day : 26/08/2011 10 results

11:16 PM FRIDAY: Lots of sirens in the past half-hour in south West Seattle – ultimately not a big incident but since it sounded like one, some are asking about it. According to scanner traffic, there was some kind of clash at Southwest Community Center (2800 SW Thistle), and police were called to help get it under control. Many units rushed that way. They cleared the center, staff closed it, and then for a while they were monitoring groups of people dispersing eastbound on Thistle and southbound on Delridge. No injuries reported.

SATURDAY UPDATE: Police have now released more information; we have that and a brief clip of reader video (most notable for its audio) in this followup report.

West Seattle whale watching: More photos from today’s orca visit

August 26, 2011 10:42 pm

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Following up on the amazing morning of whale-watching during “transient” orcas’ travels off West Seattle shores (here’s our previous report with photos from multiple sources), we have more photos tonight. The orca pictures are courtesy of Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales, who says, “I followed them from Alki to Lincoln Park, to Brace Point and left them heading south at 3 Tree Point. Last I heard they had headed south through the [Tacoma] Narrows, with a pair possibly northbound around 6 pm today.”

Be on the lookout again tomorrow! By the way, if you’re new to orca-watching, the ones with the taller dorsal fins – as in this next photo – are the males:

Jeff also posted one additional photo on the Orca Network‘s Facebook wall – with an orca making a higher-than-usual “spyhop.” P.S. One bonus photo here – featuring the West Seattle Water Taxi and sea lions, not orcas, though Trileigh Tucker photographed them while out watching the orcas (she sent in the very first photo we received this morning!):

She explains that ” when there was a pause in orca viewing, during which I finally noticed these gorgeous sea lions (given their size, I believe they’re sea lions and not seals) resting on a float near a ship off the WS shore. We don’t want to overlook all of our “normal” West Seattle marine life just because those transient orcas came through! And I thought those folks in the Water Taxi were sure having one beautiful morning. (And I also want to say a “public” thank you to my Good Samaritan of the morning, a Beacon Hill resident named Ray, who was taking photos next to me along Harbor Avenue, and then spent much of his morning rescuing me from a dead car battery!)”

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Also tomorrow: Pitch in at Delridge’s Recovery Garden

August 26, 2011 10:01 pm

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| Delridge | How to help | West Seattle news

An update tonight from Tasha Mosher about tomorrow’s work party at the Recovery Garden in North Delridge: She says that staff from the Downtown Emergency Service Center, including its executive director Bill Hobson, are expected to join in; Tasha says she invited DESC to participate after hearing that they wanted to get more involved with the community, since they are proposing building a 75-unit apartment building here for chronically homeless people dealing with issues including substance abuse and/or mental illness, and she says it’s a chance for community members to come chat with them one on one – while of course working in the garden: “We will be spreading mulch over the areas we didn’t cover at the last cleanup. We might also spread burlap and wood chips. And of course, we will be doing some light weeding where little tenacious plants have popped back up.” 10 am-2 pm. The garden is at 26th/Brandon (here’s a map). Tasha says gloves and tools will be provided, but if you have a last-minute question, e-mail her: t.m.mosher@hotmail.com.

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Lafayette playground update: Help needed tomorrow

August 26, 2011 8:31 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

You can almost hear those kids thinking “Can’t wait to get in there!” as they peer through the fence at the Lafayette Elementary playground, now in the final stages of the latest upgrade phase, with less than two weeks to go till more than 500 kids start the new school year there. Yesterday, volunteers from ING Direct Investing pitched in – and Lafayette parent volunteer Luckie shares these photos of some of the results:

Tomorrow, they could use all the community help they can get for tasks including painting, moving wood chips (you can see the pile in the background of Luckie’s photos), weeding, and washing, at various spots around the playground/school. Just show up at California/Lander and they’ll put you to work – even if you can only help for part of the time they’ve blocked out from 9 am to 4 pm. They are planning an art project for kids, too.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 burglaries, 2 car crimes

August 26, 2011 4:57 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

A car theft, two burglaries, and a car break-in are among the West Seattle Crime Watch reports that have come in over the past day/night – so here’s a longer-than-usual roundup.Read More

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9-day Viaduct closure dates to be announced Monday

August 26, 2011 2:50 pm

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| Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news

(WSDOT photo of Viaduct south-end-replacement progress, via Flickr)
Been waiting to plan a vacation till you hear the dates for WSDOT‘s planned 9-day October construction closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct? Back in June, south-end project boss Matt Preedy told the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council that they were TENTATIVELY targeting October 21-31. Will those indeed be the dates? Or something different? We’ll find out Monday morning – when WSDOT will make the official announcement at a media briefing.

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9/11 anniversary events: West Seattle and White Center

August 26, 2011 2:07 pm

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| West Seattle history | West Seattle news | White Center

Just a little more than two weeks till the 10th anniversary of 9/11 – and ~~two~~ three tributes are now planned in our area:

(Photos by Alki photographer David Hutchinson from September 2001 and September 2009)
STATUE OF LIBERTY COMMEMORATION: The Statue of Liberty on Alki became an unofficial touchstone/gathering place for mourners in the nights and days following the 2001 attacks. The date held significance in later years, including the unveiling of the recast statue on 9/11/07. And this year, a tribute is planned at Liberty Plaza, according to word just in from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:

Please join the community to memorialize the fallen as well as survivors and families of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. On Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. there will be a candlelight vigil at the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza ~~(pending permission from the Seattle Parks Department)~~.

A 9/11 memorial exhibit can be viewed from 12-7 p.m. at the Log House Museum, 3003 61st Ave. SW on Sunday, September 11.

Added note: Parks permission is now granted, as of 8/30/11.

