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DESC Delridge project: 2 hearings this week – 1 here, 1 downtown
February 19, 2012 4:23 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | DESC Delridge project | West Seattle news

Turns out there are two public hearings this week related to the 66-unit DESC homeless-housing project planned for 5444 Delridge Way SW (the site at right). The first one has already been announced – Tuesday night (February 21), 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, everyone with something to say about the project is invited to come say it to the Delridge Supportive Housing Advisory Committee, which is tasked for starters with identifying community concerns regarding the project. What they hear at this first hearing will shape their focus in the months ahead. The second one is a Thursday public hearing before the Washington State Housing Finance Commission; one of the remaining pieces of funding for the project comes from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and it’s up to the commission to decide who gets them. The DESC Delridge project is part of a sizable list of projects up for tax credits this year – the credits actually go to investors in exchange for their help in financing a project like this. The hearing is at 1 pm Thursday (February 23rd) in the commission’s board room at their downtown offices, on the 28th floor at 1000 Second Avenue. The official notice also includes information on how you can send written comments, if you can’t be at the hearing, as well as these words of warning: “The Commission will not consider testimony and written comments regarding land use, zoning, and environmental regulation.”

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Update: Body located in area where diver vanished
February 19, 2012 11:18 am
|      39 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(EVENING COVERAGE can be found here)
11:18 AM: There’s a big response at Seacrest – a diver’s reported to be in trouble. Rescue crews are working from land and in the water. Lots of police as well as fire, so avoid the area TFN. We’re on the way; more to come.

(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
11:27 AM UPDATE: According to the scanner, the diver was at one point coming up with “a buddy” but then went back down again. There’s an extensive search effort under way.

11:39 AM UPDATE: Still searching for the diver who’s reported to be in trouble. Police are expanding the stretch of Harbor that’s being blocked off because of the big rescue response. An SFD public-information officer is on the way to deal with the increasing media presence.

11:51 AM UPDATE: The search continues. Per scanner traffic, the diver is part of an advanced class that was in deep water. Meantime, we checked the archives; last emergency response in the area involving a diver was in September; a diver felt ill after emerging from the water. The last water rescue involving a diver, according to our archives, was this one last May, in which the West Seattle Water Taxi and crew turned into rescuers.

12:04 PM UPDATE: The Coast Guard is also assisting in the search; it has a chopper flying over the area. Rescuers have been on scene for an hour now, but the diver remains – as described in radio traffic – “unaccounted for.”

12:33 PM UPDATE: Still awaiting word from our crew of an official SFD briefing. A diver who spoke with media crews a little while ago said this happened in 96 feet of water, clear conditions. Radio traffic indicates rescue vehicles will be thinning soon, with an announcement that Harbor Avenue likely will reopen within half a hour.

12:39 PM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore confirms this is shifting from search to recovery – divers have made three passes and have not found any sign of the missing diver, described as a man in his late 20s, experienced, with more than 50 dives in the past. He was out as part of an advanced class and then seemed to be in some kind of distress and started going up “too fast”; another tried to follow him but upon reaching the surface didn’t see the one who was in trouble. The group then signaled to people on shore that there was a problem, and that’s when fire/police were called. Moore says diver teams have made three trips down to 75 feet looking for the missing diver but haven’t found any sign of him; four divers (two police, two fire) are going to take one more look shortly. (Added above, video of Moore’s briefing, unedited, in its entirety)

1:26 PM NOTE: According to our archives, the last diver death in this area was three years ago.

4:28 PM UPDATE: We went back to Seacrest at about 3 pm; Coast Guard and SPD boats were still there, with the former heading out to look again.

6:32 PM: We are working to confirm a report the diver’s body may have been located.

7:03 PM: Police confirm that a body has been located. Civilian divers continued looking into the evening and told authorities around 6 pm they believed they had found him.

7:49 PM: We have started a new story with continuing coverage of the recovery operation.

