West Seattle, Washington
07 Thursday
Earlier this week, we listed scheduled open houses/tours at local high schools. Now, here’s the info we have about what’s planned at local middle schools (6th-8th grades unless otherwise described):
DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Evening Open House for Prospective New Families: February 9, 6:30 p.m. F
Daytime Tours: January 31, February 8, and March 1 from 8:00 to 9:10 a.m. All are welcome – no appointment needed.
EXPLORER WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL (WSB sponsor)
Update from EWMS: “Although the 2012-13 Admissions season has concluded, ongoing admissions applications will be accepted and reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For more information about the Admissions Process, please visit: www.explorer-west.org or call 206-935-0495.”
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Open house: January 29; 10 am-1 pm
HOPE LUTHERAN SCHOOL
Open house: January 31, 7-8:30 pm (flyer here)
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tours: 6-8:30 pm February 2nd, 8:30-10:30 am February 9th and 16th
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Open house: 9 am-1 pm January 29th
PATHFINDER K-8
Middle-school open house: 6-7:30 pm February 7
Middle-school tours: 8:30-9:45 am February 8, February 13, February 16
WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI/WEST SEATTLE ACADEMY (WSB sponsor)
Open houses: 1-3 pm January 21, 6:30-8 pm February 2.
WESTSIDE SCHOOL (grades 5, 6, 7; WSB sponsor)
Drop-in tours on Wednesdays; more info on this page
If you’re affiliated with a local school and see something missing/incorrect, please let us know so we can add/fix it – for schools that hadn’t sent us announcements of their plans, the above info is gleaned from their websites.
(Photo courtesy Laura Elfline)
On the second Thursday every month, the West Seattle Tool Library invites do-it-yourselfers to not just come check out tools, but come get free expert advice on projects/ideas you might be pursuing or considering – now or in the future. And tomorrow’s the January edition. From the announcement:
Our coaches have expertise in a variety of areas, including solar power, water harvesting, green architecture & building, permaculture, and urban gardening. This month’s lineup includes experts from: Mighty House Construction, Urban Land Army, Solar Epiphany, LD Arch Design, Alki Bike and Board, as well as members of our community at large
These open and informal community meetups offer an opportunity to bounce project ideas off fellow DIYers and maybe receive some advice in the process, if you like. It’s also a great time to show off what you’ve been working on. You bring your inspiration and your inquiring minds. We’ll bring the experts and the pizza! See you there!
The Tool Library is on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
(Photo courtesy Fritz Araya)
Early registration is now open for the Spring 2012 PONY Baseball season with West Seattle Baseball, which sent an announcement explaining that it’s “a brand-new youth-sports organization in West Seattle created from the merger of West Seattle Pee Wee Baseball for players 5 to 10 years old and Southwest Pony Baseball, for players from ages 11-19.” Full details ahead:Read More
Aside from “when will the West Seattle Trader Joe’s open?” a top question landing in the WSB inbox at least once a week has been: “What’s the old Bohemian turning into?” 
Thirteen months after it closed, and 4 1/2 months after it was sold, we’ve continued trying to find out. Our reporter on the case has left messages, business cards, etc. No reply. We’ve received recent reports that work crews have been sighted at the 3405 California SW storefront, but there are no permits on the DPD log – might just mean they’re not doing enough work to need them. However, intrepid reader Jodee has discovered a name for the enterprise: West City Sardine Kitchen, according to state records (there’s a city business license in that name too). The names include the same person whose name eventually turned up on the deed, the owner of Bick’s Broadview Grill in the north end. Could just be a working title. But for the tidbit-hungry, that’s the latest, for now.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Just made the daily check of liquor-license applications – and even as we were publishing this story yesterday, the owners were applying for a liquor license as West City Sardine Kitchen, it turns out.
