West Seattle, Washington
26 Sunday
If you notice anything odder than usual this afternoon – a link takes you to a dead end, for example – please forgive us; our ace technical consultant has been working on some site improvements. Most have been very behind-the-scenes but there’s one you may have noticed already: After four years, we are finally getting rid of the default URL (website address) style that among other things had the word “blog” twice and identified each story only by number. From hereon out, URLs will include words from the story headline or page title, as they do on most websites, and the second incidence of “blog” is gone – so the WSB Forums, for example, are no longer at “westseattleblog.com/blog/forum” but instead at westseattleblog.com/forum. If you bump into any bugs along the way, PLEASE let us know by posting a comment here or e-mailing editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you. A few other improvements are in the works, so thanks for your patience, and stay tuned.
Another community group finally has an online home: Renae Gaines shares the news that Southwest Healthy Youth Partnership has a website – see it here. (You’ll also see that page has a left-side column with information on upcoming parent-education events; elsewhere on the site, the calendar page shows that the next SWHYP coalition meeting is January 26, all welcome.)
We’ve been planning some upgrades – mostly the behind-the-scenes stuff that you wouldn’t notice immediately, but which would pave the way for us to make some much-needed improvements – and we’d hoped to be able to warn you before we started tinkering with the live site, but a little earlier tonight … we suddenly had to tinker with the live site, without warning. So you might have noticed some slowness. If you notice ANYTHING different regarding the way you access/navigate the site, including the iPhone version if applicable, PLEASE let us know, either in a comment or through e-mail etc. – we are still kicking the tires following a major upgrade in content-management-system versions, and we also are upgrading the WSB Forums‘ behind-the-scenes stuff, which could lead to some hiccups we won’t notice till you point them out. Thanks for your patience and help!
Thanks to all the people who sent us this news today: We hadn’t even heard of the annual Google Zeitgeist list — by that name, anyway — till receiving notes and tweets that WSB was in the Seattle Top 10. Background: Google compiles an annual list of top search terms – you may have heard news reports all day noting that Michael Jackson topped the overall list worldwide. But Google’s announcement also includes breakout lists – such as the top “uniquely local” search terms for major US cities. At right, the top 10 for Seattle – with Sounders FC (scarves up!) at #1 and West Seattle Blog at #5, the only news site on the Seattle list. Just another reason our second year as a business has been even more fun than the first – collaborating with you and the rest of the West Seattle community, informally partnering with the region’s largest news organization, and other highlights. WSB is on track for at least 8 million pageviews for 2009, a 33% increase from last year, 5+ times the year before that. This new way of reporting/sharing/discussing community news has attracted regional and national attention, and this quirky little Google shoutout is just one more bit of proof. Thanks again for being part of this adventure!
(Photo of Julie and Dorothy at Highland Park Improvement Club’s Nov. 15th party, by Dina Johnson)
Two weeks after the 90th-anniversary party at Highland Park Improvement Club, a closer look at the event and the group is online this morning at seattletimes.com (WSB partner) – see the story and photos here. HPIC’s website is at hpic1919.org; the club building is also home to the Highland Park Action Committee, which invites you to its holiday potluck meeting there, 7 pm next Wednesday (more here).
(Latest image from city camera pointing east on The Bridge; refresh for updated image)
Just last week, when reporting on more new traffic cameras being installed in West Seattle (but not scheduled for activation till next year), we had asked SDOT for an update on when at least one of the cameras on the “high bridge” would be back. Hadn’t received a reply yet (two months ago, we were told “shortly”). But tonight, we notice – the one that’s pointed east is working again. We’re going to take a leap of faith and put it back in the sidebar, where it’s been gone for a few weeks once it was clear both “high bridge” cameras were out of commission. Cross your fingers.
Reminder — The WSB Forums include a section where West Seattle/White Center-area businesses are welcome to post job listings for free. Here’s a brand-new listing.
