West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
It’s the final week of the regular season for high-school basketball. The Chief Sealth International High School boys were on the road at Ballard HS tonight and left with the win, 65-41. Per the box score, Sadique Calloway led all scoring with 13 points, followed by Javaun Jones and Tyrell Moore with 10 each. Friday night, the Seahawks are at West Seattle High School to face the Wildcats (who played at home tonight – our coverage of that game is up next).
Announced tonight by Seattle Public Schools – bus drivers for First Student, with which the district contracts for yellow-bus service, are going on strike starting Thursday. SPS has no classes tomorrow because of the “day between semesters,” but school will be back in session Thursday regardless of transportation status. The drivers’ union, Teamsters Local 174, calls it an “unfair labor practice strike” and adds:
The drivers have been in ongoing negotiations with First Student over healthcare and retirement benefits since last summer. They participated in a one-day Unfair Labor Practice strike on November 29 after their employer unilaterally implemented an inferior healthcare plan that had not been negotiated with the Teamsters. This strike received a great deal of support from the Seattle community. Since then, First Student has not resolved any of the Unfair Labor Practices they had previously committed, including the unilateral implementation of the substandard healthcare plan.
The district has posted answers to frequently asked questions on this page. The union, meantime, says it will have “active picket lines” outside First Student bus yards in South Park and Lake City.
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ANOTHER COFFEE-SHOP THEFT: Al e-mailed today to say that “a young couple” grabbed his Nook device at 4 pm Saturday in the Junction Starbucks and “ran off.” He tried to chase them but couldn’t catch up. He filed a police report – if you have any information, it’s 2018-033043. (We just checked – the two 19-year-olds charged in a purse theft at the same Starbucks two weeks earlier are still in the King County Jail.)
ADMIRAL CAR PROWL: From Emily:
Someone broke into our car last night @ Hinds SW and 41st Ave SW. They were unsuccessful stealing the car but they did grab a bag that we had left on the back seat. I’d be grateful if you could ask the WSB readers to look out for the bag (gray duffel) or its contents (Garmont ski boots, SPL book “The Midnight Line,” and random clothes).
CAR PROWL: From Kari:
Just wanted to report that early Friday morning someone rummaged through and took the contents out of my glove box and placed them on the passenger seat. They stole a coin purse. I usually lock my car and must have forgotten that night. Make sure to lock your cars because after talking to other people in West Seattle, this seems to happen often. Near Charlestown and 50th.
From the agenda for tomorrow night’s Seattle School Board meeting: District staffers are expecting to need to add 26 portables at campuses around the city next year. The list shows some locations are yet to be determined – but one West Seattle school is on the list already, Madison Middle School.
As shown in that table from the agenda document, the district says it expects to need four portables for new classrooms next year at Madison, which is projected to add more than 100 additional students for 2018-2019. While that would bring the student population to just under Madison’s “right-size” capacity of 995, the district explains, “For secondary schools, classrooms are not utilized with the maximum number of students due to the class offerings and schedules. This could result in the need for additional classroom space although the enrollment is close to the right size capacity number.” The district document notes that at least some of the portables to be placed around the city will be repurposed from the former Schmitz Park Elementary School campus, which is just a few blocks west of Madison.
P.S. While the board is meeting at its usual time tomorrow (4:15 pm), SPS schools have no classes, because it’s the “day between semesters.”
As January comes to an end, tax-return season is about to start, and once again this year, you can get free help. Here’s the announcement:
Beginning February 1 and continuing through April 17, AARP Foundation is providing free tax assistance and preparation through its Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, celebrating its 50th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service. Since its inception, the program has served more than 50 million taxpayers.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide started in 1968 with just four volunteers working at one site. Today, nearly 35,000 volunteers serve low- to moderate-income taxpayers at 5,000 locations in neighborhood libraries, malls, banks, community centers and senior centers nationwide. There’s no fee, and AARP membership is not required. …
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified each year to ensure they know about and understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code. In 2017, the program’s volunteers helped 2.5 million people navigate complicated tax codes, ensure proper credits and deductions, and file their federal and state tax returns. Taxpayers who used AARP Foundation Tax-Aide received $1.37 billion in income tax refunds and more than $222 million in Earned Income Tax Credits. They also avoided any tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans.
