silent is fuck West Seattle Blog… | 2012 | June

West Seattle, Washington

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month : 06/2012 322 results

West Seattle Sunday: Sales, tidewalking, grand opening, more
June 3, 2012 9:33 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday: Sales, tidewalking, grand opening, more
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Barton P-Patch – designed as a “web”! Thanks to photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen for the view)
Just like Saturday, looks like the weather’s likely to get better as the day proceeds; here are some highlights for another almost-summer weekend day in West Seattle, from our calendar:

CURIOUS KIDSTUFF’S ANNIVERSARY SALE: 14th anniversary of the toy store in The Junction, with 25 percent off everything in the store – AND (as explained here earlier this morning) paying with cash/checks means an extra discount PLUS a nonprofit donation. Sale continues now till 5 pm today, 4740 California SW.

FURRY FACES FOUNDATION PLANT SALE: Hundreds of plants, with proceeds going to help animals through the work of F3. 3809 46th SW, 10 am-4 pm today.

AT THE MARKET – SIGN UP FOR THE KIWANIS CLUB’S MOTORCYCLE POKER RUN: Look for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle at the WS Farmers’ Market 10 am-2 pm today (usually on the northeast corner) and get a free beverage if you sign up for the June 23rd Motorcycle Poker Run.

ORGANIC VEGGIE SALE: 10 am-1 pm, Marguerite Lynch and family are selling organic homegrown vegetables outside their North Admiral garden (44th/Hill), with part of the proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank.

LOW TIDE – WITH BEACH NATURALISTS AVAILABLE: 10:32 am, the first of four days’ low tides below -3 (which is REALLY low), and you can explore with the help of an expert, as Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are out at Constellation and Lincoln Parks.

SHARE YOUR HOME WITH A NEW FRIEND: Cat-adoption event today with Friends of the Animals Foundation at Next to Nature in The Junction, 11 am-3 pm.

TOUR THE ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Second day of 1-4 pm Saturday/Sunday public openings at the lighthouse (where Alki Avenue and Beach Drive meet) – as noted in our story about yesterday’s Seafair Admiral’s Tea.

GRAND OPENING: A member of the Rat City Business Association (WSB sponsor) is celebrating their grand opening today in downtown White Center – The Center Studio, with yoga, Pilates, massage, and dance. 3 pm-6 pm (9611 16th SW, map in our listing)

ACOUSTIC COUTI: 3-5 pm, live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW.

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West Seattle businesses: Curious Kidstuff sale today – with something extra
June 3, 2012 8:35 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle businesses: Curious Kidstuff sale today – with something extra
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(Added 12:15 pm – the poker-chip jar at CKS, photographed around 11 am)
Today’s the day for the big 25-percent-off anniversary sale at Curious Kidstuff (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 9 am-5 pm – and proprietor Ann is also kicking off a new plan that could mean extra savings for you AND money for a local nonprofit:

We think we have come up with a fantastic idea here at Curious Kidstuff. We will kick this off (today) during our 25% off 14th-year Anniversary Sale.

Our business’s credit-card fees are approximately $800.00 a month. Can you believe it? I believe that if we can get our community to embrace this great idea, we could give hundreds of that back each month.

Every time a customer purchases gifts with cash or checks, we will drop a poker chip into our jar. Each month we choose a local charity and give that money to them. First charity we have chosen is WestSide Baby. Simple, keep dollars in our community instead of passing it on to banks.

We hope to see you between 9:00 and 5:00. We will give an extra 1% off for all checks and cash. (License required with checks, please.)

Curious Kidstuff is at 4740 California SW.