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Launch party for The West: ‘West Seattle people supporting West Seattle arts’
February 19, 2012 11:16 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Story, photos, and video by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Disclaimer: The contents of this evening included profanity, alcohol, and ear-ringing chords.

It was a party with prologues: WSB first covered the kickoff for the new arts-advocacy organization The West in November, and on Thursday previewed the posse’s society debut, which happened last night, as The West galloped in to the West Seattle Eagles Aerie, partially removing its veil of mystery.

I followed a fresh trail of cigarette smoke, black leather, cowboy hats, and flyers directing attendees to the Aerie’s back door. Welcome to The West.

Walk through the door to be welcomed by an instant treat: West Seattle’s own DJ Cherry Canoe.

She set the stage for the evening, both with her turntables and with her hoots of delight as neighbors and friends passed her booth.

Hang your coat by the door, and enter a controlled chaos of light, fog, chatter, and a steady hum of expectation. Open bar in the back, free drinks in exchange for the hope of a donation.

The room was a mix of ages, styles, and reasons for being there. This was The West — for now, at least.

Everyone present echoed a common theme: “We didn’t know what to expect … but this party rocks!”

The live music kicked off with Jordan Cook of Reignwolf:

Read More

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West Seattle restaurants: Burger truck going bricks-mortar on Delridge
February 19, 2012 9:41 am
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

The burger truck Charlie’s Buns ‘n’ Stuff has announced via Facebook that they’re opening a bricks-and-mortar location in West Seattle. While we await a reply to our request for comment, details are already in this link they shared from Seattle Metropolitan‘s website – which reports that Charlie’s has leased space at 5214 Delridge Way SW (right) and plans to open a burger/cheesesteak sitdown restaurant with room for 25 by early summer. The Charlie’s Buns truck first started visiting West Seattle last spring. It’s the third food truck working on a West Seattle bricks-and-mortar location right now (along with Athena’s and Marination).

Side note: If the Delridge address sounds familiar, that’s because it has made news in the past for previous and potential tenants, but it’s undergone a lot of remodeling and renovation work in the past year-plus.

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West Seattle Sunday: Greenways meeting; cats; music…
February 19, 2012 8:50 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday: Greenways meeting; cats; music…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

BRIDGE OPEN AFTER WORK ENDED EARLY: As noted in our previous story, what SDOT had warned would be an all-day, all-night closure of the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the West Seattle Bridge is already over; SDOT says the contractor finished before 7 am.

LINCOLN PARK CLEANUP: Had enough of Winter? Spring is happening in Lincoln Park. The Indian plum is starting to bloom and lots of other green events. Lift your spirits by coming to work in the woods with the Friends of Lincoln Park from 9am to noon. We will be removing invasive plants, so dress in layers to be warm and dry and bring gardening gloves and hand clippers (we’ll have extras). Meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose.

FARMERS’ MARKET: West Seattle Farmers’ Market in The Junction, 44th/Alaska, 10 am-2 pm

CAT ADOPT-A-THON! Second day of an adopt-a-thon at Kitty Harbor, with about 20 cats still looking for homes (including Jared the fire rescuee!) noon-6 pm. (Harbor Avenue just north of the West Seattle Bridge)

COFFEEHOUSE MUSIC: Jamtime plays at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm.

GREENWAYS MEETING: Come join a conversation about West Seattle Greenways, Pearl’s Coffee and Tea on Delridge, 3 pm (invitation and explanation here)

ARTIST RECEPTION AT MIND UNWIND: Mind Unwind in The Admiral District is featuring the paintings of Cathy Woo. The new Gallery space is located at 2206A California Ave. SW in West Seattle. A reception is planned 3-5 pm today.

ORGAN MUSIC: Again tonight at Kenyon Hall at 7:30 – Legendary theater organist Dennis James, with hall favorites Connie Corrick and Hugh Hastings. To make a reservation, please e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net.

