West Seattle road work: California SW repaving next week too
If the weather’s OK, right after SDOT completes the previously announced Arbor Heights repaving next week, they’ll move on to the California SW work postponed from earlier this month. The announcement:
Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to grind and pave California Avenue Southwest from Southwest Dawson Street to Southwest Findlay Street on April 25 and 26, weather permitting.
Traffic will be shifted to one side, leaving one lane open in each direction. A police officer will assist traffic at the intersection of California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Brandon Street. All crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open.
The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 6p.m.
For information on bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.
Car hits pole, veers off Delridge into Longfellow Creek ravine
This is NOT affecting traffic now, but might later when it’s time for repairs – a car hit a streetlight pole (above left) on southbound Delridge Way SW across from the Boren/K-5 STEM parking lot, and veered off the road, onto the slope leading down toward Longfellow Creek:
City Light‘s been notified – one of its employees actually called in the crash – we’ll check on the repair timetable later; here’s the pole’s damaged base:
Police hadn’t yet sorted out why the driver – who was not seriously hurt – hit the pole and went off the road.
Followup: Car fire in West Seattle High School parking lot
(Photo by David Ryder)
If you saw the smoke last night in the Admiral area – it was from that car fire in the West Seattle High School parking lot, caught on camera by photographer David Ryder. Because of conflicting incidents/events last night, we didn’t get there until the fire was already out and firefighters had departed, but followed up after getting questions today.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore says it was a one-engine callout, but since there was nothing extraordinary about it, he has no information on its cause and says the fire crew that handled it is off-duty today, so he can’t check with them, but he notes that the fire marshal wasn’t called out – which would have been the case if there had been anything suspicious – and no medic unit was called, meaning no serious injuries, if any.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Moore has since been able to reach the crew, and says: “The driver of the car said smoke started in the steering column when she tried to start the car. The most likely cause of the fire was an electrical fire inside the steering column.” He also confirms that no one was hurt.
West Seattle road work: SW 106th paving in Arbor Heights next week
SDOT has now set the dates – weather permitting – for paving work in Arbor Heights (covering a few more blocks than first mentioned here last month). The official announcement:
SDOT crews plan to grind and pave Southwest 106th Street between 35th Avenue Southwest and 39th Avenue Southwest in the Arbor Heights community on April 23 and 24, weather permitting.
Westbound traffic will be detoured to Southwest 100th Street. Police Officers will assist traffic on Southwest 106th Street at 35th and at 39th avenues. All crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open. The crews will work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information about bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.
West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day: 1 week left to register
Do you function best with deadlines rather than “hey, whenever”? Us too. So here’s help if you haven’t decided yet on whether to add your sale to the list for the 9th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on May 11th – the registration deadline is now one week away: When Wednesday, April 24th, is over, at 11:59 pm, so is our sign-up period – we need the ensuing time to get the map’s clickable online and printable PDF versions done so that, as promised, they will be available a week in advance of The Big Day. So far, 160 sales are on the list, all over the peninsula – and you can add yours by using this online registration form. REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER: *Please* be sure you have gone all the way through the PayPal process for the registration fee, too, which will generate a second confirmation e-mail that comes directly from PP, or else you won’t be on the map. (If you don’t have your own space for a sale, check with the two official “group sites,” WSB sponsors Hotwire Online Coffeehouse and C & P Coffee Company – details on that are here.) Can’t wait for another great day of “person-to-person recycling,” deal-finding, neighbor-mingling, and all the other fun stuff WSCGSD is famous for – 9 am to 3 pm, Saturday, May 11th. Questions? garagesale@westseattleblog.com
Five highlights for your West Seattle Wednesday
(Thanks to Amanda Teicher for sharing this bubbly photo taken late yesterday along Harbor Avenue SW)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – four highlights for your West Seattle Wednesday:
‘EARLY DAYS’: This drop-in support group for new moms meets every Wednesday, noon-2 pm, at Nurturing Expressions (4746 44th SW, Suite 201; WSB sponsor) – details here.
HIGH-SCHOOL BASEBALL: Though Seattle Public Schools are out on spring break, both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School have varsity baseball games today – WSHS vs. Franklin at Hiawatha, 3:30 pm; CSIHS vs. Rainier Beach at SW Athletic Complex, 4 pm.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW; WSB sponsor), with an agenda including the California/Fauntleroy intersection (as previewed here) – see the full agenda here.
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), with an agenda including the Duwamish River’s proposed cleanup plan and improvements along the Delridge corridor – details here.
34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: The GOP group for the 34th Legislative District (which includes West Seattle, White Center, Vashon and Maury Islands, and part of Burien) meets on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, at Round Table Pizza in Burien (15730 1st Ave. South).
Seahurst fin whale update: Towed away tonight
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
9:59 PM: Call it “moving day.” Or – night. At Burien’s Seahurst Park, the partial fin-whale carcass that washed up on Saturday is to be moved tonight.
WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there throughout the day as it was prepared for the move.
