West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:58 PM: California SW is closed right now between Lander and Admiral as half of the doublewide portable being installed at Lafayette Elementary is currently spanning the full width of the road by the Admiral Safeway entrance.
11:29 PM UPDATE: Added photos during a quick stop at HQ, and going back to check on it. Maneuvering the first of the portable’s two sections (top photo and below) into the parking-lot entry on the north side of Lafayette appeared to be posing quite a challenge, though crew members on scene would not comment on whether it was going according to plan or not. One end of the portable was hanging over the sidewalk right in front of Umpqua Bank on the east side of the street, with little room to maneuver.
We’re heading back to check on how it’s going. Last time we covered a Lafayette portable delivery, it was in daylight – but that was long before the Admiral Safeway redevelopment reconfigured the streetscape, and we’re guessing (pending confirmation tomorrow) that this was scheduled to minimize business impact.
1:26 AM UPDATE: As Gina notes in comments, by 1 am – which is when we went back to check – the first half was out of that precarious street-straddling position and had arrived in place on school grounds, with the second half subsequently being maneuvered into the entrance. So this should all be wrapped up, and the street reopened, long before dawn.
(updated) SIDE NOTE – OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE OR WERE SLATED FOR PORTABLES: According to city DPD files, current plans sites for which portable permits were sought this year include 2 single-classroom portables for Schmitz Park Elementary, a double portable for Gatewood Elementary, one single-classroom portable and one double for West Seattle Elementary, a portable (the permit doesn’t specify single or double) for Pathfinder K-8, and two double portables for Chief Sealth International High School. (Monday morning note: We’re crosschecking with the district.)
The years-old proposal for an illuminated, digital sign on the east facade of the Madison Middle School gym hasn’t been settled yet. Tomorrow night, neighbor Claudia informs us, there’s a committee meeting that will include public comments on the proposal, which would require approval of a zoning “departure.” She writes:
Neighbors in the community are very worried that the departure will be accepted and that Seattle Public Schools will add a digital reader board on the Madison Middle School gym. As I’m sure you know, the intersection of 45th Avenue SW and Spokane is a very dangerous corner. We have seen countless automobile accidents (including roll-overs) and many near misses with pedestrians and bicyclists. We do not want to add to driver distraction. This is a very residential neighborhood and we would like to keep it beautiful and safe. Neighbors are currently signing a petition.
Here’s the official public notice for the meeting, which is at 6:30 pm Monday in the Madison library. P.S. We last wrote about the same proposal almost three years ago – at which time a commenter noted that “money for (the sign board) was raised by parents” and said that the proposal already had been in the works for some time by then. West Seattle HS and Chief Sealth IHS both have illuminated digital signs of varying sizes, but unlike Madison, the signs aren’t facing single-family-home neighborhoods.
Seen that wagon? Megan photographed her son and his friend out for a ride one day – and now hopes the photo will help find the culprit who stole it, or at least, will help find the wagon:
I am a single mother with a toddler and no car. To get groceries, or anything else for the matter, we take the wagon. It is impossible for me to carry groceries and keep my two year old from running out in the road. Our wagon was stolen within the last couple of days, from the parking lot in an alley behind my apartments, on 44th, close to (Skate Church).
We bought this wagon from the Senior Center. It is unique, and not a new model by any means. It is called a “Woody Wagon,” which is written on the side. The base is wood, and the walls are red and removeable. When we bought it, the screws started falling out. I took it to the local True Value to get some screws and the GREAT people there replaced all of the nuts/bolts/screws for me.
My son and I ran that wagon up and down the Alaska Junction several times a week, for function and for play, and it was (our) only mode of transportation! It’s just not right!!!
Any info? Let police know.
MONDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: We’ve been receiving e-mails from people who missed our mention of this in the comment section, so we’re adding it here too: Many kind people offered to buy, give, or loan a new wagon to Megan and her son. She has agreed to accept the offer of the first person who contacted us – moments after this story was published – and that person says it’s on the way. Megan also has posted a comment with words of appreciation, and let us add ours, so happy to see the community open its arms and do what it can to help.
