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TRAFFIC ALERTS: Heavier traffic tonight @ Fauntleroy ferry dock; lane closure Friday on West Seattle Bridge
November 17, 2016 3:40 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

3:40 PM: Two more traffic alerts:

FERRY ALERT: Washington State Ferries sends an alert that traffic headed for the Fauntleroy terminal is expected to be heavier than usual because boat trouble has suspended the south Vashon Island run (Tahlequah-Point Defiance). So far, WSF tweets, it’s already a one-hour wait. The south Vashon run isn’t expected to resume before tomorrow.

BRIDGE ALERT: SDOT has just sent word that one lane will be closed on the Spokane Street Viaduct side of the West Seattle Bridge all day tomorrow: “From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, November 18, travelers can expect the eastbound left lane of the Spokane St Viaduct to be closed between 1st Ave S and 4th Ave S while crews conduct roadwork repairs. This work is to implement a permanent repair on a temporary patch crews did earlier this week.”

9:36 PM UPDATE: WSF says the Tahlequah-Point Defiance run will be back in service (with M/V Tillikum) on Friday, so the Fauntleroy terminal will be back to its usual volume.

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HAPPENING NOW: Fauntleroy Fine Art and Holiday Gift Show, night 1
November 11, 2016 5:50 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPENING NOW: Fauntleroy Fine Art and Holiday Gift Show, night 1
 |   Fauntleroy | Holidays | West Seattle news

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Dee Miller‘s metal garden art is part of what you’ll see at the Fauntleroy Fine Art and Holiday Gift Show, which just opened its three-day run for 2016, in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church.

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We stopped by just as the show was about to open tonight. Another participating artist is Apple Cox, with paintings and cards – husband Bill Cox was filling in at her booth:

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The full list of artists who are showing and selling is on the church website here.

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Admission to the show/sale is free. It’s on until 8 pm tonight, then again 10 am-4 pm on Saturday and 11 am-2 pm on Sunday.

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FERRIES: See what WSF heard about fixing Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth woes
November 6, 2016 9:49 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Traffic flow at the Fauntleroy ferry dock emerged as the top issue for people who participated in Washington State Ferries’ three recent meetings about what’s called the “triangle route.” We covered the start of the Fauntleroy meeting a week and a half ago; now we have the document WSF put together with all the comments it received at all three meetings, which it says were “the starting point for a community process to develop solutions by summer 2017.” Read the 400 comments from 120 people in this document:

(If you can’t see the embedded Scribd version, here’s the PDF version.) No time to go through the document? WSF’s summary:

… We received a diverse range of ideas, opinions and questions. Many of the themes we heard varied by community. For example, many comments from Vashon Island asked about a bypass lane on the Fauntleroy dock and revised ticketing procedures. Many comments from Southworth asked about specific schedule changes. And a large portion of Fauntleroy’s comments dealt with neighborhood parking.

Importantly, there was one area of broad agreement between routes: Improving traffic control, safety, and the flow in and around the Fauntleroy terminal. The feedback includes many different ideas on how to achieve these improvements.

Over the next two months, WSF will assemble a public task force to review these comments and available data, with the goal of identifying “quick wins” to improve service by next summer and exploring strategies for longer-term solutions. The task force’s meetings will be open to the public, and one of the first things they will consider is the feedback gathered at WSF’s listening sessions.

If you would like to be notified about updates, please sign up for notifications at WSFComms@wsdot.wa.gov.

Problems on the route came to a boiling point over the summer when vehicles headed for the Fauntleroy dock backed up past Morgan Junction, and when it was noted that ferries were leaving without full loads to try to stay on schedule.

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WEST SEATTLE SALMON: Fauntleroy sighting; you’re invited to look on Sunday
November 5, 2016 7:06 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Six days after the annual Fauntleroy Creek gathering to call the salmon home, another has shown up. And you’re invited to the creek Sunday afternoon. From Judy Pickens:

Patience rewarded long-time Fauntleroy Creek volunteer Dennis Hinton with another coho spawner more than two weeks after he spotted the first five. No. 6 entered the creek Saturday afternoon and moved upstream toward 45th Ave. SW.

