West Seattle, Washington
14 Sunday
If you’re noticing the police search in THe Junction – officers are looking for a man who is reported to have tried to hold somebody up. The partial description we have so far is a black man wearing a gray ski mask. He was last seen near Edmunds and 41st, possibly in the alley between 41st and 42nd, heading south. More as we get it.
8:29 PM: Tonight’s first and only vote count is in for the two Seattle Public Schools levies on today’s special-election ballot, and both are passing handily. 
– #1 is for operations funding, and #2 is the BEX levy for projects including building large all-new elementary schools on the current Genesee Hill and Arbor Heights sites, as well as reopening Fairmount Park, and other projects citywide. From the King County Elections website, here are the percentages and totals (each needs only a simple majority to pass):
OPERATIONS LEVY:
Yes 74 percent (80,112)
No 26 percent (27,990)
BUILDING EXCELLENCE LEVY
Yes 72 percent (77,222)
No 28 percent (30,659)
The next vote count is expected tomorrow afternoon.
ADDED 11:52 PM: “Wonderful results” is how Superintendent José Banda described the vote, according to Seattle Times (WSB partner) coverage.
Just in from King County:
Due to a mechanical issue on the Rachel Marie Tuesday night, there will be no water taxi service on the West Seattle route for Wednesday morning, February 13. Normal service will resume beginning with the 3:45 pm departure on Wednesday afternoon from Pier 50.
(NDNC co-chair Parie Hines speaks while a heart collage is assembled; foreground, Amanda Leonard holds infant son Harpo)
Eleven adults and a baby comprised the turnout for last night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting. Having the next generation on hand seemed especially appropriate, since the agenda looked to the future, as well as dealing with the present and past.
Icebreaker question: “What makes Delridge different from other neighborhoods?”
The first reply: “More greenspace per capita.”
One of the other answers: “Longfellow Creek.”
Yet another: “A very low number of snobby people.”
And yet another: “The number of engaged neighbors.”
Likely an offshoot of that: “The sheer diversity of community-driven events and initiatives.”
Closeness to downtown was mentioned too, as were two huge institutions in North Delridge – the Nucor Steel plant, and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, and last but not least, “The Delridge Move” – explained as, using Delridge’s continuous center turn lane to pass other cars.
They wrote their favorite things about Delridge on Valentine-style pieces of red paper – mentions for Dragonfly Park, Pearl’s Coffee and Tea, flowers in traffic circles, the Camp Long ropes course drew a mention, among others. (A collage resulted – in progress, in our photo above; see the full result on the NDNC website.)
What kind of projects and activities from the past would members like to do again? Building projects – like the playground – with a tangible result; small, social events like cider-press gatherings and ice-cream socials; street improvements (like the recent ones on 25th SW); community cleanups – which led to a side discussion about teaming up with nearby Puget Ridge if possible.
How to improve the neighborhood and strengthen love for it? Block parties, reaching out to neighbors, celebrate Neighbor Appreciation Day, Night Out block parties, organize walks … those were among the ideas offered. Also, periodically singling out a local volunteer for honors.
The community cleanup idea came back around, with beautification chair Lisa Taylor-Whitley suggesting monthly projects, not just the quarterly Adopt-A-Street. Perhaps they could focus on some of the area’s myriad stairways, it was suggested. (Watch the North Delridge Facebook group for event signup and pages.)
RESEARCH: A researcher who is studying this area as part of a UW project titled “Encountering Poverty: Everyday Life in Mixed-Income Neighborhoods” – told the group that she and her colleagues have been talking to people such as social-service professionals, and hope soon to start talking to neighborhood-council reps such as the NDNC members who were gathered for the meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: The DESC project’s Advisory Committee will meet at 6:30 pm Wednesday at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with a focus on crime prevention/safety elements in the project’s design … Transportation Committee chair Jake Vanderplas said two new bus stops are supposed to be set up before the Metro service change on February 16 kicks in the intended path for Route 50.
NDNC meets the second Monday of the month, 6:30 pm, usually at Delridge Library, but sometimes elsewhere, so keep an eye on their website at ndnc.org!
5:53 PM: West Seattle/White Center/Vashon (and vicinity) County Councilmember Joe McDermott mentioned on Facebook that he was in Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union; we asked for a photo but didn’t expect to get one, since he also mentioned everyone had to turn in their electronic devices upon entrance. But he managed to e-mail this just before going into the House gallery – a photo with North Sound U.S. House Rep. Rick Larsen and County Executive Dow Constantine, taken by Larsen staffer Bryan Thomas. The president’s speech is set to begin at 6 pm, televised/streamed/broadcast in a multitude of places.
