West Seattle, Washington
20 Wednesday
More wildlife sights on West Seattle beaches today, as the lowest tide once again was minus three feet, and then some. Thanks to WSB’ers who shared photos – above, Machel Spence‘s photograph of what she explained was “a rare and sweet find at low tide … an opalescent a frosted nudibranch, I don’t see these very often except for the very low tides.” The next photo is courtesy of Jen, who said she and her daughter spotted it (among other creatures) while out this afternoonn. She added, “It was so much fun and beautiful out there.”
(Do you know what that is? We don’t!) Tomorrow’s low tide won’t be as low as the past two days, but still excellent for tide-walking depending on the weather – forecast right now as “partly sunny” – it’ll be minus 2.8 feet at 2 pm.
As the county gets closer to building a million-gallon underground storage tank across the street from Lowman Beach Park, in hopes of reducing combined-sewer overflows from Murray Pump Station, the project’s next Design Advisory Group meeting has been announced: 6:30 pm Thursday at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW). The county has linked meeting-related documents from its calendar page, including the agenda, the project timeline through this December, and a “preliminary design feedback summary” – find it all here.
Meet Lauren. She’s been working to learn more about bees, which are so vital to our environment … and yet, to some, so scary, or at least mysterious. She has an idea to help other learn more about them – but she can’t make it happen alone – so she would like to pitch her idea to you, and find out what kind of support is out there:
Seeking fellow West Seattle Neighbors interested in supporting an observational/educational beehive in High Point!
My name is Lauren Englund and I live in the High Point Community. I am also a member of the High Point Neighborhood Association … and I have an idea. I would like to apply for a Department of Neighborhoods Grant (or similar) for the construction of an observational beehive enclosure within one of the park spaces in High Point (perhaps something similar to the enclosure already installed at Bradner Gardens Park). Beehive enclosure’s help to minimize disturbance to the bees, heighten the flight path of the bees (to minimize human/bee interaction), and protect curious children from getting too close to the hives.
ORIGINAL 1:43 PM REPORT: So far we’ve gotten reports from Pigeon Point and Puget Ridge that some are without power. City Light‘s “system status map” happens to be down right now for maintenance, but we have a call out to the utility to find out more about what’s going on. Please let us know if you’re reading this via something battery-powered because the outage is affecting you too.
1:53 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from Scott Thomsen at City Light. He says the outage is affecting 2,061 homes/businesses. They’re not sure about the cause but he says dispatchers got a report of “balloons in the wires” somewhere in the area – and if that’s the problem, he says, it should be a quick fix (p.s., Scott adds, please DON’T release balloons, especially the mylar ones, they’re bad news for power lines); if that’s not the cause, it may not be so quick. The boundaries SCL lists – which are never precise, so this does NOT mean everyone in this area is powerless, nor does it mean no one is without power outside the “boundaries” – are Brandon SW on the north, SW 106th on the south, 21st SW in the west, 10th SW in the east. In comments here, and via the WSB Facebook page, we’re also hearing that part of West Marginal Way South – which is part of South Park – is affected too.
2:18 PM UPDATE: Thanks for all the updates. Some in Highland Park report their power’s back on. Haven’t heard from other areas yet.
4:21 PM UPDATE: No formal followup info from SCL yet but more people have reported getting their power back. The “system status” map is back too and indicates one lingering trouble spot, in Puget Ridge.
Heading back from checking out an unrelated story early this morning, we noticed these signs stretching along a couple blocks of Beach Drive SW immediately south of the disputed slide slope, creating a no-parking zone for “construction” later this week. Coincidentally, we had just inquired hours earlier with the City Attorney’s Office about the status of the legal fight over the slide site, and while we’re still awaiting that information, we asked SDOT if this is work related to that site. Answer: No, but it IS work to repair the rocky stretch of Beach Drive just south of there, replied spokesperson Marybeth Turner. She says the dates have changed, too – though the signs said May 9-11 when we checked them early today, according to Turner, the work is now set for next week.
2:34 PM UPDATE: We do now have that update on the legal fight over the slide-plagued slope that is now held behind a block wall (though water continues leaking onto the road, as we saw today, days after the last rain, with puddling right across from the semi-new BUMP warning sign):
The legal fight involves multiple parties that filed claims and counter-claims, including upslope homeowners, streetfront homeowners, and the city; its status isn’t available online, but City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Kimberly Mills told WSB today, “We have a mediation scheduled for the end of the month and hope the parties can resolve the issues.”
