West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Two weeks until a big day at Alki Beach, May 17th:
(Photo from WSB archives)
WEST SEATTLE 5K WALK/RUN: Are you signed up yet? Easiest way to do it is online, rather than standing in line the day it happens (and the fee is lower, too). This is the 7th year for the biggest 5K at the beach every year, raising money for West Seattle High School students via the WSHS PTSA. As usual, the WS5K will start at 61st/Alki around 9 am, first heading eastbound on a round-trip route to and from Anchor (Luna) Park, finishing at the same spot where it started. WSB is again among the sponsors and we look forward to seeing you there. Here’s where to sign up online.
REMINDER, NO ‘SUMMER STREETS’ – BUT ‘ALKI DAZE’ IS ON: The road will close to motorized vehicles during the 5K as always, but then it’ll reopen rather than staying partly closed for the rest of the day, because, as first reported here a month ago, after seven years, SDOT is NOT presenting a “Summer Streets” (originally “Car-Free Day”) event. But, as we told you on April 15th, a group of Alki residents decided to step up to organize a celebration:
The events, which organizers say will be held without closing the street, are listed on the poster, including gatherings on Saturday night as well as live music, a bike parade (1 pm) and bicycle “drag race” (3 pm) on Sunday afternoon (again, this is also May 17th). You’ll also find a Facebook event invite here, to keep up with updates.
Photo by Bill Bacon)
Happy Sunday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PROFESSOR @ PEACE LUTHERAN: Starting at 9:15 am, a guest presenter today at Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood:
Professor Patrick Henry, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Literature at Whitman College, will be a guest presenter at Peace Lutheran Church (39th and SW Thistle). Dr. Henry will give a special presentation on the community of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, who, along with neighboring villages, offered safe haven to Jewish refugees during WW2, saving thousands of lives.
The schedule for his presentations – all of which are open to the community – is in our calendar listing. (39th/Thistle)
NORTH DELRIDGE TREE WALK: 10 am, meet Tree Ambassador Patrick at Greg Davis Park to tour neighborhood green spaces and learn some Cottage Grove history. Free, all welcome. (26th/Brandon)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, with plants, new produce, more. (44th/Alaska)
(added) BASEBALL GEAR DONATION DRIVE: A local father and son are collecting bats and gloves in good condition to take to Nicaragua this summer, 11 am-3:30 pm at Hiawatha Playfield. (2700 California SW)
FREE CUPCAKE & CENTURYLINK 1-GIG INFO: 11 am-3 pm at Cupcake Royale in The Junction, CenturyLink has a drop-in info session about its 1 Gig service, with a free cupcake for everyone who stops by, while they last.
(WSB photo, added after event began)
Note: CL is sponsoring WSB to promote this event. (California/Alaska)
FRED LAUGHS: This time around, the Kol HaNeshamah “FRED Talks” series presents “fun, frolicking, female-focused comedy,” with Connie Burke and Jake Fawcett. 3 pm – more info in our listing. (6115 SW Hinds)
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: Max García Conover & The Ghost of Paul Revere perform at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
WEST MY FRIEND: 7:30 pm at historic Kenyon Hall, playing “everything from indie-roots to chamber-folk.” More info in our listing. (7904 35th SW)
YOU’LL FIND EVEN MORE … on our calendar.
One note tonight, from a Gatewood resident who’s wondering if the same hit-run driver had any other victims:
Unfortunately, our neighbor’s car got hit quite badly about 7:40 pm this evening by someone driving out of control down Rose near 39th. It was a gray SUV. We have of course called the police and our neighbor found the car at 44th and Portland without the driver. The reason I am writing is we heard a loud boom about 5 minutes prior to the hit and run. Please share with the police if your car was stolen or if your car was also hit in the Gatewood area.
