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‘Is the new procedure working? Bluntly, we don’t know yet’: Letter from ferries’ Triangle Task Force
July 14, 2017 3:15 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Almost four weeks into the procedural changes that Washington State Ferries hopes will alleviate backups on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, the volunteer task force overseeing them says it’s too soon to tell if they’re working. They’ve written an open letter to ferry riders:

The new procedures (explained here) were implemented on June 19th. The task force met again earlier this week, starting with an hour of observation at the Fauntleroy dock during the pm commute.

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HAPPENING NOW: West Seattle Summer Fest 2017, day 1, report #1
July 14, 2017 11:08 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(DIRECT INFOLINKS: Today’s lineups are here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here, )

(“Live” image of festival zone, courtesy of SDOT info-map camera – refresh page for newest image)

11:08 AM: At the bottom of the image above, that’s the Info Booth/Community Tent at California/Alaska, where we’re stationed, covering West Seattle Summer Fest again this year. The festival’s in its second hour – shopping, noshing, riding, all under way already. The weather’s perfect. Music (here’s the lineup) starts at 3:30 pm. We’ll be showing the sights and the highlights as the day goes by – more to come.

11:41 AM: One trick of maximizing your festival visit is knowing where to look for everything. This year the Sustainable West Seattle GreenLife Expo is in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) – a bit obscured by food booths, so don’t pass it by! Behind the solar panels, in our photo:

Here’s the schedule of demonstrations and events – you’ll find many cool community groups there too. Meantime, at one of the food booths on that side of SW Alaska, the most unusual offering we’ve spotted so far:

Another place you’ll want to look past the main Summer Fest routes on California and Alaska – the Kids Zone (presented by longtime WSB sponsor, the West Seattle YMCA). Activities and inflatables are under the Wells Fargo drive-thru and in the lot beyond, as well as some on Alaska by 44th .

You’ll find the ride-ticket booth on the south side of Alaska by the entrance to the parking lot behind KeyBank – and note that the rides are open a little longer than other vendors on Friday and Saturday night; prices are here.

Back to the food – many year-round Junction eateries do something special at Summer Fest. Like Husky Deli, whose Jack Miller was all smiles already, first thing this morning:

Lots of outdoor seating, too, throughout The Junction, special for Summer Fest. Meantime, between year-round merchants and festival-only booths, about 200 places to shop and visit – including this one that caught our (admittedly geeky) eye:

By the way, if you’re here or in The Junction in general, that’s just a TV helicopter buzzing the festival right now.

12:32 PM: A few government agencies are here too. Including WSDOT, on the west side of California south of Alaska, answering questions about the tunnel – with an exhibit featuring this:

Meantime, festival activities are starting to intensify. Coming up at 1 pm on the stage at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park – an opening ceremony with the Duwamish Tribe.

1:35 PM: Here’s a short clip of Ken Workman, Chief Si’ahl’s great-great-great-great grandson, welcoming the festival:

On that same stage, Orca Dance: Illuminatos is scheduled at 4 pm. The ongoing displays at GreenLife include these guys:

The crowd is getting bigger as the afternoon goes on – and a lot of people are stopping by to ask about the band schedule – we do have the Summer Fest programs here, free, while they last, along with various other informational items you might want to pick up, such as the cards with the West Seattle Outdoor Movies schedule (first movie “Rogue One,” one week from tomorrow, at the Y “festival street,” 36th/Snoqualmie in The Triangle).

3 PM: We’ll be launching report #2 once the mainstage music gets going later this hour – we’re taking a break to publish a few non-festival news stories in the meantime. By the way, the stage/music isn’t the only reason to head north of Oregon (where you have to wait for a crossing signal, since it remains open to east-west travel):

Art is happening just north of Oregon – at and around the Art Dive. Our photo shows what’s happening just outside Red Cup Espresso – where there’s not only an artist at work, but also DJing, and a food truck. More Summer Fest coverage to come! Vendors are open until at least 6, food and rides until 8-ish, beer garden and music until 11 – come see and hear what’s happening.

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HALA REZONING: City seeking changes in 3 West Seattle neighborhood plans; Junction group presents analysis of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
July 14, 2017 10:12 am
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Some neighborhoods have pushed back against the city’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda rezoning plans by pointing out that they conflict with longstanding community-crafted neighborhood plans.

Groups in Morgan Junction and the West Seattle Junction are pursuing amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan to try to ensure that HALA rezoning doesn’t overwrite parts of their neighborhood plan.

