Some of you may have gotten a phone call recently asking you to take a survey about grocery stores.  A few of the questions have sparked speculation about who may be coming or going.  It’s not known who was conducting the survey, but here’s what reader Nancy tells us:

I took a survey by phone tonight about area grocery stores where I shop, what I like etc. The last quarter of the questions focused on what I might like should the Magnolia Thriftway be replaced with a different grocery. I did say that I’d shopped most recently at the Thriftway, so that may have been why the final questions focused on that grocery site. Maybe they are looking specifically at that site, or maybe finally the Albertson’s? Anyway, the range of possible new stores ran the gamut from a discount/very little service store to Safeway to Trader Joe’s to an “upscale market with fresh fish and a large Asian food section” to Met Market to PCC.

You can rest easy Thriftway fans.  We talked with Emily Penhollow, a member of the family that owns the Magnolia Thriftway.  She tells us the store is doing very well and isn’t going anywhere.  Emily is aware of the survey and says it is quite upsetting to her family.  She doesn’t know who is behind it, but says the Magnolia Thriftway is here to stay.

The people who work directly with our neighborhood in preventing crime could soon be out of a job. The six civilian crime prevention coordinators for the Seattle Police Department, including West Precinct and Magnolia coordinator Terrie Johnston, have been told they’ll lose their jobs next spring when grant money runs out.

The crime prevention coordinators work directly with residents doing everything from setting up block watches to going door to door to warn about recent crimes. They’ve been part of the police budget up until last October, when the positions then became paid for with federal grant money. That ends on March 31 of next year.

“We are the link between the community and the police department,” Terrie Johnston (pictured right) told us. “Patrol officers are often promoted or transfer out. We’re the ones in people’s living rooms and churches.”

Johnston and her fellow coordinators have logged hundreds of community meetings over the past year. She worries that officers and precinct bosses won’t be able to give residents one on one attention if the crime prevention coordinators are let go.

“When we’re gone, who will take the time?”

Councilmember Tim Burgess, who chairs the Public Safety and Education committee, tells us his office is closely tracking the issue as it heads toward the mayor and council. If you’d like to voice your opinions, here’s a link to the mayor and City Council.

The Seattle Police Department has a launched new tool for citizens to track crime in the city.  This screenshot shows incidents recorded in Queen Anne and Magnolia from Tuesday, June 22 to Tuesday, June 29, and almost all fall under the category of property crime/theft.

The Police Reports Map has crime icons based on initial police reports taken by officers on the scene. “The crime reporting map is a short-term view of crime: it provides a good sense of what is reported to be going on in a certain neighborhood or the city at large at any time. It is also good for seeing patterns of types of crimes happening (such as an unusual amount of reported bike thefts in your area),” Seattle Police write on the SPD Blotter. Some of the icons will link directly to redacted police reports as they become available. The reports will not have victim information or other sensitive information such as a specific address. Each icon will have a General Offense (GO) number which can be used to request a copy of any unavailable report

UPDATE:  We just heard from Amy and the owners found the dog last night. The owners were walking around the neighborhood around 9:30 pm and the dog heard them and ran to the front door. It was a good reunion

We got a note from Amy about a dog who literally walked into her house tonight. 

I got a surprise visit tonight by this big, friendly golden retriever  that walked through my back door at 34th and Ruffner.  I’ll let him/her keep me company tonight and I plan on having the Magnolia Veterinary Hospital take over tomorrow.  If someone is looking for this friendly dog, can you please have them contact me through the Magnolia Voice.

If you know this dog, let us know in comments below or write to us at tips@magnoliavoice.com and we will connect you with Amy.

King5’s Evening Magazine will be showing off one of Seattle’s biggest tourist attractions (in Magnolia’s backyard!) on their show tonight.

The crew of host Meeghan Black (in the pink) and photographer Darrell Benedict (wearing the black shirt) was spotted on Monday shooting “wraps” at the Ballard Locks. Wraps are the introductions and tags to the pre-produced pieces. Tune in to channel 5 tonight at 7 p.m. to find out what they’re talking about. (Thanks Robby at our sister site MyBallard for the picture!)

Get on your bike and head out for dinner. Tonight (6/29) is the inaugural “Spoke and Food” event. “Our top level goal is to influence the culture of Seattle. Our hope is that by launching this event, we will prompt people to use their bicycle more to transport themselves to and from the multiple daily events and activities that they normally drive to,” the website states.

 Mulleady’s Irish Pub in Magnolia is one of the 14 participating restaurants.  The Hi-Life, The Stepping Stone and Snoose Junction are the restaurants nearby in Ballard. The complete list of restaurants can be found here.

Each restaurant has agreed to donate a percent of the revenues from tonight to the Lettuce Link program at Solid Ground.

More people are joining the push to bring historic landmark status to the Admiral’s House that sits above Smith Cove in Magnolia.  King County Councilmember Larry Phillips recently sent a letter to Seattle’s Landmark Preservation Board.

 

I urge you to approve this nomination for historic landmark status. This is an important step in ensuring preservation not only of the historic Admiral’s House building, but also in helping to preserve public access to the sweeping views afforded by adjacent public parkland.

