West Seattle Blog…

18 West Seattle parks to be part of water-saving experiment

Seattle Parks just announced a pilot project to reduce, or eliminate, irrigation – watering – in certain parks this June through September, and they warn that means you might see “brown grass” in those parks, among other effects. Here’s the news release with details. After receiving it, we asked which West Seattle parks would be involved, and have just received the 18-park list from Karen O’Connor at Parks: Click to read the rest of 18 West Seattle parks to be part of water-saving experiment…

West Seattle summer: Wading-pool schedule’s out

(WSB file photo of Hiawatha’s wading pool)
Thanks to Sarah for the tip: The city has just published this summer’s wading-pool schedule, and there are some changes for West Seattle. You might recall that the city had looked for sponsors to help pick up the cost, and according to the new schedule, two wading pools get an extra day of operation each, thanks to sponsorships – Admiral Safeway, according to Parks, is making it possible for the Hiawatha pool to be open on Saturdays, while the Hiawatha Advisory Council is making it possible for the Delridge pool to be open on Sundays – both of those pools will be open 4 days a week, while Lincoln Park remains the only West Seattle wading pool open 7 days a week, and it will be the earliest to open, scheduled for June 23rd. See the full schedule here (PDF). We’re checking on one thing – Highland Park – which is being converted to a spray park – is listed on the schedule as “opening in 2013,” but at the most recent project meeting, Seattle Parks had said they hoped to get it open before this season ends. We’ll add whatever we find out.

In the mood for Colman Pool? June 30th reopening gets closer

If this warm weather puts you in the mood for outdoor swimming, wondering when Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shoreline will be open – here’s another reminder that it’ll be late this year, June 30th. The renovation work has been under way for 4 months now, and we just got two new photos today from Jim Edwards (thank you!), so we checked in with Seattle Parks project manager Garrett Farrell, to see where the project is at. He tells WSB that the last of the pool-wall sections were to be put in place today, and “we have already started pour-back of the pool decks, which will go much faster than the walls.” Now, it gets tricky, according to Farrell, as they work on “installing the pool-water piping in the tunnel that runs around the pool deck and connects to the walls as we work to pour the lid over the top of it, a few pieces at a time.”

Crews are also working to remove the existing plaster, he said, while prepping “every square
inch of the interior shell for a much needed new plaster liner.” That’s still a lot of work, he said, but they are on track for the expected opening date of June 30th. (To plan ahead, you can check out the schedule here.)

City grants for Alki Art Fair, Roxhill Park, City Fruit

The city has just announced the latest round of Small and Simple grants – for which organizations apply, promising matching funds/volunteer labor, and three West Seattle events/projects are on the list:

(WSB photo from 2011 Alki Art Fair)
*Alki Art Fair – Volunteer-run since city cutbacks made city-staff resources unavailable. $20,000 grant. (This year’s fair is July 28-29.)

*Castle Park at Roxhill Park – To enhance the city Parks and Green Spaces Levy-funded playground project, $20,000 extra for “a climbing and physical challenge course.” (After getting the city announcement, we checked with project manager Kelly Davidson, who says that the playground/skatepark plans just went to the general contractor yesterday and are in a review period. The playground itself is still on target for a public build, probably in September.)

*West Seattle Community Fruit Harvest – City Fruit gets $6,295 to “organize the harvest of fruit from residential fruit trees to distribute to partner organizations like food banks, women’s shelters, and senior centers within Delridge and West Seattle.”

Déja vu at Alki Beach: Sunny day = littering beachgoers

Alki photographer David Hutchinson was out at the beach early this morning and dismayed to see this scene repeated (remember April?) – in multiple spots. Not long after he took the photos, David says, a Parks Department crew came by for trash pickup. But the point of this isn’t to criticize Parks, which put out some extra cans after last month’s litterfest – some of which still overflowed or were ignored:

The point is for people to consider picking up after themselves. David notes there’s available space in “dumpsters (usually half empty) when cans are full. There are 5 dumpsters from 59th Ave to 56th Ave – a distance of 4 blocks. They are spaced about every block. There are 3 dumpsters around the Alki Bathhouse plus 1 dumpster for recycling. An additional dumpster is located by the picnic shelter down at 62nd.” After all, it’s not like somebody’s on hand to bus your table:

We know many people who use Alki won’t see this story because the beach draws from far beyond West Seattle. But if you do go to the beach on a sunny day, or know someone planning an event, be sure to make sure an extra bag or two is in the plan, and even consider packing out your trash – or at least hauling it to the nearest dumpster, which probably, as David points out, will have room.

