West Seattle, Washington
19 Thursday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
ORIGINAL 12:25 PM REPORT: In a routine check of the city’s online files, we’ve found the first new triple-digit-unit development proposal in a while. This one’s on Duwamish Head, a 120-unit proposal planned for seven parcels, five of which currently hold single-family homes.
The project address is 1250 Alki Avenue SW [map] but the early-stage “concept” shows it stretches to 1262 Alki SW.
An unusual point: This is on the drawing board as a mixed-use building, with retail space included. That area of Alki Avenue has long been strictly residential. The early-stage information also mentions underground parking, and describes the building as 120 units and 4 to 6 stories, while also saying it’ll have to go through Design Review (no date yet). However, the “conceptual site plan” on file outlines:
+/- 125 RESIDENTIAL UNITS
MIX OF STUDIO, 1BR, 2BR & 3BR TBD
PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS TBD
15′-0″ GROUND FLOOR RETAIL AND SUPPORT STORY (5) 10′-0″ FLOOR-TO-FLOOR RESIDENTIAL STORIES 6 TOTAL STORIES, 65′-0″ TOTAL HEIGHT
Documents show the property as in the midrise zone, which the city says allows “limited commercial uses.”
The development team is listed as Seattle-based SolTerra and Portland-based Design for Occupancy Architecture. County property records show that Solterra bought the property from three separate owners in February and March, for a total of more than $5.3 million. It’s described on its website as a six-year-old firm that began “as a residential solar, living wall and green roofing company.”
2:11 PM UPDATE: We’ve just spoken with Melissa Milburn at SolTerra to get more information.
No rendering yet, she says, because design is in the very early stages. But SolTerra, she explained, is just starting to build sustainability-focused apartment projects – all designed to be certified as LEED Platinum, including “living roofs” and solar arrays. She says the company is “changing the way development works by hiring architects and contractors and all the Pieces under one company … everybody works together and you can build more efficiently.” Then, she explained, SolTerra will continue to own and manage the buildings.
This one, they’re planning to call Perch – “the idea is, to find your perch – to provide unique views to the tenants.” The sustainability features, she says, will help keep the units more “cost-effective and affordable.” The design features, she says, will ensure it’s a distinctive building that’s “not a box.” (The underground parking will meet the Alki code, she said – 1.5 spaces required per unit.)
As for the retail – Milburn said it’ll be “small.” A little store? Coffee shop? Restaurant? We asked. Something like that, she agreed.
Depending on how the permit process goes from here, they aren’t expecting to start construction until early 2016. While they already have a couple buildings in Portland, she said, they’re growing into the metro area here – where their Seattle offices are in SODO, near the West Seattle Bridge – by breaking ground on a building in Newcastle next month, and then one on Capitol Hill.
Last Friday we reported on the conclusion of King County’s election-filing week, with one matter left unsettled: 
City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) candidate Amanda Kay Helmick had been determined to get on the ballot via 1,200 petition signatures rather than a $1,200 filing fee, and was told that despite a 100-plus-signature pad, she was still short of the required number of qualified signatures. After several days of doublechecking and other research, Helmick has just announced the official end of her campaign:
Exactly 7 months after announcing her candidacy for Seattle City Council in District 1, Amanda Kay Helmick has ended her grassroots campaign. Her steadfast choice to gather signatures in lieu of the filing fee was successful in getting 1318 people to sign for her, but fell 9 signatures short.
“I am disappointed in the process and outcome. The last several days of comparing the King County Elections list to the petitions, and speaking to individual signers, has been alarming. Invalid voters on the list had no idea their right to vote is in question. There is room for obvious improvements, and I hope King County Elections is working diligently to rectify the situation. I want to thank everyone who signed and helped me in my bid for inclusion on the ballot. Ultimately, the support I needed was not there.”
Amanda will continue to fight for District 1. She is co-chair of the Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights Community Council, co-chair of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition, Delridge Rep to the City Neighborhood Council, and Budget Committee Chair of the City Neighborhood Council. She looks forward to working with the newly elected District 1 Councilmember.
This means the nine candidates who are on the King County list comprise the official, final field for the August 4th primary – this is the order in which they will appear on the ballot, per the county’s drawing:
Lisa Herbold
Jody Rushmer
Chas Redmond
Shannon Braddock
Karl Wirsing
Brianna Thomas
Phillip Tavel
Pavel Goberman
Arturo Robles
They all appeared at a candidates’ forum in Fauntleroy on Monday night (WSB coverage with video is here) and at least two more forums are coming up – May 27th in South Park and June 8th in Pigeon Point.
