West Seattle, Washington
24 Wednesday
(WSB photo from September 2011)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we continue working on an overview of major under-construction-and-impending West Seattle development, we are checking on individual sites, and have finally connected with a representative for the project that’s been known for five years as Spring Hill, at 5020 California SW, just south of The Junction.
Spring Hill was initiated in 2007 by BlueStar, the original developers of Fauntleroy Place, former name of “The Hole” (now known, under new ownership, as Spruce West Seattle).
BlueStar took Spring Hill all the way through Design Review, with final approval in September 2008. Then the project stalled (as did, more notoriously, then-Fauntleroy Place) and went to a foreclosure auction in 2009.
Last year, a Burien-based firm, F & M Development, bought it. Last September, they demolished the three vacant, vandalized multiplex buildings on the site (top photo). We tried repeatedly to reach them for comment and got no reply.
Then last week, a building permit application appeared on the city Department of Planning and Development website. That led us to try again – and this time we received a reply.
A call for volunteers in communities including Seattle has just gone out, one month in advance of a statewide count of bicyclists and pedestrians. The goal, according to an announcement on the WSDOT site, is “to benchmark the numbers of people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities across the state on September 25th, September 26th and September 27th.” Find out more – and sign up to help – by going here.
(Dragonfly at Schmitz Park last weekend, photographed by Machel Spence)
TRAFFIC ALERTS: One planned, one unplanned. Unplanned – The ongoing 1st Avenue South northbound lane closure in SODO, because of a water-main break. Planned – The westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to close again tonight, 10 pm-5 am.
SENIOR CENTER GOES HAWAIIAN: “Aloha Party” with lunch and music at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 11:45 am – details here.
COMMUNITY ORCHARD TOURS: Every Tuesday, 5-7 pm, at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, northeast end of South Seattle Community College campus.
BELLY DANCING: The monthly Alauda showcase is tonight at Skylark Café and Club, 7:30 pm (followed by karaoke).
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT: Roo and the Few at Locöl, 7:30-10 pm, info here … Weekly singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.
TRIVIA: Tuesday night means it’s Trivia That Rocks night at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm.
More on the calendar!
SODO traffic alert this morning – 1st Avenue South is down to one northbound lane between Holgate and Edgar Martinez Way, according to KING 5, because of a big overnight water-main break. There may be fewer West Seattle drivers using 1st Avenue South right now anyway because of the ongoing Spokane Street Viaduct offramp closure, but if you’ve been getting off at 4th and cutting back over to 1st – you’re hereby forewarned.
(Photo added midnight; no power at 35th/Avalon 7-11)
If you drive along Avalon Way tonight and notice it’s darker than usual – it’s a planned outage, as labeled on the Seattle City Light outage map. Robin just e-mailed to say she had noticed; two Avalon Way residents had e-mailed earlier. One said she had received notice that it was a scheduled outage related to the just-under-way 3261 Avalon Way apartment project, set for overnight tonight “to meet the needs of the local commercial businesses.” The other resident said she had not received notice. The SCL map says about 28 customers are affected – we don’t know whether an apartment building is counted as one or many customers but the power’s not set to be back on till 6 am.
When the campaign to stop the Tox-Ick Monster burst onto the local scene last year, the unsung hero behind it was Cate White, leading Sustainable West Seattle‘s education and outreach efforts to get people to take action, little by little, to make a big difference in Puget Sound’s water quality. Cate is unsung no longer – tonight, during SWS’s annual summertime picnic at Lincoln Park, president Christina Hahs announced her as the group’s 2012 Sustainable Hero:
In case you couldn’t watch the video – Cate is leaving West Seattle soon, headed for the Bay Area, but the fight against Tox-Ick will live on – Cate has helped secure several major grants, and was there to celebrate the $10,000 the campaign is getting for Laura James‘ recent win as a Cox Conserves Hero.
Another celebration at tonight’s picnic: SWS is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. We went back into the WSB archives and found our first mention, a quick announcement of its first meeting in spring of 2007. Christina brought homemade green-iced cake tonight to mark the milestone:
And if you did see/hear the video – the dogs who were “cheering” for Cate were Christina’s Corgis, Sedona and Piper:
The picnic took the place of this month’s regular membership meeting, so there were announcements, too, including Saturday’s Duwamish River Festival in South Park and tomorrow’s weekly Health and Harvest event at the Community Orchard of West Seattle, 5-7 pm on the northeast side of the South Seattle Community College campus. SSCC is also where SWS plans its September meeting, which will focus on winter gardening – watch for details and lots more on its frequently and thoroughly updated website, sustainablewestseattle.org.
