West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
12:55 PM: Outside CAPERS at 4525 California SW in The Junction right now, you’ll find 9-year-old Raven tap dancing; CAPERS’ Lisa Myers explains that Raven is “raising funds to be part of the HUMAN RHYTHM PROJECT FESTIVAL in Chicago in July. Come support this fabulous local talent.” She’s there until 2. (And if you didn’t see this in time – you can still donate to Raven’s fundraising campaign; CAPERS will forward donations.)
Next Saturday (June 1st), the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club invites kids to Seacrest for its annual free pop-up “fishing pond,” 8 am-11 am. The announcement and photo are from WSSC’s Greg Boyd:
It’s time again for the annual West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club Free Kids’ Fishing Pond at Seacrest Park. Gather up your kids (ages 14 and under) and bring them on down for some great fishing fun. We’ll have cane poles for the kids to use, bait and the pond all stocked up with trout for the kids to catch and bring home.
There will be canopies over the pond so don’t let any possible rain scare you away.
Seacrest Park is located at 1660 Harbor Ave SW. It is just down the road from Salty’s and shares the same parking lot with the foot ferry and Marination ma kai restaurant.
If you have any questions please see the calendar at our website www.wssportsmen.org, email us at info@wssportsmen.org or call Greg at 206-818-4469.
(Saturday low-low-tide south of Alki Point, by Annika Bowden)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FARMERS’ MARKET: Open Sundays year-round, even holiday weekends, so you’ll find it in The Junction today, 10 am-2 pm, as usual. Back today, according to market managers, “Kittitas tomatoes and early Lyall cherries.” Also on hand: Master Gardeners to help you solve problems. (44th/Alaska)
MEMORIAL POPPIES: 10 am-2 pm, you’ll find them offered by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), California/Fauntleroy, in addition to VFW members at Admiral Safeway (2622 California SW) 9 am-11 pm – more information here.
FOOD SWAP: 10-11:30 am at Village Green Perennial Nursery – details in the calendar listing. (10223 26th SW)
LOW-LOW TIDE: 12:23 pm, it’s even lower than Saturday – -3.6 feet. From 10:30 am until 2:30 pm, Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out at Constellation Park south of Alki Point and Lincoln Park near Colman Pool.
PHILIP MARICONDA: Singer/songwriter with live music 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee Company. (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)
ROO AND THE FEW: Live music – originals and covers, 7:30 pm at Locol. (7901 35th SW).
HOLLY FIGUEROA: All-ages 8 pm show at Skylark Café and Club, admission free. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(1st two photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:42 PM: Avoid the intersection of 35th and Morgan if you happen to be heading out any time soon – we’ve received two messages about a crash there. No major injuries reported, but an ambulance has been called for one person, and one person in the area says it appears traffic headed northbound is being detoured onto Morgan.
12:29 AM: The crash involved two vehicles – and one, which is in the shrubbery by the gas-station sign on the northeast corner of the intersection, is a Seattle Police car. The east side of Morgan is blocked off but 35th is completely passable as of a few minutes ago.
(Photo shared by Mary – note the fence the SPD car crashed through; black SUV at left is other vehicle involved)
12:53 AM: Just went back to try to find out more. The second vehicle, an SUV, has been towed, and the SPD car was about to be. Officers on the scene would say only that two people went to the hospital but neither seemed to have major injuries – we don’t know if either is an officer. The first of the photos we’re adding show that the officer whose car was involved had a shockingly close call – a wooden post went through the windshield on the passenger side.
11:59 AM: The only additional information we’ve been able to get from police so far is that the officer whose car crashed was taken to a hospital and released shortly thereafter.
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: We checked back in hopes of more information – SPD media-relations Officer Renée Witt says the report is “being transcribed and not yet available.” So we’ll check back again.
Three months ago, lifelong West Seattleite Mark “Waz” Wasielewski died too soon, at 52. His friends are carrying on with his annual golf tournament to help Make-A-Wish, and wanted to share the invitation here too. The tournament is set for Friday, June 14th, at Foster Golf Links in Tukwila, “2 pm shotgun start/scramble format,” according to the announcement, which lists the entry fee as “$80-$120 – You decide; remember, it’s for Waz’s Make-A-Wish kids.” For registration information, e-mail jim@jwsales.com.