10:31 AM: Seattle Fire is just arriving at a residential building in the 9000 block of 16th SW [map] and reporting “light smoke.”
10:34 AM: It’s described as a “smoldering fire” that’s already tapped, so not major, and many units are being canceled. We have a crew on the way to check in person.
10:38 AM: Our crew says the SFD units have ALL left – but now we’re hearing a dispatch for police to “remove transients” from the same location.
Thanks to John Hinkey for that image of the post-sunset moonset last night. (You can find sunset, sunrise, moonset, and moonrise times any time on the WSB West Seattle Weather page, by the way.) MUCH happening between now and tonight’s sunset:
CO-WORKING MEETUP: Noon-1 pm at West Seattle’s only co-working center, WS Office Junction (WSB sponsor) – get out of your home/coffee-shop office, even just for an hour! (6040 California SW)
LOW TIDE: 1:06 pm today, -2.2 feet.
GET HELP GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE: Need application help/advice, or … ? Get it via a workshop today at 4 pm at High Point Community Center. (6920 34th SW)
SW ROXBURY WALKING TOUR: Questions/concerns/comments about the SDOT plan for SW Roxbury, unveiled last month? Join a walking tour tonight, for as long as you like – a few minutes, a few blocks, the entire length, or … 5:30-7:45 pm, with these times/places listed by SDOT:
5:30 pm – 4th/Roxbury
5:50 pm – 8th/Roxbury
6:15 pm – Delridge/16th/Roxbury
6:45 pm – 26th/Roxbury
7:15 pm – 30th/Roxbury
7:45 pm – 35th/Roxbury
CHIEF SEALTH IHS PTSA: Last meeting of the year for the PTSA at Chief Sealth International High School, 7 pm: “We will be electing new officers and voting on our budget for next year, as well as hearing reports from Principal Fraser-Hammer and the new IB Coordinator Teresa Cairns.” (2600 SW Thistle)
WORDSWEST: As previewed here earlier this week, best-selling West Seattle author Lyanda Lynn Haupt is the headliner for this month’s edition of the WordsWest Literary Series at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Her specialty: Urban wildlife. (5612 California SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with the agenda including an update from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis and tree-trimming information from city reps, as well as planning for the upcoming candidates’ forum. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS’ ENDORSEMENT MEETING: Our area’s largest political group meets tonight to make its endorsements in various races/ballot measures. 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy; more info here. (9131 California SW)
34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS’ MEETING: The group’s meeting in West Seattle this time, 7 pm at American Legion Post 160 HQ, with King County Assessor candidate John Wilson on the agenda. (3618 SW Alaska)
SPRING CONCERT: 7 pm, Schmitz Park and Lafayette Elementaries’ spring concert at Madison Middle School – more info here. (45th/Spokane)
PORT ALLIANCE TOWN HALL: The Port of Seattle presents a town-hall meeting about its new alliance with the Port of Tacoma, 7 pm at the Georgetown campus of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – more info here. (6737 Corson Ave. S.)
EVEN WITH ALL THIS, THERE’S MORE for today, tonight, and beyond, on our calendar!
Within minutes of each other late last night, two reader reports came in (editor@westseattleblog.com) about bicycles found in West Seattle – stolen and dumped? or? – Above, Alicia spotted that child-size bicycle in the 8800 block of 30th SW, “lying out on the grass parking strip across the street from our house – for a few days now. It’s a newer bike and looks like it was ditched. Perhaps stolen.” Below, Alan spotted this bicycle “in a location where we have had multiple dumped stolen bikes (14th & Holly)”:
He added, “This one looks like someone may have found it in the woods and brought it out to the street. The tires are flat and the chain is rusted. Still, it looks like a bike that someone cared about at some point.” We’ve suggested to both that the bicycles be reported to police, but in the meantime, in case they look familiar, we’re sharing the photos and reports.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle YMCA)
Thanks to Joleen at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) for the photo from last night’s “superfan” fundraiser – that’s Tom Hutyler (radio sports anchor, voice of the Mariners at Safeco Field, and West Seattleite) with Steven Hauschka from the Seahawks and Zach Scott from Sounders FC. To raise money for its upcoming expansion, the Y sold a limited number of tickets to “superfans” to meet the players and bid on donated items including signed jerseys.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
SDOT reports some residual bridge backup from a non-injury crash this past half-hour, but says the scene itself, west of the 99 overpass, has already been cleared. Meantime, Seattle Public Schools are back in session today so volume is back to normal.
