West Seattle, Washington
02 Monday
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has lifted the burn ban as of 11 am, after 18 hours, noting, “Conditions can change quickly this time of year.”
Susan on Gatewood Hill is looking for advice:
Does anyone have a good deterrent for raccoons? Obviously, having a water garden with tasty plants and potable water is an attraction, we admit. What we’d like to know is if anyone has had success with the predator pee, or cayenne powder, or other “scentual” deterrents. These photos were taken last night.
You can post one whenever you want – and join in any time to help your fellow West Seattleites find what you’re looking for — now that the Reader Recommendation Requests are living in the new WSB Forums. Some of the discussions under way right now include plumber recommendations, a search for a storage garage, and a search for TV repair help. Anyone can browse the forums; you have to register to post a topic or a reply, but it’s a quick ‘n’ easy process and your info’s safe with us.
From Kate:
I have an Audi that needs new brake pads and I would like to take it to a reputable shop but I haven’t done this in West Seattle. Can you recommend a good local place for brake repair?
Please post responses as comments; as always, we remind you all RRRs and resulting responses are archived here.
The alliteration’s the only link between these two, but we wanted to get them both out tonight. First, from Denise:
My husband has his grandmother’s old rocker that really needs to be reupholstered. I am looking for some folks nearby that do a good job. Also need to find someone who refinishes wood. I have some old nesting boxes that need some love. Any help appreciated!
Please read this next one carefully. This reader isn’t looking for a specific babysitter recommendation – but rather, the best place to find a good babysitter:
We need to find a reliable kid-sitter but want to stay off craigslist if at all possible (we’ve found it useful for other things not human-related). Is there a way to get input from folks on how they’ve found someone local?
The reader further elaborates that the child in question is kindergarten-age and needs care a few afternoons a week. Please post responses to either of these RRRs as comments; as always, we remind you all RRRs and resulting responses are archived here.
From Alice:
I’m looking for a good, reasonably-priced personal trainer in the West Seattle area… hoping some of your readers can give me some suggestions!
From “bookbiz”:
Can your readers recommend a good acupuncturist either in Seattle or West Seattle? My wife’s foot doctor recommended the treatment, but we don’t know where to begin the search. Thanks for any help.
And from Marylyn:
I am a soon to be new West Seattle resident, and am in need of a good dog walker.
If you have recommendations for any or all of these requests, please post a comment here. And remember – all WSB RRRs, and their responses, are archived here. Thanks for helping your fellow West Seattleites (and future ones!).
Since the burn ban (see previous post) won’t last forever … Rick needs recommendations:
Can anyone recommend a qualified chimney repair person, i.e. tuck point and
cap repair/replace? Thanks.
If you have someone to suggest, please post a comment; previous RRRs are archived here.
From KM:
With the recent rash of break-ins in my part of West Seattle, I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations for the best local alarm system installation and monitoring company to use? I don’t want to get one that’s expensive and find out they’re 1) crappy on response time and/or 2) monitoring, half asleep, in Montana (no offense to the Big Sky state.)
Please respond by posting a comment with your recommendation; thanks to everyone who helps with the RRRs, which are all archived here.
We hate to lump RRRs together but the big news earlier this week has led to a backlog and these three sort of hit a theme, so we’re hoping all of you will help all three of these folks. The theme – new West Seattleites and what they need. First, Christy e-mails — from Atlanta!
My boyfriend and I just closed on a house in Morgan Junction and will be relocating at the end of the month. The 1918 house has 50% knob and tube wiring (which stopped being used in the 30s) so updating the wiring will be the first project. Do your readers have any good electricians to recommend?
Now from Mary, who’s also moving to WS:
We just bought a house in West Seattle and are so excited! We’re doing some work on the house now, planning to move in mid-January. We need our floors refinished! Any companies in West Seattle that anyone would recommend?
And from Wendy, who’s been here a while but this is still somewhat of a related query – with a tangent:
I am looking for a Westside piano tuner to give my little 1954 Chickering console a tune-up since moving to our new townhome in High Point. I’d like to get it tuned before Dec. 17th since we are having a party and I am hoping someone with talent shows up to play.
And once it is tuned up, I am looking to take lessons – my husband suggests jazz piano (I guess he thinks classical is too boring). I am self-taught in my youth but haven’t really played in a number of years. Never have had music theory, and would love to learn how to do chords and whatever that term is where you fill-in stuff to make your basic music sound impressive. My books aren’t unpacked yet but I know where they are!
