West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
Our usual visitor volume was down by several hundred last night, so we rolled over to Alki to see if you were all at the Celtic Swell. The outdoor space was stuffed and the sidewalk too, almost as much of a backup as we saw outside Fado downtown as we approached the Viaduct from Columbia yesterday afternoon. However, the more interesting sight at Alki last night was the minus tide (new moon approaching); made for a nice flashlight-enhanced beach walk. Tide tables say no more minus tides at night for a while, but looks like some good ones at midafternoon next Thursday and Friday.
We had heard of the downtown demonstrations tomorrow and Monday, but not about “655,000 Steps for Peace” till we checked the WSNPJ site. Looks like the walkers will be passing through WS from the south tomorrow morning, scheduled to reach Harbor Ave, heading for downtown, by 2 pm.
A reader sent a (not gory) photo of a dead cat spotted while he was walking his dog, thinking maybe someone out there will know whose cat it was, for closure’s sake at least. The cat’s final resting place was next to a hydrant on Admiral, up from the bridge offramp. It’s an orange/white striped tabby with white chin, hard to tell how old; the reader confessed to not having the “presence of mind to check for tags.” If you think you know whose it is, we can forward the photo (honestly, it looks like the poor thing was just sleeping).
Our side of the city has an amazing amount of parks in progress … land is set aside, names are assigned or assumed, “development” is all that’s left. Much of this is around The Junction — Dakota Place Park to the north, Junction Plaza Park to the east, the Ercolini site to the west. Though some $ for acquiring the land came from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy, citizen assistance is required to finish the process of turning set-aside land into full-fledged parks. Right now, Ercolini neighbors are gearing up for a push to get its metamorphosis finished by summer; as one organizer wrote in a note to us, “After you cut through all the requirements, politics, and whatnot, the bottom line is that we need to find volunteers and $$$.” So they’re planning to doorknock and leaflet, and they’re working on a website (not much there yet except a link to the latest park plan).
Some commenters on our last post about 37th/Findlay shooting victim Dewayne West were discussing an online discovery of a violent criminal record for someone with the same name. Looks like they were on the right trail; the P-I posted an article tonight talking about the man having killed someone at a Torchlight Parade almost 20 years ago, when he was just 16.
-We’ve been watching the additional ballot counts roll in each day since voting ended on Tuesday. The tunnel option has held steady at 70% no, but replacement-a-duct has lost ground day by day … on election night, it was at 55% no; tonight, that’s up to 57% no.
-Speaking of the viaduct, we know a bit more about exactly when it will be shut down next weekend for the big inspection. At least it won’t be out of commission the entire weekend.
Besides talking about Summer Fest and the Hi-Yu Parade already … just got word that West Seattle Sidewalk Cinema will be back, on six Saturday nights in the heart of summer, late July through late August. We went to several showings last year and had a spectacular time.
-Counter person in a business with line of sight to the Admiral Theater marquee: “It BUGS me that the movie title misspells ‘happiness’.”
-Turning off southbound Cali, heading east on Admiral, with a bit of difficulty — A huge loaded dump truck, driven by a woman with one hand on the wheel … AND ANOTHER CLUTCHING HER CELL PHONE TO HER EAR.
Yee-ha, spring is almost here. The weekend is even closer. Much to do, St. Patrick’s Day-themed and otherwise … all just an extra click away:Read More
Several people e-mailed us to ask if we had any info re: helicopter, police, all sorts of hubbubbery last night in the Arbor Heights area. Lt. Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct was kind enough to provide this report:
Last night’s incident was basically an unknown female suspect who was driving erratically. SPD chose not to pursue the vehicle given public safety concerns. The female fled from the vehicle. SPD was able to locate the abandoned vehicle. Fortunately, there were a number of available police including K9 and a helicopter who were able to check the area. We were unable to locate the suspect.
Doesn’t sound like anyone has been arrested yet, but the name of the man shot and killed outside a house at 37th and Findlay has now been made public.
What better distraction on a murky, chilly day in late winter? WS Junction Association president Dave Montoure — who also happens to be the guy who runs ever-cool West 5 — is thinking summer, as the chair of the committee planning this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction. And he asked us if we could ask you, what do you like or dislike about Summer Fest? What (within reason) could make it better? They’re planning this year’s event now and would love input … either in comments on this post, or e-mail Dave directly. (If you don’t mind, they’d like a little demographic info to put your comments in context too — family? single? how long in WS? etc.) Our biggest suggestion: Even more WS flavor. We go every year and it still seems to be pretty much the same street-fair vendors you find at all the stops all over the area. Don’t know how you get around that; gotta be a way.
