West Seattle, Washington
08 Monday
Less than twelve hours till the West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160, and tonight we’ve heard from two of the new participants – Above, Patrick from Sustainable West Seattle shared a shot of SWS and Alki Bike and Board crews “putting the finishing touches on Trikeceratops, our human & solar powered float for the Grand Parade.” And Debbie Stern e-mailed to say her daughter Becca Stern, a student at Madison Middle School, is “so excited to get to march in front of her home town”:
Becca (center, in red poncho) is captain of the Li’l Señoritas, the younger squad affiliated with La Señoritas, drill teams that are marching in the West Seattle Grand Parade for the first time. (Debbie notes that unlike La Señoritas, Li’l Señoritas do NOT have sabers!)
If you missed our earlier parade previews – scroll down this page for our entire (newest-to-oldest) WS Grand Parade coverage archive; the parade starts at 11 am from California/Lander and proceeds southbound on California to Edmunds at the south end of The Junction. The road closes a couple hours ahead of time, and side streets in the Admiral area on both sides of California are staging areas, so note that even if you are not going to see the parade, cars and buses will be affected till early afternoon. We’ll be out in the staging areas with advance coverage here on WSB tomorrow morning, and of course full coverage afterward.
P.S. Two more notes – we’re reminded that the motorcycle drill teams roll as early as 10:30, so don’t wait till the last minute to get your parade spot along California. Plus, the Kiddie Parade from Calif/Genesee gathers at 10, and if you’re anywhere near there, $3 gets you a hot dog or veggie dog from Furry Faces Foundation‘s Dogs 4 Cats at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor, and parade participant, 4410 California SW), 11 am-1 pm.
Finally finally finally… the forecast looks great for a weekend full of outdoor summer fun – and 
Alki Art Fair (co-sponsored by WSB this year for the first time!) is a big part of it, on the beach, both days. Besides the 29 musical acts (here’s our preview, with the schedule) and artists/vendors, a highlight this year is the Alki Bathhouse Centennial Celebration – with vintage swimsuits (like the ones worn by Gaea Singer and Log House Museum manager Sarah Frederick, at right) on display Saturday afternoon – volunteers wearing suits from the Seattle Goodwill Vintage Fashion Collection will parade along the Alki promenade 1-4 pm tomorrow, with a fashion show on the main music stage at 2:30 pm. The Art Fair itself starts at 10 am both days this weekend – around the bathhouse and down the promenade – inside the bathhouse, you’ll find a silent auction, 11 am-4 pm both days – and remember, kids get to help paint a mural!
If you drove 35th SW in the High Point area in the past half-hour or so – you might have seen the “flash mob” dancers on the sidewalk north of Walgreens, part of the West Seattle Health Fair, continuing till 8 pm. (added) Here’s the video:
There’s a “healthy food” tour at the drugstore – which carries fresh produce – and the nearby High Point Market, as well as a bigger concentration of activities, including free health testing, a few blocks away in the parking lot behind High Point Neighborhood Center (Sylvan Way and Lanham):
Entertainment, too.
Almost forgot the traditional end-of-week link to SDOT‘s roundup of weekend traffic alerts around the city! This time around, the West Seattle Grand Parade is part of it (tomorrow morning!). The city has the entire list here.
Metro is thinking about closing the bus stop on Columbia downtown just east of Second Avenue (map), which serves several routes headed this way. So, in case that’s where you catch the bus – or if you have an opinion as a driver, bicyclist, or pedestrian – we’re publishing their call for comments – read on:Read More
For the first time in more than three months, the proposal to restore/reconstruct the historic-landmark Alki Homestead (originally the Fir Lodge) will return to the city Landmarks Preservation Board‘s Architectural Review Committee next week. This will be its fourth review before the committee, which holds informal reviews with project teams – multiple times, if they request it, as has been the case here – before they take proposals to the full board for a vote. Two and a half years now have passed since the fire that ravaged the Homestead’s interior; here’s our report on the most recent review of the proposal to restore/reconstruct it for use as a restaurant/banquet facility (our full coverage archive is here). This next review is listed as a “briefing on proposed building elements condition survey”; it’s set for 9:35 am next Friday (July 29th) on the 40th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower downtown.
