West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
As soon as SDOT announced the Fauntleroy Way road work – repaving, rebuilding, “rechannelizing” – was almost done, the questions began, including, why isn’t it all blacktop? We arranged to chat and stroll with SDOT project manager Jessica Murphy to get some answers as the work wrapped up.
(looking north across Fauntleroy at 42nd SW, foreground in shadows)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Now that the end of the Fauntleroy Way repaving/rebuilding work between Edmunds and Holly is here – and so are the “rechannelization” lines – new questions have surfaced (as have new features).
SDOT explained along the way that the stretch of Fauntleroy covered in this $3+ million dollar project (first revealed here last October, with the lane-reconfiguration “rechannelization” plan first made public in November) is a three-section road: Concrete on each side, asphalt down the middle where a gap once existed with thoughts a streetcar track would be built.
When I sat down with SDOT’s Jessica Murphy – a West Seattleite, by the way – at a Morgan Junction coffee shop last week to talk about the project, she brought along a few more specifics about that history – the east section of the road was built in 1927; the west, 1949; and the last major work on the road, including the section where the streetcar track never got built, was 1984.
The roots of what you see today – some spots that are blacktop adjoining some spots that are not – are in 1984, when sections of cement roadway were overlaid in asphalt. It’s particularly noticeable stretching west from Fauntleroy/Graham (map):
Murphy says the asphalt overlay is not considered necessary any more – the asphalt doesn’t add any “structural benefit,” but does add cost — putting it over the west stretch, for example, would have cost $200,000 more, but “added no lifespan.”
That said, two points are worth noting: Once a road is overlaid with asphalt, she says, it needs to stay that way, in no small part because the utilities and other features are built to work with the road at that height (generally two inches over the concrete road base). Also, perhaps most notably, even though your eyes would tell you otherwise, nothing has changed in this project – the section where you see asphalt now is where there was asphalt before – the section where you don’t, didn’t have it. Over time, the two-tone look will soften, she says, adding that the black marks on some of the concrete, blamed on trucks driving over the “tack,” will go away too.
Two days before the grand opening of the Junction QFC supermarket in Capco Plaza at 42nd/Alaska (map), the sign on its west side has just gone up – thanks to Brian from TouchTech Systems in The Junction for the photo. As noted here last week, the ribboncutting is set for 7 am Wednesday. We also have a footnote on our story about Westside Pharmacy closing as its owner and staff move to the new QFC store’s pharmacy – Westside (California/Brandon; map) has posted a sign saying its doors will close for good at 6:30 pm Tuesday, as they work to transition the prescriptions in time for the new pharmacy to open the next morning.
A warning just in from Molly – read on:Read More
(Sunday photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
As promised, we checked with the Seattle Housing Authority today regarding what one of the Stewart Manor residents told WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham after yesterday morning’s fire – that there are no sprinklers, and that it was dark inside. SHA spokesperson Virginia Felton looked into the questions for us. First, regarding sprinklers:
Stewart Manor does NOT have sprinklers. The building was built before they were required and it would be very expensive to retrofit with sprinklers. One of our construction managers estimated half a million dollars to add sprinklers to Stewart Manor. Because of how most of our high rise buildings are built, they are highly rated for fire safety in spite of not having sprinklers. They are made of concrete and masonry with steel framing. In every instance where I have known of a fire in our high rise buildings, it has consistently been restricted to the one unit where it started. This was also the case at Stewart Manor. Even though the smoke damage is extensive, the fire damage is limited to the fifth floor apartment where the fire originated.
So what about emergency lighting? We asked if its absence was why the resident reported dark hallways. Felton’s reply:
All our apartment buildings are equipped with standard illuminated exit signs. The taller ones have been fairly recently equipped with backup generators that run the elevators and hallway lights if the power goes off. At six stories, Stewart Manor is NOT equipped with a back up generator. In any event, back up or emergency lighting only becomes functional if there is a power outage, which was not the case with this fire at Stewart Manor. The hallways were dark (and hot) because of the thick smoke. Investigation this morning shows that some exit signs (made of plastic) melted from the heat that rose to the ceiling in the hallways.
