day : 04/02/2014 12 results

If you don’t already have a ticket to Sunday’s gala Benefit Tea helping local families via WestSide Baby – time’s ticking toward the deadline to get yours – 4 pm tomorrow (Wednesday). From WS Baby executive director Nancy Woodland:

500 people are already signed up for the 13th Annual Benefit Tea on Sunday (2 pm, Sea-Tac Hilton Conference Center) and we hope you will come too. It’s an afternoon of incredible impact and community support of local children in need.

The Tea supports WestSide Baby operations and programs, allowing us to serve more local children with critical items to keep them safe, warm and dry. Guests are asked to give in support of our mission to provide essentials to local children in need.

My personal promises to you as our guest:

1) You will be inspired by our Tea Speaker and program.
2) Your gifts will immediately serve local children in need.
3) You will leave knowing you are part of something amazing.
4) If this happens to be your first fundraiser, we’ll make it fun and very easy!

Keynote speaker is Joanne Samuel Goldblum, executive director of the National Diaper Bank Network. WS Baby says no, you do not HAVE to dress up fancy – they just want to see you there!

P.S. WSB is proud to be among the sponsors of Sunday’s event, along with more than two dozen other local businesses (among them are businesses who are also members of our sponsor team – Ventana Construction, Jackson, Morgan & Hunt PLLC, Wyatt’s Jewelers, Fauntleroy Chiropractic, Budget Blinds, West Seattle Design Build, and Massage Envy-West Seattle).

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West Seattle businesses: Jamba Juice closing at Westwood

February 4, 2014 7:39 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

A sudden shutdown at Westwood Village – this is the last night of operation for Jamba Juice, which is on the east end of the shopping center’s east-west breezeway. After a tip from Edgar (thanks!), we went over to talk with the staff and confirmed the imminent closure (about half an hour from now).

The staff said they had only found out a day or so ago. We heard too late in the day to check with center management about whether another tenant is lined up for the space.

SIDE NOTE: Other changes are under way at Westwood – the liquor store has moved from the center of the mall to a space on the north side by DaVita; a Carter’s children’s-clothing store is still on the way, as we first reported in November, and is now affirmed on the Carter’s website (and the WWV leasing map). City permits say it’s going into the space the liquor store vacated.

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Fairmount Park Elementary: Thursday night meeting canceled

February 4, 2014 6:37 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If you were planning on going to Thursday night’s informational meeting about the reopening of Fairmount Park Elementary – the district asked us to help get the word out that the meeting is OFF, because of a family emergency that will keep newly appointed principal Julie Breidenbach from attending. The other meetings remain scheduled – starting with 6 pm February 12th in the Alki Elementary cafeteria; they’re all listed here.

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Wondering about the Alki sea lion carcass? Update from Seal Sitters

February 4, 2014 6:03 pm

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| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

There’s an update tonight on the sea lion mentioned here two weeks ago after WSB readers noticed its carcass near a driftwood log featuring a sea-lion carving. From Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey:

Seal Sitters has been receiving calls about a deceased California sea lion on Alki Beach. We want to take this opportunity to update your readers.

This animal carcass washed ashore last month on a private beach along Beach Drive SW. Seal Sitters responded, documenting and marking it with non-toxic paint at that time. Since then, a succession of high tides has moved the carcass and it is now near the west end of the Alki promenade. Marine mammals can transmit disease, so please keep kids and pets at a distance. Seal Sitters has been in contact with Seattle Parks & Recreation and Animal Control concerning this animal and arrangements for removal are being made. We will continue to monitor this situation.

The California sea lions that forage and rest in Puget Sound are largely males and can reach 8 feet in length and weigh up to 850 pounds. Females rarely migrate to our waters. Healthy sea lions are extremely mobile on land and can be dangerous. Never approach or disturb live sea lions.

We’d like to remind all WSB readers that Seal Sitters is the NOAA designated marine mammal stranding network for West Seattle. As such, we respond to all calls regarding live or dead marine mammals on our beaches. There have been calls directly to NOAA and the Coast Guard concerning this animal and those calls are simply referred back to us by the respective agencies.

