West Seattle, Washington
07 Sunday
Four days after a WSB’er e-mailed us wondering where the Alki fire rings had gone (we posted about it here), city Parks Department spokesperson Dewey Potter told us they’ve just been brought back — so freshly returned, in fact, when we subsequently dashed over to get a photo, we could still see the tire tracks in the sand. Potter also reminds us the rules ‘n’ regulations for beach fires can be found here.
If you bag the gas-powered mower, the city will subsidize part of the cost of an electric or push replacement:Read More
Here’s the West Seattle version; unveiled today to accompany a mayoral news conference. (Some of what’s on the map is featured in our report from last night’s WSCSP meeting.)
For all the coyote sightings we’ve posted here, we’ve never seen one ourselves till five minutes ago – crossing California south of Thistle, heading toward the Thistle greenbelt/staircase. (Photos courtesy intrepid Patrick the Sales Guy, who grabbed the camera and headed outside while your editor here stood transfixed at the window.)
Reminder that the city provided tips on coexisting with coyotes and urban wildlife at a presentation earlier this year; WSB coverage here. (It’s breeding season, so sightings are likely to be more frequent; follow some of the advice in that report and your chances of an unwanted run-in will be reduced.)
Just got word from the Parks Department – the new “approved schematic design,” including space set aside for a “future skate spot” along 35th, is now online at the Myrtle Reservoir park’s official project page, along with a reminder about the May 1st public meeting. Here’s a direct link to see the design; our Monday follow-up clarifying the “skate spot” status is here.
One more update from last night’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting (see the traffic-improvements report and added car-prowl details below): Community Police Team officer Adonis Topacio says at least three recent local burglaries have been linked to a suspect with a criminal history — and right now, Topacio said, he’s in custody in Florida, where he had gone to visit relatives even though leaving the state was a probation violation. Police are working to see how many burglaries in all might be linked to this suspect; this time, Topacio said, “looks like he’s going to be spending a lot of time in jail.”
No arrests yet, almost 4 weeks after the arson that gutted Puget Sound Key and Lock in Morgan Junction. WSB Forum Community members are not only inviting you to a get-together Saturday night to raise some $ to help the business reopen, they’re also selling raffle tickets ahead of time so you can pitch in — and get a chance at great prizes donated by generous businesses — without even attending Saturday night if you have other plans. You can buy tickets at Admiral Pub tonight and tomorrow night, 7-8 pm, to win M’s tickets, gym memberships, artwork, massage(s), and more! The winning tickets will be announced at the community get-together/fundraiser, also at Admiral Pub, 6-9 pm Saturday. You don’t need to be present to win. Raffle tickets also available at the get-together (and families are welcome, since Admiral Pub is all-ages till 9 pm; more info in this WSB Forum thread), as well as during the West Seattle Community Recognition Awards gathering 7-8 pm Friday at Capers in The Junction (stop in and say hi if you can) — and you can even e-mail to get in on the raffle: wsbforum@gmail.com will connect you with the Forum Community members who are handling it.
On our way to tonight’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting at the Southwest Precinct, we spotted that radar-powered speed sign along westbound Morgan, just west of 40th, where people barrel down the hill toward Fauntleroy/California (we only registered 7 mph because we had to slow down for the photo!). This was a timely sighting because most of the WSCSP meeting was about this type of solution to some of West Seattle’s traffic problems — the method the experts refer to as “traffic calming” — here’s some of what’s in store, and where:Read More
This time, the alert comes straight from Lt. Steve Paulsen @ Southwest Precinct, who asked that we share this with you:
(Starting with the recent spring vacations), the Harbor Ave SW area has been inundated with carprowls … The suspects are bold and aggressive. They will wait for vehicles to park, then once the owner leaves they commit their crime. The suspects are prowling cars parked on the street and local businesses. We are working this issue aggressively with patrols and followup work from our detectives. We hope to get some success out of this. Citizens need to be reminded to keep valuables out of cars, particularly laptops.
We’d second that one, having seen countless cases of car break-ins where laptops, iPods, and GPS systems were the loot. 9:07 PM UPDATE: Just back from the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting, where we learned more about this — Officer Brian Ballew said last night alone, there were about half a dozen in the Salty’s vicinity during a 2-hour period; there’s surveillance video showing possible suspects so that’s being reviewed now.
Last June, the subject of that unusually colored crow came up in the comments on this post, back when we were still anonymous, so we never let on that it lived practically outside our front door. But now it’s making news again, sort of, as one of the birds mentioned in the upcoming book that made a West Seattle author a finalist for a prestigious prize. Lyanda Lynn Haupt has been honored as a finalist for a 2008 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Prize, on behalf of “Crow Planet” — which one judge said “promises to be a fascinating and original book” giving us a window into the lives of these ubiquitous, yet mysterious, birds. Read the full citation here; more about the author at her website here. Now, as for the particular crow, known at WSB HQ as “the golden crow” (now spending time further east), she says:
Partially albinistic or leucistic crows — birds with white or light patches of feathers — are somewhat common. In albinism, all pigment is lacking; in leucism, some pigment is lacking (feathers are normally colored with layers of pigment, so if one of the color layers is missing, the feathers will be lighter or differently colored). But a fully leucistic crow like “Leucy,” as my 9-year-old daughter calls it, is quite rare. Notice that even the “bare parts” as they are called — the bill, feet, etc. are also light. Very cool bird.
