West Seattle, Washington
01 Friday
(Updated Tuesday with reaction from CSIHS’s head football coach, mayor’s comment, and K-5 STEM teacher’s view)
(12th Man Flag at West Seattle Corporate Center, Thursday photo by Christopher Boffoli)
ORIGINAL STORY, 4:39 PM MONDAY: In case you were wondering: Seattle Public Schools superintendent José Banda says school WILL be in session on Wednesday – no day off for the Seahawks’ parade (though coach Pete Carroll suggested it). Here’s his message:
Congratulations to the Seahawks on an amazing season and Super Bowl win! It’s been so fun to see our school communities get into the spirit these last few weeks. I’ve enjoyed seeing the photos and videos of our students and staff celebrating the Seahawks.
We have received questions about the parade on Wednesday, which starts at 11 am. Seattle Public Schools will not close or dismiss school early because of the parade. Parents who wish to take their students out of school can, but per state regulation, it will be treated as an unexcused absence. While we support the team, academics must come first and it’s important not to lose a day in the classroom.
We know this is a historical event for our community and we also know that for many of our students, their school community is a place where they will celebrate and come together to talk about pride, sportsmanship and teamwork. We encourage our students and staff to wear blue on Wednesday in honor of the Seahawks.
We are working with the City on transportation issues for the day and we will work hard to minimize disruptions. However, families should expect bus delays in the afternoon on Wednesday.
Let’s hope this is the first of many Seahawk Super Bowl wins!
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: Head coach of the Chief Sealth International High School Seahawks‘ football team, Luther J. Carr III, has something to say about this (shared with us via e-mail):
Why aren’t the Seattle Public Schools released to attend tomorrow’s Seahawk Parade? As an employee of the Seattle Public Schools I am disgusted to hear that teachers and students are not allowed (in other words school is not out; NO SCHOOL) to attend tomorrow’s Seahawk Parade. Superintendent Banda has told students that they will be marked absent if they attend the Seahawk Parade. How unpatriotic is that?
Highline Public Schools, immediately south of West Seattle, will stay open but will allow excused absences.
12:41 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Laura for pointing out in comments that Mayor Murray is speaking out about this:
It is my hope that the school district will excuse absences for students who want to join their family during the #celebrate48 events
— Ed Murray (@Mayor_Ed_Murray) February 4, 2014
1:45 PM UPDATE: Another view from a local Seattle Public Schools teacher who says he’s also sending it to, among others, Richard Sherman of the Seahawks and Mayor Murray:
My name is Ronen Gluck, and I am a 3rd grade teacher at K-5 STEM Elementary School in West Seattle. I am writing as a representative of my students, but also as a representative of all students, staff, and families in our community.
Having taken an informal poll around the school this morning, we are looking at anywhere from 25%-50% of our students being absent from school tomorrow in order to attend the Seahawks victory parade. Assuming similar percentages across other sites in the Seattle Public Schools system, with nearly 50,000 students at 95 schools, we are facing a lost day of learning for a significant portion of our students. Regardless of Washington State OSPI requirements for instructional time and union-negotiated school days, this event has created a scenario in which we, as teachers, will be unable to serve our students.
We are not asking for the parade to be rescheduled (though you might consider holding the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLIX victory parade on a Saturday or Sunday). We are simply voicing our concern over a loss of essential instructional time. What concerns us more, however, is the message that this sends to our students and to the community as a whole. Our students and their families have been asked to choose between a day at school and a day downtown celebrating the success of our local football team. Granted, understanding and promoting civic pride is an integral part of educating the next generation of socially conscious citizens, but when this pride is given higher status than the educational process that will create this informed citizenry, we need to reconsider where our priorities lie.
