West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
If there’s a break in the clouds – or if you decide to drive to somewhere you can find one – our Skies Over West Seattle contributor Alice Enevoldsen says the Northern Lights should be out there somewhere:
A big solar wind “gust” just passed over the Earth, so tonight is prime aurora viewing. Check spaceweather and softservenews but it could even be worth driving somewhere out from under these big clouds.
(Photos courtesy Isa Sorensen)
Since we report so often about marine mammals here on WSB, we’re mentioning this even though it’s south of our coverage area, after getting a call from someone who wanted to make sure we knew about it: A fin whale has washed up on the beach at Seahurst Park in Burien; KIRO TV quotes experts as saying they believe it died after being hit by a vessel. Isa Sorensen gave us permission to share some of his photos.
Coincidentally, tomorrow will mark exactly three years to the day since a gray whale stranded and died off southwesternmost West Seattle, in The Arroyos. That’s less than four miles from Seahurst, if you were going by water. KIRO says Cascadia Research Collective will do the necropsy; it has researched other such cases in years past (including one in Tacoma in 2009). Fin whales, by the way, are rare in Puget Sound – so rare, they’re not even on The Whale Trail’s list of commonly sighted species;
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
11:14 AM: A man has been stabbed six times in the 1700 block of SW Barton. More to come.
11:19 AM: Per SFD radio with medics, the victim is male and despite the half-dozen stab wounds, is conscious and alert. They’re taking him to Harborview Medical Center.
11:30 AM: The wounds are considered to be life-threatening, responders are saying.
11:53 PM: From WSB’s Christopher Boffoli at the scene: The victim is a 61-year-old man and a suspect is in custody, according to police, who describe the circumstances as an argument between friends.
Yet another “just in case you were wondering” – and the inbox indicates some were: The big “water rescue” callout on Alki this past hour south of Alki Point turned out to be more or less a false alarm and was canceled fairly quickly – Christopher Boffoli checked it out for WSB and says the last medic unit left on scene (in his photo above) told him the call was for a kayaker that was briefly in trouble – fell out of the kayak but was dressed for the cold water and got to shore OK.
Thanks to everybody who e-mailed us to point out the new “For Sale” sign outside the former Life Care Center of America site at 47th and Admiral. It’s been more than two months since the facility closed; there’s been widespread speculation that some sort of development would follow, but so far, there’s nothing showing in city files for the site, so this is the first public sign of something happening at the property. We’ve tried to find the listing online, but so far, it’s not coming up anywhere, even on the website listed on the sign; we have left messages for the brokers and hope to hear back. The property is currently zoned as LR1, explained in the city code as primarily intended for “low-density multifamily housing” such as townhomes and rowhouses.
(St. John’s rummage sale, photographed Friday by WSB’s Katie Meyer)
Sales top the lists dominate the list of highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – but that’s not all:
FIRST, A TRAFFIC REMINDER: From the eastbound bridge, the ramps to northbound I-5 and Beacon Hill are closed this weekend, to reopen no later than early Monday morning – details and detours here.
AQUARIUM SOCIETY AUCTION: Aquarium enthusiasts from all over the area are at the West Seattle Christian Church Activity Center (4400 42nd SW) today for the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society‘s annual auction – check-in is under way now and bidding starts at 10 am. Details here; general public welcome.
ST.JOHN’S RUMMAGE/BAKE SALE: Today’s the second and final day of the St. John the Baptist Church Rummage Sale, on till 3 pm at 3050 California SW, next to West Seattle High School.
HOPE LUTHERAN RUMMAGE SALE: A benefit rummage sale is also under way until today at Hope Lutheran Church (42nd/Oregon in The Junction), supporting church members’ missions in Mexico – details here.
WEST SEATTLE LIONS’ PLANT SALE: Steps away from the Hope sale, the West Seattle Lions Club‘s 19th annual plant sale continues till 3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
GARDEN CENTER OPENS: The Puget Ridge Garden Center opens for the season today at South Seattle Community College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), 11 am-3 pm. Details here.
WEST SEATTLE NURSERY OPEN HOUSE: “Bees, Birds, and Bouquets” is the theme of this year’s open house at West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon), 11 am-3 pm; details here.
TEA PARTY AT THE LONGHOUSE: Native and English teas and more at the annual Princess Angeline Native Tea Party at the Duwamish Longhouse (4505 W. Marginal Way), 1-3 pm, with your hostess, the princess’s great-great-grandniece, Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen – details here.
