is planned, this time to the west:
On Saturday and Sunday, we will repave a section of SW 106th St between 39th Ave SW and 42nd Ave SW. We’ll begin this work as early as 7 AM and expect to be done by 5 PM both days. People driving can expect delays, lane closures, and detours during the paving. SW 106th St will remain open outside of the work hours.
Raising the second work platform for the West Seattle Bridge repairs is more complicated than raising the first one, so while preparation work will continue this Saturday, the two east-platform halves won’t go up until January 29th. That’s what we found out from SDOT after asking for an update. “This Saturday, crews will complete electrical prep work, which includes temporarily removing existing light poles and other electrical equipment that will be in the path of the platform hoist,” SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali told WSB, adding that a “traffic detour will be in place both weekends.” That’s the previously announced detour for people accessing Terminal 102 at the south end of Harbor Island.
Six weeks after we first mentioned Gyros on Alki Avenue was on the way, it’s open. After a tip from Tina (thank you!), we went down to verify.
The space at 2716 Alki Avenue SW was home to Phoenecia until December 2018 (they of course are now in The Junction). Gyros on Alki Avenue will be open 10 am-9 pm daily, seven days a week. No website but here’s the menu board – click the photos for a closer look – note they have coffee, too:
(There’s also a delivery-site version of the menu online.) The former Alki Cleaners site next door is still vacant; our followup inquiries to the people who had tentative plans for a market have gone unanswered.
After a series of spot closures, the Seattle Public Library system is now moving to a reduced schedule citywide because of “ongoing staffing shortages related to the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the community.” We’ve compared the new hours for local branches with the current hours – two local branches will have no changes, three will each be closed one day a week. Here are the West Seattle/South Park schedules from the list that SPL says will take effect tomorrow (Friday, January 21st):
Delridge Branch, 5423 Delridge Way SW – adding Saturday closure
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
o Closed Friday and SaturdayHigh Point Branch, 3411 SW Raymond St. – no change
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
o Noon to 5 p.m. SundaySouth Park Branch, 8604 Eighth Ave. S. – adding Sunday closure
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
o Closed SundaySouthwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. SW – no change
o 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
o Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. SundayWest Seattle Branch, 2306 42nd Ave. SW – adding Friday closure
o 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday
o Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
o Closed Friday
The SPL announcement says the “new, temporary schedule was created based on factors such as geographic spread, staffing availability in the region, and neighborhood use.” Book drops will remain open on days that branches are closed.
(Seal on driftwood, photographed by Bekah Sandy on Wednesday)
Highlights for the hours ahead:
FOOD FUNDRAISER: Delridge chef Gino Williamson of The Home Skillit is raising money to open a restaurant and serving up lunch/dinner 2-7 pm today at the 5441 Delridge Way SW service station to help make it happen, as previewed here.
LAFAYETTE’S ONLINE OPEN HOUSE: 3:30 pm, prospective families are invited to an online open house for Lafayette Elementary – get the link in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: 6:30 pm online, meet the West Seattle Junction Association‘s new executive director and learn about ways to help and be helped via the Timebank. Our calendar listing has info on how to attend.
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: You can attend tonight’s 7 pm meeting either in-person at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) or via Zoom – info on both options, plus the agenda, can be found in our calendar listing.
BINGO: Every-other-Thursday bingo at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), hosted by Richard Moore, 7 pm.
We continue to spotlight school fundraisers, and the next one is coming up Sunday – with a pre-ordering option too. Here’s the announcement sent to us:
We are inviting the community to join the Genesee Hill Elementary Dine-Out fundraiser hosted by Lady Jaye this January 23 from 2 to 7:30 pm. If you are interested in a $50 Take and Bake special serving 4, order here by Friday, January 21 at 5 pm. If you’d rather be in person, reserve a table on the heated patio or indoors before it’s too late!
Online ordering/reservations are strongly recommended. 20% of all sales on this day will go to Genesee Hill. This includes takeout, dine-in, gift cards, drinks, the Take and Bake special, and even a one-of-a-kind Genesee Hill special to-go cocktail!
Lady Jaye is at 4523 California SW in The Junction.
6:01 AM Good morning!
WEATHER
Rainy, breezy forecast today, high in the low 50a.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Metro is on a regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.
West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi routes are on their regular schedules.
Ferries: WSF continues a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
667th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable bridges opening for vessels? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed can tell you; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
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