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Update: Shell drillships leave Harbor Island – Arctic-bound
June 27, 2012 8:51 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

FIRST REPORT, 8:51 AM: Thanks to Christine for the first tip (and to everyone else who’s alerted us since!) – the Shell-owned drillship Kulluk has left Harbor Island, where it’s undergone what’s reported to be $100 million work at Vigor Shipyards, being prepared for a controversial new round of Arctic oil exploration. It arrived at Vigor almost a year ago – while the much-photographed SBX was still there (it had to move out briefly for Kulluk to move into place, as we reported that day). Right now, it’s being accompanied by Aiviq, the icebreaker whose arrival we showed you on June 2, when Greenpeace Esperanza was here too, watching for the Shell rigs’ departure. The rig that arrived later, Noble Discoverer, is still moored at Vigor right now. As noted here Monday, those three ships and others are now under a federally granted protection order for a 500-yard “safety zone” while they are in transit. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting this group as it heads slowly westbound in Elliott Bay.

9:47 AM UPDATE: Thanks to Karyn for that earlier view from downtown, with Colman Dock in the foreground and West Seattle in the background. The flotilla is heading northwest now, about two-thirds of the way through the bay, still visible from north-facing West Seattle shores but getting more distant.

9:54 AM UPDATE: The Noble Discoverer has left too and is quickly catching up to the rest of the flotilla.

It arrived at Vigor in early April (WSB coverage here).

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Roadside cherry sale planned Thursday to help brain-tumor patient
June 26, 2012 11:12 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Thanks to Angela for e-mailing tonight to share the news about a roadside fundraiser planned for Thursday at Emma Schmitz Overlook along Beach Drive. 31-year-old Jessica Oldwyn, who lives in Green Lake, is in the third year of fighting a brain tumor, and writing about her fight online. As she writes in a recent entry, she has an experimental treatment coming up, and the ongoing fight is costly – so her parents are going to sell organic cherries to raise money to help. They plan to be at the waterfront park 11 am-1 pm this Thursday (and as Jessica writes, other locations later).

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32 West Seattle ideas start 2nd round of park-levy Opportunity Fund
June 26, 2012 7:55 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The Parks and Green Spaces Levy passed by Seattle voters three and a half years ago included an Opportunity Fund for community-generated projects and acquisitions – and the second round of projects is now starting to make its way through the pipeline. The levy’s Oversight Committee is chaired by West Seattle’s Pete Spalding, who says that last night’s committee meeting yielded some numbers: 112 letters submitted for potential projects, 87 of which would be “development” – new Parks facilities – and 25 “acquisition,” new Parks property. West Seattle and vicinity had the largest number of letters of interest turned in – 32; second most was from the northwest section of the city, 22. The next step is the formal application process, with a September 17th deadline, after technical-assistance workshops to be scheduled during the summer; the full timeline is here.

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Update: TV helicopter in White Center/Highland Park area
June 26, 2012 5:36 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

5:36 PM: Receiving lots of calls/texts about a helicopter over White Center/Highland Park. Witnesses say it’s Channel 7 TV, which subsequently said via Twitter they were checking out an “unconfirmed” report of a possible drug bust in the area.

5:43 PM UPDATE: We checked with King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, who says she’s working to get more information about a search warrant in WC.

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Make history! Show off before thousands of West Seattleites! Float Dodger 5K registration party Sunday
June 26, 2012 4:20 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

In three and a half weeks, you can make history by being part of the first-ever West Seattle Float Dodger 5K – a run/walk right before the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade, reminiscent of the Torchlight Run preceding the Seafair Torchlight Parade. If you haven’t registered for the Float Dodger 5K yet, you can have fun doing that during the registration party at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) this Sunday. We asked WS Runner’s Tim McConnell for a few more details on what they’re envisioning the Float Dodger will be like:

The race is 75 minutes before the start of the parade. The course starts at West Seattle Runner (Charlestown and California), goes north and turns around at Lander. There may be a float (or two) parked in the middle of the road we will have to run around.

From there, it’s south on California to Edmunds for the second turnaround, then heading north on California to West Seattle High School’s southwest parking lot (just north of Hanford). The parking lot is the finish area, where we will have vendors giving out products to the participants. We will also be announcing the top 3 finishers of the race, male and female, plus the winners of the costume contest.

