Roll out the red carpet: A premiere at the Admiral
As the new leadership at the Admiral Theater continues morphing it into much more than a second-run moviehouse, 
they’ve got local independent filmmakers premiering a movie there this Saturday. We talked (via e-mail) with co-director Damon Agnos of “Haymaker & Sally,” which he explains as: “If you liked ‘Starsky & Hutch’ but felt it needed more action; if you were thrilled by ‘Scarface’ but wished Tony would sponsor a Little League team; if you enjoyed ‘Serpico’ but wished he didn’t get shot in the face; if you always wanted ‘Miami Vice’ to do an episode where Crockett and Tubbs grill the kid behind the counter at the local Kinko’s, then ‘Haymaker & Sally’ is for you.” (Poster at right, designed by Andrew Miller.) So why premiere the movie in WS instead of the usual indy-film haunts (Capitol Hill, U-District, etc.)? Read on:Read More
Denny/Sealth: Next community meeting now confirmed
As promised at the somewhat contentious meeting we covered earlier this week regarding the Chief Sealth High School/Denny Middle School shared-campus project, another meeting is happening in short order: October 25th. School district liaison Eleanor Trainor explains, “(This) meeting will differ from the two general update meetings we’ve had. This meeting will focus on the pedestrian links and community initiatives for the Sealth campus. It will be an open forum for neighbors to discuss ideas about the exterior spaces and the campus’ connection to Longfellow Creek.” Here’s the official flyer:Read More
Gatewood Elementary rustles up “Kids for Kids’
If you have driven by the above-pictured greenery along Fauntleroy a couple blocks north of Lincoln Park, you might not know there’s an elementary school behind all that. But the fine folks of Gatewood Elementary have a plan to clear things up: Gatewood parent Steve White wrote to let us all know about the impending arrival — one week from today — of those beloved Rent-A-Ruminant goats (seen along Admiral back in July). Steve says the objective of the goats’ work October 18-21 is “to mow down a hillside of ivy as part of our playground renovation project. … The ivy removal is part of ridding the school grounds of invasive plant species, and restoring the native plants.” The Gatewood playground renovation, Operation Imagination, has been three years in the making and is going well thanks to donations of time and money as well as various grants; it will be spotlighted during a day of fun events while the goats are on site, “Kids for Kids,” 10 am-4 pm Saturday 10/20.
Traffic alert
Heading westbound on The Bridge up the Fauntleroy end, just passed a fresh two-car fender bender in the left eastbound lane. Traffic was starting to back up. Beware if you have to head out from that end of the The Bridge. 8:17 UPDATE: May not be causing too much headache; you can check Fauntleroy eastbound just past Alaska on this city cam.
No “Gathering” till next year
The community-connection organization Megawatt has called off this year’s “Gathering of Neighbors” showcase, which had been scheduled for November 3rd. An e-mail announcement sent out last night by Megawatt leaders says the group has been focused on a “strategic planning process” and adds: “We are incredibly proud of our community events and programs, and over the next few months will work to support these programs by focusing on and building our organizational infrastructure. As part of this process, we have made a strategic decision to postpone … Gathering of Neighbors until 2008.” Megawatt says it will continue offering its community “field trips,” including an artist-studio tour on October 25th; more info on the Megawatt website (and the listings are on our frequently updated West Seattle-wide Events page too). For anyone who already signed up for the now-canceled Gathering of Neighbors, Megawatt says it will refund the table fees within the next few days.
They’re not just going after “House” after all
Earlier this week, we discussed the notice (however official or unofficial) that frequent WSB contributor “The House” got on the windshield of his parked-on-the-planting-strip car in Westwood. At the time, he suggested that police should be focusing instead on the seemingly abandoned RVs lining nearby streets. Tonight, good news for “House” and neighbors — we spotted Seattle Police enforcers in action (on Trenton west of the Westwood Village turn-in) along RV Row:
A few more days to go for La Rustica fire repair/remodel
A member of the family that runs the well-regarded Beach Drive Italian restaurant La Rustica had told us they hoped to reopen last night, after adding some remodeling work to the repairs following last month’s small fire. However, the work’s not quite done yet, so LR was still closed last night; our family contact says they are “working hard to open ASAP,” adding “the kitchen remodel is looking great!” and noting they have a big reservation for Saturday night & “intend to keep that reservation.”