WALKING TOUR TONIGHT: Questions/comments about the SDOT plan for SW Roxbury? Join a walking tour tonight – all or part; it starts at 5:30 pm at 4th/Roxbury, and proceeds westward to end at 35th/Roxbury at 7:45. (For the specific stops inbetween, go here.)
ADMIRAL WAY PROJECT MEETING TOMORROW: SDOT has a meeting of note in our area tomorrow (Thursday) night too – regarding the proposed changes to Admiral Way west of California SW, as previously discussed at two community-group meetings. 6 pm Thursday at Alki Elementary, “open house” style with presentation at 6:30 pm.
9:33 AM: SPD is dispatching units to a crash on the eastbound bridge, midspan, three vehicles, said to be blocking the middle lane.
Quick bites of West Seattle restaurant news:
RIPPLE CAFE OPEN: The new café at 35th/Henderson, in the former JC’s Deli spot, mentioned here last month, is now open – check it out 10 am-6 pm tomorrow.
CHIPOTLE SIGN UP: For the first time since we reported in February that Chipotle Mexican Grill was coming to the retail space at 4730 California (WSB sponsor), a sign’s up:
We’ll be checking back with the company for any new estimate of when they’ll open; the permit to build out the space was just issued last week.
PATIO TIME: With spring heating up, La Rustica on Beach Drive tells us the patio’s open (and it’s not alone, as you’ve probably noticed at other establishments). The Pellegrini family is also proceeding with its new project at the former La Romanza in The Junction; they’ve applied for a liquor license under the name Pellegrini Restaurant, though the family says there’s still nothing to announce quite yet.
SPEAKING OF PATIOS: The Bridge has opened theirs too and says it’ll be open for brunch on Monday (Memorial Day), 9 am-2 pm, with the all-day menu starting after that. (Anywhere else with special holiday plans/hours Monday? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com)
Though classes were canceled for the protest walkout earlier today, some scheduled events did go on at Seattle Public Schools. Among them, an immigration workshop held tonight at Denny International Middle School. Principal Jeff Clark shared the photo and report:
This evening we were pleased to open our doors to our community for a workshop on immigration with information regarding new policies from President Obama’s administration. In addition to our featured guest speakers, we were pleased to have several organizations here as resources. Families enjoyed dinner and were appreciative of all of the information shared.
We would like to thank our guest speakers from Colectiva Legal, as well as all our partners including: 21 Progress; Pacific Northwest Regional Carpenters; the Denny, Roxhill, and Sealth PTSAs; Roxbury Safeway; City Year; and Community in Schools for all of their support! In addition, thank you to the following Denny staff for all of their efforts in making this possible: Ms. Clausen, Ms. Amaral, Ms. Olsen, Ms. Bowie, Mr. Carr, Mr. Blackman, Mr. Smith, Ms. Brown, Ms. Rangel, Mr. Baker, Ms. Nestor, Ms. Lehman, Mr. Mosser, Emma, Riley, Maryross, and Kevin! Go, Dolphins!
(WSB photos: WSHS’s Charli Elliott scoring the first run of the game)
At Southwest Athletic Complex, the West Seattle High School Wildcats softball team has just opened district tournament play with a victory over Bellevue HS, 7-2. Their next game is Thursday at 5 pm, same place they played today, Southwest Athletic Complex; the game to determine their opponent is just getting under way.
9:22 PM UPDATE: Lake Washington is who the Wildcats will play on Thursday – LWHS just beat Bishop Blanchet, 14-2. Meantime, we have a few more details and photos from the WSHS-Bellevue game.
Gabby Wenn again pitched a complete game for WSHS. It was a pitchers’ duel through four innings; then in #5, West Seattle scored 5 unanswered runs against Bellevue pitcher Dejah Rogers; the full WSHS order came to the plate before Bellevue could get three outs. After that, LWHS picked up two runs in the top of the sixth, but then the Wildcats added two more in the bottom, and that was it.
WSHS coached Trevor Leopold tells us his team is now guaranteed a spot in the state tournament in Lacey, . But first – they face the Kangs.
