day : 15/07/2016 14 results

Been waiting to see what’s next for 35th SW? A week and a half ago, we reported that SDOT had updated its website for the 35th Avenue SW Safety Project to announce an August 4th meeting for information on the next phase of the project (north of SW Morgan). We expected more details would emerge shortly thereafter. Finally, they have – published on the SDOT Blog:

We’re hosting a public meeting for our continued work with the 35th Ave SW Safety Corridor and new West Seattle Neighborhood Greenway planning.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW).

In 2015, we redesigned 35th Ave SW to reduce speeding, collisions, and injuries as part of our Vision Zero plan to end traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. We have some early data to share at the meeting and want to hear your observations and experiences along the corridor.

We’re also studying routes for a new north-south neighborhood greenway parallel to 35th Ave SW. The new West Seattle Neighborhood Greenway will prioritize people walking and biking on residential streets.

At the meeting, we will share traffic data and you can help us find out where people want to walk and bike in the neighborhood, as well as what barriers stand in their way. Neighborhood greenways mean safer, calmer streets for you and your family.

We’re pairing our outreach and engagement for these two projects – the safety corridor and neighborhood greenway – to get the people who live, work, and travel in West Seattle comprehensive information.

Please join us at the open house and learn how we plan to improve the safety for everyone.

Open House on the 35th Avenue SW Road Safety Corridor Project

Thursday, August 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Neighborhood House
6400 Sylvan Way SW, Room 207

Project manager Jim Curtin had told us that the next phase of 35th SW was being tied to the greenway work. Meantime, still no media notification about this meeting, so hat tip to Michael Taylor-Judd of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition for spotting the SDOT Blog link and posting it tonight on the District 1 discussion page.

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Happy 100th, Boeing! Learn about its West Seattle roots on Sunday

July 15, 2016 9:20 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| South Park | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

9:20 PM: If you didn’t know Peder Nelson already, you might have met him at West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend – he’s vice president of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society board, and he was taking the 360-degree We Love The Junction photos (among other things, including conducting walking tours). In the SWSHS video clip above, he invites you to SWSHS’s next SouthWest Stories presentation – in honor of The Boeing Company‘s centennial (today!), you can find out about Boeing’s West Seattle roots. Be at the South Park Library (8604 8th Ave. S.) for his presentation at 2 pm Sunday (July 17th).

ADDED 12:30 AM: Unlike the aforementioned event, most of the official Boeing Centennial celebration is private. But here’s an iconic image captured along the way by West Seattle pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen:

Those nine jets spanned Boeing models from the 707 to 787.

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West Seattle schools: Lafayette Elementary principal leaving

July 15, 2016 6:55 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks to the Lafayette Elementary parent who just forwarded this e-mail from Seattle Public Schools official Jon Halfaker:

While the search for a new Executive Director of Schools for the Southwest Region is underway, I have been asked to communicate an important change in your school’s principal. Principal Robert Gallagher informed us yesterday that he has chosen to pursue a leadership position with another district, and is resigning from his position as principal of Lafayette Elementary effective July 31. The process for replacing Mr. Gallagher will commence immediately in an effort to have a principal in place by the beginning of August.

We thank Mr. Gallagher for his service to the Lafayette community, and wish him much success in his future endeavors.

Lafayette is a great community and I know that the caring, supportive circle of staff and families will be able to help our students remain focused on all the positive aspects that will continue to make Lafayette an amazing learning environment.

Gallagher took over at Lafayette three years ago, after two years of multiple principal changes, and told WSB at the time that he planned to stay “for the long haul.” At least two other SPS elementaries in West Seattle will have new principals next year: Alki and Roxhill. (Added Saturday morning: Thanks to commenter Christopher for pointing out Sanislo’s principal also has left. We have since been forwarded that announcement, which also mentioned Erika Ayer‘s appointment as the new principal.)

P.S. We hadn’t previously heard that this region’s executive director of schools Israel Vela was leaving too; (updated) turns out he’s leaving to be assistant superintendent of the Kent school district. (Like Gallagher, Vela joined the district three years ago.)

In the meantime, if you have questions, concerns, or anything you want to discuss about SPS, take note that our area’s elected School Board member Leslie Harris has her next community-conversation meeting at 3 pm tomorrow (Saturday, July 16th), at Southwest Library (35th SW/SW Henderson).

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West Seattle beverages: Opening day for Sound & Fog

July 15, 2016 4:02 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS beverages

(WSB photos)

“A four-month labor of love” – after 2 years of planning – has finally brought Justin Krebs to opening day for Sound & Fog in The Junction, on the ground floor of Broadstone Sky (4745 40th SW). The coffee/wine bar with beer and “small bites” opened its doors for the first time around noon and will be open until 9 tonight (official hours below).

We first told you about Sound & Fog back in March; he’s the first-ever tenant in the commercial space on the north side of the building, next to the future city park that’s currently temporary home to Fire Station 32 while its reconstruction is under way in The Triangle. (As we type, some of the firefighters from FS 32 are here trying out what Justin has to offer; they were heard to promise him, “We’ll keep you in business!”)

