West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
Just out of the WSB inbox, from DRG:
Just wanted to drop a quick note about a coyote sighting (my first): I was driving south on 44th Ave SW (between 43rd Place SW and SW 100th [map]) shortly after 10 pm tonight, and saw a coyote dart across the street into some bushes.
As always, we want to share the “coexisting with coyotes” info-link, in case their presence among us is news to you. (All our coyote reports, some with photos, are archived here, newest to oldest.)
Not West Seattle, but taken by a West Seattleite, and some WS riders had to have been in the crowd – that’s a ferry full of bicycles, headed from Bainbridge Island to downtown Seattle after the Chilly Hilly, photographed by John LaSpina, who caught this view too:
One day after our first report that public-safety advocates were pleading for support to keep EHB 1679, the “Jason McKissack Act” – whose namesake suffered brain damage in an attack while on the job as a police officer in West Seattle – here’s where things stand: Tomorrow remains the deadline for bills to get out of the Ways and Means Committee, or be dead for the year. Law-enforcement lobbyist and police widow Renee Maher, who sounded the alarm last night, is among those working around the clock – she tells WSB, “The idea of losing this bill breaks my heart in more ways than words can describe.” She testified at public hearings before both houses’ Ways and Means Committees (we went to Olympia to cover both – here’s our report from last Monday). Maher reiterates that keeping up the pressure is vital – Senator Margarita Prentice, Ways and Means chair, will make the decision on whether there’s a vote; she also recommends contacting Sen. Lisa Brown, Senate Majority Leader, because “it’s important that she knows how much this issue means to the community.” West Seattle’s State Senator Joe McDermott is on the committee as well, and commented following yesterday’s story, ” I have spoken to Senator Prentice … and Senator Brown … reminding them again of the compelling testimony we heard at the hearing and underscoring the need to move the bill out of committee. … Continued positive encouragement is always welcome in a legislative environment.”
Contact info:
Sen. Margarita Prentice (360) 786-7616 prentice.margarita@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Lisa Brown (360) 786-7604 Brown.Lisa@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Joe McDermott (360) 786-7667 mcdermott.joe@leg.wa.gov
Full membership of Ways and Means (with phone numbers – follow links to their home pages for e-mail addresses)
The committee meets at 1:30 pm tomorrow, and its agenda is apparently still a work in progress – its latest version is online here.
From Leslie Thomson at Dream Dinners (longtime WSB sponsor):
YOU ARE INVITED TO
TASTE OF DREAM DINNERS OPEN HOUSE
Join us Tuesday, March 2nd at
5:30 PM, 6:00 PM or, 6:30 PMfor a taste of our wonderful March menu. Start Spring 2010 by saving time and money while serving delicious and nutritious Dream Dinners to your family and friends.
Want to attend? It is easy.
Just click here and select “View Sessions for March Menu.” Next click on March 2nd at 5:30, 6:00 or 6:30–which ever time works best for you. The party password is dinner.
Our Taste of Dream Dinners Open House is a great opportunity to invite friends to check out Dream Dinners.
Attend as an observer–sample some yummy dinners from our March menu and watch a Dream Dinners assembly demonstration. Still better, register to assemble a dinner that you take home to serve to your family and friends.
More questions, please click here to send us an email or call 206 938 5999.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
The new Student Assignment Plan for Seattle Public Schools means that starting next school year, thousands of students get default assignments to what the district has designated as their “neighborhood schools.” However, you can still request a different school – and the official period for doing that starts tomorrow. Here’s the info on the SPS site. ADDED 9:58 PM: The district is having several outreach events at which you can get help with the application process; in West Seattle, there’s a session planned 5:30-7 pm March 8 at Delridge Library.
We’ve been tracking work on the new King County Water Taxi dock at Seacrest – next step, the gangway. Its components arrived at the end of the week, after the concrete dock was towed in (see our previous story/photos here) and secured. And you may soon see the new vessel on the West Seattle-downtown run, the Rachel Marie, because King County Transportation Marine Division communications manager Susan Whitmore says it’s being brought into Puget Sound this week, after leaving the Ballard shipyard where it’s been getting ready for its new role (see our “sneak peek inside tour” story here). Whitmore says the crew – county employees, now that the service is no longer operated by Argosy – starts work two weeks from tomorrow and will be training until the new season begins on April 5. 6:48 PM UPDATE: Seems the Rachel Marie didn’t wait till next week – we’re told it was seen out and about today, and Zack sent this photo of the RM docked at Pier 50 this evening, now sporting the KCWT branding, next to its counterpart Melissa Ann, which makes the Vashon-downtown run:
9:31 PM UPDATE: The explanation comes in comment and on our Facebook (WS Blog) page – the Rachel Marie will fill in on the Vashon-downtown run because of mechanical trouble that took the Melissa Ann out of service.
