West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
Gwendolyn Schwenzer clearly lived a full life over her 94 years. Even if you never met her, this remembrance shared by her family is proof:
Gwendolyn (Hill) Schwenzer
1918-2013
Beloved Mother, Nana, Great Nana and Great–Great Nana.Gwen was born in Seattle on Dec 6, 1918, graduated West Seattle High School in 1937, married Herb (Fritz) Schwenzer when she was just 18, and had 4 kids throughout the years: Sharon, Diane, Fritz, and Vicki.
In 1944, Gwen went to work at Boeing as an original “Rosie the Riveter,” working on the B-29s as part of the World War II effort. She also worked at the Hideaway Tavern in White Center.
In 1979, Herb passed away, leaving a void in Gwen’s life, and that was when she joined the Eagles Clowns and became “Bubbles the Clown,” allowing her to make others happy with her great sense of humor.
Volunteering at Mount St. Vincent for 13 years earned her a warm welcome when it was time for her to move into the assisted-living area, where she is pictured on their brochure and passed away on May 8, 2013.
She will be missed by all who knew her.
That certainly will include the fellow “Rosies” with whom she was featured in this 2009 WSB story.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wish for advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wonder “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” Here you go! Fourth edition of our monthly feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things.
(April crescent moon, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
We’re coming into some reliably clear skies as summer approaches, and better than that, it’ll be warm enough some nights to go stargazing without layering jackets, hats, and long underwear.
Unfortunately, with this warmer weather comes more unstable air, so the seeing isn’t as good as it was in winter. Seeing is all about how easy it is to see the objects in the night sky: how much twinkle is in the stars, or how much the atmosphere blurs what you can see.
Hey! What’s That?
There are fewer bright objects in the sky than the last few months, but what you noticed most recently was probably one of these three: the stars Capella, Arcturus, or the planet Saturn.
If you saw it in the Northwest: it was Capella.
If you saw it in the Southeast: it was either Arcturus or Saturn. Arcturus is higher in the sky, Saturn is nearer the horizon.
3:18 PM: A police operation that blocked off streets in Riverview this past hour is reported to have resulted in the arrest of two people in connection with a crime elsewhere in the city. (update) SPD Blotter reports the arrests are in connection with a shooting earlier today in South Seattle.
4:28 PM: Added a photo from the arrests’ aftermath, with some police remaining at the scene. The earlier shooting happened at a restaurant in the 500 block of South Michigan in Georgetown, according to police, with one person shot in the arm. We don’t know at this point whether the people arrested this afternoon lived at the Riverview house where they were found or were visiting.
7:04 PM: One more update from SPD – confirming something we heard during radio communications – investigators found a gun while making the arrests.
12:16 AM: Alan points out in comments that SPD added yet another update late tonight – here’s the additional information relevant to this afternoon’s arrests:
… Patrol officers developed information during the course of their field investigation that led them to a residence in the 1200 block of SW Myrtle Street. Once there, officers saw that the suspect’s Blazer was parked in front of the residence.
Officers surrounded the house and made telephone contact with the suspects. Both suspects subsequently surrendered to the officers and were taken into custody without further incident.
The officers recovered the gun that is believed to be the one used in the shooting. The firearm was submitted into evidence for further forensic analysis.
Both suspects were booked into the King County Jail.
Suspect #1, a 20-year-old male, was booked for Felony Assault.
Suspect #2, an 18-year-old male, was booked for (Felony) Rendering Criminal Assistance.
(UPDATED 5:20 PM FRIDAY with ordinances to be reviewed by council committee next week)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We have two three followups today to the “Nickelsville” developments first reported here last Tuesday, one day after the second anniversary of the encampment’s return to West Seattle.
Those developments centered around a letter from Mayor McGinn to Council President Sally Clark a letter (read it here) suggesting two options for the site’s future: Sell it to Food Lifeline as that agency has sought, provided the council passes a bill allowing more encampment sites at “non-religious” locations – or vote to allow the site to become a “semi-permanent” encampment.
