That’s a snippet of video of rainwater running downhill on a nearby side street. Nothing big, but a sight we haven’t seen in a while. Just in case you’re in a windowless room. In which case you’ve missed the lightning flashes and thunder rumbles this past hour, too. But the forecast says more typical summer weather WILL return soon – by the weekend, in fact. The National Weather Service is even calling for 80s starting Monday (PLUS we just saw a forecast by our favorite meteorologist, Q13’s Walter Kelley, who thinks it’ll be more like 90s next week). 6:40 PM UPDATE: We’re in the Hiawatha gym now, where the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha performance by the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio is starting a bit late to give people time to get here – there are a few dozen here despite the rain, it’s warm and cozy and bound to be fun. But be careful driving: Noticed some serious puddling on Fauntleroy Way, in the paving-project stretch, at least the northbound lanes. ADDED 10:12 PM: Got a photo, pre-dusk, of a truck splashing through one of those puddles:
The rain’s back – and thunder too – but tonight’s two big events are still on, and we wanted to remind you that BOTH are now indoors: West Seattle Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with locations all over the peninsula (here’s the printable map) — including the Nature Consortium‘s art exhibit at Youngstown Arts Center, 4408 Delridge (map) – NC’s Lisa Corbin sent the photo at right and says, “This painting titled MLK was done by one of our teaching artists, Agazit Ocbazgi. Her other pieces are equally as compelling. We will have live music and refreshments tonight as well!” Also happening shortly: Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, now set to take place inside the gym at 6:30 pm, starring the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio – free!
The door-to-door alerts shared by WSB’ers have both alerted people to ruses and resulted in information verifying legitimate sellers – so in that spirit, here’s the latest:Read More
(WSB photo from June 2009)
Though the very existence of the King County Water Taxi has become a campaign issue in the County Executive race, its West Seattle and Vashon services continue chugging back and forth across Elliott Bay multiple times a day, and plans to make the West Seattle run year-round starting next year are still proceeding. As part of those plans, the dock at Seacrest is to be upgraded, with work to be done this fall – replacing the floating wooden dock (shown above) with concrete – and that work has just won approval for “shoreline substantial development” (scroll down to the second-to-last notice on this page); that decision is appealable to the State Shoreline Hearings Board, according to today’s notice. The project still needs construction permits, which are in progress, according to the official city page. Given the county budget situation, we checked with County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office – he also chairs the King County Ferry District Board. Reply: “At this point we are moving forward with all plans for service improvements to West Seattle and Vashon until otherwise directed by the Ferry District board. The board will be making several important decisions in the coming months in the budget process.”
That short clip pans around to look at the overflow crowd inside The Hall at Fauntleroy last night, where West Seattle’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, opened their monthly meeting with the hottest national topic of the moment, health-care reform, featuring U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, who not only is Seattle’s longtime House of Representatives rep, but also a physician. (Here’s our first report, published last night as the meeting unfolded.) Before it began, sign-holders had lined the street outside the hall as well, with more conversation than confrontation:
McDermott’s appearance was arranged and introduced by Dr. Lisa Plymate of the 34th DDs, who is active with the reform-advocacy group Doctors For America (she’s at the center of this photo with McDermott and, at left, the 34th DDs’ newly elected secretary Michael Taylor-Judd):
(Photo by Dina Johnson)
The group set out its rules for last night from the start (and on its website even before the meeting) – this wasn’t a town hall, so if you weren’t a member, you were welcome to watch but not to speak. As the meeting began, chair Tim Nuse also asked those with signs to lower them once the meeting began. And the only real interruption came toward the end of this clip, after McDermott’s harshest words for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries that he claims are keeping health-care reform from passing:
The man who you hear yelling “THAT’S A LIE!” at the very end of the clip was escorted from the room. (Note: From comments after this story was published, here’s another account of what happened after the shouting.) But that was one brief moment; the meeting was raucous at times with applause and shouts of assent, but otherwise peaceful. As you heard in the clip, McDermott advocates so-called “single-payer” health coverage (explained here), as – suggested by volume and frequency of applause – do many who were in the room last night. Read on for more video and more details of the entire meeting – which also included an endorsement vote on a measure that isn’t even officially on the ballot yet:Read More
Emergency crews are at the scene of a crash on the eastbound side of The Bridge. No details except for one warning if you’re thinking of heading that way – DON’T. Our tipster hasn’t even made it past the Delridge onramp yet and traffic is at a standstill. 10:02 AM UPDATE: It’s a two-car crash. At least one person hurt, but being transported by private ambulance, which usually means “not life-threatening.” The cars are blocking the exit lane to 99 and the bus lane right at the top of the highrise. Everything’s moving smoothly once you get past it. 11:24 AM NOTE: As you can see in the “live” pic from the traffic cam, all’s clear now.