‘CHARLIE BROWN’ CONTINUES: Second night for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” produced by West Seattle’s own Twelfth Night Productions, 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. You can buy tickets online here.
LOTS OF LIVE MUSIC … in our nightlife listings, all on the calendar!
(Sam Cook, WSHS #30, getting ready to hit)
Second win in a row on Friday for West Seattle High School‘s baseball team over Rainier Beach – this time 13-0. Greg Slader shares the photo and summary:
West Seattle varsity baseball adds to their division lead, now 8-1 in league play. On a very cold and wet day, the entire team contributed to Westside’s effort to complete the sweep of Rainier Beach. Wexler, Rex, & Snook combined for Five innings of shutout pitching. Sam Hellinger hit a long home run into the trees, and the rest of the team added to the offense for 13 runs in Five very cold innings. Did I mention it was cold? ‘ Next game is on Bainbridge Island , Monday @ 3:30.
If you’re wondering about a large Seattle Fire Department call-out in the 6300 block of High Point Drive SW, all units are being dismissed from what has now been reported via the scanner as “Food on the Stove.”
Your calendar likely is already marked for the 9th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on Saturday, May 11th – but here’s one more date, particularly if you are thinking about having a sale but haven’t signed up yet: Wednesday, April 24th. That’s the last day of registration – we need some lead time to make the map so that it’s available with plenty of preparation time for everyone interested in shopping to decide where they want to go! So far, more than 110 sales are on the list – individual sales, block sales, school/business/organization sales – it’s a big peninsula and there’s plenty of room for more. If you have questions, about selling OR shopping, here’s the WSCGSD e-mail address: garagesale@westseattleblog.com. And if you’re ready to register: Here’s the link! If you want to have a sale but don’t have the room, remember that the courtyard/parking lot area between Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) and Ginomai art center will be a group site, organized by Hotwire’s Lora Swift – e-mail her at info@hotwirecoffee.com to reserve a free space. And C & P Coffee Company is a group site again too – inquire at the shop for the plan (5612 California SW). More updates as sale day gets closer; watch for updates on the official website and the official Facebook page., as well as here on WSB.
From Tara Luckie, who chairs the West Seattle Rotary‘s New Generations committee:
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is taking nominations for the Service Above Self Award. We highly encourage anyone to nominate a young adult for their service. The recipient of the award will be honored at a West Seattle Rotary meeting in June. Applications must be in no later than May 15, 2013.
Eligibility for award:
Youth and young adults up to age 30
Service experiences that exemplify “Service Above Self”
Be a member of the West Seattle community (live, work and/or attend school in West Seattle)Make a nomination by completing the online form now! Directions on applying for the award are provided in the online form.
Spotted today in the West Seattle Junction, signs at the soon-to-open Pizzeria Credo (4520 California SW) and old signage from the previous tenant Garlic Jim’s being taken down:
Paper now covers the windows, and a liquor license application is posted near the front door. (See last month’s inside look and interview with Pizzeria Credo proprietor Jacques Nawar here.)
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Gatewood Elementary School held their Second Annual Science Fair Palooza last night, starring 83 students with 62 projects! WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams captured the scenes. Above, children play with fog from a mix of water and dry ice; below, a crowd gathers around to watch Samera Mroczkowski make a bubble out of dry ice and water during the Gatewood Science Fair Palooza. “I wanted to do something unique, I was nervous at first that it wouldn’t work,” said Mroczkowski.
Gatewood teacher Charlene Higuchi looks over the science project “dog body parts and how they work.” Students Clarie Jacobson, Alexandra Robelo, and Isabella Bryant worked on the project.
Above, 4th grader Virag Carlile-Kovacs‘ poster of different plant dyes and which plants and materials worked the best.
A red-light glows from the power of lemons at “Lemon Power,” a science experiment by Andews Hood.
Gatewood teacher Jeffery Case talks with Sean McCormick about his science experiment of meaning the speed and distance of a rocket with three variables.
Gatewood teacher Mike McCormick praises Dominic Tatro for the accuracy of his data for his project wingless D. Melanogaster development. When asked what he plans on doing with the fruit flies, Tatro answered “I’m going to feed them to my poison dart frog.”
A carnation that has turned blue after absorbing food coloring from its water for a project by Amelia Vegors to see which flowers would absorb the most coloring.
