West Seattle, Washington
19 Wednesday
If you’re going to convince kids to get up and get moving, the message needs to get to the adults in their lives too – and that’s exactly what happened this past week during the Family Health and Fitness Carnival at West Seattle Elementary School.
WS Elementary counselor Laura Bermes for sharing a report and photos – she says more than 200 people were there:
In collaboration with WSE School Nurse, Terri Helm-Remund, the evening’s dinner and festivities were hosted by the Hope Heart Institute and Molina Healthcare and featured community organizations from Camp Long, Apple Corps, Cascade Bicycle Club, First Tee Golf, the West Seattle YMCA, Neighborhood House, the Farmer’s Market Alliance, Southwest Pool, Washington Dairy Council, and Neighborcare Health. The goal of the Hope Heart Institute and Molina Healthcare Family Fitness Carnival was to teach students and their families about healthy eating, active living and heart health. The evening included a healthy dinner, games, prizes, and health tips. Families blended smoothies by pedal power, took a swing at golf, and danced with a local Zumba instructor and Seattle School District Parent Leader Yui Dirksen! Teachers, staff, parents, and community members volunteered their time, and everyone had a blast!
WSE has also participated all year in “Fuel Up to Play 60,” stressing movement and nutrition.
(Got all your ducks in a row? Photo by Dianne Reeves, taken recently on Longfellow Creek)
Slow pre-holiday Saturday? Of course not! Here’s just some of what’s happening:
MEMORIAL POPPIES: As previewed here last night, West Seattle American Legion Post 160 and Auxiliary Unit 160 members are out with the traditional memorial poppies this morning, till 2 pm in The Junction, and tomorrow too (schedule’s in the linked preview).
SOCCER AT THE ADMIRAL: The big West Seattle Soccer Club event is this morning at the Admiral Theater! 10:30 am doors open, 11 am pregame excitement, 11:45 am Champions League match, and more. Free but please bring a kid-friendly nonperishable food item for the West Seattle Food Bank.
MASSAGE ENVY GRAND OPENING: The newest business at Westwood Village, Massage Envy (WSB sponsor, welcomed earlier this week), celebrates its grand opening today with a ribboncutting at 11 am and, until 1 pm, free chair massages, healthy treats, and a water bar. (2513 SW Trenton: East side of Westwood Village, west of Staples)
MOBILE COMPUTER LAB: 11 am-2 pm on Saturdays, you can find it at the Neighborhood House High Point Center – if you have a friend who needs access to technology, let them know! Details in the ongoing listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
CUTS TO HEAD START PROGRAMS: Sisters Organize for Survival invites you to a public meeting at 2 pm, Delridge Library, to talk about recently announced cuts and what you can do to take action – full announcement in the calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL GOES FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP! 4 pm today, the West Seattle High School Wildcats baseball team plays for the state 3A championship in Pasco, against Auburn-Mountainview. Follow Twitter play-by-play here; live video feed here.
AND GOOD LUCK, TYEE SOCCER! West Seattle resident Janae tells us there’s a big local cheering section for Seatac’s Tyee High School, playing for the state 2A soccer championship in Sumner, also at 4 pm.
ROLLER DERBY TONIGHT: 6 pm at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, Rat City Rollergirls‘ Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City‘s Pink Pistols. Tickets at the door. (9646 17th SW)
WESTSIDE BURLESQUE REVUE: 9 pm at Skylark Café and Club in North Delridge – this month’s lineup in the calendar listing.
MORE NIGHTLIFE — live music, etc. – on the calendar!
West Seattle’s newest community council, Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights (WWRHAH), has formally announced its next meeting, with an open invitation to people from all over the area, since it’s a topic affecting just about everyone: Metro Transit. Some of the discussion points – both current situations and potential future cuts – are detailed in the preview on the WWRHAH website. Plenty of time to clear your calendar to be there – the meeting is at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, June 4th, at a bigger location than usual, the Chief Sealth International High School library (2600 SW Thistle).
