West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
(8:41 AM NOTE: SDOT cams have been stuck for an hour-plus. So we have added WSDOT Highway 99 cams below)
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Just so we’re all clear – While Highway 99 has reopened between the West Seattle Bridge and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel, it’s still closed for two more days from the tunnel north to Valley Street, while WSDOT rebuilds a bridge. So anyone still on The Viaduct this morning northbound past Seneca will have to exit at Western, and that’s likely to mean slow going. See the map in last night’s reminder. If you need to doublecheck your Metro route, go here.
ONE OTHER ROAD WORK NOTE: Here’s the updated map for Arbor Heights/south Fauntleroy microsurfacing, as it continues through tomorrow.
8:18 AM: No problems reported so far, on 99 or elsewhere – see the comments for some commute stories. Of course, this is a big week for vacation-taking, since schools reopen next week, but still, it’s good news.
8:41 AM: Commenter just noticed SDOT cams have been stuck at 7:21 am for a while. Here’s a WSDOT cam, which is NOT stuck:
And another one:
With some simply describing the Highway 99 work as a “4-day closure,” here’s a reminder: For the part most used by West Seattleites, it’s not. The Alaskan Way Viaduct WILL reopen by 5 am Monday, WSDOT says (as will 99 between the AWV and West Seattle Bridge). What will NOT be open (yet) is Highway 99 north of The Viaduct – from the Battery St. Tunnel north to Valley Street on Lower Queen Anne, as shown here:
That section is supposed to remain closed for bridge work until early Wednesday. Though The Viaduct will be open again, it’s still wise to avoid it if you can, since anyone still on 99 past Seneca will have to exit at Western, and that’s likely to back things up. South of there, state crews spent the weekend closure replacing concrete panels; WSDOT’s latest update says, “The final concrete has been poured on these new panels and will cure overnight. Drivers should experience a smoother ride in SODO during Monday morning’s commute.” We’ll be monitoring morning traffic here as usual, with live cameras in our daily update as well as on the WSB Traffic page.
(WSB photos by Katie Meyer)
The “soapbox race” downtown wasn’t the only one in Seattle today – Beverly invited us to check out the one that happened in her North Admiral neighborhood this afternoon/evening as part of its annual block party.
She explained in the invitation, “We neighbors around College between Walnut and 41st Ave. SW have an annual block party the second to last weekend in August each year” – and much of it is headquartered in her home’s front yard. “There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood, so this year we decided to have a soapbox derby!” In the photo below, that’s Beverly’s son Asa in the striped shirt on the right; he designed the cart with Tinkercad.
The derby featured kids of all ages – here’s 3-year-old Reider and 1-year-old brother Hudson:
Whatever the cart design – the neighborhood derby featured human-powered transportation at its finest! Some of it, animal-inspired:
Thanks to Beverly for letting us know about the derby so we could stop by. Something cool happening in YOUR neighborhood? Here’s how to reach us.
In light of today’s Northern California earthquake – we have two preparedness reminders. First, do you know where your Emergency Communication Hub is? The map above is courtesy of West Seattle Be Prepared, local volunteers who have worked for years on helping facilitate local neighborhood preparedness. The hubs are explained here – in short, the place you would go if regular communication channels/methods weren’t working in the aftermath of a disaster (big quake, storm, etc.). If there’s no hub near you, it’s because no one has stepped forward to set one up – this is an all-volunteer effort; here’s how to get one going.
Second, the city offers classes to help you retrofit your residence to make it more capable of withstanding a quake, and as mentioned on WSB recently, registration is open for one coming up this fall – info is here.
We’re continuing to publish local back-to-school events as we get word of them. Today, from the Lafayette Elementary PTA:
On Tuesday, September 2nd from 5-7 pm, the Lafayette PTA is sponsoring a “Back to School BBQ” on the Lafayette playground. There will be free food and drinks with some great music. Come and meet new friends and reconnect with Lafayette families you have missed over the summer!
