West Seattle, Washington
04 Tuesday
Just got a tip about an accident that’s blocked off Delridge. The only thing on the 911 log is a medic response to the 5900 block. We’ll see what else we can find out. 5:55 PM UPDATE: Just drove the length of Delridge; whatever was going on, has been cleared.
This is why we love the National Weather Service “forecast discussions” more than the forecasts themselves … the brutal honesty. This, from the “discussion” posted by the NWS moments ago:
SHORT TERM…WELL THIS EVENT DIDN’T PAN OUT AS WELL AS I WOULD HAVE HOPED. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER THE HOOD CANAL AREA THIS AFTERNOON…WITH LIGHT COATINGS OF SNOW IN PARTS OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY…EASTERN KING COUNTY AND THE CENTRAL COAST. HOWEVER OUTSIDE OF THAT…BASICALLY THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA HAS SEEN A VERY LIGHT RAIN/SNOW MIX AT BEST. THIS SYSTEM DIDN’T PRODUCE HEAVY ENOUGH PRECIPITATION TO SNAP IT OVER SNOW AND ACCUMULATE. A DECENT SOUTHEAST COMPONENT TO THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD IS ALSO HAVING A DRYING AND WARMING EFFECT FROM THE CENTRAL SOUND AND AREAS TO THE SOUTHEAST. BACK EDGE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS NOW MOVING INTO THE PUGET SOUND REGION SO THEOUGH 4 PM MANY AREAS MAY SEE A BURST OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR A BRIEF PERIOD…BUT ACCUMULATIONS OUTSIDE THE HOOD CANAL UNLIKELY. WILL BE PULLING THE SNOW ADVISORY OUT OF MOST OF THE LOWLANDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HOOD CANAL AS IT IS STILL SNOWING AND ACCUMULATING THERE.
West Seattle-based DNDA is receiving a $2.4 million award just announced in this King County news release, going toward the Strength of Place Village project in White Center. (Here’s some of what DNDA already has done; we have a message out to DNDA executive director Derek Birnie in hopes of finding out more about Strength of Place.)
After last month’s contentious public meeting regarding the proposal to upzone both sides of California between Hanford and Hinds (and a bit further south on the west side), longtime West Seattle real-estate/property-management partners Mike Gain and Roger Cayce offered to talk personally with anyone who has questions about what they hope to do. So we took them up on it, and they just spent an hour and a half talking with us. First headline: It was suggested at the last Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting (WSB coverage here) that they withdraw the proposal and start over again; they told WSB today they’re not going to do that. But they had plenty more to say (and info to offer) — much of it, we think, that provides previously unreported context for what they want to do and why; we are writing up a full-length report that you’ll be able to read in a separate WSB post later this afternoon.
Light snow, starting just before 9 am, on target with what the Weather Service predicted last night. Be careful out there. Send pix if/when it sticks.
Thanks to Alex for sending news of this – official schedule and all – consider it either an invitation or a warning!
With less than three weeks to go till their fundraising deadline, Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project organizers Libby and Paul Carr are gathering supporters and donors tonight at Duke’s on Alki (as first announced in a Dec. 3 e-mail). KIRO Radio talk-show host Dave Ross is billed as MC; at one point Mayor Nickels was expected to attend but had to cancel, according to an SSLPP spokesperson. New city parks superintendent Timothy Gallagher is still on the guest list, however; he’s already been to West Seattle at least once, as noted during our coverage of the Parks Department’s business-plan public-input meetings last month. In an update added to the comment thread of this post, Libby Carr reported last week that they hope to raise $60,000 more by the January 15 deadline; at least one major donation is expected to be announced tonight. The size and scope of what will be installed around the statue (last discussed in a September 13 public meeting) will depend at least in part on how far the fundraising goes; the SSLPP website has more details on the various ways they’ve been soliciting donations.
Since the Christmas-lights touring is over, we’ll be featuring follow-ups in the WSB late-night spotlight when there’s no breaking news. Tonight: As the photo above shows, the site is scraped clean and no more debris remain at the site of the burned-out ex-Schuck’s at California/Charlestown, two weeks after the building teardown began (our report with video, here). Next up, construction of the two-story commercial building planned for the site.