P.S. Wondering about the WWRHAH boundaries? Don’t miss this lively “explanation.”
We’ve just finished covering the third and, it appears, final Seattle Police-led public meeting about the surveillance cameras they’ve installed along with a wireless communication system, paid for by federal Department of Homeland Security dollars. For those who are interested but couldn’t make the meeting – announced last Tuesday night, held on this pre-holiday-weekend Friday night – we rolled video on the entire meeting and will upload it when we’re back at WSB HQ. The attendees who weren’t media or police numbered about eight. A few toplines, right now:
*The system first envisioned as having 30 cameras will total 28 – an Alki Point site near the lighthouse didn’t work out technically, SPD says. As previously announced, they also dropped a camera planned for Golden Gardens, which is where tonight’s meeting was held. All but one of the 28 cameras are now installed; the 28th, in Shilshole just outside Golden Gardens, is awaiting a fix for a cracked pole. (At right, one of the two cameras in central Alki.)
*The southernmost camera, on Fauntleroy Way over the southbound bus stop by the ferry dock, might focus on traffic bound for the dock, by request of Washington State Ferries, but SPD says that agency’s request for view-only access to the cameras hasn’t yet been approved.
*The nine camera locations on/near the downtown waterfront are “temporary” and likely to change because of the tunnel/seawall construction.
*The e-mail account set up by SPD for feedback on the camera system – cameraquestions@seattle.gov – has received a total of “about 20” e-mails, 80 percent of them expressing opposition/concern.
Otherwise, the meeting followed the same format of the previous two, held in March on Alki and in Belltown, also led by Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh and Det. Monty Moss. SPD was also represented tonight by public affairs Sgt. Sean Whitcomb. What’s next: Mayor McGinn had said the cameras wouldn’t get the green light until a “thorough public vetting” had taken place so we’ll be checking with his office post-holiday-weekend. In the meantime, if you have questions or comments, the aforementioned e-mailbox remains open.
ADDED SATURDAY MORNING, 9:24 AM: Our meeting video is finally ready, and is now atop this story.
(Photo added Saturday morning – that’s Zade, assisting in The Junction)
Every year, on Memorial Day weekend, someone asks us where they can find memorial poppies – the little handmade flowers sold for years. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 president Shannon Connery shares advance word:
For more than 90 years, the American Legion Auxiliary has distributed the memorial poppy to remind Americans that millions sacrificed their lives and health to keep our nation free. The American Legion Auxiliary poppy is handmade by veterans who receive a small stipend for each poppy made. Memorial poppy contributions are devoted entirely to rehabilitation and assistance for veterans and their families.
American Legion Post 160 and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 will be distributing poppies throughout West Seattle over Memorial Day weekend.
Our schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 25, 2013: Alaska Junction, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday, May 26, 2013: Morgan Junction Thriftway, 10:00 am – 2:00 pmIn addition, you can find VFW Post #2713 members distributing buddy poppies at Safeway in the Admiral District on Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.
And as we mentioned earlier this week, the traditional Post 160/Forest Lawn memorial service is on again this year, 2 pm Monday.
The timing was a coincidence – but, just hours after the Skagit River I-5 bridge collapse, firefighters from Seattle and other metro-area departments were here in West Seattle, practicing skills they would need if faced with a disaster or attack requiring people to be rescued from wreckage and debris.
The “structural collapse and heavy rescue” training was at the Joint Training Facility, off Myers Way South in the city limits’ southern pocket east of White Center, north of Top Hat.
The facility is specially set up to facilitate training for situations that rescuers seldom get to see, but need to know how to handle:
SFD Lt. Frank Brennan offered more specifics:
According to the media advisory sent late yesterday by Seattle Fire, while this training is applicable to other types of rescue situations, it’s funded by a regional grant that’s part of the federal Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative. The program is described on a federal web page as involving “the unique planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.”