South Seattle Community College just announced a prestigious honor for a faculty member: Dr. Yilin Sun, full-time tenured faculty in Basic & Transitional Studies, has been chosen as a Fulbright Senior Scholar for next academic year. The SSCC announcement says Dr. Sun will spend that year in Taiwan, handling training for Fulbright English Teaching Assistants as well as seminars for graduate students, and she will join in curriculum and assessment initiatives at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. Dr. Sun is described in SSCC’s announcement as “a recognized leader in curriculum development for adult English to Speakers of Other Languages programs and teacher training.” She has a long list of honors and accomplishments (listed on this SSCC webpage). The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
(Video substituted at 1:04 pm for original photo)
Thanks to tipster David for sharing word that the 55-foot-tall chimney (or smokestack, if you prefer) at the old Denny International Middle School was about to come down. We’ve been staked out all morning waiting for the work to start, and just after 11, it finally did. It’s not an implosion, and you’re not going to see any huge section come tumbling down all at once if you come out – a giant piece of equipment is chewing away at the stack, a few bricks at a time. But it’s a spectacle for the rest of the crew, which had paused for lunch by the time this got under way after an equipment hitch:
The new Denny, adjacent to nearby Chief Sealth International High School, officially opens in September; the old school site will hold a softball field, tennis court, an open playfield, and some park-type features like play equipment, once the construction following the destruction is complete this fall. BNBuilders is the general contractor. This is the third phase of the Sealth/Denny project funded by Seattle Public Schools’ BEX III bond measure.
3:52 PM UPDATE: We checked back just after 3 – and the chimney/stack was already completely taken down; just a pile of bricks remains:
Out front, along 30th SW, workers were dismantling some of the main school building’s big front windows; if you want to get a last look at the old school before it’s completely gone, you don’t have much time!
If you can spare a few dollars to help fight muscular dystrophy, keep the cash close by as you drive through West Seattle – local firefighters are out asking you to “Fill the Boot“ for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This morning we spotted Seattle Fire Department Lt. Sue Stangl and the Admiral District’s own Engine 29 at Admiral Chevron; she says they’ll be back in that area and near Taco Time at 35th/Fauntleroy starting around 4:30 this afternoon, to catch people heading back home.
(2009 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
At this time tomorrow, 77 entries will be getting into place for the 2011 edition of the West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160. The post’s Junction headquarters are where parade coordinators gather to rough out the lineup – we sat in on that meeting this past Monday night. But after two hours of intensive discussion – with parade co-coordinator Dave Vague using his Father’s Day gift iPad, and parade co-coordinator Jim Edwards checking a table full of the actual entries, while Doreen Vague handled logistics regarding judging – the final plan still had some tweaking to be done, before one last meeting last night. The lineup includes:
*2 motorcycle drill teams (this is the only local parade where you see the Vancouver, B.C. team too – they’re in the top photo)
*More than half a dozen floats, including West Seattle Hi-Yu‘s “Sparkling Seattle” and visitors from as far away as the Sequim Irrigation Festival float
*4 marching bands, including the famous Calgary Roundup Band, back for the first time in a few years
*More than half a dozen drill teams, including the saber-wielding Las Senoritas
*Community entries including a few new ones, such as Sustainable West Seattle, and longtime participants including schools, churches, Scouts, community groups
*Commercial entries including Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor)
*The full Seafair contingent, including their new (as of last year) float and, of course, the Pirates
*As announced here earlier: 2011 Grand Marshals Art and Gloria Peters, and 2011 Orville Rummel Trophy winner Cindi Barker
The parade starts at 11 am Saturday from California/Lander and travels down California till the route ends at Edmunds on the south end of The Junction (here’s the map on the parade’s official website). Side streets along California at the north end of the route are part of the staging area, so in the early morning hours tomorrow, you’re going to want to steer clear of there. Kids are invited to join in the West Seattle Rotary Kiddie Parade gathering at 10 am at California/Genesee (more here). And remember, the parade’s not over till you see the tow trucks! (They’re entry #77.)
