day : 11/01/2016 9 results

TRAFFIC ALERT: Road work closing one block of SW Alaska

January 11, 2016 10:16 pm

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| 4755 Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

FIRST REPORT: Tonight is the first night of road work that’s closing SW Alaska between 40th SW and Fauntleroy Way, related to The Whittaker, the big mixed-use project under construction there. The project team says SDOT required that the work be done at night to minimize the effect on traffic. Detour signs are set up.

ADDED 10:10 AM TUESDAY: More information on what’s happening: It’s about linking the signals and preparing for upgraded crossings between The Whittaker and Spruce across the intersection; the work will continue nightly through the 20th, approximately 8 pm to 6 am: “Scope of work is to install all the underground conduits and doing temp patch for a later date down the road [when more work will be done] … They will try as much as possible to be conscious of noise, but also want to be sure to finish on time to minimize the time of construction.”

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Letter to families: Incident ‘broken up’ on Denny playfield

January 11, 2016 6:18 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

We just received this from Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark, who says it was sent to all families at Denny and adjacent Chief Sealth International Middle School:

Dear Denny and Sealth Scholars and Families,

We want to share information with you regarding an incident that occurred today.

Towards the end of 8th grade lunchtime today at 12:30 pm, three high-school-age kids who do not attend Denny or Chief Sealth came onto the sidewalk near the northern end of the Denny playfield on Kenyon St. They had an altercation with a Denny 8th grader, which was very quickly broken up by staff (no weapons were involved). Due to the fact that they do not attend our schools and that they wore bandanas, Denny staff called the Seattle Police Department, who quickly responded. The non-students left the area quickly and have been identified. We are working with Police Department to follow-up with next steps.

Today after school there was an extra presence of Police in the Denny parking lot and in the Denny/Sealth surrounding neighborhood area. Thank you to the Denny staff, our scholars, and the Police Department for addressing this situation quickly and thoroughly.

The letter was signed by Clark and by Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer.

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FOLLOWUP: More work tomorrow morning for Pigeon Point sewer project

January 11, 2016 4:22 pm

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| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

As reported earlier, the 22nd/Andover sewer project ran hours later than planned this morning. We followed up with Seattle Public Utilities, whose spokesperson Rachel Garrett confirms more work is ahead tomorrow (Tuesday) morning:

· Work finished up this morning somewhat later than expected, however, residents were able to leave from 22nd Ave. SW and travel along the detour route via 21st Avenue and SW Oregon Street. We recognize that this created some additional traffic backups along the detour route.

· Paving work will take about two additional hours to complete. Crews plan to complete this work tomorrow, Tues., Jan. 12, between 7 and 10 a.m. Traffic will still be able to access 22nd Ave. SW, but residents who normally access the area via Andover will need to follow detour routes to SW Oregon Street (detour signage will be in place). Commuters should plan ahead for some additional traffic in the area.

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FOLLOWUP: B & D Aquarium no longer able to ‘hang on’

January 11, 2016 1:04 pm

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| West Seattle news | White Center

EDITOR’S NOTE: Last June, we checked in with what’s now the area’s only standalone aquarium store, B & D in White Center, after a reader expressed concern for its future. At the time, its owner told us he would “hang on” as long as he could. Recently, multiple readers wrote to tell us it didn’t appear he would be hanging on much longer. We found out they’re right.

By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog and White Center Now

Citing a continued “rising costs and lower sales,” the owner of B & D Aquarium says the 44-year-old White Center business will be closing shop for good at some point in the coming weeks.

“You can’t keep losing money every day and stay open,” says P.D. who opened his aquarium-hobbyist shop at 35th and Roxbury in 1972.

Though a sign hanging from a corner of the shop declares that December 31st would be the last day for business, P.D. is still open because he’s trying to liquidate as much of his stock as he can before he’s is forced to vacate the building. In addition to the deep discounts he’s offering on everything in the shop in what the owner calls his “indoor yard sale,” he’s been giving freebies to his loyal, long-time customers to help things come to a close as quickly as possible.

Though B & D was unable to continue to compete, price-wise, with the offerings of online retailers or big-chain pet stores, P.D. and his staff have long been well-regarded by local hobbyists for their expertise, which will the biggest loss to local hobbyists.

“What we’re getting from the customers is that they don’t want us to leave, because they don’t know where they’re going to go,” says Kelly Greer, who has worked at B & D for nearly 30 years. “Their next options are in Burien or Kent.”

Facing the loss of such knowledge and willingness to help, several customers have apparently decided to give up the hobby altogether, knowing how difficult it would be to replace what they’ll lose when B & D finally shutters its doors.

“Yeah, we’ve had about a dozen people give up their tanks because we’re going out of business,” says P.D. “They want to give their tanks to us, but I’ve got a couple-hundred tanks to get rid of already.”

