West Seattle, Washington

24 Wednesday

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month : 04/2015 327 results

VIDEO: Impact fees, fish-truck crash, and levy outreach @ City Council Transportation Committee
April 28, 2015 4:03 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

That’s the Seattle Channel video of this morning’s City Council Transportation Committee meeting, which included several items of interest. One was a briefing on the city’s ongoing study of development impact fees. Staffers from several departments participated. One reminded the councilmembers that impact fees are meant to raise “new capital for new needs created by new construction,” and that the areas in which they could be applied are “transportation, parks, schools, and fire … necessitated by new development and reasonably benefiting new development.” One example of what money from impact fees couldn’t be used to cover: Filling potholes. No vote, let alone decision, on the issue, but the studies continue.

Then came the discussion of the “after-action report” about the 9-hour Highway 99 closure last month because of an overturned truck full of fish. We published the first version of the report when it was circulated two weeks ago; today’s discussion, which included Seattle Police Deputy Chief Carmen Best and SDOT director Scott Kubly, brought a few more things to light. For one, the two departments use different traffic management systems that prioritize incidents in slightly different ways – and if not for that, different decisions might have been made as on-scene crews struggled with getting the truck out of the roadway. It was also pointed out that an insurance-company rep was on the scene relatively quickly, and that the rep was advocating for saving the $750,000 truckload of fish (“whitefish, not salmon, for the record,” it was pointed out today), which ultimately did not happen. Kubly said this would lead to some further refinements such as possibly positioning certain types of response equipment in certain areas of the city, and creating a tiered system to prioritize incidents depending upon a road/highways’ importance.

When presenting his written report, featured here last Friday, Kubly didn’t say much about the West Seattle components – except a reiteration of the walking tour times (35th SW 9 am-noon on May 16th, SW Roxbury 5:30-7:30 pm on May 20th) – but did discuss how outreach on the draft transportation levy is going, with a new draft to be presented to the mayor this week. He said the in-person traditional community meetings hadn’t drawn many, and described those drawn by those meetings as “disproportionately white, male, older,” but said 5,000 responses had come in to the online survey. Last week’s online meeting, he said, had 30 participants.

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How to stay connected to your teen: Find out at free event Thursday night at West Seattle High School
April 28, 2015 3:11 pm
|    Comments Off on How to stay connected to your teen: Find out at free event Thursday night at West Seattle High School
 |   Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If you are raising … or have raised … a teenager, you know how tough it can be to stay connected. They need some freedom so they can get ready to live their own lives, and yet they also need guidance and support, even in the times they try hardest to shrug it off. To help with navigation of this challenging and important time, West Seattle High School‘s counseling department is hosting an event on Thursday night and inviting the entire community, not just those with WSHS ties:

Dr. Laura Kastner will be our guest speaker, along with Lisa Davidson, Seattle Public Schools Prevention/Intervention Specialist. The evening will first take a look at the latest research and data on drug use in our community (Lisa’s portion) and will be followed by a talk with Dr. Kastner on what we as parents and community partners can do to stay connected to our teens. This will take place on Thursday, April 30th, from 6:30-9:00 pm in the West Seattle High School Theater.

WSHS is at 3000 California SW; the theater entrance is toward the south end of the main building.

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TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: SB 99 ramp to West Seattle Bridge reopens
April 28, 2015 1:26 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

1:26 PM: Headed toward southbound 99 to get home? You’ll need to take an alternate route – as shown in SDOT’s tweet above, the ramp from SB 99 to the West Seattle Bridge is blocked right now. So SB I-5 or 1st Avenue S. are your alternate routes to the bridge until this is cleared. (Thanks to the texter who tipped us to this!)

2:06 PM: SDOT just reported that this crash has cleared and the ramp from southbound 99 to the westbound bridge is open again.

