(August photo courtesy of Margaret, taken as a TV crew videotaped a harvest at her house)
The “donated tree” harvesting is over for the year, and Aviva from Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle is sending thanks today to tree donors and volunteers for what she describes as “the bountiful harvest of 2009,” exceeding the goals they set earlier in the year:
6639 pounds of plums, grapes, pears, apples and figs (were) harvested and donated to the White Center and West Seattle food banks. This wonderful local fruit, instead of spoiling in backyards and sidewalks, was distributed to those who could benefit and enjoy it. Community Harvest will not be harvesting any more trees in 2009, but will be continuing activities through the winter.
What’s next?
Monthly meetings of the West Seattle Urban Crop Circle – a group which meets to learn and share about food gardening. Next meeting: Sunday, November 1 – Native Edibles – Kimberly Leeper (Mariposa Naturescapes), 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Duwamish Cohousing Common House, 6000 17th Ave SW.
*Planning for a Community Garden in West Seattle
*Planning for next year’s fruit harvest
Please contact info@gleanit.org if you would like more information, or would like to participate in our projects.
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
The joys and sorrows of seal-pup season continue on West Seattle shores, according to Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey, who says that while they haven’t seen a live pup on the beach in two weeks, they dealt with two deaths in the past week. “This is the time of year that the pups really struggle to survive.” So Seal Sitters’ work to help the pups continues, and today they’re putting out a call for assistance to help them keep that work going:
As a non-profit organization, Seal Sitters is always looking for creative ways to meet our operating expenses. Through the generous offer of one of our colleagues, Seal Sitters has been presented with a unique opportunity to raise funds to cover a portion of our expenses. There are many costs involved in protecting the seals on our beaches – maintaining our dispatch phone line, website, educational materials, etc – that are currently paid out of pocket by our volunteers.
Seal Sitters is in need of a place to host an estate jewelry sale to raise funds. We are looking for any place that could be open to the public where we could set up two or three small tables to display jewelry. If you, or someone you know, has a facility in a high traffic area, like any listed below, that could be used for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday prior to the holidays, please contact us at: info@sealsitters.org.
· Restaurant
· Meeting Room
· Office
· Storefront
· Vacant Storefront / building or other option
Seal Sitters welcomes donations of any type – click here. We would like to thank all of West Seattle for providing such a warm welcome for our smallest of marine mammal residents! Please visit our website and blog at www.sealsitters.org.
This time of year, for the past several years, longtime West Seattle real-estate entrepreneur Mike Gain would have been wintering in the California desert.
Instead, one morning last week, he talked with WSB while at his desk on the fourth floor of the Jefferson Square office building, looking out where the Olympics might have been visible if not for a thick wall of clouds.
But he’s not complaining. When we last interviewed him 8 months ago, he had just returned to take over Prudential Northwest Realty, five years after selling it. Its previous owners had moved the corporate headquarters to the Eastside; in March, Gain told us he hoped to move the HQ back to West Seattle, where he and longtime business partner Roger Cayce first scored real-estate success decades earlier.
The reason we interviewed Gain again now: He says the move is finally complete, and Prudential’s 24 corporate employees are now headquartered at Jefferson Square, where the company has taken over more than 4,000 square feet on the fourth floor in addition to its 14,000+-square-foot 6th-floor offices.
Couldn’t quite tell if there’s a blocked drain under that big gutter pond we found along 35th SW near Cloverdale (map) this morning, but that sort of “ponding” tends to hint at one, which is why – even as today’s morning downpour makes way for what’s supposed to be a less-soggy afternoon – the city is issuing reminders about citizens’ role in lessening drain-related danger. First, Seattle Public Utilities has issued another reminder about the Adopt-a-Drain program – and three more chances to get free cleanup supplies – details here. Second, property owners and construction crews are reminded to check out “drain socks” – those temporary inserts placed in drains to catch sediment – forgotten “socks” have caused big problems in the past. Here’s the full city alert on those. Lots more government info on winter weather is available at takewinterbystorm.org.
(Referendum 71 supporters demonstrated in The Junction again Sunday – from left, WSUU members Rose Fitzpatrick with her dog Rivet, Cynthia Townsend, and president Paula vanHaagen)
You can’t have a say on Referendum 71, Initiative 1033, King County Executive and Seattle Mayor – among other hot issues – if you’re not registered to vote. Today is your absolute last chance – if you’re not registered in this state but want to be, today’s the deadline but you have to go to the King County Elections office in Tukwila – here are the directions; they’re open till 4:30 pm.