So much media attention has been given to Richard Sherman in the past few weeks, much of it focusing on his exemplary academic history as parallel to his stellar athletic performance. We are encouraged to believe that the professional athletes, who we as a nation hold in such high regard, are more than one trick ponies. The colleges and universities that groom them and send them up to the NFL tout the importance of education, and higher academic standards set by the NCAA in recent years will hopefully help to ensure that these institutions are held to their promises. Seahawks players have given their time and money to charities and other social causes, including making visits to local elementary schools, and for that they should be praised. But when an event of such size and significance as tomorrow’s parade is held during a school day, that message of “stay in school, kids” is irreparably undermined. As the arguments on both sides of the discussion regarding Mr. Sherman have repeated ad nauseam, actions speak louder than words.
And so I make a humble request of Mr. Sherman, his teammates, the Seattle Seahawks organization, Mayor Murray, and all those who claim to put our students’ education first: stand in front of the television cameras and microphones, take to the social media outlets, and let our students know where your priorities lie. Tell them that a single day of school is more important to their future than ditching class for a parade. Superintendent Banda has sent a letter reminding families that schools will not close or dismiss early tomorrow. Teachers such as myself and my colleagues have had their say. Now it’s time for our role models to be role models.
Thank you very much.
Ronen Gluck
2:31 PM TUESDAY: Now the district says it’s up to individual principals whether to excuse absences or not. We have put this in a separate story.
(Click image to see full-size citywide map)
Tomorrow is your next chance to find out more about the new kind of “zoning overlay” the city is proposing for some business districts – “pedestrian retail zoning.” We first reported on this last month after a presentation at the Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting. Now, the same city rep who made that presentation, Aly Pennucci from the Department of Planning and Development, is coming to another local meeting – tomorrow night’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting (6:15 pm, Southwest Branch Library at 35th/Henderson). The city has two “study zones” in the WWRHAH area, as noted in the map above – here are direct links to the city’s “preliminary recommendations” about each of them (scroll to the last page of each one for the site-specific information):
#50 – 35th & Barton
#51 – 35th & Roxbury
Ahead, tomorrow night’s entire agenda as shared by WWRHAH president Amanda Kay Helmick, featuring other major topics including the potential change in garbage-pickup service:
(Click image to see larger view)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
There is seldom solace to be found in “I told you so.”
That admonition could be ascribed to some of the longtime residents behind 3210 California SW, the site proposed for a block-long, five-story mixed-use project that they say is exactly what they feared might happen because of the upzoning they fought six years ago.
This Thursday (February 6th), the proposal goes back to Design Review, for its second major meeting in eight days. The first was this past Wednesday, a neighbor-requested meeting that included moments reminiscent of a neighbor-requested meeting six years earlier about the upzoning proposal.
As quoted in our coverage of the 2007 meeting, one of the then-property owners asked opponents, “Is 10 feet really that big a deal? With 30 feet (of zoned-at-the-time height), you’re talking three stories. With 40, this would be four stories.”
In response to that, skepticism remained. There was a suggestion of waiting until there was an actual proposal for the site, and pursuing a contract rezone instead that would be tied to the specific project. But the general upzoning moved forward, with a few years dormancy, without a specific project, and was finalized in 2010; then, exactly one year ago, a five-story development proposal appeared.
“At the time [in 2007], we weren’t thinking it would be five stories,” acknowledged Jerry Suder, a supervisor in the city Department of Planning and Development, at last Wednesday’s meeting, over which he presided along with Michael Dorcy, senior planner who has worked on 3210 California for years, including the end of the upzoning process. Suder said a few changes in city rules in the past few years opened the door for that extra story – particularly this one in 2012.
(Photographed this morning by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Right now, the only snow you’ll see around here is atop the mountains – the Olympics have been peeking out today, with more frosting than they’ve had for most of this (mostly mild) winter. But that MIGHT change next weekend. WSB commenter MetPatrick mentioned over the weekend via Twitter that lowland snow is a possibility then – and now it’s mentioned in the National Weather Service‘s newest forecast discussion, too. No watches/warnings yet – but there is no question it’s getting colder, snow or no snow, as noted in the latest version of the NWS’s Special Weather Statement. Stay tuned!
