West Seattle, Washington
13 Tuesday
West Seattle’s Gatewood Elementary is one of four schools citywide whose speed zones have been chosen by the Seattle Police Department for fixed speeder-catching cameras. That’s according to an SPD report to be delivered during this Tuesday’s meeting of the City Council Transportation Committee. The report explains:
The radar-based devices will issue tickets only when the school beacons are flashing (during school hours). Speed violators will be issued tickets with variable fines that will match the cost of a ticket that would otherwise be issued by an officer.
According to the report, the camera should be up and running before school starts September 5th; we’ll be checking this week on installation status.
The same document (which is dated June 11th) includes a status report on the city’s “speed van,” which was first shown off outside Gatewood almost four years ago (WSB coverage here). The report details multiple problems that plagued the van and forced its replacement last spring, while noting the new one is much simpler for officers to use, and had double the “capture rate” once it was deployed before last school year ended.
UPDATE, 4:44 PM MONDAY: Just talked with SPD’s program manager for this, who says, first of all, they have since updated the memo – the fines are not variable; they are fixed – $189. The camera will be on Fauntleroy, and will be installed sometime in the next few weeks.
For late-night and early-early-morning drivers, here’s our weekly night-by-night list of the major closures most likely to affect West Seattle drivers on Highway 99 and the West Seattle Bridge (Spokane Street Viaduct section) this week:
TONIGHT (Sunday night 8/12)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Closed southbound between the north end of the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge for pre-tunnel reinforcement work, 9 pm-5 am. Also note, if you drive 99 north of this stretch, this is the last night for a closure that’s lasted longer than a month. From WSDOT:
Beginning Monday, Aug. 13 at 5 a.m., the right lane of southbound SR 99 will reopen between Republican and Harrison streets. The lane, along with access to and from southbound SR 99 from nearby side streets, closed in late June to allow crews room to relocate underground utilities in preparation for construction of the SR 99 tunnel’s future north portal.
Major closures night-by-night for the rest of the week, ahead:Read More
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
Somewhere on a West Seattle beach in the next few days, someone may again encounter Casey the pup, who was guarded by Seal Sitters volunteers today, and if you see Casey – or another pup – they want to be sure you call their hotline, 206-905-SEAL. Robin Lindsey tells Casey’s story:
Seal Sitters watched over a too-thin pup at Lincoln Park today, the pup returning to the water about 12:30 with the incoming tide. We anticipate that the pup will show up today or tomorrow on another beach or possibly again at the Park. This is an extremely challenging time for seal pups, either newly weaned and struggling or, occasionally, still nursing. The pup we had just a few weeks ago, Georgie, was definitely a nursing age pup and only perhaps a day or so old. We were not able to determine approximate age on today’s pup, nicknamed Casey, because we never got a look at the teeth via a yawn. The number of erupted teeth would let us know at least for sure if the pup was weaned.
We can’t thank Betsy and Judy enough for calling the hotline and keeping the pup safe until we arrived. Apparently there were a couple of off leash dogs near the pup when he was discovered. I know we say it over and over again, but dogs are a tremendous danger to weak and vulnerable seal pups – just within the past couple of weeks an off leash dog killed a pup on one of the area’s islands.
This is the beginning of the high season when pups will visit the shores of South Puget Sound beaches. September and October are typically our busiest months with weaned pups seeking sanctuary on shore. Our motto is “Share the Shore” – we hope West Seattle people will do so and give these little pups a slightly better chance of survival than the 50 percent norm. Seal Sitters MMSN so appreciates the support of our community!
You can find Casey’s story, and much more, on the Seal Sitters’ blubberblog.
ADDED: One more thing Seal Sitters hope you will keep in mind – There are spots around the sound where the pups are being born, and they too need to be respected and protected; boats and other watercraft can wreak a lot of havoc in these spots (which aren’t in West Seattle, but you or someone you know may use those waters). Read about that here.