P.S. Speaking of politics, one more reminder – Election Day for the Seattle school levies; the ballot-dropoff van is at West Seattle Stadium, along the driveway between the parking lot and 35th SW, till 8 pm, and we’re expecting the first results (only announcement of the night) around 8:15.
ADDED 10:24 PM: We invited Councilmember McDermott to share thoughts/observations after the State of the Union address:
I flew to Washington DC this afternoon to lobby our federal leaders over the next two days on behalf of King County. As I was in the air Congressman Jim McDermott’s office confirmed that I could attend the State of the Union as his guest.
As political theater it is an inspiring event to witness the President comply with Article II Section 3 of the United States Constitution, but it was personal specifics that spoke to me in the House Chamber tonight.
When President Obama announced the Fix it First program to repair 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country, I stood and applauded. Not many in the Gallery jump up — even if members of one or both parties on the floor do. Few others in the Gallery stood for this. But not everyone in the Gallery has had a major bridge in their district close due to safety concerns from age and deterioration. Thankfully the South Park Bridge will open in just about a year but the fact that it closed harming the South Park community and broader economy is a failure. I welcome cooperation with the federal government to prevent that happening to other communities.
The President addressed sequestration and how it will harm people and our economy. This underlines the message I will take to Capitol Hill tomorrow. For instance, I am concerned about the effects of an 8.2% cut to the Women Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (WIC SNAP) in the Farm Bill sequestration. Those cuts alone would affect 3,100 clients in King County.
Having worked on voting and election issues as a state legislator and now supporting the work of King County’s elections Director Sherril Huff, the call to action on voting rights struck a chord with me. That a guest who was in the First Lady’s box this evening waited six hours to vote — regardless of her age — demands to be addressed nationally and in every local community. Our vote by mail program doesn’t mean there aren’t other improvements possible locally.
In the most emotional moment of the evening, President Obama addressed gun safety in the wake of the Newtown shooting. The Chamber fell silent. The President demanded a vote. People rose and applauded the demand. Members chanted “Vote!” The King County Board of Health, which I chair, joined this call last month when we passed a resolution calling for state and federal action and committing to do what little state and federal laws allow local jurisdictions to adopt. Reasonable measures must be taken before even more are lost to gun violence — a public health crisis we can and must address.
Throughout the speech I reflected on how legislators and elected officials — Representatives and Senators in this case, but on any level — need to recommit to achieving the common good for our jurisdictions. In campaigns we can fight, but in governing we must put the fight aside, certainly there will be debate, and then act in the common good. I recommit to this imperative myself.
Within all of this policy and politics, the speech touched me most personally when in the beginning President Obama referred to ensuring equal opportunity for all. In doing so he spoke to who needs to be included and specifically called out that equal opportunity must be available to people regardless of who they love. To hear the President speak to inclusion of my lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community inspires me in how far we have come in equal opportunity. I am renewed in working for equal opportunity for all and encouraged by the state of our union.
(Click image for full-size PDF map of this weekend’s detour)
As first reported here last Friday, the Delridge repaving project is scheduled to shut down the Delridge/Trenton intersection both ways this weekend. Here’s the reminder just sent by SDOT, plus detour info:
The intersection at Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Trenton Street will be closed this weekend from 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 until 6 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18 as part of the Delridge Way paving project.
Seattle Department of Transportation is in the first phase rebuilding much of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Orchard and Southwest Roxbury streets. To reduce impacts to the community, intersection construction is taking place on weekends, working around the clock.
Traffic this weekend will be detoured as follows, with local access maintained (see the attached map):
· Northbound Delridge Way SW to SW Barton Place/Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Thistle Street to Delridge Way SW
· Southbound Delridge Way SW to SW Thistle Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Barton Street/Place to Delridge Way SW
· Westbound SW Trenton Street to 16th Avenue SW to SW Henderson Street to SW Barton Place to 25th Avenue SW to SW Trenton Street
· Eastbound SW Trenton Street to 25th Avenue SW to SW Barton Place to SW Henderson Street to 16th Avenue SW to SW Trenton Street
To expedite construction, evening work, including pavement removal using impact breakers, may be performed until 10 p.m. under the conditions of a noise variance.
Reminder: For traffic safety, the intersection of 25th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Barton Street is temporarily a four-way stop.
This is a five-phase project. At the completion of the first phase, between Southwest Henderson and Southwest Trenton streets, the construction activity will move to the section of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Trenton and Southwest Thistle streets. Please visit the project website for more information.
