West Seattle, Washington
11 Saturday
With so much city parkland in West Seattle, this news release just sent by the Mayor’s Office might be of interest. (The group it “announces” has already had its first meeting, though, if the timetable in the last paragraph is correct.)
Mayor Mike McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw today announced the formation of the Parks Preservation Work Group, charged with advising the Mayor, City Council and Parks and Recreation on a range of options for generating more revenue and finding efficiencies that could reduce costs in the 2013 operating budget and beyond.
From the citywide “lookahead” updated by SDOT each week (but also containing info on state projects): Just one round of major closures next week – nightly from Monday (April 23rd) through Thursday (April 26th and into early April 27th morning), the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 stretch will be closed overnight for four nights, between Denny Way and the West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am nightly.
(Along the Duwamish River, south of the WS Bridge – by Don Brubeck, via the WSB group pool on Flickr)
‘Rain tapering off by noon!’ promises the current forecast. (We added the exclamation point.) In the meantime, prepare for your weekend (take an advance look at the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – especially for tomorrow – it’s wall-to-wall) – and for a great Friday full of opportunities including these:
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT AT THRIFTWAY: Three days of appreciation start today at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), with the store’s first-ever produce tent sale plus a raffle benefiting West Seattle Food Bank. More details on the Thriftway website (4201 SW Morgan).
BAKE SALE AT SHANTI: During regular business hours today through Sunday (10 am-7 pm today), stop by Shanti Salon and Spa (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District to check out a deluxe bake sale – described on our event-calendar listing (2138 California SW).
BALLROOM DANCING: Monthly event with Lauren Petrie at Senior Center of West Seattle, 1:30-3:30 pm (California/Oregon in The Junction)
MEET YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP: Questions/concerns about Seattle Public Schools, as it prepares to choose a new superintendent, open a new “option” elementary in WS, and put a levy on the ballot (among other things)? West Seattle’s school board director Marty McLaren holds her next community-conversation meeting 5-6:30 pm at High Point Neighborhood Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW).
STORYTELLING WITH MISS SEAFAIR: Veronica Quintero is the guest storyteller at the White Center Community Cultural Center (actually in West Seattle, 9421 18th SW) tonight, and all are invited; the event starts with a light meal at 5:30 pm. Our calendar listing has the details.
DELRIDGE UNSUNG HEROES: They’ll be honored in this first-ever event tonight at 6 at High Point Neighborhood Center (last we checked, the event was at capacity).
RAINBOW BINGO: Got a reservation already? No? Call quick (info’s here)! Doors open at 6, bingo starts at 7, Senior Center of West Seattle.
WINE TASTING: At Bin 41 in The Junction, wines under $20 from around the globe. 6:30-8 pm (4707 California SW).
(Jay Jenkins and Connie Murray in “Love Letters”; photo by Gary Wigle)
‘LOVE LETTERS’: Last weekend for Twelfth Night Productions‘ presentation at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center! Showtime is 7:30 pm; ticket info’s on TNP’s website (4408 Delridge Way SW).
PIANOMANIA! AT KENYON HALL: As the announcement from KH puts it, it’s their “celebration of all things pianistic.” Check out the lineup on the Kenyon Hall website. Four shows this weekend, starting with 7:30 pm tonight (7904 35th SW).
LIVE MUSIC AT ALKI TAVERN: The Slags play at the tavern tonight, 9 pm (1321 Harbor Avenue SW).
‘CALIFORNIA 90420’ AT THE ADMIRAL: One-time-only documentary screening at the Admiral Theater, 9 pm (2343 California SW).