Reader report: Fence coming down at field on ex-Denny site

Thanks to Alice Kuder for that photo and word that the fence is finally coming down from around the big open field at what some dubbed “Denny Park” – the former Denny International Middle School site that now holds playfields and tennis courts (and is technically just an extension of nearby Southwest Athletic Complex, all Seattle Public Schools-owned). It’s been four months since the site officially opened for public use.

West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club sets May 12 for Kids’ Fishing Pond

(WSB photo from 2010 fishing event)
The West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club will be back at Seacrest again this spring with an annual tradition – the Kids’ Fishing Pond. We just confirmed with club president Greg Boyd today that the event is set for 8 am-11 am on Saturday, May 12th. (Go early BEFORE West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 9 am-3 pm!) As they do every year, the club will stock a portable pond at Seacrest, providing poles and bait, “first 100 kids or till the fish run out.” Here’s the listing on the Sportsmen’s Club website calendar.

Alki trash followup: More cans added in the park

Though the sun is gone for now, it’ll be back, and so will Alki crowds the size of the ones that left behind the weekend litter/overflowing can problem shown/discussed here yesterday. As a result, Seattle Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter told WSB this morning, more cans would be set out – and as the photo we took around 10 am shows, they’re already there. (Compare to the photo in Monday’s story – today, two cans are side by side in each of the two spots east of the Bathhouse that previously had one apiece. Don’t have any comparisons for the rest of the beach, though.) Potter also says that contrary to her first reply, some Parks employees WERE on duty over the weekend, but they had some pickup challenges with the larger “in-ground” cans – a special cable-equipped truck used for emptying them broke down (they have a loaner replacement now).

Why police and firefighters were at Roxhill Park this evening

A “brush fire” call this past hour at 29th and Cambridge wasn’t major – but it did bring police to Roxhill Park along with two fire engines; officers were looking for witnesses. Here’s the damaged patch:

Nobody was hurt; the fire was called in quickly enough that the fire crews made fast work of it.

‘Park Preservation Work Group’ set up to work on $ issues

With so much city parkland in West Seattle, this news release just sent by the Mayor’s Office might be of interest. (The group it “announces” has already had its first meeting, though, if the timetable in the last paragraph is correct.)

Mayor Mike McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw today announced the formation of the Parks Preservation Work Group, charged with advising the Mayor, City Council and Parks and Recreation on a range of options for generating more revenue and finding efficiencies that could reduce costs in the 2013 operating budget and beyond.

Click to read the rest of ‘Park Preservation Work Group’ set up to work on $ issues…

Parks’ leader talks safety @ West Seattle Crime Prevention Council:

(Parks boss Christopher Williams, left, and WS Crime Prevention Council president Richard Miller)
How safe are West Seattle’s parks, and can they be made safer?

Those questions – stirred by last month’s unsolved murder of Greggette Guy, who police have said they believe was killed at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint – led the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council to invite acting Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams to its April meeting. (Here’s our separate update on the murder case itself.)

Williams, who grew up in West Seattle and is a Chief Sealth graduate, spoke and answered questions – as did two Parks managers who accompanied him – for more than 45 minutes in the Southwest Precinct meeting room on Tuesday night.

No big announcements, no “aha” moments, not even any extensive discussion of (nor questions about) Schmitz Viewpoint – but here’s how it unfolded (including video, if you would like to see and hear for yourself): Click to read the rest of Parks’ leader talks safety @ West Seattle Crime Prevention Council:…

Video: West Seattle’s only Neighborhood Service Center dedicated in its new shared home with SW Teen Life Center/Pool

Story by Tracy Record
Photos/video by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers

Seven months after they came to West Seattle for an announcement including big changes for what was then the Southwest Community Center, City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams were back today to dedicate the result.

The reconfigured building at 2801 SW Thistle now is home to Southwest Teen Life Center as well as West Seattle’s only Neighborhood Service Center, newly relocated from Delridge, a move that was such a side note in last fall’s announcement, the Department of Neighborhoods didn’t even have a representative there. But today, DON director Bernie Matsuno was on hand too, and Bagshaw pronounced the end result “fantastic” – she’s one of the speakers in a short (11 minutes) round of speeches:

Those also on hand for the dedication were two of the three Neighborhood District Coordinators who are now based out of the SW offices, after moving from the shuttered Delridge site:

That’s Steve Louie on the left and Yun Pitre on the right (fellow coordinator Ed Pottharst wasn’t in), with, at center, Laurie Ames.

