Royer, Triplett recommended for interim King County Executive
Just in from King County – tonight’s “blue ribbon panel” meeting resulted in two candidates – as per plan – recommended for the position of interim County Executive, till a new one’s elected this fall. Here’s the official announcement:
Blue-Ribbon Committee recommends Royer and Triplett for appointment as King County Executive
King County Council will interview all four candidates on Monday and may make final appointment
A Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee empanelled by the King County Council tonight interviewed four candidates for King County Executive and recommended two for the short-term appointment — former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer and interim County Executive and former Executive Chief of Staff Kurt Triplett.
Read on to see what happens next, and who else was involved with this phase of the process:Read More
Seeking suggestions, sponsors for West Seattle Movies on the Wall
Another excuse to think “sunny … warm …” in the middle of today’s drippy chilliness: The virtual suggestion box is now open for the West Seattle Junction Outdoor Movies on the Wall series, which draws hundreds of people to the courtyard (seen above in a photo from last summer) between Dr. Wolff and Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) for six summertime Saturday nights. As announced by Hotwire’s Lora Lewis, this year’s dates are:
Saturday, July 18th
Saturday, July 25th
Saturday, August 1st
Saturday, August 8th
Saturday, August 15th
Saturday, August 22nd
The movies should be family-friendly, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be G-rated. Send your suggestion(s) to westseattlemovies@gmail.com. (If you don’t want your e-mail address attached to a suggestion, alternatives also include leaving a comment at the official website, westseattlemovies.blogspot.com – or even send a tweet to @wsmovies – or leave a comment here.) Lora’s also looking for series sponsors for the bargain-basement rate of $150; interested businesses can e-mail her at lora@hotwirecoffee.com.
Want to avoid a rerun of last year or the year before? Here’s last year’s list; here’s the 2007 list. So – what do you want to see On The Wall this summer? (By the way, no rainouts this year – if rain happens, the movie will move indoors to nearby West Seattle Christian Church‘s events center, where the winter movie series was held.)
Happening now: 34th District Democrats
All three of our area’s state legislators are speaking here tonight, so we’re opening a post to add any news nuggets pending further coverage later. First reminder – June 1st King County Executive candidates’ forum sponsored by Inspire, happening at Fauntleroy Church (right across the street from where the 34th DDs are meeting right now at The Hall at Fauntleroy) – here are full details. More to come as it happens. 7:44 PM UPDATE: The legislators have just given their briefings – most interesting tidbit, Rep. Sharon Nelson says she’ll know by tomorrow night if a major part of her payday-lending bill is going to be stricken before it’s signed. (She didn’t elaborate further, will be checking into that.) She also had the most notable behind-the-scenes tidbit, about the “underground” group of Dems called the “Blue Greens.” 8:05 PM UPDATE: Nobody asked about the viaduct/tunnel bill. LATER NOTE: We’ll publish a separate item in the morning including video of the legislators’ remarks, plus a few other news notes from the meeting.
Here’s what the Coast Guard helicopter is doing off Alki
Just got a note asking why a Coast Guard helicopter is circling near Alki Point. Quickly found this, thanks to the local USCG Twitter feed – search/rescue demonstration:
A Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration is scheduled for Elliott Bay, here, Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Astoria, Ore., MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Port Angeles, Wash., and a small boat crew from Station Seattle will conduct hoists and drop rescue equipment during the exercise. This demonstration will include low flying aircraft along the Seattle waterfront.
Attendees will get a look at some of the techniques used by the Coast Guard to rescue persons in distress.
3 notes: WSLL rainout; teacher layoffs; parking-zone changes
RAINOUT: How rainy is it, you ask? West Seattle Little League just announced via Twitter that all games for today are rained out.
TEACHERS: When we reported about this time yesterday that Seattle Public Schools confirmed teacher layoffs had begun, we also said SPS expected to release more details today on how many people would lose their jobs. Spokesperson Patti Spencer now says that district HR is reviewing the information to “ensure that (it) is totally accurate”; no new timeline for when it will be made available.
PARKING: The agenda was just sent out (see it here) for next Tuesday’s City Council Transportation Committee meeting at which the Restricted Parking Zone changes — which have sparked concern in West Seattle community groups — may be voted on. Two of the three agenda items have to do with RPZs, and public comment will be taken toward the start of the meeting, which is at 9:30 am Tuesday in the council chambers at City Hall downtown.
Spokane St. Viaduct project: Latest updates
From the city e-mail list updating what’s up with the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work beneath and alongside the easternmost stretch of the West Seattle Bridge – several updates, including the latest on that “temporary closure” near 6th/Spokane on the surface; read on:Read More
Cooper, Gatewood school celebrations: An end, and a beginning
Just received that invite to share, on behalf of Cooper Elementary, whose program is closing at the end of this school year, after the School Board voted to move Pathfinder K-8 into the building so its longtime “temporary” location on Genesee Hill could be shuttered. Cooper students are going to several schools, including Gatewood Elementary, which is reaching out in this invite (which also applies to the entire community) to a festival coming up later this month:
I’d just like to share with the W. Seattle Community that Gatewood Elementary is holding their annual Family Fun Fair, Saturday May 30th from 12-3pm.
