Also happening tonight in West Seattle: “Spanglish Potluck”
Not the kind of potluck you’re probably thinking of – though there will be cookies! It’s a writers’ reading and music event tonight at Cafe Rozella (on the southern edge of West Seattle, 9434 Delridge), 7-9 pm. Here are more details, forwarded from Cafe Rozella’s Ricardo Guarnero:
This Spanglish Potluck features readings in Spanish & English by Hedgebrook alumnae Wendy Call & Maria Victoria. Also featured will be traditional Cuban music from Irene Mitri & her Charanga Danzón. This will be a reading like none other. There will be live words & music along with freshly-made Hedgebrook cookies and an opportunity to sing Las Mananitas (the traditional Mexican Birthday Song) to Wendy’s godchild. So come, bring a friend, bring your family and be a part of the fun!
If “Hedgebrook” doesn’t ring a bell – it’s a writers’ retreat on Whidbey Island (read more here).
Happening tonight in West Seattle: Kindergarten Fair
If you have a child who’s going to start kindergarten next fall — or maybe is still a year out, but you’re already thinking way ahead — there’s an event tonight you won’t want to miss. The 10th annual West Seattle Kindergarten Fair, 6-9 pm in the Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (which, yes, if you haven’t been there, IS in West Seattle). Organizers gather principals, teachers, and parents from public and private schools around West Seattle, so you can talk with them to find out more. Kay Yano, a WSB’er who’s been in kindergarten-choosing shoes, confirms it’s a don’t-miss:
With the confusion and abundance of information that School Choice often brings, it is worth going to the Kindergarten Fair just in order to have all the options in one place at one time and to clarify which schools you have to go visit in person. I know that you made mention of it in the calendar of events, but it is really such an important event for those parents of 4 and 5 years olds that I thought that I would bring it to your attention. It is also early enough in the year that not everyone who is facing Kindergarten in the fall is quite focused on that decision yet to have even looked for something like the fair. It is put on by the Co-op Preschool Program that is based out of the SCCC Campus, but it is free and open to the public. It is also at a different time than it has been in the past, it has always been on Saturdays, and people may not be looking for it to happen on a weeknight, so it might sneak by them accidentally and a reminder would probably be helpful.
I went when my daughter was a year out from Kindergarten, and it was TOTALLY OVERWHELMING, and I left informed and exhausted, but it gave me info to chew on for a year before I really had to make my decisions, and then went again when it was getting to be choice time when she was 4. I love the school that she attends and that was really where I clarified much of my thinking about what we as a family needed out of a school.
If you haven’t been to SSCC before, here’s a map to its location in east West Seattle. WSB school resources: List of all public and private West Seattle schools, with web links and maps, here; school discussion opportunities in the forums here.
Meeting report: City Light’s West Seattle tree-trimming plan
See the orange and blue on that map? It marks all the West Seattle streets where Seattle City Light crews will work over the next few months to clear tree branches from power lines. This was one of several maps shown at City Light’s open house at Hiawatha Community Center tonight. Only a trickle of turnout, but if you’re in the targeted area, City Light spokesperson Scott Thomsen says you will get direct notification — City Light workers have already started going door-to-door to tell residents what’s going on and what they can expect to happen; if you’re not home when they stop by, they’ll leave an info-card hanging on your door. The “blue” area will be tackled first, starting within the next couple weeks (loosely described, this includes parts of Seaview, Morgan Junction, Genesee Hill, and most of Beach Drive); City Light managers say the work will last about two months before they move on to the areas on the map in orange. The only significant section stretching east of California Ave is south of Fairmount Park; one spur that travels almost all the way to the eastern edge of West Seattle is along Brandon. If you have a tree that’s within 10 feet of a power line, you will be offered the option of pruning (which in most cases will entail fairly dramatic branch removal) or taking out the tree entirely (and replacing it with something unlikely to grow into the line). And it’s all in the interest of preventing further power-outage catastrophes like what happened around West Seattle in the December 2006 windstorm; trees too close to power lines, City Light says, are the number one cause.
