day : 19/08/2014 7 results

Video: Who’s in the water? iPhone ‘microscope’ shows you Puget Sound creatures you’d never see otherwise

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

From the ever-creative “Diver Laura” James … a new idea for looking at who and what are in Puget Sound. She says it’s simple as pie to turn an iPhone into a microscope that’ll show you plankton and other micro-organisms in Puget Sound.

And there’s a reason she hopes you’ll look at the videos she’s creating with this rig, even if you don’t try to replicate it yourself:

My goal with these videos is to help show that every drop of our precious Puget Sound is alive, and when we pollute it, the stormwater is not going into just water, but flowing into and poisoning the homes of the foundation of our food web, and a nursery for so many baby critters that it boggles the mind.

See more of the plankton here:

And check out Laura’s YouTube playlist. She says she’s working on a “key” to help plankton viewers know exactly what they’re seeing, too.

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See expanded Fairmount Park Elementary, getting ready to (re)open

August 19, 2014 4:31 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(WSB photo, taken this morning)
Even if you haven’t turned off Fauntleroy Way to see the newly expanded Fairmount Park Elementary School on Findlay, new flashing beacons on Fauntleroy like the one in our top photo are a reminder that the area is about to have a school again. Fairmount Park will officially open two weeks from tomorrow, seven years after its closure. For a sneak peek at the expanded and remodeled school, Joe Wolf shares this Flickr album, including the main entrance along SW Findlay:

The central courtyard:

The auditorium entrance:

A classroom in the new addition:

Also in the addition, a second-floor corridor:

Again, you can see many more photos in Joe’s full album, here. According to the back-to-school letter from principal Julie Breidenbach, the school is starting with at least 340 students.

In addition to the addition of classrooms to bring Fairmount Park Elementary’s capacity up to 500, there also is a new pathway from the school’s north side, along the south side of Fairmount Playfield, to reach the sidewalks on Fauntleroy Way, where there will be a school-bus-loading zone – part of the reason the trees west of the playfield were removed in the past few weeks (as reported here August 1st).

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‘Frozen’ finale for West Seattle Outdoor Movies this Saturday night: Bring diapers!

August 19, 2014 2:45 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

The sixth and final West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of 2014 is a biggie – last year’s Disney hit “Frozen,” on the big screen in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) this Saturday night, free. Come early – while 6:30 pm is the official “gates open” time, there’s really no way to lock down the courtyard, so when it’s a hot movie, stakeouts might start sooner. Preshow entertainment will be courtesy of Seattle Balloon Arts – and there’s a free community barbecue too, courtesy of West Seattle Christian, a longtime supporter of the movie series (as are we). The movie starts at dusk, which is probably going to be around 8:30 pm this time around.

Along with bringing your own chair/blanket, bring diapers! Every week there’s an official community nonprofit beneficiary for concessions and raffle tickets, and this week it’s WestSide Baby, whose main mission is to “cover little bottoms” all over the region. Movie mastermind Lora Swift tells us that every packet of diapers you bring will get you three raffle tickets. See you Saturday – 4410 California SW, next to the post office on the north end of The Junction.

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47th/Admiral signal: Design’s done; construction set for this fall

August 19, 2014 12:21 pm

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| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

SDOT has announced that design is done and construction will start this fall – possibly as soon as October – on the long-sought signal at 47th SW and Admiral Way, and that it will be accompanied by four striped crosswalks, as seen in the new design graphic above. This fall will mark three years since the Admiral Neighborhood Association ramped up its campaign for the signal with a rally in memory of 26-year-old Tatsuo Nakata, killed at the intersection in fall 2006. It took a lot of pushing to get funding committed – in early 2012, SDOT was still saying 47th/Admiral wasn’t high on the list. Then last year, the City Council made changes in then-Mayor McGinn’s spending plan in order to find full funding for the signal.

Here are key parts of the finalized plan, according to SDOT:

*Installing a new traffic signal
*Adding four additional striped crosswalks
*Upgrading six curb ramps at key corners of the intersection to be compliant with current American Disability Act (ADA) standards
*Replacing the existing center-turn lane with left-turn-only pockets on SW Admiral Way
*Removing minimal parking up to 50 feet from the intersection approaches on the north and south sides of 47th Avenue SW and SW Waite Street
*Removing the existing pedestrian signal

According to SDOT’s Maribel Cruz, “We anticipate construction will begin late this fall and will last for approximately three months, depending on weather conditions. The project team plans to host a community drop-in session at a nearby café in October, prior to the start of construction, and will continue to keep the community informed as the project progresses.” More information is online at this newly updated project page.