The owner of a West Seattle marijuana dispensary, who also briefly operated one in White Center, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge. That announcement came late today from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which says Brionne Corbray, owner of the GAME Collective dispensary, faces up to 40 years in prison. Here is the full text of the news release we just obtained, detailing the pleas entered today both by Corbray and by dispensary operators in two other neighborhoods:
The owners of two different marijuana distribution enterprises pleaded guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking, admitting they were selling large quantities of marijuana for profit, in violation of federal and state law, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. BRIONNE KEITH CORBRAY, 47, owner and operator of three G.A.M.E Collectives in White Center, Northeast Seattle and West Seattle pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana.
4:47 PM UPDATE: Bail was set today at $150,000 for the 27-year-old Kent man arrested after the fight outside Alki’s Bamboo Bar and Grill that left two people hurt early Sunday morning – one, it was later discovered, with a gunshot wound. (Here’s our original coverage.) Court documents say the suspect was involved in a fight with several Bamboo patrons around 1:15 am Sunday, then pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired it. One shell casing was found. While that fight is described as happening on the sidewalk out front, the documents say “multiple witnesses” saw the suspect point his gun at others inside. The report says he ran eastbound after the fight and gunfire, but was seen trying to hide his gun “and a Seahawks jersey … on top of the right rear tire of a parked SUV.” Police arrested him near that vehicle. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until Wednesday to file charges.
ADDED 5:23 PM: A comment left by a Bamboo representative offers an apology and a plan for a community meeting this Wednesday:
The staff and management regrets being involved with this violent event and apologizes for any fear the community has suffered. We would like to host a community meeting this Wednesday between 5:30 and 7:30 to share the steps that we have been taking to promote a safer environment and to hear any suggestions West Seattle locals may have to offer. We truly care about keeping Alki safe, and want to make Bamboo Bar and Grill and place patrons can feel good about visiting. We look forward to improving and would like to accept any help the community has to offer.
We have also just received a phone call about this, and verified the meeting on Wednesday is AT Bamboo – 2806 Alki SW.
One week from today, the Seattle Public Library‘s systemwide money-saving closure begins, and since it precedes the Labor Day holiday, that means branches will be shuttered for eight days. The library has just sent its official announcement detailing exactly what’s closed and which services will be inaccessible during that time – along with which ones will be accessible, including more online services than during previous closures:Read More
What will be Delridge’s biggest apartment building when it’s finished is halfway to completion. Youngstown Flats is a block away from the park where we took the top photo at its booth during Saturday’s Delridge Day festival; Maria Barrientos (left) and Nicholas Ames (with community member Nancy Folsom) were there to get opinions about the street-end pocket park that’s become part of the project even though it’s not on the site.
Days earlier, we viewed that site from Youngstown Flats itself – its improvements are yet to come, so it still resembles a simple grassy space along the street:
We were at the construction site for a hard-hat tour.
Our photo tour, ahead:
A milestone today for the Highland Park Spraypark project – it has officially gone out to bid. At one point, Seattle Parks had hoped it might be built and open this summer, but when we followed up last month with project manager Kelly Goold, he said it wouldn’t be ready to open before next season after all. The spraypark will be built at the site of the old wading pool, closed almost four years. It started as a simple conversion plan but Highland Park’s Carolyn Stauffer led a successful push to get Parks and Green Spaces Levy money to enhance the project. The request for bids has just been published, and it gives would-be bidders till September 12th, when bids will be opened.
(Top/middle/bottom photos by Bob Bussman, who says this is the Lincoln Park eaglet, out for a snack – UPDATE: Commenters ID it as an osprey)
Welcome to the final full week of August! A few things you should know about for today/tonight:
OFFRAMP CLOSES: First of two alerts from our weekly day-by-day/night-by-night list of closures – SDOT says that as of this morning, the 1st Avenue South offramp from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct is closing for more than a month. The 4th Avenue offramp remains open.
BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT: Second alert from our list – 10 pm tonight till 5 am tomorrow, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed.
FREE YOUTH TENNIS CLINIC: At Lincoln Park Annex/Solstice Park tennis courts, 9:30 am. Details here.
(Quick break for our 2nd eagletosprey-dives-for-dinner photo:)
WEST SEATTLE WOMEN IN CHARGE: This new group meets again (here’s our report on the July meeting) at 9 am today, West Seattle Fabric Company (2210 California SW).
MONDAY ARTISTS: 9:30 am-noon, watercolorists are invited to join this group meeting at the Island View Apartments across from West Seattle High School – details here.