(WSB photo from July 2009)
They’re known for the stylish (Heart) Delridge T-shirts sported by many in our photo from the Delridge playground-construction event two years ago this week – but now, as noted here earlier this month, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council is in search of a full-fledged logo, for “a letterhead, posters, and other outreach materials,” as NDNC’s Holli Margell explains. Two weeks left to get in on their logo contest, perfect for a graphic designer who needs to build a portfolio and/or one who’s able to give back to the community with a donation of time and talent. The winner gets not only one of the famous T-shirts, but also $50 in gift certificates to local businesses. If you’re interested, e-mail ndnclogo@gmail.com – and check out the rules/criteria on the NDNC website, here. Deadline is August 5th!
(Photo courtesy Melanie – parent and baby gull at Jack Block Park)
Welcome, sunshine! Looks like The Big Day (West Seattle Grand Parade, Alki Art Fair, outdoor movie, more) tomorrow will be perfect – but first – it’s Friday, and here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
ROTARY RASPBERRIES: Pickup is scheduled this afternoon 1-6 pm at 40th/Alaska for the second round of the Rotary Club of West Seattle Berry Sale, raspberries. Walk-up sales are often available – scroll down here for details.
PLAYGROUND PARTY: At Delridge Community Center, it’s the KaBoom! Playground Birthday Party (free, for all ages). From the community-center summer brochure: “Our little playground is turning 2! Join us for an evening of fun and fellowship as we celebrate the playground built in one day.” 4:30-6:30 pm
(added) WEST SEATTLE HEALTH FAIR: Free health resources at High Point Neighborhood Center, including free health checks, a “Healthy Food Here” walk, kids’ activities, more. 5-8 pm at High Point Neighborhood Center, 6400 Sylvan Way SW.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: GreenStage presents “The Tempest” at Lincoln Park, 7 pm, free.
ROCKY HORROR TIMES TWO: Final scheduled weekend of “Rocky Horror Show Live” at ArtsWest in The Junction, and there are two shows tonight – 7:30 and 11 pm. Tickets are available online, here.
MUSIC AT YOUNGSTOWN: James Hurley, singer/songwriter, is performing at The Dewitty Theater at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). James’ singing and guitar style is unique and witty, sometimes whimsical, with a folk- based style and a little bit of rock and jazz. Doors open at 7 pm and show starts at 7:30 pm. Cost is $10 cash at the door. Kids under 14 are free.
TRIBUTE TO BILLIE HOLIDAY: At Kenyon Hall(7904 35th Ave SW): Stacie Calkins and David Duvall present “Lady Day and the Blues” honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday. Reserved table seats are $14. Row seating is $12 general and $10 seniors. With a reservation, row seating is $10 general and $8 seniors. Elementary, middle, & high school students are $5. Pre- school children are free, and Root Beer Floats are still only a buck. To make a reservation, please e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net with your request; you’ll receive an e-mail confirming your reservation.
For West Seattle Blog and White Center Now, Deanie Schwarz covered Thursday night’s Metro-future hearing in Burien – focused on whether the transit system will get a new $20 tax/fee to stave off budget cuts, or start cutting service. She reports it wasn’t the gigantic turnout that swarmed last week’s hearing in downtown Seattle, but “a few hundred people” were eventually on hand. Among them, South Seattle Community College student Vice President Joshua Clark:
Deanie reports that Clark lobbied to save routes 125 and 128 – the only routes which serve the campus. He also had a modification to the suggested $20 fee for cars. He’s a motorcyclist and half-jokingly suggested $5 per wheel would be another fee-structure alternative to consider; that got a big laugh and a “Nice try” from a committee member. From southeasternmost West Seattle, Arrowhead Gardens residents campaigned for the buses they take to services on Roxbury:
Next up – testimony before the council on Monday, as they prepare to vote on whether to implement the $20/year fee, or send it to voters. Signups will be taken at 1 pm at the park south of the county courthouse on Monday, with the item expected to come up in the County Council Chambers around 3 pm. If you can’t be there and still haven’t commented on this, you can do so in writing. Meantime, our partners at the Seattle Times have published their report on the Burien hearing – see it here.