In exactly one week, sellers and shoppers will be recovering from the biggest West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day yet – 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 9th, at 340+ locations all over WS. Here’s what’s new:
THE MAP: If you haven’t already seen it, the online version has been linked from the WSB navigation-tab bar for a few hours now – or just go here. The page includes tips for using and searching the map. If you have any questions, garagesale@westseattleblog.com is the official mailbox of WSCGSD. The printable version is still in the works – but it’s all the same information you’ll find on the now-available online map (click any sale marker to open its info-bubble including the sale description; you can use the search feature to look for keywords in those descriptions).
INFO FOR SELLERS: The e-mail version goes out in the next hour; postal-mail packets are in USPS’s hands. Speaking of whom …
STAMP OUT HUNGER: The USPS letter carriers’ annual door-to-door, mailbox-to-mailbox food drive is also on the second Saturday in May every year, so we always suggest that you put out your bag of nonperishable food for pickup before you head out to sell or shop – thousands of hungry neighbors are counting on you.
PUT UP A POSTER: We’re continuing to canvass WS with 8 1/2 x 11 posters for bulletin boards and shop windows; if you have someplace to put one up – favorite coffee shop, school, etc. – here’s the printable PDF we linked from the WSCGSD website earlier in the week.
UNUSUAL ITEMS: If you browse the sales, here’s some of the more unusual items you’ll find listed:
*Homemade dog jackets
*Stained glass
*Sports-car ephemera
*Movie props
*Antique typewriter
*Tiffany ceiling fan
*Mountaineering equipment
*Never-worn wedding dress
More spotlights during this week’s countdown!
8:29 PM: There’s no power-outage-style map available, so we have no way of knowing how much of West Seattle is or isn’t affected, but Comcast is reported to have acknowledged nationwide trouble tonight with at least part of its video service. 
(Added: Our partners at the Times have a report on this too.) Haven’t seen anything about an ETA for a fix, but Comcast has said the big pay-per-view fight would not be affected. Added at right: Image from the comcast.net page for our account
9:59 PM: Some commenters say their service is back. (The fight’s over, too.)
Earlier this week, we mentioned the May 27 candidates’ forum in South Park for those running for the new District 1 City Council seat serving SP and West Seattle. We’ve since learned of another forum happening before that one. The Westside Interfaith Network and League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County invite you to the forum they’re presenting at 6:30 pm Monday, May 18th – a little over two weeks away – at Fauntleroy UCC Church (9140 California SW). It’ll be a moderated forum “with the opportunity for questions from the audience,” according to WIN, which is a coalition of local churches.
SIDE NOTE: WSB coverage links from the three forums held so far, all in West Seattle (all of which we recorded on video):
–April 8th, presented by the 34th District Democrats @ The Hall at Fauntleroy
–March 14th, presented by VIEWS @ Senior Center of West Seattle
–February 5th, presented by WSB @ Highland Park Improvement Club
(Photos courtesy Straight Blast Gym)
Still looking for summer camp, and/or a new place for your kid(s) to spend time before/after school? New offerings at Straight Blast Gym (WSB sponsor), co-proprietor Sonia Sillan tells us:
Straight Blast Gym offers kids’ martial arts focusing on life skills and youth development. We have recently expanded our schedule, upgraded our Before and After School Program, AND have added a brand-new Summer Camp for 2015. We are invested in the success of your child in the gym and on the mats, but also in life as well.
SBG is currently offering free consultations, which include a free private lesson for your kid(s), and a discount for enrolling in the summer camp or before/after-school program by the end of this month. You can call or e-mail with questions – 206.420.1834 or welcome@sbgseattle.com
Simple ways to do a good deed today:
TREAT STAND FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: Yma shares the photo of the treat stand that’s up at California and Portland in Gatewood (map) until 2 pm, raising money to help the earthquake survivors in Nepal.
REMINDER – TENT/TARP/DUFFEL COLLECTION: Also for Nepal quake relief, at a dropoff near Madison Middle School. Details in our Friday story.
FUNDRAISERS FOR FIRE VICTIMS: There are now online donation drives for all three of the families affected by Thursday’s fire, plus a restaurant/bar fundraiser planned for Tuesday.
