West Seattle, Washington
17 Wednesday
Just about 48 hours after registration opened for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2011, signups are running ahead of last year – 38 as of this writing! In case you missed the original announcement on Monday afternoon, this is a reminder as much as an update. If this is your first spring in West Seattle – WSCGSD, now in its seventh year (fourth one presented/coordinated by WSB), isn’t one big sale, but hundreds (more than 200 in 2010!) all over the peninsula, from single-home/apartment sales, to block sales, to school or nonprofit or business sales, and we already have one group site if you just need someplace to put up a table (Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor] – contact Lora at info@hotwirecoffee.com to save your space).
The date is Saturday, May 14, 2011 – the time, 9 am-3 pm – the sale map will be available at least a week in advance. If you would like to be part of this fun selling/shopping day by having your own sale, the registration form is here. SIDE NOTE: There’s a Facebook page for WSCGSD (go here) – and we also hope you’ve “liked” the new WSB FB page (moved from a “profile” which capped the number of friends, while a “page” has no limit) – find it here.
10:45 AM: Six days after a loud protest outside the Admiral Safeway construction site, the protesters are back, and Lafayette Elementary staffers across the street say the noise is “unbearable” – so they have called the police again. The protesters again carry signs saying they are from the Regional Carpenters’ Council, targeting Marquise Drywall for allegedly not paying the “area standard.” Last time they agreed to stop using drums as they marched; this morning, so far, no such deal. Here’s our coverage from last week; again, the school says they’re not opposed to protesting, but wishing for some consideration for their students and staff.
12:06 PM: Substituted video for the original cameraphone photo atop this story. You can’t hear drums in our clip but they were being used along with whistles and megaphones before our photographer crossed the street; school staff and parents in the office told us the protesters quieted down every time police showed up, then ramped it up again as soon as officers left.
(New photos added 10:12 am. Above, the Chamber says more than 125 attended)
With the sun making a cameo appearance outside the waterfront windows, the banquet level of Salty’s on Alki hosted an energetic gathering this morning – the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual awards breakfast. Salty’s also happened to be the winner of “Business of the Year”:
(Cindy Smith and Bonnie David from Salty’s)
Greg Whittaker of Mountain to Sound Outfitters accepted “Emerging Business,” a new award category:
(Mountain to Sound Outfitters crew, with owner Greg Whittaker back row, left)
The West Seattle Farmers’ Market was the nonprofit honoree; and Rick Jump of the White Center Food Bank drew a standing ovation as he received the “Westsider of the Year” award:
Jump spoke briefly, and emotionally, saying he sees “the face of hunger” daily, and that’s what keeps him going:
The chamber has much to celebrate, noted board chair Dave Montoure of West 5 as he opened the event – new membership, he said, is up 200 percent.
Keynote speaker for the morning was Jordan Royer, a maritime-industry executive who ran for City Council two years ago and had harsh words for Mayor Mike McGinn without ever saying his name – criticizing what he sees as a “stupid strategy to force gridlock as transportation policy,” alleging a deliberate effort to force people out of cars, which Royer contended will be around for a long time to come – just not using fossil fuels. (Added above, video of all but the first couple lines of his speech.) He also urged the WS Chamber to lead the way in advocacy; and he expressed economic optimism. His father, former mayor Charles Royer, was at the event, as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen:
(From left, Rasmussen, Constantine, Harbor Properties‘ Denny Onslow, Charles Royer, McDermott)
More to come.
(Photo by Danny McMillin)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
WESTSIDE AWARDS: The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual awards breakfast starts at 7:30 am, Salty’s on Alki (here’s the original announcement of the winners).
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Monthly meeting at South Seattle Community College board room, 7 pm, guests include city Info Tech rep and Council President Richard Conlin.
‘GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE’ MEETING: Community meeting to update King County’s “green stormwater infrastructure” proposal for Combined Sewer Overflow control in the Barton Pump Station’s basin, Westside School (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm (details in this preview).
RESTAURANT BENEFIT FOR JAPAN RELIEF: Red White Unite restaurant fundraiser for Japan includes Spring Hill and Pagliacci participating (metro area-wide list here)
HORSESHOES: The Brickyard BBQ is hosting a horseshoe league. Play begins tonight at 6 pm. Sign-up at the Brickyard or call to reserve a spot. Teams consist of two players and play two matches a night.
