West Seattle, Washington
10 Wednesday
(Photographed along Harbor Ave. SW by Don Brubeck; shared via the WSB Flickr group pool)
SCHOOL TOURS AT DENNY: Till 9:30 am today, you’re invited to tour Denny International Middle School; all are welcome – no appointment needed.
TALK WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP: School Board member Marty McLaren‘s community-conversation meeting this month is at High Point Library from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM. Parents and community members are invited to come with their Seattle Public Schools questions, concerns, and ideas, particularly regarding West Seattle schools. (She welcomes your e-mailed questions in preparation for the meeting: martha.mclaren@seattleschools.org)
(added) FOOD DONATIONS: Via Occupy West Seattle, two people plan to be “outside on the sidewalk at the Admiral PCC this Wednesday, February 8, noon-2:00 p.m. to collect food for the truckers [who are protesting the Port]. We will take the food to the Labor Temple downtown. Swing by PCC on Wednesday to help us, or to donate a can of something (we will be the ones with a red crate!).”
FIND OUT ABOUT CRUISES: AAA West Seattle and Holland America invite you to a free presentation. 5:30 appetizers, 6:00 pm presentation, at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsor), 4611 35th Ave SW. RSVP requested, 206.933.4101 or 206.933.4106. Members and non members are welcome!
RESTAURANT CHANGE: Today’s the day Spring Hill Restaurant and Bar in The Junction officially becomes Ma’ono Fried Chicken & Whisky (as reported here last month).
TEEN ZUMBA: The Southwest Teen Life Center is now offering a free class is open to anyone between the ages 11-19. Show up dressed and ready to work out. Zumba Classes are every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.
SUNRISE HEIGHTS/WESTWOOD UPDATE ON ‘GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE’ PROJECT: King County Wastewater Treatment Division community meeting on the green stormwater infrastructure project to reduce combined-sewer overflows. Meeting’s at Westside School (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm (details here).
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Our area’s largest political group meets at 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
AT ARTSWEST: Final week for ll Through the Night; curtain time tonight, 7:30 pm.
7:20 AM: We’ve noticed the 35th/Fauntleroy blinking red (in other words, akin to a four-way-stop sign) now and then in recent days, but this is the first time we’ve heard of it happening during the morning commute – and we’re getting reports it’s backing up access to the bridge. If you use that access point, you might consider heading north on 35th instead, which has an access lane that doesn’t require going through the signal. Or, use the onramps reachable via Admiral or Avalon, or Delridge.
8:01 AM: We saw a city worker on scene about 15 minutes ago. Getting on the bridge via northbound 35th was quick, by the way. Will update whenever we get word it’s fixed.
8:02 AM: Todd says it’s fixed.
8:36 AM: We have sent a crew by for a firsthand look, and they too confirm it’s working now. We have a question out to SDOT inquiring why, since it was broken last night, it wasn’t fixed before morning. Whatever we find out, we’ll add here later.
Story and photos by Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
Bronte Corbray scored 12 of his 26 points tonight in the fourth quarter, while Charlie Smith and Aaron Knox tallied 13 each, but they couldn’t keep Chief Sealth from taking a loss at home, as the Seahawks fell to Eastside Catholic 83-65 on the second day of the Metro League Playoffs.
You could forgive the Seahawks if they entered their home gym Tuesday night with great expectations. They were facing a team they had faced just 11 days prior, winning by 10 on the Crusaders’ home court, the result of which was ultimately a higher seed for Chief Sealth and the home court advantage in last night’s rematch.
Lori from Nuvelocity shared that time-lapse of tonight’s moonrise on the WSB Facebook page, and it’s lovely enough to share here too.
(Photos courtesy Mark Ahlness – more on the AH Elementary Facebook page)
February is a most literary month at many West Seattle schools, with writing/reading events dotting many a calendar. Tonight, for the second consecutive night, we bring you a story about an author visiting a local school – this time, Northwest author Paul Owen Lewis at Arbor Heights Elementary. It’s the third time he’s visited AH, according to longtime teacher Mark Ahlness, who says Lewis’s first visit was in 1998 – that would have been before EVERY student currently enrolled at AH was born! He spoke to assemblies as well as to classes:
Mark says, “As always, he was dynamic, entertaining, and inspirational. A great day that the kids will remember!”
