West Seattle, Washington

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day : 16/05/2015 8 results

West Seattle weekend scene: Bee Festival parade
May 16, 2015 9:10 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle weekend scene: Bee Festival parade
 |   High Point | West Seattle news

(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
Without bees … we’d “bee” in big trouble. While kids decades ago grew up mostly scared of getting stung by a bee, today’s kids are learning about their irreplaceable role in the ecosystem, and celebrating them with events like this one … the parade at today’s third annual West Seattle Bee Festival.

Kids and pets were invited to parade around High Point Commons Park.

Costumes, as you’ve probably guessed, were encouraged. They weren’t limited to the littlest paraders.

The parade was part of a five-hour festival centered around the West Seattle Bee Garden on the north side of the park.

If you missed the festival, you’re welcome to stop by the garden some other time.

It’s at 31st and Graham and will have special features this summer such as Tuesday morning storytimes starting June 16th. Don’t miss the flowers! Today’s parade celebrated those too.

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West Seattle weekend scene: Barton P-Patch welcomes spring
May 16, 2015 7:01 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | West Seattle news | Westwood

In Westwood today, a spring ritual for the Barton Street P-Patch – the wood-burning masonry oven was fired up for a round of community bagel-baking.

The garden is in its fourth full growing season, and some of what’s grown is donated, too:

It’s one of eight community P-Patches in West Seattle, according to this city-created map.

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PHOTOS: Protest ‘flotilla’ gathers in Elliott Bay, then near Polar Pioneer
May 16, 2015 2:02 pm
|      84 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

(UPDATED 9:54 PM with added photos – scroll down)

2:02 PM: That’s just one section of the anti-Arctic-offshore-drilling “flotilla” that’s amassed in Elliott Bay this afternoon. Even if you haven’t been down by the water, you’ve probably noticed the helicopter flyover, circling North Admiral to the bay and back. Hundreds of people with kayaks and canoes started arriving before 9 am, organizing in groups along the Harbor Avenue shore; the traffic peaked a couple hours ago but will pick up again when this is over in late afternoon. An onshore program is scheduled at Jack Block Park, where this portable video sign has been showing a live feed of the kayakers, as well as this logo:

A barge off Seacrest, dubbed “The People’s Platform,” is expected to be showing “projections” in the evening. Here’s an aerial we just received from local photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen:

Meantime, on sea and land, police have been very conspicuously in view, from this bicycle pedal-by …

… to a patrol boat on the water and two mast-equipped command vehicles parked with an overview of JB Park and Terminal 5:

T-5 is where the drill platform Polar Pioneer has been docked since Thursday, but no word of any arrests or clashes. The date for today’s protest, as well as a demonstration on land Monday, was announced weeks ago, even before it was known when the PP would arrive; the drillship Noble Discoverer, which Shell also expects to use in the Arctic, remained docked in Everett at last report.

2:10 PM: Our crew at Jack Block says the flotilla participants are paddling by now, getting closer to the Polar Pioneer:

From our partners at The Seattle Times, via Twitter:

2:56 PM: Our crew says the flotilla is heading back out of the Duwamish River (Terminal 5 is at its mouth) and toward Jack Block Park.

3:25 PM: What was supposed to be a program of speakers at Jack Block scheduled for around 2 pm hasn’t started yet. So if you’re trying to keep track of when the outbound traffic might start in the area – all bets are off.

4:43 PM: Big outbound traffic as of about 4 pm, us included. More photos later.

ADDED 9:54 PM: As promised – more photos of the sights from and near Jack Block Park over the course of the day, now that we’ve had time to go through what we have – starting with Native canoes that joined the flotilla:

Part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s presence:

One person we recognized in the flotilla – Sustainable West Seattle co-founder Bill Reiswig:

One other view, for geographic context – Long B. Nguyen shot this in the early going today – it shows where Polar Pioneer is, in relation to Jack Block Park (Seacrest is not far off the right edge of the image, which you can click for a larger view):


While this has been promoted as a three-day “Festival of Resistance,” we don’t know of anything tomorrow; Monday morning is the on-land demonstration near the low bridge, scheduled to start around 7 am – so it could affect the morning commute – our most recent mention is here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Seen this stolen bicycle?
May 16, 2015 12:20 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

On Bike To Work Day, someone stole a bicycle from a West Seattleite who says she bikes to work often. Jane sent the photo and report:

My bike was stolen from in front of the Admiral Way Bartell Drugs on Friday, May 15. The cable lock was cut. It is a grey Raleigh (picture attached) with a rack attachment, very new. I would very much appreciate contact if seen, as I bike to work nearly every day.

