June 2013

The saga of West Seattle's Alki Homestead has taken another turn that some might have expected. Owner Tom Lin, after spending more than $1.4 million dollars over the last few years on loan payments, engineering, maintenance, architectural fees, consulting and taxes is calling it quits.

The Homestead, also called the Fir Lodge, was built in 1903 and was declared an historic landmark for the City of Seattle in 1997.

He is putting the now dilapidated building at 2717 61st Ave. S.W. up for sale for $1.85 million. It will be listed with Paragon Real Estate Advisors and the marketing packet is in the process of being prepared.

Lin has tried for years to pursue restoration of the structure which suffered extensive damage in a fire on January 16, 2009. He has hired architects, log building experts, and even gone so far as to enlist the aid of the Washington State Department of Archaeology to help with tax credits. Through dozens of meetings he maintained his desire to restore if possible or rebuild if necessary the building that came to mean so much to people in West Seattle.

But in the end he ran out of time and money to make it happen.

The Highland Park Spraypark, modeled in some ways in a similar park in Georgetown but made unique to the Highland Park neighborhood is about 99.9% done according to Seattle Parks. But no opening date has been announce because there's still one part they need before they can set the day. Projects Coordinator Kelly Goold said, "There are some minor problems with the water quality system, and we need to be overly cautious in dealing with this. The spraypark manufacturer is supplying a new part and it will be installed as soon as we get it."

The spraypark construction incorporated ideas from the community including gathering places, art and a planetary theme.

It was celebration time for South Seattle Community College on June 6 as they officially opened the new facility for their Northwest Wine Academy that creates more space, higher-tech classrooms, and a winery-style environment to help the program create even more award-winning wine industry professionals.

At the campus’s northeast corner on the Duwamish side of West Seattle, an old machine shop was converted into the 9,000 square foot facility by Boxwood Architects, a Seattle-based firm that specializes in designing wineries … and now places to learn about wine as well. The transition was made on a budget of $2 million and creates a fully functioning winery with all the required aspects of a learning space which is one of only a few in the country, according to Boxwood’s Jeremy Reding. UC Davis in California has one, for example, but theirs ran $40 million.

“They did a lot (with that $2 million budget),” he said.

Update 2 June 21
The Bridge has shared an early iteration of their re-design for the old Chuck and Sally’s Tavern building in the Morgan Junction.

Showing the building from the California Ave. S.W. side, the redesign exhibits sidewalk seating and a maximization of windows to let that natural light shine on in. The Bridge’s current location at the corner of 35th and Avalon Way, while praised for the way the inside turned out after a revamp, still lacks in the window department.

These images are not the final renderings, but show the direction the revised building will take, according to The Bridge co-owner Rita Dixson.

Here's the look during the day.

And what the new Bridge might look like at night.

Update for June 12

Celebrity softball next week

Former Seattle Mariners players Dan Wilson, Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner will be reunited at Safeco Field on Saturday, June 15, for the Microsoft All-Star Softball Classic for Homeless Youth. Others schedule to suit up include Golden Tate of the Seattle Seahawks, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and former Sonics Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf and Slick Watts.Tickets are $10 with all proceeds benefitting United Way of King County support and services for homeless youth.

West Seattle Legion wins

West Seattle has a new American Legion baseball team, and it slipped past host Bellevue by a 6-5 score Thursday.

UW men's alumni to play

The West Seattle Community Orchestra is about to bid farewell to its founder.

Dr. Toni Reineke announced her retirement from conducting during WSCO’s 10th Anniversary Concert Celebration last month. a celebration of her time and commitment to the organization will follow the Symphony Concert Finale June 11 at Chief Sealth International High School.

The video clip is of the original WestSide Symphonette from 2009.

Dr. Reineke with the late Kathleen Hunt founded the community orchestra with just 16 student musicians and began inviting adult musicians to form The Westside Symphonette.