Summer will be here before you know it, and West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival volunteers/members have a lot to do. Notes from last night’s Hi-Yu membership meeting: This year’s Senior Court Queen Kayli Schulz was on hand in the West Seattle Hi-Yu sash, and is getting closer to receiving her crown. It was announced at the meeting that when she is coronated at the Hi-Yu Spring Tea and Auction on March 18 (2 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy, ticket info here), she will be crowned by the reigning Miss Seafair, Veronica Quintero.
Also shown at last night’s meeting – Diane Szender‘s winning design for the Hi-Yu trading pin – which you can look for at this year’s summer events, since it’s sold to the public as well as provided to royalty to trade with their counterparts from other festivals:
Diane explains that the goal was to incorporate the past pin design (which you can see on the Hi-Yu Facebook page) into the new one. Riley Fredericks also proposed a pin design (she’s behind this year’s float theme too).
Other discussions last night included fundraising logistics. Planning for the Tea is on track with donated auction items, and table captains, though they’d still love to have more donations. Other fundraising strategies are being brainstormed.
And the Hi-Yu Float is still in need of a storage site. Its undercarriage is in Everett at the moment; volunteers are going to help with locations to store supplies and build components, but Hi-Yu still would love to have a space donated where Seattle’s last remaining community-promoting float could be kept for easier access, maintenance, etc.
There’s one more week to go for public comment on the land-use-permit application for the DESC Delridge project (details here). And we just discovered tonight that the tentative date for the project’s next Design Review Board meeting has been moved up two weeks to March 8 (West Seattle Senior Center, 8 pm). But those are not the only opportunities you have for input on the proposed 66-unit homeless-housing project at 5444 Delridge Way SW. We’ve reported before on the community advisory group formed as part of the process – and tonight, its first public meeting has just been announced for February 21st. The official announcement was sent by Pete Spalding, who is co-chairing the group:Read More
Metro‘s route restructuring isn’t the only side effect of RapidRide coming to West Seattle this fall. As Metro and SDOT have been warning for many months, lots of road work is on the way too to facilitate it, and that work starts in a big way next week. Here’s the announcement just sent out:Read More
(Spokane St. Viaduct work zone, photographed by Long B. Nguyen; click for longer/wider view)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The final phase of work on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project will NOT require a lane reduction after all.
We talked with SDOT managers at the Muni Tower downtown this afternoon, following up on last week’s announcement at the Alaskan Way Viaduct South Portal Working Group meeting that the work on the east end of the West Seattle Bridge would require at least six weeks with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes (reported here last Thursday).
Since then, SDOT says, they have figured out how to fit two lanes each way onto the new half of the SSV; they say they had been hoping all along to work that out, but it didn’t happen until after that briefing last week.
Right now, traffic in the project area between 99 and I-5 is flowing partly on new construction and partly on old:
In late March, when all traffic is shifted onto the new structure on the north side of the old one, the configuration will look like this:
SDOT also says they have NO daytime closures scheduled currently – neither weekend nor weekday – but reiterate that if any are necessary before the project’s completion in mid-summer, the notification and signage will follow the new guidelines spelled out in a report we brought you here last Friday. It resulted from a review of what happened Saturday, January 28th, with traffic backups much of the day because of what was supposed to be a weekend-long closure of the eastbound SSV, a surprise to many because there was no warning signage either ahead of time or during the shutdown.
We have more to add to this story – about the project’s overall status and some questions that have arisen along the way – but wanted to get this news out first; we’ll add the rest here shortly.
ADDED 6:30 PM: As promised, the rest of the story:Read More
Just four months after opening, the Corner Store and Deli in The Triangle is closed. The white and red posted flyers on the left side of the door are eviction notices and court documents that just turned up.
