day : 09/11/2014 10 results

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

While Metro bus funding and Sound Transit light rail have held the spotlight here lately, plans are being shaped for another transportation service’s future: The King County Water Taxis.

They’re in the just-approved, first-ever “strategic plan” for the King County Ferry District, which operates Water Taxi service on the downtown/Vashon and downtown/West Seattle runs – read the final version here or below:

One of the first steps to be taken is to end the Ferry District’s existence as a separate entity. The County Council is scheduled to vote on “assuming governance” of the district during its 11 am meeting tomorrow, one week after, sitting as the Ferry District Board chaired by West Seattle’s Councilmember Joe McDermott, it approved the strategic plan.

Another big decision ahead: Funding, with the plan describing the service as “”currently financially unsustainable given annual revenue, service costs, and current and near-term capital improvement needs.”

Consolidating the district into county government will help, according to the plan, because it “will eliminate redundant functions of the District and County. Separate District contracts for Legal and Accounting services can be terminated and Ferry District staff will not be needed. The annual savings from consolidation can go directly to providing services.”

But that won’t cover the gap, the report suggests. From the plan, here’s a chart showing what’s happened:

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West Seattle weekend scene: American Legion Post 160’s Veterans Day ‘thank you’ dinner

November 9, 2014 8:48 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Triangle | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The doors at American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle were open for three hours tonight for those who have served or are serving to come enjoy a free “thank you” dinner, as Veterans Day approaches. In our photo above are Post 160 Commander Keith Hughes and Linda Cox. Dinner was an Italian menu again this year:

Post 160 has one more invitation: Everyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces, or is serving now, is welcome to be a member. The post (3618 SW Alaska) has a general meeting every second Wednesday, 6 pm, which means the next one is coming up in just three days, on November 12th. Questions? E-mail wslegion160@gmail.com or call 206-932-9696.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Help look for this stolen truck

November 9, 2014 6:45 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Stolen vehicles found recently in West Seattle tended to turn up in alleys, so look there, too. From Rick and Marty:

Please help- our truck was stolen from in front of the house – stolen Saturday night from Westwood Village/Shorewood area : White 2006 Ford F-250 standard cab – has 5th wheel hitch and black 5th wheel (cut out) tailgate – Lic # B866595- any information, either contact 911 or call us at 206-931-2027.

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Update: Police investigating pencil-stabbing attack reported by Roxhill Elementary student

November 9, 2014 5:53 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police | West Seattle schools

(SCROLL DOWN – or jump, if viewing from WSB home page – for Monday update)

5:53 PM SUNDAY: Police are investigating a report of bullying turned violent at a local school. The victim’s mother told them it happened at Roxhill Elementary on October 30th; it was not reported to police until she went to the Southwest Precinct desk on November 5th, according to the detailed report that was added to SPD’s publicly viewable online files this weekend. Here’s what the report says:

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West Seattle scene: This weekend’s most honest yard-sale sign

November 9, 2014 5:42 pm

| Comments Off on West Seattle scene: This weekend’s most honest yard-sale sign

| Seen around town | West Seattle news

Seen at 35th/Holden in Gatewood (by us on Saturday, though we couldn’t stop for a photo, and then today by our Arbor Heights-based anonymous correspondent, who DID stop to snap it and shared the photo). Hope the sale went well.

Meantime, this gives us a chance to point out that today happens to be the exact midpoint between last West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day and the next one! Six months from today, on May 9, 2015, shoppers and sellers will swarm the peninsula for the 11th annual WSCGSD, organized and presented by WSB. (New to West Seattle? Here’s our coverage from last year.) As usual, we’ll open registration in early April.

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You can help! Brunette Mix benefit to help leukemia patient ‘concentrate on treatment and healing’

November 9, 2014 3:55 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news

Sarah at Brunette Mix (longtime WSB sponsor) in The Junction e-mailed to let us, and you, know about two ways you can help them help a West Seattle native who is now fighting for her life:

We are currently trying to raise money for a friend of ours, Jasmin Egan. She is a former West Seattleite that now resides in Kent. She grew up here and went to Chief Sealth High School. Her maiden name is Jasmin Glover. She has just been diagnosed with ALL – Acute Lympholastic Leukemia. She will not not be able to work for a long time, and her husband can’t either right now, as she needs around-the-clock care. She has three beautiful children, and we just want to take the stress of money and bills away, so she can concentrate on treatment and healing. So Brunette Mix is offering deep conditioning treatments with any service for free with any donation. The conditioner is a $20 value.

Also, we are organizing a silent auction for her at the Feedback Lounge on Thursday, December 4th, from 6:30- 9:30 and are still looking for donations.

If you can offer a donation for the silent auction, e-mail Sarah at swillanger@hotmail.com. To make an appointment at Brunette Mix (4306 SW Oregon), so you can donate there and get the special reward, you can book online, or by e-mail, or by phone – 206-932-2401.

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VIDEO: Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s rock ‘n’ roll & ‘rebirth’ Champagne Gala Brunch scores sizable support

November 9, 2014 10:49 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle history | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

West Seattle rocks.

You already knew that.

The hundreds who gathered at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) Saturday for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s annual Champagne Gala Brunch were served many reminders of why it’s true, and gave big in response.

For the gala’s centerpiece, they were the live audience for an on-location half-hour-long Marty Riemer podcast, co-hosted by his once-and-future radio partner Jodi Brothers, about West Seattle’s role in Seattle’s rock scene, with guests including a rock star, a record-label exec, and the owner of the city’s most-famous record store. Here’s the video (toplines later in this story, if you don’t have time to watch/listen):

The Marty Reimer Show at Salty’s on Alki from Avenue Collection on Vimeo.