With just nine days to go till the West Seattle Helpline‘s “Taste of West Seattle” food-and-drink-fest fundraiser, Helpline executive director Tara Byrne has an announcement:
In order to remain compliant with Washington State law, it is now mandatory that those attending the Taste of West Seattle be 21 and over only. We apologize for this inconvenience and have advised people [affected] who have already purchased tickets to contact Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 for a full refund. Those over 21 that want to taste what West Seattle establishments have to offer can still buy tickets at www.tasteofwestseattle.org. Attendees will be required to have IDs at the door.
Tara says there are 15 more food/beverage participants this year than last, and there will be more room at The Hall of Fauntleroy too, with an additional “tented area” and room.
A few notes as this Saturday’s 8th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (245+ sales, 9 am-3 pm, all over the peninsula!) gets closer …
PREPRINTED MAPS: If you absolutely have no access to a printer to print your own copy of the “printable” map (linked on this WSB page, right above the clickable/zoomable “online” map), we have made a limited number of copies and dropped handfuls off at three local coffeehouses: Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW), C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW and, like Hotwire, a WSB sponsor), and Bird on a Wire Espresso (SW Henderson just steps west of 35th SW). Hotwire (#125 on the map) and C & P (#183 on the map), remember, both are “group sites” for individual sellers who didn’t have enough space or merchandise for their own standalone sites, so you’ll want to visit them on Saturday, and while there’s no sale at The Bird, Saturday includes a sale at the Gasco station site right across 35th (#175 on the map)!
SNEAK PEEKS, AND WHO’S LOOKING FOR WHAT: With sale day so close, we’ve invited sellers to post more info/photos, if interested, on the WSCGSD Facebook page, and shoppers are also invited to post there if they’re looking for something specific. (For example, the West Seattle Tool Library plans another tool shopping spree that day, and its wish list is on its website, if you are selling any of those items or know someone who is.) The WSCGSD Facebook page is also where we’ll post any news of last-minute cancellations or other changes – you will find those on the WSCGSD page here on WSB, too, but if you use FB, that’s the one and only place devoted ONLY to the big day.
BENEFIT SALES: Browse the 7 pages of listings in the “printable” map version and you’ll see more than a few marked BENEFIT SALE – big sales benefiting community events, schools, youth groups, service clubs, health research, a church, an animal-rescue group, a P-Patch, and more. We expect to publish a few breakout lists over the next few days before sale day.
‘STAMP OUT HUNGER’ DONATIONS: And please remember, whether you’re a shopper or a seller (or doing something else on Saturday, for that matter), please consider donating to Stamp Out Hunger, postal carriers’ annual nationwide door-to-door food drive – leave a bag of nonperishable food by your mailbox or door (if that’s where your deliveries come) before you head out on Saturday morning – it’s an easy way to help in the fight against hunger.
Story and photos by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Nick Parisi of Highland Park plans to open the doors to Athena’s restaurant today at 11 am.
We first told you three months ago about the plan for the newly designed Greek-themed spot (across from Fire Station 11 at 16th and Holden, in the original home of Zippy’s Giant Burgers, now in White Center) will also be the brick and mortar commissary for Athena’s food truck [reported here by WSB].
(Anemone photographed by “old desolate,” shared via the WSB Flickr group pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
DONUT TRUCK DEBUTS: As reported here on Monday, Lucky Devil Doughnut Co. – whose specialties include the Portuguese treats also famous in Hawaii, malasadas – makes its first appearance, 8 am-2 pm at the Uptown Espresso lot in The Junction (California/Edmunds).
ONE MORE CHANCE TO EXPLORE AT LOW-LOW TIDE: Today’s low tide – minus 3.3 feet at 1:11 pm – is almost as low as yesterday’s – and Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out again, south of Alki Point and near Colman Pool in Lincoln Park, 10:30 am-2:30 pm.
ATHENA’S OPENS: 11 am today, the enterprise whose truck has been out in front of the ex-Zippy’s location at 16th/Holden in Highland Park for the past few months will open the sit-down café. We’ll have a preview up by 9:15 am.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS CONCERT: The Debut and Intermediate Orchestras‘ “Stepping into Spring” concert is tonight, 6:30 pm, at Chief Sealth International High School‘s auditorium (2600 SW Thistle) – details here.
DINE OUT TO SUPPORT THE FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: Part of tonight’s proceeds at Endolyne Joe’s, 5 pm to close, go to help keep the annual festival free.
ALSO IN FAUNTLEROY: 7 pm at the schoolhouse (9131 California SW), the Fauntleroy Community Association board has its monthly meeting.
