West Seattle, Washington
27 Friday
In case you missed the repeated mentions here and elsewhere last week – tomorrow’s the day the Lions Clubs International Parade of Nations happens downtown, with road closures, detours, and bus-route changes. Here once again is the city’s official alert. No way to tell if it will cause any sort of domino effect like the motivational-speaker-event jam a month ago, of course, but we’ll be tracking.
We were on our way to Colman Pool‘s 70th-anniversary celebration this afternoon when the Marine View Drive fire forced a detour – but we went back for a photo in honor of its birthday. There’s a bit of its history in Lori Hinton‘s “West Seattle 101” Colman Pool vignette; its origins as a “tide-fed swimming hole” are also noted in Seattle Parks‘ thumbnail Lincoln Park history. Here’s a Seattle Municipal Archives photo of the then-swimming hole in 1925:
Once built into a gorgeous pool, it was dedicated on July 4, 1941. Here’s a MOHAI photo from that year. The season for this beautiful on-the-beach saltwater swimming pool is short, and September will be here all too soon – here’s the pool schedule to plan your visit.
(UPDATED MONDAY NIGHT with fire cause – scroll down)
3:36 PM: Fire crews are rushing to the 10100 block of Marine View Drive (map) for a reported house fire. Two people may be hurt, according to scanner traffic.
3:45 PM: At the scene. Needless to say, Marine View Drive is blocked:
The fire is reported to be under control, according to the scanner. No flames currently from our vantage point at the scene.
4 PM: There were two medic units at scene; one has taken a male patient to Harborview Medical Center for smoke inhalation, according to scanner traffic. Our crew at the scene says a private ambulance has arrived for a woman who was able to walk to it under her own power. A Seattle Fire Department public-information officer is being dispatched to the scene, so we’ll have official details before long. Meantime, smoke is no longer coming from the house (we don’t have a clear shot of it yet as police/fire crews are keeping people, media included, way back).
4:20 PM: The public-info officer was canceled; we’ve talked to an on-scene commander, who confirms the people who were hurt are the residents of the home, and both suffered from smoke inhalation. Their grandson was also in the house but was unhurt. The fire is out; investigators have just arrived, so there’s no word yet what caused it, but they say it was on the house’s “wine-cellar level.”
4:42 PM: We’ll be checking shortly to see if Marine View Drive has reopened. Meantime, adding a couple photos. Immediately above this update – since the house was at the end of a fairly long driveway, firefighters had a challenge to string hoses to the scene from the nearest hydrant. At the top of the story, the photo shows the house being aired out with fire crews’ heavy-duty fans once the fire was confirmed out.
5:08 PM: Per announcement heard on the scanner, Marine View Drive is now fully reopened to traffic.
ADDED 9:51 PM: Seattle Fire investigators say the fire was accidental. From the update on their Fire Line website:
… After interviewing the occupants and examining the scene, investigators concluded discarded smoking material on cardboard was to blame for the fire which began in the basement wine cellar. …
Damage is estimated at $70,000.
Big turnout for this morning’s West Seattle/Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade – bigger than last year, by our informal measure, which is how long our clip of the entire parade runs. Last year we had to break it into 2 clips totaling 13 minutes; this year, our video (above) totals 16 minutes. OK, nonscientific, but still. Another contrast – cloudy last year, bright sunshine this time. Anyway, this is an all-volunteer effort – here’s coordinator Sherri Chun:
She also emceed the games at Hamilton Viewpoint Park post-parade – old-fashioned fun, like sack races:
Inbetween – hundreds of kids (and adults!) on parade. Click ahead for some of the scenes:Read More
Another side note from the West Seattle/Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade (full report still in the works): At the end of the route, Hamilton Viewpoint Park, we found Ethan, Austin, and Kevin, promoting a fundraising car wash next Sunday, 10 am-2 pm at Bar-S Playfield on Alki Point, to raise money for the West Seattle Little League 10-11 All-Stars‘ upcoming trip to the state tournament in Eastern Washington. (If you can’t read the fine print – free coffee while you wait!)
Reminder before night gets closer … pet experts say keeping your cats and dogs inside tonight is the humane thing to do – fireworks are not only a direct danger, the noise also scares them to the point where they might run out of home territory. Already today, after a night with hours of illegal fireworks, we’ve added five new lost/found pet listings to the WSB Pets page. It’s here if you need it, but better yet, just don’t run the risk.
James hopes you will be on the lookout for his car, stolen early today:
We live down on the 5600 block of 17th Ave. My wife and I were up until 2:30 am watching a movie in our living room and I know my 1997 Honda Accord was still sitting in front of our house. About 9:30 am on my favorite holiday (July 4th), I noticed my neighbor’s car sitting in front of my house. At that point I realized my car was gone. My neighbor said they moved their car there about 7 am to do yard work. So sometime between 2:30 and 7 am on July 4th, my 1997 beige Honda Accord was stolen. It has a little Japanese sticker on the gas tank panel. There is nothing fancy about this car. No high-end stereo equipment. No crazy muffler or rims. Just a plain old car. The police responded within minutes and filed a report.
(That’s Griffin, very first kid we saw upon arrival at the parade starting point)
11:06 AM: The Admiral 4th of July Kids Parade is over, so north end of California flowing again (full coverage to come with video and photos, HUGE turnout)… Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) sends word they are open for a few hours (till about 2:30 pm), if you feel like shopping…
12:24 PM: On our way back from the parade and the old-fashioned games (sack race, etc.) that followed at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, we checked out the shoreline to see how the pre-fireworks stakeout was going. Campers already at Don Armeni (along with boats coming back from crab fishing), but not too crazy yet. Spotted stand-up paddleboarders in the distance too, with the future CenturyLink Field as their backdrop:
Forecast still looks good for the rest of the holiday.
(Junction flags are flying this morning – this one is outside Husky Deli)
First up for big events today, the annual Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade, which isn’t just for Admiral – all welcome to participate, starts at 10 am at 44th/Sunset (map), concludes with games and concessions at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. More details on that, plus all the rest of the holiday info, is on the WSB 4th of July page, including transit changes and business highlights.
(Photos by Michael Brunk, courtesy ArtsWest)
If you’re used to the monthly “Rocky Horror Picture Show” screenings at Admiral Theater – or past experiences – a few things you need to know about “The Rocky Horror Show Live,” opening July 13th at ArtsWest in The Junction. Do NOT bring toast, or rice, or any of the other routinely thrown items. Why? Explained here. However, the ArtsWest notes say, verbal audience participation IS welcome. So you don’t have to be as sweet and innocent as Brad and Janet…
… but do keep in mind, this is a production of the Summer Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program at ArtsWest, and not recommended for those under 16. Our reminder of the upcoming “Rocky Horror” run landed in the inbox Sunday night courtesy of cast member Tyler Webster, who has praise for everyone in what Tyler calls “an amazing cast” and adds, ” All of us are dedicated to this performance and have been balancing school, work, and multiple other commitments.” So show ’em some love – showtimes are 7:30 pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays from July 13th through July 23rd, with added 11 pm shows on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are available online right now – go here. (Theatergoers under 25 pay only $10!)
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