A table full of trophies awaits the award ceremony at today’s Southwest Car Show and Family Fest, continuing till 5 pm. The cars are on display in the Southwest Teen Life Center‘s parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) –
– which is where you’ll also find the bouncy house, and other activities for kids and families:
Adjacent Southwest Pool is part of the fun, too, with a free public swim coming up at 4 pm.
When we stopped by West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) just after 1 pm to check in on the CityDog Magazine Cover Dog Search photo shoot, we found out that 36 dogs were already signed up, just after hour 1. Dogs of every size, as you can see in the photo above … and we even spotted a dog in a tie:
That’s Willie, dressed to the nines. Or at least the eights. At the CityDog table, Carol from Doney Memorial Pet Clinic – beneficiary of today’s $10 photo fees – and West Seattle-based CityDog founder Brandie Ahlgren:
Carol told us this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for Doney, run by volunteers and supported by donations; the clinic takes care of pets for people in need who otherwise might not be able to afford that care. (She says she also gets big help in our area from White Center’s Puppy Perfectors.) Meantime, the photos are on till 3 pm – just head to Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy) if you see this before then. We’ll find out later this year if another West Seattle dog will grace the CDM cover next winter!
If you’re taking a bicycle to PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) before 3 pm for the donation drive collecting bikes and parts for Togo, West Africa, say hello to Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder and managing director of Alaffia Sustainable Skin Care. His company works with two cooperatives in Togo, generating fair-trade shea butter and coconut oil for their Thurston County-produced products. Alaffia has been collecting bikes since 2004 to help kids in Togo who otherwise have no way to get to school aside from hours of walking.
The Log House Museum/Southwest Seattle Historical Society have some big plans in the works, all coming up before the end of August, and you’re invited to all three. Their Ice Cream Social (featuring Husky Deli ice cream!) is on the calendar for August 19th, 1-3 pm, in the museum courtyard. SWSHS has also partnered with the Museum of History & Industry to offer a historical “Log House to Longhouse” biking tour on August 25th from 10 am to noon. And the same weekend, on August 26th, the Log House Museum is celebrating the opening of a new exhibit titled “Telling Our Westside Stories” from 1-4 pm. You can find out more about all three events here .
We’re into the quieter heart of summer now – past most of the big festivals – a time to just enjoy the weather and the sights. Sunrise is still early enough that many of us miss it, but West Seattle photographer Danny McMillin – whose images you’ve seen here before – put together a video look during Saturday’s early morning “golden hour.” He says it’s for a contest on the video-hosting service he used, Vimeo, but wanted to share it more widely here, too (thanks!)
(“Anything Goes” at 3 today! Photo by Ron Dugdale, courtesy Twelfth Night Productions)
And now the full list of what’s up today/tonight …
BIKE-DONATION DRIVE: Adult-size bikes that work, and bike parts, are welcome at PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor) today 10 am-3 pm, for the Alaffia drive collecting bikes for Togo – info here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska, with summer fruit including peaches among today’s featured produce.
WEST SEATTLEITES TO ‘STAND WITH THE SISTERS’: A bus leaves Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s new Parish Life Center at 11 today (Myrtle/35th) to head across town to today’s rally in support of the nuns’ organization – explained here.
SOUTHWEST FAMILY FEST AND CAR SHOW: At and around Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle), music, food, kids’ activities, and a car show, 11 am-5 pm.
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: Today and every Sunday (watch their FB page in case of changes), 11 am at Fairmount Playfield, Fauntleroy and Brandon.
IS YOUR DOG A FUTURE COVER DOG? West Seattle-founded CityDog Magazine is back at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) today for its annual photo shoot to track down a future “cover dog,” noon-3 pm. $10 fee supports the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic.
FIRST MATINEE FOR ‘ANYTHING GOES’: The Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor) version of the Cole Porter classic is in its second weekend, and today’s the first Sunday matinee – 3 pm, West Seattle High School Theater.
LIVE MUSIC: On the schedule today – Faerabella at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm … The Limit Club and On The Make at Skylark Café and Club, 3 pm …
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