West Seattle, Washington
20 Saturday
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli sends along this picture of fire crews responding to a pickup-truck fire in a garage in the 3600 block of 48th SW. We’ll have details later.
7:35 PM UPDATE: Christopher reports the fire was out when he arrived at the scene. The incident commander said there were no injuries, but the crew was checking for hot spots. Christopher also says the area was very smoky when he arrived and a fire investigator is on the way to investigate the cause.
The outside southbound lane is blocked on 35th at the scene of a two-car crash. One of the cars went onto the sidewalk on the southwest corner and into a hedge. An ambulance and tow truck are there; avoid the area for a bit.
(Refresh page for newest image from SDOT camera at 1st/Holgate – work crew’s on the right)
Just in from SDOT – an update on the 1st Avenue South water-main situation, followed by a slight change in the bridge-closure plan for tonight:
Emergency utility repairs to address a water main break will require the closure of roads and a sidewalk in the vicinity of First Avenue S and S Massachusetts Street until the evening of August 22.
In the overnight hours, a long lateral break occurred in a 16-inch pipe running north/south on First Ave S at S Massachusetts Street. According to Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), the pipe will be repaired and water restored to affected businesses by midnight tonight. However, the street repair and cleanup will extend through the evening commute on Wednesday, August 22.
As a result of the emergency repairs, the following right of way areas will be impacted through 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22:
-One lane northbound on First Ave S from S Massachusetts St to Edgar Martinez Dr will be closed
-S Massachusetts St will be closed from S Occidental Ave to First Ave S
-The eastern sidewalk on First Ave S from S Holgate St to Edgar Martinez Dr will be closedA Seattle Police Department traffic officer will remain onsite throughout the repair and cleanup to assist with traffic.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises motorists to use alternate northbound routes, such as Fourth Avenue S and Airport Way, to access downtown and south of downtown (SODO). Drivers and transit riders should additionally give themselves extra time to reach their destinations when travelling through this neighborhood. SDOT’s Travelers Information Map can also provide updates on traffic volumes and current conditions, and can be seen at: http://web5.seattle.gov/travelers/.
The Mariners game tonight against Cleveland starts at 7:10 p.m. and a crowd of 20,000 is expected. As a result of the First Ave S lane closure, much heavier traffic than usual should be anticipated. If possible, motorists not traveling to the baseball game are urged to avoid the SODO area.
Now, the bridge closure update, also from SDOT;
Southbound I-5 traffic to West Seattle on the Spokane Street Viaduct will be available until 11 p.m. this evening, in order to accommodate the large crowd exiting the Mariner game. It had previously been announced that the westbound lanes of the Viaduct from I-5 to SR 99 would be closed from 10 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. However, the closure for westbound Viaduct traffic coming from Columbian Way or northbound I-5 will begin at the previously announced time of 10 p.m.
(WSB video of Caspar Babypants at West Seattle Summer Fest last month)
More chances this week to enjoy outdoor entertainment before summer ends, starting with Caspar Babypants in the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series, which returns to the community center’s east lawn at 6:30 pm Thursday. This is the season’s second-to-last show in the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented series (with co-sponsors, listed in the right sidebar here, including WSB and our sponsors PCC Natural Markets, Merrill Gardens and Life Care Center of West Seattle).
For two other outdoor series, this is the final weekend. Friday night, Rainbow of Hawaii will bring the spirit of aloha to the 2012 Summer Concerts at The Mount finale at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor). In the courtyard/parking lot on the south side of the building at 4831 35th SW, you can buy dinner/drinks starting at 5:30 pm (this week’s full-meal deal is a jerk-chicken sandwich with mango salsa, plus side/dessert, or you can buy a burger or hot dog), music at 6 pm. Then on Saturday, West Seattle Outdoor Movies concludes its 2012 run with “Top Gun“:
The 1986 hit has been back in the headlines because of director Tony Scott‘s recent death, but it’s been on the WSOM schedule since spring. The movie’s at dusk in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), 4410 California SW. There’ll be live music for preshow entertainment, and free pizza from co-sponsor Pagliacci Pizza; the event sponsors also include Jackson, Morgan & Hunt, PLLC (WSB sponsor). Bring your own chair/blanket – and come early to stake out a spot!