NEW – SPANISH-PRACTICE GROUP! Quiere practicar hablar en espanol? New regular group for Spanish practice in West Seattle. La idea es 1-1.5 horas completamente en espanol. All skill levels are welcome, but ideally you should be able to make yourself understood in Spanish, even if your vocabulary is poor. At C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), 5612 California Avenue SW. We will meet for 1.5 hours, from 6:30-8 pm. Ability Level: Conversational Spanish to fluent, some English words OK. If you have questions, concerns, or want to RSVP, e-mail Jen at jenifer.mcintyre@gmail.com.
If an earthquake hit now, what would you do? If you replied “Run for a doorway” – sorry, wrong. The advice these days is “Drop, Cover, Hold.” As our nightly Disaster Preparedness Month spotlights continue, with a focus on quake preparedness/survival – there’s a little more to “Drop, Cover, Hold” than those three steps. We’ve found a few videos that have extra information that can increase the chances “Drop, Cover, Hold” – or as some put it, “Drop, Cover, Hold On” – will save you. They’re right after the jump:Read More
Exciting news for women of all ages in West Seattle – The Ruby Room is holding a $10 gown sale.
The Ruby Room’s Dresses for Divas (D4D) Sale, as part of the “West Seattle Garage Sale” event is back and this time we’re glammin’ up West Seattle. We’ve done Pioneer Square, Ballard, even Bellevue – now we’re ready to take on California Avenue! And we’ve gathered an amazing selection of gently-used gowns in all sizes and styles for only $10!
Saturday, May 14
9 am – 3 pm
Cherry Consignment (4142 California Ave)What is the D4D sale?
– We get tons of gowns through donations from individuals and businesses.
– Some are too mature or too casual for the prom, so we’re selling them to help raise funds for the Ruby Room. Some gowns have designer labels, some are sought-after vintage, and all will make you feel like a million bucks for practically no money.
– All gowns are only $10! Cash or checks only please. Craving a new LBD (little black dress), but you’re underemployed? Even if you’re on a tight budget you still wanna feel like a diva. And even better: All money raised goes to support high school girls whose families can barely pay the bills, let alone buy them a new prom dress.
The Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly Tuesday lunch meeting at Salty’s on Alki drew about double the usual crowd as Rotarians celebrated the “Partners for Work” service program, which helps developmentally disabled people prepare for and secure employment. It’s not just a West Seattle Rotary program – it’s implemented throughout their regional District (5030), so those who were on hand included visitors from all around King County. And county government was represented too; as seen in our video clip (along with remarks from areawide Rotary leaders), County Executive Dow Constantine – a longtime WS Rotary member – received an award for his support of similar employment programs. A bit of the current political climate sparked in his brief speech; you’ll hear him criticize proposed state cuts that would mean less support for people with developmental disabilities. So far, the Rotary program has created 13 jobs – in a group that they say has up to 80 percent unemployment – but even more important, it was noted, “We have educated hundreds about the dignity of work.” They have set a goal of creating 20 jobs districtwide per year. You can find out more about Partners for Work here.
We’ve received a press release from our friends at South Seattle Community College.
Exhibit showcases student interpretations on the nature of the self
April 4 – May 6, 2011
Opening Reception – Tuesday April 12, 2011 – 12 to 1:30 pmSouth Seattle Community College Art Gallery
Jerry Brockey Student Center (6000 16th Avenue SW)The concept of IDENTITY is made visual through a broad range of interpretations by South Seattle Community College art students through portraits, personals interests, affinity to historical trends, object as object, geographic location, pets, food, and multiple treatments of different subjects. Student artists have created work embodying the unique characteristics of personhood, recognition, identification, their interpretation of the essential character of IDENTITY.
Please join us for an opening reception for the artists and community from 12-1:30 pm on Tuesday, April 12.
Admission is always free and open to the public. Click here for gallery hours and information about future exhibits . For more information contact:
Contact: Tracy Cilona
Phone: (206) 934 – 5337
Email: tracy.cilona@seattlecolleges.edu
Website: http://studentlife.southseattle.edu/art.html
About a block east of Lincoln Park, Eric had a visitor tonight who raised his suspicions – read on for his story:Read More
SPRING HILL ANNOUNCES ‘BRUNCH BAR’: As brunch season – Easter and all that – swings into high gear, West Seattle’s Spring Hill Restaurant and Bar in The Junction just announced a new twist – call it “small plates” for brunch, maybe; Spring Hill calls it the “Brunch Bar.” No, it’s NOT a buffet – rather, a menu full of casual dishes, served at the bar. You can see the menu and the prices in this Spring Hill update; they’re offering the “Brunch Bar” Saturdays and Sundays starting this weekend.