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Voting; Guardian One pilot @ Block Watch Captains’ Network; and what else is up for the rest of your West Seattle Tuesday
April 28, 2015 12:03 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Machel Spence for today’s featured photo! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here are the highlights for today/tonight:

GET YOUR BALLOT IN: It’s special-election day/night, with one measure on the ballot here – the countywide levy to raise money to replace the area’s emergency-radio system. You can vote without a stamp by dropping your ballot at the White Center or West Seattle van by 8 pm (don’t be late) – we photographed Joe and Fred at the van outside the Greenbridge Library (8th SW south of Roxbury) on Monday:

The West Seattle van is at WS Stadium – turn in and find them on the driveway. (4470 35th SW)

GUARDIAN ONE PILOT @ WEST SEATTLE BLOCKWATCH CAPTAINS’ NETWORK: 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, this month’s WSBWCN meeting features a chance to find out more about our area’s only law-enforcement helicopter patrol, and to ask questions. All welcome – you don’t have to be a Block Watch Captain, but if you’re curious about how Block Watches work, this is a good place to find out. (Webster/Delridge)

HOPE LUTHERAN SCHOOL ACADEMIC FAIR: 6:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (42nd/Oregon)

FREE COMMUNITY/NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL CLINIC: Starts at 7 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle. Appointments required – our calendar listing explains how to make one. (Oregon/California)

NIGHTLIFE … see the listings on our calendar page. And have a great rest of your Tuesday!

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Congratulations: Denny, Pathfinder, WSHS win Washington Achievement Awards!
April 28, 2015 10:36 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Just in from Seattle Public Schools – three West Seattle schools are on the list of 23 district-wide that have just received Washington Achievement Awards:

Twenty-three Seattle Public Schools are being honored with Washington Achievement Awards from The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The schools earned these awards for improvements in areas including reading, English, math and overall outstanding academic success.

[West Seattle schools on the list]

Denny International Middle School – Math Growth
Pathfinder K-8 – High Progress
West Seattle High School – High Progress

“We are honored to have so many of our schools recognized for their hard work, dedication, and student success, with this prestigious award,” said Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland. “This recognition demonstrates the continuing efforts and achievements our students and staff are making in academic excellence.”

Schools are selected based on their statewide assessment data for the three previous years. This data is analyzed using the Achievement Index and methodology. All schools received their awards at a ceremony earlier today in Spanaway.

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FOLLOWUP: Spring ‘Recycle Roundup’ results, plus fall date
April 28, 2015 10:06 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from Sunday’s Recycle Roundup)
If you dropped something off at the Fauntleroy Church “Recycle Roundup” this past Sunday, you were part of another successful, sizable round of recycling. Judy Pickens shares the news:

The sun on Sunday brought out the best in West Seattle residents as an estimated 400 vehicles delivered recyclables to the Fauntleroy Church Green Committee’s spring Recycle Roundup. The crew from 1 Green Planet carried, loaded, and took away an estimated 10 tons for responsible disassembly. We’ll do it again on September 27!

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West Seattle, WC, SP nonprofits in GiveBIG this year: Let us know!
April 28, 2015 9:00 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

For the fourth consecutive year, we’re planning to create and publish a page of links to West Seattle/White Center/South Park nonprofits that are participating in the GiveBIG donate-a-thon, so that readers of West Seattle Blog, White Center Now, and The South Park News will have a one-stop cheat-sheet for where to donate. This year, GiveBIG is May 5th, one week from today. So if you are associated with a nonprofit in WS, WC, and/or SP, that’ll be participating, please let us know (some already have!) and send us the link to your GiveBIG donation page, ASAP. Best way to get us this info: editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates & alerts
April 28, 2015 6:28 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates & alerts
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:28 AM: Tuesday morning’s commute is off to a breezy start. Two road/trail-work alerts, too:

ALKI TRAIL IN 3400 BLOCK OF HARBOR: As previewed here on Monday, SDOT is making changes for safety’s sake, and work is scheduled to start today.

24TH/MYRTLE LANE CLOSURES: As mentioned Sunday night, westbound Myrtle at 24th will be restricted in the daytime today and tomorrow as part of work related to the nearby Delridge/Orchard CSO project.