Another big West Seattle real-estate deal reported by McQuaid Real Estate: The Halcyon Apartments on Lincoln Park Way (Google Street View above) have sold for $2.8 million. The 23-unit building had never been up for sale before – the sellers were the couple who built it more than 40 years ago, according to McQuaid’s announcement of the deal.
That’s Seattle Parks HQ at Denny Park downtown – and it’s the place to be at 7 pm tonight for the next meeting of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee, which has reviewed a LOT of West Seattle projects in recent months. Tonight’s big agenda item – draft criteria for use of the levy’s Opportunity Fund (once the draft criteria get approval, they’ll be published tomorrow, and a public hearing is set for November 9, as reported here).
(Twitpic from @springhill_ws, showing the winner in Spring Hill‘s staff pumpkin-carving contest, by Xuan)
A quick reminder that it is now The Week Before Halloween, and you can scare up all the fun that’s leading up to the big night, as well as what’s happening on Halloween itself, by checking out the WSB Halloween page. Two October 31st notes that have nothing to do with Halloween, but we should mention them now so they don’t sneak up on you – 1. Saturday’s the last day of the season for the King County Water Taxi‘s West Seattle run; 2. Daylight Saving Time ends that night (technically 2 am Sunday – you’ll “fall back” an hour).
There couldn’t have been a perfect place for that young salmon masquerader to play during Sunday evening’s annual gathering at the Fauntleroy Creek overlook – the rock-sculpture rendition of a stream – as more than 60 people of all ages sang and drummed to celebrate coho spawners’ anticipated return.
More than a decade after the creek’s restoration, neighbors gather each year with high hopes it will play host to spawners. Led again this year by Jamie Shilling, they sang and chanted songs of celebration and welcome:
And they told stories, enhanced with native art:
A human bridge symbolized safe crossing:
What’s next: Fauntleroy Creek Salmon Watch starts today, as creek steward Judy Pickens explained (after noting that recent Puget Sound passers-by might be delaying things):
Here’s the “salmon sock” that Judy mentioned – installed atop a pole anchored in the Darwin’s-barberry hedge on the north side of the overlook:
If you can volunteer some time to join the salmon watch, go here to find out how. It’s scheduled to last about a month, and as you heard Judy say in the video, they hope at the very least to have people on the lookout for the five hours after high tide each day.
According to the YouTube stats an hour ago, few had seen that rather nightmarish simulation of Earthquake Vs. Viaduct online before Roberttweeted about it (and posted about it in the WSB Forums) within the past hour – even though YT says it was posted online on Friday. Turns out it was the subject of the newest item (posted around 9 tonight) on the WSDOT Blog, with guest author Ron Paananen, who’s been heading up the viaduct-replacement project. He wrote, “The specter of another major earthquake … is always present. That is why we are determined to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct before Mother Nature makes the decision for us.” Even if the current tunnel proposal follows the timeline that’s been outlined so far, The Viaduct is still scheduled to stay in service until 2016; results from this weekend’s safety inspections are due to go public by Friday. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: The viaduct project’s communications team says, in an overall update just e-mailed, that the video is based on a 2007 report but is being made public now in response to “a public disclosure request.” The update also includes more information on the forthcoming emergency-closure system that was announced over the weekend – see it here.
Two items to share: First relates to the bike you see in the photo at left. Andrea sent the photo along with a Crime Watch report: “My son had his bike stolen off our (well lit) porch in the early hours of the morning (Saturday). It was a very nice bike that was given to him as a present when he was adopted. It’s black and silver and has the words MAGNA and BUSTED on the frame in large letters. If you see this bike or have any information on it please contact us at (206) 932-9100.” She added in a follow-up exchange, “It really concerns me, because the person would have had to walk right up on our porch under the glare of the porch light to take it.” They’re at 37th and Edmunds (map) by the way – just a few blocks from where a theft reported earlier this weekend was later resolved. Although it’s not so much a happy ending, we do have the unusual opportunity to share multiple angles on how the case of the stolen Hyundai played out – read on:Read More
While we’ve been focusing on the election for Seattle Mayor and four councilmembers (among other offices) in a little more than a week, the current Seattle City Council has big decisions to make regarding the current mayor’s proposed budget. Tomorrow night is your last chance to speak out at a public hearing – this one’s at 5:30 pm in City Council chambers downtown (map). One of the advocacy groups working to muster supporters at the hearing is Friends of the Seattle Public Library; even if you can’t be there, if you are concerned about cuts in library hours (and more closure dates like this summer’s furlough), they invite you to sign their petition on Facebook – it has 1,500+ virtual signatures and they’re hoping to have 2,000 by tomorrow night’s hearing. The Budget Committee‘s chair, Councilmember Jean Godden, is also offering a chance for you to call in with budget comments before the hearing: 206-684-0481, 4:30-5 pm tomorrow.
