West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
Did you get your ballot today too?
Voting has begun for the August 4th primary. If you’re like many people and planning to leave your ballot unopened for a while as you decide what to do, here’s what you need to know:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL
You have three positions to vote on – technically, no incumbents, because these are all-new seats, seven districts and two at-large:
—District 1 (this is the one we’ve been talking about the most, the first-ever West Seattle/South Park seat), with nine candidates)
—Position 8 (this is one of the two at-large City Council seats, with four candidates)
—Position 9 (the other at-large City Council seat with six candidates)
SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION
You’ll be voting on two spots
—Position 2 (three candidates, including the incumbent)
—Position 5 (nine candidates, no incumbent)
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
You’ll be voting on one board position
–District 6 (three candidates, including the incumbent)
KING COUNTY ELECTIONS DIRECTOR
–Three candidates, no incumbent
It’s been a busy primary season, with the first City Council District 1 candidates’ forum in February, the “First Look” forum we presented at Highland Park Improvement Club on February 5th. Four candidates were in the race; two of them are among the nine on your ballot now. Others jumped in (and in some cases jumped out) after that. The final forum was this past Wednesday night at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), presented by SSC and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. While it was in the “candi-dating” format, which means no way to record it in its entirety without a small army of videographers, we did get the opening statement by all participants:
(Those statements start at 5 minutes into the video; 8 of the candidates were there.) In the past week, we also have recorded interviews with each of the nine D-1 candidates, one at a time, in case you’re interested in a “Last Look” before you cast your vote. We will publish them simultaneously at some point in the next few days, as soon as the stories to accompany them are all ready. You can also review our coverage by scrolling through our West Seattle Politics archive, here. All this assumes you didn’t cast your vote the second the ballot showed up; if not, you have 2 1/2 weeks, so no rush. But do vote – this election is historic, with the council change to 7 district reps plus 2 at-large.
(WSB photo: All-City Band in the 2014 West Seattle Grand Parade)
As we reported after the parade lineup meeting earlier this week, looks like 90+ entries will march and roll their way down California SW this Saturday morning in the West Seattle Grand Parade. The basics:
WHEN: 11 am start from California and Lander, headed to California and Edmunds, about a mile and a half.
CAVEAT: The Seattle Police and Vancouver (BC) Police Motorcycle Drill Teams go first. So if you’re going to watch from the north end of the route, don’t be later than 10:30 or so.
GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #1: Run the parade route before the parade by participating in the Float Dodger 5K, 9:30 am start from in front of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 2743 California SW. (Online registration just closed, but you can stop by WS Runner tomorrow 3-7 pm or sign up pre-race on Saturday.)
GET OUT ON THE ROUTE, #2: Be in the Kiddie Parade!
(WSB photo: 2014 Kiddie Parade participant)
It leaves California/Genesee at 11 am, headed down the south end of the parade route.
REMEMBER THE ROUTE CLOSES: As early as 6 am in some spots – take a close look at your nearest NO PARKING sign – parking restrictions kick in on the bus-rerouting streets, as well as the route itself.
WHAT’S NEW: New entries include a trampoline company whose owner plans to jump (dressed as a pirate!) as the trampoline travels down the route; giant “Cakewalk” puppets from Fremont; Pacific Northwest Drumline is back “after a 2-year hiatus”; and more …
WHO’S WHO: Marty Riemer announces the parade from the heart of The Junction; County Executive Dow Constantine is Grand Marshal. Former West Seattle Big Band director Donn Weaver is the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community recipient.
BIZFLOATS: Local businesses are fun to cheer for, and those you’ll see will include our flagship sponsor Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (with four-wheelers, two-wheelers, and, we’re told, bubbles), Luna Park Café, Spud, Little Gym, PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor), West Coast Entertainment (on Segways) …
Also …
*Community groups
*Nonprofits
*Visiting royalty
*Drill teams (including the famous Chinese Community Girls’ Drill Team)
*Marching Bands
*Churches
*Schools
*Visiting royalty
*Candidates
*Even a Metro bus
Pick your spot anywhere along the route (but remember there’s a lot of construction on California south of Admiral, so some traditional spots are construction zones now, especially on both sides of the 3800 block). If you are a fan of peeking behind-the-scenes on big events, be at the start of the parade and watch organizers coordinate getting everybody out onto the route; if you come down early enough, you can watch the arrivals, see visiting floats and performers get themselves organized. Whatever you choose to do, be part of a long-running tradition (and bring water – forecast calls for the return of warm weather).