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Seafair at Alki today, weeks before the Pirates hit the beach
June 2, 2012 8:03 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

If you hear someone say “Seafair” and “Alki” in the same sentence, you might think “Pirates.” This afternoon, however, those words went along with “royalty” – and “admiralty.” The Alki Point Lighthouse was the setting as this year’s candidates in the Seafair Scholarship Program for Women – along with the woman one of them will succeed, reigning Miss Seafair Veronica Quintero – enjoyed their first official group outing, the annual Admiral’s Tea reception. Above, that’s Veronica with U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Keith A. Taylor, the USCG’s 13th District commander, and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Douglass T. Biesel, Navy Region Northwest commander. We also photographed her with West Seattle’s representative in this year’s Miss Seafair competition, last year’s Hi-Yu Senior Court Queen Kelsey Bills:

Other West Seattle ties: At the lighthouse, we talked with Ruthie Waid, a WS resident who’s a new member of the Scholarship Program committee (and mother of 2006 Miss Seafair Erin Waid), and met JoAnne Ludwig, the former West Seattleite who is longtime chair of the program. The next Miss Seafair will be crowned July 28th, right before the Seafair Torchlight Parade. One week before that, the candidates will be back in West Seattle, for the American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade down California SW on July 21st. (As for the Pirates – they land at Alki Beach on July 7th.)

P.S. One other big event today at the lighthouse – the first day in 2012 that it was open for the public to visit! June through August, it’s open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm.

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White Center Food Bank’s Summer Solstice benefit: Ticket time!
June 2, 2012 6:48 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | White Center

Besides the upcoming celestial events mentioned in the preceding WSB story, the Summer Solstice is approaching, too. It’s on Wednesday, June 20th, this year – but hold your celebrating a few days till Saturday, June 23rd, because THAT is the night of the White Center Food Bank-benefiting Summer Solstice Cocktail Party. Ann Kendall from WCFB says you can still get your ticket(s) if you haven’t already. It’s in West Seattle, at the Puget Sound view home of two longtime WC Food Bank supporters, Lynne Ingalls and Mike Wald; guests will include County Councilmember Joe McDermott as well as the West Seattle/White Center area’s entire legislative delegation, Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon. Suggested donation $50 – which will help the WC Food Bank in what can be a slow time for donations, amid warm-weather distractions. Save your ticket by calling Ann at 206-762-2848 or 206-713-0031; via e=mail, ann@whitecenterfoodbank.org.

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On the beach, in the sky: Low-low tides, lunar eclipse, Venus transit ahead
June 2, 2012 5:34 pm
|    Comments Off on On the beach, in the sky: Low-low tides, lunar eclipse, Venus transit ahead
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

LOW-LOW TIDES: Thanks to Lura for the tip: Another round of extra-low low tides has arrived. Each of the next four days will bring a low tide of more than -3 feet, which means many tidepools and other things to explore (carefully!). Here’s our favorite tide calendar with the specific times – or, you can use the WSB Events Calendar, where each of those days has an entry not only featuring the low-tide times, but also the hours that you’ll find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists at 2 sites in West Seattle. Happy exploring!

IN THE SKY: Also in the next few days, you have the chance to see two phenomena, both, of course weather permitting. Early Monday, there’s a partial eclipse of the moon – and we do mean EARLY, as in 4 am our time. NASA explains it here. Then on Tuesday, it’s the Transit of Venus – with NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen as your guide at West Seattle’s Solstice Park. This is NOT something you can just go outside and check out. See Alice’s website for lots of information, including an event on Tuesday.

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Followup: Greenpeace boat moves, another Shell boat arrives
June 2, 2012 3:28 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

The presence of Greenpeace Esperanza off West Seattle shores earlier this week sparked some discussion following our report on the reason for its visit, the impending departure of two Shell rigs bound for Arctic oil drilling, so here’s a followup: The Esperanza moved to a Lake Union dock yesterday, and remains there, according to MarineTraffic.com tracking information. Today brought the arrival of another Shell-owned vessel that is expected to accompany the drilling rigs/ships Kulluk and Noble Discoverer (both at Vigor Shipyards) – it’s the blue-hulled boat you see in our photo above, the Aiviq. According to this Popular Mechanics report, it’s a new, Louisiana-built $200 million icebreaker. That’s twice the cost of the work that’s been done to the Kulluk at Vigor, according to this report from Petroleum News, which says Shell plans on “demonstrating its new well capping and containment system in Puget Sound within the next two to three weeks.”

