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One less fire truck based in West Seattle after Sunday
June 28, 2012 10:39 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB photo of Ladder 13 and crew at scene of recent South Park fire)
The extra fire truck added to West Seattle in February of last year will be gone after this Sunday. So say multiple sources who called and e-mailed to tell us that Ladder 13, based at Highland Park’s Station 11, will be taken out of service as of Monday morning, leaving Engine 11 alone at the station.

Ladder 13’s primary purpose, as explained when it first arrived, was to make sure West Seattle would be adequately covered despite the fact Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work complicated WS Bridge access for the emergency units that come from the other side of the bay when there’s a major incident. Now, the new 1st Avenue South onramp is available for emergency vehicles – per a newly installed sign on the westbound SSV. (However, last year it was also explained that Ladder 13 would help cover South Park, which won’t have fast access from crews east of the Duwamish till the new SP Bridge opens more than a year from now.)

The eventual end of Ladder 13 – commissioned just for this task, not a pre-existing truck number moved from elsewhere – was mentioned here back in February, when it was a topic of conversation during our stop at Station 11 on Neighbor Appreciation Day. The fire station is supposed to get a seismic/safety upgrade soon – as explained here – and we were told in February that would happen after Ladder 13’s departure. The timetable is one of the things we’re asking SFD about for a followup, but in the meantime, if you see Ladder 13’s crew out and about in the next few days, you might consider taking the opportunity to say thanks for their West Seattle/South Park service.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: We had asked SFD some followup questions. Spokesperson Kyle Moore notes that West Seattle’s “permanent ladder truck,” Ladder 11, will continue to be based at Station 32 in The Triangle, staffed by a four-person crew. Regarding South Park, he says:

South Park is served by Fire Station 26 located at 800 South Cloverdale Street. The station is staffed 24 hours a day with four firefighters and a fire engine.

The loss off Ladder 13 will have a nominal impact on the response times to the South Park area. The Seattle Fire Department looked at response times with the bridge closure in order to ensure the residents of South Park received the same level of medical and fire care. Our analysis shows that response times were not significantly affected by the bridge closure.

He also notes that the Station 11 work isn’t likely to start before early 2014.

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Updated: Upcoming bridge (etc.) closures for the first week of July
June 28, 2012 7:40 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(EDITOR’S NOTE: No 99 closures this week, so this stands as the official “this week’s closures” list for July 1st and beyond ** UPDATED 7/2 to add 7/6 bridge-exit closure)

SDOT has announced next week’s plan for Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project-related closures – including a weekend-long westbound SSV closure scheduled for late night Friday, 7/6, till early morning Monday, 7/9. Full list ahead:Read More

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Treetop ziplining at Lincoln Park? City mulls commercial partnership
June 28, 2012 3:11 pm
|      256 COMMENTS
 |   Lincoln Park zipline proposal | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON with opponents launching Facebook page)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Ziplining from treetop to treetop is a hot ticket for vacationers in various spots around the U.S., and elsewhere in the world.

Now it might be coming to a forested public park near you.

WSB has learned that the Seattle Parks Department is talking with a private company called Go Ape about installing a “Treetop Adventure Course,” including ziplining and “Tarzan swings,” at West Seattle’s Lincoln Park.

According to a PowerPoint presentation circulated by the company and shown to us by a source, Go Ape would charge around $55 a person ($35 for youth, its website says) for a 2+-hour turn, with sessions launching up to 14 people every half-hour.

The proposal has yet to be announced publicly, but the Parks Department has been considering it since at least March, according to e-mail chains last summer, according to documents also forwarded to us, and the first open public presentation is planned for a community-group meeting next month.

Read More

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Lowman Beach sewer-overflow project: Permit-commenting time
June 28, 2012 1:17 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

King County has formally applied for the land-use permit needed to build a million-gallon underground tank across the street from Lowman Beach Park to reduce combined-sewer overflows from nearby Murray Pump Station.