Two weeks ago, at the contentious Alki Community Center meeting (WSB coverage from that night is here) about the proposed sidewalk project along an area consisting mostly of the north side of Alki Ave’s west end (shown above), one citizen asked city reps what kind of process would be needed to stop the project. The city promised to check into it, but had no quick answer because they’d never been asked to cancel this type of citizen-initiated (background here) project before. We just checked with Seattle Transportation Department communications boss Rick Sheridan to see if they’d come up with the answer. Short version — no; he tells WSB, “We are having internal discussions about it, but no formal decision has been made yet.” Meantime, Sheridan says feedback from the meeting and “other sources” is being processed, and adds, “In the near term, we will proceed with the project’s design while continuing to work with adjacent property owners and the community.” By the way, the presentation from the 4/2 meeting is available online now (see it here), with the various options the city presented, including a one-way alternative that pretty much died on the spot that night. And if you have feedback about the Alki sidewalk project, SDOT’s Sandra (Sam) Woods is the person to e-mail, sandra.woods@seattle.gov is her address.
Courtesy of the LOLcat generator @ Seattle-based ICanHasCheezburger.com … our illustration for the fact we have more details on the “Ugliest Dog/Ugliest Cat in West Seattle” contest under way now in advance of the West Seattle Junction Association‘s first-ever Pet Fest, 10 am-4 pm April 27. As we mentioned last week, you can enter your pet now by visiting Next to Nature, where Louis Lujan explains they’re not really asking you to declare your beloved pet “ugly,” but rather, more like a “funniest-looking” pet (or pet photo) situation — Louis tells WSB, “It’s supposed to provide a few lighthearted chuckles … We’d gladly accept some animals that are just having ‘bad-hair days’ or ones that are dressed up to be ‘ugly’.” Dogs will be judged “in person” on Pet Fest day; cats will be judged by fest-goers viewing their photos (out of respect for the fact most cats don’t like crowd situations); photos in either category should be entered ASAP at NTN in The Junction. Later today, one more Junction Association update – the newest details on what’s in the works for Summer Fest in July!
That’s a West Seattle scene from earlier this tax-preparing season; in February, WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham caught Megan Legua and Irine Rodriguez strolling through The Junction in their Liberty Tax Service-provided costumes. For that firm, for the local H&R Block (WSB sponsor) offices, and for countless CPAs and other tax experts — plus those who choose to go it alone — this is crunch day. If you’re sending your return by postal mail, the Postal Service says there is a grand total of ONE Seattle-vicinity post office where you can get it postmarked all the way up till midnight: 15250 32nd Avenue South (map). (Other Western Washington locations are listed here; listed hours for West Seattle’s two post offices are till 6 pm @ Westwood, till 5 pm @ Junction.)
HOW’S THE CITY SPENDING YOUR MONEY? The Bridging the Gap Citizen Oversight Committee is having its quarterly meeting tonight in West Seattle, 6:30 pm @ Youngstown Arts Center. Read more about the committee and the meeting here. They keep an eye on how the city is spending the money from the BTG levy.
“TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT” QUESTIONS? IDEAS? Luke Korpi, senior engineer with the city Transportation Department, is the guy to ask/tell – and tonight, he’s the guest at the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership monthly meeting, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge & Webster, east of Home Depot). This is also the monthly meeting attended by key police personnel from SWP with briefings on West Seattle crime trends and opportunities for you to tell/ask them about concerns in your neighborhood.
It’s no secret that entering West Seattle, Junction-bound, from the “Fauntleroy Triangle” area, you’re not exactly greeted with an inspirational view (photos above were taken as we drove westbound on Fauntleroy during the Saturday-afternoon sunshine). But you might be interested to hear that in this time of transition (related topic below), there’s a move afoot to change that — spearheaded by local leaders including West Seattle-residing Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and West Seattle Junction Association president Dave Montoure. They’re strategizing a way to beautify the “gateway to West Seattle,” and working on a strategy meeting to be held later this month. In a recent chat with WSB, Montoure — proprietor of West 5 — also talked about a new way that his establishment and the Junction’s other food businesses are going green — and making history in the process:Read More
Seems the floor-refinishing work that closed Hiawatha Community Center for the past week left lingering fumes in the upstairs meeting rooms (and the gym), so tonight’s Parks Department Strategic Plan public meeting was canceled at the last minute. Four more to go in WS; next one’s at Camp Long on Wednesday – here’s the list.
Lots of e-mails asking about this one — after an intense helicopter/ground search over part of east West Seattle on Saturday night — finally got the info: Lt. Norm James at the Southwest Precinct says it started with a domestic-violence call, one person threatening another with a knife (in a situation where there already was a restraining order) — the victim was not hurt, but it took about an hour to find and arrest the suspect (Lt. James says the K-9 team made the capture in the 5300 block of 21st SW).