And there’s even more on the WSB Events Calendar (handy hint for using that page- mouse over the right side of any listing line to see the “plus” sign; click it and a preview of the details will open WITHOUT you leaving the page – then click READ MORE if you want to – or mouse over the upper right again to find the “minus” sign and click it to close the item)
Some requests for volunteer help that we receive and publish may sound a little vague, and if that’s what’s kept you from lending a hand, here’s something different, and very specific, from the WSB inbox:
ElderFriends, a volunteer-based program of local non-profit Full Life Care, matches elders with friendly volunteer visitors who help relieve isolation and loneliness. We foster mutually rewarding friendships between our elders and volunteers. Pairs are matched based on geography, similar interests, and shared life experiences. We currently have 7 elders in and around West Seattle who are waiting to be matched with a volunteer. This is a great way to build a lasting friendship, while making a significant difference in the life of an elder in your community.
We ask that volunteers commit to visit an elder friend at least twice a month for one year. It is important that volunteers are comfortable listening attentively, initiating conversation, and being sensitive to the needs of isolated older adults. Volunteers must be over the age of 18, must pass a background check, and must attend a one-time training session.
If you’re interested in volunteering, or have questions about the ElderFriends program, you can contact Ginger Seybold, Director of Volunteer Programs, at 206.224.3790 or gingers@fulllifecare.org. You can also fill out a volunteer application online at www.elderfriends.org and someone will contact you.
Salvage work has started at the residential properties that will be demolished to make way for the million-gallon underground tank anchoring the Murray Basin Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Project. An update on the CSO project was one of several major items at Wednesday night’s Morgan Community Association meeting:Read More
Earlier this week, we shared West Seattle Little League president Brian Pare‘s report of 12-year-old Jacob Terao‘s perfect game. It drew attention from regional media, too, including Q13 FOX TV, which interviewed Jacob, his catcher, and his dad (WSLL past president Mark Terao). The story’s not embeddable so we can’t show it here, but here’s a link where you can watch it on the Q13 website.
Just before WSB became a full-time news service, we learned a LOT about neighborhood organizations – nonprofits, community councils, and more – by attending the first Gathering of Neighbors events years ago. The GoN idea was the brainchild of Megawatt, the now-defunct nonprofit that also dreamed up West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. When they closed up shop in 2007, we took over WSCGSD (coming up May 12th this year!), and others took on the Gathering of Neighbors. This year, a new group of volunteers, VIEWS, is putting it together, and you can enjoy the result of their work – and lots of community groups’ ongoing efforts – this Saturday at the Chief Sealth International High School Galleria, first GoN in a year and a half. From the draft program for the day, here’s who you’ll find there:
Performances between 1 and 3 pm are scheduled to include Aikido of West Seattle, an ensemble from Twelfth Night Productions, Wise Orchid Martial Arts, and Denny/Sealth music students. But first, an area with a special focus on preparedness, 11 am-1 pm, featuring:
WEST SEATTLE BE PREPARED! HUB DEMO
plus Preparedness speaker sessions every 15 mins.
City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management
King County Public Health Reserve Corps
West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network
West Seattle Amateur Radio Club
Seattle Auxiliary Communication Service
Washington State Animal Response Team
City of Seattle Home Retrofit Program
Red Cross
Other organizations who’ll be represented at tables/booths during the overall resource fair 11 am-3 pm, with lots of info and people happy to chat with you, include:
34th District Democrats
Admiral Neighborhood Association
Artisan Electric
Cascadia Solar Project
City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Delridge Produce Cooperative
Highland Park Action Committee/Highland Park Improvement Club
North Delridge Neighborhood Council
Roxbury Spine and Wellness Center
Seattle Neighborhood Group
Seattle Fire Department
Seattle Police Department
Seattle Public Library
South Seattle Community College
Southwest Seattle Historical Society / Log House Museum
Sustainable West Seattle
West Seattle Blog (hey! that’s us!)
West Seattle Community Orchestras
West Seattle Democratic Women
White Center Chamber of Commerce
If you’ve never been to Sealth, the parking-lot entrance is off SW Thistle, and the Galleria entrance is the central building with the angled roof, set back and to the north of the lot. No admission charge, but there will be food for sale, scheduled to include Giannoni’s Pizza and a dessert fundraiser put on by Sealth students. See you there!