On the chance that rain, ideal creek conditions, and high tides will bring more in, volunteers will be at the creek between noon and 4:00 Sunday afternoon if area residents want to try their luck. Come to the fish-ladder viewpoint (SW Director & upper Fauntleroy Way SW) and a volunteer will invite you down.

Find out more about Fauntleroy Creek here.

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Halloween aftermath: Local families’ candy concern
November 1, 2016 5:57 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Some candy collected last night raised concerns for a group of local families and they have reported it to police just in case. There’s no official warning and no word of illnesses, but it’s information the families wanted to share. They told WSB they were trick-or-treating in the Fauntleroy area last night, came home, and ate some candy. The candy included small boxes of Milk Duds; those candies, they say, left behind a numbing sensation, like topical anesthetic. The candy also smelled a little like cough syrup, they told us. They met with police today and turned over candy for testing. Results might take a long time, they were told, so they’ve circulated the word in their neighborhoods and let us know too – again, just in case.

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IT’S ON: Salmon drumming to call coho home to Fauntleroy Creek
October 30, 2016 3:28 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:28 PM: Just got the word from Judy Pickens — salmon drumming at the Fauntleroy Creek overlook (SW Director & upper Fauntleroy Way) is a go for 5 pm. Judy adds, “In the event of rain, come to the green house below the viewpoint and we’ll drum briefly from the porch. The spawners we know to be in the cove will surely hear!” See you there.

8:38 PM: Adding video and photos.

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About 30 people gathered on and around the porch to listen to Pickens tell the story of the salmon along with a few rounds of drumming and singing led by Jamie Shilling.

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While no coho have been seen in the creek since five ventured in (and apparently out) briefly almost two weeks ago, Pickens told the gathering that some have been seen circling the mouth of the creek in Fauntleroy Cove. “The intent (of the singing/drumming) is to honor the determination of these fish to get to fresh water.”

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Volunteers are watching the creek, and if any spawners are seen, the locations will be noted with ribbons, and then those spots will be checked early next year for possible hatches. A few months later, hundreds of local students will visit to release 2,000+ salmon they’ve raised from hatchery eggs, as part of the Salmon in the Schools program, which Pickens and husband Phil Sweetland shepherd locally. The program was in danger earlier this year but as reported here recently, has been spared.

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VIDEO: Washington State Ferries’ leader in Fauntleroy to listen
October 27, 2016 5:14 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

5:14 PM: Just under way in The Hall at Fauntleroy (west side, not the side closest to the street) – Washington State Ferries officials, including the woman at the top – WSDOT Assistant Secretary Lynne Griffith – are gathered to listen to concerns about the “triangle route,” Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth.

“We are not here with a predetermined solution in mind,” Griffith says – they are hoping to hear ideas for solving some of the route’s problems, including the massive traffic backups that happened multiple times this past summer. After opening remarks (update: low-res video added, above), the staffers are taking up positions around the room so that participants can circulate. You’re welcome to stop in any time before 6:30 pm; The Hall is at 9131 California SW, not far from the Fauntleroy dock. WSF already has had two meetings near the other terminals on the route, so this is the third of three. Whatever they hear at this meeting will be transcribed and published on the WSF website as a first step; then a task force “blend(ed) across the three communities” will be formed as a second step “to work through the problems,” according to Griffith.

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5:21 PM: We counted 22 people here for starters; more are trickling in.

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34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (photo added above) is also here, as is a representative for 34th District State Sen. Sharon Nelson.

