day : 09/11/2013 8 results

New bachelor’s degree program for South Seattle Community College: Sustainable Science Technology

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) is adding another bachelor’s-degree program as of next year. Here’s the announcement:

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges recently approved a new baccalaureate of applied science (BAS) degree in Sustainable Science Technology that will be offered at South Seattle Community College in the fall of 2014.

In response to industry demand, the primary purpose of this program is to provide students with the skills needed to run an energy-efficient facility.

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‘Tapestry’ of history and community celebrated at Southwest Seattle Historical Society gala

| West Seattle history | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

A big year for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society culminated in a full house at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) today – celebrating and hearing about the past, and raising more than $37,000 to help continue the organization’s work into the future.

With executive director Clay Eals emceeing the event near the end of his first year leading SWSHS, the Champagne Gala Luncheon pulsed with attention-drawing events-within-an-event, from silent auction, to special guest speaker Dave Beck, to the inspirational speakers from the deep-rooted Hallberg family.

The nearly 200 people on hand included a long list of West Seattle luminaries, from entrepreneurs to civic activists to politicians present and past, including City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and former Mayor Greg Nickels – but you didn’t have to have a famous name to be part of the “tapestry.”

The fundraising total came from not only tickets to the event and the silent auction, but also from a raffle, dessert dash, and special Fund-a-Dream cash-donation round.

It was more than a party – it was also a chance to gain knowledge, including a surprise declaration regarding the fate of the Alki Homestead:

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Legislature adjourns with Boeing incentives, without transportation $

November 9, 2013 4:31 pm

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| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The state Legislature’s latest special session is over on its third day – and still no transportation-money deal, despite high-profile pleas like the one County Executive Dow Constantine headed south to make after warning again of the major Metro cuts that loom if funding isn’t found (Thursday WSB coverage here). The Legislature did approve breaks for Boeing meant to keep that company from building the 777X elsewhere; asked about transportation at a briefing minutes ago, the governor said he would call legislators back “if we have an agreement [on a transportation bill] by November 21st.” If not? Metro moves closer to setting the wheels in motion for making those cuts next year.

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West Seattle development update: Comment deadline approaching for Morgan Junction project

November 9, 2013 3:51 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

First came the scrawled comment on the signboard that wasn’t up yet when we first reported on a south Morgan Junction project that includes a 30-apartment, no-parking-space building:

Now there’s a printed, taped-up sheet with a more eloquent plea to the passerby, and a response to the scrawler, starting, “Sadly, they are not kidding”:

To be specific, as a commenter reminded readers on a separate development story published here last night, the deadline for commenting on the 6917 California SW proposal is five days away – Wednesday, November 13th (unless someone has asked the city for the two-week extension that’s usually available by request).

Since we broke the news of this proposed project in mid-October, most attention has been focused on the apartment building; as we noted then, six additional housing units are planned on the two lots north of the site, all of which have descriptions/preliminary listings online:
*Townhouse A at 6911 California SW
*Townhouse B at 6911 California SW
*Townhouse C at 6911 California SW
*Townhouse D at 6911 California SW
*Single-family home at 6913 California SW
*Single-family home at 6915 California SW

The 36 total units are proposed for three lots on which three old homes currently sit, the second, third, and fourth north of the northwest corner of California and Mills. To comment on the proposal, follow the instructions on the official notice; separate comments would be needed to mention the other parts of the project, including the lot-boundary adjustment proposed to outline the sites of the three components.

(More development updates later.)

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Holy Rosary gets Franciscan grant for student’s winning billboard

November 9, 2013 12:30 pm

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| Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

An exciting celebration at Holy Rosary School on Friday – the prize presentation for its winning student billboard artist!

This all goes back to June, when we published the art created by the finalists in the Franciscan Health System (WSB sponsor; formerly Highline) contest after they invited local students to write and illustrate healthy-living tips, with the winner to be put up on a billboard alongside the West Seattle Bridge. The winner was Holy Rosary student Audrey Kline (at center in our photo above, with HR’s Father John Madigan and the other HR finalists in the contest). In case you missed seeing Audrey’s art on the billboard, here it is again:

Audrey’s win was announced in September (WSB coverage here); then on Friday, Franciscan Health System leaders came to Holy Rosary to present the other part of the prize – a $500 grant for health education at the school.

P.S. Back in September, after the event announcing the winning billboard, we had first word of Franciscan’s plan to move its Roxbury clinic to Westwood Village. We learned yesterday that they are aiming for an opening date in mid-December.