As some WSB’ers had pointed out in notes asking about the store’s status, it hadn’t been open much, if at all, lately; we don’t recall seeing its doors open for at least a week and a half. The space at 4415 Fauntleroy Way SW had previously long been known as Tervo’s Mini-Mart.
Earlier today we got a call from a woman who said she had tipped police off to burglars in her neighborhood, after seeing people running through her neighbors’ yard with what seemed to be loot – even dropping an XBOX game console at one point. We headed to the area, couldn’t find any police, but were pursuing a followup; SPD Blotter beat us to it by publishing the tale of how it unfolded:
On 2-7-12, at approximately 10:56 a.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of SW Myrtle St, to investigate a burglary in progress where the three suspects had fled from the house.
The victim called 911 when she observed the three suspects flee out the back door of her residence. Officers quickly arrived in the area and began a search. One suspect was located within minutes, a few blocks from the scene. The other two suspects were quickly located and positively identified by the witness.
All three suspects are male and 18-years-old. The trio was processed and booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft and Burglary.
The suspects drove a stolen Honda to the scene. The Honda was recovered and held for processing by detectives.
Another reason why police make the request over and over again – if you see something suspicious, please call 911!
Since the Seattle School Board‘s vote last month to create a new “option” elementary 
focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), to open this fall in a temporary home at the former Boren Junior High (left), many have asked – when will the district provide specifics about the plan for this school?
This afternoon, we have new information after following up with district spokesperson Lesley Rogers. She tells WSB, “A letter will go out to families in West Seattle this week announcing plans for the school, as well as a state for an open house” to be held before “open enrollment” starts February 27th. (We’ll add a copy of that letter when we receive it from the district communications team.) Rogers also says the district is creating a website for the new school, “hoping to get that up and running soon.”
The new school is also bound to be a topic tomorrow, when West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren holds her next community-conversation meeting, 11:15 am-1:15 pm at High Point Library (34th/Raymond).
As spring nears, more people will be visiting local city-run community centers, possibly for the first time since major operational changes took effect. At Hiawatha Community Center this past Sunday, we talked with Parks’ Lakema Bell, who wants to remind you the changes come with a regional management structure change – she is one of two senior employees running this regional group, and they request “patience” while everything shakes out. Center hours are listed here. One BIG change will be noticed by hundreds of families this spring – no more individual community-center egg hunts like this one:
(Hiawatha 2010 egg-hunt photo by Jason Grotelueschen for WSB)
Lakema tells us that the former Southwest Community Center, which is now a Teen Life Center and future Neighborhood Service Center (we reported last month on the timetable for the NSC to move in), will play host to one major egg-hunt-and-more event this spring that will replace multiple smaller events. It’ll be a regional event on April 7th at the Southwest site, with staggered egg hunts for various age groups – on the athletic fields around the complex if the weather’s OK, indoors if not. They’re planning to make a festival of it by including a 1K fun run and a musical performance by West Seattle-based kindie-rock superstar Caspar Babypants. Full details are still being finalized – right now it looks like 11:30 am-3 pm with $5/person admission – but since it’s just two months away, you might want to mark that calendar now.
One was already on the calendar – one, we just found out about. The Admiral Neighborhood Association and Fauntleroy Community Association both usually meet the second Tuesday of the month, but since this year, that falls on Valentine’s Day, both have moved their meetings. ANA will meet at 7 pm Wednesday, February 15th (same place as usual, basement meeting room at Admiral Congregational Church); FCA will meet at 7 pm tonight (same place as usual, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse). The public’s always welcome at both.
(Schmitz Park Bridge at sunset, by Steve Mohundro via the WSB Flickr group pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
LIBRARY STORY TIMES: Three this morning at libraries in West Seattle (babies/toddlers/preschoolers), and one “family story time” tonight – all listed on the Seattle Public Library Calendar of Events.
