West Seattle, Washington
29 Saturday
When local pilot Long Nguyen sent a few more West Seattle aerials the other day, we knew this one would be perfect for today’s preview mentioning that the Westwood Neighborhood Council is meeting for the first time in several months – what you see above (click for a larger view) is Westwood Village in the foreground, with Southwest Athletic Complex, Southwest Community Center, and the Sealth-Denny project beyond. SWCC (2801 SW Thistle) is where the WNC is meeting tonight, 7 pm; here’s the flyer. What should be in the Seattle Public Schools 2010 levy measure? Be at Madison Middle School (3429 45th SW) at 6:30 pm to discuss. More politics today too – West Seattle Democratic Women present a debate between City Attorney Tom Carr and challenger Pete Holmes during their 11:30 am lunch meeting at West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW); call 206-938-5706 this morning to see if there’s still room. And tonight’s the High Point Library (35th/Raymond) reading by “Crow Planet” author Lyanda Lynn Haupt (6:30 pm). Even more on the WSB Events calendar – see for yourself here.
BCK has an alert from near 32nd/Trenton in Westwood (map):
A note of warning to anyone with small street trees : All of our street trees and those of several neighbors have been deliberately run over by cars. Large posts set by the trees and iron stakes were not enough to deter these vandals. If you have trees that are not yet big enough to defend themselves , save yourself some heartbreak and put big rocks near them.
Crime is one of the topics on the agenda later this week, by the way, as the Westwood Neighborhood Council meets for the first time in several months. Join them at 7 pm Thursday, Southwest Community Center; more info here.
ORIGINAL 11:14 AM REPORT: West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool, Southwest Pool, has been closed for three weeks while its drain system is upgraded to meet new federally mandated safety standards, and was scheduled to reopen Monday; we just checked with the Parks Department to see if that’s still the plan – and spokesperson Karen O’Connor tells us there’s in fact a new reopening date: September 21st, a week from Monday:
Currently, they are finishing up the work and will run tests on Monday, September 14th. We will have a better idea if the opening on the 21st is firm following the tests on Monday the 14th.
In the meantime, since outdoor Colman Pool is now closed till next year, your swimming options in West Seattle are limited to private pools; the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) is one of them, and does sell day passes.
2:42 PM UPDATE: Got additional information from SW Pool’s assistant coordinator Matt Richardson, as well as this photo (his explanation is below it):
I thought I would provided a bit of insight into why the closure is running longer than expected.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) closures have been a challenge for our maintenance personnel. Every site has had its unique elements. Southwest is no different.
Prior to the closure, our engineer and lead pool operator submitted plans and construction drawings to the health department for approval. The permits were issued based on the original construction blueprints. The plan was to use the existing drain sump and attach the new VGBA compliant covers. When the pool shell was opened up, the drain sumps did not match the original blueprints. This required our engineer to design new poured in place concrete sumps and re-submit the drawings to the health department.
The new permit came through in the afternoon of Tuesday, September 8th. Our plumbers have been working feverishly this week. The cement crews should be starting on Monday with pouring new sumps and plastering. The cement requires a couple of days cure time. It takes about 5 days to fill and heat the pool up to our usual 85 degrees F. That puts us opening on Monday September 21st.
A quick note for all of our current lesson participants. The lesson session that was scheduled to begin on September 16th is delayed. We plan on starting lessons on Wednesday September 23rd. All of the currently enrolled participants will have the fees for the missed classes credited onto their accounts.
Our estimate of re-opening on September 21st is based on everything going on as planned. We will update the latest information regarding the opening date on our voicemail and our pool schedule page at
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/aquatics/Pools/southwest/schedule.htmThank you for understanding as we work to comply with the new federally mandated codes that resulted from the VGBA.
Sincerely,
Matthew Richardson, Assistant Coordinator
Seattle Parks – Southwest Pool
YET MORE ON THE JUNCTION QFC: Checking in with regional spokesperson Kristin Maas this afternoon, she reconfirmed next Wednesday’s opening date for the store in Capco Plaza (42nd/Alaska), and noted it’ll kick off with a 7 am ribbon-cutting ceremony that day (so if you ever wanted to be among the first to shop a brand-new grocery store, be there!). Store hours: Round the clock. We’re expecting a fact sheet a bit later and will add it here, in case you have any other questions about what the store will offer.