-City DOT crews are putting out the “no parking” signs on Cali right now, south of Charlestown, blocking off street parking as of Sunday, looking ahead to the restart of repaving work next Monday.
-Mars Hill has unveiled more of its parking plan. It includes buses as well as the Hughes School (currently temporary home to South Lake HS) parking lot as overflow and “midweek programming” parking.
Let’s call it “try to knock Howard Schultz a couple spots back down the Forbes Billionaire List.” How, you ask? Drink as much as you can during the big 10 am-noon free coffee blitz today. You can make it to every Starbucks in West Seattle during that window — north to south, it’s Alki to Admiral to Admiral Safeway to Jefferson Square Safeway to 35th/Fauntleroy to Morgan Junction to Westwood to Westwood QFC to Roxbury Safeway — that would be 108 ounces of coffee, all on Howie’s dime!
This is mostly a message to the IDIOT who NEARLY KILLED US TODAY — but it’s a good reminder for all of us who drive: A FOUR-WAY STOP IS A FOUR-WAY STOP. NOT A FOUR-WAY “PRETEND YOU ARE STOPPING BUT THEN POWER THROUGH.” COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, LOOK IN ALL DIRECTIONS, THEN, ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SURE NOBODY ELSE IS CURRENTLY DRIVING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, PROCEED. THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN (AND OURS). Thank you. Grrrr.
From Freedom Church and Eckankar to the south, on toward Our Lady of Guadalupe to the north and beyond, the area of West Seattle showing the most spiritual growth seems to be a 3-mile-ish stretch of 35th SW. Not only is Gatewood Baptist moving there … not only has Mars Hill chosen this stretch of street as its new home … now, a new neighbor has suddenly manifested itself a couple blocks south of MH at the ex-Adventist site, and its grand opening is just days away. And given what this spiritual “center” seems to be about, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the MH folks staging pray-ins outside to try to save them from h-e-double-hockey sticks (and the Temenos folks can just out-healing-vibe them right back):
Tracking back a link that brought someone to our site this morning … we discovered that if you Google the phrase:
MOST FAMOUS POLITICIAN
the first thing that comes up is Hizzoner’s home page. Completely and totally our fault. (Although you can argue whether it’s good or bad to be known by that phrase.)
Somebody shot and killed early this morning east of Fairmount Park. No arrest so far, apparently, but police say they don’t think it was “random” (which somehow doesn’t manage to be that reassuring). It’s been almost exactly three months since the last deadly WS shooting (a man killed in Arbor Heights).
Just in case you are completely sick of everything and anything related to the viaduct vote, we will share our thoughts, plus all the latest cool analysis links, after the jump:Read More
The first, and apparently only, count of the night for the viaduct vote is in:
Tunnel – 70% no.
Replacement-a-duct – 55% no.
More ballots to be counted tomorrow (and beyond).
While dropping off our ballot @ High Point Community Center, we grabbed a handy all-in-one spring brochure for HP, Delridge, and Southwest Community Centers, including SW Pool. Noticed while leafing through it this morning that registration for spring swim lessons starts tomorrow morning. 7 am sharp. That time is important, because lesson registration can turn into a madhouse (maybe not if you sign up online); classes are available for 6 months through adult age, and they fill up fast. We’re mentioning it because if you don’t live on the south side of West Seattle, you might not even be aware that Southwest Pool exists. It’s just east of Denny Middle School, and worth checking out if you feel like swimming but don’t happen to belong to the Y or a pool-equipped health club.
Slog discovers that ArtsWest and a big downtown theater company announced within two hours of each other that they’re putting on the same Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play. Apparently this sort of thing (one play, two places, same city) isn’t supposed to happen. The ArtsWest boss is quoted as saying, “I try to consult with other theaters but maybe I’m just a mosquito to them.” By the way, ArtsWest is auditioning for next season today.
-Two days short of the Ides of March, we’ll see whether voters choose to stab the tunnel or the replacement-a-duct out of their respective miseries … or both … or neither … or what …
-Or what, indeed? Tomorrow night, you can call in to ask Hizzoner himself. Not that you’ll be guaranteed an actual answer; so far this week, he’s just waffling.
-Haven’t voted yet, but still intend to? P-I offers one last roundup of info-links.
-That public viaduct tour later this month, during the twice-yearly inspection closure, is already sold out, says the DOT. No worries; here’s a better way to walk the lame-duck-a-duct.
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