West Seattle, Washington

19 Sunday

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month : 04/2016 306 results

Also two weeks away: This year’s cruise-ship season
April 15, 2016 6:37 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Port of Seattle | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Now that we all know April 29th is the date the tunneling machine is set to start going under the Alaskan Way Viaduct – closing it precautionarily for “about two weeks” – that date will be top-of-mind for a while. Something else that’s big for the city also starts two weeks from today: This year’s cruise-ship season. The first ship on the schedule, Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, will be here that day. But it’s docking at Magnolia’s Pier 91, not the Viaduct-side Pier 66. According to a Port of Seattle fact sheet, this year’s season will bring the most passengers ever – just under 960,000. The 203 ship dockings aren’t a record, though; that number peaked in 2010, with 223. Last ship on the Seattle schedule this year will be the Star Princess, on October 21st.

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UPDATE: April 29th start date for Alaskan Way Viaduct’s 2-weeks-or-so tunneling closure
April 15, 2016 1:59 pm
|      52 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news

closuremap
(See this map on the WSDOT site by going here)

JUST IN, 1:59 PM: WSDOT promised we’d get two weeks notice of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s two-weeks-or-so tunneling shutdown, and that notice just arrived: The state says the closure will start before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th. Here’s the full announcement.
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW: We’ll be adding to this over the next hour or so – backstory plus useful info links.

*How to lessen the pain (advice and links)

*As you’ve probably already read in previews here and elsewhere, specific plans include:

• WSDOT and SDOT will actively monitor highway and street traffic, adjusting signal timing, updating electronic message boards and
deploying additional incident response teams as needed.

• King County Metro is rerouting 12 routes and deploying 22 buses to help maintain schedules.


[See page 2 of this PDF for West Seattle specifics including a larger version of the map above.]

• Police officers will provide manual traffic control at key chokepoint intersections.

• King County Water Taxi will add five extra round trips to its Vashon route and will provide additional parking and connector shuttle capacity for West Seattle route passengers. [See this brochure for info on extra parking, etc.]

We also will beef up our regular traffic coverage for closer watch of West Seattle-tailored alternate routes and more during the closure. At least one alternate route is available for this, that wasn’t available for 2011’s “Viadoom” 8-day closure – the South Park Bridge.

BACKSTORY: It was almost exactly 3 years ago that we first reported a Viaduct closure was possible when the tunneling machine went beneath it, thanks to a tip from West Seattle Bike Connections president Don Brubeck.

REMINDER: As announced earlier today, that’s not the only closure West Seattleites will be dealing with – the Fauntleroy Expressway bearing-pad-re-replacement closures will start two days earlier.

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6 ways to spend the rest of your West Seattle Friday
April 15, 2016 1:58 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(Alki Trail turns pink! Photo by Don Brubeck)

If you haven’t already checked our calendar – here are highlights of what’s yet to come this afternoon/evening in West Seattle:

WEST SEATTLE RUNNER’S ANNIVERSARY SALE: Today through Sunday, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) celebrates its 6th anniversary, and you get the gifts, including sale prices and refreshments. Details here, including tomorrow morning’s group run. Open until 7 pm tonight. (2743 California SW)

BASEBALL: 3:30 pm, West Seattle High School hosts Roosevelt HS at Hiawatha. (2700 California SW)

WINE TASTING AT VISCON CELLARS: 5-9 pm, the tasting room for West Seattle winery Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) is open! (5910 California SW)

MOVIE NIGHT AT HPIC: With bees! Doors to the Highland Park Improvement Club open at 6 pm, special event at 6:15 pm, movie at 7 – full details here. (12th SW/SW Holden)

FAMILY BOOT CAMP AT THE Y: 6:30-8 pm – details here. Members free, community participants $5. Bouncing, jumping, lots more lively ways to have fun and be fit. (4515 36th SW)

4 STOPS FOR LIVE MUSIC: Dave Holo Trio at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm (1936 Harbor SW); C & P Coffee; the rhythm-section members of Polyrhythmics join Lucky Brown tonight at Parliament Tavern, 9:30 pm (4210 SW Admiral Way).