In every story we’ve published about the ex-Petco site in The Junction (4700 block of California), it’s been noted that the quirky Sound Advertising Group setup there – an office staff and ex-pizza-place animatronics! – isn’t there for the long haul. So why didn’t the owner seek someone who is? many have asked. Here’s the likely reason: A development proposal.
Even before the north side of the block – the future Equity Residential (ex-Conner) project – starts construction, a potential project is emerging further south. A few details are on the city’s Department of Planning and Development website:
New construction of a 7-story mixed-use building with approximately 80 residential apartment units, 18 L/W units, approximately 5,000 gsf of commercial space at ground level, and two level subgrade parking.
L/W is “live/work,” an increasingly popular development component – dozens of live/work units are open now on the north side of Morgan Junction, for example, with a variety of small businesses at ground level (some have moved there from elsewhere in West Seattle, like longtime WSB sponsor John Moore and his Northwest Insurance Group). Other details on the DPD page note that this is for “Lots 10-14,” which county records identify specifically as the ex-Petco building, so – pending further research – it doesn’t appear other parts of the block are involved, but we’re investigating further.
There’s not much other detail on the DPD webpages yet – not unusual for an early-stage proposal, and it should be noted that sometimes proposals appear and never come to fruition. There is an architect listed – Weber Thompson (which worked on the California/Alaska project) – and “ownership” is listed as The Wolff Company, an Arizona-based, Spokane-founded firm whose website is currently down but does have a cached description: “Acquiring, developing and managing investment real estate with a focus on multi-family properties.” They’re not currently listed in county records as owning the site, but we’ll be contacting them to try to find out more. (Looks like they have a sizable project going in Snohomish County.) Followups to come.
4:47 PM: Thanks to Peter, in comments, for pointing out that The Wolff Company is in the early stages of a Capitol Hill project, and actively seeking neighborhood feedback there. Here’s the story from our fellow community-collaborative neighborhood-news site, Capitol Hill Seattle. ::minutes later:: Taking cues from something mentioned in the CHS story, we have found a fledgling website for this project – 4724California.com – which includes a contact link and the slogan, “West Seattle Authentic.”
Last night, e-mail came in from Terry Hammonds, a Florida resident who was visiting Seattle for the World’s Fair in 1962 and took the photos during a helicopter ride. Terry was a “Texas college student on my first road trip” at the time. Terry offered the photos, available via Flickr, if we were doing a ’62 retrospective (as so many are, in honor of the half-century anniversary). We thought you might be interested in the view of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and even this one of West Seattle and Harbor Island, from a distance:
Of course the big news at the time was the brand-new Space Needle:
(Click any of the photos to see the largest size via Terry’s Flickr feed.) Thanks! We love receiving photo surprises to share. P.S. Did you know that West Seattle (Duwamish Head, in particular) was one of seven sites considered as a possible World’s Fair site for that year?
Well, in lieu of actual time-traveling, envisioning the future is the next best thing. And that’s what the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council – which hasn’t had a general meeting in a while – is getting ready to do, with the help of as many interested neighbors as they can find! One week from tonight, the journey begins:
What would make our neighborhood a great place to live in 2020?
The GSNC is embarking on a neighborhood Vision 2020 planning process, and we want YOUR input and involvement! Please come to our next meeting and share your ideas with us:
• What do you like about our neighborhood now?
• What short- and long-term changes would you like to see?*Thursday, April 26, 2012
6:30-7 p.m. Social Time (refreshments will be served)
7-8:30 p.m. Meeting (with lots of time for input and perhaps a speaker or two)
Howell Auditorium, West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Avenue SW* Some areas to think about:
Social events, parks, communication, traffic improvements, beautification projects, education and support, crime prevention, emergency preparedness, gardening, policy, shared interests/resources, volunteer opportunitiesFor more information (including a map), please visit our website at www.genesee-schmitz.org. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send your name and email address to gsncouncil@gmail.com
Your next chance to make a difference with your fork/knife/spoon/chopsticks is just one week away: Dining Out for Life, to benefit the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, is next Thursday (April 26th). According to the Seattle DO4L website, three West Seattle restaurants are participating, and one in White Center: Buddha Ruska (info here), Company (info here), Skylark (info here), and Talarico’s (info here). All are listed as donating 30 percent of their dinnertime proceeds that night.