(Sunday photo of firefighter Bennett from Ladder 7, taken by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham)
She also tells WSB that cleanup crews have been at the building all day today, working on cleanup, and that more residents will be able to return to their apartments later in the day “and we will make sure everyone has a place to stay.” According to the Seattle Fire Department report yesterday, the fire – which sent three people to the hospital for what SFD described as “minor smoke inhalation” – started with someone heating shoe polish to shine shoes, and did $175,000 damage.
They thrilled Delridge Day at Youngstown Arts Center on May 31, as you can see in our video, and Vicious Puppies Crew is back for one of this weekend’s many major West Seattle events – the LINKS community barbecue at Delridge Community Center Playfield (across the street from Youngstown; map) 2-6 pm this Saturday. The event’s to support and celebrate the work that Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is doing, and DNDA board chair Howie Martin sent along the plan for LINKS – with a menu including grilled steak strips, chicken and veggie sausages, hot dogs, salads, cooked greens, sliced melon, and pies; activities including a bouncy structure for young attendees; live performances including (besides Vicious Puppies Crew) poetry, music, a Youngstown youth showcase. The weekend is fun-filled but since this all stretches across four hours, you can make time to drop by! More on the other big events as the week rolls on.
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, AmazonFresh, the new grocery home-delivery service from Amazon.com. We offer new sponsors the chance to tell you about their business, and 
here’s what AmazonFresh would like you to know: Since November 2007, 2,000 of your West Seattle neighbors have experienced the convenience of having all their perishable and non-perishable groceries delivered to their doorstep by AmazonFresh. Unlike other grocery delivery services, AmazonFresh was designed from scratch to take your busy life into account. Same day and next day delivery is standard. They can deliver before you wake up and you don’t need to be home to get delivery. If you want to be home (or your order contains alcohol), you can choose from dozens of 1-hour time slots. Delivery is available 7 days a week including Sundays. For doorstep deliveries, AmazonFresh leaves your groceries in secured, temperature-controlled totes. In addition to these convenience benefits, AmazonFresh has a great selection of local products including produce and dairy. You can even get many of your favorite Amazon.com books, video, baby, toy, and kitchen products delivered with your groceries. Need popcorn, movie, and popcorn maker for a Friday night? No problem. Last but not least, AmazonFresh has multiple ways to save including daily deals, bulk purchases, and automatic delivery discounts. Best of all, these discounts can be “nested” so that customers can take advantage of not 1 but 3 different discounts on the same item! By combining discounts, customers can save up to 70% on certain products. Give AmazonFresh a try today.
Thanks to AmazonFresh for sponsoring 24/7 independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news here on WSB – the full sponsor team is here, with info on how to become part of it! (Photo credit: JetCityOrange)
Leading his school’s first assembly as Denny International Middle School – that second word is brand-new this year – principal Jeff Clark offered a well-received explanation for his bright outfit. He spoke within the past hour to a cafeteria filled with the 700-strong student body that speaks more than 22 languages, according to a fact sheet Seattle Public Schools media liaisons handed out. Clark also pointed out the visual representation of that – these flags hanging overhead:
Part of the new “international school” program includes Spanish/English immersion – Denny teacher Leticia Clausen is teaching a humanities block in Spanish, and is shown in our next video introducing costumed students who performed a dance from the Mexican state of Oaxaca:
(A sign of Denny’s new focus – as Clausen left the stage, the teacher next to whom we were standing thanked her in Spanish; she replied, “De nada.” The language focus at Denny also includes Mandarin Chinese.) Other performers this morning: Denny’s marching band and steel drummers; toward the middle of this clip, you’ll see Marcus Pimpleton, who is leading music programs at Chief Sealth High School this year as well as his duties at Denny:
The students (and teachers, who lined both sides of the cafeteria) also heard from SPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, who will appear a few miles east at Concord Elementary School tomorrow morning as part of a similar celebration – Concord, which is in South Park but considered part of SPS’s West Seattle region, is also an international school as of this year (here’s the original announcement), which the district says sets up a pathway from Concord to Denny. They are two of five international schools in the SPS system, along with Stanford, Hamilton and Beacon Hill. ADDED 1:08 PM: One more clip – the actual Oaxacan dance:
Three major community meetings are ahead this week in West Seattle, all extending an invitation to you, two with speakers/guests bound to be of high interest:
TUESDAY – WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: After a summer hiatus, the grass-roots group that brings together law-enforcement leaders and community members each month will reconvene Tuesday night, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster; map). Special guest this month: King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg (left). If you have questions about what happens to crime suspects once they’re arrested and why, this is the person you want to hear from – his office decides on what if any charges are filed, and how to prosecute the case.
