West Seattle, Washington
22 Saturday
Ah, springtime. The time to clean up the yard, with the mower … the weed-whacker … the hand tools … and/or … the goats! Robin in Fauntlee Hills sent word that he was bringing in the munching machines, through a goatkeeper with Amazin’ Grazers, which is affiliated with Rent-a-Ruminant, but offers smaller-scale goat services. They arrived at midday and got down to work on Robin’s overgrowth. We’re sorry to say you can’t really see them from the street – and given the electric fencing (note the sign in our photo), you’re not going to want to wander around looking, either.
Big weekend for the West Seattle High School baseball team. Tomorrow afternoon, they play Highline High School at Safeco Field – the game is free and you’re invited, 4 pm. As a fundraiser related to the game, they’re still selling Mariners’ tickets, as noted here recently, and now they’re offering an alternative way to get them: This Sunday, 10 am-3 pm at Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor), 7901 35th SW, the team will wash your car, and for every $10 donated, you get a ticket to the M’s game for which the team’s been selling tickets, next Thursday (May 5th) vs. the Texas Rangers.
Who’s taking home part of what’s left from the now-closed Charlestown Street Café? Above, that’s Donna from Giannoni’s Pizzeria in Westwood Village, with son LJ – who picked up several items, including tables and a huge salad spinner – and they weren’t the only local restaurateurs we spotted. There also were souvenir-seekers, like one West Seattleite who told us she was hoping to find something small, maybe a menu, though after wandering around the offerings during the preview time, she hadn’t found anything fitting that bill just yet.
By 10 am, the restaurant was fairly full, and as scheduled, the auction began, legendary local auctioneer James G. Murphy himself led the calling, with Ron Hannon at his side:
Here’s a wider look at their portable-podium-with-PA setup, plus the assistant who has to go find each item that’s being bid on, lifting it aloft till the bidding ends:
As of about quarter past twelve, the auction had moved into the kitchen. We’re going back shortly to check on whether it’s still going. Backstory in case you missed it: The café closed April 3rd, with its owner citing economic reasons (as well as the difficulty of operating without a long-term lease). There’s a development proposal in progress for the site; we reported last Monday on the plan.
2:30 PM UPDATE: Just stopped by. The remaining Murphy personnel on the site say the auction finished about an hour ago, and everything went except for a few countertops.
Just out of the WSB inbox, two reports, one that’s definitely a crime, the other, might or might not be:Read More
Often in the realm of hiring, an organization will say it’s conducting a “nationwide search.” On Thursday afternoon, Westside School (WSB sponsor) invited families and interested community members to come meet the faculty for its new Middle School – and the team (listed here) displayed international flair, with Mandarin Chinese teacher Su-Chen Wang, who originally hails from Taiwan, and humanities/drama teacher Glyn Jenkins, with British roots. The Middle School will launch with sixth grade when the new school year starts this September; more on the faculty’s meet-and-greet ahead:Read More
Another event-packed weekend in West Seattle, particularly tomorrow, as you can tell with a look at the WSB Events calendar – but one of the biggest events is lasting all day, both days this weekend, 
so no matter what else you’re up to, you can make time to drop in. It’s the West Seattle Rock Club‘s annual Rock and Gem Show, which is sponsoring WSB this week to make sure everybody gets the news about how things are going to pan out – pun intended, because this year’s theme is “Gold Rush.” The club promises demonstrations by “real gold prospectors” – and a chance to “pan your own gold.” Other demos include jewelry and lapidary techniques, and as always, there are activities for kids.
While the show does have displays of rock and mineral specimens you can ooh and aah over, it’s far from a “just come have a look” kind of event (rocks, minerals, jewelry, and supplies are on sale too). It’s 10 am-5 pm both days this weekend at the Alki Masonic Temple, 40th/Edmunds.
A sight seen before at other notable shuttered businesses – the Corner Inn (2008 coverage here), the Gee/ex-Huling auto enterprises (2007 coverage here) – is outside the former Charlestown Street Café right now: The truck carrying equipment for James G. Murphy Auctioneers. In about half an hour, they’ll be taking bids on hundreds of items left over from the café operation, which shut down on April 3rd. The auction site opened for “previewing” at 8 this morning, and a few people were wandering through when we stopped by a little while ago:
The nearly 400 “lots” are cataloged online, too. As for the Charlestown site’s future – we reported Monday on a developer’s plan for a mixed-use building and zoning change.
12:49 PM UPDATE: We’re working on a separate story about the auction itself – which is still under way as of about 20 minutes ago (we went back to check)!
