West Seattle, Washington

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month : 07/2014 310 results

West Seattle 4th of July: Denny stories on the radio
July 4, 2014 9:40 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle 4th of July: Denny stories on the radio
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

In honor of the USA’s birthday, KBCS Radio is spotlighting stories narrated and produced by students from West Seattle’s Denny International Middle School. Not just via interviews – the students also worked on production of the stories, in conjunction with teaching artists from the Jack Straw Cultural Center:

Denny International Middle School students and staff come from diverse backgrounds and represent many nations. This spring, 8th grade Washington state history students at Denny interviewed staff and students, capturing their immigration stories. The students worked with Jack Straw teaching artists at their school and in the Jack Straw studios to create Immigration Portraits: Voices from Denny, a series of radio pieces documenting the immigration experiences of Denny students and staff.

The broadcast schedule on KBCS (91.3 FM on-air, kbcs.fm online) is one story a day starting today, at 7:30 am and 6:50 pm; the audio stories are also already published online, here.

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Happy Independence Day! West Seattle 4th of July info reminder
July 4, 2014 8:17 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(Photo by Mark Wangerin)
From transit changes, to info on the 10 am West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, the noon Southwest Seattle Historical Society picnic, and other events today, plus fireworks info and who’s open/closed, find it all here.

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1 week to West Seattle Summer Fest 2014; first, the night before!
July 4, 2014 12:53 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news


We’re counting down to West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 – presented by the WS Junction Association Friday-Sunday, July 11-13 – exactly one week away. This time, a quick infobit – the fun unofficially starts on what we like to call West Seattle Summer Fest Eve, when the streets close in the heart of The Junction on Thursday night, July 10th. The shutdown is technically for setup, but for years now, it’s also facilitated a whole lot of fun right in the heart of California SW – it’s the July West Seattle Art Walk (6-9 pm – previews next week), for one thing, and participants usually turn it up for this one. Then there’s the annual appearance of Bubbleman, out in the street in all his glory, courtesy of Elliott Bay Brewery. And somebody usually has live music in the street – usually more than one somebody. So plan to come down to The Junction not just for Summer Fest July 11-13 (co-sponsored by WSB), but also for Summer Fest Eve and Art Walk next Thursday.

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West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade: Final reminder – hours away!
July 3, 2014 8:20 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade: Final reminder – hours away!
 |   Fun stuff to do | Holidays | West Seattle news

One more quick reminder … we’re hours away from the 20th annual West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, 10 am tomorrow from 44th/Sunset as always, proceeding to Hamilton Viewpoint Park for post-parade games – that’s all free, but bring some $ for the concessions sold by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. If you’ve never seen/been in this parade before, it’s casual and fun (here’s our video from last year) … just hundreds of people young and not-as-young walking through North Admiral streets – red/white/blue decorations are encouraged but not mandatory – after a bit of ceremony (including 6th-grader Leilani Nitkey singing the national anthem) at the beginning. No floats. Usually a pace pickup and banner. A couple notes tonight from co-coordinator Jackie Clough – if you are driving to the parade, please don’t park along the route (the streets to the west and south, basically, but especially not on Atlantic, both sides of California) and remember there’s no parking at Hamilton Viewpoint for the duration of the event. Also – there’s some road work on Palm, the last bit of the way to the park after the parade crosses California (police stop traffic for the crossing), so that means one slight change for the last half-block or so into the park. See you in the morning!

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Remember the Fauntleroy Expressway earthquake-strengthening project? Hundreds of parts to be replaced because of design flaw
July 3, 2014 4:41 pm
|      35 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

(January 2012 photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Remember the work done to toughen up the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the high bridge in 2011-2012, to make it more earthquake-resistant?

We’ve just learned that much of it has to be re-done because of parts that weren’t as strong as they should have been.

This is revealed in the slide deck that accompanies an item on next Tuesday’s City Council Transportation Committee agenda (thanks to the texter who pointed it out before we’d gotten a chance to read the agenda, which was just published this afternoon).