HELEN SUTTON MEMORIAL: This afternoon at 2 pm, longtime West Seattle entrepreneur and community advocate Helen Sutton will be remembered and celebrated at the South Seattle Community College Arboretum, which she helped create. Here’s a map to the college; here’s a campus map showing where the Arboretum is located. Ms. Sutton was 95 when she died in June (here’s our original report); she was the longtime owner of La Grace in The Junction, and was the first woman president of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Everyone’s invited to the memorial.
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: More than 50 venues all over West Seattle welcome your visit 6-9 pm to enjoy art (and treats at many stops). Not only is it an opportunity to see the artwork, but it’s also an open-house atmosphere where you can visit local businesses you might not just drop into otherwise. Many of tonight’s participating artists are listed on the official West Seattle Art Walk site. One unique event on tonight’s docket is STOP! COLLABORATE! at Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction (west of Easy Street), promising a DJ’ed dance party as well as a show curated by local artist Todd Karam. Here’s how Twilight describes it:
This is one-of-a-kind opportunity where 16 artists from Washington and California collaborated with each other. Of course there’s a twist. Each participating artist contributed one of their own “completed” pieces. After drawing names from a hat, another artist from the group then took the once completed piece to expand on it. You ask “..but, but will they respect the work of the other artist? Is this normal?” The answer is, “who knows.”
SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA, UPDATE – INDOORS TONIGHT! (this item updated at 9:34 am with new information) The fourth in the popular-from-night-one new, FREE concert series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association is tonight at 6:30 at Hiawatha Community Center – and organizer Katy Walum says that because of the potentially showery weather, it WILL be held indoors at the Hiawatha gym. The jazzy Elizabeth Carpenter Trio headlines tonight; sample their music here.
First: Pencil Me In For Kids needs HUNDREDS OF GLUE STICKS before its volunteers finish putting together school supplies for kids in need – Sue Lindblom from Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) tells us tonight, “We are still taking donations and are SHORT 500 glue sticks!! Drop off at Illusions, 5619 California SW or Edward Jones, at 7354 35th SW before Aug. 31 … Staples at Westwood gives a great discount so cash or checks made out to Rotary of West Seattle really works well …Thanks for everyone’s support!!” Speaking of Westwood:
(Photos courtesy SPD media unit Sgt. Sean Whitcomb)
Above left, it’s Seattle Interim Police Chief John Diaz, and above right, King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, as they chaperoned two of 25 “Shop with a Cop” participants at Westwood Village Target on Tuesday. The Salvation Army was provided with thousands of dollars in gift cards to help kids from around the region have $100 shopping sprees at seven Target stores. Public-safety personnel chaperoned the kids – kindergarten through 6th grade – at each location. The Salvation Army has another event coming up, “Stuff the Bus” with school supplies this weekend (10 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday) at Fred Meyer in Burien – they’ll take donated items (from backpacks to clothes) or cash. And if you’re picking up backpacks, there’s still room for LOTS more to be donated to West Seattle Helpline‘s backpack drive, with three dropoff locations: Capers in The Junction is working to “fill its window” with donated backpacks;Coffee at the Heights (WSB sponsor) in Sunrise Heights is taking dropoffs too; and you can also go to Helpline HQ at 35th/Morgan. Too busy to buy a backpack? Donate $25 to Helpline (you can do it online) and they’ll buy one on your behalf.
First – the city has decided to extend the deadline for those neighborhood-plan surveys we’ve been talking about here. Now they’ll take surveys through Friday, August 21st. Take the survey here – where you’ll also see the latest neighborhood-vs.-neighborhood chart (Ballard-Crown Hill is singularly ahead but if you add the 5 West Seattle areas together, we’re way out in front with 732 – think we can hit 1,000?). Second – five nights left to get your primary-election ballot into the mail or into a drop box. The county posted its nightly update on how many ballots have come back – it’s up to 11 percent countywide but almost 13 percent in the County Council district including West Seattle (now almost tied for “most votes counted” – just a hair behind the metropolitan Eastside). Still lots of time to prove the “low turnout” projection wrong.