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Update: West Seattle Bridge work ends 17 hours ahead of schedule
February 18, 2012 11:22 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: SDOT confirms the work finished way ahead of schedule & the bridge is fully open for the rest of the weekend. Next closure is scheduled Tuesday night)

11:22 PM: Just in case you forgot – or missed the past week-plus of warnings – the west end of the West Seattle Bridge is now closed, and scheduled to stay that way until just before midnight Sunday night. It’s the section known as the Fauntleroy Expressway, and it’s getting earthquake-safety upgrades, with closures required many recent nights so that the bridge deck can be raised a bit, with new quake-resistance pads slipped in. (See our mid-January story for a closer look at the work that’s been under way many recent nights.)

Here’s how it’ll affect you between now and the reopening on Sunday:

If you’re heading westbound on the high bridge, you will have to exit at Delridge. You can still get to the Admiral/Alki/Harbor Avenue area if you follow the signs to SW Spokane and head west under The Bridge from there.

If you’re heading eastbound and need to get onto the bridge, Admiral and Delridge are OK, according to advance info from SDOT. 35th/Fauntleroy is closed. If you’re headed toward the bridge on Fauntleroy, you’ll be pointed toward Avalon. So in either direction, give yourself some extra time. Again, this is scheduled to last until late Sunday night (we’ll let you know if it ends sooner). More Fauntleroy Expressway overnight closures are expected next week – but SDOT says that’s likely the last week for them, since the project is ahead of schedule.

8:22 AM: The bridge is currently OPEN, despite SDOT’s week-plus warning that it would be closed till late tonight. We are checking with them to see if it’s closing again later or if the work finished REALLY early.

8:45 AM: Just heard back from Marybeth Turner at SDOT – who confirms that the contractor finished before 7 am, and that’s the end of it for this weekend.

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Update: Missing 21-year-old man found safe
February 18, 2012 9:32 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

3:44 PM SUNDAY: 21-year-old Devan Hammond, reported missing last night, has been found safe. He turned up at a local fitness facility, which had been alerted by his mom to be on the lookout.

Our original coverage is after the jump:Read More

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Video: Damien Jurado’s ‘full circle’ performance @ Easy Street
February 18, 2012 8:49 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

As Damien Jurado performed a free in-store set at Easy Street Records in West Seattle this evening, the art on his guitar seemed particularly appropriate:

He had told the Easy Street crowd that “home” for him was, once upon a time, about a block from The Junction’s iconic music store – and that the songs on his new album “Maraqopa” were written there, so this appearance was like “coming full circle.” The first one, “Nothing Is the News,” starts about 2 minutes into our clip, which caught the back half of another song, plus his explanation of “Nothing …”:

After his set, Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan told the audience his store was the only place in the world Jurado’s album was on sale – at the moment (it’ll be officially released next Tuesday):

And certainly the only place anyone could get one autographed tonight! Jurado also lists nearby White Center as a former residence, though now he is based in Shoreline.

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Update: Electrical problem blamed for Genesee house fire
February 18, 2012 6:27 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
6:27 PM: Thanks to everybody who sent tips about the fire callout in the Genesee area. It’s a single-family-house fire call in the 4000 block of 52nd SW (map). More shortly.

6:36 PM UPDATE: From the fire scene, Christopher Boffoli reports for WSB: SFD confirms fire tapped. No injuries. House was unoccupied at the time. No word on the cause. Fire investigators coming out. (Christopher says there was lots of smoke when he got to the scene minutes after the initial call, though.)

7:03 PM UPDATE: Investigators are on the scene and suspect the fire started in or near the washer/dryer area.

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Most of the remaining units are being dismissed from the scene now, as operations wrap up. It was a full-size callout originally, though, as this photo shared by Gary Mullin shows:

8:28 PM UPDATE: SFD confirms an electrical malfunction in the laundry room is to blame – details here.