And in the top photo, Southwest Advisory Council president Tom Foley – who had fought for months to save the community center – helped cut the ribbon. The building continues to rent space to some private programs, such as EuropaKids International Preschool (WSB sponsors), whose young students sang for the visitors:

All of the changes are among the latest results of city budget cuts. The city is saving money by co-locating the NSC – where you can pay bills, renew passports, and find out about city services – and district coordinators in a building it owns.

Less than a year ago, it not only operated an NSC on Delridge, in privately owned space, it also paid rent for an NSC in The Junction (vacated last summer and not replaced). And in addition to repurposing SW Community Center as SW Teen Life Center, other centers around the city were organized into geographic zones with centralized staff – the High Point Community Center, where all this reorganizing was announced last September, is the hub of the West Seattle/South Park “geo.”

One facility in the SW building that hasn’t really changed is Southwest Pool, which reopened yesterday after a three-week maintenance closure. It’s part of today’s celebration too; we photographed assistant aquatic coordinator Matt Richardson before the day’s special free swims got started:

The next free swim is for teens, 3-4 pm, part of an afternoon of celebration detailed on the Parks Department’s Parkways website. And superintendent Williams will be back in West Seattle tonight; he is the scheduled guest at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting tonight (7 pm, Southwest Precinct at Delridge/Webster)

Thinking about a park project? Opportunity Fund, round 2

When Seattle voters said “yes” to the Parks and Green Spaces Levy in 2008, part of the money was for creation of the Opportunity Fund, to pay for projects proposed by citizens and community organizations. In West Seattle, for example, an Opportunity Fund grant is pivotal to the plan to transform the Highland Park wading pool into a spraypark, under a plan first proposed by Carolyn Stauffer (even before she became co-chair of Highland Park Action Committee). If you’re interested in trying for a share of the second round – the process is about to begin, and workshops have just been scheduled to help would-be grant seekers figure out how to make it happen. We just found the list on the city website; “technical assistance” for would-be proposal letter-writers is at 6 pm April 25th at West Seattle Golf Course, while another workshop for applications is set for 6 pm June 27th at High Point Community Center. Project proposers will pitch the levy Oversight Committee this fall (by the way, that group’s next meeting is tonight at 7 at Parks HQ downtown).

Southwest Pool: Last chance to swim before 3-week closure

After public swim at 4 pm and lap swim at 5 pm today, Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle) is closing for 3 weeks of maintenance. That reminder comes from assistant coordinator Matt Richardson:

During the closure there are several major projects. The first week, March 26-April 1, will be comprised of the gymnasium floor refinishing project. This requires the use of materials that put out a fair amount of volatile organic compounds. The Pool, Teen Life Center and EuropaKids will not be in operation during this week.

The last two weeks are the Pool’s regular preventive maintenance closure. The work includes draining and acid washing the plaster shell, replacement of some valve seals, filter repairs and other items that require the pool to be empty. It takes nearly two days to drain the pool , two to fill, and another two to heat the pool back up to its normal 85-degree operating temperature. The Pool reopens April 16th. To register for lessons during our closure, participants can contact any other Seattle Parks Pool or Community Center.

After the pool reopens, there are a couple big events -

-Our Grand Re-Opening (celebration is) on April 17th. The schedule of events is

11:30-12:30 Dedication and refreshments
12:00-1:30 Free Adult Swim
3:00-4:00 Free Public/Teen Swim

-April Pools Day on Saturday April 21st, 10:30 am to Noon. There will be water safety demonstrations and practice stations, free swimming, and prizes. Children under 18 must be accompanied into the water by an adult.

War on waste: Junction park sets up ‘designated pet areas’

No doubt, the majority of dog owners are responsible and respectful of others. And then, there are the few who make things unpleasant for everybody else by not picking up after their pets. More than a few, in the case of Junction Plaza Park, the tiny oasis of public greenspace at Alaska/42nd, just steps from the heart of The Junction, which now has “designated pet areas” in graveled spots along the sidewalk, after its grassy central circle was so badly befouled, it was in danger of dying. It’s now marked with signs asking pet owners to NOT let their animals relieve themselves there:

We spotted the signs this past week, but had heard about the plan from Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association and Erica Karlovits of the Junction Neighborhood Association, both of whom worked hard to help make the park happen in the first place; Melrose brought the problem up at the Southwest District Council meeting back in February.