Available for starters at Sound & Fog – 12 different wines, $6-$12/glass; rotating selection of beer (today, it’s Wander Shoetoss Rye IPA and Holy Mountain Wit); coffee (rotating roasters – Olympia and Broadcast are available today) and tea; espresso soda; Cascara soda. The food selection includes pastries from Standard Bakery, sandwiches and salads from Molly’s, and “small bites” including olives, almonds, and cheese.

Hours for starters, Justin says, will be 6:30 am-7 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 6:30 am-9 pm Fridays, 7 am-9 pm Saturdays, 7 am-7 pm Sundays. More photos when we’re back at HQ.

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THIS WEEKEND: 29th annual Mediterranean Fantasy Festival at Hiawatha

July 15, 2016 3:05 pm

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| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(Photo by Dina Lydia Johnson from 2015 Medfest – she also made the banner, with which dancer Deann is posing)

In case you haven’t noticed it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – this weekend brings the 29th annual Mediterranean Fantasy Festival, aka “MedFest,” back to Hiawatha Community Center and its south/east lawn areas. Hundreds of belly dancers and musicians will be performing 11 am-7 pm Saturday and 11 am-5 pm Sunday – the dancer lineup is here – on outdoor and indoor stages. Dozens of vendors offer shimmering attire and accessories, and food too (here’s the vendor lineup). MedFest is presented by the Babylonian Ensemble – read up on their history here, and the festival’s history here, and feel like an insider when you get there. No charge to watch the performances, by the way.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car stolen with keepsake; rock vandalism

July 15, 2016 1:47 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:

CAR STOLEN WITH KEEPSAKE: From Nita near 35th/Thistle:

My Honda 1999 White Civic was stolen in front of my house sometime this morning, last seen last night around 11 p.m. License plate AWL3194. This car was a gift to my son from his Godfather. We have our dog tag hanging on the mirror; we just put our dog down a few weeks ago – very sentimental to my kids. Thank you.

If you see Nita’s son’s car, call 911.

ROCK-WIELDING VANDAL(S): The photo and report were sent this morning by Mark:

Just woke up to this at 34th & Barton …. appears as though someone just randomly walked by my car last night and smashed my windshield with a rock. Sweet.

Online report filed with police, Mark says (here’s how to file one).

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UPDATE: Fire call near Fauntleroy ferry dock

July 15, 2016 1:22 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

1:22 PM: Second full-response fire call of the day – this time, in the 8800 block of Fauntleroy Way SW, which is across from Lincoln Park. More to come.

1:28 PM: The address has been updated – further south – and is closer to the ferry dock.

1:32 PM: Still waiting to hear from our crew, but the call has closed. (Added) They arrived just in time to talk to the incident commander, who says it was smoke from a “cardboard box in the back yard.” All over, units gone.

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Park West Care Center: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

July 15, 2016 12:23 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle news

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Park West Care Center in North Admiral. Here’s what they would like you to know about what they do:

Park West Care Center is the only Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Seattle to be rated 5 stars by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. We offer inpatient physical and occupation therapy 7 days a week. In addition to our rounding physicians we also have a consulting physiatrist, which is a doctor who specializes in rehab medicine. Offering this level of expertise means Park West can successfully serve clients with complex rehab needs. Many people may be surprised to learn we also operate an outpatient rehab clinic on site that is open to the public.

Among the things clients tell us: Our food is excellent and our therapy staff is dedicated to the individual successful outcome of each patient. Our staff are masters at the gentle nudge and don’t take no easily when working with clients who need motivation to do therapy. We are also sought after for our 5-star rating, convenient location right off the West Seattle Bridge and on a major
bus line. Park West also offers a locked dementia-care unit that accepts Medicaid, which is almost unheard of these days.

We are always happy to serve repeat customers who tried us the first time based on our excellent reputation and were pleased with their outcome. Park West Care Center has the most loving staff. Their dedication to our clients and teamwork toward each other is evident in everything they do. We accept a wide range of insurance including Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial plans.

We see patients and families during crisis. Often, it’s the social economic and lack of support that exacerbated a patient’s medical condition and leads to he hospital admission that rolls into a need for inpatient rehabilitation. Park West strives to not only physically bring the patient back to their highest level of function but also tackle the social issues that are happening in the patients life to lessen the cycle of illness when ever possible. We rely heavily on our community partners such as the Senior Center of West Seattle, Meals on Wheels, DSHS, and Navos, to name just a few key partnerships.

Something new for the community: For the first time ever, Park West Care Center is looking forward to inviting the general West Seattle Community to enjoy our large outdoor patio this summer. Fun events such as an outdoor movie night and food truck showdown are in the works! Mark your calendar for the movie night, showing “The Never-Ending Story,” 8:30 pm July 30th.

Park West Care Center is at 1703 California SW; 206-937-9750; online at parkwestcare.com.