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Update: Jared and friends at Kitty Harbor adopt-a-thon
February 18, 2012 1:52 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

1:52 PM: Jared the cat still looks a little stressed – and who can blame him? When last we saw him, he was wearing a special oxygen mask after being rescued from a fire at the house where local animal advocate Teri Ensley was fostering him. Now he’s ready for adoption, and he’s one of the 70-plus cats/kittens with which Kitty Harbor opened its two-day adopt-a-thon this afternoon. We dropped by early on – and of all the cats we photographed, we just had to share this one too – tailor-made for a caption along the lines of, “I’m ready for my closeup”:

The adopt-a-thon continues till 6 tonight and runs again noon-6 pm tomorrow, with other prospective adoptees including more than a dozen of the Auburn “camper cats.” Kitty Harbor is on Harbor Avenue just north of the West Seattle Bridge.

7:54 PM UPDATE: Delyn from Kitty Harbor told us just before 6 pm that 47 cats had found homes, and via Facebook, Stacey said the final count was 52. (We’re checking on Jared’s status.) That means still more to find homes tomorrow (Sunday), noon-6 pm.

8:33 PM UPDATE: Stacey ups the total to 54. And we’re also told Jared is still looking for a home. But the Siamese “Camper Cats” did. About 20 cats will be there tomorrow, awaiting you.

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Coming up in Highland Park: P-Patch, spray park meetings
February 18, 2012 11:18 am
|    Comments Off on Coming up in Highland Park: P-Patch, spray park meetings
 |   Gardening | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Before month’s end, you’ll have a chance to get the latest on two projects in Highland Park. The first one is ready for you to dig into:

WESTCREST PARK P-PATCH: From Brian Greer:

West Seattle residents have an exciting opportunity right now to be a part of the creation of a P-Patch community garden at Westcrest Park. Recently, funds from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy have been awarded for this project, and the timeline to get it in the ground is relatively short. We need you to come out and voice your values for the garden.

Anybody who has ever experienced the joys of a community garden or has a desire to be apart of this great community feature should come to the orientation and design criteria meeting that will take place this Tuesday the 21st. You don’t need any experience gardening or community organizing, just an interest in being involved.

When: Tuesday, Feb 21st, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm
Where: Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden St.
If you have questions about this meeting or want to help with the organization of this event please e-mail briancgreer@gmail.com.

SPRAY PARK: The third and final meeting about the project to convert Highland Park’s wading pool into a spray park (also including levy $) is once again combined with the monthly Highland Park Action Committee meeting – 7 pm Wednesday, February 29th. This time, Parks will present the final design, and discuss the construction timeline (at last report, the spray park is scheduled to be open for summer 2013). This meeting is also at HPIC (12th and Holden).

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West Seattle Saturday: Bridge alert; cats; lots of music!
February 18, 2012 9:43 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(From the WSB Flickr group pool, by “old desolate,” photographed near North Delridge’s Dragonfly Pavilion)
Holiday weekends tend to be quieter, so today’s list isn’t long. From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar (and inbox):

PARTIAL WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT, INCLUDING ALL DAY SUNDAY: The Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project, involving the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, requires a closure from 9 pm tonight through 11:59 pm Sunday. This mostly affects how you get onto and off the bridge in West Seattle. Unless there is some last-minute change, if you are headed out – eastbound – you will definitely be able to get onto the bridge from Admiral/Harbor (SDOT’s Marybeth Turner confirmed this in WSB comments last night) and from Delridge. (Though the advisory does not mention Avalon, we were able to access that way most nights this week – though there was a flagger right under the bridge – so we’ll see how the detour is marked when tonight’s closure begins.)