Big game on the big screen = big success! Today’s West Seattle Soccer Club event featuring a food drive and Champions League final match screening at the Admiral Theater was “very successful,” reports WSSC’s Tim McMonigle:
Over 300 people showed up, the vast majority to watch the game, with a few watching the movie.
We had giveaways, visits from our professional women’s soccer team, the Seattle Reign and a very exciting game that was won in the last couple of minutes of the game, with Bayern Munich beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1.
We hope to make this an annual event, possibly including the World Cup next year. Thanks to all our West Seattle community for coming together to watch the game in a great venue. Looking forward to our last two weekends of our spring season (June 2, 9) and the opening of our fall registration on June 1, at westseattlesoccer.org.
Tim says more photos will be up soon on WSSC’s Facebook page.
(Added: Postgame photo by Greg Slader)
5:57 PM: The West Seattle High School baseball team finishes an incredible season as #2 in the state. Championship game final score: Auburn Mountainview 7, WSHS 1.
9:18 PM NOTE: The team is due back at WSHS sometime after 11 pm, and as suggested in the comments, fans are welcome to greet them.
1:47 AM: As Coach Velko Vitalich told The Times, “… the accomplishments of this team are amazing.” They arrived back at WSHS a little over two hours ago:
Earlier:
4 PM: The game is on! West Seattle High School vs. Auburn-Mountainview for the state 3A high-school-baseball championship, happening right now in Pasco. You can see a live video feed here; below, it’s play by play via Twitter, thanks to WSHS team-parent volunteers (refresh this WSB page to see the newest tweets, or if you use Twitter, you can directly follow @wseattlestate):
P.S. Our partners at The Seattle Times took a closer look at the team and its big semifinal win yesterday in this story published today.
If the City Council agrees with the recommendations of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee, that lot at 48th and Charlestown will become city-owned park space. It’s one of the proposed Opportunity Fund recommendation changes that committee chair Pete Spalding mentioned last Wednesday night while telling the Highland Park Action Committee that the new HP spraypark – funded with money from the first Opportunity Fund – is almost ready. The 48th/Charlestown purchase was proposed by the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council. The full list of citywide recommendations is here; in addition to $400,000 for that site, it includes two other spending recommendations for this side of the city – $374,500 for the Highland Park playground area (vicinity of the new spraypark), and $669,000 for land acquisition near the south end of the new South Park Bridge, to create a plaza. Those three projects are on a list of 14 citywide; a preliminary list of recommendations had included a plan for improvements to cabins at Camp Long, but we’re told that had to be dropped, which cleared the way for the two other West Seattle projects (culled from an original list of 7 from WS) to make the list. The council is expected to vote by mid-summer.
Thanks to Leslie Dierauf of Beach Drive for sharing low-tide sights – today’s tide bottomed out at -3.3 less than an hour ago, so beach-walking conditions will still be great for a few hours, and Leslie points out that Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out. They’re at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park until 2 pm today.
Tomorrow’s low-low tide will be even further out – -3.6 at 12:23 pm Sunday; the volunteer beach naturalists will be back, same spots, 10:30 am-2:30 pm.
P.S. Remember you can always find the tide chart on the WSB Weather page!
With the help of West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board chair Dave Montoure (left), the ribbon is cut and the party’s on till 1 pm at Westwood Village’s newest business, Massage Envy (WSB sponsor, featured here earlier this week).
If you’re going to convince kids to get up and get moving, the message needs to get to the adults in their lives too – and that’s exactly what happened this past week during the Family Health and Fitness Carnival at West Seattle Elementary School.
WS Elementary counselor Laura Bermes for sharing a report and photos – she says more than 200 people were there:
In collaboration with WSE School Nurse, Terri Helm-Remund, the evening’s dinner and festivities were hosted by the Hope Heart Institute and Molina Healthcare and featured community organizations from Camp Long, Apple Corps, Cascade Bicycle Club, First Tee Golf, the West Seattle YMCA, Neighborhood House, the Farmer’s Market Alliance, Southwest Pool, Washington Dairy Council, and Neighborcare Health. The goal of the Hope Heart Institute and Molina Healthcare Family Fitness Carnival was to teach students and their families about healthy eating, active living and heart health. The evening included a healthy dinner, games, prizes, and health tips. Families blended smoothies by pedal power, took a swing at golf, and danced with a local Zumba instructor and Seattle School District Parent Leader Yui Dirksen! Teachers, staff, parents, and community members volunteered their time, and everyone had a blast!
