West Seattle, Washington

18 Thursday

49℉

month : 01/2017 290 results

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire tonight; Sunday shooting victim shows up at hospital; car prowl
January 31, 2017 11:40 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

GUNFIRE INVESTIGATION: From police radio – multiple calls came in reporting gunfire around the 5400 block of 23rd SW, and investigating officers reported finding shell casings. No word of any injuries. We’ll follow up on this when the final report’s in tomorrow.

(Added 11:13 am Wednesday) Summarized from the report, by SPD media relations Det. Mark Jamieson: “Officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired in the 5400 -5600 block of 23rd Ave SW around 10:20 pm (Tuesday) night. When they arrived, they located several shell casings in the street. As officers continued to look around the area, they saw that a vehicle parked in a driveway had been struck with two rounds and that the east side of a house had also been struck. Officers spoke to the occupants of the home, who reported no injuries and stated that they did not hear or see anything. The Gang Unit was notified, the scene was photographed, and the evidence was collected and placed into evidence.”

SHOOTING VICTIM SHOWS UP AT HOSPITAL: This one is from the police-report files. The just-made-public narrative on this report says a 24-year-old man showed up at Harborview Medical Center on Sunday afternoon with a gunshot wound to his leg and said it happened in the 4500 block of Delridge Way SW. He told police he was waiting for a friend to pick him up when someone he described as a 6’4″ black man dressed in all black walked up to him, said something like, “You jumped my homies,” and fired a single shot at the victim’s leg. That dropped the victim to the ground in pain, he said, adding that someone he “hardly knew” then drove up and offered to drive him to the hospital. That “someone,” the victim continued, dropped him off half a block from the hospital and he walked the rest of the way in. Meantime, police went to that area of Delridge but found no evidence or witnesses, while the police report concludes with a mention that the King County Sheriff’s Office responded to a gunfire report in the same time frame in Skyway, finding a single spent casing but no victim or other evidence.

CAR PROWL: This reader report received tonight is from Todd in the 3200 block of 41st SW:

Just want to alert others that we found our car’s driver-side door ajar this morning and evidence someone had rifled through car, but nothing taken. We don’t leave anything in our car and usually lock it, but forgot. We filed an online police report just to document incident. Car was parked in driveway.

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FOLLOWUP: New owners for empty, neglected South Park commercial buildings
January 31, 2017 9:13 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   South Park | West Seattle news

alley

Story & photos by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers

Last month, we brought you the story of a walking tour in South Park, organized by community advocate Jeff Hayes, who has been relentlessly working to get the city to help with SP trouble spots. Toward the start of the tour, he gathered those in attendance, including City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, outside a prime cluster of commercial buildings on the southwest corner of the busiest intersection in South Park – 14th Avenue South/South Cloverdale [map] – to point out that the storefronts were mostly empty and under ownership that wasn’t doing much to change things.

Turns out, that ownership was in the process of changing. And we have since heard from one of the new owners, a West Seattleite who already has bought and renovated property in two neighborhoods – Luna Park and Georgetown. John Bennett bought the South Park corner buildings in partnership with Scott Horrell, proprietor of nearby Loretta’s Northwesterner, and Hank Dufour, a construction-company proprietor.

Bennett invited us to come tour the buildings, which they have been cleaning out, and are seeking tenants for. Read More

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HAPPENING NOW: Letter-writing gathering
January 31, 2017 8:26 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

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These photos just arrived in the WSB inbox, with this explanation: “Happening now, letter-writing campaign at Admiral Bird! Come down, write letters, meet cool people until 10 pm.” They’re writing to not only the White House but also other elected officials in D.C.

IMG_2393 (1)

Admiral Bird is on the southeast corner of California/Admiral Way.

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Remembering Shane A. McClellan, 1994-2017
January 31, 2017 7:25 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are mourning 22-year-old Shane McClellan. Here’s the remembrance that’s being shared with the community:

Beloved son and brother, Shane Andrew McClellan, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, January 14, 2017.

Born on January 21, 1994 in Seattle, Shane grew up in West Seattle and passed at his home in Auburn.

He is survived by his mother, Judy Pierce, his father, Tim McClellan, and his three older brothers, Tim McClellan, Tom McClellan, and Sean McClellan.

