West Seattle, Washington
11 Wednesday
(2010 photo of ex-Fire Station 37, at 35th/Othello)
It’s likely to be a quick, routine vote of approval, but nonetheless, it should be noted that the authorization to sell historic former Fire Station 37 is on the agenda tomorrow during the City Council‘s afternoon meeting. Here’s the full version of what they’ll be voting on. The new Station 37, a few blocks south of the old one, opened last fall; the city had been taking comments on the old station’s future since last summer, and concluded it’s most likely to become a “private residence.” Ex-FS 37 was built in 1925.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With three grocery stores within a radius of barely three blocks, the Admiral District is home to West Seattle’s busiest food-shopping hub.
And it’s been a big year for all three of those supermarkets – Safeway just opened its new store, PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) remodeled its West Seattle store, and Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) celebrated “a fantastic 40 years of being in business,” as Admiral store manager Glen Hasstedt describes it.
We talked with him recently to check in on what’s new with MM, and what’s ahead.
(WSB photo from August media tour of new Denny)
On Wednesday, when Denny International Middle School sixth-graders get the school to themselves as per tradition, they will be the first to officially attend the brand-new Denny, adjacent to the remodeled Chief Sealth International High School. But first: As was the case for Sealth on back-to-school-day-eve last year, Denny gets the spotlight at a ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow. Seattle Public Schools‘ interim superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield will be there, as will of course Denny’s proud principal Jeff Clark, and other dignitaries, including West Seattle’s school-board rep (and its president) Steve Sundquist. If you’re planning on being there too, note that Denny’s entrance is on the north side of the campus (2601 SW Kenyon), while Sealth’s entrance remains on the south side. A formal community open house/tour event is set for 10 am Saturday, September 24th.
Just in case you passed by or were in the area and wondered: The fire/police response that’s wrapping up in the Salty’s vicinity on Harbor Avenue involves a diver who, according to the scanner, felt sick after emerging from the water. No water rescue was needed, but 911 was called, SFD responded, and was taking the diver to the hospital at last report. Police were called to help with traffic in the vicinity of the SFD units.
We took the photo Sunday afternoon at Delridge Skatepark, formally opening on Delridge Day September 17th (but being skated like crazy, again, when we ran by) – we got a tip about the banner, made by an anonymous West Seattleite who wanted to show appreciation for the Grindline design/build crew’s labors. On to the Labor Day info:
TRANSPORTATION: Metro Transit, the West Seattle Water Taxi (along with its shuttle buses), and Sound Transit express buses are all on their Sunday schedules. Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is on a weekend schedule .
PARKING IN THE PAY ZONES DOWNTOWN, ETC.: Pay stations/meters are on holiday too – free street parking today.
SOLID WASTE PICKUP: If you have city trash/recycling/yard waste pickup on Mondays, it’s on a normal schedule despite the holiday.
STATE LIQUOR STORES: Open 10 am-7 pm.
WHAT’S NOT HAPPENING: Most government offices/facilities closed (Seattle Public Library system reopens tomorrow), most banks closed, no mail delivery.
BUSINESSES? Mixed bag, judging by what we’ve seen mentioned on business Facebook pages/Twitter feeds – more closed than open, overall. Avalon Glassworks did e-mail to say they’ll be open.
As for events, we have a few:
COOKING CLUB MEETS: The holiday’s not stopping the West Seattle Cooking Club from meeting today. Location: Beveridge Place Pub. Theme: “4 ingredients.” Time: 2 pm. The challenge this week – to create a dish limited to 4 ingredients – salt, pepper and oil are allowed in addition to the 4 ingredients that you choose. (Then bring your creation to BPP for the meeting.)
LAST DAY FOR THE WADING POOL: Last day of the season for the last West Seattle wading pool still open, Lincoln Park.
Yet another reason to remember the tenet “Share the Shore” (noticed the new Alki banners yet?) – the latest seal sighting, shared this time by West Seattle-based entrepreneur/speaker Sunny Kobe Cook (thanks!), who says her photo shows:
A newly identified, healthy harbor-seal pup, named “Cupcake” by visitors to Jack Block Park this afternoon. A Seal Sitters volunteer came, took pictures, recorded the find, set up a tape barrier to be sure the pup wasn’t disturbed, and provided information to park visitors.
Watch the Seal Sitters “Blubberblog” site for news on other recent pup sightings on local beaches, and remember that if you see a seal, or any marine mammal, on a local beach, call 206-905-7325 (SEAL) to let SS know.