Best food in the Seattle school district?
Dori, the Denny Middle School Lunch Lady, says that’s what she serves every day, and she invited the architects and school administrators overseeing the Denny-Sealth construction project to come have lunch. She was one of about 35 people who came to tonight’s overview of the latest plans for the Denny-Sealth shared-campus project with some serious concerns over the initial plans. The plan presented showed one kitchen which would serve both schools, to be located between the gym and the common areas. As Dori said – a kitchen with no windows or adequate ventilation is not a good idea. What she wants is for the planners and architects to see the existing Denny lunch room and kitchen, which she calls a “kitchen done right.”
Read More
Denny-Sealth campus consolidation meeting: School sparks
Just back from the school district-organized Denny-Sealth project update meeting at CSHS. Sparks flew, especially on the issue of why this meeting was called with only days’ notice. Another one is set for later this month. Our full report will be posted here later tonight.
Election countdown: 4 weeks away
Election Day is November 6 — exactly four weeks away. Discussion and debate are revving up, particularly regarding the biggest ballot measure in the election — Sound Transit/RTID Proposition 1, also known as “Roads and Transit.” Pros here, cons here, but, you may ask — what’s in it for West Seattle? You can get the full picture at the next meeting of Sustainable West Seattle, Monday night (October 15th) at Camp Long, during a Q/A forum with supporters and opponents. Meantime, the 34th District Democrats gather for their regular monthly meeting tomorrow night at The Hall @ Fauntleroy. They are not only making plans for getting out the vote in November — they also are dealing with their official role in the changing of the legislative guard in our area. The resignation of West Seattle’s State Senator Erik Poulsen is now official, and the 34th District Democrats must recommend proposed replacements to be appointed to the Senate seat till the next election. Precinct officers from around the district will gather this Saturday at High Point Community Center to formally recommend three possible appointees. West Seattle State Representative Joe McDermott is considered the leading candidate for that appointment; if he gets it, attention then moves to the House vacancy that would ensue. A candidates’ forum is expected to happen October 24th, probably also at The Hall @ Fauntleroy. The 34th DDs have tons of information about the Senate/House/etc. appointment process, including the 7 candidates who are seeking the potential House job, on this page.
The next big West Seattle retail trend?
We’ve had a cascade of cupcakes, a plethora of pet stores … now, perhaps, a surge of supplement shops. A year after Super Supplements moved into The Junction, a new permit granted for space in Westwood Village (we haven’t done the backwork yet to figure out which space “E8” refers to) reveals the impending arrival of “Fresh Vitamins.” A quick websearch shows they have several other outlets around the metro area.
New glimpse into the Water Taxi’s potential future
As the Elliott Bay Water Taxi continues its extra bonus month of commuter runs (M-F through November 2nd, plus two Seahawks home game Sundays 10/14 and 10/21), we get a new peek into its possible future, courtesy of documents prepared for a meeting today
— the King County Council, meeting as the county Ferry District Board. A draft PowerPoint presentation linked to the meeting agenda contains the following proposals (major disclaimer, they’re only proposals until and unless they get official approval): Pier 50 downtown as the permanent terminal for the Vashon and West Seattle (Water Taxi) runs that the Ferry District would operate; Seacrest continuing as the WT’s near-term home, also in contention as its longterm home (along with Pier 2); three vessels to be leased by the county for the first years of Ferry District operations — one for the Vashon/Seattle run, one for the WT, one as a backup. (The draft presentation also contains extensive details of proposals for the Vashon/Seattle run that the county will be taking over from the state, as well as for “demonstration runs” between Seattle and TBA locations on the Eastside — Kirkland or Bellevue — North King County, and South King County.) And it envisions the Water Taxi operating an “extended” season next year — March through October — then starting year-round operations in January 2009. Last but not least, the presentation also looks at how Ferry District service will be paid for, and what it will cost; part of the $ will come from a property-tax levy, with the rate yet to be set. Again, all this is from a draft presentation to be given to councilmembers during their meeting as the Ferry District board at 1:30 this afternoon; you should be able to watch on cable TV or online (KCTV link here), and of course we’ll continue to keep you updated on what happens next.
