If you are looking for a way to get gradually, gently active, health-care worker and neighborhood advocate Miranda Taylor has a recommendation: There’s space in the Saturday morning “Be Active Together” classes at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center, taught by instructor Calvin Jones from the Austin Foundation. Miranda describes it as “light activation of (the) body, with one or two exercises and stretches for each muscle group, 80 minutes on Saturday AM. Calvin leads a five minute meditation at the end where many of us take a rejuvenating catnap. Calvin learned from the best, our beloved late Willie Austin. If people are athletic types or already taking classes at a health club, this class might seem easy for them. However, many people are intimidated by the intensity of gym classes, and this is the perfect entry into movement from just above the couch.” She says the classes have room for about 10 more people; bring your own yoga mat or use one that’s provided. The classes are 10:30 am-noon on Saturdays, $5, at 6400 Sylvan Way SW – if you have questions, Miranda would be happy to answer them via e-mail at eastasianmedicinepractitioner@gmail.com.
(1st two photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand) ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:42 PM: Avoid the intersection of 35th and Morgan if you happen to be heading out any time soon – we’ve received two messages about a crash there. No major injuries reported, but an ambulance has been called for one person, and one person in the area says it appears traffic headed northbound is being detoured onto Morgan.
12:29 AM: The crash involved two vehicles – and one, which is in the shrubbery by the gas-station sign on the northeast corner of the intersection, is a Seattle Police car. The east side of Morgan is blocked off but 35th is completely passable as of a few minutes ago.
(Photo shared by Mary – note the fence the SPD car crashed through; black SUV at left is other vehicle involved) 12:53 AM: Just went back to try to find out more. The second vehicle, an SUV, has been towed, and the SPD car was about to be. Officers on the scene would say only that two people went to the hospital but neither seemed to have major injuries – we don’t know if either is an officer. The first of the photos we’re adding show that the officer whose car was involved had a shockingly close call – a wooden post went through the windshield on the passenger side.
11:59 AM: The only additional information we’ve been able to get from police so far is that the officer whose car crashed was taken to a hospital and released shortly thereafter.
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: We checked back in hopes of more information – SPD media-relations Officer Renée Witt says the report is “being transcribed and not yet available.” So we’ll check back again.
The West Seattle Bee Garden is officially launched! As you’ll see in our video, Seattle Police motorcycle officers, the Sounders’ Sound Wave musicians, City Council President Sally Clark were part of the parade bringing the bees to the garden from West Seattle Elementary at midday today – along with lots of kids, from Roxhill Elementary as well as WSES:
(Photos by WSB’s Katie Meyer)
It was all part of a festival celebrating the start of the garden at High Point Commons Park, with a demonstration-beehive enclosure, a pollination garden, and more.
As with all of today’s big events, we have more photos of this one to add here later when this busy day calms down – check back!
ADDED 8:38 PM: As promised, more photos – starting with this one:
Viewing ensued after the beehives arrived in the back of the pickup truck seen at the end of our parade video, above. And then – on to their new home!
(Saturday photo courtesy West Seattle Bee Garden)
One year in the making, and one week remaining until the celebration of the new West Seattle Bee Garden, at next Sunday’s WS Bee Festival (May 19th). This weekend, writes Lauren Englund – whose dream, reported here in May 2012, started it all – the beehive enclosure is being finished, and you are welcome at a Sunday work party (starting at 10 am). And after that, it’s festival preparations. From Lauren:
For those who may not know, the High Point Neighborhood Association is hosting the West Seattle Bee Festival next Sunday, May 19th, to celebrate the opening of this space. It will include a picnic and parade! Here are some of the details:
Picnic Time: 11 am to 3 pm
Picnic Location: Commons Park at 31st Ave SW and SW Graham St
Parade Start: 11:30 am
Parade Start Location: West Seattle Elementary – 6760 34th Ave SW
Parade Route: North on 31st Ave SW from the WSE parking lot, across Morgan St, past the Bee Garden and into Commons Park. The total route is 0.5 miles.
Want to join the parade? Fantastic! Everyone is welcome. Set-up will ‘open’ at the West Seattle Elementary parking lot at 10:30 am. There will be face painting and an opportunity to make a flower for the parade. Look for a friendly face carrying a helium ballon for answers to questions. The Sound Wave marching band will be leading the way. Fun!
The picnic! Holy smokes some amazing people want to come hang out!
6:46 PM: Thanks to those who asked about a significant police presence in High Point – turns out a Seattle Police car is one of two vehicles involved in a crash at Sylvan and Lanham. WSB’s Katie Meyer reports that the scene is clearing; no serious injuries reported – the officer is being checked out after reporting getting bumped around a bit.
7:47 PM UPDATE: Added Katie’s photos from the scene. As you can see, both cars ended up off the road – and, Katie adds, while both had significant damage, both were driven back onto the road. A tow driver helped clear debris:
Officers at the scene say the crash circumstances remain under investigation.
If you’re wondering about a large Seattle Fire Department call-out in the 6300 block of High Point Drive SW, all units are being dismissed from what has now been reported via the scanner as “Food on the Stove.”
