West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
As mentioned in the city’s latest neighborhoods newsletter (page 4), the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association is hoping to eventually buy the former Boren Junior High — now used as interim home to schools under renovation, Cleveland HS at the moment. It’s doing an architectural study to look at the 14-acre site‘s potential, with the thought that it could hold more than 400 housing units and tens of thousands of square foot of commercial space. (The Boren building doesn’t seem to have much preservation value, unlike the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, but you can read about its history here.)
Sure, Cactus was jumping (including the heated outdoor area), bonfires were blazing, all that, but the most interesting thing we saw on Alki this Cinco de Mayo evening was the aftermath of a ceremony next to the Alki Bathhouse, and the reception inside. The candle-equipped ceremony altar (photo below) was framed by white columns wrapped with barbed wire and red roses. We weren’t nosy enough to peek too far into the (catered) reception, but saw enough of the outfits (white-on-black “skeleton” shirt, etc.) to speculate — Goth wedding? SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Reader reports in a comment on this post that they inquired and were told it was in honor of someone who died.
TV news report (can’t find it written up online anywhere) says 7 people went to the hospital after a crash in WS this morning; pictures showed several crunched cars, one even upside-down. Online 911 logs show the rescue callout went to the 7700 block of Delridge at 9:23 am.
A couple more of those ubiquitous yellow “land-use application” signs are up at the 35th SW site that was formerly home to the Seventh-Day Adventist church, 
now Temenos and the Mars Hill bus pen (left). The application in question, for which a Design Review Board meeting is now set (5/24), mentions — no, not condos — an auto-repair business and offices “adjacent to existing building” and lists the same owners as Swedish Automotive a few blocks north. No reply yet to our note inquiring about their plans for the site.
As of our most recent check, the Arco by Home Depot on Delridge (left) has taken over the “lowest posted price in WS” spot: $3.27/regular. For the gas seller’s perspective, here’s an interesting article; for an attempt to explain the relentless rise, this report blames it on lower refinery output attributed partly to attempts to make slightly cleaner fuel. 9:58 PM UPDATE: WS’s costliest gas, premium @ Admiral Chevron, is up tonight to $3.81.
If you didn’t see them sail in, go down to our north- or northeast-facing waterfront late this afternoon and you can see them sail out: 
First day of the regular weekly cruise-ship visits. Every Saturday starting today, it’s Seattle-based Holland America Line’s Oosterdam (left) and Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess at Terminal 30, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star at Pier 66. Within two weeks, the rest of the “fleet” will be here too — two ships on Fridays and three on Sundays (full schedule here).
It’s closed this morning (Saturday) 9 am-11 am for WalkAmerica. By the way, if you’ve been wondering about the viaduct’s fate post-election, the City Council’s taking it up on Monday.
Charlestown/Cali 7-11 jumped to $3.29/regular, matching nearby Exxon. Anybody seen cheaper?
Here’s the latest. Good news for some of the folks north of The Junction, at least.
Several readers have written to suggest that the Amber Alert issued in Kitsap County be posted here. Since WS has a direct link to Kitsap via the ferry dock, it makes sense — apparently this mother and baby could be anywhere. Full details at the Washington Amber Alert site. Photos below are the baby, the mother (who isn’t supposed to have custody), and a truck similar to the one they are believed to be in. Call 911 if you even THINK you have seen them. SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: They’ve been found; the baby is safe.
Times says the police department has a new aggressive-driving team that’s already been on the move here in WS (Highland Park Way). The article includes pix of their distinctive new cars and a map suggesting this team will be in action on Alki, Admiral, and The Bridge. (Hey, don’t forget the many disregarded arterial stop signs here in South WS!)
Even without the Cinco de Mayo wildness at your favorite drinking spot, it’s a BIG West Seattle weekend. Click for the full (and “full” is an understatement) list!Read More
The Stranger features Alki food. No mention, though, of Coyotes on Alki, on its 1-year anniversary.
For the hundreds of times we have walked or driven past the Alki Bathhouse, we’ve been inside maybe once. Tonight — a good chance to wander in and be warmly welcomed — a spring reception, 5-8 pm (brochure page 14) — we found out from all these cheery postings in the bathhouse’s big side window this morning:
You won’t find it on the website for this converted apartment building (Cali/Myrtle) but a closer look at its streetside sign reveals creative phraseology for what one commenter called its “converted motel” look — “midcentury retro condominium homes.”
We’ve always vowed not to be another blog with cute baby animal pix .. but then came this.
While 35th/Holden Chevron still has the top-priced regular gas in WS ($3.44), the top price for any gas (therefore, premium) is at Admiral Chevron: $3.75 (left) — which becomes the most likely spot we’ll see the “magic” $4 number first. As for the cheapest regular, it was Charlestown/Cali 7-11 at $3.19, as of midmorning. Share the word about changes via comments here or e-mail. (P.S. One way to cut your gas use: Vente Caf reminds us it’s Bike-To-Work Month.) 1:42 PM UPDATE: Just passed 35th/Holden Chevron, up to $3.49/regular since late morning.
If that mess with the busted water main under the University Bridge has you wondering “hmm, how old’s the big pipe under my street” — there’s a city map resource you can wade through to find out.
The Seattle Weekly has continued digging into the background of the 47th/Admiral crash that killed City Council staffer Tatsuo Nakata; the latest edition reports that the driver who hit him has a record.
Two calls tonight for West Seattle artists to come forward and show their stuff. First: The new artists’ studio Ginomai is looking for more artists to display their work during upcoming Junction Art Walks. Deadline for the next one is next Monday. (EARLY THURS UPDATE: The Art Walk has its own blog now!) Second: This Friday is the deadline for artists and musicians to sign up to be part of this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest in mid-July. Go here to get an application.
Guess the 35th/Holden Chevron got word that the Fauntleroy/Alaska 76 had finally matched it at $3.39/regular; within the past couple hours, 35th/Holden added another nickel, landing at $3.44/regular and retaining the crown as Most Expensive Regular Gas In WS. As for Cheapest RGIWS, as a commenter pointed out here, it’s the Charlestown/Cali 7-11 — as of late this morning, still $3.17, though nearby Exxon went to $3.19.
It appears the last Groucho left in the greenery along the Delridge-side approach to The Bridge is gone. Riding shotgun along that stretch of concrete this morning, we were able to confirm the reader tip that first told us so. With the Grouchos gone, WS seems a little less whimsical. For now. (We’ll just have to go back to squinting at the Fauntleroy overpass banners.)
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