West Seattle, Washington
03 Wednesday
It’s West Seattle, and the rest of the city, as you’ve (probably) never seen it – resembling a very-old-school video game. The guy who brings 8bitSeattle.com to our attention, West Seattleite Jerry Whiting of JetCityOrange and Azalea Software, describes it as “a new city map in the style of 1980s video games.” Jerry says Brett Camper made the maps, starting with New York City. His companies sponsored Brett’s Seattle work – without knowing ahead of time that this happens to be Brett’s hometown. It’s all just for fun, Jerry explains (speaking of fun, he’s the guy you may recall who had the webcam wedding, and has also drawn fame for his Lava Lamp Cam). Jerry says that 8bitSeattle.com also has 8-bit images of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline, as well as “links to things geeky and nerdy.” Jerry also points out he’s “a map freak” so getting involved with this just made sense. Explore the 8-bit Seattle map here.
First came the online availability of police reports in certain categories of incident (start here) – now, Seattle Police have added incident types to the city’s My Neighborhood map, which has been available a while with multiple layers of other types of information. We’re still wandering around it ourselves but wanted to share the link in case you hadn’t already heard. As explained here, the icons – showing what type of report was taken – will start showing up as soon as six hours later. The announcement on SPD Blotter summarizes:
The crime reporting map is a short-term view of crime: it provides a good sense of what is reported to be going on in a certain neighborhood or the city at large at any time. It is also good for seeing patterns of types of crimes happening (such as an unusual amount of reported bike thefts in your area).
If you choose to use the “neighborhood” view instead of the specific-address view, note that Southwest is basically “western West Seattle,” while Delridge is the label for most of the eastern half of the peninsula. 8:25 PM: After spending some time clicking around, one observation: While more categories of crime are reported on the map, the reports to which you can link don’t offer any additional detail – so far we’ve clicked on the report links for crimes such as auto theft and animal bites, and the only detail on the “report” is what block and what day/time.
(Photo taken this week by Cheryl – shared via the West Seattle Blog Flickr group)
Even if you’re not walking in it – between 6 tonight and noon tomorrow, stop by West Seattle Stadium to cheer the participants in Relay for Life of West Seattle. It’s an all-night fundraiser for the fight against cancer, and its memorable moments include the survivors’ lap at the start, and the memorial with luminarias later this evening. Whether or not you can be there, you can pledge by going here … Speaking of health, men’s-health issues will be discussed in a special, free presentation at 6 tonight at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy (WSB sponsor) in The Junction … That’s also the start time for “Race to Nowhere,” a documentary screening at West Seattle High School, 6 pm, followed by 7:30 pm discussion with director, full details here … Another 6 pm event: All-Access Showcase at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – drop by any time up till 9 and sample amazing performances/art creations and more – here’s our preview … If you got a collection bag for the Windermere Real Estate door-to-door food drive, please remember to fill it and leave it for them to pick up – donations go to the West Seattle Food Bank & White Center Food Bank. … Even more ahead – check the West Seattle Events calendar!
(Photo by Jeff Siamas)
We’ve been covering the high-school and college (next story up!) graduations in West Seattle this past week – but hundreds of other students have been celebrating too – with ceremonies to mark transitions out of milestone years, such as kindergarten, fifth grade, and eighth grade. Katie shared the above photo taken Thursday at Tilden School; she reports, “Each graduate read their own original poem about their first day at Tilden School. Also, joined by the 4th graders, they sang ‘a farewell in song’ to the audience, singing ‘Where’er You Walk’ by Handel.” Tilden is a K-5 school just north of The Junction. Meantime, it’s the last few days for Seattle Public Schools students, and as Arbor Heights Elementary third-grade teacher Mark Ahlness writes, “the wheels on the bus are a little loose right now” – so it’s time to bring in some attention-getters:
One of Ahlness’s focuses, as a tech pioneer in the education world, has been to get his students writing and publishing online – and so he was thrilled to bring in Jeff Utecht, of whom he writes: “World class ed/tech blogger Jeff Utecht visited my classroom (Thursday) … He has just released a wonderful book on web 2.0 for educators. Jeff teaches in Bangkok, and spends summers in Seattle. He and his wife have Washington roots.”
(More end-of-year school news? Share it! And have a great summer!)
