West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
Providence Mount St. Vincent administrators past and present were there this afternoon to celebrate the dedication of The Mount’s newly expanded Transitional Care Unit. At left is Sister Rita Ferschweiler, who gave the blessing at this afternoon’s ceremony, photographed with current administrator Tom Mitchell. Sister Rita has been a Sister of Providence since 1944, when she was in her mid-20s, and came to West Seattle in 1977 to become administrator of The Mount. This expansion means the facility now has 58 beds for “transitional care,” explained as what’s needed by some people who are out of the hospital after surgery or treatment but still need time to recover, rehabilitate, and go through therapy before they can transition back into their regular lives. The services are now headquartered on The Mount’s 5th floor, where today’s ceremony happened:
From left, Providence’s Laurie Corrington, Renee Fowler, and Ken Wolcott; Kees Cusveller from Graham Construction, and Steve Anderson from Providence. Previously, The Mount had 20 beds for this kind of care, so its capacity is tripled. A fact-sheet provided by Providence says it’s the only part of The Mount where they have “patients” rather than “residents.”
Last month, we followed up on a long-running discussion in the WSB Forums – about a $100 fee charged by Highline Medical Center‘s Urgent Care Clinic in West Seattle, not covered by all insurance companies, with prospective patients required to agree that they’ll pay it if their insurance doesn’t.
As we reported in that story, Highline’s administrator told WSB the fee is “for the higher costs of operating an urgent care facility during weekends and evening hours, when there is irregular demand for services. …” Adam and Gabrielle Kramer, who first surfaced the complaint, contend that the charge, which they say she had to agree to pay before she could be seen at the clinic for a neck problem last December, violates our state’s law against “balance billing,” and that is the root of the class-action lawsuit they have filed in King County Superior Court (see it here). After Adam Kramer sent us word of the suit this afternoon, we requested comment from Highline, but did not hear back; if and when we do, we will add their response here.
(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
After a 2-0 win over Ingraham at home this afternoon, the Chief Sealth International High School boys-varsity soccer team remains undefeated, with a record of 11-0-1, two-thirds of the way through the regular season. Their next game is also at home, this Friday vs. Bainbridge Island.
This time of year, the term ‘waitlist’ is a source of angst for hundreds of families around the city, once they discover that a spot wasn’t immediately available at the school of their choice. Today, WSB’er Kathleen pointed out that information on the length of waitlists around the city is finally available online. And the waitlist for West Seattle’s newest public school is NOT what it seems, it’s been pointed out to us. More on that in a moment. First, we’re not going to list all the waitlist numbers from West Seattle schools (you can see that here), but here are the ones with double-digit wait lists:
67 for 9th grade at Chief Sealth International High School
46 for kindergarten at Pathfinder K-8
26 for kindergarten at Alki Elementary
23 for kindergarten at Schmitz Park Elementary
20 for 6th grade at Denny International Middle School
17 for 10th grade at Chief Sealth
17 for kindergarten at Gatewood Elementary
11 for 1st grade at Gatewood Elementary
11 for 11th grade at Chief Sealth
11 for kindergarten at Highland Park Elementary
10 for 3rd grade at Pathfinder K-8
10 for 2nd grade Spectrum at Lafayette Elementary
10 for 3rd grade Spectrum at Lafayette Elementary
(Longest waitlist in the city is for Franklin High School 9th grade – 104.) Then there are waitlists that are unlike any others – the ones for the new K-5 STEM at Boren. Today we heard from two parents who both said, if you are even contemplating enrolling your child in the new science/tech/math/engineering school for this fall, PLEASE get on the list now – because (as we reported last week) the district has said that it could add extra classes IF there are enough kids to fill them. Right now, according to that same district data set, there are 8 waiting for kindergarten, two each for 1st and 3rd. Enrollment information is here.
(WSB photo from April 2011)
As discussed here last Saturday, the city was out striping the West Seattle Bridge without advance warning – but today, they are issuing a blanket traffic alert pointing out that you might find yourself in the vicinity of a painting crew sometime, somewhere, between tomorrow and late September:
Now that the rainy season is winding down, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is revving up to begin its annual five-months of road striping work covering 1148 lane miles. The majority of work begins tomorrow, April 25, and could continue through September 26, depending on weather and accomplishments.
The work will primarily involve slow moving paint trucks, averaging about three to six miles an hour. Drivers may encounter slight delays as a result. There will be no lane closures required, unless extensive lay-out (measuring) is needed to delineate lane markings that have been totally eradicated by traffic and snow removal. In which case, warning signs will be posted.
The road striping, which requires dry weather, could start as early as 5 a.m., but will likely take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. mainly on secondary arterials Tuesdays through Fridays. Arterials, the Downtown Core area (First through Sixth avenues), and known high-volume traffic areas will be striped early Saturday mornings to minimize the impact on motorists.
Funding for the work is provided by the Bridging the Gap voter-approved transportation initiative and the General Fund. Drivers are asked to drive cautiously through the work zones allowing the crews plenty of room to do their work safely.
Besides the bridge, we saw freshly painted markings on Delridge Way SW yesterday, too. If you happen to spot a painting crew and can safely call or text (you’re in the passenger seat, on a bus, noticing from your window at home, etc.), please consider letting us know so we can share the traffic alert, however shortlived – 206-293-6302 voice or text, any time.
(WSDOT photo from March 29th keel-laying event for 1st 144-car-ferry project at Vigor)
Less than four weeks after that ceremony at Vigor Shipyards marking the start of work on a new 144-car state ferry, WSDOT and Vigor just formalized paperwork for the next one, with construction set to start in December. Total costs for the two ferries are expected to total $277 million, according to WSDOT’s announcement today. The first one is due to start service in early 2014, the second one, a year after that. Up to two more may follow. They’ll be replacing Evergreen State-class ferries (two of which are often on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run – Klahowya and Tillikum).