He left us too soon and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Private memorial service will be held in West Seattle on February 4, 2017.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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YOU CAN HELP! Arbor Heights Elementary PTA invites you to ‘Mission: Possible’
January 31, 2017 6:14 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The heart of the season for student-benefiting dinner/auctions is approaching, and Arbor Heights Elementary PTA asked us to share their invitation for you to help by attending “Mission: Possible” – 5:30-10 pm Friday, March 10th, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Tickets are available now – buy yours here; find out more about the event here. Their message: “Please accept this mission and support our community!”

(Have a benefit, PTA meeting, or other event coming up? We can include it in our calendar if you e-mail the info to editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!)

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City starts improvement project @ Highland Park
January 31, 2017 4:17 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

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(WSB photos, looking through the chain-link fencing on the south side of the park)

After questions came up in the comment section on Monday, we confirmed with Seattle Parks that the fences up at the Highland Park playfield/playground area (1100 SW Cloverdale) are for the start of the HP Playground Improvements project.

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This is *not* related to the playground project at nearby Highland Park Elementary, but it has been long in the works. The city’s description:

The scope of this work for the project is to relocate and replace the existing ballfield to allow t-ball, coach pitch ball and U-9 and under soccer, as well as provide access and safe bleachers for all. The ballfield relocation project will install ADA access to the ballfield by providing hard paving around the new backstop, into the dugouts and to the field, as required by ADA. Relocating the field will provide enough room on the south side of the field for an ADA path to the east side of the park and for an extension of the Cloverdale walk.

Project manager Kelly Goold tells WSB that while the official projected end date of construction is late June, the contractor hopes to be done by mid-May – reaching that goal depends on how the weather goes, “given the amount of site-work and paving involved in this project.”

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FIXING FERRIES: Triangle Task Force takes off
January 31, 2017 2:38 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

At one point during last night’s inaugural meeting of the new Washington State Ferries Triangle Improvement Task Force, its nine volunteer members were reminded why they were there:

One of the WSF staffers painted a verbal picture of the longrunning frustration with trouble on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth (aka Triangle) route peaked on hot summer days, in idling cars, backed-up traffic, with people furious over delays in getting home to their families, even as part-empty boats departed in an effort to catch up to the schedule.

In contrast, the new citizens advisory committee convened in the quiet, comfortable confines of the Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall, with four WSF employees and a handful of onlookers.

The pressure was palpable, though – they have two months to come up with “quick wins” along the road to fixing the route. Read More

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West Seattle development: Tracking teardowns
January 31, 2017 12:28 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

fauntleremo
(WSB photo)

While out this morning, we spotted that demolition in progress at 5040 Fauntleroy Way SW, an 73-year-old home on a site zoned Lowrise 1, being demolished for replacement by three single-family houses.

This year, the backhoe/excavator is more of the West Seattle development icon than the tower crane – the peninsula does not have a single project with one of the latter right now. This month alone, demolition permits have been sought at these addresses (each one links to the DPD docket for the site, unless it’s a site we’ve already published a story about, in which case it’s asterisked):

3010 Fauntleroy Avenue SW
4103 SW Southern
4810 Delridge Way SW*
5015 Fauntleroy Way SW
2622 SW Nevada
2749 California SW* (apartments/PCC project, due back to Design Review on March 2nd)
6727 39th SW
3046 61st SW*
3050 61st SW*
6016 SW Admiral Way*
8854 Delridge Way SW* (fire-damaged auto-shop site, proposed for apartments)
6530 Delridge Way SW
4532 42nd SW* (mixed-use project)
7337 44th SW
4311 SW Brandon*
3044 38th SW
4748 23rd SW
4744 23rd SW
7531 13th SW (new proposal, 8-unit rowhouse)
1516 SW Henderson (new proposal, 8-unit rowhouse)
3028 63rd SW

We don’t have stats to compare if that’s more or less than usual … just a snapshot of one month in time. (Just to get those addresses, we had to search city data for any one of four terms – demolition, demo, remove, removal.) This also doesn’t necessarily mean the aforementioned demolitions are imminent … permit filings/updates vary widely in terms of timelines, from days to months. (For just one example – 2749 California SW, the apartments/PCC project, still has at least one more Design Review meeting to go, and that’s not until March 2nd, so that demolition is a ways off. And in some cases, permits are granted but the teardown doesn’t happen for quite some time; pending demolitions, with permits granted before this month, aren’t included in the list, just new applications/reviews dated this month.)