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‘They saved his life’: Family of child hurt in windstorm shares ‘positive news’
October 26, 2016 9:13 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle weather

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(WSB photo from October 14th)

Twelve days after a little boy was rushed to the hospital with a serious injury suffered during the October 14th windstorm, we are hearing for the first time from his family. We had a short followup last week, and then today received this:

Dear West Seattle Community,

We are a local family and the parents of the 4-year old boy who was injured by the falling tree in Fauntleroy Park on October 14. We have so appreciated the kind words and thoughts on the West Seattle Blog and from our local community that we wanted to update you all on his status. We have tried to maintain his confidentiality, but we felt compelled to share more information, especially since we now have positive news to share.

Our boy suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull, brain injury and broken femur. He was stabilized by the Seattle Fire Department, transported by Medic One, treated at Harborview Medical Center ED and Pediatric ICU, and is now in in-patient rehabilitation at Seattle Children’s. Thanks to the fantastic care of numerous providers, and to the love and support of his family, friends and community, he has made great strides in his recovery. He is a sweet, tough, energetic little boy and we are happy to report that he is talking, eating, smiling and playing. We are hopeful that, in time, he will make a full and complete recovery.

We are enormously fortunate to live in a city with quality emergency care. SFD and Medic One were quick to arrive and professionally assess, stabilize and transport our boy. HMC was hands-down exceptional from start to finish; we now understand why it is a nationally renowned Level 1 trauma center. And Children’s is, well, Children’s – we could not ask for a better place for our boy to recover and improve. Collectively, they saved his life, his body, his brain and his spirit.

Our boy has a long way to go, though, so we appreciate the continued hopes, thoughts, prayers, meditations, words, rays of light and all other ethereal forms of support the people of West Seattle have so kindly shared. Please know that, even if you do not know his name or address, he and we receive them all.

We remain deeply grateful for the love and compassion of our wonderful community.

Thank you.

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FAUNTLEROY CREEK COHO: Singing and drumming Sunday, after a preview
October 25, 2016 11:11 pm
|    Comments Off on FAUNTLEROY CREEK COHO: Singing and drumming Sunday, after a preview
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(October 2015 WSB photo)

Even before this Sunday’s annual gathering at Fauntleroy Creek to call the coho home with singing and drumming, there’s hope of spawners – creek steward Judy Pickens reports that “we saw 5 coho in the spawning reach late Wednesday (October 19th) but nothing since. Our cadre of watchers continues to monitor for more and we could well get them, as their usual arrival time is about October 30th.” And that is Sunday, when you are invited to join the 5 pm gathering at the fish-ladder viewpoint (SW Director & upper Fauntleroy Way SW).

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PHOTOS, VIDEO: Fauntleroy Fall Festival fun, 2016 edition
October 23, 2016 2:50 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

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2:50 PM: The Fauntleroy Fall Festival might be the only place you’ll hear a Prince cover with ukuleles:

The Back Porch Apostles are playing in the Fauntleroy Church/Y parking lot right now, which is one of the centers of activity during the festival, continuing until 5 pm. Lots of kid activities in the lot, including an annual favorite – making salmon hats, in honor of nearby Fauntleroy Creek:

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On the north side of the lot, Seattle Fire Engine 37 from Sunrise Heights was visiting, along with the local Seattle Police Mobile Precinct:

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Another center is The Hall at Fauntleroy on the other side of the 9100 block of California SW. Inside – more music plus the cake-decorating contest, to be followed by the cakewalk. We were totally surprised to see the cake on the left:

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(3:40 pm note – the truck cake on the right won the “advanced” division!) More festival updates to come – here’s the schedule of what’s happening, where, and when, and here’s the list of food/drink available for purchase (everything else here is free).

3:30 PM UPDATE: Some of the festival activities are hidden gems – you have to wander into the church lobby to find the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ “instrument petting zoo”:

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In the Vashon Room of The Hall at Fauntleroy, meantime, it’s cakewalk time!

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And on the east side of The Hall, the West Seattle Big Band will be playing at 3:45 – lots of room to dance!