With three days to go until the big kickoff for WestSide Baby‘s annual “Stuff the Bus” mega-diaper drive, we spotted THE bus this afternoon at Fauntleroy/Alaska – and then learned from WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland, it had just been unveiled:
Our new and exciting bus just arrived in West Seattle!! This afternoon it appeared in the parking lot at Les Schwab to kick off the weekend of diaper collecting in West Seattle. Les Schwab is holding drives all over Western Washington so this was the perfect place to unveil this year’s bus. We hope to see everyone on Sunday when we collect diapers at HomeStreet Bank (41st/Alaska) from 10-2 but feel free to drop off at a Les Schwab or a local Safeway if you can’t make it Sunday. Go, West Seattle, and let’s #Smile4Diapers!!!
P.S. Look for Stuff the Bus in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade (11 am start at California/Lander, heading 1.5 miles south to California/Edmunds)!
P.P.S. You can also drop off diapers in advance – Friday’s a great day! – at the site of Sunday’s bus-stuffing, HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor).
Thanks to the tipster who just let us know about a crash on the westbound bridge, right before the Fauntleroy end. Seattle Fire has been dispatched to check out those involved – reportedly including a motorcycle rider – the passerby said everybody “looked OK.” But this will cause some backup until sorted out. Updates to come.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tonight’s Alki Community Council meeting tonight is scheduled to include an informational item about the Keep Alki Safe campaign opposing SDOT‘s planned changes to SW Admiral Way west of California SW.
With no date yet for SDOT’s next move, two months after the last meeting about the proposal, those with potential stakes in the proposal for lane-configuration changes on Admiral west of California are not just watching and waiting. At least two groups have met with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. One of them invited us to sit in.
The Keep Alki Safe group is primarily from the blocks where SDOT proposes consolidating parking on one side while removing about 200 spaces, to “encourage slower speeds and reduce collisions, as well as add a buffered bike along most of the corridor.” The meeting to which we were invited was held in a living room last week, in the 5700 block, where some of the yards held the signs they had designed and printed to let passersby know what is going on.
As much as opposing the details of the city plan, their primary concern seemed to be that SDOT wasn’t working with or even communicating with them. The agency “is blowing us off,” one neighbor declared. They asked Rasmussen to help them get a chance to voice their concerns; he promised to do what he can.
But first – he listened.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:13 PM: Just announced: Where you’ll find “Pianos in the Parks” this summer.
(Pianos in the Parks photo: The piano destined for Seacrest)
Twenty-two of the “one-of-a-kind, artist-designed upright and grand pianos” are on their way to parks around the region, 
including one at West Seattle’s Seacrest Park (a change from last year) and one at White Center’s Steve Cox Memorial Park. But first – they’re starring this afternoon in a recital at Lake Union, with local students using all 22 pianos to perform a version of “I Love a Piano” by Irving Berlin. Once they get to their destinations (starting later today), they’re available for free public use through August 16th; then they’ll be auctioned. Bidding will start soon at pianosintheparks.com; that’s also where you will be able to enter a contest by making a video of yourself and/or your band performing with one of the pianos.
4:07 PM: Seacrest’s piano has arrived! Photo to come. (Added: Actually, our Instagram clip came out best, with a passerby giving the piano a try:)
The Steve Cox Park piano was scheduled to be delivered this afternoon, too.