Before Seattle Public Schools classes start Wednesday, some West Seattle schools have big pre-school-year events Tuesday. And we have new details tonight on one of them: The playground dedication at Lafayette Elementary in the Admiral District. It’s been a long road for volunteers and donors, and they are inviting you to help them celebrate, 5-7 pm Tuesday evening. One of the Play It Forward Project leaders, Holly Grambihler, describes it as a “fun, free event for the community,” with the ribbon-cutting set for about 5:15 pm. The Junction QFC is hosting a free barbecue – hot dogs, salads, chips – Holly explains that the store’s new manager, Jill Hamilton, “is a West Seattle native and grad of WSHS. She’s very excited to be back in our area and to get involved in our community. She stepped up and volunteered their donation and services to help our event!” Live music will be courtesy of the Toucans steel-drum band (recently seen at the grand opening of the Admiral Safeway across the street); jump-rope artistry will be courtesy of the Lafayette Popcorns team; and a Seattle Sounders FC player (TBA) is scheduled to appear. Holly says fun playground prizes are in store for a “kids’ only” raffle, and two last additions – treats from the new Safeway and from Little Rae’s Bakery. Never been to the Lafayette playground? It’s on the west side of the school, alongside SW Lander, west of California SW (map).
(Photo courtesy Debra Herbst, taken @ Seacrest 7/20/11, when big events boosted WT ridership)
After last Monday’s announcement of the official dates for October’s 9-day/10-night Alaskan Way Viaduct construction/demolition closure, some asked about the West Seattle Water Taxi – would it add more runs during the shutdown? The short answer from King County was, no – runs were already added earlier this year, and the service was finally extended to be year-round. However, Michelle Allison from the office of King County Councilmember Joe McDermott (who chairs the King County Ferry District Board, an alter-ego of the KC Council) says they are working on ideas for making it more “accessible” during that time. In particular, she told WSB, they’re trying to figure out if they can ease the parking crunch for people trying to get to Seacrest to catch the WT, since the shuttle/bus routes don’t work for everyone. Any specific ideas – that would be easily implementable, temporarily and quickly – that YOU think would make the WT easier to use?
P.S. Yet another reminder – the West Seattle Water Taxi is on a Sunday schedule tomorrow (Labor Day), as are its shuttle buses, while the Vashon Water Taxi won’t run at all.
Aside from the forest-fire-smoke haze, the skies are clear, and it could be a great night for stargazing. Since a comet and a supernova just might be visible, West Seattle’s NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen – whom you might know for throwing solstice/equinox sunset-viewing parties (like this one) – is inviting you to Solstice Park tonight at 9. She’ll have telescopes, and expert guidance on what to look for. Solstice Park is upslope behind the Lincoln Park Annex tennis courts (Alice’s site has an excellent map to guide you).
Another urban-wildlife tale shared by photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker –
A few days ago I was watching pairs of adult/fledgling crows poking the grass for insects on the south ballfield in Lincoln Park, when suddenly this young Cooper’s Hawk (possibly one of the fledglings from this year’s nest in Lincoln Park) started trying to capture young crows for her breakfast. Surprisingly to me, she also tried to nab a squirrel, who seemed remarkable unperturbed at being swooped on. The Coop repeatedly went after the crows until finally the adults got fed up and started harassing her.
She finally flew off, probably hoping for a better breakfast buffet elsewhere.
More photos and some reflections on the usefulness of city parks are on my website.
Thanks to Trileigh and everyone who shares photos of West Seattle sights – wildlife, people, places, all welcome, besides of course breaking news! If you use Flickr, there’s a WSB group there, too.
Haven’t received many sighting reports lately, but that doesn’t mean coyotes aren’t out there. It may actually mean people are doing a better job of encouraging them to keep their distance, by not leaving out food, or trying to spook them when spotted. Outdoor pets remain at risk, as evidenced by a sad (and slightly graphic) note just received from Clay, one of two reports ahead:Read More
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated – most recently 9/10 – with added information about local events)
(Photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
On Thursday afternoon, residents, staffers, and community members joined together at Providence Mount St. Vincent to fold dozens of paper cranes, adding to what they hope will total 1,000, as The Mount prepares for a remembrance service next Sunday, part of a growing list of local commemorations on what will be the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Here’s what we have on the list so far (and if you know of one in West Seattle or White Center that’s not listed here, please e-mail information so we can add it – thank you!):
9/11 HISTORY EXHIBIT AT LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: This is the first of two ways you can join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum in observing the anniversary. Visit the LHM (61st/Stevens) next Sunday, noon-7 pm (that’s a later closing time than usual), to see its exhibit.
9/11 MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE MOUNT: 1 pm next Sunday in the chapel, public welcome. Providence Mount St. Vincent is at 4831 35th SW.