We’re still working to find out more – a challenge with government shutting down for a 3-day holiday weekend – but here’s what we know so far:

The problem, according to the slide deck, is with the bearing pads – cushions inserted between the bridge deck and supporting pieces such as columns – which should have been designed to be “stiffer.” This city webpage reminds us that more than 600 of those pads were replaced during the $2.7 million project. We took a closer look at the work in January 2012; much of it happened during overnight closures of the southwest end of the bridge.

One slide indicates this potential problem was noticed at final inspection of the work two years ago. Since then, it says, they’ve been working to develop a new pad design and putting together other logistics. That slide also mentions “Additional funding through existing Bridge Rehab Program; balance approx. $2.6M, pending design & additional scope.”

Preparation for replacement is scheduled for later this year; then the new bearing pads will be ordered and installation will begin next spring, with, “overnight & limited weekend structure closures.”

Again, we’re asking around right now to see if we can find out anything more before the holiday weekend. The Transportation Committee meeting with this item on the agenda is at 9:30 am next Tuesday (July 8th).

ADDED 6:07 PM: Our inquiry to SDOT was answered by manager Bill LaBorde. In a phone conversation, he confirmed that all 670+ of the bearing pads will be replaced, and that the $2.6 million cost is in addition to the original project cost.

One key clarification: He says that some of that cost – he didn’t have the breakdown handy, so we’ll expect it next week – is discretionary: The replacement bearing pads are being designed to an even-stronger (and costlier) industry standard that has come out since this project. Since they were redesigning and remaking them anyway, he says, they decided to go with the upgrade, which will extend the bridge’s life. Another part of the added $2.6 million will cover some “repair work” that needs to be done, separate from the bearing-pad replacement.

As for the original design flaw, he says that the design consultant was to blame, not city specifications – we asked, so if they had designed the bearing pads to what the city specified, no replacement would be needed? Yes, replied LaBorde.

Last but not least, we asked if this had been mentioned publicly since its identification as “an issue” in July 2012. LaBorde says it had been mentioned in SDOT directors’ reports at some previous Transportation Committee meetings. (We still have a message out to committee chair Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, and that’s one of our questions for him.)

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Here are the U.S. Navy ships that’ll parade past West Seattle during Seafair Fleet Week
July 3, 2014 3:17 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(2011 US Navy photo of USS Essex)
The Blue Angels aren’t all that the U.S. Navy is sending back to Seafair this summer, after a year away because of federal budget travails. The Seafair Fleet Parade of Ships is back too – with the ships planning to sail past West Seattle shores on their way around Elliott Bay starting around 10 am July 30th. We just received the announcement of which ships will participate – the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), and guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83). All three are homeported in San Diego; they’ll also be open for public tours July 31-August 3. The Parade of Ships will include U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian participation, too – more as it gets closer.

P.S. Last amphibious-assault ship to participate in the Seafair Parade of Ships was the USS Bonhomme Richard in 2011 – here’s our coverage from that year.

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2 reports from Metro: Strategic Plan progress; RapidRide customer survey
July 3, 2014 2:29 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Metro Transit has gone public with its annual Strategic Plan Progress Report, which its announcement says “provides data on 61 performance measures” and “includes opinions expressed by riders and non-riders, drawn from a survey of 2,500 King County residents. It also looks at how we stack up with peer transit agencies across the country.” This is in advance of upcoming assessments including an audit and “independent peer review.” Another recent report that might be of interest is the compiled customer-survey results on RapidRide, including the C Line. First: Toplines from the “progress report” announcement today by Metro general manager Kevin Desmond:

*Ridership continues to grow: We delivered 118.6 million passenger trips in 2013—a near record. An all-time-high 45% of King County households now have at least one Metro rider.

*85% of riders say they’re very or somewhat satisfied with Metro service. 90% of our riders say Metro is an agency they trust.

