2 ways to show Camp Long you give a hoot
Luckie caught that owl on camera during a family overnight last month at a cabin at Camp Long; we’re sharing it along with two ways to help the park/environmental learning center considered one of the city’s semi-secret treasures. First, you can help take care of Camp Long by joining in a work party tomorrow morning, 9 am-noon (show up at the lodge and they’ll point you in the right direction). Second – Camp Long is looking for some people power on a longer-term basis: new members for the Camp Long Advisory Council. Many local Parks Department facilities rely on these volunteer groups for help; Sheila Brown from Camp Long explains what this one does, and how you can help:Read More
Countdown to Alki “Car-Free Day” on Sunday: The official advisory
We’ve been talking about it since bringing you first word six weeks ago, and now, whether you’ve been anticipating it or dreading it, it’s almost here: “Car-Free Day” on Alki, noon-6 pm Sunday, with parking restrictions taking effect two hours earlier. We’ve shown you the map, the doorhanger, the flyer for cars, the no-parking signs (and as of this afternoon, the detour/street closed signs have been dropped off all over the area – 2 examples shown above); now, here’s the official final SDOT advisory:
Here’s what to expect during this time:
Motorists:
-Motorists cannot use Alki Ave SW from 63rd Ave SW over to Harbor Ave SW and California Way SW.
-Exceptions will be made for emergency response and people with disabilities.
-An eastbound lane will remain open along Alki Ave SW for the Water Taxi shuttle, bus route 56 and residents needing access to their homes.
-Detour signs will guide motorists around California Ave SW to SW Admiral Way.
-Parking will not be allowed, except for people with special needs, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Alki Ave SW from 63rd Ave SW over to Harbor Ave SW and SW Maryland Place.
-There will be local access to the boat ramp at Don Armeni park off Harbor Ave SW.
Transit:
The Elliott Bay Water Taxi and Water Taxi land shuttle will operate on their normal Sunday schedule.
Bicyclists:
Cascade Bicycle Club volunteers will lead three bike rides to the Car Free Day including:
-From Seward Park at 8:30 a.m.
-From Greenlake Park and Ride at 10:30 a.m.
-From Kent at 10:30 a.m.
More details on these bike rides can be found at
http://cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar.cfm
All participants are encouraged to bike, walk or take transit to the event. If Seattleites drive every vehicle 1,000 miles a year less (about 20 miles a week), we can meet our current climate pollution reduction goals.
Boeing Machinists: “The strike is on”
One of the many Boeing workers in WSB-land just forwarded us this word from the union – Machinists are going on strike at a minute past midnight tonight. As has been pointed out, that means a lot of families and potentially businesses affected in our area (and around the Boeing facilities not that far to our east, among others), so we wanted to post it here. This is the page on the union website with details.
West Seattle scenes, Friday afternoon edition
A little more than two hours after we published our story about Zeeks Pizza signing a lease for the old Corner Inn building at California/Fauntleroy, we were waiting at the light at that intersection, when along came those gentlemen to take down the “FOR LEASE” sign. Here’s what we were on the way to check out:
That’s the southwest wall of 6053 California; we reported yesterday morning that demolition had begun, but it’s proceeding slowly – the most distinctive facades of the building, on its south and east sides, haven’t come down yet, and the backhoe’s currently parked. (In a most-likely-unrelated move, a city crew is working in the street by the building right now – looks like they’re roughing in sharrows.) Last but not least, thanks to Gina for the tip that sent us up to the Admiral District for this shot:
According to Gina, the fences just came down today on the now-grassy area of the Lafayette Elementary playground, formerly an all-asphalt zone; groundbreaking for Lafayette playground improvements happened on the last day of school in 2007 (WSB coverage here).
Two quick updates on 35th/Juneau accident
To recap from our original report (WSB coverage plus more than 80 comments, here) – a driver hit a teenage girl crossing 35th at Juneau yesterday afternoon. Now, the updates from Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct: First, though exact condition information isn’t available (privacy laws), Lt. Paulsen says he has heard she’s expected to survive. Second, as we suspected, the tv report that the driver “will not be cited” is not quite right; a citation may not have been issued at the scene, but as Lt. Paulsen explains it, “Our Traffic Collision Investigations squad is doing the followup and will decide after reviewing their facts and circumstances if any violation occurred.”
Happy 6th anniversary, Hotwire Coffee!