WEDNESDAY – DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Reps from key community groups and organizations in the eastern half of West Seattle will gather at Youngstown Arts Center (4408 Delridge; map), 7 pm.
THURSDAY – ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: When the ACC meets at Alki Community Center this Thursday at 7, they’re expected to hear from Tom Lin, owner of the historic Homestead Restaurant, closed since a fire eight months ago. Because of the building’s landmark status, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society has expressed concern about its future post-fire, and brought up the situation at the Sept. 2 Southwest District Council meeting. After ACC rep Tony Fragada told the SWDC that Tom Lin would be briefing the Alki group this week, they tabled the topic to wait and see what’s planned for the property and how best to offer help. The public is welcome at the meeting too, though you have to be an ACC member to vote on anything (membership information is here).
What else is up this week? Check the WSB West Seattle-wide Events calendar page any time.
This site among many others has had contentious car vs. bike discussions – and over the years of course the “road rage” of car vs. car erupts from time to time – but this is one of the first “bike vs. bike” clashes we’ve heard: Longtime WSBer Todd in Westwood tells the story:
(Sunday), wife, 5 y.o. daughter and I decided to get the bikes out and take them down to Alki, as this may be the last nice Sunday in a while. We parked down by the 7-11 on Alki Ave and rode around Jack Block Park, then off to the beach.
I had daughter on the “trailer bike” attatched to my bike with wife behind us. We had jsut passed Anchor Park, when a very angry “LEFT” was yelled at me, then “!!!LEFT!!!” again. I was passing pedestrians and with the trailer bike, it isn’t very easy to make quick moves in either direction. The NOW extremely angry road bike yells “I said LEFT” then passes me on the left and punches me, luckily he got me in the upper arm instead of the face. This in turn almost made me crash. I stopped to process what had just happened, now daughter is scared and crying. I yell back at him telling him I am calling 911 to report it, he yells back ” F__K YOU, A__ h__e”, So we found an officer down the beach and made out a report. He will be charged with misdemeanor assault. But he is nowhere to be found.
We walk the bikes down the beach to get coffee, run into some friends and lo and behold, jerk man rides by. I follow him and call 911. They caught the dude and he will be charged. I don’t know what happened to him next. I heard him tell the officer he didn’t have i.d., should be interesting. A couple then stops us on the beach to tell us they had witnessed the whole ordeal and are willing to help. (Thank you so much, folks! )
Let’s hope justice can prevail and at least show my daughter that the bad guys get caught.
(This also was posted in the WSB Forums.)
West Seattle has its own community orchestra – and starting this Tuesday, it’s welcoming interested local musicians to join in for a new season. Here’s the latest news as shared by Westside Symphonette founder Toni Reineke:
Westside Symphonette announces: Two new conductors! A new orchestra! Three new string coaches! September 15—and every Tuesday!