Dates set for Southwest Pool maintenance closure, Neighborhood Service Center grand opening

Speaking of pools … We noticed while researching the Colman Pool update that the Southwest Pool website has information on both an upcoming closure and the grand-opening event for the Neighborhood Service Center that is moving from Delridge to the former SW Community Center adjacent to the pool. Just as we were inquiring with the city, they sent a news release, which includes the Delridge NSC closing date (April 10th) as well as the SW NSC opening date (April 17th) and the pool maintenance closure (March 26-April 15) – read on: Click to read the rest of Dates set for Southwest Pool maintenance closure, Neighborhood Service Center grand opening…

Colman Pool update: Still on schedule for June 30 opening

(Photo by Long B. Nguyen; click image for larger view)
Not that you’re likely to be thinking about outdoor swimming in this unsettled weather anyway, but – we just checked on the Colman Pool renovation project’s progress after receiving that new aerial view from Gatewood pilot/photographer Long B. Nguyen. Almost two months after we first reported that work was revving up, project manager Garrett Farrell tells us that they’re now pouring concrete, and the pool’s walls will be restored in that process. (In February, we published an aerial view of how the pool looked in torn-up mode.) We asked Farrell if the $1.4 million project was still going according to schedule. His reply: “No surprises, but the weather has been a challenge. Mother Nature has slowed us but not pushed us off track. We are still on track for June 30 opening.”

Beach Drive murder aftermath: SPD, Parks answer safety concerns

(Sunday night photo by Karen Sykes)
Seattle Parks has just shared the response it is sending to people who have voiced concerns about safety along Beach Drive, in the aftermath of the so-far-unsolved murder of Greggette Guy, found dead offshore in the 3800 block one week ago today, remembered at a waterfront vigil and walk last night (WSB coverage here).

Thank you for getting in touch regarding the recent unsolved murder in West Seattle, and expressing your concerns about the safety of a stretch of Beach Dr. SW in the area where the young woman was found.

Following … is the text of a timely and thorough response to Sandi Repetowski from Capt. Steven Paulsen of the Seattle Police Department’s (Southwest) Precinct. In it he:

· Describes the low crime statistics for the area

· Recommends walking with a buddy and not alone

· Reports on his visit to the Alki Community Council meeting on Thursday, March 15

· Describes SPD’s plans to respond to the event with more patrols and its summer emphasis plan that they carry out from the third weekend in April through September

· Offers to have the SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, Mark Solomon, conduct an assessment using Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.

[editor's note - the following is the SPD letter]

Thank you for taking the time to write in regard to your concern of lighting and general public safety in the area of Beach Drive SW. I am unable to provide any information in regard to the tragic homicide – in order not to compromise the integrity of the investigation, but I can provide you with some information that may assist you and your neighborhood.

I feel confident to tell you that Schmitz Park and Me Kwa Mooks Parks are safe. Activity in the parks does increase during the warmer weather months as it does the activity along Beach Drive and Alki. The particular area where the homicide occurred (along the beach) is also considered quiet and safe. The best advise we can provide our citizens is to always walk with another person and to be aware of your surroundings.

911 calls for the area are considered very low. In the past 15 months, the following 911 calls from citizens have been received…(the geographical area is from Alki Point to just south of Mee Kwa Mooks Park):

51 calls for suspicious persons (most of these occur during the day and during the warmer weather months)
25 calls for False residential alarms
21 calls for disturbances
11 calls for mental complaints
10 calls for Domestic Violence
8 calls for Harassment/assault/threats

Me Kwa Mooks Park (same 15-month window)
5 Parks Exclusions for inappropriate behavior
3 suspicious persons calls
3 fireworks complaints
2 complaints of noise disturbances
2 complaints of Mischief/Nuisance.
Note: No calls for Drugs or Graffiti (not that it is not occurring, just that folks are not reporting it)

On Thursday, March 15th, I attended the Alki Community Council Meeting. I updated the group on our annual summer emphasis plan that pertains to Alki and neighboring City Parks. The plan starts in or around the 3rd weekend of April and continues through September.

In regard to the recent homicide, I told the group that the Seattle Police Department is putting forth all the necessary resources in order to resolve this tragic event. I also provided a briefing on the quiet nature of the neighborhood and that they will see an increase in patrol cars in the area. I advised that the additional patrol cars will not change or help solve the homicide, but more for neighborhood peace at mind, given the fear a crime such as this creates for a normally quiet/tranquil neighborhood.