Another championship game happening tomorrow (Saturday, May 25th) – as shown on The Admiral Theater‘s marquee, and previewed here a week and a half ago, tomorrow is the day you can join the West Seattle Soccer Club for an open house and live screening of the 2013 UEFA Champions League final match between German powerhouses Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich. Doors open at 10:30 am and close when they reach capacity – but everybody’s welcome, first-come, first-served. No admission charge, but please bring a “kid-friendly food item” to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. One change from the original announcement, according to WSSC’s Tim McMonigle (who also shared the marquee photo) – the kids’ movie (for children not interested in the game) is now a free bonus showing of “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” one of the Admiral’s current films. It’ll start at about 11 am, and end around the same time as the match, which starts around 11:45, after 11 am preliminaries.
No daily preview today, so the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar is the place to go for what’s up tonight, including nightlife. One reminder about an event outside WS but potentially of interest: As announced earlier this week, it’s the third SPD public meeting about the not-yet-activated surveillance cameras installed from Fauntleroy to Alki to Shilshole (archived WSB coverage here). This meeting’s at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse, 7 pm tonight (map).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost 6 years after its abrupt closure, Chuck and Sally’s Tavern is getting new life.
Not under that name, though.
The owners of The Bridge at 35th/Avalon have just signed a lease to make the long-vacant building at California/Graham their new home.
The Bridge needed someplace to go because, as reported here three weeks ago, a long-dormant development plan for their current site has just been revived (with its second Design Review meeting scheduled for June 13, 3 1/2 years after the last one).
We talked with The Bridge’s co-owner Rita Dixson a short time ago, right after she briefed her staff on what’s ahead.
(TOPLINE: WSHS plays Auburn-Mountainview tomorrow, 4 pm in Pasco, for state 3A baseball championship)
(Sam Hellinger pitching the final strike of the game; photo courtesy Greg Slader)
11:45 AM UPDATE: As you saw “live” if you followed the tweets below – West Seattle High School won its state-semifinal game minutes ago, 3-1 over Mt. Si, and will play for the state championship at 4 pm tomorrow! (Their opponent, either Kennewick or Auburn-Mountainview, will be determined by a game at 1 pm today.)
Game recap to come – and archived video (thanks to commenters for finding it!) is here.
ADDED 1:06 PM: Photos and notes shared by Greg Slader:
The Offense popped for two runs in the First inning as Spencer reached on a Mt. Si error, Sam Hellinger doubled, and Tim Adams (photo above) drove them in for a 2-0 Lead. Two runs would be plenty as Sam Hellinger (top photo) pitched another complete-game gem. Ground ball after ground ball, West Seattle’s defense continued its excellent play, holding Mt. Si to Five hits and only one run.
4:13 PM: We now know their opponent: Auburn-Mountainview, which beat Kennewick 6-4 this afternoon.
****
EARLIER, 10:21 AM: The big game is on now, and parent volunteers are providing live play-by-play via Twitter, as West Seattle High School‘s baseball team faces Mount Si in the state 3A semifinal game. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can see the latest here:
The game’s being played in Pasco; the winner advances to tomorrow afternoon’s championship game. If you keep this page open, refresh to see the latest tweets on top.
We start today’s West Seattle Crime Watch with details on a street robbery – the type of crime that, according to what Southwest Precinct Lt. Pierre Davis told the WS Crime Prevention Council this week, has been on the rise in the area lately. A friend of the victim just e-mailed us with these details about what happened on SW Barton between 16th and 17th SW (map) about 11 pm last night:
The thieves sped up in an older dirty white Cadillac type car, jumped out, ran at the victim. They then hit the victim with a baseball bat and threatened to shoot him with a gun when he was on the ground. The victim only gave up his laptop when one of the youths went for something in his belt. They are two dark skinned African American youths between 17-20 years of age, skinny between 5 foot 9 and 5 foot 11. One was dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, white sneakers, in Ray Ban type sunglasses. The other was in a red hoodie, jeans, and wore a red bandana over his nose and mouth.