BOOK GROUP: At Southwest Library, 2-3 pm, the monthly afternoon book group will discuss “The Cheating Culture” by David Callahan.
CELEBRATE WITH SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: SWS turns 5 this year and that adds an extra layer of celebration to the group’s annual summer potluck – 5 pm to sunset tonight on the beach at Lincoln Park, picnic shelter 3; this year’s SWS Hero also will be announced. More details on the SWS website.
(Speaking of Lincoln Park … the final of our three photos:)
If Highland Park had a “Junction,” it would be 16th/Holden, with commercial buildings on two corners and Fire Station 11 on a third. The southeast corner of that intersection once held an espresso stand and is about to get a new one – Jenny’s Java Joint. We talked today with Highland Park resident Jennifer Francisco (you can call her Jen OR Jenny), who plans to open JJJ as soon as September 1st, in the spot where JoJo’s Fine Espresso closed more than a year and a half ago, next to the Seamart convenience store. Details ahead!
Tonight starts a new week of road closures – and tomorrow, the 1st Avenue South exit from the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct closes for more than a month, as the overall SSV Widening Project approaches its end. Here’s our customary weekly list of what to expect each day/night:
TONIGHT (Sunday, August 19)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm tonight to 5 am tomorrow
MONDAY (8/20)
*1st Avenue South offramp‘s longterm closure begins this morning. **BUS EFFECTS LISTED HERE**
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Westbound lanes closed 10 pm Monday to 5 am Tuesday, which means no access to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Columbian Way
TUESDAY (8/21)
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Westbound lanes closed 10 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, which means no access to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Columbian Way
WEDNESDAY (8/22)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Eastbound lanes closed 10 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday; if you’re headed eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge, you’ll have to exit to northbound 99
THURSDAY (8/23)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Eastbound lanes closed 10 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday; if you’re headed eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge, you’ll have to exit to northbound 99
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY (8/24-8/26)
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure, nothing scheduled
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Nothing scheduled
WEST SEATTLE TRAFFIC NOTE FOR SUNDAY (8/26): From about 8-11 am, Alki Avenue SW will be closed from roughly 63rd to Luna (Anchor) Park for the Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run.
(Photo by Kristen Marie Tourtillotte)
These newlyweds are hoping their recent ceremony will be the first of two. For starters:
West Seattle residents Keith Bacon and Corianton Hale made it official on August 11th at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort in Leavenworth, WA. The happy couple are looking forward to making it legal when their friends and neighbors vote to APPROVE R-74 in the upcoming election. The celebration included a Bavarian log-sawing ceremony, a talent show, a tube float down the Wenatchee River, and even made The Stranger’s fashion blog.
(August 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Next Sunday morning (August 26th), Alki Avenue SW closes for a few hours so more than a thousand people can help send a message of hope via Northwest Hope and Healing. NWHH’s annual Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run raises money for the organization’s work, which includes healing baskets for newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients and an emergency fund for women dealing with breast or gynecologic cancer. This year’s kickoff speaker is a survivor who knows what it’s like to need that kind of resource – NWHH says Tami Hyldahl-Haan “became a widow and a breast cancer survivor as well as a single mother without a source of income” within a short period of time last year, and the NWHH Patient Assistance Fund helped her “get through a couple of rough months.” The 5K starts and ends at Alki Bathhouse; register online now, or at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor; California/Charlestown), or starting at 8 am on race day.
(SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Family friend Aaron says Sophia’s stand raised more than $1,500!)
12:51 PM: Went to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market to check in on two benefits we’ve mentioned in recent days – and found both very busy! Above, Sophia’s Lemonade Stand outside KeyBank at California/Alaska, with lemonade and Bakery Nouveau treats, available by donation to help 7-year-old cancer patient Sophia Thompson and her family. (More about their story here – including a link to donate if you can’t get to the stand before 2 pm.) And inside the market itself, long lines for River Farm Organic Produce – you can’t miss the yellow-topped tent:
As reported here on Friday, a family friend e-mailed to make sure everyone knew this Central Washington farming family had lost a home in the big Taylor Bridge Fire – but they made it to the market and, since the farm itself was spared, have lots of vegetables to sell. The market continues, as usual, till 2 pm.
The Longfellow Creek Apartments complex at Delridge and Juneau is the center of a power outage that’s in its second hour. A resident called to ask about it; the City Light outage map shows it’s affecting 87 customers (each customer is a single household or business, so the number of people affected is always greater than the number of customers). The cause is listed as “equipment failure”; the caller mentioned hearing a loud noise that might have been a transformer going out (no fire calls to the area, though).