(From left, Dr. Sandra Husk, Steven Enoch, José Banda)
Just in from Seattle Public Schools, the three finalists for superintendent (you’ll recall that Dr. Susan Enfield, acting superintendent, is going to run Highline Public Schools starting this summer). The finalists – two men from California, one woman from Oregon – will be in Seattle next week. You can see the district’s official news release on its website. P.S. More background and context from our partners at the Seattle Times, here.
Welcome to another new sponsor, LD Arch Design, a green architecture firm focusing on residential additions and remodels. 
Their message for you: The mission of the firm is “thrifty and thoughtful design for a small planet,” and architect Parie Hines works to sensitively transform existing homes – maximizing reuse and keeping any added spaces compact and efficient.
Parie is sitting on the porch of her family’s home, which doubled its space with an addition built in 2009 on a very tight budget. Featured as part of the Seattle Green Home Tour on April 21st and 22nd (this Saturday-Sunday), it’s an example of Parie’s “less is more GREEN” design philosophy, showcasing affordable green strategies for people who are interested in making their existing home greener.
The “less is more GREEN” design concept is simple – it uses less space, less new stuff, less toxic stuff, less energy, and less water – which often leads to less money spent on your home. You can read more about it at the “less is more GREEN” blog, and specifically about the green strategies of the LemonDrop Addition at the NW Ecobuilding Guild site page. And, of course, you are invited to stop by to see it in person on April 21st and 22nd.
LD Arch Design also reserves time for pro bono or reduced-fee design for community projects, using Parie’s background in public architecture, affordable housing, and community development. LD Arch Design is one of the resources available at the WS Tool Library DIY Ask an Expert event every 2nd Thursday at 6 pm at Youngstown. Parie also serves as co-chair of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council and chairs its Community Design and Land Use committee.
Reach LD Arch Design online at ldarchdesign.com, by phone at 206-229-8923, and via its Facebook page.
We thank LD Arch Design 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.
(Thanks to Michael Brophy for the aerial photo taken as he flew over WS last Sunday; click pic for larger image)
Highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
3 LIBRARY STORY TIMES THIS MORNING: They happen several days a week, every week, but every so often we like to remind you here in the daily preview, too. Today’s story times at West Seattle library branches are Toddler Story Time at Southwest Branch, 11 am (35th/Henderson); Preschool Story Time at Delridge Branch, 11:15 am (Delridge/Brandon); Toddler Story Time at High Point Branch, 11:30 am (35th/Raymond).
WEST SEATTLE CELLARS’ WEEKLY TASTING: Austrian wines are in the spotlight tonight at the free weekly tasting at WS Cellars (WSB sponsor), 5:30-8 pm. Full details are in the calendar listing (6026 California SW).
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: Sid Law performs 6-8 pm. From the C & P (WSB sponsor) event calendar: “Real-time (no loops) one-man band of original arrangements from the 1920s to present day (as well as my own originals), all styles.” (5612 California SW)
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Monthly meeting, 7 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) – agenda highlights here.
A GLASS OF WINE, A TUBE OF PAINT, AND THOU … Painting on the Vine is offering a class tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 7 pm. Details/link in the calendar listing (4408 Delridge Way SW).
NIGHT 2 AT ARTSWEST: Second night for “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” 7:30 pm; ticket info on the ArtsWest website (4711 California SW).
Explore the calendar for more – including previews (like the VERY BUSY Saturday ahead)!
