WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Rainy, breezy, high in the mid-60s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:01 am, while sunset will be at 6:59 pm.

SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT, AND OTHER ROAD WORK OF NOTE

*No work tonight on the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project – the next scheduled lane closures are Thursday night (September 26).

Other projects:

*For the Admiral Way Bridge seismic project, the north half of the bridge remains closed, with one lane each way on the south side, until the project switches sides next month; Fairmount Avenue remains closed under the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.

TRANSIT

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, plus the “unscheduled third boat,” now available on weekends too. Check for alerts here.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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DROP-IN MEETINGS: With the official release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Sound Transit announced three drop-in meetings, two in West Seattle. The first is tomorrow (Wednesday, September 25), 4:30-6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW); the second is next Tuesday (October 1), 4:30-6:30 pm at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW). We verified two things today with ST spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham: First, no presentation is planned for these meetings – they are 100 percent drop-in and circulate around the room. Second, both will feature exactly the same material (we had wondered if the Delridge meeting would be focused on the Delridge station/segment, for example). If you can’t get to either of those, there’s also a drop-in session in SODO 11 am-1 pm October 2 (Studio B612, 1915 First Ave. S.).

PRO-LIGHT RAIL NEIGHBOR’S VISION: The board has to decide – perhaps in just one month – which of multiple routes the line would travel. Some community members are getting in one more push for their preferences. In our report on last week’s ST Executive Committee meeting, we mentioned that a West Seattle property owner told the committee she favored Delridge 6A over 6B. We didn’t get into why. The property owner, Beth Boomgard-Zagrodnik, has since provided us with a written version of the vision behind what she voiced:

I did say that Del-6A option makes more sense than the currently “preferred” Del-6B from an impacts comparison perspective; but the more relevant dimension of the comment is that Del-6B leaves a parcel of 12 single family homes materially impacted, but not acquired in the dregs our current neighborhood (on 85K combined sqft) at Andover and 32nd SW [map].

Here is the rendering from the FEIS of the view south on 32nd from Andover. My driveways are shown on the right next to my neighbor’s mailbox. (Marilyn Kennell‘s (of Rethink the Link) house is also not acquired and is next to the Monkey Puzzle tree on the opposite side of the tracks for reference.) This proposal does not relate to that south side of the proposed track.

Here is the view of the 12 parcels from the FEIS. I have augmented the picture with triangles (red are the homes owned by my neighbors and the blue ones owned by Joe and I / our small business). These homes are in a 5-min walkshed of the Avalon Station and I believe it is worth exploring if there is a better use for this land than keeping it as single-family homes, low-density, car-centric – particularly given how dramatically the neighborhood will change with construction / operation.

Here is the image from the FEIS with pink homes being acquired and empty parcels mapping to above triangles.

I reached out to Homestead Community Land Trust for over a year to begin exploring how I might advocate for a better outcome for my neighborhood and a more pragmatic development vision for the Avalon Station – starting with the two lots we own. We continue to jointly explore avenues to both advocate to Sound Transit, City of Seattle, County, State and community housing organizations and paint a vision for what could be on these parcels.

Specifically, Joe and I are advocating for:

-the timely delivery of the light rail extension to West Seattle (a unique perspective in the verbal public comments [at the committee meeting])
-for Sound Transit to consider acquiring some or all of the triangle lots as a part of the acquisition process should the prefered alternative (Del-6b) proceed.

If acquired, we would encourage ST to then sell or transfer the combined parcels to the city / private affordable housing developers / community groups (like Homestead) as they have done with other parcels elsewhere in the system build out for transit-oriented affordable housing development.

OR

for the City to accelerate and increase the level of upzoning associated with these parcels to LR-2 and then working with a community land trust or similar organization to acquire some or all of the parcels to build transit-oriented affordable housing.

Should Sound Transit acquire the parcels, this land could be used for construction staging or immediately – instead of almost 20 years after the fact as was the case in the Rainier Valley – be transferred to transit-oriented affordable housing developers to redevelop the parcels, increasing the availability of affordable housing in the immediate walkshed of the Avalon Station in line with the construction timelines. This means Sound Transit would directly help increase the number of affordable housing units in the project vicinity – serving as a true development agency, not just one that provides transit. Moreover, should Mayor Harrell be bolder in the One Seattle Plan regarding zoning in the neighborhood, there is opportunity for tremendous transit-oriented, affordable density on this combined parcel.