4:09 PM UPDATE: Evidence of that last statement:

The WSBB plays until 5 pm, when the festival wraps up. It’s always musically abundant – in addition to offering the instrument “zoo” mentioned above, the WSCO had a Brass Sextet (plus percussionist) performing in the church’s fellowship hall:

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Thanks to Toni Reineke (third from the left) for sharing that photo. One more festival center we haven’t mentioned yet – outside Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, to the west, pony rides, music, a playground, and a petting zoo with goats among other fuzzy friends:

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The festival is a collaboration between community groups, institutions, organizations, and businesses, running on volunteer power and donations. If you would like to donate and missed the chance at the festival, just go here.

P.S. Some of the festival faces – first, Fauntleroy Creek watershed steward Judy Pickens, who’s a legend with the salmon hat-making:

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Festival partner Fauntleroy Community Association:

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The D Squared/Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes/Hall at Fauntleroy team:

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And Lonjina Verdugo from Wildwood Market, soon to open in Fauntleroy:

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Next event in Fauntleroy – gather to drum and sing the coho home to the creek, 5 pm next Sunday (October 30th) at the fish-ladder overlook across from the ferry terminal.

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SUNDAY! Fauntleroy Fall Festival schedule & food list
October 22, 2016 8:20 pm
|    Comments Off on SUNDAY! Fauntleroy Fall Festival schedule & food list
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

Just hours to go until this year’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival – tomorrow (Sunday, October 23rd), 2-5 pm, at venues on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW (Fauntleroy Church/YMCA/Schoolhouse; here’s a map). Tonight, we have two things you might be wondering about in advance – the activity schedule, and the food!

Here’s the schedule:

Activities are free. The only things you need to bring money for – entirely optional – are the food and drink offerings. See the list here (PDF) – vendors this year are Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor), Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes Catering, Stuffed Cakes, Bird on a Wire Espresso, and The Tamale Guy. Plus, the Fauntleroy Church Youth Club will be having a bake sale.

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COUNTDOWN: Fauntleroy Fall Festival this Sunday!
October 21, 2016 5:00 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

If it’s not already in your weekend plan … we need to talk about the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. Again this year, it’s three busy hours of all-ages fun in the heart of Fauntleroy – in and around the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, in and around the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) and Fauntleroy Church across the street, this Sunday (October 23rd), 2-5 pm. Here’s just part of what you’ll find:

*Pumpkin decorating
*Other crafts
*Birdhouse building
*Climbing wall
*Pony rides
*Music (including West Seattle Big Band in The Hall at Fauntleroy at 3:30 pm)
*Cake contest and cakewalk

About that last one – you can enter! Here’s how:

The decorating contest has three categories: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Cakes can be any shape or size but should have either a Fall, Halloween, or West Seattle theme. They can be very simple to very elaborate, baked and decorated by an individual, or a parent and child, a family, or a group of friends.

Cakes should be brought to the Vashon Room on the day of the festival, between 12 noon and 1 pm. Voting will begin at 1:30 and continue until about 3 p.m. Once the votes have been tallied, prizes will be awarded for each category. (Who votes? You do, along with other Fall Festival guests.) And then the Cake Walk begins! The Cake Walk continues until all the cakes have been given away. If you do not want to enter the Cake Decorating Contest, you can bake and donate a cake for the Cake Walk.

The Vashon Room is at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). Everything’s free except the food items you’ll find available for purchase.

P.S. One great way to get there is RapidRide C Line, which drops you off in the middle of the festival.

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@ Fauntleroy Community Association: ‘Quick’ response to oppose City Council park-camping proposal; first word of WSF meeting
October 12, 2016 11:03 am
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Fauntleroy Community Association board vows “quick” action to let the City Council know it’s against proposed legislation that could change the rules about camping in city parks (the subject of this much-commented-on WSB report last Friday). That was one of the major topics on its agenda last night:

CAMPING IN PARKS? FCA’s jurisdiction includes Lincoln Park, and that made the proposed legislation a major topic at tonight’s meeting. Several members, said president Mike Dey, had asked whether FCA would consider “getting involved” as an organization, and if so, what would the response be, and that’s how it ended up on the agenda.

