West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
The terms “alley vacation” and “street vacation” come up often in development, and are difficult to explain, but vital to understand, since they involve selling publicly owned property to developers, with City Council approval required. You can read about the process here – but that might still leave you with questions, so, in hopes of expanding understanding, René Commons, who’s leading the recently relaunched Junction Neighborhood Organization, brought city-government experts to last night’s meeting, and we recorded their presentations on video. The main speakers you’ll see are Beverly Barnett, the SDOT manager who is point person for the review of these requests, and Michael Jenkins from the Seattle Design Commission, the citywide advisory group that has to sign off on street/alley vacations before SDOT and the council can render final judgment.
P.S. It was pointed out that the 4755 Fauntleroy/Whole Foods alley-vacation request – the mayor-opposed proposal that won’t go to the council any sooner than December – is still open for public comment – any proposed vacation is open for comment until it gets to the council; e-mail beverly.barnett@seattle.gov if you have something to say. Here’s our original February report on that part of the project (which was approved by the Design Commission in June after four reviews – the minutes of that meeting, as mentioned in this video of JuNO’s meeting, are here).
As of this week, West Seattle has a brand-new school. A ribbon-cutting launched the new Village Cooperative School, explained by Rachel Faunce, who also shared the photo:
A year in the making, the Village Cooperative School is a Kindergarten through 2nd grade multi-age school based on a cooperative-school model where students, parents and teachers, learn, explore, work, and grow together.
Affiliated with the South Seattle Community College Cooperative Preschool Program, the school is housed on the SSCC campus. Class is held Monday-Thursday from 11:30 am-3:30 pm. Tuesday classes are led by the Vashon Wilderness Program and will rotate throughout parks in Seattle.
In addition to a small, intimate classroom setting and a parent education component, the Village Cooperative School offers:
· Project and play based learning that is emergent, experiential, student led and teacher supported.
· The integration of art, music, language arts, science, math and social studies through applies learning.
· Individual and group learning with an emphasis on community building, cooperation, mutual respect, problem-solving and conflict resolution.
A few spaces remain in this year’s class; questions are welcome at info@vcoop.org.
(WSB file photo of bus on Route 21, one of the three routes with changes announced)
Details of Metro‘s next “service change” are now available on its website, including changes to three West Seattle routes (55 in all, systemwide). In two cases, the changes involve service added with city funding. The changes to Routes 21, 22, and 120 can be seen by clicking the route numbers on this page, or here, after the jump:
Thanks to Tracy Burrows from the West Seattle High School PTSA for sharing this invitation to their first meeting of the year, tomorrow night:
Meet key members of the West Seattle High School team at the first PTSA meeting of the 2013-14 school year on September 19th! Meet the new Vice Principal, Michelle Peterson and the new Athletic Director, Trevor Leopold. Hear what the goals are for this year’s school year from Principal Ruth Medsker and Vice-Principal Michael Kelly, and learn about the vision of our fabulous music director, Ethan Thomas. The meeting is Thursday, September 19th from 7-8:30 pm in the West Seattle High School library. All are welcome. To access the library, enter the building through the side door in front of the visitor parking stalls.
WSHS is at 3000 California SW.
This Saturday (September 21st), you’re invited to take the West Seattle Solar Tour – nine installations open to the public between 11 am and 2 pm, part of the citywide solar tour (see the Google Map here).
And while no doubt all the stops will be interesting, one will be extra special, a tribute to a young West Seattleite gone too soon, Ben Huppe. His dad Bob Huppe explains:
Our son, Ben, designed this installation before his untimely death last summer in an auto accident (reported here).
Following his death, we had the solar panels installed before his memorial service as a tribute to his dedication to alternative energy. Here is a picture of him from last summer at a solar energy fair on Vashon Island, where he was working for Artisan Electric:
Our small solar installation made over 60% of our electrical energy over the last year. It will fully pay itself off within 7 years and then still will increase my home value at resale. This would be as if your kitchen remodel could generate money to pay for itself while you were living there.
Here’s the map for Saturday’s West Seattle tour stops – you’ll see Bob Huppe’s home listed on 46th SW.
(UPDATED WEDNESDAY EVENING with SPD Blotter info)
1:03 PM: Thanks to multiple Holy Rosary School parents who have forwarded this alert sent in the past hour:
There was another report of an inappropriate exposure during lunch time recess today. This was a different man and he was outside the school property. The police and neighboring schools were notified immediately. Staff will be outside at the end of school.
That’s the entirety of the alert, with no descriptive information, but we’ll be checking with police ASAP and adding anything we learn from them. The previous report was on September 9th, and police went public with additional details the next day. (The school is at 41st/42nd/Genesee on the north end of The Junction.)