*Metro gets people to jobs: Almost all (97%) of Metro’s regular bus trips serve the region’s job and growth centers.

*Our buses were on time nearly 78% of the time. We continually monitor on-time performance so we can make adjustments to keep buses on schedule.

*Metro has significantly improved safety and security over the past 10 years and is holding on to those gains. Preventable accidents have steadily declined since 2011, and we’ve enhanced emergency response.

*Metro’s cost per hour grew 2.7% — above the inflation rate — but cost per passenger mile decreased by 3.1% as the job market improved and Metro buses carried more commuters.

*Fares covered 29.1% of Metro’s operating costs. Our farebox recovery rate increased by 8.8 percentage points in the past 10 years — more than most of our national peers.

*Energy use per bus boarding decreased 4.6% last year.

Read the full report here.

Next, the RapidRide customer-survey report. It was mentioned in passing in a Metro announcement last week but we didn’t happen onto the report link until today. Here it is. Skimming through, two points of note: From page 17, “Satisfaction with personal safety on RapidRide C Line remains significantly lower than it was on the routes it replaced.” And on page 22: “Dissatisfaction with the availability of seats on the RapidRide C Line is the primary factor driving lower overall scores” in the area of “satisfaction with things about the bus.” The surveys were taken on board RapidRide buses in April, according to the report, which also – after page 39 – looks at the D Line.

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Congratulations! West Seattle Rotary awards for John Fretz, Aya Hoffman, Jack Miller, Dave Vague
July 3, 2014 11:17 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

(Husky Deli proprietor Jack Miller with, at right, Teri Templin of the Rotary Foundation)
Congratulations to four people recently honored by the Rotary Club of West Seattle. Club spokesperson George Brinkmann shares the info and photos:

Jack Miller, the proprietor of the Husky Deli, was recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow award as an outstanding local businessman. He has long supported local Rotary project fundraisers. The Husky Deli opened for business in 1932. Jack is the third generation to operate the family-owned business, which features ice cream, catering, lunch, and groceries.

(L to R, Dave Vague and John Fretz)
Dave Vague and John Fretz also received Paul Harris Fellow recognition. For many years, Vague has volunteered as a coordinator of the West Seattle Grand Parade, to be held on July 19th this year. Fretz is an employee of Salty’s on Alki who has ably served Rotary luncheon meetings for more than 5 years.

The Paul Harris Fellow award, named after the founder of Rotary, was established in 1957 to recognize individuals for whom contributions have been made to the Rotary Foundation in support of its charitable projects around the world, including the eradication of Polio. The Rotary Club of West Seattle made contributions to honor these three individuals.

(Aya Hoffman with RC of WS past president Len Burton-Hardin)
Aya Hoffman, President of the West Seattle-Burien Rotaract Club, received the Service Above Self Award, given annually to that person believed to best exemplify Rotary’s motto: ‘Service Above Self.’ Aya has volunteered her time and talent to serve as President of the West Seattle-Burien Rotaract Club for young adults ages 18 to 32 since its inception in 2012. She is the Communications and Events Manager at the Alexander Hamilton Friends Association in Seattle.

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Update: 2nd small power outage this week west of The Junction
July 3, 2014 10:17 am
|    Comments Off on Update: 2nd small power outage this week west of The Junction
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Charissa e-mailed with word of a power outage in the 48th/Edmunds area that she says started when a “transformer blew” around 9:30 am. The City Light site says 11 households are affected and they’re hoping to have the power back within a few hours. It’s notable because this is at least the second time this week that area’s had a small (double-digit or fewer customers) outage. The cause is listed, however, as still officially being “investigated.”

10:44 AM: Charissa says the power’s back on: “It was a crow pecking at a live wire attached to the transformer. Seattle City Light guy said happens all the time. they electrocute themselves. very sad. City Light puts a piece of plastic down to help prevent it from happening again.” So often, that’s what the small outages turn out to be.