One attendee said she had never come to a neighborhood meeting before, until she saw this was on the agenda. “This is something that I’m passionate about, I cannot have my kids’ safety” (jeopardized). She said that her job brings her into contact with families experiencing homelessness, but a park is not the appropriate place for anyone to live.

All it does is degrade neighborhoods AND people, said one FCA board member. It’s going to perpetuate the problem.

“It’s not a solution, it’s a nightmare,” said another one.

“What if we did a survey, and put data” behind the response? suggested another member. Unfortunately, time’s running out, the point was made.

Is this an issue on which to burn political capital? was one question. Public opinion seems overwhelmingly against it. But is the council listening? Most didn’t think so: “I’m scared to death they’re going to approve it.”

After a further short round of discussion, the FCA board voted unanimously to draft and send a letter expressing opposition to the ordinance. “We will respond, and will respond quickly” was the promise.

The discussion happened at mid-meeting, but even before the meeting began, it was the major topic of discussion. Referring to the incident earlier in the day in which Seattle Police shot and killed one of two people in a reported knife fight near the clearing of “The Jungle” on Beacon Hill, one person said, “Hoping this doesn’t happen at Lincoln Park.”

Another expressed interest in acquiring a tent “because I am ready to go camp outside the mayor’s office.”

The agenda is now up for the 9:30 am Friday meeting at which the City Council’s Human Services and Public Health Committee is scheduled to consider the proposal, but as of this writing (11 am Wednesday) the updated version of the legislation is not yet available online. (Added 12:28 pm: There are multiple reports that the committee will not VOTE on Friday. But the meeting is still scheduled.)

Next hottest topic:

FERRY UPDATES: This briefing by Gary Dawson, FCA’s point person on Washington State Ferries-related issues, brought first word that WSF is planning public meetings to talk about the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route’s issues. Read More

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Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup: Sunday’s results, and 2017 dates
September 27, 2016 12:31 pm
|    Comments Off on Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup: Sunday’s results, and 2017 dates
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

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(WSB photo from midway through last Sunday’s Recycle Roundup)

Another big harvest for the fall edition of the Recycle Roundup free-dropoff event in Fauntleroy this past Sunday. Judy Pickens has the numbers, and the dates for next year:

Sunday’s fall recycle roundup at Fauntleroy Church brought in 9.25 tons for responsible recycling. The crew from 1 Green Planet unloaded just over 400 vehicles. The church’s green committee will host the 2017 roundups on Sunday, April 23, and Sunday, September 24.

When April gets closer, we’ll remind you, of course, especially once the “what will and won’t be accepted” list comes in.

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HAPPENING NOW: Fauntleroy ‘Recycle Roundup,’ until 3 pm
September 25, 2016 12:05 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

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Just stopped by Fauntleroy Church to see how the fall Recycle Roundup is going. You have until 3 pm to drop off recyclables for free – provided they’re on this (long) list of what 1 Green Planet is taking this time. Most memorable item we spotted during a quick look – a vintage copper “Combination” GE refrigerator/freezer.

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The church is at 9140 California SW (you can’t get there directly from the main stretch of California – if you head west on Barton from 35th, the road becomes California for a short stretch before the Endolyne business district). It’s busy right now (a few minutes past noon) but they have enough help to keep everyone moving through quickly.