WSE has also participated all year in “Fuel Up to Play 60,” stressing movement and nutrition.
(Got all your ducks in a row? Photo by Dianne Reeves, taken recently on Longfellow Creek)
Slow pre-holiday Saturday? Of course not! Here’s just some of what’s happening:
MEMORIAL POPPIES: As previewed here last night, West Seattle American Legion Post 160 and Auxiliary Unit 160 members are out with the traditional memorial poppies this morning, till 2 pm in The Junction, and tomorrow too (schedule’s in the linked preview).
SOCCER AT THE ADMIRAL: The big West Seattle Soccer Club event is this morning at the Admiral Theater! 10:30 am doors open, 11 am pregame excitement, 11:45 am Champions League match, and more. Free but please bring a kid-friendly nonperishable food item for the West Seattle Food Bank.
MASSAGE ENVY GRAND OPENING: The newest business at Westwood Village, Massage Envy (WSB sponsor, welcomed earlier this week), celebrates its grand opening today with a ribboncutting at 11 am and, until 1 pm, free chair massages, healthy treats, and a water bar. (2513 SW Trenton: East side of Westwood Village, west of Staples)
MOBILE COMPUTER LAB: 11 am-2 pm on Saturdays, you can find it at the Neighborhood House High Point Center – if you have a friend who needs access to technology, let them know! Details in the ongoing listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
CUTS TO HEAD START PROGRAMS: Sisters Organize for Survival invites you to a public meeting at 2 pm, Delridge Library, to talk about recently announced cuts and what you can do to take action – full announcement in the calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL GOES FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP! 4 pm today, the West Seattle High School Wildcats baseball team plays for the state 3A championship in Pasco, against Auburn-Mountainview. Follow Twitter play-by-play here; live video feed here.
AND GOOD LUCK, TYEE SOCCER! West Seattle resident Janae tells us there’s a big local cheering section for Seatac’s Tyee High School, playing for the state 2A soccer championship in Sumner, also at 4 pm.
ROLLER DERBY TONIGHT: 6 pm at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, Rat City Rollergirls‘ Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City‘s Pink Pistols. Tickets at the door. (9646 17th SW)
WESTSIDE BURLESQUE REVUE: 9 pm at Skylark Café and Club in North Delridge – this month’s lineup in the calendar listing.
MORE NIGHTLIFE — live music, etc. – on the calendar!
West Seattle’s newest community council, Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights (WWRHAH), has formally announced its next meeting, with an open invitation to people from all over the area, since it’s a topic affecting just about everyone: Metro Transit. Some of the discussion points – both current situations and potential future cuts – are detailed in the preview on the WWRHAH website. Plenty of time to clear your calendar to be there – the meeting is at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, June 4th, at a bigger location than usual, the Chief Sealth International High School library (2600 SW Thistle).
P.S. Wondering about the WWRHAH boundaries? Don’t miss this lively “explanation.”
We’ve just finished covering the third and, it appears, final Seattle Police-led public meeting about the surveillance cameras they’ve installed along with a wireless communication system, paid for by federal Department of Homeland Security dollars. 
For those who are interested but couldn’t make the meeting – announced last Tuesday night, held on this pre-holiday-weekend Friday night – we rolled video on the entire meeting and will upload it when we’re back at WSB HQ. The attendees who weren’t media or police numbered about eight. A few toplines, right now:
*The system first envisioned as having 30 cameras will total 28 – an Alki Point site near the lighthouse didn’t work out technically, SPD says. As previously announced, they also dropped a camera planned for Golden Gardens, which is where tonight’s meeting was held. All but one of the 28 cameras are now installed; the 28th, in Shilshole just outside Golden Gardens, is awaiting a fix for a cracked pole. (At right, one of the two cameras in central Alki.)
*The southernmost camera, on Fauntleroy Way over the southbound bus stop by the ferry dock, might focus on traffic bound for the dock, by request of Washington State Ferries, but SPD says that agency’s request for view-only access to the cameras hasn’t yet been approved.
*The nine camera locations on/near the downtown waterfront are “temporary” and likely to change because of the tunnel/seawall construction.
*The e-mail account set up by SPD for feedback on the camera system – cameraquestions@seattle.gov – has received a total of “about 20” e-mails, 80 percent of them expressing opposition/concern.
