West Seattle’s newest neighborhood council – launched in February – has chosen leaders and set priorities, meeting tonight for the 4th time. Thanks to Joe Szilagyi – the Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights Community Council‘s newly chosen secretary – for sharing notes from the meeting. You can read them in their entirety here. Toplines:
Leadership chosen for the group’s first year – in addition to Szilagyi as secretary, chair Amanda Helmick and a to-be-filled treasurer’s position.
The neighborhoods’ principal areas of concern were outlined as: Metro Transit; SDOT, safety, and infrastructure improvements; community outreach; crime; business outreach. They’ll be looking for members for committees focused on the community, city infrastructure, Metro issues, and group leadership.
There’s a more-detailed list of topics in the full meeting notes – which, again, are here. The council also plans to work on setting up a website at wwrhah.org, which currently redirects to the Facebook group that’s been the hub of WWRHAH online discussion in the early going. And Metro will be the central topic for its next meeting; WWRHAH meets on the first Tuesday of the month, so that will be June 4th, more details to come.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB) 6:42 PM: At a time when most people riding their bicycles on the low bridge are headed westbound for home, dozens were eastbound this evening, riding in memory of Lance David. He’s the 54-year-old Federal Way man killed last Wednesday morning when his bike collided with a semi-truck on East Marginal Way, along the route so many West Seattle riders take toward the port and downtown. The deadly crash has brought both mourning and calls for action, and SDOT is evaluating the area to see what safety measures can be taken relatively quickly. Local bicycling/safety advocates from West Seattle Bike Connections and West Seattle Greenways organized tonight’s ride to both honor a fellow rider and emphasize the urgent need for safety improvements.
(More of Christopher’s photos added 7:36 pm) ADDED: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports that the participants included Mayor McGinn and Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
Seattle Police bicycle officers also accompanied the riders:
City Bicycle Advisory Board member Jodi Connolly of West Seattle participated too, and spoke at the site where the crash happened:
The board regularly meets on first Wednesdays, which meant its May meeting was hours after the deadly crash, discussed several times that night, as we reported afterward.
5:03 PM: Seattle Fire crews have evacuated Southwest Pool and Teen Life Center because of what was dispatched as a hazardous-materials situation.
5:08 PM UPDATE: It’s described on the scanner as a suspected chlorine leak. Traffic is also blocked off in the area to keep people away until crews have it under control, so avoid SW Thistle.
No word of any injuries at this point – medic crews are there but we’re not seeing any patients.
5:19 PM UPDATE: Co-publisher Patrick Sand confirms at the scene that it was a spill/leak of pool chlorine. Hazmat crews are in the building plan to test the air quality. And yes, this is why there’s at least two TV choppers overhead.
5:34 PM UPDATE: Fire crews report via radio communications that so far, they indeed do NOT have anyone with symptoms/injuries. The tank that had a leak/spill problem is described as at least 150 gallons. They’re still working to stabilize the situation.
5:48 PM UPDATE: Southwest Pool and Teen Life Center tells us all lessons and other activities for the rest of tonight are canceled. Too soon to tell about tomorrow. Meantime, Seattle Fire tells us that the chemical is not chlorine itself but is used to treat the pool water. Staffers smelled the leak, which apparently had been going on for a few hours before noticed, then called 911 and got out of the building. Again, SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore confirms, no injuries, no one requesting treatment. (added, here’s our video of his briefing)
SFD is likely to be on site at least a few hours because this kind of situation requires careful processing in the “better safe than sorry” mode. Thistle is still blocked off and buses are affected by this; Metro is trying to get them through the SWAC parking lot to reroute.
6:12 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire now says the building tests “clean.” Seattle Parks says it could reopen as soon as 7 pm but lessons are still canceled for the rest of tonight. Seattle Police have just announced (via scanner) that SW Thistle is reopening.
6:46 PM UPDATE: Matt Richardson from SW Pool sends word the pool will remain CLOSED TONIGHT, then will reopen tomorrow for normal operations. People whose lessons were canceled tonight will get credits on their accounts.
Four days until 280 garage sales blanket the peninsula during the biggest-ever West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – this Saturday, May 11, 2013, the ninth annual WSCGSD (and the sixth one coordinated/presented by us here at WSB). We launched the main map version – online, zoomable, clickable, explorable – back on Saturday, and have just added the link to the “printable” list of sales (which also has screengrabs of the map, in sections). Find them both here. And if you’re ready to start talking about what you’re selling – or what you’re most interested in buying – conversations have been launched on the WSCGSD Facebook page; check the “posts by others” section here. That page and the official WSCGSD website are where we’ll be posting extra info and updates up until and during sale day.
A storefront in Fauntleroy has been vacated – but its former longtime occupant has NOT gone out of business. Here’s the announcement we received from photographer Gail Ann:
You may have noticed that after a decade “Gail Ann has left the building.”
Gail Ann opened her photography studio some 11 years ago after noticing a for rent sign in the brown brick building known as the Fauntleroy Shopping Center just up from the Fauntleroy Ferry dock. Locals could always find entertainment value in her window displays featuring local families. Many of you have been photographed by her at the Fauntleroy Fall Festival where she has volunteered her services since its inception or seen her at local auction events capturing candids for posterity.
Says Gail Ann “The studio may be closed but I’m open for business! I’ll be on a short hiatus traveling through Poland. I’ll be back to work in June and look forward to working with all of you again.”
Gail Ann can still be reached at 206-371-0585 or by visiting her blog.