Six homes and small apartment buildings, all of which have been vacated, will be demolished to make way for the project. The application was announced in today’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and it triggers a new public-comment period – according to the notice, if you’re interested in commenting, you have until July 11th – here’s how. The bulletin also includes a notice of a different permit application related to the project, a “Shoreline Substantial Development” application; its comment deadline isn’t until 7/27, and you can comment here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Auto theft; 2 car prowls
June 28, 2012 12:47 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

3 quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes this afternoon: First, Jeff‘s black Highlander with gray leather interior was stolen Sunday in the 8600 block of 36th SW and hasn’t been found yet – so if you see one that appears out of place in your neighborhood, please call police. Next, two car-prowl reports on opposite ends of West Seattle, this one from Lauren:

Just thought that this might help others in the area. My car window was broken and my purse, which was shoved under my seat and covered, was stolen from Westcrest dog park at approximately 1 pm today. The officers that responded to my call stated that there was another similar car break-in at the park last week at the same time.

And another car-prowl report was posted in the WSB Forum – member “WS Born” reported that her daughter was parked along Harbor Avenue near the 7-11 around 6 am Wednesday, went for a run, and came back to find a window smashed and “items stolen” from her car.

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Siren Song Wines: Welcoming a new West Seattle Blog sponsor
June 28, 2012 11:20 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS beverages

(8/14 note: To check whether a business is still a current WSB sponsor, please go here)

This morning we welcome West Seattle’s own Siren Song Wines as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what winemaker Kevin Brown (at right, with Holly Brown) would like you to know about Siren Song – which is part of a special event at a local restaurant this Saturday:

Siren Song Wines is a boutique winery in West Seattle specializing in premium varietals and blends. We’ve won multiple awards including a gold medal for our 2009 “A Night in Madrid” at the 2012 Washington Wine Competition.

Our customers love the high quality and variety of wines that we make. For example, we made 7 wines in 2009, which is challenging for a small winery. They also love the advantages of our wine club.

We belong to the Seattle Urban Wineries group. We are partnered with many West Seattle restaurants including La Romanza, Phoenecia, Pizzeria 22, and Blackboard Bistro, as well as with Bin 41 and West Seattle Cellars.

Siren Song Wines is online at sirensongwines.com. They are also part of the Roast Pigapalooza event at Blackboard Bistro this Saturday:

This will be the party of the summer – one that you don’t want to miss! We will be roasting a whole pig, presenting various small plates, and sipping delicious wines. This will be very “West Seattle casual.” Chef Jacob Wiegner will be preparing this wonderful, imaginative dining experience. Kevin Brown of Siren Song Wines will be presenting a tasting of three wines from his 2009 vintage. Price: $30/person plus tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, call (206) 257-4832.

We thank Siren Song Wines for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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Highline Medical Center exploring ‘affiliation’ with Franciscan Health System
June 28, 2012 9:42 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Though it’s based in Burien, Highline Medical Center has clinics in West Seattle – where it’s starting work in The Triangle on a new home for its Urgent Care Center – so its announcement this morning is of potential interest to local patients. Highline says it’s looking to join forces with another regional health-care organization:

Highline Medical Center in Burien and the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System announced today they have agreed to explore a strategic affiliation.

Read More

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Update: West Seattle’s Constantine, Cody, McDermott on health-care ruling
June 28, 2012 8:12 am
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

You’ve probably heard already that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of of President Obama’s health-care law (here’s what it means for our state). The first West Seattle politician to comment is King County Executive Dow Constantine – his statement, ahead (10:25 AM UPDATE – we also have heard from West Seattle’s State Rep. Eileen Cody and County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and are adding their statements after Constantine’s):Read More

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West Seattle Thursday: Fruit fundraiser; Design Review; ‘Shop Late’
June 28, 2012 6:57 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(An Alki Ave.-crossing river otter, in Alex‘s photo, shared via Guy – who’s photographed one too)
From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

TRAFFIC ALERTS FOR TODAY/TONIGHT: From our day-by-day combined list of closures: The closure of eastbound surface Spokane St. between 4th and 6th continues all day today and all night. Southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 will close again tonight, 9 pm-5 am. (And another reminder, it’s scheduled to close 11 pm Friday-9 am Sunday, too.) We don’t have word from SDOT whether the SW Alaska rechannelization work will continue today, but if you are Junction/Triangle-bound, be ready to possibly wade through a construction zone.