TRIBUTE CONCERT AT HOLY ROSARY: Cantare Vocal Ensemble will perform a 9/11 tribute featuring Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor” and Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor” at 3 pm next Sunday, with donations and a portion of proceeds going to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. The tribute also includes Voices of 9/11, described as “select memoirs of victims and their families, narrated by Q13 FOX Meteorologist MJ McDermott.” Cantare founder/artistic director Mark A. Adrian conducts. Tickets $25, available online here, or at the door before the concert.
(September 2001 photo by David Hutchinson: Candles, flowers, tributes at the Alki Statue of Liberty)
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AT ALKI STATUE OF LIBERTY: 7 pm on September 11th, you are invited to join the memorial vigil that’s being organized by SWSHS/LHM, at the spot where so many came from all over not only West Seattle but the rest of the region, to mourn, and to show unity. At the time, only the original Alki Statue of Liberty statue (recast, and unveiled on September 11, 2007, while the original now is kept at the museum) was there; the plaza was dedicated in 2008. (History side note: Did you know the Twin Towers were designed by a Seattle-born architect?)
TRIBUTE DURING HOLY FAMILY COMMUNITY STREET FAIR: September 11th will be the second day of this year’s community street fair at Holy Family School (20th/Roxbury), and once again this year, a 9/11 tribute is planned. (We are checking on the time; last year, a moment of silence was observed toward the start of the day; here’s our 2010 story.) Update: We are told this will be at 9:15 am.
(added Monday) HEALING SERVICE @ TIBBETTS: At 10:00 am, Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) will hold a special service. From their announcement:
Milestones are marked in many ways, some happy, some sad, some healing, Directly, or indirectly, we were all deeply touched by the events of that day. Whether by people we knew who were there or simply waking up, on what was a beautiful morning and hearing the news. As the day progressed, knowing in the back of our mind, but not being able to say quite yet; from today, life, as we know it, would forever change. As the days passed and more information came to light, the nagging thought we had that morning became a reality. The next ten years were indeed turbulent times. Our service marks that milestone with a time for remembrance, reflection, prayers and song. These are healing times, so please, come share in the healing.
Tibbetts is at 3940 41st SW.
(added Wednesday) REMEMBRANCE SERVICES AT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST: The theme is “Remembrance: A Time for Reflection, Reconciliation, and Hope,” at 8 and 10:15 am Sunday at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 3050 California Ave SW. From their announcement:
All are welcome to join in this time of remembrance and hope on the tenth anniversary of the events that have marked our times and changed our lives. The Reverend David Wold, former bishop of the Southwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is guest preacher. The Reverend Peter DeVeau, Rector, presides. We all know where we were on this date ten years ago. That same day, many made their way to a house of worship. This house of prayer for all people will be open this Sunday to any seeking thoughtful insight and inspiration for the living of these days of challenge and change. All ages and all people are welcome.
(added Wednesday) SPECIAL SERVICE AT ‘THE WAY’: Also at 10 am Sunday, The Way Church of God, which meets at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, plans a special service. From their announcement:
Calling all service men/women, past, present, and future, and the community to a special service designed to honor all the service men/women who have given themselves for our safety and freedom. In remembrance of 9/11, The Way COG will host an event Sunday 10 am at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, dedicated to bring honor to all our heroes!
(added Friday) SPECIAL OFFER AT THE ADMIRAL THEATER: From Dinah at The Admiral: “This Sunday, in honor of the 10 year anniversary of September 11th, The Admiral Theater will be offering our first matinee FREE (any movie of your choice) to Police Officers, Fire Fighters and their immediate families. Police and Fire Fighters will need to show their Department ID and this is on a first-come, first-served basis.”
P.S. WSB Forums members are continue to share their 9/11/2001 memories in this thread, and you are welcome to contribute.
(Photo from Saturday afternoon, taken along Beach Drive, looking toward Vashon Island)
Looks like the beautiful holiday-weekend weather continues (here’s the newest forecast). From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
LOOKING FOR YARD/GARAGE SALES? WSB Forums have free listings here – and there are a few sales listed for today.
GO SEE A MOVIE: Here’s the Admiral Theater movie schedule.
OUTDOOR SWIMMING/WADING: It’s Colman Pool’s last weekday of 7-day-a-week summer operations (pool schedule/other info here) – after tomorrow, it closes till one last “post-season weekend” next Saturday/Sunday. Also at Lincoln Park, you’ll find West Seattle’s last city wading pool still open IF the weather is forecast for 70+ degrees (last scheduled opening day is Sept 5)
AT THE MARKET TODAY: West Seattle Farmers’ Market, 10 am – 2 pm, The Junction (44th/Alaska). From market management, here’s what’s happening today:
Music: Canote Brothers!