West Seattle’s newest space-sharing coffee collaboration, Admiral Bird, is open for business as of this morning, on the southeast corner of California/Admiral.
As first reported here last November, Admiral Bird is a partnership between Heidi from Bird on a Wire Espresso (which remains open at 35th/Henderson) and Corina from Circa Alehouse across the street from the new venture. It’s in the front half of the Flower Lab (also remaining open) space. Check ’em out until 3 pm today (for other hours, check here).
Thanks to John Lang for the photo – taken Sunday afternoon before the Seahawks‘ championship victory, but emblematic of it just the same. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar listings for today/tonight:
STEM SCHOOL TOURS: The West Seattle public option school currently known as K-5 STEM at Boren (but expanding to K-8 in the years ahead) is open for tours 10 am-11 am today. More in the calendar listing, and check our calendar for other local school tours (click “categories” atop that page and choose the SCHOOLS tag in the resulting dropdown – if yours isn’t listed, please get us the info ASAP!). (5950 Delridge Way SW)
TESLA RAFFLE-TICKET SALES: Garfield High School PTSA is outside PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) today selling $100 raffle tickets for a Tesla Model S all-electric sedan (or if you don’t want the car, a certified check for $50,000 is the alternate prize). Drawing is at the school-fundraiser auction March 14th. They’re outside PCC 4-6:30 pm today – or e-mail garfieldptsaraffle@gmail.com for alternate purchase arrangements. (California/Stevens)
EVENING BOOK GROUP: “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin is this month’s title for the evening book group at Southwest Branch Library, meeting today at 6:45 pm, all welcome. (35th/Henderson)
(Rendering from Bassetti Architects‘ 8/2013 presentation of new Arbor Heights design)
Only one West Seattle item in today’s edition of the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin: The first meeting of the “Development Standards Departure Advisory Committee” for the Arbor Heights Elementary rebuild. To translate – this is the advisory committee that will consider whether to recommend approval of zoning exceptions for the project. As spelled out in the official meeting notice, “the School District is requesting modifications for greater than allowed height, less than required parking, and on-site bus loading” – also mentioned when committee recruitment was announced in October. Here’s our report on the design presentation last August. All are welcome at the committee’s meeting, 6:30 pm Tuesday, February 18th, in the library at AHES (37th SW/SW 104th).
Good morning – traffic is reported to be lighter than usual; can’t imagine why. We start with the eastbound West Seattle Bridge view and the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct view:
You can see more cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page.
FERRY ALERT: As announced late last night, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry route is on a 2-boat schedule today, TFN.
VICTORY-PARADE WATCH: More details are expected this afternoon, but so far the only ones made public are in the city announcement last night – midday Wednesday on 4th Avenue downtown, starting 11 am around Seattle Center and heading south to the stadium (similar to the Seafair Torchlight Parade route).
8:46 AM UPDATE: WSF says the three-boat schedule will resume on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth as of about noon today.
11:41 PM SUNDAY: Just in from Washington State Ferries:
Due to a lack of qualified crew, the following sailings are cancelled for Mon. 2/3:
4:05 am Vashon to Fauntleroy, 4:25 am Fauntleroy to Southworth, 5:00 am Southworth to Vashon and Fauntleroy, 5:50 am Fauntleroy to Vashon, and 6:10 am Fauntleroy to Vashon.
Beginning with the 6:15 am Vashon to Southworth sailing, the route will sail on a two-boat schedule. … Please see the two-boat schedule.
MONDAY 8:47 AM UPDATE: WSF says the three-boat schedule will resume as of noon.
11:59 AM UPDATE: Some context from WSDOT in this conversation with Maggie:
@SudsyMaggie Not game related. Staff shortage + Chetzemoka maintenance. We made over 200 calls to fill positions to no avail. cc @GovInslee
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) February 3, 2014
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
8:16 PM: Fire and police are on the way to a “heavy rescue” incident at California/SW 106th. More as we get it.
