West Seattle, Washington
13 Monday
It takes a village to put on a festival, and a small one is going up right now on the Wells Fargo lot @ NE corner of 44th/Alaska, where the first-ever Sustainable West Seattle Festival starts in less than an hour and a half. As mentioned in our previous post, at least one of us will be stationed at all times at a table there for the 10 am-3 pm duration, mostly to continue getting the word out about West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (next Saturday! stay, sunshine, stay!) — we’ve printed out small reminder slips you can put up on the fridge or wherever — but also to talk about community newsgathering and blogging with anyone who’s interested. Here’s the full festival program; here’s a quicker-to-read version of the schedule; we’ll cover various events through the day for in-progress and post-festival updates, too.
A little cruel that the sun finally showed up in the evening of “Opening Day” — but boaters braved the drizzly day anyway – we spotted these sailboats (and several others) coming out of the bay @ Don Armeni around mid-afternoon, while the schpritz (as we call it) dripped on down. Also seen around West Seattle:
West Seattle was the center of the plant-sale universe today, with several sales under way – that picture and the one below are from the Furry Faces Foundation animal-rescue fundraiser in the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – $20 gets you a hanging basket, you pick the plants and they’re assembled for you on-site. This sale continues tomorrow, 10 am-4 pm.
If you’re not intimately familiar with Junction geography, the sale site is at California/Genesee, just a few blocks northeast of 44th/Alaska, where you’ll find two big events tomorrow: West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm) and the first-ever Sustainable West Seattle Festival (10 am-3 pm, full program here) — we’ll be at the latter with West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (next Saturday!) info and blogging tips for anyone who’s been thinking about starting one.
That wasn’t a mystery for long … we were away from the computer for a few hours, and while we were gone, not only did someone find the website for the restaurant taking over the spot Murphy’s is vacating (here’s our report from last night), someone else forwarded us this e-mail announcement that appears to have gone out just about an hour ago:
Sean and Sofia Goff to open Cafe Revo Ristorante!
Coming soon to West Seattle!
Rustic Northern Italian recipes brought straight from the old country to our Pacific Northwest table.
Café Revò Ristorante is being created by West Seattle Residents; Chef Sean Goff and Sofia Zadra Goff.
Café Revò will welcome all of their guests as family, in a warm tradition of hospitality that has been handed down for centuries. The local motto is, Mangia, bevi e godi! “Eat, drink and enjoy!”
Together with their experienced management team, Milo Goodrich and Kevin Fry, Chef Sean and Sofia will be looking forward to welcoming you to their home at Café Revò.
The Café Revò website is caferevo.com. You can check out the menu here.
Continuing through late May, we’re helping local neighborhood leaders get you information that will help you keep your family safe in case of disaster. One big part of this spring’s campaign in West Seattle is the designation of neighborhood gathering spots so that everyone knows where they can go post-disaster to get information and help. This is being done on a very grass-roots level, and not all areas of West Seattle are set up yet, but those that are (marked with clickable icons on the map you see above) have been having drop-in events where neighbors can come by, meet the folks working on this, and get important info on simple steps they can take to be prepared. The next such event is happening right now at Hughes Playground (click the spot on the map near the words “High Point”; street address is 2805 Holden). If that’s the spot closest to you, take a few minutes and stop by; look for them on the north side, near the restrooms, till 4 pm.
TODAY: The weather’s a little sketchy but if you were going to wash your car anyway, note that the WSHS Class of ’08 is having another Grad Night-fundraising car wash at the school through 2 pm today.
TODAY: Arbor Heights and Highland Park Elementary Schools are both having rummage sales under way right now (AH has a plant sale too); more here.
TONIGHT: The Sanislo Elementary auction, 5 pm, Holy Family. More here.
THURSDAY: Another WSHS benefit — the Foundation is raising money for visual and performing arts with an evening of dinner and theater (and a few extras!) on Thursday night, hosted by County Councilmember (and WSHS alum) Dow Constantine — read on for full details and ticket info:Read More
KING 5 reported tonight (see the clip here) that a hearing on Monday could close the case of the June 2005 W. Marginal Way shooting death of Mike Robb, a West Seattle resident who coached tennis at Newport High School – with his killer declared not guilty by reason of insanity. (More background on the case in this September 2006 Times article; KING reported tonight that the lawsuit discussed in that story, against the killer’s parents, has been settled.)
