West Seattle, Washington

24 Wednesday

44℉

month : 03/2017 339 results

West Seattle Thursday: PCC-site project @ Design Review; opening night @ ArtsWest…
March 2, 2017 10:12 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Pine siskin, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Half a dozen highlights for the rest of your Thursday:

BLANKET DRIVE CONTINUES: As explained here, blankets for children served by Mary’s Place are being collected at Gatewood Elementary until 3:30 pm today, and again 7:30 am-3:30 pm on Friday. (4320 SW Myrtle)

FREE TAX HELP: 5-9 pm at West Seattle Food Bank/Community Resource Center – details, including who’s eligible, are in our calendar listing. (35th SW/SW Morgan)

DESIGN REVIEW FOR PCC-SITE PROJECT: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest Design Review Board meets for what could be the final review of 2749 California SW, the four-story, 108-apartment, 158-offstreet-parking-space project that will also include a new 21,000-sf PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) store, all on the site of the current store.


(Rendering courtesy Hewitt Architects)

The rendering above is from the official “design packet,” which you can see here; see our coverage of the recent “sneak peek” community meeting here; see our coverage of the previous SWDRB meeting here. The meeting will include an opportunity for public comment. (4217 SW Oregon)

HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The West Seattle High School boys open state-tournament play tonight at the Tacoma Dome, vs. Wilson HS, at 7:15 pm. Brackets and ticket info are here; for directions and parking info, go here.

‘MILK LIKE SUGAR’ OPENING NIGHT: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest, it’s opening night for the new production “Milk Like Sugar” by Kirsten Greenidge. Synopsis, ticket info, and more are in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)

CROSS RHYTHM TRIO: 8-11 pm, live music at Parliament Tavern, with Ben Bloom, Jason Gray, and Grant Schroff of Polyrhythmics providing “some funky, soulful grooves.” No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE …via our complete-calendar page.

Share This

‘The Sower’ by Sarah Mottaghinejad wins West Seattle Garden Tour art competition
March 2, 2017 9:31 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts


(Photos courtesy West Seattle Garden Tour)

That’s “The Sower” by West Seattle artist Sarah Mottaghinejad, just announced as the winner of this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour art competition:

The winning piece features cherry veneer, acrylic, watercolor, mica, and hollyhock seeds on a clay panel measuring 18” x 24”. The artwork will be featured on the 2017 Garden Tour’s marketing materials, including the official poster and ticket book. Ms. Mottaghinejad will also receive a $500 cash prize.

Ms. Mottaghinejad says she is a storyteller before anything else. As a letterpress printer and bookbinder, she mostly works with paper, but will use any medium that best tells the story. She has a master’s degree in Linguistics, but very little formal art training. She currently works as an instructional designer, practicing her art and craft on the weekends.

Read more about her and her work on the WSGT website. This year’s tour will be earlier than recent years – June 25th; the winning work will be auctioned in one of the gardens that day, with proceeds going toward this year’s nonprofit beneficiaries, which WSGT organizers plan to announce next week.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND: Fauntleroy Chili Cook-Off on Saturday night
March 2, 2017 9:04 am
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND: Fauntleroy Chili Cook-Off on Saturday night
 |   Fauntleroy | Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Love chili? Here’s where you’ll want to be on Saturday night:

(Video courtesy Klem Daniels Productions)
Thanks to Judy Pickens for the reminder:

The sixth annual Fauntleroy Chili Cook-Off gets under way Saturday evening at 6:00 in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California Ave. SW). Chili lovers of all ages will be out in force to sample the favorite meat and vegetarian recipes of competitors. $10/person or $25/family at the door will get you sampling and voting, cornbread, condiments, beverage, and a root beer float to settle your stomach.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch
March 2, 2017 6:52 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch
 |   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)

6:52 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in our area, or on the major outbound routes, so far this morning.

VIADUCT CLOSURE REMINDER: Saturday 6 am-6 pm, Sunday 6 am-6 pm. The second day also has event closures scheduled in and north of the Battery Street Tunnel. Full details here.

9:10 AM: Late-commute trouble in two spots – a left-center-lane stall on northbound I-5 near Seneca, and a jackknifed semi that will be closing 15th/Spokane on Beacon Hill, not far from the east end of the West Seattle Bridge – police are figuring out how to deal with a semitruck full of hay.