(WSB photo, Saturday morning)
Details here.
Erden Eruç, the West Seattle-residing rower who holds a world record as first solo human-powered global circumnavigator, is off on another adventure. Mark Jaroslaw put together the video above with the story of his departure – crossing the country to start his NY to Gallipoli Memorial Row, explained on Eruç’s website as “… in memory of all those who lost their lives during the Gallipoli Campaign, Erden Eruç and his team will row eastbound across the Atlantic Ocean from New York, then east on the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas to ANZAC Cove.” We last featured Eruç here in March, when he spoke at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Eruç will be “using his satellite phone to post text and visual updates across the Atlantic,” Jaroslaw reports.
Highlights of what’s happening today/tonight, starting with two sea-related sights:
(Added: WSB photo, Water Taxi making its way past shrimpers late Saturday morning)
SPOT SHRIMP SEASON: In case you missed our mention, that’s what all the fishing boats are out on the bay for – until 3 pm, and then one more day this year, May 13th, 7 am-3 pm. Take note that this means big traffic at Don Armeni Boat Ramp once the boats start coming back in – Gretchen shared this photo of the outbound lineup this morning:
(1222 Harbor SW)
ALSO ON THE WATER: First cruise ship of the year arrived before 6 am – Lynn Hall shared this photo of Westerdam headed for Pier 91 as a state ferry passed:
Westerdam will head back out around 4 pm. You can see this year’s cruise-ship schedule here.
Now, what’s happening on shore:
BOY SCOUTS’ BIG SALE: Until 4 pm at American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle, Troop 284‘s multi-family sale (added – photo sent by Karen):
Credit cards accepted. (3602 SW Alaska)
FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK: 9 am-noon, join them to show the park some TLC, as explained here. (Fauntleroy/Rose)
ST. JOHN’S RUMMAGE SALE: 9 am-3 pm, second day of the “Fabulous & Famous” sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral. (3050 California SW)
THRIFTWAY BARBECUE: Benefit barbecue season begins at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – starting at 11 am (until 4 or as long as supplies last), look for the tent by the south entrance. (added) Today’s menu: “Slow-cooked pork tacos with fresh salsa, sour cream and homemade cabbage topping, with water for a $6 donation.” (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan)
VOLUNTEER WITH SWSHS: You don’t have to be a historian to help the Southwest Seattle Historical Society as a volunteer! All kinds of things you can do. Find out by showing up for the next orientation session at 11 am today at the Log House Museum. (61st/Stevens)
FREE BICYCLE-MAINTENANCE CLINIC: 11 am at Cycle U in West Seattle – details here. (3418 Harbor SW)
WALK AROUND WEST SEATTLE: Feet First-presented walk starts at 1 pm at Dakota Place Park, to explore the changes in The Junction/Triangle – details here. (California/Dakota)
OPEN HOUSE AT GLOW [NATURAL AESTHETICS] MEDISPA: 4-7 pm, come celebrate the grand opening of Glow [natural aesthetics] Medispa (WSB sponsor) – prizes, raffles, special offers. (5400 California SW)
‘LOVE BUZZ’: This year’s St. Baldrick’s event organized by Emily Austin to raise money to fight childhood cancer is happening 4-7 pm at Metropolist in SODO, with lots of West Seattle participation – go get buzzed and/or cheer on others who choose to. (2931 1st Ave. S., Suite A)
‘THE MAMA-LOGUES’: At Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 7 pm, benefiting nonprofits including WestSide Baby, it’s a “comedy about motherhood … new and improved for 2015.” (4408 Delridge Way SW)
TONIGHT’S LIVE MUSIC: See the calendar for listings at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), the West Seattle Eagles, Feedback Lounge, and The Skylark.
‘ANGRY HOUSEWIVES’: The musical at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery (WSB sponsor) is a hot ticket – only a few left for tonight as of early this morning. 7:30 pm curtain time – if you can’t get in tonight, buy in advance for another night/day! (4711 California SW)
Have a great Saturday!