(Bushtits taking a bath; photo by Mark Ahlness, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Lots going on later today/tonight! Here’s your preview, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DELRIDGE FARMSTAND: 4-7 pm, buy fresh-from-the-farm produce and enjoy live local music, all to support the Delridge Grocery Coop as it gets closer to opening a store. In the Super 24 parking lot. See our preview for more info. (5455 Delridge Way SW)
35TH SW PLAN, ENCORE MEETING: 6 pm at Southwest Library – if you couldn’t make it to last night’s presentation of the 2-phase plan for 35th SW (WSB coverage, with video, here), starting with rechannelization and speed-limit reduction between Roxbury and Willow, go tonight and get your questions answered. (35th/Henderson)
MOVIE NIGHT: 6 pm, “Sponge Bob: Sponge Out of Water” screens at Delridge Community Center. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
DESIGN REVIEW x 2: 6:30 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, two project reviews – first up, 5415 Delridge Way SW (see the “packet” and more info here), a small mixed-use proposal. Then at 8 pm, the new plan for long-stalled 4532 42nd SW (see the “packet” and more info here), a larger mixed-use proposal. The board will hear public comment on both projects, as per SOP. (Oregon/California)
‘PERCH’ DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL @ ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm at Alki UCC, with an agenda including a briefing on the 1250 Alki SW “Perch” development proposal reported here back in May, plus announcements of the “Keep Alki Safe” petition drive regarding SDOT’s SW Admiral Way Safety Project and a reminder that comments on Terminal 5 expansion are due soon. (6115 SW Hinds)
UNPLUGGED! Open-microphone event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
BELLY-DANCING SHOWCASE: 7:30 pm at The Skylark, it’s the monthly Alauda belly-dancing showcase. Free, freeform, all ages. (3803 Delridge SW)
WHAT ELSE? See everything, and then some, on the full calendar.
Following up on Monday’s much-discussed mayoral announcement (WSB coverage here) of proposals the city hopes will lead to more housing, particularly more affordable housing: Most if not all of the proposed changes have to go through the City Council. Its members now have a new set of hats to wear while considering those changes: The Select Committee on Housing Affordability. The agenda is now out for its first meeting, next Monday (July 20th) around 2:30 pm (after the regular afternoon council meeting). Linked in the agenda are several documents, most of which went public with Monday’s announcement; one you might want to take a close look at includes this list of proposed multifamily/commercial zoning changes:
While most of this has been widely described as “adding one floor” to current zoning, note what’s proposed for the zone currently known as NC-85 – much of the heart of The Junction is zoned that way, as is part of Avalon, and that generally allows up to 8 floors. If this part of the new proposals is approved, that zone would fold into NC-125 – meaning up to 12 floors, four more floors beyond what’s now allowed. (If you’re not familiar with the term FAR in the table, that is short for floor-to-area ratio, explained here.) This has NOT been written into proposed legislation yet, so public hearings, counterproposals, and votes are still some distance off.
Meantime, we’re working on a separate followup looking at some of the other proposals including (but not limited to!) all the confusion and conflicting statements regarding what’s proposed for single-family zoning.
With huge events just days away, we have a lot of counting down to do today – and here’s the first reminder: The Admiral Way Viewpoint banner (thanks to Erik Walum for the photo) is a big reminder that Summer Concerts at Hiawatha start one week from tonight! It’s a free six-concert series, 6:30 pm Thursday nights from July 23rd through August 27th, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (with co-sponsors including WSB), on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (official address 2700 California SW, but the concerts are on the Walnut side). Next Thursday, Carrie Akre takes the stage to get this year’s concerts going; see the full season lineup (as announced last month) by going here. Bring neighbors, friends, family, chairs, blankets, picnic dinner, and have a great time – see you there!
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing out of the ordinary reported for this morning’s outbound commute. So we launch again with reminders about Saturday:
GRAND PARADE & FLOAT DODGER 5K ON SATURDAY: California SW will close from The Admiral District to The Junction for the West Seattle Grand Parade, preceded by the Float Dodger 5K, early morning until the end of the parade in early afternoon. By today, no-parking signs should be up on side streets that’ll be used for staging and for Metro rerouting (those reroutes are on the Metro website); parade organizers say Metro is making those changes earlier in the morning, so some no-parking signs will have times as early as 6 am Saturday.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 35TH SW PLAN? As reported here, SDOT has announced a two-phase plan for 35th SW, starting with rechannelization “within the next couple months” between Roxbury and Willow. Your first chance to ask questions following last night’s meeting is tonight’s second meeting – featuring the same presentation – 6 pm at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson).
Two overnight incidents:
12:01 AM: Police are searching in The Junction right now after a reported street robbery in the 4800 block of California SW. According to emergency-radio traffic, the victim reported being held up at gunpoint by two men who took his phone and fled. Only partial descriptions have been mentioned over the air – one black, one Hispanic, both in their early 20s, one with a red bandana over his face. We’ll add anything more we find out.
1:17 AM: Another police search, this time in Highland Park – a neighbor reported seeing burglars inside a house in the 8800 block of 10th SW. Police have just finished searching the house; the reported intruders are gone, and now they have to figure out if anything was taken.
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