Though The Kenney (WSB sponsor) scaled back its redevelopment plans, one element that remained was a specific center for people with Alzheimer’s/dementia. That center, the Memory Care Community, is now about to welcome its first resident, according to an announcement today from The Kenney, which also invites you to an upcoming open house – read on:Read More
The City of Seattle’s online map lineup has a new addition. Not only can you find development projects, traffic times, and 911 calls on city maps, you can now look up street trees. For example, if you zoom to 35th SW, you can click on the dark-green tree cluster and find out about the famous European Hornbeams (the trees, shown in our 2009 photo above, just before getting special attention a couple years back from a group of professional arborists who donated their time and talents). The new map (explained here) comes just as the city gets ready to consider a new street-tree ordinance (find it here), as we reported here and here.
Tomorrow night is West Seattle Art Walk (6-9 pm, all over WS). That’s not the only time you can enjoy art around the peninsula; new work is put up in local businesses all the time. Like images by young photographer Audrey Strevey, at Red Cup Espresso in The Junction, with part of the proceeds from any sales going to charity. Her proud mom Beth Bakeman sent us news of the show – as well as the photo above, and this bio that Audrey wrote:
Audrey Strevey is 9 years old. Taking photos has been her passion her whole life, and she recently acquired a Nikon D70.
Her new dog, Stirling, pushed her to go to the Westcrest dog park and discover her true talent, animal photography.
Audrey is pleased Red Cup Espresso is displaying her photos and hopes there will be more opportunities in the future.
She is donating 50% of her profit to PAWS, the animal shelter where her two 4-year old cats came from, to give thanks and show her appreciation.
PAWS is a champion for animals—rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals and people.
First bit of news from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual membership meeting, just wrapped up in High Point (full meeting report later): Senior Center of WS director Karen Sisson (at left, with Chamber board chair Dave Montoure) stood up and requested support for a bill that 34th District State Senator Sharon Nelson is co-sponsoring on behalf of the center and others like it. SB 6076 would create a new type of liquor license for senior centers. Sisson says her center started the year $86,000 in the red and could make more money at its fundraisers if it had a liquor license – particularly evening events such as dances and the popular Rainbow Bingo. They’re not looking to open a bar, she stressed, though she said that if this goes through, the board might consider selling beer/wine at their upstairs café. Alcohol sales at fundraisers, however, would be the main goal. The full text of the bill is here; it just had its “first reading” today and goes next to the Senate’s Labor, Commerce, and Consumer Protection Committee (If you would like to contact that committee’s members with an opinion on this bill, they’re listed here.)
(WSB photo by Tracy Record)
It’s nowhere near the scale of “The Hole,” but this once-stalled West Seattle development project now has new ownership and has finally been completed. It’s “Harbor Work Live,” designed by Junction-based Nicholson Kovalchick Architects, built in the 2400 block of Harbor Avenue SW (between Salty’s and 7-11). The permits were granted back in 2006; exteriors appeared mostly complete when the project suddenly idled a ways back; there they sat, obviously missing some final touches, for many months. Now they’ve been purchased and completed, and instead of being sold, they’re available for lease, and immediate occupancy, according to the agent representing them, Jacob Menashe. We met him at the site for a quick tour. On the corner (Harbor/Fauntleroy) is a space where he says they’re hoping to attract a small café that might appeal not only to nearby residents but also to pedestrians on the Harbor/Alki trail:
(Next two photos courtesy Jacob Menashe)
That space, Menashe says, could either be leased just for the ground-level retail – or with the living space above. (The units in the back not-street-front row are four stories, and almost 2,000 square feet.) Depending on whether they are leased separately or as live-work, there’s up to 19 units on the property, all with garages and decks, and an industrial-modern interior:
Views, too. There’s more info on individual units – including prices and photos – on the project’s website.
The dry, clear weather is great for views, but also has led to this: A “Stage 1” burn ban takes effect at 4 pm today for all of King County (among other parts of the metro area) – that means your fireplace/woodstove, too. Read on for full details from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:Read More
As usually happens this time of year, we’ve received e-mail asking about volunteer opportunities in West Seattle for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day – which is celebrated next Monday. So far, we have heard from the Nature Consortium, which is hosting “a Weekend of Service,” with events in the West Duwamish Greenbelt on Saturday and Monday. Mouse over those days on the calendar on this page of the NC’s site to get full details. Anyone else looking for volunteers for MLK Day – either Monday, or the preceding weekend? Please let us know and we’ll add the info here! (And if you doing something impromptu like these local kids did last year, let us know about that too!)
