West Seattle, Washington
26 Sunday
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
As we start the week, no major traffic alerts in West Seattle, though there is one downtown, affecting those who travel on 1st Avenue South between Pike and Pine – one southbound lane all week, as crews install monitors related to the forthcoming Highway 99 tunnel project. As for the existing Highway 99/Viaduct, there is NO scheduled closure this week. But remember that when we get to Friday night, the intersection of Delridge/Henderson will be closed all weekend as part of the Delridge repaving project. Drive/ride safely!
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Big scare in the 4500 block of 41st SW in The Junction tonight after that truck caught fire. WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli says the resident who reported it said the truck’s wheel/fire appeared to be burning first, and then the front of the truck burst into flames, with an audible explosion.
No reports of injury – SFD’s investigation unit, Marshal 5, was called to the scene to check it out; we’ll be checking to see what they figure out about the cause.
ADDED 11:02 AM MONDAY: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB their investigator “determined the 2000 Ford pickup truck’s fire was most likely an electrical fire. The damage estimate is $5,400.”
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; West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things, has offered to write periodic “Skies Over West Seattle” previews. Here’s the first!
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
Even with our cloudy skies and immense light pollution, there is hope for skygazing in West Seattle. As with everything, what you need is to be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I’m here to offer some suggestions for what to do with those opportunities.
The easy part is to not forget to look up. It is easy for us to bend our heads towards the ground all the time: reading our phones, the news, and watching to make sure we don’t step in puddles. When you get out of the car or off the bus, take a second to turn your face up to the sky. Just before you go to bed, as you’re locking up, glance out the window, or step out for a moment, and see what’s up there.
Beyond that, the winter skies can be truly beautiful. There are many extremely bright stars, and recognizable constellations like Orion are high in the sky and up most of the night. The cold air of winter is also more still than the warm, roiling air of summer. This makes the stars appear more crisp. In astronomical parlance this is called “good seeing.” When it is clear out these situations together make the night sky breathtaking, even from the city.
SUNDAY, 7:27 PM: That’s a cat in a tough spot in the rain – and since nobody seems to know whose it is, and it’s been up there for many hours, we went to check it out so we could crosspost on the Lost/Found Pets page. (We used a flashlight for a spotlight to get a photo – that’s the clearest one we have.) It’s sitting atop the stub of an old utility pole that’s fastened to the top of a newer one on the southwest corner of 46th and Andover, and the neighbors who e-mailed us earlier say nobody knows whose it is. If you are missing a relatively small black cat in that general area, you might go have a look. Food and water is waiting below if the kitty manages to get itself down. Otherwise, we have already forwarded the concerned neighbors the advice we’ve received repeatedly: Call a tree service. (The neighbors certainly would welcome any other suggestions.)
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: As of 8:30, when we went by, still there:
See the comments for more extensive discussion of who’s done what and who’s suggested what. As mentioned there, we (and others) are checking with Seattle City Light – whom at least one neighbor says was called on Sunday.
9:54 AM UPDATE: The cat’s down, thanks to City Light.
Ready for a wardrobe refresh? This might be the ticket: A benefit women’s-clothing swap coming up three weeks from today in West Seattle, presented by and benefiting Early Days, a support organization for moms of babies. Read on for the official announcement:
We’ve been keeping an eye on – and getting questions about – the former Meander’s/Jade West space north of Morgan Junction at 6032 California SW. For a while now, a piece of paper in the window has read simply “Harry’s,” but we’ve had no luck reaching anyone there. Finally – a little more information has turned up in the window: The piece of paper has changed to the one you see above, reading “Harry’s Chicken Joint, opening soon.” That dovetails – or chicken-tails – with what Rick “The Psychic Barber” Cook (whose new location is nearby) told us recently, reporting that he had spoken to the owner, who told him “it will be a sort of homestyle eatery with the main focus on fried chicken and plans to be open late February.” (Just found a Facebook page too, though it has little beyond the address and phone number, where we’ve left a message.) More info soon as we get it!