A bit of a lull as we get ready to cover the next wave of major news later today – revised school-attendance maps (4 pm), election results (8 pm) — so if you’re looking for something new to read, check out the WSB Forums for community-powered items including:
*The merits of independent bookstores, as other neighborhoods lose theirs
*What’s the going rate for babysitters these days?
*Reward for missing heirloom jewelry
SIDE NOTE: Not from the forums, but based largely on WSB comments – the regional news site Crosscut has a story today about the booted-from-Lincoln-Park-moved-to-Lakewood-Park cyclocross controversy.
Want to see more photos from Saturday’s Trick or Treat at The Junction? The Junction’s own official gallery is 
part of what you’ll find on the newly relaunched West Seattle Junction Association website – wsjunction.org – with added features including an event calendar. They’re on Facebook too, and just added a Twitter account – @WSJA.
West Seattle artist Karen Lyons shares news of an “online studio tour” in which she’s participating, to celebrate Halloween and to raise money for bat conservation. It’s a fun site to wander if you have at least a few minutes to spare – halloweenstudiotour.com – and you can contact Karen at woosel@wildmail.com if you want to know more.
We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor this afternoon: Chris Thayer, Seattle personal-injury attorney (and West Seattleite). Here’s what he’d like you to know: He’s a Seattle-area native who grew up in Edmonds, currently a partner at a small law firm in downtown Seattle: Larson, Hart & Shepherd, PLLC. 
He’s put together three websites highlighting some of his particular practice areas and providing extensive information for consumers: www.seattle-personal-injury-attorney.net, www.seattle-wrongful-death-attorney.com, and www.seattle-medical-malpractice-attorney.com. Chris and his wife moved to West Seattle last summer, and he says, “We are growing to love our new neighborhood more and more every day. We have enjoyed going to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, riding our bikes down to Alki, and taking our dog for walks in Lincoln Park.”
Back to business: What sets him apart from others in his field? He cites a “compassionate approach”: “This is a business for me, but it is also about helping people who have been the victim of unfortunate circumstances. I have been handling serious personal injury, wrongful death, insurance disputes, and medical malpractice claims and lawsuits in Washington since 1995. I understand that these cases are often about much more than money. I am often able to help my clients obtain closure on a difficult chapter in their lives, and, in some cases, I can help bring about changes in policy or procedure which may help prevent similar problems in the future. I am dedicated to efficiently and compassionately representing my clients to assist them in seeking resolution and compensation for their losses. My philosophy is to represent my clients aggressively to obtain a fair and just result.”
What does he hear from clients? “They appreciate my willingness to explain things to them and to answer their questions in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand without all that legal jargon. They come to me because they have found themselves in a difficult situation that is not their fault. They are often frustrated by their experiences in trying to deal with their claim on their own. I feel like I can offer a very valuable service by helping them understand their rights and to make sure they are treated fairly. I get most of my business from referrals from happy clients. I offer a free initial consultation, where I will sit down with any prospective clients and review their situation so that I can provide feedback and my assessment of whether or not they should retain a lawyer. Chris belongs to the Washington State Bar Association and Washington State Association for Justice, and has an Avvo rating of 10/10 – here’s his profile. You can reach Chris Thayer, Seattle personal-injury attorney, at 866-884-2417. We thank Chris Thayer for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; the sponsor team, plus info on joining, is all here.
Over the weekend, Beach Drive Blog published a note from someone trying to find out what happened to a house they remember from decades ago. Maybe you can help – read the note here.
The Google site-search feature we’ve been using for a while is far from perfect – though we’re still Google fans in general, it seems that Microsoft‘s Bing is on the ascendancy, so we’re testing its site search instead. What you’ll notice if you try the new (unlabeled – that’s how MSFT coded it) search box (top of sidebar) is that your search will open a popup that stretches across the center of the WSB page you’re on, with two tabs – the default is the WSB search for your term, and if you click the WEB tab, it’ll show you web-wide results for your search. Let us know what you think; it’s an easy switch back if you think the Google box worked better. (And if you’re looking for something you’ve seen in our forum, including the keyword forum in your search will help find it.)