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
That’s “Palmer” the seal pup, nicknamed by a volunteer for Seal Sitters, which kept watch over the pup while it rested “nestled in the logs at the tideline” at Lincoln Park, according to Robin Lindsey, who adds that, “Our season has officially begun with this, our third pup – and many, many more on the way in September and October (the height of our season in the Seattle area).” Read more about Palmer here – and if you would like to help with keeping other pups safe this season, Seal Sitters has just scheduled one more volunteer-training session on August 25th, a 2-part session, as Robin explains:
ORIENTATION SESSION: The “lecture” part of the training (9:30-11:30) will begin promptly at 9:30 at Alki UCC Church (front meeting room), 6115 SW Hinds. We will briefly discuss the protocol and structure of both Seal Sitters and NOAA’s NW Marine Mammal Stranding Network. In this A/V presentation, you’ll learn basic biology of harbor seals and sea lions (the most common mammals the networks respond to) and roles and responsibilities of volunteers.
ON-THE-BEACH SESSION: At 11:30 we will leisurely make our way down to Alki Beach and the Statue of Liberty plaza (approximately 3 blocks away) for an on-the-beach session. Here you will learn how to handle the many unpredictable challenges of protecting marine mammals in urban environments – seal pups on crowded beaches, stairwells to the beach, close to a sea wall and promenade, and lastly the regulations regarding private property. This hands-on session will begin at noon and will last for approximately an hour.
There will be no other formal session this year due to time constraints on volunteers during the busy pupping season. Our season has officially begun with our first three pups on the beach and we fully expect another very crazy and wonderful seal pupping season in West Seattle again this year. We will do our best to assimilate a volunteer here and there during the season.
We hope to see you there! We suggest you bring a sandwich or snack for this session as it will be a longer than usual day. If you cannot make both sessions on Saturday, we strongly recommend that you make one of them. If you can only make the on-the-beach training we suggest you be at Statue of Liberty at 11:45. Please rsvp – sealsitters@me.com – so that we know how many chairs to request.
(Photo from “Godspell,” courtesy ArtsWest)
Today’s highlights include opportunities to do good, as well as opportunities to have a good time. From the WSB calendar:
THROWING COMPETITION: Athletes 30 and up are competing in national-championship throwing sports at West Seattle Stadium for a second consecutive day, 8:30 am till about 3 pm. You can go watch for free.
GIVE LINCOLN PARK SOME TLC: 9 am-noon, help Friends of Lincoln Park get rid of invasives. Meet at Fauntleroy and Rose entrance to the park. More info here.
LEMONADE STAND TO HELP 7-YEAR-OLD CANCER PATIENT AND FAMILY: As reported here earlier this week, friends of 7-year-old West Seattle Montessori (WSB sponsor) student Sophia Thompson and her family will sell lemonade outside the WS Farmers’ Market today, 10 am-2 pm, to help with the costs of her fight against a rare cancer.
ALSO AT THE WEST SEATTLE FARMERS MARKET: Another way to help out – here’s our Friday story about River Farm Organic Produce losing a family home in the Central Washington fire; they will be at the market today, and your patronage can help them recover. Plus, there’s a special promotion today with Chipotle Mexican Grill – details here. 10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska in The Junction.
‘BRUNCH FOR BOOBIES’ BREAST-CANCER-FIGHTING FUNDRAISER: While you’re in The Junction, dine/drink at West 5 between 10 am and 4 pm, and part of the proceeds go to breast-cancer-fighting Team Tracy, as explained here.
FRESH VEGGIES FOR SALE: The Admiral family organic-veggie sale is back at 44th and Hill, west of Admiral Church, 11 am-1 pm, with part of the proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank.
PET ADOPTION AT WEST SEATTLE THRIFTWAY: Noon-3 pm, the Humane Society’s big yellow Maxmobile will be at Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy) with adoptable pets.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Come enjoy Husky Deli ice cream in the courtyard at the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens), 1-3 pm, ice cream $2/scoop and beverages $1, proceeds benefit the museum and Southwest Seattle Historical Society.
GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY PLAYDATE: 1-3 pm on the school playground for families of kids going to school at Gatewood this year.
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER BEERFEST AND PET TAGGING: At West Seattle Nursery from 1-4 pm, you can enjoy hot dogs and beer, benefiting Furry Faces Foundation, and check out adoptable pets – and/or get F3 to make a tag for yours. Details here.
YOUNG CHAMBER MUSICIANS FEATURED: 2 pm, Music Northwest presents this recital at South Seattle Community College’s Olympic Hall – details here.