4:51 PM UPDATE: Just talked, briefly, to Bruce from Harry’s – he says they’re not likely to have the sit-down restaurant open till next month because they’re doing some interior renovations, but right now they’re planning on something interim for February: Takeout chicken for patrons of nearby Beveridge Place Pub (which doesn’t make its own food but allows food to be brought in), starting within a week or so if all goes well.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:43 PM: Relatively quiet weekend so far in West Seattle Crime Watch – not just in reader reports, but also via the other ways we monitor police responses (thanks to those who have texted/e-mailed about various sightings of multiple police cars – nothing that has turned out so far to be anything of major note, but we continue to watch for reports). We do have a bicycle-theft report this morning: David says the photo above is a bicycle similar to the one stolen from the porch of his home near 32nd and Trenton overnight, between 10 pm and 4:30 am, “a Magna “Grand Ledge” mountain bike, w/ broken left hand gear cable and round bell on right side handlebar.” The same household was hit by bike thieves a few years back, and a WSB reader spotted the stolen bike, so the victims are hopeful that might happen again. (In many cases, police explain, criminals steal bikes as transportation to another crime scene – so you might find a stolen bike in an area where one or more cars were prowled/stolen.)
11:38 PM UPDATE: Bike’s back, David writes in the comment section, thanks to Guy, who spotted it near California/Admiral tonight. Another reminder that our peninsula is one big neighborhood – so something that is stolen or lost might turn up miles away *(5, in this case) – report it to police, tell your Block Watch, but then let us know too so the word can get out peninsula-wide.
A first-of-its-kind Seattle Opera production will feature young local singers. The official announcement:
West Seattle youth (L-R above) Wilder Cufley, Zane Cufley, Sarah Rosoff and Monique Allen are have been cast in Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Our Earth and are pictured here with the four principal soloists (L-R) Thomas Thompson, Rachel DeShon, Sonia Perez, and John Coons.
Our Earth is Seattle Opera’s first-ever three-part opera for young audiences. The first performance in the series, Heron and the Salmon Girl, will premiere on Sunday, February 10, at Town Hall at 2 pm. Seattle composer Eric Banks has written three brief operas, with libretti by Irene Keliher, all set in the Pacific Northwest. They tell the story of local animals and people—including people who can transform into salmon!—and an ecosystem in danger. The Opera soloists play the human and animal characters and the Youth Chorus represents the waves of the Puget Sound. Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (which organized last weekend’s Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday at Chief Sealth International High School) performs the score:
Seattle Opera also partnered with The Nature Conservancy to inform the plot and characters – which include a hungry orca, a helpful heron, a grumpy fisherman, and a girl whose brother is in trouble in the big city. They all set off to find out what happened when the salmon fail to return to sea one spring. Later on in the trilogy, the characters continue their quest into a river valley and all the way up into the watershed, atop a forested mountain. Find information about the premieres of the second and third Our Earth opera here.
Next Sunday’s performance will also feature Seattle Youth Symphony performing with former Seattle Opera Young Artist Adina Aaron singing Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Siegfried Idyll. Tickets are $10 for youth under 18 and seniors, $20 General Admission. To purchase tickets, please visit www.SeattleOpera.org/OurEarth or call 206.389.7676 or 800.426.1619.
(Lincoln Park owl, photographed by Patrick McCaffrey)
A few Super Bowl spotlights are among the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar highlights we have for you today:
WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY SOCCER: Pickup game this morning and every Sunday morning, 7:30 am, rain or shine, at Delridge Playfield.
CASPAR BABYPANTS AT SSCC: The college’s cooperative preschool program is raising money via this morning’s benefit concert by Caspar Babypants at Brockey Center on campus, 10 am, details in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, year-round, at 44th/Alaska.
SUPER BOWL AT MARINATION MA KAI: New place to watch – since it just opened last fall, this is Marination ma kai (WSB sponsor)’s first Super Bowl Sunday at the Seacrest Boathouse restaurant/bar, and not only is there a big screen (and a view), they’re offering a special bar menu – see it here.