Spring cleaning? Sorting through things in preparation for WSCGSD? Maybe you have mugs and/or glasses you never use, just cluttering the cupboard. Sustainable West Seattle would be happy to put them into service:
Sustainable West Seattle is excited to announce that we are creating a reusable dish collection. Our goal is to create a large collection that can be used for events, like parties, so that disposables will not need to be used. We are currently accepting donations of mugs, drinking glasses and wine glasses. Donations must be in good condition and not have any chips or sharp edges. Our current goal is to collect 100 mugs, drinking glasses, and wine glasses.
Donations can be left at the following locations:
*West Seattle Tool Library – 4408 Delridge Way SW – Thursdays from 6-9 pm, Saturdays from 9 am-2 pm and Sundays from 1-5 pm
*Think Outside the Car event on Saturday, April 28th, from 10 am-2 pm at Westside School playground – 34th and Holden Street
*Sustainable West Seattle table at the West Seattle Farmers Market on May 6thAfter the collection has been established, we hope to lend it out to other groups in West Seattle to reduce the amount of disposables used in West Seattle.
(Parks boss Christopher Williams, left, and WS Crime Prevention Council president Richard Miller)
How safe are West Seattle’s parks, and can they be made safer?
Those questions – stirred by last month’s unsolved murder of Greggette Guy, who police have said they believe was killed at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint – led the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council to invite acting Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams to its April meeting. (Here’s our separate update on the murder case itself.)
Williams, who grew up in West Seattle and is a Chief Sealth graduate, spoke and answered questions – as did two Parks managers who accompanied him – for more than 45 minutes in the Southwest Precinct meeting room on Tuesday night.
No big announcements, no “aha” moments, not even any extensive discussion of (nor questions about) Schmitz Viewpoint – but here’s how it unfolded (including video, if you would like to see and hear for yourself): Read More
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
West Seattle Blog contributor
Did you notice the lights and cameras set up at Cupcake Royale in The Junction on Monday?
That was a crew from Bellevue-based Expedia, interviewing local travel writers who have applied their storytelling and outreach skills to fundraising for international projects.
West Seattleites Beth Whitman (photo left) and Pam Mandel (photo right), along with Debbie Dubrow (center, from Mount Baker), are longtime travelers and writers who publish blog-format sites where they share their experiences, and their tips and tricks for smarter, easier travel. Along with Michelle Duffy (not pictured), they found each other through their writing, and began meeting regularly at Cupcake Royale to share stories and support.
At one point, they wondered, “What MORE can we do?” They wanted a way to bring together the travel-blog community, and unite it around a cause. After doing some research, realizing that others in that community wanted “something to latch onto,” and finding other groups with strong fundraising models, the four women created Passports with Purpose.
With the Sunday night attack/robbery – and then last night’s chase/crash – Becky says her neighborhood wants to reach out to join forces with those nearby:
The Block Watch community of 18th Ave SW & Trenton … met to discuss the events of (Monday) night concerning a young woman being assaulted in our alley. This act of random violence is not only scary, but completely inconsistent with who we are as a community. We are families, friends and neighbors who want the simple peace of feeling safe on our street and in our homes. We want to be able to feel safe with our children playing outside. And we want to be empowered, as a community, to address this horrible event that has shattered that perspective for us.
We realize that the best way to heal the neighborhood impacted by such random violence is to work with our sister neighborhood Block Watches (or neighbors- we are not exclusive!). We have discussed some idea of how we can watch out for each other and be more vigilant. We tossed around ideas like offering to walk our neighbors home if they work the late shift in pairs. And we want to coordinate with the other neighborhoods and get some more ideas on how to prevent this from happening in our community. So if folks are interested in working with the Block Watch of 18th Ave SW & Trenton, please contact the SW Precinct for details on getting a hold of us. We have been coordinating with the Community Police Officer and appreciate the efforts of SPD to address this incident.
Along with publishing her message here, we also suggested that Becky reach out to the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network (which isn’t just for BW captains), which has been working to connect neighborhoods for crime prevention and safety. Their next meeting, by the way – open to all – is next Tuesday, April 24th, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, with “crime prevention through environmental design” the scheduled topic – helpful hints that you can use to reduce the chances your home will be targeted.
