day : 20/05/2014 12 results

West Seattle sea scene: Buoy tender USCGC Henry Blake

May 20, 2014 9:53 pm

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Guy Smith on Alki Point for sharing the photo of the 175-foot buoy tender USCGC Henry Blake, seen between our peninsula and Bainbridge Island today. We noticed it while out for a midday walk on Duwamish Head, but didn’t have binoculars or zoom lens or even MarineTraffic.com handy at the time; Guy’s e-mail tonight with the photo enabled us to identify it via its number, WLM-563. It’s based in Everett and was commissioned there in 2000, according to the Henry Blake’s official USCG fact sheet, which notes, “Henry Blake’s primary mission is servicing navigational aids, but it also provides marine environmental protection and search and rescue.” Closer view:

P.S. Bonus info – here’s a closer look at the Coast Guard’s “black-hulled fleet,” including this ship, and how the USCG’s ships are color-coded.

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Teamwork! Morgan Junction ‘triangle property’ blossoms with community, church collaboration

May 20, 2014 8:26 pm

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| Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

What once was something of an eyesore is getting beautified, bit by bit, reports Barry White with Friends of Morgan Junction Parks, who also shared the photos:

A delegation from Peace Lutheran Church again joined Friends of Morgan Junction Parks in our ongoing restoration project of the Junction triangle property. The two groups first teamed up last September to clear brush and weeds from the overgrown site. The groups continued that work (on Sunday) and began the process of arborizing some of the many shrubs that sprang up from the fruit of the strawberry tree (arbutus unedo), with the long range plan of training the shrubs to match the structure of the parents and create an extensive shaded canopy on the site. A sunny afternoon aided the labor of the small but dedicated group and we accomplished nearly every task on our list. Thanks to everyone who turned out.

See more photos on the FoMJP Facebook page.

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New Arbor Heights Elementary: Community update meeting June 2nd

May 20, 2014 5:47 pm

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| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Rendering of new Arbor Heights Elementary)
If you’re interested in the new Arbor Heights Elementary School, your next chance to get project updates, and to get questions answered in person, is less than two weeks away. Seattle Public Schools has announced a community meeting for Monday, June 2nd, 6:30-8 pm at the current AHES.

The meeting will be presented by representatives of Seattle Public Schools BEX IV capital projects team and Bassetti Architects, and will include information about the project’s building and site design. You will be able to learn more about the project’s scope of work and construction schedule. You will be able to share comments and ask questions.

Meantime, we’re still awaiting word of a ruling on the appeal of the project’s no-formal-environmental-review-needed decision (here’s our coverage of the May 8th hearing).

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West Seattle road-work update: Genesee, Charlestown open again

May 20, 2014 4:27 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

4:27 PM: Just in case you were planning afternoon-commute detours – we checked the hills on Genesee (east of Avalon) and Charlestown (west of California) in the past hour and both are now open again, after traction-improvement work. Along with Olson, where crews worked last weekend, that makes three West Seattle roads where the work was done in the past week.

6:32 PM: And now we’re getting conflicting information from neighbors regarding the status of both sites, so we’re trying to reach city spokespeople/consultants for an accurate status beyond both hills being open *right now*.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Ironically, the work crews have had trouble on the steep hills – and so the work’s on hold. SDOT promises updates.

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SW Historical Society updates: Lou Whittaker recalls ‘a heck of a ride’; West Seattle Bridge 30th-anniversary party ahead

May 20, 2014 2:51 pm

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| West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Video by Mark Jaroslaw)
Thanks to Clay Eals from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society for sharing video excerpts from Lou Whittaker‘s West Seattle High School appearance sharing memories from “A Life in the Mountains” (and screening the biographical documentary of the same name). As you’ll hear him observe at one point (or maybe you were there to hear him in person), “It has been a heck of a ride.” And it’s not over yet – he is going strong at 85. More than 100 people came to see and hear him. Read more about it on the SWSHS website.

NEXT UP FOR SWSHS – BRIDGE ANNIVERSARY AND MORE: So much is going on in June, it might take us until then to mention it all here. So instead – check out the right side of the organization’s home page for the latest on the totem-pole unveiling, the next “Words, Writers, West Seattle” author, and … a multi-modal celebration of the 30th anniversary of the high-rise West Seattle Bridge (dedicated July 14, 1984).

(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of The Bridge while it was being built)
According to the SWSHS website, it all starts a month in advance with a special exhibit at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor). Read all about the bridge-i-versary plans here.

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West Seattle development: Demolition day at 4435 35th SW

May 20, 2014 1:47 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

One week after the announcement that construction was beginning on the mixed-use project at 4435 35th SW, the lone building on the site is coming down. We recorded the short video clip of the backhoe at the former Bridge/Redline/Legends/Pizza Pete/etc. around noon; the south wall was still up when we went by again a short time ago. The six-story building was designed with 159 apartments, 151 parking spaces, ground-floor retail and a public “hillclimb” stairway on the south side, to connect it to the rest of The Triangle and, beyond, The Junction. The developer is Trinsic; the architect, GGLO; the contractor, Compass Construction.

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West Seattle Memorial Day 2014: Traditional service @ Forest Lawn

May 20, 2014 12:24 pm

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| Holidays | West Seattle news

Looking ahead to the upcoming holiday, we checked with Forest Lawn (6701 30th SW; WSB sponsor) to verify that they’ll again host the traditional Memorial Day ceremony/service with American Legion Post 160 and VFW Post 2718. They confirm that it’s set for 2 pm Monday (May 26th) as usual, everyone welcome. Never been? Here’s our coverage from last year.