ADDED 7:27 AM: Traffic’s still quiet. So one more mention of note today, the City Council Transportation Committee meets at 9:30 am. The agenda includes the periodic update from SDOT director Scott Kubly; as previewed here last Friday with the document prepared for his appearance, it includes several West Seattle project updates.

1:28 PM: Ramp from SB 99 to the westbound bridge is blocked right now. We’re updating this separately.

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High-school baseball: West Seattle vs. Chief Sealth
April 28, 2015 6:16 am
|    Comments Off on High-school baseball: West Seattle vs. Chief Sealth
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
The only guaranteed varsity-baseball game this year between West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School ended in a 5-2 win for the Wildcats on Monday afternoon at Southwest Athletic Complex. Thanks as always to Caryn Johnson for the recap:

A beautiful afternoon for baseball between two great schools. With the addition of more schools to the Metro league and the way the divisions within Metro are set up, West Seattle and Sealth only meet each other once during the regular season. The stands were full of West Seattleites. It was fun to see the support for these two great teams.

The game was a battle of the pitchers. West Seattle senior Jordan Sagmoen was up against Sealth sophomore Evan Moe.

First inning saw no runs scored by either team.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the 2nd that Sealth broke the 0-0 tie and scored on a triple by David Johnson and a single by Evan Moe that drove him in.

In the top of the third, West Seattle would score two off a single by senior Sam Cook and a triple from Morgan McCullough. Sealth would get one more back in the bottom of the third to tie things up.

No runs were scored in the 4th.

Then at the top of the 5th, West Seattle would take advantage of a couple of errors to score two more runs. They would bring in one more run in the top of the 6th. Jordan threw the entire game to get the win 5-2 over Sealth. In the end he would strike out 6 and only give up 6 hits.

Evan Moe would also throw the entire game, striking out 4 and giving up only 5 hits.

Both teams’ next games are at 3:30 pm Wednesday – West Seattle will be at home at Hiawatha to face Seattle Prep, while Sealth will be on the road visiting Cleveland.

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FOLLOWUP: West Seattle Bee Garden looks ahead to big spring/summer, while recovering from vandalism
April 27, 2015 9:29 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | High Point | West Seattle news

The West Seattle Bee Garden is getting ready for its biggest season yet, despite a disappointing discovery over the weekend – vandalism against its student-and-teacher-made mosaic sign. We first reported it after hearing from garden volunteers on Saturday, and then went over to follow up, not just on the vandalism, but on what’s ahead at the garden.

Bee Garden founder Lauren Englund (above) tells us that they are gathering financial and time/skills support to fix the mosaic, but can still use more. Both sides were damaged when someone hit it with a brick – it’s a two-sided sign greeting Bee Garden visitors as they enter and exit on the south side of the garden, which is at 31st/Graham, on the north side of High Point Commons Park. This is the side not shown in our weekend coverage:

If you can offer help to restore it, please e-mail westseattlebeegarden@gmail.com.

Now, looking ahead: Besides the third annual West Seattle Bee Festival in less than three weeks, other activities at the garden this spring/summer include a series of storytimes, 10 am Tuesdays from June 16th through August 18th. On June 23rd, July 14th, July 28th, August 11th and 18th, a beekeeper will be there for a hive demonstration, too.

The bees at the garden now made it through the winter, and will soon be joined by more, as Lauren installs another hive this Thursday. Volunteers made big progress with the garden itself – weeding and planting – last weekend and plan to be out again next weekend.

In June, something new and big will be added to the garden, a pergola designed by Josh Chambers, the architect of the bee enclosure. Before then, seven more school field trips to the bee garden are planned – one all the way from Wallingford! The garden also is getting some enhancements including hive-monitoring equipment so that the garden can participate in research and you can track hive details online, plus sound equipment so that Lauren or beekeeper Krista Conner can narrate and answer questions during demonstrations.