By Karen Berge
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The Downtown Emergency Service Center‘s (DESC) Delridge Supportive Housing project was the major discussion topic at the North Delridge Neighborhood Council (NDNC) January monthly meeting on Monday evening.
This first meeting of the new year, held at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, kicked off with brief introductions and reflections on New Year’s resolutions from the 15 neighborhood attendees. After that, meeting business quickly got underway. The very full agenda also included a proposal for a new committee on Community Design and Land Use; details about today’s North Delridge Walking Tour with City Council and SDOT representatives; information about potential Bridging the Gap grant projects; discussion of the recent request to the city regarding an update to the Delridge Neighborhood Plan; and other items and announcements.
First, since it’s about an event happening today:
NORTH DELRIDGE WALKING TOUR:
Jake Vanderplas, NDNC Transportation Committee chair, briefed the group on
details about the North Delridge walking tour set for 3-4:30 pm today (meet outside the Delridge Community Center). Tour participants will include City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, representative(s) from SDOT, members of NDNC, and any other interested Delridge neighbors or others who wish to attend. Issues include large and small items relating to bike, pedestrian, transit or driving safety (for example, a Walk-signal button that doesn’t activate the signal light when pressed). If you know of additional issues or sites that should be addressed/visited on the tour, they suggest that you post a comment on their site. A new pedestrian issue that was brought up during this meeting is an asphalt sidewalk with a mailbox positioned inconveniently in the very center of the walkway.
We hear traffic is worse than usual again today. Certainly the sunrise would have been some distraction an hour ago; no other obvious causes, but we’re still monitoring. Thanks to Brian for sharing the photo via Twitter. As for the day/night ahead – from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
BRIDGE CLOSURE SCHEDULED: Fauntleroy Expressway overnight closures
AT THE LIBRARIES: Seattle Public Library story times – here’s the citywide list, including what’s happening in West Seattle today.
GOT A LITTLE ONE? Baby Peppers class starts up! 10:30 am at Bright Horizons in The Triangle. Details here.
ANNUAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING: West Seattle Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, 11:30 am, Neighborhood House‘s Neighborhood Center in High Point (details here). If you haven’t already RSVP’d, contact the Chamber ASAP to see if there’s still room.
WALKING TOUR TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN NORTH DELRIDGE: Take a North Delridge walking tour with city reps, 3 pm; meet outside Delridge Community Center, more info here
LIVE MUSIC AT AVALON: Pourquoi Pas plays tonight, 6:30, at Avalon (which is celebrating its first anniversary this month).
GO GREEN IN THE NEW YEAR: West Seattle CoolMom meets: We’ll be discussing our New Year’s resolutions for greening our lives and lowering our carbon footprints. Bring your stories and ideas. We’d love to hear what you did in 2011, how you did it, and what you’re looking forward to in 2012. 7:00 – 8:30 pm at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor, 5612 California SW).
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 34th District Democrats meet, The Hall at Fauntleroy, 7 pm. Here’s the latest agenda information.
If you’re in or near Arbor Heights and wondered about the sirens – Seattle Fire sent a big response to what was reported as a garage fire on 31st near 97th (map), but canceled most of the units within minutes, declaring the fire “tapped.”
Story and event photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“Toys and food — everybody gets that,” says longtime WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli of his photographic series featuring food and tiny human figurines. It’s making a splash worldwide and here at home, as an exhibition titled “Big Appetites” opened at a downtown gallery.
Christopher’s show at Winston Wachter Fine Art began with an artist reception last night. Inspired by media depictions of tiny people, from “Gulliver’s Travels” to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” he’s been playing with the imagery concept for the past few years, but it’s only in the past few months that their popularity has “exploded” — especially internationally, since a first wave of European interest last spring.