In the rare instant when West Seattle Elementary counselor Laura Bermes paused amid her frenetic activity this morning making the first of two big assemblies happen, we photographed the sticker on her back so you could see it: Promising to “Stand Up to Bullying” was a big part of what today was about at WSE. A pink flag flew outside, and many staff and many students wore pink:
Bermes explained it’s part of this movement -and told us, “The idea is exciting. We have an anti-bullying policy, ways to report bullying, and really a very nice school; but we’d be naive to think that bullying doesn’t happen in schools. We need to be vigilant in how we address it, and this is one clear way for students to send a message to one another and to the community – WSE is a school where students and adults treat one another with respect. We hope that message spreads into our larger community.”
We were there for the morning assembly, for which the youngest students – kindergarteners through second graders – gathered not just for that rally, but also for awards and rewards. New shoes donated by Brooks were part of the latter:
Two classes won them as part of a Healthy Husky Challenge that Bermes and school nurse Terri Helm-Reymund led – “a 2 week long healthy challenge where students logged the number of minutes they exercised, or participated in some physical activity, every evening. Parents had to sign off on the log.” Bermes said the school was slated to get 35 pairs to give away, but two classes won and she requested, and received 44. One more special prize was announced at the assembly – Bermes got a Seattle Education Foundation grant to help with programs to boost attendance, and with part of the money, she bought a bicycle and gear, prizes for a drawing into which students with low absenteeism and tardiness were entered. Here’s the big announcement:
2nd grader Santiago is the first bicycle winner in the new incentive program:
Drawing entries are given to students with two or fewer absences per trimester and less than five tardies; perfect attendance gets a student five entries. Other prizes included basketballs and hula hoops.
Spend this Saturday gardening, to help financially challenged families grow their own food! Seattle Tilth‘s Just Garden Project is hoping for more than 100 volunteers to join the “Spring Into Bed!” work party at more than a dozen backyards and community centers in High Point. The official announcement says this is meant to “empower families to become self-sufficient, grow their own food and make healthier food choices.” Just show up at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, 6400 Sylvan Way SW, for garden-building 10 am-2 pm and a celebration afterward. RSVP by e-mailing food@justgarden.org – and find out more at springintobed.org.
In case you hadn’t seen it in the comments section by now: Falafel Salam‘s West Seattle-residing proprietor Shimi Kahn, who asked for help in finding a local spot to visit regularly, has found it. This Saturday, the Middle Eastern food truck will start weekly visits at Hans VW (35th and Graham), a spot recently given up by Marination so they can focus their West Seattle attention on Marination ma kai (WSB sponsor) at Seacrest Pier. You’ll find Falafel Salam there this Saturday and beyond, 11 am-3:30 pm.
One person just getting home e-mailed to ask what all the police in the 6000 block of Lanham were there for. Our crew has just come back, and here’s what they learned: The call went out about half an hour ago as an “assault with weapons” – there was a report of a possible stabbing, we’re told. Emergency responders at the scene deduced there had not been a stabbing and they didn’t think anyone had been hurt, but there was a suspected domestic-violence situation, and scanner traffic indicated a knife had been found. One fire unit was kept on scene for a while just in case, but the rest were dismissed. Police are continuing to investigate.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:20 PM: Police and fire are rushing right now to 32nd and Raymond in High Point. The scanner says an 8-year-old on a bicycle was hit by a car; he is reported to be conscious. More when we get there.
3:29 PM UPDATE: Co-publisher Patrick Sand is there and says he can see that the child is conscious and sitting up. Looks like he will be taken to the hospital to be checked out. They are trying to find his parent. The driver is visibly distraught and talking with police.
3:42 PM UPDATE: According to radio traffic, the child may have a broken bone. The medic unit is taking him to the hospital right now.
4 PM: We’re checking with Seattle City Light about what at first glance might look like a small power outage in High Point – two “customers,” per the SCL outage map – but affects many more people, because one of those “customers” is West Seattle Elementary School, according to tipster Odetta, who says it happened right around dismissal time, just before 3. The city map projects restoration around mid-evening, but says the cause is being investigated.
4:07 PM UPDATE: SCL spokesperson Scott Thomsen tells WSB the problem isn’t with their system, but rather “the customer’s panel.” So now we’re checking with the school district.
(The) power outage was from 2:50-3:47 pm, caused by a boiler malfunction that blew the circuit breakers. Students left school about 10 minutes early to wait for the bus since there was no power. They were able to bring the power back on and City Light came out to inspect and ensure there were no safety issues. So school is on as usual for (Friday) but I’m told it may be a little cool at the school in the morning since the boiler still needs repairs — the building also has a heat pump, which will be used as a backup until the boiler is fixed. (They need to get some parts to do that.)