In the meantime, plan to visit for the Bee Festival on May 16th – Deborah Vandermar of the High Point Events Committee is hard at work on that, Lauren says – and later in the summer, the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association will have a Kids’ Day, which Lauren tells us “will have lots of beekeepers onsite, providing activities for kids (scavenger hunt for pollinator-friendly plants, etc.) and multiple hive demonstrations.” Also assisting, Nathalie Gelms, the children’s librarian from the High Point branch. Keep track of all this by checking in at westseattlebeegarden.com.

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Terminal 5 updates: Vehicle carrier due in; new security proposal
April 27, 2015 7:25 pm
|    Comments Off on Terminal 5 updates: Vehicle carrier due in; new security proposal
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

Two updates on the Port of Seattle‘s Terminal 5 in West Seattle:

VEHICLE CARRIER ON THE WAY: The vehicle carrier Ryujin is expected at T-5 tonight (unrelated to the Foss/Shell operations for which a third of T-5 is currently leased.). Port spokesperson Peter McGraw tells WSB, “It will be delivering 2,400 autos that will be stored there for up to a few weeks. There may be other car-carrying vessels over this time frame as well. At some point they will be loaded back on to the vessel and off to their planned destination.” (MarineTraffic.com shows the Ryujin currently near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. *Tuesday 6:49 am update – It’s just now passing Port Angeles.*)

SECURITY CONTRACT FOR T-5: One of the items on the agenda for tomorrow’s Port Commission meeting at Sea-Tac Airport is authorization for up to $3 million to be spent for T-5 security over the next 5 years. Here’s the agenda document:

The memo says security used to be the responsibility of whomever was leasing the terminal; since the lease expired last summer, the port has contracted with security guards, which cost almost $100,000 in the last three months of last year. They’ve already sent this proposal out to bid, with a contract to be awarded later this week, and expecting it will cost $400,000 to $600,000 a year. The memo also says the current “interim tenant” – which would be Foss – is picking up 25 percent of the security costs. The commission meeting is at 1 pm in the airport’s conference center and also is streamed live online.

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VIDEO: West Seattle swimmer Wayne Kinslow’s milestone – 1,000 consecutive days of swimming off Alki
April 27, 2015 4:55 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Maybe you’ve seen Wayne Kinslow swimming off Alki and wondered if it was just somebody on a dare. Nope. Wayne swims off Alki every day. And we do mean, EVERY day. Today happened to be his THOUSANDTH consecutive day of swimming off Alki – that’s almost three years without missing a day, rain or shine or snow. Among those capturing the historic occasion – Clay Eals, executive director of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:

During a quick post-swim interview, Wayne, who’s an Alki resident as well as Alki swimmer, received a trophy of sorts:

Here’s a closer look:

He’s still swimming tonight too, as mentioned in our daily calendar highlights, and invites you to join him in celebrating the milestone – meet up at the Alki fire rings around 6:30, group swim set for about 7 pm, then a potluck and bonfire. By the way, according to a NOAA buoy, today’s water temperature in Elliott Bay is about 51 degrees.

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Meet City Councilmember John Okamoto, just appointed for remainder of Sally Clark’s term
April 27, 2015 4:49 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(City of Seattle photo: Councilmember John Okamoto’s swearing-in today)
The newest member of the Seattle City Council is 61-year-old John Okamoto of Seward Park, chosen today by his new colleagues to fill the unexpired term left when Sally Clark resigned to take a job at the University of Washington. Okamoto is a former city employee, including a recent sting as interim Human Services Director. Here’s the official city announcement; here’s Okamoto’s application material. Okamoto has pledged not to run for election this fall, as the Council had requested of applicants, so he will serve until the election is certified in late November.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck; swapped plates; bicycles found/sighted; mail theft
April 27, 2015 3:42 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | Highland Park | Luna Park | West Seattle news | Westwood

West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports to share:

LUNA PARK TRUCK THEFT: Bob discovered this morning that someone had taken his white Chevy Blazer from what’s supposed to be a secure garage at City View Apartments in the Luna Park area. License plate 105YGD – call 911 if you see it.