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DUWAMISH ALIVE! Volunteers still needed in West Seattle on Saturday
April 15, 2016 12:27 pm
|    Comments Off on DUWAMISH ALIVE! Volunteers still needed in West Seattle on Saturday
 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

(2015 photo by Ron Creel – that long greenbelt in the middle of the photo, west of the river, is the West Duwamish Greenbelt)

Lots happening in West Seattle tomorrow, but nothing bigger than the spring edition of Duwamish Alive!, the twice-yearly mega-work party to help the Duwamish River and its watershed. As already previewed here, the multi-site restoration/cleanup party has a big 9:30 am kickoff at Greg Davis Park in North Delridge. From 10 am-2 pm, hundreds of volunteers will help out at sites from West Seattle to Tukwila. Not too late to sign up here. We’re told one of the West Seattle sites most in need of some more helping hands is Pigeon Point Park (next to Pathfinder K-8 School), where you can help the West Seattle-headquartered Nature Consortium continue restoring part of the West Duwamish Greenbelt. You can go directly here to let them know you’ll help there!

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BRIDGE CLOSURES: Dates/times for Fauntleroy Expressway bearing-pad re-replacement work
April 15, 2016 12:20 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(2012 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli, during original bearing-pad-replacement work)

Since January, we’ve been warning you that dozens of closures are ahead for the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, for the work to re-replace hundreds of earthquake-safety cushions, officially known as bearing pads. (Here’s the backstory.) SDOT announced earlier this month that the work would likely start in late April, and this morning the contractor has sent word of the specific dates and times, starting April 27th. Note that the announcement includes not only nighttime closures of the west end of the high bridge (formally called the Fauntleroy Expressway), but also lane closures on Spokane Street beneath it – daytime as well as nighttime. Here are full details:

C A Carey will be closing the Fauntleroy Expressway (West Seattle Bridge) from 9 pm to 5 am. The bridge will be closed westbound at Delridge Way and eastbound at 35th Ave SW.

In the evenings, under-bridge traffic (Spokane Street) will be reduced to one lane in both directions east- and westbound. C A Carey will be out flagging along with the closed lanes. Expect delays if traveling under the bridge. Carey will also be working during the day to reduce traffic under the bridge to one lane in both directions, and flagging as needed. Hours for the lanes are westbound Spokane St are 7 am to 6 pm and eastbound Spokane St are 9 am to 6 pm Monday thru Friday.

This work will start on April 27, 2016 and continue through July 15, 2016.

Daytime (Lane) Closures
Spokane St eastbound 9 am to 6 pm
Spokane St westbound 7 am to 6 pm
Mondays thru Fridays

Nighttime Closure
Spokane St (lane) eastbound 6 pm to 6 am
Spokane St (lane) westbound 6 pm to 6 am
Fauntleroy Expressway [bridge] 9 pm to 5 am
Sundays thru Fridays

Throughout the closures, we will include reminders (and any changes/updates) in our weekday morning traffic/transit watches and weekend previews, and will also add the overall information to the WSB Traffic page.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 stolen cars
April 15, 2016 9:17 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

9:17 AM: The morning began with two stolen-car reader reports. First, from Rebecca in Gatewood:

I just wanted to alert the neighborhood that our car was stolen (parked on the street in front of our house) during the late night/early morning of April 14-15th, between 10 pm-6 am. It is a 1995 red Subaru wagon with a bumper sticker ‘Art Saves Lives’. Lots of nicer, newer vehicles parked on the street, but ours was most likely easy to break into. If you see it, please contact the police. Another reminder to be on alert. Report any suspicious activity.

And from Pamela:

Sometime early this morning, our 2015 dark gray Mercedes SUV was stolen from our driveway on Beach Drive. 2 bikes were left at the top of our driveway, I assume from the thieves.

We’re checking back with both to get the license-plate numbers – although, as with the vehicle in this case last week, thieves can and do swap plates. Please call 911 if you see either of these stolen cars or a vehicle you suspect was stolen and dumped – they are often just used as transportation between crime scenes rather than as something to strip or sell for monetary value.