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Congratulations! Local students honored with Alki Masonic Lodge’s 36th annual School Awards

May 20, 2014 11:11 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle schools

A ceremony last night at Alki Masonic Hall in The Junction honored the local students chosen for this year’s School Awards from Lodge #152, the 36th year the lodge has presented awards “in support of our public-school system.” Eight juniors from each of two schools were honored, four girls and four boys:

Above, the West Seattle High School honorees. Accompanied in our photo by principal Ruth Medsker, they are, in alphabetical order:

Megan Duong
Charli Elliott
Maxwell Eronimous
Holly Hinnant
Nathaniel Livingston
Isaac Peck
Edward Sander
Annalisa Ursino

And from Chief Sealth International High School, photographed with counselor Jol Raymond, the honorees are:

Olivia Boyd
Sophia Boyd
Mabel Hernandez Collazo
Kelsey Lawson
Aidan McMurray
Yael Pina
Simon Tweolde
Lincoln Vuong

The lodge also honored four selected students from the previous year’s honoree roster. From those four, Matthew Wo from CSIHS received a $1,000 scholarship:

The “2013 Top Boys and Girls” also included Sealth’s Eileen Lee and WSHS’s Megan Antalan and Michael Lee. Last night’s ceremony was emceed by Martin Monk of Lodge 152; he also is a member of the Education Council that coordinates the awards program, along with Gary Langenbach, John Bozeat, and Elmer Lindseth.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Salute to Veterans; high-school fair; Crime Prevention Council; Pathfinder playground; safer roads…

May 20, 2014 9:49 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Lise for sharing husband Brian‘s photo of an eagle and heron on Alki over the weekend. Lise says the eagle “promptly made a U-turn and attacked the heron. No animals were harmed, they flew off their separate ways. What a sight!” Now, some of the sights and sounds on the schedule for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

‘SALUTE TO VETERANS’ LUNCHEON: 11:45 am at the Senior Center of West Seattle, you’re invited to lunch, and to hear from Col. Kevin McMahan of the Washington National Guard. Lunch is free for veterans, suggested $3 donation for others, call ASAP to RSVP – info’s in our calendar listing. (California/Oregon)

‘PRINCESS ANGELINE’: 1 pm at the Duwamish Longhouse, free screening of the film about Chief Seattle‘s daughter; details in our calendar listing. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)

PATHFINDER PLAYGROUND PROJECT – YOUR PRESENCE COUNTS! The more the merrier at tonight’s 5:30-7 pm meeting about the ongoing Pathfinder K-8 playground project; be there not only to share your thoughts about design, but because participation is counted as volunteer hours matching part of the grant that’s involved. Easy and fun. Details in our calendar listing. (1901 SW Genesee)

HIGH-SCHOOL FAIR: Tonight’s the night that Westside School (WSB sponsor) hosts its first High School Fair, 6-8 pm, and all West Seattle families are welcome. Almost 20 schools are expected to participate; details in our calendar listing. (7740 34th SW)

HELP SHAPE SAFER WAYS TO GET TO SCHOOL: The SDOT School Road Safety Plan is in the works; your help shaping it is vital. 6-7:30 pm, join a workshop at Southwest Branch Library; details in our calendar listing. (35th/Henderson)

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: No featured guest tonight, so this meeting of the WSCPC is all about your chance to hear about crime trends and ask local police leadership about neighborhood concerns. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room. (Webster/Delridge)

SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: 7-10 pm at The Cask in The Admiral District, including “surprise guests.” (2350 California SW)

…AND MORE NIGHTLIFE: Jazz, blues, karaoke, guitar, trivia – you’ll also find listings for tonight for all of the above (and more) on our calendar!

Have a terrific Tuesday.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: $45K of meth found on repeat offender

May 20, 2014 8:55 am

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| Crime | West Seattle news

From SPD Blotter: A 35-year-old suspect pulled over in Highland Park last night for alleged speeding/reckless driving turned out to be in possession of a pound of methamphetamine, say police, worth about $45,000 on the street. The SPD Blotter report also notes that the suspect had 23 prior felony convictions, and a current arrest warrant. The arrest happened in the 7800 block of 16th SW (map). Here’s the report on SPD’s website; we’re checking for more on the suspect’s background.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday info and alerts

May 20, 2014 7:39 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS Bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:39 AM: No problems reported so far on the routes through/from West Seattle. Road-work reminder: Crews are expected to be working on both Charlestown (west of California) and Genesee (east of Avalon Way) today.

8:01 AM: From comments – bridge trouble, explained by D as: “Stalled truck on the bridge just before midspan.” (Not seeing it on the cameras, though.)

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Pickup down embankment in Gatewood, no one hurt

May 20, 2014 1:19 am

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| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Before being pulled up & out, the pickup was out of view, downslope & behind the trees)
1:19 AM: Bizarre hit-and-run crash in Gatewood; pickup truck down an embankment off the east (northbound) side of California by Fontanelle (map). A tree kept it from hitting a downslope house; its driver got out and ran. The pickup was not stolen, though, police told us at the scene. Pulling it up off the slope will be a bit of a challenge.

2:39 AM: Setting up to get the truck back up to California SW – and out, between a bus-stop sign and a power pole – took painstaking work, but the tow crew did it (with SFD Ladder 11 on site for a while, and then a Seattle City Light employee keeping watch to be sure the power pole made it through unscathed).

California was closed while this operation unfolded. What caused the pickup to veer off the road, we don’t know; the area had some signage left over from daytime utility work in the road, related to two newly built homes on the west side. A witness had told us the pickup hit a parked car before veering off the road, and we noticed it about a half-block uphill.

If you’ve only driven, never walked or bicycled, down that stretch, you likely don’t know just how steep the dropoff is, though height-wise, it’s only about two stories.

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