Last year, 1,063 AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 82,000 people file their federal and state tax returns. The program is offered at approximately 140 sites in Washington including senior centers, libraries, and other convenient locations.
To find an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site or more information, including which documents to bring to the tax site, visit aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp or call 888-AARPNOW (888-227-7669). AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offered in conjunction with the IRS.
Three locations will be offering this program in West Seattle (we’re adding these to our calendar, too):
SOUTHWEST LIBRARY
9010 35TH AVE SW
Dates Open: 2/1/2018 – 4/17/2018
Site Schedule: Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 03:30 PM
Comments: Walk-ins welcome on a space available basis
Appointment: Appointment Required
Handicap Accessible: YesDELRIDGE LIBRARY
5423 DELRIDGE WAY SW
Dates Open: 2/1/2018 – 4/17/2018
Site Schedule: Mondays from 02:00 PM – 06:30 PM
Comments: Closed President’s Day 2/20
Appointment: Walk-ins Welcome
Handicap Accessible: YesWEST SEATTLE SENIOR CENTER
4217 SW OREGON ST
Dates Open: 2/1/2018 – 4/17/2018
Site Schedule: Thursdays from 9:00 AM – 03:30 PM; Fridays from 9:00 AM – 03:30 PM
Comments: Appointments Only. Call (206) 932-4044 for appointment
Appointment: Appointment Required
Handicap Accessible: Yes
12:24 PM: Discovered this morning that the stairway at SW Director Street/upper Fauntleroy Way, between the Fauntleroy fish-ladder viewpoint and northbound RapidRide C Line stop, is closed for SDOT work. Further research turned up this map, which reveals it’s one of four city-owned stairways on the list scheduled for work this year, along with:
-SW Hill St between 42nd Ave SW & California Ave SW
-SW Holly St & Beveridge Pl SW to 46th Ave SW
-California Ave SW & SW Willow St
We’re checking with SDOT to see how long the work is expected to last, and which West Seattle stairway project will be next up.
3:33 PM: SDOT’s Greg Funk has replied with the info:
-SW Director “just started” and could reopen February 19th if all goes well
-California/Willow is expected to start February 26th, “substantial completion” March 16th
-Hill/42nd is expected to start April 30th, “substantial completion” June 8th
-Holly/46th is expected to start June 11th, “substantial completion August 17th
“Substantial completion” means “stairway will have temporary handrail and (will be) opened to the public until our rail fabricators finish the install of new rail.”
Two other stairway projects will be in “design options” mode this year – SW Thistle (east of Lincoln Park) and Bonair SW.
Since the Alaskan Way Viaduct might close forever before this year is out, this might be one of your last chances for an up-close-and-personal look: Cascade Bicycle Club is including The Viaduct on its Emerald City Ride route this spring, and even if you’re not up for the full route, you can sign up for the 3-Mile SR 99 Viaduct Experience, “designed for families with children and beginning riders.” It’s not a race, so, the club explains, “You’ll be able to stop, look around, take a photo, and enjoy the view.” This is happening the morning of April 8th on the northbound Viaduct (so even if you’re not interested in the ride, note that it’ll be closed to motorized vehicles for a few hours). Registration just opened today, and you can find out more here.
(House finches, photographed in Gatewood by Jeremiah Holt)
This edition of what’s ahead (mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar) stretches into the early-morning hours, but first …
LOUISA BOREN STEM K-8 MIDDLE SCHOOL TOUR: 10:15 am-11:45 am, families of prospective middle-schoolers are invited to visit. (5950 Delridge Way SW)
SEATTLE AQUARIUM VISITS HIGH POINT: 10:30 am at Neighborhood House High Point, this week’s free enrichment program for preschool-age kids features the Seattle Aquarium on “Ocean Animals.” (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
DINE OUT TO HELP TWO SCHOOLS: 5-8 pm, a portion of the proceeds at Lil’ Woody’s, CTO, and Beer Star in White Center go to Sanislo Elementary and Louisa Boren STEM K-8. (9801 16th SW)
MUSIC WITH A VIEW: Justin Kausal-Hayes performs at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)
PATHFINDER SCHOOL ELEMENTARY OPEN HOUSE: Interested in K-5 at Pathfinder? Tonight’s the open house for your family, 6:30 pm. (1901 SW Genesee)
FAMILY STORY TIME: Tonight you can bring the kids to Delridge Library at 7 pm. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
CALM DOWN: Meditation at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 7 pm, followed by tea and discussion. Details in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
And because this will be happening long before our Wednesday list is published –
LUNAR ECLIPSE VERY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING: If there’s a break in the clouds early Wednesday morning, we could get to see the total lunar eclipse. NASA.gov has details, with “best viewing” between 5 and 6 am – again, weather permitting!