LOCAL HIGH-SCHOOL SWIMMERS IN STATE FINALS: Followup on some of the athletes we mentioned in our morning preview yesterday: Trisha Montemayor sends word that “Luke Asatainti will be swimming in finals this morning for his 100 breaststroke for West Seattle and (for Chief Sealth) Michael Stewart will swim in finals for the 200 freestyle and Morgan Montemayor will swim in finals in the 100 butterfly. This is an awesome accomplishment as only the top 16 swimmers advance to finals.” Good luck! (We’ll be checking on the gymnastics and wrestling results too, but anyone with word on those is welcome to e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com)

MARIMBA AT HIGH POINT CC: Zambuko Marimba Ensemble at 10:30 am at High Point Community Center. Enjoy the sounds of traditional and contemporary marimba of Zimbabwe. $5/person, $15 max per family.

CAT ADOPT-A-THON! As previewed here last night, Kitty Harbor has more than 70 cats – including famous rescuees – up for adoption this weekend, noon-6 pm both days. (Harbor Avenue just north of the West Seattle Bridge)

OCCUPY WEST SEATTLE: Occupy West Seattle‘s next General Assembly is today at 2 pm at the Seattle Public Library‘s High Point Branch (35th/Raymond). From their announcement: “We hope to see you there as we continue the discussion and continue the planning for our first direct action.”

DAMIEN JURADO, LIVE AT EASY STREET: Damien Jurado performs live in store at Easy Street Records in The Junction, 5 pm.

TRAVIS HARTNETT TRIO: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 6-8 pm. (Calendar here.)

ORGAN MUSIC: Tonight at Kenyon Hall: 7:30 – Legendary theater organist Dennis James, with hall favorites Connie Corrick and Hugh Hastings. From Kenyon Hall: “The hall has enjoyed a long association with Dennis, including his locating the organ that became our much loved Mighty Wurlitzer. It’s been all too long since he graced our stage, and we’re honored to welcome him back. Dennis spends the majority of his time traveling the world performing in solo organ, glass armonica, and piano concerts; for silent movies; and with major symphony orchestras.” Reserved table seats are $14. Row seating is $12 general and $10 seniors. With a reservation, row seating is only $10 general and $8 seniors. Elementary, middle, and high school students are $5. Pre-school children are free. To make a reservation, please e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net.

BYRD ENSEMBLE AT YOUNGSTOWN: Tonight at 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – full details here.

FIASCO AT FEEDBACK: 9:30 pm, live music at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), details on their home page.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Hit-run; theft thwarted
February 18, 2012 8:14 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports – another case of hit-and-run damaging parked vehicles, and trespassing that appeared to be on the brink of theft. First, this photo from Darlene, with word of what happened early Friday:

The photo shows what [one of] our cars look like after a drunk couple slammed into them at 3:30 a.m. (Friday). The police have impounded the car that hit ours and we have photos of the offenders’ vehicle also. We have also submitted the offenders’ license plate to our insurance company. Our neighbors saw the couple walking away up 56th. Prior to them walking away one of our neighbors spoke to the female, who said “we’re fixing a flat tire”. I want to thank all our neighbors who called the police and described this couple. They had a baby seat in their car; no one saw them with a child. The car is registered to an address in Kirkland.

And received late last night from DG:

My son just found someone on our property (near 32nd SW and SW Cloverdale) about an hour ago. He went outside and heard a sneeze, then found a man hiding in shrubbery just off our carport. The man was next to the lawnmower which had the board used to weigh down the tarp removed, bungee cords loosened and the tarp pulled nearly off the mower. The man was about 30, 5’10”, about 170 lbs, probably Caucasian, and wore a red or orange jacket with a reflective stripe and dark pants. He ran off of our property and headed east as my son gave chase. The place where the man was hiding is about 25 feet from the street and surrounded by fencing and clearly private. The carport where the lawnmower is kept is brightly lit and the mower is chained to a post.

By the way, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets this coming Tuesday, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Holden/Delridge), with guests including new precinct liaison Melissa Chin of the City Attorney’s Office and Jill Otake of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Saturday night, ‘The West’ rides into the West Seattle sunrise
February 17, 2012 9:58 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When last we checked in with “The West,” it was a concept galloping around a mixer upstairs at Mission three months ago.