(SPD deputy chief Nick Metz with the mayor; January photo by Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times, republished with permission)
The city has announced what will be done with some of the metal from guns obtained in the January city “buyback” – it’ll be turned into plaques. The inscriptions for those plaques will come from a contest for children called “Weapons to Words,” explained in the city announcement:
Today Mayor Mike McGinn announced an outreach effort to inspire conversation among the youth of Seattle about gun violence. The City of Seattle, with the support of Chihuly Studio and Schnitzer Steel, is launching a contest called “Weapons to Words” that asks children in Seattle to come up with a short quotation on the subject of gun violence. Plaques made from metal upcycled from guns recovered from Seattle’s gun buyback program will feature quotes from Seattle students about what a violence-free future means to them.
“Our city has been through a lot lately. Gun violence has left many in our community wondering what they can do to help” said Mayor McGinn. “These upcycled plaques, inscribed with the hopes and dreams of the next generation, will transform weapons of violence into something positive. It is my hope that this project will spur a conversation in our community about what kind of city we want to be, and how we can get there together.”
The plaques, made from upcycled steel that includes the weapons we recovered, will be placed in Seattle parks.
(WSB photo from August 2012)
Another season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies is on the way (July/August, dates TBA). Last year, not only were there record crowds, according to organizer Lora Swift of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor and movie coordinator – the screen’s in the courtyard by her shop), but also a fundraising total of more than $1,500 for local nonprofits, via the raffle tickets sold on movie nights. So now it’s time to ask – what would YOU like to see this year? Please note, the movies need to be relatively family-friendly, since it’s an all-ages crowd, and not something shown in the past few years:
2012’s movie lineup was Pretty in Pink, Young Frankenstein, Lion King, Iron Man, Yellow Submarine, Top Gun
2011′s movie lineup was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Airplane, Despicable Me, Jurassic Park (1), Toy Story 3
2010′s movie lineup was Mamma Mia, War Games, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wayne’s World, Up, Star Trek
And there are a few other caveats – the “Star Wars” movies aren’t available for this kind of outdoor showing, for example.
But Lora and the WSOM committee would love to hear your suggestions – just post a comment! Thanks!
The design for the new Fire Station 32 in The Triangle will be shown off at an open house June 1st. First word of the event has just arrived in the mailboxes of neighbors including Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association, who shared a copy of the invitation. The station at 37th and Alaska is almost half a century old, and its replacement will be headquarters to SFD’s Battalion 7 – a larger role than the station has now, though it’s already home to the only West Seattle-based medic unit, Medic 32. Though the city has applied for permits, construction of the $15 million project is still a ways off, with demolition likely late next year, as we reported in a project update two months ago. You can find out more firsthand at the June 1st event, 1-3 pm, promising tours as well as a chance to see the design planned for the new station, which will be built on the current site, with station operations located to a TBD temporary site during construction.
In memory of the Easy Street Records awning (WSB coverage here), our “picture of the day” is the semi-live image from the SDOT traffic camera at California/Alaska in The Junction, which also shows the full-height Oregon 42 construction project at upper right. On to what else is happening today, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
EAT AT JOE’S, HELP THE FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: One of the signs at WSB sponsor Endolyne Joe’s exhorts, “Eat at Joe’s,” and when you do that tonight starting at 5 pm, you’ll be raising money for this volunteer-presented festival, happening this year on October 20th. (9261 45th SW)
RIDE TO REMEMBER LANCE DAVID: Join West Seattle Bike Connections and West Seattle Greenways at 5:30 pm tonight, departing from Seacrest, for a ride to remember Lance David, who died in last Wednesday’s bike-truck collision on East Marginal Way. Full ride details here.
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COUNCIL MEETING: Earlier time this month, but same location – 6 pm, Southwest Branch Library, with priorities and leadership on the agenda. (35th/Henderson)
(added)STORYTELLERS!
The Seattle Storytellers Guild presents TELLERS & WRITERS
A monthly program to craft & share our universal stories
Partnering with CHACO CANYON ORGANIC CAFE
Discover the power of storytelling with our featured guests:
7 pm to 8:30 pm – Pamela Sackett, Auntmama, Liz Hibbard
Looking for storytelling, writing tips – 6:30 to 7 pm
workshops with Liz Hibbard and Nancy Calos-Nakano
Want a chance to tell a story? Sign up at 6:30pm
Memorized or written, there’s a place for you!
Chaco Canyon is at 37th/Alaska.
TRIVIA GIVEAWAY: Tonight’s Trivia That Rocks at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) will include a giveaway of tickets for the upcoming Seattle Queensryche concert. Trivia starts at 8 pm. (6451 California SW)
SING IT: Baby Ketten Karaoke tonight, 9 pm, Skylark Café and Club. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page) 7:21 AM: No sun-glare challenges this morning, though the forecast says it’ll be back – no other major impediments reported so far, either.
7:58 AM: Aiko reports a school bus stalled or otherwise mobility-challenged on 35th SW in the High Point area.
8:45 AM: Traffic alert for Delridge in the 5900 block – what’s on the 911 log as a car fire is, according to Tom via Twitter, a car-vs.-truck crash just outside K-5 STEM at Boren. We are en route to see what’s happening.
9 AM: The crash involved a taxi that went into the back of a truck, on the southbound side of Delridge:
As bad as it looks, we are told at the scene that no one was hurt.
Just in time for the warmth of late spring and summer, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is ramping up its tour schedule and native-plant garden — and volunteers are welcome to help out.
Volunteer committees have formed to focus on tours and gardening. The leaders are Mark Lewis for tours and Carol Vincent for gardening. Here are details on both:
You may have noticed that after a decade “Gail Ann has left the building.”
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