We are at The Hall of Fauntleroy along with a HUGE crowd. The buzz started as soon as the 34th District Democrats announced that U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott would join their scheduled forum on health-care reform, during the regular monthly meeting. Outside the hall and inside, we’ve seen sign-holding demonstrators touting various positions in the debate – from “single payer” to “government stay out.” So far, it’s been peaceful although spirited – including a loud ovation for Rep. McDermott as he walked in (some boos, but they were all but drowned out). We will post updates as this happens. Not only is this “standing room only,” it’s “sitting on the floor” room only. Dr. Lisa Plymate is introducing the Congressmember now. Follow our Twitter feed for in-a-flash photos and updates too.
7:25 PM UPDATE: Rep. McDermott is speaking. He says, “This is a war … a war over whether the American people can have health security and economic security.” He says the opponents are the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and he says their profits are the reason why. Many people here in the hall are murmuring “Yes!” as he speaks, something like a rollicking evangelical church service. He says he believes a bill with a “good public option” will emerge from the House of Representatives (he supports what’s known as “single payer”). Now he’s taking questions.
7:43 PM UPDATE: Still lively but not too much tension. Rep. McDermott has blamed insurance and pharmaceutical companies for “the opposition you’re seeing around the country,” and one man in the back yelled THAT’S A LIE! He also said that the House may not abide by the “deals made in the White House” with those industries. One woman asked, “What can we do to get single-payer back on the table?” and McDermott said, “I wish I had a good answer for that.”
7:56 PM: Rep. McDermott is done speaking. Now a rep from Washington Public Campaigns is speaking about publicly financed campaigns. Some of the crowd is dispersing now that McDermott’s portion of the health-care discussion is over (we can hear much discussion happening out in the hall and spilling out onto the sidewalk outside the hall). McDermott says he’ll have an “open meeting” in the area in September. The public-campaign advocate is tying health-care reform to campaign-financing reform, saying publicly financed candidates can “stand up” to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.
*The meeting continues – we will only update if anything major happens – otherwise, watch for our full writeup later.
Things are likely hopping by now; we dropped in just before the new Porterhouse (north of Admiral Theater) opened its doors at mid-afternoon today. That video takes you on a tour of the interior, which we last saw when it was in the final throes of remodeling. Note the art (future participants in the ever-expanding West Seattle Art Walk, they say) and those bound-to-be-legendary 25 taps. The owners have said they’ll serve food 11 am-11 pm (with the bar open beyond that) for starters, considering adding brunch later. ADDED 6:26 PM: If you can’t get over there just yet but want a steadier look at the taps, here’s a pic:
Two updates this afternoon in the ongoing controversy over whether the homeless encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” will be allowed to stay on Port of Seattle land at Terminal 107 Park in West Seattle: First, a spokesperson for the encampment sent this short announcement:
The port has withdrawn request to show just cause for eviction of Nickelsville residents. Hearing tomorrow before King County Superior Court Judge Kallas is cancelled. Nickelsville looks forward to meeting with the port this week. Date and time pending.
Second, the port has issued its own, longer statement, posted on its website and republished here in full:
On July 23rd, the Nickelsville encampment moved onto the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 107 public park without permission. Port staff members believe that legally, the Port of Seattle has neither the authority to provide housing nor the ability to donate property for the encampment.
“We understand the difficult situation that many of the Nickelsville members are in, and share the concern of many in our community about the serious problem of homelessness,” said Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani. “But the port must consider not just our legal authority and our responsibility to create jobs and economic growth for the region, but the needs and wants of other residents in the region who live adjacent to and use port parks and facilities every day.”
Yoshitani has asked Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and Washington State Speaker of the House Frank Chopp to clarify the port’s legal authority to donate the property for housing. Yoshitani hopes the request for legal clarification can be expedited.
In a separate action, the port has withdrawn the motion for unlawful detainer filed before King County Superior Court. The motion was scheduled to be heard on August 13th. However, the port reserves the right to proceed with the Notice of Trespass given to the encampment on July 24th, and Yoshitani has instructed staff members to continue working toward the previously stated August 21st deadline for the encampment to leave port property.
“By withdrawing this motion and seeking additional legal clarity, the port continues to try to work through this issue collaboratively,” Yoshitani noted. “I also encourage Nickelsville members and community advocates to maximize efforts to identify a more appropriate site for the encampment.”
Tomorrow marks three weeks since the encampment moved from another West Seattle location, 2nd SW/Highland Park Way, state land where it had been set up for a month, following almost nine months at various locations elsewhere in the city.