SPEAKING OF BRUNCH: We’re compiling a roundup of Easter brunch highlights to be part of the Easter page we’re launching this week – if you’re offering Easter brunch and haven’t heard already from someone on the WSB editorial team, please e-mail us the what/where/when/how much, editor@wsb.blackfin.biz.
WEST SEATTLE SHARED KITCHEN ON TV: Our friends at KING 5 featured a story tonight about one of the shared commercial kitchen spaces in The Triangle – featuring Janeil’s Alki Pie Company and “healthy chef” Patrick Fagan – watch it here:
DINE OUT FOR JAPAN RELIEF: Tomorrow night (Wednesday), dozens of metro-area restaurants are joining for Red White Unite, donating 10 percent of the night’s sales to Peace Winds America (one of the two beneficiaries of the recent West Seattle for Japan). The list of participants shows two West Seattle participants – Spring Hill and Pagliacci Pizza.
Last week, we published West Seattle High School teacher Jennifer Hall‘s request for 5-gallon buckets to help with their food-recycling launch. She says they received plenty of buckets, and the program is launched! We stopped by for a photo at second lunch period today – note Jennifer’s big smile; later, she sent us the day’s toplines: :
Thanks very much … to generous West Seattle Blog readers! Crossfit Gym donated 10 beautiful black 5 gallon buckets. Junction True Value Hardware donated 10 white buckets, which say, fortuitously, “Start right. Start here!” — so applicable! A West Seattle High School parent who read about the effort on the blog also donated buckets. We made some excellent contacts from the blog post. A Master Composter from Seattle Tilth, and a representative of the “Urban Land Army” contacted us to volunteer.
Cedar Grove and the Seattle School District Sustainablity office are providing us with a new compost dumpster, compost cans and bags. Earth Service Corps students are committed to working hard to get the program going. Today alone, 98 gallons of compostable food and paper waste were diverted from the Arlington, Oregon landfill that receives Seattle trash! Earth Service Corps students and other interested students worked together in the West Seattle Commons to educate their peers and their teachers. More than 100 students composted (I was so busy with compost, it was difficult to count!) It was gratifying to see that at the end of two lunch periods, less than one third of a large trash can was filled with waste. At least two cans would have been collected, had we not composted today. We are excited about ‘Greening’ our school!
(The buckets also help with liquid collection to facilitate recycling of not-entirely-empty containers.)
Just received another communiqué, er, weblink from yarn-bomber Jaesee of YarnCore. Couldn’t be more perfect that she and West Seattle Art Attack teamed up for a free-standing “yarn bomb” that is now in place at one of West Seattle’s most popular new restaurants. (If you don’t know the WS Art Attack backstory, this story from last summer has links to previous coverage.)
If you were following the saga in February and March, you’ll recall a sinkhole by the traffic circle at Fairmount and Forest in Admiral turned into a three-story-deep pipe-replacement project. Now that work’s done, and the circle has been restored – but it needs some landscaping love, according to SDOT, which asked us to put the call out for a volunteer, since they don’t have anyone on record as tending to this spot:
We need a landscape volunteer for the traffic circle at Fairmount Ave SW and SW Forest Street. For those who are interested, or may be interested in becoming a landscape volunteer for other traffic circles in the City of Seattle, please contact Joshua Erickson with SDOT’s Urban Forestry Section at (206) 684-5008 or via e-mail at joshua.erickson@seattle.gov.
Thanks to Brian from TouchTech Systems for the photo and thanks to Meredith and Jennifer for the tips on a multi-vehicle crash that snarled traffic for a while early this afternoon at 44th/Oregon in The Junction. Noting it on the WSB Facebook wall, Jennifer described it as a “yucky intersection.” Meredith noticed debris strewn for some distance, which required more cleanup than usual, but tow trucks have responded; no medic unit was summoned, which generally indicates no serious injuries.
