West Seattle, Washington
14 Sunday
More reminders that it’s seal-pup season on West Seattle shores: First, Pete shared the top photo of Friday night’s sunset featuring a seal pup on Alki … then today, Dawn shared this photo of a pup seen at Lincoln Park:
And Seal Sitters volunteers have been busy for many days watching over visiting pups. One week from today, though, it’ll be a day to pause and celebrate – “Harbor Seal Day” at the Alki Bathhouse, 1-4 pm next Sunday (September 8th), a chance to learn about seals and other marine mammals, with fun kids’ activities too. A highlight of the afternoon will be the dedication of Georgia Gerber‘s sculpture “Sentinels of the Sound,” photographed by David Hutchinson a few days after its recent installation just east of the bathhouse:
Lots more information about next Sunday’s event can be found here.
A night to remember – and photograph – as West Seattle band Daughters of the Dead Sea played their last show together, last night at Easy Street Records. That’s drummer Mia with the cameraphone; the night was a benefit for singer/guitarist Jen, who is moving back east to be with family as she battles cystic fibrosis, with which she was diagnosed in infancy. Last night’s crowd spilled out of Easy Street, with friends, fans, and family there to rock out and cheer them on:
Here’s a short song on video, featuring Jen:
Along with her music, Jen also has a legion of fans from the job she’s about to leave at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor); we’re told she plans to work as a teacher in her new hometown.
P.S. Hobosexual and Whiskey Radio were also on last night’s bill. Watch Easy Street’s calendar for more shows coming up!
The photo was shared by Brenda, who reports:
Look what I found this morning! Local Admiral resident Danni and her dog Trinny sprucing up the pathway along Admiral Bridge! ” Good” is happening here in our community too!
It’s an important time of year to do anything you can to clean up walkways, storm drains, etc., because whatever’s not cleaned up will head into storm drains, and this video made last week by “Diver Laura” James reminds us what happens from there:
P.S. Several neighborhood councils will have community cleanups in the weeks ahead – watch here for the dates/times as we get them.
(UPDATED 9:04 PM with photos from our early-evening return visits to the four sites – scroll down)
11:56 AM: This is the date set by the City Council in June for closure of the West Seattle site that for more than two years has been home to the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville.” As we’ve reported in ongoing coverage, the encampment announced it has three new sites. We’re checking in on the move as today proceeds, starting with a look at those three sites (mapped here) so we have “before and after” photos. At 11 am, an hour into the announced schedule for “moving day,” we stopped at 2020 S. Jackson:
Porta-potties were in view, as were “no parking” signs for today only. The only person in view was someone getting ready to do some weed-whacking. The site is owned by the Low-Income Housing Institute, per county records; it owns Ernestine Anderson Place next door, described as “60 units for homeless and low-income seniors.” From there, we headed north to the 1419 22nd Ave. site, photographed at 11:07 am, no one there yet:
That site is owned by the adjacent-to-the-south Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. From there, via I-5, we got to the Skyway site at 11:25. It’s at 12914 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., a busy freeway-like stretch between I-5 and Renton, which according to property records used to hold a tavern and motel; its ownership is listed as an LLC held by Pete Sikov, who gained fame in 2005 as owner of Jimi Hendrix‘s boyhood home. Photo shortly added:
It’s the largest site but also, as had been noted on the Nickelsville Works Facebook page, choked with overgrowth. No one on site as of 11:35 am, but two porta-potties are in view, as with the other two sites. Next, what’s happening at the West Seattle site right now; arriving in the area, we found ourselves behind a van containing the Nickelsville goats, whom we’re told are headed to munch on the Skyway overgrowth.
12:51 PM: The photo above is our overview from right about noon. Lots of work in view:
And belongings gathered up:
The view further into the camp:
We’ll revisit the sites late in the day for updates.
2:55 PM UPDATE: In our update last Thursday, we showed the encampment flyer that included a schedule for cleaning up the site over the next three days. Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Carolyn Stauffer says the city has sanctioned that: “I just heard from Jerry DeGrieck / Mayor’s office- with an update: They are going to allow access to the current Nickelsville site through Wednesday for time to move, clear and clean up the site; there will be added security at the site through that time, and a fence will go up on Thursday.”
8:55 PM UPDATE: As planned, we revisited the sites past and present early this evening, in the 6 pm hour. If you’re reading this from the home page, click ahead to see; otherwise, just keep scrolling:
Busy news day, so we are pointing you directly to the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for info on happenings from the final day of Alki Point Lighthouse tours to salsa dancing on the beach tonight, and more.
7:10 AM: Per a statement sent to news media by Seattle Public Schools superintendent José Banda, negotiators for the district and its teachers union reached a tentative deal very early this morning:
I want to express my thanks to the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools bargaining teams for their efforts to craft a tentative contract agreement for the 2013-14 school year.
All of us at Seattle Public Schools value the contributions, skills and dedication that our educators bring to Seattle Public Schools every day, and their commitment to our students’ success.
SEA has informed us that the membership will vote on the tentative agreement on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 4:30 pm.
We look forward to having an approved agreement and a successful start to the 2013 school year.
The Seattle Education Association‘s Facebook page says the agreement was reached at 12:18 am.
8:32 AM: For those who are asking – we are continuing to comb the Web, including Facebook/Twitter, and still haven’t found details of the deal – BUT SPS has just answered the question posed by a sharp-eyed commenter who wondered about the superintendent’s mention of only this school year: It’s a TWO-YEAR contract proposal, according to spokesperson Teresa Wippel. Also a point of discussion – the Tuesday afternoon union meeting is a date/time already set days ago, as we had previously noted here.
9:36 AM: West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren has sent e-mail to her public list making note of the agreement:
… The details will first be presented to the teachers, who are set to vote on it Tuesday. With the recommendation of union leaders to accept the agreement, I am optimistic that it will be ratified, and that YOUR CHILDREN CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY AND OUR TEACHERS WILL BE EAGERLY AWAITING THEM!!!!! I’m incredibly grateful to, and proud of, all the people who participated in leading us to this agreement. More details will be coming, after the information is shared with our teachers. …
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