Address: 4320 SW Myrtle ST. Most events in parking lot off of California Ave SW & SW Frontenac ST.
Inflatables, Carnival Games with prizes, Food, Pie Toss and Cake Walk (supports 4th & 5th Grade end of year camp to Warm Springs) Above events had a nominal charge. Free activities include: Bubbles, Face Painting and Sidewalk Art.
Please join us for this wonderful community event. We would like to especially extend an invitation to the Cooper Families that will be joining us next school year. Come and check out what a fabulous place Gatewood Elementary is!!
Another street-food saga: What happened to the hot-dog cart
Back in late February (original WSB story here), a Hot Dog Joes cart set up shop outside Beveridge Place Pub. Within weeks, it was gone. 
A few people e-mailed us wondering why; we recalled hearing that the cart was set up for a trial period, so didn’t look further until a recent tip that led us to get in touch with Hot Dog Joes proprietor Joe Jeannot (not pictured – photo shows the staffer on duty when we took the pic in Feb.). In a phone conversation, Jeannot told WSB, there is indeed more to the story. He says they folded up after two city-issued citations ($500 each): “City ordinances are making it tough for us to be there.” Street vendors usually deal with the Seattle Department of Transportation, but in this case, there’s a complicating factor – the new park next door. Vendors aren’t allowed to be within 200 feet of parks (here’s the specific Seattle Municipal Code section), and Jeannot says that rule puzzles him: “You can have bars next to a park, but hot-dog carts can’t be there?” He says that’s not the only problem, though, claiming a “lack of communication” from the city but not wanting to disclose full details. “We thought we’d resolve it quickly – I’ve opened carts all over Seattle and this is the first time it’s become this serious … I’ve been doing this with the city for 11 years, but this time it’s been a very long process,” said Jeannot – who by the way lives here in West Seattle, where he says he’s been trying to acquire a location for a long time: “I can’t believe I can’t get a hot dog cart in my own neighborhood.” We’ll keep following up on this to let you know what happens next. (And if you have another idea for what might be a hospitable West Seattle location without conflicts such as park proximity, Jeannot says he might be interested, observing that street vending would seem to be right in line with the Seattle philosophy of trying to encourage more walking, less driving.)
ADDED 1:35 PM: Side note from a discussion in comments – The city did issue a “request for proposals” this year for vendors INSIDE several of the city’s largest parks; in West Seattle, that included only Alki and Lincoln Park (Colman Pool), but no provision for vendors in OR near all the other parks. On a side note to the side note, we asked Parks who won the Alki/Lincoln vending contracts; Dewey Potter says both went to “The Cowboys, who will provide soft-serve ice cream, snacks, and drinks.”
From Admiral Neighborhood Assoc.: California Place Park update
Another update from last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting: Almost a month after the third and final “design workshop” for potential changes to 
California Place Park, ANA heard the latest from a leader of Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral, the group that obtained a city grant to develop design ideas for the small park next to Admiral Church. Ann Limbaugh said landscape architect Karen Kiest is still working on her “final report” but that’s expected by month’s end. Meantime, FANNA is continuing to meet to discuss “what the right next steps are … for moving the project forward.” (The $15,000 city grant only paid for design work; more fundraising would be needed for any work to actually be done to the park – even the cheapest change envisioned in what was shown at last month’s meeting – as reported here – could cost $80,000.) According to Limbaugh, the current consensus is to “take a bit of a break … and let things settle in the neighborhood a little bit” before resuming discussions “in a month or two.” Park-change opponent Dennis Ross, also at last night’s meeting, asked Limbaugh, “How do the 700 people opposed to (park changes) figure into your plans?” (That number refers to signatures on a petition circulated by park-change opponents – here’s our archived coverage of the controversy, newest to oldest.) She replied, “There are a lot of people who think it’s a great idea – and worth moving forward,” and he countered, “And we have 700 people who don’t,” before the discussion moved on. Limbaugh also mentioned that FANNA is continuing to plan a celebration, to be held in the next month or so, in honor of everyone who participated in the process so far.
9 West Seattle middle-schoolers honored at City Hall
Photos and story by Jonathan Stumpf
For West Seattle Blog
West Seattle, you should be proud.
Nine middle-school students from four local schools were honored by Mayor Nickels and hosts Ken and Marleen Alhadeff at City Hall last night during the 10th annual Mayor’s Scholars Awards Ceremony (as previewed here in March).
All were there to accept their awards, as you’ll see ahead:Read More
‘Tis the season … to set salmon free in Fauntleroy Creek
Thanks to Arbor Heights Elementary School for sharing photos of their visit to Fauntleroy Creek this week for the school’s annual salmon release – the classes involved included Ms. Barnicle‘s 5th graders and Mr. Wilkie‘s kindergarteners. This is just part of a busy schedule at the creek this time of year, with more than a dozen schools, mostly from West Seattle/White Center, visiting to release salmon; creek steward Judy Pickens schedules and assists them all. She also reports creek news for fauntleroy.net – where this update includes more on the school salmon releases, plus news that “Hillary,” believed to be last year’s sole would-be spawner, apparently found a mate after all.
The 
TOMORROW: It’ll be the second Thursday of the month (already!), and that means time to get out and enjoy the monthly 
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