More weekend (and beyond) events are listed on the WSB calendar – here!
Krista Fink from Puget Sound Blood Center is hoping you can help them solve a problem – with lives in the balance – someplace for them to park their donation-drive bus. Her e-mail to us tells the story:
In the beginning of September, on Tuesday, September 4th, we have two mobile units that are still open that I need to fill and I just can’t find a location for them. I am hoping that maybe you will put something on your blog and maybe someone will see it and think “hey maybe my church can host a blood drive” or a business, youth group, etc. If we can’t find these mobile teams a ‘home’- a place to go, set up, and serve willing blood donors, then we will be missing out on over 80 donations. Because each blood donation saves 3 lives, those donations would save the lives of up to 240 local patients.
Please allow me to explain. We have a large number of donors in West Seattle. However, we have very few blood drives. Aside from the bi-annual high school blood drives at WSHS, we have a bus that comes to Westwood Village and one that comes to Jefferson Square every month and twice yearly we have a little bus at PCC. I’m looking for groups that might like to host blood drives so that we can provide more convenient opportunities for all of our wonderful West Seattle donors to donate at. Here at PSBC, we don’t necessarily create community- we are a part of it, and we operate for it, but we rely on other communities- groups of people who are already connected together in some way or another- who will support us. Blood Drives are wonderful ways to bring communities together- you never know who receives the blood and it could be your neighbor, your friend, your coworker, or the mysterious woman, a stranger, who is always in the same line as you at the coffee shop.
We have 17 mobile units (teams that go to various locations for mobile blood drives) that need to be scheduled for a blood drive every day in order to simply have the opportunity to collect enough blood to meet the needs of our inventory and provide a stable supply of blood for the community’s needs. Summer is tough- it is full of cancellations and a lack of donations as people are on vacation, the heat, people are busy, etc.
Specifically, we have a big bus and a big inside mobile team. The big inside mobile team requires a space of at least 900 square feet, three electrical outlets, good lighting and restroom access. The bus requires a flat surface and approx. 70 feet of parking lengthways as well as nearby restroom access.
Like I said, blood drives do create value for those who organize them, and the donors themselves. It’s an investment back into the community. There are already so many wonderful, dedicated blood donors in the area and I’m hoping someone can help!
(added) Krista’s office number is 425.462.4384 – her e-mail is KristaF@psbc.org.
(WSB photo from September 2011)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we continue working on an overview of major under-construction-and-impending West Seattle development, we are checking on individual sites, and have finally connected with a representative for the project that’s been known for five years as Spring Hill, at 5020 California SW, just south of The Junction.
Spring Hill was initiated in 2007 by BlueStar, the original developers of Fauntleroy Place, former name of “The Hole” (now known, under new ownership, as Spruce West Seattle).
BlueStar took Spring Hill all the way through Design Review, with final approval in September 2008. Then the project stalled (as did, more notoriously, then-Fauntleroy Place) and went to a foreclosure auction in 2009.
Last year, a Burien-based firm, F & M Development, bought it. Last September, they demolished the three vacant, vandalized multiplex buildings on the site (top photo). We tried repeatedly to reach them for comment and got no reply.
Then last week, a building permit application appeared on the city Department of Planning and Development website. That led us to try again – and this time we received a reply.
A call for volunteers in communities including Seattle has just gone out, one month in advance of a statewide count of bicyclists and pedestrians. The goal, according to an announcement on the WSDOT site, is “to benchmark the numbers of people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities across the state on September 25th, September 26th and September 27th.” Find out more – and sign up to help – by going here.
(Dragonfly at Schmitz Park last weekend, photographed by Machel Spence)
TRAFFIC ALERTS: One planned, one unplanned. Unplanned – The ongoing 1st Avenue South northbound lane closure in SODO, because of a water-main break. Planned – The westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to close again tonight, 10 pm-5 am.