And this week, they learned that the city has launched a pre-emptive strike with its own amendment to do exactly that. Language in the Morgan, WS Junction, and Westwood-Highland Park plans, and six others citywide, would have specific zoning references struck by this part of what the city’s pursuing:

Make amendments to specific neighborhood plan policies.

Individual policies or goals in the Neighborhood Plan element of the Comprehensive Plan are proposed for amendment where they explicitly call for maintaining single-family zoning within an urban village or center. Certain policies that call for maintaining aspects of single-family areas (such as scale, character, or integrity) are proposed for amendment if they would clearly and directly conflict with the draft MHA implementation proposal. However, in cases where neighborhood plan policies call for maintaining aspects of a single-family areas (i.e. character) that are possible to achieve while implementing MHA, the neighborhood plan policy is not proposed for amendment.

Amendments would remove explicit references to preservation of zoning, in favor of statements to preserve physical scale or character where appropriate. For goal or policy statements that could be construed to directly conflict with MHA implementation short of direct references to zoning, policy language would be added to recognize the potential for addition of a variety of housing types, while preserving aspects of single family areas that are desired for preservation by the neighborhood plan policy. The following Neighborhood Plan policies would be amended.

• Fremont F-P13
• Morgan Junction MJ-P13, MJ-P14
• Northgate NG-P8
• Roosevelt R-LUG1
• Westwood/Highland Park W/HP-P3
• Aurora-Licton Springs AL-P2
• North Rainier NR-P9
• Wallingford W-P1
• West Seattle Junction WSJ-P13

You can read the entire city amendment document here. The next step in potential comprehensive-plan changes is a City Council committee hearing on July 24th – the proposed amendments, including those proposed by Morgan Junction and West Seattle Junction groups, are all linked here.

While those proposed changes are not part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for HALA’s Mandatory Housing Affordability rezoning, the city’s counterproposal did come up at Tuesday night’s Junction Neighborhood Organization Land Use Committee (JLUC) workshop on DEIS commenting, which is open until August 7th. Here’s what happened during that workshop, including what committee leaders say they have found so far in their review of the document’s hundreds of pages: Read More

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West Seattle Friday: Summer Fest begins; Shakespeare in the park; more!
July 14, 2017 9:04 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Whale off Alki, photographed Thursday evening by John Saalwaechter)

The weekend is in view and there are many reasons to leap for joy:

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST: Our area’s biggest party of the year officially starts at 10 am. We’re in the Information Booth again this year for as-it-happens coverage starting later this morning (watch our Twitter feed for festival scenes, too), but here meantime are the toplines:

Shopping: 10 am-6 pm – here’s the list
Kids’ rides: 10 am-8 pm – here are ride hours and prices
Schedule for other kids’ activities is here
GreenLife – Sustainable West Seattle‘s sustainability-and-more expo is in Junction Plaza Park off Alaska east of California – schedule is here
Food: 10 am-8-ish for booths, later for many year-round restaurants – here’s the list
Music: Starts on the main stage (California north of Oregon) at 3:30 pm with Po’Brothers; headliner Thunderpussy takes the stage at 10 – here’s the schedule
Beer garden: Next to the stage, open till late
Community groups: In the Info Booth – see the list here
Pet Junction: By Next to Nature, on west side of California north of Alaska – see the list here

See you at Summer Fest! Also today/tonight:

WADING POOLS/SPRAYPARK: Open today are the Highland Park spraypark and Lincoln Park wading pool, 11 am-8 pm; Hiawatha wading pool, noon-6:30 pm; EC Hughes wading pool, noon-7 pm. (Find addresses here)

COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC TODAY/TOMORROW … for a swim meet.

FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: Greenstage presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” 7 pm at High Point Commons Park, directed by Erin Day. Details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

ELLIOTT BAY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Party starts at 7 pm, with a beer garden outside Elliott Bay Brewing Company as it celebrates 20 years in West Seattle, and live music. (4720 California SW)

MOVIE IN THE PARK: “Hidden Figures” will be shown at the “park” south of West Seattle Church of the Nazarene at dusk, 9 pm-ish. Free hot dogs and soda. All welcome! (42nd SW/SW Juneau)

MODERNIST GARAGE AND PSYCH POP: That’s what you’ll find at Parliament Tavern tonight. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

THERE’S MORE … as you’ll see on our complete-calendar page.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; West Seattle Summer Fest road closures, bus reroutes in Junction
July 14, 2017 7:03 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; West Seattle Summer Fest road closures, bus reroutes in Junction
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(HERE’S THE REVAMPED SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:03 AM: Good morning! No traffic/transit trouble so far this morning on routes in/from West Seattle.