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COUNTDOWN: Recycle Roundup this Sunday @ Fauntleroy Church
September 20, 2016 9:04 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Thanks to Judy Pickens for the file photo and reminder: You have five days to get your recyclables ready to drop off at Fauntleroy Church:

The fall Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church is this coming Sunday, September 25, 9 am to 3 pm in the church parking lot (9140 California SW). The list of what you can bring for responsible recycling (and what not) is here. Plan to avoid coming at the last hour, else you may have to wait several minutes for the crew from 1 Green Planet to unload your recyclables. The twice-yearly event is free but the church’s Green Committee won’t turn down a donation.

Last spring’s RR brought in 11.5 tons of recyclables.

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SATURDAY: Second-Time Sale in Fauntleroy
September 16, 2016 6:03 pm
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 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

One of this weekend’s big events is for people who love to shop. The photo and reminder are from Judy Pickens:

Above, Janie Menaul wrestles a floor lamp into shape to check that it’s complete and working. She and a host of other volunteers are preparing for the 22nd annual 2nd Time Sale this weekend at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), and it promises to be one of the biggest ever. Saturday 9 am – 4 pm with a bake sale and free delivery of large items; Sunday 11:30 am – 2 pm. Cash or check only for thousands of clean, culled, and organized bargains.

Judy adds that the church is currently “hiring a building and grounds custodian to handle routine maintenance and support such special events” – details are here.

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@ Fauntleroy Community Association: Burglaries; transportation; schoolhouse centennial…
September 13, 2016 10:42 pm
|    Comments Off on @ Fauntleroy Community Association: Burglaries; transportation; schoolhouse centennial…
 |   Fauntleroy | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

From tonight’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting:

BURGLARIES UP: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith brought a crime update. Burglaries are on the rise in Fauntleroy, he said. In August, there was one a week, and while that might not sound like much, it’s an uptick they’re taking seriously. If you see anything unusual/suspicious happening, he stressed – there or anywhere else – call 911. Car prowls, meantime, are down slightly, and “crimes against persons” have dropped by more than half.

ENDOLYNE TRIANGLE PROJECT: As reported here, SDOT has completed the work, long requested by community members, first described at last xx’s FCA meeting. FCA’s Marty Westerman said the final product is about 90 percent of what the group and other community members suggested; questions remain about the layout of the parking spaces alongside the commercial building in the heart of the triangle, and he’ll be contacting SDOT point person Jim Curtin for a walkthrough. Otherwise, Westerman said the transition seemed to have gone smoothly.

OTHER TRANSPORTATION ISSUES: Information is still being gathered regarding who’s parking in the neighborhoods; the most recent survey was done after school started, to see if parking usage is affected by the number of West Seattleites who go to school on Vashon. Findings will be presented next month … FCA’s ferry-issues point person Gary Ewing said he’s been involved in discussions resulting from the huge recent backups, to “brainstorm” ideas about better traffic flows. No conclusions on that yet.

SCHOOLHOUSE CENTENNIAL: One of next year’s biggest events in Fauntleroy will be the historic schoolhouse’s centennial, with a celebration planned on Sunday, May 21, 2017, starting right after services at Fauntleroy Church, since the congregation includes many alumni from the old Fauntleroy School. The committee working on the celebration is seeking a small city grant to pay for refreshments and some other incidentals; they’re working on activities including an old-fashioned school carnival. The event will start with a ceremony and speakers, with the lineup almost set. Find out more about the centennial plans here.

The Fauntleroy Community Association meets second Tuesdays most months, 7 pm @ Fauntleroy Schoolhouse – check fauntleroy.net between meetings for updates.

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FOLLOWUP: ‘Return’ of the Fauntleroy fish
September 12, 2016 2:44 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

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The Fauntleroy fish-ladder overlook hasn’t been the same since the fish were stolen from its art installation in June of last year. But new fish are arriving, thanks to the artist. The photo and report are from Fauntleroy Creek steward Judy Pickens:

Artist Tom Jay brought a big drill to begin installation of new coho and cutthroat sculptures at the fish-ladder viewpoint (upper Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Director). The original aluminum fish were stolen in June 2015. This time, Jay built the sculptures using several techniques that have proven to protect art from such vandalism. His “Stream Echo” installation at the viewpoint dates from 1998, when the city built the fish ladder and applied 1% of the construction cost to public art. The new fish will be duly welcomed at the annual salmon drumming on Sunday, October 30, at 5 pm.