ADDED 1:08 PM: Just talked with Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson. He says this is all that’s in their system right now, since an officer’s apparently still out at the scene and hoping to talk with whomever directly witnessed this: The call came in at 11:42 am, that “a male was exposing himself”; the person was described only as white, with dark hair, and possible facial hair. He was said to have left in a vehicle and was reported to have been last seen headed westbound on Dakota.
ADDED 7:38 PM: A story about this has just appeared on SPD Blotter, but there’s no additional descriptive information:
Read More
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Remember that scene from the back parking lot at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in early July? As reported here that day, the man in the photo was arrested in a stolen truck spotted by a WSB reader; a pregnant woman who was with him was arrested while shopping at the store.
Now, after more than two months, charges have finally been filed against the man, 20-year-old West Seattle resident Sean Jeardoe, in that incident and a stack of other crimes, mostly committed in West Seattle.
First – thanks to John for tipping us to this, by e-mailing us the link to this Vashon Beachcomber story about Jeardoe’s recent arrest (thanks in part to victims tracking a stolen iPhone!) and charges. Court documents say he was arrested last week with the same woman as the Thriftway incident, 33-year-old Jessica Detrick. Six days after this arrest, she has just been released from jail, after pleading guilty in an unrelated incident (more on that later). The King County Jail Register shows Jeardoe’s bail is set at $75,000; we have just downloaded court documents for details of the charges filed against him Monday – which include West Seattle burglaries and thefts; read on:
Before the rain returns, consider what you can do to reduce the chance it will sweep poisons into Puget Sound, from your home, your vehicle, or other aspects of your life. We recorded part of “Diver Laura” James’s presentation at Sustainable West Seattle‘s community forum on Monday night, as a refresher course. What to do, and what not to do, is really pretty simple – in addition to what’s in our clip, other advice toplines are ahead:
(Pileated woodpecker)
We’ve dubbed this Woodpecker Wednesday, with three photos from Mark Wangerin (thank you!) woven through our daily preview. Meantime, we have a partly sunny day forecast ahead, and from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, these events of note happening today/tonight:
ALL-DAY ARTHRITIS BENEFIT: Massage Envy West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is donating $10 from every one-hour massage today to the Arthritis Foundation – details in our calendar listing. (north side of Westwood Village)
(Northern Flicker)
DOGPADDLE: Today’s the second day of the “dogs in the pool, no people” post-season fundraiser at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club, 5-7 pm, details in our original preview. (11003 31st SW)
WEST SEATTLEITES PERFORM AT FRINGE FESTIVAL: Not in West Seattle, but involving West Seattleites – Tas de Pierres Theatre debuts tonight with “Grave Love“ at the NW Film Forum, two one-acts, “Flora/Dora” and “The Juliet Project,” featuring movement, puppetry, and text, created & directed by Jennifer Crooks, stage-managed by Maikel Van der Verren, both West Seattleites. Showtime is 6 pm. If you miss it tonight, other dates are 9 pm tomorrow, 3:30 pm Saturday, 1 pm Sunday. (1515 12th Avenue)
(Downy woodpecker)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Tonight’s 7 pm monthly meeting of reps from community councils and other key organizations around eastern West Seattle will include a guest appearance by City Councilmember Tim Burgess, looking ahead to the council’s annual budget process, as well as discussions of K-5 STEM at Boren (now officially proposed to become K-8, as reported here Tuesday) and the Delridge Grocery co-op as it gets ready to open in the new Delridge Supportive Housing building next year. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, public always welcome. (4407 Delridge Way SW)
‘UNPLUGGED!’: The Seattle Classic Guitar Society‘s open-microphone event is 7-9 pm tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
FEEDBACK FUNNYNESS: A rare chance to enjoy live comedy in West Seattle – tonight’s the night for the “Fantasy Island” comedy slate headlined by West Seattleite Mona Concepcion, also featuring West Seattleite Cait Parks, and other area comics. It all starts at 8 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) – free! (6451 California SW)
Lots more for today/tonight – just check our calendar.
Not to look past tonight – our daily preview is scheduled within the hour – but it should be noted that Thursday is expected to have the best weather of the week, and that will make it an extra-special night to go to Camp Long for this year’s dessert fundraiser! The Camp Long Advisory Council asked us to remind you about their big event, 7-9 pm tomorrow (September 19th), with a dessert auction and live music by Miles and Karina. $10/person, and you can bring the kid(s) – for $5 each, they can participate in a naturalist program on-site while you relax in the lodge. More info on the official flyer; it’s a benefit for environmental education and the CL challenge course.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! So far, nothing unusual reported as we head to the heart of the commute.
7:50 AM: The low bridge was closed to vehicle traffic to let a boat through, but has just reopened, per SDOT‘s Twitter feed.
EVENING NOTE: Metro has gone public with the info about its September 28th “service change,” including three West Seattle routes’ changes – here’s our story.
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