February 2011

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR A SLIDESHOW

White Center's Cleo Petra, founder/owner of The Burning Hearts Burlesque, collaborates with Burien's Robert Butler of RJB Photo, a catalogue and fashion photographer, on a new magazine, "Pin-up Quarterly, Seattle's Girly Magazine". Its high-quality glossy, colorful pages feature women sporting provocative costumes while playing out various roles involving flashy cars, drinks, and cigarette holders.

The line-up of ladies runs from coquettish and petit to brazen and buxom. If the question is, "Are they nude?" the short answer is "No, but almost." Like WWII pin-up icons Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable, what is not revealed seems to catch the eye. Butler seems adroit at capturing a "good girl" in a "bad situation" without showing us every anatomical detail of his subject, to paraphrase a pin-up website.

The Burning Hearts Burlesque, and this magazine, have models and performers "with many diferent shapes and sizes," said Cleo Petra proudly. You may run into her tending bar at the new Company Restaurant in White Center. The Burlesque show contains brief frontal nudity at the conclusion of some acts, as is the tradition.

As the West Seattle Herald was the first to report on Dec. 10 the former Alki Bakery location at 2738 Alki Ave. s.w. will be reopened by the owners of the Alki Cafe Sharon and John Bang.

"Things took longer than expected due to Alki Bakery and the landlord working out their terms" Bang said, "It took us 2 1/2 months for us to get to this point. We originally wanted to get the new location open March 1st, but we think it may be closer to mid-March. We are planning to open as soon as things fall in place."

The new place will be called "Beachside Cafe on Alki". "We want to keep good old favorites from Alki Bakery and add new and exciting items to menu. Many of our regular customers have been asking for details."

The Beachside Cafe will operate in a similar fashion as Alki Bakery where customers would order at the counter. They are still working on hours of operation but are considering 7:00 am to 5:00 pm weekdays and closing at later time on weekends but hours are not finalized as yet

Press Release:

Looking for an easy and creative way to show your community pride? West Seattle Hi-Yu is kicking off their annual button design contest.

These buttons will sold at events throughout Western Washington this summer.

This year’s theme is "Sparkling Seattle"

This year’s float design will depict all that makes Seattle sparkle! Think Ferry Boats, Seattle Skyline etc. The winning button will be chosen at the general membership meeting by popular vote on February 7th, 2010, 6:30 p.m. at St John the Baptist Church Hall.

All button designs should be in final size, which is 2 ½". Hi-Yu welcomes entries from all ages! The winner receives a $25.00 check and will ride in the West Seattle American Legion Parade in July. Please send entries by email to wshiyu@yahoo.com or bring it to the meeting.

THANK YOU for supporting your community festival.

Nopee is a Jack Russell Terrier, of the long haired vatiety and he's quite the athlete. He is friendly (even if he does growl slightly at men), but he's really primarily interested in squirrels. He may even catch one someday.

Donna Godbout told us about Nopee, though he is actually owned by Kerry and Jamie Vause, her daughter and son in law. He's three years old and her son in law got him in North Carolina. "He was being abused, " Godbout explained, " and my son in law said, well, I'll just take him. The guy that had him was really abusing him, hitting him all the time. In fact that's where his name came from. NO PEE! because he was peeing all over the house so the owner called him NoPee and it stuck."

Because he likes to chase squirrels he will sit in the window for a long time waiting. "You can always tell when he sees one," said Godbout, " because he starts running to the door and going back to the window, and back to the door"

Nopee eats Beneful dog food, mostly dry "but with some meaty morsels," and he doesn't get treats aside from the occasional dog biscuit. "He doesn't eat any people food because it doesn't agree with him."

Signatures to stop the tunnel were turned in yesterday at the community center in Ballard. 20,629 signatures are required to get this initiative on the ballot at the next election but as many as 27,000 signatures were raised.

It was an historic moment in the Alaskan Viaduct Replacement debate.

Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel (SCAT) actually raised more signatures but 19 kiosks around town were stolen, including one in front of LT Nails on Market Street.