Because they’ve already stayed open beyond what they’d originally planned, P.D. doesn’t know when the true final day will arrive. Though he’d prefer to be able to close shop because he’s successfully cleared his on-hand stock, he knows he’ll likely have to stop before he can liquidate everything completely.

As for his own future?

“I’ll have to start wearing shoes, get a haircut, and look for a job.”

Until they finally close, B & D will continue to open at 10450 15th Ave SW (next to the White Center Eagles) Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Phone service has been disconnected, so you won’t be able to call to see whether they are still there.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: California/Oregon signal is red AND green

January 11, 2016 1:03 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

1:03 PM: Thanks to Betsy, Steve, and Ragan for the tip on this: The light at California and Oregon is both red and green. So far, it’s being treated as a four-way stop, which is what you’re supposed to do when a signal is out or malfunctioning. SDOT has been notified.

1:26 PM UPDATE: It’s been fixed, our crew reports.

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West Seattle scene: Easy Street’s tribute to David Bowie

January 11, 2016 10:22 am

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| Seen around town | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from this morning)
10:22 AM: The window display at Easy Street Records in The Junction actually preceded music superstar David Bowie‘s death – as did many such displays in honor of his album release and birthday last week, with his four-decade-plus career celebrated while fans had no idea he was on the brink of death. News of his passing emerged around 11:30 last night. Early today, Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan mused on Instagram:

“Crushing. Having a tough time w this one. There hasn’t been a day this last week that I hadn’t listened to his new record. I’ve been in a Bowie world this week and so proud of the record he just delivered. I’ve said to people in the store, staff, and my fellow Bowie heads…that I’ve never heard a record like this before, music like this before. He tested us to the very end. In listening to it, many of the lyrics seem to question his mortality, it’s a comforting record, yet other times as if he’s isolated…out on his own lil space capsule. I’ve never been a fan of one artist for this long. …”

Vaughan also mentioned meeting David Bowie at one of his Seattle performances; online tour-date histories show concerts in Seattle including 1972, 1976, 1997, and 2004, two years before his last live performance.

1:46 PM: And now there’s a marquee tribute too:

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What’s happening for the rest of your West Seattle Monday

January 11, 2016 9:40 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Originally published on our backup site during our technical overhaul)

The WSB West Seattle Event Calendar remains temporarily out of view during our official website’s overhaul work. We’re still presenting daily event highlights, so here’s what we have for today/tonight:

TEEN SERVICE LEARNING: Teenagers interested in service learning through the Seattle Public Library are invited to a 4 pm meeting at Southwest Library – but be sure to read this first. (35th SW & SW Henderson)

WEST SEATTLE PRESCHOOL FAIR: 5:30-7:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church – see the list of participants here – they include WSB sponsor West Seattle Montessori School. (3050 California SW)

HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The Chief Sealth International High School girls-varsity team hosts Shorewood Christian School, 6 pm. (2600 SW Thistle)

NDNC MEETING: Second Monday means it’s meeting night for the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

DENNY PTSA MEETING: 7 pm, PTSA meets at Denny International Middle School. (2601 SW Kenyon)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates and alerts

January 11, 2016 6:03 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning. No incidents in or from West Seattle so far, as the commute begins for the second full week of 2016.

HIGHWAY 99 LANE-CLOSURES REMINDER: One week now from the start of long-term lane closures on Highway 99 north of downtown – all the info’s on this WSDOT webpage.

7:16 AM: Still no incidents. Meantime, a reminder for this Wednesday (January 13) – Seattle Public Schools will be out two hours early.

7:24 AM: Commenter Sam-C says the overnight work at 22nd/Andover on Pigeon Point – and on 22nd north and south of the intersection – was NOT done by 5 am as Seattle Public Utilities had said it would be, and was still ongoing as of the top of this hour. We’ll head over shortly for a look.

8:06 AM: The icy rain that’s been moving north from the South Sound is here.

8:15 AM: Confirmed – Andover is still closed at 22nd (and 22nd on both sides) while the sewer work that was supposed to end or pause by 5 am continues.

12:48 PM: Multiple reports of traffic-light trouble at California/Oregon – steady green one way, flashing red another. It’s been reported to SDOT.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Overnight work closes Andover/22nd on Pigeon Point

January 11, 2016 12:05 am

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| Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

12:05 AM: Just a reminder that 22nd SW and SW Andover – and 22nd on both sides of the intersection – is closed overnight for Seattle Public Utilities‘ emergency sewer work. They adjusted the end time to 5 am after hearing concerns from area residents worried about getting out to work/school/etc. If the work isn’t finished tonight, SPU said, they’d have to continue Monday night, so we will check later this morning to see if that’s planned, or not.

8:21 AM: As commenter Sam-C noted earlier, this did NOT wrap up at 5 am after all. We just drove to Pigeon Point to see if it’s still continuing – and verified that it is, so these closures still apply. We’re checking with SPU to see about an estimated reopening as well as whether more work will be happening tonight.

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