Tomorrow night, The West rides out of the stable and into the spotlight. Or might we say, instead of the classic “riding into the sunset” Western metaphor, rides into the sunrise.

If you hang out on Facebook or Twitter, you might have seen the mysterious hints…

What’s been said publicly so far is that tomorrow night’s invitation-only event is at the West Seattle Eagles Aerie in The Junction, and will feature live music. But what’s The West about? We managed to cajole an advance interview out of two people from the core group – Lora Swift from Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) and Swift Media Solutions, and Oliver Little from The Workshop. Lora’s had a high profile not just for her businesses but for organizing popular events such as West Seattle Outdoor Movies and leading the West Seattle Art Walk behind-the-scenes group for quite some time (recently handed over to Twilight Artist Collective). As for Oliver – some of West Seattle’s biggest events wouldn’t have happened without him behind the scenes. Summer Fest, for example.

So if these are representatives of The West, you start to get the idea the group is ready to make things happen. Indeed, that’s where this is going.Read More

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End in sight for Fauntleroy Expressway bridge closures
February 17, 2012 7:33 pm
|    Comments Off on End in sight for Fauntleroy Expressway bridge closures
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Late today – keep in mind that we’re going into an official three-day weekend – SDOT published its update on NEXT WEEK’S bridge closures. With closures tonight, and the all-day Fauntleroy Expressway closure on Sunday, still to come, it might be a little tough to digest this too .. but buried in the update, we discovered a ray of hope: SDOT says the Fauntleroy Expressway project is AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, and nighttime bridge closures will probably NOT be needed beyond next week. Read for yourself (including next week’s bridge plan) here.

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Slide recalled, will be removed from Myrtle Reservoir Park
February 17, 2012 5:13 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Just in from Seattle Parks:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Landscape Structures Inc., announced a voluntary recall of the Slalom Glider slide. This slide is located in two Seattle parks. Landscape Structures Inc. will be working at Ross Playground and Myrtle Reservoir Park on Monday, February 20, 2012 to remove the recalled slide.

Landscape Structures is requesting consumers to immediately stop children from using the recalled gliders.

The slide is a playground slide that lacks a transition platform on the top and sides of the chute. The Slalom Glider is a distinctive 6-foot high slide that is curved in shape and made from molded plastic. It includes an arched, tubular steel access ladder. The recalled product comes as a stand-alone slide or as an attachment to other playground equipment.

Ross Playground is located at 4320 4th Ave. NW in the Fremont neighborhood and Myrtle Reservoir Park is located at 6900 35th Ave SW in West Seattle. Seattle Parks and Recreation is working with Landscape Structure Inc. to select and install an appropriate replace play element as soon as possible.

ADDED 7:26 PM: The recall was announced nationally yesterday, with at least 16 injuries blamed on the slide, according to this Associated Press story published by our partners at the Seattle Times.

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Followup: Dates set for ex-Fire Station 37 open houses – and, take a peek inside!
February 17, 2012 3:27 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

A fireplace in a fire station! Somehow, you might think it would be the last thing firefighters would want to look at when they’re not out at a burning home – but on the other hand, everybody has to stay warm. The fireplace is inside ex-Fire Station 37, which as reported here last week, is now officially up for sale. We joined broker Arvin Vander Veen from Colliers International there (35th/Othello) this afternoon for a quick peek inside- and the latest information on how you can get a closer look, too.

(That’s the kitchen.) The open-house dates are now set, Vander Veer told us: March 10th and April 7th, 10 am-2 pm. The deadline for offers will be April 20th (as noted before, $250,000 minimum, cash, no contingencies). Since the former fire station is an official city landmark, you can’t change the outside without city permission, but there’s a lot you can do with the inside:

Vander Veer says he’s fielded about 100 inquiries so far, and many have been from people who think this would be the ultimate “man-cave” – and whatever the gender, imagine having a cavernous garage like this for your vehicles, or maybe some creative project you’re working on, or both!

