West Seattle Blog…

2 chances tomorrow to clean up and green up West Seattle spots

Two ways you can pitch in around West Seattle tomorrow, north or south:

NORTH: Janet Jones sends word that the community gardens at Genesee Hill School need some springtime love! 9 am-1 pm tomorrow, you can come help “spruce up the playground, tend the Nature Garden, distribute mulch, remove invasive species.” Seattle Public Schools, which still owns the shuttered-school campus, will provide tools and gloves. Meet at the north playground (along Dakota).

SOUTH: Join EarthCorps at Fauntleroy Park, 10 am-2 pm Saturday, to help with planting, invasives removal, and trail maintenance. You can sign up online – just go here. Volunteers will meet by the park entrance along SW 97th, near 39th SW.

As raingardens approach reality, trepidation grows on a Sunrise Heights block

(7900 block of 30th SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Tonight, Sunrise Heights/Westwood residents are expected to find out if the county thinks the planting strips in front of their homes are the best prospective sites for raingardens to reduce sewer overflows miles away.

The plan has been two-plus years in the making, as the county’s preferred solution to the problem of Puget Sound overflows from the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry dock – but only now is it becoming less abstract, more real, as final decisions get closer. And that is worrying the people who live in the 7900 block of 30th SW, who have asked County Executive Dow Constantine to stop the project.

After the county announced two meetings for tonight and Saturday morning, resident Sabrina Urquhart sent a “media advisory” to make sure the meetings would be covered.

We asked if she and her neighbors would be willing to talk in advance about their concerns. So a small group gathered in her living room Monday evening – joining Sabrina were neighbors Heather, Jim, and Kevin.

Click to read the rest of As raingardens approach reality, trepidation grows on a Sunrise Heights block…

3 hours to help make decades of difference: Planting party

Yet another way to keep polluted runoff out of Puget Sound – if you can spare some time at midday tomorrow, you can be part of it. Steve Richmond says, “It’s planting season and hundreds of trees need to get into the ground. Join us at Sanislo School to restore the wetland headwaters of Puget Creek. Improve habitat that helps filter stormwater, the #1 polluter of Puget Sound.” 10 am-1 pm tomorrow, in the wetland next to Sanislo Elementary at 1812 SW Myrtle (meet in front of the school), you can help get those trees into the ground. What to bring? He suggests: “Gloves, shovel, watering can (we’ll have extra, but write your name on your tools), weather-appropriate gear (rain or cold), hat/eye/sun protection, food/water, sturdy shoes/boots.” They’ll provide snacks and water. If you have a question, call Steve at (206) 650-9807.

Followup: Crowd at WSHS to take on the Tox-Ick Monster

Once again, the Sustainable West Seattle presentation on how NOT to feed the Tox-Ick Monster – how to reduce runoff and help Puget Sound heal – drew a crowd tonight. Thanks to diver/photographer Laura James (who has seen Tox-Ick up close and personal) for the update and the photos – she says they drew the 50-plus needed to qualify for a $1,000 prize to go toward a runoff-fighting raingarden at WSHS:

That’s student Sage accepting the check. If you didn’t make it to one of the presentations in this series, no worries – you can view the PowerPoint, and video, online! Just go here.

Where will ‘green stormwater infrastructure’ go? County reveals potential sites

(WSB photo of test site at 34th/Trenton, March 2011)
Fifteen months after announcing its plan for “green stormwater infrastructure” to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) at Barton Pump Station by the Fauntleroy ferry dock, the county has narrowed down the potential sites where it might place raingardens and swales to keep stormwater from overwhelming the system. (It’s been testing in the neighborhoods – with equipment like the truck above, as well as drill rigs – for the better part of a year.) Here’s the map showing which streets (in green) have been identified for closer study:

(Sorry, the streets weren’t named on that map, but you can see a larger version, along with the accompanying letter and “fact sheet,” by going here.) News of the map follows King County’s announcement of two meetings, March 28 and March 31, promising status updates. Read the announcement in full, ahead: Click to read the rest of Where will ‘green stormwater infrastructure’ go? County reveals potential sites…

Protecting Puget Sound: 1 more chance to find out how

One more time, tomorrow night at West Seattle High School, you can find out how to fight the Tox-Ick Monster – a mythical creature born of toxic runoff – and do a double good deed. If at least 50 people show up for the presentation, Sustainable West Seattle will contribute $1,000 toward a rain-garden project at WSHS. Cate White explains, “The school’s student-led Earth Service Corps is coordinating the rain garden project with other local nonprofits including Stewardship Partners and Sustainable Seattle. Rain gardens are an excellent first line of defense against the polluted runoff that threatens the health of Puget Sound and its most emblematic wildlife: salmon and killer whales. The students’ aim is to turn the rain garden into a permanent feature that can be used for science education for years to come. Please help them attain their vision.” Just show up at WSHS at 7 pm Thursday (March 22) – free pizza, too.