Tonight we continue our city-candidate closeups; we took a look at them all before the primary election, and with the general election nearing, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council. We’ve already looked at mayor (Mike McGinnhere, Joe Mallahanhere), City Council Position 6 (Nick Licatahere, Jessie Israelhere) and City Council Position 8 (Mike O’Brienhere and Robert Rosencrantzhere); tonight, it’s Council Position 2, and we’ll conclude tomorrow night with Position 4.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Richard Conlin is coming to the end of his third term as a member of the Seattle City Council and is currently council president. He says he has done a lot in the past 12 years, but has the steam to do more in the next four.
Discussing the committees he has led, Conlin says, “I have been chair of neighborhoods, of transportation, and of the environment and utilities committees. With each one of those, I have taken major initiatives and moved those forward. In neighborhoods, it was neighborhood plans and tripling the neighborhood matching funds. In transportation, I got the Bridging the Gap started, got Sound Transit approved through the city process and got bicycle and pedestrian plans underway. In environment, I reshaped our solid waste standards, did forestry work and the local food initiative and just finished the drainage code.”
“Each time I have taken an area of the city, I have done something really creative and innovative,” he says, “and that is what I want to do in my next term. There are lots of things I am looking at as possibilities, and I have the energy to work on it.” He’s challenged on the ballot by West Seattle resident David Ginsberg.
Tonight we continue our city-candidate closeups; we took a look at them all before the primary election, and with the general election nearing, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council. We’ve already looked at mayor (Mike McGinnhere, Joe Mallahanhere), City Council Position 6 (Nick Licatahere, Jessie Israelhere) and City Council Position 8 (Mike O’Brienhere and Robert Rosencrantzhere); tonight, it’s Council Position 2, and we’ll conclude tomorrow night with Position 4.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
City Council Position 2 candidate David Ginsberg — the only West Seattle-residing council candidate on the November ballot — isn’t that happy about the decision to build a deep-bore tunnel, but he says he will support the project unless there are some unforeseen increases in its cost.
“I think the decision that has been made amounts to a large misallocation of public resources on a small piece of highway that will essentially bypass downtown, and the solution won’t work for a portion of our freight and many of our commuters,” Ginsberg says. “But the decision has been made and it’s taken eight long years to get to this point. Barring big changes in projected costs or mobility, I’m not inclined to revisit this decision, although if there are big changes in projected costs to the city I’ll lead the fight for a better solution. The opportunity to reconnect downtown to its waterfront is the single greatest benefit of both this solution and the surface/transit option, and we must not let this opportunity pass us by as we did with the Seattle Commons.”
The closure was scheduled till 6 pm but (as often happens) the inspection work ended early and The Viaduct is open again to traffic. WSDOT says they’ll make the inspection results public by Friday.
(Lincoln Park photo courtesy of Shannon)
Our tree-laden parks are great, but neighborhoods need trees too, which is why 4 short-on-trees West Seattle neighborhoods are among 6 citywide that are eligible for free trees from EarthCorps and the city. While we’ve reported the giveaway before, EarthCorps’ Lina Rose (a West Seattleite herself) wanted to send out one more reminder, with the deadline looming:
Local environmental restoration non-profit EarthCorps has teamed up with the City of Seattle to provide free trees to residents of the Beacon Hill, Georgetown and West Seattle Junction/Genesee Hill and Westwood/Roxhill neighborhoods. These communities have some of the lowest canopy cover on residential property in the city (19%, 17%, 19% and 17% respectively) and some of the highest planting potential.
Through the program, residents of the targeted neighborhoods can apply for free trees for their property and street planting strips. Trees will be available for residents to pick up in early December. A workshop on proper tree planting and care will be provided for tree recipients. Tree watering bags will be provided next spring to ensure the young trees thrive. Houses outside of the target areas listed above are not eligible for the program this year.
Seattle currently has 23% tree cover. In the 1970’s, Seattle had 40% tree cover. Seattle has set a goal to retain some of that tree cover – and the many benefits that go along with trees – by reaching 30% tree cover by 2037. But we can’t reach that goal without the help and support of Seattle’s residents! Over 85% of the land in the city is privately owned. This means that we cannot meet the goal by only planting in parks and along streets – we need residents to plant trees around their homes and businesses as well.
For more information on the program – if you’re in one of the target neighborhoods – contact: Lina Rose, EarthCorps Project Manager, lina@earthcorps.org , 206.793.2454. For more general information and to download an application, go here.