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Seal-pup season on local beaches: What to do if you see one
July 3, 2014 10:13 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

That little harbor seal photographed by Adem at the Fauntleroy ferry dock last weekend wasn’t technically a pup, Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network explains, but rather a yearling. However, the season of seal births IS now under way, and if you see a little seal on a local beach, it’s most likely a nursing pup and it’s critical that you keep your distance so its mom won’t be scared away when she comes back for it. It’s also important to call Seal Sitters – 206-905-7325 (SEAL) – so they can help.

Earlier this week, rescuers had to intervene after a nursing pup got stuck in the rocks by Duwamish Head; the story is on their Blubberblog website. That pup, nicknamed Junebug, was the third spotted on West Seattle shores already this season, which Robin says is the earliest on record.

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West Seattle Thursday: Five notes for today/tonight
July 3, 2014 9:22 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Downy woodpecker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WADING POOLS *WILL* BE OPEN: Since it’s cloudy this morning, we called the city hotline to check. Hiawatha will be open noon-6:45 pm, EC Hughes noon-7 pm, and Lincoln Park (as well as Highland Park Spraypark) 11 am-8 pm. Addresses and full schedules are here.

HEALTH AND HARVEST AT THE COMMUNITY ORCHARD: Have the day off? This is your chance to check out the Community Orchard of West Seattle‘s weekly Health and Harvest tour/work party/Q-A session, 5-7 pm Thursdays on the northeast side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Read about it on the COWS website. (6000 16th SW)

NATURE EXPLORATION: 3:30 pm Thursdays, explore nature at Camp Long with naturalist Stewart Wechsler – details on his Stewardship Adventures in Nature website. (5200 35th SW)

LIGHTS ON AT SYNTHETIC-TURF FIELDS: Just so you’re not wondering why the lights are on tonight at Delridge, Walt Hundley, and Hiawatha Playfields – it’s part of Seattle Parks‘ plan to discourage fireworks use, which is illegal, dangerous, and costly. Here’s our previous note about it.

JACKIE POCK @ SALTY’S: 5:30-8:30 pm, live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), tonight featuring the acoustic music of Jackie Pock. No cover/minimum. (1936 Harbor SW)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Quiet pre-holiday Thursday
July 3, 2014 7:32 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Quiet pre-holiday Thursday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Four- or five-day weekend for many, with the 4th of July tomorrow, so the morning commute is reported to be quiet.

Reminder – holiday transit changes for Friday are listed on the WSB 4th of July page.

TRANSPORTATION NEWS: A few headlines from Wednesday, if you didn’t catch them first time around:
–Mayor announces SDOT director choice
–More repaving in Morgan Junction
–SDOT’s new plan for Admiral Way hill
–What went wrong with the low bridge Tuesday night

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 more phone robberies in local parks
July 3, 2014 1:31 am
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two strong-arm robberies this week in West Seattle both ended with the victims reported being assaulted and being robbed of their smartphones. Both happened in local parks; we obtained police reports for both:

HAMILTON VIEWPOINT PARK, MONDAY NIGHT: Police were called to the park in North Admiral at 10 pm Monday night. The two victims told police they were in the grassy area of the park, kicking around a soccer ball, when three people approached them and asked if they could play too. They did, for about 10 minutes, and the victims decided to sit down to rest. At that point, the report says, one of the other three yelled “You’re getting robbed!” and all three attacked the first two, punching and kicking them, and then stealing personal belongings that had been on the ground nearby. As they got away, the three attacker/robbers dropped everything but one victim’s iPhone. The report says they left in what looked like a blue late ’90s or early ’00s blue BMW. The three were described as males – one white, 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, medium-length blonde hair, baggy clothing; another dark-skinned, “possibly East African,” 5’11”, 150 pounds, with a flat-top haircut; the other black with a medium complexion, 6’3″, 230 pounds, short shaved hair. Seattle Fire was called to check out the victims’ injuries; one was described as having a swelling on his jaw “the size of a golf ball.” Police did not find the robbers.