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Happening now: Highland Park Improvement Club holiday bazaar

November 9, 2013 11:26 am

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| Highland Park | Holidays | West Seattle news

The first big weekend of bazaars means the holiday season is off and running in West Seattle! At historic Highland Park Improvement Club, the bazaar that’s under way until 3 pm includes artists and crafters including Deloris (above). Vendors’ tables are full of gift possibilities like these (who WOULDN’T want Darth Vader on their wallet?):

Among the vendors, historic HPIC itself – with the all-new Highland Park hoodies!

(Added: Found out post-publication, they’re screenprinted by local Rain City West!) Even if you’re not in the shopping mood, go learn more about raingardens:

At right in that photo is Jo Sullivan from King County Wastewater Treatment Division, which is in the early stages of a green-stormwater-infrastructure project for Highland Park and vicinity and, at left, Hannah Kett from Sustainable Seattle, which has been working on other raingarden projects in the area. (If you need new inspiration for considering/supporting raingardens – think of the Longfellow Creek coho salmon, often killed by polluted stormwater runoff. The more runoff you keep out of the system via raingardens (etc.), the more you keep out of local waterways.)

Haven’t been to HPIC? Find it at 12th/Holden (map).

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West Seattle Saturday: Highland Park, Mount, Shorewood bazaars; SWSHS, Veterans’ Center benefits; park cleanup; more

November 9, 2013 9:00 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Looking across Elliott Bay to the snowy Cascades behind downtown; photo by Carolyn Newman)
Happy Saturday! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar follow, but be sure to also check the calendar itself for the full list of options:

HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT HPIC: Support community arts/crafts vendors – everything is local! – during the 10 am-3 pm bazaar at Highland Park Improvement Club. (12th/Holden)

HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT THE MOUNT: 10 am-4 pm, it’s the second and final day of the fall bazaar at Providence Mount St. Vincent, with holiday decorations as well as potential gifts, plus a big bake sale! More in our calendar listing. (4831 35th SW)

HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT SHOREWOOD ELEMENTARY: 10 am-4 pm, another big bazaar, this time just south of West Seattle – details in the calendar listing. (2725 SW 116th)

DELRIDGE GROCERY CANVASSING: Volunteers are gathering at 10 am at Delridge’s Daily Dose coffee shop to head out into the neighborhood to talk to people about the future co-op grocery store – and invite you to join them. Details here. (Delridge/Brandon)

HIGH-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS: Games today include West Seattle High School volleyball vs. Blanchet at Chief Sealth International High School (update: 1 pm), WSHS soccer vs. Liberty High School at LHS in Renton at 3 pm, Chief Sealth International High School football in Gig Harbor at 7 pm. (Anybody else? Please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!)

SWSHS GALA LUNCHEON/LOG HOUSE MUSEUM CLOSED: Today is the big day for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Gala Luncheon/Silent Auction (for which WSB is a media sponsor) at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 11:30 am, details on the SWSHS website; this also means the Log House Museum is closed today because the big event takes a lot of volunteer power – go see the LHM tomorrow and other Thursdays-Sundays, noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)

FRIENDS OF MORGAN JUNCTION PARKS: The park’s Fall Renovation Work Party is this afternoon, 2-4 pm – Barry White from FoMJP says, “We’ll have two yards of mulch to apply to the beds and some new plants to put in the ground. Tools will be provided. Join us for all or part of the event.” The park is on California SW just north of Fauntleroy.

GREEN SPACE COALITION: As previewed here last night, the West Seattle Green Space Coalition invites you to its meeting at 3 pm at High Point Library for an update on the City Light ex-substations’ future and how to work toward more green space even as development in our area intensifies. (35th/Raymond)

OWLING AT LINCOLN PARK: West Seattle naturalist Stewart Wechsler leads a journey through the park, 7-9 pm – details in our calendar listing, including how to check if it’s still on, should the weather worsen.

CONCERT BENEFITING WEST SEATTLE VETERANS’ CENTER: At Pershing Hall, inside American Legion Post 160 (also home to the WSVC), Rainier Dust Squad and Hetch Hetchy perform tonight at 8 pm, with proceeds benefiting the facility’s renovations/programs. Details in our calendar listing. (3618 SW Alaska)

NOTE – FRATELLIS CANCELED: A band member is ailing so tonight’s in-store at Easy Street Records is NOT happening.

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Traffic alert: Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct now closed

November 9, 2013 5:08 am

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| Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news

(East-facing camera on the West Seattle Bridge; see other cams on the WSB Traffic page)
The blocked-off lane you see in the bridge-camera image is a reminder that this weekend’s planned Highway 99 closure is now in effect, both directions between the West Seattle Bridge and Battery Street Tunnel, plus the northbound stretch from the tunnel to Valley Street (map), until early Monday. (As always, if the highway reopens early, we’ll publish an update.)

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