TOUR THE ORCHARD: Health and Harvest Tours begin at Community Orchard of West Seattle, 2-4 pm on Tuesdays.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS : Tuesday night is rehearsal night, all detailed here, for returning AND new WSCO musicians; rehearsals at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle).
PATHFINDER K-8 MIDDLE-SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6-7:30 pm tonight, 1901 SW Genesee. (Full tour/open house schedule on the school home page.)
CHIEF SEALTH IHS PTSA: Tonight’s a general meeting at 7 pm in the school library. The agenda includes updates from the principal and regional director of schools, as well as what the meeting notice describes as: “a facilitated hour-long workshop on communicating with your teen … (with) an interactive experience for all participants.” Tickets also will be on sale for the third annual Seahawk Spirit Dinner and Auction on March 3rd.
WEST SEATTLE HS PTSA: Also meeting tonight, 7 pm, with meeting highlights including updates from the school administration plus the latest on events including Senior Night and the West Seattle 5K.
NIGHTLIFE: Skylark Café and Club acoustic open mic night, starts 7 pm … Rock music/pop culture trivia at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm … “Geeks Who Drink” pub quiz at The Wing Dome in The Junction, 8 pm … Trivia at The Bridge, $2 registration beginning at 8 pm and play starting at 8:30 pm. … Free pool at Beveridge Place Pub, plus discounts on bottled Belgian beer … Starlight songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm.
For the first time (that we have seen in public listings, anyway) since the recent Triangle-and-vicinity upzoning/rezoning was finalized by the City Council, one of the upzoned lots has been put up for sale. It’s a 11,500-square-foot site on the east edge of The Junction at 4731 40th SW (map), south of Bank of America. County records say it is owned by the Andresen family; the listing says it is offered for $1.6 million. Here’s the flyer; it notes that the property was rezoned to NC3-85 (the latter is the maximum height) in December, 20 feet higher than previously allowed, and the listing says, “New zoning will allow density of plus or minus 70 units with views from upper floors.”
Just out of the WSB inbox, one more look at the orcas – transients, according to The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom – that visited our area: Rick Rasmussen, who provided the photos you can see in this Sunday report, just sent the link to that video he also recorded when his sailing trip turned into an unexpected round of whale-watching.
Also visiting West Seattle on Sunday, a young seal promptly dubbed Flipper:
Alki photographer and Seal Sitters volunteer David Hutchinson shares the photo, and this update:
Even though the calendar says February, Seal Sitters is busy responding to young harbor seals on West Seattle beaches. Yesterday a weaned pup, nicknamed Flipper, spent 5 hours ashore on the steps along the promenade at Alki Beach. A large number of people were out taking advantage of our sunny weather, and volunteers had an opportunity to answer their many questions.
It is important, if you come across seals or other marine mammals on the beaches of West Seattle, to call our hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325). Please ask others to keep a respectful distance and all dogs should be on a leash. The goal, as always, is to give these young animals an opportunity to rest safely while ashore. A pup has recently been hauling out on the beaches at Lincoln Park, so if you spot him, please give our hotline a call.
For more details about Flipper and the other recent visitors to West Seattle beaches, please visit our Blubberblog.
Seal Sitters will soon be announcing the first training session of 2012 in preparation for the upcoming pupping season. For more information please visit Volunteer Now on our website.
(From left, Katherine Schlick-Noe and students Katherine “Kit” Hall, Taylor Chapman, Andres Acevedo)
On any given day, you never know who you will see at a local school. Special-education teacher Paula Tortorice‘s Language Arts class at West Seattle High School hosted a local author today. Dr. Katherine Schlick Noe is the author of “Something to Hold,” which does a turnabout on the topic of discrimination. Tortorice explains that the book is written from the perspective of “Kitty,” a white girl who with her family moves to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, and that the book also explores topics including bullying. She says Dr. Schlick Noe showed a PowerPoint presentation featuring many of the places in the story, answered students’ questions, and listened to their opinions about “Something to Hold.” During their study of the book, they wrote about it and drew posters depicting “what they thought their favorite scenes in the book might look like,” Tortorice says. (In addition to being a writer, Dr. Schlick Noe is a professor at Seattle University.)