9:46 AM: Two updates – first, we’ve been alerted that Rebecca’s car has been spotted, not far from where it was taken. The finder has called police, and we’ve e-mailed Rebecca. Second, we have the plate and a little more description for Pamela’s stolen vehicle: 2015 Mercedes ML350, license plate AZE7438.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday updates
April 15, 2016 7:06 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

7:06 AM: Good morning and happy Friday! No incidents in/from West Seattle so far this morning.

ROAD WORK: 30th and Yancy both are closed at Avalon now that the SDOT project at that intersection has moved from the west side to the east side.

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SATURDAY: Record Store Day 2016 @ Easy Street will go super-Sonics
April 15, 2016 12:52 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Were you at Easy Street Records for that historic show on Record Store Day 2015 – The Sonics, with special superstar guests (including Eddie Vedder, 22:26 into the video) – benefiting KEXP? The station just released that video of the show – which figures into Record Store Day 2016 (this Saturday!) in a big way, as announced by ESR, with the vinyl release of “The Sonics Live at Easy Street.” From ESR’s Rod Moody:

This LP will be available at all stores participating in Record Store Day, but we are the only store in the world that will be selling the Easy Street Special Edition, a limited edition of 500, which will include the following:

* Custom-screened, hand-numbered outer sleeve
* Copy of signed set list
* Ticket for the event
* Download card good for two free bonus songs from the concert not included on the album
* Detailed liner notes by Easy Street president Matt Vaughan

The Sonics’ Record Store Day in-store last year was one of the biggest and most awesome events we’ve ever put on, featuring guests such as Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready, Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden), the Screaming Trees’ Mark Pickerel and Van Conner, Emily Nokes (Tacocat), Chris Ballew (Presidents Of The United States Of America, Caspar Babypants), Matt Lukin (Mudhoney), and many others (including myself!). The album was mixed by legendary NW producer Jack Endino and it sounds fantastic.

Over the weekend, if you’re visiting KEXP’s new home @ Seattle Center, you’ll find an Easy Street pop-up store there, noon-9 pm Saturday and 10 am-6 pm Sunday.

At the Junction store on Saturday, Greg Vandy from KEXP’s “The Roadhouse“ and the online mag American Standard Time will have a book signing and Q&A 3 pm-6 pm. Then Acapulco Lips‘ record-release in-store performance is at 7 pm, “also the debut of their West Seattle-based label, Killroom Records.”

Record Store Day kicks off at ESR (California/Alaska if you somehow didn’t know that already) at 7 am with “hundreds of exclusive, limited titles in all shapes, colors & sizes,” most of which will only be available that day. (Good thing they sell coffee, too.)

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One month until West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2016!
April 14, 2016 9:13 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

We’re now exactly one month from the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – Saturday, May 14th, many sales of many sizes all over the peninsula, 9 am-3 pm. We at WSB have been coordinating it since the fourth year and are excited about another awesome day in which West Seattle becomes the epicenter of person-to-person recycling.

In Week 2 of registration, the list has grown to 110+ sales, north to south, east to west; at apartments, townhomes, houses, businesses, retirement centers, schools, and of course the multi-seller courtyard sales at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) /Ginomai Art Center and C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Some are selling to raise money for nonprofits, some are selling to de-clutter and make a few dollars, some are selling just for the fun of seeing who shows up. You’ll find almost everything for sale somewhere – clothes, shoes, furniture, baby gear, books, dishes, toys, art, plants – just spotted a listing for an outboard motor, and one for a car! We’ll highlight more items in the weeks ahead.

If this is your first year – we close registration relatively early (we’ll announce the end date before the end of next week) so we can make the map/listings available a week in advance, to help people figure out where they want to go – some garage-sale devotees come from as far as Eastern Washington! So if you’re going to sell, better to sign up sooner rather than later. Just be sure you have your listing info (up to 20 words this year) ready, and head to the registration form here. (If you have just a bit of stuff to sell, you can inquire directly with Hotwire or C & P about one of their spaces.)