8:47 PM: One-car crash; a man drove into a rock wall.
He was not seriously injured but was being given a field-sobriety test while our crews were there, and was handcuffed and taken into custody after that.
11:03 PM: Updating the location to California/107th, rather than 106th as dispatched. Christopher pointed this out but we had failed to note it here until commenter Gordon mentioned it.
43-8 – Seahawks are the champions!
7:16 PM: The Junction is full of folks celebrating – horns honking, jubilant shouts of “WOO-HOO” and “SEA-HAWKS,” 12th-Man flags waving – here’s a bit of Instagram video from California/Edmunds:
And of course, fireworks everywhere right after the game – heading north from Gatewood, we saw some 4th of July-quality. Celebration photos? Share ’em!
7:55 PM: The Seahawks have announced that the victory parade back here at home will be at 11 am Wednesday (February 5th). Route and other details to be announced. Meantime, another scene from The Junction:
More video shortly – while we were there, one group of exhilarated fans was marching back and forth across the Walk-All-Ways intersection.
8:17 PM: Update – the victory-parade route is in this story from our partners at The Seattle Times. And here’s our video from the celebration in The Junction:
More to come – including the video/photos we’re getting via e-mail – thanks!
9:31 PM: The crowd continued to grow – here’s video from Larry Murante showing a “SEA-HAWKS” chant in the intersection:
And a photo from Capt. Daniel Schwartz:
ADDED MONDAY: More intersection-celebration video, from Clove Burt:
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wish for advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wonder “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” – especially on these recent clear nights? Here you go! It’s our periodic feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things.
(December 2011 lunar eclipse, photographed by David Hutchinson – more on the way!)
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
It finally cleared up a bit recently for the first time since December and got me thinking about what’s coming up for the year. So here I present for you an overview of what to watch for in 2014.
Right Now: Nova in M82
There’s another nova in our sky right now, though it is extremely difficult to see from the city, even with an amateur telescope. “Nova” classically means ‘new star,’ though nowadays we know that these so-called ‘new’ stars are just brightening of stars that were there before. This one, SN2014J, has apparently peaked in brightness, and is a telescope-only object. It’s in the galaxy M82, conveniently located off the tip of the bowl of the Big Dipper. If you plan on looking for it, leave the city.
All Year: Sun & Aurora, Saturn & the Moon
Don’t be worried, I’m not asking you to read that NASA graph in detail.
We have just passed the maximum of this 11-year solar cycle, so we can expect less and less activity on the Sun as time passes. Funny thing though, some of the biggest solar flares happen in the few months after solar max. Those amazing flares can, in turn, lead to aurorae on Earth as far south as Seattle, as well as significantly farther: even Colorado & New Mexico.
So many pre-game Seattle-vs.-Denver sideline challenges this week, hard to keep track of them all – but this one has a specific West Seattle component: Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) joined in the “United in Blue” food-drive challenge between the UMC’s in Seattle and the UMC’s in Denver. In something like this, EVERYBODY wins, since it means more help for those in need. Betsy Wharton shares the video put together today for Tibbetts after its part of the drive (featured on the WSB Super Bowl page) brought in 770 nonperishable food items for local food banks! Money too, but that’s still being counted. Fun video – thanks for sharing; go, Hawks! (And go help your local food banks if you haven’t done so lately – online, you can donate to the West Seattle Food Bank here, the White Center Food Bank here.)
(WSB photo by Tracy Record)
In this afternoon’s sunshine, with Super Bowl kickoff soon, the 12th Man flag flies beneath the Stars and Stripes at Alki Lumber. We featured the flag last month – but just in time for the big game, there’s something new beneath it:
(Photo courtesy Alki Lumber)
Alki Lumber owner Jim Sweeney died on Super Bowl Sunday two years ago; as of this week, there’s new landscaping and a memorial plaque beneath the flagpole. Matthew Pedersen, who shared the plaque photo, wrote:
It is only fitting that the memorial was completed just days before the Seahawks play in Super Bowl XLVIII. Jim Sweeney will always be remembered for his kindness, generosity, business savvy and advice.