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST CLOSURES/REROUTES: They’re all in effect as of last night – California SW is closed to vehicle traffic between Edmunds and just south of Genesee – SW Oregon is open as an east/west through route; SW Alaska is closed between 42nd and 44th. For bus reroutes, check this page of the Metro website. This will all continue throughout the weekend, until late Sunday night. The festival begins at 10 am today – go here for full details.

8:11 AM: One more reminder, for tonight: Electrical work is scheduled on the east section of the West Seattle Bridge late tonight and early tomorrow, and possibly again on Saturday. Here’s the alert we published earlier this week.

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FOLLOWUP: Start date set for Water Taxi service interruption during August dock move
July 14, 2017 2:35 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news


(From Water Taxi website: Rendering showing interior of new passenger-ferry terminal, expected to open in late 2018)

One month ago, we received and published an alert saying that King County Water Taxi service – both West Seattle and Vashon – would be interrupted in August so the downtown dock could be moved when Colman Dock‘s remodeling project revved up.

At the time, the start date was TBA, and the length was described as up to 10 days. Late last night, Water Taxi spokesperson Brent Champaco sent word that the start date is now set: August 7th is the first day of the service suspension, which will last “up to a week.” During that time, the downtown terminal will be moved from the south side of Colman Dock to the north side. It’s expected to remain there into fall of next year, while the new passenger-only ferry terminal is built at Pier 50, for both the Water Taxi and the new Kitsap Fast Ferries service.

As also mentioned in the June announcement, the Water Taxi schedule will change when service resumes from the temporary terminal (see the revised schedule here).

One more note: Water Taxi shuttle-bus routes 773 and 775 will continue running during the August boat-service suspension, the county says.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Burglary, and pursuit, on video; tools stolen from job site
July 13, 2017 9:31 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight:

BURGLARY, GETAWAY, CHASE ON VIDEO: Above is a screenshot from video recorded at Brandon‘s house as burglars were making their getaway Wednesday morning in the 3700 block of SW Thistle. While he also shared a video link from the burglary itself, the getaway is most dramatic – here’s the clip (not embeddable): The getaway starts with a vehicle showing up about :40 in; then watch the upper right for a passing vehicle whose driver backed up at 1:02 and pursued the fleeing burglars. Brandon says, “We’re lucky to have had the lady in the van give chase and then come back to wait at our house for the police; thank you, kind stranger, we truly appreciate your bravery”

As for the break-in itself, Brandon describes:

At around 2:45 am on Wednesday morning, the burglars saw that we were not home and stole our mail. They came back at 7:30 am to check if we were home, and upon seeing that their knocks on the front door go unanswered, the four of them broke into our home. Fortunately, the alarm system did its job and the criminals were only in our home for around 3 minutes. … Based on the coordination and dress, it looks like they had this burglary planned out. The vehicle they used (red Toyota Sienna) was stolen. After they left our house, a brave neighbor gave chase. They sprayed a fire extinguisher out of the car to try to shake her and managed to get away. The vehicle was later found abandoned with items from other burglaries in it.

Here’s the burglary video: As Brandon describes it – “Guy comes up from basement to open door for an accomplice (0:04), another guy enters side door (0:34) then leaves out side door (1:03).” Two more screenshots:

Brandon says that none of the items from their burglary have been found. If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 2017-252976.

One more reader report:

TOOLS STOLEN FROM JOB SITE:

At approximately 8:30 PM on Tuesday night, 2 men between the ages of 25 to 35 years old, Asian or Pacific Islander, driving a late-model black Mercedes sedan, were seen coming out of the residential job site next-door to our house on 4th Ave., Southwest below Westcrest Park. My husband yelled at them and they ran with their hands full of things and jumped in the car and sped away. License plate begins with BC. Luckily they didn’t get too much because we don’t keep anything on the site. But, they stole a red Sawzall box, heavy duty Bosch construction site boombox/radio, and some other small items, and maybe other things we just haven’t noticed yet. Have you seen these guys?

They didn’t get the full license plate number, unfortunately.