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
You’ve seen the stairways that emerge from dense foliage on our steep West Seattle hillsides. Perhaps you’ve wondered where they lead or descend to; perhaps you’ve even climbed some of them. Our staircases can be at once daunting and convenient. It’s a steep slope from California Avenue to 44th Avenue SW near Hamilton Viewpoint, but those stairs, all 78 of them, provide you with easy pedestrian access from one road to the other and eliminate the need to wander blocks out of your way.
Bob Estep knows those steps, and many more. He is a walker — up to 6 miles per day. Inspired by a recent article in the Seattle Times (WSB citywide-news partner) about an architect who mapped the staircases on Queen Anne Hill, Bob thought, “Why don’t I do that for West Seattle?”
And so, he has.
From soup to nuts – apples to stinging nettles – it’s a long list of freshness at West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska) – check out the Ripe ‘n’ Ready rundown here!
From West Seattle-based Twelfth Night Productions:
Twelfth Night Productions (TNP) is proud to open its spring production, The Miss Firecracker Contest, by Beth Henley on Friday April 9 at the Youngstown Cultural Center in West Seattle.
The Miss Firecracker Contest is set in the small town of Brookhaven, Mississippi and centers around its annual beauty pageant, the titular Miss Firecracker Contest. Young and attractive Carnelle is trying out for the pageant as a way to elevate her somewhat tarnished reputation. Together with her recently returning cousins, Elain and Delmount, she is determined to leave her small town life behind her in a blaze of glory. Meanwhile, Popeye, her seamstress, has fallen in love with the deeply intense Delmount, but hides her feelings behind stories of her eccentric life. Once they all make it to the contest, they meet up with Mac Sam and Tessy, two characters who have an intimate knowledge of two of our protagonists. It all comes to a head with the crowning of the one and only Miss Firecracker and the yearly fireworks display.
The Miss Firecracker Contest runs in a special limited engagement at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle. Show times are: April 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 7:30 PM and April 11 and 18 at 3 PM. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors and are available online at brown paper tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com), at Square One Books at Jefferson Square (4724 42nd Avenue SW) and at the Youngstown Theater (4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106) on performance days.
From South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor):
South Seattle Community College is partnering with the U.S. Census Brueau to help achieve a complete and accurate count of the nation’s growing population. By supporting the 2010 Census, the college hopes to raise awareness of this important initiative and work to increase the overall response rate of historically hard-to-count college and university students.
The partnership will involve sharing information about the census on the college website, www.southseattle.edu, and encouraging students to complete and return their 2010 Census forms. Off-campus sites NewHolly and Georgetown will also participate in outreach activities.
In addition, a Question Assistance Center (QAC) will be established on the main campus in Cascade Court room 123 (former site of Bernie’s Bakery), where staff will answer questions from students and members of the community. The QAC will be staffed from 11 am to 7 pm on the following dates:
Tuesday, March 16
Wednesday, March 17
Tuesday, April 6
Wednesday, April 7
Tuesday, April 13
Wednesday, April 14South Seattle Community College is located at 6000-16th Ave. SW, in West Seattle. Driving directions: www.southseattle.edu/campus/map.htm#sscc.
No word so far if either of these has been confirmed as “shots fired” – sometimes it turns out to be fireworks – but we’ve heard reports in the past few hours of suspected gunshots in two West Seattle neighborhoods: Alki and Pigeon Point. In the latter case, it just happened – we got a text, and have heard on the scanner that 911 is getting multiple reports; Alki was a few hours ago, according to commenters both here and on our Facebook page. SUNDAY AFTERNOON NOTE: We checked with the Southwest Precinct; Lt. Norm James, who would normally be notified of major incidents, said no confirmed case of “shots fired” had come to his attention so far.
We’ve got photos from unique events involving two West Seattle elementary schools: First, Saturday night was Prom Night at Kenyon Hall, for Alki Elementary parents (and friends) who wanted to party like it was the ’80s all over again. Thanks to Kristina for the tip; she explained it’s an Alki fundraiser, with tickets sold at the recent benefit auction. We went over for a couple photos, intrigued by the promise of “big hair, some crazy ’80s music … satin, tuxes with shiny cummerbunds, and the like … a great time with a lot of laughter, and it’s all in the name of helping our kids!” Four promgoers paused to pose – from left, Laurie, Susan, Doreen and Linda:
Also this morning, photos from a special assembly at Lafayette Elementary on Friday – courtesy of Luckie:
She says Boxtales Theatre Company from Santa Barbara, California, enchanted the students (and others!) with stories from afar, including Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The photo above is from the Mexican story “La Calavera” (Lady Death). The performers also showed some of their masks to Lafayette students:
Luckie adds, “The Lafayette PTA budgets each year for arts assemblies, and this is the first one of the 2009-10 school year. Next, we will have the Grail Theatre of Britain, in June. Yay PTA!”
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