(March 10 WSB photo)
That’s the east side of Westside School in the backdrop of our photo from last month, showing a drilling crew out doing preliminary testing for King County’s “green stormwater infrastructure” project to reduce combined-sewer overflows into Puget Sound – and Westside is where county staffers will be tomorrow night for a community meeting updating the plan. While hundreds of households in Sunrise Heights and Westwood will be directly affected, thousands more may be interested for a variety of reasons, and you don’t have to be part of the project area (map here) to attend. The meeting is set for 6:30-8 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6) at Westside, which is at 7740 34th SW; you can read more about the proposal (which is still under environmental review) on the King County Wastewater Treatment Division website.
(January photo of Orchard-to-Sylvan potholes, shared by Gary)
Hat tip for this one goes to the Sanislo Elementary School PTSA newsletter – reading the latest edition last night, we saw news of some road-repair work planned nearby, so we followed up this morning by asking SDOT for details. Here’s the reply from Marybeth Turner:
An SDOT asphalt crew will be doing spot asphalt paving along Sylvan Way SW, SW Orchard St and Dumar Way SW in areas where there are frequent problems with potholes.
They will pave the eastbound lane on Sylvan Way SW around the curve to the intersection with SW Orchard. They will also pave the eastbound lane of SW Orchard from Delridge up to the intersection with Dumar Way SW, and then continue for a short distance around the curve on Dumar.
The crews have not yet scheduled this work–it will be executed with other paving jobs, and it requires favorable weather. We will announce the dates when the crews are closer to starting this paving work.
We will also be doing some spot travel lane repairs between the 4100 and 6900 blocks on Delridge to address problem pothole areas.
We would like to perform more extensive street reconstruction and paving, but this is what we can do with the funding available at this time.
The Sylvan potholes got special note here back in January. The city is still tracking potholes online (with 229 in queue as of about a week ago); you can see the latest map, with info on how to report them, by going here.
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
With Earth Day coming up later this month, opportunities for “doing good” for the environment abound. One day when you have multiple opportunities and multiple sites to choose from is Saturday, April 16th – the annual Duwamish Alive! restoration/cleanup event.
We wanted to spotlight some of the sites that will get TLC that day. For starters, Cari Simson of Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC), whose “role is to educate
the public about the Superfund cleanup site,” talked with us about their Duwamish Alive! site at T-107 Park along West Marginal Way on the east edge of West Seattle.
Monday night sunset photo below, courtesy Sarah. List below, courtesy WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
BRIDGE LANE CLOSURE TODAY, BETWEEN COMMUTES: City crews will be out clearing drains on the West Seattle Bridge today from 35th/Fauntleroy to 1st Avenue South, on the outside eastbound lane, 9 am-3 pm.
LIVING WELL WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS: Today and every Tuesday afternoon, 1-3:30 pm through May 3rd, at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Call 932-4044 to see if there’s space.
ROTARY LUNCH: Rotary Club of West Seattle weekly luncheon meeting, noon at Salty’s on Alki: Terry Davis, Partners for Work Steering committee member within Rotary District 5030 will lead the program. District Governor John Matthews will share stories of involvement, in particular, partnership with King County. Debbie Moore will be introduced as the new Partners for Work Coordinator.
TASTE OF DREAM DINNERS OPEN HOUSE: Tired of takeout, but no time to cook night after night after night? Dream Dinners (WSB sponsor) might be your dream come true. Show up at their West Seattle location on the outer east side of Jefferson Square, along 41st SW at 5:30, 6, or 6:30 to taste the April menu or even sign up to put together a dinner.
ANNIVERSARY SALE RESUMES: Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) resumes its 6th anniversary sale, which started last Saturday; 10 am-6 pm.
INFO NIGHT FOR MARATHON TRAINING: American Heart Association Start! – Training Info Night, West Seattle Runner (3727 California Ave, suite 2-A), 6:30pm. For runners training for their first half marathon. To RSVP or for more information, visit Start Training Puget Sound or e-mail jennifer.murdock@heart.org or call (206) 694-7330.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: West Seattle Community Orchestras welcome new members as they resume practicing – details here
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY REGISTRATION, DAY 2: We started signups yesterday afternoon and had 18 sales by last night! Be part of the city’s biggest Garage Sale Day (Greenwood has the oldest but mentions 100+ sales – last year, WS had 200+!) Info about, and the link for, registering can all be found here. The 7th annual WSCGSD, presented/coordinated by WSB, is May 14th.