No one can resist the downtown-skyline view from West Seattle – not even the noble and ever-busy crow. Thanks to Darren Pilon for sharing the photo. P.S. While rain is on its way back, the forecast includes some weekend sun.
The next major “rechannelization” in West Seattle is now just weeks away, according to SDOT. The timetable for SW Alaska changes in The Junction and Triangle came up during a briefing at tonight’s Morgan Community Association meeting, mostly about RapidRide-related road work (though RapidRide is a county Metro Transit project, the road/sidewalk/signal changes are being done in association with SDOT). SDOT’s RapidRide project manager Mike Ward told MoCA that the work is now expected to be done next month – no date firmed up yet, but they’ll plan on making it happen over a period of about four days – starting on a Monday, wrapping up Thursday. As reported here last year, the rechannelization will include these changes:
· Install an eastbound business access and transit Lane (BAT) between 42nd Avenue SW and 40th Avenue SW
· Install a westbound BAT lane between Fauntleroy Way and 42nd Avenue SW
· Remove parking on the north side of SW Alaska Street between California Avenue SW and 42nd Avenue SW and north side of SW Alaska Street between 41st Avenue SW and Fauntleroy; remove parking on south side of SW Alaska Street between 42nd and Fauntleroy
· Install a westbound left turn pocket at California Avenue and SW Alaska Street
· Install an eastbound left turn pocket at 42nd Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street
· Install a westbound bicycle lane between Fauntleroy Way and approximately 30 feet west of 41st Avenue SW
We’ll have the rest of the RapidRide discussion in our full report on the MoCA meeting, but wanted to get this news out sooner. For the city’s renderings of how the rechannelization will work, scroll down this page.
Just a few days till this weekend’s free, self-guided Seattle Green Home Tour (with WSB among the co-sponsors), which – as the clickable map above shows you – has four West Seattle stops this year, plus one not too far away (and 25 stops in all, around the metro area). Read on for more details on the West Seattle sites:Read More
This afternoon, we welcome a new WSB sponsor – locally owned West Seattle Thriftway! Here’s their message to you:
You know their faces and you know their names, and it’s most likely because the staff members at West Seattle Thriftway have been working there for more than a decade, if not two. “A passion for what they do” doesn’t even begin to describe how they feel about their workplace. A building is merely an empty shell until you give it a soul – and something we believe strongly in is that it’s the people who work somewhere that make a place special.
At West Seattle Thriftway, the goals are simple and straightforward: To offer exceptional quality and diversity of products, even more exceptional customer service, and to create strong ties to the community through non-profit support, events, and fundraising. “In a way, we feel like we have grown up with our community and have been woven into the fabric of what makes West Seattle so special, which is strong community connections.”
More importantly, in a world of “big box” stores, we feel extremely proud to be considered one of the little guys. Aside from being totally awesome, being an independent grocer and being locally owned and operated gives us the power to be able to bend over backward for our customers. Please come visit us April 20th – 22nd (4201 SW Morgan, at California/Fauntleroy) for a community appreciation event that includes a free grilled sausage lunch as a thank you for all of your support!
We thank West Seattle Thriftway 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.
Our area’s second planned “Cash Mob” is set for this Saturday – though it’ll actually be a week BEFORE the first one announced for our area. Confusing? Here’s the deal: The latest announcement is for 4 pm this Saturday, April 21st, during The Junction’s “Tax-Free Day” multi-merchant all-day sale – a “cash mob” (show up and spend!) at Curious Kidstuff. The one that was announced earlier (first reported here two weeks ago), April 28th at Village Green Perennial Nursery, is still on, too. A “cash mob” is meant to be a gathering of people, “flash mob” style (though usually well-publicized), to show up at a specific business and spend at least $20. (We hope you will “cash mob” ALL your favorite local independent businesses as often as you can, though!)
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