Otherwise, the meeting followed the same format of the previous two, held in March on Alki and in Belltown, also led by Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh and Det. Monty Moss. SPD was also represented tonight by public affairs Sgt. Sean Whitcomb. What’s next: Mayor McGinn had said the cameras wouldn’t get the green light until a “thorough public vetting” had taken place so we’ll be checking with his office post-holiday-weekend. In the meantime, if you have questions or comments, the aforementioned e-mailbox remains open.
ADDED SATURDAY MORNING, 9:24 AM: Our meeting video is finally ready, and is now atop this story.
(Photo added Saturday morning – that’s Zade, assisting in The Junction)
Every year, on Memorial Day weekend, someone asks us where they can find memorial poppies – the little handmade flowers sold for years. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 president Shannon Connery shares advance word:
For more than 90 years, the American Legion Auxiliary has distributed the memorial poppy to remind Americans that millions sacrificed their lives and health to keep our nation free. The American Legion Auxiliary poppy is handmade by veterans who receive a small stipend for each poppy made. Memorial poppy contributions are devoted entirely to rehabilitation and assistance for veterans and their families.
American Legion Post 160 and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 will be distributing poppies throughout West Seattle over Memorial Day weekend.
Our schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 25, 2013: Alaska Junction, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday, May 26, 2013: Morgan Junction Thriftway, 10:00 am – 2:00 pmIn addition, you can find VFW Post #2713 members distributing buddy poppies at Safeway in the Admiral District on Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.
And as we mentioned earlier this week, the traditional Post 160/Forest Lawn memorial service is on again this year, 2 pm Monday.
The timing was a coincidence – but, just hours after the Skagit River I-5 bridge collapse, firefighters from Seattle and other metro-area departments were here in West Seattle, practicing skills they would need if faced with a disaster or attack requiring people to be rescued from wreckage and debris.
The “structural collapse and heavy rescue” training was at the Joint Training Facility, off Myers Way South in the city limits’ southern pocket east of White Center, north of Top Hat.
The facility is specially set up to facilitate training for situations that rescuers seldom get to see, but need to know how to handle:
SFD Lt. Frank Brennan offered more specifics:
According to the media advisory sent late yesterday by Seattle Fire, while this training is applicable to other types of rescue situations, it’s funded by a regional grant that’s part of the federal Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative. The program is described on a federal web page as involving “the unique planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.”
Another championship game happening tomorrow (Saturday, May 25th) – as shown on The Admiral Theater‘s marquee, and previewed here a week and a half ago, tomorrow is the day you can join the West Seattle Soccer Club for an open house and live screening of the 2013 UEFA Champions League final match between German powerhouses Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich. Doors open at 10:30 am and close when they reach capacity – but everybody’s welcome, first-come, first-served. No admission charge, but please bring a “kid-friendly food item” to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. One change from the original announcement, according to WSSC’s Tim McMonigle (who also shared the marquee photo) – the kids’ movie (for children not interested in the game) is now a free bonus showing of “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” one of the Admiral’s current films. It’ll start at about 11 am, and end around the same time as the match, which starts around 11:45, after 11 am preliminaries.
No daily preview today, so the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar is the place to go for what’s up tonight, including nightlife. One reminder about an event outside WS but potentially of interest: As announced earlier this week, it’s the third SPD public meeting about the not-yet-activated surveillance cameras installed from Fauntleroy to Alki to Shilshole (archived WSB coverage here). This meeting’s at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse, 7 pm tonight (map).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost 6 years after its abrupt closure, Chuck and Sally’s Tavern is getting new life.
Not under that name, though.
The owners of The Bridge at 35th/Avalon have just signed a lease to make the long-vacant building at California/Graham their new home.
The Bridge needed someplace to go because, as reported here three weeks ago, a long-dormant development plan for their current site has just been revived (with its second Design Review meeting scheduled for June 13, 3 1/2 years after the last one).
We talked with The Bridge’s co-owner Rita Dixson a short time ago, right after she briefed her staff on what’s ahead.
(TOPLINE: WSHS plays Auburn-Mountainview tomorrow, 4 pm in Pasco, for state 3A baseball championship)
(Sam Hellinger pitching the final strike of the game; photo courtesy Greg Slader)
11:45 AM UPDATE: As you saw “live” if you followed the tweets below – West Seattle High School won its state-semifinal game minutes ago, 3-1 over Mt. Si, and will play for the state championship at 4 pm tomorrow! (Their opponent, either Kennewick or Auburn-Mountainview, will be determined by a game at 1 pm today.)