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PHOTOS: Scenes from West Seattle Summer Fest Eve 2017!
July 13, 2017 7:24 pm
|    Comments Off on PHOTOS: Scenes from West Seattle Summer Fest Eve 2017!
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

7:24 PM: The Bubbleman is on – and so is West Seattle Summer Fest Eve! The streets closed a little over an hour ago for festival setup – and for a pre-festival party that’s become a fun locals’ night over the years. You’ll find outdoor seating at a variety of venues – as well as entertainment, also including Shabazz Palaces at Easy Street …

… and Big Band Blue outside West 5 …

plus your chance to see behind the scenes of setup for Summer Fest, which starts at 10 am tomorrow:

That’s one of the crews working north of Oregon, where you’ll find the Summer Fest main stage and beer garden all weekend long (plus a new band-merch tent). At California/Alaska, the Info Booth tent’s gone up – that’s where you’ll find us throughout the festival again this year (we’re a co-sponsor, too). And did we mention it’s West Seattle Art Walk night too?

10:35 PM: More photos added – first, from Bubbleman’s finale:

Next, a closer look at Shabazz Palaces @ Easy Street:

People-watching on Summer Fest Eve can be fun – in this case, birdwatching too:

That’s Michael with Tara on his shoulder. Meantime, the Kid Zone setup included a test of the pirate-ship ride (on SW Alaska between California and 44th):

And even before sunset, the main stage continued taking shape:

When you come to Summer Fest, if you visit the Info Booth at California/Alaska, say hi! We are there – with festival staffers and community volunteers – again this year. Official festival hours are 10 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday; on Friday and Saturday, the mainstage music and beer garden goes late into the night, and the food usually runs at least a few hours past vendor-closing time those first two nights too. For the Kids Zone – here is our report on ride hours and prices. See you at Summer Fest!

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WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: Scenes from the July 2017 edition
July 13, 2017 6:40 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

6:40 PM: Love to relax with a book and a glass of wine? Stop by Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) during tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk – on right now – and talk with Jessica Trouillaud about her business Words & Wine – which will set you up with both. Viscon Cellars is at 5910 California SW and open every Art Walk night until 8 pm – it’s our first stop tonight. Here’s the venue list, both for art and for food/drink specials along the route:

6:58 PM: We’re in The Junction now – where at least one Art Walk artist is in the Summer Fest Eve spirit:

Gwenevere Ferguson is showing her digital and acrylic art outside Merryweather Books, on the west side of the street between Alaska and Oregon. On the other side of California, same block, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) is featuring Fritz Rud and his Ampliphones again this month:

Beautiful night to get out, not just for the art, but also for Summer Fest Eve.

8:46 PM: We also stopped by Virago Gallery (on SW Alaska next to Easy Street):


(“XOXO My love is very special” by Brianna McCarthy)

The exhibit “Matters of Inheritance” by Brianna McCarthy continues, and on August 5th, you can meet the artist, who Virago proprietor Tracy Cilona tells us is coming from Trinidad for the occasion. The 5-9 pm event also will include readings by writers responding to the exhibit.

(Like Virago, most of tonight’s Art Walk stops will continue showing their featured artist’s work through the coming month, so if you missed tonight – or didn’t make it to all the stops – you can check it out in the days and weeks to come.)

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SAFETY: Pecos Pit ‘adopts’ nearby crosswalk, adding flags, while awaiting SDOT paint and other improvements
July 13, 2017 5:25 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

New at the crosswalk on the south side of 35th and Fauntleroy: Orange safety flags, courtesy of Pecos Pit BBQ (WSB sponsor), which has “adopted” the crosswalk.

Pecos Pit executive Jeannie Hammock says they paid for the flag basket and flags because it’s the best they could do for now – they asked SDOT to restripe the faded crosswalk but it has to wait until the Fauntleroy Boulevard project (and even then, improvements there were late additions to the plan) next year.

She notes that the unofficial “adoption” of the nearby area also includes “the installation/maintenance of landscaping in the ‘triangle’ at the entrance of the WS Bridge in order to beautify the entrance.” (That’s the area just north of the restaurant, which opened a little over a year ago.)

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FOLLOWUP: Second suspect charged in encampment murder off Highway 509, Hung M. Pham, has West Seattle record
July 13, 2017 2:53 pm
|    Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Second suspect charged in encampment murder off Highway 509, Hung M. Pham, has West Seattle record
 |   Crime | West Seattle news


(WSB photo, June 5th, showing police and other emergency vehicles along Highway 509 south of West Seattle)

A second suspect is now charged in last month’s baseball-bat killing of 24-year-old Dillon Graham at an encampment off Highway 509 – and he’s someone we have reported on before.