As Disaster Preparedness Month continues in our state, with WSB committed again this year to nightly spotlights, with a special focus on earthquakes – it might be of value to make sure you’re not skeptical about the whole topic. 
The experts say too many people dismiss the concept of preparedness, when in reality, earthquakes are survivable. Want to hear firsthand from an expert in our state? ****Read this.**** (Thanks to Cindi Barker from West Seattle Be Prepared for the link; she and WSBP’s Karen Berge and Deb Greer are immensely helpful again this year in providing information we’re drawing upon for these nightly spotlights.)
So then, if they’re survivable, what do you do as soon as the shaking starts? Run for the door?
Here is THE LIST of what to do – if you’re indoors, if you’re outdoors, if you are in a moving vehicle, and even, if somehow you still get trapped in debris. This version of the list is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Read that, know it, share it. (And once you have all that down – read the other summaries linked from that page, like what to do AFTER a quake.)
NIGHTLY REMINDERS: Know your nearest Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hub – go here to find it (and if there’s not one nearby, help make one happen!) … Make plans to be at the preparedness-training session that West Seattle Be Prepared is presenting this Thursday, 6-7:30 pm at the Senior Center in The Junction … And check out the “3 To Get Ready” campaign, which is sponsoring WSB during Disaster Preparedness Month again this year. This time around, they’re offering a contest as incentive for you to take their “Preparedness Challenge” – check it out here … Our archive of preparedness coverage on WSB, newest to oldest, is here.
Two big things this week for and from Sustainable West Seattle: First, it’s moving week for the WS Tool Library:
It wasn’t even remotely as emotional a closure as another one in West Seattle a few hours earlier, but the original location of the WS Tool Library shut down at 5 pm Sunday. Right before 5, we found Micah (photo right) in the old location at South Seattle Community College; a few minutes later, we found Patrick (photo left) in the new one at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. The “tool migration” happens later this week, but in the meantime, Patrick and others are still putting finishing touches on the new space – the room where we photographed him will host workshops and training in tool use (so you can not only borrow tools, you can learn how to use them), while the storage area will be right next door; this is on the northeast side of Youngstown. For full details on the move, and next Saturday’s 9 am grand opening, check out the official news release here.
GREENLIFE AT WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST – APPLY NOW! SWS is also now taking applications for exhibitors at its GreenLife expo that will be part of West Seattle Summer Fest again this year, co-hosted by West Seattle Nursery. SWS says this will be its one and only “annual sustainability festival” for this year. Full details are on the SWS website as well as the application form. Summer Fest (with co-sponsors including WSB) is set this year for July 8, 9, and 10 in The Junction.
At Arbor Heights Elementary, they don’t call it an assembly – they call it the “Monday Morning Meeting.” And this morning – after celebrations of recent classroom achievements (including preparations for the upcoming Young Authors Day as well as this week’s birthdays) – the meeting included a bonus celebration. Arbor Heights principal Dr. Carol Coram mused for a moment on the nature of “community service” before bringing up a guest who was there to thank AH students who, along with the PTSA, reached out to help Mary’s Place, a program for homeless and “formerly homeless” women and children. Take two minutes to watch our edited video highlights of the presentation that led to several hearty rounds of applause. (P.S. Mary’s Place needs non-monetary help too – donated health care, in particular.)
Latest coyote-sighting report is from Val:
Thanks to your great coverage, I do know we have coyotes in WSeattle, but this is the first time I’ve seen one here myself. I live at the end of Webster off of Delridge and I got to my patio this morning just in time to see a coyote departing, loping along the property line. Makes me glad my cat’s always been an indoor cat! Just thought I’d pass the sighting along.
Previous sightings shared with us are archived here, newest to oldest (many with photos, even a little video here and there). Along with the usual “coexisting with coyotes” info, we decided to check online to see the latest coyote-related news from, well, anywhere, to see how the rest of the country is dealing with them. Not coexisting-mindedly, it seems; in Texas, there’s legislation for aerial hunting; in Rhode Island, a town is hiring a hunter to kill “rogue” coyotes.
5:20 PM: Thanks to the WSB’ers who sent messages to say police have Delridge blocked off at Findlay. We’ve just arrived on the scene and will have more info shortly.
5:33 PM UPDATE: Delridge is open again. Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith explains that “traffic was held” for a time after police stopped a car that had a felony arrest warrant associated with someone inside; he said the decision was made to stop traffic because of “the number of subjects in the vehicle.”
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