For Valentine’s Day and beyond: ‘Not your ordinary speed-dating experience’
Looking for love? Or, at least, like? Your Seattle Parks and Recreation Department‘s West Seattle Community Centers (WSB sponsor) have Recreation Speed-Dating Social events lined up the next two Thursday nights at High Point Community Center.
First, this Thursday, it’s the Valentine’s Day Adult Speed-Dating Social, followed on February 21st by the LGBTQ Adult Speed Dating Social. Both run 5:45-7:45 pm, $20 per person, registration limited to 20 people. Here’s how they work:
Recreation Adult Speed Dating Social is for adults 28-42 to engage in a fun evening of casual interactions and exciting recreation games like nerf dodge ball, tug of war, steal the bacon, and three-legged races.
This is not your ordinary speed-dating experience; dating switches will be initiated by music instead of a bell. There will be 6-minute mini dates and 5-minute recreation game intervals.
Light refreshments will be provided. Waiver and ID will be required for participation. Dress comfortable and casual.
Call 206-684-7422 to sign up.
Election 2013: Tomorrow’s the school-levy ballot deadline
If you haven’t mailed or dropped off your ballot for tomorrow’s vote on two Seattle Public Schools levies – time’s running out, since tomorrow night’s the deadline, 
and the first ballot count will be out in about 23 hours. #1 is the operations levy, which provides what SPS says is about a fourth of its budget. #2 is the fourth edition of the BEX – for Building Excellence – levy, and its proceeds are earmarked for projects including three big ones in West Seattle: Adding onto and reopening Fairmount Park Elementary in fall 2014, building a new elementary school to open on the site of shuttered Genesee Hill in fall 2015, and rebuilding Arbor Heights Elementary – currently scheduled for fall 2018, but as we first reported last month, with the district trying to get a bridge loan to move that up as much as two years. (This Crosscut story is the latest to take a look at Arbor Heights’ state of disrepair and lack of tech, particularly following the recent burglaries.)
There are also district-wide earthquake-safety projects, and technology items such as wireless Internet access. Get your ballot in the mail – remember to use a stamp – or drop it off at the ballot-dropoff van that’ll be at West Seattle Stadium (turn east off 35th SW just south of SW Avalon) 10 am-8 pm tomorrow.
Seattle Police surveillance cameras in West Seattle and beyond: Mayor promises ‘public vetting’
Almost two weeks after WSB broke the news about a network of surveillance cameras going up in West Seattle and beyond, Mayor McGinn is promising a “public vetting” before they go into operation. We had asked multiple times for his comments, and received this statement this afternoon via spokesperson Aaron Pickus:
I’ve directed the Seattle Police Department to brief any community groups or media interested in the port security system. The system will not be operated until a thorough public vetting of the system has been completed and the public has provided input. I will also be seeking input from other partners and beneficiaries of the system, including the Port, Coast Guard, fire department, and other public safety and transportation agencies, before any operational decisions are made.
No details yet on what will constitute the “thorough public vetting.” The camera network is funded – along with an accompanying “wireless mesh” communications system – by a $5 million federal Homeland Security grant that the City Council OK’d last May, as reported here January 31st. (On followup, Pickus says the outreach will be done through SPD.)
The first elected city official to publicly voice concerns about the camera network, Councilmember (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess, told WSB he found it “borderline problematic.” We reported his reaction last Thursday, along with news that the mayor announced the city would scrap a different Homeland Security-funded camera project, the so-called “drones.” This updated map of the system was in that same report:
(Click image for full zoomable PDF version of new map)
The first time we saw the entire camera-network map, Golden Gardens to Fauntleroy, was during an interview with the SPD Assistant Chief in charge of the project, Paul McDonagh, commander of the Special Operations Bureau (our reports on that interview were published February 1st and February 4th). At the time, he told us there were no plans for public briefings/discussions related to the system.
Another water problem: Beach Drive pipe repairs under way
For the second time in two days, Seattle Public Utilities crews are repairing a water problem that’s sent a surge into the streets. Early Sunday, we showed you this scene outside Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; today, thanks to a tip from Lura, we learned about a pipe problem on Beach Drive SW, just south of Weather Watch Park. According to SPU’s Ingrid Goodwin, “SPU was notified around 7:45 am this morning by a passersby that water was in the street. SPU crews are onsite and have determined that there’s a leaky 2-inch pipe. To repair the pipe, crews may need to shut down water services to about 55 homes and two fire hydrants.” There’s a flagger to help traffic get around the repair site.
5 highlights for your West Seattle Monday afternoon/evening
(Sunday Beach Drive photo by David Hutchinson)
It was a big weekend – take time (if you can) to scroll back down the home page and check out the big stories. But meantime, of course, we keep looking ahead. Like now. For today/tonight, 5 highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
K-5 STEM TOUR THIS AFTERNOON: Second-to-last tour this season for West Seattle’s newest elementary school, 1 pm, 5950 Delridge Way SW.
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB HEADS SOUTH – ingredient-wise, anyway. 3 pm meeting at Beveridge Place Pub today (6413 California SW), and “Southern” is the theme. Details in the calendar listing.
TICKETS FOR SCHOOL-BENEFIT TESLA CAR RAFFLE: 4-7 pm today at West Seattle’s PCC Natural Market (WSB sponsor; California/Stevens), you’ll see the Tesla electric car that’s the subject of a unique school-fundraising raffle for which tickets will be sold – A $100 ticket gets you a chance at the car, on behalf of Garfield High School (not in West Seattle but educating more than a few WS teens), as explained in the announcement we published last night (to which we’ve added some extra details from the GHS PTSA).
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm, Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon), with what you might call a love-ly theme (see here).
FLAT EARTH SOCIETY AT WEST 5: DJs play … records! Yes, actual records. Tonight, Jody McKane spins ’em at 9 pm at West 5 at 4539 California SW – wish them happy belated 10th birthday (here’s our coverage of last night’s party)!.
More on the calendar!
Centennial celebration announced for Alki Elementary School
(From Southwest Seattle Historical Society collection: Alki Elementary School 5th graders line up for a group photo in May 1928)
Big birthday ahead for Alki Elementary – and all of its alums (along with the rest of the community) are invited to the party. Here’s the official announcement:
Calling everyone who has ever attended Alki Elementary School: Mark your calendars to come celebrate the school’s 100th birthday on March 28.
The Alki PTA and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, co-sponsors of the celebration, are planning a slate of activities to engage students and community members of all ages.
Read More
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday’s updates
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Happy Monday! We start with our West Seattle Bridge and Highway 99 camera views …
It’s a short week for Seattle Public Schools and anyone following the same calendar – half-day on Thursday, then Friday and the following Monday off. And two traffic alerts are coming up for next weekend – here’s the story we published last week.
8:59 AM: Just announced by Washington State Ferries, the Tahlequah-Point Defiance run between South Vashon and Tacoma is out of service TFN – which could mean extra traffic for Fauntleroy-Vashon. In case this continues all day, here’s the Fauntleroy-Cloverdale traffic cam which shows a vehicle backup from the West Seattle terminal IF one is in progress:
Updates as we get them.
9:27 AM: Short-lived outage – WSF says the Salish is back in service, so south Vashon has a ferry again.
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