WS miscellaneous 5089 results

What else to do this weekend

July 20, 2006 6:01 am

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| How to help | WS culture/arts | WS miscellaneous

How about Shakespeare in the park … Lincoln Park!

And we’ll mention Sunday’s Farmers Market side event once more — Westside Baby’s “Stuff the Bus (with diapers)” drive (even though they’ve got big bright banners on both sides of the Fauntleroy walkover so they probably don’t need the plug)!

Whatever you do, keep cool …

The sidewalk less taken

July 17, 2006 7:34 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Environment | WS miscellaneous

For all the times you’ve driven over The Bridge, have you ever taken a good look at the waterway it spans?

Over the weekend, we did. On a whim, after leaving the house with the intention of walking straight to Summer Fest, we redirected ourselves all the way to what’s most commonly called the “Low Bridge,” which has a well-protected sidewalk/bike path along its south side. Walking that path provides a fine view of the waterway and everything on it, including the Harbor Island Marina, where I would love to be able to keep a boat someday … From the Low Bridge, you also get a better appreciation of the sleek structure of the “high bridge” (which, according to this HistoryLink.org page, just passed its 22nd anniversary, a day before our walk!).
If you want to try this adventure, you don’t have to do what we did (trudge all the way from home) — there are places to park not too far from the access path.

A craftsperson’s perspective on Summer Fest

July 16, 2006 9:07 am

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| WS culture/arts | WS miscellaneous

If you, like me, are “just a spectator” at street festivals, here’s an interesting perspective … a blog entry by a soapmaker who apparently has a booth somewhere at Summer Fest.

Meantime, one last observation, and then I’ll get on to wishing the Garden Tour folks (today!) good luck, and looking ahead to next weekend (THE PARADE! THE PARADE! plus on Sunday 7/23, it’s “Stuff the Bus” time for Westside Baby — you can get slightly more environmentally sound disposables at PCC, btw): Among the more interesting sights on the southern block of WSSF are side-by-side outdoor areas for Talarico’s and Elliott Bay Brewery. The former is behind a tall chain-link fence; the latter, behind a cheery-looking short white picket fence. Maybe just something to do with the whole “no kids” thing? All the same, the Talarico’s visitors look like they’re in jail.

Question for you all

July 10, 2006 5:32 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Reader recommendations | WS miscellaneous

Local friends of ours here in WS need a real-estate agent. House is a fixer at least — nothing too major — more likely, a remodel or even teardown, peek view now, they say potentially a great view with another story or two. Anybody to recommend? Post in “comments” or e-mail me from the “about” page, and we’ll forward.

Plunder wonder

July 8, 2006 5:27 pm

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| WS culture/arts | WS miscellaneous

Back from a long day in the sun that included the Seafair Pirates’ landing at Alki.

We’ll confess, it’s been many years since we checked out the pirate event. Last time, somewhere in the ’90s, it was pretty pathetic — we wandered down to the beach, found disorganization and apathy. We enjoy the Pirates’ other appearances — especially in parades — so we decided we’d stick with those.

But given all the advance publicity this time, plus our honor-bound duty to report for This Here Blog, we decided to check out today’s event. As we arrived at the beach (on foot, after getting a ride as far as Admiral & 59th), our jaw dropped. Not just a massive crowd, but also food and merchandise booths, and even other events under way on the beach — some sort of pole-vault competition (!?). It looked like a beach in California, and we mean that as a compliment … a beach where people were truly having tons of fun in the sun.

So we staked out a spot on the rocky shore, not far from what appeared to be the designated landing spot west of the Bathhouse & statue, and watched. The fireboat Chief Seattle went by, putting on a show. A flotilla of various sailboats, power boats, and classic wooden yachts kept shuffling about, with at least one boat flying a pirate flag, leading us to wonder if the Pirates had swapped out vessels this year.

Finally, a cannon boom in the distance — and a sighting of the Army barge-type boats that we knew the Pirates had been using for these landings. One came ashore with just soldiers on board (military invasion of WS? has it come to this?), then backed up, and cleared the way for the Real Deal. Huge cheers and applause. Lots of little kids — and young women — in pirate togs. What a greeting those guys got.