From the seats to the stage, Chief Sealth International High School‘s Multicultural Night filled the campus Galleria with sights and sounds on Thursday night.
Dance, music, and costumes enthralled all who came to be part of it.
Even the tables were decorated.
Brightest sights of all … the smiles.
Along with student performances, the annual event offered free food and an open invitation to the entire community to attend, not just students and their families. It was part of Spring Spirit Week at Sealth, which concluded tonight with the Spring Fling dance.
Another scam warning from a West Seattle resident. Cheryl says, “I got scammed today,” and continues:
I was told that I had a warrant for my arrest for failing to appear to two summons to be on Jury Duty.
After a horrific afternoon, and paying money to these crooks through a PayPal cash account, I then met a neighbor downtown who was able to think better than I and said that she was sure that I had been scammed.
One of the points that they made is that I was to meet with one of the Superior Court Judges who would release the warrant and not make me pay money as, actually, they don’t ask folks over 75 to serve. So, at this point, I began to think about this situation, and I went on the King County Superior Court Judges site and lo & behold, there was a section, ‘Senior Fraud.’ It was Alert #1. I totally fell for this scam; it was at the point where “Officer Randall McKenzie” told me that he could not guarantee that a deputy would not come to take me to jail over the weekend. THAT got me and I rushed off to get the money through the PayPal cash card.
There were several hints that I was not dealing with “real” officers, but the threat of jail made me lose focus. Although I had gotten a name and badge number, it was all bogus.
So I am encouraging you to copy and send this note out to your Elderly friends and relatives — wherever they live – because this sort of fraud is ubiquitous. There is also a Seattle City Light scam going around, folks phoning Elders, telling them that their SCL bill has not be paid and that they need to pay it right now.
That one targets businesses too, as mentioned here earlier this week (and SCL has its own page about scams).
4:03 PM: Just wanted to mention it in case you’re about to head home or to downtown and are wondering what’s going on: Demonstrators have been marching much of the afternoon but no problems have been reported. Seattle Police are tweeting locations and, when applicable, traffic effects; the best place to monitor is the SPD Twitter account (you don’t have to be a Twitter member to see it) – twitter.com/seattlepd. SDOT is tweeting traffic updates, too.
7:33 PM UPDATE: Now there’s trouble, with what the SPD tweets described as the “unplanned” demonstration. Rock-throwing and window-breaking is reported. They’re facing off with police on Capitol Hill, who have issued a “dispersal order.” As the commute period is over, we’re moving on with other news, but the same links above still apply, as do all the citywide news orgs, and our friends at CapitolHillSeattle.com are tweeting, too:
Spd line at Broadway and Pine pic.twitter.com/TiHfKYIJPM
— jseattle (@jseattle) May 2, 2015
9:43 PM: The city Emergency Operations Center has issued two statements from the mayor – this, just a few minutes ago:
Seattle celebrates free speech, the right to assemble and freedom of the press. People are raising their voices across the nation, working constructively to advance issues of racial equity and justice in our society. During this moment in history, peaceful protest and civil disobedience can be effective vehicles of social change. The City of Seattle prepared extensively to protect the rights of peaceful protesters to express their anger at racism and injustice.
What erupted tonight is a very different story. Tonight we saw assaults on police officers and senseless property damage, which cannot be tolerated. Those who are violent will be arrested. We will work to disperse groups that are threatening the safety of our residents and businesses.
(UPDATED FRIDAY NIGHT with fire’s cause, more fundraisers)
(Photo from this morning, by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
ORIGINAL 1:10 PM REPORT: No announcement yet from Seattle Fire regarding what caused the 2-alarm, 3-house fire in the Pelly Place area southwest of Morgan Junction on Thursday afternoon. We went back this morning, and the investigation was still under way. If that information emerges today, we’ll add it to this followup.
7:45 PM UPDATE: SFD announced the cause this evening: “Improperly installed heater on a back porch.” Damage estimate for all three houses and their contents: $2.7 million. (That same link is to the SFD story including more details on the firefight.)