The race is open to everyone; runners, joggers, walkers, dogs, cats, even kids! There is a time limit, and those in the back will be getting followed by the vehicles that deliver the floats, hence the name Float Dodger. If you are slower than 4 mph (15 minutes a mile), then you may be asked to finish on the sidewalk, but you will be able to finish. A steady pace walking will keep you in the race and on the course, so you don’t have to run any of it to be able to complete the entire distance. The start time means that there will be a good amount of your West Seattle neighbors lining the course waiting for the parade.

100% of the profits benefit West Seattle Rotary and the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society. We are still looking for sponsors; call West Seattle Runner for more details.

And this Sunday, you can sign up – and ask questions – noon-4 pm, at WS Runner. Get $5 off your registration fee, enter prize drawings, check out the massage booth, and share in a birthday cake for WSR co-proprietor Lori McConnell! WSR is upstairs on the northwest corner of California/Charlestown. (P.S. If you’re worried about running and not having a place to watch the parade – WSR says there’ll be a special viewing zone for participants.)

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West Seattle development: Youngstown Flats continues to rise
June 26, 2012 2:27 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Development | West Seattle news


(Click photo for larger view)
In North Delridge, the Youngstown Flats development at 26th and Dakota is almost at its full six-story height, as our newest aerial view from West Seattle pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen shows. Its 190-plus units are scheduled to open next spring; the design approval and permits originally were obtained under different ownership, and then the project idled – before groundbreaking – until Legacy Partners and Barrientos LLC stepped forward last year. There are two components to the development that you don’t often find – one is that they’re working to turn the SW Dakota “street end” to the north into a pocket park with access to Longfellow Creek; the developers’ latest update mentions that the North Delridge Neighborhood Council is planning to seek a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant to help fix it up, and NDNC is looking for volunteers to be on a project committee – here’s more on their site. The other is their ongoing “artist engagement program”; we reported on one acquired piece in April, and the developers have announced that they’ve chosen two more artists to create work for the lobby – Michael Harrison and encaustic artist Patti Bowman.

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Get a Mariners ticket for $8 & help West Seattle High School baseball
June 26, 2012 12:27 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Go see a Mariners game while helping the West Seattle High School baseball team! They play in the annual High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field every spring, and part of the deal is for WSHS to help sell tickets to an M’s game. This year, they’re selling tickets to a second game to meet their quota, and offering you the chance to buy in: The game is Saturday, September 22, vs. the Texas Rangers. You can get what would be an $20 ticket for $8 (***that’s the corrected amount – we had the numbers transposed previously**). If you’re interested, call Gina at 206-779-9793.

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West Seattle Tuesday: SB Viaduct closure tonight; retirement-living Town Hall today; more
June 26, 2012 9:59 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Those are the tables and chairs placed in Junction Plaza Park by the West Seattle Junction Association. They are this morning’s “photo of the day” in honor of their continued existence – when we reported their installation two-plus weeks ago, a few commenters predicted they’d vanish within a few weeks; we countered good-naturedly with faith in humanity (despite 30 years in news). The tables/chairs have been there almost three weeks, so three cheers for optimism … and for a place to enjoy lunch in the park. On with the calendar highlights:

TONIGHT’S TRAFFIC ALERT: From our custom-combined list of this week’s closures, day-by-day: Just one for today/tonight – the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed overnight, 9 pm-5 am. (P.S. Wherever you’re heading, and whenever, the WSB Traffic page has all the West Seattle-relevant cameras.)

TRYING TO DECIDE ABOUT RETIREMENT LIVING? West Seattle’s senior/retirement-living communities are joining forces for a Town Hall-style event to share information and answer questions, 2 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). Details here.

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING: The lack of summer sun doesn’t stop this summer series of Tuesday night racing. 6 pm, Alki Kayak Tours at Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW); details here.

OPEN HOUSE: Arbor Heights Cooperative Preschool (10404 34th SW) invites prospective families to visit; starts at 6 pm – more info here.

BLOCKWATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: This month’s meeting is all about getting ready for Night Out block parties on August 7th, as previewed here last night. Tonight’s meeting is at 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct meeting room, Delridge/Webster.

HI-YU WHITE ROSE RECEPTION: It’s a reunion and a celebration for Hi-Yu royalty past and present as the heart of the summer West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival season nears. 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9131 California SW), details here.