(Photo added 10:39 am)
A note from David about “lots of activity on Beach Drive” this morning reminded us that Beach Drive Blog mentioned this on Thursday – the movie “Ira Finkelstein’s Christmas” is back in West Seattle today. Same movie we reported on last weekend, with the palm trees placed temporarily so Alki could stand in for Florida; BDB says a house near Me-Kwa-Mooks is doing the same thing. (And we believe the palm tree in BDB’s photo has long been growing there.)
ADDED 12:45 PM: Beach Drive Blog is all over it – including photos of the stars. Here’s the latest BDB update.
Male harlequin ducks are so splendidly colored, you might think they are … royal, in the spirit of this day’s big whole-world-is-watching event. Thanks to David Hutchinson of Alki for photographing the harlequin-duck couple along the Harbor Avenue shore. Now, on to the highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
RESTAURANT HISTORY GOES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER: This morning brings the Charlestown Street Café auction (at the site of the 4-weeks-closed restaurant at California/Charlestown), 8-10 am preview, 10 am auction – details here; auction catalog online here.
STUFF THE VAN! Spring cleaning? West Seattle Girl Scouts want to turn your unwanted items into treasures! Help the Brownies of Troop 40890 – 2nd graders from Lafayette, Schmitz Park, Alki Elementary Schools – help critically ill children at Seattle Children’s Hospital and homeless families at Wellspring Family Services. 3:45-5 pm today, bring used children’s DVDs, gently used blankets, gently used children’s PJ’s to West Side Presbyterian Church (3601 California SW). Look for the black EuroVan!
MADISON’S SPRING FLING: Spaghetti dinner & family fun at Madison Middle School 6 – 9 pm, hosted by the Music Boosters and the PTSA. Live Music featuring the Madison Jazz Band, Senior Band and Orchestra. Cake Walk tickets available for 50 cents. Ice Cream Sundae Bar for $2.50. Fifth-grade reconnaissance opportunity. Tickets at door: $7/adult; $4/10 and under.
‘SHIPWRECKED’ IN THE JUNCTION: “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment …” continues at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 7:30 pm.
‘FOOLS’ AT SEATTLE LUTHERAN: Seattle Lutheran High School Drama presents the comedy “Fools” by Neil Simon, tonight at 7:30 pm (and Sunday at 2:30 pm). At the SLHS Gymnasium, 4100 SW Genesee, $5 adults, $2 children 7-14, children under 7 are free
‘WOMEN, WINE, AND WELLNESS’: Roxbury Spine and Wellness Clinic is providing a night of free pampering as well as socializing and networking for local businesses, with food, wine, chair massages, beauty consultations, personal training, and even a DJ, plus giveaways! Register online!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A new mixed-use development proposed for central Delridge finished making its way through the city’s design-review process Thursday night, with the minimum number of meetings – passing “early design guidance” in one Southwest Design Review Board meeting last year, and the “recommendation” phase in one meeting tonight.
(2010 WSB photo of the site)
The project includes apartments, houses, and a small amount of retail, all on a site to be carved out of what is currently a green hillside on the north edge of the mid-Delridge commercial zone (the Delridge/Orchard area with The Home Depot, two gas stations, the Tug Inn, and a storage facility, among other things).
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight: First, a bit of info regarding a big law-enforcement operation spotted on SW Trenton west of 35th this morning. Federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration were serving a warrant – as part of an “active and ongoing investigation,” and that’s all we could get anyone to say about it. Thanks to the WSB’ers who asked about it later in the morning; any time you see news, call or text us at 206-293-6302 – we usually have a better chance of getting information if we hear about operations as they happen (many things aren’t on the scanner or online logs). Meantime, two more Crime Watch notes – an “awesome neighbor” thwarts a thief, and a not-so-awesome ending to a car-theft tale – read on:Read More
Did you get caught in the late-afternoon/early-evening downpour? If you did, this scene might not surprise you. J sent the photo as Bar-S Playfield got special attention from West Seattle Little League – with a Shop-Vac! Yes, that’s what’s in the wheelbarrow – click for a closer look. (As you might recall, the wet spring left WSLL beleaguered, so to speak – forcing the cancellation of the traditional pre-season Jamboree.) The weekend’s supposed to be nice(r), though – really!
The Seattle Lutheran High School gym has been full of Drama in recent weeks – with a capital D – for a good reason: The student production of Neil Simon‘s “Fools” is about to hit the stage. We dropped by while students were getting ready to rehearse late Wednesday; tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon, they hope you will come watch them put on a show. Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of drama teacher Meredith Zandi:
It is 1890, and the little Russian village of Kulyenchikov is plagued by a terrible curse: Everyone in town is stupid! It is up to Leon Tolchinsky, the new schoolteacher from out of town, to come in and break the curse by helping the townspeople to learn, otherwise he may suffer the same fate. This zany comedy, which includes heroic plans, dastardly villains, and of course, true love, teaches us that sometimes knowledge isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
Performances are in the SLHS gym at 4100 SW Genesee at 7:30 pm tomorrow (Friday 4/29) and 2:30 pm Sunday (May 1st). Tickets are $5 adults, $2 ages 7-14; 6 and under are free.