P.S. Thanks yet again in advance to the parents, PTA leaders, volunteers, staffers (and sometimes students!) who share big news here so we can help get the word out too – here’s how
ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:14 PM: When we noticed the tower-crane base in place at 40th/Edmunds, and then “no parking” signs for today, we thought maybe the crane was arriving.
Then, Andy sent a note wondering what a video/photography type of crew was doing at the site. We went over to find out.
It’s a shoot for Brooks Running, we learned on-site from Erika of Blondehouse Production. And they’ll be shooting in West Seattle again on Tuesday, just a few blocks from today’s shoot, over by food truck Beloved Mexico and West Seattle Produce – so if you’ve seen the “no parking” signs on the east side of Fauntleroy Way SW south of SW Alaska, now you know what they’re for.
ADDED 8:41 PM: Maris, who lives near the construction site, took this photo during the actual shoot:
If you’ve lost track of the project on that site, by the way, it’s 4745 40th SW, 135 apartments plus some ground-floor live-work units and a relatively small amount of retail. The site next door (south of the bank) is owned by Seattle Parks but in the shorter run will be temporary home soon to Seattle Fire Station 32 during the rebuild on its permanent site at 37th/Alaska.
Almost 1,100 runners and walkers are on the course along Alki as this year’s Alki Beach 5K got under way minutes ago. First, they heard inspirational words from “Warrior Marathon Runner” Carol Dellinger, a breast-cancer survivor who has run 278 marathons, and just keeps running.
The Alki Beach 5K is a benefit for West Seattleite-founded-and-led Northwest Hope and Healing, and a fun time for all.
9:58 AM: Runners and walkers keep crossing the finish line. First one across, last year’s winner Miler Haller, 17 years old:
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
ADDED 12:32 PM: Here’s our video of everyone leaving the starting line:
First-time emcee (whose voice you hear in our video): Shellie Hart from Warm 106.9 radio:
Overseeing everything as always – NWHH executive director Shari Sewell:
The Alki Beach 5K is for a serious cause – helping NWHH help breast-cancer patients – but it’s fun too, and smiles abounded:
Eye-catching outfits, too:
3:59 PM: The results are now available online. In addition to first finisher Miler Haller, shown above, the other top finishers were:
#2 male – Joe Sheeran, 56, in 16:49:
#3 male – Chris Tolonen, 45, in 16:53:
#1 female – Somer Kreisman, 25, in 18:07:
#2 female – Hailey Kettel, 18, in 18:30:
#3 female – Caoline Austin, 23, in 18:46:
(The spellings are exactly as shown on the official results page; please let us know if anything is incorrect!)
ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: More scenes from race day:
Read More
Today, we start the daily preview with three traffic alerts/reminders:
VIADUCT CLOSED AGAIN TODAY: The Alaskan Way Viaduct and Highway 99 south to the West Seattle Bridge are closed again today, scheduled to reopen early Monday. From the Battery Street Tunnel north to Valley Street, 99 is scheduled to remain closed until early Wednesday. Above is the “live” camera from a stretch of 99 where concrete-repair work is continuing; WSDOT posted an update Saturday on how things are going so far (it also includes maps and specific traffic reminders).
FERRY NOTE: Washington State Ferries is expecting extra traffic on the Fauntleroy-Vashon run today, particularly motorcycles, because of events on the island.
ROAD CLOSURE FOR ALKI BEACH 5K: Alki Avenue SW will be closed along the usual 5K route until about 11 am today, with more than 1,000 runners and walkers expected to participate in the Alki Beach 5K, benefiting Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps breast-cancer patients.
Warrior Marathon Runner Carol Dellinger will be there for inspiration. Last-minute signups are open now by the Alki Bathhouse. Race starts around 9 am.
