Video: Seattle Park District campaign, pro and con, previewed at Delridge Neighborhoods District Council
On the August 5th ballot, you’ll be asked to vote for or against creating the Seattle Park District to raise more money for city parks, as the most recent park levy – the approved-in-2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy – is expiring. We reported last month on the council vote placing the proposal on the ballot. This past Wednesday, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council got a preview of the campaign, hearing from three guests over the span of an hour and a half – City Councilmember Jean Godden, who chairs the council committee that deals with parks; Terry Holme, a longtime Parks Board member representing the pro-Park District group Seattle Parks for All; and Carol Fisher, representing the anti-Park District group Our Parks Forever. Except for a moment toward the end when we had to change cameras, the entirety of the statements, and ensuing Q/A, can be seen/heard in the two video clips above. So if you get some time this long weekend, listen in – it’s a big decision to make.
BACKGROUND INFO: This was the result of the Parks Legacy Plan process; the ordinance setting up the ballot measure creating the Park District is here; here’s how the first six years of money would be spent; here are even more details about the individual parts of that spending plan.
West Seattle Memorial Day 2014: Where to get your poppy
Tomorrow and Sunday, you can honor the meaning of Memorial Day by accepting a poppy from representatives of American Legion Post 160 and Auxiliary Unit 160, who will be distributing them at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). Post 160’s Kyle Geraghty explains:
The traditional poppy distributed Memorial Day weekend signifies “honor the dead and help the living.”
The poppy as the memorial flower for the American war dead is a tradition which began in the years following World War I. Veterans remembered the bright red, wild poppies which grew and bloomed on the battle fields and graves of those men buried in the sacred plots of French soil, which was Flanders’ Field. Soldiers of all nations came to look upon this flower as a living symbol of their dead comrades’ sacrifice and a sign of hope and renewal for those who lived to remember.
Today, the poppies distributed Memorial Day weekend are made by hospitalized veterans in V.A. hospitals or nursing homes and thousands are ready for a big distribution in May.
West Seattle American Legion Post 160 and the Unit 160 Auxiliary will be continuing the annual tradition of offering poppies this Memorial Day weekend. All money received during the distribution of these poppies is returned to the veterans through service programs of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary.
When you see someone offering a poppy, know that your donation helps veterans and wearing the poppy shows your support for those veterans.
Read more here.
Post 160 and Unit 160 plan to be at Thriftway 10 am-3 pm both days.
Never mind the grill: Outdoor bread, pizza baking Sunday at Barton Street Community Garden
Barbecue grills might be the official outdoor-cooking appliances of summer, but you can break the mold by joining in wood-fired baking with the Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch, which invites you to drop by sometime this Sunday:
The 2014 gardening season is underway! To mark the start of summer, the Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch will fire up its wood-fired masonry bread and pizza oven. Architect and designer/builder Chris Luthi, who led the project construction, will host. He’ll introduce the use of traditional community ovens as well as masonry oven cooking techniques. Neighbors are invited to join the event, which will feature baking bread and bagel in the morning and pizzas in the afternoon. Participants are encouraged to bring cheese, sauce and toppings for pizzas, and a limited amount of dough for bagels and pizzas will be provided. This informational and fundraising event is open to all.
WHO: Barton Street Community Garden and P-Patch
WHAT: Fire It Up! Bread and Pizza Oven Season Opener
WHERE: Barton St. Community Garden and P-Patch, SW Corner of SW Barton Street and 34th St. SW
WHEN: Sunday, May 25, 2014, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHAT TO BRING: Cheese, sauce, pizza toppings, drinks, chairs
Donations are warmly welcome!
This is the garden/P-patch’s third full growing year.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Helicopter again; stolen truck found; bike found; fence theft
Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon. First, if you noticed the Guardian One helicopter back over Highland Park/White Center again a bit earlier – it was helping deputies catch a suspected car thief. More on our partner site White Center Now.
Speaking of vehicle theft – Adam Werner from Clean Air Lawn Care (WSB sponsor) e-mailed this afternoon with good news about the stolen truck reported here a month ago:
I want to let everyone know that our stolen truck was recovered this morning off of 43rd and Aurora. The truck is in the same conditions as the night it was stolen (minus a tank of gas). We had a woman call us this morning who noticed that the truck had been parked there for several weeks. Thank you to everyone who has been on the lookout or has continually asked if we had found it. This is a great start to our Memorial Day weekend!!
Anyone missing a bicycle? Ciara says this has been outside her apartment complex for at least two days:
She’ll be reporting to police, who are expected to come pick it up, so if you recognize it, make sure you’ve filed a report, and then check with SPD.
Finally, Dawn has a message to whomever keeps stealing parts of her bamboo fence in Westwood:
To the Westwood thief. Please stop taking my fence. These are solid Tonkin cane bamboo that cost me an arm and a leg to build. You want some, go buy your own.
P.S. Next crime-prevention meeting in West Seattle – the WS Block Watch Captains’ Network meets Tuesday (May 27th) at 6:30 pm, with a guest speaker talking about auto theft and how to prevent it. All welcome, not just Block Watch members/captains.
West Seattle schools: Schmitz Park’s first Science Celebration
The first annual Science Celebration Night at Schmitz Park Elementary was not your average science fair. In fact, last night’s event wasn’t a science fair at all.