Several new additions are in store for the Westside Symphonette Community and Youth Orchestras’ 2009-2010 season, beginning September 15, meeting at Chief Sealth High School in the Boren Building.
In addition to Toni Reineke, co-conductor and founder of the orchestra, the Symphonette is welcoming Julia Tai and Robert Duisberg, co-conductors [photos above]. Julia is a doctoral student at the University of Washington studying instrumental conducting with Maestro Peter Erös and violin with Ronald Patterson. She is co-concertmaster of the UW Symphony and the conductor of the UW Contemporary Ensemble. Robt Duisberg has been a composer and music director in Seattle for 30 years. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition and conducting from the University of Washington as well as a PhD in Computer Science.
The Symphonette is launching a third orchestra for beginning string players this fall. Symphonette Strings is for youth and adults who are just getting started playing the violin, viola, cello or bass. Through a generous grant from the Wallace Foundation, the string group will have adult coaches provided by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras.
In addition to the Symphonette Strings, the Westside Symphonette will continue with the Junior Orchestra, for beginning to intermediate players, and the Senior Orchestra for more advanced players. The groups are open to all ages, youth through adult. Informal auditions are held for placement in the proper group. Each group performs publicly two to four times per year.
Come join the Symphonette! Openings are still available for this fall for every orchestral instrument. Please contact Toni Reineke at 206-243-6955 or tonireineke@comcast.net for further information.
ADDED SEPT. 15: Missed the times in the original report above – Toni says it’s 5:30 start time for junior orchestra and beginning strings, 6:45 for senior orchestra.
That’s a Google Street View of West Seattle’s Southwest branch of the Seattle Public Library. (9010 35th SW; map), where two big events are coming up. Julie Enevoldsen from Friends of Southwest Branch Library shares both announcements. First – this one’s less than a week away:
Friends of Southwest Branch Library would like to invite all patrons to an informal Meet & Greet reception for our “new” branch manager, Jane Appling, on Saturday, September 19th from 1-2 pm in the meeting room at the branch.
In June, branch manager Theresa Mayer accepted a new position as Outreach Services Manager at the Central Library, coordinating programs and services to immigrant and refugee communities and the Library Equal Access Program serving people with disabilities. We’ll miss Theresa, but wish her well in her new position!
Jane Appling is our new branch manager (and branch manager of South Park) as of early July. Most recently, Jane served as the Library Services’ Operations and Analysis Manager. She offers extensive and varied public library experience, a very insightful perspective, and a passion for serving the community. Come and meet her on September 19!
Second – a call for artists:
The Southwest Branch of the Seattle Public Library and the Friends of Southwest Branch Library invite community artists of all ages to the 18th Annual Southwest Community Art Showcase.
(Local artists) may sign up by calling 206-684-7455, or by stopping by the Southwest Branch between Thursday, Oct 1 and Saturday, Oct. 24. Artists of any age and artwork of any medium are welcome.
Art work by Southwest community members will be on display at the Southwest Branch from October 26 through November 15. A meet-the-artists reception is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at the library. Artists participating in the Showcase are encouraged to attend. The reception is a chance to discuss art with the artists in a low-key, friendly setting. This is an opportunity to meet your creative neighbors! Refreshments will be served. Join us!
Want to know more about Friends of Southwest Branch Library? Go here.
Three Crime Watch reports to share this afternoon – reports of an Alki assault, Gatewood burglary, and a Junction-area sighting that might or might not be related to a theft – read on:Read More
(iPhone photo by Tony Welch)
About a dozen riders have just left from Morgan Junction, according to WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, and if they follow the route posted on a Google Map earlier, they’ll be heading north through The Junction, Admiral, and on to Alki. Updates to come. 2:40 PM: Stephen sent another photo from right before the riders took off:
We got one report via Facebook that they’ve passed through The Junction. 3:01 PM: Here’s our clip as they passed through The Junction – halfscreen because this is a G-rated site – as you’ll hear, they got some honking and hollering:
3:20 PM: This is getting some buzz on Twitter, too. Sample: @ClutchSeattle noted, “World Naked Bike Riders on CA Ave bring fits of giggles to entire family. 3 yr old says someone stole their underwear.” Offered by @marykir, “Hope they are using plenty of sunscreen.” And according to @playwildgames, the riders have passed through Admiral.