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Fire in vacant house on 21st SW under investigation
June 26, 2012 7:48 am
|    Comments Off on Fire in vacant house on 21st SW under investigation
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

21st SW south of Croft Place has just reopened to traffic, after most fire crews left the scene of a small early-morning fire at a vacant house in the 6500 block. (The house is almost completely hidden from the street, behind the white fence at the left side of our photo.) No injuries reported, and SFD was working to figure out what caused it, and whether it was intentional or accidental. (Scanner traffic noted that a silver Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was stolen from a neighboring home, and police were trying to find out if that was somehow related.)

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West Seattle motorcycle crash victim ID’d: Former Tukwila councilmember Dave Fenton
June 26, 2012 2:50 am
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The motorcycle rider killed on West Marginal Way SW in West Seattle on Sunday is now identified: 67-year-old Dave Fenton, who, The Seattle Times (WSB partner) reports, served eight years on the Tukwila City Council. (The photo at right is from his 2005 campaign, when he lost his bid for a third term.) The King County Medical Examiner’s Office lists the cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries; Seattle Police said on Sunday that the rider was killed instantly after hitting a pole and being thrown from his Harley (WSB photo above left) and that witnesses say the motorcycle and a black car were “racing” right before the crash, which closed the road for 5 hours. Tukwila records archives show Mr. Fenton’s focuses as a councilmember included crime prevention and telecommunications, as well as multi-family housing (he is listed as an owner of a large complex there).

ADDED 8:15 AM: Overnight, Mr. Fenton’s daughter Monica posted this comment following our original story:

This is tragic and my heart is broken. Dave Fenton is my father and he was the victim of this terrible fatal accident. My heart aches and I still can’t believe he is gone. He loved riding his Harley on beautiful sunny days and Sunday was one of those rare delights. He was 67, a trained rider, both participant and advocate of offered safety courses for ALL bikers. He LOVED to ride Alki and on a beautiful sunny day he was doing what he loved. There is more to this story and investigation. We will have a celebration of life ceremony on Sunday, July 1.

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Update: Police search on Delridge after ‘knife fight’ call
June 25, 2012 11:06 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news

11:06 PM: The day’s second “assault with weapons” call for local police/fire. This time, they are still trying to sort out, after about 10 minutes, what, if anything, has actually happened. A caller claimed there had been some kind of fight involving knives near the Super 24 store in the 5400 block of Delridge, but so far, per radio traffic, police haven’t found any sign of it, nor any victim(s). We’re continuing to monitor.

11:15 PM: Still no word of any victims being found – the call has been “closed” on the Fire Department’s 911 log – but police are still searching for suspects reported to be armed with knives.

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Federal coyote hunter in West Seattle? Seola Beach encounter
June 25, 2012 9:59 pm
|      103 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

That’s Seola Beach Drive in southernmost West Seattle, a street that first leads through a ravine, and then to a small beach community. It’s where one WSB’er had an encounter last night that might portend the arrival of federal coyote hunters in West Seattle, from an agency that reportedly has killed a million coyotes, among other animals, and come under increasing scrutiny as a result. We are still investigating – but on the chance that someone else has had a similar encounter, we wanted to share his story, and the results of our first followup.

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Block Watch Captains Network meeting Tuesday: Get ready for Night Out!
June 25, 2012 8:50 pm
|    Comments Off on Block Watch Captains Network meeting Tuesday: Get ready for Night Out!
 |   Crime | Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

Just days after their first-ever Appreciation Party (WSB coverage here), the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network is indeed having a regular meeting tomorrow night, 6:30-8 pm at the Southwest Precinct (if you come early, around 6 pm, there’s leftover Zippy’s root beer and Full Tilt Ice Cream from the party). The main topic: Getting ready for this year’s Night Out crime-prevention/community-building Block Parties. WSBWCN leaders explain, “If you want packets to pass out at your Night Out, you are welcome to come stuff your materials during the meeting. There will be bags for kids and adults with information about crime prevention and emergency preparedness.” P.S. Register your block for Night Out by going to this SPD webpage.

