day : 20/04/2010 11 results

(L-R, Jason McKissack, Lt. Ron Smith, Capt. Joe Kessler, Dep. Chief Nick Metz, Asst. Chief Mike Sanford)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Twenty-two months after we all first learned of the attack on Southwest Precinct Officer Jason McKissack – the attack that cost him his career but spurred passage of a new state law – his long road to recovery paused for celebration: More than 70 people, mostly former Seattle Police Department colleagues, crowded into the precinct community room for a retirement party tonight.

Before and after SPD leaders including precinct commander Captain Joe Kessler, Deputy Chief Nick Metz and Assistant Chief Mike Sanford took to the podium, law enforcers in and out of uniform mingled, applauded, and honored McKissack’s achievements.

Those achievements included fighting for the passage of legislation that was described as his legacy – the legislation we went to Olympia twice this year to cover, then to Lakewood to watch the governor sign: HB 1679 will make sure no catastrophically injured public-safety worker ever faces what he faced, the potential loss of medical benefits.

The tributes, his words, and the retirement gifts he received tonight are part of the story ahead, along with a look back:

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Got an idea for The Hole, or another stalled site? Send it in!

April 20, 2010 9:16 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

Tailor-made for The Hole at Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th … or maybe Avalon Center … or maybe one of the other stalled/not-yet-started development sites around town … the Seattle Design Commission has put out a call for “Holding Patterns,” and Kevin thought you’d want to see it – here’s how it starts:
Have you noticed how many lots have been left empty or partially developed due to the stalled economy? These vacant project sites are all around us. Unattractive and unbecoming of our city, we pass by them every day: empty holes, barren plains of gravel, voids in the city fabric. How can we convert these eyesores to opportunities?

The Seattle Design Commission wants your ideas for Holding Patterns, interim uses for stalled project sites. We are seeking your concepts to transform the following types of stalled project sites around the city:
*holes in the ground
*surface lots
*ongoing construction above or below street level

The deadline for sending in ideas is May 24. After that, certain ideas will be “selected” and you might get to make a pitch to “potential partners who are able to help make your ideas a reality.” Here’s the document with all the info on how to enter.

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West Seattle school news: Lafayette’s composting success

April 20, 2010 8:52 pm

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| Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thursday is the official 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and one of the local schools celebrating sustainability success is Lafayette Elementary, which shared the photo of fifth-graders Marques Titialii and Alyx Hastings, members of its Green Team, helping with composting. Students meet monthly to come up with ideas for reducing the school’s environmental/carbon footprint; in the first year, they recycled lunchroom milk cartons, and this year, they’re working to compost everything that goes uneaten at lunchtime. They got grants from Seattle Public Schools and from ReUsies, the West Seattle-based company (two Lafayette moms!) that makes and sells reusable sandwich/snack bags, and they set up the program – for which Green Team third, fourth and fifth-graders are fully responsible, including getting their schoolmates to put leftovers in the proper bins. The district is able to pay for compost pickup because the program has reduced the school’s trash pickup costs. Principal Virginia Turner wanted to congratulate “the Lafayette students, parents and staff – led by Laurie Hertzler – for taking on the challenge of composting more than 550 student/teacher lunches each day!”

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West Seattle school news: Holy Rosary students thank Safeway

April 20, 2010 8:36 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Holy Rosary School shared that photo, explaining that Dave Dupuy of Jefferson Square Safeway is one of two local Safeway store managers receiving special presentations from students recently; he and Admiral Safeway‘s Amy Hill got posters and certificates in honor of their contributions to the school through the eScrip program. The announcement from Holy Rosary explains, “eScrip contributes to our operating budget which helps keep tuition affordable for all families, compensates our faculty and staff at a just and equitable salary, and continuously improves the learning opportunities for our students.” Last year, the program – which donates a portion of the monthly grocery purchases by each registered participant – brought almost $5,000 to Holy Rosary. Other local schools participate too – you can see the list and support a local school by going to escrip.com.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: More numbers, and 2 reports

April 20, 2010 6:38 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

First, the numbers: During the crime-trends update at last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (WSB coverage here), Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James mentioned that auto theft was down, but didn’t mention numbers. We just got those from him – 38 in February, dropping to 28 in March. Meantime, we have two short reports from WSB’ers who wanted to get the word out about recent incidents – read on:Read More

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Sewer overflow facility at Lowman Beach? Next meeting tomorrow

April 20, 2010 6:13 pm

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| Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

Three weeks after the first public discussion of three options for reducing “Combined Sewer Overflows” from the Murray Pump Station at Lowman Beach – including one that would dig up much of the small park – it’s back on a local agenda tomorrow: The Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting. Meantime, park neighbor Dr. Ron Sterling writes on his website dedicated to the controversial proposal that nearly 400 signatures have been gathered on an “offline” petition, while this online petition is still open to signatures and as of this writing has more than 60 names. At the March 30 public meeting (WSB coverage here), the county described the three alternatives it’s considering for reducing overflows at the site; all involved some form of storage, with the most concern voiced about the option detailed in the graphic above, showing a large tank buried at the park and a storage pipe under part of Beach Drive, plus an above-ground odor-control/electrical vault on the park’ s north side. (The other two listed alternatives include one that would put an underground tank on land across from Lowman that now holds homes and apartments – which could be claimed by eminent domain if their owners chose not to sell – plus one with underground storage under a street uphill.) Neighbors urge anyone interested in the project, pro and con, to be at tomorrow night’s MoCA meeting, 7 pm in the downstairs meeting area at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW). Meantime, the county is taking comments through the end of this month – feedback options are listed here.