Seal Sitters MMSN thanks the West Seattle community for all the help protecting marine mammals. If there are any questions or to report marine mammals on the beach, please call our hotline at 206-905-7325.

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West Seattle, White Center meetings set for SW Roxbury safety project

February 4, 2014 4:09 pm

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| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(July 2010 crash at 8th/Roxbury, WSB/White Center Now photo)
Want to see SW Roxbury a whole lot safer than it is now? You’ll recall the campaign launched by the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council with the support of other area neighborhood advocates. Now, it’s announced that the city has scheduled two meetings about the improvements to follow:

*6:30 pm Thursday, February 13th in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood, 9800 8th SW
*6 pm Wednesday, February 26th, at Roxhill Elementary School, 30th/Roxbury

The city’s official project page is here. And you can expect to hear about this at tonight’s WWRHAH meeting, 6:15 pm at Southwest Branch Library (meeting preview here).

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Update: Excused absences Wednesday? Seattle Public Schools superintendent now says it’s up to individual principals

February 4, 2014 2:29 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Seattle Public Schools has just gone public with a clarification about its policy regarding absences tomorrow. Now SPS superintendent José Banda says each individual school can decide whether absences will be excused or unexcused. The district has released a message sent to principals – who then should be advising their respective school communities how they will handle it (below it, we’ll be adding whatever we hear from individual WS schools):

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Update: West Seattle Water Taxi WILL have extra runs for Seahawks parade – on ‘M/V Steven Hauschka’

February 4, 2014 11:04 am

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| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

(UPDATED 1:30 PM: Special sailing, shuttle schedules for Wednesday, added)

(WSB file photo)
11:04 AM: Just got word from King County Councilmember Joe McDermott – the West Seattle Water Taxi WILL have midday runs tomorrow for Seahawks Victory Parade goers. Full schedule will be out shortly (the first and last run times of the day won’t change – what WILL change is that it will run all day, including the period when it’s idle in the winter, 9 am-3:30 pm). And shuttle bus schedules WILL match the runs.

Bonus – remember the WSB commenters who suggested that the Water Taxi be honorarily renamed after kicker Steven Hauschka since he wasn’t included in the Washington State Ferries‘ honorary renames? Councilmember McDermott says that will happen for tomorrow, especially appropriate since Hauschka scored (early) offensive points on Sunday. (Poster image from King County added 5:54 pm)

12:19 PM UPDATE: Here’s the special Wednesday-ONLY sailing schedule as a PDF – this image is from that document:

Shuttle-bus schedule still being finalized, we’re told; we’ll add it when it’s available. (And if you’re thinking about driving to the dock, see our note from last night about free parking at Salty’s on Alki [WSB sponsor].)

1:30 PM UPDATE: Here’s a PDF of the special Wednesday shuttle-bus schedule (with the sailing schedule alongside):

See you at the dock!

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West Seattle road work: 30th/Roxbury curb bulb on the way

February 4, 2014 10:09 am

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| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

As part of safety improvements near Roxhill Elementary, SDOT is building a curb bulb by the school next week, which that means some restrictions for drivers Tuesday, February 11th, through Thursday, February 13th. Here’s the announcement:

As part of the Safe Routes to School Project for Roxhill Elementary School, the Seattle Department of Transportation will be installing a pedestrian improvement at the intersection of Southwest Roxbury Street and 30th Avenue Southwest. The construction will require restricting northbound turns from SW Roxbury to 30th Avenue SW beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7 am, weather permitting. This restriction will remain in effect 24 hours per day until 5 pm Thursday, Feb. 13. Southbound travel on 30th Avenue SW will not be affected.

This restriction will allow crews to build a curb bulb on the northeast corner of 30th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Roxbury Street. This curb bulb will shorten the pedestrian crossing distance and provide a calmer pedestrian environment.

Those wishing to travel north on 30th Avenue Southwest should continue west on Southwest Roxbury Street to 35th Avenue Southwest, north on 35th Avenue Southwest to Southwest Barton Street, and east Southwest Barton Street to 30th Avenue Southwest.