We have no idea what they did AFTER storming ashore from their barge — we started walking toward the water-taxi shuttle. But we were so heartened to see thousands of people show up. Dear everyone, PLEASE turn out for the parade in two weeks along Cali Ave, OK? That’s the real heart of summer fun in WS — and it has been a bit sparse in recent years.

Avast, ye scurvy scallywags

July 7, 2006 4:44 pm

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| WS miscellaneous

Seafair Pirates on Alki tomorrow!

And we got in the mood by seeing “Pirates of the Caribbean II” today. West Seattle Blogger Spouse appropriately summed up some of its derivative nature by calling it “Pirates of the Lost Ark Strike Back.” I won’t say more, not into spoilerage :) Long but fun, anyway.

Hot enough for ya? 2

June 25, 2006 6:32 pm

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| WS miscellaneous

It was better to approach Alki from the south rather than the north. The traffic coming off the bridge was at a constant crawl. We gave up on the crowded beach and went to the Junction to be part of the ice-cream-seeking throng spilling out onto the sidewalk in front of the Husky Deli.

KOMO has the list of record temp busters here.

Hot enough for ya? 1

June 25, 2006 8:38 am

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| Environment | WS miscellaneous

– As of 7:53 it was 70 degrees at Alki Point.

– At 9:30 it was 70 at Boeing Field.

– Compare and contrast with Miami, FL where it’s 75 now on the way to a high of 86.

What are you doing to stay cool today?

Were we dissed?

June 24, 2006 6:35 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| WS miscellaneous

Interesting quote in this P-I article on the flap over this weekend’s official gay-pride celebrations moving from Capitol Hill to Seattle Center:

Moving the pride parade off Capitol Hill, Benner said, is “like holding the Fremont (Solstice) Parade in West Seattle.”

Does that mean we’re too dull for words out here? Or is it just a geographic reference, and she could just as easily have said “like holding the Solstice Parade in Lake City”?

I for one don’t consider WS boring, although we could use a few naked bike riders — that would really spice up the Seafair Pirates Landing! And good heavens, you have to remember that the Rat City Rollergirls were “born” in neighboring White Center. (Still a bummer about that rink.) I’ll think of some other reasons we’re not boring … just give me a bit, still waking up.

Takin’ it to the streets

June 22, 2006 6:32 pm

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| Seen around town | WS miscellaneous

-A final word from today’s crash-caused traffic jam: While trying to get out of WS in the late morning, West Seattle Blogger Spouse reported a suspected sighting of Councilguy Dow in the next car. I’m a little suspicious since it would seem Councilguy Dow would be the first to switch to the Water Taxi. But perhaps he was just on his way to Seacrest …

-Unrelated to the traffic but vaguely relevant to the title of this post — when the street in question is Alki Avenue, anyway — today’s batch of city land-use-permit applications includes one from the Celtic Swell for a sidewalk-cafe’ area. Wonder if they’ll keep it open for the hale ‘n’ hardy St. Paddy’s Day crowd …

Bridge back in business

June 22, 2006 1:33 pm

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| WS breaking news | WS miscellaneous

The West Seattle Bridge reopened in both directions late this morning after wreckage from the overnight crash was cleared. We’ve heard that the Water Taxi did extra business because of the traffic nightmare, and it’s adding some extra runs for folks returning home tonight. As of mid-afternoon online reports, no information apparently about who the crash victims were or what exactly caused the crash.

Last full day of spring. Really.

June 20, 2006 5:02 am

| 1 COMMENT

| WS miscellaneous

Summer solstice arrives at 4:26 am our time on Wednesday.

(Suppose there’s any chance summer weather will arrive with it?)

Forgive me if this is old news; just happened onto the definitive declaration that there will be no “Seattle Music Fest” at Alki this summer. The Alki Art Fair is still in the works, though.