West Seattle filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin sends word that “ZZ Top: Double Down Live” is now out on DVD – “the first historic concert performance ever to be approved for release by the band,” he says. It packs “28 years of hard rock, blues and boogie” into almost 2 hours. Disc 1 features footage from a 1980 performance in Germany; Disc 2 comes from Chamberlin’s travels with the band in 2008, documenting more than 70 shows in the U.S. and Europe, with performances, interview clips and backstage footage. In connection with the international release, Chamberlin says “Double Down Live” will have its Seattle premiere at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) on November 12th, in conjunction with the next West Seattle Art Walk. Earlier this year, we covered the screening of Chamberlin’s “Gearhead” at West 5 – the venue’s first-ever movie showing!
“Community-collaborative news” at WSB means this can be a place for you to tell your story. Twice this year, we have heard from a local chiropractor who first followed up our coverage of his March kayaking mishap with his own account, and then shared the story of his purchase and renovation of an older Morgan Junction home. After the latter, he promised followups, and today we have one:
Story and photos by Dr. Scott Redfern
On August 30th I published a story of my purchase of “a home with history” (see it here). I enjoyed the many responses, so the story continues.
Shortly after the last piece, I had a banner day. The handyman I hired hooked up the gas dryer I found on craigslist. I was very excited because, you see I have never owned my own washer and dryer. I am a virgin homeowner. He also fired up the water heater and it works.
To top it off, the furnace I was told was broken had its flywheel reattached and heat doth pour out. I was so happy I think I jumped up and down. Triple the pleasure of owning the house. Truly a landmark day.
PUMPKIN DECORATING AT WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: It’s the Sunday before Halloween, and kids of all ages (even the “kid at heart” ages) are welcome to try their hand today. Meantime, here’s the Ripe ‘n’ Ready list for today’s market, open 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska.
FAUNTLEROY CREEK DRUMMING: 5 pm, bring a drum if you have one (but don’t worry if you don’t – your presence is what matters) to the Fauntleroy Creek overlook across the street (and up the embankment) from the ferry dock (map). This is an annual tradition to help “call the salmon home” to the restored creek.
The Alaskan Way Viaductwill close again today – scheduled for 6 am-6 pm – for the continuation of its semiannual inspection. During Saturday’s closure, at the ceremonial signing of the tunnel agreement, Gov. Gregoire revealed plans for a new system to quickly and automatically close The Viaduct if a quake hits – with, among other things, gates on approach ramps; according to this story at seattletimes.com (WSB partner), the federally funded system will be installed next year.
This happened just before 5 pm Friday but the report just appeared on SPDBlotter late tonight: A man, his adult daughter, and her nine-year-old son were parking their van at their home in the 8400 block of 20th SW (map) when 2 men jumped out from behind a nearby dumpster and tried to carjack them. The man fought back; one of the would-be carjackers pulled out what police describe as “a large knife with a 10-inch blade” and tried to stab him – but the other would-be carjacker “convinced suspect #1 to flee the scene” and the two ran off. Police found them a few blocks away, in the 8600 block of Delridge, and caught them after “a brief pursuit.” The two were arrested and booked into King County Jail, facing possible charges of robbery, attempted kidnapping and investigation of assault. SPD says one suspect is 21, the other 19; read the SPDBlotter account of the incident here.3:51 AM UPDATE: A little more information – the two suspects are still in jail, with bail set at $75,000 for the 21-year-old and $50,000 for the 19-year-old, each of whom spent time behind bars twice earlier this year, according to the jail register.