ROXHILL PARK, TUESDAY NIGHT: This call came in to police at about 10:41 pm Tuesday. The victim said he was jumped while walking southbound on the north-south trail in Roxhill Park, just south of the bus stop in the 2700 block of SW Barton. Both robbers hit and kicked him before taking two smartphones from him, an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy. He told police he recognized the two because they had been riding the bus with him from downtown all the way to Westwood, and that he had seen them often on Route 120 and on RapidRide Line C. Police did not find these robbers either; the victim described them as black, about 16 years old, both wearing black T-shirts and sweatpants (one orange, one black).

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2 notes from tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting
July 2, 2014 9:49 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

As Southwest District Council co-chair Sharonn Meeks said toward the start of tonight’s SWDC meeting, its agenda didn’t have one central guest or topic because “we just need to talk.” Rather than rattle off a mega-list of bullet points from the ensuing talk, we’ll be following up on a few things for separate stories, and making note right now of two things:

LAND USE SUBCOMMITTEE: Other neighborhoods have land-use committees that often look at projects of note outside official government processes such as design reviews, and SWDC announced a few months back that it intended to get one going as a subcommittee. The first meeting is finally set – 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 27th. Location TBD, agenda TBD, but if you’re interested in West Seattle development and land use and want to be part of a citizen-led group looking at it, set the date aside.

PARK DISTRICT BALLOT-MEASURE FORUM: Admiral Neighborhood Association president David Whiting announced that ANA’s meeting next Tuesday will include guests from both sides of the August 5th ballot measure proposing creation of a Seattle Park District with permanent taxing authority, instead of sending levies/bond measures to voters every several years to raise extra money for parks. The ANA meeting is at 7 pm Tuesday (July 8th) at The Sanctuary at Admiral, 42nd/Lander. (The Delridge District Council had a forum on the proposal in May; we recorded video.)

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Morgan Junction Park expansion: City closes the deal
July 2, 2014 7:38 pm
|      33 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB file photo)
ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY NIGHT REPORT: Seattle Parks has notified the Morgan Community Association that it’s closed the purchase of the Morgan Junction Park expansion site at 6311 California SW. The plan has been in the works for almost two years – we first reported the sale negotiations in September 2012. The site just north of the current park includes the building housing a minimart and dry cleaner to the north, and some undeveloped land to the west. We don’t have word on the final purchase price yet; the site had originally been listed as a potential development site for $2 million. There is no money budgeted yet for developing the site, which will officially be “landbanked” for starters, but it’s one of the projects for which money is earmarked in the Park District proposal on next month’s ballot (a preliminary version was noted here last October). According to what the city has told MoCA, the timetable for demolition of the building is not set yet, so the businesses will be there a while longer; the site needs some cleanup too because of its past.

THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Parks says the purchase price was $1,887,000. The site is a little more than a quarter of an acre.

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West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 countdown: Pop-up library!
July 2, 2014 4:11 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

Just 9 days to go until the year’s biggest party, West Seattle Summer Fest (co-sponsored by WSB) – July 11th, 12th, 13th, closing the streets to vehicles and opening them to fun in the heart of The Junction. Today – news from the West Seattle Junction Association, which presents WSSF, that the first day of Summer Fest will feature the festival’s first-ever “pop-up library”:

West Seattle Summer Fest will host Open Air in Junction Plaza Park on Friday, July 11 from 10 am to 6 pm. The Seattle Public Library will bring a pop-up library outdoors (a kind of outdoor reading room, complete with book
tower and benches) where guests can check out books and DVDs from our mobile collection, take a break with a magazine, and chat with librarians (among other things). You can visit their landing page for a bit more information.

In addition to the above, Open Air provides hotspots with free wi-fi access and charging stations for visitors. On site librarians are particularly interested in signing up visitors for library cards and showing them the range of ebooks, downloads, and databases offered by the library.