Got two notes today/tonight about what sound like the same solicitors, who were the subject of a recent report, too – read on:Read More
9:25 PM: If you’re thinking of taking a piece of mail over to the Westwood Village U.S. Post Office sometime soon – don’t bother, you won’t get anywhere close. Police have it blocked off. They confirm they’re dealing with a “suspicious package,” though we don’t have details on why it raised suspicions. The rest of Westwood Village is open – as long as you enter from any other side, NOT Trenton, which is blocked too.
9:39 PM: According to scanner discussion, this will be handled by postal authorities, so at least some of the police will clear the scene. We’ll go over to check on access in a little while.
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: The police did indeed clear shortly after that update. We talked to them this morning to seek information about what raised suspicions in the first place; SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson says someone “flagged down” police in the center to tell them that a package had been left outside the lobby doors of the post office. It was sealed and had a local address on it; they tried to find out who it belonged to, no luck, so they took precautions until the postal inspector took over the situation (with access to an X-ray machine).
We got a quick promotional sneak peek earlier this week at the trio of local entertainers who are performing as “The Vaud Squad” – as in a vaudeville-style variety show – at Admiral Theater this Saturday night. Mentalist Lance Campbell – who notes that he reads thoughts, not minds – will perform, as will magician Joe Black and juggler/comedian Matt Baker. The latter two are West Seattleites; Campbell is from Kirkland – and all three tour (separately) nationally, but are joining forces for one big fun show here. 7 pm Saturday, family-friendly fun, get your tickets online now. (P.S. Baker will be juggling in more ways than one – he’s making a cameo as the pre-show entertainment for West Seattle Outdoor Movies the same night!)
Google Street View is still making the rounds in West Seattle. Above, we caught it on camera as it passed WSB HQ back on Tuesday; today, we’ve had reports from Alki and Admiral. If you don’t use Google Maps, the Street View car has special camera technology to capture a 360-plus view of everything it passes – which is then immortalized into the mapping system, at least until the next time they send a crew into the area (could be a few years).
(Added 11:33 pm: Unedited WSB video of the hour-and-a-half-long forum)
6 PM: Seattle Referendum 1 – which a court fight shaved down to two sentences out of 140 pages of city legislation – 
may turn out to be the only actual ballot measure related to the tunnel that’s proposed to replace the central-waterfront section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. If you’re not sure how you’ll vote August 16th – or if you’re not sure what you’re voting on – or what it all means – or even if you are deeply versed on the subject, come on down to the West Seattle High School Theater, where two reps each from the main pro- and anti-tunnel organizations are at centerstage in a 6-7:30 forum presented by the WS Chamber of Commerce. Your WSB editor is moderating; the final half-hour is scheduled for audience Q/A.
7:56 PM: Forum over – thanks to the 20 or so folks who were there, and to the panelists, Gary Manca and Jeff Upthegrove on behalf of anti-tunnel Protect Seattle Now and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and Vlad Oustimovitch on behalf of Let’s Move Forward. We have it all on video and will put it up, unedited, when it’s done uploading later tonight.
11:33 PM: Video now up.
As Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) continues its 40th anniversary celebration, it seems fitting that this afternoon, the Admiral store is hosting a celebrity guest who’s been going strong as long as they have (and then some) – Graham Kerr, who, if you are 45+ or so, you might remember from his frenetically personable “Galloping Gourmet” TV series long ago and far away – but he’s gone on to do a lot since then, and right now he’s promoting his new book – “Growing at the Speed of Life,” about growing a kitchen garden – which he’s signing at the store till 6 pm.