Sealth/Denny update: Sealth principal speaks out
At least one community-group mailing list that we are on has just received a letter from the principal of Chief Sealth High School, John Boyd, in which he writes, “I feel like I cannot remain silent regarding my feelings about this issue any longer,” adding that he is “weighing the merits of options two and three” — two is the current project plus at least $5 million additional improvements to CSHS, three is a Denny rebuild on its existing site, with Sealth still getting some improvements. Here’s the letter as it was distributed; or if you have trouble with PDFs, here’s the text:Read More
Hotwire expands to Pike Place – and potentially beyond
Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee, WSB’s inaugural sponsor, just e-mailed to say: “We’ve just finalized a purchase of a coffee shop at the Pike Place Market; opening of the new Hotwire Pike Place Market will be the first week of March. My manager, Rena Poppell, has decided to jump into the world of small business ownership and will be opening this shop under the Hotwire name. This new location actually eclipses other Internet Cafes in the area and will make Hotwire the largest line of Internet coffee shops in the region. Also, by the middle of 2008 we’ll be set to offer Hotwire as a micro-franchise to people who are interested in opening their own Hotwire Online Coffeehouse.” Lora says you can find out more about franchising by checking the links on the lower-right side of the Hotwire home page (higher up the page, by the way, is the latest on the Hotwire Valentine matchmaking event).
Dillard/Coxwell case goes to the jury
The jury is now deciding the case of the two former Huling Brothers sales staffers. A court clerk says they got the case just after 2pm. That means defense testimony lasted just one day.
4PM UPDATE: The jury has gone home; they’ll be back in the morning.
Also happening tonight: Find out more about RapidRide
In addition to the Seattle City Light tree-trimming meeting mentioned earlier, there’s another major event in West Seattle tonight — the second “open house” about the forthcoming RapidRide bus service, to replace route 54 in 2011. Though it’s three years out, several key decisions are being made now — with your input — including the route it will follow through and near The Junction, where its “terminals” (more than just bus stops, as shown above) will be, and where it will end (Morgan Junction? Fauntleroy? Westwood Village?) — and you can tell Metro what you think, as well as voice other opinions and ask questions, when you drop by the “open house” at the West Seattle Senior Center tonight, any time between 5:30 and 8:30. (Detailed WSB coverage of the RapidRide presentation at the last JuNO meeting is here; our brief writeup of last week’s RapidRide open house in Fauntleroy is here. If you miss tonight, you have two more chances — an “information table” at the Senior Center noon-3 pm tomorrow, and a meeting at the Southwest Library on Feb. 19th. You can also have a say by completing an online questionnaire here; deadline is this Friday.)
West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 cases from last night
We checked with Lt. Steve Paulsen @ the Southwest Precinct this morning regarding two things around midnight last night — 
one that we heard on the scanner, one that a reader asked about. First, a report of possible gunshots heard in the California/Stevens vicinity (map) — he says police got a couple calls, checked it out; couldn’t find any evidence of what it was (could have been fireworks, hard to tell). Second, police recovered a stolen car after an operation that was quite interesting to listen to on the scanner: a Mercedes originally stolen from Tukwila was spotted in High Point, then at the 7-11 at 35th/Avalon, then Lt. Paulsen himself — out on late-night patrol — spotted it on Sylvan Way — after setting up “containment,” officers caught one suspect near 42nd/Fauntleroy, then recovered the car near 36th/Graham.
Happening tonight: City Light explains where and how it’ll cut
No snow, but there’s a strong breeze buffeting trees around, at least where we are — and that, according to Seattle City Light, 
is the number one cause of power outages: trees vs. power lines. As first reported here last month, City Light crews are coming to West Seattle soon for what the utility says is the first extensive round of tree-trimming here in almost a decade – and if you have a tree that’s in the way, NOT cutting is NOT an option — so SCL really wants to make sure everyone understands what’s going on here, before the trucks show up, and why the cuts tend to be big and dramatic, not just a snip here and a snip there. Best place to find out exactly what will happen and when – and to see if your specific neighborhood is included in what City Light’s announcement two weeks ago described as “Alki and North Admiral west of California Avenue in the north end of West Seattle and Genesee, Gatewood and Fairmount Park neighborhoods in the south end of West Seattle” – is to go to tonight’s meeting, 6:30 pm, Hiawatha Community Center.