Also happening today:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Fresh local food and beverages, as always, 10 am-2 pm. (44th/Alaska)
DIY BIKES: Noon-4 pm, free bicycle repairs at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; also accepting donated bikes to be fixed up. More at diybikes.org. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
TOUR THE ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Second-to-last weekend this summer to enjoy a free tour of historic Alki Point Lighthouse with US Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers, 1-4 pm. (3201 Alki SW)
‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’ MATINEE: 3 pm today is the final performance of the ArtsWest youth-conservatory production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown“; tickets online here. (4711 California SW)
OPEN-MICROPHONE JAM: Every Sunday night in August at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), hosted by Lynn Sorensen – just show up with your voice and/or instrument starting at 7:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (6451 California SW)
MORE … for today/tonight – browse our calendar.
Congratulations to West Seattle athlete Tom Donohue for his victories at the USA Cycling National Track Championships, which continue through tomorrow on the Eastside. The report and photos are by proud wife Lisa Donohue:
Fauntleroy resident Tom Donohue earned his 2nd Gold medal Saturday at the USA Cycling National Track Championships at Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond. Tom slayed the competition in both the Match Sprint and 500m Time Trial 50-54 year-old category. In addition, he also set a new track record in the 500m.
Tom is a member of the Cucina Fresca cycling team. You might spot him sprinting along the streets of West Seattle in his red and black jersey.
Tom will be traveling to the Manchester England for the World Championships this October. Last year he ranked top 10 in World, and hopes to make it to the podium in 2014.
You can see his 500m time in the results on this page detailing today’s highlights, and his sprint time in the highlights report from Thursday.
Full house at @WSMovies – with 'Frozen' in about half an hour – last WSOM of the year! pic.twitter.com/fTHLIZtI8p
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) August 24, 2014
It’s wall to wall in the courtyard next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) in The Junction for this year’s sixth and final West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation, “Frozen” – with movie time coming up around 8:15 (amazing how sunset/twilight suddenly get so much earlier as the season goes along). As requested, diaper donations for WestSide Baby have come in from moviegoers.
WS Baby also benefits tonight from concession and raffle proceeds, which are fundraisers for a different local nonprofit each week. Lots of sponsors make the series possible; PB&J Textiles donates the concessions each week, and we at WSB are happy to have been the media sponsor again this year. Every week also features spotlight sponsors for that movie – tonight’s lineup includes Bend n Move, which just led a round of Zumba:
Tonight also featured a free barbecue courtesy of West Seattle Christian.
P.S. Watch these pages next spring – we’ll let you know when movie host and emcee Lora Swift (above – of Hotwire and more) sends out the call again for movie suggestions.
5:42 PM: With the Alaskan Way Viaduct out of commission this weekend, the exits on the Spokane Street Viaduct – east half of the West Seattle Bridge – are carrying more traffic. That might be complicating matters now that there’s a four-car crash near the 4th Avenue South exit. Big backup on the bridge, according to the nearest cam:
(“Live” views are on the WSB Traffic page.)
5:53 PM: Multiple lanes are closed and an officer was just heard (via scanner) saying they’ll be closed “a while.
7:12 PM UPDATE: SDOT has tweeted that the scene is clear.
It took 52 minutes and 9 seconds for those four rowers to make the 7-mile round trip between Alki and Bainbridge during Sound Rowers’ Great Cross-Sound Race this morning. Their quad was listed as entry #1, and that’s where they finished. In second at 53:40, Megan Yount and Bruce Rolfe:
Finishing third and fourth, Evan Jacobs (multiple past winner) in 54:10 (right) and Robert Meenk in 54:31:
No immediate rest at race’s end:
Full list of the almost three dozen entrants and their finishing order is here.
Big turnout for the Duwamish River Festival, on until 4 pm at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park! It’s a chance to learn about what’s happening on, in, and near the river …
… and to experience the river!
(Kayaks courtesy of West Seattle’s own Alki Kayak Tours/Mountain to Sound Outfitters.) There’s live entertainment too (see the schedule here) – during our visit, the Sounders FC band Sound Wave was performing:
The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition organizes the festival; many organizations and businesses sponsor it (including WSB and partner site The South Park News). Check it out until 4 pm at 7900 10th Avenue South.
