West Seattle, Washington
03 Thursday
(Photos courtesy of Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Kyle Moore)
Seattle firefighters are touring library branches for Firefighter Story Times, teaching preschoolers fire safety. Today, Fire Chief Gregory Dean (above) led the team at the High Point branch. Firefighters from nearby Station 37 impressed the kids too:
And if you missed today’s event …
… you have another chance tomorrow, with a different crew of firefighters coming to the West Seattle (Admiral) Library at 10:30 am.
(‘Slip 4’ Duwamish cleanup area, photographed in 2010 by Christopher Boffoli)
Even if you’ve toured the Duwamish River – you’ve probably never toured it THIS way. The annual Halloween-time tour is coming up in less than two weeks – 1 pm Sunday, October 28th, according to word we received tonight from Alberto Rodriguez at the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition:
It is about time for this year’s Halloween Haunted History Toxic Terrors Tour! This year we will have four speakers that will talk about:
*History of the Duwamish River and the Superfund site
*Native American supernatural legends
*Ghost stories of Georgetown and South Park
*”Scary” stories of the pollutants in the riverThe tour will be 2 hours long and is $25 for adults and $15 for children. Find more information here.
That link is also where you can register for the tour.
Tomorrow night, the final draft – not necessarily the final wording – of Seattle Public Schools‘ BEX IV levy is scheduled for formal introduction to the School Board. We’ve just checked the agenda, and it includes an “edited” list that has the Arbor Heights Elementary rebuild now scheduled for completion in 2018, one year earlier than the last draft. Fairmount Park Elementary is still scheduled for reopening in 2014, and a rebuilt Schmitz Park Elementary on the current (closed) Genesee Hill campus is still scheduled to open in 2015.
Meantime, we’re told this afternoon by Arbor Heights parents and other supporters – who say their dilapidated school needs to be rebuilt ASAP and should be the first project on the BEX list – that they plan a rally before the board meeting tomorrow, around 3:45 pm at district HQ in SODO. The school board meeting itself starts at 4:15 pm; the public-comment period starts at 5; the scheduled introduction (and potential discussion) of BEX IV is after that. They’re hopeful for as much community support as they can get, so if you would like to stand with them for a “soon as possible” rebuild, be there tomorrow.
Lousy way to get welcomed to a new neighborhood. Brand-new West Seattleite Rebecca hopes you’ll be on the lookout for her car:
My husband and I moved to West Seattle two days ago and our car was stolen last night from in front of our house in Highland Park! It is a green, 4-door Honda CRV, license plate 780-WYL. The year is 2000.
Just a week and a half ago, two vehicles reported here as stolen were found, so here’s hoping the same for Rebecca.
11:11 AM: Crossposted from our daily traffic thread as well as our partner site White Center Now: Avoid 16th/Roxbury – only one lane, westbound, is open on Roxbury, and only northbound is open on 16th – a man is reported to have been hit by the bike rack of a Metro bus. (A Route 128 is stopped at the scene.) His injuries do not appear to be serious, according to the medic crews radioing in to the hospital; he’s being taken to a hospital.
11:41 AM UPDATE: Metro Route 120 is being routed off eastbound Roxbury, according to a Metro alert, because of the investigation.
1:24 PM UPDATE: As of about 1:15, investigators still had eastbound Roxbury blocked off from 15th to 17th. Westbound is open and 16th is fully open. The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, since it’s on their side of the line; spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West tells us the bus was southbound on Delridge turning left to go eastbound on Roxbury; the man who was hit, in his early 30s, was crossing Roxbury northbound southbound* in the crosswalk when the bus hit him.
*New information Wednesday from KCSO.
Exciting morning at Roxhill Elementary, as principal Sahnica Washington (photo below), her staff, and scholars welcomed VIPs including Superintendent José Banda and Mayor Mike McGinn for this year’s “Be Here, Get There” launch this morning.
Also partnering in the citywide campaign this year: The YMCA (WSB sponsor), whose Greater Seattle CEO Bob Gilbertson was on hand, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, whose Pacific Northwest Initiative director David Bley was, too. And Roxhill 4th-graders got to be in the spotlight (that’s who is on the stage in our top photo) because they’ve had 97 percent attendance already this year – attendance is what “Be Here, Get There” is all about, and participating schools will be eligible for incentives throughout the year.
Here’s the official city news release with details.
ADDED 5:13 PM: Video from today’s event:
You can track Be Here, Get There developments via Facebook.
(Click image for larger view)
The storm left behind a bit of snow on the Olympics! WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams photographed them this morning. And now … it’s sunny (new forecast!), at least as we bring you these highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar for the rest of today/tonight:
‘BE HERE, GET THERE’ AT ROXHILL: It’s not a public event but will bring a lot of excitement this morning to Roxhill Elementary as Mayor McGinn and Superintendent José Banda launch this year’s edition of the “Be Here, Get There” attendance-incentives campaign at 10 am; watch for coverage here later.