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West Seattle Tuesday: ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ @ WSHS; open house @ Pathfinder; more…
January 31, 2017 11:28 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ @ WSHS; open house @ Pathfinder; more…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(WSB photo: North wind pushed waves against the Alki promenade while we were there photographing the USS Nimitz)

Four of the options for the rest of your West Seattle Tuesday:

EARLY DAYS: The Early Days drop-in support groups have two days/locations. Today – and every Tuesday – 1-3 pm, you’ll find Early Days at Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) in The Junction – details in our calendar listing. (4746 44th SW)

‘MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED’: As previewed here last week, tonight’s the night you’re invited to a free screening of “Most Likely to Succeed” at West Seattle High School and discussion afterward about re-visioning how high school works. 6:30 pm coffee and dessert, 7 pm film, 8:30 discussion. (3000 California SW)

PATHFINDER OPEN HOUSE: 6:30 pm, open house for families interested in kindergarten/elementary at Pathfinder K-8 School on Pigeon Point. P.S. Here’s our list of local school open houses/tours in the next week. Please let us know if we’re missing anything! (1901 SW Genesee)

PARLOUR SNAKES: Live music at Parliament Tavern in The Admiral District, 8 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

MORE ON OUR CALENDAR … browse it here!

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City proposes new encampment-removal rules
January 31, 2017 9:57 am
|      35 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

After last year’s uproar over proposed encampment-removal rules that some interpreted as allowing camping in parks and on sidewalks, a new set of rules was promised. Today, the proposal has gone public, and a comment period is open. It’s in four documents, all here as PDFs. The main ones you’ll want to review are these two – first, the proposed removal rules:

Second, these are the proposed Multi-Departmental Administrative Rules:

Click the plus sign to expand the “for public comment: encampment rules” section of this page for commenting info.

It’s been three and a half months since the set of rules that the City Council was working on was basically shelved. The cover page for what’s now on the city website includes this summary:

Compared to the existing rules, the new rules:

*Identify specific criteria for prioritizing the removal of encampments.

*Require the offer of a shelter alternative in order to remove many encampments.

*Require the City to deliver materials it stores from encampments to their owners.

*Streamline the process for removing encampments that obstruct the intended use of public facilities like sidewalks and parks.

We’ll be taking a closer look later but are publishing the documents now so you can read for yourself if interested.

SIDE NOTE: While these rules apply to unauthorized camping, we’re taking this opportunity to remind you about tomorrow night’s West Seattle meeting related to the plan to authorize an existing camp on Myers Way. The meeting is at 7 pm Wednesday (February 1st) at the Joint Training Facility (9401 Myers Way S.)

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Sailing past West Seattle: Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz
January 31, 2017 8:41 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

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(Added: First photo, tweeted by @vanessafox)

8:41 AM: Passing West Seattle, northbound in Puget Sound right now, that’s the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

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(Added: WSB photo)

8:47 AM: The carrier is moving fast – visible from Alki but it won’t be for long. It’s been preparing for deployment (from Bremerton) for a while, and just had a change of command a few weeks ago.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
January 31, 2017 6:59 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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)

6:59 AM: Good morning and welcome to the last day of January. No trouble spots reported in/from our area so far.

Another reminder: No classes in Seattle Public Schools tomorrow (Wednesday); it’s the “day between semesters.”

8:26 AM: Multiple reports of a backup on Highland Park Way. Possibly traffic-signal repair near 2nd SW, according to one.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Abandoned bicycle, license plates; vandalism; early-morning encounter…
January 30, 2017 10:59 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Four reader reports tonight:

ABANDONED BICYCLE: Usually stolen and dumped – do you recognize this one?

The reader who sent the photo found it at 22nd SW/SW Thistle.

ARE THESE YOUR LICENSE PLATES? Brittany found them in an Avalon/Genesee-area alley last week:

License-plate theft sometimes goes undetected, as we’ve mentioned before – thieves might swap someone else’s plate(s) for yours, to put on a stolen car so that a police plate check won’t come up as stolen … unless you’ve promptly spotted and reported your missing plates.

EGG VANDALISM: Scott reports from Admiral, “I’ve been hit multiple times over the weekend. The first was early Friday morning around 12:50 am. They came back again that morning a half hour later around 1:20 am. Yesterday evening I was hit again at 8:10 pm. I made a police report last night and they encouraged me to let others know to make reports as well if I hear of it happening in other parts of Admiral.”

