day : 10/10/2015 10 results

Two days ago, we reported that at least five West Seattle schools were dealing with the news that they would lose teachers because the district’s enrollment projections had fallen a bit short – along with about 20 other schools around the district. We followed up on Friday with updates including how Schmitz Park Elementary‘s principal explained the situation to families of his first-graders, and early word of a Sunday rally for West Seattleites to show their concern.

Tonight, some updates:

*The start of tomorrow’s rally has been described as “after the Seahawks game” (which starts at 10 am) – approximately 2 pm. Everyone interested in participating is invited to show up at California SW and SW Admiral Way. This is a rally to call attention to the West Seattle-wide situation. Organizers suggest wearing your school’s colors and bringing noisemakers.

*A Tuesday afternoon protest outside Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SODO (4 pm, 3rd and Lander) is being planned.

*Alki Elementary families are expanding fundraising to try to avoid losing a first-grade teacher, in the vein of what Gatewood Elementary did when facing a cut last year. The fundraising now includes two dine-out events announced by the Alki PTA:

–Mission (2325 California SW) is donating 20 percent of food/drink sales tomorrow (Sunday)

–Marination Ma Kai (at Seacrest, 1660 Harbor SW) is donating 15 percent of its food sales 4 pm-8 pm Tuesday (October 13th), according to Patti Johnson from the Alki PTA. She also shared these points about how loss of a teacher affects more than that teacher’s class:

The loss of this one teacher will have an enormous impact to the school and the children.

*First grade class sizes from 21-22 students per class to 26.
*Second grade class size from 23-24 students per class to 26-27.
*Will put at least one classroom in overload status.
*Creation of a 1st-2nd grade combination classroom (in addition to the 4th-5th combination we already have).

In addition to the statistics above, changing classes in-year will have other ramifications and effects on the children:

Learning a new routine takes approximately 2-3 weeks. Students changing to new classrooms will result in all students in those classes losing instructional time because the teacher will have to spend time teaching every class routine to the entire class, again, after having just become proficient in routines from the start of the school year.

Students will spend time meeting their new classmates and new teacher prior to the change in class assignments, thus resulting in more loss of instructional time.

Building custodians and other staff members will take time out of their normal duties to move student furniture (desks) and any other furnishings needed into new classrooms to accommodate the need for more desk, table, and shelf space in the newly assigned classrooms.

School counselors will have to work with students who have anxiety, fear, depression, etc. from loss of stability due to new class assignments. (Some students have pre-existing issues that make them more susceptible to these feelings).

Tutoring time that was intended for intervention of students needing to reduce the achievement gap will be shifted to support students in a split classes.

There will be less Playground Supervisors during two recesses per week for Alki 1st graders because of the reduction of staff members able to do supervision.

Alki also has an online petition:

*”Keep Alki Elementary Class Size Manageable” – petition here

Schmitz Park, whose principal says two 1st-grade classes now will be at 28 students each and a third at 29, also has an online petition, first noted in our Thursday story – find it here.

This one has a broader focus:
*”Our Kids Need Their Teachers – Rethink Budget Cuts” – petition here

And as noted at Schmitz Park on Thursday night, advocacy to elected officials matters most of all – whether you’re involved with any of the affected schools or not, you can help with this.

The district, meantime, as reported on Friday, has responded with this general message.

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FERRY ALERT: Fauntleroy route runs canceled because of vessel trouble

October 10, 2015 7:37 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

7:37 PM: If you’re using the Washington State Ferries Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route tonight, note that M/V Tillikum is having mechanical trouble, so WSF has cancelled at least three runs, including Vashon 7:35 pm and Fauntleroy 8:00 pm departures.

11:04 PM NOTE: WSF has continued sending alerts about delays throughout the evening – check here for the latest, if you’re heading out.

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HAPPENING NOW: 11th anniversary party @ Click! Design That Fits

October 10, 2015 6:50 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

The day is ending more cheerfully than it began for Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) proprietors John and Frances Smersh. The shop’s 11th anniversary party is on, until 8 pm as planned, despite the overnight burglary (one of two local businesses hit, as reported here). And despite the fact the burglars even made off with the champagne. That was easily replaceable, as pointed out on the Click! Instagram account. So stop by to shop and sip.

Along with treats, you’ll also find deals, as noted in their website announcement about the event – written five days ago; it points out that #11 is the steel anniversary, and: “… steel is a strong material, but not unyielding, moving both to the forces of nature and of women and men. The celebration of eleven years in business has its roots in both strength and flexibility.” Along with words of thanks, that item also notes this marks five years since Click! moved from a cozy Admiral space to the spacious storefront at 4540 California SW in The Junction.

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VIDEO: See what today’s gusty, soggy storm did in West Seattle

October 10, 2015 1:58 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(SCROLL DOWN for updated storm info)

1:58 PM: You’ve probably noticed the wind has kicked up in a big way. The National Weather Service now has the area under a “wind advisory” alert until 5 pm, with sustained winds from the south-southwest at 20 to 30 mph, and the possibility of gusts up to 45 mph.

2:23 PM: Since then, we’ve also had another wave of heavy rain, and we’re hearing reports of some street flooding, including near the heart of Morgan Junction. Off to check. Also adding a phone-video clip from one wind/rain burst. Check your nearest storm drains when you can to be sure leaves/other debris aren’t clogging them.

3:20 PM: That video is from Fauntleroy Way in the Fairmount Springs area, where leaf-clogged drains have left enough water across the road for hydroplaning. We noticed some caring souls out there working to unclog the drains. We also checked out the alley behind the businesses on the west side of 4700 block of California SW in The Junction – longtime troublespot:

Brian Allen sent word that Weather Underground tallies the rain at more than an inch, this afternoon alone. Also just caught this traffic alert via a tip from Tamisha:

No visual but per @seattlepd flooding on SW Admiral Way has ramp to EB West Seattle Bridge closed. Use caution & use alternate routes

— seattledot (@seattledot) October 10, 2015

4:38 PM: The ramp is open again.