Christine Morrell, who shared photos today, explained that it was “organized in partnership with teacher representatives from each grade and the PTA … a combination of grade level exhibits and interactive experiences hosted by local organizations (including Museum of Flight, Issaquah Fish Hatchery, the Woodland Park Zoo Raptor Program, Chief Sealth International High School World Water Week, Islandwood/Homewaters, the Mountaineers, and more.)”
She added, “The goal is to show students how fun science can be, both in school and out in the real world … through interactive, hands-on experiences, kids can experience many applications for scientific discovery.” She says volunteers from the West Seattle High School science program helped too.
Happening tonight: Sanislo end-of-year party, and more!
A busy morning got in the way of our usual calendar-highlights roundup, so we invite you to just visit the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar directly to see what’s up. One spotlight event – what we believe to be the first “end-of-school-year party” in West Seattle, though school has a few weeks to go. From Sunshine, the announcement of the Sanislo Elementary PTA‘s End of the Year Party tonight:
Please join us as we get together to celebrate another successful year at Sanislo.
Where: Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden St
When: TONIGHT (Friday, May 23rd) 6 pm-9 pm
Adults only; beer and wine will be sold. 50/50 Raffle and a wine cellar raffle. Feel free to bring finger food to share, a bottle of wine ($10 or more) for the wine cellar raffle. Open to the public, cash only!
(The last day of the Seattle Public Schools year, by the way, is June 19th.)
Two sex offenders with new West Seattle addresses: New Southwest Precinct advisory
Two Level 3 sex offenders have moved to West Seattle, and Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Mark Solomon has sent an advisory to let you know about them:
In an effort to keep you informed, and in our constant attempts to reduce future victimization, we want to let you know about level 3 sex offenders that have moved into Southwest Precinct neighborhoods in recent weeks.
· Micheal Barron, a 25-year-old white male, is a level 3 sex offender who has recently moved to the 5600 Block of 21st Avenue SW. Mr. Barron is currently under Department of Corrections supervision. [Editor’s note: You can see his photo & other info here]
· Nikolai Greff, a 52-year-old white male, is a level 3 sex offender who has recently moved to the 2600 Block of 49th Avenue SW. Mr. Greff is no longer under Department of Corrections supervision. [Editor’s note: See his photo & other info here]
Detective Fields from the Seattle Police Department’s Sex Offender Detail is assigned to check on these offenders and verify their information. To learn more about these offenders, please visit the King County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender website and search by their names. You will also find personal safety tips and resources on this site.
If you have further questions about these offenders, contact Michelle McRae of the Seattle Police Sex Offender Detail at 206-684-5581 or e-mail at michelle.mcrae@seattle.gov.
To register to receive an email alert whenever a published offender registers within one mile of your desired addresses, go to (this) link.
Click ahead to read general safety information that Solomon has shared with similar advisories in the past:
Read More
Update: Driver cut from car hit south of The Junction
10:48 AM: Three people are hurt in a two-vehicle crash just south of The Junction, according to Seattle Fire. It’s in the 5000 block of California. More info when we get there.
10:56 AM: Emergency vehicles are blocking California at the crash scene parallel with the south end of the Rite-Aid lot.
11:05 AM: Police at the scene tell us a car coming out of the Rite-Aid lot was hit by another car headed south. The driver of the first car had to be cut out of it and is now in an ambulance. Police estimate it will be about half an hour before the scene is cleared and the road reopened.
12:35 PM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore says the driver cut out of the car in our photo, a woman in her 50s, was in stable condition when taken to Harborview Medical Center by private ambulance, and that “two teenage males” were in the car that hit hers; one was taken to Virginia Mason by private ambulance, another by private car, both with minor injuries.
West Seattle scene: Troop 284’s Memorial Day tradition
Thanks to Barbara Mote for sharing photos as her son and other Boy Scouts from Troop 284 (which celebrates its centennial next year!) carried out a pre-Memorial Day tradition at Forest Lawn (WSB sponsor), adding flags and crosses to the graves of those who served in the military.
Forest Lawn is where West Seattle’s traditional Memorial Day service is planned on Monday.
You’re invited to join local American Legion Post 160 and VFW Post 2713 at 2 pm Monday to remember and honor those who served; Forest Lawn is at 6701 30th SW.
Followup: Time, place set for community conversation with City Council’s land-use leader
With more than 3,200 new and planned residential units – plus single-family rebuilds and infill – development and land use have been hot topics in West Seattle, to say the least; not just specific projects, but also city policies. 
This past Wednesday night, we brought you first word of the Southwest and Delridge Neighborhood District Councils‘ plan for a June 4th community conversation about land use and development featuring City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who chairs the Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee. Today, the time and place have been announced: 6:30 pm June 4th, which is the regular monthly meeting time for the SWDC, but not the usual place – this will be in a larger space, American Legion Post 160‘s hall at 3618 SW Alaska in The Triangle, so there’s room for anyone and everyone interested. No RSVP needed – just be there.
Update: Fire call in 9000 block of 20th SW, but no fire
2:49 AM: Big Seattle Fire response on the way to a call in the 9000 block of 20th SW. Updates to come.
2:53 AM: First units on scene aren’t finding any sign of smoke or fire, so most of the units are being canceled.
3:12 AM: Our crew has verified at the scene, no fire. Residents say they smelled smoke and thought they saw some, but nothing turned up.
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