ALSO IN ADMIRAL: Another reader reports:

As I drove down my street in the 5 am hour, there were two men in all black, hoodies, wearing black face masks… they tried to scare me as I drove. They threw their hands up at my passenger window like a “boo!” motion. Right ahead of me was a woman who was jogging with her dog, I yelled out my window “Did they just spook you?” And she said yes, so I called 911. This was on 41st near Metropolitan Market. They were walking Northbound. From the little I could see, they looked like they were white, maybe teenagers. What the heck were they doing? At 5am? On a Monday morning?

She did call police.

Thanks again to everyone sharing Crime Watch reports so your neighbors all around the peninsula know more about what’s happening – we hope crime will NOT happen to you, but if it does, once you’ve reported it to police (911 if it’s happening now or just happened), let us know … 206-293-6302 if breaking, editor@westseattleblog.com if not — thank you.

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WEST SEATTLE SCHOOLS: This week’s tours, open houses
January 30, 2017 9:36 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SCHOOLS: This week’s tours, open houses
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another update tonight as peak season for school open houses and tours continues, at Seattle Public Schools as well as local independent schools. The WSB West Seattle Event Calendar is one place to find tour dates – we add all the ones we receive (if you haven’t sent yours, editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!). Here’s what we have for the next week:

*PATHFINDER K-8 (1901 SW Genesee) – Dates are listed here, including two evening open houses this week, 6:30 pm tomorrow (January 31st) for elementary, 6:30 pm Thursday (February 2nd) for middle school, and tours this Thursday for middle school, next Monday for elementary, both 8:30-10 am.

*LOUISA BOREN K-8 STEM (5950 Delridge Way SW) – Tours are planned tomorrow and Friday, 9:35-11 am

*LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY – Kindergarten tour Thursday, 8-9:30 am

*SHOREWOOD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – 7 pm Thursday (February 2nd), elementary open house.

*ALKI ELEMENTARY: Morning tours, Friday, 8:30 am-10 am

*DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL: Daytime tour next Monday (February 6th), 8:15-9:20 am

SPS open enrollment starts February 13th, and school-choice info is here. But if you have a kindergartener-to-be, you can register **now** – the sooner the better, so schools can plan. Here’s how.

If you have tours/open houses to add to our calendar, editor@westseattleblog.com ASAP – thanks!

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FREE! Self-defense seminar, two sessions, ages 10+ at Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle
January 30, 2017 7:23 pm
|    Comments Off on FREE! Self-defense seminar, two sessions, ages 10+ at Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle (WSB sponsor) invites you to a free self-defense seminar this Sunday – one session for women/girls, one coed session. From coach/proprietor Sonia Sillan:

When you think of self-defense, what’s the first thing you think of?

For us at Elite BJJ of Seattle, it’s about awareness, empowerment, setting boundaries, having confidence. It’s about finding your voice and believing in yourself. Join us on February 5th for a two-hour clinic, where our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding of what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically).

We’re going to show you a wide range of practical techniques and more importantly, the concepts that are critical to learning how to avoid becoming a victim of violence. We’ll be going over basic, EFFECTIVE, self-defense movements and techniques, capitalizing on leverage and momentum.

This seminar isn’t your typical self-defense seminar, so make sure to reserve your spot, bring some friends … and get ready to learn.

Who: No experience necessary, open to all, ages 10+

Women’s only: 10 am-12 pm
Co-ed: 12:30 pm-2:30 pm

Cost: FREE.

Although our food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank officially ends 1/31,, we are still collecting food and would like to ask for donations as entry.

RSVP by going here. Elite BJJ is at 5050 Delridge Way SW.

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DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC ALERT: Hazmat response for truck leak
January 30, 2017 4:01 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(UPDATED TUESDAY with SFD’s summary)

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Added – reader photo. Truck at left.

4:01 PM: What SFD describes as “a leak from a truck” has blocked off 2nd and Marion downtown as well as part of 1st including the SB 99 onramp vicinity. More to come.

4:13 PM: To be specific about the “onramp vicinity,” SDOT says 1st/Columbia and 1st/Madison are also blocked off. Metro says via Twitter, “Buses are rerouted off of SB 2nd Av. Use stops on 2nd Av, north of Spring St/south of Columbia St.”

4:27 PM: Update from SFD via Twitter:

4:46 PM: Multiple readers are advising that buses are still getting onto the SB 99 ramp at Columbia.

4:52 PM: An SDOT video camera (choose “downtown” on the lower right of this page) is showing the ramp and looks like cars are getting on too – if they come down Columbia, or NB on 1st toward Columbia. Police are blocking 1st on the north side of Columbia and beyond.