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HAPPENING NOW: West Seattle Art Walk, April edition
April 14, 2016 6:56 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPENING NOW: West Seattle Art Walk, April edition
 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

If you think the West Seattle Art Walk is just a Junction event – not so!

NEW STOP IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: Brand new on the Art Walk map/list tonight, Brace Point Pottery, at 42nd/100th in Arbor Heights. Three artists are featured tonight, including Warren Pope and his “Sea Creatures”:

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Two potters are also featured – studio proprietor Loren Lukens and Konstantin Reutov (photo below):

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As with most WSAW venues, Brace Point Pottery is open until 9 – plus you’re invited to visit during studio open-house hours 10 am-5 pm tomorrow and Saturday.

ADDED 7:24 PM – SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE: The gallery at SSC is in the Brockey Center toward the south end of campus. This month’s exhibit is “Butterflies: A Fantastically Queer Journey,” including Bianca Wright‘s photographs of transgender women and graphic designer Allan C. Carandang, whose work on display includes bright and bold images of drag performers:

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The artists weren’t there yet when we stopped by a little while ago, but we talked with gallery coordinator Akiko Masker. She talked with us about the gallery’s mission to encourage and support diversity, working with the Queer Straight Alliance not only in relation to this exhibit but also for an event coming up at SSC on April 30th, Queer Con. “Butterflies” (which includes nude images) will be on display in the gallery until then; admission is free, and gallery hours are usually Mondays-Fridays, 10 am-4 pm (tonight, until 9)

See the map/list of tonight’s Art Walk venues in our daily preview.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Bellevue Police say local bust linked to ‘large ID theft ring’
April 14, 2016 5:56 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

9tharrest
(WSB photo from Tuesday)

Back on Tuesday, we brought you first word of a Bellevue Police raid at a house in Highland Park. BPD didn’t have a lot to say that day, but now they do:

Bellevue police Tuesday arrested five people suspected of being part of a large identity theft ring that allegedly operated out of a residence in West Seattle. Investigators with the department’s Special Enforcement Team were conducting surveillance on a residence in the 9400 block of Ninth Avenue SW in West Seattle when they saw two people leave the residence and get into a stolen car.

After obtaining a search warrant for the residence and vehicle, they arrested five people in the residence, including the two who had gotten into the stolen car earlier. They arrested the suspects, two women and three men, on suspicion of crimes including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and identity theft.

During the search of the residence, police found credit cards, Washington drivers licenses and personal and financial documents of dozens of people. They also found and seized equipment used to make fraudulent identifications and financial documents.

In the stolen vehicle they found multiple crowbars, suspected stolen credit cards, gloves, screwdrivers and a brass knuckle-shaped stun gun.

(Bellevue Police photo)
Multiple shaved keys and narcotics were recovered inside a small backpack that officers had observed one of the suspects place inside the vehicle. A stolen credit card was also recovered from the center console. Investigators were able to link the stolen vehicle and one of the suspects to an April 7 vehicle prowl in Bellevue.

Investigators are contacting victims, including multiple Bellevue residents, and the investigation is being forwarded to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.

We’ll keep an eye on the case to see if any local crimes turn out to be part of it.

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SPORTS: Huskies vs. Ducks on Alki
April 14, 2016 3:44 pm
|    Comments Off on SPORTS: Huskies vs. Ducks on Alki
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Washington Huskies alum/fan? Oregon Ducks alum/fan? Get your beach chair(s) ready, because the regional rivalry hits the sand this Saturday on Alki Beach. One of our routine Google Alerts delivered news of the Huskies-Ducks beach-volleyball match at 2:30 pm Saturday. It’s the first-ever “home” match for Washington, which will consider Alki its “home” this year. Admission is free; this story from gohuskies.com explains who plays who when on which court.

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BIZNOTES: Thunder Road Guitars owner on new city committee; name change for Admiral salon
April 14, 2016 2:02 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Two biznotes this afternoon:

LOCAL REP ON MAYOR’S COMMERCIAL-AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE: A West Seattle entrepreneur is one of the members of a new committee just announced by Mayor Murray to tackle a topic that resonates here as well as in other neighborhoods: How to ensure that small independent local businesses can afford to keep operating in our city.