Five years after the “sexpresso” trend was the talk of the town, people don’t seem to get steamed up any more over the concept of espresso stands with baristas in lingerie. Nonetheless, it’s noteworthy that one of these stands has turned up here, first one we recall hearing about: At 9435 Delridge Way SW in the South Delridge Triangle, the former Java Joint drive-up stand has just been repainted pink and given the new name Brewlesque Espresso. Noticing this while in the area today, we stopped for a photo; the barista told us the stand has new ownership as of just a few days ago, and that’s who made the change. (As was noted in coverage five years ago, as long as the baristas keep their naughty bits covered up, it’s all perfectly legal.)
If you look up Metro Transit info online, Metro wants to know what you think about a new homepage they’ve put up for a test drive. They say it highlights the most popular features – route schedules, announcements, trip planning – and works better on mobile devices than the current site. Check it out here, and then answer a survey that you’ll see at the very top of the page. This is just for the home page; they plan to roll out other changes later this year.
Longtime West Seattle businessman Jim Sweeney, who has operated Alki Lumber in The Triangle for more than half a century, has died. (This was reported in the WSB Forums last night, and both the family and the business have now confirmed it.) Our photo is from September 2010, when the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle honored Mr. Sweeney as an “Everyday Hero” for donating materials to a club service project at Westcrest Park. He had told club members that day that, while Seattle had more than 130 lumber yards when he took over Alki Lumber in 1959, only a handful remained by the turn of the millennium. Mr. Sweeney was 73 years old; his memorial service is planned for 2 pm Sunday at Our Lady of Guadalupe. We’re expecting additional information from his family later, and will add it then.
ADDED 3:32 PM: From the Sweeney family:
James Brandon Sweeney, 73, of West Seattle died peacefully with his family by his side on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Swedish Hospital. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Jim was born in Seattle on December 30, 1938 and grew up in West Seattle. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1957. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Judy, and their two daughters, Lisa (John Guthrie) and Lynn (Matt Pedersen), five grandchildren, his sister Karin (Don Boos) and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and a long list of friends. Jim owned and operated Alki Lumber for over 50 years. The business was founded by his grandfather in 1921. He was an avid, expert skier and enjoyed traveling the world with Judy by his side. Among his greatest gifts, above all, were his generosity, patience and incredible wisdom that touched many lives.
A vigil will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) Catholic Church, 7000 35th Avenue SW, on Saturday, February 11, at 7 pm, and funeral Mass at OLG on Sunday, February 12 at 2 pm. A reception celebrating Jim’s life and legacy will follow at The Hall at Fauntleroy. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to West Seattle Pee Wee Baseball or the Medic One Foundation.
Thanks to Eric and Kristen, who both sent word of what looked like a car-bicycle crash at 8th and Roxbury (map) earlier this morning – but was instead a case of a pedestrian hit by a car, according to King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West. (It’s their jurisdiction because it happened on the county side of the Highland Park/White Center line, though as you can see in the photo, which Eric sent, Seattle Police helped out.) Sgt. West says the driver was southbound on 8th, getting ready to turn left (eastbound) onto Roxbury, and was apparently “blinded by the sun” when she hit a 67-year-old woman who was walking northbound across the street. She was driving very slowly, Sgt. West says, so the pedestrian suffered only “very minor injuries.” The bicycle seen on the ground by passersby belonged to a witness who stopped to help, NOT to the victim, according to Sgt. West.
Four West Seattle schools are honored in the newest round of annual statewide Washington Achievement Awards. Thanks to Laurie for the tip – she e-mailed to let us know about Alki Elementary, which won for Closing the Achievement Gap, as explained on the school’s website. Checking out the full statewide list, we also note that Madison Middle School won three – for Excellence, Improvement, and Science – and that Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School both won for Improvement. Congratulations to all!
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