Once again this year because of budget cuts, the Seattle Public Library system will shut down for a week at summer’s end. They’ve just sent out an announcement saying the dates are August 30th-September 5th, right before Labor Day, so they won’t reopen till Tuesday 9/7. Read on for the full details:Read More
National attention for another West Seattle entrepreneur: The Washington Post takes a look at websites that match travelers with private homes/apartments in which they can stay, and part of the focus 
is on Casa Casa, founded by Gatewood resident Lauren Braden. (She’s got a membership deal going right now – $20/year, half the usual rate.) Lauren also writes about budget lodging in our region at Northwest Cheapsleeps – and in fact we “know” her from Twitter as @cheapsleeps. (Thanks to another Gatewood writer, Tom of Bikejuju.com, for the tip!)
As mentioned earlier, tonight’s graduation night for Seattle Lutheran High School in West Seattle. Didn’t get a seat in the gym? Out of town? Or otherwise unable to go? Never fear – they’re planning to stream it live. Courtesy of SLHS’s Bil Hood, here’s the link. 7:30 pm is the scheduled start time.
Renae Gaines of the Southwest Healthy Youth Partnership is hoping that, if you’re raising a child, you can take a few minutes to answer a survey that’ll help gauge what’s considered OK in our community, and what’s not, particularly when it comes to teens and alcohol/drugs, and how to make sure they get the info they need before they start making choices. Start the (anonymous) survey here.
Two Crime Watch reports this time. First one has to do with that car – second with a burglary victim who fought back – read on for both:Read More
Got chickens, or thinking about them? One of our newest WSB sponsors can help you feed them. We welcome Scratch and Peck, a regional chicken-feed company (delivery or pickup), which like all new sponsors gets the chance to tell you about their business: 
“Many of us are trying to eat healthy foods grown close to home – that’s a big part of the reason we keep chickens in our yards. We are a local, chicken-owning family business dedicated to providing the cleanest, most wholesome animal feeds possible without the use of soy. We use only organic or non-gmo grains, most of which are grown in the Pacific NW. We currently specialize in chicken feed and are also working on creating feeds for other urban farm animals (goats, rabbits). We are in the process of building a feed mill to produce a line of organic feeds made with Washington-grown grains. Our customers seek us out because they want organic chicken feeds so the eggs and meat the chickens give are the cleanest, healthiest possible for human consumption. Most comments center around the idea that the chickens absolutely love the feed and their people love the look and feel of it. The grains are ground or whole and look similar to granola. Many folks say that it looks good enough for them to eat it themselves! My customers return again and again because their chickens thrive on the feed and they feel confident that they are providing the best feed available. My customers are very appreciative of our delivery services. We enjoy it as well because it enables us to visit with our customers and to meet their special chickens up close and personal. Their lives are enhanced because we are helping them in their goal to live as local and organically as possible.” Scratch and Peck is affiliated with the Seattle Urban Farm Co-op, Puget Sound Food Network, American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, and Sustainable Connections. You’ll find them online at scratchandpeck.com – phone and e-mail information is here.
We thank Scratch and Peck for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
This new restaurant’s opening (yesterday was the official Day 1) has been of so much interest, the arrival of its website is worth noting. Sue pointed it out in the comment section following our Wednesday night preview. It’s at heartlandcafeseattle.com – no menu posted yet, though. They’re on Twitter, too, at @cafeheartland. And if you’ve tried it and want to talk about it, there’s a thread going in the WSB Forums.
This afternoon we welcome one of our newest sponsors, 3 Elements Property Management, and as with all new sponsors, this is their chance to tell you about their business: 3 Elements Property Management is a local company 
with an intimate knowledge of West Seattle. Since half of the office staff (photo, from left, Patricia Shiras, Lisa Merz, Pamela Dundas, Tom O’Boyle) lives in West Seattle , we have a vast network of resources to pull from. With more than 80 years of combined property-management/real estate experience, we can provide accurate and detailed information regarding the area. Our customer service and commitment to serving our clients are our #1 priorities. We go above and beyond to reach our clients’ goals. They seek us out because we rent quality units and are great property managers. Once we have moved a tenant in, we ensure the smooth transition, and we are very timely regarding service requests or needed items. We strive to maintain excellent relations for our tenants and owners. This is a key to successful property management. This is why we have repeat clients. We try to make things move smoothly for tenants and meet business goals of property owners. One client said, “As a landlord, I found 3 Elements to be professional, detail-oriented and able to meet my criteria and goals. I appreciated the time they took to obtain quality tenants and keep me informed of market conditions. My units have remained full and rents are never late because of their thorough screening. My bottom line is strong. Thanks, 3 Elements.” You’ll find 3 Elements Property Management online at 3eam.com, or call 206-619-6630.