FIRST REPORT, 12:57 PM: A car-motorcycle collision in the 4700 block of West Marginal Way has police blocking the road, so avoid that area. No word yet on injuries.
1:17 PM: We’re at the scene; West Marginal is blocked just south of T-107 Park. According to emergency radio, the motorcycle rider is a 58-year-old man who is being rushed to Harborview Medical Center, and a preliminary description of the collision indicated that he was riding “at traffic speed” when a pickup truck “pulled out in front of him.” His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, so they’ll be reopening the road after tow trucks arrive and clear wreckage.
12:32 PM: Seattle Fire crews are at a condominium building in the 5000 block of California SW on the south end of The Junction for a “fire in building” call. The street is shut down at the scene.
They’re finding light smoke but still looking for its source. More shortly.
12:46 PM: Our crew on scene has talked to the incident commander, who says the fire was traced to a dryer. No injuries. California SW shouldn’t be closed too much longer, maybe 20 minutes or so.
On the sidewalk next to the volleyball courts on Alki, you’ll find Barbara Clabots and other Surfrider Foundation/Seattle Chapter volunteers getting out the word to get cigarette butts out of the sand, as previewed here the other night. The ones in the container next to Barbara were collected from beach cleanups last year at Alki and Golden Gardens. Surfrider is trying to combat the widely held (and erroneous) belief that the material in cigarette filters is biodegradable – it’s actually plastic. They’re also offering businesses the chance to sponsor canisters like this one for ongoing disposal:
Out yard saling today? Here’s a fundraising sale to visit. Photo and announcement just in:
La Leche League of West Seattle is holding its annual fundraiser yard sale, bake sale, and lemonade stand. Items range from a giant Barbie to suitcases, toys, clothes, espresso machine, super-fancy ice-cream maker, infant items, puzzles, and more. Folks are invited to pay what they want, since it’s for charity. 5281 45th Ave SW, 10-3.
Find more listings in the WSB Forums‘ Sales/Deals/Freebies section, where you can post YOUR yard/garage sale, too.
We start today’s daily preview with a traffic alert/reminder:
VIADUCT CLOSED ALL WEEKEND: As detailed on the WSDOT website, the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Highway 99 south to the West Seattle Bridge are *closed for the weekend only* (reopening early Monday). From the Battery Street Tunnel north to Valley Street, 99 is closed for four days (reopening early Wednesday). Above, the “live” image from a stretch of 99 where concrete-repair work will be under way, among other things.
Now, all the reasons you don’t need to leave anyway:
GREAT CROSS-SOUND RACE: At 9 am, this rowing race presented by Sound Rowers starts just off the Alki Boardwalk, heads across toward Bainbridge, and comes back.
HUB AND SPOKE COURSE @ CAMP LONG: Two sessions today for adults and teens to try out Camp Long‘s challenge course, starting at 9:45 am – details in our calendar listing. (5200 35th SW)
‘HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS’: As previewed here earlier this week, the Surfrider Foundation will be out on Alki starting at 10 am to campaign against cigarette-butt litter, far more toxic than you might think.