We’ll add more of Nick’s photos later tonight, as well as an update on tonight’s planned move.
11:23 PM UPDATE: Robin Lindsey from West Seattle-based Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network tells WSB, “I just heard from NOAA and the whale is officially off the beach and the tow is underway…
“A good day today with a lot of education on the beach in a team effort. … The whale is being taken to a remote location for natural decomposition and collection of the skull at a later date for educational and research purposes.” Watch for a post on the SS site tomorrow.
10:21 AM WEDNESDAY: The city of Burien, whose park system includes Seahurst, says the removal operation cost it $3,100. Meantime, the aforementioned post by Robin is up; she writes that the whale’s remains are now at the location where they’ll decompose naturally.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Skateboard assault; door kick-ins; stolen moped
We start this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup with an incident that brought several texts/calls tonight because of a big response:
Police responded to an assault call in the West Seattle Stadium area. According to Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis, a woman under the influence of the drug known as “ecstasy” attacked someone by hitting them with a skateboard. Lt. Davis says she’s in custody. The victim was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Also tonight, two reader reports. First one is about attempted burglaries (these came up at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, too, and we’re working on the full report on everything discussed there). John in the 5000 block of 40th SW reports:
My back door was kicked in yesterday morning at 7 am, as was my next-door neighbor’s door. Nothing was stolen out of either house. My neighbor was home at the time, I was not. I understand a house two blocks from me had the same thing happen around 3 pm yesterday.
From Miranda, word of a stolen moped – the one in this montage:
She says it was stolen Sunday night or Monday near 59th/Alki: “The moped is a Motobecane; it has pedals but is missing it’s motor as we were working on updating it. The front wheel is bright turquoise and the back on is a maroon-ish color. It’s very unique so it’s hard to miss.” If you’ve seen it, call police.
West Seattle restaurants: Pizzeria Credo’s first night
Asked if tonight was a “soft open,” Pizzeria Credo proprietor Jacques Nawar said yes, but then “not too soft” – they are open to the public tonight until approximately 10 pm. Below, Nawar (center) with chefs Franco and Matt beside the wood-fired pizza oven at the front of the space; you’ll be able to see the fresh pizzas being created through the front window:
As noted in an interview with WSB last month, the space has been remodeled in a big way, including warmer colors “to brighten up the place†and lighting fixtures:
Nawar has planned a “smart†and “eclectic†menu, offering far more than the wood-fired pizza. Pizzeria Credo will also serve appetizers, salads, other entrees such as duck – a specialty, he says – and chicken. And yes there will be gluten-free pizza. Ingredients will be “as organic and local as possibleâ€; Nawar says they are working with West Seattle Produce and looking for other local growers/providers with whom to partner.
Customer Elise enjoys her side car cocktail at the bar.
Pizzeria Credo is located at 4520 California SW.
Delridge Playfield wire-theft followup: Repairs to cost up to $20,000
(Photos courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation)
Followup today on the huge copper-wire theft that has put Delridge Playfield out of commission for many events until further notice, as reported here last night. Today, Parks says its electricians estimate the repairs will cost up to $20,000 and take up to two weeks. They were at the parks today, as were police, trying to find out more about the theft of 1,200 feet of wire. An update from Parks today explains how it happened:
The copper wiring was accessed from the junction boxes under light poles around the perimeter of the field. After cutting the wires between each junction box, thieves brought in a vehicle (likely a truck), hooked up the wire to the vehicle and pulled out the wiring. Parks staff believe the theft was conceived and executed over several nights, as it appears other junction boxes with wire still inside were prepared for theft.
Parks’ update quotes acting superintendent Christopher Williams as saying, “This is a significant theft … and we want to catch the person or people who did it because this creates a needless expense for taxpayers and an unnecessary loss of playing time for park users. … We are asking anyone who is a neighbor to a Seattle Parks and Recreation ballfield to help us keep eyes on our parks. We need neighbors’ help to deter criminal activity.†Call Seattle Police if you have any information about the theft – or any time you spot suspicious activity. Parks also says you can report suspicious behavior to the Park Rangers’ office at 206-255-8325.
(One more reminder about crime concerns/trends in general – the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets at 7 tonight, Southwest Precinct meeting room, SW Webster just west of Delridge Way SW.)
Got tweens or teens? Saturday celebration at SW Teen Life Center
Just out of the WSB inbox – big “Youth Appreciation Day” event Saturday at Southwest Teen Life Center:
Target, Seattle Police, and Southwest Teen Life Center are hosting a celebration for youth this Saturday, April 20th from noon – 4p at Southwest Teen Life Center – 2801 SW Thistle. Activities (appropriate for ages 11 and up) include;
· Outdoor Games – (Potato Sack Race, Three-legged Race, Relay Races, Water Balloon Toss, etc.)