You can browse more advance info on Summer Fest – including the music schedule and vendor list/map – by going to the official website.

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Followup: What went wrong with the low bridge last night
July 2, 2014 2:46 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

Toward the end of the peak pm commute on Tuesday evening, the “low bridge” malfunctioned, second time in two weeks. We asked SDOT today what happened. From spokesperson Marybeth Turner:

When the bridge operator was opening the bridge to allow a vessel to pass through at 6:20 p.m., the gate on the west side that stops vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians experienced a mechanical failure. A shear pin in the internal linkage had broken.

The bridge control system is designed to always fail in a safe mode, which prevented the operator from opening the bridge. The vessels, bicycles, pedestrian and vehicles were delayed until the operator was able to make the repairs himself. The delay was approximately 67 minutes.

On June 18th we had another control system safety shut down related to the sensors that monitor the location of the bridge. This caused a 2 ½ hour delay that likely affected many of the same commuters.

We continue to look for ways to engineer more reliable systems associated with bridge openings. A delay of this length, although rare, has severe impacts on the traveling public. Detour routes for bicycles and pedestrians are not convenient.
The Spokane Street Bridge opens over 1,500 times per year with very few incidents that delay traffic due to malfunction of the bridge.

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West Seattle road work: More Morgan Junction-area repaving next week
July 2, 2014 2:18 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle road work: More Morgan Junction-area repaving next week
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Last weekend, SDOT repaved the intersection of California/Fauntleroy. Next week, they’ll extend the new pavement a block south, according to this announcement just in:

Once Fourth of July festivities are over, Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will move in to California Avenue Southwest to pave the block south of the Morgan Junction.

Providing the good weather holds, the crews will grind and pave California from Fauntleroy Way Southwest to Southwest Holly Street, starting at 7 a.m. on July 8 and July 9, and ending at 7 p.m. each day.

One lane of traffic will remain open in each direction with Police Officers and traffic flaggers assisting drivers through the work area. Crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open. On-street parking will be restricted.

As noted in our update on last weekend’s work, SDOT already has repaved stretches of California to the north and south.

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Mayor’s choice for SDOT director: Scott Kubly, formerly of Chicago and D.C.
July 2, 2014 12:46 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Photo from seattle.gov)
The mayor has announced his choice for Seattle Department of Transportation director: Scott Kubly, former deputycommissioner of the City of Chicago Department of Transportation and former associate director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation. In the news release (read it here in its entirety), Mayor Murray calls Kubly “a transportation visionary” with “a proven track record” who has “worked on bike issues, car share programs, traffic management and pedestrian safety strategies, rapid transit and street cars; he’s done long-range budgeting, strategic planning, cost reduction, major capital project development, and performance measurement and accountability.” Kubly is quoted as saying:

Seattle is growing incredibly fast … To accommodate that growth and preserve the city’s great quality of life, we need a transportation system that doesn’t just get the basics right like freight mobility and safety,, but that also invests in new, high quality transit, bikeshare, new bike lanes for Seattleites from 8 to 80 to ride in, and improving the pedestrian experience throughout the city. It also means creating an environment in which the private sector can provide transportation services that complement the public transportation network. This means creating an environment that allows transportation network companies and taxis to thrive, carsharing to expand, or for new types of transportation services to evolve. The fact is, people aren’t tied to individual transportation modes, they’re tied to outcomes – and we must continue bringing forward options that will deliver the positive outcomes they need and expect.

West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the Transportation Committee, is quoted as saying:

Seattle needs a transportation director who recognizes the importance of a balanced transportation system and can help guide our city’s transition from auto-dependence. … Mr. Kubly’s experience in Chicago and Washington, D.C. shows a commitment to accomplishing just that. I look forward to our discussions with Mr. Kubly over the next several weeks. I also encourage the public to participate in the confirmation process.