3:37 PM: WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli caught the group on the north end of The Junction, passing the Senior Center of West Seattle:
In a Facebook discussion, some have asked, what’s the point? The “exuberant joy of cycling,” says the WNBR Seattle website (note, NOT a G-rated site). ADDED 6:43 PM: Click to see Christopher’s video. 10:19 PM NOTE: Looks like the embed code for that may work now:
Till 6 pm, you’re invited to help PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) celebrate the 20th anniversary of their West Seattle store (California/Stevens; map). Outside, the Kid Picks van at left with fun stuff for the little ones, and free burgers getting grilled in the tent under the sign; inside, birthday cake and lemonade:
Free samples and cooking demos are happening inside the store too. Event schedule here (chocolate samples at 3 pm!).
While we continue to watch for updates on the cause of this morning’s Stewart Manor fire, we are also awaiting the start of the “World Naked Bike Ride” first reported here last Monday. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is in Morgan Junction at the site where prospective riders are gathered and reports nothing has started yet. According to a link left this morning in a comment on our original report, this map shows the “proposed route” – down California SW all the way to Alki, and then back around the shoreline down Beach Drive to Lincoln Park and back eastward. We’ll keep you updated. 12:59 PM UPDATE: We’ve learned the ride starts at 2. Prospective riders are currently getting painted. Added the “proposed route map” as an embed, above. 2:09 PM UPDATE: Hadn’t started yet, as of a couple minutes ago. Body-painted people milling about. We’ll start a separate item when it does get under way.
(scroll down for updates, more photos)
(video clip above by WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, added 10:17 am; cameraphone photo below by Patrick Sand, from our original 9 am-hour coverage)
ORIGINAL 9 AM REPORT: Big callout right now to 6339 34th SW (map), and at least one report of “a lot of smoke.” 9:05 AM UPDATE: We’re on scene and can see the smoke. Police are blocking traffic for blocks around the building. The fire’s on the 5th floor and crews are working to get everybody out – this is the big building run by the Housing Authority just east of the convenience store at 35th/Morgan. Co-publisher Patrick Sand is there and says smoke is pouring from one window on the 5th floor. He says medics are checking out at least three people for possible smoke inhalation. 9:14 PM UPDATE: In addition to the cameraphone pic we added above, here’s another view from WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli:
Cindi Barker from the Morgan Community Association — who lives a few blocks west — reports the traffic closure includes 35th/Morgan. SFD spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen is there and says the fire’s tapped.
9:22 AM UPDATE: Note that you also cannot get into Walgreen’s on 35th, just west of the fire scene, because its parking lot is being used as a staging area for some of the many crews that responded to this fire at the building (Stewart Manor). Cindi says crews also have been using hydrants from the other side (west side) of 35th.
9:34 AM UPDATE: Buses are being rerouted too. Fire crews are being rotated, as you can hear on the scanner – take a look at the online 911 log to see how many units responded. Crews are sweeping inside the building to check for damage – we just heard one report that the 4th floor, beneath the fire, “has no smoke or water damage.” Stewart Manor has 72 units, according to this SHA webpage.
9:41 AM UPDATE: SFD’s Vander Houwen just talked with us. She says 12 people in all are being treated for potential smoke inhalation. One was taken to Harborview Medical Center because of previous respiratory problems. The fire was in one unit on the fifth floor, no word on the cause so far; everyone’s out of the building and the sweep will determine if it’s safe for some to go back in.