By request: Townhouse pix
During our discussion of townhouse design standards last Friday, ignited by Southwest 
Design Review Board member (and West Seattle architect) David Foster‘s investigation of micropermitting (first report here; City Council President reaction here), it was suggested we should photograph some of the townhouse projects. So we did. Please keep in mind that unless otherwise noted, these are NOT examples of the practice he is concerned about – instead, the thought here was JUST to take a look at townhouse faces for some of the larger, newer groupings, for anyone interested in seeing examples of current West Seattle townhouse construction, somewhat side-by-side. Here’s a sample from a weekend morning drive: (PS: TUESDAY MORNING ADDITIONS AT BOTTOM OF POST)Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Asleep at the wheel, more
From our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct (which, if you’re new here, is the “police station” for West Seattle, at Delridge/Webster by Home Depot): We start with a suspected drunk driver caught asleep at the wheel — in his Oldsmobile Cutlass, motor running, blocking an intersection. This happened after 3 am Saturday at 25th/Cloverdale. Officers woke the 26-year-old man up; one of his breath tests came in at two and a half times the level officially defined as DUI. Next — how a police car wound up with its back window smashed out:Read More
3811 California follow-up: No demolition any time soon
Seems the Charlestown Cafe/Petco project (most recent WSB update here; we checked directly with Petco a few weeks ago and they had nothing new to report) isn’t the only thing proceeding at a snail’s pace at California/Charlestown. That’s also the case for the determination of the fate of the brick apartments (file photo above) at 3811 California, which were pre-mourned by us and others when we first reported the surfacing last April of a proposal to replace them with a mixed-use building. A tenant’s tip back in October (WSB coverage here) revealed that the city Landmarks Preservation Board would have to evaluate the buildings before the proposal could advance. We just checked back with the Landmarks Board and the status of that part of the process hasn’t changed since October — Beth Chave tells WSB they “do not yet have a complete nomination application for this property, so it has not been scheduled for a review by the Landmarks Preservation Board.” (If and when the nomination paperwork is done, the site will eventually turn up here.) And the city planner assigned to the proposed mixed-use project, Holly Godard, says the final land-use decision on this site can’t be issued till the Department of Neighborhoods (parent of the Landmark Board) review is done.
Prosecution rests in Dillard/Coxwell trial
Went to the King County Courthouse this morning to check on the trial of ex-Huling Brothers sales staffers Adrian “AG” Dillard and Ted Coxwell, 
since we hadn’t heard anything since testimony began 10 days ago. While we were in the courtroom, the prosecution rested its case; the defense planned to start calling witnesses later this morning. DETAILS ADDED @ NOON: The last two prosecution witnesses, called while we were there, had testified earlier, but were brought back for more questioning — one was a former Huling employee, the other a Seattle Police detective. Fairly technical stuff — the ex-employee was asked this morning to identify various spots on photographs of the then-Huling dealership property and the apartment building where the victim in the case lived; the detective was asked about records showing vehicles owned by co-defendant Coxwell. We’ll keep checking on the trial as it proceeds in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Nicole MacInnes in the days to come.
More construction about to start in The Junction
This time, it’s not another mixed-use development — it’s the West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) multipurpose building, which will be available for community use as well as church functions, with auditorium, gymnasium, and banquet-type space. Construction begins Wednesday, but the first symbolic shovel of dirt was turned at a brief ceremony today:
Participants in today’s ceremony included representatives of several generations of WSCC church members, from someone who just joined 2 months ago, to someone who’s been attending for more than 60 years. And the project’s been a while in the making, according to Allan Weber:
You can find out more about the project here; the city project page has the bullet-point facts (height, square footage). WSCC is on the southeast corner of 42nd and Genesee (map).
“Atomic” era about to begin in Admiral District
Thanks to Heather for letting us know she spotted signs of a new business moving into the above-pictured space on the south side of Admiral, just west of California. Research led us quickly to co-owner Kent Sadow, who answered our e-mail just as quickly:
We have bought out “Hart’s Cards & Gifts” and will be opening a new, really fun store. It will now be Max & Quinn’s ATOMIC BOYS Shop-O-Rama. We will still have cards and party supplies; however, the new store will be heavily themed towards retro and nostalgic games, toys, novelties, & candy. If it reminds us of when we were growing up and even before, we will try to carry it.
We are really excited to have this opportunity to open a store in this location, since we live just a few blocks away, our kids go to school next door, and have always loved being part of our community. … We hope to be open by week’s end.
From the “for sale” files: Corner cow may have to moo-oove
According to a listing we just found, the land under John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster (map), known for the cow on the roof (file photo @ left), is for sale, along with three adjoining parcels. The listing doesn’t say which three, but King County property records show the deli lot is owned by the same person as the three lots immediately south. The listing, priced at $2,685,000, says in part:
Prime mixed use development site near the highest point of W. Seattle with commanding views of Sound, Olympics & Cascades. Corner lot with alley access. Four tax parcels (zoned NC2-40) to be sold together as one 27,256 sq. ft. parcel. Preliminary feasibility report indicates the potential for at least a 79,500 sq. ft. structure. (Note that the 23,600 sq. ft. lot next door has 71 residential units).