The house is currently owned by Pacific Northwest Communities, a company owned in partnership between the U.S. Navy and Forest City Enterprises.  The Navy fully supports landmark designation and is also nominating the house for the National Register of Historic Places.  The house will eventually be sold with proceeds going toward privatized military housing in Western Washington.

The Landmarks Preservation Board will consider this nomination at its meeting on Wednesday, July 7 at 3:30pm in the Seattle Municipal Tower.  The public is invited to attend the meeting and make comments.  You can also write to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, Dept. of Neighborhoods, P.O. Box 94649, Seattle WA 98124-4649.  You can see the full nomination here.

It appears that Emerald City Sun Tanning Salon has ceased operations at its Magnolia Village location.

We have heard from readers for the past few months about inconsistent hours and unscheduled closures at the tanning salon but now it looks like it has shut down for good.  The door is locked during business hours and the phone number for the center is no longer working. 

Magnolia Voice reader Lucy was a customer at Emerald City.  She wrote to tell us that she received a message that the tanning center closed and accounts are being moved to a Ballard location near LA Fitness.

Emerald City operates at seven locations in Puget Sound.  The Magnolia location remains on the company website and there is no information regarding the apparent closure.

We snapped a few photos of Magnolia from a ferry this weekend.

It was a beautiful trip, so we thought we’d share a few photos from an angle you may not see very often.  Click through the link below to see a few more…

View homes overlooking the bluff.

Pier 91 with two cruise ships in town.

Ok, not Magnolia, but we thought we’d share the classic downtown shot…

… and Mount Rainier.

A couple of things for you to consider this weekend:

• There is a big multi-family yard sale on Saturday in the alley behind 2326 W Viewmont Way W – between Parkmont and Montavista. Organizers say they will have lots of kid stuff including bikes, Thomas the Train items, Geo-trax set, Radio Flyer wagon, NIB Mariner wagon and ride-on toys. Also shop for name brand clothes from REI, Roxy, Gap, Nike along with American Girl items, books and more. They also promise adult items including dresser, coffee table, Pottery Barn floor lamp, vintage chenille bedspreads, antique lamps and glassware. The list goes on.  The sale runs from 8a.m. to 2p.m.
• The Magnolia Farmer’s Market is in full swing with new offerings each week.  Grab the list here.

• And if you are leaving Magnolia on Saturday, be advised that the Rock and Roll Marathon will block streets around Seattle from 7a.m. to around 3p.m.  There will be 27,000 people running from Tukwila to Qwest field.  Full list of road closures and times here.

The BAT lanes on 15th Ave have generated lots of controversy since they were implemented in early 2009.  This morning Magnolia Voice reader Bruce Carter took these pictures of the commute coming into the city and notes that the BAT lanes are often empty while cars are backed up.  

He writes:  Are these photos typical of our morning commutes?  Are these commuters happy?  Is this the best way to move  people and commerce?  Do Mayor McGinn  (684-4000),City  Council Transportation Chair Tom Rasmussen (684-8808), Vice Chair Jean Godden (684-8807), and Committee Members Tim Burgess ( 684-8806) and Nick Licata (684-8803) know how much commuters enjoy McGridlock?

How much have the 15th NW/ Elliott commute trip times and greenhouse gas emissions changed since introduction of these glorious BAT lanes?  There are occasional  scheduled Metro buses and bicyclists who inhabit the BAT lane, though bicyclists who are not training for the Tour De France seem to prefer the waterfront trail past the grain terminal.

Do you agree with Bruce?  Tell us what you think in comments below.

Magnolia Voice reader Sylvia came upon this scene in Discovery Park. 

She said there was lots of trash and what looked to be the aftermath of a big party.

Sylvia took these pictures on Tuesday and describes the location to be in the meadow between the sandy area by the bluff and the grove of Douglas Firs.  

The Seattle Design Commission announced the finalists for their initiative to improve the look of vacant project sites. They say the  response to their call for ideas to improve the look of stalled construction sites in the city was overwhelming with 83 entries.  They chose 13 ideas, including one for a site at 15th and West Blaine.

The idea is to use the Interbay vacant lot, along with sites in Ballard and Belltown, to experiment with public art – writing, tagging, and graffiti.  John Fleming submitted the idea and he envisions using the lots as a place to gather artists and mount large metal panels as canvases, provide paint and let people go at it. The panels would eventually be taken down, cut up and turned into new art for parks, civic buildings, art galleries or private collections.

The Design Commission says they are asking the community to think about this problem and help them find more creative ways to deal with the issue of vacant lots. The next step is to connect the finalists with vacant property owners, developers, and City of Seattle representatives so they can discuss the kind of support needed to implement the ideas. 

UPDATE: We got a note from the communmity center that they also have lots of programs for teens this summer.  There are over 36 scheduled field trips all over Western Washington over 26 of which are either free or just $1. People can email RaftT.Hollingsworth@seattle.gov or contact the center at 206.386.4235 for more information

We wanted to pass along some information we just received from the Magnolia Community Center.  Summer courses are starting next week (6/28) and there is still room in many of the classes.  There are spots in yoga, tennis, pre-school camp, dance camps and more.  If you have any questions or would like to register give them a call at 206-206-386-4235.