Announced late today by Seattle Parks: Outdoor gyms called Fitness Zones® are set for installation in the parks adjacent to Delridge and Hiawatha Community Centers, and meetings are scheduled so you can find out more and offer your opinion. Parks’ announcement (read it here in its entirety) says, “Each Fitness Zone, due to be installed in the next eighteen months, will be equipped with top-quality, durable exercise equipment appropriate for teens and adults of all levels of fitness.” Parks says it has three project partners: The Trust for Public Land, The Seattle Parks Foundation, and MOMentum. The Delridge meeting is set for 6:30 pm Tuesday, June 2nd, at Delridge CC (4501 Delridge Way SW), while the Hiawatha meeting is set for 6:30 pm Thursday, June 4th, at Hiawatha CC (2700 California SW). 7 parks in the city already have Fitness Zones.
Today we’re welcoming 4730 California, new apartments in the heart of the West Seattle Junction, as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what they’d like you to know:
(Copyright: The Wolff Company / Doug Scott Photography)
Experience 4730 California apartments. Next to amazing restaurants, bars, shops, transit connections, yet mostly undiscovered by outsiders. 4730 California is the quintessential West Seattle address. It’s right smack dab in the heart of West Seattle. Yet at just 88 apartments, it is boutique enough to allow individual passions and living tastes to come through.
(WSB photo)
What ‘best in West’ means:
*Best Seattle is the sunset over the Olympics from your loveseat
*Best Seattle is sleeping in and grabbing a Low Rider at Easy Street
*Best Seattle is a stroll through Lincoln Park with Fido in tow
*Best Seattle is a year-round farmers’ market darn near in your back yard
*Best Seattle is Talarico’s New York-style slice as big as your head
*Best Seattle is a fat burger and beer from Elliott Bay Brewing
4730 California is available by appointment for tours Mondays-Fridays, 10 am-5 pm. The building is “very pet-friendly” and has special events such as wine tastings hosted by Bin 41 every third Thursday. And they’ve signed on as a major sponsor of this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest. Find out more at 4730ca.com.
We thank 4730 California apartments for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
This weekend, a silent auction and fundraising party is planned at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), to help quake survivors in Nepal. More than 8,000 people are dead, and millions of homes need to be rebuilt, along with hundreds of schools. Organizer Jilyan Perry says many of the homes are “in rural areas that have yet to receive aid, just before the country’s monsoon season begins.” Come to C & P to help, on Sunday (May 24th), 3-7 pm:
Money raised from the event will support ‘Changing Lives Nepal’, a nonprofit organization, entirely volunteer run. When the earthquake hit, ‘Changing Lives Nepal’ founder Deana Zabaldo and assistant leader, West Seattle resident Stewart Wolfe, were guiding their team to Everest Base Camp for West Seattle-based company Mountain Madness. The entire team is safe, and without injury. ‘Changing Lives Nepal’ has many programs to help the people of Nepal, which now includes the rebuilding and reconstruction of the homes and schools that need attention.
Come spend the evening with us, as we do our part to help make a difference. The auction items are rolling in from businesses such as Mountain to Sound Outfitters, Thunder Road Guitars, Alki Bike and Board, West Side Music Academy, 8 Bit Arcade, original artwork, and so much more! There will be live music, beer and wine, and some surprises!
Contact Jilyan with questions, donations, or if you would like to volunteer: Jilyan.Perry@yahoo.com
C & P is at 5612 California SW.
(UPDATED WEDNESDAY MORNING with additional description information)
2:07 PM: Thanks to the Holy Rosary School parent who forwarded this message just sent to families:
I hate to have to report to you that a “Flasher” came by the school today at around 12:30. They did not make themselves known in the usual area, which is the play toy section of the playground. He appeared in a white car on 41st and jumped out of the car at the gates that open on the driveway into the school. The gates were closed, as they always are. He then jumped back into the car and drove away. One girl saw the activity and her parents were notified. The police were notified and showed up within minutes.
The most-recent “flasher” reports near a local school in our archives were by Chief Sealth IHS in February and in January. The last one we have on record near Holy Rosary was last September; the vehicle in that one was described as a silver minivan. We’re checking with police to see if they have any more information about what was reported today.
2:18 PM: Just talked to Det. Patrick Michaud in SPD media relations – they don’t have any additional information so far.