Wait – you might think – didn’t you say “Historical Society”? Doesn’t that conjure an image of great-grandmas, tea, cookies, and lectures about the distant, misty past, more than rock ‘n’ roll?

Certainly, a few great-grandmas and great-grandpas were in the audience somewhere. And the family in the spotlight brought a multi-generational group – all 27 of whom gathered in front of the trademark Salty’s view windows; that would be the Schmitz Family, right after three members spoke movingly about the living legacy that traces back to one Schmitz’s emigration from Germany and eventual arrival in Seattle.

(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand unless otherwise credited)
But when SWSHS executive director Clay Eals (above right, with Vicki Schmitz-Block and Dietrich Schmitz) spoke of “rebirth,” he made it clear the organization is looking ahead even as it celebrates the past. Especially what he said about this year’s biggest SWSHS event, the unveiling of the restored Admiral Way Viewpoint totem pole on June 6th, at its new home on the east side of SWSHS’s Log House Museum. He showed this five-minute video capturing the essence of the unveiling ceremony:

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West Seattle Sunday: Today’s word is free! Including Veterans Day dinner for those who have served and are serving…

November 9, 2014 7:56 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Lincoln Park photo by Jeremiah Holt)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round, rain or shine. 10 am-2 pm. (44th/Alaska)

OPEN HOUSE: Five holistic-health practitioners are having an open house in their newly open clinic, 10 am-2 pm, details here. (5400 California SW)

OPEN EARLY FOR GAME DAY: 11:30 am, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) opens early with a Game Day menu for the Seahawks-Giants game, which will be on the big screen at 1:25 pm. (6451 California SW)

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Not in WS but – two teams from the West Seattle-based SWAC Cougars are playing regional championship games – Pee Wees at 1 pm, 89ers at 3 pm, both vs. teams from the CD Panthers, both at French Field in Kent. Good luck! (10200 SE 256th, Kent)

FREE ORGAN CONCERT … also featuring flute, oboe, trumpet, piano and choir. 2 pm at Hope Lutheran Church. (42nd/Oregon)

‘SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS’: Lost a loved one this year and dreading the approaching holidays? This GriefShare seminar at Grace Church might be able to help. Details in our calendar listing. 2 pm.

FREE CLASSICAL CONCERT: 3 pm, Ladies’ Musical Club at West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library, featuring music of Mozart and Donizetti for soprano and piano, and music of Faure for violin and piano.” (2306 42nd SW)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON THEATER: See a matinee performance of “Dogfight“ at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), 3 pm. Tickets available online. (4711 California SW)

‘THANK YOU’ DINNER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED/ARE SERVING: 5-8 pm, American Legion Post 160 and Auxiliary Unit 160 invite veterans, active duty, reservists, and their families to a FREE Italian dinner. No RSVP needed – just show up. Here’s our preview. (3618 SW Alaska)

SUNDAY NIGHTLIFE: Seven nights a week, something fun’s happening somewhere. Tonight – trivia and karaoke! See the listings here.

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Update: Fire callout on Beach Drive = ‘small kitchen fire’

November 9, 2014 2:53 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

2:53 AM: A big callout for a potential house fire in the 4800 block of Beach Drive. First crew on scene sees “light smoke.” More to come.

2:56 AM: Most of the units are being canceled – this turned out to be, according to communications between fire crews and dispatch, “small kitchen fire, (extinguished) by occupant.”

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Election 2014: After five days of ballot-counting, a look ahead for transit, preschool, class-size measures

November 9, 2014 12:04 am

| Comments Off on Election 2014: After five days of ballot-counting, a look ahead for transit, preschool, class-size measures

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Today (Sunday) will be the first day King County Elections has *not* released updated results since Tuesday night. That night’s ballot count was followed by two daily Wednesday-Friday and one more Saturday evening. Here are three notes following the latter:

TRANSIT FUNDING (Transportation Benefit District Prop 1):
Yes 61.14% – 109,139 votes
No 38.86% – 69,380 votes

What’s next? Since Wednesday’s media briefing (WSB coverage here) with the mayor and county executive, Metro general manager Kevin Desmond has sent an e-mail message to bus-alert subscriber lists, including this:

… We’re working with the city now to flesh out the agreement, including the exact route improvements. It will be submitted to the city and county councils in December for adoption early next year.

The need is clear. Seattle voters, like transit riders across the county, undoubtedly have experienced the packed buses that have come with growing ridership. Metro is on track to deliver 120 million rides countywide this year—a record high—and our financial situation has not allowed us to expand to meet the demand.

Our just-released 2014 Service Guidelines Report, which analyzes the performance of our transit system and identifies investment needs, found that Metro should be providing 15 percent more service to meet current demand countywide. …

(That report does not appear to be online yet; it wasn’t linked, and we could only find the 2013 version. We’ll check on Monday.)

PRESCHOOL (Seattle Propositions 1A/1B):
Prop 1A – 31.29% – 49,393 votes
Prop 1B – 68.71% – 108,477 votes

What’s next? Thanks to Diane for forwarding e-mail about meetings to discuss how the resulting Seattle Preschool Program will be planned and implemented. Two meetings, both on December 6th, are in West Seattle, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the first focused on curriculum, the second on teacher training/coaching. They and others around the city, starting later this month, are listed on this flyer.

SMALLER CLASS SIZE (Statewide Initiative 1351):
Yes 50.49% 945,851 votes
No 49.51% 927,356 votes

What’s next? This trailed on election night, but now supporters have declared victory. How this will be made to happen, the Legislature has to work out, as the text says.

SEE FULL, UPDATED LOCAL AND STATE RESULTS: If there’s something else you want to check on, King County’s results are all linked here; statewide races and measures are all linked here.

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