SENIOR CENTER GOES HAWAIIAN: “Aloha Party” with lunch and music at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 11:45 am – details here.
COMMUNITY ORCHARD TOURS: Every Tuesday, 5-7 pm, at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, northeast end of South Seattle Community College campus.
BELLY DANCING: The monthly Alauda showcase is tonight at Skylark Café and Club, 7:30 pm (followed by karaoke).
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT: Roo and the Few at Locöl, 7:30-10 pm, info here … Weekly singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.
TRIVIA: Tuesday night means it’s Trivia That Rocks night at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm.
More on the calendar!
SODO traffic alert this morning – 1st Avenue South is down to one northbound lane between Holgate and Edgar Martinez Way, according to KING 5, because of a big overnight water-main break. There may be fewer West Seattle drivers using 1st Avenue South right now anyway because of the ongoing Spokane Street Viaduct offramp closure, but if you’ve been getting off at 4th and cutting back over to 1st – you’re hereby forewarned.
(Photo added midnight; no power at 35th/Avalon 7-11)
If you drive along Avalon Way tonight and notice it’s darker than usual – it’s a planned outage, as labeled on the Seattle City Light outage map. Robin just e-mailed to say she had noticed; two Avalon Way residents had e-mailed earlier. One said she had received notice that it was a scheduled outage related to the just-under-way 3261 Avalon Way apartment project, set for overnight tonight “to meet the needs of the local commercial businesses.” The other resident said she had not received notice. The SCL map says about 28 customers are affected – we don’t know whether an apartment building is counted as one or many customers but the power’s not set to be back on till 6 am.
When the campaign to stop the Tox-Ick Monster burst onto the local scene last year, the unsung hero behind it was Cate White, leading Sustainable West Seattle‘s education and outreach efforts to get people to take action, little by little, to make a big difference in Puget Sound’s water quality. Cate is unsung no longer – tonight, during SWS’s annual summertime picnic at Lincoln Park, president Christina Hahs announced her as the group’s 2012 Sustainable Hero:
In case you couldn’t watch the video – Cate is leaving West Seattle soon, headed for the Bay Area, but the fight against Tox-Ick will live on – Cate has helped secure several major grants, and was there to celebrate the $10,000 the campaign is getting for Laura James‘ recent win as a Cox Conserves Hero.
Another celebration at tonight’s picnic: SWS is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. We went back into the WSB archives and found our first mention, a quick announcement of its first meeting in spring of 2007. Christina brought homemade green-iced cake tonight to mark the milestone:
And if you did see/hear the video – the dogs who were “cheering” for Cate were Christina’s Corgis, Sedona and Piper:
The picnic took the place of this month’s regular membership meeting, so there were announcements, too, including Saturday’s Duwamish River Festival in South Park and tomorrow’s weekly Health and Harvest event at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, 5-7 pm on the northeast side of the South Seattle Community College campus. SSCC is also where SWS plans its September meeting, which will focus on winter gardening – watch for details and lots more on its frequently and thoroughly updated website, sustainablewestseattle.org.
The owner of a West Seattle marijuana dispensary, who also briefly operated one in White Center, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge. That announcement came late today from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which says Brionne Corbray, owner of the GAME Collective dispensary, faces up to 40 years in prison. Here is the full text of the news release we just obtained, detailing the pleas entered today both by Corbray and by dispensary operators in two other neighborhoods:
The owners of two different marijuana distribution enterprises pleaded guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking, admitting they were selling large quantities of marijuana for profit, in violation of federal and state law, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. BRIONNE KEITH CORBRAY, 47, owner and operator of three G.A.M.E Collectives in White Center, Northeast Seattle and West Seattle pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana.
4:47 PM UPDATE: Bail was set today at $150,000 for the 27-year-old Kent man arrested after the fight outside Alki’s Bamboo Bar and Grill that left two people hurt early Sunday morning – one, it was later discovered, with a gunshot wound. (Here’s our original coverage.) Court documents say the suspect was involved in a fight with several Bamboo patrons around 1:15 am Sunday, then pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired it. One shell casing was found. While that fight is described as happening on the sidewalk out front, the documents say “multiple witnesses” saw the suspect point his gun at others inside. The report says he ran eastbound after the fight and gunfire, but was seen trying to hide his gun “and a Seahawks jersey … on top of the right rear tire of a parked SUV.” Police arrested him near that vehicle. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until Wednesday to file charges.
