West Seattle, Washington
15 Wednesday
Thanks to the folks who have sent us the link to a citywide-media story today about The Junction’s food-waste composting program. We broke that story here a month and a half ago (original WSB coverage here). But this is exactly why we set up the “More” page – so you can also keep track of what citywide/regional media sources are saying about West Seattle – the P-I story and others are linked there right now (the link lists are frequently and automatically updated, and the second half of the page includes the latest CL listings tagged West Seattle). P.S. If you missed it, the latest WSB Junction coverage involves a request for your input on the upcoming city parking review — check that out here.
That photo shows the trial run last year for a lemonade stand you’ll find 10 am-4 pm today at 31st/Henderson (map), raising money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to fight childhood cancer. Also at 10 – the first of two weekend Nia classes to raise $ for earthquake relief in China. Those are two of myriad events happening in West Seattle today — full list here in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup — Delridge Day at Youngstown Arts Center and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at SSCC are the biggies — two businesses are having anniversary celebrations today (Revolution Coffee in Admiral and Coastal on Alki) — and in the middle of it all, Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott is having a Town Hall meeting at the Admiral library branch at 2 pm.
WSB’ers were among the first to get a chance to comment on the draft version three months ago — now, the first-ever West Seattle Walking Trails map is hot off the printing press, according to Chas Redmond, who says the free map will be available at upcoming events including the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Biz Expo at South Seattle Community College tomorrow – look for it at the Sustainable West Seattle and WS Chamber booths/tables.
Just in from SDOT:
SDOT paving crews will repair failed concrete panels on the east side of Delridge Way Southwest at Southwest Elmgrove Street on Saturday, May 31.
The crews plan to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting with breaking out and removing the damaged concrete. One lane will remain open to traffic. Flaggers will assist drivers through the area. On-street parking will be restricted. When the new pavement has sufficiently cured, expected Saturday evening, the full street will be reopened to traffic.
Maps don’t show Elmgrove and Delridge directly intersecting; you can see the vicinity (north of Thistle) on this map.
As you can read in our coverage of last night’s development meeting — and many other related stories — more than a few people are worried about losing what makes The Junction special. On a semi-small scale, here’s a chance to help save part of its specialness by coming to the rescue of one of its unique works of public art — another of its history-depicting murals (here’s more about all of them) — the ferry mural behind the ex-Morton’s-now-Pharmaca building. More photos and info ahead:Read More
That’s Charlie Conner, president/owner of Conner Homes, whose California/Alaska/42nd project went back to the Southwest Design Review Board last night for a second round of “Design Review Guidance.” He was clearly there to lead the team making the case for the project; this time, he directly addressed the crowd to open what is usually the architect’s presentation to the board — and that followed time he spent before the meeting introducing himself to members of the standing-room-only crowd as they arrived. Then, more than half an hour after the meeting, he was outside the Southwest Precinct, still talking with a small group of attendees in which we recognized at least one Junction merchant. Our full report on what happened, and what happens next, straight ahead — long report, for a long (more than 2 hours) meeting:Read More
AWARD: Congratulations to Clay Eals, honored in the IPPY (Independent Publisher) Awards with a “silver” award for the biography category (see #28 in the list here) on the first anniversary of his acclaimed book “Steve Goodman: Facing the Music.” The awards will be presented tomorrow in Los Angeles.
READING: Longtime South Seattle Community College instructor Arleen Williams has published “The Thirty-Ninth Victim: A Memoir,” about what her family went through in connection with her sister having been one of the Green River serial-murder victims. She will read from the book during an event June 6th at SSCC’s Cascade Courtyard and Wine Tasting Room. The event runs 4-6 pm and includes a preview of two SSCC wines to be released in the fall; Williams’ reading will start at 4:30 pm.
Standing-room-only crowd at the Southwest Precinct for the Design Review Board meeting on the Conner Homes project in The Junction, two buildings at California/Alaska/42nd. Conner boss Charlie Conner attended and directly addressed the crowd as the meeting began, saying he thought people might want to put a face to the name. Board members were disappointed some of their recommendations from the first “early design guidance” meeting didn’t seem to have been considered in tonight’s presentation; after public comments that board chair David Foster described as “brilliant,” they have some very specific recommendations, but also agreed to let the project move to the next phase of Design Review. Full report in the works.