ALKI BEACH 5K REGISTRATION/PACKET PICKUP: 10 am-2 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), you can pick up your packet for tomorrow’s Alki Beach 5K, or sign up if you haven’t already (online signup is now over) and want to beat the pre-race rush tomorrow morning. (California/Charlestown)
DUWAMISH RIVER FESTIVAL: Noon-4 pm, it’s a free festival with boat/kayak rides, entertainment, and more, at Duwamish Waterway Park on the river’s bank in South Park – here’s our preview with the music/dance (etc.) schedule. Co-sponsors include WSB and our partner site The South Park News. (7900 10th Avenue South)
ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: Second-to-last weekend this summer to take a free tour of historic Alki Point Lighthouse with US Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers, 1-4 pm. (3201 Alki SW)
MODE MUSIC STUDIOS GRAND OPENING: Join new WSB sponsor Mode Music Studios for the grand-opening party featuring music and more at Skylark next door as well as studio tours (with punch and cake!) at Mode’s new HQ, 3-6 pm. (3805 Delridge Way SW)
K-5 STEM BACK TO SCHOOL BASH: 4-7 pm at the north end of Lincoln Park, all K-5 STEM families welcome – details and directions on the PTA website. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
SUNRISE HEIGHTS STREET DANCE: Starts at 5 pm – details in our calendar listing (30th SW)
TYRONE IN CONCERT/SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE: 5-9 pm at West Seattle Christian Performance Hall in The Junction, concert by Tyrone “The Working Class Hero” and school-supplies drive (folders, binders, pens, pencils and backpacks for foster kids) presented by nearby Unified Outreach. Details in our calendar listing. (4400 42nd SW)
FINAL ‘WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES’ – BRING DIAPERS! The sixth and final West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of 2014 is “Frozen,” on the big screen in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor). 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. Along with bringing your own chair/blanket, bring diapers! This week’s official community nonprofit beneficiary for concessions and raffle tickets is WestSide Baby. Every package of diapers you bring will get you three raffle tickets. Movie’s at dusk, around 8:30 pm. (4410 California SW)
TONIGHT’S LIVE MUSIC: Multiple venues – see the listings on our calendar.
‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’ MATINEE: 7:30 pm is your second-to-last chance to applaud the young performers in the ArtsWest youth-conservatory production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown“; tickets online here. (4711 California SW)
As you make your end-of-summer plans, here’s one more note about city aquatics facilities – Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle) is closing for a week, from next Tuesday (August 26th) through Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1st). It’s a maintenance shutdown, but it is concurrent with the final full week of operation for Colman Pool on the shore at Lincoln Park, so you’ll have that as a city-run alternative while SW Pool is out of service. (As of Sept. 2nd, when Southwest Pool reopens, Colman will be closed except for one “post-season weekend” Sept. 6-7.)
Story and photos by Alice Enevoldsen for West Seattle Blog
West Seattle’s own Highland Park Spraypark boasts an opportunity to bring science and math into the end of your summer vacation, painlessly and, in fact, pain-relievingly: while enjoying the cooling sprinklers. The entrance is on SW Cloverdale St and 11th Ave SW, just north of Highland Park Elementary School, and it’s open through Labor Day, 11 am-8 pm.
Depending on your kids’ interests and ages, pick one of the challenges below, don some clothes you don’t mind getting wet, and do the activity with them. If they’re a bit older (especially in the teenage range) and are embarrassed by your presence, you can give them one of the advanced challenges and maybe they’ll be tempted by a snack through Seattle’s Summer Food program, Kids and Teens Eat Free, located in the same park.
Challenge 1: Scavenger Hunt
Find all the planets!
Each planet is a circle of a different color, and has a bronze inlaid symbol identifying it nearby.
That’s an example – the Mars circle and its bronze symbol.
Teacher/Parent/Caregiver hint: The planets are not presented in order, and many of the circles are concentric, as if the planets are stacked on top of each other.
The designers of this spray park chose that this representation of our solar system would not label Pluto, the Sun, or moons and asteroids, so your scavenger hunt is for only eight objects. Here’s your cheat sheet for which symbol identifies which planet:
(NASA.gov image)
Note that the spray park uses a different symbol for Uranus:
Challenge 2: Measure the Planets
Optional Supplies:
Measuring tape, ruler, or string (you can also measure with footsteps, arm lengths, or the height of a certain child if you want).
A paper to chart measurements (print this)
Pencil or pen
Even the littlest kids can help measure the planets, but their measurements will not be accurate. Playing at measuring is a great skill for preschoolers and toddlers anyway. Older kids can be prompted to measure more and more precisely. If you have a mix of ages, bring enough rulers or tape measures for each age-group.
Measure the diameter of each planet, and record that measurement on a chart – get it here as a PDF.
How close is this model to being to scale?