Please leave responses to any and all of the above as comments on this post; check out previous Reader Recommendation Requests, and responses, in their archive here.
From Jo B:
Looking for doctors … We just moved to West Seattle from Minnesota and I need to find a local doc (preferrably West Seattle but downtown is ok too) who understands fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome and my hubby needs a good old fashioned family doc. Preferably one with Saturday hours or downtown near the train dept. We are United Health customers.
As always, please add your recommendation as a comment on the post; previous RRRs and their respective responses are archived here. Thanks to everyone who joins in the RRRs to help fellow West Seattleites find what they’re looking for!
A reader who wants to be anonymous sent this intriguing request for recommendations:
I’m planning a volunteer event for my company—and I’m a West Seattle resident so I’d like to consider ideas from fellow West Seattle residents.
It’s an annual day of service in Seattle or a surrounding community. We’ll have about 300 people volunteering for a full day on a Saturday. In the past we’ve done everything from landscaping, painting buildings, stocking shelves, restoring a school… to getting in the mud and repairing a creekbed in South King County.
In order to be eligible, the non-profit has to have a 501c3 number or be associated with a 501c3. Any suggestions you or your readers have are much appreciated, either in West Seattle or in the greater Seattle area. We’re hoping to volunteer at an organization where we can make the biggest difference in one day, an organization that really needs our help.
As always, please add your recommendation as a comment on this post; you can find previous RRRs, and responses, archived here.
Provided the weather calms down, we’ve got several WSB Reader Recommendation Requests to get out to you – tonight we start with this one from Chris:
My home computer is not working…mysterious colors flashing on the screen, no access to the desktop … anyone know a good computer technician that does home visits?
Some WSB readers still might not be able to post comments because of our ongoing tech work but if you are seeing this – you should be able to – and Cali in Seaview would appreciate advice:
> We are looking for a good service to call to help us with our basement flooding. We have tried everything all morning, it is not stopping. I am sure there are other people going through the same thing. Any help would be much appreciated.
While we work on that tree-lighting video, we wanted to send out another Reader Recommendation Request that’s been in queue a while: This one is simple — a reader’s looking for a “good CPA, can be in West Seattle or downtown.” (All RRRs are archived here.)
Some great RRRs have flooded the inbox the past few days so we’ll be posting a little more often than usual this weekend — thanks in advance for everyone who so helpfully joins in the discussion and adds their thoughts. This morning, we have one from Mike that is as much an idea as a request – but as we told him, we know West Seattle is full of musicians, so we’ll put it out there and see who pipes up:
Would you know if there are any ad hoc music jams going on in WS? I’ve been curious to gauge the interest for a “hacks to heros†guitar (or other musical instruments) jam session (my expertise on the guitar falls somewhere in between hack and hero). My thought was for interested parties to meet at a pub or coffee house on quieter nights (perhaps earlier in the week when business is quieter so we don’t cause a disturbance for the chosen establishment, but would generate business from thirsty musicians). Besides creating a fun, interactive community event, it would help us casual WS wanna-be-musicians expand our “chops†playing music with others in a friendly, public setting.
If you have a jam to tell Mike about, or would be interested in helping him organize one, but would prefer to contact him personally rather than leaving your info in a comment, you can e-mail WSB and we’ll forward your contact info to him. Meantime, stand by for a few more RRRs later today; we archive all of them here.
From LK:
I don’t know if the roof rats in my neighborhood read the P-I or what, but just a couple of days after the P-I’s “rats want to live in your house this winter” story, I was awakened by a critter gnawing its way through my eaves. And then running happily from one end of the attic to the other. Nice. I’ve called a couple of exterminators and not been called back, but last night I was awakened by a rat scampering around on my couch trying to get the last of the peanut butter out of my dog’s old Kong, so I’d like to get someone out here NOW. For now I’m heading to True Value for a half-dozen snap traps, but I need someone to do inspection and exclusion work. Sigh.
As always, please post a comment to add your suggestion; check out all WSB Reader Recommendation Requests, and responses, in their very own archive section here.
From David:
I am about to drop a considerable amount of money on a new fence and have been unimpressed by the big names that have come by so far to provide quotes. Some have
even taken 2 months to just get us an estimate ~! Can you please inquire with the community on recommendations for fence contractors/companies in the area that perform fast, reliable work?
As always, please respond by adding a comment; all WSB Reader Recommendation Requests are archived here.