9:56 AM UPDATE: Police have just reopened 35th SW to traffic in both directions. We just got an update at the scene from SFD’s Vander Houwen – investigators have not yet determined the cause; the fire was in one unit, on the east side of the 5th floor, with some smoke/water damage to an adjacent unit. Floors 1-3 have been cleared for people to go back in. More of the fire units are about to be cleared from the scene, but some will be there all day continuing to check air quality in the building. Adding more photos — WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli took this one of someone being evacuated down a fire-truck ladder:
10:08 AM UPDATE: Bill Bacon at One Community Commons (kitty corner from Stewart Manor) took this photo – as you can see from the smoke, this was before the fire was out:
The smoke-inhalation cases are the only injuries that SFD has reported – nobody wound up jumping or getting hurt in other ways – you’ll see more of the fire crews’ evacuation work in video that we will have back at HQ shortly.
10:29 AM UPDATE: Added Christopher’s video at the very top of the story. Also received another photo from nearby resident Bill – this woman, who identified herself as Grace, had just been brought out of the building at this moment:
He also photographed medics checking evacuees out in the triage area they’d set up:
10:57 AM UPDATE: Update from SFD’s Vander Houwen – two people have gone to Harborview for “minor smoke inhalation,” both by private ambulance. The other 10 people who got medic attention did not need to go to the hospital. Still no cause or damage estimate yet. She says the one person you see being brought down a ladder is the only one who had to be evacuated that way – everybody else was brought out by the stairs. Here’s a view we haven’t shown you yet – part of the massive response – this clip was taken looking all the way around from a spot on Morgan at 34th:
11:26 AM UPDATE: Morgan also has just reopened, per Nuni in comments.
11:59 AM UPDATE: Here’s video of the entire 4-minute briefing that SFD spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen gave at the scene:
ADDED 12:19 PM: As you heard her say in that video, one main task for the firefighters was making sure everybody got out safely, especially considering there are elderly and medically challenged residents in the building, as you can see in these additional photos from WSB contributing photojournalists – first from Christopher Boffoli, second from Matt Durham:
Again, no major injuries were reported. Matt (who has worked as a newspaper photojournalist and also currently works as a firefighter in a department outside Seattle) also reported that three-year Stewart Manor resident Michael E. Searcy, shown in the photo above, told him the hallways were dark as they evacuated: “We don’t have any emergency lighting when the power goes out. … There are no sprinklers; they say our building is grandfathered.” We will follow up on this with the Housing Authority. Meantime, the latest post-fire update from Vander Houwen – three patients are now reported to have gone to Harborview for “minor smoke inhalation.”
1:56 PM UPDATE: As Mookie notes in comments, SFD has announced the cause on Twitter:
Fire at 34th and Morgan ruled accidental – caused by resident heating shoe polish with hand held flame which spread to the bed. Damage $175k.
3:08 PM UPDATE: Seattle Times (WSB partner) talked with a resident of the unit, who explained what was happening with said shoe polish – here’s their story.
They’re the fastest vegetables in the West – today, anyway – the zucchini you’ll find converted into racing machines today at West Seattle Farmers’ Market (where we recorded that clip during this event two years ago). Starting at 10 this morning at the market (44th/Alaska), “kids of all ages” (as the announcement puts it) can make their racers out of produce and parts supplied for free. Shopping, too? Here’s today’s Ripe and Ready list.
Hit the Farmers’ Market early, then meander up California to PCC Natural Market (WSB sponsor) for the West Seattle store’s 20th birthday bash – free burgers, macaroni salad and birthday cake, cooking demonstrations, plus samples of other items (even chocolate), plus the ever-fun PCC Kid Picks van … the schedule’s here; party starts at 11 am, 2749 California (map).
That’s also when you can get an hour and a quarter of free yoga at SoundYoga (WSB sponsor), 5639 California SW (map). From there – to the beach! where Cones For Kids will get you Husky Deli ice cream 1-4 pm, presented by the Eternally Joyful Guild supporting Children’s Hospital. This year, you’ll find them by Picnic Shelter #1, west of the bathhouse.