We first reported on the death investigation June 5th; 43-year-old Aaron Rillera was arrested the same day and charged with second-degree murder on June 8th; 46-year-old Hung M. Pham was arrested this past Monday and charged with second-degree murder today. Pham is alleged to have been the second man reported to have shown up with a baseball bat after a woman sought out Rillera, claiming Graham was trying to rob a friend of hers. Charging documents say Pham has a record of criminal violence, including domestic-violence assault and arson in a 2013 West Seattle case, as well as robbery. Checking the WSB archives, we found the photo you see at right, accompanying this 2013 report on the domestic-violence arson case on the county side of Roxbury, which was linked to an incident in the 9000 block of 16th SW. He was arrested days after that report, and after a plea bargain three months later, according to King County Superior Court online records, was sentenced to a little over two years in prison.

Back to the current murder case, documents say that it took a while to identify and arrest Pham because witnesses to the fatal attack on Graham identified him only as “Pete,” but a police officer who got word of the investigation helped his colleagues figure out that “Pete” was Hung M. Pham. He’ll be back in court to answer the murder charge in two weeks; prosecutors are asking that his bail be set at $2 million.

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SATURDAY: Duwamish Rowing Club’s 2nd annual regatta
July 13, 2017 2:22 pm
|    Comments Off on SATURDAY: Duwamish Rowing Club’s 2nd annual regatta
 |   South Park | West Seattle news

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(July 2016 photo by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)

Last year the Duwamish Rowing Club made history with its first regatta on the Duwamish River, and this Saturday the club’s doing it again – the second annual Dieter Hotz Cup Regatta, 8 am-noon, from Duwamish Waterway Park [map] in South Park. Free community breakfast, too! We’re mentioning it today in case you hadn’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. The Duwamish Rowing Club is the only rowing club in this area (SP, West Seattle, White Center, vicinity) and all are welcome to come watch as well as to find out more about the all-ages Learn to Row program that’s starting next month.

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ELECTION 2017: Voting begins, and other notes
July 13, 2017 12:42 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Ballots are arriving in the mail, so primary-election voting has begun. Five notes:

IMG_1943
(2016 photo, shared by High Point Library)

BALLOT DROPBOX OPEN: As of today, the dropboxes around King County are open, 24 hours a day until 8 pm Tuesday, August 1st, the primary-election voting deadline, no postage required. Here’s the location list; in our area, the nearest ones at the High Point (35th SW/SW Raymond) and White Center (1409 SW 107th) libraries. (If you’re in unincorporated North Highline south of WC, one’s been added at the Boulevard Park library.)

SWSHS ON ‘ACCESS FOR ALL’: There’s only one ballot measure in our area – King County Proposition 1, “Sales Tax for Access to Cultural Programs.” This would raise the county sales tax one-tenth of one percent for seven years to “expand access to arts, science, and heritage programming …” The Southwest Seattle Historical Society announced this week that its board recently voted to officially endorse it – and explains why here.

COVERAGE OF LAST NIGHT’S ENDORSEMENT: Speaking of endorsements, we covered the exhaustive process last night that put this area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, on the record as supporting two candidates for mayor. (Our report includes many other notes, including an update from our area’s school-board director Leslie Harris.)

(Yes, really, 21 candidates. This is a photo of our just-received ballot)

CANDIDATES AT SUMMER FEST ON SATURDAY: Another reminder – 2 pm Saturday (July 15th) in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), see up to 16 (as RSVP’d so far) of the 21 mayoral candidates in the Sustainable West Seattle-presented forum that we’re moderating. We’re going to do our best to keep it moving, so drop in even if you only have a few minutes.

CITY COUNCIL FORUM COMING UP: The ballot also asks you to pick two City Councilmembers – citywide Positions 8 and 9. No incumbent for Position 8 – there are eight contenders; the seven Position 9 candidates include incumbent Lorena González. If you want to wait to see some of them in person first, set aside the evening of July 25th, when the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council is planning a forum – more details soon.