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Update: Fire call in 4800 block of Delridge
June 2, 2012 2:33 pm
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 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

2:33 PM: For the second time today, there’s a major Seattle Fire call on Delridge – though the first crews report the fire tapped. We’re en route.

2:47 PM: Only one unit left at the scene in the 4800 block of Delridge; the temporary traffic snarl at the scene is clearing since the other units have gone. Working to find out what the short-lived fire was attributed to. The fire’s blamed on some trash in the backyard, which is currently being hosed down. (The house isn’t visible in the photo – it’s tucked between townhomes.)

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West Seattle weekend scene: Live on the air with Ciscoe!
June 2, 2012 2:02 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

The sun arrived in West Seattle at mid-morning, just in time for Northwest gardening celebrity Ciscoe Morris‘s scheduled visit to West Seattle Nursery – the setting today for his live weekly two-hour KIRO-FM radio show. His first interviewees were from the WSN team. Before sitting down at the microphone, he mingled with shoppers:

If you missed today’s West Seattle-based Ciscoe-cast, keep an eye on this page, which should eventually have the archived audio files. This was Ciscoe’s second visit to this area this spring; on April 15th, he was at Village Green Perennial Nursery (WSB sponsor).

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Update: 1 hurt in crash next to Delridge apartment building
June 2, 2012 10:16 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

10:16 AM: Big initial response to a crash that just happened at Delridge and Willow, but most of the units have been turned back, since it wasn’t what was originally reported – a car hitting a building, which meant an initial “heavy rescue” call, since downgraded. Our crew’s on the way and we’ll update.

10:25 AM: An ambulance is being called for the driver, no major injuries reported. Our crew at the scene says this is at the Willow Court Apartments, where a chain-link fence stopped the car from crashing into a play structure. Traffic is still moving both ways on Delridge, but slowly. Photo to come added.

10:44 AM: Adding a second photo – this is looking north on Delridge, and at left, you can see part of the wooden fence the car went through before going down the slope shown in the top photo; also note a tree was taken out, too. The driver was sitting up, conscious, even before the ambulance arrived, according to our crew.

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Video: West Seattle police lead ‘safety walk’ at Beach Drive parks
June 2, 2012 10:08 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Though it was born of an unsolved murder, Friday night’s safety walk along Beach Drive was a relatively low-key event for West Seattle police, given what they – and the rest of the city – went through earlier this week.

Just 48 hours earlier, they were dealing with the aftermath of a multiple murderer’s suicide, ending a four-hour search (WSB coverage and 340+ community comments here) that found them swarming several areas of eastern West Seattle, guns drawn, responding to reports of possible sightings, until killer Ian Stawicki finally turned up in a hillside neighborhood two blocks west of the High Point Library. “We got our bad guy, and that tragedy ended,” operations Lt. Pierre Davis (top photo, left) noted before the safety walk.

Friday night, he and Community Police Team Officers Jon Kiehn, Ken Mazzuca, and Kevin McDaniel were back in the roles of coaching the community and listening to concerns, particularly surrounding issues at waterfront Emma Schmitz Overlook, where police believe 51-year-old Greggette Guy was murdered in March, and forested Me-Kwa-Mooks Park across the way.

(CPT officers, from left, Mazzuca, McDaniel, Kiehn)
Along with Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon and Seattle Parks manager Carol Baker, they answered questions, wrote down suggestions, and led a group of about 20 people – including Alki Community Council president Tony Fragada and vice president Randie Stone – along a fairly short distance – half a block to the north end of the viewpoint park, across Beach Drive, half a block to the sidewalk in front of the Me-Kwa-Mooks sign. Here’s the first half, including a few words along the way from Lt. Davis regarding what happened on Wednesday, plus comments from other SPD personnel plus Parks’ Baker (shown in the YouTube framegrab):

Solomon was particularly interested in the lighting issue, and told WSB later he’ll be pushing that point.