Two other updates:
HOW YOU CAN HELP: So many people have asked how they can help the fire victims. Today, two crowdfunding campaigns have emerged, one for each of two households affected – the links are here and here. We know others are working on finding out if the affected families have any immediate material needs, and we will update.
(7:45 pm update) Three Morgan Junction food/beverage establishments – Peel & Press, The Bridge, Beveridge Place Pub – will be donating a percentage of proceeds on Tuesday, according to Dan from P & P.
(9:36 pm update) Another fund has just been set up for the third family involved.
ABOUT THE WATER SUPPLY: In discussions both here on WSB and on the WSB Facebook page, concerns have arisen about reports that firefighters apparently had some initial challenges. Here’s what we’ve found out so far.
(This photo and next: Thursday photos by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB:
Because we had multiple hose lines running off one hydrant, we asked SPU to boost water pressure on the Fauntleroy hydrant. When we have a multi-alarm fire, its standard procedure for SPU to respond to monitor water pressure. An example was the Christmas Eve multi-alarm fire in the International District 2 years ago when SPU made sure we had enough water pressure to charge multiple hose lines.
It was a long hose lay and we had 2 engines maintaining water pressure. It’s called relay pumping. Firefighters train on this type of pumping.
The hydrants are actually owned/maintained by Seattle Public Utilities, so we are following up with them as well. You might recall the hydrant issues that followed the 2011 Arbor Heights house fire – new hydrants and lines were installed in parts of AH; then in 2013, there was another round of hydrant discussion, including a map of remaining lower-flow hydrants in West Seattle. You can also check the location of hydrants (or at least the proximity) near your residence by zooming in via the city’s MyNeighborhood map.
ADDED 2:45 PM: SPU has sent these responses to our questions, which included an invitation to include any other information that might help people understand how the system works:
1. How far apart are hydrants spaced in the City of Seattle?
Most hydrants are spaced between 300 and 500 feet apart. The closest hydrant in yesterday’s fire was 400 feet away.2. What is the standard size for a fire hydrant?
Standard-sized hydrants range from 5 to 6 inches in diameter.3. Is there a standard sized water main for residential areas?
Water mains that are eight inches in diameter are the standard size for new development in residential areas. The nearby water mains in yesterday’s fire were 8-inches and 16-inches in diameter.4. Were there any low-flow hydrants in the area?
No5. Is there a performance level for fire flow?
For single-family, residential homes, spacing and flow performance developed in partnership with the Seattle Fire Department include:
• Minimum fire flow at hydrants of 1,000 gallons per minute
• Hydrants within 1,000 feet of fire hose length from any home6. What can you say about the performance of the water system in yesterday’s fire?
While we are still reviewing, our initial indication is that the water system operated as expected and there is no indication of restrictions in water flow. The water mains and hydrants in this area meet hydrant spacing and flow performance developed in partnership between Seattle Public Utilities and the Seattle Fire Department.7. Why were Seattle Public Utilities water crew called to respond to the fire?
It is standard practice for SPU crews to respond to large fires. They are available to support the fire department and operate the water system if additional water flow can be achieved. They also act as a liaison between Fire and SPU’s Water Control Center.
While many people’s minds are on helping the Pelly Place fire victims (here’s the latest on that), there’s one other donation drive, involving different kinds of items, that we wanted to tell you about quickly, as it’s time-sensitive. West Seattleite Chris Mackay is collecting tents, tarps, and duffels for the earthquake survivors in Nepal, to be shipped out on Monday. If you have a tent or tarp in good condition, you can drop it under the canopy (WSB photo above) at 3250 46th SW, which is two houses north of the north side of Madison Middle School.
P.S. Here’s more about the overall relief effort in which Chris is involved.
If you saw the emergency vehicles on 44th SW in front of Junction True Value – one woman has been taken to the hospital by Seattle Fire medic crews after getting hit while walking, in a collision that SFD told us also included multiple vehicles. Police were also on the scene. Her injuries are not life-threatening. Most of the activity was in the store’s front lot and on the southbound shoulder of 44th, so traffic was still getting through.