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West Seattle Thursday: Summer Fest Eve, Art Walk, special story time, more!
July 13, 2017 10:30 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Thursday: Summer Fest Eve, Art Walk, special story time, more!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Tern at sunset – photographed by Matt Olson)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WADING POOLS AND SPRAYPARK: Open today are Lincoln Park wading pool and Highland Park spraypark, both 11 am-8 pm; Hiawatha wading pool, noon-6:30 pm; EC Hughes wading pool, noon-7 pm. (Find addresses here)

CONSTRUCTION WORKER STORY TIME: 11:30 am at High Point Library, it’s a special story time – construction workers from a nearby site will talk with kids about their work. You can walk over to the site afterward and see what’s going on – including a crane! (35th/Raymond)

DRAWING AND WINE: 4-6 pm at the Log House Museum‘s courtyard, stop by and draw while taking inspiration from the garden and sipping wine. Free, donations accepted. (61st SW/SW Stevens)

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: 5 pm start – see the map/venue list in our preview published last night, and see artist previews here. One big WSAW event: At Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor), check out the team of winemaker Ben Viscon, painter Lindsay Peyton, and books/wine curator Jessica Trouillaud.

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST EVE: 6 pm, the streets close for festival setup (California between Genesee and Edmunds, Alaska between 42nd and 44th), and special entertainment, including Bubbleman at California/Alaska at 7 pm; Big Band Blue outside West 5, 7-9 pm; and Shabazz Palaces in-store at Easy Street Records, 7 pm. All free. Come wander around and see what else is going on!

OPEN MIC: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), “open mic for musicians and singers of all genres of music” – amateurs, professionals, everyone! 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

LOTS MORE … on our complete-calendar page!

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COUNTDOWN: You’re invited to the West Seattle Kiddie Parade before the Grand Parade
July 13, 2017 9:52 am
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: You’re invited to the West Seattle Kiddie Parade before the Grand Parade
 |   West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

One week from Saturday, it’s the West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle, which also wants to remind you that it’ll be preceded again this year in The Junction by the West Seattle Kiddie Parade. All kids are invited to participate – just show up!:

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017

Kiddie Parade begins at 11 AM

Register at the Rotary of West Seattle table at the corner of SW California and Genesee beginning at 9:45 AM.

Parade route – south down SW California from corner of Genesee to Edmunds.

Bring your bikes and wagons; parents bring your strollers. Free balloons!

The Grand Parade itself – which we’ll be previewing soon too – starts at that same time, 11 am July 22nd, but it gets going much further north, California/Lander. So if you want to see the Kiddie Parade *and* the Grand Parade, be sure you pick a viewing spot on California in The Junction.

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CONGRATULATIONS! West Seattle Little League 10/11-year-old All-Stars to play for state championship
July 13, 2017 9:00 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

First they won the district championship, and now they’ll play for the state championship! Thanks to Darrell Glover for the update:

The West Seattle Little League 10/11-year-old All Stars have gone undefeated at the State Tournament in Vancouver thus far.

After a walk-off nailbiter against Kirkland yesterday, they advance to the State Championship game Saturday morning at 10 am.

Score of the game against Kirkland was 6-5; they have won 4 straight games against the best teams in the State, a special bunch of kids.

GO WESTSIDE !!!!

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch; Summer Fest closures, bus reroutes start tonight
July 13, 2017 7:29 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch; Summer Fest closures, bus reroutes start tonight
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(HERE’S THE REVAMPED SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:29 AM: Good morning! No traffic/transit trouble reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning. Remember that tonight through Sunday night, festival closures/reroutes are in effect in The Junction

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST: Starting at 6 pm tonight, continuing until late Sunday night, California SW in The Junction is closed to vehicles between Edmunds and Genesee (Oregon stays open as a west-east through route) for the year’s West Seattle Summer Fest. For bus reroutes, check this page of the Metro website.

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On 4th vote, 34th District Democrats endorse Bob Hasegawa, Jessyn Farrell for mayor
July 12, 2017 11:43 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

It took more than an hour and four rounds of voting tonight for the 34th District Democrats to decide who they are supporting for mayor.

The result: A dual endorsement for Bob Hasegawa and Jessyn Farrell. Hasegawa got the most votes in each round, but never the required supermajority.

At the start of the endorsement consideration, four candidates were nominated for consideration – besides Hasegawa and Farrell, members stood up to nominate Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon. The four nominees were in turn from a total of 8 eligible (declared Democrats, though the position is nonpartisan) – the other four, not nominated by anyone, were Michael Harris, Mike McGinn, James Norton, and Jason Roberts.