Several people have e-mailed us recently to ask why the city’s West Seattle Bridge cameras – including the one we’ve had linked in our sidebar for a long time – just don’t seem to show the traffic any more (example above). We in turn asked SDOT‘s communications chief Richard Sheridan, and also threw in an inquiry about the status of additional cameras that had been in the works for West Seattle. Here’s his reply, including news of 4 new cameras on the way (we had reported plans for 3 more in May but looks like one’s joined the list):
The (bridge) structure’s north and south side cameras are controlled using wireless operation and have proven to be unreliable. The south side camera will be upgraded with a fiber optic control system as part of a larger project that starts next week. So your readers will be able to see bridge images shortly. We also want a fiber optic system for the north side and are trying to find money in this year’s budget for it.
With the work underway next week, we will install two other West Seattle cameras beyond the south bridge camera. They will be at Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Cloverdale (near Lincoln Park/Fauntleroy Ferry) and at the West Seattle Bridge near the pull-out by the [Walking on Logs] sculpture (east of the pedestrian overpass.)
Two other cameras will be installed in early- to mid-October and will be operational in November (along with several other locations not in West Seattle.) Those cameras will be located at SW Alaska St and 42nd Ave SW, and SW Alaska and California Ave SW.
So we’ll take the bridge-cam link out of the sidebar till SOMETHING is working – and will keep an eye out for those extra cameras. Here’s the city page where you can find all SDOT cams; the state cams (I-5 etc.) are separate, and can be found here; the county’s cams are here. We’ll also update the WSB Traffic page when those new/fixed ones come online.
FIGHTING GRAFFITI: This thread regarding graffiti vandalism at a local school is an excellent example of what the WSB Forums – and discussion here in the WSB news section too – are all about, at their best. It started with a citizen concern about getting police to pay attention to a problem; other members joined the discussion, we secured some information, the original post’er followed up, and now more action is being taken. Read about it – and/or join the discussion – here.
WEEKEND SALES: Reminder that yard/garage sales (and business sales too) can be listed free in the WSB Forums’ Freebies/Deals/Sales section – sale season is starting to ebb but there are a few for this weekend listed here.
CITYLINK: We noticed a while back that some of the city’s newer web sections, such as SPDBlotter, had a “CityLink” logo, perhaps a sign of something to come. Turns out it was — the city has just unveiled CityLink Seattle, with 11 city “newsfeeds” (including SPDBlotter) linked from one page. See it here.
TWEETING FOR STARBUCKS, AND HITTING THE ROAD: Got word from Starbucks PR that its official tweeter at @starbucks, Brad Nelson, is hitting the road as part of a nationwide promotion for the company’s new instant coffee – and she noted she was letting us know because Brad is a West Seattleite. They had a big kickoff event today – we were at the Concord event instead, but they promise they’ll be tweeting (at @starbuckslive), posting video, and more. (P.S. Brad’s not the only West Seattleite who is the “Twitter voice” of a major Seattle-based company – there’s also Elliott Pesut, who tweets for Alaska Airlines at @alaskaair.)
While a lot of Twitter marketing is fairly basic “hey! come see us and buy our stuff!” (in the case of us news sites, we send out links in hopes you’ll come READ our stuff), there are also 
cool little moments like this one we just happened onto, hours after it happened: Pearl Jam‘s official Twitter account sent word of a photo (at left) of a limited-edition “record” (remember those?) and said, first person who finds it gets it. If you look at the photo full-size here, you’ll see the visual hint – Easy Street Records coffee cups. According to the comment thread on the Twitpic photo page, “someone named Megan got it.” (Reminds us of the April tale of a local family that found a Tony Hawk skateboard at Shadow Land via Twitter.) We use Twitter not just to send out story links (if you ONLY want those, find ’em at @westseattlenews), but also, at @westseattleblog, other tidbits, newsy and otherwise, plus Twitpics of events we’re covering, while we’re there, like the Denny International Middle School ceremony Monday morning (here and here). You can also just check in on the Web – our main @westseattleblog account is at twitter.com/westseattleblog. P.S. Easy Street itself is on Twitter, here – you’ll see tweets about the Pearl Jam release party this Saturday night and the Black Whales in-store show at 5 tonight.
