April 2011

The Super Deli Mart, West Seattle's only convenience store with beer on tap that the West Seattle Herald told you about on April 19 is holding a 2nd Anniversary party on May 1.

Located at the corner of 35th Ave. s.w. and s.w. Barton, the store features an unusual array of beers in both bottles and cans as well as beer on tap.

Min Chung, the owner said, "We expect about 300 people to stop by. We'll be grilling barbecue spareribs, and 300 hot dogs. We have 100 pounds of teriyaki coming in. We'll have free beverages, and a lot of raffle giveaways."

By beverages, Chung means soft drinks. He will charge for the pints of beer, which must be consumed in the store, but other beverages for the crowd will be free. The items up for raffling will be some, "pint glasses, T-Shirts, hats and a high quality gas grill with a speaker built in it, plus a gas smoker."

One of the advantages of living in West Seattle is that because it is a peninsula it offers more views of the water than any other place in the city of Seattle. Today proved why that is sometimes impressive and
always fun. The USS John C Stennis headed out from Bremerton to California for training prior to a middle east deployment.

According to the ships on onboard blog, the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG) is set for composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of southern California.

The Kitsap Sun reports that the aircraft carrier completed a $137 million maintenance period in December and that this training will be the first time it fully integrates with its strike group. That set of vessels includes Carrier Air Wing Nine, guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay, and guided missile destroyers USS Kidd, USS Dewey and USS Wayne E. Meyer, all from San Diego.

Contaminated groundwater under and near a SeaTac property would receive cleanup with a combination of below-ground air injection, vapor removal, and natural bacterial action, under a proposal submitted for public comment by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the site's current and former owners.

Ecology also seeks comment on related documents that report on studies of the site's contamination, evaluate cleanup options, and determine that the cleanup would not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

The parcel - owned by Sea-Tac Investments LLC, ANSCO Properties, LLC, and Scarsella Bros. Inc., -- is located at 16025-16223 International Blvd. The site has no connection with Sea-Tac Airport, nearby.

Ira Finkelstein's Christmas, as the West Seattle Herald reported previously an independent feature film produced by VonPiglet Productions in Seattle shot some final and important sequences for the production on Beach Drive on Friday, April 29 in the home of Patrick and Sandie Repetowski.

The film synopsis states: "A Christmas obsessed Jewish boy on his way to sunny Florida figures out how to get the Christmas of his dreams by trading airline tickets and places with another boy on his way to snowy Christmastown, WA."

Susan LaSalle, Producer talked about why the company chose West Seattle for the sequences they shot here. "Our location scouts go out and the tall order they were asked to fill was to find a condominium that could look like Florida, so they went all over and this is what they found (...) It's a tribute to Washington State that we can actually shoot many different looks."

Editor's note: The West Seattle Herald has been covering news here for nearly a century. Robinson Newspapers (which publishes the West Seattle Herald) have a massive news archive of Herald coverage dating back to 1928. What follows are crime reports and public safety issues from 1931. Although reporters’ names were not included with stories at that time, their original words remain intact. As more historical crime reports are compiled there will be more installments of West Seattle All Time Crimes.

February 26, 1931
Editor's note: The Herald had a full-page column titled "City Merchants Unite to Save Lives" on this day in 1931. The following columns were accompanied by advertisements from West Seattle businesses offering vehicle brake replacements, locks for homes and similar public safety services.

Seattle’s Deaths from Carelessness Arouse Citizens; Remedies Discussed by Merchants

Last year, the Ballard Lions Club provided 50 people in and around Ballard with free eye exams and eye glasses; donated audio and visual equipment to senior centers, provided two people with free cataract surgeries and gave several people hearing aids. Yet despite their valuable efforts and longstanding history in the community, the Ballard Lions worry about the local club's future.

Gerry Giraldo is the president of the Ballard Lions Club Foundation and has been a member since the 1970s. Over time he has seen the club's membership age and numbers dwindle.

"I'm one of the youngest members and I'm 73," he said, adding that the club is having a hard time reaching out to young people.

"As people get old, new members are needed to continue the work that others started," Giraldo said.

"You must care for the community you are associated with, either where you live or where you work. Besides that there is a great feeling  when we are able to help others."

Giraldo, an immigrant form Columbia, decided to join the club to give back.

By Sam Reed, Sealth Athletic Director

Rainier Golf and Country Club will host the first Chief Sealth Athletics Golf Tournament on June 3, 2011 with all proceeds benefiting the student-athletes at Chief Sealth International High School. Reservations for foursomes and individuals go on sale today and can be purchased here.

Individual participation is $150, while foursomes can be reserved for $500. The tournament will be a scramble with a shotgun start beginning at 10:00 a.m. In addition to the tournament, unique contests and games will be added including a “small-hole” putting contest to help fund new football uniforms. The afternoon will conclude with a full dinner and auction featuring exclusive sport memorabilia and unique athletic experiences. Currently committed auction items and prizes include autographed balls from Seattle sports legends, tickets to select PGA tour events, custom-made HYPERLINK "http://www.mustyputters.net/" Musty Putters and more. A full list of auction items will be released ten days prior to the event.

Multiple fire trucks responded to a residential fire on 8th Avenue N.W. and 57th street around 2:45 p.m. today. At least 15 fire fighters were seen outside the house but no significant smoke was visible.

The Seattle Fire Department has yet to release details regarding the fire response.

Zippy's Giant Burgers, which moved from its location in Highland Park on Holden Street s.w. to White Center had planned on a May 1 opening. That date has now been pushed back due to an issue with the building fire alarm according to owner Blaine Cook . "We're not even going to give a date now because it's out of our control."

5-3-11 UPDATE: We spoke with Blaine today and he told us that one of the people who must pass judgement on the building had some medical issues so that put another crimp in the timeline for Zippy's imminent re-opening. He assured us that we would be notified when he had a clear idea of when the inspections will be complete and he can open.

They learned about the problem Wednesday morning and it affects the entire complex that Zippy's is now part of at 9614 14th s.w. The exact day and time the landlord will resolve the issue is not known and since it will require work "in the ceiling" as Cook explained, he must delay the final health inspection until that work is complete. "I want this place to be pristine for the final health inspection," he said, "I've talked to him and he knows what's going on."

A neighbor of a homeowner on the 9000 block of 38th Ave s.w., near s.w. Barton heard his dog barking and initially thought it was a response to construction noise in the area on April 29 around 1:45 p.m.

He went outside and saw a flatscreen television lying in his neighbor’s driveway. He initially called his neighbor to ask if she knew what was happening and the burglary victim asked him call 911.

Eight Seattle police squad cars raced to the scene but the suspect was gone by the time they arrived.

Shortly before 2 p.m. the homeowner returned home from work and was working with police to investigate what (if anything) was missing, according to police on the scene.

Yet another example of watchful neighbors helping to thwart household burglaries in West Seattle. If suspect information becomes available we will update the story.

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