SUPER BOWL AT FEEDBACK LOUNGE: Big plans for the big game at The Feedback (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW):
You asked for it and we’re giving it to you – a Super Bowl Party on both our new 10-foot BIG SCREENS, hosted by TOM HUTYLER, the voice of Safeco Field. We’ll also have a $7 all-you-can-eat Chef Wade buffet ($5 if you bring in non-perishable food items for the West Seattle Food Bank), half off top shelf spirits during half-time, a raffle with big prizes and lots more!
SUPER BOWL AT CHRISTOS ON ALKI: Here’s the lineup at 2508 Alki SW:
We have added another TV in the bar/restaurant! Game sound will be on as well! There will be several specials going on all day that are listed below:
**HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY (food & drinks)
** $2.75 Coors Lights, $4 Fireballs, $ 5 Touchdowns, $ 4 Ouzo
**Free raffle prizes
**$10 Large 1-topping pizzas
NOT INTO FOOTBALL? GO TO THE THEATER! At 3 pm, you can catch the matinee performance of “Shirley Valentine” at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction.
…OR ENJOY MUSIC AND COFFEE: Also at 3 pm, the G-Cleft-tones perform live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), till 5 pm.
Chris Dormaier had reason to beam this afternoon – a big turnout to help her celebrate the 15th anniversary of SoundYoga (WSB sponsor). Sound Yoga offers a wide range of classes, from early morning “Get Up and Go!” to monthly Restorative Yoga sessions, and more, as detailed here. Chris is also a certified Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation Teacher Trainer.
Tonight we know where and when all four varsity basketball teams from Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School will start postseason play:
GIRLS
Monday – Chief Sealth @ Bainbridge, 6 pm
Tuesday – West Seattle @ Cleveland, 7 pm
BOYS
Monday – Bainbridge @ Chief Sealth, 6 pm
Monday – West Seattle @ Nathan Hale, 7 pm
Thanks to CSIHS’s Sam Reed (who’s also Metro League president) as well as WSHS boys’ head coach Keffrey Fazio and girls’ head coach Sonya Elliott for sharing updates this afternoon.
Meantime, the regular season wrapped up last night – details ahead:
A brand-new shop just opened in downtown White Center – Rat City Records and Relics at 9632 16th SW – and it’s throwing a grand-opening party today/tonight. See our coverage on partner site White Center Now.
Though the Special Olympics of Washington-benefiting Polar Plunge is being held at Lake Union this year, West Seattleites are participating, and one team from West Seattle High School is at Husky Deli in The Junction till about 4 pm to ask you to dive in with some support. If you don’t see this till later, you can donate online by going here. (Or, there’s still time to register to participate in the Polar Plunge, which is happening one week from tomorrow.)
Another highlight in West Seattle High School‘s year of musical milestones: The first-ever Big Band Dance, last night in the WSHS Commons. Thanks to Anne Weglin for sharing photos; above, that’s the WSHS Jazz Ensemble, directed by Ethan Thomas; below, the West Seattle Big Band, directed by Donn Weaver:
Before the bands played, the night began with a round of swing-dancing lessons!
Today’s the second day of registration for West Seattle Soccer Club‘s spring season, and board member Bill Fry contacted WSB to ask that we help get the word out. It’s an 8-game season on Sunday afternoons, starting April 7th (no games on Mother’s Day or Memorial Day weekend), at fields around West Seattle. Details (including age requirements) are on this page of the WSSC website; if you’re ready to register, here’s how.
Our tipster from the recent hit-run that took out a utility pole by 21st/Roxbury (map) reports that one westbound lane is closed there right now while it’s replaced.
As decided in November, starting with the sketch above, “Alki Deep, An Undersea Adventure” is this year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival theme. Now that it’s February, summer’s in view – and there are two ways you can help with Hi-Yu this year. From Regina Arceo-Schulz:
West Seattle Hi-Yu is looking for your button design. This year’s theme is Alki Deep, An Undersea Adventure. If your design wins, you’ll be participating in this summer’s American Legion Parade (7/20) with the West Seattle Hi-Yu Court. Please bring your button drawings (2″ diameter) to the General Meeting, Monday night (6:30 PM), February 4th at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 3050 California Avenue SW. We will make a decision on the winning design later in the week.