Eggs…check!
Wine tasting…check!
Pepper roaster…check!
P.S. Both Sustainable West Seattle and the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle are scheduled to have members tabling today (as they do regularly, but not every week) – look for them and say hi!
CATS AWAIT YOU: Friends of the Animals Foundation has volunteers on site at Next to Nature in The Junction, 11 am – 3 pm, to help you find the perfect rescued feline companion.
LEARN ABOUT HISTORY: Noon-4 pm, tour the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens).
BORROW A TOOL: West Seattle Tool Library has regular Sunday hours at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (east side of main building), 1-5 pm.
Opening weekend of high-school-football season continued Saturday night. Seattle Lutheran HS was in Pierce County, playing Life Christian/Seattle Christian, which won the game 49-25. SLHS is on the road again next week, playing at North Beach.
It’s a low-risk way to check out some of the programs at local community centers and pools – and it’s making a comeback this month. Seattle Parks is promoting its “Try It for $2” offer again (advertising it on WSB and elsewhere), which starts after the Labor Day holiday and continues all month. There’s some info at the official website, tryitfor2.com, and you can find programs to try by browsing the fall West Seattle-wide brochure – it’s permalinked atop the WSB West Seattle Events calendar page, or you can access it directly (PDF) here.
Thanks to Mike for sharing that photo of the work that’s under way by the bus stop on the northbound side of Delridge at Croft (map). It’s a multi-component project from the city’s Neighborhood Projects Fund, according to SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner:
SDOT paving crews are working on a neighborhood improvement project at Delridge Way and Croft Place SW. They installed a curb ramp and paved an area within a driveway. They also paved a bus pad. They will install a new traffic island (median) on one side of the intersection to assist pedestrians crossing Delridge. The crew chief expects the work to be completed sometime next week.
Three reader reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup – read on:Read More
(Photo substituted 3:01 pm – took this one from Charlestown Hill)
1:58 PM: We’ve gotten a few questions about all the smoke on the east slope of the Olympic Mountains, north of the iconic Brothers peaks, clearly visible from West Seattle. (Our photo is from the hill over south Lincoln Park.) So far we believe it’s this one that’s reported to have closed the Duckabush trail (here’s a map of that area) – still looking for a more comprehensive sense of information.
3:06 PM UPDATE: Substituted a better photo, after checking it out from Charlestown Hill and Beach Drive. Our friends at KING 5 quote authorities on the peninsula as calling this one the “Big Hump Fire.” They report at least 20 firefighters are assigned to it. Also just in – best photo yet, from David Hutchinson on Alki:
4:53 PM UPDATE: First time we’ve seen a cause mentioned – the Peninsula Daily News has a story up now, and says it’s believed to have been sparked by an abandoned campfire.
8:15 PM: The fire’s size has been updated to 50 acres.
The King County Elections Department is out with the breakdown on last month’s vote, precinct by precinct, and our partners at the Seattle Times have turned the Seattle Referendum 1 (tunnel-related) vote into a color-coded map. Eastern West Seattle was the anti-Ref. 1 stronghold – get a closer look at the map here – and there was a bit of a north-south split, too, with a few pockets of opposition in north WS, such as one area just south of Alki Point. (If you know your precinct number, you can check out the text version of the vote breakdown – for all races/measures – on the county website.)
Look out at the blue water of Puget Sound today. Think about what you don’t see … the poisonous pollution that threatens the lives that depend on it (including ours). There are easy ways you can help, and Sustainable West Seattle is going to spend the fall showing you how not to feed the Tox-Ick Monster! Here’s their announcement, with a list of presentations you can attend – not just to listen and learn, but also to win prizes:
Sustainable West Seattle is taking on a monster of a problem in Puget Sound with a new campaign that empowers citizens to curb toxic runoff.
The group is hosting a series of free educational events, September – November. Audience members will be eligible to win up to $1,000 in prizes like water cisterns, landscape consulting, car-wash gift certificates, oil changes, bus passes, and more.
Toxic runoff comes from many everyday sources, including soap, paint, fertilizers and herbicides, and even dog poop. According to the Department of Ecology, toxic runoff is the No. 1 threat to the health of Puget Sound. Each year, 14 million pounds of pollutants wash from our streets and driveways directly into our rivers and streams, and ultimately into the Sound.
“Most people I talk to think that polluted runoff from our streets and driveways go to facilities to remove contamination,” said Cate White, leader of Sustainable West Seattle’s toxic runoff outreach group. “However, that isn’t true. Most runoff is not treated. Our campaign helps people understand how they can reduce that flow of toxic runoff.”