“The ‘tiny things’ fascination crosses cultures,” says Christopher. “There’s a God-like feeling that comes from playing with small toys. The size disparity draws people into a different world.” Christopher’s photos will soon be showing in galleries in London, Brazil, and Monaco.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Mary, who tried a simple tactic to stop would-be thieves:
About 2:00 (Tuesday afternoon) I heard a vehicle stop in the alley next to my home, (in the Westwood neighborhood) and looked out to see 2 men taking something heavy from my neighbors’ yard and loading it into their pickup truck. Just as I got outside and to the alley, they were driving off, but stopped when I spoke to them. I asked if they had permission to take “that thing.”
Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A continuing passion for helping homeless families drew more than 30 attendees to an “exploratory, fact-finding” meeting Monday night at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) by members of the board of Family Promise of Seattle, the shelter program that recently closed.
Representatives from a wide network of churches and non-profit groups, many of whom had worked with Family Promise, shared their questions, concerns, ideas and enthusiasm. People representing Alki UCC, Admiral UCC, Fauntleroy UCC, Hope Lutheran, Operation Nightwatch, Union Gospel Mission, Church of Mary Magdalene, Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Catholic Community Services, and two Queen Anne churches (among others) were among others at the meeting interested in listening and speaking with the FP board members about possible solutions and synergies to provide services to more homeless families in the future.
The rate of families becoming homeless continues to rise. Mary’s Place, a downtown day shelter that provides services for homeless women and children, has seen a staggering 300% increase in families coming through their door in 2011. A speaker from Hope Lutheran stated they “would like to continue helping in the format we have been helping in. 100 families were helped in West Seattle at Christmas; 1 in 5 of those families were homeless. We had families who were in a tent city, others were living in their cars. I hope we can continue to be helping keep families intact.”
What would you do if you found cash just lying out in the open, absolutely no hint as to who had lost (or left) it there?
Times are tough. You can imagine that many might at least fleetingly consider keeping it.
But a WSB reader we’ll call Texasgirl – her Forums handle – decided to find the owner of the cash she and her boyfriend discovered. She e-mailed us:
My boyfriend & I were out walking (Sunday) afternoon at about 1 PM, and we found quite a bit of cash laying on the sidewalk on Admiral, on the bridge over Fairmount Avenue … It’s enough money that we’re sure the rightful owner is missing it. These are tough times for many out there, and we know this could be someone’s grocery money or rent money. If someone can identify the amount and denominations, we’d like to arrange to return the money to them. If the rightful owner isn’t located, we’re planning to donate the cash to a worthwhile charity.
We e-mailed back to suggest they contact police, and post in the WSB Forums, where lost/found notices are welcome (aside from pets, which have their own page). So they did. And it worked.Read More
King County Wastewater Treatment Division has announced the next meeting of the Design Advisory Group for the Murray Pump Station Combined Sewer Overflow project: This Thursday, 6:30 pm, Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW). Their summary:
The public is welcome to attend. The group will review initial architectural concepts and the project team will discuss how the design concept reflects the community’s input. The project team is seeking the DAG’s initial input now so that it can be incorporated into any larger revision efforts that will also take into account interior design work while also reflecting feedback from WTD’s Operations staff and SDOT.
The planned overflow-control project involves razing the residential properties on the east side of Beach Drive across from Lowman Beach Park – once the county owns them all – and building a million-gallon underground storage tank. As laid out in the newest timeline document, demolition on the site is planned later this year, with construction starting next year.
This morning’s snow shower – of which we have video proof! – was not forecast. But the brand-new forecast just out continues to strongly suggest we might see some by weekend’s end. This forecast mentions possible “rain and snow showers” for Sunday as well as Monday (King Day, which means no school, among other things).
The fate of the ex-76 station at Fauntleroy/Alaska has entered a new phase: A fence went up this afternoon, with a “No Trespassing” sign and a note directing anyone interested to contact a California company for information. You might recall that the station was being converted from a 76 station to an Arco station about a year ago, and then abruptly shut down. Back in August, after notes from neighbors upset that the site was continually being trashed in ways big and small, we reported that it had been cleaned up – and that its owner told WSB he didn’t expect to reopen it, and thought it would soon be “taken over by a bank.” (Here’s that story.) We can’t find any evidence of that in public records, but we have a message out to the company whose number is on the sign on the new fence. This gas-station site, incidentally, is part of what the City Council just rezoned to 85-foot-maximum-height development (20 feet higher than before).