Two weeks ago, we mentioned the CL rental listing for the soon-to-be-vacated Murphy‘s on Avalon suggested it would be a good space for a restaurant. Tonight, verification that one is on the way. It started with a tip from Kate (thank you!) that she met a couple who told her they planned to open a “Northern Italian” restaurant in that space. She didn’t get their names but recalls that “the chef has worked at and opened other restaurants.” As of tonight, we haven’t found their identities, but we do know the Seattle DPD website shows a permit application for converting the space to a restaurant. (The only name on the online application is that of the architect, Daniel Corcoran.) Side note — a couple blocks north, along the east side of the intersection where Harbor becomes Avalon, the long-defaced-by-a-tag Luna Park sign has finally been replaced (after a year).
Just in from city Parks Department spokesperson Dewey Potter, who had most recently said the clearing was likely to happen Monday:
I have just learned that the encampment has been removed and that our crew delivered to our warehouse the belongings that appeared to have any personal or monetary value. The cleanup took place after outreach workers notified our crew that they had completed their efforts to notify the people there.
We first told you about the encampment on Monday; WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham had been monitoring it for more than a month.
Just in from Charlestown Cafe co-owner Larry Mellum:
I finally have some good news to report. Everything is finally signed sealed and delivered!! Meaning that the Charlestown St. Cafe project is finally underway. I will do my best to keep you aware of our progress but as I have said previously, this is a four week project. Which means we should be open for business sometime around June 1st, with any luck possibly Memorial Day weekend.
It’s been almost three months since the Feb. 4th fire that closed the restaurant; we’ve been chronicling (scroll through our complete Charlestown Cafe archive here) the ups and downs of the owners’ quest for repair approvals ever since. Ironically, just days before the fire, we had reported the shelving of the controversial plan to build a Petco store on the site.
With so much going on last night, we sought some help making sure the major events could all be covered — and a WSB’er who has reported previously for us, Evan Baumgardner, agreed to handle one of them — the Seattle Public Schools hearing on the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse sale (one month after a community meeting about it, WSB coverage here). Here’s his report:Read More
From the “Campus Security Report” in the latest South Seattle Community College newsletter:
April 28: Student directed to leave the Library after repeatedly refusing to stop using his cell phone, to library staff and then security officers.
Actually that’s just one small snippet from a newsletter jampacked with other news from West Seattle’s only college; the folks at SSCC invited us to share the whole thing with you here.
We mentioned it briefly last night, and promised more details: After weeks of declaring the decision was made and space for a “skate feature” would definitely be reserved in the new Myrtle Reservoir park, city Parks Department managers announced an abrupt about-face last night. That left opponents happy, skatepark supporters fuming, and other issues with the park plan bubbling to the forefront:Read More
Thanks to WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli for those photos from tonight’s Day of Prayer gathering by the Alki Statue of Liberty. There was music as well as prayer; leaders from more than 10 local congregations had promised to participate, including West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor), Life Church, Arbor Heights Community Church, Eastridge Christian Assembly, the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Chapel, Holy Rosary, West Side Presbyterian, Mars Hill, Hope Lutheran, First Lutheran, and Calvary Chapel.
A sudden turnaround by the city Parks Department was announced at tonight’s third public meeting on the Myrtle Reservoir park project: Two weeks after project manager Virginia Hassinger reiterated to the Morgan Community Association that the “final approved schematic design” for the park would include an area set aside for a “skate feature,” she and city skatepark plan manager Kevin Stoops told tonight’s meeting that plan had been taken off the table — as of earlier today. More in a bit.
We last mentioned this Alki project at 59th/Stevens when reporting on SDOT signage-prep work in the neighborhood two weeks ago. The house on the property where that sign is on display, an 83-year-old home purchased for $795,000 last year by Cobb Construction, is proposed for teardown, to be replaced on the 7,770-square-foot lot by two single-family homes and one three-unit townhouse. The public meeting just announced for May 22 (Admiral library branch, 6:30 pm) is “to gather comments on the project.” Most projects this size don’t get this type of public review; we called the planner assigned to the project, Janet Wright, who explained it’s the result of a petition signed by more than 50 neighbors, linked to the fact the project requires SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) review because it’s proposing 5 units on a lot that normally could ot have more than four. P.S. Two people have now pointed out, this site is listed for sale – $1,000,000.
Those are two more of the most recent photos WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham took at the Camp Long homeless encampment he has been investigating (first WSB report here; followup here). We just got an update from Dewey Potter at the city Parks Department:
The outreach people will try once more tomorrow to see if there’s evidence of anyone living at the camp site. If they are satisfied that the people have left, they will notify the crew chief and Parks will clean up the site on the next working day, Monday.