TRANSPORTATION TALK AT WEST SEATTLE ROTARY: Mike Lindblom, transportation reporter for The Seattle Times (WSB partner), is the featured speaker at today’s Rotary Club of West Seattle lunch, noon at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). With the Metro changes, Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, Alaskan Way Viaduct/tunnel, and more, he’s got a lot to cover, and to talk about, so come listen and bring questions.
FIREFIGHTER STORY TIME WITH THE CHIEF: Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean will be the guest reader at Firefighter Story Time for preschoolers at High Point Library (35th/Raymond), 1:30 pm.
OPEN HOUSE AT EXPLORER WEST: Families considering Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) are invited to tonight’s open house, 6:30-8 pm (program starts in the gym @ 6:30 pm).
HEAR THE PROSECUTORS’ SIDE OF THE STORY: Tonight’s monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting features not only your chance to bring neighborhood concerns to local police, but also a guest appearance by Ian Goodhew from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (lobby entrance from the parking lot on the Webster side of the building, just west of Delridge Way).
FOOD DRIVE REMINDER: Halfway through the month of October – and the group food drive by local physical-therapy clinics continues; even if you’re not a patient, you’re welcome to drop a donation off at a participating clinic. Here’s our original story with the list.
MANY more events on the calendar, including classes, story times, and nightlife – take a look here.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:57 AM: The big fire/police response is for a crash reported at 48th and Spokane, which is between Madison and Schmitz Park. More shortly.
8:27 AM UPDATE: From the scene and from police: Three vehicles were involved. Our crew saw two – including one on its side. (Added – here’s the other one:)
Tow trucks were already there as of about 10 minutes ago, so the scene will be clear soon if it’s not already. One person was taken to the hospital by private ambulance – which means the injuries were not believed to be major.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle’s most populous grade school, Lafayette Elementary, is not allowing student costumes on Halloween this year, principal Shauna Heath confirms to WSB this morning.
Several upset parents e-mailed us about this over the weekend; we called and e-mailed Heath yesterday to ask for confirmation/comment. She told us yesterday afternoon, “The staff is still discussing the issue and we will have an answer for you (Tuesday).”
Early this morning, the principal e-mailed us the promised update:
This decision was made by the entire staff after two deep and detailed discussions. The initial conversation was initiated by staff members who suggested that since Halloween falls this year on a half day of school, we not allow costumes. It takes students a while to change into their costumes, and students are distracted taking away from the already limited instructional time.
The Lafayette Staff met again on Monday, revisiting and recommitting to their decision of no costumes so that we can focus on academics during the limited time we have available. The staff has committed to continuing the conversation throughout the year before deciding on what we will do in the future about Halloween celebrations.
The parents who contacted WSB (and other media) said they had heard the decision was based on concerns about cultural sensitivity; so, we asked Heath on followup this morning, since her reply did not mention that issue, was that an inaccurate perception? Her reply: “We made the decision due to instructional time. There was a thoughtful conversation about cultural as well as equity issues that we want to discuss as a staff further, but the reason for the final decision about costumes was instructional time.”
According to the Seattle Public Schools calendar, October 31st is a “two-hour early-dismissal day,” one of several that the district has through the year, usually for teachers’ professional-development time. As for Halloween costumes, district policy has historically been that the decision has been up to each school. We don’t know the policies of West Seattle’s seven other public elementaries and one public K-8, but plan to ask, and will add the answers as we get them.
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:38 AM: As forecast, the wind calmed down overnight. No early reports of trouble on the main routes from/to/through West Seattle. Let us know how it’s going for you.
8:05 AM UPDATE: Big backup on the bridge, and we’re hearing that it’s slower than usual getting to the bridge too. Only major call we know of is a car fire on northbound I-5 at Mercer. Let us know if you see something else. In West Seattle, there is a heavy-rescue call for a crash at 48th/Spokane, which is near both Madison and Schmitz Park schools – we are on the way to find out what’s going on.
9:17 AM UPDATE: Here’s our full report on that 48th/Spokane crash, which has cleared. Still don’t know exactly what the problem was with Avalon. There’s a report being checked out right now of a possible semitruck stalled at West Marginal/Highland Park Way, so if you head that way and encounter trouble, let us know. Sometimes we’ll hear dispatches on the scanner to possible problems – and not always hear the upshot.
10:01 AM UPDATE: From Washington State Ferries – the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth run is down a boat:
The Klahowya will be temporarily out of service for necessary repairs to the vessel. This cancels the following sailings: 9:30 a.m. Vashon>Southworth, 9:50 a.m. SW>Vashon, 10:10 a.m. Vason>Fauntleroy, and 10:40 a.m. Fauntleroy>Vashon. Updates will occur when more information becomes available.
11:04 AM UPDATE: If you’re driving through the White Center area, note that there is an incident at 16th/Delridge/Roxbury right now – a man reportedly hit by a bus. We’re there checking it out and our coverage is on our partner site White Center Now.
11:43 AM UPDATE: Route 120 is being routed off eastbound Roxbury because of the aforementioned incident, according to a Metro text alert. Meantime, Terminal 5 tech problems are still slowing truck traffic there, per an SDOT alert and a comment on this thread. Thanks again to everybody for getting in the spirit of this and providing ongoing updates!
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