Targeted for teardown: 2 more
Cross-checking some of the city’s alternate methods for unearthing proposed projects (the Activity Locator is a fun time-killer), we happened onto a proposal we hadn’t noticed before. It seeks to take down two small Junction buildings including the one shown below (4515 44th, across from the big parking lot behind WaMu/liquor store/etc.), so a 4-story mixed-use building can be built in their place.
The city system indicates a design review meeting for this hasn’t been set yet; the only date of any kind listed in the online records is 5/29/07, when the fee for the “pre-application site visit” was paid, so we’re not sure how long this has been pending (it doesn’t seem to have appeared in any of the city Land Use Information Bulletins, at least not the ones we searched going back to this time last year). Meantime, a second teardown proposal, this one from inland Alki, a new yellow land-use application sign just went up on the northwest corner of 60th/Admiral:
The teardown-to-townhome proposal for this parcel dates back to March, but the application to subdivide the lot was just filed a few weeks ago, hence the yellow sign.
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: Heading down again
Looks like nobody in West Seattle really had the heart to break the 3-buck barrier. Most stations’ prices are heading back down again; the title of “lowest posted price for regular unleaded” belongs to Delridge Arco (photo right) at $2.79. That’s no surprise, but this is: The highest posted price for regular unleaded is at 35th/Barton Exxon, at $2.97. The Lundberg Survey says the national average for unleaded regular is $2.75, after sliding 4 cents in the past 2 weeks. That’s fairly close to what we’ve seen since our last update two weeks ago (Delridge Arco has actually dropped 6 cents). Still a ways to go to make it to what was the lowest point since we started watching prices, $2.60s back in August.
3811 California landmark-nomination update
Since our report yesterday quoting a 3811 California tenant as saying the endangered 80-year-old brick 4-plex across from Charlestown Cafe 
was apparently being evaluated for city landmark status, we’ve found out more from the city Landmarks Preservation Board. Coordinator Sarah Sodt tells WSB that the board has “asked the property owner to submit a landmark nomination … as part of the MUP-SEPA process.” That’s Master Use Permit and State Environmental Policy Act, both aspects of the development process. According to the city website, “All buildings over 50 years old that are proposed for redevelopment are referred to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board as part of the city’s SEPA policies.” However, Sarah also said the board has not “been in communication” with the owner, and has not arranged for a site tour (contrary to what the tenants were led to believe, apparently), but believes the owner is “working on preparing the nomination” paperwork. The bar for landmark status seems pretty high; the list of official city landmarks in WS contains only two residential properties (the Hainsworth House on 37th, sold earlier this year for $1,490,000, and the Satterlee House, aka Painted Lady, still on the market for $2.2 million). The process is explained here; looks like the next step after the nomination application would be a public meeting. The board’s website says it takes up to a month to determine if an application is “complete,” and it wouldn’t be scheduled for consideration at a public meeting until it is. Here’s the board’s schedule for the rest of the year. If a landmark designation does happen, a whole separate process begins regarding setting guidelines for what can be done with the property and which of its features must be preserved; that’s all outlined here. We’ll keep checking with the Landmarks Board to see how this progresses.
Saturday haps
Many fine things to do in West Seattle today, and the WS Weekend Lineup lists a ton of them. But as the day begins, we want to single out a few:
ONE RACE/ONE VILLAGE: First-ever 5K run for the Agathos Foundation. Registration starts at 8 am at the Bathhouse (we believe the website means “Alki Ave” where it says “Beach Drive”).
KITTEN ADOPT-A-THON: Just found out about this last night, walking past All the Best Pet Care on Alki and spotting flyers on the windows. 11 am-3 pm, at the store (next to Cactus).
ME-KWA-MOOKS SIGN CELEBRATION: 10:30 this morning at the park that’s a lot bigger than it looks from Beach Drive. A volunteer organizer says the event is “to celebrate the installation of an interpretive sign that will tell you where a mansion once stood, what the park’s name really means, and why the trail through the woods gets better every year. Coffee, pastries, and unforgettable historical insight are all on the house!”
And if you have to leave West Seattle this morning, remember The Viaduct is closed 7 am-11 am for the Heart Walk.
—
Huling has indeed sued GEE for “unlawful detainer” (eviction) centered on the alleged nonpayment of rent as of the start of September. Since we offered you the chance to
| 1 COMMENT