WHITE CENTER OBSERVANCE: Once again this year, the Holy Family Church and School Street Fair will coincide with the 9/11 anniversary, and there will be a remembrance program. The street fair is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 10th-11th, just west of the school and church at 20th/Roxbury (more information here), and the remembrance will be on Sunday (we’ll update when we know the exact time).

(added) CONCERT AT HOLY ROSARY: After reading our original mention of two events, Michael sent information on another one: Cantaré Vocal Ensemble and other groups plus the “Voices of 9/11” in a memorial concert at Holy Rosary, 3 pm on September 11th, with a portion of ticket proceeds benefiting the Twin Towers Memorial Fund. Full details here.

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West Seattle road ruts: ‘Spot paving’ planned on California SW

August 26, 2011 11:35 am

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| Transportation | West Seattle news

Good news for everyone whose teeth (and alignment) rattle while traveling California SW south of The Junction. Natalie shares word from SDOT that “spot paving” is planned to fix its rut-ravaged section from Erskine to Hudson. (They also say resurfacing is planned for a section of Highland Park Way before year’s end.) Natalie originally e-mailed SDOT to plead for repaving all the way south to Morgan; Benjamin Hansen from SDOT’s Street Maintenance Division replied with word that the California work from Erskine to Hudson, described as “large patches across some of the worst areas,” is planned next month. He told her he wishes they could do more, but they don’t have the money right now – though, he wrote, “we included (California south to Morgan Junction) on our Paving Needs List that was recently presented to the Seattle City Council for future funding consideration.” Meantime, he wrote, keep reporting potholes. (206-684-ROAD, or online.)

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West Seattle whale watching: Orcas sighted off our shores!

August 26, 2011 8:15 am

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: Three more photos here!)

(Top photo added 1:44 pm, taken by Craig Savey from Pier 17 on Harbor Island; photo below added 9:40 am – WSB photo by Patrick Sand, from Me-Kwa-Mooks)

8:15 AM: First sighting of the season – just got a text (thanks!) that orcas were seen from the West Seattle Water Taxi this morning. Checking Twitter and the Orca Network Facebook page, it doesn’t seem to be an isolated sighting. (Added: We’re getting LOTS of notes now – definitely something many are seeing, including from downtown!) Keep an eye out and please share if you get them on camera.

(iPad photo courtesy Trileigh Tucker – orca off the downtown docks)
8:56 AM UPDATE: Reported off the Alki business district as of minutes ago. (Moved on by the time we got there, though. Not sure if headed south or north from Alki Point, but Beach Drive, keep an eye out!)

9:20 AM UPDATE: Multiple reports indicate they are headed south – BD, Fauntleroy, Arroyos, be on the lookout. And thanks again to the MANY people who have texted, e-mailed, called, Tweeted, posted/commented on the WSB Facebook wall.

9:40 AM UPDATE: WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand caught up with West Seattle’s resident whale-watching experts, Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail and Jeff Hogan from Killer Whale Tales, at Me-Kwa-Mooks. With their guidance, he caught some on camera – we’ve added one photo atop this story and one atop this paragraph. Donna is sharing binoculars from the new Whale Trail whale-watching kits.

She says they’re “transients” – not the orcas that live year-round in the Puget Sound/San Juans area.

10:03 AM UPDATE: Talked to Jeff by phone a few minutes ago. He says they’ve moved out of range, south of Brace Point, and confirms that the Center for Whale Research says they’re transients (this explains how orcas are ID’d), more than 20 of them. (But what heads south, must come north, so more sightings are possible later!)

ADDED 11 AM: Video clip above this line is from the Water Taxi this morning (thanks to Patrick P!) – watch the top left for spouts. And KIRO TV’s chopper video is here.

ADDED 1:48 PM: KIRO’s video is not embeddable, so we can’t show you the player here, but KING 5 now has video and theirs is:

KING reports that was shot off Maury Island.

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West Seattle Friday: Free concerts; outdoor pools; bingo…

August 26, 2011 7:49 am

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| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts | WS miscellaneous

(African Children’s Choir photo courtesy West Seattle Christian Church)
The weather’s summery and so are our highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

WADING POOL EXTENSIONS: Delridge and E.C. Hughes are the West Seattle wading pools that will be open today even though their schedules were originally ending earlier – details here, and there’s more wading-pool info here.

CLOCK’S TICKING FOR COLMAN POOL: Only one more week for Colman Pool‘s 7-day-a-week summer operations (followed by one “post-season weekend”), so if you haven’t been to West Seattle’s only on-the-beach public salt-water pool yet, you don’t have too many more chances; swimming starts at noon (pool schedule/other info here)

FINAL ‘OUTDOOR CONCERT AT THE MOUNT’: Last Friday night in August and that means the fourth and final outdoor concert at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor) – tonight it’s world music by the Selam Band, with dinner/wine/beer on sale at 5:30, music (free!) at 6 pm, free popcorn/snow cones too. It’s on the south-side patio at The Mount, 4831 35th SW, bring your own chair/blanket.

RAINBOW BINGO: It’s back at the Senior Center of West Seattle tonight, with a tropical theme, hosted by Sylvia O’Stayformore. The night starts with food at 6, entertainment at 6:30, bingo at 7. More details in our preview from last week.

OPEN-AIR OPEN MIKE: Encore presentation of Cultivate Open Mike in White Center, right next to Dubsea Coffee. Bring your shades, lawn chairs and blankets, and come enjoy talented local artists 7 pm at Greenbridge Plaza, 9910 8th SW (just south of SW Roxbury).

AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR: Young singers and dancers from Uganda, internationally renowned as the African Children’s Choir, are touring the region and will present a free concert tonight at West Seattle Christian Church activity center on 42nd south of SW Genesee, 7 pm (**updated time**).

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