‘Think Outside the Car’: Kickoff planned; paid help needed

It’s been in the works for months, and now the CoolMom “Think Outside the Car” campaign is about to get rolling. CoolMom’s Terri Glaberson says you’re invited to a kickoff event 10 am-2 pm April 28th in the parking lot at Westside School (WSB sponsor). It’ll be a big celebration with food, music, and kids’ activities (including, Terri says, a Cascade Bicycle Club Rodeo and “Undriving”). Right now, they are looking for a graphic designer/videographer to help on the project – a “temporary paid position,” as she explains it; find out more here.

Lowman Beach sewer-overflow project: Design meeting Tuesday

(Click for larger view)
Landscape design for the county’s Murray Basin sewer-overflow-control project, across from Lowman Beach Park, is at the “30 percent” stage – and the current draft will be reviewed Tuesday night by the community Design Advisory Group. Their meeting at 6:30 pm Tuesday at Fauntleroy Church also is scheduled to review community feedback on the “refined preliminary facility design concepts” for the facility itself. The full agenda and related documents are linked from this page. The project is centered on a million-gallon underground tank to keep stormwater and sewage from spilling into Puget Sound when the pump station across the street gets overwhelmed; it will be built on land across the park that is now the site of residential properties the county is buying.

Save money, energy with new sponsor Community Power Works

Community Power Works (CPW), the City of Seattle’s home-energy-upgrade program, is now available in West Seattle, and sponsoring WSB to get the word out. Here’s the info the program wants to share: Community Power Works is a federally funded initiative aiming to facilitate weatherization of more than 2,000 homes and small businesses before June of 2013. Home upgrades increase health and comfort, and offer opportunities to “live your values,” such as decreasing energy consumption and reducing your carbon footprint.

For homeowners, Community Power Works provides the opportunity for a $95 whole-home energy assessment (normally $400), and consultation with CPW’s home-energy experts to prioritize work based on the needs of the home and homeowner. Energy experts also advise on rebates and incentives available for the project, valued at $2,000 for over 20% energy savings per household. After bid selection, a CPW pre-approved contractor conducts the work, and it is quality-checked at no charge when complete. CPW also provides affordable financing if needed, and bundles all applicable utility rebates and incentives. For more information and to sign up for the program, visit CommunityPowerWorks.org or call 206.449.1170.

We thank Community Power Works for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Nature Consortium brunch April 1: Green for the greenbelt

If there’s just one brunch for which you make reservations this year – this is the one. West Seattle-based Nature Consortium – which works to protect and restore the West Duwamish Greenbelt (right), Seattle’s largest contiguous forest – is saving a seat for you at its annual benefit brunch April 1st at The Hall at Fauntleroy. But you need to RSVP ASAP. You don’t even need to pay ahead of time (though they’re suggesting a minimum $50 donation at the event – proceeds support NC arts and environmental education programs all over the county. Brunch will start with mimosas and jazz/blues music by Billy and The Bouncers at 11:30 am, continuing at noon with a gourmet brunch menu (see the right sidebar), youth music and dance performances, and awards for volunteers and community partners. You can RSVP online right now. (There’s even free child care if you need it.) P.S. WSB is proud to co-sponsor this event again this year.

West Seattle underwater cleanup update: On to plastic

One more cleanup to note before the weekend’s out – this one, underwater. After weeks of bringing up old batteries (as featured on TV this past week), West Seattle diver/photographer Laura James and friends have moved on to plastic sheets/tarps that Laura says are littering the sea floor.

She’s not sure if plastics recyclers will be able to take the sheets, but she plans to check.