‘ANYTHING GOES’ MATINEE: Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) continues its summer run of the classic “Anything Goes,” 3 pm at West Seattle High School Theater (part of the proceeds go to the West Seattle Food Bank, and they’re collecting extra donations – food and/or money – for the food bank, too).
‘GODSPELL’ FINALE: Last performance today, 3 pm, for the youth conservatory production of “Godspell” at ArtsWest in The Junction.
ALSO AT ARTSWEST TODAY – ‘BLOODY SUNDAY’: A special promotion:
Our box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and we’re giving you a sweet deal on tickets. All single tickets to any show will be on sale for just $20.12! And, the first 100 people in line will get awesome “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” swag, and treats! Join us on August 19 as we kick off our great 2012-13 theater season!! 4711 California SW.
BENEFIT CLASS AT BIKRAM YOGA SEATTLE: 5 pm in The Junction, join Bikram Yoga Seattle (WSB sponsor) for a class to raise money for Plus One Foundation, which helps people with neurological injuries, disorders, or diseases. Details here.
Even more on the calendar!
1:31 AM: Police are reported to be investigating an incident in the 2800 block of Alki SW – that’s where fire crews were dispatched to an “assault with weapons” call. According to scanner traffic, at least one suspect is in custody and a gun was found – we don’t know anything yet about any possible victim(s) – there’s a possibility someone else may have been involved. More as we get it.
1:58 AM UPDATE: Our crew is on scene but we haven’t sorted out yet exactly what happened – police are talking to a variety of people, and the activity seems to be concentrated in the alley behind the 2800 block, though multiple cars and a fire engine are visible on Alki SW itself. On the scanner, police have mentioned two “victims,” no indication of what type of injury nor how serious. We’ll update when we are able to get some information directly from police.
2:17 AM UPDATE: Police confirm one arrest and two victims taken to the hospital, but exactly what happened is still being sorted out.
3:16 AM UPDATE: As of right now, Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams tells WSB that officers are still trying to “piece together” exactly what happened, but they do know, he says, that “2 people were injured as the result of a fight disturbance. They were both transported to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment. One suspect – an adult male – was arrested and a handgun was recovered. The investigation is ongoing and the cause of all of the victims’ injuries has not been determined at this time.”
4:18 AM UPDATE: Via radio, dispatch just told police investigating this case that the hospital reports “the stabbing victim has a gunshot wound to his chest.”
9:45 AM: Just posted on SPD Blotter:
A verbal argument led to a fist fight and shots fired. Just shortly after 1:00 a.m., the victims and suspects were very intoxicated and got into a verbal argument at the Bamboo Tavern at 2806 Alki Av SW. Soon it developed into a bloody fight. A gun was pulled and at least one shot was fired. One victim sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The second victim sustained a concussion and a possible broken rib.
The two suspects fled. Responding officers located and arrested one suspect and recovered the handgun.
Both victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of their non-life threatening injuries. The victims’ conditions are unknown at this time. The second suspect is still at large. The arrested suspect was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.
One hot ticket outside West Seattle/White Center on Saturday night did have a local connection: Before KISS headlined the White River Amphitheater (with Motley Crüe), three fans got custom KISS-style face paint at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), courtesy of FBL general manager Bradi Jones, who shared the photo – she’s the non-face-painted person in it, with, from left, Persia Saffele of the FBL (“Paul Stanley”), Pete Yore (“Ace Frehley”), and Nicholas Brown (“Peter Criss”).
(Photos by Katie Meyer for WSB)
This morning, we mentioned a West Seattle couple’s plan to take their wedding-day photos in The Junction, by the Easy Street Records sign congratulating them. We of course couldn’t resist the photo op ourselves. Above, the Walk-All-Ways light changes and the wedding party dashes into the street. Next, a group pose:
Katie says it took a few cycles for a practice run, then several for the actual photos.
Now, here’s where we share the couple’s backstory, courtesy of Auburn Scallon, who was a bridesmaid (in a wedding party she described as 90 percent West Seattleites):
Sean Jolly, a West Seattle real estate agent, and Michelle Mierz, Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu 2000, originally met at Our Lady of Guadalupe school. Years later, they reconnected after running into each other in the West Seattle junction and within hours their friend Tiara Johnson asked them, “Why aren’t you two married?!” Three years later, the couple is taking that advice in a ceremony at Holy Names Academy.
Their official wedding photographer is Tara of Tara Leigh Photography, in the striped shirt:
Congratulations to Michelle and Sean!
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