With the help of community supporters and other local musicians, WSCO continues this legacy of community music-making in mixed-age groups. The West Seattle Community Orchestras roster has grown to three orchestras featuring 180 members and 4 conductors. WSCO also caters to beginning adult musicians by offering classes in wind, percussion, and string instruments. These classes are a great opportunity for adults to learn an instrument or brush up those skills. Dr. Reineke leads the Beginning Adult Winds and Percussion class.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin is leaving for Lynden, not Lakewood.

Martin had been among six finalists for the city manager job In Lakewood, south of Tacoma in Pierce County.

But Martin confirmed Friday to the Highline Times that he plans to take the city administrator position in Lynden.

He said the position is “not a done deal” but expects it to be finalized by next week.

With a 2010 census population of 11,978, Lynden is considerably smaller than Burien, which has 45,000 residents. It is located five miles south of the Canadian border in Whatcom County and 15 miles north of Bellingham.

Instead of a Wild Strawberry Festival, Lynden holds a Raspberry Festival the third weekend of July and the Northwest Washington Fair in August.

The town lies in a broad valley filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry farms.

Lynden pays homage to its Dutch heritage with some businesses sporting a Dutch/Eurpoean theme, complete with windmills.

Martin faced an uncertain employment future in Burien. Three of seven council members gave him the lowest rating possible in his latest annual evaluation.

With funding for White Center’s storefront deputy position, currently held by BJ Myers, coming up for a hopeful renewal at the end of 2013, residents activated and sent petitions to King County elected officials lobbying for a continuation into 2014.

It appears that work will likely pay off.

In a June 5 letter to North Highline Unincorporated Area Council President Barbara Dobkin, King County Executive Dow Constantine wrote, “King County has funded this position every year since 1994. I want to assure you and your fellow residents that I will continue this funding in my proposed 2014 King County budget.

“Having represented North Highline and other unincorporated areas during my service on the King County Council, I know first-hand how essential the storefront deputy program is to maintaining public safety and fostering communications between residents and law enforcement.”

Myers position is about community outreach in addition to regular law enforcement duties. He is a local contact and sounding board for residents with public safety concerns.

Friday, June 7

Hawaiian Bouncefest At Loyal Heights Community Center

What: We’ll have bounce houses, game stations, and prizes. Dress in your best aloha outfit. Game cost: 50 cents per ticket (some games cost more than one ticket).

Where: Loyal Heights Community Center (2101 NW 77th St)

When: Friday, June 7, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

More info: Call 206-684-4052 or visit https://www.facebook.com/LoyalHeightsCC?ref=tn_tnmn

SketchFest at Ballard Underground

What: The entire month of June is going to be chocked full of all of Seattle's best sketch comedy. Experience a huge chunk of the wonderful script/character-focused comedians which Seattle has to offer. On Friday, SketchFest will host "Princess & Pork Filled Players" and "Love Snack & Ubiquitous They: Retch."

Where: Ballard Underground (2220 NW Market Lower Level)

When: Friday, June 7, Princess & Pork Filled Players starts at 7 p.m., Love Snack & Ubiquitous They: Retch starts at 9 p.m.

More info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/374045

Saturday, June 8

Information from Prudential Northwest Realty

Prudential Northwest Realty launches its VETERANS SELL REAL ESTATE Program on Flag Day, June 14, 2013. The program is designed to help the men and women who have served in our military forces become Washington State Real Estate brokers.

Prudential Northwest Realty is the first real estate company in the region to roll out a program whose entire focus is on hiring and training military veterans and their spouses, by covering their startup costs. The program was built to acknowledge and recognize that many of the characteristics that build good soldiers transfer easily into the real estate business.

“The men and women of our military have done so much for us, now it’s our turn, and our honor, to do something for them,” stated Mike Gain, President and CEO of Prudential Northwest Realty, a Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate. “Through our unique and innovative program, we hope to help our veterans get started in a lucrative and exciting career in real estate, while subsidizing many of the costs associated with becoming an agent.”