The issues changed, as the group crossed Beach Drive to the inland side, with Lt. Davis – a veteran of the Traffic Unit, in years before his Southwest Precinct stint – stopping traffic so everyone could cross safely:

On the Me-Kwa-Mooks side, Parks’ Baker pointed out that, as with the water side, some changes already had been made. Some of the shrubbery has been cleared (as it has on the water side); also, she pointed out, the porta-potty no longer has fencing around it, as you can see in the background of this photo:

One nearby resident mentioned a secluded area upslope in the park where people come to party, usually leaving beer cans behind, and often setting fires in an unauthorized “pit.” After the official end of the safety walk, we climbed the trail with him and two other participants to see it.

Lt. Davis promised to look into the issues of unauthorized park use, and, in wrapping up the on-the-move portion of the evening, reminded participants not only to look out for each other, including with the formation and use of Block Watches – but also to call 911 about suspicious people/activity – one person mentioned having seen it in Me-Kwa-Mooks, but not necessarily reporting it. (We’ll add that you also can bring concerns to police during the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting at the precinct; the next one is scheduled for June 19th, 7 pm.)

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Summer’s not here yet, but it’s fall-signup time for West Seattle Soccer Club
June 2, 2012 9:40 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Even with summer still a few weeks away, it’s fall-registration season for West Seattle Soccer Club, and they’re asking everyone to register early – not just players, but also coaches and volunteers. Players who sign up by June 30th get “priority placement on their former teams,” per the WSSC announcement. Sign up online at westseattlesoccer.org. (And when you do, you get to buy the new WSSC scarf for $10 – more pics on the club’s Facebook page.)

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West Seattle Saturday: ‘Streets of Sales’; Ciscoe; carnival; more…
June 2, 2012 8:12 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Walkway at Jack Block Park, photographed by Doug B, who you can also find on Flickr)
Welcome to the weekend! From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar, some of the highlights for today/tonight:

LAST SUPr ENDURANCE EVENT: Under way right now at Alki Kayak Tours, “a daylong celebration promoting the up and coming sport of stand up paddleboarding (SUP). This event will feature an endurance event which will determine who can stand on the SUP the longest. There will be challenging aspects along the route which will test SUP participants’ skills. The rules are simple, you must only use your feet in this contest. Any other part of your body touching the board will disqualify you.” More info here. (Update – We checked in at AKT around 11 – this has been rescheduled in hopes of a day with better weather!)

GARAGE SALES GALORE: Three weeks after West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2012, our neighbors to the south are having their annual multiple-sale day – Shorewood on the Sound Streets of Sales, 9 am-4 pm today. Find the sales on this Google map.

WEST SEATTLE GARAGE SALES, TOO: Several for this weekend are listed in the WSB Forums‘ Freebies/Deals/Sales section, where you can list yours for free any time.

FURRY FACES FOUNDATION PLANT SALE: More than 1,500 plants to choose from, all types, 3809 46th SW (map), from 10 am-4 pm – it’s the second and final weekend of this popular plant sale to raise money for F3’s animal advocacy.

CISCOE AT WEST SEATTLE NURSERY: 10 am this morning, the gardener/broadcaster will do his radio show live from West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon).

RECOVERY GARDEN CLEANUP: Volunteers will be at 26th and Brandon from 10 am to 1 pm to continue the work that last year’s volunteers (some of whom will be there to mentor them) started. All welcome to come help.

STUDENT’S SALE TO HELP A SOLDIER: We reported earlier this week on 7th-grader Kyle Joyce‘s announcement of a sale to help put together a care package for his former coach, who’s been deployed overseas. The sale is 11 am-4 pm today at 6001 SW Admiral Way.

KITTY HARBOR’S OPENING WEEKEND: You’re likely to see a line along Harbor Avenue SW just north of the bridge right before noon, which is when shelter/adoption center Kitty Harbor begins its first adoption weekend of the summer season.

