West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
That section of Beach Drive by Weather Watch Park and La Rustica is one of the inspirations behind a petition that’s being circulated by Jim Unland. He’s seeking signatures to ask the city to repave the half-mile stretch between 61st SW and SW Genesee (map). He explains, “This section of roadway has received numerous ‘pothole repairs’ but the condition of this stretch of Beach Dr. SW has deteriorated to the point that spot repairs are no longer sufficient. This roadway is frequently used by bicycle riders and the condition of the road poses many hazards to the them and liability to the City of Seattle.”
Unland says that petition signatures are set up to cc District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold and at-large Councilmembers Lorena González and Tim Burgess as well as SDOT’s paving manager Sue Byers. You can sign electronically by going here.
The self-storage project proposed for 3310 Harbor SW – first reported here last March – is moving ahead. That’s what the Alki Community Council heard at this month’s meeting, from an executive of the company pursuing it, West Coast Self-Storage.
They’ll be seeking a street vacation for part of what would be 29th SW (map), and they’re still putting together the documentation for that, so they don’t expect to be having formal hearings with the city before fall.
The company says West Seattle is underserved in terms of storage space, and that this industrial-zoned site is a place to provide some. The proposal is now envisioned for the area that currently holds a warehouse building and the now-vacated GT Towing lot.
In West Seattle (and vicinity) Crime Watch:
THANKS FOR THE TIPS: Received a few about a sizable law-enforcement presence at 15th and Roxbury this past hour. Headed that way and found King County Sheriff’s Office deputies had converged on the gas station at the southwest corner of the intersection. They were searching what one deputy told us was a stolen car; we’ll be following up on our partner site White Center Now.
ADMIRAL BURGLARY: Tyler e-mailed this weekend to share the word about this:
On Wednesday at exactly 12:44 am we had a person enter our property at 53rd and Admiral and break into our garage, stealing wire and several small tools. They then moved a camera out of the way and tried to gain access to a small basement window. They were on site for over 20 minutes.
The house is being sold, so there was no one home and only various tools on site. Police report filed Thursday.
Suspect was wearing black jeans and hooded sweatshirt also in black. He knew there were cameras as face was covered. Had a distinctive large rectangle style back back with straps.
MORE HIGHLAND PARK MAIL THEFT: Shirley in Highland Park wants her neighbors in the 11th/12th/Barton vicinity to “please be aware that there is a lot of mail being taken and thrown on the ground and or put in other mailboxes. On my dog walk this am I found some of my neighbor’s mail in my paper box. This afternoon walking the dog, I found another neighbor’s mail in the alley … Also noticed several mailboxes open along the way.”
STOLEN MAIL FOUND IN SEAVIEW: A reader “found someone’s mail from Ballard (Friday morning) dumped at the corner of 44th SW and SW Graham.” They planned to take it back to the Post Office but added, “I just wanted to let people know to be watchful for thieves using our neighborhood like this.”
In case you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – we’re now exactly two weeks from your chance to hear and see photo historian Paul Dorpat tell “Fish Tales” about West Seattle character and entrepreneur Ivar Haglund, linked to the exhibit at the Log House Museum, but happening at a local Seattle Public Library branch. Here are all the details, from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:
Is there anyone better than Paul Dorpat at “keeping clam” about Seattle legend and West Seattle native Ivar Haglund?
Dorpat — the city’s pre-eminent photo historian, who has entered his 34th year of weekly “Now and Then” columns in the Seattle Times — for more than a decade also has been researching and writing a massive biography of Haglund, the iconic restaurateur, folk musician, Port of Seattle commissioner, and goofy promotional wizard.
Sponsored by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and The Seattle Public Library, the genial Dorpat will present “Fish Tales,” a talk accompanied by scores of rare photos of Haglund, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, February 7th, in the basement meeting room of the West Seattle Branch of The Seattle Public Library, 2306 42nd Ave. SW in The Admiral District.
The FREE presentation will end about 3 p.m., after which those attending can stop in down the hill at the historical society’s “Birthplace of Seattle” Log House Museum to see its latest exhibit, on loan from the Nordic Heritage Museum, called “Keep Clam and Carry On: The Ivar Haglund Story.”
Dorpat’s talk will emphasize the deep West Seattle roots of Haglund (1905-1985), the grandson of Hans Hanson, who for many years posted a lantern at Alki Point that predated the 1913 construction of the Alki Lighthouse. Haglund’s maternal grandparents purchased the Alki Point land in 1869 from Seattle pioneer David “Doc” Maynard.