Share This

CONGRATULATIONS! Chief Sealth IHS student Katherine Fry receives award, scholarship
March 1, 2017 11:56 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people


(Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo: Katherine Fry with zoo president/CEO Alejandro Grajal)

Chief Sealth International High School student Katherine Fry was honored at the Woodland Park Zoo‘s first-ever Thrive Leadership Awards dinner on Tuesday night. Not only did she receive the Youth Conservation Award, she also received a $5,000 scholarship. Fry was honored, the zoo says, “for contributing nearly 800 hours of volunteer service and providing leadership in the zoo’s youth programs including ZooCorps, Seattle Youth Climate Action Network, and Citizen Science Amphibian Monitoring.” She’s going to Western Washington University this fall, planning to study biology and environmental science.

Share This

West Seattle scene: ‘Ashes to Go’ on Ash Wednesday
March 1, 2017 10:43 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

The Christian observance of Lent began today with Ash Wednesday. That meant special services – and they weren’t all within the walls of churches. This morning, Katy Lloyd photographed Admiral Congregational Church pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom in The Junction this morning, where, she explained, he was offering “ashes to go.” Online research before we published the photo revealed that this is a worldwide movement involving clergy taking the Ash Wednesday tradition to the streets.

Share This

THURSDAY: City Council committee to consider new lease for West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club operation of rifle range
March 1, 2017 9:39 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

FIRST REPORT, 9:39 PM WEDNESDAY: That’s the Roger Dahl Rifle Training Range at West Seattle Stadium. Tomorrow (Thursday) at 9:30 am, the City Council’s Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Waterfront Committee will consider renewing the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club‘s long-running lease to operate it. (The photo is part of the item on the meeting agenda.)

The proposal is for a 12-year lease with an option for a five-year extension after that. The club would pay the city $1,000 a year, up from the $200 annual payment in the lease that’s expiring.

While the range is part of a Seattle Parks facility, the Sportsmen’s Club has been involved with it for more than 50 years, since it was built in 1961, and, as the proposed ordinance going before the council says, “through a series of agreements with Parks and Recreation, has continuously maintained the facility at its own cost and expense ever since.” The new release would continue that arrangement; the city says that before the club signed its most recent lease in 2003, “the Club repaired their firing line and put in new HVAC improvements.” The slide deck for tomorrow’s meeting also notes that the club provides a number of other public benefits, including “reduced-fee access for youth programs regarding safe and proper recreational use of firearms and archery tackle,” low-cost hunter-education programs for up to 120 students a year, and several types of “community outreach” regarding firearms safety.

Tomorrow’s 9:30 am meeting at City Hall starts with a public-comment period; if you can’t be there but are interested in this item or anything else on the agenda, the meeting will be live on Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online.

ADDED 2:28 PM THURSDAY: This passed unanimously at today’s committee vote, and a final vote will be on next Monday afternoon’s City Council agenda (2 pm March 6th).

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car prowler(s) steal donations; 42-second theft; more…
March 1, 2017 7:15 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

FROM THE ‘THEY’LL STEAL ANYTHING’ DEPARTMENT: Kathy reports a car prowl in North Admiral:

We discovered our car was entered last night. They rummaged through glove box and arm rest, took prescription sunglasses, new socks to go to homeless folks, and one of two bags heading to drop off at Goodwill. Do these people have a way to hack remote entry vehicles? There was no sign of forced entry and we’re pretty careful about locking. 1300 block of 44th AV SW.

Short answer, yes.

STOLEN CAR: No reader report on this, and @getyourcarback doesn’t match announcements to locations/incident numbers, but we did hear this broadcast across police frequencies as having happened in “William sector” (western West Seattle): 1996 red 4-door Honda Civic, plate BAJ8248. If you see it, call 911.

SPD’s online reports have added the narratives for two recent crimes, so we’re summarizing them here:

THE 42-SECOND THEFT: That’s how long it took two thieves to steal merchandise from the Rite-Aid pharmacy south of The Junction one week ago tonight, 8:20 pm Wednesday, February 22nd. The report says the thieves jumped over the counter, grabbed “two white square bottles of unknown liquid substance,” and ran out, last seen westbound on SW Dawson north of the store. Police got conflicting descriptions but eventually got surveillance video which showed that the two “were in and out of the store in approximately 42 seconds.” No one was hurt.

STORAGE UNIT BREAK-IN: The other local case with a narrative report now available online happened last Thursday night or Friday morning at a storage unit in the 2900 block of Avalon Way. Its manager called police to report that a unit had been pried open, but the tenant said nothing had been disturbed or taken.

Once you’ve reported a crime to SPD – 911 if it’s happening now! – consider letting us know for Crime Watch, via text (206-293-6302) or e-mail (editor@westseattleblog.com) – thank you!