LIVE MUSIC AT VILLAGE GREEN: As announced by Village Green Perennial Nursery proprietor Vera Johnson, “Shade Byron banjo player from ‘Bottom of the barrel’ and Jasmine Byron, fiddler and traveling musician, will be gathering up a crew of fun musicians to play some music … Visiting from Santa Cruz for a short time – we are happy to welcome them here!” 1 pm, 10224 26th SW.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT: Free workshop 1-3 pm today at Peace Lutheran Church (39th/Thistle), details here.

CARNIVAL IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: Big fun at Arbor Heights Elementary – as described in our calendar listing, 3-6 pm.

AARON DANIEL’S BENEFIT SHOW FOR AARF: A one-man band you have to see/hear to believe, Aaron Daniel, performs tonight at the Feedback Lounge (6451 California SW; WSB sponsor) as part of a benefit for Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation; silent auction too; 8 pm.

‘ROCKY HORROR’: First Saturday of the month ends with a toast, among other things, as the Admiral Theater opens its doors to “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fans for the monthly midnight showing.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Keep an eye out
June 1, 2012 9:52 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Yet again tonight, police repeated the mantra of community watchfulness being the key to helping them catch criminals and solve crimes. While we’re finishing the story about the Beach Drive community-safety walk – during which that message was repeated – here are a few West Seattle Crime Watch notes from the WSB inbox:Read More

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West Seattle High School cheerleaders to lead 1-day kids’ camp
June 1, 2012 7:57 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle High School cheerleaders to lead 1-day kids’ camp
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Here’s a chance for kids and tweens to be mentored for a day by high-school students: Children in grades K-5 are invited to the one-day Mini Cheer Camp that West Seattle High School cheerleaders are planning for Saturday, June 9th, 10 am-1 pm. They’ll learn cheers, make crafts, and get a chance to follow up the fun this fall by performing at a home football game as an honorary WSHS cheerleader. $30 for the day includes a T-shirt, and more; see the flyer here, and the registration form here. Contact Bev Corey at coreym_b@comcast.net if you have any questions.

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Followup: Alki’s Shoremont Apartments saved and up for rent – with a twist
June 1, 2012 3:45 pm
|      65 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

shoremonthistoricphoto.jpg

Back in 2008, we got that vintage photo from Tom J, when the fate of the 1923-built Shoremont Apartments at 2464 Alki SW – the buildings seen behind Tom’s uncle and dad – was still in flux.

A year earlier, in 2007, the stately brick buildings were proposed for teardown, to be replaced by townhomes.

But then, the site was bought by architects known for their modern design projects, who proposed one instead of townhomes:

pbproject.jpg

(2008 rendering)
The plan never came to pass, and eventually, the site became bank-owned. Exactly two years ago today, we reported a for-sale sign going up at the site.

Then came Dennis Schilling:

We photographed him at the Shoremont yesterday afternoon. But we first talked with him more than a year ago, after he bought the by-then-very-rundown buildings because he “liked” them; he told WSB at the time he planned to fix them up.

And he has made good on that promise. Most of the work is done, and two of the eight Shoremont Apartments are rented, more applications are in the works. Schilling gave us a tour:

Great beach view, from one of the lower units – note the original clear-grain fir floor. Upstairs, while he would have liked to have kept the flooring, noise rules meant they had to be carpeted:

The stairs are original:

And there are walk-in closets – including this one upstairs with a view!

The floor plans are close to the original layouts, says Schilling, adding that the work they had to do included some foundation improvements, especially for seismic reasons (including “shear walls”), plus all-new wiring. Out front, they had to build up the area in front of the main entrance door:

There had been something in front of that blank concrete wall for a bit, and therein lies a twist to this story – which Schilling e-mailed us (and King County Executive Dow Constantine) about on Wednesday:

During the construction process we have noticed that bus patrons did not have a place to sit while waiting for the bus at the stop in front of our property. We decided to make a gesture to the city and commission a custom bus bench at our expense.

While this bench was being constructed there must have been fifty people who expressed appreciation for the bench. Today a representative of the city approached us and told us to remove it or face daily fines. Apparently while the bench is not on any part of the sidewalk it does encroach on the City’s property.