BENEFIT CHERRY SALE: As previewed here Tuesday, the parents of a Green Lake woman fighting a brain tumor plan to set up alongside Emma Schmitz Overlook (on Beach Drive across from Me-Kwa-Mooks) 11 am-1 pm today to sell cherries to raise money for her ongoing expenses. (Here’s an update on what type of cherries they’ll be selling.)

WADING POOL UPDATE: Depending on the weather, this is scheduled to be opening day for the Delridge wading pool. Check the hotline at (206) 684-7796 to see if the city will open its pools today (it did yesterday!).

FIREWORKS SALES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS: They’re banned inside the Seattle city limits, but if you’re reading this in White Center or another part of unincorporated King County, personal fireworks go on sale at noon today, but can only be used – in the areas where they’re legal – on the 4th of July.

TEEN SKETCHBOOK/FAN ART: 12-18-year-olds are invited to bring their work to the Southwest Library today (35th/Henderson), 1-2 pm. Details here.

‘SHOP LATE THURSDAY’ IN THE JUNCTION: 6-9 pm – participant list here, including Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) and Twilight Artist Collective teaming up on a T-shirt sale – promising lots of cool art-print designs, 20 percent off. Also: Sweetie Boutique is celebrating its 9th anniversary, 7-10 pm, with a sale and raffles.

DESIGN REVIEW MEETING FOR 3829 CALIFORNIA SW: A proposed 30-apartment building gets its Early Design Guidance review before the Southwest Design Review Board at 6:30 tonight, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). Here’s our report from last week, including a link to the design “packet.”

WEST SEATTLE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: This month’s WSDW meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course is Movie Night, with “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy,” the Valerie Plame Wilson story, at 6:30 pm, followed by a discussion, preceded by dinner/hors d’oeuvres. If interested, call ASAP to see if there’s still room – contact info and other details are here.

XANADU, NIGHT 2: ArtsWest‘s youth-apprenticeship musical based on the roller-disco movie skates across the stage for its second night, 7:30 pm.

BURLESQUE: 9 pm at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW) – check for online ticket availability (or buy at the door).

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West Seattle weather: Sights in the sky, and what’s ahead
June 28, 2012 4:55 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

In case you missed them … some of the Wednesday end-of-day cloud formations appeared to have been brushed across the sky. Thanks to Karen White for the top photo; Michele Smith took the next one from Shorewood:

End result at sunset time, from Debra Salazar Herbst:

As for today – the forecast suggests rain will return, though not before afternoon/evening.

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Federal coyote hunter in West Seattle: ‘Fact-finding mission,’ says boss
June 27, 2012 9:19 pm
|      64 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

coyote2.jpg

(April 2008 WSB photo – the only coyote we’ve ever seen near our Upper Fauntleroy HQ)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When we first reported two nights ago about an apparent federal coyote hunter/trapper appearing in the south West Seattle neighborhood of Seola Beach, after coyotes attacked pet dogs this spring, we promised a followup.

We’ve made a lot of phone calls. We’ve noticed others picking up this story and turning it into something different.

The story here isn’t the fact coyotes are in a West Seattle neighborhood. As you know if you’ve been here more than a few years, they’re in just about every neighborhood here – and elsewhere in the city, and many other cities in the country.

The story remains the revelation that you can hire a federal agency – the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Wildlife Services division – to come in and kill coyotes in your neighborhood. This may not be new, but it’s little-reported, so far as we have found through multiple exhaustive online-archive searches.

If you missed our previous story – a man we have since confirmed is indeed a Wildlife Services agent turned up in Seola Beach on Sunday night. Neighbor Garry e-mailed us about it, saying the man was asking about coyote sightings and saying he was from the federal government and, Garry went on, out to “find/hunt and probably dispose of at least one, perhaps two, coyotes that have been getting too close to humans.”