STOLEN PLATES: From Andi:

This morning I discovered someone had swapped my back license plate on my car with someone else’s. I have reported them as stolen, so if anyone sees plates ASU6665 call the police. The ones they put on the car were ANK8876, and the officer said he recognized them from a call this morning. I live on Trenton & Delridge [map] if anyone saw anything.

This happens more often than you might think, so it’s always worth a quick glance at your plates every time you go out to your vehicle, if it’s parked outside.

POSSIBLE STOLEN BICYCLES: Two posts in the WSB Forums regarding bicycles –
**Vintage Puch bicycle found in a Westwood/Roxhill-area backyard
**Redline bicycle frame spotted in Admiral in unusual circumstances

HIGHLAND PARK MAIL THEFT: In the 9400 block of 10th SW (map), Fran A spotted several mailboxes open this morning, with mail littered on the street, including an envelope that was supposed to contain her husband’s new driver’s license.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Alki Trail safety-improvement realignment
April 27, 2015 3:25 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

3:25 PM: Announced by SDOT this afternoon:

The Seattle Department of Transportation will realign the Alki Trail at the driveway of 3400 Harbor Avenue Southwest (several hundred yards north of Spokane Street). Moving the trail away from the building at the driveway will improve visibility for drivers exiting the building parking lot and for bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail. Please see the [above] aerial visual with realignment super-imposed.

Construction is scheduled to begin tomorrow, April 28, and take up to three weeks to complete. Work will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. with pedestrians and bicyclists detoured away from the building into an adjacent temporary pathway currently used to provide on-street parking. A single general traffic lane in each direction will be maintained, although they lanes will be narrowed to accommodate the work zone and temporary trail through the area. Access to building storefronts will also be maintained.

We had been asked recently about some parking changes in the area and are following up to ask if that was related to this.

ADDED 6:19 PM: SDOT’s Marybeth Turner responded to our question about the parking changes:

To make way for the trail’s new location, the truck load zone in front of 3400 Harbor Ave SW will be relocated approximately 23 feet to the south. Two on-street parking spots, one just north of the driveway and one just south of the driveway (for the relocated load zone) will be permanently removed.

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BIZNOTE: Tony’s Market in Westwood will open this Friday
April 27, 2015 1:14 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

We finally have an answer to the question we’ve been asked most often these past several weeks: “When is the Tony’s Market produce stand at 35th and Barton opening for the season?” Since photographing the new tent almost three weeks ago, we’ve gone by every day, but no one’s been there. We finally spotted proprietor Joey Genzale outside the stand while driving by about an hour ago, so we changed course and stopped to ask him what’s up. First, the opening date: This Friday, May 1st. Second, why the delay? In addition to putting up the new tent, the parking lot needed some work. So if you’re a Tony’s fan, now you know.

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West Seattle development notes: Whittaker’s 1st crane; Harbor Ave., Beach Dr. projects
April 27, 2015 11:29 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   4755 Fauntleroy | Development | West Seattle news

Four development/land-use notes so far today:

FIRST CRANE @ THE WHITTAKER: As previewed last week, the first of two tower cranes planned for The Whittaker on the east edge of The Junction is going up today. It’s on the south side of the project and when we went by around 9:30 am, the installation operation was centered off the street at 40th/Edmunds, with no additional traffic effects except for some intermittent truck maneuvering. We’ll be checking back on it for an update later. This makes three cranes currently working in West Seattle, with the one at Broadstone Sky on the west side of 40th/Edmunds and the 4435 35th SW project.

ADDED: Above this line, our photo from noontime; below, a midafternoon photo courtesy of Eddie:

No date yet for the north-end crane.

1201 HARBOR SW: From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin, the city has approved the land-use permit for a 4-unit rowhouse at this location (map) in an “environmentally critical area” (ECA). That opens a 2-week appeal period; the LUIB notice includes links to the decision and information on appealing.