SHOREMONT ON ALKI: There’s an update on this vacant building (2464 Alki SW), slated for eventual demolition, which had been the subject of an emergency city order because it was open to the elements (and potentially transients) – AlkiNews.com reports it’s boarded up. The city’s online records say the site failed an inspection in late August after the emergency order was “served.”
WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: This community group has scheduled its first meeting in months, and you’re invited – 7 pm September 24th, Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle), bring a dessert to share. Here’s the flyer outlining some of what’ll be discussed.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Even though the tomato tasting’s now postponed for a couple weeks, the market’s on, rain or shine, its managers say. 10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska. Here’s today’s Ripe ‘n’ Ready list; check for market bulletins/updates on Twitter at @nfmaseattle.
PEACE POTLUCK: West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice has its monthly meeting tonight at Alki UCC (61st/Hinds), starts at 6 pm, with potluck at 7, everybody invited. More info on the group’s website, or contact John Repp at jmrepp@comcast.net.
MODECO FLATS’ OPEN HOUSE: Modeco Flats is a new condo building near Westwood Village — one of our newest WSB sponsors — and it’s proud of a four-star “Built Green” rating that it says is a first in West Seattle. Features (listed here) include stainless-steel appliances and bamboo floors. See for yourself at an open house today, 1-5 pm. 8826 25th SW (map); more info here.
Thanks to Janell for pointing out that the Seattle Animal Shelter is planning a Cat Adopt-A-Thon in West Seattle next Saturday — noon-3 pm September 12, Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle; map). 
And if you have room for two, they’ll offer a two-for-one deal, plus discounted fees for seniors and people with disabilities. Most if not all of the cats at this Adopt-A-Thon are currently in foster care – a volunteer service which enables many more animals to have a chance at finding their “forever homes” since space at shelter facilities is limited. The official WSB feline mascots (left) wholeheartedly endorse events like this, as both were adopted from shelters as adults, one of them from a city-sponsored foster-cat Adopt-A-Thon just like this one. Here’s the flyer (which also lists events in other Seattle neighborhoods later this fall).
It’s one of the few things we have now covered four consecutive years since starting WSB in late 2005 – West Seattle-headquartered mega-best-selling fantasy-fiction author Terry Brooks made his annual late-summer appearance today at Westwood Village’s Barnes and Noble. His newest book, released this month, is “A Princess of Landover“; Erin from B&N shares this extra info:
Terry Brooks hosted a bookfair in conjunction with his reading, for the Interagency Academy for Seattle Public Schools. A portion of sales will go to this agency if community members shop at the West Seattle Barnes & Noble and either bring in a voucher if they received one or mention the Brooks bookfair to the cashier. It’s not too late to contribute!
B&N is open till 9 tonight. Less than a mile south of there, Holy Family School is hosting its first-ever “El Carnaval” street fair all weekend – we stopped by about an hour ago:
Bouncy toys for the little ones, too:
Last night’s grand finale to the monthlong Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor) series at Providence Mount St. Vincent featured a bouncer too – with a tropical motif:
Cheryl Serio sang a jazzy set:
Next big event at The Mount: Brian Duffy leads a workshop in retirement planning, 2:30 pm Sept. 22nd.
Vlad shared that photo a few weeks back, showing a long line at the State Department of Licensing office in Westwood. Apparently not an uncommon sight, since it’s one of the offices that offer the Enhanced Driver License (EDL), and that’s become so popular that the state just announced new procedures to shorten lines at the West Seattle office and others encountering the same problem. Specifically, as noted in a news release:
To better mitigate wait times, DOL is:
* Screening applicants waiting outside beginning at 7:15 am
* Installing a greeter at the front door to separate transactions and encourage people to do their business online or at a self service station if possible
* Not accepting EDL applicants after 2 p.m. weekdays and at noon on weekends
* Adding new office signage and information on the DOL website – dol.wa.gov
The new rules also affect the DOL offices in Lacey, Kennewick, Mount Vernon, Parkland, Renton, Smokey Point, Spokane and Wenatchee. In addition, the state points out that you can make an appointment to get an EDL through the office in downtown Seattle (as well as Bothell, Port Angeles and Bellingham). More info on the locations (and licenses) is available here.
Today, we’re welcoming one of our newest sponsors, Wyatt’s Jewelers. It’s WSB tradition to offer new sponsors the chance to share information about their business: Wyatt’s Jewelers is a full-service custom jeweler, located in Westwood Village. Wyatt’s specializes in affordable custom jewelry. 