As first reported here in February, the city’s planning a formal “parking review” for the Junction area. When we covered the first briefing, the start date wasn’t set; we have since checked with Mary Catherine Snyder from the Seattle Department of Transportation, and she tells WSB the Junction parking review is scheduled to begin in September. But with the rising tide of Junction development, it’s clear that parking concerns are rising too, and fast. West Seattle Junction Association president Dave Montoure talked with WSB about that, and asked us to solicit your opinion on related issues – read on:Read More
Thanks to Fiona Preedy for that photo and word that the two teachers pictured, Carolyn Kunihiro (left) and Sharon Glockner, are retiring from Schmitz Park Elementary this year and will be feted at a reception on Friday, June 6th (along with SP principal Richard Mellish, who’s departing). Fiona adds, “I’d like to invite former students, families, and staff to the reception, to bring these teachers their well wishes and as a reunion. If folks are unable to attend, pictures, stories, memories, are being gratefully received at schmitzparkelementary@gmail.com.” That’s a big potential pool of participants — Fiona says Mrs. Kunihiro has been teaching for 35 years (27 at SP) and Mrs. Glockner for 38 years (28 at SP).
Those are from the “Preferred Scheme” section of the newly released Conner Homes presentation that will be made tomorrow night at the second Early Design Guidance meeting for Conner’s proposed buildings at California/Alaska/42nd in The Junction. See the presentation in its entirety here. The city Department of Planning and Development sometimes posts these presentations on the Design Review site in advance of the meetings (otherwise, they go up afterward), and that’s where we just found it. (Our coverage of the project’s first EDG meeting is here; tomorrow’s meeting is at 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room.
We also have some new info about the groundbreaking celebration for the project that’ll soon start construction at that site, Fauntleroy Place (aka “the Whole Foods project”). Eric Radovich from development firm BlueStar says the June 12 event (first announced here) wiil start at 5:30 pm with a hosted barbecue (beer, wine, soda available). Music will be provided by local reggae band Andy O. Eric says, “You can expect a politician or two and a few of the key players to say a few words between 6:10 pm and 6:30 pm. We’ll turn a couple of shovels full of dirt and then back to the party until probably around 8 pm.” (Whole Foods and a new Hancock Fabrics store are the only two retail tenants who’ll be in the new building, which also will include hundreds of residential units.)
Thanks to Debbie for sending word that this is the last day for K-8 classes at Hope Lutheran School – the big construction project for the school/church is about to get under way, and there’s moving-out work to be done. Checking the Hope school newsletter online, a groundbreaking ceremony is planned this Sunday morning – then for the summer, Sunday services will be held in the Seattle Lutheran High School gym. The city project page for the construction work is here; permits were issued just yesterday.
Three weeks from today, the school year ends for most local students; in the wake of the last pre-summer-vacation three-day weekend, we have updates (including events you’re invited to share!) from six local schools:Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch has been long on reader reports and short on police reports for a while because of a change in how we access those reports, related to Seattle Police switching to a new computerized report system. But now we’re getting back into the rhythm of things, so those who are interested in these roundups can see what’s been going on. Keep those reader reports coming, though. Meantime, here are some West Seattle notes from the past four days worth of reports, plus one reader report:Read More
On Saturday, we told you that 34th District Democrats chair Ivan Weiss was looking into reports of West Seattle solicitors claiming to be seeking money for the Democratic National Committee. 
Tonight, they were making the rounds again — came to our door in Upper Fauntleroy, in fact, plus we got e-mail and phone calls from others who were visited — and we wanted to note that Weiss did confirm over the holiday weekend that the DNC does have solicitors out, dispatched from national HQ, and he’s not happy about it; he believes the most effective way for the party to raise money and awareness is locals-to-locals. (This is what we told tonight’s solicitors, by the way, who spent some time plotting solicitation strategy right outside our home-office window before they went door-knocking.) Nonetheless, just because the DNC apparently does have solicitors in the area, don’t take anyone’s word for it — ask for their ID.
We told you last Thursday about the raven sculpture at Fauntleroy’s Cove Park getting knocked off its perch, apparently a victim of vandalism. As we mentioned in that report, it’s in the custody of Gary Dawson from the Fauntleroy Community Association; we checked back to ask him its fate, and he says: “We have a plan on how to repair it and reinstall, but it will take some time to get at it. It won’t be that big of a job, just need to dedicate time to work on it.” No updates on the search for whoever’s to blame.