"I don't know who would steal them. They were little wood structures about five feet tall," said Elizabeth Campbell, one of the coordinators of Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel. "That was fairly expensive."

The signatures were turned over to the City Clerk's Office this morning to place Initiative-101 on a ballot.

"The tunnel is not a done deal, and the future of this project should be decided by the will of the people," Campbell said.

South Seattle Community College press release:

Valentine Wine Release and Sale
Student-produced Blue Barrel Rose´ is featured.

Thursday, February 10, 12 – 5 pm
Friday, February 11, 12 – 5 pm
Saturday, February 12, 12 – 4 pm

Northwest Wine Academy
Wine & Welding Building
South Seattle Community College
6000 16th Avenue SW
Phone: (206) 764-7942
Email: rdaigneault@sccd.ctc.edu
Web: www.southseattle.edu/programs/proftech/wine.htm

Find the perfect wine for your Valentine at the Northwest Wine Academy’s spring wine event.
The Northwest Wine Academy will be releasing a Blue Barrel Rosé that is primarily a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend, very bright and a lovely shade of pink. This specially-made wine is sure to sell out quickly.

In addition to the Rosé, additional wines for sales include: 2008 Well Red, 2009 Field Blend, Prosecco, Cava, and a selection of Pink Sparkling wines from France. All these wines will be available in gift and wine baskets filled with chocolates and other treats. The perfect gift!

All 32 Alki Tours passengers and their tour guide Tyson Verse arrived back from Cairo via Athens and then Germany Tuesday Feb. 1 at 11:40 AM on Lufthansa flight 490. They all arrived safely, many exhausted after evacuating the Cairo International Airport through a U.S. diplomatic arranged flight. (Three of the 36 total returned prior to the group of 32.)

Here is our previous, related story.

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2011/01/31/news/update-4-west-seattle-…

We just spoke with Tyson Verse. We realize he is very tired and appreciate his time. Here is his account of the group's ordeal:

We had a really nice tour, saw everything in Cairo, the Sphynx, Pyramids, Cairo Museum, flew to Luxor. That's where we see the Luxor Temple and embark on our Nile cruise to Aswan. There was talk of protests coming. We saw one small protest in town. Tensions started building. We were transfered to the train station to have our overnight train to Cairo. The tourist police were very concerned and didn't want us to go there.

Press Release:
On February 7, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will unveil a draft "right-of-way concept plan" for an area located at the entry to West Seattle. City planners will present information about the draft plan at an open house event scheduled for February 7, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 S.W. Oregon Street. A short program will take place at 6:30 p.m.

"The results of this planning effort will help guide the future of the West Seattle Triangle planning area over the coming decades," said Susan McLain, senior planner. "The Triangle is located at the heart of the West Seattle community, so we want to make sure members of the community have many opportunities to provide feedback to the draft concepts."

The concept plan identifies potential investments and streetscape improvements to Fauntleroy Way SW, and to streets located within the triangle-shaped area bounded by Fauntleroy Way SW, 35th Avenue SW, and SW Alaska. Most streetscape investments will occur gradually, as development takes place over time.

Last week, Norma Allison, owner of the Ballard Hair Salon on 1708 N.W. Market St, received a letter from the City of Seattle for a violation of the public right of way.

Shiuwen Tai, owner of the neighboring Floating Leaves Tea shop, received the same letter as did the Ballard I.O.O.F. Temple.

The violation refers to the dark green awning that spans across the whole building. Each business received an individual letter stating that they are “required to remove the encroachment or obtain a permit by the appropriate response time.”

Allison said the letter came out of the blue as the awning has been there for years and she never had been asked to apply for a permit in the first place.

“I’m in disbelief. I’m just trying to survive here,” Allison said.

The Annual Renewing Street Use permit will cost her $97 plus the applicable square footage.

“She’s been using the awning for however long and we didn’t know. For some reason it didn’t get caught,” said David Doll, the awning inspector.

When Shiuwen Tai received her letter, she send in the required application, site plan and sign proof and paid the fees.