ADDED 5:23 PM: A comment left by a Bamboo representative offers an apology and a plan for a community meeting this Wednesday:
The staff and management regrets being involved with this violent event and apologizes for any fear the community has suffered. We would like to host a community meeting this Wednesday between 5:30 and 7:30 to share the steps that we have been taking to promote a safer environment and to hear any suggestions West Seattle locals may have to offer. We truly care about keeping Alki safe, and want to make Bamboo Bar and Grill and place patrons can feel good about visiting. We look forward to improving and would like to accept any help the community has to offer.
We have also just received a phone call about this, and verified the meeting on Wednesday is AT Bamboo – 2806 Alki SW.
One week from today, the Seattle Public Library‘s systemwide money-saving closure begins, and since it precedes the Labor Day holiday, that means branches will be shuttered for eight days. The library has just sent its official announcement detailing exactly what’s closed and which services will be inaccessible during that time – along with which ones will be accessible, including more online services than during previous closures:Read More
What will be Delridge’s biggest apartment building when it’s finished is halfway to completion. Youngstown Flats is a block away from the park where we took the top photo at its booth during Saturday’s Delridge Day festival; Maria Barrientos (left) and Nicholas Ames (with community member Nancy Folsom) were there to get opinions about the street-end pocket park that’s become part of the project even though it’s not on the site.
Days earlier, we viewed that site from Youngstown Flats itself – its improvements are yet to come, so it still resembles a simple grassy space along the street:
We were at the construction site for a hard-hat tour.
Our photo tour, ahead:
A milestone today for the Highland Park Spraypark project – it has officially gone out to bid. At one point, Seattle Parks had hoped it might be built and open this summer, but when we followed up last month with project manager Kelly Goold, he said it wouldn’t be ready to open before next season after all. The spraypark will be built at the site of the old wading pool, closed almost four years. It started as a simple conversion plan but Highland Park’s Carolyn Stauffer led a successful push to get Parks and Green Spaces Levy money to enhance the project. The request for bids has just been published, and it gives would-be bidders till September 12th, when bids will be opened.
(Top/middle/bottom photos by Bob Bussman, who says this is the Lincoln Park eaglet, out for a snack – UPDATE: Commenters ID it as an osprey)
Welcome to the final full week of August! A few things you should know about for today/tonight:
OFFRAMP CLOSES: First of two alerts from our weekly day-by-day/night-by-night list of closures – SDOT says that as of this morning, the 1st Avenue South offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct is closing for more than a month. The 4th Avenue offramp remains open.
BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT: Second alert from our list – 10 pm tonight till 5 am tomorrow, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed.
FREE YOUTH TENNIS CLINIC: At Lincoln Park Annex/Solstice Park tennis courts, 9:30 am. Details here.
(Quick break for our 2nd eagletosprey-dives-for-dinner photo:)
WEST SEATTLE WOMEN IN CHARGE: This new group meets again (here’s our report on the July meeting) at 9 am today, West Seattle Fabric Company (2210 California SW).
MONDAY ARTISTS: 9:30 am-noon, watercolorists are invited to join this group meeting at the Island View Apartments across from West Seattle High School – details here.
BOOK GROUP: At Southwest Library, 2-3 pm, the monthly afternoon book group will discuss “The Cheating Culture” by David Callahan.
CELEBRATE WITH SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: SWS turns 5 this year and that adds an extra layer of celebration to the group’s annual summer potluck – 5 pm to sunset tonight on the beach at Lincoln Park, picnic shelter 3; this year’s SWS Hero also will be announced. More details on the SWS website.