We’re expecting a little more information from police on this later today. P.S. Added information regarding the victim’s injuries: “Thankfully he didn’t have to go to the hospital. He is scraped up and traumatized. The alley they pushed him into has gravel. It tore up his hands, knees and elbows.” (added) Here’s the SPD Blotter report on this.
Now, on to two late-night/early-morning helicopter searches:
First, several notes this morning asked about one heard in the Alki area around 2:30 am today. The only call we could find on the log was described as “suspicious circumstances” in the 63rd SW/Marguerite Court vicinity (map). SPD media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson, looked it up for us: While there’s no formal report, because there’s no indication a crime was committed, he says someone called police to say there was a man standing in front of a house “holding a baseball bat and a flashlight, staring into the house. When asked what he was doing, he told the complainant ‘there’s a burglar in the house, but don’t call police’.” Someone did call police, and law-enforcement helicopter Guardian One happened to be in the area and heard that call, so joined the search. Eventually, though, no burglar was found, inside that house or anywhere else, and after about 20 minutes, the search ended.
Ahead, a Wednesday night helicopter search, three reader reports, and one bit of good news (added – also, a car-theft arrest report):
(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Lighter traffic, since this is the start of a four-day weekend for Seattle Public Schools. Looking ahead, a few notes:
-Monday, Metro and the West Seattle Water Taxi will be on Sunday schedules
-Next weekend (starting May 31st), weather permitting, the Delridge/Holden intersection will be closed for repaving
-Metro riders will be interested in the next Westwood Roxhill Arbor Heights Community Council meeting on June 4th – here’s the announcement.
As always, we’ll update here with any traffic issues in the hours ahead.
(Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation)
Congratulations to West Seattleite Judi Yazzolino, at center, who received the Arthritis Foundation‘s Inspirational Leadership Award during a benefit breakfast downtown on Thursday. She’s a board member for the group, as is Patrick Smith, photographed with her at left; at right is CEO Scott Weaver, who lauded Yazzolino’s work for the group, declaring, “Judi was instrumental in the creation of our Bone Bash and since its inception has served in a leadership role – during both good and challenging times. She is not shy about encouraging her friends, colleagues and contacts to step up their support.” That’s a skill that also serves her professionally, since she serves as development director of the West Seattle Food Bank. But her interest in working toward a cure for arthritis is also personal – the organization explains that she has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 25 years: “Because I feel so fortunate, I am determined to do whatever I can to help find a cure for this awful disease.”
The Southwest Design Review Board got its first look tonight at the 150~-apartment project proposed for 4745 40th SW – and asked the development team to take a second pass at Early Design Guidance. Bottom line: This means the project will be reviewed at least two more times.
As summarized toward the end of the two-hour meeting, with more than two dozen people in attendance, board members were particularly concerned with its ground floor and how its live-work units and lobby will relate to the new city park that’ll be on the north side of the site, among other factors. Most of those who commented on the project tonight identified themselves as residents of a condo building facing the sharply upward-sloped west edge of this project’s site; one noted that the parcel, part of which now holds a two-story office building, was zoned for four stories until a few years ago. (Now it’s partly zoned for six stories, partly for eight.)
Board members want the developers, Encore Architects and purchasers Alliance Residential, to also reconsider the massing options and the project’s relationship with the alley from which its parking garage will be entered, among other aspects. (It was also mentioned tonight that the project plans .7-.8 of a parking space per unit, though its location near the RapidRide bus line means it is not required to offer any parking.)
The project’s early-design “packet” was revised before the meeting, making changes to what had been made available via the city website, and we’ve been provided with a new copy – see it here. If you couldn’t make the meeting, the city planner assigned to the project, Bruce Rips, continues to accept comments, on issues beyond design too; bruce.rips@seattle.gov.