Boomgard-Zagrodnik said her family and neighbors were scheduled to meet this week with Sound Transit. Time is running out to influence the board’s upcoming decision – a recommendation is expected to be presented to the System Expansion Committee on October 10, and the full board’s vote is penciled in for just two weeks after that, on October 24. Meantime, the board’s next meeting is 1:30-4:30 pm this Thursday (September 26), with a presentation on the West Seattle Final EIS, as well as a public comment periood; the agenda explains how to participate.

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CARJACKING ATTEMPT REPORTED: If you noticed police in The Junction this past hour, they were investigating a reported carjacking attempt. According to police radio, it was reported near California/Oregon, where the victim was assaulted by two people who tried to steal his car. They eventually left without the car and walked toward a bus stop. One of the attackers was a woman, and police are questioning a possible suspect; they have not found the male attacker, described only as white, in his 30s, white shirt, blue jeans. We’ll follow up with police later, once this is all sorted out.

GAS THEFT: Reported by Joanna:

39th and Admiral on 9/24/24 at approx 5 am according to Ring footage, vandals drilled a hole in the gas tank of an F-150 parked on the street and siphoned the gas out. Luckily gas was smelled and investigated by neighbors before the owners drove the truck. A homemade funnel was found discarded near the intersection at Admiral.

RELEASED: Back in mid-July, we reported on the arrest of a 33-year-old man suspected in Highland Park burglary attempts (including one caught on video). Tonight, the man who was arrested, Vernon Jackson, is out of jail after two and a half months. Court records show he eventually was charged in Municipal Court and pleaded guilty to trespassing and property destruction as part of a plea bargain in which three other misdemeanors were dismissed. With those pleas, today he was sentenced to time in jail equal to what he already had served, and was released after the hearing.

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We monitored the first one at noon today to get toplines from the WSF executives’ presentation and hear what people were asking about.

Toward the start, WSF’s Hadley Rodero, facilitating, polled the 125+ attendees to see what routes they generally use. Mukilteo-Clinton was the top response, at 29 percent, followed by Seattle-Bremerton at 18 percent, with Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth at only 8 percent, so there weren’t a lot of questions about the Triangle Route. But here’s what caught our attention otherwise:

STAFF SHORTAGE EBBING? System boss Steve Nevey decclared, “We’re well on our way to resolving our personnel issues.” Exactly how they’re doing that was described throughout the meeting in a variety of ways large and small, all the way to hosting high-school students to try to impress on them that it’s “cool” to work on a ferry. The system had 13 engine-room interns this year, noted WSF’s Nicole McIntosh, saying that 9 of them became employees.

VESSEL SHORTAGE: That will take longer to resolve, but they’re working toward finding a builder for new ferries, with about 12 companies around the country indicating initial interest, and the review of “pre-qualification” submissions imminent. Paying for them might become an issue if Initiative 2117 – repealing the state’s Climate Commitment Act – is passed in the general election; one attendee asked in Q&A if the CCA funded any of the new ferries and Nevey said about 25 percent of the cost was expected to come from that source. Another attendee asked about the “bonus boat” (aka “ghost boat”) on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth and asked why that “unscheduled” third boat couldn’t just be plugged into the full three-boat Triangle Route schedule. WSF’s John Vezina explained that the Triangle Route schedule is meant for three Issaquah-class boats, and the “bonus boat” is usually smaller, so it wouldn’t be able to keep up, and instead is being used – seven days a week as of last weekend – to help the other two stay on schedule.

FAUNTLEROY TERMINAL PROJECT: No new information, but WSF’s David Sowers briefly recapped where the project planning stands:

Once a preferred alternative is chosen early next year, the next stage of the planning/design process will take about a year and a half, he said.

RELIABILITY: Systemwide, reliability rose a bit January through August this year compared to last, reported Nevey (no route-by-route breakouts, though):

The presentations took just under half an hour, and the Q&A ran a full hour – mostly issues unrelated to the Triangle Route, so we aren’t noting them here, except for one point of interest: Asked when the ferries might offer wi-fi again, the answer was that they’re “investigating” it, after an unsuccessful test run long ago – Starlink is one of the systems they’re looking at.

Again, you have another chance to listen – and to ask questions – at 6 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, September 25); register here for the link.