Some key information following Monday night’s story has come from commenters – especially Beth‘s reminder that she e-mailed us about the reported dog attacks two months ago. She also shared the letter that was being circulated in her neighborhood. We found it, unopened, in our e-mail archives; Beth had written at the time that her neighbor said it was OK for us to share. It read:

Most of you already know about the aggressive coyote problem that we are having. A couple of weeks ago your neighbor took her dog outside in front of her house at 11 pm for the last evening’s potty break and 2 coyotes attacked and killed the dog in front of her. This week another dog was attacked and killed while on a leash walking in the evening.

What you may not know, and what I did not know, is that no one is really responsible for controlling coyotes–even if they attack a human. The police will come if you call 911 during an immediate attack.

The US dept of agriculture and wildlife regional office in Mill Creek recommends we hire a government trapper/hunter for a fee of $1200. The trapper that specializes in West Seattle is Aaron Stevens, (phone # omitted). Aaron says that other communities have formed a co-op to fund the USDA coyote hunters.

This is what Aaron has informed me: Once the individual coyotes have learned humans are no threat, they become more and more bold/aggressive/frequent in their attacks. Our 2 coyotes probably have a litter of pups nearby that they are feeding and producing milk for; they will teach their young that humans are nothing to fear. They can attack anything under 25 lbs, including a child. He will hunt these two aggressive coyotes and remove them. Other coyotes may move into their place but will behave as normal fearful community coyotes, like we have always had. This is how he will manage the population. Once he is paid, he will continue to track the population as he gets reports from us, police, neighbors and nearby individuals.

Aaron is the name recalled by Seola Beach resident Garry, whose note to us on Sunday night is what led to our first story. While we didn’t have a name to check during our first conversation with Wildlife Services on Monday, we did when we called back this afternoon, and they confirmed that’s one of their agents.

Here’s what else we found out – not just from the federal agency, but also from the city:Read More

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3 weeks till West Seattle Outdoor Movies 2012: Poster debuts!
June 27, 2012 7:45 pm
|    Comments Off on 3 weeks till West Seattle Outdoor Movies 2012: Poster debuts!
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies


This year’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies poster is out – one of the fun summer promotional posters you’ll see around town over the next few months. And it gives us a chance to remind you of the lineup. It starts with a special pre-season, adults-only Friday night benefit event on July 20th – “50/50,” admission with a suggested donation to support Thrive Through Cancer, a West Seattle-headquartered nonprofit. The following six movie nights are free, all ages, Saturday night showings, as always:

JULY 21: “Pretty in Pink“; preshow entertainment by “Bobcat Bob” Rice

JULY 28: “Young Frankenstein”; preshow entertainment by jump-rope ace Rene Bibaud

AUGUST 4: “Lion King“; preshow entertainment by Louie Foxx Magic Show (plus a free community barbecue)

AUGUST 11: “Iron Man“; preshow entertainment “secret musical guests” (!)

AUGUST 18: “Yellow Submarine“; preshow entertainment “Trivia With Jessie” (from Skylark Café and Club)

AUGUST 25: “Top Gun“; preshow entertainment “secret musical guests” (plus free pizza)

These events all happen in the courtyard between Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) and the dental building that’s home to Dr. Heidi Horwitz, DDS (WSB sponsor) and Dr. Gerald Wolff. Movies start at dusk, with the gates opening a couple hours ahead of time – don’t show up at the last minute, it’s usually a hot ticket! (P.S. The poster is by Riverbed Design.)

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One week till 4th of July! Can you help with The Junction’s flags?
June 27, 2012 5:23 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from July 4, 2011)
It wouldn’t be a patriotic holiday without the American flags lining California SW through The Junction. But a little help is needed this time around. From the just-circulated West Seattle Junction Association e-mail newsletter:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP PUT UP FLAGS IN THE JUNCTION!

The Junction Association puts up flags on all appropriate occasions. The Junction’s handy-man Don has been putting up flags for years, but health issues have made repeated trips up and down the stairs increasingly difficult for him.