With just weeks to go until they move on from Denny International Middle School, headed for high school, dozens of young poets have just put on quite a show. Denny principal Jeff Clark shares photos from last night’s Eighth-Grade Poetry Slam – and this report:
The third annual Eighth-Grade Poetry Slam was a huge success at Denny International Middle School! The event was skillfully emceed by 8th grader Isiah Davis, who introduced nearly 50 Denny Poets. Their words were beautiful, thoughtful, and provoking. Congratulations to our outstanding scholars and their amazing teachers — the power of poetry is alive at Denny International!
One of those teachers, Colin Slingsby, shares his view too, including an observation about a tragedy that touched the 2012-2013 eighth-grade class:
The quality of the thought, writing, and emotion that students invested into their work came through last night as they presented. Many attendees mentioned how moved, touched, and inspired they were by the poetry shared by our 8th grade students.
This year’s 8th grade class was particularly challenged this year by the hardship of losing a classmate and friend Lucie Hernandez, and there were some particularly poignant tributes to Lucie written for this year’s Denny Poetry Slam. The Denny staff and 8th grade Literacy teachers are extremely proud of our students for their bravery and courage in sharing their stories and emotions so powerfully at yesterday’s poetry slam.
You might recall that Lucie was one of two teenagers killed in a deadly in South Park last November; this WSB report from last fall included a tribute her schoolmates created.
Thanks to both Schmitz Park Elementary teacher Alison Aylesworth and West Seattle Food Bank operations manager Steve Curry for sharing the word of a cool event at SP today. First, from Ms. Aylesworth, who also shared the photos:
The second grade team at Schmitz Park: Ms. Noreng, Mr. Wuth, Ms. Veling and Ms. Aylesworth’s classes participated in a food packaging service project for the West Seattle food bank. Each class packaged bags of rice that were labeled and signed by each child participating.
The team bagged 150 pounds of rice!
The students in Ms. Aylesworth’s class were inspired to donate more food in the future, donate hair to agencies like Locks of Love and instead of presents at their birthday parties they would gladly take donations for the food bank!
Way to go, Schmitz Park second graders!
Steve Curry adds, “This event was developed in conversations between the school and WSFB after the wonderful 100-day food drive initiated earlier in the year,” and also notes that the aforementioned “food-drive-related birthday parties are becoming very popular in our community and serve a wonderful dual purpose of teaching positive values to youth while assisting the food bank’s mission.”
3:56 PM: The big emergency response to West Marginal Way/Spokane is for a report that someone might have jumped or fallen off the high bridge. Seattle Fire confirms that’s what was reported to them.
4:27 PM: We are on the high bridge westbound right now. There is a slowdown to 99 because of police cars with a white car on the shoulder at the top of the high rise, blinkers on. A tow truck is getting ready to tow it.
4:33 PM: Two commenters say they saw it happen – someone got out of that car and went over the bridge.
Suicide, while difficult to discuss, is an epidemic – taking five times as many lives in King County as homicide. If you or anyone you know has had thoughts of self-harm, please know there is help available around the clock, via the Crisis Clinic hotline: 206-461-3222.
4:45 PM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore confirms that the person found under the bridge “is deceased.” The last bridge death reported here was four months ago.
5:48 PM: The photo we have added above is the crew from the Medical Examiner’s office, arriving in the area just after 5 pm. It is their job to make the official identification of victims and determination of cause of death, and to make sure family members have been notified.
Remember the case of a dog found in a car at Westwood Village? The Seattle Animal Shelter promised to announce when its investigation was finished – and that announcement has just come via this update on its website, The Scoop:
As previously reported in The Scoop, on Sunday April 21, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) removed a small dog, Zipper, from a vehicle in a West Seattle grocery store parking lot. Included in the original police report was a witness statement that the car had been in the same spot for six days, prompting speculation that Zipper may have been locked inside without food or water during that entire time. If this turned out to be true, it would have been a clear case of animal neglect and/or cruelty, which the Animal Shelter, the SPD and the City of Seattle take very seriously.