Also, we are desperately short of volunteers for this year’s festival! It is time to begin float construction, enlisting business sponsors for the souvenir book , and procuring items for this year’s coronation and auction night. We have a great Junior Court, with their families, and a small group of diehard volunteers, but we will not be able to continue preparation for the Summer Festival, if we don’t have more help. This is a great opportunity to fill some of our dreary winter nights & weekends working with other interesting & fun West Seattlelites. Please check out our website westseattlehiyu.com or our Facebook page if you are able to help.
Thanks to Mark Wangerin for sharing the photo of a red-breasted sapsucker, seen in the Camp Long/West Seattle Golf Course area. Mark explains, “Sapsuckers drill neat horizontal rows of holes into tree trunks and then return to feed on the sap. They also eat insects.” How industrious are YOU feeling today? Check out the highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you will find many other options too, for today/tonight and way beyond):
SHREDDING FUNDRAISER: As previewed here last night – 9 to noon, benefiting a local team in the Big Climb, 3703 California SW.
FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK: Help clear the park of invasives – it’s a big job but volunteers tackle it one work party at a time, and your help means a lot. 9 am start BUT if you get there late, there’s info on a kiosk where to find the group – as explained in the calendar listing.
ALKI COMMUNITY CENTER PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-noon, come find out more about the preschool at ACC – details here.
‘ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST DAY’ AT FULL TILT: It’s International Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Really! And Full Tilt Ice Cream (9629 16th SW) will celebrate by offering free waffles – provided you buy the ice cream. Opening early for the occasion, 10:30 am.
JERRY CEIS MEMORIAL: While his friends and admirers have already had tribute gatherings, today is the official memorial for Jerry Ceis, a former Seafair Pirate and larger-than-life West Seattleite who passed away earlier this month, 1:30 pm at Alki Bathhouse.
SOUND YOGA’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY: At 2 pm today, a celebration and blessing will mark 15 years in West Seattle for longtime WSB sponsor Sound Yoga (5639 California SW).
MOVIE SERIES: “The Finger” from Argentina is the featured Global Lens Film Screening at Delridge Library, 2 pm – details here.
MOVIE PREMIERE: Local rock movie “Bent Richard” premieres at 7 pm tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW), one of the locations where it was shot.
‘ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW’ AT MIDNIGHT: The monthly Admiral Theater midnight show of what’s become an audience-participation classic is tonight.
MORE NIGHTLIFE … local music, local venues, on the calendar!
Three days ago, thanks to sightings reported by WSB readers, we were first to report on a story that since has been picked up by multiple citywide news organizations – cameras and wireless equipment that appeared on utility and streetlight poles along Harbor/Alki Avenues and Beach Drive.
Inquiries and research subsequently brought information – reported here Thursday – that it’s all part of a Seattle Police-led project funded by a federal Homeland Security grant.
This afternoon, SPD offered news organizations covering the story – including WSB – the chance to talk with Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh, who as the commander of the Special Operations Bureau is heading up the project. We talked with him late today, and while a detailed story will follow, there are a couple points we wanted to report tonight:
Biggest one: The cameras are not just along Alki. Nine are up now, and SPD says there will be 30 in all, from Shoreline to Fauntleroy, by the time they’re turned on, likely this spring:
The lines represent fiber connections – the dots, the camera locations. In West Seattle, in addition to the six we counted along Alki/Harbor/Beach, locations you see on the map include Alki Point, the West Seattle Bridge vicinity, Harbor Island, and one in Fauntleroy, which we found right over the southbound RapidRide bus stop at the ferry terminal:
(This one is installed on the inland side of the pole – a problem that Asst. Chief McDonagh confirmed had been fixed for some of the Alki cameras when it came to light in the past day or two.)
Another point of note: While the cameras’ primary mission is homeland security, McDonagh confirmed they can and will be deployed for many other things, including criminal investigations. He also said that there are no plans for community meetings or briefings about them, though he expected to update City Councilmembers at some point.
We recorded our conversation at SPD HQ downtown on video and will have that with the full story this weekend.