Though the sun is gone for now, it’ll be back, and so will Alki crowds the size of the ones that left behind the weekend litter/overflowing can problem shown/discussed here yesterday. As a result, Seattle Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter told WSB this morning, more cans would be set out – and as the photo we took around 10 am shows, they’re already there. (Compare to the photo in Monday’s story – today, two cans are side by side in each of the two spots east of the Bathhouse that previously had one apiece. Don’t have any comparisons for the rest of the beach, though.) Potter also says that contrary to her first reply, some Parks employees WERE on duty over the weekend, but they had some pickup challenges with the larger “in-ground” cans – a special cable-equipped truck used for emptying them broke down (they have a loaner replacement now).
If you have clothing you don’t need any more, but you don’t already have other plans for it such as a yard sale – the Neighborhood House High Point Center has a clothing drive under way and asked us to share this call for donations:
n the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, we are celebrating Earth Day by holding a clothes drive for the residents of the High Point community. We are asking the wider West Seattle community to contribute any new or slightly used clothing. Please bring clothes clean and no undergarments. Clothes donations may be left with the High Point Center front desk, 9 am-5 pm Monday-Friday of this week, April 23-27. Our address is: 6400 Sylvan Way SW. We thank you in advance for your generosity! If you have any questions, please contact High Point Living Green Project Manager, Rochelle Saedi at rochelles@nhwa.org or (206) 588-4900 ext. 612
(And though it’s not related, we can’t resist a reminder that a whole variety of NON-clothing items can be recycled via the Fauntleroy Church event this Sunday.)
Approaching the first anniversary of its opt-out-of-phone-books program, the city says more than a fifth of Seattle households are using it. According to a news release this morning: “More than 75,000 residents and businesses have stopped nearly 420,000 individual unwanted phone-book deliveries – saving 375 tons of paper.” Another round of deliveries looms, so they’re getting the word out now – you can opt out online by going here – do it by May 22nd, Seattle Public Utilities says, or the next round of Dex books will be on your doorstep (you can opt out of others, too). If you don’t want to opt out online, do it via an automated phone service, (206) 504-3066. (P.S. To stop junk mail, go here – note that you’ll be asked to opt out by name of company whose mailings you get, so it’s not as streamlined a process.)
(Photo by Machel Spence – fern season!)
From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
VIADUCT/99 CLOSURE TONIGHT: Again this week, nightly through Thursday night, Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will close overnight SOUTHBOUND between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge. The closures are scheduled for 9 pm-5 am.
WEST SEATTLE CHAMBER ‘LUNCH AND LEARN’: The ongoing series focuses today on learning how to use LinkedIn “like a pro.” 12:30-1:30 pm at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), $25 Chamber members/$35 nonmembers (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW).
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH MARTY McLAREN: Want to talk to West Seattle’s school-board rep about the BEX IV levy, the new K-5 STEM at Boren school, the superintendent finalists, anything else? She’ll be at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson) 1-2:30 pm today to meet with anybody interested in talking.
AFTERNOON PIANO MUSIC AT PARK WEST: You’re invited to come see/hear Eric “Two Scoops” Moore perform, free, 2:30 pm at Park West (1703 California SW).
UNBEATEN SOCCER TEAM BACK IN ACTION: Public high schools’ spring-sports teams are back on the field, the court, etc., this week, and today is the first game in more than a week for the Chief Sealth International High School boys-varsity soccer squad, 4 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex, vs. Ingraham. (We have ongoing sports schedules for CSIHS and WSHS throughout the week on the WSB Events Calendar.)
METRO ROUTE 120 CHANGES – AND IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BUSES: An open house 5:30-7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center tonight is meant to gather comments on, and share information about, big changes ahead along this popular route. That includes “rechannelization” for part of Delridge and changes in the spacing of stops along the route. Here’s our preview from Monday, including a link to a survey, if you can’t make it tonight.
‘CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN’ AT WSBWCN: Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn is scheduled to bring the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network an updated encore pre about multiple ways to make your home less attractive to criminals – in ways you don’t routinely hear about. 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).
SANISLO PTA: New families are invited as well as families who already have students at Sanislo Elementary, 6:30 pm tonight (1812 SW Myrtle)
FREE ‘INTRO TO REIKI’: Tonight at Highland Park Improvement Club, 7:30 pm. Details here.
More – for today/tonight, and far beyond! – on the calendar.
One week from Thursday, it’s the most fashionable fundraiser on the West Seattle calendar – “Style ’12,” the 10th annual “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good!” fashion-show benefit for Northwest Hope and Healing. Though it’s not happening IN West Seattle – it’s not far, at Showbox SODO! – there is so much West Seattle involvement, both NWHH leadership – including executive director Shari Sewell – and local businesses (as well as participating breast-cancer survivor/models!), that you might say the peninsula honorarily stretches that far for the night. For example: West Seattleite and three-time breast-cancer survivor Tracy Dart, known even more widely as a fundraiser extraordinaire, is keynote speaker. Participating boutiques/businesses include, from West Seattle, Carmilia’s, Coastal, Ola Salon, Sweetie, and West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor). Proceeds go toward helping NWHH assist women fighting breast cancer – though diagnosis and treatment may have turned their lives upside down, everyday life must go on, and NWHH assistance is geared toward helping make that happen. Find out more – and buy tickets – online, by going here. (Photo credit: Sarah Halston)
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