The local member is Frank Gross, proprietor of Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. He was there (city photo above, third from left) as the mayor announced the new Commercial Affordability Advisory Committee in the International District. The committee, says the city, “will consider a broad range of solutions to commercial affordability, including incentivizing the construction of smaller commercial spaces, further activation of public spaces to the benefit of food trucks and other small businesses, and inclusion of affordable commercial storefronts in more affordable housing projects.” Read the full announcement – and see the full list of committee members – here.

thunderfrank

ADDED 7:47 PM: We stopped by Thunder Road this afternoon to ask Gross about the committee (and to take the photo we’ve added above). He says he participated in a discussion with the city and the West Seattle Junction Association and was contacted about the committee as a springboard from that. He says he hopes the committee’s work will make a difference; he knows the search for affordable space is tough, as you might recall, his shop was previously in a smaller space between Admiral and The Junction, and he feels lucky to have found its current spot toward the south end of the heart of The Junction. He says the committee will have its first meeting before the month is out.

NAME CHANGE FOR ADMIRAL SALON: A new sign atop what was Shanti Salon and Spa at 2138 California SW announces its new name: Ella & Oz Salon. Its staff tells us that Ella & Oz “remains an Aveda salon offering a full menu of hair services along with enhanced Aveda rituals. Additionally, their team is joined by an Aveda-trained, professional esthetician offering skin treatments including facials, body wraps, as well as full waxing services.”

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Milestone for Fire Station 32 rebuild: Demolition of old station
April 14, 2016 12:13 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Triangle | West Seattle news

IMG_2991 (1)
12:13 PM: Demolition of the former Fire Station 32 is finally under way, six months after we reported that the project to rebuild FS32 is nine years behind the schedule in the original plan for the voter-approved 2003 Fire Levy. The new station, to be built at the same 38th SW/SW Alaska site, will look like this:

(From Fire Station 32 “schematic design” packet dated August 2013, by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson)

Until the new station is ready, temporary Station 32 remains on the site of a future city park on 40th SW between Alaska and Edmunds. Among the equipment based there is Ladder 11, which we spotted driving by its former home while we stopped for our photos this morning:

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The project is budgeted at $18.6 million. Construction is supposed to last about a year.

3:14 PM: We went back to check on the progress, and the crew was having a tough time knocking down the tower, even using a piece of debris as something of a battering ram.

As of 3 pm, it appeared they were stopping down for the day, but we’re going back to doublecheck.

12:35 PM FRIDAY: We went by the site three times this morning. No activity spotted during visits one and two – then, when we went back an hour after #2, the tower was down.

IMG_3084

FRIDAY EVENING: Some of the building is still standing; the photo above this line was taken looking over the fence on SW Alaska, after the crew finished for the day.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Van stolen
April 14, 2016 10:30 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Van stolen
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Be on the lookout for Kit‘s van:

My 2003 white Ford E250 van was stolen between midnight Wednesday and 3pm Wednesday (the 13th) from the covered parking at 4540 45th Ave SW, The Westerly Apartments. The parking area actually faces Glenn Way. It has some body damage on the passenger side, and it has a bumper sticker on the back that says “Film is Truth.”

I have reported it to the police.

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West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk night; Tinkerlab; education conversation; more!
April 14, 2016 9:54 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk night; Tinkerlab; education conversation; more!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Biggest event on tonight’s schedule – the April edition of the West Seattle Art Walk! Here’s the map/venue list – note that this list stretches from Arbor Heights to Admiral to Puget Ridge and beyond:

WSAW_Spring_2016_back_small

6-9 pm, you’ll find art at those 15 locations, and at most of them, you’ll also get to meet the artist(s). See the official Art Walk site at wsartwalk.com for highlights.