Two closure advisories for you this afternoon. First, just in from SDOT, the new dates for the westbound closures of the Spokane Street Viaduct (the bridge between I-5 and Highway 99) as part of the ongoing SSV Widening Project work:
The westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight for four nights beginning Tuesday, July 26. Each night work will begin at 10 p.m. and conclude by 5 a.m. the next morning, except for Friday night. On July 29 work will start at 11 pm and end at 7 am.
Meanwhile, the work requiring recent overnight closures of First Avenue South wrapped up early with no closure planned tonight. The 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. closure at S Spokane Street was due to run through the morning of July 23. …
And a reminder, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closures will mean that the exits to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 will be closed at that time. Meantime, the next Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is approaching – this one is a two-parter: On Saturday night, July 30th, the northbound Viaduct will close 5:30-8:30 pm for the Seafair Torchlight Run. Then, just before midnight that same night, the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will close, and remain closed till 5 am the following Monday morning (August 1st).
Another multi-big-event night coming up – next Thursday, July 28th. That night brings the “Voice Your Views” West Seattle Candidates’ Forum … the first Summer Concerts at Hiawatha performance … and the next meeting of the Southwest Design Review Board, with, as first reported here a month ago, two projects on the schedule. The “packet” is now available online for one of those projects, 3247 Avalon Way, which is on the schedule for its “early design guidance” meeting. West Seattle-headquartered Nicholson Kovalchick is the architecture firm.
Their packet says this is proposed for 117 apartments and 117 parking places on five lots, four of which have single-family homes, one of which is vacant. The architects’ “preferred option” is a six-story H-shaped building, and though exterior design features aren’t required at an “early design guidance” session, the packet also includes their preferred option for that, which is the sketch we’re showing above. The “preferred option” would require so-called zoning “departures” including entering the building’s garage from two driveways on Avalon, rather than the alley behind the building, which has been the city’s preference for projects in recent years. The public meeting is at 6:30 pm next Thursday at the Senior Center of West Seattle, right before the 8 pm second design-review meeting for Harbor Properties‘ Nova (the “packet” for that isn’t online yet). Public comment will be taken on both projects.
We’ve talked about the West Seattle Grand Parade, the Alki Art Fair, West Seattle Outdoor Movies – but one event on Saturday in West Seattle that’s outside the category of “summer fun” is also expected to draw hundreds. “Speak Out for Good Jobs Now” is a rally organized by activist groups for noon-2 pm at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, during a daylong leadership conference, explained by organizers:
Congress has forgotten that good jobs are the driver of a stable and prosperous economy. We’re here to remind them. … The Progressive Congress Speak Out Tour is part of a [daylong] community leadership training conference organized by Washington CAN. Attendance is free, and language interpretation and child care are provided. The leadership conference includes sessions on the history of unions, holding big banks accountable, and structural racism.
The noon-2 pm “Good Jobs Now” event is scheduled to include U.S. Reps. Jim McDermott (D-Seattle) and Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota), emceed by former Eastside congressional candidate Darcy Burner and Magdaleno Rose-Avila. If you use Twitter, the event has a hashtag: #CPCjobs. If you want to sign up for the full-day conference, go here.
New driver? Or — even if you’ve been driving a while — never had, or took, the time to learn how to check your car’s oil level or tire pressure, or recognize when it needs service (BEFORE a breakdown)? Got other questions about your car West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) is the latest local business to offer a free educational event – co-owner Todd Ainsworth just sent word of a “car clinic” they are going to launch, once a month for starters, with the first one set for Tuesday, August 2, at 6 pm. RSVP ASAP to get one of the 10 spots (Todd wants to make sure everyone has room to park!) – call 206-257-5344 or send a note through the online form at wsautoworks.com. West Seattle Autoworks is at 35th/Webster (map).
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