Keep watch for the ominous Tox-Ick: A Monster of a Problem for Puget Sound posters in your community. “The Tox-Ick Monster is the group’s emblematic metaphor for what toxic runoff is doing to our communities, which is robbing us of our salmon, our orcas, our shellfish economy, and our health,” said Corbet Curfman, designer of the character. The posters will alert the public to the next educational event and opportunity to win pollution-prevention prizes.
Events will be:
– Sunday, Sept. 11. 2 pm, West Seattle Christian Church, 4400 42nd SW ($1,000 prizes)
– Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 am, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW ($1,000 prizes)
– Monday, Oct. 10, 7 pm, Pathfinder Elementary School, 1901 SW Genesee ($1,000 prizes)
– Saturday, Oct. 22, 1 pm, Roxhill Elementary School, 9430 30th Ave SW ($1,000 prizes)
– Saturday, Nov. 12, 2:30 pm, SPANISH PRESENTATION, White Center Community Cultural Center (aka St. James Annex), 9421 18th SW ($500 in prizes)
– Saturday, Nov. 19, 4 pm, Alki United Church of Christ, 6115 SW Hinds ($500 in prizes)In addition to the community outreach meetings, a new Web site is (up) at www.tox-ick.org as well as new Facebook and Twitter profiles.
(Jewelry artist Sarah Loertscher setting up her Click! Design That Fits installation. Trunk show today!)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar (event/meeting ahead? let us know!):
TRAFFIC ALERT: Till 3 pm today, lane closures that might back things up on the Alaskan Way Viaduct – here’s the announcement we published earlier this week. P.S. HistoryLink.org notes that this is the anniversary of the day the final phase of the Viaduct opened.
NEED TOOLS FOR A PROJECT? West Seattle Tool Library open on the east side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW. 9 am – 2 pm Saturdays (and 1 – 5 pm Sundays).
LINCOLN PARK NEEDS YOU! Lincoln Park plant restoration party, 9 am – 2 pm. The mature forests of Lincoln Park in West Seattle are a treasure, but they need our help to survive. Join the Friends of Lincoln Park to work on maintaining previously restored forest. We promise you a good work out (Green exercise!) and the planet will thank you! Meet in the north parking lot on Fauntleroy Way SW at the kiosk across from SW Rose St. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW, just north of the Vashon Ferry). Bring garden gloves and hand clippers. We will have extras.
TRUNK SHOW AT CLICK! At Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), Sarah Loertscher jewelry, 11 am – 5 pm trunk show with new jewelry “The F-Series”
FELINE FRIENDS AWAITING YOU: West Seattle’s Kitty Harbor (3422 Harbor Ave SW), is open for adoptions, 12-6 pm.
CAR WASH! Fundraising car wash at West Seattle Produce parking lot (Alaska & Fauntleroy). 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm, West Seattle High School Girls Volleyball Team raising money to pay for new gear and fees for the upcoming season. Cars washed by donation. Want to know more about the team? Go here!
SKAMPIDA AT THE BRICKYARD: Outdoor live music at 7 pm, 2308 California SW, reggae/ska band from Colombia.
ON THE ROAD: High-school football – Seattle Lutheran at Life Christian, 7 pm (in Lakewood, south of Tacoma).
MORE LIVE MUSIC: Skylark Café and Club, starting at 9 pm: K (Heart) M, The Stevedore, The Underwater Tiger, $5 cover
Friday was a busy day for Seal Sitters on West Seattle shores, as first responder Robin Lindsey writes on their Blubberblog website. The final pup report of the day gives rise to a reminder – if you see a pup on the beach, stay as far away as you can, and keep others away too, until Seal Sitters can get a volunteer there to keep watch. We received a Twitter report of the Lincoln Park sighting, photo included, along with a question about who to call; we replied with the Seal Sitters’ number (we suggest adding it to your contact list – 206-905-SEAL [905-7325]) and advice to keep everybody back. Robin writes that the pup was apparently scared back into the water, which can be deadly – they are usually left on the beach by their moms, who go off to find food and return for their nursing pups, and if the pup is scared into the water, mom might not find it. Read more about how to handle marine-mammal sightings at sealsitters.org.
Chief Sealth International High School opened the season with a non-conference, “away” football game tonight – very far away. On the Olympic Peninsula, Sealth lost at Port Angeles, 48-0. Seattle Lutheran High School plays tomorrow night in Lakewood, Pierce County (vs. Life Christian/Seattle Christian); West Seattle High School isn’t scheduled for its first game till next weekend.
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