Date set for Alki Point sidewalk work to start: Next Monday
(WSB photo from February 13 SDOT-led tour of Alki Point sidewalk-project site)
We broke the news last Thursday that the Alki Point sidewalk/traffic-calming project would definitely start this month. Now SDOT has just sent word that Monday, March 16, is the official start date. As the city’s project page notes, no-parking signs will be in place as needed with minimum three days’ notice, so if they’re not up already, area residents should be on the lookout. As shown on the final plans (see them here) and discussed during the SDOT-led tour we covered a month ago, the city is routing the sidewalk completion along Alki Ave between 65th SW and Beach Drive so that most of the existing residential parking will remain; raised crosswalks will be installed at both ends of the project, as well as other “traffic calming” measures at 63rd/Alki to maximize the number of vehicles that head southbound on 63rd from northbound Alki – especially important since the sidewalk addition will narrow the non-arterial westernmost stretch of Alki Ave.
Sound Transit drops proposal to cancel West Seattle 560 service
Last night at the Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, board members expressed concern about the possibility Sound Transit might be dropping the West Seattle leg of its Route 560 bus service (as discussed in a recent WS open house). Even before we could write our wrapup of last night’s meeting, we got word from FCA president Bruce Butterfield of a new development – and Bruce Gray from Sound Transit just confirmed it to WSB:
The idea of removing all West Seattle service from the 560 route is off the table.
During the course of our usual public outreach process that’s been going on since early January we’ve heard loud and clear that there are many in the area who value this route and its service to/from West Seattle.
Right now we’re taking a close look at which times this route has the highest use. Eliminating some of the runs with very low ridership could be an option we would recommend to our Board. None of these would be during rush-hour trips.
We encourage riders to contact us at fastride@soundtransit.org or 866-940-4387 to let us know their thoughts about proposed changes to the 560. We will also host a public hearing in the Sound Transit Board room on Thursday, April 2, at noon to hear feedback on proposed service changes. The full Board is expected to take up the matter at their April 23 meeting.
Gray encourages everyone interested in Sound Transit to take an online survey about the 560 and other proposed service changes ST has been considering – find that survey here.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Recognize this loot? Call police
Just in from Detective Brian Ballew at the Southwest Precinct: “Could you please post the attached photos … and see if anyone recognizes the property. The items were recovered during a burglary investigation in the West Seattle area.” Here are the photos:
If you have any idea whose these are/where they are from, please call Detective Ballew at 206-233-7836.
Congratulations to Elliott Bay Brewery: “Business of the Year”
Patti Mullen of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce tells us it’s OK to share the just-revealed news that Elliott Bay Brewery has been chosen the Chamber’s Business of the Year – so, congratulations, EBB! The award will be presented at a special breakfast event at Salty’s on Alki at 7:30 am April 8th, at which time Robinson Newspapers founder Jerry Robinson also will be honored with the Chamber’s Community Service Award. For tickets , contact the Chamber – 932-5685 (and wschamber.com) – and be sure to look out for copies of the shiny new Chamber-published West Seattle Community Resource Guide!
West Seattle Crime Watch: Cars targeted, again
As was reiterated again last night by Lt. Steve Paulsen in the crime update at the JuNO meeting (WSB report here), car-related crime is one of the worst West Seattle problems at the moment, even with crime down overall. That photo came from Scott, who says:
This morning I woke up to discover that thieves had stolen the front of my Honda Civic. I live on 37th between Dakota and Andover [map] and the car was parked in the alley behind our house. They took the hood, lights, front bumper and the front side panels. They also broke a small triangular window towards the back of the car for some reason. It didn’t seem like got inside the car, there was nothing in there to take. Whoever did this knew what they were doing – other than the window there wasn’t any other damage.
We also have a short note from yesterday regarding a window-smash situation – this report was from Michale, who saw it while driving by:
I just wanted to report a car break=in (Tuesday) morning on the corner of 40th Ave SW and Holly [map]. I live just a block away and on my way to work, I noticed a car with a smashed-out window and glass all over the street. From what I could tell, the thieves only hit the one vehicle. This is the first time I have seen a smash and grab in the neighborhood. I would like to just put the word out there for people in the area to be on the lookout.
Happening tonight: 34th DDs and WSB in Fauntleroy, and more
From the WSB West Seattle-wide Events calendar – first, two events tonight across the street from each other in Fauntleroy: The 34th District Democrats are at The Hall at Fauntleroy (old schoolhouse) for their monthly meeting at 7 pm, with the agenda including City Council candidates David Ginsberg and David Bloom (who’s already spoken twice in West Seattle in the past week, here and here); across the street at Fauntleroy Church, the ongoing “Re-creating Community in Our Day” speaker series features your WSB co-publishers tonight at 7 pm (after an optional “simple supper,” for which the church will accept donations, at 6). In Delridge tonight, anyone applying for Seattle Public Schools during this month’s open enrollment period is welcome to go to the Delridge Library 5:30-7 pm for in-person application help (more here). And tonight, Junction Idol continues at Rocksport, 9 pm.
West Seattle scene: “Lion King” roars out of town – from here
Thanks to Anne at Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) for e-mailing to ask “what’s up with all those cars and car carriers?” at the vacant ex-Huling lot south of the 76 station. We went over to check it out and here’s the deal: The traveling cast and crew of “The Lion King” are about to move on to their next stop, and they needed a place to rendezvous, so the vehicles that the cast and crew have been driving can be transported to the next stop (Michigan, they said). Why here? “Big empty lots are hard to come by!” was the reply.
West Seattle woman with aid/peace delegation in Gaza
If you follow what’s happening in the Middle East, you may have heard about an international aid delegation, sponsored by the women’s peace group Code Pink, that made it into Gaza from a long-closed Egyptian border crossing. Turns out a West Seattle woman is with the group. Dr. 
Amal Sedky Winter‘s daughter, Miriam Yovetich, e-mailed to share her mother’s story. In e-mail to family and friends, Dr. Winter described the delegation as “almost 60 women with sleeping bags and tents” as they camped out hoping the border crossing would open so they could fulfill an invitation from the United Nations Refugee Agency to be in Gaza for International Women’s Day last weekend. (Her e-mail can be read in its entirety on this website.) Dr. Winter is an Egyptian-born psychologist who has been in the U.S. since her teen years, and has long advocated on behalf of Arab women’s rights. The delegation’s visit is scheduled to end today, according to this story about a B.C. woman who also is with the group. Dr. Winter’s daughter also tells us her mother has been developing this website to share information about Egypt.
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