(County overview of the proposed Murray project; go here for full-size PDF version)
A new public-comment period has just opened for one of two combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control proposals in West Seattle – King County says its environmental review of the Murray Pump Station basin proposal for a million-gallon underground tank across from Lowman Beach concluded that an official environmental-impact statement is NOT needed, because the county believes this project will have “no significant environmental impacts.”
Shortly after receiving a news release with the announcement – which you can read in full here – we talked by phone with Annie Kolb-Nelson from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, which is managing the project. She says the county has not finished its review of the other West Seattle CSO-control proposal, the Barton Pump Station basin plan for raingardens and other “green stormwater infrastructure” in Sunrise Heights and Westwood.
State law is requiring CSO-control projects for both basins, to cut down on their untreated overflows into Puget Sound, which happen when heavy rain maxes out the system and the pump station can’t handle the flow from “combined sewers,” which mix stormwater and sewage.
The documents related to the decision announced today can be read here, or if you’d rather read printed-out copies, the county says those can be found at the West Seattle (Admiral) library branch at 2306 42nd SW.
Today’s announcement opens a new public-comment period that will continue until May 16th. The county is requesting comments be sent by postal mail to:
Wesley Sprague, Supervisor, Community Services and Environmental Planning
King County Wastewater Treatment Division
201 South Jackson Street, MS: KSC-NR-0505
Seattle, WA 98104-3855
Questions about the environmental review can go to Sue Meyer at 206-684-1171 or
sue.meyer@kingcounty.gov; other questions about the Murray CSO project can go to
Doug Marsano at 206-684-1235 or doug.marsano@kingcounty.gov.
(Flowers and a flag on the victim’s truck at the GT yard on Harbor Avenue last fall)
Just found out from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office that the woman who hit and killed 51-year-old GT Towing driver William “Tony” Padilla pleaded guilty this afternoon. Shavelle Lewis was charged with vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run for the crash on I-5 last September 24th (the police narrative of what happened is contained in our original report on the charges), and KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says that’s what she pleaded guilty to (in other words, no plea bargain). She will be sentenced on May 20th, and is facing what Donohoe describes as a range of “41 to 54 months in prison.”
If you’re still a little hinky about clearing out your medicine cabinet via National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day dropoff spots this Saturday, maybe this will help: Jodie Underwood from the Drug Enforcement Agency‘s Seattle office says their Admiral Way Viewpoint location will be a drive-through! Right there at the viewpoint on the northeast side of the top-of-Admiral-Way curve, you can drive through – 10 am-2 pm Saturday (April 30) – drop off the meds, drive away. You don’t even have to give them your prescription container (though if you do, you can block out the info with a marker ahead of time) – you can just empty it into their receptacle. Underwood stresses that this is a no-questions-asked event – they just want to get unneeded drugs away from places where they might be a danger or temptation to someone (there are also environmental hazards, since some think it’s OK to flush them or dump them down some other drain). Underwood also tells us the DEA’s Admiral Way site will have a mascot – good ol’ Mr. Yuk. That’s one of two drop-off locations in West Seattle on Saturday; Seattle Police will also have one, same hours, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).
The Aggressive Drivers Response Team‘s latest report just turned up on SPD Blotter, with top speeding tickets mentioned including 54 mph on 35th SW, 58 mph on Admiral Way, 66 mph on the West Seattle Bridge, among other spots. Full list here. (P.S. The speed-camera van also has been spotted on 35th SW today, according to a phone call we received. And no, police do NOT mind if we warn you.)
Local Brownies’ donation drive yesterday afternoon outside West Side Presbyterian Church – to “stuff the van” for two local charities – ran into a bit of a weather snag (remember the pounding downpour?). Rosina Geary shared the photo and a reminder that they’ll be back tomorrow:
Yesterday our 16 Girl Scouts (Troop #40890) held their STUFF THE VAN event. The girls stood outside for 40 minutes, in the rain. They took turns holding signs. They chanted “Stuff The Van!!” But after 40 minutes, we couldn’t take the rain anymore. So we took the girls inside and cut our event short by 30 minutes.
Hopefully the weather will be nicer to us on Friday. Come by and see us. Even if you don’t have a donation, HONK to support these 2nd Grade Girl Scouts.
WHAT TO DONATE:
Gently used, clean blankets, children’s PJs & children’s DVDs.WHEN:
4-5p, Friday, April 29thWHERE:
West Side Presbyterian Church (On California and Spokane). Look for the black EuroVan.All to benefit critically ill children at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the homeless through Wellspring Family Services.