IN ADMIRAL: The Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s monthly meeting happens on the second Tuesday too, 7 pm, lower-level meeting room at Admiral Congregational Church (California/Hill).
STANDUP-PADDLEBOARDING RACE: Every Tuesday night through mid-September, Alki Kayak Tours at Seacrest hosts a 7 pm race – details on the calendar.
TRIVIA THAT ROCKS: 8 pm tonight at Feedback Lounge (6451 California SW; WSB sponsor), where you can admire the new outdoor landscaping before/during/after playing trivia (with prizes!).
BABY KETTEN KARAOKE: It’s here just once a month, and tonight’s the night at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW), 9 pm.
STARLITE SONGWRITERS’ NIGHT: A weekly tradition at Shadowland in The Junction, 9 pm.
CHECKED OUT THE GARAGE SALE DAY MAP YET? This Saturday, 9 am-3 pm, it’s the 8th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (coordinated by WSB), with more than 245 sales on the map, which you can see – in a clickable, zoomable online version, AND in the printable PDF version – by going here.
(WSB photo of 2011 West Seattle Grand Parade)
Organizers of the West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade – the one that thousands watch every July as dozens of floats and bands and community groups walk and roll and march down California SW – say they’ll have to cancel it if nobody steps up to contribute $3,500 so they can cover the costs. We’ve mentioned the donation drive earlier this year; here’s the latest from parade co-coordinator Dave Vague:
We want to thank everyone in the community who has donated to help put on the West Seattle parade so far this year, however, we’re still $3,500 short of the funds needed to put the parade on this year. As you know, we now are responsible for the cost of the street barricade signs and the bid has come in at $7,000, and so far we have only been able to raise half that amount. If we are unable to raise the additional money needed by June 1 we need to cancel the parade this year.
This was to be the parade’s 79th year, and as added excitement, it includes a 5K run before the start.
We are in desperate need in finding a sponsor or donor for the remaining funds by the end of May.
If anyone would like to donate or become a parade sponsor, contact Jim Edwards (wsbigband@ureach.com) or Dave Vague (vagued@comcast.net).
You can donate online via the official parade website, too. If you’ve missed our previous coverage – this is the second year the city has required groups to pay the cost of street-closure barricades; last year, the quote was about $3,000, and this year it’s up to $7,000. The parade does not charge entry fees and changing that wouldn’t help, because then they would have to pay more to get a different type of permit. If the parade doesn’t get canceled, it’s set for July 21st.
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: Forgot to note that one of the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day sales this Saturday is a benefit for the parade – it’s sale #140 on the map, at parade-presenting American Legion Post 160, 3618 SW Alaska in The Triangle.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
It’s post-season time for high-school baseball – and both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School played their first tournament games today, both here on the peninsula. One other thing they had in common: Both got shut out, Sealth losing to Bishop Blanchet 2-0 (photo below), WSHS losing to O’Dea 10-0 (photo above).
It’s a double-elimination tournament, though, so both will get another chance.
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
It’s the newest one, and the smallest one. A little patch of grass by a utility pole outside the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction is there for the convenience of passers-by and their pooches. It’s also one of two new features you can admire during the SEVENTY-DEGREE SUNSHINE! expected for Saturday’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, with The Feedback among the participants, putting on a Rock ‘n’ Roll Garage Sale (read more on their website) – they’ve also spruced up the spot where a tree came down last year:
Feedback general manager Bradi Jones dubbed it the “Sound Garden” in her note to us this afternoon, explaining, “Gia Griffitts [pictured], Tim Jones, and I just got done with revamping the front patch where the tree (s) had been, in front of the bar! We made it all nice and fresh! AND Rockin’! Of course!” Go have a look on Saturday while visiting what is Sale #210 on the official WSCGSD maps, now both available via this page here on WSB (including the printable 12-page PDF with the full listing of sales; also check out the WSCGSD Facebook page, where we are publishing updates and where sellers are invited to post more info and photos before Saturday, while buyers are invited to post if there’s anything special they’re looking for).
There’s been no offseason for Seal Sitters this year – which means the volunteer marine-mammal protectors/educators/admirers have been wildly busy. If you’ve thought about joining them, here’s your last chance before things get REALLY busy again. From Robin Lindsey:
Seal Sitters MMSN will hold our final new volunteer training session on Saturday, May 19th at the Alki Bathhouse (2701 Alki Ave SW next to the Statue of Liberty). There will be a lecture/AV presentation from 10am-12. Following a 30-minute break, there will be a followup on-the-beach training lasting approximately an hour. Due to time constraints as pupping season arrives, we will not be able to hold another training until after the season ends. We hope to see folks who want to help protect marine mammals attend the training – and please rsvp to reserve a spot:
blubberblog.org/files/f1e2561025a2bc8063238a9180e25086-368.html
We encourage children to get involved in this empowering experience! Shown in the photo here is new volunteer 10-year-old Casey with her mom Dana and veteran volunteer Christine, looking after a pup at Lincoln Park.