The inspector did admit that there had been no complaints but that he was just driving by and doing his job. In order not to incur any fines we removed it while he waited. We just wanted to let people know that we were trying to do something nice for the city but have run afoul of bureaucracy.

The bench is now sitting on the west side of the Shoremont site:

We haven’t figured out yet which agency to ask about the bench beef, but plan to follow up. Meantime, if you’re interested in renting one of the Shoremont Apartments, you’ll have to go take a look at the postings on the windows at the site, which have more information.

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Golfing for a good cause: Chief Sealth Athletics benefit tournament
June 1, 2012 3:05 pm
|    Comments Off on Golfing for a good cause: Chief Sealth Athletics benefit tournament
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Chief Sealth International High School athletic director Sam Reed and Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) proprietor Sue Lindblom – in her Rotary Club of West Seattle vest – are two of the people we caught up with this morning at Rainier Golf and Country Club, scene of today’s 2nd annual Sealth Athletics benefit golf tournament. The late-spring showers were coming and going as participants hit the links around noontime, with the afternoon of golf scheduled to be followed by dinner and a raffle.

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West Seattle schools: Next year’s bell times finalized
June 1, 2012 12:47 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Some Seattle Public Schools parents may already have seen this in e-mail directly from the district (we got first word from Cami MacNamara of Webcami Site Design), and after what they describe as a few tweaks, the communications team has shared it with news media too: The bell times are out for next school year. Here’s the list. You might remember the uproar earlier this spring when the district suddenly pursued a transportation-plan change that might have drastically changed times for many, then scrapped most of the plan; this is the final result, and except for six schools (NONE in West Seattle), they’re described as mostly the same. Read on for the explanatory letter sent to families:Read More

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West Seattle restaurants: Alki Café adding dinner
June 1, 2012 12:40 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand, added Friday night)
Just got word from Sharon Bang, co-owner of Alki Café, that they’re finally going to add dinner service. She says they’ll be open 8 am-8 pm seven days a week starting two weeks from today – Friday, June 15th. They’ll also have happy hours 3-6 pm (including beer, mimosa, and appetizer discounts), plus, Sharon says, they’ll have the breakfast/lunch menu available through dinnertime too.

Meantime, she says, across the street at their Beachside Café, there are some new team members including Sarah (photo below), former manager of the Alki Bakery that used to be at that location, and they invite customers old and new to drop by and say hi.

Beachside is currently open till 7 pm.

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West Seattle liquor sales: See who’s on the map
June 1, 2012 12:13 pm
|      48 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS beverages


View West Seattle liquor in a larger map

Last week, WSB commenter Petert suggested we make a map of who planned to sell liquor in West Seattle once privatization took effect. Today’s the day, so here’s the map. 17 retailers – but please note, we have not directly confirmed that each and every one of them is selling liquor right this moment; we can only verify that these are the places that sought licenses – both former state stores, now under private ownership; supermarkets (WSB sponsors Metropolitan Market and West Seattle Thriftway as well as all three Safeways, both QFCs, Trader Joe’s, and Target); and drugstores (Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, each with two locations in West Seattle). Please let us know through a comment or a note/text/call/etc. if you discover any of them NOT selling liquor yet – we know for sure the supermarkets were ready to go, for starters.

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Update: Power outage in eastern West Seattle, part of South Park
June 1, 2012 10:35 am
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL 10:35 AM REPORT: Just getting notes from people who live/work in Highland Park. Not sure yet how widespread – it’s not on the Seattle City Light system-status map so we’re checking with them directly.

(Screen grab of affected area – except for Pathfinder, an isolated spot shown on the live map)
10:40 AM: Peter Clarke at Seattle City Light tells us the cause is that branches have fallen onto a line – almost 1,000 homes and businesses are affected. A commenter says Pathfinder K-8 is in the outage zone too. Restoration could take as little as an hour, or up to four hours, according to Clarke, who says a crew is on the way. (The outage is mapped now, too.)