The Seattle City Light tree-trimming that’s been under way for the past few months (WSB coverage here, here, and here) has sparked controversy and concern in a Fauntleroy neighborhood. Last week, resident John McNulty cc’d WSB on a complaint to the city and attached two photos including the one you see above, taken along SW Trenton, showing big cedar trees that he says were “badly damaged” by a trimming crew, and asking for a “public apology” to the neighborhood. We heard the next day from the owner of the property where one of the trees is located, Fred Fleischmann, who wrote, “The trimming they are doing this time is excessive and is destroying beautiful big old cedar trees that are irreplaceable.” Since then, we’ve been pursuing information from City Light, and got it today. The utility acknowledges one of the trees was trimmed too “aggressively” by an Asplundh crew which has since been removed from the contract. But the other tree’s a different story, according to the city – here’s everything we have found out:Read More
Just got a call from Sgt. Jeff Durden at the Southwest Precinct with the latest – and a clarification – on the Friday night attack that injured a woman walking her dog in west Admiral. First of all, Sgt. Durden wanted to clarify part of what was reported in a tv story last night (as we mentioned here) – he says police do NOT have anyone in custody, and do NOT know of any similar attacks in West Seattle. In addition, he says, they are NOT certain that the man was trying to steal the woman’s purebred Siberian Husky – Sgt. Durden notes that the man did not say anything to the victim; that was simply her speculation that theft might have been his motive. Here’s the description information they have so far: Black man in his 30s or 40s, about 6-1 and 180 pounds, wearing a red sweatshirt and dark-colored jeans, and one final descriptive detail from the report, “(the suspect) did not smell very good.” Southwest Precinct detectives are continuing to work on the case and promise to let us know of any new developments.
(photo added 1:08 pm)
Patricia says demolition crews are taking down the house at 6307 Wilton Court (near the corner of 63rd; map). In case you went by and were wondering – city website says it’s being replaced with a new single-family home.
As you gear back up into post-holiday-weekend mode, a reminder that Thursday night is the next public meeting about a development that will literally change the face of the heart of The Junction: the Conner Homes buildings proposed for California/Alaska/42nd (city map at left). The first “early design guidance” (EDG) meeting last month (WSB coverage here; developer presentation from that meeting available online here) resulted in Southwest Design Review Board members requesting significant changes and a second EDG meeting. That’s what’s happening Thursday night (official notice here), 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room, which is where you’ll see the developers’ latest proposals for what this project could look like.
Apparently there’s been at least one tv report on this tonight, though we can’t find anything online; it reportedly further confirms the info we shared Friday night that an assault was the reason for the air and ground search in the Admiral area – and according to two other unofficial reports we have, the victim, who was out walking her dog, did not know her attacker. She’s recovering; we will add any links we can find on tonight’s coverage if they’re posted, and we’re hoping to get the police report on this in the morning. 11:07 PM ADDENDUM: According to the channel 5 report (still not online), the victim says the attacker was trying to steal her purebred Siberian Husky; she told the station that police may have a suspect in custody after a “similar attack,” and more info should definitely be available tomorrow.
Midway through this afternoon’s Memorial Day service at Forest Lawn Cemetery, the sun emerged, having battled its way through a morning and midday of murky gray. This was the 81st Memorial Day commemoration at the only burial ground of its kind in West Seattle, which sprawls over rolling little grassy hills east of High Point. West Seattle’s American Legion Post 160 organizes the service each year, nothing fancy, just simple and dignified to honor what – and who – Memorial Day is about. More ahead, including video highlights:Read More
Ah, remember the good ol’ days when the stations were running out of “3” for their signs, not “4” (photo @ left taken at Delridge Exxon) … 12 weeks ago, we checked and reported the posted regular and premium prices from all West Seattle gas stations (sorry, we haven’t been able to include biodiesel as their prices are not posted on signage that’s easy to spot during a drive-by survey), as it looked like prices were about to start a steep rise. Five weeks ago, we repeated the survey; tonight, while out working on another project that was taking us to every corner of WS anyway, we did it again. Here’s what we found, with the 12- and 5-weeks-earlier prices listed too:Read More
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