We thank 3 Elements Property Management for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) proprietor Lora Lewis is pulling an all-nighter right now – not because she, oh, say, drank too much of her own product, but because she’s got a shop full of special guests:
Those are a few members of the video crew that chose Hotwire as the backdrop for what’s known as a “satellite media tour” – here’s the uplink truck parked in the Hotwire courtyard to facilitate the “satellite” part of the phrase:
So what’s the occasion? On behalf of Norton from Symantec, Los Angeles-based “Internet safety advocate” Marian Merritt will be doing three dozen live interviews with TV stations around the country – including Q13 here in Seattle – to talk about the “Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities” list the company just released. Just so happens, Seattle tops the list. So why do the interviews from Hotwire? A producer explained, “We found them online!” (Of course.) Anyway, they’ve got interviews booked starting at 3:10 am our time and continuing up till 9 am, overlapping with Hotwire operating hours (which start at 6:30 am) – so when you drop by for coffee this morning (maybe a Peeps beverage?) don’t mind the TV crew. And be kind to Lora; she’s been at the shop just after midnight, when the crew needed to start setting up – even on the patio:
(next photo added 9:40 am – the producer with the info sheet as they prepared for the Q13 interview)
P.S. As of this writing, we can’t find Symantec’s “riskiest cities” list online … but the producer gave us a printout, so read on if you’re interested (PLUS, added 11:36 am, our video interview with Lora as this all wrapped up):Read More
Got a note from Kim Nyhous, who says she and others at Screaming Flea Productions are West Seattleites and interested in extending this “home makeover” TV invite to peninsula families – read on:Read More
(From left, Delicious Planet’s Jose, Chase, Lianne, Randi, Miranda, and Lulu)
Today, we welcome Delicious Planet as a brand-new WSB sponsor – and as per WSB tradition, this is their chance to tell you about their business: Delicious Planet meals start with the highest-quality, seasonal organic foods and specialty ingredients, obtained from local sources whenever possible. We leverage the flavors and nutrients that nature provides, without the processed ingredients, additives and preservatives. Order online by 1 pm to receive food the next weekday! Our unique Delicious Detox program is a tasty and convenient way for people to retrain their taste buds, eliminate common allergens, lose weight, renew energy, improve mental clarity and learn healthy eating habits. The goal is to acquaint people with the building blocks of good nutrition while cleansing their systems – without depriving them of taste and variety. Our customers call it a lifechanging experience. We think it is a lifesaving experience ;) Call today – 206-720-7017 – start on Monday!
We thank Delicious Planet for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Today, we’re welcoming our newest sponsor, Washington Energy Services, and as with all new WSB sponsors, they get the chance to tell you about their business: As a second generation, family owned and operated company we are proud to have served Western Washington homeowners since 1957. 
We offer the most energy efficient gas and electric products on the market today, as well as a full line of Energy Star-rated windows and doors. We install and service everything we sell, and because we don’t outsource, homeowners have peace of mind knowing they are getting the most experienced technicians in the industry. Our Mission is Simple: Offer the best energy-efficient products for your home, and through innovation, look toward the future for new products and services that ensure we continue to meet your needs, while remaining good stewards of the environment. Satisfaction is Key: We take customer satisfaction seriously and we stand behind every project we do with our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Simply put, if you are not completely happy with your purchase, we will remove our equipment and refund your money. Our People Make it Happen: From our corporate staff and sales teams, to our installation & service techs, we hire the best people in the industry. With passion for ensuring your needs as a homeowner are met, we maintain a proactive attitude toward seeking solutions. Our goal isn’t simply to get your business, but to earn it every step of the way. Check us out online at www.WashingtonEnergy.com, or for more information call 800-398-HOME.
We thank Washington Energy Services for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Our server-management company had an outage that apparently affected more than just WSB. First long outage (about 45 minutes) in a very long time – nonetheless, we, and they, work hard to make sure this site is reliable, so we apologize for being unavailable. If you ever have trouble bringing the site up, we do note outages on our other channels – @westseattleblog on Twitter, WS Blog on Facebook – and we’d post breaking news there if necessary (as we do anyway).
Also happening today: First, since the libraries are closed, Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) is offering a free hour of Internet surfing to anybody who comes in and mentions they heard it on Twitter, Facebook, or WSB. Another reason to stop in at Hotwire and say hi – proprietor Lora Lewis says barista alum Blayne, who left a few months back to focus on his fashion career, is back Monday-Tuesday this week and next.
Switching gears, a note from “Westseattledood,” who’s been part of a Block Watch discussion in the WSB Forums:
Are you a Block Watch Captain in the SW Precinct or do you know one?