Events past/present/future

June 17, 2006 10:35 pm

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| WS miscellaneous

PAST:

The annual Viaduct Walk on Saturday morning was moving as always. To truly immerse yourself in the spirit, you have to read participants’ T-shirts, placards, and signs. This time around, the whimsical included “Babes for Boobs” and a contingent with bunny ears; the somber included a pink-shirted “survivor” with a note attached to her race bib “in memory of (name)/we’re walking today together.”

PRESENT:

Chances are you’ll read this on Sunday, when another potentially memorable event is scheduled to take over part of Roxhill Park, across from Westwood Village.

FUTURE:

A tipster e-mailed to say he’s seen posters suggesting the music lineup for this year’s West Seattle Junction Festival/Street Festival, now rechristened “Summer Fest,” has some intriguing acts — including, he says, John Doe of “X” — can’t find any corroboration to that online but there does seem to be a tangential West Seattle connection; JD duetted with our resident rock megastar on a recent release. He also mentions 50 Foot Wave, whose own site does mention the WS Summer Fest gig. (The festival’s own site doesn’t list the music acts yet.) Tomorrow when we’re at the Junction for the Farmers’ Market, I’ll look around for the Summer Fest posters.

ALSO FUTURE:

Just another early plug for The Big Parade. July 22. Be there.

Meet the guys and gals in blue

June 17, 2006 6:39 am

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| WS miscellaneous

If you’re still looking for an interesting way to spend your afternoon, the relatively new police precinct on our side of the bay is holding a picnic/open house event 1-4 pm today. (That link leads you to the precinct home page, and it’s got some other interesting info, such as this map … do you live in “F” sector or “W” sector?)

Busy bridge

June 16, 2006 6:26 pm

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| WS miscellaneous

The pedestrian overpass at the west (Fauntleroy) end of The Bridge was certainly busy tonight. Didn’t even get to take it all in while whizzing beneath. One marriage proposal … another declaration of love … and just before the bridge, there were the “Walking on Logs” sculptures, dressed in Race for the Cure T-shirts in honor of tomorrow’s Viaduct stroll. If you take the Admiral exit from The Bridge, you miss a lot!

Speaking of politics

June 13, 2006 7:03 pm

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| WS miscellaneous

(Well, we were, in the comments on the next post down.)

I actually had been meaning to mention our encounter with the 34th District Democrats at the Farmers’ Market last Sunday. (Where are the 34th District Republicans? It can’t be an issue of potentially hostile territory … heck, I’ve seen Pro-Life Washington at the Fremont Fair … which by the way is coming up this weekend! … so the GOP at the WSFM would seem do-able.) Anyway, the D’s proclaimed themselves very excited about the state’s hottest candidate du jour speaking at their meeting tomorrow night, even though nobody in this area is eligible to vote in that contest. And just steps away at the WSFM, the local anti-war activists were leafletting for the big event at Roxhill Park this weekend (mentioned here some days back), before they took up the signs for their weekly march back and forth across the “Walk All Ways With Walk” intersection.

If you want to avoid all that at the WSFM, though, just be sure to enter on the west side instead — all you have to dodge is the friendly lady peddling “Real Change.”

Tuesday morning news ‘n’ notes

June 13, 2006 5:05 am

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| Gatewood | West Seattle schools | WS miscellaneous

-Looks like the Pathfinder advocates now comprise one of just two groups most loudly protesting the latest version of the school-closure/consolidation plan. This is the only story resembling a thorough article in today’s papers. (Looking in from outside, I’d suggest they focus their arguments on the condition of the Boren building — the complaint about Delridge won’t hold water; for example, what is arguably WS’s most successful elementary school, Lafayette, is right on Cali Ave in the Admiral Junction bizdist, across from a busy supermarket.)

-While the school district dithers over the shutdowns and shifts to save a few $, how much is it going to waste on this fight? (Side note — if you want to spend $ on something related more to body than mind, how about playground improvements? Lafayette has a project going and so does Gatewood, which plans a meeting about its playground-reno project tonight.)

-If this goes through, will our beloved, scenic WS become home to more B-and-B’s? The only one I’ve ever noticed is down by the Fauntleroy ferry dock (and political signs I’ve seen in its windows would keep me, on principle, from ever recommending any visiting relatives stay there, but that’s just me).

