West Seattle, Washington
10 Tuesday
With our area as one of the local epicenters of the medical-marijuana business, this might be of interest:
Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced she filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration asking the agency to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug, which will allow its use for treatment – prescribed by doctors and filled by pharmacists. Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) also signed the petition.
The petition will require the Federal Drug Administration to conduct a new scientific review and analysis of recent advances in Cannabis research since the last time the FDA reviewed the matter in 2006.
“Poll after poll shows an overwhelming majority of Americans now see medical marijuana as legitimate,” Gregoire said.
News release continued after the jump:Read More
Second day in a row, the orcas are out there somewhere! Just like yesterday, a Bainbridge-Seattle state ferry spotted them – and Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail shared the news with us; they were headed southbound. So if you’re near the west-facing West Seattle shore, be on the lookout. We’ll add any updates we get.
Two updates today for those following the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) plan for a 75-unit “supportive housing” apartment complex in the 5400 block of Delridge:
‘DESIGN REVIEW 101’ TOMORROW: The next major public-input milepost regarding this project is its first Design Review Board meeting next Thursday (6:30 pm December 8, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center). Anyone interested in finding out more about how that process works, whether you want to comment at next week’s meeting or not, is welcome in Youngstown Room 111 at 6:30 pm tomorrow (December 1), where, according to the announcement, “A Land Use Supervisor from the City of Seattle’s Dept. of Planning will spend an hour talking with neighbors about the Design Review process, followed by an informal discussion regarding neighbor’s design concerns.” (You can preview the architect-prepared “packet” for the Dec. 8th meeting here. And there’s more about this meeting, plus the comment process for next week, here.)
NDNC CLARIFIES ROLE: As reported in previous WSB coverage (all archived here), the North Delridge Neighborhood Council has been trying to decide what its role is in the process, as it has not taken a position, and apparently historically has not taken positions on projects. A decision has been made, according to this statement:
A new Executive Council has taken positions for the North Delridge Neighborhood Council. Nine neighbors have filled every position on the Council, this being the first year for the new Council-Committee format to be filled. They have held an Executive meeting and voted to take an active role regarding the DESC project slated for 5444 Delridge Way SW. Moving forward, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council’s role will be to inform neighbors on the process, how and when to engage in effective participation..
DESC’s timeline, as shared at the recent unofficial meeting we wrote about here, would have the building opening in about 2 years. In addition to the Design Review/permit process, it has one more round of funding to obtain.
(This is now the archived video of today’s meeting, time-coded to start when this agenda item began)
10:40 AM: Click the “play” button and you’ll see the Seattle City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment, talking about the West Seattle Triangle rezoning proposal for the second time this month. (The agenda includes links to the documents and maps they’re discussing.) They may or may not vote today; they need to vote on it before it can go to the full council. Whatever decision is made by the city will affect the face of that section of West Seattle for decades to come – part of the area, including some lots around the Triangle edges, including the west side of Fauntleroy for a stretch south of SW Alaska, is proposed for upzoning to 85 feet. We’ll note highlights and the meeting results, as this goes along. (The meeting started at 9 am, but the committee had another weighty item to get through first – a zoning change in the Roosevelt area of North Seattle – so they didnt get to the Triangle till 10:40 am.)
10:45 AM: They’ve just voted to amend the proposal to include 85-foot zoning on both sides of Fauntleroy for the stretch between Alaska and Edmunds. (See this “map amendment” here.)
10:56 AM: They’ve just approved some amendments, including extending the “pedestrian” zone to 35th, whereas previously it ended at 36th SW. As they get ready to vote on the entire bill, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw says not everyone is happy with everything, but it’s a “give and take” process. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who’s been involved in Triangle planning for more than three years, says he’s excited, “while there are still some outstanding issues … and I don’t think we’re going to get back to that … the community was heard (relating to height issues, in that some areas will stay at 65-foot zoning).” He thanks the community for spending “a lot of time on this.”
10:59 AM: The rezoning proposal passes the committee with a unanimous vote. The committee also has approved a resolution calling for SDOT to do a parking study in The Triangle as the result of issues that came up during the last leg of the planning process. Next step: This all goes to the full Council next month.
Will the orcas return? Thanks to Trileigh Tucker for the shot from yesterday (and some of the day’s orca updates). While we’re waiting to see if they do, here’s what’s on the schedule, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar and West Seattle Holidays page:
TRIANGLE REZONING? Seattle City Council Committee on the Built Environment looks again at West Seattle Triangle rezoning, 9 am, City Hall. Watch live via the Seattle Channel, cable 21 or seattlechannel.org – we’re planning to put the video window up on the home page when the meeting gets to this item (there’s at least one complicated, unrelated item beforehand).
NOVEMBER 30: HEARING LOSS SUPPORT GROUP at Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon), 1-2 pm last Wednesday of the month, starting today.