That’s how Trileigh captioned this photo of the young Lincoln Park-born barred owl who was nicknamed “Wollet” during a rash of sightings that followed our first owlet report, which came from Kim and Jordan Petram and included this next photo, back in late May:
(Among other photo reports that followed, Minette contributed too.) Back to today’s top photo – Trileigh elaborates:
I found an owl in Lincoln Park on Sunday, but I wasn’t sure whether it was Wollet or one of his parents. He looked so freshly washed that I thought it was probably “our” baby. Then when I showed his picture to one of my owl-expert friends, she confirmed that it is indeed Wollet: apparently you can tell by his white tail feathers. Hooray! So glad to see that little guy one more time. My friend also tells me he’s likely to start searching for his own territory — so each sighting could be the last.
She has more photos at flickr.com/photos/trileigh. Meantime, we’ve received a few other beautiful West Seattle bird-sighting photos recently (thank you!!!!) and will share them soon too.
FIRST, THE FOLLOWUP: Early this morning we brought you Sue‘s report of a van stolen in Fauntleroy. She just e-mailed to say she has found her van, “in the Allstar (Fitness) area” of North Delridge, and that it doesn’t have much damage.
NOW, A NEW REPORT:Christie e-mailed word of a burglary at 48th/Hinds (map):
Sometime during the day yesterday – we were gone from 1030am until 7pm – someone broke into our home and stole some goods. My husband came home to find the stereo moved around, our iPod touch gone and our new Apple computer gone from the living room. Upon further investigation, we discovered our iPod Nano was missing from its dock in one of the bedrooms downstairs and our jar of change was missing from the bookshelf. No visible sign of entry, but the back door was unlocked when my husband arrived home.
The iPod Nano is the first generation Red (donates to the Aids Fund) 4 GB and is engraved with “always enjoy yourself” – The iPod Touch is first generation Silver with a black case and is engraved with “all the dark can’t extinguish the light.” The apple computer was purchased last year and has the fancy touch sensors in the mouse pad. It has a purple case with the bottom back tabs (that hold it on) broken.
The police have a full report and serial numbers, but if anyone finds anything on craigs list/ebay/etc., please contact Christie Voos at christie.voos@gmail.com
Prospective first-time homebuyers are invited to a Homestead Community Land Trust Q/A session in White Center tomorrow. The official flyer (see it here) focuses on help for first-time homebuyers in White Center, but Laura Evans with Homestead tells WSB, “We also can help with purchasing home in West Seattle or South Park or anywhere else in the City.” Homestead offers $100,000 to first-time homebuyers at certain income levels (listed on the flyer) in exchange for a commitment that, “when you sell your home, you will sell it at an affordable price to another homebuyer on their way to achieving their dream.” Tomorrow’s info-session is at 5:30 pm at the King County Library‘s White Center branch, 11220 16th SW; call 206.323.1227 to RSVP. If you can’t make it, Evans says there’ll be an informational session on Beacon Hill on August 23 (more info here).
Employers are welcome to post their West Seattle-based job openings FREE in the WSB Forums‘ West Seattle Jobs Offered section, and two more just have – including one offering a meet-and-greet tomorrow night – go here to see what’s listed.
COURT CASE: South Park murder suspect Isaiah Kalebu is expected in King County Superior Court at 8:30 this morning to answer charges including aggravated murder (which could bring the death penalty) in the July xx attack on two women who were asleep in their home when he allegedly broke in.
REP. MCDERMOTT TALKS HEALTH-CARE REFORM: Tonight, the long-hot topic gets its highest-profile West Seattle discussion yet, as the 34th District Democrats bring in Seattle’s Congressmember Jim McDermott in addition to other expert panelists. The agenda’s here, but also note the disclaimer on the group’s home page – this is NOT a “town hall meeting” and while everyone’s welcome to attend and listen, “only members may speak and participate,” per the group’s bylaws. The meeting starts at 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy.
We promised nightly reminders; here’s a quick one. Next Tuesday’s primary is the first major election since King County went all-mail – so you need to mail or drop off your ballot by 8 pm that night (August 18th). Election authorities project a fairly low participation rate, but there’s no reason it HAS TO turn out that way – there are major issues/races to be decided, from Seattle Referendum 1 (deciding whether to approve the disposable-shopping-bag fee the City Council approved last year) to narrowing down big fields to two “finalists” in races including Seattle Mayor and King County Executive. You don’t actually have to mail your ballot – you can also put it in one of the 24/7 drop boxes around the county, including the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center (5405 Delridge Way; map) and the King County Library‘s White Center branch (11220 16th SW; map). The first results will be out shortly after 8 pm Election Night.