As with other stolen vehicles – if you see it, please contact police.

P.S. Tuesday is the next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm at Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). Local crime trends and neighborhood concerns will be a centerpiece of the meeting, as always, but guests are booked too – former gang members who “will present their gang experiences and what it took for them to leave the gangs.”

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AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE: SDOT-led walking tour of 35th SW
May 16, 2015 9:36 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

FIRST REPORT, 9:36 AM: As of just after 9 am, the SDOT-organized walking tour of the 35th SW Safety Project zone is under way. Above, project manager Jim Curtin, who started the tour with one assistant and three members of the public. At the outbound 35th/Avalon RapidRide, he explained that the section of 35th in that area is NOT proposed for rechannelization or other major changes. He was asked how the mixed-use development across the street will change conditions in that area:

Curtin mentioned, as has been reported here, that it includes a slopeside stairway to help connect the 35th/Avalon area (which is the gateway to West Seattle Stadium, WS Golf Course, and Camp Long) with the growing residential/business area to the west in The Triangle and The Junction. The transit stop, currently relocated to the south, will be “improved,” he said. Then after a few minutes, the group headed southbound, where we spotted them a few minutes later outside the stadium entrance:

You can catch up with the tour for a moment, an hour, whatever interests you. The stops and times are listed here, continuing until they reach 35th/Roxbury at noon. And if you don’t get to catch up with any of this – Curtin reiterated at the start that SDOT will come back to the community with the next version of the proposal, next month. You can send comments/observations/questions to him at jim.curtin@seattle.gov.

11:07 AM: We checked in on the walking tour again at 35th and Morgan, one spot where SDOT had said during the recent community meetings that they were still deciding what would be best to do to avoid significantly delaying traffic here:

Curtin said the plan for this intersection so far includes “tweaking the signal phasing.” Nearby residents who joined in at this stop mentioned parking near the intersection that could be reviewed for removal.

P.S. We’ve been experimenting with the new Twitter-linked “live” app Periscope lately and went live at this stop for a few minutes – if you use Twitter, check it out (or, if you don’t want to use Twitter but do decide to use the Periscope app, just follow us there!).

12:22 PM: The tour concluded right on time – we stopped by to check in as they arrived at 35th and Roxbury:

Curtin told the final few participants that “Option A” is looking the most promising, especially “south of Oregon,” and that the community meeting will likely be in mid-June.

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West Seattle Saturday: See what’s up today and tonight!
May 16, 2015 8:16 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Western Tanager, photographed by Trileigh Tucker near Lincoln Park)

Busy, busy Saturday ahead. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE HI-YU COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: It’s a busy Saturday. Whatever you’re doing, start it at the VFW Hall, 8 am-11 am, for breakfast and the talent exhibition that’s being judged as part of choosing the new Hi-Yu Senior Court Queen. (3601 SW Alaska)

WEST SEATTLE BEE FESTIVAL: Starts with the 9 am Honey Run at 30th/Juneau, and includes the 11 am parade in High Point Commons Park – more details here and here. (Various High Point locations)

35TH SW SAFETY PROJECT WALKING TOUR: Questions/concerns/comments about what the city is proposing for 35th SW? Talk with SDOT during all or part of this morning’s walking tour, which starts at 9 am at 35th/Avalon and offers other meetup points all the way to noon at 35th/Roxbury- see our Friday preview.

SPRING BOOK SALE: 10 am-2 pm at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), “a wonderful display of books for all ages.” (3940 41st SW)

HELP SAVE SEATTLE’S APPLES: 10 am-1 pm, CityFruit, and local fruit trees, need you – as explained here. (8845 34th SW)

‘FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE’: 10 am-4:30 pm activities at and off Seacrest and Jack Block Parks, organized by opponents of Arctic offshore drilling in relation to Shell vessels using Terminal 5. Details in our Friday update. (P.S. The barge just off the area with a trailer and solar panels is part of it, with “projections” expected by dusk on what organizers are calling The People’s Platform.)