· Karaoke
· Austin Foundation Fitness Obstacle Course
· Interactive Video Game Experience (Xbox Kinect)
· Food and Refreshments
ArtsWest announces – and previews – next season: “Splash of Color”
Photo by Nick Adams
By Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Artistic Director Christopher Zinovitch (above) introduced ArtsWest‘s Splash of Color season to a rapt audience last night – a suspenseful unveiling of each production’s poster followed by live songs and scenes by cast members.
The season lineup includes the rolling world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s The Taming, a new comedy based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew; Little Women the Musical, a poignant and timeless classic perfect for the holiday season; Douglas Carter Beane’s scathingly hilarious look at celebrity, The Little Dog Laughed; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s final play, Third; and the legendary story about the search for truth, peace and love in Vietnam War-era America, HAIR.
Read More
Update: Boston bombing ‘response run’ on Alki at 2 pm
11:52 AM: Just received from Eric Renn at West Seattle CrossFit:
Today, we are organizing a Team Red White and Blue “Response Run”. The run will be from the Statue of Liberty to Anchor Park and back, the typical 5k run on Alki … we will begin at 2 p.m. today and carry an American flag with us the entire way.
(Statue of Liberty Plaza is at 61st and Alki.)
3:57 PM: Scenes of the Response Run in the sunshine along Alki Beach:
(Photos by WSB’s Katie Meyer)
Preparing to hand off the flag, at Anchor Park:
Fixed flags around the state are all at half-staff today by decree of Governor Inslee.
4 more highlights for your West Seattle Tuesday
(Bald eagle, by Trileigh Tucker, who writes about nature @ naturalpresence.wordpress.com)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you will always find even more of what’s going on), four more highlights for tonight:
REAL ESTATE CAREER NIGHT: With the housing market on the rebound, real-estate careers are drawing renewed interest. Prudential Northwest Realty (WSB sponsor) is hosting a real-estate Career Night at 6 pm, 4700 42nd SW, Suite 600 – details here.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Concerns/questions about crime/safety issues in your neighborhood? This is your chance to bring them up directly to Southwest Precinct leadership and to the Community Police Team officers. 7 pm at the precinct’s meeting room (Delridge/Webster), with a guest speaker from the SPD Gang Unit.
BELLY DANCING: The monthly Alauda freeform-belly-dancing showcase at Skylark Caf̩ and Club is tonight, 7:30 pm Рdetails here.
STARLIGHT SINGER/SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: 9 pm tonight at Shadowland (California/Oregon), come listen to local musicians perform their work.
West Seattle HS baseball: Benefit today/tonight; Monday win
Yet another win for the division-leading West Seattle High School Wildcats – now 9-1 in Metro League play – and tonight, you can help supporters raise money for the team. First, the summary from Greg Slader, who also shared the photos:
Sunshine and freshly cut grass welcomed the Varsity Baseball team to Bainbridge island. Sam Hellinger (top photo) enjoyed a nice day, hitting 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs while pitching a complete game (7 innings) and racking up 11 strikeouts. The team was hot from the beginning, scoring three runs in the first inning as Morgan and Spencer were all over the base paths scoring two runs each.
(Jimmy Mai goes for the tag at the plate)
Next game is Wednesday @ Hiawatha, 3:30 pm, vs. Franklin.
Now, the benefit: From 3 pm until close, today/tonight, part of the proceeds from food and beverage purchases at Christo’s on Alki will benefit the team through the WSHS Booster Club. Christo’s is at the beach, 2508 Alki SW.
From the WSB Lost/Found Pets page: Macaw rescued!
A happy-ending story to conclude the night:
After a text this afternoon, we posted a “lost macaw spotted” report on the WSB Lost/Found Pets page. Not much later, a rescue ensued: Merry Myers tells the tale, and shares the photos:
Mya the Macaw flew out of her house up the hill from 47th and Alaska Sts and landed on the highest branches of a tree just off the 47th Ave SW alley – between Alaska and Oregon. The owners tried to call the bird down and soon a crowd from the neighborhood gathered, including a nearby resident who brought her parrot with her to see if the Macaw might be curious enough to come down and investigate:
Tall ladders were offered by the neighbors and the owner climbed way up in the tree with treats, to try and lure her down.
Finally she began to make her way down to him and he eventually managed to grab her and make his way precariously down the tree while the neighbors cheered.
We live in a great neighborhood.
West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘Very large’ copper-wire theft shuts down Delridge Playfield
Delridge Playfield nighttime events have been canceled/relocated TFN because “someone has stolen a very large amount of copper wiring,” 
according to Seattle Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad. How large? At least 1,200 feet of wiring – which, according to Parks, ran between poles at the playfield. They also believe that the thief/thieves were planning to return – because they had, according to a Parks report, “dismantled more of the system than they were able to take in one session and had broken into other areas preparing to pull even more wire out.” Hammerstad says Parks is asking anyone with information about the theft to call Seattle Police; meantime, the Parks electrical shop is assembling a plan to get the playfield lighting back in operation, but it won’t be easy, says one manager – “this will require research and then a bunch or work to trace and then reinstall this much wire.” No cost estimate yet – we expect to find out more tomorrow.
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