(Speaking of Lincoln Park … the final of our three photos:)
If Highland Park had a “Junction,” it would be 16th/Holden, with commercial buildings on two corners and Fire Station 11 on a third. The southeast corner of that intersection once held an espresso stand and is about to get a new one – Jenny’s Java Joint. We talked today with Highland Park resident Jennifer Francisco (you can call her Jen OR Jenny), who plans to open JJJ as soon as September 1st, in the spot where JoJo’s Fine Espresso closed more than a year and a half ago, next to the Seamart convenience store. Details ahead!
Tonight starts a new week of road closures – and tomorrow, the 1st Avenue South exit from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct closes for more than a month, as the overall SSV Widening Project approaches its end. Here’s our customary weekly list of what to expect each day/night:
TONIGHT (Sunday, August 19)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm tonight to 5 am tomorrow
MONDAY (8/20)
*1st Avenue South offramp‘s longterm closure begins this morning. **BUS EFFECTS LISTED HERE**
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Westbound lanes closed 10 pm Monday to 5 am Tuesday, which means no access to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Columbian Way
TUESDAY (8/21)
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Westbound lanes closed 10 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, which means no access to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Columbian Way
WEDNESDAY (8/22)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Eastbound lanes closed 10 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday; if you’re headed eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge, you’ll have to exit to northbound 99
THURSDAY (8/23)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Eastbound lanes closed 10 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday; if you’re headed eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge, you’ll have to exit to northbound 99
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY (8/24-8/26)
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure, nothing scheduled
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Nothing scheduled
WEST SEATTLE TRAFFIC NOTE FOR SUNDAY (8/26): From about 8-11 am, Alki Avenue SW will be closed from roughly 63rd to Luna (Anchor) Park for the Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run.
(Photo by Kristen Marie Tourtillotte)
These newlyweds are hoping their recent ceremony will be the first of two. For starters:
West Seattle residents Keith Bacon and Corianton Hale made it official on August 11th at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort in Leavenworth, WA. The happy couple are looking forward to making it legal when their friends and neighbors vote to APPROVE R-74 in the upcoming election. The celebration included a Bavarian log-sawing ceremony, a talent show, a tube float down the Wenatchee River, and even made The Stranger’s fashion blog.
(August 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Next Sunday morning (August 26th), Alki Avenue SW closes for a few hours so more than a thousand people can help send a message of hope via Northwest Hope and Healing. NWHH’s annual Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run raises money for the organization’s work, which includes healing baskets for newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients and an emergency fund for women dealing with breast or gynecologic cancer. This year’s kickoff speaker is a survivor who knows what it’s like to need that kind of resource – NWHH says Tami Hyldahl-Haan “became a widow and a breast cancer survivor as well as a single mother without a source of income” within a short period of time last year, and the NWHH Patient Assistance Fund helped her “get through a couple of rough months.” The 5K starts and ends at Alki Bathhouse; register online now, or at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor; California/Charlestown), or starting at 8 am on race day.
(SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Family friend Aaron says Sophia’s stand raised more than $1,500!)
12:51 PM: Went to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market to check in on two benefits we’ve mentioned in recent days – and found both very busy! Above, Sophia’s Lemonade Stand outside KeyBank at California/Alaska, with lemonade and Bakery Nouveau treats, available by donation to help 7-year-old cancer patient Sophia Thompson and her family. (More about their story here – including a link to donate if you can’t get to the stand before 2 pm.) And inside the market itself, long lines for River Farm Organic Produce – you can’t miss the yellow-topped tent:
As reported here on Friday, a family friend e-mailed to make sure everyone knew this Central Washington farming family had lost a home in the big Taylor Bridge Fire – but they made it to the market and, since the farm itself was spared, have lots of vegetables to sell. The market continues, as usual, till 2 pm.
The Longfellow Creek Apartments complex at Delridge and Juneau is the center of a power outage that’s in its second hour. A resident called to ask about it; the City Light outage map shows it’s affecting 87 customers (each customer is a single household or business, so the number of people affected is always greater than the number of customers). The cause is listed as “equipment failure”; the caller mentioned hearing a loud noise that might have been a transformer going out (no fire calls to the area, though).
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