We received numerous calls from people checking on Zipper’s welfare from as far away as Florida and New York. We sincerely appreciate the public concern and support for Zipper, as it is the mission of the Seattle Animal Shelter to foster safe, healthy and caring relationships between people and animals in our community. However, Zipper’s situation is an example of why it is important for us to be able to conduct a thorough investigation before jumping to conclusions with only limited information.
In case you wondered, we checked with Forest Lawn (6701 30th SW; WSB sponsor) and yes, the traditional Memorial Day service is on for Monday, 2 pm, in conjunction with American Legion Post 160, which has a Facebook event page for it. (Here’s our coverage from last year.)
A low-key, but high-hopes, sendoff this morning for the West Seattle High School baseball team. Around 9 am, they boarded a bus and headed eastward, bound for Pasco, site of the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association‘s high-school-baseball semi-finals and finals, a trip made possible by their two wins last Saturday. Tomorrow morning at 10, at GESA Stadium in Pasco, WSHS faces Mt. Si. The winner will advance to Saturday’s 4 pm championship game against the victor in tomorrow’s 1 pm game between Kennewick and Auburn Mountainview. (Here’s the official bracket.)
An update from SDOT as Phase 3 of the Delridge Way repaving project proceeds – the next intersection closure is tentatively scheduled to start at the end of next week:
May 31 – June 3: Delridge Way SW & SW Holden Street Intersection Closure
All work is weather-dependent
Most of the intersection of Delridge Way SW and SW Holden Street will be closed from 7 p.m. Friday, May 31, until 6 a.m. Monday, June 3, for roadway restoration and storm drain installation. This work is part of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Delridge Way SW Paving Project that is rebuilding much of Delridge Way SW between SW Orchard and SW Roxbury streets.
For the closure of the Delridge/Holden intersection, the detour will be as follows (see attached map):
· Northbound traffic on Delridge Way SW – Take SW Thistle Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Morgan Street/ Sylvan Way SW/ SW Orchard Street to Delridge Way SW
· Southbound traffic on Delridge Way SW – Take SW Holden Street to 35th Avenue SW to SW Thistle Street to Delridge Way SW
During the week of June 3, the roadway will be striped between SW Henderson and SW Thistle streets, the areas of Phases 1 and 2. Street parking will be eliminated and lanes will be temporarily shifted for up to four days while striping is completed
After one year without it, it appears the one-week “mid-winter break” is returning to Seattle Public Schools next year. This year, what had been the “mid-winter break” week was bookended by three-day weekends. But a full week is back in the district’s announcement today of key dates for next year’s calendar – read on for the announcement published on the district website:
(Mark Wangerin photographed the violet-green swallow “in the rain along Longfellow Creek”)
Heading for a 4-day holiday weekend? Many are this year, particularly since school is out Friday through Monday for Seattle Public Schools and others that follow its calendar. Meantime, another busy news day is under way but we’re taking a moment to mention four things from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
COMMUNITY ORCHARD OF WEST SEATTLE: Every Thursday, 3-5 pm, you are invited to come join in work parties at the orchard, north end of South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) campus – details here. (6000 16th SW)
ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY DESIGN TEAM: The group that’s been meeting to shape the new Arbor Heights Elementary before construction begins is scheduled to meet at the school again today, 4 pm. (3704 SW 102nd)
DUWAMISH RIVER IN 3-D: Another unique event that’s part of the final weeks of your chance to have a say in the future of Seattle’s only river – 6 pm tonight at Sandbox Sports, 5955 Airport Way S. in Georgetown – details here.
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD: As previewed here last night, the board reviews the 150-or-so-apartment project 4745 40th SW for the first time, 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle; see the meeting “packet” (renderings, info) by going here. (California/Oregon)
NIGHTLIFE: Multiple listings for live music, karaoke, and more tonight – see them in today’s section of our calendar.
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