Here’s how it unfolded (followed by what else happened at tonight’s meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy): Read More

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THURSDAY: West Seattle Art Walk and Summer Fest Eve!
July 12, 2017 9:34 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

It’s almost here – the magical Thursday night when you’ll want to come wander The Junction for West Seattle Art Walk – which happens on second Thursdays, year-round – and Summer Fest Eve, which happens just once a year. The streets close at 6 pm Thursday (California from Genesee to Edmunds, except for west-east access on Oregon, and Alaska between 42nd and 44th) for festival setup and the party starts early. Above is the walking map and list for Art Walk venues, where you’ll find art and/or food and drink deals; also, as already announced, special entertainment includes:

*Bubbleman at Walk All Ways (California/Alaska), 7-8 pm
*Big Band Blue outside West 5 (4539 California), 7-9 pm
*Shabazz Palaces in-store at Easy Street Records (California/Alaska), 7 pm
*Live music at Virago Gallery (just west of Easy Street)

More info on the Art Walk/Summer Fest Eve highlights is here.

Plus: Take some time to head south of The Junction to Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) as a trio of Texans teams up for a special night starting at 5 pm – winemaker Ben Viscon, artist Lindsay Peyton, and Words & Wine entrepreneur Jessica Trouillaud.

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WEST SEATTLE DEVELOPMENT: See the design packet for 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, before next week’s design review
July 12, 2017 7:23 pm
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 |   Development | West Seattle news

7 months after we first reported a new project was in the works for 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW – where CVS canceled its plan for a standalone drugstore – the new project goes before the Southwest Design Review Board one week from tomorrow. Looking ahead to that meeting, you can now see the “design packet” – embedded above, or on the city website here (PDF). The developer is Legacy Partners, which also built Youngstown Flats (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge; the architect is Encore. The project proposes two buildings, seven stories along Fauntleroy and four stories on the alley behind it, with about 250 apartments, and the same number of offstreet-parking spaces (per page 5 of the packet).

Remember that since this is the Early Design Guidance phase, the packet (and review) focuses on massing – size, shape, and where the buildings will be placed on the site – rather than appearance details, which would be proposed and reviewed in the next stage of the process. The meeting is at 6:30 pm Thursday, July 20th, at the Senior Center/Sisson Building (4217 SW Oregon), and it will include a public-comment period.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen red Civic
July 12, 2017 5:36 pm
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 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Lauren reports her car was stolen from in front of her home in the Luna Park area sometime between last Saturday and today. It’s a 1999 red 4-door Honda Civic, license plates ABW0982. Please call 911 if you see it.

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TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: 2-vehicle crash on westbound West Seattle Bridge has cleared
July 12, 2017 4:18 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: 2-vehicle crash on westbound West Seattle Bridge has cleared
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

4:18 PM: Fire and police are responding to what’s reported to be a 2-vehicle crash on the westbound West Seattle Bridge by the Highway 99 exit. Injuries are described as minor, but since it’s getting to be homeward-bound commute time, you should be forewarned.

4:50 PM: SDOT says the crash has cleared.

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WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST 2017 COUNTDOWN: See the ride schedule and prices
July 12, 2017 2:45 pm
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 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

IMG_4839
(WSB photo from last year’s festival)

With West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 starting Friday, you might be getting serious in your planning – so we’re trying to answer some of the questions asked most often every year. In this installment: The schedule and prices for the rides. Lora Swift, executive director of the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association, shares the info from the ride provider:

Friday Hours – 10 am to 8 pm for the rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day (Friday only) – $20 (allows unlimited use of all rides)

**Unlimited Use Pass for all three days (allows unlimited use of all rides for the entire event) – $47

**Individual Tickets (rides cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Saturday Hours – 10 am to 8 pm for the rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day (Saturday only) – $20 (allows unlimited use of all rides)

**Unlimited Use Pass for two days (allows unlimited use of all rides for Saturday and Sunday) – $34

**Individual Tickets (rides Cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Sunday Hours – 10 am to 5 pm for rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day – $18 (unlimited use of all rides)

**Individual Tickets (rides cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Note that those hours are different from the basic festival hours (10 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday, with beer garden and bands running until late night, and 11 am-5 pm Sunday). The Kids Zone is on SW Alaska between California and 44th, and in and around the Wells Fargo lot immediately north of there. The schedule for other kids’ activities is here.

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