Share This

HIGHWAY 99 TUNNEL: Digging expected to be done in May
March 1, 2017 6:25 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Highway 99 tunnel | West Seattle news


(WSDOT photo taken last month – work crews in the tunnel)

WSDOT says tonight that the Highway 99 tunneling machine is expected to arrive in its “disassembly pit” in May. That news comes as they also announce that Seattle Tunnel Partners has stopped digging to get the machine ready for the “final 1,000 feet of the 9,270-foot tunnel drive.” They’re checking its position because, WSDOT’s update says:

Recent surveys show that Bertha may be several inches off of the tunnel alignment. STP is conducting additional survey work and will make adjustments as needed to complete the tunnel drive.

Adjustments are common during tunneling, including on this project. STP made a similar adjustment to correct Bertha’s course after crews mined out of the pit that was used to access and repair the machine.

Crews will continue to perform routine maintenance on the machine for the next several days. They plan to resume mining next week.

According to STP’s most recent schedule, Bertha will arrive at the disassembly pit in May. The pit is located approximately 960 feet north of the cutterhead’s current location beneath Denny Way and Sixth Avenue North. Mining rates will continue to vary based on maintenance needs and soil conditions.

Crews successfully mined under the final building of the tunnel drive earlier this week. Bertha has traveled a total of 8,310 feet and built 1,270 of 1,426 concrete tunnel rings.

Because the end-of-the-line pit is part of a construction site, WSDOT has said it’s not planning to have a big event for the public to watch the machine break through.

Meantime, yet another reminder – the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to close for inspection 6 am-6 pm each day this Saturday and Sunday, with a few other events on 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel – full details are here.

Share This

West Seattle Coop Preschools celebrate speaker success, look ahead to Saturday sale
March 1, 2017 5:08 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two notes from West Seattle Cooperative Preschools:

REMINDER – BIG SALE SATURDAY: They’re reminding you that Saturday’s the day for the 5th annual West Seattle Kids’ Sale benefiting the co-op preschools – 9 am-1 pm (March 4th) at the VFW Hall in The Triangle (3601 SW Alaska), as previewed here last month. $1 donation at the door to get in and shop.

SPEAKER SUCCESS: Last night was the big event at Brockey Center on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus – author Dr. Laura Kastner‘s “Tame the Tears” parenting lecture. Jen Giomi from WS Coop Preschools, which co-presented it, shared photos and reports about 300 people were there!

If you missed the talk – here are the books Dr. Kastner has published.

Share This

Seen off West Seattle: Testing begins for Washington State Ferries’ new Chimacum
March 1, 2017 2:46 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Seen at sea | Transportation | West Seattle news

Couple people (including Nate Hamilton, who shared the photo) wondered if the ferry under tow in Elliott Bay today was in trouble. We checked MarineTraffic.com for the ID, and learned it’s the new state ferry M/V Chimacum – NOT in trouble, just getting tested. Washington State Ferries spokesperson Ian Sterling confirmed that Chimacum is out on testing runs starting today. We reported last September on its christening at Vigor on Harbor Island; the ferry’s construction was finished there, after its superstructure was built at, and transported from, Nichols Brothers on Whidbey Island. Sterling says the Chimacum is expected to go into service on the Seattle-Bremerton run in late spring/early summer.

P.S. Other ferry news today … WSF announced the sale of the M/V Evergreen State.

Share This

Metro’s March 11 service change to add West Seattle trips, change schedules
March 1, 2017 1:21 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Metro has officially announced details of its March 11 service change. Here’s what’s happening with West Seattle routes:

RAPIDRIDE C LINE, ADDED TRIPS: Here’s what Metro is adding:

On weekdays, a new RapidRide C Line trip to downtown Seattle leaving 26th Ave SW & SW Barton St will be added. Existing trip times will be adjusted to provide trips arriving in downtown Seattle every 5-8 minutes between approximately 8:45 AM and 9:25 AM.

Also, a new weekday RapidRide C Line trip to Westwood Village leaving Valley St & Fairview Ave N will be added. Existing trip times will be adjusted to provide trips departing South Lake Union every 8-9 minutes between 5:45 PM and 6:16 PM.

ROUTE 21 EXPRESS, ADDED TRIP: “A new Route 21E trip to Arbor Heights leaving 1st Ave & Blanchard St at 6:35 PM will be added.”

WEST SEATTLE ROUTES ‘WITH SCHEDULE CHANGES TO ADDRESS RELIABILITY‘: We haven’t found the specific schedule changes yet and are following up with Metro, but in the meantime, the West Seattle runs listed here include 21E, 22, 37, 55, 57, 60, 119E, 128. (Added: Full system-wide list is in Metro’s news release.)

Teal timetables will be available “in coming days,” Metro says, and you can explore schedule changes online now by using the Trip Planner with dates March 11th and later.