All of this and much more will be covered by Dorpat, who also will be available at the museum exhibit after his talk. The exhibit features display panels, vintage TV footage and radio recordings, along with a “clam gun” and one of the clam outfits used to promote Ivar’s restaurants in Seattle parades and commercials. To see the exhibit, stop in during regular open hours, noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
Ivar died in
Thanks to Eric Shalit for sharing the photos as a tribute to Ralph’s Barber Shop, behind the Chelan Café at 2302 SW Spokane. The shop closed when Ralph retired earlier this month. Eric says, “I believe the shop was in that location since the WS high bridge was built and in a slightly different location prior to the high bridge being built. Ralph’s father had the business before him. It’s been a hangout for longshoreman, steel workers, railyard workers, and many old-timers. This is a real piece of old WS that is now gone. It was well-known for the enormous collection of caps (hats) on the wall.”
Eric says he’d been going to the shop for about 10 years and got one of Ralph’s last haircuts.
P.S. (in response to a comment) No relation to Ralph’s in Admiral, which is open!
(WSB photos)
Food, wine, and history last night at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – the latter courtesy of the 300-plus guests at the food-and-wine fundraiser Gifts From The Earth, which brought in the most money ever for the SSC Foundation: Almost $222,000. That wasn’t the only record:
The 16 guest chefs who planned and prepared custom menus for groups of guests included a record number of seven who trained at the college’s much-lauded culinary program. They and their support crews – including SSC culinary, wine, and hospitality students – filled prep rooms at the college’s Brockey Center before the guests took their seats, plating their tasty creations – take a look:
Besides what we publish here on WSB, we also receive and answer questions via various contact channels that don’t always lead to stories – but we resolved recently to share more of the resulting info in case it could help someone else.
That brings us to the question e-mailed by Doug this morning. He found a discarded needle in North Delridge’s Greg Davis Park and wondered what to do about it. We found this page on the city website. Doug’s followup note to us: “The police non-emergency dispatcher sent me to SDOT, which is only open M-F. After contacting the number at your link, I got a call back within 5 minutes. And the guy who called back said he’d just been doing maintenance at Greg Davis, so I had an opportunity to thank him for his beautiful work too.”
(Maybe you’ve seen this bald eagle at Alki Beach Park too! Photo by Laura Goodrich, shared via WSB Flickr group; click to enlarge)
Happy Sunday! If you have the time, we have the possibilities, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: Get your disc on, 10 am at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. Even in the heart of winter, you’ll find fresh vegetables and fruit, plus local cheese, cider, beer, more. Often music, too! This week’s spotlight: Fermented food. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
THUNDER ROAD GUITARS CLOSED TODAY: The team at Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) is off getting new merchandise today, so the store in The Junction is closed, back open on Tuesday. (4736 California SW)
HELP BEAUTIFY THE CHILBERG LINK: Another work party for the volunteers we reported on earlier this weekend, who are beautifying a sloped median (with edible gardening, too), 10:30 am-12:30 pm, help, cardboard, and yard-waste-bin space all welcome. (Chilberg between Douglas and Genesee)
VISIT THE MUSEUM: The Log House Museum, HQ of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is there on Alki, waiting for you to come see what’s inside – a trip back in time, featuring the Ivar exhibit! Noon-4 pm. (61st SW/SW Stevens)
FREE CLASS: “Attract Winter Birds to Your Yard” is the free class at West Seattle Nursery this afternoon, 1-2 pm. (California SW/SW Brandon)
‘REALLY REALLY’: First 3 pm Sunday matinée for the newest ArtsWest production. (4711 California SW)
DON’T KNIT ALONE: Knit at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5:30-7 pm. (5612 California SW)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … via our complete calendar!
1:23 AM: Big response for a crash at 8th SW and SW Roxbury, reported to involve two vehicles, one on its side. The initial “heavy rescue” response has been scaled back because everyone’s reported to be safely out.
1:47 AM: The crash is actually on 8th north of Roxbury; 8th is blocked both ways until it’s cleared. Both vehicles are on the east (northbound) side of the street. No serious injuries – no medic unit or ambulance summoned so far.
2:02 AM: Added photos.
(WSB photo)
A break in the rain would be good news for neighbors beneath that bluff in southwest West Seattle. Since the slide Thursday night at 47th SW and Maplewood, they’ve joined forces to clear their private drive “enough to get in and out,” says resident Kathleen, who adds that they’re hopeful “the sliding has stopped” but won’t really know until it’s dried for about a week. She estimates this is the tenth slide in the 35 years she’s lived in the neighborhood.
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