4:58 PM: From scanner – crews have stopped the leak and moved the truck to level ground. They’ll be dismissing some crews.

5:07 PM: SDOT says one southbound lane on 1st “from Madison” has reopened.

5:27 PM: All lanes of 1st are now open, says SDOT, but 2nd remains closed.

6:17 PM Metro says SB buses are now getting through on 2nd.

7:42 PM: Not back to normal yet:

ADDED NOON TUESDAY: Here’s the SFD summary of the incident:

On Monday, January 30, 2017, at 3:23 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the area of 2nd Avenue S and S Marion Street for a battery acid spill from a semi-truck.

The Seattle Fire Department responded to a request to investigate contents leaking out of the back of a semi-truck. SFD’s Hazmat team responded and determined the spilled product to be battery acid. They tested for hazardous materials, applied acid neutralizer and diked the downhill area to contain the spill. Firefighters also stabilized the rear doors of the semi-truck which was damaged by the shifting load.

King County Metro assisted in towing the semi-truck up the street where it was parked on a level surface, preventing further leakage. Firefighters found 11 pallets of batteries and verified that the leaking had stopped.

There were no reported injuries. Seattle Police Department, NRC Environmental Services, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Seattle Public Utilities Spill Response were on-site to assist with this incident.

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SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRANTS & REFUGEES: 2 citywide events this week
January 30, 2017 2:34 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

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(Added: Reader photo, banner @ Admiral Way Overlook)

Though the big rallies have been outside West Seattle so far, two citywide events to show support for immigrants and refugees are planned later this week, and you can participate here on the peninsula.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: At 7 pm Wednesday (February 1st), you’re invited to step outside, wherever you are, and shine a light – “a candle, a smartphone, a lamp, a flashlight” – as per this invitation from the mayor.

FRIDAY MORNING: Before school, at as many local schools that choose to participate, grassroots support rallies are planned. We first heard about it from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 parent Shawna Murphy, who says families “will be out front, participating in the city wide show of support for our diverse families and Immigrant communities this Friday, February 3, from 9:15-9:35.” If your school is planning an event too, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

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VIDEO: Terminal 5 project discussed @ Seattle City Council
January 30, 2017 11:57 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

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(Terminal 5, photographed recently from the bridge)

11:57 AM: Just wrapped up at the still-underway Seattle Council morning-briefing meeting, a Q/A with John Wolfe, CEO of the Northwest Seaport Alliance (the joint enterprise of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma). The planned modernization of Terminal 5 in West Seattle came up several times. First, after Wolfe talked about the shipping industry currently being in a “crisis mode,” he was asked why the port/NWSA is proceeding with a nine-digit investment in T-5 when its prospective customers are in so much trouble. He replied that the shipping industry is cyclical and they’re expecting it to recover. He also mentioned the current predominance of alliances, and how what are currently four industry alliances are morphing to three. Questions included when the T-5 project is expected to be done – “mid-2020.” What about shore power? “The good news is that the industry is wanting to do the right thing – cleaner fuels and the ability to plug into shore power,” Wolfe replied. He added that they believe allowing shippers to voluntarily pursue such initiatives is better than “requirements.” Monitoring environmental factors is crucial, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold interjected at that point.

Eventually, Wolfe said, they expect container traffic to be split 50-50 between Seattle and Tacoma. And in discussing competition with British Columbia ports, he talked about the federal Harbor Maintenance Tax adding $125 to each container’s cost for shippers here, and how the absence of that is an advantage for north-of-the-border shippers.

1:17 PM: Just added the meeting video from Seattle Channel, above this line. The NWSA briefing starts at 1 hour, 38 minutes into the meeting.

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5 options for your West Seattle Monday
January 30, 2017 10:17 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(Cooper’s Hawk, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Looking ahead to what’s up tonight:

PLAYGROUND BRAINSTORMING: Highland Park Elementary‘s playground-project committee invites everyone to help them brainstorm:

We are looking for in-the-box and out-of-the-box ideas, large and small. We won’t turn away any ideas in this session. We hope that by engaging the larger community of Highland Park influencers, we will get great ideas that we couldn’t come up with ourselves. Kids are welcome. We plan on showing a movie during our brainstorming activity.