Also from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

TINKERLAB: The next in this series of creative, fun, free STEM-related drop-in events at local libraries is 4-6 pm at High Point Library – details here. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

EDUCATION CONVERSATION: As previewed here last night, 5-7 pm, you’re invited to Neighborhood House’s High Point Center to talk about hopes, dreams, and concerns related to local schools, the only West Seattle event scheduled as a prelude to the Mayor’s Education Summit later this month. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

FREE TAX PREP: Time’s running out to get your taxes done, and if you need help, you have a few more chances for the free assistance offered by the United Way of King County, including 5-9 pm tonight at the West Seattle Food Bank – details here. (35th SW/SW Morgan)

SECOND THURSDAY OUT! 6 pm, meet at the Senior Center of West Seattle: “Social time followed by dining out at Lee’s Asian Restaurant. All GLBTQ and their neighbors and friends are welcome. No membership required. Come and meet your neighbors and build community.” (California SW/SW Oregon)

LIVE MUSIC: Guitarist Travis Hartnett plays the Admiral Bird tonight, 6-8 pm. (California SW/SW Admiral Way)

MORE FOR TODAY, TONIGHT, BEYOND … on our complete calendar.

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YOU CAN HELP! Donations sought for Alki Art Fair silent auction
April 14, 2016 9:01 am
|    Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP! Donations sought for Alki Art Fair silent auction
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

This summer’s big events are getting closer – and the Alki Art Fair (co-sponsored this year by WSB) has a request right now:

Did you know that the Alki Art Fair includes a silent auction?

Want to promote your business/product while also helping us raise money?

Please consider a donation. Past auctions have included lots of original artwork, gift certificates for local health+beauty services/ restaurants/ shops/ performances and more, and fun items for home and garden use.

Please email info@alkiartfair.org if you can help.

The fair is set for July 23-24 along the Alki Beach Park promenade.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Spring-break Thursday
April 14, 2016 7:23 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Spring-break Thursday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

7:23 AM: Another quiet morning so far, second-to-last weekday of Seattle Public Schools‘ spring break. One road-work note: SDOT says the 30th/Yancy/Avalon project will switch to the east side of the intersection today. During this phase of the project, 30th and Yancy will both be closed at Avalon.

NEW METRO SURVEY: This one’s about late-night bus-riding. If you use the bus between midnight and 5 am, Metro really wants to hear from you. Even if you don’t, your replies could be helpful. Take it here.

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BASEBALL: WSHS vs. Blanchet, and Saturday Safeco reminder
April 13, 2016 11:59 pm
|    Comments Off on BASEBALL: WSHS vs. Blanchet, and Saturday Safeco reminder
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Tonight’s West Seattle High School baseball recap is from Caryn Johnson, along with a big reminder about Saturday at The Safe:

This afternoon West Seattle lost a heartbreaker to Bishop Blanchet at Hiawatha. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, but just couldn’t hold on in the end, losing 3-6. Carson Wright pitched a great game for West Seattle and Daniel Lo came in to close out the 7th inning. But in the end, the bats of West Seattle just couldn’t produce enough runs to come out ahead.

Next game, Friday – West Seattle hosts Roosevelt at Hiawatha at 3:30PM

Remember that West Seattle will be playing Olympic HS (from Bremerton) on Saturday, April 16th at Safeco Field in the High School Baseball Classic at 12:30. Entry to the game is free and parking is $5 in the Safeco parking lot. Come out and cheer on the Wildcats!!

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West Seattle coyotes: Daytime sighting on Charlestown Hill
April 13, 2016 10:17 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

coyote

Thanks to Krista Livingston for the photo and report:

This coyote was jumping around, playing in our yard (edge of Schmitz Park) at Charlestown and 52nd Ave SW. I know you get lots of sightings. Thought the neighbors would like to know the coyotes are out day and night.

If you scroll through our archive of coyote sightings, you will definitely be able to verify that. And if you do see one, please remember that the best thing to do for your sake and theirs is to scare it away – as explained in the state’s one-sheet about coexisting with coyotes.

