July 2011

Update for 6:20 p.m.
The Seattle Fire Department has ruled the fire accidental. It started in a second floor sewing room near a bed and resulted in $75,000 in damages, according to the department.

Original post
A fire in a single family residence at 3107 s.w. Kenyon Street drew a heavy response from the Seattle Fire Department around noon on July 9.

According to neighbors who spoke to the West Seattle Herald, the owners are out of town.

The fire got nine units on the scene in short order and the fire crews were on the roof quickly to cut through it to vent. The fire was put out shortly after. There were no injuries.

We will update as more information becomes available.

What began as a casual conversation and an idea in the mind of Aviva Furman came almost literally to fruition July 9 as the West Seattle Community Orchard was officially dedicated. Located on a strip of land 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, just adjacent to the northeast section of the South Seattle Community College parking lot, the project was celebrated by a group of volunteers and neighbors in a ceremony that heard from those responsible for making it happen.

Seattle Director of the Department of Neighborhoods, Bernie Matsuno spoke, as did Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin (who arrived appropriately enough on his bike). Food Activist Viki Sonntag talked about what the garden means to her and the community and West Seattle Community Orchard Manager Laura Sweany graciously thanked all those had a hand in the project.

Seafair gets off to a booming and raucous start today with the Seafair Pirates Landing, with the fun starting early at 9:30 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. The actual pirates landing will occur at approximately noon near the Alki Bathouse at 1702 Alki Ave. s.w.. www.seafairpirates.org.

This is an event that every year sees thousands crowd the beach and entire Alki area so if you plan to go, go as early as you can and be prepared to park at some distance. Better yet, walk, run or bike down to the site or take the Water Taxi Shuttle bus.

Bus and shuttle connections

Two free Metro DART shuttles operate between local neighborhoods and the Water Taxi. Route 773 serves West Seattle Junction. Route 775 serves the Admiral District and Alki Avenue SW. You can find schedules for both of these routes on Metro Online by entering the route numbers under "Get a Timetable."

"Shelley and the Curves" will start the music at 11:00 am and kids and adults can test out their throwing arms on a new Dunk Tank.

The 29th Annual West Seattle Summerfest began on Friday July 8 under overcast skies but as the sun emerged so did thousands of people, who swarmed the booths, vendors, food stands and displays at the event in the West Seattle Junction.

Photographers David Rosen, Patrick Robinson and Kimberly Robinson took photos at the event that you can see in the slideshow.

For an overview of the festival and a printable music schedule click here.

Just click the image above to see a sampling of the fun at the fest on Friday.

North Highline Fire District’s meeting room was packed beyond available seating on July 7 as the North Highline Unincorporated Council invited the owner of currently-defunct Club Evolucion (or Evo), Alfredo Lopez, and his new partner/eventual day-to-day operator Daniel Yarbrough to speak about their plans to reopen the spot.

Club Evo was shut down in fall 2010, an injunction placed upon the business for operating without proper licenses that violated land use and building code requirements. Lopez has met with the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services recently to find out what steps are required to remove their injunction. According to James Chan with DDES, Lopez first needs to pay off back taxes associated with the property and then they can start applying for the required permits. Lopez said he is in the process of installing a sprinkler system as well that will increase the club’s allowed capacity (and there will be fire marshal and Seattle Public Utility OKs needed in that arena).

SeaTac's International Festival is designed to spotlight the rich diversity of ethnic groups in the city, but last month's event apparently attracted a diversity of wildlife in SeaTac.

Our photographer, Kurt Howard, captured this photo of a raccoon peering out from a bush at the Alaska Airlines parking lot next to Angle lake Park during June's Interfestival Festival. The lot was used for festival overflow parking.

For a larger version of the photo, please download the attachment above.

Anyone who has ever gone for a bike ride or walk on the Burke-Gilman Trail heading west towards Golden Gardens will likely have stopped at Fred Meyer in Ballard and looked around confused about where to go next. 

The trail goes missing for about 1.5 miles before it picks up again at the Hiram Chittenden Locks to guide people toward Golden Gardens park. 

Where the trail is missing, cyclists are guided with the help of sharrows on a rough, narrow road that crosses dangerous railroad tracks and is mostly used by trucks. Pedestrians are left to find their own way altogether. 

This section of the Burke-Gilman Trail is known as "The Missing Link", a stalled transportation project that has become one of the city's longest running disputes between trail enthusiasts and the opposing Ballard companies such as Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel and Ballard Oil.

Looking at this issue in depth, I find that this is far more complex than a dispute over space and road use. It's the location of the proposed trail that brings about concerns of safety, liability and even the survival of an entire industry.

For Bob Lunke and Chad Gabelein West Seattle was a place they liked, Lunke lives here, but it was missing something. As gay men they both thought for the last few years that for the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans gender community, ever since the former gay bar called Guppy's closed there was no place specific for them to socialize with other LGBTQ people.

"We needed one," Lunke said," We missed not having one here."

That's what led them both to the decision to take a significant financial risk and open OutWest, a bar and restaurant aimed at LGBTQ people but also meant to be "straight friendly." Located on California Avenue next to West Seattle Nursery, the pair have been busy remodeling the 1358 square foot, former Westside Pharmacy building. The address is 5401 California Avenue s.w. Outwest will open to the public in early August.

"Nobody wants to get in their car and in the middle of traffic, drive to Capitol Hill, said Gabelein, "It just made sense. There's such a large and supportive gay and lesbian community here in West Seattle it was appropriate, and the timing was right too."

Update for July 14:

The four people accused of burglarizing a house in Burien while the owner lay dead on the floor pleaded not guilty Thursday, July 14, in a King County Superior Courtroom.

More details from King County Prosecutors:
Bail remains the same, $75,000 for Lorang and $50,000 for both Moore brothers. Guthrie was released on personal recognizance over the State's objection.

Dave Moore and Guthrie have courtdates on July 27th, while Justin Moore will next appear on August 1st. Lorang will appear on August 17th at 1:00pm, all at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Here's our previous coverage:

Four people have been charged with a myriad of felonies for allegedly systematically burglarizing a dead man’s Burien home, stealing from his bank account and taking his vehicles while he lay dead over the course of 14 days.

Kasey Lynn Guthrie, 40, Dylan Lorang, 29, David Moore, 37, and Justin Moore, 36, have been charged with crimes including residential burglary, first degree theft (relating to identity theft), possessing a stolen firearm and theft of a motor vehicle.

Seattle police officer Garth Haynes has been charged with fourth-degree assault, in connection with an off-duty incident outside Ballard's BalMar Bar and Lounge in December of last year.

A bystander capture Officer Haynes on camera as he kicked a handcuffed man following a fight outside the bar.

Haynes had initially been the victim of a physical attack when three men threw Haynes to the ground after an argument that evening. But after police arrived to the scene and detained the suspects, Haynes kicked the suspect who was handcuffed and laying on the ground.

Charged with a gross misdemeanor, Haynes faces a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Haynes is scheduled to be arraigned in Seattle Municipal Court on July 22.