TAKING OFFICE: Puget Ridge resident Marty McLaren will be sworn in as the new West Seattle school-board rep, 4 pm at district HQ in SODO. (Election results were certified yesterday.)
ROXHILL PARK PLAYGROUND: Tonight is the final design meeting for Roxhill Park Playground, 6 pm, Southwest Library. (Our coverage of the previous meeting is here.)
OPENING NIGHT: Starting tonight, ArtsWest presents the seasonal premiere of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)” by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez. 7:30 pm; ticket info here.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, TREES, MORE: Again, that’s all on our West Seattle Holidays page.
7:48 AM: Thanks to those who’ve sent word of this via Facebook/Twitter – a garbage truck has broken down on northbound 99, at Atlantic per Kim (where there’s no shoulder), and that’s not only backing up 99, it’s affecting the bridge and its approaches. If you haven’t left yet, consider alternate routes, or waiting a while. (You can see the backups on the WSB Traffic page – the 1st Avenue South Bridge looks pretty busy too, though.)
8:08 AM: Via Twitter, @mental404 also warns of “a broken-down town car on the bridge just before the Delridge onramp.” Metro is rerouting some buses.
8:20 AM: Tow truck has arrived, per KING 5’s Tracy Taylor. But with the backup stretching all the way back across the 1st Avenue S. Bridge (and apparently then some) as well as the West Seattle Bridge, that won’t be an instant fix.
8:41 AM: As Lou reports in the comment section, the stuck truck has been towed. The stalled car on the bridge is apparently gone, too. Metro just sent word the buses are back to regular routing.
11:40 AM: We’re trying to sleuth why the trash-truck tow apparently took two hours. Will update this story whenever we get the info!
South Seattle Community College is known for an ever-longer list of specialties … food, wine, horticulture, automotive technology, to name a few. The latter was in the spotlight today at a ceremony unveiling a sign in honor of its forthcoming Steve and Sharon Huling Automotive Center. This was a followup to the announcement last year that the Hulings would be the namesakes of the center, which is about to undergo an $18 million renovation, increasing to 45,590 square feet with 27 shop bays (up from the current 18), enabling an enrollment expansion. Dozens of dignitaries and students, from the Hulings and SSCC president Gary Oertli to a large contingent of the program’s faculty and students, participated in the ceremony. Here’s our video:
The Hulings have long been strong supporters of SSCC, with Steve Huling currently on its President’s Advisory Council. The couple shared a champagne toast with the president after the sign unveiling:
Given the family history in the automotive business (until 2007), the center is perfect synergy, especially since it will offer a “dealership environment” for students to work on vehicles. A few datapoints about the program at SSCC, as mentioned during today’s ceremony: Its faculty includes three full-time in automotive technology and one in collision repair, with more than 80 students; a six-quarter Associate of Applied Science degree is available in Auto Tech, as well as training certificates in various areas. It’s won a “Top 4 Automotive Schools” award, and they expect to be offering classes soon in alternative fuels. The future Steve and Sharon Huling-named center is on the north side of the main campus.
So far, one of the biggest West Seattle trends this holiday season is … Santa-mania! It’s Santa everywhere. And just added to the WSB West Seattle Holidays page tonight, the return of Santa Paws, 11 am-1 pm December 10th at Windermere West Seattle HQ in The Junction … the guy in the fur-trimmed hat is there for photos with your furry friend(s). That’s our newest listing in the “Santa Photos” section. We also have a link now to the schedule at CAPERS for the bearded St. Nick we’ll call “Ex-Westwood Santa” … plus you can get a Santa photo at the Community Pancake Breakfast with the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle at the Masonic Hall (40th/Edmunds) this Saturday, 7 am-11 am (remember to bring your unwrapped Toys for Tots donation) … and the Santa listings we’ve had since the start of the season, daily at Westwood Village and the next three Sundays during Hometown Holidays in The Junction, are there too. And did you see Santa and Mrs. Claus wandering The Junction last Sunday?
(Photo courtesy David E. Perry)
They may be in the vicinity again this Sunday, we hear, perhaps even in the crowd during Saturday’s Junction Tree Lighting (5 pm, Junction Plaza Park). Then again, Santa is everywhere, anyway … has to be, to get all those presents delivered … More holiday events, info, everything, updated frequently, here (and if we’re missing YOUR holiday event, please share the news!).
Just in from SDOT, heads-up if you travel anywhere near the stadiums (including the Alaskan Way Viaduct) during your commute home – Thursday night might be dicey:
The Seahawks will play the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday evening, starting at 5:20 p.m. with an estimated attendance of 67,000 fans. Drivers can expect heavy congestion in the areas around the stadium, in the downtown area, and on major routes to the stadium (I-5 and I-90). Seahawks fans are advised to arrive early. Commuters leaving the downtown area may also want to leave early, or wait to leave downtown until after kickoff.