ORIGINAL 3:22 PM REPORT: We’ve just confirmed a reader report that West Marginal Way SW is closed at Highland Park Way. Seattle Fire responded to a “med 6” call in the 5900 block, near Alaska Marine Lines, about an hour ago; another reader tells us she drove by the scene and saw a crash that appeared to involve a motorcyclist thrown off her/his bike. We are working to get more information.
3:36 PM UPDATE: Police near the scene confirm to WSB that the motorcyclist did not survive. We don’t know anything about him/her at this point. West Marginal Way is closed in the 4100 block on the north side (at SW Dakota) and at Highland Park Way on the south side.
3:57 PM NOTE: As far as we can tell from our archives, this is the first deadly crash in West Seattle in nine months, since September 2011, when 53-year-old Bradly Gilmore of Olalla died after swerving his motorcycle to avoid a car on the WS Bridge. We don’t know anything about the circumstances of today’s crash yet.
6:46 PM: Road was still closed when we went by about half an hour ago, though a commenter says some prep has been under way to reopen it – we’ll check back again around 8 but please let us know (in comments or editor@westseattleblog.com) if you see it open again before that.
7:10 PM: SPD Blotter has now published information on the crash, saying witnesses reported the motorcycle appeared to have been “racing” with a black car, but they haven’t yet found that car:
On 6/24/12, witnesses stated that at approximately 2:00 p.m., a motorcyclist and a black car were racing northbound on West Marginal Way.
The motorcyclist either failed to negotiate the curve or was forced off the road by the car. The motorcyclist died instantly after hitting a light pole. The search for the car is ongoing and there are no suspects at this time.
Suspect Vehicle: Black import car with tinted windows, two hood scoops, and a rear spoiler.
Anyone with information about this incident or the above described vehicle is asked to call 911.
This is an active and on-going case. No additional information is available at this time.
(From left, AH principal Christy Collins, Mark Ahlness, 1st-grade teacher Ms. Wilson)
As the school year wound down to its Friday finale, we have featured several farewell celebrations for beloved retiring teachers. In most cases, the celebration plan was announced in advance, and we were honored to be invited to be there to take a photo. At Arbor Heights Elementary, they had to surprise one retiring teacher who by all accounts was hoping to leave (after 21 years there) without much fuss. But we’re glad that a parent volunteer shared the photo, because we wanted to say a special word of thanks to AH’s third-grade teacher Mark Ahlness. As far as we recall, he’s the first West Seattle teacher ever mentioned on WSB – we discovered some of his work almost five years ago, no surprise because one of his many accomplishments was making Arbor Heights one of the first schools to have a website! And the first to publish all its student newsletters online – on Friday, he was also onstage to honor this year’s “Junior Seahawk Reporters”:
He’s coached countless students through online writing – the archive’s at roomtwelve.com – and writes online himself (some of his retirement reflections are here). Over the past few years, he has also from time to time updated us – and therefore, tens of thousands of West Seattleites and other WSB readers – on Arbor Heights students’ achievements, also including the annual Earth Day Groceries Project (a now-international activity, which, like the AH website, was launched in 1994). We know AH Elementary’s community has many more memories of him, but since we didn’t get a chance to sign the banner – we wanted to publicly say “thank you, Mr. Ahlness” too!
Two reader reports for West Seattle Crime Watch: a two-bike theft in Hansen View (south of Providence Mount St. Vincent) with another bike found nearby, and a hit-run in The Junction. Read on for both:Read More
Happy first Sunday of summer! From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
BENEFIT CAR WASH: The Chief Sealth International High School cheerleaders are raising money for cheer camp through a car wash 10 am-2 pm today at the John L. Scott lot in the 5200 block of California SW.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Summer fruit is in the spotlight. 10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska.