Sizable basement, as well:

In case you’re just coming in on this story – the city built a new fire station a few blocks south, and is selling this because it’s considered surplus property not needed for any other city purposes.

P.S. Two years ago, a student journalist on assignment for WSB toured the now-ex-station before it closed; this report includes a video tour.

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West Seattle pets: Rescued cats await you at Kitty Harbor Sat.-Sun.
February 17, 2012 2:09 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

(Jared the cat with firefighter Jeff Blevins; 1/9/2012 photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Remember Jared, the foster cat rescued from animal advocate Teri Ensley‘s house during a fire last month? He is one of the cats and kittens who will be looking for “forever homes” during a special adopt-a-thon this weekend at West Seattle’s Kitty Harbor (3422 Harbor SW). As posted in the WSB Forums, Kitty Harbor will be open noon-6 pm Saturday and Sunday with more than 70 other cats/kittens, including some Siamese cats rescued from a recent hoarding situation – among those nicknamed the “camper cats.” More info (and photos!) on Kitty Harbor’s Facebook page.

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Guilty plea in White Center murder of Sweetheart Failautusi
February 17, 2012 11:29 am
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | White Center

The man charged with second-degree murder in last August’s White Center murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi has struck a plea bargain. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB that Anthony Haroldlee Smith pleaded guilty this morning to that same charge, acknowledging he is to blame for the deadly shooting at 15th and Roxbury in the early-morning hours of August 16th. Sentencing range is 134-234 months; KCPAO spokesperson Ian Goodhew says the “agreed recommendation” for sentencing will be 15 years. He adds, “Sweetheart’s family felt the agreement was the right thing to do to assure a conviction and have the certainty of the mid-range recommendation as opposed to him possibly receiving a lower sentence.” Smith is to be sentenced March 23rd at 1:45 pm by King County Superior Court Mary Yu.

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West Seattle development: Harbor Properties’ merger
February 17, 2012 11:23 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

(Harbor Properties’ year-old Link, 38th between Alaska and Fauntleroy)
One of the highest-profile development companies to build in West Seattle in recent years is merging with another company. Harbor Properties‘ merger with Los Angeles-headquartered Urban Partners was first reported this morning by the Puget Sound Business Journal, and we just spoke with Harbor executive Denny Onslow to find out what this means for the company’s West Seattle properties, mixed-use (apartment/retail) Link in The Triangle and Mural in The Junction (both WSB sponsors), plus all-apartment under-construction Nova (4600 37th SW).

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Mayor McGinn returning to West Seattle for Town Hall on March 13
February 17, 2012 10:12 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Just announced: Mayor McGinn will be back in West Seattle during his next round of “Town Hall” meetings. March 13th is the date, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 4408 Delridge Way SW is the place – where he held one in December 2010 (photo above) – and the schedule, according to the city’s e-mailed announcement, is as follows:

5:30 to 6:30 pm: Community information fair
6:30 to 6:40 pm: Performance by local artists
6:40 to 8:00 pm: Open Q&A with Mayor McGinn and City staff

Here’s the official flyer for the event.

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West Seattle Friday: From bridge work to sports to Movie Night
February 17, 2012 9:39 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


Besides the roads/bridge update (below), something that certainly could be on this list daily is the ongoing work at Colman Pool on the shore in Lincoln Park. As reported here last month, the outdoor saltwater pool will open later than usual this year (June 30), because of renovation work. Last weekend, Gatewood pilot/photographer Long B. Nguyen flew over the park, and shares the view. (Click the photo for a larger image; and for a bonus image – a wider shot of the pool, the beach, and the forest behind it – go here.) Now, today’s highlights:

BRIDGE CLOSURES AND OTHER ROAD WORK, YET AGAIN TODAY/TONIGHT: Same reminders as all week: In the Morgan Junction/Lincoln Park area on Fauntleroy Way SW and part of California SW north of M-Junction, Day 5 of work on the “transit corridor” project to facilitate this fall’s launch of RapidRide bus service. Details in our on-scene report from Monday. … Restrictions/detours are planned for Avalon Way again today, 9 am-4 pm, explained here … Two overnight West Seattle Bridge closures: Eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct, east of the 1st Avenue South offramp, 9 pm-5 am (details here), which is the same time period for which the Fauntleroy Expressway (southwest end of the bridge) has an overnight closure, detailed here. DON’T FORGET – THIS SUNDAY is the all-day Fauntleroy Expressway closure, 9 pm Saturday through as late as midnight Sunday night).

CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES IN STATE COMPETITION: From an announcement by Sealth athletic director Sam Reed: Sophomores Michael Stewart and Carlos Morgan Montemayor will be representing the Seahawks at the 3A State Swim and Dive championships taking place at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way,” starting this morning, and “wrestlers Jordan Armstrong and Christopher Rios will be competing in Mat Classic XXIV, held at the Tacoma Dome.”

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES ALSO IN STATE COMPETITION: From the WSHS Daily Bulletin, Katie Fleming and Della Norton are competing in the state gymnastics tournament, while Nick Marek is competing in the state wrestling tournament, also in Tacoma. Luke Asatainti is in the state swimming championships.

HOPE LUTHERAN AT LEST IN PORTLAND: West Seattle’s Hope Lutheran School has a sizable contingent at the annual Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament in Portland right now, with more games/performances/etc. scheduled today, and is sharing the highlights via Twitter and via Facebook.

ATHENA’S IN HIGHLAND PARK: Athena’s truck debuts @ 16th/Holden, 1-8 pm (here’s our report from yesterday).

BIN 41 TASTING: 6-7:30 pm, they’re presenting a winery from Woodinville, Januik | Novelty Hill, whose tasting-room manager Diane LaCroix-Ball will be on hand with some Bin 41 favorites (including a red, a Chardonnay, and a Grenache).

MOVIE NIGHT IN HIGHLAND PARK: It’s movie night at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th and Holden). From their newsletter: “Doors open at 6:30 pm, movie at 7 pm. Free admission. We will be selling popcorn, candy and other movie fare. Bring blankets and pillows or sit in our chairs. Movie hint: The first movie of J.K. Rowling’s classic tale of the Hogwarts kids.”

MUSIC TONIGHT: The ever-busier lineup of West Seattle live music includes The Slags w/ Red the Dead, 9:30 pm at The Shipwreck Tavern (with Slags EPs on site, the band tells WSB) … Chad Knight, Hi-Fi Reset, Urban Seeds at Skylark Café and Club, 9 pm …

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West Seattle schools: 2 Madison musicians to All-State
February 17, 2012 8:14 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

We stopped by Madison Middle School on Thursday afternoon for orchestra members’ quick command performance of the Beatles classic “Eleanor Rigby,” after hearing from Madison music director Clark Bathum, who had big news about two of his musicians:

Congratulations to Lauren Estep (viola) and Caroline May (violin), who will perform with the Washington Junior All-State Orchestra at the Washington Music Educators Conference in Yakima this weekend. After a highly competitive audition in the fall, both were selected to join other top musicians from around the state. This is Caroline’s first selection to the group. Lauren was selected to the All-Northwest orchestra last year. Both girls are looking forward to the performance this weekend and are really excited about getting to travel and play together. The staff and students at Madison are really proud of Lauren and Caroline and wish them the best of luck.

In our video, Caroline is at left, Lauren at center, with Samantha Bushman , violin (2nd from left), Annabel Foucault, bass (2nd from right), and Madelyn Hollister, cello (right).

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