Share This

@ West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network: Time to talk
March 1, 2017 12:17 pm
|    Comments Off on @ West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network: Time to talk
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

No special guest at last night’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting at the Southwest Precinct, so it was a chance for attendees to talk more extensively with police and each other:

Capt. Pierre Davis‘s message was the same as recent community meetings:”We’ve made a ton of arrests. (Now) we’re struggling with the judicial system,” to be sure the suspects stay behind bars. And he reiterated that whatever happens, it needs to be reported. “What hurts us the most is when things go unreported … we have to give our officers the best kind of data possible, and that’s via (incidents having been reported and getting into the system).” And to continue to dissuade car prowlers, “don’t leave your valuables in your car.” (That was also underscored by this recent info sheet distributed via the precinct – we included it in our report on last week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.) SPD continues to work with its data via SeaStat, a citywide meeting every other week to review trends and stats – today’s the next one. Read More

Share This

PHOTOS: West Seattle High School girls lose to Lincoln @ state basketball tournament
March 1, 2017 10:27 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports


(WSB photo from first quarter)

10:27 AM: We’re at the Tacoma Dome, where the West Seattle High School girls’ second trip to the 3A state basketball tournament in three years has just ended after the first game, with a 65-54 loss to Lincoln HS. Congratulations to the Wildcats on this year’s success, including the district-tournament championship. Full story and more photos later.

ADDED 3:46 PM: Story and photos:

With the Lady Abes, the Wildcat girls faced an opponent skilled at the kind of game they themselves had been playing recently – smothering defense, rebound domination.

Read More

Share This

BASKETBALL: Seattle Lutheran boys’ trip to state ends with loss to St. George’s
March 1, 2017 10:25 am
|    Comments Off on BASKETBALL: Seattle Lutheran boys’ trip to state ends with loss to St. George’s
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Thanks to Mike Jensen for the update from Spokane – the Seattle Lutheran High School boys’ trip to the 2B state basketball tournament is over after a first-game loss to St. George’s, 45-43. Congratulations to the Saints for their big season!

Share This

8 options for your West Seattle Wednesday
March 1, 2017 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Tuesday morning photo by Jim Borrow)

Lots in the works for this midweek, first-of-the-month day/night. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

BLANKET DRIVE: As previewed here last night, blankets for children served by Mary’s Place are being collected at Gatewood Elementary until 3:30 pm, and again 7:30 am-3:30 pm Thursday and Friday. (4320 SW Myrtle)

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: As we publish this at 9 am, the West Seattle High School girls are scheduled to be tipping off against Lincoln HS as the state 3A championships get under way at the Tacoma Dome. WSB is there and we’ll be updating at least quarterly, if not more often, via Twitter, with the final score here as soon as the game ends.

NETWORKING MEETUP: Join West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) co-proprietor Stefan for this week’s networking meetup, open to all – members or not! – at our area’s only coworking center, noon-1:15 pm. Get out of your home office/local-biz office/telecommuting spot and meet people! (6040 California SW)

ASH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, EVENING SERVICES: Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) is having two services today, with all welcome – 12:30 pm and 7 pm. (3940 41st SW)

WINE TASTING: Join the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce for a special event at Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor), 5:30-8:30 pm. Check ASAP to see if there’s still room! (5910 California SW)

HALA REZONING PROPOSAL FOR WESTWOOD-HIGHLAND PARK URBAN VILLAGE: 7-8:30 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club, you’re invited to be part of a community-organized/-led meeting to talk about the HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability rezoning proposals for this area and how the community should respond to them. More info in our preview. (12th SW/SW Holden)

FAUNTLEROY WAY ASSOCIATION: 7:30 pm, a new residents-and-businesses group is meeting at the Rudy’s/Realfine space to talk about the Fauntleroy Boulevard project, as previewed here. (4480 Fauntleroy Way SW)

BUCKETS OF RAIN: 8-11 pm, rock ‘n’ roll at Parliament Tavern. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
March 1, 2017 7:02 am
|      17 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: Welcome to March! And warmer weather – 10 degrees above freezing right now. No incidents to report so far, in/from West Seattle.

REMINDER: The Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled for closures 6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday for its annual inspection. Full details here, including concurrently scheduled closures on 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel.

7:37 AM: Stuck-truck trouble in Fauntleroy, at 45th/Director – thanks for the tip/photo:

Our tipster says the truck was trying to head east on SW Director toward the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse.

8:23 AM: If you use lower Spokane Street east of West Seattle, note that SFD is sending a midsize response to Colorado and Spokane, which is west of 1st Avenue. No details on the call, just a heads-up.

Share This