They also carry fine jewelry in all price ranges and if you don’t see what you want they can make it. Wyatt’s carries a large selection of natural gemstones and diamonds; as well as offering a full range of repairs and services. Joni and Kirk Keppler say they want to create a comfortable shopping experience where people can expect personalized service. As Kirk says, “Jewelry is such a personal expression: Everyone has a story. We help people preserve memories and create new ones.” The Kepplers and their two sons live in West Seattle. Wanting to support the community, they donate all money from watch-battery replacements to local charities, like the White Center Food Bank. Wyatt’s is located in Westwood Village, in the courtyard, next to Bed Bath & Beyond – but has just announced that it’s moving to a new storefront, next to Chico’s, in September — with a larger showroom, “stylish new look,” and a larger selection of jewelry. Wyatt’s Jewelers is online at wyattsjewelers.com; we welcome them to the WSB sponsor team, listed in full on this page along with info on how to become part of it!
The bouncy toys are up and the Westwood Village Street Fair is officially under way, with giveaways, freebies, food, entertainment and more continuing till 7 pm tonight. We’re there too and will be adding more photos and video as the afternoon goes on – drop by to say hi! 12:01 PM UPDATE: We are here in the gorgeous sunshine right outside Dress Barn – and discovered another fun feature that’s taking kids on rides around the Westwood Village site – this train:
A workout demonstration is happening on the stage by Bed Bath and Beyond right now – video shortly. 12:17 PM: Here’s the clip:
Chico’s fashion show followed the fitness demo. By the way, there’s quite the variety of bouncy toys, including one with a Sesame Street theme over by Pier 1:
Great to meet the fine folks who’ve stopped by so far – some we’ve met before, some we haven’t. We’re about to check out what’s happening on the QFC side – food, and also pet adoptions by All the Best Pet Care – stand by for those pix! ADDED 1:12 PM: Just talked with Nancy Woodland from WestSide Baby and Audrey Zemke from White Center Food Bank – both are here – two major agencies helping local families – here’s a photo of Audrey at her table, which is over on the Pier 1 end of the parking lot:
At the QFC food booth, the sausage they’re dishing out as free samples, along with the salmon bake:
Near QFC, you can check out adoptable pets:
Then up in the breezeway across from 24 Hour Fitness, our newest WSB sponsor Wyatt’s Jewelers is joining in the fun too –
You can enter a drawing for a gold/diamond pendant that Wyatt’s is giving away – the drawing’s not till 6:15 so there’s plenty of time to get here – you can get a drawing ticket with any WV purchase (be sure to drop it by the stage by BBB). And next to Wyatt’s, John L. Scott offers the chance to plant sunflowers – appropriate for this spectacularly sunny day:
Just saw Clifford the Big Red Dog still circulating, much to kids’ delight – we’ll see if we can snag a pic. We also have video of the magic show that was onstage a short time ago. (3 pm) That’ll be in the next update – going to post a bit more news first – less than an hour away from comedy and music onstage here, and the free kids’ fun (bouncy toys) continues too.
11 am-7 pm today, Westwood Village transforms into more than a shopping center – community groups and entertainers join its merchants for a daylong Street Fair. QFC‘s offering a free Salmon Bake, Wyatt’s Jewelers (a new WSB sponsor) is among the merchants offering raffles, live music starts in the late afternoon, family fun goes all day including Clifford the Big Red Dog at 11 am, free child-protection kits are available … see more on the schedule here. You can help other families, too, by donating diapers to WestSide Baby, which will be on site too (a prelude to next month’s huge annual Stuff the Bus diaper drive July 19th at West Seattle Farmers’ Market). Much of today’s activity will be in the parking lot area bounded by Bed Bath and Beyond to the north and businesses from Eats Market Cafe to Pier 1 Imports on the east; that’s where we’ll be too, reporting “live” from the WSB table all day – hope to see you there. A full slate of events around the rest of the peninsula too – the West Seattle Weekend Lineup lists all the highlights.
The next festival in West Seattle is the Westwood Village Street Fair, coming up this Saturday. Here’s the latest official flyer; we also got word from Stuart Crandall in WV management about an addition to the lineup: “We just added CHIPS (Child Identification Program) to come in with 500 free child-identity kits, which will include video, audio, DNA, and dental records of your child just in case kidnapping or other such incident occurs.” The festival is scheduled to run 11 am-7 pm; as with this summer’s other big events in West Seattle, we’ll be reporting “live,” so hope to see you there!