Seen in Fauntleroy: 1st RapidRide signs; Toxic-Free Kids’ Fair

The first signed, benched, and delivered RapidRide C Line stops in West Seattle are on both sides of California SW by the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Street and sidewalk work to facilitate the stops and stations for the new bus service, set to launch this fall, has been under way for 4 weeks, but these are the first signs we’ve seen. (The sign and bench are the basic amenities for a RapidRide stop; other stops/stations will have shelters and real-time bus schedule information.) The stop in our photo is on the east side of the street, just steps from Fauntleroy Church, where we spotted it after stopping for a photo of today’s Toxic-Free Kids’ Fair:

The fair, previewed here on Saturday, was a presentation of the church’s Green Committee, which has another of its always-busy Recycle Roundups coming up on April 29th – save your electronics and other items to bring by, 9 am-3 pm that day (the church website will eventually have a list of what they’ll take and what they won’t).

20th annual Fairmount Ravine cleanup: Defying the rain

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
The 20th annual community cleanup of Fairmount Ravine got going a bit later than planned this morning – the weather wasn’t too friendly, but that wasn’t going to stop the Fairmount Ravine Preservation Group. They have a lot of history, as noted in the preview we published this past week. So off they went, up onto the slopes that line the road that travels beneath the 85-year-old Admiral Way Bridge:

You wouldn’t notice while driving or riding through, but those who live, walk, and run there are acutely aware of what builds up from people who hang out around the bridge’s base, maybe to camp, maybe to party. So bags were filled by the intrepid volunteers:

In the end, they were amassing a sizable pile, as usual. What was unusual this year? we asked. You can’t tell from this photo, but a fair number of … DVDs.

(added 10:13 pm) John Lang shares his recap:

It was nice to see younger families be involved especially when climbing the steep slopes under the bridge. Today’s event brought together a total of 21 neighbors spanning 4 generations. Granted, the six-month-old baby slept most of the time.

The number of bags tripled after Patrick took his photos because there was considerably more trash on the west side than anticipated. We have a new problem this year. People are throwing their old “tube-type” TVs, VCRs (including one with the Dukes of Hazzard tape!) over the bridge resulting in considerable broken glass. If you have ever moved a 32″ TV, you know how heavy they are. There were several TVs shattered under the bridge. This made the cleanup very tedious, slow and more dangerous this year. Also strange were the 20+ well used bicycle tires left under the bridge. Now why would they be there?

We will have to get the police back to start checking under the bridge periodically as there was evidence of considerable party activity. re: 200+ beer cans/bottles. Another interesting twist to the day was when I left the site and drove down to remove temporary signs we put up for the event; 5 minutes later, a pickup truck was stopped to pick up all the scrap metal and bagged recyclables. An interesting sign of our economic times.

This year’s vintage find was a ~50-year-old 7Up bottle in perfect condition.

By the way, Fairmount Ravine has gained a little more fame since last year’s cleanup – this music video featured here last summer, by Cause and Effect, included one sequence (see it from 1:15 to 1:45) in the ravine:

Our coverage of previous Fairmount Ravine cleanups:
2011
2010
2009
2008

Toxic-Free Kids Fair: Free, fun health info Sunday in Fauntleroy

The Fauntleroy Church Green Committee – known far beyond Fauntleroy for popular events such as the twice-yearly Recycle Roundups (another one’s coming up in late April, by the way) – is inviting you to come learn tomorrow about how to live a more non-toxic life. Judy Pickens shares the photo and this preview:

Finding out what toxins may be in the care products used by children or in the toys they are given will be easy at Sunday’s Toxic-Free Kids Fair for the community hosted by Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW; map). Members of the church’s green committee, as well as staff from the Washington Toxics Coalition, Lullaby Organics, and Earth Ministry will be on hand 11 AM – 1 PM in Fellowship Hall to help you determine toxicity (even by smartphone while you’re in the store!) and provide practical advice about the harm that certain toxins can do to growing bodies.

It’s free and all are welcome. (That’s Green Committee chair Liann Sundquist in the photo, getting ready for tomorrow’s event.)

State investigating ‘petroleum distillate’ spill off Harbor Island

Just in from the state Ecology Department:

Clumps of what may appear to be jellyfish may be visible on Elliott Bay Saturday morning resulting from a spill of a petroleum distillate product earlier today at Terminal 18 in the Port of Seattle.

The Washington Department of Ecology, Port of Seattle and U.S. Coast Guard responded to the spill earlier today which occurred after a container was punctured during loading onto a ship at the terminal operated by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA).