A major round of West Seattle/White Center-area Metro changes that have been under discussion for months – with some revisions along the way – is now official. The King County Council gave its approval this afternoon to the changes summarized here (with a West Seattle-specific overview here), and they’ll take effect as West Seattle RapidRide launches September 29th. Read on for the official county news release:Read More
(2011 WSB photo of ‘The Hole’)
Once Trader Joe’s opened on the northeast corner of 39th/Fauntleroy/Alaska, the “what will we all talk about NOW?” attention turned, for some, to the northwest side of the intersection, home to “The Hole,” the project known as Fauntleroy Place when it was excavated and then entangled in a court fight. That battle ended with a settlement that resulted in a foreclosure auction last October, with 3922 SW Alaska LLC as the only bidder – an entity of Madison Development. Since then, though, nary a word about what Madison – which recently completed the Element 42 apartments east of Admiral Safeway – intends to do with “The Hole.”
For quite some time, we tried to find out through the PR agency that had been speaking for Madison. They said they’d see what they could find out – but no updates ensued. Finally today, while working on various followups, we tried contacting Madison’s Tom Lee directly. His reply was short, but full of promise:
We are still working very hard on the project and hope to have an update for you soon.
As for the site’s DPD file, the only even-remotely-recent activity has been a renewal of permits in late March.
Thanks to Alice Kuder for that photo and word that the fence is finally coming down from around the big open field at what some dubbed “Denny Park” – the former Denny International Middle School site that now holds playfields and tennis courts (and is technically just an extension of nearby Southwest Athletic Complex, all Seattle Public Schools-owned). It’s been four months since the site officially opened for public use.
In case you saw/heard this from east-facing West Seattle, or South Park and vicinity: Seattle Fire had a big response to Airgas (near East Marginal/14th South) earlier this afternoon; it was at first an explosion call, then reduced to “hazmat,” and no one was hurt. We have the story on our partner site The South Park News.
(WSB photo from 2011 ‘Stamp Out Hunger,’ donation-sorting at Junction post office)
Since it coincides with West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day each year, so we always ask that you donate to the Stamp Out Hunger food drive before shopping/selling that day – your Postal Service carrier will pick up donations of nonperishable food left by your mailbox or (if you have a mail slot) door. But here’s another way to help Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday – Audrey from White Center Food Bank sends word that volunteers are needed at the Westwood Village Post Office to help with the donated food:
Help Food Lifeline and help the White Center Food Bank. White Center Food Bank gets thousands of pounds of food from this every year…..
Volunteer at the 2012 Stamp Out Hunger food drive! Stamp Out Hunger is the county’s largest one day food drive. With the help of the National Association of Letter Carriers, we at Food Lifeline are striving to collect over 500,000 pounds of non-perishable food in the greater Seattle Area.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Watch for the blue bag in your mailbox for the nation’s largest one-day food drive, Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday, May 12th. Fill your bag with healthy non-perishable food and leave it by your mailbox so your letter carrier, Food Lifeline and White Center Food Bank can make sure it reaches hungry people in your community.
Food Lifeline is recruiting 170 volunteers to serve at 17 postal stations around Seattle, Bellevue and Mercer Island. We’d love to encourage White Center folks to lend a hand at the Westwood Post Office – of all the remaining stations, Westwood is in need of the most volunteers – 14 spots!
Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to volunteer this May 12th (especially at Westwood Post Office) to help end hunger in Western Washington!
Food Lifeline told us last week that the Junction Post Office already has all the volunteers it needs. If you can help at Westwood – find out how by going here.
Under the pilings alongside Cove Park, the pocket beach north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, we were “seeing stars” at the tide’s lowest point about an hour and a half ago. We went to Cove Park because soon it will be off-limits for two years of pump-station work. Our favorite sight: The tracks made by a small sun star:
If you watched the star itself, you could barely tell it was moving, but the tracks in the wet sand showed its progress added up (a handy thought for those projects that seem to take forever). Tomorrow afternoon’s low tide will be almost as low as today.