In regard to street lighting and/or Lighting near parks, I am more than happy to have our Crime Prevention Coordinator – Mr. Mark Solomon do a Crime Prevention Environmental assessment for the neighborhood. Mark is able to work closely with our Parks Department, City Light and SDOT folks if additional measures are needed.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write us in regard to recent events. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Lt. Pierre Davis at 206-233-2033 or Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca at 206-386-1088.

Sincerely,

Captain Steven Paulsen
Seattle Police Department
Commander, Southwest Precinct

[editor's note - the remaining text is how Parks closed its letter]

We appreciate suggestions for improvements to the site, and I’m sure SPD will consider them in the context of the CPTED assessment, which will involve Parks and Recreation, City Light, and Seattle Department of Transportation staff.

Thank you again for taking time to write, and we will let you know when the assessment is complete.

Speaking at last night’s vigil (the video is in our report), Ms. Guy’s father Gregg Smith referred to the area as a “deathtrap.”

ADDED 11 PM MONDAY: A Southwest Precinct sergeant, questioned about the case’s status at a neighborhood meeting in Arbor Heights tonight, said he had no new information that could be shared – but sought to assure those on hand that “a lot of resources” were being applied to the unsolved murder. (The meeting otherwise had nothing to do with the Beach Drive situation- it was a “living room conversation” meeting arranged by the local Block Watch captain a month earlier – and we’ll be writing the full story about it on Tuesday.)

Sign-up time for spring programs, classes @ community centers

Thanks to Tim Ewings at Alki Community Center for the tip on this: Sign-ups have just begun for spring classes and programs at Seattle Parks community centers, plus Camp Long and Southwest Pool. Here’s the spring brochure. You can register online – start here.

West Seattle weekend scene: TLC for Orchard Street Ravine

Another ravine got some TLC on Saturday – Orchard Street Ravine in Gatewood. Cindi Barker shared the photos, and she reports, “We were planting bare root plants in a huge, just cleared area, and also filling in some gaps in previously planted areas. The weather held off until the end, it was a very productive day.”

Don’t know where Orchard Street Ravine is? Here’s a map.

Spraypark, park, P-Patch, all @ Highland Park Action Committee

(Courtesy SiteWorkshop - click for full-size PDF version)
The final design meeting for the Highland Park Spraypark was a big part of the agenda last night for the Highland Park Action Committee‘s second meeting of the year – but two other much-anticipated HP projects were discussed too: West Seattle Reservoir Park, and the new Westcrest P-Patch community garden (which has a design workshop coming up this weekend).

Toplines ahead: Click to read the rest of Spraypark, park, P-Patch, all @ Highland Park Action Committee…

West Seattle wildlife: Face-to-face with a bald eagle

So many eagle sightings – and yet, each sighting, each photo, brings something new to notice. From photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker, the photo above – taken this morning – and her explanation:

Lots of eagle activity in Lincoln Park these days: calling back and forth, challenging to and by juvenile eagles, the husband eagle bringing food to impress his wife. Pretty exciting times as the courtship season ramps up!

Trileigh keeps a website with more pictures/words about some of her wildlife sightings, and says it includes a new update on the snowy owls that have been delighting birdwatchers in Western Washington (West Seattle included – remember this November photo?).

Slide recalled, will be removed from Myrtle Reservoir Park

Just in from Seattle Parks:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Landscape Structures Inc., announced a voluntary recall of the Slalom Glider slide. This slide is located in two Seattle parks. Landscape Structures Inc. will be working at Ross Playground and Myrtle Reservoir Park on Monday, February 20, 2012 to remove the recalled slide.

Landscape Structures is requesting consumers to immediately stop children from using the recalled gliders.

The slide is a playground slide that lacks a transition platform on the top and sides of the chute. The Slalom Glider is a distinctive 6-foot high slide that is curved in shape and made from molded plastic. It includes an arched, tubular steel access ladder. The recalled product comes as a stand-alone slide or as an attachment to other playground equipment.

Ross Playground is located at 4320 4th Ave. NW in the Fremont neighborhood and Myrtle Reservoir Park is located at 6900 35th Ave SW in West Seattle. Seattle Parks and Recreation is working with Landscape Structure Inc. to select and install an appropriate replace play element as soon as possible.

ADDED 7:26 PM: The recall was announced nationally yesterday, with at least 16 injuries blamed on the slide, according to this Associated Press story published by our partners at the Seattle Times.