You can post one whenever you want – and join in any time to help your fellow West Seattleites find what you’re looking for — now that the Reader Recommendation Requests are living in the new WSB Forums. Some of the discussions under way right now include plumber recommendations, a search for a storage garage, and a search for TV repair help. Anyone can browse the forums; you have to register to post a topic or a reply, but it’s a quick ‘n’ easy process and your info’s safe with us.
The National Weather Service has a Snow Advisory up for the whole metro area; the latest “forecast discussion” (which will be updated in a few hours) suggests the snow’s likely to arrive in our area between 7 and 9 am, but shouldn’t get really intense till afternoon.
We personally would like to encourage everyone to savor the season. However, in all practicality, we know some thoughts are turning to the yearly task of Tossing The Tree. Here is the official “how to put it out with your yard waste” press release, which includes this all-important info:
Seattle residents who subscribe to curbside yard and food waste collection can put their trees and greens out on their regular collection day at no extra charge from December 26, 2007 to January 13, 2008. Trees should be cut into sections of six feet long or shorter, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or twine.
Trees that are flocked and/or have tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. Customers will need to cut the tree into three-foot pieces and each piece will be charged as extra garbage. Each unit of extra garbage costs $5.60. Plastic trees are also not recyclable.
Seattle residents can also drop off their holiday trees and greens for free at Seattle Public Utilities’ North and South Recycling and Disposal stations between December 26, 2007 and January 13, 2008.
The tree sections must be cut to eight feet or less in length and the trunk must be four inches or smaller in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle. Only trees without flocking or decoration may be disposed of free of charge.
If you want to do less tree-cutting and so would prefer to drop off your tree, the South Recycling Station in South Park is the closest one to West Seattle; the city has a map here but it doesn’t address getting there from WS, so here’s a map you can use for starters (choose the “driving directions” option). Now, if you still don’t want to go to all that trouble, CL is awash in listings from people you can pay to take your tree away; if you know of any local volunteer or nonprofit groups doing that in West Seattle this year, please e-mail us so we can feature them on WSB.
Metro just announced the bus tunnel will reopen tomorrow morning.
It’s a WSB tradition to let you know when a new sponsor comes aboard: 
Joining us today is J.F. Henry in The Junction, advertising to let you know about the store’s after-Christmas 50%-60% off sale (see the ad in the right sidebar on this page for more details). J.F. Henry has been in business more than 20 years, and is located on the booming north end of The Junction, where there’s a lot going on lately (Shadow Land, Craze, Spring Hill, etc.) — you can find out more about J.F. Henry’s kitchen and tableware offerings at its website, which also features details about the store’s unique decor (including fixtures from downtown’s old Frederick & Nelson store!). And if you would like to find out about becoming a WSB sponsor, check out our Advertise page (which also lists the current sponsor lineup) – we’ve got new opportunities coming up in the new year!
West Seattle’s sole tea-only shop is shutting down – 2 months after opening a downtown location, T(ea) Gallery proprietor Tracy Shafer is going to focus on that store. Here’s the announcement she just sent out:
To my friends, neighbors, supporters…
I want to let you know the T(ea) Gallery’s Admiral location will be closing as of the end of January, 2008. The past 2 years have been wonderful. I’ve gotten to know so many of my neighbors and have made some wonderful friends. The location has always been “challenged” for this type of business, but it was truly a labor of love for me and a wonderful learning experience. I hope to re-open a West Seattle shop sometime in the not too distant future, but there are some circumstances that warrant closure at this time.
I plan to offer delivery service to my West Seattle customers and I’m in the middle of working out the logistics on that. Please keep an eye on my website for details …
The T(ea) Gallery’s downtown location (at 5th & Columbia) is doing well due in large part to all of you!!! Spring will bring some wonderful events and I hope you can visit soon.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your support.
The website Tracy mentions is here, and includes a blog page where she talks more about the shutdown decision here.