ALSO ON HARBOR SW: The construction-permit application is in for 3005 Harbor SW (map), a six-unit apartment building; that’s two fewer apartments than were planned when this project was first mentioned here in early 2014.

6001 BEACH DRIVE: Further south along the West Seattle shore, applications are in to demolish the single-family house that’s currently at this location (map) and build a replacement. The same project also has filed a land-use-permit application, because it’s in an ECA; that application says the house will have “surface parking for five vehicles.”

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West Seattle Monday: Bike-commuting workshop; baseball; more…
April 27, 2015 9:31 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Need some Monday inspiration? West Seattle wildlife photographer extraordinaire Mark Wangerin says it took two hours of hiding in the bushes to get that image, and the one below, of a male Rufous Hummingbird. So with that dedication in mind … we present five Monday highlights (no hiding required) from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SEALTH-WSHS BASEBALL GAME: 4 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex, watch our area’s two biggest high schools face off in baseball – Chief Sealth IHS hosting West Seattle HS. (2801 SW Thistle)

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO COMMUTE BY BIKE? 6-7:30 pm at Delridge Library, West Seattle Bike Connections invites you to a free workshop to find out – perfect timing, with Bike Month starting on Friday. No RSVP needed, just show up. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

WAYNE’S 1,000 CONSECUTIVE SWIM: Wayne Kinslow, the guy who swims off Alki every single day, will hit 1,000 consecutive days – almost three years without missing a day! – today. According to a Facebook notice, he’s inviting you to join him to celebrate, and to swim! Meet at the Alki fire pits at 6:30 pm, group swim around 7, potluck/bonfire afterward (bring a side dish or drinks). (60th/Alki)

FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm at High Point Library. (35th/Raymond)

WEST SEATTLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: Every Monday night at 6:30 pm, weekly on-air “meeting”:

The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club (WSARC) weekly net @ W7AW Repeater, 441.800, input +5, tone 141.3

Echolink and IRLP are also available -see westseattlearc.org for more info. The repeater is located at High Point.

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‘Am I doing enough?’ West Seattle Co-op Preschools presenting free expert talk Wednesday to reassure, enlighten parents
April 27, 2015 8:59 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Young child(ren) in the house? Another big event this week presented by West Seattle Co-op Preschools is for you, and it’s free. “Building the Foundation for Lifelong Learning: Starting in the Early Years, Birth through Preschool” is set for 7 pm Wednesday (April 29th) at Olympic Hall on the campus of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle:

What does soul-engaging, creative, relationship-rich, brain-expanding learning look like? How do schools foster it…or not? How can my family foster it – beginning in infancy and through the preschool years – so that my child is more than “ready” to enter kindergarten, but is ready to thrive? At this special public event, our guest speaker Anoo Padte will help you answer these questions, give practical tips, and calm the common parent fear: “Am I doing enough?”

Anoo Padte is a teacher, education consultant, and mother. At the Art of Education, she coaches parents on choosing the right school and develops personalized education plans that empower parents to identify schools, enrich and be involved in a child’s education. She teaches math and science and is found tinkering, creating art and cooking with her two sons.

Olympic Hall is on the south end of the SSC campus at 6000 16th SW.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Last Monday in April
April 27, 2015 6:16 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Last Monday in April
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! A new month will start before the week ends. But first, let’s get through Monday. Transportation-related notes:

ROAD-WORK UPDATES: Newest 47th/Admiral project info here; newest Delridge/Orchard project info here.

WHITTAKER CRANE: The first of two tower cranes for The Whittaker at Fauntleroy/Edmunds/Alaska is expected today, according to what the project team told us last week. We’ll be checking the area later to see if it’s bringing any additional traffic effects.

THINKING ABOUT TRYING TWO WHEELS? Bike Month is almost here, and Bike To Work Day is two weeks from Friday. Might be time to try two wheels. Tonight at 6, you’re invited to explore the concept at a free bicycle-commuting workshop presented by West Seattle Bike Connections at Delridge Library.