TAKE A WALK TO SHAPE A TOUR: 10:30 am-noon, second of three Alki-area walks to help shape a future all-encompassing walking tour – your input will help make that tour terrific. Meet at the SW Seattle Historical Society’s Log House Museum. (61st/Stevens)

CITY MOUSE TURNS 5: Happy 5th Anniversary to City Mouse Studio and Store in The Junction – celebration with special events and deals 11 am-2 pm. (4218 SW Alaska)

BENEFIT BARBECUE AT THRIFTWAY: 11 am-4 pm, today’s West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) benefit barbecue lunch – only $5 – raises money for Northwest Harvest. Bratwurst with grilled peppers and onions, drink, and chips included. Look for the grill tent outside the store. (4201 SW Morgan)

FIRE IT UP … at the Barton St. P-Patch in Westwood, 11 am-3 pm, help get the garden ready for spring and enjoy fresh treats from the P-Patch’s oven. Details here. (34th/Barton)

FRIENDSHOP POP-UP: 11:30 am-3:30 pm – here’s what it’s all about. West Seattle (Admiral) Library steps. (2306 42nd SW)

WEST SEATTLE 5K REGISTRATION/PACKET PICKUP: Noon-6 pm today, register for tomorrow’s West Seattle 5K or, if you’re already signed up, pick up your packet, at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) – beat the last-minute pre-race rush! (2743 California SW)

ONE-DAY NATIVE ART SHOW: 1-4 pm at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle, “Contemporary and Traditional Native Fine Arts of the Future” with John Romero. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)

ALKI DAZE: The community-organized celebration starts tonight with a meet-and-greet at Alki Huddle, 6 pm, followed by a beach bonfire at 8 pm – here’s our preview.

ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – live music. (5612 California SW)

MORE on the calendar (and note that Highland Park Uncorked and tonight’s performance of “Angry Housewives” are sold out!) … here.

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Shell @ Terminal 5: Port of Seattle files its appeal of city ‘interpretation,’ calling it ‘irrational’
May 16, 2015 4:00 am
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

“Irrational” is one word the Port of Seattle is using to describe the city Department of Planning and Development interpretation suggesting Shell oil rigs can’t use Terminal 5 without a new permit. That’s part of what the port argues in its official appeal of the interpretation, which we found in the city Hearing Examiner‘s files, hours after it was posted there late Friday:

The filing came 24 hours after Shell’s platform Polar Pioneer arrived at Terminal 5 – where it was photographed from the air on Friday by West Seattle photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen:

And it came three days after a 5-hour Port Commission meeting ended with two motions passed, the second of which directed port staff to file an appeal (WSB coverage here). The port tenant that’s hosting Shell, Foss Maritime, has already filed its appeal, as first reported here hours after that meeting. The verbiage in the port’s document is notably sharper, especially in its opening assertion that “the effect of the interpretation, if affirmed on appeal, will be to make unlawful the moorage of many different kinds of vessels, including … tugboats … marine-construction vessels … cruise vessels … icebreakers … ships of state … research vessels … diving vessels … oil-spill-response vessels … seismic vessels … Seattle Fire Department fireboats.”

The appeal later also suggests that since the port is a steward of its marine environment and that hosting many different types of vessels is a key component of that, the appeal could be environmentally damaging and therefore is subject to review under the State Environmental Policy Act. Appeals typically will go before the Hearing Examiner, but usually not for a few months until their filing; we’re not seeing a date on the docket yet. Meantime, the city told WSB on Wednesday that the appeal process wouldn’t keep it from citing the port if it chose to.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Police search after Alki robbery report
May 16, 2015 12:54 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

12:54 AM: Police are searching right now for a man who is reported to have held someone up at gunpoint in the Alki area. We don’t have many details, but it happened about half an hour ago, according to information broadcast over police frequencies, and the robber was reported to have last been seen in the Whale Tail Park area; police also are searching near Schmitz Park. The only description mentioned so far is “light complexion black man, early to mid-20s, 6 feet tall, thin build, striped shirt.” No information about the victim(s) and whether they were hurt – no medic calls in the Alki area, though.

12:13 PM: The only additional information we have about this so far is that it was reported in the 1100 block of Alki SW, according to an SPD auto-tweet. Unless it appears on SPD Blotter or unless we happen to find a sergeant in the field who can tell us more, we won’t be able to get additional details until Monday.

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