Here’s the latest on Fauntleroy Place, the mixed-use megaproject with the future Whole Foods Market that’s been in the works almost 2 years for Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th. Eric Radovich with BlueStar Management, the FP developer, tells WSB today that they’re still hoping for groundbreaking by April, as reported in our last update in September. But first – the project has to get through one more key public meeting, for which the date has just been set — the Southwest Design Review Board “recommendations” meeting for Fauntleroy Place has is now on the city schedule for February 14. As noted on the BlueStar site, the architect on the project has changed to CollinsWoerman, but Radovich says the rendering above from the previous architect is still fairly true to the plan — 5 stories, Whole Foods and a new Hancock Fabrics store at ground level, more than 150 apartments above, parking garage with room for more than 500 vehicles (city project page here). We also asked about BlueStar’s more-recently revealed West Seattle mixed-use project, Spring Hill (no relation to the future restaurant) at 5020 California just south of The Junction (as reported by WSB here and here) — the first Design Review Board meeting for that is listed on the city site as January 10th, but Radovich says that might be changed to later in the month. He also says there’s no publicly available rendering for Spring Hill just yet.
This Tacoma News-Tribune article reminds us that West Seattle’s Department of Licensing office will soon be one of only 11 in the state (full list here) where you can get the new “enhanced” driver licenses and ID cards that can get you into and out of Canada by land or sea. They’re supposed to be available starting January 22nd, and you’ll have to make an appointment if you want to get one. The state DOL website has a sheaf of info about how these new licenses/cards work.
Found this nicely lit corner house in Arbor Heights, at 34th SW & SW 114th. Now that Christmas has arrived, this will be the last of our nightly photo posts, but if you’re still planning to tour West Seattle’s best and brightest, you’ll be able to find all 38 featured locations on our Christmas lights map on the WSB Holidays page through New Year’s Day. Thanks to everyone who sent photos and suggestions … and of course, everyone who decorated their home, apartment, and/or business, with displays of all sizes, for others to enjoy … Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
If you don’t have plans already – we’ll be digging a little deeper in the next few days for details of what’s up around West Seattle for New Year’s Eve. A few possibilities are already on the WSB Holidays page, and e-mail arrived today with new details on two of them — first, from Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW):
The Kenyon Hall Family cordially extends an invitation to you and your family to join us Monday evening, December 31, at 9 pm, for our annual New Year’s Bash.
The party will feature actor David Ketter, baritones Hugh Hastings and Peter Becker, sopranos Mary Jo Dugaw and Connie Corrick, organist Andy Crow, pianist Lou Magor, and comedy juggler Bob Bailey III.
Refreshments are complimentary, and we’ll have appropriate NYE Bash paraphernalia for all. No alcohol for anyone! Festive attire is encouraged.
Tickets are $25 for a reserved table seat, $20 for general row seating, and $15 for senior/student row seating.
Kenyon Hall is taking reservations by e-mail (kenyonhall@earthlink.net). Meantime, an e-mail update arrived from Skylark today too, and here’s the New Year’s Eve plan there:
We’ll open at 7 pm for our annual party\, featuring Indie/Electro act BEEHIVE and guests. No cover charge to get in. 21+ after 9 pm.
We’ll add WS NYE events on the Holidays page as we find them, and as you let us know about them.
The snow shower here in Upper Fauntleroy is pretty serious … if this goes on much longer, it just might stick. We’ll post any pix we get (or just leave a comment with the report from your part of town … already got e-mail from Westwood noting snow there too). 2:37 PM UPDATE: Looking south down California, you can see the dusting on cars & roofs:
And this photo just in (thank you & Merry Christmas!) from KA at California/Webster on Gatewood Hill:
3:05 PM NOTE: It’s almost stopped here. Just in time for Christmas dinner! 3:45 PM UPDATE: National Weather Service forecast is updated. “Light coating of snow possible.” 4:55 PM ADDENDUM: Thanks to SO near The Junction for this festive, snow-coated photo:
As a few flakes fly outside (forecast says maybe more later!), here’s an encore appearance for three WSB holiday video highlights from the past few weeks – first, the Christmas Ship off Alki on Dec. 8th (Canterbury Belles singing):Read More
Found one restaurant open as of 10:30 am – Be’s. As noted below, Hotwire is open for coffee. There’s a sandwich board outside Matador that says “open for lunch” but we just tried calling and got no answer so it may just be a holdover.
Morgan Junction is the epicenter of the Christmas Day 2007 West Seattle coffee scene, with Caffe Ladro, Tully’s MJ, and Starbucks MJ all open today, but you have options further north too — Hotwire in The Junction, Diva to the east, and Tully’s Alki. Click the dots on the map for addresses and hours; the WSB Holidays page has the list (without the map) as well as supermarket hours and today’s West Seattle church services.
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