Meantime, you might have noticed the land-use sign up on the kitty-corner Shell station; it was briefly up for sale last year, but is now in the process of getting approvals for underground tank replacement.
We mentioned this morning that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was headed for Bremerton – and lots of folks subsequently watched as it headed past West Seattle shores in the past hour and a half or so. Bob A shares the above photo, taken from North Admiral, and also looked up its stats:
1,002.9 Feet Long
134.1 Feet Wide
Draft: 40.9 Feet Deep
Gross Tons: 109598
Net Tons: 55350
Built: 2003
The Kitsap Sun reports it’ll be at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a year of maintenance and that its homeport has been “administratively” changed to Bremerton for that duration, so that the families of its 2,500 crew members can join them here. (We’re expecting to add another photo or two later.)
ADDED 6:40 PM: Here, actually, are three photos. First two are by Greg (thank you!) – including the view that a commenter described earlier, wondering about the cars on deck; third, with the ferry, is by WSB’s Patrick Sand.
The Kitsap Sun has an updated story on the carrier’s arrival, and photos from that side of the Sound, here.
(Monday photo by Christopher Boffoli)
So many people have offered to help in the wake of yesterday’s fire (WSB coverage here) at the West Seattle home of Furry Faces Foundation‘s Teri Ensley, there’s now a coordinated list of what she, the group, and the cats (one died because of the fire) need. Thanks to Sara Riehl from AARF, another local animal-advocacy group that works closely with F3, for compiling it. We’ll link this in our BIG STORIES list on the sidebar so you can find it again later, and will add any changes in the days ahead:
(ADDED TUESDAY NIGHT) PayPal donations for emergency-relief fund: furryfaces.org/donations
(BACK TO ORIGINAL TUESDAY MORNING LIST) This weekend Kitty Harbor is hosting an adoption event for 60 cats. This event will be benefiting Teri and Furry Faces Foundation. They have 20 kittens, 20 teenagers and 20 adult cats up for adoption. It runs from 12-6 pm Saturday, and Sunday the 14th and 15th.
We will also keep you posted but are trying to put together a fundraiser for Teri and Furry Faces Foundation sometime this week at the Feedback Lounge.
Local businesses accepting donations:
Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW)
Muttley Crew Cuts (4200 SW Admiral Way)
Kitty Harbor (3422 Harbor Avenue SW)TERI’S PERSONAL LIST
Costco Gift Cards – She purchases most of her clothes there.
Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans Size 8
Calvin Klein Jeans/Pants Size 8
Her work is Business Casual, and she wears size 8 pants, medium top. She wears a size 7 ½ to 8 shoe, she loves flip flops and has most likely lost her favorite pair of red cowboy boots in the fire. She shops at PCC and Thriftway grocery store, she currently has Mac and Cheese and Stew from the Feedback Lounge but does not have any other food (she does have pots, pans and plates where she is staying)TERI’S PERSONAL CAT/FOSTER CAT WISHLIST
Dog houses, dog igloos, cat/dog beds
Canned cat food- I know people asked for specific kinds so see the list below:
· Anything that Pet Elements sells
· She has a diabetic cat who can only eat wet food that is high in protein
· Her cats like: Turkey, Chicken, and Beef flavors
· Wellness
· Natures Variety
· By Nature
· Nutra source
· Taste of the Wild
She does not currently need any more cat litter; she had amazing donations come in alreadyTERI’S WISH LIST FOR FURRY FACES FOUNDATION
· Cat trees
· Cat collars
· Cat leashes
· Dog collars
· Cat food
· Dog food
· Cat beds
· Cat toys
· Dog toys
As she has written in comments, Sara reiterates that Teri is thankful for the outpouring of support and has been heartened to read the words of encouragement both here and in direct e-mail: “She is blown away by the amount of support she has had, and is so grateful to live in such a wonderful place.”
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