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Followup: 2 more West Seattle schools get portables, 2 more to go
June 25, 2012 5:18 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Since last night’s road-closing delivery of a two-classroom portable to Lafayette Elementary, and the sighting of another one on its way to West Seattle Elementary today (above), we checked with Seattle Public Schools to see which other schools will – and won’t – get portables. The district confirms, for starters, what a commenter said after we mentioned which schools had city permits pending for portables: Gatewood Elementary and Pathfinder K-8 are NOT getting them after all. SPS spokesperson Tom Redman tells WSB, “Processing and review of permits takes 6 to 8 weeks. Thus, SPS filed for permits prior to the completion of the open enrollment period. Actual 2012-13 enrollment data indicated that portables are not needed at Gatewood and Pathfinder.” With that, and with the deliveries last night and today, our area has two more to go, as listed by Redman:

Schmitz Park Elementary
2 single portables = 2 classrooms
Tentative Schedule:
-1st portable (in halves on two trailers) scheduled to arrive 6/28 Thursday early morning and the 2nd portable (in halves on two trailers) scheduled to arrive 6/28 Thursday late morning/early afternoon

Chief Sealth International HS
2 double portables = 4 classrooms
Waiting to be moved from the south side of Thistle Street (now at SW Sports Complex) onto the campus
Time and date of move to be determined by SDOT – will schedule with contractor

Sealth principal Chris Kinsey told us earlier this month that 9th-grade language-arts and history teachers will work in their portable classrooms.

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‘Assault with weapons’ call on 18th SW
June 25, 2012 3:54 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:54 PM: In case you are wondering about the big emergency response to 18th SW on Puget Ridge – the call is “assault with weapons” but Seattle Police say it’s believed to be self-inflicted.

5 PM UPDATE: As you can see in our photo above, this happened at the end of a dead-end street. No traffic effects; a few police and fire units were still on scene.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is thinking of or threatening self-harm, the 24-hour Crisis Clinic hotline for King County is 206-461-3222.

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From SPD’s crime-prevention coordinator: Sex-offender notifications
June 25, 2012 2:32 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The WSB Crime Watch page has long had the “sex offender lookup” link in its resource section – but unless you check it frequently, you won’t necessarily know if a registered sex offender has moved into your neighborhood. Today, for the first time, we received e-mail from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon listing Level 3 sex offenders that have recently moved into the area. We’re sharing it, along with SPD’s words of caution that this is not meant to be an alarm-sounding, but an FYI:Read More

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West Seattle scene: Busy morning on Puget Sound
June 25, 2012 1:54 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Lura on Beach Drive shared that photo from a busy moment in central Puget Sound around 10:20 this morning – while a new wildlife platform bobbed in the foreground, the background included a state ferry, an aircraft carrier – identified by Beach Drive Blog as the USS John C. Stennis – and the Tor Viking II, yet another of the ships that have converged on this area as part of the Shell offshore drilling flotilla that’s heading north sometime soon with the two drilling rigs that have been getting work done at Vigor Shipyard on Harbor Island. According to a document published in the Federal Register last Friday, Tor Viking (in Everett right now) is one of the 17 vessels for which a 500-yard safety zone has been ordered – including the drill rigs/ships Noble Discoverer and Kulluk – once they head north. (The Greenpeace Esperanza, which had been here for a while to monitor the potential departure, left this area some days ago.)

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City approves land-use permit for DESC’s Delridge project
June 25, 2012 10:49 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   DESC Delridge project | Development | West Seattle news

(Updated post-Design Review renderings shown at May’s advisory-council meeting)
One year after we first reported on DESC’s 66-apartment Delridge Supportive Housing project, meant to get 66 homeless people off the streets, the plan has just cleared another hurdle. Today’s Land Use Information Bulletin from the city includes the decision granting a land-use permit (aka Master Use Permit) for the project at 5444 Delridge Way SW. Here’s the decision; the deadline for filing an appeal is July 9th. A community advisory committee continues to meet to discuss issues related to the project; its next meeting is scheduled for July 12th.

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West Seattle firms win regional Remodeling Excellence Awards: 3 to Ventana, 1 to Weitzel
June 25, 2012 10:45 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Just hours after a soggy morning of tabling at the rain-shortened Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday, Anne Higuera of Ventana Construction was on top of the world during a sunny evening, with husband/business partner Clarence Higuera and staffers as their company (a longtime WSB sponsor) won three regional Remodeling Excellence Awards during a ceremony at the Space Needle. You see Anne and Clarence in the photo above, with Arne Granberg, lead carpenter for the winning “whole house remodel” project. One other West Seattle construction company was a winner in this year’s awards – Weitzel Construction won a REX Award too. Here’s the full list of all 24 regional winners – and here’s more on the WS winners:

VENTANA’S AWARDS
*“Rebuild Excellence: Residential Whole House/Rebuild, more than $400,000” for a project described as “Goodbye, ’80s; hello, contemporary cool” – see it here
*“Major Remodel Excellence: Residential Partial House/Addition, more than $200,000” for a project described as “Goodbye, 1970s; hello, 1929” – see it here
*“Bath Excellence: Bath, more than $75,000” for a project described as “Goodbye, windowless cave; hello, relaxation” – see it here

WEITZEL’S AWARD
*“Outdoor Living Excellence: Entry/Porch/Deck, more than $40,000” for an outdoor space with full kitchen and even a wood-fired pizza oven

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Delridge Day updates: Festival adds food-truck roundup
June 25, 2012 10:06 am
|    Comments Off on Delridge Day updates: Festival adds food-truck roundup
 |   Delridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

A food-truck roundup is the latest addition to the lineup for this year’s Delridge Day, now less than two months away. Just in from organizers:

The Delridge Day Planning Committee is on a roll, with several updates for the Delridge Day Festival on August 18th from 11 am-3 pm.

The newest feature to the festival is the Delridge Day Chow Down. It is the first Delridge Food Truck roundup, set to feed festivalgoers. The trucks are: Athena’s (Greek), Jemil’s Big Easy (Cajun), and Full Tilt Ice Cream!

More ahead:Read More

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Alki couple’s estate gives $1 million for new medic units, more
June 25, 2012 9:10 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The legacy of a couple who spent their retirement years in West Seattle will live on, thanks to more than $1,000,000 in donations announced by their family today.

The donations from the estate of William C. Sanders and Mildred Krahmer Sanders, both longtime Boeing workers, include money for the Seattle Fire Department to buy two new medic units, and for Research to Prevent Blindness to build a lab for advanced eye research.

Read on for more about the couple and their gifts:Read More

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West Seattle Monday: What’s up today/tonight
June 25, 2012 8:34 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Monday: What’s up today/tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Sunday afternoon photo from Lincoln Park’s north beach)
Happy Monday! Remember that school is now out for just about everyone, so while on one hand that means no “school zone” speed limits, it also means, be extra careful for kids of all ages out and about. Meantime, highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

TRAFFIC ALERTS: No bridge or Viaduct closures tonight, but during the day today, there will be some restrictions NB/SB through the 4th Avenue South/S. Spokane St. intersection, on the surface, related to the bridge-widening project. Details on our combined list of this week’s closures, broken out day by day.

MONDAY ARTISTS: If you’re a watercolorist – even a beginning one – you’re invited to check out Monday Artists, a group that meets Mondays, 9:30 am-noon, at Island View Apartments across from West Seattle High School (3000 block California SW). Details here.

MADISON SIGNBOARD COMMITTEE: As previewed here last night, tonight’s the first meeting of a committee deciding whether to recommend a zoning “departure” (exception) for installation of a digital illuminated signboard on the east facade of Madison Middle School’s gym. 6:30 pm, school library (45th/Spokane).

NIGHTLIFE: At West 5, it’s “Flat Earth Society” DJ Night on Mondays – tonight at 9, Catbutter spins … Mondays are also Pub Quiz nights at Shadowland, 8 pm.

WADING POOLS THAT *WOULD* BE OPEN … whenever the weather starts getting into the sunny/70 mode, Lincoln Park would have already had its opening day (it’s the one open every day, weather permitting), and today would be opening day for the Hiawatha pool. More info here.

STILL SEEKING SUMMER-CAMP OPTIONS? Over the weekend, we added to our list of local camp programs that have said they still have room. Some start this week – others, later in the summer – see the list here.

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Followup: After rain delay, finishing touches at Colman Pool
June 25, 2012 7:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

When we toured the almost-done Colman Pool renovations last Wednesday with Seattle Parks‘ project manager Garrett Farrell (here’s the resulting story), he insisted we would want to come back to see the final phase of work – labor-intensive hand application of new plaster over almost every square inch of the pool’s surface. And he was right – it was quite a sight when we returned Sunday afternoon. Contractor Orca Pacific‘s president Aaron Kimura told us they had lost a day and a half to the summer downpour – they could have worked through a light rain, he said, but the heavy, steady rain of Friday afternoon and much of Saturday would have washed away their work. However, they are still on track for next Saturday’s opening. It’s a one-of-a-kind pool, as he put it, and a one-of-a-kind jobsite, so we have more photos after the jump:

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