Got stuff stacked up to shred? Tomorrow morning, you have a chance to get it done and do a good deed. A local team for the upcoming blood-cancer-fighting Big Climb is having a shredding event, $10 donation per box (cash/check), at 3703 California SW, 9 am-noon tomorrow. Here’s the calendar listing with details.
SDOT warned that there would be an occasional all-weekend-long intersection closure as part of the Delridge repaving project – and they’ve just announced the first one, Delridge/Henderson, starting one week from tonight:
To reduce impacts to the community, intersection construction will be done on weekends, working around the clock. The first intersection closure is at Southwest Henderson Street from 7 pm Friday, Feb. 8, until, at the latest, 6 am on Monday, Feb. 11. Look for final detour information early next week.
To expedite construction, evening work under the conditions of a noise variance, including pavement removal using impact breakers, may be performed until 10 pm.
Reminder: for traffic safety, the intersection of 25th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Barton Street is temporarily a four-way stop.
This is a five-phase project. At the completion of the first phase, between Southwest Henderson and Southwest Trenton streets, the construction activity will move to the section of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Trenton and Southwest Thistle streets.
Seattle Police Detective Mike Magan says he has never seen anything quite like Thursday afternoon’s Belvidere estate-sale robbery (WSB coverage here) 
in his 26-year career – and he and his colleagues are working hard to catch the robber. They are hoping someone who lives nearby might have security-camera video or photos that will help them find him, and Detective Magan asked if we would put out that request. He says police combed the area thoroughly and as a result of their search (which included the K-9 team in our photo at right), they think that anyone in the area with camera(s) running 3:15 pm-4:15 pm yesterday might have something that will help, particularly along what they believe was the robber’s escape route:
*Westbound on Hinds from Belvidere
*Southbound on 38th to Manning
*Eastbound on Manning to 35th
*Southbound on 35th
He says they believe the robber eventually got away in a car, likely parked near 38th and Hinds. If you have any kind of imagery from that time frame on Thursday, you can get it to police and remain “completely anonymous,” he says. Det. Magan can be reached at 206-684-5540 or 206-786-4744.
(If you live in this area, please help get this word out – you can use the “Share This” link below to share this update via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, dozens of other ways.)
Today we’re welcoming one of our newest WSB sponsors – Alki Party Treasures. Here’s what proprietor Jackie Clough, shown below with daughter Elissa, would like you to know about her new business:
Alki Party Treasures isn’t Party City or Birthday Express. There’s nothing wrong with large party-supply chains, but we strive to have the ultimate customer-service experience. We have heart and take great care with each product order. Our mission is to help people celebrate the special moments in their lives. You don’t have to travel all over Seattle to find party supplies or overspend with your event. Relax and let us take care of things for you. We’ve partnered with fantastic vendors to be able to offer the best prices. We also decided to purchase our inventory. We don’t rely on other companies for drop ship, and because we’re local, we ship next day to West Seattle families. Don’t stress if you’re behind the power curve with getting things ready for your celebration.
Alki Party Treasures is a family-run business. My brother Mike Kresek and I came up with the idea of party supplies. We are lifetime West Seattleites. We were discussing special times and celebrating even the small moments that mean so much and realized it was something we felt strongly about. As a mom, I know firsthand how hard it is to find party supplies in West Seattle and got tired of driving all around the city and over to the Eastside. We wanted to have great products here in West Seattle. My two kids are 7 and 10 years old and help us with what characters are popular and help us test products. The whole family is involved with the handmade products. Customers love that we have created party kits and make it easy for people to purchase everything they need at a low cost. We have boutique-style products and spend time looking over the hundreds of party styles and trends to bring the freshest themes with affordable prices. We believe in “going green” and have a nice selection of Eco-Friendly products, including plates, utensils, recycle bins, garlands, and art supplies made out of edible ingredients. We also hand-make banners, cupcake toppers, and food tents. We can match themes and colors for your event.
Alki Party Treasures is also involved with the community – including Jackie’s role as the new co-leader of the Admiral 4th of July Kids Parade, and also as a backer of Team Tracy. You can find Alki Party Treasures online at alkipartytreasures.com, or call 855-263-3892.
We thank Alki Party Treasures for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
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