So, who wants to help Don on the 4th of July?!

The volunteer job includes meeting him at 7:30am to put them out, and 6pm to put them away. The job includes lots of stair walking since the flags are stored in the basement of the Cupcake Royale building.

We are looking to create a list of interested people, so if you’d like to be called upon for this 4th of July or in the future, please e-mail Liz Schroeder at liz@wsjunction.org or call 935-0904.

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Tonight: ‘Xanadu’ at ArtsWest; Highland Park Action Committee
June 27, 2012 4:27 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

This day got off to such a running start, we never published the daily preview. Here are two happenings of note:

(Photo courtesy ArtsWest)
XANADU OPENING NIGHT: ArtsWest‘s youth-apprenticeship program is ready to roll with tonight’s debut of “Xanadu,” 7:30 pm, first of more than a dozen performances between now and mid-July. Yes, it is indeed based on the roller-disco movie that starred Olivia Newton-John! Come cheer on an energetic cast of on-the-rise young performers. (Online ticket purchasing here – for tonight, just go to the box office.)

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: HPAC sent out this preview for its monthly meeting, which it dubbed “Sustainable Highland Park“:

Please join us (tonight) to hear about green home incentives, and how to get rebates for all kinds of fun stuff for your Highland Park property like rain gardens (using the water that falls on your own roof or driveway), cisterns, energy assessments, and energy upgrades. We’ll have a series of speakers from King County, Sustainable Seattle, Seattle Public Utilities and Community Power Works.

Meeting at 7 pm at the Highland Park Improvement Club on 12th and Holden, but come early to meet your awesome neighbors at the 6:30 potluck.

And a few other events are on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar, which you can check any time.

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West Seattle businesses: Dress Barn closes at Westwood Village
June 27, 2012 2:52 pm
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Thanks to Colette for the tip: The women’s-clothing chain Dress Barn has closed its West Seattle location. The chain is owned by Ascena Retail Group, which made some recent acquisitions elsewhere in the women’s-clothing business and also announced it’s shutting down Fashion Bug (which is what Dress Barn used to be); we couldn’t find anyone at corporate HQ to discuss this closure, but Westwood Village management confirms that the store cleared out after deciding not to renew its lease. No one is locked in to take over the space yet, but they’ve had some interest.

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West Seattle traffic alert: SW Alaska rechannelization work
June 27, 2012 12:48 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

There’s been so much road work around West Seattle the past few months that you might not have even paid this much heed, but SW Alaska through The Triangle and Junction has extra work going on today – it’s the final phase of the work to rechannelize SW Alaska, linked to the RapidRide bus line starting in September. We already mentioned the parking removal that started taking effect earlier this month; now they’re working on the lane changes – our photo shows the crew that was installing overhead signage for the lane changes. Here are the toplines, from an SDOT news release published here in April:

· Install an eastbound business access and transit Lane (BAT) between 42nd Avenue SW and 40th Avenue SW

· Install a westbound BAT lane between Fauntleroy Way and 42nd Avenue SW

· Remove parking on the north side of SW Alaska Street between California Avenue SW and 42nd Avenue SW and north side of SW Alaska Street between 41st Avenue SW and Fauntleroy; remove parking on south side of SW Alaska Street between 42nd and Fauntleroy

· Install a westbound left turn pocket at California Avenue and SW Alaska Street

· Install an eastbound left turn pocket at 42nd Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street

· Install a westbound bicycle lane between Fauntleroy Way and approximately 30 feet west of 41st Avenue SW

This has all been in the works for more than a year; SDOT announced its decision last September.

3:32 PM UPDATE: WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli photographed some of the road-surface work that’s also going on:

We asked SDOT why there wasn’t a traffic-alert notice about today’s work, since they usually send alerts about something this significant. From spokesperson Peg Nielsen:

Work on the transit priority corridor in West Seattle is ongoing. Some work has been difficult to schedule in advance due to variable weather conditions. We expect the work will take another week or two before rechannelization changes are implemented, and are working on an update to send out tomorrow, including signage and pavement marking.