11:07 AM UPDATE: The City Light map shows some spots in South Park are affected too (that’s also been mentioned in discussion on the WSB Facebook page). Pathfinder is apparently an isolated spot in Pigeon Point, which otherwise does not appear to be affected. If you’re in the outage zone, let us know when your power’s back – thanks! (And thanks again to everyone who sent word of this quickly, even before SCL had it mapped.)

11:35 AM UPDATE: Some are apparently back on, per SCL map. We went over to Highland Park Elementary after hearing they had lost power – they are continuing with classes, and all’s well otherwise.

12:02 PM UPDATE: Between the SCL map and comments, sounds/looks like just about everyone is back on. Let us know if you’re not.

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West Seattle traffic alert: Next Viaduct/99 weekend shutdown
June 1, 2012 9:55 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle traffic alert: Next Viaduct/99 weekend shutdown
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

From the weekly “lookahead” sent out on behalf of SDOT and WSDOT – it’s online, here – we get advance word of the next all-weekend Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 closure: Friday night 6/15 till Monday morning 6/18, so here’s your early warning.

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West Seattle Friday: WSHS all-school reunion; Beach Drive safety walk; ‘Finding Kind’; more
June 1, 2012 6:03 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Sleeping hummingbird, photographed by Machel Spence)
Welcome to a new month! Here are the highlights for today/tonight:

EARLYBIRDS: If you see this within an hour or so of when we’re publishing it, you’re in time to go meet the West Seattle Earlybirds Toastmasters Club, meeting Friday mornings, 7:30 am, ArtsWest in The Junction.

HARBOR ISLAND TRANSFORMATION: Remember our story almost two weeks ago about Harbor Island People for the Environment? Come celebrate their cleanup/beautification achievement 4-6 pm today at 13th/Florida on Harbor Island.

WSHS ALL-SCHOOL REUNION: Whenever you went to West Seattle High School, you’re welcome at this annual event, which starts with classic cars on display along SW Stevens, 4:30 pm. The schedule of events is in our calendar listing.

SEALTH ATHLETICS BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT: On the links at Rainier Golf Course and Country Club this afternoon! Here’s our most recent preview.

NEW TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION LOCATION IN WHITE CENTER: The Technology Access Foundation‘s project at Lakewood Park is open for previews tonight, 5-8 pm – more on our partner site White Center Now.

BATTLING BULLYING: Free screening of “Finding Kind,” suitable for 11 and up, at Pathfinder K-8 (details here).

TR RITCHIE AT C & P: Live music tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), with TR Ritchie, 6-8 pm, an “unreconstructed folkie.”

TAKE A STAND FOR SAFETY: The long-awaited “safety walk” along Beach Drive is tonight, 6:30 pm, planned in response to the still-unsolved March murder of Greggette Guy, but magnified, in terms of the importance of community safety, by what has happened more recently. Meet at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint; all welcome.

WINE TASTING: Bin 41 is “showcasing some neat Austrian wines including a couple cult Gruner Veltliners perfect for pairing with fresh asparagus and Copper River salmon. 6-7:30 pm.” 4707 California SW in The Junction.

MUSICA SACRA AUCTION AND WINE TASTING: 7 pm tonight, The Sanctuary at Admiral, your chance to support the chorale (find out more about Musica Sacra here).

PRIVATIZED LIQUOR, DAY 1: Voted in last fall, in effect as of early today. More on this later today, but it’s now on sale, basically, at all but 1 West Seattle supermarket, all drugstores, the two former state stores, and Target.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Possible gunshot investigated
June 1, 2012 3:45 am
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

3:45 AM: Continuing the overnight watch – police are checking out a report of a possible gunshot heard somewhere in the High Point/Gatewood area. So far, no report of anyone actually being shot, but after the dispatcher put out the word of calls that had come in, one officer said he had heard it while “near the cemetery” (east of High Point) and thought it sounded like a shot and glass breaking. We’ll update if anything conclusive is found.

4:06 AM: Nothing so far – and with apparently no one reporting damage or injury thus far, police have hit something of a dead end.

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