Live and/or work in Fauntleroy? It’s survey time, as just announced by the Fauntleroy Community Association:
Every two years, the Fauntleroy Community Association (FCA) conducts a community survey to help us determine what topics, issues, and concerns are important to the residents of Fauntleroy. It helps the FCA prioritize and strategize, and gives us direct feedback about what matters to the community.
We want to hear what Fauntleroy residents currently think are the most important issues for the area. If you live in the Fauntleroy area, please take the survey (by going here).
It will only take a few minutes, and will help guide FCA’s efforts in the coming years.
If you don’t have time now – you can use our Share This link below to e-mail it to yourself for later (that’s also how you can share any WSB story, forum post, etc., in a variety of ways)!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this Tuesday morning.
WATER TAXI CHANGE: Spirit of Kingston is on the West Seattle Water Taxi run this morning because Doc Maynard was moved to the Vashon run – Sally Fox is out with technical trouble.
ROAD WORK ADVANCE ALERT: Announced Monday by SDOT – starting February 5th, Fauntleroy/Wildwood just south of the ferry dock will be closed for an estimated two weeks for work including pavement repair.
8:18 AM: SW Alaska is blocked just west of California, per SDOT.
8:21 AM: And it’s clear – a bus was being towed, per a commenter.
If you still don’t quite get what the proposed HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning plan is all about and what it would do – take some time to watch the video above, in which the City Council met for the first time as the Select Committee that will decide the plan’s fate. Monday morning’s meeting was largely devoted to a briefing presented by city staff, introduced by committee chair Councilmember Rob Johnson as “where we are and how we got here.” But it also included the toplines of what it’s hoped the upzoning would do – lead to the construction of hundreds more units of lower-priced housing in the city each year, by requiring developers to either include some in their projects or pay a certain fee to the city to fund them elsewhere.
As noted during the briefing, the council’s vote is at least six months away. And several councilmembers made it clear they are looking for lots more information: Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda asked for an overlay of publicly owned land that might be eligible for affordable housing. Councilmember Lorena González wanted to know more about affordable-housing projects already in the pipeline. Our area’s Councilmember Lisa Herbold voiced frustration that she doesn’t believe potential displacement has been adequately analyzed – there is lots of info about how many people are moving to Seattle, but not so much about how many are moving out, she noted.
During the staffers’ recap of the “engagement” efforts over the past year-plus, Herbold also brought up concerns she had heard about “missteps along the way.” She mentioned “several” events at which people walked away with concerns from changes to neighborhood plans, a lack of clarity about the MHA plan including zoning changes, and/or confusion over what upzoning would allow. And she pointed out that “Some of the promotional materials … did not give the impression” that big changes were being contemplated. She also said she’s being asked about councilmembers potentially developing “companion resolutions” that might address the plan district by district and said if that was happening, it needed to be discussed sooner rather than later. And she pointed out that while urban village rezoning in HALA MHA is presented as enabling more people to live closer to “good transit,” two urban villages without robust transit are in her district – Admiral and South Park.
After Monday’s briefing (which was followed by public comment you also can watch in the video), here’s what’s next:
OPEN HOUSES: The first district open house looking at the HALA MHA maps is tonight (Tuesday, January 30th) in District 4. The District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) open house isn’t until May 9th.
NEXT COUNCIL ‘SELECT COMMITTEE’ MEETING: February 12th.
APPEALS OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT: As reported previously, the process for the appeals of the HALA MHA Final Environmental Impact Statement, filed by neighborhood advocates from around the city, is proceeding in parallel. Next step is a pre-hearing conference on February 14th.
WILL YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BE AFFECTED? IF SO, HOW? Here’s the web map you can use to find out.
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