We thank Park West Care Center for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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BRIDGE CLOSURES: 2 more for Fauntleroy Expressway end of West Seattle Bridge

July 15, 2016 11:16 am

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| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Two more overnight closures of the west end of the West Seattle Bridge have just been announced. SDOT says the Fauntleroy Expressway will be closed the nights of Wednesday and Thursday (July 20-21), 9 pm-5 am. All 674 earthquake-safety cushions have been re-replaced; now crews need to apply epoxy “to ensure the pads are providing thorough cushioning.”

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4 notes for your West Seattle Friday

July 15, 2016 11:11 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Paul Weatherman for sharing that aerial view from earlier this week! Before we get too much further into Friday, here are four things you should know about what’s happening on the ground in West Seattle today/tonight:

COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR SWIM MEET: A texter asked a little while ago why so many parking spaces are full at Lincoln Park already this morning. Answer: Swim meet at Colman Pool. Today and tomorrow, the pool is closed to the public as a result, back open Sunday.

BLOOD DRIVE AT PCC: BloodWorks Northwest has put out a call for donations, and they just happen to have a mobile drive at PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle today until 4 pm, with a break from noon-1 pm. (California SW/SW Stevens)

HIGHLAND PARK IMPROVEMENT CLUB MOVIE NIGHT: Doors open at HPIC at 6, children’s short at 6:15 pm, main feature at 7 – full details in our calendar listing. (12th SW/SW Holden)

WEST SEATTLE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE MOVIE IN THE PARK: “Cinderella” at dusk, around 9 pm, in the “park” area next to the church. Free hot dogs, popcorn, and soda. (42nd SW/SW Juneau)

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West Seattle wildlife: Dolphins show off for Water Taxi riders

July 15, 2016 10:09 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

10:09 AM: We’ve received multiple reports that West Seattle Water Taxi riders enjoyed a porpoise show this morning! The photos are from Bob Michaels (above) and from Nick Hesterberg (below). And we have details from Adam Aljets: “A great showing of half dozen porpoises on the 8:45 am water taxi. They swam directly up to our boat. We stopped and even circled back around to see them again.”

Identification help welcome; harbor porpoises are the ones most commonly seen in Puget Sound.

10:38 AM: Annika reports in comments that these are “common dolphins,” and the ID info online seems to correlate. They’re usually seen in warmer waters further south, but we’re finding online reports including this one from Port Angeles in June.

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UPDATE: ‘Room fire’ in High Point, no one hurt

July 15, 2016 8:59 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| High Point | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

8:59 AM: Thanks for all the tips. SFD has a “fire in building” call in the 3000 block of SW Bataan [map]. More to come.

9:03 AM: SFD describes this as a “room fire” and says it’s “tapped.”

9:09 AM: Some of the responding units already are being dismissed. The huge initial response is standard for a fire in a residential building. SFD is calling out its fire investigator to determine how the fire started. No word of injuries but our crew will doublecheck on arrival.

9:26 AM: We’ve verified on site with the incident commander that no one is hurt. This is a multi-family residential building. After some light smoke was seen, firefighters are on the roof making sure there’s no “extension,” but otherwise they were awaiting the aforementioned investigator – who just arrived. We’ve added a photo atop the story.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; weekend alerts

July 15, 2016 6:57 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:57 AM: No incidents in/from West Seattle so far this Friday morning. Looking ahead:

WEEKEND ALERTS: Thanks to the texter who pointed us to the City of Tukwila’s alert about something mentioned here previously without an official link – this weekend’s closure of a section of East Marginal Way near the Museum of Flight for the Boeing Centennial celebration – here it is. … If you’re heading south, note the southbound I-5 closures in South King County all weekend, detailed by WSDOT here … The White Center Jubilee Days street fair closes 17th SW between Roxbury and SW 100th all weekend, and 16th will be closed between 100th and 116th 10 am-1 pm Sunday for the Jubilee Days parade.

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‘Greatest risk is in doing nothing’: Constantine campaigns for ST3 at 2 West Seattle events

July 15, 2016 1:02 am

| 35 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“Light rail is coming to West Seattle.”

That’s how King County Executive and Sound Transit board chair Dow Constantine opened his speech to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Thursday afternoon – his second pitch in the area in less than 24 hours for the transit megameasure known as ST3. He proclaimed it even more jubilantly in his first one, talking to the 34th District Democrats Wednesday night, as you can see and hear in our video:

Shortly after Constantine’s speech, the 34th DDs endorsed ST3 (as reported here earlier). His appearance before the Chamber – which did not involve an endorsement vote – was longer, and more educational; Constantine called it the “transit planner” or “nerd” version of the speech, rather than the “campaign” or “stemwinder” version.

The vote is still three-plus months away; ballots for the August primary hadn’t even arrived yet as he stood before the two local groups talking about ST3, which won’t be decided until November. But with an 11-digit price tag, this is no ordinary ballot measure. And supporters are pulling out the stops to avoid what happened with Sound Transit 2, a defeat, rewrite, and revote.

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