West Seattle holiday gifts ‘n’ stuff with an extra punch – plus a request for ideas from you:
POINSETTIAS TO HELP STUDENTS: Today’s the deadline to get orders in for the Chief Sealth High School Band fundraising poinsettia sale; full details in our original post – we just checked and they DO have some left!
BOOKS FOR WESTSIDE BABY: This Saturday, during Hometown Holidays weekend, Square 1 Books in Jefferson Square is having a unique sale — as described on the Square One blog, “Purchase any children’s book from us Dec. 1-2 for 15 percent off and we will donate the book to WestSide Baby. The books will be distributed to families in need in December.”
CALENDARS FOR CANINES: Wendy Hughes-Jelen, from the High Point K-9 Club and other endeavors, has created the 2008 IGGY Ambassadors Calendar, which she describes further: “Entitled ‘Personal images of the dogs we love, photographed by members of IGGY Ambassadors — Emerald City (Italian Greyhounds of the Northwest)’, it is a large and elegant calendar, something to be treasured by ALL dog lovers.” 16% of the price of each calendar (what’s left after printing costs & the lulu.com publisher’s fee) goes to “help pay for vet bills and other costs associated with the very active Northwest Italian greyhound rescue community.” You can preview the calendar here; you can order it here.
NOW, A QUESTION FOR YOU: This came in as a WSB Reader Recommendation Request but relates to the topic of “gifts that keep on giving” — Adam e-mailed, “In lieu of giving presents, my wife and I have donated money which we might normally spend on presents to some of the many worthwhile charities. We are searching for recommendations for legitimate local charities for Iraq veterans and their families. Any reader suggestions?”
Future West Seattleite Tanaya e-mailed this Reader Recommendation Request:
We will be moving from a small one bedroom apartment in Capitol Hill to a small one bedroom apartment near Alki, mid-December. Does anyone know of a reliable moving company that will handle a small move? Thanks!
Please post recommendations as comments; check out other WSB RRRs and their respective responses in their own archives here.
One more to send out this holiday weekend — Deb writes:
We’re in need of a talented and reasonably priced woodworker to make a
couple of pieces of custom cabinetry (an odd-sized bookcase and a music cabinet). In addition, we also have a small tiling job that I’d like someone to do or teach me how. Any personal recommendations … would be much appreciated.
Please leave your recommendation(s) as comments on this post. You can find all WSB Reader Recommendation Requests, and ensuing responses, archived here.
From Tom:
We are tired finally of the old “rabbit ears.” Looking online it appears the Direct TV (dish) is about $20.00 less per month than cable (for the stripped-down, one-step-up-from-the-minimum package). However, I have heard of dish systems being unreliable or having poor reception in certain areas. So … I thought I’d appeal to my co-Westies. I am on 35th by High Point. Any input about your experiences are welcome; in particular nearby folks’ tales of success or failure would be especially helpful.
Please respond by leaving a comment; thanks to everyone who takes the time to participate in RRRs! Meantime, you can find all WSB Reader Recommendation Request discussions archived here.
As a few more folks wander, stuffed, to the computer, we are sharing a WSB Reader Recommendation Request sent in a few days ago by David:
I sure could use some recommendations for roof cleaners and those who treat for moss prevention. … I have a tall house with a steep roof and it seems
difficult to find a company that deals with moss prevention/treatment. Ideally, I need someone to spray a moss inhibitor so that the more severe power-spraying/cleaning won’t be needed every couple years.
Hope someone in WSB-land has the perfect recommendation for Francine, who sent this note tonight:
I’m on a hunt for good, reliable home health-care services for my middle-aged husband who is losing his 19-month battle with brain cancer. Social workers and hospice have given me recommendations, but I’m looking for personal references. He’s still in the hospital after a harrowing weekend of seizures, and I’m not sure what his abilities will be yet. Prior to Saturday he had been very mobile and self-sufficient. But he may be bed-ridden when he finally comes home. So ideally we could use need help overnight or evenings. He’s 6′, 195 lbs., so I won’t be able to handle him myself, even though I’m always there. We will have hospice for medical services, but a nice, compassionate and strong CNA or nursing trainee would probably be perfect. The caregiver would be able to stay in our wonderful, private guest suite with fireplace in our home in North Admiral. Can you help find some recommendations for me?
If you would rather contact Francine directly instead of leaving your recommendation in comments, please e-mail WSB and we will forward to her.
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