5-7 pm at the school library. (1012 SW Trenton)

FERRY TASK FORCE MEETING: 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall, all are welcome at the first meeting of the citizens’ advisory committee set up to help fix problems related to the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route. (9140 California SW)

ALL-AGES TRIVIA: 7:30 pm at The Skylark in North Delridge. Prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)

PUB QUIZ: 8 pm at Shadowland in The Junction. 21+. (California SW/SW Oregon)

LIVE MUSIC: Cracker Factory at West Seattle Brewing in The Triangle, 8 pm. (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW)

PREVIEW THE REST OF THE WEEK … via our complete calendar.

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Sweet way to support youth: Camp Fire candy-sale time
January 30, 2017 9:31 am
|    Comments Off on Sweet way to support youth: Camp Fire candy-sale time
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

The annual Camp Fire candy-sale fundraiser has just begun, and you can support Camp Fire without leaving West Seattle. The organization’s regional headquarters are in North Delridge (2414 SW Andover, D105), and candy is available there starting today, 10 am-4 pm weekdays (you can even order online and pick up there). They also will be updating the map on this page soon with the next round of sale dates/times at three other locations in West Seattle (the Fauntleroy ferry dock and both QFC stores). Nicole Collin from Camp Fire Central Puget Sound explains, “This is a huge fundraiser that we look forward to every year as it raises funds for kids in need (who normally couldn’t afford camp) and Candy Sellers can earn their own way to camp by reaching their selling goals. The sale also teaches youth valuable skills including goal setting, public speaking and engaging with their local community.” Candy is $5 per box. If you’re a business and would like to support Camp Fire, Collin adds, you can be a Merchant of Merit: “For $75 they can get 15 boxes of Camp Fire Mints and will receive special recognition in Camp Fire publications and a certificate of appreciation!”

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
January 30, 2017 7:02 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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)

7:02 AM: Good morning! No incidents in/from West Seattle so far.

One note for later this week: No classes Wednesday (February 1st) for Seattle Public Schools.

7:41 Azm: A crash is reported to be blocking the right lane of NB 99 at Royal Brougham.

8:19 AM: If the eastbound bridge seems more sluggish than usual, SDOT says there’ve been 2 stalls, but both have cleared.

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Transit/traffic changes ahead: Why you need to know about, and weigh in on, One Center City plan
January 29, 2017 11:56 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news


At the very end of last week, you might have seen some headlines go by about “One Center City.”

It’s about downtown … but unless you literally never leave the peninsula, it’ll affect you. So listen up.

It’s specifically about transportation through downtown Seattle, and some big changes ahead. (This slide deck lays it all out.) The Highway 99 tunnel, and the Viaduct demolition and waterfront redevelopment that will follow, is only part of it. The biggest component, we’re told, is that buses will be kicked out of the Downtown Transit Tunnel next year; it’s going to be light-rail-only. The bus moves aren’t expected to happen before September 2018 – but decisions about downtown traffic/transit flow/routing will have to be made way before then, so you’re being asked for your opinion now, regarding a variety of options for how to accommodate the buses on the surface, and how to get through the area with other projects and changes factoring in. Without making some changes, the project team says, downtown traffic and transit will slow to near-gridlock.

First step in finding out what’s ahead and offering your opinion is this: An “online open house,” now up and running at onecentercity.participate.online. Go there and start clicking through. Don’t drop out too soon – the two “surface streets” pages are where things really get interesting. And after that comes the page about potentially restructuring bus service downtown. That section includes this packet of maps, with one specifically focused on possible changes involving routes to/from here:

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So once you’ve gone all the way through the “online open house,” they’re asking for feedback via the pages or via e-mail at info@onecentercity.org. The “open house” will be up and running for about three weeks. Then the partner agencies will have a list of potential changes that they’ll float for more input. Transit service changes, for example, would have to be approved by the services’ governing agencies – the King County Council for Metro, the Sound Transit Board of Directors for ST services. The peak time for all this potential congestion – “maximum constraint” – is expected to be late 2018 through 2022.

At this stage of the “engagement” process, they’re not planning standalone meetings, but if you are interested in a briefing at a meeting you’re already having – community council, etc. – contact the One Center City group – same address as above – info@onecentercity.org.

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UPDATE: Big response, small fire in High Point
January 29, 2017 8:55 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

8:55 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to Bridge Park at 3204 SW Morgan in High Point. First units on scene report it’s a laundry-room fire on the first floor.

9 PM: To be precise, per scanner, it’s a dryer fire, and it’s out. No injuries reported. Most units are being dismissed. The ones staying behind will be clearing smoke from the first floor, but report that’s the only floor affected.

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