Just as Cones For Kids wraps up, the neighbors of North Delridge will be firing up S’mores in the Park at Delridge Community Center/Playfield (4501 Delridge; map), 4-6 pm. Hot on the heels of the well-attended Ice Cream Social, they’re hoping to draw neighbors from all over the area to meet and share treats.
Then the night wraps up at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW; map), with nationally renowned singer/songwriter Susan Werner in concert at 7 pm – ticket info’s on the FC website.
These are just the highlights – see more on the West Seattle Weekend Lineup list – click here to hop directly to the Sunday section.
For the second consecutive year, the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival will include screenings at Admiral Theater here in West Seattle. So says the Three Dollar Bill Cinema website, to which we were pointed by this item at Gay Cap Hill, noted on Twitter by our fellow indie-neighborhood-news site Capitol Hill Seattle. The festival runs October 16-25 but the specific movies/dates aren’t public yet – the TDBC site says they’ll be announced next Friday.
In case you check in tonight but not in the morning: 1st, tomorrow’s the PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) West Seattle 20th anniversary party, 11 am-6 pm at the store (2749 California SW), food and fun, full lineup here (including specific times for cooking demonstrations and samples). 2nd, tomorrow’s the day announced for the annual “World Naked Bike Ride” through West Seattle – nothing new has been posted via Twitter or the WNBR site since the announcement that led to our report here, but we’ll see if anyone shows up at the Morgan Junction meetup point at noon, and will report whatever happens.
The score and stats are up at seattletimes.com (WSB partner): Seattle Lutheran High School 29, North Beach 8. The Saints are now 1-1 and host Northwest Christian at West Seattle Stadium next Saturday, 1:30 pm. (Here’s our report on last night’s WSHS and Sealth games.)
A few days ago, WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, who’s been chronicling the saga of The Swinery setting up shop in West Seattle, reported that its projected opening date has slid a bit (to September 21). The establishment itself (moving into 3207 California SW; map) continues to chronicle its progress at theswinery.blogspot.com, but one thing you won’t find there is the menu it’s planning to offer when it opens – for its meats and sandwiches. Here it is – note that it’s a draft, provided to us as a roughed-out Excel form which we’ve converted into a PDF. But it’ll give you a better idea of what they’re planning.
CANDIDATE FORUM IN HIGHLAND PARK: Next meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee, 7 pm September 23, is now taking shape with a candidates’ forum as the centerpiece; HPAC chair Dan Mullins says they’re focusing on all the big races – King County Executive, Seattle Mayor and Council, Port Commissioner – and “the candidates are responding to our requests” (no final lineup yet though). It’ll be at the Highland Park Improvement Committee building, 1119 SW Holden (map).
MAYORAL HOPEFULS AT THE LABOR TEMPLE THIS WEEK: Less than one week after their much-talked-about first “debate” – more of a Q/A forum – downtown, Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn will share the stage again at 4:30 pm this Wednesday (September 16) at the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Avenue (map) — not in West Seattle, but it was among the events announced at last Wednesday’s 34th District Democrats meeting.
Less than a week after West Seattle Montessori School (WSB sponsor) moved into its new campus at 11215 15th SW (map) – complete with that spacious playground – they’re inviting you to an open house that’s under way right now. Treats too – free hot dogs, and cake:
We stopped by within the past hour for a quick preview; it’s a great night to be outside but they’re also leading tours inside their new 2-story building:
WSMS moved from the location where they’d been for decades in West Seattle’s Triangle area after the land they’d leased was sold for development. They offer preschool through 8th grade; the 4th through 8th grades are now known as West Seattle Academy (that’s the WSA you see on the cake in the middle photo) – the lower grades have always been popular but they say middle-school interest is taking off too. You’ll find them online at westseattlemontessori.com; tonight’s open house continues till 7:30.
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