We miss you, Jim!
One of the region’s most dedicated orca watchers, Alisa Lemire Brooks, recorded that video while watching the pod of transient killer whales sighted in central Puget Sound on Saturday, in the Edmonds area, thought at one point (as mentioned here) to be headed southbound for a while. For orca fans, we have to share this video in case you haven’t seen it already, particularly because of one moment – around 3:10, one of the orcas breaches, fully out of the water, and since they weren’t too far offshore, it’s a much better view than usual. The “transients” are also known as Bigg’s killer whales, and have one big difference from the “resident” orcas – they eat marine mammals such as seals and sea lions; the residents eat fish. Hat tip to the Orca Network, whose Facebook page is where we found the link to Alisa’s video.
Thanks to Bonnie for sending that GO HAWKS! scene from Lincoln Park, starting spot for the annual WSFA25K/50K, which has an estimated 200 people on the run right now. Other notes for today:
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: Special 10 am start time – and you’re urged to wear Seahawks gear. Walt Hundley Playfield. (31st/Myrtle)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm as always. (44th/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE GREEN SPACE COALITION RALLY: WSGSC hopes to stop expected tree-cutting at the ex-City Light substation on Genesee Hill before its future is determined, and invites supporters to tie ribbons to trees and place signs, noon-1 pm, as previewed here Saturday. (50th/Dakota)
(Fog can’t stop the spirit! Saturday night photo by Micah Summers)
THE GAME! THE GAME! THE GAME! The info we’ve collected in recent days is all on this page, including game-watching spots you might not have thought of (for example, Highland Park Improvement Club – all ages). We also have a list of some of the businesses that have announced they’re closing early (or not opening today at all), but it’s NOT a full list – we’re sure there are many more. Basic advice – if you need to buy something, go early! And then, go, Hawks!
P.S. In case you didn’t see it on our Super Bowl page, here’s Barry White‘s video of 12th Man sightings around West Seattle (and a few other spots):
And Guardian One caught 12th Man spirit sightings from the air on Saturday night (before the fog grounded the law-enforcement helicopter for the night):
P.P.S. 24/7 news coverage continues here as always. You’ll find some non-football news here on WSB too as the day/night goes on, if you’re looking for an alternative or taking a break.
With drums, dancing, and firecrackers, the Lunar New Year was celebrated this afternoon by the North Delridge Vietnamese restaurant Phở Aroma, which brought in the West Seattle-based Âu Lạc Vovinam Lion Dance Team – see and hear for yourself in our short video clip:
The Lion Dance is a tradition aimed at scaring away evil spirits:
Behind-the-scenes photos ahead:
This winter hasn’t been all that wintry. But just you wait. The National Weather Service has us covered with a Special Weather Statement about temperatures dropping up to 15 degrees below normal – lows around 20 by Wednesday/Thursday – and maybe a bit of snow. See the alert here. Meantime, frequent weather commenter MetPatrick says via Twitter that the longer-range forecasts suggest a chance of real snow NEXT weekend. Still early, so don’t get too excited/concerned YET, but we’ll be tracking weather more closely in the days ahead.
Before (or while) sporting Seahawks blue and green tomorrow, you’re invited to join the West Seattle Green Space Coalition in a rally.
On Sunday at noon (before the Super Bowl game), according to coalition leader Mary Fleck, “neighbors at 50th Ave SW & Dakota will be tying ribbons around the trees at the Dakota St. surplus substation to express the neighbors’ love for the wooded, green space.”
According to a detailed announcement on the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council mailing list, it’s feared that Seattle City Light will remove the trees and shrubbery from the site soon as it continues what it says are cleanup operations at surplus ex-substations around the area – though it has not yet presented the City Council with its recommendations of what to do with the sites, 6 of which are in West Seattle. The sites in Pigeon Point and Highland Park already have had vegetation removed, and Fleck has filed complaints with the city saying it was done without permits/reviews.