VCA WEST SEATTLE OPEN HOUSE: The veterinary clinic at 5261 California SW is having an open house 11 am-2 pm – details here.
IF IT WERE SUNNY AND HEADED FOR 70 … this would be the second day of operation for the Lincoln Park wading pool. Just FYI. Whenever that warm weather DOES arrive, it’ll start the season.
SUMMER KICKOFF BARBECUE: Noon-4 pm, free barbecue at Super Deli Mart (35th/Barton), details here.
(added) DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE EXHIBIT OPENS: From the announcement about today’s opening reception, 1-3 pm:
“Taqw-seblu”, Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert (1918-2008), is credited with saving Lushootseed– the language spoken by Chief Seattle. In a series of legacy albums produced by Paul Eubanks, the cultural future was permanently preserved in the ancestral stories and wisdom of Taqw-seblu and other tribal elders. It was their wish that the culture be preserved by sharing it – with the goal of making the material available to all who seek it, now and in the future. Paul Eubanks, an adopted grandson of Taqw-seblu, honors these elders with photos, prints and a series of presentations that illuminate the background stories regarding the production of these legacy albums.
The longhouse is at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW.
BLOCK-BY-BLOCK BIOSWALE MEETINGS IN WESTWOOD: King County is having the Westwood editions of its block-by-block meetings about the Barton CSO Project – proposing bioswales for parts of Sunrise Heights and Westwood, to divert runoff – at 1 and 3 pm today; locations here.
WEEKEND DAYTIME MEETING FOR WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: If you’ve been meaning to check out the West Seattle Cooking Club but couldn’t make it to their usual Monday afternoon meetings – here’s your chance, 1 pm, Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW), with the theme “Breakfast.”
TOUR THE LIGHTHOUSE: Just another reminder that the Alki Point Lighthouse is open for tours 1-4 pm on summer Saturdays and Sundays.
Once again for the coming week, we are melding the two lists of major highway/bridge (and related) closures – one from the city, one from the state – to create a day-by-day/night-by-night reference list. This one is for today (June 24th) through next Saturday (June 30th). You’ll find it linked throughout the week atop the WSB sidebar’s “BIG STORIES” link list.
Sunday, June 24 (today)
*No scheduled closures
Monday, June 25
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – No scheduled closures
*Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – From the city: “North/south traffic at the intersection of Fourth Avenue S and S Spokane Street will likely be limited to one lane in each direction at times between 9 am and 2 pm for construction activity that will proceed across the intersection. One lane of traffic will be closed at a time while construction is done in that lane, before the work shifts to the next lane.”
Tuesday, June 26
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Closed southbound between the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
Wednesday, June 27
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Closed southbound between the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
*Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – From the city: “The eastbound lanes of surface S Spokane Street will be closed between Fourth and Sixth Avenues S, beginning Wednesday, June 27, at 5 am and continuing until 5 am, Friday morning, June 29. The closure will permit the Union Pacific Railroad to rebuild their rail crossings at S Spokane Street.”
Thursday, June 28
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Closed southbound between the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge, 9 pm-5 am
*Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – Eastbound S. Spokane St. closure between 4th and 6th continues all day/night
Friday, June 29
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound closes 11 pm tonight (to reopen 9 am Sunday)
Saturday, June 30
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound closed all day
A memorial service is scheduled Tuesday for Anne Hollister, who spent 20 years of her life in the West Seattle/Burien area. Her family shares this remembrance:
Anne K. Hollister (Frederiksen)
Anne was born to Danish immigrant parents, Soren and Margrethe Frederiksen, in Granite Falls, WA on May 7, 1928. She died peacefully at the Norse Home in Seattle on June 18, 2012.
She was proud of her Danish heritage and was active in the Danish community in Seattle for more than 50 years. She was a long-time member of Luther Memorial Lutheran Church and the Danish Sisterhood and gave many hours of service. Her greatest joy was her family—especially her nine grandchildren.
| 18 COMMENTS