How big would the Sun be, if it was to scale with these planets?
I have not finished my own measurement of the planets, so I’d love it if you’d post your findings below.
Teacher/Parent/Caregiver hint: This is the part where kids will get wet, so come prepared and revel in the coolness. If you measure in footsteps or anything other than a standard unit and you want to compare to a scale model of the solar system you’ll have to measure your child’s foot in inches at some point and multiply.
For instance, if Mercury is 5 footsteps across, and your kid’s foot is 7 inches long, then Mercury is 5 footsteps x 7 inches per footstep = 35 inches across.
When you get home, use this Solar System model calculator to see if this model is actually to scale, or not.
On the screenshot below, I’ve outlined in red the parts you need to complete the activity, comparing numbers to a scale model:
First, set the solar system calculator up by putting in the diameter you measured of one of the planets.
Second, click “Calculate.”
Third, read the values in the second-to-last column and compare them to the rest of your measurements.
Challenge 3: Be Creative
There are lots more circles on the spray park than just the eight marked as planets. If you wanted them to represent objects in our solar system, what would they be?
What do the spraying features represent? Are they related to imaginary or real features on the planets?
(Some of the extra circles in the spray park)
Teacher/Parent/Caregiver hint: This is an exercise in creativity, as well as some free-form learning about the planets. You can find plenty of space books at the library to fuel the imagination and learn some of the known features on each planet.
Resources:
Use Thinkzone’s Solar System Calculator to calculate a scale model of the solar system (full disclosure: This is my dad’s website; clearly, I come by my geekery honestly!)
Who is Alice?
Alice is many things and works and volunteers for a few different notable organizations, but the suggestions and opinions put forth in this article are her own and no-one else’s. You can find more about astronomy at www.alicesastroinfo.com.
Our latest West Seattle Crime Watch reader report is a case of auto theft, reported by a resident whose visiting relative was the victim:
My aunt’s car was stolen from the PCC parking lot on California Ave. this past Sunday (8.17) around 5 pm (she was in the store for only 20 minutes). A police report was filed right away.
* 1998 Toyota Camry
* Green – not the forest green, but a more bluish green
* WA License # – AJU 4715
* Scuffed left front fender from scraping white posts – large enough to be noticeable
* NPR sticker in rear window – right side
Please call 911 if you see it.
(Click image to open full-size PDF version of map)
SDOT is now more than halfway through the microsurfacing work in Arbor Heights (and part of south Fauntleroy), and says there have been some changes along the way (as noticed by at least one commenter on our previous story), so it’s revised the map. From spokesperson Caylen Beaty:
The original map we provided contained some mapping errors, so I’ve attached the updated version. As the work has progressed this week, the contractor has been providing correct information to residents and posting “No Parking” signs at least three days in advance of the work.
The work is on track and we anticipate it will wrap up by next Tuesday, August 26. Our thanks to the Arbor Heights community for their attention and cooperation as we work to maintain the residential streets of Arbor Heights.
The microsurfacing plan was first announced back in January, when SDOT explained that this process is now used instead of chip seal to refresh residential streets.
The entertainment schedule is out for tomorrow afternoon’s 9th annual Duwamish River Festival in nearby South Park (with co-sponsors including WSB). For all four hours of the festival, 12-4 pm at Duwamish Waterway Park, you can check out kayaking/boating on the river as well as booths featuring community groups/organizations. If you want to time your visit depending on who’s onstage, here’s the info:
12:20 pm – 12:40 pm Âu Lạc Vovinam Lion Dance Team performance
12:45 pm – 1:05 pm Trio Dulces- Afro Latin Band
1:30 pm – 1:50 pm Seattle Sounders FC Band: Sound Wave
1:55 pm – 2:10 pm Tlaloktekuhtli – Aztec Dance
2:15 pm – 2:35 pm Zumba – Fitness class
3:00 pm – 3:50 pm Orquesta Cambalache
The park is alongside the river at 7900 10th Avenue South (map).
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