Safe Routes to School is a national program that makes it safer and easier to walk and bike to school. This project also includes building a new concrete sidewalk and planting strip on the west side of 30th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Roxbury Street and Southwest 97th Street. New trees will be added, as well as ground cover and additional street lighting. Work is expected to be complete in March.

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West Seattle Tuesday: From coffee to bus funding to WWRHAH…

February 4, 2014 9:40 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Mary took that photo of a hawk in the “Seahawks Tree” at her South Admiral home BEFORE the championship. Today, we’re expecting more information about tomorrow’s big downtown parade and how to get there, so keep an eye out for West Seattle-specific details as the day goes on (and please note that through tomorrow, those details will have a home here). Meantime, other events roll on – so here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

MONTHLY COFFEE HOUR FOR VETERANS: 11 am-noon today, drop by the Senior Center of West Seattle. (California/Oregon)

BABY STORY TIME: Newborn to one year, your wee one is invited to enjoy this free fun event, 11:30 am at Southwest Branch Library. (35th/Henderson)

CHINESE NEW YEAR LUNCHEON: Entertainment and food to mark the Lunar New Year, 11:45 am at the Senior Center of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – call to make sure there’s room; that info’s in our listing.

AFTER-SCHOOL NATURE HIKE: Naturalist Stewart Wechsler has a new series of after-school nature hikes in Lincoln Park, starting at 3:15 pm – pre-registration requested but you can check to see if there’s last-minute room; full details in our calendar listing. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

BALLOT MEASURE FOR BUSES/ROADS? The King County Council is presiding over a public hearing tonight at Union Station on the south side of downtown, before deciding whether to ask voters to approve a license-tab fee and sales-tax hike to stave off Metro cuts and road deterioration – details in our calendar listing. 5:30 pm signups, 6 pm comment time. (401 S. Jackson)

WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Big agenda as usual for WWRHAH, including West Seattle’s second official briefing on the proposed “pedestrian retail zone” overlay – details in our Monday preview. 6:15 pm, Southwest Branch Library. (35th/Henderson)

OPERA PREVIEW: 6:30 pm, free preview lecture looking ahead to the Seattle Opera production of “The Consul,” West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library. (2306 42nd SW)

MANY more listings on our calendar, for today and beyond – see for yourself here.

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Followup: Home found for fire-displaced West Seattle family

February 4, 2014 8:46 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Quick update on the family whose Roxhill-area home was gutted by fire more than a week ago: One week after Kristine Elliott asked for help with finding a new rental home for her dad (who is a cancer patient), mom, and sister, she says they have found one – and it’s thanks to a lead from a WSB reader. So, thanks to everybody who responded with suggestions! We asked Kristine if there is anything else specific her family needs, besides what’s come in via this GoFundMe account; she says, “We are still trying to get all of that figured out.”

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: February’s first Tuesday

February 4, 2014 6:57 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Nothing out of the ordinary so far this morning. “Live” views: Above, the eastbound West Seattle Bridge view and below, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct view:

More cameras, and other information, are on the WSB Traffic page. Perhaps most notable this morning – it’s below freezing, and the next few mornings will be even colder.

SEAHAWKS PARADE TOMORROW: Here’s the newest information. We’re expecting more details today about transit for the event, including whether the Water Taxi will add midday runs, so check back here later.

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West Seattle schools: Tours this morning at Madison, Lafayette

February 4, 2014 6:50 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

With open enrollment approaching (February 24th-March 7th) for Seattle Public Schools, and ongoing enrollment at many independent schools, it’s prime time for school tours and open houses. Today (Tuesday) we have two on the calendar for this morning – Madison Middle School (45th/Spokane) open for tours 8:30-10 am, Lafayette Elementary (California/Lander) having a tour for parents of incoming kindergarteners at 10 am (reservation required – call ASAP to see if there’s room). To see other tours/open houses listed on our calendar, go here and click “categories” underneath the introductory text, and choose SCHOOL on the dropdown list.

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