That photo comes with this report from Gatewood resident and West Seattle Internet business owner Bill Hibler:
This happened at 6:30 this morning. No one was hurt although my wife was pretty shook. The tree landed on the corner of the house where there is a bathroom. She was standing at the sink washing her hands when it hit, immediately causing the ceiling to sag and finally break through. I was upstairs and thought there was either an earthquake (the house shook pretty good) or lightning had just struck about 100 feet from the house causing the one of the loudest thunder claps I’ve heard.
There was NO wind. The root structure was rotten and just the weight of the rain on the very large leaves of a broad-leaf maple caused it to topple.
This is the kind of thing you want to have happen AFTER the West Seattle Garden Tour.
If you want a professional to examine the tree, call Mark Harman of Stonehedge at 206-937-7428.
An update tonight on the conversion of 3207 California SW (formerly Muttley Crew Cuts, now in Admiral) to the future Swinery: Two weeks ago, we brought you WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli‘s report on Chef Gabriel Claycamp‘s project, including a look inside the space they’re remodeling (that’s one of Christopher’s July photos, at left). This afternoon, WSB’er Michelle, who lives nearby, e-mailed to say work on the space seemed to have abruptly halted, and that a “stop work” notice was posted. We first checked city records; they confirm that someone filed a land-use complaint last week, regarding the need for more permits in the remodeling process (though a permit application to convert the space from “residential” to “food processing” is shown as filed). Then we checked with Claycamp, who says, “Everything we have done so far is OK to do without a permit,” adding that he has a meeting with the city tomorrow to present plans, after which he expects the complaint will be resolved. (We left a message this afternoon for the city inspector who is handling the complaint, and will try again tomorrow.) Claycamp did say that he and his crew encountered a few surprises while working on the building, and that fixing those will push the Swinery’s West Seattle opening date into mid-September (they were hoping for this month, at one point).
That’s the latest bar chart for responses to the neighborhood-plan survey we’ve been talking about – literally a once-in-a-decade chance to have an official say on where growth and planning goes from here. Whether or not you made it to the July 28th meeting to discuss the plans face to face, the city is hoping to get as many people as possible to fill out an online survey asking the same four questions. Yes, we know, it may not seem fair that Ballard/Crown Hill is ahead because it’s all lumped together as one neighborhood, while West Seattle has FIVE (Junction, Admiral, Delridge, Highland Park/Westwood Village, Morgan Junction), but nothing we can do about that now; it’s how things shook out a decade ago. But we’re not even being challenged by Ballard – our fellow online-only neighborhood-news providers at Rainier Valley Post are issuing a challenge to other neighborhoods. Not sure if this will turn into one of those Super Bowl bet deals where we each offer some famous local foodstuff (what IS an iconic West Seattle food, anyway? Husky ice cream, maybe?) – but we’ve up for a challenge. Before 5 pm tomorrow, go here to take the survey. If you don’t live in any of those five neighborhoods, fill it out for one that you frequently visit. The more voices are heard in this process, the better the end result; tell your friends, tell your neighbors, use SHARE THIS below to send this around.
The rain’s back – and thunder too – but tonight’s two big events are still on, and we wanted to remind you that BOTH are now indoors: 
Two weeks after 
Emergency crews are at the scene of a crash on the eastbound side of The Bridge. No details except for one warning if you’re thinking of heading that way – DON’T. Our tipster hasn’t even made it past the Delridge onramp yet and traffic is at a standstill. 10:02 AM UPDATE: It’s a two-car crash. At least one person hurt, but being transported by private ambulance, which usually means “not life-threatening.” The cars are blocking the exit lane to 99 and the bus lane right at the top of the highrise. Everything’s moving smoothly once you get past it. 11:24 AM NOTE: As you can see in the “live” pic from the traffic cam, all’s clear now.
HELEN SUTTON MEMORIAL: This afternoon at 2 pm, longtime West Seattle entrepreneur and community advocate Helen Sutton will be remembered and celebrated at the 
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: More than 50 venues all over West Seattle welcome your visit 6-9 pm to enjoy art (and treats at many stops). Not only is it an opportunity to see the artwork, but it’s also an open-house atmosphere where you can visit local businesses you might not just drop into otherwise. Many of tonight’s participating artists are listed 
we’re way out in front with 732 – think we can hit 1,000?). Second – five nights left to get your primary-election ballot into the mail or into a drop box. The county posted its nightly update on how many ballots have come back – it’s 
FIRST, THE FOLLOWUP: Early this morning we 
who lives nearby, e-mailed to say work on the space seemed to have abruptly halted, and that a “stop work” notice was posted. We first checked city records; they confirm that 
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