Most other ex-substation sites around the city sold in recent years have gone to residential developers; the Genesee Hill site that’s the focus of tomorrow’s rally is just under 10,000 square feet and is zoned residential, SF (single-family) 5000. The WSGSC wants the utility to slow the disposition process to increase the possibility some sites might be preserved as greenspace.
Our apologies for WSB having been mostly unreachable for more than an hour this evening. Thanks to those who checked to make sure we knew – our 24-hour hotline, 206-293-6302, text or voice, is the best way to reach us with something urgent. Downtime is rare – our last major problem was almost five months ago – but if WSB ever doesn’t come up for you, please check our main social-media channels – Facebook (facebook.com/westseattleblog – if you “friended” us in the early days at facebook.com/wsblog, please note the “WS Blog” page is long-decommissioned, so you need to “like” WSB at /westseattleblog instead) and Twitter (twitter.com/westseattleblog). We also have a blog-format backup site at westseattleblog.wordpress.com. Thanks for your patience and support!
There’s a chance we will see orcas off our shores before the day’s out, according to sightings reported on the Orca Network Facebook page – they’ve been seen as close as south Bainbridge Island. Conflicting reports about which direction they’re heading, so we’re sharing this alert just in case. Please let us know if you see them from West Seattle – 206-293-6302 is our breaking-news line, text or voice any time – thanks!
(WSB photos, added 1:44 pm)
1:02 PM: Police are looking right now for someone who is reported to have held up or tried to hold up a neighborhood grocery store in the 9000 block of 16th SW. He is described as a white man, about 18 years old, six feet tall, heavy, with a white hoodie and blue jeans, and a “small black gun,” last seen heading eastbound on Henderson. More as we get it.
1:10 PM: From scanner – the robber might be in the company of a young woman about the same age, also in a white hoodie, possibly carrying a guitar case. A K-9 team has arrived to help with the search.
1:49 PM: The K-9 team reported the trail ran out between two nearby houses, and has departed. No word of arrests so far.
Following up on our as-it-happened coverage from last night – the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit has published video with the Guardian One helicopter’s infrared view of last night’s stolen-SUV incident southwest of The Junction. The audio is exactly what could be heard on the scanner as this all moved toward the 4800 block of 47th SW, including the stolen Chevrolet Tahoe crashing through a fence and its driver running. We’re checking to see if we can find out more about him. Thanks to commenter Lola for spotting the video and sharing word of it in the 140+-comment thread following last night’s coverage. Again, as police confirmed to us on the scene last night and reiterated in today’s SPD Blotter summary, they were alerted to the stolen vehicle by a LoJack signal – here’s the explanation of how that works.
P.S. We’re still checking into the record of the 32-year-old man booked into jail for investigation of burglary and auto theft. It’s long. Will add details as we pull them out.
2:56 PM UPDATE: Most of his record – 38 cases in the Washington State court-system files – is from outside King County (mostly Pierce County) so the documents are not so easy to come by. The most recent King County Superior Court cases is from 2008, when charges were filed in a 2005 Bellevue “trafficking in stolen property” case. A pickup truck stolen in Bellevue was found – but minus UW Huskies football season tickets that had been in the truck. The tickets were sold to someone via Craigslist, and that’s how detectives tracked down this man – who already by that point had a record including assault, theft, drugs, and forgery – and a female accomplice.
Meantime, back on 47th SW, as noted in comments, neighbors banded together today and did some cleanup, including putting temporary fencing up around a pool that the stolen pickup almost crashed into:
After we visited the neighborhood and took that photo, we heard from neighbor Jeff, who said he found evidence of the gunshot that many neighbors heard last night – he sent this photo:
Jeff said, “I’m the neighbor whose yard he ran through and this is my gate this morning. I could dig the bullet out of the post with a little patience.” We’ll continue to follow up on this case.
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