Thanks to Shannon for sharing that photo from a walk today in Lincoln Park. It goes well with a couple of Lincoln Park-related notes we wanted to pass along tonight: First, if you haven’t seen the announcement in the WSB Forums – one week from today, a big bicycle race will affect park access/usage in a big way. It’s a cyclocross event, explained by promoter Zac this way: “Cyclocross is a bicycle race, mostly on grass, some dirt, a little pavement, and there are some places the riders must dismount, pick up the bike and run (all in one fluid motion). Anyone can race, and there’s a category for just about everyone. All you need is bike that you can ride on grass and dirt, and a helmet.” More info at mfgcyclocross.com; also, Zac shared a flyer and accompanying park map you can see here, for details on which trails will be affected next Saturday, and exactly when. Another Lincoln Park note – two weeks from today, on Saturday 11/7, it’s Green Seattle Day in parks and greenspaces all over the city, and many groups of volunteers will be working to make our city a little greener – like Friends of Lincoln Park, whose monthly work party will happen that day, per this announcement we received:
Celebrate Green Seattle Day at Lincoln Park! There are so many good reasons to “green up” Seattle. Restoring native plants improves water and air quality, provides habitat for native creatures, increases property values and soothes your soul. Join the Friends of Lincoln Park on Saturday, Nov 7th from 9 am to noon to plant natives in an area in which we recently removed invasive plants. Dress for weather with sturdy shoes. Bring your favorite tools, or we’ll provide tools. Meet in the north parking lot at the kiosk across from Rose St. Contact: Sharon Baker (206) 464-1068 or sbaker@u.washington.edu
Thanks to Rev. Peg Morgan from the Westside Unitarian Universalists for sharing photos from this afternoon’s Habitat for Humanity dedication at 32nd and Morgan in High Point. Top photo shows Rev. Morgan leading a House Blessing; bottom photo, WSUU members including, from left, Gary Gertig, Viv Monahan, Arlene Borella, President Paula vanHaagen, John Monahan, Fifie Marie, Lynn Williams; Rev. Morgan explains they are shown “receiving a thank you from Habitat for Humanity for a year’s worth of construction volunteers and funds.”
Speaking of WSUU, they invite visitors to enjoy special music during tomorrow’s service – nationally known singer and songwriter Ellis will perform, and will sign CDs following the service. WSUU meets at 10:30 at the Masonic Hall, 4736 40th Ave SW (map).
The new community edible garden behind C & P Coffee – built today by CoolMom– and Sustainable West Seattle-organized volunteers as part of the worldwide 350 Day of Action – was taking shape in a big way when we stopped by around noon – four raised beds behind the coffeehouse. And lots of help, including the very young:
If you see this before 3 pm or so, there’s still time for you to get to Seattle Center and be in the big “350” photo by the International Fountain. A SWS contingent planned to bicycle there; here’s the bicycle that SWS president Bill Reiswig was going to ride:
If you don’t know what the “350” is about – it’s explained here.ADDED 7:02 PM: We got to Seattle Center just as those gathered for the photo finished counting down to 3:50 pm — here’s the group finishing the countdown and cheering/waving:
Here’s how it looked from above (the people we video’d were at the bottom of the photo, just before the big blue banner on the ground). ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: We’ve received one of the aerial photos, and permission to use it, from Terri Glaberson of CoolMom (who was among the speakers at, and organizers of, Saturday’s big event):
First, we have received two more reports of the serial vandalism in the Morgan Junction/Lincoln Park area that’s widely known as “the homophobic graffiti” – invariably the same profane three-word slur. CJ writes today that it “reappeared on a garage door overnight – 6000 block of Cal Ave. Same ugly phrase as last time. Police were there taking a report with the homeowner.” And Jen e-mailed yesterday about another sighting; as we reported a week and a half ago, police have been looking to talk with the man who was arrested last spring (charges were dropped because he was found not competent to stand trial) – we’ll continue following up. Ahead – two theft cases – one from a parent warning about what could happen to a teen, another from a couple who hopes you’ll be on the lookout for their stolen car:Read More
This time of year, for the past several years, longtime West Seattle real-estate entrepreneur Mike Gain would have been wintering in the California desert.
see in the photo at left. Andrea sent the photo along with a Crime Watch report: “My son had his bike stolen off our (well lit) porch in the early hours of the morning (Saturday). It was a very nice bike that was given to him as a present when he was adopted. It’s black and silver and has the words MAGNA and BUSTED on the frame in large letters. If you see this bike or have any information on it please contact us at (206) 932-9100.” She added in a follow-up exchange, “It really concerns me, because the person would have had to walk right up on our porch under the glare of the porch light to take it.” They’re at 37th and Edmunds (
Tonight we continue our city-candidate closeups; we took a look at them all before the primary election, and with the general election nearing, we’re checking back in with the finalists in five city races – mayor and council. We’ve already looked at mayor (Mike McGinn 
Richard Conlin is coming to the end of his third term as a member of the 
City Council Position 2 candidate David Ginsberg — the only West Seattle-residing council candidate on the November ballot — isn’t that happy about the decision to build a deep-bore tunnel, but he says he will support the project unless there are some unforeseen increases in its cost.
On August 30th I published a story of my purchase of “a home with history” (
The 
First, we have received two more reports of the serial vandalism in the Morgan Junction/Lincoln Park area that’s widely known as “the homophobic graffiti” – invariably the same profane three-word slur. CJ writes today that it “reappeared on a garage door overnight – 6000 block of Cal Ave. Same ugly phrase as last time. Police were there taking a report with the homeowner.” And Jen e-mailed yesterday about another sighting; as
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