P.S. We should note that this intersection will be a lot busier soon, with Aegis Living planning to build a new retirement center on the 4700 SW Admiral Way site of the former Life Care Center, proposed to include 48 assisted-living apartments and 33 memory-care apartments..

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West Seattle Tuesday: Kurdistan benefit at Pegasus; City of Hope benefit at Salty’s; camp-fundraiser movie at Schmitz Park; more …

August 19, 2014 10:12 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: Kurdistan benefit at Pegasus; City of Hope benefit at Salty’s; camp-fundraiser movie at Schmitz Park; more …

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Steller’s Jay silhouetted against the early-morning sun outside WSB HQ this morning)
Do a good deed while having a good time! Three of our calendar highlights for today/tonight fit that description and are on the list:

PEGASUS BENEFIT FOR KURDISTAN RELIEF: 4-9 pm at Pegasus Pizza on Alki, specials and raffle tickets benefit relief for children and families in Kurdistan – details in our calendar listing. (2770 Alki SW)

LAST CALL FOR FAMILY-FRIENDLY TENNIS LESSONS: 6 pm tonight, it’s the final session for USTA Family-Friendly Tennis at Solstice Park – you’re welcome even if you haven’t been to any previous sessions, and regardless of your skill level; details in our calendar listing. (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW)

SALTY’S BENEFIT FOR CITY OF HOPE: Tonight’s Tuesday Tuneup at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 6:30-8:30 pm, emceed and entertained by pianist Victor Janusz, is a fundraiser for City of Hope – no cover charge, donations accepted. (1936 Harbor SW)

SCHMITZ PARK ELEMENTARY OUTDOOR MOVIE: Rescheduled from last week (the weather’s much better now!), “Rio 2” outdoors at Schmitz Park Elementary, raising money for the 4th-grade Islandwood trip. “Doors open” at 6:30, movie around 8:15 pm, more in our calendar listing and on the SPE PTA website. (5000 SW Spokane)

BOBBY BARE JR., LIVE: Live in-store at Easy Street Records in The Junction tonight at 7 pm, it’s Bobby Bare Jr. – details on the ESR website. Free. (California/Alaska)

BELLY DANCING: Time for the monthly Alauda freeform-bellydancing showcase at Skylark Café and Club (no cover charge), 7:30 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

BRIAN LEE & THE ORBITERS @ THE FEEDBACK: The weekly “Blues To Do” show features Brian Lee and The Orbiters tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm. (6451 California SW)

MORE! … just go check out our calendar.

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Need a backpack for school? West Seattle giveaway tomorrow

August 19, 2014 9:21 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news

With two weeks to go until school, it’s time for families to get supplies lined up for the new school year. The cost can add up, and some families need help. Next chance to get it – Westwood Christian Community shares the news that they’re having a “Kids’ Block Party” and backpack giveaway tomorrow (Wednesday, August 20th), at 6:30 pm. Food and games too; all welcome. WCC is at 9252 16th SW.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday notes, & lots of local road work

August 19, 2014 6:16 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)
Good morning! Time to watch traffic, just in case, and to share alerts and transportation news:

ROXBURY PAVING TODAY: The city will be finishing the work between 25th and 27th SW.

ARBOR HEIGHTS MICROSURFACING CONTINUES: The long-anticipated work is under way, as announced by SDOT on Monday. Kevin McClintic shares this view of one road post-treatment:

He says the street was kept closed for about four hours after application, and has some advice: “Keep your animals inside until the sealant dries, lest they get the stuff on their paws and they lick themselves crazy.”

NIGHTTIME LANE CLOSURES ON HIGHWAY 99: Announced on Monday, for the nights leading up to the big closure this weekend (and partly beyond). Speaking of which

HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE STARTS FRIDAY NIGHT: The stretch from the West Seattle Bridge to the Battery Street Tunnel will be closed both ways all weekend; from the tunnel to Valley Street, it will be closed late Friday night-early Wednesday morning. See maps/times here.

PAINTING CREWS ON THE WAY: SDOT expects its road-painting crews to start work out our way by week’s end.

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