Shellie just e-mailed to share this report and to warn area residents:
Thursday, June 18th between 8am and 1pm a house on 32nd Ave SW, between Roxbury and Barton, was broken into. The thief took jewelry, select checks with a woman’s name on them, and a laptop. They broke into a window where a bar had been located, somehow moving the window around the security bar to get in. The only part of the house ransacked was the one bedroom although oddly two empty jewelry boxes were stuffed under the cushions of the living room couch. No other incidents have happened in the area that we know of but warning to all to lock your windows and doors before you leave. Neighbors please add more…..
This also gives us the occasion to share the “Summertime Security Tips” in the latest edition of Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow‘s newsletter – read on (and if you are vacationing any time soon, note the last one):Read More
One more followup on the case of the 12-year-old boy hit in the head with what was believed to be a rock-filled backpack at Southwest Community Center at noontime Monday: We’ve just seen the official, detailed police report for the first time and have transcribed most of it — obviously without names, since most people involved are juveniles and no charges have been filed. The victim and suspect are both 12-year-old students at Denny Middle School; he lives in West Seattle, she does not. According to the report, he was believed to have been unconscious for about 10 minutes after getting hit in the head twice. Read on for the entirety of what police wrote up afterward (warning, the description of what witnesses said they saw after he was hit is a bit graphic):Read More
So when’s the last time you saw a swimming-pool pump impeller? Jim sent that photo, taken at the Beckwith and Kuffel machine shop where one of the big parts from Southwest Pool‘s circulation pump was being fixed for those emergency repairs this afternoon. According to assistant coordinator Matt Richardson, the repairs were finished on time, and the pool did reopen at 5 pm. Lap swim’s under way now till 6, then as usual, it’s a public swim from 7:30 to 8:30, and Shallow Water Aerobics and Hydrofit from 8:30 till 9:15. Southwest Pool is West Seattle’s only municipal indoor pool; its full schedule is here. West Seattle’s only municipal outdoor pool, Colman Pool, is now in 7-day-a-week summer operation. One more SW Pool note – just noticed on its website, a three-week closure is scheduled in late summer for “main drain work,” Aug. 22-Sept. 13.
This morning, Seattle Police have updated their SPDBlotter site with a quick item on a story reported here yesterday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy attacked at Southwest Community Center with what was reported to be a backpack full of rocks. What’s new in the update: His injuries are NOT believed to be life-threatening; the girl accused of attacking him is also 12, and they were not strangers.
Also from our conversation with Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct – and also thanks to Tony for letting us know that what sounded on the scanner like a call from outside this area actually DID happen in West Seattle: A 12-year-old boy is at Harborview Medical Center with a head injury after getting beaten with a “backpack full of rocks” at Southwest Community Center. Lt. Paulsen says police have spoken with the suspect, a girl “of similar age.” It happened this morning but no other details of the circumstances are available so far, nor do we know how badly the boy was hurt.
We’ve been talking a lot about West Seattle Summer Fest – but two more major festivals are between now and then: This Saturday, it’s the Morgan Junction Community Festival, starting with the 10 am ceremony to dedicate the new Morgan Junction Park (just north of Beveridge Place Pub), continuing 11 am-6 pm with food, music and performances; the “Bite of Morgan” food offerings include Abbondanza, Caffe Ladro, Domino’s, Feedback Lounge, Kokoras Greek Grill, Tully’s and Zeeks Pizza. Entertainment will be in the park, while booths will be in the Zeeks parking lot just south. Here’s the schedule of events:
10:00 am Park Opening Ceremonies
11:00 am The Bubbleman – fun for kids, bubbles galore
11:30 am Seattle’s Own High Country 4-piece band playing Up-tempo Classic Country and Country-inspired originals
11:30 am start of sidewalk chalk art contest
12:30 pm announcement of results of sidewalk art contest
12:45 pm Primo and Friends 4-piece band playing Rock and Blues originals
1:30 pm entertainment in the park: belly dancing by “najma”
2:00 pm Soul Machinery 4-piece band playing Chicago-style Blues
3:15 pm The Slags 4-piece band playing Punk, Rock and Reggae originals
4:30 pm 4 outta 5 4-piece band playing Rock covers
Two weeks later, on June 27th, Westwood Village is having a street fair – 11 am-7 pm, with live performances, carnival games, a fashion show and food. (The shopping center also is promoting a new website address — WhereWestSeattleShops.com — which takes you to a page on its parent company’s site, including a list of its stores.) It’s free, but they’re asking that you bring donations for organizations including the West Seattle Food Bank and WestSide Baby.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Police have released more details this morning on the shooting that injured a man outside the Westwood Village McDonald’s late last night (original WSB coverage here).