Rezoning for the West Seattle Triangle and part of the adjacent area – including increasing some parcels to a maximum of 85-foot-high development – is back on the agenda tomorrow morning for the City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment (9 am, CIty Hall downtown). They are scheduled to discuss potential changes to the plan presented two weeks ago, and they may vote on whether to send the plan to the full council for final action. The information package, including proposed map and text amendments – with an area of Fauntleroy between Alaska and Edmunds proposed for 85-foot zoning on the east side as well as the west side – is linked from the meeting agenda, which begins with a public-comment period for anyone interested in speaking to the members about this.
Note the missing bulbs, off to the right of the photo, which is from Dan, who explains:
Yesterday we saw a squirrel run off the deck with a bright yellow object in his mouth..and came out to see he had chewed through the wires (and they were turned ON) and grabbed a yellow LED light from the deck railing.
Then today he (or someone he told about it) was back and grabbed another yellow…this time with them unplugged…and later we spotted him with a green one in his mouth running across the deck.
We had no idea that they were nutritious …!
Thought this was very strange, til we found online that this is somewhat common… and most report that the red ones are not ever taken.
12:38 PM: Traffic is blocked by fire units in the northbound lanes of Delridge near Hudson. It’s because of a fire call that started big but reportedly has turned out to be “food on the stove” – we’re still en route to the area to make sure.
1:18 PM: Still haven’t confirmed the cause of the problem – there was smoke visible in the area when we got there – but Delridge is now reopened both ways.
(No orcas in this pic but they’re out there somewhere – shot around 1 pm, light on the Olympics)
11:48 AM: We’re getting reports of orcas in the area – they were first spotted from the Bainbridge ferry about an hour ago; Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail called to say they appeared to be heading this way; and now we’ve just gotten a phone call from someone who saw them from a ferry “between Alki and Blake Island.” We’re out looking – let us know if you spot ’em!
11:55 AM: Just talked to Donna south of Alki Point – the whales are much closer to the Bainbridge side right now, so you’ll need really good binoculars/camera at this point – updates to come if that changes.
1:24 PM: They’re now visible from Lincoln Park, according to wildlife watcher/photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker. Donna also has checked back to say they’re between here and Vashon. Please share photos if you get ’em! Thank you!
Under the direction of Rob Duisberg, that’s the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ Symphony Orchestra, rehearsing Bartok’s “Rumanian Folk Dances” last night in the auditorium at Chief Sealth International High School. Tonight, that’s where you will find them and the WSCO’s Flute Ensemble in concert, 7 pm. The program also includes works by Dukas, Grieg, Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Liszt, and “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson. The concert is free; a $5 donation is suggested (WSCO is a nonprofit all-volunteer community organization).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Monday night’s Seattle Public Schools “capacity-management” meeting at the Denny International Middle School Library provided a visual metaphor of the problem it was meant to address.
Every chair in the library was filled by the time the meeting began … and people just kept coming, requiring extras to be brought in, until the room was full, wall to wall.
Six elementary schools in West Seattle are perceived to have a “capacity-management” – overcrowding – problem so serious that something must be done before next year. A seventh school in the area – Chief Sealth International High School – is stuffed too, but while the district is only putting it on a “watch list” for now, its teachers are circulating a petition to get portables, which happen to be among the options proposed for the brimming elementary schools.
If you would like to see and hear the meeting for yourself, here’s our unedited hour-and-a-half video:
And/or, read more details ahead:Read More
Police are investigating the crash that left this car upside-down on SW Kenyon just west of 35th SW – right next to Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor). Nobody hurt, they told us at the scene – the driver got herself out of the car quickly, and firefighters called as a precaution had already left by the time we got there minutes after the 911 call. A car on the other side of the street had front-end damage, and police said it appeared the flipped car had nicked that one. Traffic on 35th wasn’t affected, but SW Kenyon was blocked on the west side of 35th till the car could be taken away.
In addition to the burglaries and break-in attempt featured in our West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports earlier today, we had an inquiry out to police about two other possible incidents heard on the scanner. In response to it all, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen confirms there’s a “notable increase” in home burglaries tracing back to last week – a surprise during a holiday week, he says – and shares these details on trends:
The neighborhoods that are being affected the most are:
· East of Delridge from Spokane St to about SW Holden St, West of the Duwamish.
· South of SW Morgan to the City boundary Line, West of 35th SW.Days and Time:
· Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
· 7 am to 6 pmCurrent trends include 2-3 subjects in a large car (old-retired taxis have been used) in order to put large objects in the trunk or back seat area. The suspects are knocking on the front door, waiting for an answer. If no answer, they are forcing entry via a non-visible door/window.