SDOT did send out an overall advisory when RapidRide work started weeks ago, but this round seems to be affecting traffic more than some of the other components, such as bus shelter and curb bulb installation.

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Junction development: Oregon 42 site aerial; 4515 41st for sale
June 27, 2012 11:25 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Two notes this morning from the east side of The Junction:


(Click picture for larger image)
Thanks to West Seattle pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen for that new aerial of the Oregon 42 site at 42nd/Oregon, where excavation is now under way, following demolition of the remaining three homes on the site. It’s had development plans since 2008, but the first round stalled and a revised proposal was unveiled one year ago; nothing happened till last month, when a fence went up and we confirmed with the site’s San Diego owners/developers that they were about to begin. The homes were demolished in late May. The project is planned for 131 apartments.

Immediately east of that same block, a potential development site has just gone back on the market:

That’s 4515 41st SW, in a (newly added) photo by WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli. He also photographed the site in 2007, following development proposals including an idea for a park-and-(car)pool facility. (City files show a 7-story apartment-building proposal was canceled in 2010.) The 2007 $1.5 million listing apparently did not yield a sale, as county records currently show no changes since the current owners bought it for $925,000 in 2005. Today, a tipster points out its brand-new listing for $2.8 million, with the description: “Fantastic development site right in the heart of the West Seattle Junction. Zoned LR3 and in the West Seattle Junction Hub Urban Village and Frequent Transit Corridor. Possible 70+/- units …” (Before you comment on the price comparison, please note we haven’t verified whether it’s the exact same lot size as the previous proposal – just that it’s the same street address.)

P.S. Also in the 4500 block of 41st, a relatively small townhouse project is up for “streamlined administrative design review,” which means no board meeting, but its design packet is publicly available online.

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Update: Shell drillships leave Harbor Island – Arctic-bound
June 27, 2012 8:51 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

FIRST REPORT, 8:51 AM: Thanks to Christine for the first tip (and to everyone else who’s alerted us since!) – the Shell-owned drillship Kulluk has left Harbor Island, where it’s undergone what’s reported to be $100 million work at Vigor Shipyards, being prepared for a controversial new round of Arctic oil exploration. It arrived at Vigor almost a year ago – while the much-photographed SBX was still there (it had to move out briefly for Kulluk to move into place, as we reported that day). Right now, it’s being accompanied by Aiviq, the icebreaker whose arrival we showed you on June 2, when Greenpeace Esperanza was here too, watching for the Shell rigs’ departure. The rig that arrived later, Noble Discoverer, is still moored at Vigor right now. As noted here Monday, those three ships and others are now under a federally granted protection order for a 500-yard “safety zone” while they are in transit. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting this group as it heads slowly westbound in Elliott Bay.

9:47 AM UPDATE: Thanks to Karyn for that earlier view from downtown, with Colman Dock in the foreground and West Seattle in the background. The flotilla is heading northwest now, about two-thirds of the way through the bay, still visible from north-facing West Seattle shores but getting more distant.

9:54 AM UPDATE: The Noble Discoverer has left too and is quickly catching up to the rest of the flotilla.

It arrived at Vigor in early April (WSB coverage here).

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Roadside cherry sale planned Thursday to help brain-tumor patient
June 26, 2012 11:12 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Thanks to Angela for e-mailing tonight to share the news about a roadside fundraiser planned for Thursday at Emma Schmitz Overlook along Beach Drive. 31-year-old Jessica Oldwyn, who lives in Green Lake, is in the third year of fighting a brain tumor, and writing about her fight online. As she writes in a recent entry, she has an experimental treatment coming up, and the ongoing fight is costly – so her parents are going to sell organic cherries to raise money to help. They plan to be at the waterfront park 11 am-1 pm this Thursday (and as Jessica writes, other locations later).