Three things West Seattle water-watchers might want to know about in the next two days:
TERMINAL 5: The car carrier Ryujin, which the Port of Seattle expected at Terminal 5 earlier this week, wound up stopping at Port Angeles for a while, and port spokesperson Peter McGraw says it’s now due in Seattle tonight:
We are now expecting the Ryujin to arrive at T-5 at 10:00 PM on Friday May 1st,
offloading to begin at 8:00 AM on Saturday May 2nd, leaving at 5:00 PM that day.
Speaking of Port Angeles, if you’re awaiting the big oil rig Polar Pioneer‘s arrival at T-5, it hasn’t left PA yet (the Chamber of Commerce’s webcam is still pointed at it).
SPOT SHRIMP SEASON: Last year, we didn’t know about this in advance, and were surprised to see Don Armeni packed with trailers, and the bay full of boats. This year, we’ve been watching for it, and we can tell you that tomorrow is the first day in which spot-shrimp fishing is allowed in this area, so you are likely to see a TON of traffic from the boat ramp and offshore. 7 am-3 pm Saturday (and then again on May 13th)
CRUISE SHIP SEASON: First one is Holland America Line’s Westerdam, and the port says it’s scheduled to enter the bay around 6:30 tomorrow morning. It’ll be docking at the Magnolia/Smith Cove terminal, leaving around 4 pm. This year’s cruise-ship schedule is here.
(Pine siskin, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Quick look at highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ST. JOHN’S RUMMAGE SALE: Day 1 of the big sale at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church – on now until 7 pm. (3050 California SW)
THRIFTWAY TENT SALE: First day of West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor)’s three-day tent sale. (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan)
TONY’S OPENING: Speaking of tents – today’s the day Tony’s Market in Westwood told us they plan to open for the season. (35th/Barton)
FAIRMOUNT PARK POETRY: Celebration of student poets at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1 pm. (5612 California SW)
MARY McGOUGH’S CLOSING RECEPTION: Also at C & P, 4 pm today – details here.
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: 5-7 pm at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, it’s the next installment of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society-presented author series, this time featuring Jan Koutsky:
Words, Writers & West Seattle presents … from Avenue Collection on Vimeo.
Read more about it on the SWSHS website. P.S. You can be a volunteer for SWSHS – next orientation 11 am tomorrow! (2800 SW Barton)
FOOD BANK ‘INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE’: Ticket sales are over but if you have yours, here’s your reminder that the West Seattle Food Bank‘s big annual benefit (with co-sponsors including WSB) is tonight at the Seattle Design Center.
CORNER BAR: Highland Park Improvement Club‘s monthly Corner Bar is tonight starting at 6, featuring music by the Cold 102’s – details here. (12th/Holden)
THE MAMA-LOGUES: “A comedy about motherhood,” benefiting organizations including WestSide Baby, 7 pm tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – details here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
BELLS OF THE SOUND: Puget Sound’s premier handbell choir is in concert, 7:30 pm at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) – details here. (3940 41st SW)
SOULFUL SONGWRITERS: Three, count ’em, three, in concert at 7:30 pm at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Gatewood – details here. (7141 California SW)
MORE! on our calendar – check it any time.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning – no problems so far on the routes through/from West Seattle, and SDOT describes traffic overall as “relatively light.” You’ve probably heard the citywide media previewing how demonstrations for May Day *might* affect traffic later; we’ll be monitoring everything too and will be updating during the afternoon/evening commute if there’s anything you need to know while headed this way.
METRO NOTES: Starting next week, bus-stop closures downtown will affect some lines serving West Seattle. Read about them here.
FERRY FARES: Washington State Ferries’ seasonal fare changes took effect today.
WEEKEND I-90 ALERT: Eastbound I-90 is reduced to one lane east of I-5 for another round of tunnel work this weekend, so heads-up for those traffic effects.
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