As discussed here a week and a half ago, not everybody wants a free street tree from the city. But a few people in that comment thread DID say “hey! we do!”, so in that spirit, we are passing along this SDOT announcement that just landed in the WSB inbox:Read More
In the months preceding the Seattle School Board vote to tear down Denny Middle School and build its replacement on the Chief Sealth High School campus (archived coverage here), one big question was, “what would happen to the Denny site?” The Westwood Neighborhood Council is watching that especially closely, and the sketch you see above is courtesy of WNC president Steve Fischer; he got it from Robert Evans, who’s working with Seattle Public Schools on the Denny/Sealth project. Fischer explains: “The graphic, as it was described to me by Mr. Evans, shows a ‘tennis center,’ parking lot, and softball field where the current Denny Middle School is situated. Mr. Evans informed me that this was the graphic that was to be sent out with the SEPA determination for the project and only shows the worst case scenario in terms of impervious surface area. Mr. Evans informed me that they intend to still work with the neighborhood on the development of this site.” Reminder, the city Landmarks Preservation Board considers the landmark nominations for Denny and Sealth — submitted as part of the required process in this project — this Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 40th floor, Municipal Tower downtown. (More details here.)
When the recast Alki Statue of Liberty was triumphantly unveiled at Alki last September 11th (WSB coverage, with video, here), we all knew the original statue would eventually take up residence in the nearby Log House Museum. We kept checking for a while and eventually lost track of when it would arrive — till a recent e-mail exchange with museum managers enlightened us to the fact it’s on display now in the Carriage House gift shop adjacent to the Log House Museum, where we took the photo today, as well as this pic of related tchotchkes you can buy in the Carriage House:
The gift shop has many other offerings too, including several copies of the quintessential West Seattle history book — published 20 years ago (but still endlessly fascinating) — West Side Story. You can check it out, and see the original Alki Lady Liberty, during Log House Museum hours, Thursdays-Sundays, noon-4 pm, southwest corner of 61st and Stevens (map and other info here) – and don’t miss the silent auction with baskets, gift certificates, and more, in the LHM’s main room, now through April 27. P.S. Our most recent update on the “new” statue’s plaza/pedestal project is here.
Two things to report in the ongoing question of whether an area for skateboarders will be built into the Myrtle Reservoir park, an issue of great interest to both skateboarders and park neighbors: First, a postcard has arrived, promoting the next public meeting (May 1), and the postcard says: “An area on the site will be reserved for a future skate feature.” Second – after the April 3rd city Design Commission review of the latest Myrtle design proposal (an electronic copy is not yet available but you can see our photo of it in our report about that meeting), during which Parks Department reps made statements conflicting with what they had told us for this report we published in February, we asked Colleen Browne (who manages the department’s project managers) for further clarification of its status, and this is what she has e-mailed in respnse:
The [citywide] Skatepark plan calls for a skate feature at either this site or High Point. At the present time we have a ProParks project at Myrtle. Therefore, we propose putting a skate feature into the park. We are looking for ways to fund it because it would likely be cheaper to build the entire park at one time.
So what’s next? Come hear/ask for yourself at the May 1 meeting, billed as the third of four public meetings on the project; it’s at 7 pm, High Point Community Center.
This just came in as a comment following the “bra-scattering burglar” West Seattle Crime Watch report five days ago; since most people won’t check in on comments from older items, we’re reposting it here:
He hit us too, we came home Friday night and found our house had been broken into as well (13th and Trenton) and I would guess it’s the same guy based on how he operated. The underwear drawers were all ransacked (but no underwear turned up in the driveway) and smaller electronics and such were taken. The weirdest thing was that he looked through our fridge and ate some leftover pizza while he was here (we’ve started referring to him as the Pizza Bandit). He was clearly in no hurry. He also had a coke and the police took the can with them to look for fingerprints. We can only hope he gets caught soon as obviously he is quite brazen. We’ll be installing security cameras this week in the event he decides to come back in the future. All in all a bad weekend!
Marc
We’ll be checking on this one with the Southwest Precinct tomorrow. Speaking of which, we posted a note on the Crime Watch page, but in case you were wondering (as were about half a dozen people who e-mailed us), we don’t yet have official information on what was at the heart of last night’s helicopter-accompanied search in Pigeon Point and environs – will let you know when we do.
Thanks to Karol I for e-mailing this tip, which we confirmed via business-license records as well as this spot on MySpace:
Just a few words on a new business is coming to a part of Seattle which has few food places. Blaine and Rahel Cook are in the process of changing that.
Zippy’s Giant Burgers is coming to 16th and Holden about May 1, 2008. They are busy cleaning, painting and arranging the new furniture which they have carefully selected for their new venture. I am sure that they will be doing well, in particular since I will be one of their first customers.
Here’s a map of that location (street address 1513 SW Holden).
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