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THURSDAY: Education conversation, as prelude to mayor’s summit
April 13, 2016 7:59 pm
|    Comments Off on THURSDAY: Education conversation, as prelude to mayor’s summit
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Neighborhood House‘s High Point Family Resource Center sends a reminder of the “education conversation” tomorrow, the only West Seattle event scheduled as a prelude to Mayor Murray‘s upcoming education summit:

This community meeting is a great opportunity for West Seattle families to engage with the City on a number of school related topics. The meeting will include:

· Mayor Murray Video Introduction

· Community-Led Topics

· Discussion Break-Out Groups

· Interpretation Services

· Light dinner, tea and coffee – catered by Banana Grill

All are welcome, 5-7 pm Thursday, 6400 Sylvan Way SW. (The summit itself is set for Saturday, April 30th, at Garfield Community Center.)

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Become parkland, or remain beach house? County, city, community to decide fate of 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW
April 13, 2016 4:34 pm
|      76 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

IMG_2979 (1)
(WSB photos)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Almost a year after the Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock was finished, and adjacent Cove Park restored and reopened, a loose end dangles: The future of the little white beachfront house at 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW, immediately north of Cove Park.

King County bought it to use as a construction office during the three-year pump-station project.

Now, as was revealed in a discussion at last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, there’s a chance its site could become a slice of city parkland – at little-to-no cost for the city. Sort of an expansion of Cove Park, though that is actually a community-maintained, SDOT-owned street end.

IMG_2975 (1)

Some neighbors are adamantly opposed to the idea, wanting the house to remain in use as a single-family residence, and were at the FCA meeting to say that directly to Chip Nevins, acquisition manager for Parks, who was there, he said, as early “due diligence” in determining the site’s fate.

Nevins explained that while Parks generally wouldn’t have an interest in acquiring Fauntleroy-area property, since the area is already “rich” in parkland – including Lincoln Park a short distance north – it would be hard to resist a chance to get something like this for free or near-free. If someone was told “do you want to make the park bigger and it won’t cost you any money, why wouldn’t you?” he asked.

Assessor’s records show the county bought the 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 1948-built house and its 35-foot-wide, one-third-acre lot (tidelands included) for $950,000 in 2008. Now, it’s considered surplus, and that status, as with most government agencies, triggers a disposition process. Nevins said the county has suggested a sort of swap might be possible – its pump station includes some land leased from SDOT that, like Cove Park, is technically part of the Barton street end, but if it could get possession of that land – through a street-vacation process – the city could wind up with 8923 Fauntleroy Way in return.

This would be something of a complicated process, not just because of the street vacation, but also because Parks would want to figure out if there is community interest in acquiring the beachfront site. So a public meeting will be organized, and some other means of feedback will be set up. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold was at last night’s meeting – to “observe” this item, she explained – and indicated she’d already been hearing from “both sides”; if a street vacation is involved, it ultimately would require approval from the City Council, so she and her colleagues also would be getting feedback.

If the site was accepted by Parks, what would be done with it? one attendee asked. Nevins suggested at one point that at the very least they would probably want the county to pay to have the house demolished, so that wouldn’t become the city’s responsibility. Beyond that – maybe open space? Or at least some plantings? One neighbor expressed concern that while the current administration might decide on that, someone down the line might decide to build a picnic shelter or other facilities that could attract more, and more problematic, usage.

Nevins reiterated that many questions remain to be answered – such as, has the city been making money in permit payments for the county’s usage of the pump station site, and would that be revenue lost in this prospective deal? (If we’ve found the correct city legislation, it appears the county pays the city $84,387 a year.)

And, he added, many layers of process remain to be gone through. The public meeting would likely happen before summer, though, so stay tuned; if the city and county moved forward with what in essence would be a “trade,” the process would likely take up to two more years.

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FOLLOWUP: Seattle Summer Parkways sets Alki date
April 13, 2016 3:32 pm
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 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from Alki’s first-ever “car-free day” in September 2008)

Last month, we reported that the city’s “car-free day” events – now called Seattle Summer Parkways – would include a West Seattle date this year, after skipping our area last year. At the time, the date hadn’t been set. Now, it has, according to the official webpage: Sunday, September 25th. That’s a long way off, so details are all but nonexistent, except that the city has posted that it’ll be happening on Alki. Just telling you now so you can get it on your calendar!

(BACKSTORY: The first such event, called “Car-Free Day,” was in September 2008; then for six years, it was scheduled on the same May day as the West Seattle 5K run/walk.)

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