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32 West Seattle ideas start 2nd round of park-levy Opportunity Fund
June 26, 2012 7:55 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The Parks and Green Spaces Levy passed by Seattle voters three and a half years ago included an Opportunity Fund for community-generated projects and acquisitions – and the second round of projects is now starting to make its way through the pipeline. The levy’s Oversight Committee is chaired by West Seattle’s Pete Spalding, who says that last night’s committee meeting yielded some numbers: 112 letters submitted for potential projects, 87 of which would be “development” – new Parks facilities – and 25 “acquisition,” new Parks property. West Seattle and vicinity had the largest number of letters of interest turned in – 32; second most was from the northwest section of the city, 22. The next step is the formal application process, with a September 17th deadline, after technical-assistance workshops to be scheduled during the summer; the full timeline is here.

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Update: TV helicopter in White Center/Highland Park area
June 26, 2012 5:36 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | White Center

5:36 PM: Receiving lots of calls/texts about a helicopter over White Center/Highland Park. Witnesses say it’s Channel 7 TV, which subsequently said via Twitter they were checking out an “unconfirmed” report of a possible drug bust in the area.

5:43 PM UPDATE: We checked with King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, who says she’s working to get more information about a search warrant in WC.

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Make history! Show off before thousands of West Seattleites! Float Dodger 5K registration party Sunday
June 26, 2012 4:20 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

In three and a half weeks, you can make history by being part of the first-ever West Seattle Float Dodger 5K – a run/walk right before the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade, reminiscent of the Torchlight Run preceding the Seafair Torchlight Parade. If you haven’t registered for the Float Dodger 5K yet, you can have fun doing that during the registration party at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) this Sunday. We asked WS Runner’s Tim McConnell for a few more details on what they’re envisioning the Float Dodger will be like:

The race is 75 minutes before the start of the parade. The course starts at West Seattle Runner (Charlestown and California), goes north and turns around at Lander. There may be a float (or two) parked in the middle of the road we will have to run around.

From there, it’s south on California to Edmunds for the second turnaround, then heading north on California to West Seattle High School’s southwest parking lot (just north of Hanford). The parking lot is the finish area, where we will have vendors giving out products to the participants. We will also be announcing the top 3 finishers of the race, male and female, plus the winners of the costume contest.

The race is open to everyone; runners, joggers, walkers, dogs, cats, even kids! There is a time limit, and those in the back will be getting followed by the vehicles that deliver the floats, hence the name Float Dodger. If you are slower than 4 mph (15 minutes a mile), then you may be asked to finish on the sidewalk, but you will be able to finish. A steady pace walking will keep you in the race and on the course, so you don’t have to run any of it to be able to complete the entire distance. The start time means that there will be a good amount of your West Seattle neighbors lining the course waiting for the parade.

100% of the profits benefit West Seattle Rotary and the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society. We are still looking for sponsors; call West Seattle Runner for more details.

And this Sunday, you can sign up – and ask questions – noon-4 pm, at WS Runner. Get $5 off your registration fee, enter prize drawings, check out the massage booth, and share in a birthday cake for WSR co-proprietor Lori McConnell! WSR is upstairs on the northwest corner of California/Charlestown. (P.S. If you’re worried about running and not having a place to watch the parade – WSR says there’ll be a special viewing zone for participants.)

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West Seattle development: Youngstown Flats continues to rise
June 26, 2012 2:27 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Development | West Seattle news


(Click photo for larger view)
In North Delridge, the Youngstown Flats development at 26th and Dakota is almost at its full six-story height, as our newest aerial view from West Seattle pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen shows. Its 190-plus units are scheduled to open next spring; the design approval and permits originally were obtained under different ownership, and then the project idled – before groundbreaking – until Legacy Partners and Barrientos LLC stepped forward last year. There are two components to the development that you don’t often find – one is that they’re working to turn the SW Dakota “street end” to the north into a pocket park with access to Longfellow Creek; the developers’ latest update mentions that the North Delridge Neighborhood Council is planning to seek a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant to help fix it up, and NDNC is looking for volunteers to be on a project committee – here’s more on their site. The other is their ongoing “artist engagement program”; we reported on one acquired piece in April, and the developers have announced that they’ve chosen two more artists to create work for the lobby – Michael Harrison and encaustic artist Patti Bowman.

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