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Attention, artists: Be part of the West Seattle Art Walk’s “look”!

April 20, 2010 3:32 pm

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| West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Every quarter, the West Seattle Art Walk‘s promotional materials take on a new look – for spring, the flyers and posters show the photo collage making up the WSAW’s name (as you can see at left). Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction is putting out the call for local artists to send in art to use on posters, flyers, etc., in future quarters. If you’re chosen, your work will be seen on more than 2,000 pieces of promotional material – not to mention myriad places online. Here’s the form with more details on what and who they’re looking for (By the way, the next WS Art Walk is May 13th; you can keep up with WSAW plans on the Web at wsartwalk.com and on Facebook by going here.)

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West Seattle traffic alert: “Rolling slowdowns” for film crew

April 20, 2010 2:01 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

From SDOT:

Drivers may encounter congestion on the West Seattle Bridge on Thursday, April 22, while a film crew works from noon to 3 p.m. and again from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. There will be “rolling slowdowns” on the bridge from First Avenue South to Southwest Avalon Way in both the eastbound and westbound directions.

Filming is also scheduled Thursday for the Alaskan Way Viaduct from East Marginal Way South to the Western Avenue off-ramp, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The filming will affect only northbound traffic on the viaduct.

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West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day signups: Deadline nears

April 20, 2010 11:26 am

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| Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

As of this morning, we’ve passed 120 sales registered for the sixth annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coming up Saturday, May 8th – not one big sale, but a multitude of sales big AND small, all over the peninsula. It’s the third year that WSB has sponsored/coordinated the sale, and we’ll start making The Map as soon as registration closes late Thursday night (it’ll be available May 1st). A few notes:

*Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) still has a few courtyard spots, if you don’t want to sell at your own place (or don’t have enough room) – you can sign up @ Hotwire (free)

*C & P Coffee also is offering space for individual sellers (free) – we’re checking on their status but you can contact them in the meantime

*(added) Highland Park Improvement Club is offering space too, but charging $20 as an HPIC fundraiser – e-mail hpic1919@gmail.com

*If you have stuff you don’t want to sell but would like to donate to one of the nonprofits that’s participating, we know of at least one: CoolMom is collecting donated items at Cycle University (4550 Fauntleroy; that’s where their sale will be) up through Friday 5/7, the day before Sale Day. CM executive director Terri Glaberson says, “Folks can drop off their loot at Cycle University and place inside the Blue large storage container, which is located on the East side of Cycle University, Fauntleroy side. Here’s their flyer about the donations and sale.

As usual, we’re promoting West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day regionally so that sale-shopping fans know they’re also welcome to come to the peninsula that for one day becomes a garage-saler’s paradise – the ultimate in person-to-person recycling. Want to be part of it? Register and pay online by 11:59 pm Thursday (4/22), starting here. (The form server’s been running a little slow this morning; we appreciate your patience.) Any questions? E-mail our special WSCGSD mailbox, garagesale@westseattleblog.com or call our 24/7 business line, 206-293-6302.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Reading group; Tool Library meeting; more …

April 20, 2010 7:55 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Harbor Avenue gosling and parent, photographed by David Hutchinson)
Want to curl up … with a good book? The monthly reading group at High Point Library meets at 6:30 tonight to discuss the 2010 Seattle Reads featured work, “Secret Son” by Laila Lalami … The West Seattle Tool Library, closer to launch after two recent successful donation drives, needs YOUR help tonight – join the people working on it as they meet at 7 pm at Uptown Espresso in The Junction (full details and background here) … Crosstown rivalry in boys’ varsity soccer today, West Seattle High School at Chief Sealth HS, 3:30 pm … Tonight at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), the weekly Spin Your Wax open-turntables event at 6 is followed by the monthly Alauda bellydancing showcase, 7:30 … More on the WSB Events calendar!

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Kiwanis Club of West Seattle hears from Alliance for Education executive April 21

April 20, 2010 1:49 am

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| Announcements

Announced by the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle:

Alliance for Education Exec will Address Kiwanians

Vice President for Operations, Karen Tollenaar Demorest is the featured speaker at a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, Wednesday, April 21st. The Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to help all students in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success.

In her role, Demorest works with the district’s leadership, foundations, corporations, and other partners to secure strategic investments for innovative programs in Seattle Public Schools. She also oversees the organization’s community engagement program, and provides leadership for the Educational Investments and Community Engagement Task Forces to lead the work in the two core priority areas. She also convenes funders, community groups and civic leadership to provide support for public education.

The meeting will be held in the dining room of BE’s Restaurant, 4509 California Ave SW. Parking in the Junction lots on 44th Ave SW behind the marked rear entrance. The public is invited. Please call 206-938-8032.

The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, now in its 82nd year, undertakes a full program of service to the communities of West Seattle with special emphasis on the growth, education and needs of children from preschool though college. An affiliate of Kiwanis International which has clubs in 83 nations, the West Seattle club is an organization of concerned adults dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

The West Seattle Kiwanis club is one of the first service clubs established in West Seattle, and was started in 1929.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle offers you the opportunity to share your experience, knowledge, and time in service to the community. This service is great fun and builds fellowship with other members. Excellent, diverse
programs can be enjoyed at our weekly meetings. Membership is open to all men and women who possess a genuine interest in serving the community.

The club meets at 7am every 1st and 3rd Wednesday, and Noon every 2nd Wednesday, at Be’s Restaurant in the Junction, at 4509 California Ave SW. Park in rear lot and enter the rear door.

For more information, contact Warren Lawless at 206-938-8032 or ewl@westseattle.com