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HOMEBUYING CLASS: Has the interest-rate cut put you in the real-estate market? West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor) is offering a free class Thursday night (September 26) at 7 pm with what you need to know. Questions they’ll address will include: “How’s the market? When’s the right time to buy? Is it a Buyer’s or Seller’s market? I’ve heard Buyer’s Agency has changed. What does that mean for me? Do I need a buyer’s broker (agent)?” and more. It’s at their office/event space in Admiral, 2715 California SW. They’re requesting RSVPs at info@westseattlerealty.com – more info here.

FUTURE RESTAURANT’S NAME CHANGE: The former Taqueria Guaymas space at 4719 California SW has been vacant for three years, with its owners, the Virk family, saying they planned to open a restaurant there (Sam Virk owns Maharaja Cuisine of India a short distance north). They originally applied for a liquor license under the name Indochin Wok and confirmed to us more than two years ago that would be its name. This week there’s a new liquor-license application under the name Indio Fusion Restaurant and Bar. We have a message out to see if this means they’re planning to open soon.

COFFEE REOPENING: After two month of renovation work, the Starbucks drive-thru at Avalon/Fauntleroy reopened today.

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The American Meteor Society‘s outlook for this week suggests three prime sources of potential meteor activity right now.

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“The lawlessness on Alki and Harbor Avenue … has to stop.”

District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka made that declaration at this morning’s meeting of the council’s Public Safety Committee, as he proposed an addition to the bill authorizing a Seattle Police surveillance-camera pilot program currently only intended for other areas of the city (explained here). Members of the committee – for which Saka serves as vice-chair – also heard from Alki/Harbor residents including Steve Pumphrey, who spoke of the “clear and present danger” of ongoing disorder in the beach area, including unsolved shooting deaths such as the killing of 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara in June; gunfire that night also pierced the walls and windows of nearby residences including his (photo above). Committee members unanimously approved Saka’s amendment, which added this language (updated 8:18 pm with second sentence added in final version of amendment):

The Seattle Police Department shall, as part of the planned outcome evaluation of the Closed-Circuit Television Camera Systems pilot project, conduct a study reporting on the appropriateness, feasibility, and cost of additional potential future Closed-Circuit Television Camera deployments in areas of the city beyond those in the current pilot project, including but not limited to the Alki and Harbor Avenue areas of West Seattle. This study shall also evaluate the potential use of Closed-Circuit Television Cameras for a range of public safety concerns beyond those specific crimes identified in the SIR for purposes of the pilot.

That potential camera program is different from the possible cameras discussed by the previous council in relation to street racing, authorized but to date not funded. Today’s amendment authorizes only a study, not (yet) cameras, which the pilot will only place in four areas – downtown, Aurora, Belltown, and Chinatown/ID. The proposal goes to the full council for final approval. (Seattle Channel has just posted video of this morning’s meeting here.)

BACKSTORY: The camera-study commitment comes three months after Saka hosted an Alki community meeting about the public-safety crisis; most of the action taken since then has involved speed-cushion installation.

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My Rad Runner Plus was stolen from in front of my condo — 44th Ave between Juneau and Raymond St. My neighbor had this video of the thieves taking it at 4:18 am:

It was locked to itself and didn’t have the battery on it. My condo isn’t visible from the street. At any rate, it’s a silver Rad Runner Plus, with brown saddle bags, seats, handlebars.

It had a green rubber monster attached to the kid’s grab bar on the back for my son. I also just had hydraulic brakes installed for added safety. My son and I are heartbroken and would love any help the community can provide in locating our bike.

Police report # is 24-271836.

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Here’s our reminder list of highlights for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from our Event Calendar, where you can look days, weeks, months ahead:

POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: Long-distance advocacy via handwritten postcards to be sent to voters in other states – drop in 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), all welcome.

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES COMMUNITY MEETING: Noon online, the first of two sessions for WSF’s fall systemwide community meetings. Go here to get the link to attend.

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Regular weekly full City Council meeting, 2 pm in council chambers at City Hall downtown. The agenda document explains how to comment, either remotely or in person. Watch live via Seattle Channel. Today’s action items include a boundary change for the West Seattle Junction Association‘s jurisdiction.

HIGH-SCHOOL SOCCER: The Chief Sealth IHS girls play at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 4:30 pm, vs. Annie Wright.

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.

DROP-IN WINE TASTING: 5-7 pm Tuesdays at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – $10 fee, $5 off with bottle purchases.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

FREE TRACK RUN: First weekly run of fall – all runners welcome! Meet up at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.”

MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).

BENEFIT SHOW: Amity Band and Friends at Tim’s Tavern (9655 16th SW), raising money for Enigma ASD Services. $15 suggested donations.

BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – Tuesday nights bring Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

OPEN MIC: Your night to shine at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), 7 pm. (21+)

TRIVIA X 4: Four trivia options Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7:10 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).

HIGH-SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Chief Sealth IHS plays at home, 7 pm (2600 SW Thistle), vs. Garfield.

LISTENING PARTY: Early chance to hear Billy Strings’ new album, 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) – free, all ages.

Planning an event? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – just email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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WSHS is being recognized as a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

WSHS demonstrates their commitment to inclusion and shown determination in achieving the collective goal of creating a truly “Unified Generation” of young adults who embrace differences and lead social change! We could not have done this without the hard work and support of our alumni and current WSHS students and staff! We are excited and honored to join the 1,014 schools across the country and the FIRST SPS school to receive this level of recognition!

Here is the official letter from Special Olympics North America and Special Olympics International.

This is a HUGE accomplishment for our school, district, and community! We will be receiving a banner to celebrate this accomplishment at a ceremony in the Spring at WSHS!

Myers explains that “Schools that receive this recognition have demonstrated the commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.”

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Earlier:

6:03 AM: Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 24.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Today’s weather is expected to be somewhat summery before a fall storm arrives tomorrow: Mostly sunny, high in the mid-70s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:59 am, while sunset will be at 7:01 pm.

SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT, AND OTHER ROAD WORK OF NOTE

*No work tonight on the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project – the next scheduled lane closures are Thursday night (September 26).

Other projects:

*For the Admiral Way Bridge seismic project, the north half of the bridge remains closed, with one lane each way on the south side, until the project switches sides next month; Fairmount Avenue remains closed under the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.

TRANSIT

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, plus the “unscheduled third boat,” now available on weekends too. Check for alerts here.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

South Park Bridge – Looking east (this camera has been malfunctioning lately):

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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For the first time since May, the Admiral Neighborhood Association had a general gathering, with president Joanie Jacobs facilitating. Here’s what was discussed during last Tuesday’s meeting at Admiral Church:

AUTO THEFT DOWN & OTHER POLICE UPDATES: Officer German Barreto, the precinct’s community liaison, brought updates. Two crime categories have gone up in Admiral year to year – burglaries, aggravated assaults – and auto thefts are down. For shots-fired incidents, he mentioned the September 6 Alki shootout and an incident in the 2100 block of Harbor SW. One attendee asked for more context about the increase in aggravated assaults; Officer Barreto didn’t have specific incident info as to whether they were random or not. Another question was about the collision that injured a pedestrian at 42nd/Admiral; he had no updates on that. What’s behind the drop in auto theft? The increase was in no small part due to the Kia/Hyundai social-media-how-to trend, so the decrease seems to be because those models’ owners are figuring out how to thwart that, he said. What’s up with officer hiring? Barreto said, “I’m hearing we are getting people” but no specific stats. The nature of the work keeps evolving, he observed, and “about 90 percent is knowing how to talk to people.” How about the CARE responders? asked Jacobs. They’re supposed to go citywide at some point, Barreto noted. He also reminded people, regarding the other part of CARE, the 911 center – don’t EVER call the SPD non-emergency number. The 911 center operates differently now that it’s civilianized, he said, leading to “a problem” with police not getting dispatched to things they should be – “if there’s something that you see, and they try to send you to the non-emergency number, hang up and call back (on 911)” he said. And do call, it was stressed, to get everything on record. “And if you call 911 and don’t get the service you want to, email” to point that out. Also “be sure you get an event number or case number” when you call 911. Also, if you want to be contacted by an officer, you can ask for them to call you instead of coming to your door – though sometimes that might mean your phone rings a few hours later.

DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS: Rosa Garcia was a guest speaker. She’s this area’s community-engagement coordinator for the department, which she said is “going through a little bit of a transformation” – “we consider ourselves the nonprofit of the city, really approachable … community partnerships and investmennt partnerships” are how they divide what they do. The DoN programs include P-Patch gardens – more than 90 community gardens are around the city, originally funded for six years by the city and then they simply become parts of the community. She also talked about the funding the department offers for groups (official or not) to put on events – grants that the ANA (among many other groups) has received. The grant sizes range from Small Sparks up to $5,000 and Neighborhood Matching Fund up to $50,000. She also talked about community commissions and boards that are part of the DoN – such as one she’ll be facilitating that’s being revived, involving youth. Historic preservation is part of the department’s work too. Overall, Garcia said that DoN’s new director Jenifer Chao “is working hard to put us out there.” You can sign up for their newsletter and read their blog-format website Front Porch, too.