The Feet First series of three West Seattle neighborhood walks was such a hit, they added a fourth – and there’s still room to join it at 1 pm this Saturday:
Join Feet First Watershed Walks Ambassador Timothy Lowry, PE, LEED AP, transportation and watershed planner on an urban field tour of the High Point neighborhood. High Point is ten percent of the Longfellow Creek watershed; this tour follows up on Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador Bryan Fiedorczyk’s Watershed Walk of Longfellow Creek. Experience High Point’s innovative community planning and sustainable design. We will walk the venerable and diverse Smart Growth neighborhood and see examples of green buildings, mobility connections to transit, parks, and Longfellow Creek. We will also see Low Impact Development/natural Green Stormwater Infrastructure installations. Approaching a decade in the ground, the Natural Drainage Systems, tree retention, landscape amenities and permeable pavements have matured into a very pleasing, walkable and desirable urban neighborhood.
It’s free (leaving from the High Point Library at 35th/Raymond), but FF does ask that you RSVP – which you can do by going here.
(2011 SFD photo)
We often feature the Seattle Public Library‘s story times on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – and once in a while, they feature special guests. Tomorrow “Firefighter Story Time” is scheduled at the High Point Library branch – and we’ve just learned that Fire Chief Gregory Dean will be the special guest, promoting fire safety and literacy. An SFD announcement says the chief “will read ‘No Dragons for Tea‘ to dozens of preschool children … Important safety messages include ‘Firefighters are your friend,’ ‘Crawl low under smoke’ and ‘Get out and stay out’.” You’re welcome to bring your preschooler – 1:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, October 16th). The library is at 35th/Raymond.
Thanks to Wendy Hughes-Jelen for that photo of part of a brand-new installation in High Point – the Bataan Park Outdoor Fitness Zone at High Point Drive SW and Bataan Place SW. We got first word from Denise Sharify with Neighborhood House:
Be Active Together (Neighborhood House) and Open Space Association at High Point announces the opening of the Bataan Park Outdoor Fitness Zone
First of a kind in West Seattle, if not Seattle, The Zone offers FREE outdoor exercise equipment to the community 24/7. They are fun to use and accessible for almost everyone.
There are 8 pieces of equipment that make up a medium-sized gym center outdoors in a beautiful setting. A person who works his or her way through the entire circuit will get a high-quality aerobic and strength workout for the whole body.
*Located next to a children’s playground, it promotes family fitness and intergenerational play
*Offers communities a great way to promote wellness and fight obesity.
Join us at the grand opening on Sept. 5th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and work out with fitness expert Willie Austin. Live Jazz music and refreshments provided.
For more information or to receive training as a Fitness Zone ambassador, call Denise Sharify at 206.571.5070.
The new Fitness Zone was built with the help of a grant from KaBOOM! (previously known around here for the Delridge Playground) and Dr. Pepper/Snapple.
Remember Lauren Englund and her idea for an “observational/educational beehive” in High Point, where she lives? We featured her pitch here back in May – and she’s just e-mailed to say “We got the space!” Next Tuesday, everyone interested in the project is invited to a design meeting. Ahead, excerpts of the e-mail she sent to supporters, including the meeting time/date/place:Read More
Police are investigating a stabbing in High Point. Medic crews taking the victim to the hospital described her via emergency radio as 41 years old and suffering three stab wounds that are believed to have happened during a fight with someone she knows in the 6000 block of Lanham SW. We don’t have information so far about any possible suspect(s).
That’s the whiteboard for what’s available right now at the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, open for the first time this year, Wednesdays 4-7 pm. The farmers took a quick break for our photo:
Their plots are literally next to the stand – so it’s as farm-fresh as you can get – 32nd and Juneau (map).
A High Point resident who wants to be anonymous found what they described as:”45 bike keys, 2 house keys & 1 Nissan car clicker” near their house this week. We usually point lost/found to the WSB Forums, but this one was just too weird; the finder wondered whether it might be crime-related, and planned to turn it in to police, so if you know whose these are, contact them at 206-625-5011.
If you have clothing you don’t need any more, but you don’t already have other plans for it such as a yard sale – the Neighborhood House High Point Center has a clothing drive under way and asked us to share this call for donations:
n the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, we are celebrating Earth Day by holding a clothes drive for the residents of the High Point community. We are asking the wider West Seattle community to contribute any new or slightly used clothing. Please bring clothes clean and no undergarments. Clothes donations may be left with the High Point Center front desk, 9 am-5 pm Monday-Friday of this week, April 23-27. Our address is: 6400 Sylvan Way SW. We thank you in advance for your generosity! If you have any questions, please contact High Point Living Green Project Manager, Rochelle Saedi at rochelles@nhwa.org or (206) 588-4900 ext. 612
(And though it’s not related, we can’t resist a reminder that a whole variety of NON-clothing items can be recycled via the Fauntleroy Church event this Sunday.)
At right with Democratic governor candidate Rep. Jay Inslee are, left, Farhiya Mohamed, and at right, Shukri Olow, High Point community builder – Shukri put together tonight’s forum at High Point Community Center, during which he spoke to and with an audience of more than 50 people. Their questions touched on topics from health care to jobs and beyond; we recorded the forum on video and will add it to this story once it’s ready here it is. (added 12:39 am)
The sponsoring High Point Neighborhood Association invited Republican candidate Attorney General Rob McKenna as well, but says he told them he could not attend. (He sent a representative.)
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