-Guess this means I’ll get to see those nice little old precinct workers a few more times.

And yet another grand opening

June 9, 2006 5:56 pm

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| WS beverages | WS miscellaneous

My Tea Gallery, the new tea place on Cali Ave south of Admiral Junction, is open, according to a tipster who pointed us to the shop’s site. Must be what they call a “soft launch,” since the “grand opening party” is still a couple weeks away.

Review of a restaurant I’d almost forgotten

June 9, 2006 4:37 am

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| WS miscellaneous

The P-I takes on the Luna Park Cafe. I haven’t been there since a breakfast get-together some years back featuring WS Blogger Spouse and I inspecting the latest girlfriend of one of our beloved terminal-bachelor pals. (We liked her; he didn’t.)

Side note … it’s always struck me as odd that somehow that particular area around the underside of the west end of the Big Bridge has carried on the Luna Park name, even though the actual Luna Park site was nowhere nearby.

Up close and personal with The Viaduct

June 6, 2006 4:27 am

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| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | WS miscellaneous

You’ve laughed your way through the video we now know WE actually paid for!

You’ve bitten your nails while driving its scenic topside and muttering under your breath “just let me get to the other side before the Big One hits!”.

Now … just a week and a half to register for your annual chance to actually WALK on the viaduct. Hope to see you there.

TJ’s or not TJ’s?

June 5, 2006 4:18 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Development | West Seattle restaurants | WS miscellaneous

A new comment on an old post reminded me I hadn’t heard much lately about the rumors of Trader Joe’s finally, finally, FINALLY coming to West Seattle. Seems speculation is centering around the forthcoming mixed-use project on Admiral just west of Metropolitan Market, so we went fishing around a bit.

Project description mentions “grocery store.” MM & Safeway are so close by (and PCC not much further), it would have to be something “specialty” like TJ’s.

The contact name on the applications traces to the same architect that handled the same owner’s project to the north (Bartell’s and what’s above it) — no sketches on the site, though.

A notice on a pole at the site mentions another design-review meeting just about a week ago — anybody got the scoop on that? Just curious.

Did find a couple other notes of interest along the way. First — a little history about part of the site. Second — I can’t find a direct link to the relatively recently renamed “Admiral Neighborhood Association,” but it looks like neighborhood leaders joined in a “street-level survey” a little earlier this year, with results documented here.

Enough about all that, though. Any inside info on TJ’s, or not TJ’s, very much welcome. Definitely tired of driving to Burien. And this is one of the last few franchises we still don’t have out here (in the years since WS Blogger Spouse and I arrived, we’ve stopped having to drive somewhere else for Pagliacci, Jamba Juice, Barnes & Noble, to name a few).

Sunday afternoon miscellany

June 4, 2006 2:06 pm

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| West Seattle religion | West Seattle restaurants | Wildlife | WS miscellaneous

-If you have a small child in the house, something new turned up at the WS Farmers’ Market today … fresh, local, vegetarian food for babies or toddlers.

-For the produce we didn’t find at the Farmers’ Market, we dropped by Tony’s on 35th. Great prices — beautiful apples for 99 cents a pound, mushrooms for $2.50. Kinda fascinating that the guy who runs it is the president of the Burien-area sewer district.

-Further north on 35th, we noticed the “Mars Hill West Seattle, Coming Soon” sign up at Doxa. According to the MH Web site, the dedication was just the other night.

-Also as we cruised northward on 35th, a wildlife sighting … one of our majestic national symbols, being pestered by crows. Common, I know, but always mesmerizing, as the crows are so much smaller than the eagles, yet so brazen about this behavior.

Recycling

June 4, 2006 8:54 am

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| WS miscellaneous

OK, it’s a stretch to say this is the kind of recycling urged in Al’s movie … but nonetheless, I’m recycling today by pointing you to this post and reminding you tonight is the night for the benefit. We’re all stuck on this planet together — let’s help each other as much as we can.

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