An unknown quantity of the distillate spilled into the hold of the ship and then into the Duwamish River.

The distillate emulsifies in water and may appear to be jellyfish in the water. The distillate is not recoverable and clumps of it may make their way into Elliott Bay.

Ecology is monitoring the cleanup work by a contractor hired by SSA at the pier where the spill occurred.

Ecology is still assessing the environmental damage caused by the spill.

This webpage for Terminal 18 includes an aerial photo showing its location on Harbor Island.

Got an hour Thursday night? Help Puget Sound and Sanislo

Diver Laura James‘s video shows what came out of just one “outfall” off Alki when stormwater was running fast and furious. Your everyday choices can ensure that stormwater is less toxic – and you’ll know what choices to make and not make, if you can spare an hour Thursday night, with a bonus side effect: Sanislo Elementary, which is hosting the event, will win $1,000 from Sustainable West Seattle, which is presenting it, if at least 50 community members show up. (The money would go toward a native-plant-education project at Sanislo.) Ready to help? Be at Sanislo (1812 SW Myrtle) at 7 pm Thursday. You’re also invited to stay afterward for an 8 pm meeting described by organizers as intended “to discuss a ‘greenway’ proposal to filter street stormwater on 21st and provide sidewalks or safe routes to school.” Plus – you’ll be gifted with a free native plant – and there’s free pizza. Need more info? tox-ick.org, or contact cate@sustainablewestseattle.org.

Be part of history: Help clean & protect Fairmount Ravine

(1994 “planting party” photo, courtesy of Fairmount Ravine Preservation Group)
We often publish notices about community cleanups. Few are as long-running as the annual Fairmount Ravine work party – which could really use extra hands from beyond the immediate neighborhood. It’s a beautiful West Seattle greenspace that many drive, bicycle, or walk through, but not only is it a trash magnet, it’s also suffering from the same problem as other greenspaces: Invasive plants, and this year the Fairmount Ravine Preservation Group hopes to get rid of as many as possible. John Lang says it’s their 20th annual cleanup – and there’s history in the invitation he sent to last year’s participants, also shared with us:

Twenty years ago Charlie Chong came over to my house to help develop a strategy to save the Fairmount Ravine. It was full of trash and overgrown with invasive plants. Discussion how to turn this around was patterned after similar and successful community efforts in the nearby College Ravine. That night, my son Michael was 2 months old and sleeping in a small bassinet. Flash forward twenty years and Michael is now 6’-3” and soon to get his AA degree from SSCC.

Likewise, every year the Fairmount Ravine Preservation Group grows in its commitment to preserving this valuable open space by cleaning the ravine from top to bottom of the hill. Over these twenty years, concerned neighbors have removed tons of trash, removed illegal encampments and planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs. We were instrumental in securing over $4.2 million dollars to purchase property within the ravine which is now held in public domain. The open space across from Salty’s is a good example.

We are proud of our achievements to date and pleased to announce the 20th annual Fairmount Ravine cleanup Saturday, March 10th from 8:30 to approximately 10:30. We meet at the intersection of SW Forest St and Fairmount Ave, just east of Hiawatha Park. Everyone is welcome to participate. Community awareness keeps the ravine cleaner than past years and our focus this year will be on removal of invasive plants as well as general cleanup. Coffee, hot cocoa and donuts are provided. Please dress for the weather, wear boots and gloves as well as bring large cutters, saws if interested in plant removal. Your two hours can make a huge difference and we hope to see you there on the 10th. Please let others know of this effort!

Teen volunteers welcome too (as you’ll note in our 2008 cleanup coverage).

Video: The Great Battery Roundup of 2012, updated

West Seattle diver/photographer Laura James has shared undersea stories here before – including previous reports on the ongoing project to get old batteries up and out of the water. Now the total number of batteries they’ve retrieved and recycled is into double digits, and Laura shares an update, in the five-minute video clip you can watch here. (For background info, there’s an FAQ of sorts on her website.)