Pending Council confirmation, Kubly is slated to start on July 28th, making $180,000 a year. He follows acting director Goran Sparrman and previous director Peter Hahn, who was announced last November as not staying on once former Mayor McGinn departed. Hahn had succeeded Grace Crunican, who resigned at the end of 2009.

SIDE NOTE: A search shows that the most-recent program for which Kubly made news in Chicago was overseeing its speed-camera program. … A few months later, here’s what one Chicago website wrote when Kubly announced his departure.

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West Seattle food: Shoofly Pie Company to close in The Junction
July 2, 2014 11:56 am
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
Shoofly Pie Company in The Junction has announced its shop will close next month. Here’s what proprietor Kimmy Tomlinson posted this morning on Facebook:

Friends of Shoofly – After 7 wonderful years bringing pie to wonderful West Seattle, Zak and I have decided to pursue other life interests (I dunno, maybe write a cookbook?! ;)). Our last day at our retail store will be Sunday, August 17th. It is bittersweet, but we are also looking forward to the next chapter of our lives.

Thank you so much for supporting us from the beginning when most people were asking the question, “you’re going to open a bakery that only sells pie??!?” We hope you’ve enjoyed our handmade pies as much as we’ve enjoyed making them for you. Thank you to all the brides and grooms who have given us the honor of making your wedding pies. Most of all, thank you to our amazing staff who have always gone above and beyond throughout the years. We’ll miss you.

Please stop by at street fair and over the next weeks to enjoy some pie and help us say goodbye. And remember, Pie Fixes Everything!

Shoofly is at 4444 California SW, where it opened in July 2007 (and notes, also on FB, that it’ll be open 10 am-4 pm on the 4th of July).

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Quick calendar note: Southwest District Council meets tonight
July 2, 2014 10:30 am
|    Comments Off on Quick calendar note: Southwest District Council meets tonight
 |   Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

One calendar highlight for tonight – the Southwest District Council IS having a July meeting. The agenda includes a summary of the two recent city “conversation” meetings – Councilmember Mike O’Brien on June 4th (WSB report here) and “West Seattle: Let’s Talk” last Saturday (WSB report here) and a report on the district’s proposed Neighborhood Park and Street Fund projects, as well as an update on progress toward creation of a West Seattle Land Use Committee. All are welcome – 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (upstairs at Oregon/California). To see what else is on the calendar today, go here.

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Admiral Way bike-lane widening: City finally unveils new plan
July 2, 2014 9:04 am
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

It’s been almost ten months since SDOT announced it was shelving and redesigning a plan to widen the bike lane and buffer on the Admiral Way hill north of the West Seattle Bridge – here’s the last thing we published, back in September. The city said residents had voiced concerns about loss of parking spaces and time restrictions on what remained. At the time, they said a new version would be out “early” this year. It’s just arrived today:

As you know, SDOT has been studying how to make the uphill bicycle lane on SW Admiral Way safer and more inviting by widening the bike lane and buffer from SW City View Street to 80 feet south of 3508 SW Admiral Way. We originally proposed to restrict on-street parking on the east side of SW Admiral Way within this section to allow for the improvement. After receiving concerns about the impacts, we delayed implementation of the project to work on an alternative that would preserve some on-street parking.

The attached revised design preserves on-street parking in front of the residences, while restricting parking in the green belt area. Time restrictions will not be installed. The work is expected to be completed this summer.

Here’s a closer look at each of the color-coded configurations:

See all of the above in one PDF with the configurations next to the map here. And if you want to compare it to what SDOT originally proposed in May 2013, you can see that map here.

P.S. Speaking of SDOT, Mayor Murray is set to announce at 11 am today who he’s chosen to be the department’s next director.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday notes
July 2, 2014 8:21 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
We’re off to a late start this morning but it’s been quiet – perhaps the pre-holiday slowdown already. No road work this weekend, WSDOT reminds us; holiday transit changes for Friday are listed on the WSB 4th of July page.

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