Now, the rundown on how the big summer events went, and what’s ahead:

(WSB photo, July 4)

4TH OF JULY KIDS’ PARADE (WSB coverage here): This year’s parade cost $2,700. Coordinator Megan Erb said it was one of the biggest ever (as we had reported, based on how long our “entire parade” video ran) – SFD estimated about 2,000 in the park at the end of the parade. They brought in new sponsors. Though it originally was the Admiral 4th of July Kids Parade, she stressed it’s a West Seattle-wide event. Four extra food vendors this year – besides JJ’s Super Dogs, Seattle Sorbets, lemonade, barbecue, tents with Admiral’s own Arthur’s and West Seattle Grounds. The big news: Erb is stepping down after 10 years of coordinating the parade, so ANA is looking for a new parade coordinator. “We don’t want to see it go away,” said Jacobs. They’re hoping to have someone on board by January. If you’ve ever wanted to coordinate an event that everyone loves, this is it!

(WSB photo, July 18)

CONCERT SERIES (WSB coverage here): Because of Hiawatha’s unavailability due to renovations, ANA took its outdoor-concert series to three different parks this year – “some that people didn’t even know were parks.” The Admiral Music in the Parks series cost ANA $7,400+. ANA secretary Meagan Loftin said that moving the venue brought people in who didn’t even know a concert was planned until they heard it. “We managed to pack more than 200 people into Belvidere Park and California Place Park, and over 500 people down at Hamilton (Viewpoint).” ANA’s communications director Dan Jacobs said cutting the series down to three concerts managed to fit it into a window that wasn’t too overwhelmingly busy and the rebranding was Loftin’s work. She did fundraising, got stickers, other support work. Dan Jacobs worked with city departments. He said, “The bands loved it, everybody loved it.” Joanie Jacobs added that they’d like to have a concert-series coordinator too (this was the first year without one, after Stephanie Jordan organized it for many years). Loftin said fundraising help is especially important.

(WSB photo, August 24)

ADMIRAL FUNKTION BLOCK PARTY (WSB coverage here): That was the costliest event of all – more than $9,000. Streets were closed, bands played, “it was an amazing, crazy day,” recalled Joanie Jacobs, also recounting how relieved they were when the rain stopped after early-morning showers. They had a core team of organizers and an indispensable crew of volunteers. They’ll do the festival again next year too, “and we’re always looking for people to volunteer and help lead it.”

Now, here’s what’s coming up:

THIS FALL & WINTER: Trick or Treating in Admiral Junction will be on Friday, October 25, 4-7 pm – “then working together with our businesses, a pub crawl for adults the next day” and some movies at Admiral Theater, a family-friendly movie one night and scarier adult movie the next – one venue also will have a costume contest. Trick or Treating needs volunteers too – like crossing guards … On December 14, they’re planning a “Winter Wonderland” day, with Santa pics, Santa pet photos, craft projects, hot-cocoa station, possibly carolers, “just a good-old-fashioned holiday event.” Volunteers welcome there too – both preparing for the event and on event day – they’ll be organizing an event for volunteer info. Watch connecttoadmiral.org.

DINE-OUT FUNDRAISER: October 1, an ANA benefit is happening at Mioposto (2139 California SW; WSB sponsor), 20 percent of the proceeds. Dine in, dine out, as long as takeout is ordered directly from Mioposto (no third-party services), 4 pm-9 pm.

SCHOOL CLOSURES: President Jacobs mentioned the SPS proposals including the possible closure of Lafayette Elementary and said they’l be sending a letter expressing opposition. “We stand with Lafayette Elementary … we want to reach out as a neighborhood association to let them know what an impact it would have on the community, on the businesses, on our streets.” Joe from the Lafayette was there to speak about it. He mentioned this website and also talked about the All Together for Seattle Schools approach (which led to this demonstration the day after the ANA meeting). Leaving the Lafayette building vacant would be “a horrible blight,” said one attendee. Joe said there was talk that Admiral Safeway‘s business could be in jeopardy if the school closed.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION HUBS: Cindi Barker reminded everyne of the seminal events that led to the creation of hubs – the Nisqually earthquake in 2001 and the 2006 windstorm. And the need for neighborhood resiliency because it’ll be a long time before government responders can get out to help and neighbors will need central places to get info – “places where people could come and think together how to respond to the disaster.” Admiral was one of West Seattle’s seven original hubs, Barker noted. They’re looking for someone to be the hub point person in Admiral, as the previous hub captain has to give up those duties. There’s a memeting every other month, “deep dive learning” every other month, and a weekly email to read. “That’s it,it’s not very much.” After that, an attendee who identified herself as a former firefighter stepped up!