A Saturday night comment reminded us we’d been meaning to add this feature, so now we have: In addition to being able to preview your comment before it’s published, you now get a 5-minute window to edit it, after you publish it. No log-in required; the comment system otherwise works the same way it always has. Once you’ve posted the comment, you’ll see a countdown clock ticking down that 5-minute editing period, during which you can use a button to the left of the countdown clock to open an editing window (click “more options” to edit the screen name and/or URL you used with the comment).
WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham (from mattdurhamphotography.com) spotted Sofia Mabee and 4-year-old daughter Savannah refusing to let the rain keep them inside – which is what PDieter advises in a discussion under way now in the WSB Forums, regarding the joys of living here despite the sometimes-turbulent weather. Speaking of which – The National Weather Service‘s “special weather statement” (see it here) remains in effect, with “significant precipitation” and unseasonably chilly weather expected to continue tonight.
Though yard-sale season is ebbing, several West Seattle sales for this weekend are posted in the Freebies/Deals/Sales section of the WSB Forums. You’re welcome to post your sale there too, free, whether personal or business; an increasing amount of freebie listings are showing up as well. Here’s where to start!
FRIENDS OF SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY AT SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Two FSPL reps spoke to the group last night, and asked again for library users to speak out to help them campaign against even more cuts next year. For starters, the survey mentioned here yesterday (direct link here) is one tool they hope to use; they also want library users to show up at budget hearings this fall, saying the usual handful of people who turn up to testify won’t be enough to impress city leaders. FSPL’s Sarel Rowe also noted that budget cuts and closures “leave a legacy” – the regular hours that don’t start till early afternoon part of the week are a never-changed holdover from years ago (as the group points out here).
USUALLY GET ONLINE AT THE LIBRARY? If you know someone who usually gets online at a library, here’s an option: Lora Lewis at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) reminds us that her shop next to the Junction Post Office has a bank of computers, and “we have Internet happy hours open to 10 am and then 4 pm to close. You receive a full hour of Internet surfing with a beverage purchase. Outside of happy hour you still receive 15 minutes free Internet surfing with a beverage and it’s just 10 cents a minute for any overage. We have desktop computers, free wireless, a black and white printer, full color scanner, black and white copier. All the desktops have the full Microsoft Office Suite. We’re open 6:30 am to 7 pm.”
ROXHILL ELEMENTARY BARBECUE: Thanks to Donn for spotting this on the Roxhill school marquee along Roxbury – school barbecue today, 4:30-6:30 pm. (Lots of back-to-school events in the days ahead; let us know about yours!)
SEE THE WEST SEATTLE “COVER DOG” CANDIDATES: West Seattle-headquartered CityDog Magazine will announce its Cover Dog winner soon; meantime, photographer J. Nicole Smith from Dane + Dane Studios has posted her gallery of all 100-plus “candidates” from the West Seattle Thriftway shoot (8/16 WSB photo above, also featuring Richard and cover-dog hopeful Lulah) – see the picture-perfect pooches here.
FUN TO BE FRUGAL: That’s the name of a new website written by West Seattle resident Nora Laughlin. She e-mailed to let us know about it; we’ll be adding it to the feeds for this WSB page too, but in the short run – you can browse her entries about coupons and other deals.
Late August is supposed to be a slow time, with summer ebbing, extra time to enjoy the sun. But somehow it always manages to be an exciting time here at WSB HQ. Almost exactly two years ago, your support helped plant the seeds of WSB’s transformation into a business, with seed money raised during our first and only Pledge Day. Today, we’re thrilled to announce our participation in a new journalistic collaboration involving our region’s largest news organization as well as three of our fellow independent, neighborhood-based online news publishers.
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