(That last line appears to refer to 7524 35th SW, which is the fourth lot south of the deli.) A different version of the listing on the agent’s website has a few more pix.
Caucus countdown: 2 weeks to go, less for “absentee” form
Will West Seattle go for Obama? Edwards? Clinton? Romney? Paul? McCain? Or? 
Here’s another reminder that Washington caucuses are two weeks from today, 1 pm on Saturday 2/9, various WS locations for Democrats, Southwest Community Center for WS Republicans. The caucus results will count for all the Democratic presidential-candidate nomination process in our state, and half the Republican process (the GOP’s other half will come from the Feb. 19 WA primary). Tons of info links in previous WSB coverage (here, here, here) and on the websites of the 34th District Democrats and King County Republicans. Plus, a reader e-mailed WSB tonight (thank you!) to point out that February 1st is the deadline for the Democratic Party to receive the equivalent of an “absentee ballot” — it’s an affidavit that can be filed by those who say they can’t make the caucuses because of religious observance, disability challenges, or military service. You can download the form here (the second page of the PDF includes the three options for sending it in — postal mail, e-mail, or fax). P.S. Caucus talk is under way in the WSB Forums, too.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Westcrest flasher, and more
Just a few things to share from our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct, starting with an apparent flasher at Westcrest Park: This happened at 4:30 pm Wednesday, but wasn’t reported till a day later. Two girls, 12 and 13, told police they saw a man running up and down a hill (between the off-leash area and the rest of the park) with his private parts not-so-private. They left the area, then saw him again in another part of the park, “stretching and exercising,” and still exposed. No detailed description of the suspect was available. Next: The hit-and-run suspect who wasn’t hard to find:Read More
First city comment on the townhouse “micropermitting” report
The first city official we pinged about this (see earlier report) was Council President Richard Conlin — and he replied tonight:
Thanks for the message. I am very familiar with this problem — we caught a developer on Greenwood doing this a couple of years ago, not for the design review purpose, but to evade sidewalk construction requirements. When we reported it to DPD, they were able to enforce the requirement by telling the developer that both parts of the project had to be permitted together. I wasn’t aware that it was as widespread as your story indicates, I thought the one we found was an isolated instance.
Since DPD did take corrective action on the one we found, that suggests that it is not the law that needs to be changed, but rather that something in DPD’s procedures. I’m wondering if there were complaints made on any of these projects and if DPD responded in any way. It may be that a Councilmember intervening might be necessary, which would be unfortunate, as that should not be required, but it is a path that can be taken.
Council President Conlin, you may recall, had some interesting comments about development — “McMansions” in particular — during his appearance last week before the Alki Community Council (WSB coverage here). One other note — we sent the “micropermitting” link from earlier today to our favorite citywide news blog, Slog, thinking they might be interested since Slog and parent publication The Stranger pay closer attention to development issues than many other citywide news sources. They posted a followup late today; if you haven’t seen it yet, that link is here.
Raffle to benefit Red Cup Espresso owner’s family
There’s a new way to help out the son and husband of Red Cup Espresso owner Angelia Paulsen, killed in a crash on I-5 earlier this month, and the organizer says West Seattle rock superstar Eddie Vedder‘s band is involved. Here’s the announcement e-mailed to WSB by Jonathan French:
I am hoping you can spread the word about a raffle we have set up to benefit the O¹Dea family. (Sean & Julian O’Dea) The band Pearl Jam has asked me to donate 2 very rare, autographed limited edition prints signed by the entire band on their behalf. There will be 2 drawings with one win per person. First person who wins chooses the first print. Buy as many tickets as you wish. Tickets are $10.00 each. They can be purchased at Red Cup Espresso (4453 California Ave. SW) (206) 923-0431. Or people can e-mail me (Jonathan French jfrench@alki.net) and I can make other arrangements to get tickets out. Drawing is at 12 pm February 23, 2008. Need not be present to win. Write your name and contact info on the back of one of the tickets and they’ll put it in the bucket. Framed prints can be viewed inside Red Cup Espresso.
As we mentioned earlier this week, Red Cup is currently open 6-2 weekdays, 7-4 weekends.
in the project to build a new plaza for the Alki Statue of Liberty. Major developments from that meeting included a new, longer timeline for the plaza, some design revisions, and another round of public involvement in the process, including an expected public meeting in April. In the day since the meeting, we’ve gathered more reaction and further details on what happens next, starting with a detailed update — and call for action — from 
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