Today’s developments (editor’s note – third development, added 5:20 pm, is at the bottom of this story – the two ordinances to be reviewed next week, including the mayor’s alternative proposal for the Nickelsville site):
HPAC PETITION AND MEETINGS: The Highland Park Action Committee, which says its area has hosted the encampment for long enough – 2 years – and is demanding a move-out date, has started an online petition. The petition calls on the city to either move it before summer, or start a public-review process for HP and Riverview immediately. Find the petition here. Here’s the statement we received along with that link:
Please pass this link on to anyone you know who owns property in the city, or to anyone that supports a better solution for the homeless. The Mayor’s actions to date have repercussions for everyone. We appreciate all the support we’ve gotten on this, we have a lot of irons in the fire right now. We are working on legal papers to file and are focusing the next few weeks on a more political route while all this legislation is coming to a head in City Council.
We are meeting with Council President Sally Clark’s aide this afternoon, and plan to meet with the Mayor at his office next Friday. We hope to have as many signatures as possible by Wednesday, May 22nd. That day there is (a) meeting of Nick Licata’s Housing, Human Services, Health and Culture Committee at Seattle City Council from 2-4 where he’ll be presenting encampment legislation. Anyone who can make it to that, it would be great to try to have some community to encourage a change to the current situation. That night we have our regularly scheduled HPAC meeting, where we will discuss next steps. Join us at 7 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club on 12th and Holden.
FOOD LIFELINE: As mentioned in the mayor’s letter published here on Tuesday, Food Lifeline already has commitments from the encampment site’s other two owners to sell their parts of the parcel to FLL.
1:24 PM: City Councilmember Tim Burgess has just sent a news release to his media list announcing he’s dropping out of the race for mayor. He would have had to file by 4 pm today. Here’s the news release (PDF from his site). He had just been in West Seattle last Saturday for a chat with voters – we had received (but not published) a photo from his campaign that day:
1:36 PM UPDATE: You’ll probably recall that seven other candidates had declared they were running – they and Burgess all participated in the April 29th “Super Seattle Mayor’s Forum” co-sponsored by the 34th District Democrats (WSB coverage, including video, here). The other seven have all filed for official candidacy, according to this page on the King County Elections website; it had been noted by political-news site PubliCola that Burgess was the only one not to have filed by noontime today.
6:12 PM UPDATE: Two more candidates joined the race, making it a field of nine, by the deadline. One is West Seattle lawyer Doug McQuaid, who ran last year for state Supreme Court; his campaign website does not appear to be up yet (at least not at the link listed on the county Elections website), but his background is detailed on a site related to last year’s court campaign. The other new candidate to file in the mayor’s race is Joey Gray, whose bio is on her website. The full list of candidates in this office and others on King County ballots in the August primary is here.
This year’s Delridge Day festival is three months away – but planning is in full swing, and we’ve been asked to share this call for musicians:
2012 was the first year Delridge Day had a music stage and helped to showcase some the best local talent! This year, the plans are no different and the community planners for Delridge Day are hard at work in search for some great musical talent to help fill out time slots and show the community what they have to offer.
Delridge Day is planned for Saturday, August 17th from 11 AM-4 PM at Delridge Community Center and Park. If you’ve got a voice, guitar, drum set or even a drumbot, then we want to hear what you have to offer! We have time slots ranging from 11 AM-3 PM and are looking to fill them immediately. Interested musicians can e-mail Chas Redmond at credmond@mac.com and provide links to their music. We’re looking for solo artists and groups that are ready to entertain the local community!
This year’s Delridge Day co-sponsors include WSB – and they’re still seeking more; here’s the info packet for prospective sponsors.
(WSB photo from April 23)
Exactly two months after news that King County would take possession of the Spirit of Kingston and put it on the West Seattle Water Taxi run – the change is about to happen. We just got word from the office of King County Councilmember Joe McDermott that Spirit of Kingston will take over the run starting tomorrow (Saturday), which means that, after three years, 25-year-old Rachel Marie will become a backup boat. Kingston got the 7-year-old SoK through federal grants but scrapped its foot-ferry service and would have had to pay the grants back if this transfer – which brings the boat here almost for free, as explained in our November report – hadn’t happened. More to come.