On 06/02/09, at 1126 p.m., the suspect and victim met in a parking lot, located at 2600 SW Barton St. The suspect was angry about a vehicle he had purchased from victim because the victim could not come up with the vehicle’s title. After a heated argument the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the leg. The suspect got into a Silver Honda Accord and drove away from the scene. The victim was treated at the scene by Seattle Fire Department and transported to HMC with serious (but not life-threatening injuries).
Police say the victim is 24, the suspect 23 (and still on the loose).
We’re at the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee meeting, awaiting a discussion of whether the committee will go along with the Skatepark Advisory Committee‘s recommendation to transfer money to the Delridge Skatepark project, from the unpopular-with-neighbors Myrtle Reservoir Skatespot proposal. In the meantime, we’ve heard some West Seattle news – starting with four possible P-Patches that might be funded with the $2 million “community garden” funds coming from the levy – including the site shown in Google Street View above, 34th/Barton. We reported three months ago that this 12,000-square-foot site at 34th/Barton, just east of the Exxon/Propel station, had been identified as “surplus” by the city, and comments were being sought regarding what to do with it. Many people in the comment thread following our report suggested using it as community garden/P-Patch land — and that’s exactly what’s under consideration now. The three other West Seattle sites mentioned for possible acquisition were the West Seattle Christian Church site that already is being turned into the Genesee P-Patch (which just won a Neighborhood Matching Fund $15,000 grant, by the way), a parcel in High Point, and California Place Park (we’ll be following up, but we believe they mean the “southern triangle” discussed in the recent design workshops as a possible garden site). More on these as they move through the process, and more from this meeting when the skatepark funding decision’s in. ADDED 12:52 AM: Read on for a few more details on these 4 West Seattle P-Patch sites, from the document made available at Tuesday night’s meeting:Read More
It’s West Seattle’s first car show this summer — happening right now at Southwest Community Center, and a few nonmotorized vehicles are on display too:
Bluegrass band Pickled Okra is entertaining:
And for kids, there are carnival activities including a bouncy house:
This continues till 5 pm on the east and south sides of SWCC – take note there’s a track meet at adjacent Southwest Athletic Complex, so parking is a bit crunchy.
If you happened to drive by 35th/Holden within the past hour and wondered why a fire station was on the lawn of the old house across from the Chevron station – Engine 37 was temporarily on special duty, making a visit to its future home, where ceremonial groundbreaking was celebrated for the new Fire Station 37, which will look something like this (photograph replaced Tuesday night with digital copy of rendering):
Not only was the Station 37 team on hand —
— so were Mayor Nickels, Fire Chief Gregory Dean, West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, and Brenda Bauer, who handles projects like this as director of Fleets and Facilities:
The mayor explained why this particular fire-station project is a special one for him personally:
Councilmember Rasmussen wondered if a somewhat secret feature of the old station would be moved to the new one:
The crowd also heard a few words from Pablo Lambinicio, chair of the Delridge District Council:
Other well-known West Seattleites in attendance included the peninsula’s two Neighborhood Services Coordinators, Ron Angeles (Delridge office) and Stan Lock (Junction office). We talked with project managers afterward; right now, the city’s evaluating bids for the construction but hasn’t awarded a contract yet, so don’t expect to see backhoes pulling up any day now. Once the new Station 37 is built and occupied (second half of next year), the city will sell the current 84-year-old Station 37, which must be preserved because it’s an official city landmark:
The new site is a few blocks south of the old one at 35th/Othello; the new station will be about 9,000 square feet, more than double the size of the old one, and the project cost has been estimated at about $6 million. ADDED 8 PM: The city tells us the top three bidders, whose bids are being reviewed right now, are Harmatta Construction Inc., Kirtley – Cole Associates, and OPUS.
Second one of the week, first one with a photo. Brian tells the story from 35th/Thistle (map):
Woke up this morning and let the dogs out to do their business and 5 minutes later I hear them barking like mad. Look out the back window and see this fella casing the joint. … While my dogs (and the neighbor’s too for that matter) would have turned this poor guy limb from limb, I guess I have to keep an eye on the cat! He looks hungry.
And that’s what wildlife experts say (state info sheet here) – while they counsel coexistence with urban wildlife, that includes keeping pets indoors. (WSB coyote stories/photos are archived here.)
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