(Screenshot from home page of new website)
If you attended West Seattle High School – the WSHS Alumni Association has news for you: A brand-new website! Jim Biava (Class of 1971) shares the announcement about what you’ll find there:
ATTENTION, WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI! You can now access our new website with our own Social Network. It’s awesome! Check out the site at (officially) www.wshsalumniassociation.org however you can get there a variety of ways, one being www.wshsaa.org. Check it out the site! There is too much to mention here but the main Menu tabs, full of information, include Scholarships, Reunions, Hall of Fame, Merchandise and other links to videos. The Alumni Chinook will be on there soon too including Archived Editions. Wow there’s a lot of great stuff and more being added!
A couple video slideshows will be added to the site after this year’s All School Reunion, which will premiere a show of Westside High’s History and how we are all connected through time and space. The video slideshow contains more than 600 photos from 1920 through 2012. Are you in any of them? Seriously, are you immortalized in the video? Check it out at this year’s All School Reunion on June 7th, starting at 5 pm at the school.
Who are those people in West Seattle High School’s Hall of Fame? Find out in a video slideshow about the members of the Hall of Fame presented in a way that you’ve never seen before also to be added to the site after its premiere at the ASR. There is even a cutting-edge Alumni Social Network within the site. I’ve talked with some who buy WSHS merchandise from for-profit sites pretending to be the West Seattle Alumni Association, thinking they are helping out our own. Now you can get your high-quality WSHS gear made by West Seattle Grads, made in West Seattle, for West Seattle. The proceeds benefit your Alumni Association.
I can go on and on but just go check it out for yourself and sign up for the Social Network – free and exclusive (password protected) for WSHS Alumni only. Go see who’s already a member. Check it out and then pass the word.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
The 166-apartment project proposed for 3210 California SW will be back for a second round of Early Design Guidance, as a result of its first try last night, before a crowd of around 50 people at the Senior Center of West Seattle. That means it will come before the Southwest Design Review Board at least two more times – once a project passes EDG, a more fleshed-out version must be brought back for final recommendations.
While first word of this project came just two months ago, you could say it’s been almost six years in the making, dating back to the 2007 emergence of a plan to upzone California between Hanford and Hinds for larger potential development – this is the first one to be proposed since then, and as noted during the meeting, it’s potentially a precedent-setting building in terms of its length:
(Proposed ‘preferred’ massing for the development; rendering courtesy Nicholson Kovalchick Architects)
Ahead, toplines from the meeting, covered for WSB by Christopher Boffoli:
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy)
In recent months, we’ve shared the news of multiple food drives by community-minded students at local schools – and we have another one today: This time, to help pets in area shelters. West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) assistant director Heather Aquino explains:
Our seventh-grade students have taken on a very cool cause. (Through) April 25 they are challenging all of our classes to collect as much pet food as they can, by the pound, to be donated to local Seattle shelters. Our winning class will have a small party hosted by these incredible seventh-graders.
Community members are welcome to donate pet food too – drop it off at the school, 11215 15th SW, today or April 22-25th (as with Seattle Public Schools, WSMS/WSA will be out on spring break next week).
(Photo courtesy Twelfth Night Productions)
The weekend’s in view! Here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ST. JOHN’S RUMMAGE SALE: St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church promises “great treasures, good deals, and fresh baked cookies” as its two-day rummage sale begins – hours are 9 am-7 pm today and 9 am-3 pm Saturday at 3050 California SW, next to West Seattle High School.
WEST SEATTLE LIONS’ PLANT SALE AND SPAGHETTI DINNER: The West Seattle Lions Club‘s 19th annual plant sale is tonight 5-8 pm and Saturday 9 am-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle – and tonight you can join them for a spaghetti dinner, too. Details here. (Bake sale, too!)
HIGH-SCHOOL LACROSSE: As noted here last night, you can catch the new Chief Sealth International High School JV Lacrosse team in action tonight at 6:30 pm at home vs. Kennedy.
TWELFTH NIGHT’S ‘CHARLIE BROWN’ OPENS: Opening night for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” produced by West Seattle’s own Twelfth Night Productions, 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. More details in our calendar listing; tickets are available online.
LAST NIGHT FOR WSHS MUSICAL: Meantime, it’s the final performance of West Seattle High School‘s spring musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” 7:30 pm at the WSHS Theater – details in our calendar listing.
FOLK DUO AT KENYON HALL: Emma’s Revolution performs at the historic hall (7904 35th SW), 7:30 tonight – more info at kenyonhall.org.
…and there’s LOTS more on the calendar!
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! Last day of school before the one-week spring break for Seattle Public Schools. And with the postponement of the Delridge/Thistle intersection work, there’s just one traffic alert for this weekend, taking effect tonight at 10, ending by 5 am Monday: The ramps from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge and lower Spokane Street to northbound I-5 and Beacon Hill will be closed for expansion-joint work; detours are listed here.
Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Spring sunshine graced Thursday evening’s West Seattle Art Walk – above, at Firefly Café & Creperie (4160 California SW; WSB sponsor), featured artist Kimi J. Hansen-Chadwick (right) and proprietor Charell Estby. One of Hansen-Chadwick’s paintings, below:
Art appreciators at Firefly also enjoyed a sample of Zoka Coffee’s single origin Guatemalan “El Limonar” coffee, brewed with the “pour over” method by Zoka roaster Matreya:
Etsby was excited to take part in the West Seattle Art Walk — and to combine it with hosting a donation drive for WestSide Baby (packaged diapers, car seats). Per Etsby, two car seats were donated today. The bright red bin is ready and waiting in the cafe for the month of April:
Artists Judy Lane of Crooked Feather Girl Studio, and Rafael Caraballo also had their works on display at Firefly:
Meanwhile, more sunshine – and butterfly wings – glowed inside the newly opened West Seattle Office Junction (WSB’s coverage of opening day here). Entrepreneurs Stefan Hansmire and Christine Bartels welcomed visitors:
Featured artist Walter Scheirer (below) used off-tint house paint and salvaged/recycled doors in his work; this series is titled “Abstracts in Insects” with pieces depicting designs and patterns from butterfly wings. (Learn more about Scheirer’s artwork here.)
The West Seattle Art Walk is held every second Thursday, 6-9 pm, and you can preview venues and artists here.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
(10:18 pm) We’re checking out the fire response in the 5900 block of SW Stevens, about half a block west – reduced from what was originally a “full response.” (added 10:25 pm) A neighbor says there was “a lot of smoke” initially but whatever it was, it appears to be out now, and units are clearing the scene. (added 10:31 pm) Christopher Boffoli reports it was “food on the stove.”
As spring-sports season continues, with just two months left in the school year, we’ve been tracking a few of the sports – and just got word of another one: Parent Lynda Eronimous e-mailed to let us know about Chief Sealth International High School‘s junior-varsity lacrosse team. She says it’s a partnership between Supersonics Lacrosse and Sealth, started this year “under the coaching of Scott Pattinson, who started SuperSonics Lacrosse two years ago. This is a very young team with kids from across Seattle coming together to play under the Chief Sealth name. They are always looking for more players and have equipment to loan to those that may not have any. Their season is underway and would love more crowd support at their upcoming home games played at SWAC on SW Thistle.” Lynda says you can check them out the next three Fridays at home, 6:30 pm tomorrow (April 12th) vs. Kennedy Catholic JV; April 19th at 6:30 pm vs. Mount Si JV; and 6:30 pm April 26th vs. Skyline’s C team. The Sealth team has a Facebook page, too.
Instead of pile-driving next week at the Barton Pump Station upgrade project work zone next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock, King County Wastewater Treatment Division says tonight it’ll happen a week later, April 22nd through April 25th. However, the announcement notes, “Next week at the pump station, you may notice crews pre-drilling the soil in order to prepare for the pile-driving work.”
SDOT just sent word that the Delridge/Thistle intersection closure that had been scheduled for this weekend is now postponed two weeks, to April 26-29, because of a not-so-optimal forecast.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For everyone who’s wished they had advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wondered “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” – this is for you – the third edition of our new monthly feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches and for the recent bout of Comet PanSTARRS watching. Speaking of which …
(Comet PanSTARRS’ ‘last hurrah,’ from WSB reader John Hinkey)
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
We had some amazing nights last month, despite it being March. Now that it is officially spring, it’s started raining again. This month we have two planets in the night sky, and solar activity continues to ramp up towards Solar Maximum in November. It’s Global Astronomy Month, according to Astronomers without Borders, as well as Astronomy Day and Astronomy Week towards the end of the month as declared by the Astronomical League.
Hey! What’s That?
Did you see something in the sky recently, and wonder what it was? There are several options, but I’m betting you probably saw Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It twinkles and flashes like anything in the mid-low sky between southeast and southwest. You probably will even think it is an airplane at first, until you realize it isn’t moving.
The other prime options are Jupiter and Saturn, depending on when and where you’re looking. Both of them will appear extremely bright, but Jupiter is in among a number of similarly bright stars, and Saturn will be rising later in the evening.
Planets (and the rest of the Solar System)
What a nice segue into the planets visible now, if the skies clear.
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