West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
We all know that spring and early summer in Seattle can bring days interspersing sun and rain, but we can’t remember having seen it change quite as often and as dramatically as today … or perhaps the fact we were out on a very long walk from south WS to north WS heightened our experience … Here’s a photo from Alki during the 4 pm deluge (including a few hailstones too fleeting to catch with the camera):
The West Seattle couple featured in the documentary “Inlaws & Outlaws,” Jane Abbott Lighty & Pete-e Petersen, are celebrity grand marshals of today’s Pride Parade downtown.
Happened onto this post from a local “parkour” star who’s in the commercial we mentioned below.
Six months after the deluge preceding the December windstorm created the Thistle/Northrop sinkhole (at the end of the 52-y-o hillside staircase) in Upper Fauntleroy, Seattle Public Utilities is finally about to do something substantial in the area. Before we elaborate: Two photos, one looking west into the sinkhole a few days after the storm (before the temporary bridge was built); the next, a recent look east at and below the segment of “suspended” sidewalk that’s been literally hanging there (blocked off from public access) ever since:
Now, the apparent plan: Flyers available at the Thistle/Northrop corner say SPU will start work next weekend on “drainage catch basins and inlets” both at that corner and a block east at Thistle/Cali. They describe the “new drainage structures” as “improved grates with curb openings to help facilitate storm water drainage when debris covers them.” As for the sinkhole itself, which now seems to be dubbed a “gully,” SPU writes on the flyer:
We are continuing to work with FEMA and private property owners to repair the gully that was eroded during the 2006 winter storms. We anticipate that this work, which will include rebuilding the sidewalks to provide access to the SW Thistle St stairs, will be completed later this summer. Thank you for your continued patience.
For walkers/joggers who are wondering (like us), we just sent a note to SPU to ask if the upcoming work will block off the stairs again … we’ll let you know what we hear.
Two weeks after we first contacted our site host with concerns about site slowness … four days after we started a full-court press via phone … the saga has reached hair-pulling stage. Click ahead only if you want to read our vent. (If you can even get to a second page. Again, we promise to get this fixed one way or another …)Read More
First, the crowd gathered for the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse groundbreaking (the site is across from Herring’s House Park but parking was full there too, so we were reduced to drive-by photography):
Next, people wrapping up at Relay for Life @ West Seattle Stadium just before noon (the end of an intense 18 hours; you can still donate to their fight against cancer here):
Last but not least, the amateur-radio operators of the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service at South Seattle Community College, starting their 24-hour participation (through 11 am Sunday) in the Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day. They’re utilizing alternative energy, which explains why the tall structure in the photo isn’t an antenna, but rather an Air-X:
A big camera/production crew is very busy amid the trees @ Hiawatha this morning (with several large lights like the one in the center of the photo). Tipster says it’s a commercial for Mervyn’s (which would be a bit ironic since their nearest location, at Southcenter, is no more):
9 am-1 pm today, WSHS theater & commons (better to go late than not at all). Top reason to go: Your loved ones. Be ready to protect & help them when “it” happens.
Why you need to spend a few hours @ WSHS tomorrow morning: Six months ago.
On the easternmost edge of WS, the tribe that reached out to the first European-American West Seattleites will have something to celebrate tomorrow.
Just got this note about more reported change east of The Junction:
West Seattle Furnace has been in West Seattle since 1946 and Dick Leidholm has retired and sold his building at 4619 37th Ave SW.
The office manager – myself, Diana Charles Abels – has gone to Cascade Oil Company and one of my service techs Bill M has gone to Cascade Oil also. So, if you need help with your Furnace, A/C or fuel deliveries, please contact me at 206-323-6050.
City archive photo of West Seattle Furnace, on this page.
-In less than an hour, the final bell will ring at Fairmount Park Elementary, one of the Seattle Public Schools buildings that are being closed to save $. The kids who go there are “merging” into High Point Elementary . (FP’s half-century history is detailed here.)
-Speaking of closed school buildings: This week’s WS Herald has an update on the future of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse; next week, the city Parks Board will talk about its possible role in that future.
-In the mood to feel elegant? Just found out about High Tea on Saturday at Village Green Perennial Nursery, a hidden treasure for gardeners in WS (and beyond).-This Sunday, the Washington State Ferries summer schedule kicks in, which means more weekend service to/from Fauntleroy.
Delridge Arco has dropped a couple more cents, to $2.93/regular; however, both of the Fauntleroy/Alaska stations have popped back up over three bucks, while remaining below the statewide average.
From the start of wading-pool season, to the wildly important Emergency Preparedness event, to the Admiral invasion of “Can’t Stop the Serenity” — there’s tons to do, now through Sunday, without leaving the peninsula. Click ahead!Read More
Tonight’s reason for being there Saturday: The 2001 quake wasn’t “The Big One.”
A new P-I review raves as much about the cole slaw and Caesar salad at Alki Crab & Fish @ Seacrest as about the fish ‘n’ chips.
City leaders have decided not to build another transfer station in Georgetown, good news for the folks there who’ve been fighting it; but they’re telling all of us, in order to really make sure we don’t need it, we’ve got to throw away even less trash than we do now.
Congratulations to Lafayette Elementary on the launch of its long-awaited playground renovation, with this morning’s groundbreaking ceremony. On a school day that wouldn’t have existed if not for one of this past winter’s snow days, early overcast gave way to brilliant sunshine by the time the festivities started. We’ve got a few pix. First — the reason a new playground is needed (the entire 2-acre blacktop looks like this, or worse):
Here’s the groundbreaking lineup (note they couldn’t really smash shovels through the tough old blacktop, so look close and you’ll see a ceremonial pile of sand to be overturned) — participants included parent volunteers and student councilmembers as well as King County Councilmember Dow Constantine (center) and Lafayette Principal Virginia Turner (right):
And one more photo of Dow C for good measure – he drew goodnatured boos by admitting he had attended Schmitz Park Elementary, not Lafayette. He got to read the long list of major project contributors — and there are many; more help still needed — info on how to do that is in our previous post on the topic.
We thought it was just happening as we tried to add content to the site … but now we’re getting e-mail from WSB readers about difficulty getting to the site or going page to page. Please forgive us; we’re on the phone right now with the hosting company trying to figure out what the problem is.
–Click! today or tonight: Click! is donating part of today’s sales to the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, then hosting a short presentation @ 7 tonight about what DNDA is up to.
-West Seattle Stadium: Tomorrow night, the cancer-fighting Relay for Life takes the field, 6 pm Friday all the way to noon Saturday. Drop by to show support and/or give $.
-Alki Masonic Hall (which is actually east of The Junction): Saturday morning, the Freemasons of the Alki Lodge invite everybody to their fundraising pancake breakfast, 8 am-noon, $5 adults/$4 kids.
-Lincoln Park beach: Sunday afternoon, the Paddle for PAWS swimmers make their journey. Be there to cheer them on; you can give $ online, too.
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