We’ll explain the photo in a minute (you probably recognize the guy on the left). We took it this morning at Hotwire Coffee (WSB’s very first sponsor), which is celebrating its 6th anniversary in West Seattle this month. As part of the festivities, Hotwire’s having a weekly “Barista Balderdash Smackdown” with brain-teaser quiz questions – guess the meaning of a specific uncommon word, for example. A new Smackdown starts tomorrow; tomorrow Hotwire’s also offering a few other deals – including a chair massage/latte deal, 20-minute massage plus 12-ounce latte for $15, 9 am-3 pm tomorrow as well as the next two Saturdays (9/13 and 9/20). Oh, as for the photo? Baristas Blayne (of “Project Runway” fame) and Mary are shown with Mr. Manatee, loaned to Hotwire by WSB when we heard one of the Barista Smackdown topics had something to do with manatees’ genetic makeup. Just go see for yourself (if somehow you’ve never been to Hotwire – just past the Junction Post Office, on the east side of California just south of Genesee).
Gateway Cleanup countdown: 8 days away, prep work begins
One week from tomorrow, a huge volunteer cleanup effort will tackle the “West Seattle Gateway” stretch of Fauntleroy, from Walking on Logs to 35th. Nancy Driver from the Fairmount Community Association has been providing updates – here’s the latest:
The goats, as cute as they would have been, are out of the picture. Some of you may have noticed that blackberry removal started yesterday. We were very fortunate that Jim Thorburn, the Community Corrections Supervisor- Seattle WORKCREW Program, with the State Department of Corrections agreed to take out the blackberries that we would have had to pay to have the goats clear out. We are very grateful to Jim and DOC – they are doing more than what they would normally commit to. Jim has lived in West Seattle all his life. Much thanks to him and his crew for this service to the community.
As mentioned in our last update, volunteer help is still welcome but what’s needed most right now is financial donations to help pay for tree work — if you can help, please e-mail Nancy – ndriver@quidnunc.net – The cleanup is 9 am-3:30 pm Saturday 9/13 (and please note that the curbside lane of that area will be closed during that time, for volunteers’ safety).
Update: Burien shooting suspect sought in West Seattle
(video added 9:48 am, shot about an hour and a half earlier in Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge)
ORIGINAL REPORT: Thanks to those who have e-mailed/texted about major police activity in the South Seattle Community College vicinity, mostly around 16th SW – we’re checking to see what it’s about, both by phone and in person. Will post when we find something out; let us know if you know anything. 8:27 AM UPDATE: We’ve seen King County Sheriff’s Office personnel involved in this as well as Seattle Police so we have inquired with both departments; KCSO’s Sgt. John Urquhart says “we’re looking for a suspect who ran off on us” but can’t elaborate on exactly what the suspect is wanted for – he says they’d received a tip the suspect lived in West Seattle, then about 7 this morning the suspect “took off” — Seattle Police are helping with the search. More information as we get it. 9:01 AM UPDATE: Scanner information (and one text message) suggests the search is also moving into other parts of east West Seattle – just letting you know in case you see the officers. 9:53 AM UPDATE: A description was just put out over the scanner: Black male, 28 years old, thin, no facial hair, black jacket/blue jeans but “possibly changed clothes to unknown T-shirt and boxer shorts.” Call 911 with any info. 10:09 AM UPDATE: Sgt. Urquhart just confirmed, the man they are looking for was being sought in connection with last night’s double shooting in Burien (here’s tv coverage). They now believe he may have escaped the area. If any photo or further description is made available later today, we will post it in a separate report.
Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza: Celebration tomorrow; more brick sales
(photo by David Hutchinson)
After two months in storage during plaza construction, the Alki Statue of Liberty is back – and on its new pedestal. Today, the pedestal and plaza get a few finishing touches, just in the nick of time for tomorrow’s all-day dedication celebration (schedule here). At the site Thursday afternoon, Plaza Project co-chairs Libby and Paul Carr revealed they’ve reopened brick sales – they have the green light to sell hundreds more, $150 personal/$300 business, to be engraved on-site – the money, they say, goes to a special fund the city Parks Department will use to maintain the plaza. Brick-buying forms will be available at Saturday’s event, and online at sealady.org.
Updating neighborhood plans: Public hearing set
Sometimes when development issues come up, and a controversial change is described as “according to what’s in the neighborhood plan,” people say “Who made that plan, when, and why?” The plans (all linked here) were drawn up about a decade ago, in an intensive community-involved process. You can’t go back in time and change what was written into them then – BUT you can get involved now with the process that will lead to neighborhood-plan updates – next opportunity has just been announced, a public hearing before the City Council at City Hall next Monday night, 5:30 pm. Agenda here.
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