See that bun? It almost kept Zippy’s Giant Burgers (16th/Holden) from opening as planned today. We called this morning to see if Opening Day was on schedule and were told “If the buns get here …” They did, and the burgers are on the grill. Hours: 10:30 am-9 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 10:30 am-10 pm Fridays, 11 am-10 pm Saturdays, noon-7 pm Sundays. (Cash only.) Below, employee Chris LaFayette and owner Blaine Cook, proud of the new enterprise:
From Andrea (here’s a map of the location she mentions):
Around 8:30 p.m. last night a suspicious man knocked on our door claiming to be selling home security. He was from “Icon Security” but after googling the company we discovered it was fake. He asked my husband strange questions such as if he was married and how long we’d lived there. We called the police an hour later after realizing he was a fake, but they said they couldn’t do anything as too much time had passed. The told us to call 911 right away if it happens again. I’d like to know if anyone else has encountered this man. We’re located around 29th and Holden.
In separate e-mail, Andrea’s husband described the solicitor as a “chubby 30-ish white guy.”
This is the day we warned you about. Three newsmaking events in West Seattle tonight:
**Seattle Public Schools public hearing on the proposed Fauntleroy Schoolhouse sale, 6:30 pm @ the schoolhouse
**National Day of Prayer, 12 local churches participating, 6:30 pm @ Alki Statue of Liberty
**Next public meeting on the Myrtle Reservoir park project (most recent WSB coverage here), 7 pm @ High Point Community Center
Then, as mentioned yesterday, May Day events on the other side of the bay might affect you as you get around the city.
And if you get around by water, note that today marks the start of the “peak season” — and peak fares — for Washington State Ferries. (More here; find fare information here.)
Much more (including an Alki Bathhouse art reception and West Seattle-based Northwest Hope and Healing’s fashion show) on our Events list.
This morning it was the Times on townhomes, tonight it’s the P-I on the grocery-store imbalance.
BURGERS: Looks like Zippy’s Giant Burgers (16th and Holden; first reported here two weeks ago) is on track for the expected opening tomorrow. For one, it says so on their MySpace! For two, we went by earlier this evening and saw not only activity inside, but also a sign on the door, “Cash Only.” We’ll of course go by to check at lunchtime tomorrow if we can’t reach them by phone sooner.
FURNITURE: Driving through the Burien business district a few days ago, we noticed a big storefront with papered windows and the website address for Village Woodworks, the furniture store on California north of Alaska in The Junction. Checked to see whether that meant they are moving or expanding; Junction store management tells WSB it’s the latter — adding a second store, in Burien.
TERVO’S UPDATE: One week after we reported the sighting of a “New Ownership” sign and its temporary closure, the Fauntleroy Triangle convenience store has received a new paint job in the past several days:
You’ll notice the sign is painted out as well; new name to come, perhaps? Not according to the liquor-license application; click the button on this page and scroll down the results lists a ways — you’ll see the new owners’ names but not a store-name change. (As mentioned in that same update a week ago, there’s now a mixed-use development proposal in the works for this site too.)
Or should we say, cases and casings … Just spent some time on the phone with Detective Nick Bauer from the Southwest Precinct, and he provided updates on some recent cases reported here, as well as a new one for which police could use your eyes and ears:Read More
CONGRATULATIONS! Southwest Youth and Family Services, based in North Delridge, just got word today that it’s the winner of the city’s 2008 Seattle Human Services Coalition Outstanding Organization Award. SWYFS will be honored at City Hall on June 5th.
FASHION, ANYONE? The West Seattle-based organization Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients with some of the practicalities of life, still has tickets available for its gala fashion show at Showbox SoDo tomorrow night. Not only is NW H & H based in WS (its founder, Christine Smith, is a West Seattle mom and breast cancer survivor), but most of the fashion-show models are from West Seattle, and local boutiques are participating including Clementine, Sweetie, Carmilia’s, and Coastal. You can find out more about the show, including how to get tickes, at the NW H & H website.
RUMMAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND: Want to get in the mood for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on May 10? We just heard about another big rummage sale this weekend, Highland Park Elementary, 9 am-3 pm Saturday. The school explains that “proceeds will go towards buying a cargo container for the school’s Emergency Supplies to keep Highland Park students safe In the event of a natural disaster.” (If you have anything to donate, drop it off at the school by 3 pm Friday; 206/252-8240 if you have questions.) The rummage sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church continues this weekend too, Friday and Saturday.
SPEAKING OF WSCGSD: Turns out that WSCGSD, May 10, is also the day of the big food drive you can participate in without leaving your house – the National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” door-to-door food drive, where all you have to do is put a bag of nonperishable food out by your mailbox (or door if you get your mail there), and your letter carrier will pick it up. All donations stay local.
SPEAKING OF FOOD DONATIONS: One more mention, tomorrow night (6 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy) is also the first-ever “Instruments of Change” fundraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank. Find out more at the WSFB website. (4:10 PM UPDATE: Eve Holt at WSFB tells us the event’s sold out and they’re thankful to everyone for their support!)
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