Our West Seattle folks are doing a great job by calling 911 when they see suspicious circumstances in their neighborhoods. I would also like to remind our citizens to closely work with their neighbors, watching out for each other particularly during times when their homes are vacant during the day.
I don’t want to take the fun/joy out of the Holidays, but criminals will target homes for the gifts lying under the tree. Also, while shopping, please be aware of your personal surroundings as you walk to your car with gifts…It is not unusual for subjects to approach shoppers and forcibly take their packages as well as break into parked vehicles at shopping centers.
There’s more holiday crime-deterrence advice in the latest newsletter from SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon, published here a week ago.
In the back yard of the Menashe Family home on Beach Drive SW, the familiar Christmas characters were ready this afternoon to march (or be marched) into their places out front. A rain-free day meant prime time for serious work on West Seattle’s most famous Christmas lights-and-more display:
Family and friends worked on decking the house, with ladders and the customary cherry-picker:
It’s the most festive work zone in West Seattle:
… with just about every Christmas character imaginable:
There’s a new feature this year – this big star:
Josh Menashe tells WSB that if all goes as planned, they will officially turn on the lights at 5 pm this Thursday (December 1st). There’s no cross-street near where they are, so this map is the best way to find them. P.S. The cable TV show that debuted last year featuring the Menashe Family display, “Invasion of the Christmas Lights 2,” will be shown again on TLC this season – it’s currently scheduled for this Saturday, December 3rd.
(Photo courtesy WSHS)
Drug and alcohol education is standard fare for high-school health class – but 100 students at West Seattle High School got information from two special visitors today: Miss Washington, Brittney Henry, and Washington National Guard’s anti-drug task-force Specialist Brian Eagen. Teachers Sarah Orton and Craig Richardson report that the two visitors discussed the “Effects of Drugs and Alcohol” through “personal stories, surveying students on their knowledge, and teaching the students about drugs and the short/long-term effects of drugs on the body.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Public money is paying for it, so where’s the public process?
That is the still-unanswered question roiling the waters of concern over the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) plan to build a 75-unit apartment building in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW for currently homeless people living with challenges such as mental illness and substance abuse.
Put another way: A city-park playground project, for example, costing a few hundred thousand dollars and taking up less land than the average single-family homesite, might involve at least three public meetings about the site, the design, and a litany of community requests/concerns, with a city-assigned project manager and opportunities to comment by e-mail, phone, or postal mail, as well as in person. But here’s a $12 million project, publicly funded – including more than $4 million city dollars – and no clearly outlined public input process on anything beyond Design Review (by the way, the “design packet” for that 12/8 meeting has just been published to the city website – see it here).
For the second time in two weeks, concerned Delridge residents gathered for an invitation-only discussion at a private home to talk about the project and their concerns, not only neighborhood-specific, but relevant to the big picture – perhaps resulting in changes for other areas who find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
There were several differences from the first meeting, which was held at the home of Betsy Hoffmeister 12 days earlier (here’s our report).
(See ’em in the distance? From @sudsymaggie via Twitter)
The Port of Seattle says three “Super Post-Panamax cranes” have arrived in Elliott Bay, and will be delivered to Terminal 18 tomorrow morning. According to port spokesperson Peter McGraw, “These cranes reach 24 containers wide, and will allow port facilities to handle the largest container vessels made.” The arrival is apparently a bit earlier than expected; this Seattle Times (WSB partner) story from August said they’d arrive in January. ADDED 5:38 PM: A closer photo, from Danny McMillin:
Thanks to Danny and Maggie for sharing photos!
If you follow Seal Sitters‘ updates on their “Blubberblog” site, you know that seal-pup season in West Seattle is still going strong, and volunteers are still getting calls to come out and guard pups on the beach. We in fact got a call earlier today (and referred them immediately to the SS hotline at 206-905-7235). Not sure if this is the same pup, but photos just came in, with this note:
I am just here visiting family in west Seattle. While out walking along the beach today i found a little white seal pup stranded on the rocks off of Alki Beach. He has apparently been seen stuck in this spot before. I called Seal (Sitters) and they came right away and set up a perimeter to help keep him safe.
Thanks for sharing the photos!
In addition to this morning’s 3-report West Seattle Crime Watch roundup, we just got this, from Chloe, victimized by burglar/s near 35th/Roxbury this morning:
It happened about 9:30-11:30 today. My house was rummaged through, PlayStation, games for it, some DVDs, a lap top and possibly a camera. Roommate came home to it in this state. No one was hurt and sadly no one saw anything. An officer just left after taking fingerprints. This is the second tine this has happened this year.
Thanks to everyone who shares their reports, to help keep the greater neighborhood informed. The police are always the first, most important call, but their reports are not made public for quite some time, so in cases like this, our best source of info is you. (The WSB Crime Watch page has the most recent links, plus various crime/police-related resources.)
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