Today we welcome a new sponsor, Underdog Sports Leagues, who would like to ask you three questions.
*Do you spend more time coming up with nicknames for your teammates than coming up with plays to run?
*Does your pre-game preparation consist of remembering where you left your glove and cleats?
*Do you remember half the lines from “Office Space” and “Caddyshack,” but often forget what your team record is?
If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, and if you’re over 21, Underdog Sports would like to invite you to join them for any of the eight sports they offer in the Seattle area. Whether it’s kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, and/or their brand-new bocce-ball league, Underdog Sports wants you to know that they offer a place to meet people and have some fun. Here in West Seattle, Underdog offers beach-volleyball leagues starting in May at Alki. Choose from a Monday or Wednesday night league and get out in the sand for some fun. The season is six weeks long, with an additional two weeks of playoffs. The format is co-ed four’s with teams rosters up to eight people; games are one hour, and you get three matches in a night, two skill levels to choose from. Signups are online at this link – and you can use this special WSB online coupon for a discount.
In the fall, we bring it inside for some liquid sunshine at West Seattle Bowl, with 6-week bowling leagues filled with theme nights and prizes! Leagues start again in the fall when the leaves start to change.
We thank Underdog Sports Leagues for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*At an apartment in the 2600 block of 42nd SW, tenants must display a parking permit in order to use the rear parking lot. Tuesday morning, a tenant heard a tow truck and saw it preparing to tow his roommate’s car. The tenant ran downstairs, opened the car door, found the permit on the floor and showed it to the driver. But the tow truck driver ignored him. The roommate came down as well, and when she stood in front of the rear tire of her vehicle, she claims the driver deliberately struck her bare foot with a metal crossbar. The car was towed, and the residents have been advised to contact the building’s management company about the incident.
*Someone entered a fenced yard in the 5600 block of 35th SW last week on Wednesday and stole a number of metal parts from a restaurant-quality barbecue grill. The estimated loss is $2,000.
11 more summaries – including more details on a case we’ve been following outside WSBeat, a bus-stop robbery, a potential case of tree poisoning, and more – after the jump:Read More
(WSB iPhone photo taken Tuesday during a near-sunbreak on Alki)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
7100 DELRIDGE DESIGN REVIEW: Design Review Board meeting for 7100 Delridge, 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, here’s our preview with the graphics/info that board members will review.
DINING OUT FOR LIFE: The citywide restaurant event to raise money for Lifelong AIDS Alliance; four West Seattle restaurants are participating, as reported here on Wednesday. And here’s the full citywide list.
HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE WITHOUT GOING BROKE: Information session at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle, map and directions), 7 pm – 8:30 pm. See full details here
MEET THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FACULTY: At 4:30 pm today, faculty for Westside School (WSB sponsor)’s new Middle School are available to meet and talk with parents in the school’s multipurpose room (interested prospective future parents as well as current students’ parents). Participants will include new humanities teacher Glyn Jenkins, new science instructor Sara Harper-Smith (via video conference), math teacher David Preston, athletic director Devin McQuiston, Spanish teacher Veronica Hellar, and Mandarin Chinese teacher Su-Chen Wang. (Bios here.)
SCIENCE FAIR: Tonight, the future scientists of Sanislo Elementary show their work, 6-8 pm.
REMINDER: THE WATER TAXI’S BACK; Just in case you missed yesterday afternoon’s announcement, the county says the West Seattle run is back in service today.
You’re invited to a free party tonight to celebrate Seattle’s art-walk scene – it’s on Capitol Hill, but it gives you the chance to vote in a contest with two West Seattle-staked artists! It’s the City Arts Magazine quarterly “Best of Seattle Art Walk Awards” event. Unlike most awards events, the awards aren’t predetermined; tonight’s attendees get to choose. At left, Sarah Loertscher is a finalist for her geometric-jewelry showing at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), which provided the photo. Also among the six finalists, Carla G, for her paintings shown at Carmilia’s. The party’s at 8 pm at FRED Wildlife Refuge art center, 127 East Boylston (map), and if you’re 21 or older, you can get in free by RSVP’ing to promos@cityartsmagazine.com. The winning artist gets $1,000 and a City Arts profile; the magazine is sponsoring the awards each quarter, with nominations coming from the businesses and galleries participating in a dozen art walks around the city, including West Seattle.
Remember the warm sunshine back on Saturday? And the movie shoot with Alki standing in for a Florida backdrop? Here’s one more Alki scene from Saturday – West Seattle aerial photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen just sent this Alki Point Lighthouse aerial, inviting us to share it with you, and given the fact the weather’s done a 180 since then, it’s a welcome sight. (Click the photo, or this link, to see a larger version.)
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