NEXT ANA MEETING: 7 pm Tuesday, November 12. Elections will be on the agenda, and people can step up for any and all positions – speak up ahead of time OR at that meeting.

BETWEEN MEETINGS: Keep an eye on connecttoadmiral.org (which in turn has links to ANA’s other online channels)

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THIS WEEK’S SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT PLAN: The resurfacing project continues. No work tonight, Tuesday night, or Wednesday night, SDOT says. Then:

Thursday Night (September 26)

EB Left Lanes Closure – 7:00 pm to 6:00 am
1st Ave S Off-Ramp Open
4th Ave S Off-Ramp Open
Eastbound bridge to Northbound SR-99 Ramp Open

Friday Night to Monday Morning (September 27-30)

Eastbound Full Lanes Closure – 7:00 pm to 5:00 am
1st Ave S Off-Ramp Closed
4th Ave S Off-Ramp Closed
Eastbound bridge to Northbound SR-99 Ramp Open

As for last weekend’s confusion over the SSV’s status, SDOT says they’d confirmed with the contractor Friday afternoon that work was planned all weekend – but “The contractor wrapped up their work on the westbound lanes earlier than expected.” (So much earlier that readers reported all lanes open by 9 am Saturday.)

ADMIRAL WAY BRIDGE: The next stage of the seismic-strengthening project will switch both lanes of traffic to the north side of the bridge, and SDOT says that is expected “on the week of October 18,” exact changeover date to be set when it’s a lot closer. Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge remains fully closed until the project is complete, likely early next year/

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I am taking more time to reflect on plans to bring a consolidation recommendation this October. As a result, I am canceling the upcoming community meetings. A new schedule of engagement sessions will be released soon.

I understand the closure of schools is a very serious topic. After receiving thoughtful feedback from many of you, it is clear we need more time to carefully consider our next steps.

I am working closely with my leadership team to revise our strategy and ensure any decisions we make are sustainable and prioritize the well-being of our students, staff, and families, working together to meet our goals.

We will soon provide new opportunities for community engagement, focused on gathering your ideas and working together to resolve our challenges.

I want to assure you we are taking your concerns seriously. What we proposed last week were initial approaches, which we are now reworking. While our financial challenges are real and it’s our fiscal responsibility to resolve them, it is very clear we need more time to listen and earn your trust as we resolve our structural deficit and revisit our timeline.

I am sorry our proposed options created anxiety for many families who rely on the key programs and innovations within our schools. We are retooling our plans to address these concerns.

It is no secret we are facing tough times. We face a budget deficit that has gone on far too long. Over the past seven years alone, our enrollment has dropped by 4,000 students. Despite this, we still operate nearly the same number of school buildings, and we don’t expect enrollment numbers to rebound for many years. Like many school districts in Washington, the funding we receive from the state has failed to keep up with the costs of providing a quality education to Seattle’s students.

This has been a challenging time, especially the last few weeks, and our school system’s issues will take all of us to solve–in our city and in our legislature.

We stand committed to working alongside you throughout this process. We appreciate your partnership as we strive for equitable and thoughtful solutions that will strengthen the future of our schools and students.

West Seattle/South Park school-board director Gina Topp had moved her community-conversation meeting on Wednesday so as not to conflict with the district meeting. We’re checking with her to see if she’s sticking with the revised time for her meeting, and if she has any other comment.

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How many volunteers does it take to ensure coho spawners can get into Fauntleroy Creek from saltwater? Eight got the job done on Saturday (September 21).

Pilings that support the ferry dock in Fauntleroy Cove trap drift logs, and vegetation can further impact the jam. State Fish and Wildlife permits the Fauntleroy Watershed Council to open a route for spawners when tidal action isn’t enough to clear the way. Mark Sears led the work party and will continue to monitor the area through spawning season.

The annual drumming on Sunday, October 13, to call in spawners (details here) will launch this year’s salmon watch, which will run until mid-November. Last year, watchers recorded a healthy crop of 34 coho spawners; since 1994, the count has ranged from 0 to 274. If/when watchers start to see spawners, West Seattle Blog will announce a weekend open creek for anyone to come have a look.

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