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UPDATE: Air, sea search off Alki after life ring spotted off Bainbridge-bound state ferry
April 26, 2015 10:05 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

10:05 PM: Thanks to the texter who asked about a stopped ferry off Alki. According to a tweet from the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, there was a report of a possible person overboard from the Bainbridge-bound M/V Puyallup. We note via MarineTraffic.com that Seattle fireboat Leschi is in the area too, and the Bremerton ferry M/V Kaleetan is stopped. The BIFD said the U.S. Coast Guard also would be responding.

10:11 PM UPDATE: Washington State Ferries has now acknowledged the “search and rescue operation” via its “bulletins” page.

10:29 PM UPDATE: Per BIFD, the Coast Guard is sending a helicopter to help.

10:42 PM UPDATE: Our partners at The Seattle Times quote the USCG as saying this started when a life ring with a strobe light was spotted in the water, and that a head count was being done aboard M/V Puyallup to try to determine if anyone is missing. It’s now headed back to Colman Dock.

11:31 PM UPDATE: The Coast Guard has tweeted that it’s still searching. Puyallup remains docked in Seattle, while Kaleetan headed back to Bremerton. (Added: Three minutes after this update, Puyallup left for Bainbridge.)

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FOLLOWUP: Date changes, comment responses for Delridge/Orchard CSO project
April 26, 2015 8:39 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Utilities

New information for traffic effects related to the ongoing Delridge/Orchard Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) 2 facility project. Seattle Public Utilities says the SW Myrtle daytime westbound lane closure at 24th SW announced for this week have moved up a day and will be happening on Tuesday/Wednesday (April 28-29) instead. (Flow-monitoring equipment is being installed.) SPU spokesperson Emily Reardon also had answers for two topics that came up in comments on the previous report – first, resulting road changes:

this project narrowed the roadway to two standard-width east-west lanes on SW Orchard, and extended the curb bulb at Orchard and Dumar. These changes allow for new sidewalks and ADA curb ramps along Orchard. The intersection of Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard St. remains largely unchanged. Crews have not yet completed the lanes or added roadway striping. This new roadway configuration is an SDOT-approved design.

The project overview flyer mentions that work.

Another commenter had wondered about an odd color in Longfellow Creek and whether it was related to the CSO work. From Reardon: “I checked with our construction crew and confirmed that no sediment from this project has been released into Longfellow Creek. Sometimes, different colors in creeks in the area can be naturally occurring, but they can also be a sign of a problem upstream … If residents are concerned about something they’re seeing in the creek, they are encouraged to call SPU’s 24-hour emergency line at: 206-386-1800.”

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Congrats! International olive-oil award for West Seattle’s 11 Olives
April 26, 2015 5:45 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

You probably know West Seattle has a thriving wine and beer scene. Beverages are not all you’ll find bottled here. West Seattle also is home to olive-oil-maker Rick Martin‘s company 11 Olives – whose extra-virgin-olive-oil blend “Longevity” was a gold-medal honoree at the recent New York International Olive Oil Competition, which had more than 600 entries from more than 20 countries. “Longevity” is also a California Olive Oil Council medal-winner. Martin explains the process:

I travel to California each year for the olive harvest and source single varietal olive oil directly from the finest organic and sustainable olive growers in California. I begin crafting my blends from those olive oils in early spring here in west Seattle at a free-standing facility after the olive oil has settled and ready for blending. Creating a premium extra virgin olive oil is a tedious and challenging task while also being a labor of love that we all strive to perfect each and every year. There’s no resting on laurels in our field as olive oil producers face constant changing conditions and work tirelessly to provide the freshest and most flavorful olive oil with each new season.

P.S. Martin wanted to publicly thank West Seattle Produce owner Bruce McPherson: “It was through his kindness and willingness to offer us a chance to introduce our olive oils at his produce stand in April of 2011 that we have been able to grow.” That’s where you can buy 11 Olives’ olive oil.

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