P.S. The Delridge-Henderson intersection reopened early last weekend, unannounced, but project spokesperson LeAnne Nelson promises that if there’s an early reopening this weekend, they WILL get the word out.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
As the postseason play continues for West Seattle High School‘s girls-varsity basketball team, they lost to Mercer Island HS this afternoon in Metro League play at Chief Sealth IHS‘s gym, 38-32.
As we tweeted live during the game at @wsblive, the Wildcats were ahead at halftime, but fell behind in the third quarter. They have at least one more game – Friday in Bellevue (details TBA).
ADDED 11:03 PM: Toplines and more of Nick Adams‘ photos, ahead:Read More
Early heads-up – two weeks from tonight, the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network will take on a crime problem that’s repeatedly plagued several local neighborhoods: Mail theft. WSBWCN just announced that U.S. Postal Inspectors will be on hand to talk about it at their February 26th meeting, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) – and no, you do NOT have to be a Block Watch captain, or even part of a BW, to attend.
This afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with word of an arrest in the carjacking two weeks ago. From this SPD Blotter report:
A 29-year-old suspect is in custody for a carjacking that occurred last month near the West Seattle Golf Course.
During the course of the investigation, robbery detectives developed information on the possible identity of the suspect. A wanted bulletin was sent out to officers. On February 10th, detectives received information that the suspect had been arrested by King County Sheriff’s deputies on an unrelated charge. The next day, the suspect was brought into the Robbery office where he was interviewed by detectives. After the interview, the suspect was re-booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery.
Now on to WSB reader reports: From 44th/Spokane, Melanie was the victim of a car prowl:
Someone got into my car last night, parked on the street, I thought it was locked but must not have been. They ransacked it (glove box, console, etc.) obviously looking for something more specific of value than they found. Some things of value were left – Bob stroller, sunglasses, empty laptop bag…. I don’t think anything was taken – that I can tell. Also it appears someone sat in the driver seat because some of my gages were turned on/off etc.
Also about two weeks ago, some broke the window of a car on my street, owned by a guest staying with us. They stole a camera. He filed a report with the police.
We also received a quick report from Shannon – who came back from church last Sunday to discover that her home near Myrtle Reservoir Park had been broken into.
After the jump, a possible casing, followed by a bike theft with a scooter left behind:
Read More
(For perspective – top of graphic is east, Fauntleroy Way frontage; ‘not a part’ is the Masonic Hall site)
Another chance to have a say on the 370-apartment mixed-use megaproject proposed for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW – which the development team tells WSB is now dubbed “the Whole Foods project,” pending an official name: City Council approval is needed for the “alley vacation” included in the plan, but before it gets to them, the city needs feedback from you. SDOT is now circulating a letter to the community seeking comments on whether the vacation – allowing the development to build over what is currently publicly owned right of way – should be approved. We didn’t get an announcement of this, but a community advocate forwarded it to make sure it would get out to as many people as possible:
DATE: February 11, 2013
TO: Interested Persons
FROM: Moira Gray, Seattle Department of Transportation, Street Vacations
SUBJECT: Vacation of a portion of the alley in Block 3, Norris Addition; Clerk File 312783The Seattle City Council has received a petition from West Seattle Project X, LLC to vacate a portion of the alley in Block 3, Norris Addition in the West Seattle Junction Hub Urban Village. If you are interested in commenting on this vacation please review the attached materials describing the vacation request. Your comments will become part of the permanent public record and will be included in the recommendation to the City Council. Return your comments to: Moira Gray, Seattle Department Transportation, PO Box 34996, Seattle, Washington 98124-4996, or e-mail comments to moira.gray@seattle.gov. Please include your name and whether you are responding as an individual or as a representative of an organization when you return your comments.
PETITIONER:
West Seattle Project X, LLCPETITIONER CONTACT:
Jessie Clawson, McCullough Hill Leary, PS, Jessie@mhseattle.comCOMMENTS REQUESTED BY:
Comments are accepted throughout the review period. Early comments are helpful in coordinating with the petitioner.The complete file is available for review. Please contact Street Vacation Staff at 684-8272 to review the file or if you have any questions. Thank you for your review and timely response
The document mentioned above is here – it includes details of the alley-vacation request and various images from the project proposal.
Meantime, separate from this review, the project still awaits its next Design Review date; a project spokesperson tells us they’re hoping for March. (Here’s our report on the most recent design review.) And they are not yet ready to announce other retail tenants, including the planned drugstore.