8:51 PM: We asked Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis about this during tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. Nothing new, he said – one challenge was elapsed time between the incident and the time it was reported, so police will renew efforts to help schools teach about fast reporting and detailed descriptions.
ADDED 11:30 AM WEDNESDAY: As per the comment discussion, we have checked back with police yet again to see if any description information is available. Now that the written report is in, here’s what they have: “White male w/ long brown hair wearing a hat. A white 4-door car.”
Following up on the two Alki street robberies early Saturday and early Sunday, we now have the full narratives from the police reports. The one clear thing both have in common: They happened at/near Whale Tail Park, 59th/Lander, in the early-morning hours.
We often feature bird photos atop the daily calendar preview – and this time, it’s what now appears to have become a trio of white geese at Lincoln Park, where parkgoers long have noted two. Thanks to the person who texted us the photo!
Speaking of the beach – that’s where we start our short list of calendar highlights:
LOW TIDE AT 12:23 PM: The daytime low tides of summer are here! Today, tide is out to -2.5 feet at 12:23 pm. It’s season-debut day for Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists, who you’ll find at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park (near Colman Pool) until 1:30 pm.
SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: District tournament play tonight for West Seattle High School, which took 2nd in the Metro League tournament – 5 pm game against Bellevue HS at SW Athletic Complex. (2801 SW Thistle)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct; bring your neighborhood concerns/questions, hear about crime trends/stats, plus – wonder what the truth is about gangs? Tonight’s featured guests are billed as a panel of former gang members. (Webster/Delridge)
THE HELIO SEQUENCE AT EASY STREET: Free Easy Street Records in-store performance at 7 pm tonight in honor of The Helio Sequence‘s album release. (California/Alaska)
DINE OUT FOR HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY: Until 9 pm, dine at Zippy’s Giant Burgers in White Center and a percentage of the proceeds benefits the Highland Park Elementary PTA. (9614 14th SW)
The protests are over for now, but the bureaucratic and legal fight over Shell drilling rigs mooring at the Port of Seattle‘s Terminal 5 is not. The latest move, five days after the arrival of the Polar Pioneer drilling platform, is in the document above that we just obtained from the city Department of Planning and Development – its “notice of violation” issued to the Port of Seattle, interim leaseholder Foss Maritime, and “occupant” Shell Oil, contending that the current “use (is) not established by permit.” The notice gives the entities until June 4th to correct the alleged violation by either moving the Polar Pioneer and the Shell icecutter/tug Aiviq from T-5, or get a new permit allowing them.
(Friday photo by Paul Weatherman: Aiviq and Polar Pioneer @ T-5)
You’ll recall that this started with a city “interpretation” saying that the established permitted use of Terminal 5 does not allow for this; both the Port and Foss have filed appeals to that contention – the one filed at the end of last week by the Port calls it “irrational” and suggests that, taken to its logical conclusion, it would bar a variety of other types of vessels from using Port docks. (No date yet on the Hearing Examiner’s calendar for the appeal hearing.) We’ll be seeking comment from all three recipients.
As Seattle educators start their one-day walkout to protest the state of education funding, the promised picketing at local high schools gave way to lively demonstrations at busy intersections nearby. We are just back from two locations: First, two quick video clips we first published to social media: Above, many of those who gathered at Chief Sealth IHS are on the corners at Delridge/Thistle; below, many of those who gathered at West Seattle HS are on the corners at Admiral/California.
By our rough count, at least 150 were at Delridge/Thistle, more than 100 at Admiral/California, and some others are also at 35th/Fauntleroy and 35th/Thistle. Both groups included educators from the respective high schools’ feeder schools as well as the high schools themselves. Andrea, below, teaches at Roxhill Elementary:
Around 10, they’re scheduled to head downtown and join others from around the city for a rally and march.
ADDED 9:31 AM: Adding photos. First one was texted to us:
Tiniest striker. Her name is Dixie Norris and she is supporting all the teachers, especially her mom Nicole Nichols who runs the autism program at Chief Sealth.
In the middle of the Admiral demonstrators, we found County Executive Dow Constantine:
Other messages were interspersed with the exhortations about education funding:
At both sites (as you can hear in our quick video clips above), lots of horn-honking from passing drivers.