ADDED 1:39 PM: The county’s official announcement has just arrived via e-mail – read on:
This morning, Roxhill Elementary principal Sahnica Washington greeted scholars arriving by bus – two blocks north of campus! Here’s why: All month, Roxhill families have been part of “walking school buses” – and today was a chance for bus-transported scholars to join in too, with the help of Feet First and the state Transportation Department:
FF even brought along its famous giant Chicken (as in, “why did the chicken cross the road …”)
Crossing the road – and walking along it – will soon be even safer for kids headed toward Roxhill, which, as explained in the Feet First announcement, “is the recipient of a Safe Routes to School grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation. This grant will fund a new sidewalk on SW 30th immediately south of Roxbury, and improvements to the intersection of SW 30th Ave and SW Roxbury, due for construction in the summer of 2013.”
Looking for something to do tonight? Five highlights!
(Photo courtesy Edgar Riebe)
‘WILLY WONKA JR.’: 106 Lafayette Elementary students are in the production, performing their hearts out, under the direction of Melia Scranton with choreography by Aaron Swartzmann, and you have two chances to see it at the West Seattle High School Theater – 7 pm tonight, or 7 pm tomorrow (Saturday). Tickets are free but donations are encouraged. (3000 California SW)
WOMEN, WINE, WELLNESS: Free event at 7 pm tonight at Roxbury Spine and Wellness Clinic (WSB sponsor), but you have to RSVP ASAP! Details are in our calendar listing. (2656 SW Roxbury)
MOVIE NIGHT AT HPIC: It’s this month’s free-movie night at Highland Park Improvement Club! 7 pm (doors open at 6:30) – details in the calendar listing. (12th/Holden)
PEARL DJANGO AT KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm tonight, the local legends play historic Kenyon Hall – details in the calendar listing.
SECOND-TO-LAST WEEK … to see “33 Variations” at ArtsWest. Curtain tonight: 7:30 pm. (4711 California SW)
Check the calendar for nightlife listings.
8:57 AM: Busy morning at the Bike-To-Work Day station hosted under the bridge by West Seattle Bike Connections – with repairs/checkups as well as treats.
This is the first BTW Day since WSBC was formed.
ADDED 10:53 AM: WSBC president Don Brubeck tells WSB they had 592 riders by 9 am – up 38 percent from last year! He shares the photo below, featuring Sonia Honeydew, who helped count riders (and baked cookies!), with rider #592:
Don says Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board (who’s in our top photo) says last year’s count was 429. Don adds, “Some riders zoomed right through. Many stopped for a chat, cookies, coffee, and bike checks or helmet fit adjustments. I enjoyed actually meeting people I see every day going the opposite direction. Bob Winship led the West Seattle Bike Connections volunteers for the station. Kathy McCabe, Deputy Director, and Serena Lehman, Community Outreach Manager, were with us representing Cascade Bicycle Club.”
(back to original 8:57 am report) Meantime, in downtown White Center, local businesses set up a Bike To Work Day station outside Caffé Delia (WSB sponsor) offering treats:
The events on this side of the bay are usually focused on the morning; for afternoon events, check the Cascade Bike Club’s official page.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:15 AM: The roads are damp, so be careful out there. It’s Friday, and it’s Bike To Work Day, which we’ll cover in a separate update. A few notes:
*Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferries are all running late right now, says WSF, because of an earlier staffing problem.
*Reminder that this Sunday, May 19th, starts with the West Seattle 5K and continues with Summer Streets on Alki, aka “car-free day.” Alki SW is closed along the race route until 11 am, and then from 56th to 63rd continuing until 5 pm. Other citywide traffic alerts for the weekend are here.
*If you drive 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel, there’s a closure starting overnight tonight (added: continuing all weekend) between the tunnel and Valley Street because of the ongoing Mercer project.
7:21 AM: A crash just south of the West Seattle Bridge on I-5 is blocking multiple lanes.
7:42 AM: WSDOT says tow trucks are working to clear that scene, and 2 lanes are now open southbound. This camera has the wide view:
That’s one of the cameras you can find anytime on the WSB Traffic Cams page.
8:22 AM: Though all lanes are open again at the scene of that crash, there’s still a long backup on southbound I-5. P.S. Thanks to Neil McNeight for the photo – shows you what emergency workers are up against as they handle a crash on the freeway!
12:19 PM: A truck problem is partly blocking the ramp to NORTHBOUND I-5 right now.
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