Two more food trucks on the West Seattle scene:
LUCKY DEVIL DOUGHNUT CO. DEBUTS TOMORROW: This one makes its first West Seattle appearance tomorrow at the “pod” in the Uptown Espresso parking lot in The Junction, 8 am-2 pm. Lucky Devil is not just about doughnuts as you know them – the signature dish for this truck, according to the news release we received, is the malasada, a fried and sugar-dusted Portuguese creation that is wildly popular in Hawaii, where Lucky Devil’s owner/founder, chef Josh Goldman, lived for 10 years. According to the news release we received from Lucky Devil, they’ll sell you a malasada for a buck. They will also have rotating selections from the rest of their donut menu, which includes everything from a POG (orange-filled donut with guava and passion frosting, also Hawaii-inspired) to Babe the Blu Ox (maple bar with bacon) to the namesake Lucky Devil (chocolate cake dipped in ghost chili-chocolate glaze, with cherry-red drizzle). You can buy donuts in singles, half-dozen, or dozen. By the way, you can track the Uptown food-truck pod at wseattleeats.com (though we notice Lucky Devil’s not there yet – Hallava Falafel has been added for Thursdays, though!). Lucky Devil, meantime, is on Facebook, here.
NEW TACO TRUCK ON ALKI: You might already have spotted the La Playita truck at the beach, since it’s been there about a week:
La Playita is set up in the Alki Auto Repair lot. Jeff shared the photo (THANKS!) and reports that “the tacos are very good.” (No web or FB page for this truck that we can find.)
More movie news: Just reported by our friends at Beach Drive Blog: “Ira Finkelstein’s Christmas,” partly shot in West Seattle last year (remember the palm trees on Alki, standing in for Florida?), will be screened during this year’s SIFF. BDB has the dates and other links. (As reported here on Sunday, the SIFF lineup also includes a short film by West Seattle photographer Bob Venezia.)
(WSB photo from August 2011)
On this sunny day with the temperature headed for the 70s, it’s a perfect time to dream of summer … a time for getting out of the house as much as possible, even on those summer nights, which six times a year bring the much-awaited West Seattle Outdoor Movies to the big screen in the courtyard next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) – fun FREE events with food, music, and benefit raffles throughout the season, too, with community co-sponsors including WSB. Movie time is a little over two months away, and planning has begun, so movie mastermind and Hotwire proprietor Lora Swift wants to hear which movies you would like to see this summer. Keep in mind that the movies need to be family-friendly – doesn’t mean just “kid stuff,” but nothing TOO adult – and you might want to take a minute to consult the lists from previous years before offering your suggestion:
2011’s movie lineup: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Airplane, Despicable Me, Jurassic Park (1), Toy Story 3
2010’s movie lineup: Mamma Mia, War Games, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wayne’s World, Up, Star Trek
Any further back, and it’s probably fair game to come around again if there’s a demand for it, so suggest away, by posting a comment here!
(Thanks to David Hutchinson for the goose-and-gosling photo; click it for larger view)
Happy sunny Monday! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
WESTBOUND SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT OVERNIGHT CLOSURE, BUT NOT AT THE USUAL SPOT: SDOT is NOT closing the ENTIRE westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – just a short section right at 99 – but that still means, if you are taking the westbound West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill, you cannot take it all the way to West Seattle; you will be detoured down the Harbor Island ramp and will have to take the “low bridge” the rest of the way. Again, this is a late-night/early-morning closure scheduled to start at 9 pm each of the next four nights (as announced by the city last week).
LOWEST TIDE OF THE MONTH: If you can get out on the beach, today’s low tide, just before 12:30 pm per our favorite chart provider, is -3.4 feet, just before 12:30 pm. The Seattle Aquarium‘s volunteer beach naturalists will be out south of Alki Point and on the Lincoln Park beach near Colman Pool, 10 am-2 pm.
WSHS, SEALTH IN BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: The Metro League‘s postseason tournament starts this afternoon and West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School are both playing today (thanks to Chris for the tip) – WSHS vs. O’Dea at 3:45 pm at Hiawatha, Sealth vs. Blanchet at 6 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex.
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: The WSCC‘s 3 pm meeting at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) is themed “fruits and vegetables” – make something and bring it to share!
ADMIRAL DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: The semi-new organization for Admiral businesses meets at 4 pm at the Heartland Café‘s Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way).
DESC PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: The advisory committee for DESC‘s 66-unit Delridge Supportive Housing project at 5444 Delridge Way SW meets again tonight, and this time they will get an update from the project’s architects; the agenda is here, and the public is welcome = 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
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