ADDED 9:45 PM: Commenter Nick asked how the batteries got down in the first place. We asked Laura – and she shared some additional info; read on: Click to read the rest of Video: The Great Battery Roundup of 2012, updated…

Bringing Puget Creek Watershed back to life – with your help

(Photo courtesy Steve Richmond)
A restoration project on the grounds of a local school has just received last-minute district clearance – and so Steve Richmond is putting out a last-minute call for volunteers to work tomorrow on restoring the wetland that’s on the grounds of Sanislo Elementary School:

Puget Creek Watershed Alliance is working to be good upstream neighbors to the Duwamish Tribe to support their efforts to daylight Puget Creek and restore salmon habitat near the Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle. Restoring the watershed with native plants and evergreen trees helps reduce stormwater and sewer overflows into Puget Sound. Help remove blackberry, plant a tree, and build a better community!

When: Saturday, February 25, 2012 (every 4th Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (Join for an hour or all day)
Where: Sanislo School Wetland; 1812 SW Myrtle
What to bring: Gloves, shovel, pruners (we’ll have extra, but write your name on your tools), weather-appropriate gear (rain or cold), hat/eye/sun protection, food/water, sturdy shoes/boots. Snacks and water provided.

Funded by a grant from King County Wastewater Treatment Division.

Update: Crane collapse injures worker, causes oil spill

Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB a crane operator from Vigor Shipyard on Harbor Island is in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center after the crane collapsed into the water. You can see an aerial view in this story on KING5.com. This comes 13 days after a Kitsap County man working at Vigor was killed in a fall. We’re checking with the shipyard to see if they have additional information; thanks to PT for tipping us to this by asking why there were two helicopters over Harbor Island.

3:51 PM UPDATE: The Department of Ecology now says this has led to a spill, too:

The Washington Department of Ecology, the U.S. Coast Guard and Vigor Industrial are responding to an oil spill from a crane accident at the company’s facility on Harbor Island in Seattle today. The company has placed oil spill cleanup and containment materials on the water around the accident scene.

4:27 PM: SFD has published more information about the rescue, and says the crane operator’s injuries are not life-threatening. Here’s their report.

5:08 PM: From Steve Hirsh at Vigor, responding to our inquiry about comment from the company:

We are working with the proper authorities to try to determine what happened. We understand and are thankful that the worker operating the crane is said to be alert and in good spirits. He wants people to know he’s OK.

We have been are working with the Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Coast Guard to contain any spill; our initial estimate is that approximately 10 gallons of lubricating oil may have leaked into the water off Harbor Island.

And an update from Ecology:

Oil from a crane accident today at the Vigor Industrial shipyard in Seattle left a coating on the water that was too thin for successful cleanup. Spill response crews deployed floating containment boom to prevent oil from drifting out of the immediate area.

The Washington Department of Ecology and U.S. Coast Guard are overseeing the spill cleanup and response. The containment boom will remain in place during upcoming operations to remove the crane from the water. Crews will be prepared to begin cleanup work if more oil is released.

Also from Olympia: Sen. Nelson’s ‘Safe Products Act’ advances

While the biggest spotlight in Olympia today on the marriage-equality signing, we just got word of a children’s-health bill, sponsored by this area’s State Sen. Sharon Nelson, that’s advancing despite what her announcement says is heavy industry opposition. Read on for the latest on the Children’s Safe Products Act: Click to read the rest of Also from Olympia: Sen. Nelson’s ‘Safe Products Act’ advances…

Lowman Beach overflow-control project: Advisory group meets Monday

It’s not on the online calendar, but we got word tonight from King County Wastewater Treatment Division that the Design Advisory Group for the Murray (Lowman Beach) combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control facility will meet Monday night. The rendering you see above is one of the preliminary design sketches discussed when they met last month (we covered a subsequent briefing given to the Morgan Community Association). At this meeting, according to Doug Marsano from the county, “The group will be reviewing refined design concepts and discussing the public art process.” The main feature of the project is a million-gallon underground storage tank to be built across from Lowman Beach Park on what are currently residential properties that the county is in the process of buying. All are welcome to the advisory group meeting at 6:30 pm, Fauntleroy Church, 9140 California SW.

Community briefing February 8th for West Seattle ‘green stormwater infrastructure’ project

Just in from King County – your next chance to get an update on plans to reduce sewer overflows into Puget Sound by building “green stormwater infrastructure” like rain gardens in neighborhoods feeding the Barton Pump Station:

People are invited to learn about King County’s progress on a project to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from the Barton Pump Station in West Seattle through green stormwater infrastructure.

A public meeting is planned on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Westside School, 7740 34th Ave. SW. from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The announcement continues ahead: Click to read the rest of Community briefing February 8th for West Seattle ‘green stormwater infrastructure’ project…