The overlook is across Fauntleroy Way (and up the embankment) from the ferry dock.

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About the helicopter: Just checking out ferry traffic
September 2, 2016 4:24 pm
|    Comments Off on About the helicopter: Just checking out ferry traffic
 |   Fauntleroy | Helicopter | West Seattle news

If you were seeing/hearing the helicopter hovering in the Arbor Heights/Fauntleroy vicinity – no, nothing going on, just TV checking on the ferry traffic as the holiday weekend gets under way. Most recent report from Washington State Ferries was that Fauntleroy had a one-hour wait, not unusual for a summer Friday. You can see the “live” cameras at and near the terminal by going here.

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UPDATE: Heavy-rescue response in 9400 block 37th SW
September 2, 2016 11:32 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

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11:32 AM: A sizable Seattle Fire “heavy rescue” response is headed to the 9400 block of 37th SW [map]. It’s a report of a car crashing into a garage.

11:46 AM: Our crew is at the scene and has been told no one is hurt. All SFD units are leaving except Engine 11. We’re waiting to talk with SPD to get details.

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12:03 PM: Here’s what happened, according to police: The driver came down the Roxbury dead-end at 37th and veered off through the trees, onto residential property, clipping one structure and coming to a stop after crashing into a freestanding garage. They’re talking with the driver, who is unhurt.

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ONE MONTH AWAY! Fauntleroy Church ‘Recycle Roundup’
August 24, 2016 4:30 pm
|    Comments Off on ONE MONTH AWAY! Fauntleroy Church ‘Recycle Roundup’
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

This is your early reminder: Start collecting your recyclables for the fall edition of the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup. It’s a month away – 9 am-3 pm Sunday, September 25th. Courtesy of Judy Pickens, we have the latest list of which items they will and won’t be able to accept. If you haven’t participated before, it’s a free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up event in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW.

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FAUNTLEROY WHALE FOLLOWUP: Towed, sunk by Global Diving and Salvage crew
August 9, 2016 8:40 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

8:40 AM: We’re at the Fauntleroy ferry dock, where a crew from Global Diving and Salvage is getting ready to tow away the carcass of the 39-foot juvenile humpback whale that died on the beach here Sunday (WSB all-day coverage here; photo/video followup here). First, it had to be evaluated:

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The whale has been out of view, submerged, since a Washington State Ferries “shore gang” tied it to floats Sunday night and towed it to a spot along the dock where it’s been secured since then.

As we reported last night, Global – which is based in West Seattle – got the call on Monday that its assistance would be needed to dispose of the whale, which is to be sunk in Puget Sound rather than taken to a beach to decompose. Its 62-foot landing-craft-type vessel Prudhoe Bay – also known for bringing the Seafair Pirates to Alki Beach each summer – pulled up just after 8 am:

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Global Diving and Salvage executives tell WSB they’ve assisted with whales before – including the fin whale that turned up at Seahurst Park in Burien in 2013.

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9:13 AM: The crew has secured floats – and therefore, the whale – to the Prudhoe Bay, and is sailing away from the dock, headed for a “pre-approved” sinking site. (We’ve added video atop this story, and will be adding more photos later.)

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4:27 PM UPDATE: Just talked with David DeVilbiss from Global, who confirms the whale has been “respectfully” sent to its final resting place “in about 400 feet of water.” Location not specified, but we’ve noted that MarineTraffic.com showed the Prudhoe Bay off Blake Island most of the day. DeVilbiss adds that a marine biologist was on board and able to get more information about the whale that couldn’t be gathered on the beach – underside markings, for example.

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