Are you interested in forming a Block Watch Captains’ Network? Do you think efforts to revitalize the Block Watch program in our SW Precinct neighborhoods is an idea worth talking about?
While the city of Seattle is ahead of the country in participation of Block/Neighborhood Watches, citywide there is only about 30% participation. There was a time when 70% of Seattle citizens were affiliated with a Block Watch.
If you are interested in strategies for West Seattle neighbors to revisit and perhaps revitalize this proven, cost-effective model of citizen support of public safety and crime prevention, join your neighbors for discussion today.
4:00 PM today
Delridge Uptown Espresso.
3845 Delridge Ave SW
(Delridge and Andover)
On a slow-ish Saturday afternoon, you can meander over to the WSB Forums if you haven’t already. Among the current discussion – Tigger and others are trying to figure out why their utility bills suddenly jumped. (Also browsable, the 100+ West Seattle-based sites that feed into the Blogs page – their latest entries are linked here.)
By request – we’ve expanded the WSB Forums’ Freebies/Deals/Sales section to add Trade/Barter. And the first qualifying listing was already up as of very early this morning – see it here. (And a reminder – West Seattle-area businesses can list job openings FREE in the Jobs Offered section.)
Some people refuse to read comments on online news stories, for myriad reasons: No time; no interest; the suspicion that all comment sections are like the ones on “anything goes” sites, toxic pits of profanity and insults. While some comments might seem like time-wasters, an amazing amount of WSB’ers use comments to add helpful information, both during breaking/developing stories, and sometimes on stories that are days old, like this one from last Monday about neighbors hit by burglars. Since even regular comment-readers don’t tend to go back and check older stories, we wanted to highlight the followup that just appeared in that story’s comment section:
Thank you everyone for the helpful information. Even though we’ve been burglarized, we still love West Seattle, and it is unlikely that these burglaries are isolated to West Seattle. Wherever there are items that can be pawned or hawked on Craigslist, there’s some thief that wants them.
Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned since the burglary (along with a few opinions of our own).
As a neighborhood, we need to coordinate our efforts. We will plan to contribute.
We have heard lots of stories about how Craigslist seems to be fueling this problem. Let’s start getting the word out that until Craigslist puts in some security measures to deter thieves from selling our stuff, it is little more than an online black market and pawn shop.
From what we’ve heard and read, there is a fairly serious mail theft problem in West Seattle. Best thing to do is to lock your mailbox or get a P.O. box.
Serial numbers are helpful to the police, take an hour and go through your electronics and write down the serial numbers and store them somewhere online so they can be included with police reports.
An audible (external) alarm or a dog is a very good deterrent to burglary.
We’ve also heard that people sometimes don’t report the issue even when they see it or hear it. As a neighborhood, we should be reporting to police when we hear audible alarms and barking dogs or anything that sounds like it could be really bad.
After this experience, we’re absolutely convinced that suspicious soliciting (such as our Comcast visitor) or loitering activities (such as the type we’ve read about here on the other WSB burglary postings) should be reported immediately to the police (not hours later, immediately). We will be doing our part by calling the police on suspicious solicitors and ask them to come out and check their credentials.
We’ll keep checking in here, we really appreciate the helpful information, and we hope that sharing what we’ve learned since our burglary will help others to prevent it from happening to them.
(Note: CL has an official policy banning sales of stolen property.) We have long said, WSB doesn’t have “readers,” it has collaborators. Comments are a simple form of collaboration; sending information (here’s how), from event listings to photos to Crime Watch reports and much more, is another way. But even if you “only” read, you are still collaborating, by seeking and using information. Thank you.
If you haven’t checked out the WSB Forums yet today, two items of note: “Smitty” says dog owners violating the law at newly renovated Hiawatha Playfield are being ticketed (read the post here); and there’s word of MORE free yoga, in addition to the Limber Yoga classes mentioned earlier – at SoundYoga (also a WSB sponsor), a free restorative-yoga class is happening at 1 pm (details here).
We’ve been doing some upgrades to the underpinnings of the site lately, including moving to a more powerful server, but this afternoon something is going wrong that’s rendered the site inaccessible off and on this past hour. Just wanted to say, we apologize, and wanted to let you know that fine talented technical experts are working on it. If there were major news and WSB itself was down, we would use these other channels to get the news out:
Facebook – facebook.com/westseattleblog
Twitter – twitter.com/westseattleblog
Backup site (not a mirror of WSB, but something we can post longer stories on if necessary):
westseattleblog.wordpress.com
Also worth noting, our partner site White Center Now runs off different servers in a different location so would not generally be having trouble if this site is: whitecenternow.com
Thanks again for your patience and support.
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