King County’s ballot-dropoff-van team is waiting for you (and your ballot) along the West Seattle Stadium driveway – we photographed them minutes ago. Election Day tops our highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ELECTION DAY: Tonight’s the deadline to get your ballots in for the Seattle Public Schools levies, as noted here last night. Until the voting deadline at 8 pm, you’ll find the ballot-dropoff van on the West Seattle Stadium driveway (east side of 35th, south of Avalon Way).
Also:
FIND OUT ABOUT HEALTH SERVICES AT THE KENNEY: An open house offers you the chance to learn about these services offered at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, 2:30-4:30 pm; details in the calendar listing.
POSTSEASON BASKETBALL: The West Seattle High School girls team plays its next postseason game at 3 pm today vs. Mercer Island at the Chief Sealth International High School gym (2600 SW Thistle).
NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING FUND WORKSHOP: Thinking of applying for one of these city matching-fund grants? This workshop can help. 6 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – details here.
GENESEE HILL SCHOOL DESIGN: From the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council:
You are invited to share your thoughts on the current preferred design alternative for the new Genesee Hill School at our meeting (tonight). The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the West Seattle Christian Church library, 4400 42nd Avenue SW.
The new school is one of the projects to be funded by the 2nd levy on today’s ballot, by the way.
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The public is welcome at tonight’s monthly board meeting, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). From FCA’s e-mail list:
This month’s agenda includes a conversation with members of the new Alliance for Lincoln Park Nature, street trees on Fauntleroy Way across from Lincoln Park, more planning for a Lincoln Park celebration, Barton Street substation update, Fauntleroy Food Fest planning update, Fauntleroy Nights at ArtsWest, and the FCA survey.
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: You’re welcome at this monthly meeting too, 7 pm at Admiral Congregational Church (lower-level meeting room, California/Hill). Tonight’s agenda includes ANA’s pursuit of nonprofit status and upcoming events including a potential mayoral walking tour of The Admiral District.
WEST SEATTLE SEE DOGS: Find out tonight what it takes to raise a future guide dog!
They Call It Puppy Love, and you’ll fall in love when you sign up to be a puppy raiser with Guide Dogs For The Blind. Adult and youth puppy raisers are needed who are willing to teach obedience and social skills. Training and support provided. Come join us tonight at The Kenney, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, at 7 pm. Call Ruth Oldham at 206-953-0268 for additional information.
NIGHTLIFE! Lots of it, and do note that it’s Fat Tuesday … find all the listings for live music, trivia, and more, on the calendar.
West Seattle seems to have somewhat fallen off the food-truck map – of course, it’s winter anyway. But Shimi Kahn, who started his Middle Eastern food business in West Seattle and is about to launch a truck, is looking for a spot in the area and wondered if we had any suggestions. So we’re sending his question out to you. Read on:
(January 7 U.S. Coast Guard photo of Kulluk)
The Shell drill rigs Kulluk and Noble Discoverer, which spent months at Vigor Shipyards on Harbor Island in 2011-2012 before their troubled time in Alaska, will not be brought back here after all. So reports The Seattle Times (WSB sponsor), quoting Shell as saying they’ll be taken to Asia instead. It’s been a month since Kulluk was towed from the Kodiak Island shore where it had run aground and taken to a nearby “safe harbor” for evaluation; Noble Discoverer had a variety of mechanical problems and is currently in Seward, but soon to be Korea-bound.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Tuesday! We begin with the West Seattle Bridge and Highway 99 camera views …
Again today, no major scheduled work, but remember that this weekend has two closures of note.
This remembrance of Gene Nokes by his son Don isn’t “just” an obituary … it’s a story about a man, his life and times and memories. He’s gone but clearly will never be forgotten:
Earl Eugene “Gene” Nokes Sr. passed away peacefully at Providence Mount St. Vincent on February 2, 2013.
Gene was the last of his ten other brothers and sisters to check out of Nokesville, which at its inception was a large army tent located on the corner of 48th SW and Hanford St. He and his wife Margie both moved into the Mount facility back in 2000. Margie passed away in September of 2001 and after a brief hiatus, Gene and Margie will now reunite on the other side of life. Gene lived to be 95 years old and spent more than a decade in a very symbiotic relationship with his Mount Saint Vincent family and friends – they loved him and he loved them in return.
Gene Nokes Sr. never graduated from anything other than 8th grade, as far as I know. The story Uncle Pat told me about Dad and him and Joe and Tom and West Seattle High School went like this:
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