Game recap to come – and archived video (thanks to commenters for finding it!) is here.
ADDED 1:06 PM: Photos and notes shared by Greg Slader:
The Offense popped for two runs in the First inning as Spencer reached on a Mt. Si error, Sam Hellinger doubled, and Tim Adams (photo above) drove them in for a 2-0 Lead. Two runs would be plenty as Sam Hellinger (top photo) pitched another complete-game gem. Ground ball after ground ball, West Seattle’s defense continued its excellent play, holding Mt. Si to Five hits and only one run.
4:13 PM: We now know their opponent: Auburn-Mountainview, which beat Kennewick 6-4 this afternoon.
****
EARLIER, 10:21 AM: The big game is on now, and parent volunteers are providing live play-by-play via Twitter, as West Seattle High School‘s baseball team faces Mount Si in the state 3A semifinal game. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can see the latest here:
The game’s being played in Pasco; the winner advances to tomorrow afternoon’s championship game. If you keep this page open, refresh to see the latest tweets on top.
We start today’s West Seattle Crime Watch with details on a street robbery – the type of crime that, according to what Southwest Precinct Lt. Pierre Davis told the WS Crime Prevention Council this week, has been on the rise in the area lately. A friend of the victim just e-mailed us with these details about what happened on SW Barton between 16th and 17th SW (map) about 11 pm last night:
The thieves sped up in an older dirty white Cadillac type car, jumped out, ran at the victim. They then hit the victim with a baseball bat and threatened to shoot him with a gun when he was on the ground. The victim only gave up his laptop when one of the youths went for something in his belt. They are two dark skinned African American youths between 17-20 years of age, skinny between 5 foot 9 and 5 foot 11. One was dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, white sneakers, in Ray Ban type sunglasses. The other was in a red hoodie, jeans, and wore a red bandana over his nose and mouth.
We’re expecting a little more information from police on this later today. P.S. Added information regarding the victim’s injuries: “Thankfully he didn’t have to go to the hospital. He is scraped up and traumatized. The alley they pushed him into has gravel. It tore up his hands, knees and elbows.” (added) Here’s the SPD Blotter report on this.
Now, on to two late-night/early-morning helicopter searches:
First, several notes this morning asked about one heard in the Alki area around 2:30 am today. The only call we could find on the log was described as “suspicious circumstances” in the 63rd SW/Marguerite Court vicinity (map). SPD media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson, looked it up for us: While there’s no formal report, because there’s no indication a crime was committed, he says someone called police to say there was a man standing in front of a house “holding a baseball bat and a flashlight, staring into the house. When asked what he was doing, he told the complainant ‘there’s a burglar in the house, but don’t call police’.” Someone did call police, and law-enforcement helicopter Guardian One happened to be in the area and heard that call, so joined the search. Eventually, though, no burglar was found, inside that house or anywhere else, and after about 20 minutes, the search ended.
Ahead, a Wednesday night helicopter search, three reader reports, and one bit of good news (added – also, a car-theft arrest report):
(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Lighter traffic, since this is the start of a four-day weekend for Seattle Public Schools. Looking ahead, a few notes:
-Monday, Metro and the West Seattle Water Taxi will be on Sunday schedules
-Next weekend (starting May 31st), weather permitting, the Delridge/Holden intersection will be closed for repaving
-Metro riders will be interested in the next Westwood Roxhill Arbor Heights Community Council meeting on June 4th – here’s the announcement.
As always, we’ll update here with any traffic issues in the hours ahead.
(Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation)
Congratulations to West Seattleite Judi Yazzolino, at center, who received the Arthritis Foundation‘s Inspirational Leadership Award during a benefit breakfast downtown on Thursday. She’s a board member for the group, as is Patrick Smith, photographed with her at left; at right is CEO Scott Weaver, who lauded Yazzolino’s work for the group, declaring, “Judi was instrumental in the creation of our Bone Bash and since its inception has served in a leadership role – during both good and challenging times. She is not shy about encouraging her friends, colleagues and contacts to step up their support.” That’s a skill that also serves her professionally, since she serves as development director of the West Seattle Food Bank. But her interest in working toward a cure for arthritis is also personal – the organization explains that she has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 25 years: “Because I feel so fortunate, I am determined to do whatever I can to help find a cure for this awful disease.”
| 4 COMMENTS