Shared by Schmitz Park Elementary supporters – this video:
More…
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:13 PM: No outbound challenges reported so far. The major reminder this morning is that Seattle Public Schools are closed for the day (here’s why). Educational pickets at local high schools are planned 8-10 am, and then a rally/march downtown. Route/time details are in the city’s weekly traffic-alert roundup.
7:38 AM: In comments, a report that the crossing arm is stuck down at Lander in SODO, blocking a Route 21 bus and other vehicles trying to cross.
7:46 AM: Moving again, says SeattleTimeBandit, after 45 minutes.
(WSB photo, from left – Phillip Tavel, Shannon Braddock, Jody Rushmer, Brianna Thomas, Karl Wirsing, Chas Redmond, Arturo Robles, Pavel Goberman, Lisa Herbold)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In the first-ever City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) race, there’s been at least one candidates’ forum each month since February. The race has been fluid, and the participant lineup hasn’t been the same twice.
Tonight brought the first forum featuring all nine of the candidates that are in the running (as of the end of the official filing period last Friday).
About 60 people filled the seats in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy UCC Church for the forum that the League of Women Voters of Seattle/King County co-presented with the Westside Interfaith Network; LWV’s Lucy Gaskill-Gaddis moderated, after an introduction by Boots Winterstein.
As we’ve done with all the previous forums, we recorded this one on video, and will add that here when it’s ready. (UPDATE – Here it is:)
Ahead, we did our best to summarize as it went:
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
BASEBALL GEAR STOLEN: Pauline hopes you’ll be on the lookout for what car prowler(s) took in Westwood:
Today 2 baseball bags were stolen out of The back of my SUV in the 8100 block of 32nd at Thistle: A large rolling baseball bag with black and orange youth catcher’s gear, a Rawlings catcher’s mitt and a Rawlings baseball glove; a black and orange catcher’s helmet and a black batter’s helmet and an Easton S 500 baseball bat, and a baseball backpack with a blue batters helmet in it.
This has been reported to police.
MULTIPLE CARS DAMAGED IN HIT-AND-RUN: Last night in the 2800 block of SW Morgan in High Point, at least four cars were damaged by a hit-and-run driver. Sasha shared photos of some of the damage:
No injuries were reported. Scanner traffic later in the evening indicated that police were investigating a possible suspect found elsewhere in High Point, asleep in a car and reportedly under the influence, but we haven’t yet been able to confirm whether that resulted in an arrest.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL TOMORROW: Tuesday night, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, come find out about the latest crime trends and stats in West Seattle and South Park, bring your neighborhood concerns/questions directly to local police leadership, and learn about gangs from a panel of former gang members. The precinct is off Webster just west of Delridge.
If you need broadband wi-fi at home or work or school … the library can help. Seattle Public Library unveiled SPL Hotspot today – a program through which you can check out a wi-fi hotspot and use it for up to three weeks. A grant from Google got the library system 150 of the mobile hotspots – you need your own computer to use them, but by midsummer, the system’s getting 75 hotspot-bundled laptops available for checkout too. Here’s how the program works.
1:57 PM: The anti-Shell protest at Terminal 5 is wrapping up; demonstrators are walking back toward the low bridge to cross it on the way back to this morning’s starting point.
Demonstration update: Demonstration has moved to Terminal 5 access ramp. Lower Spokane St Swing Bridge now closed to accommodate march.
— seattledot (@seattledot) May 18, 2015
2:14 PM: The SDOT camera overlooking the low bridge showed the group as it crossed a few minutes ago:
TV helicopters are back overhead to capture the scene, but aren’t likely to stay nearly as long, since it’s not newscast time, unlike this morning.
2:47 PM: The bridge is open again and demonstrators are back at the starting point. We covered the morning march in our daily traffic watch; here are a few more photos from the day and video from the T-5 arrival:
As our images show, Seattle Police had a sizable presence at many spots along the way and near the demonstration; there’s been no word of any arrests. This was the line at the T-5 entrance just before the march arrived:
And here’s our video of their arrival:
This was the last of the major demonstrations/rallies announced before the Polar Pioneer‘s arrival last Thursday. At last report, it’s still scheduled to be joined at T-5 by Shell’s other drilling vessel, the drillship Noble Discoverer, which is docked in Everett. The city’s contention that the Port needs a different permit to host oil rigs, which has been formally appealed by both interim-leaseholder Foss Maritime and the port itself, remains unresolved.
| 17 COMMENTS