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Seen off West Seattle: State ferry Tacoma on sea trials

October 10, 2015 1:50 pm

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| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

SATURDAY: Thanks to everybody who’s messaged to ask about this, including “cugrngneer,” who shared the photo: The state ferry you’re seeing in unusual places and unusual maneuvers today is the M/V Tacoma, which has been at Vigor on Harbor Island for a while and is now on sea trials getting ready to go back into service on the Bainbridge Island/Downtown Seattle run.

SUNDAY MORNING: Just saw Tacoma passing Fauntleroy, out on sea trials again today.

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HAPPENING NOW: Cat adopt-a-thon featuring Katya and friends at High Point Community Center

October 10, 2015 12:57 pm

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| High Point | Pets | West Seattle news

Some of the cats and kittens at the Seattle Animal Shelter Cat Adopt-A-Thon at High Point Community Center were snapped up fast. But Katya, 10, above, didn’t have a forever home yet as of about 15 minutes ago. Go see her and the others looking for new homes.

A photo posted by West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) on Oct 10, 2015 at 12:35pm PDT

HPCC is at 6920 34th SW and this is on until 3 pm. There’s even a tent where you can get acquainted with your potential new furry family member.

(That’s Bowser the kitten.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch update: 2 business burglaries

October 10, 2015 11:32 am

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| Crime | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:32 AM: An unpleasant surprise for the proprietors of Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) as they arrived this morning to get their shop ready to open for the day – someone broke in overnight. “Not very much” was stolen, Click! proprietor John Smersh reports; they’ve been cleaning up to get on with the day – and the night, since, as noted in our daily preview, this is Click!’s 11th anniversary and they’re planning a 5-8 pm party. That’s definitely still on, John says, so they hope to see you there.

P.S. Because of the cleanup, they’re not opening for the day until 1 pm.

ADDED 3:39 PM: John had said a police officer told them another business, in South Admiral on California SW, had been broken into early today as well. We couldn’t find it on the SPD map or in Tweets By Beat at the time but have since learned via a reader tip that it happened at the live-work offices in the 3400 block of California SW.

4 PM: We have since heard directly from the burglarized business, Guenther Group, confirming theirs was the business broken into by someone who smashed through the front door (in Click!’s case, it was the rear) early this morning.

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SUNDAY NIGHT: Free concert and film pay tribute to Richard Hugo

October 10, 2015 11:10 am

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| West Seattle news | White Center | WS culture/arts

Sunday nights are usually quiet on the calendar – event highlights often ending around mid-afternoon. Not tomorrow. So here’s a heads-up if you haven’t already seen this on the calendar: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is presenting a free concert and film, “Some Places Are Forever Afternoon: A Tribute in Music, Words, and Film to White Center’s Richard Hugo,” 6 pm Sunday inside the historic White Center Fieldhouse at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd). Admission is free, thanks to funding by 4Culture; the concert features pianist/composer Wayne Horvitz (who’s in the video invitation above), who released a Hugo-tribute CD in July. The event also will screen “Kicking the Loose Gravel Home,” an hour-long 1976 film about Hugo, who was just 58 when he died in 1982.

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West Seattle Saturday: Give, learn, create, volunteer, adopt, celebrate, share …

October 10, 2015 6:43 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Sam Nizam)

Happy Saturday! Highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

DON’T TOSS IT, DONATE IT! West Seattle Jr. Football and Cheer are hosting a clothing and textile drive today:

Dropoff will be at West Seattle High School. There Will be a Clothes For The Cause trailer parked at the north end parking lot from 9 AM to 5 PM. We all have unwanted textiles that are out of fashion, not needed, or no longer fit. Instead of discarding surplus clothing and household linens, give them a second life through supporting West Seattle Jr. Football and Cheer.

Accepted items: clothing new and old, paired shoes (any kind, any condition), towels – bath, kitchen, rags, blankets, sheets, quilts, backpacks, curtain/drapery, purses, belts, tablecloth, placemats, stuffed animals.

(3000 California SW)

CLASS FOR HOMEBUYERS: WSB sponsor HomeStreet Bank is a co-sponsor of this class focused on “winning the bidding war and using creative financing to purchase more home.” RSVP if you see this early enough. 10 am-noon at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

NORTH SHOREWOOD PARK PLANTING: 10 am, come help with TLC for a neighborhood park, as explained here. (10061 21st SW)

VIETNAMESE STORYTIME: 11:30 am at Delridge Library, stories, songs, and rhymes in Vietnamese. All welcome. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

CAT ADOPT-A-THON: Noon-3 pm at High Point Community Center, more than a dozen kittens, including Robbie:

… as well as mature foster cats, are waiting for you to give them a brand-new home. (6920 34th SW)

MAKE POM-POM ANIMALS: 1 pm at Southwest Library, it’s part of “See Art, Make Art,” in connection with the ongoing Community Art Showcase – details here. (35th SW & SW Henderson)

FREE HEALTH FAIR: BendnMove is hosting a free Health and Wellness fair from 1-4 pm. Organizers say you’ll find “10 West Seattle health practitioners on site to discuss options for achieving or maintaining optimum health.” (3270 California SW)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, CLICK! It’s the 11th anniversary of Click! Design That Fits (longtime WSB sponsor), and you’re invited to the party tonight!

(Photo by Jared Chandler)
Join Click! proprietors John Smersh and Frances Smersh for the 5-8 pm party:

*Sparkling beverages and snacks

*Photo booth (professional photographer will be on site 6-7 pm)

*20% off all in-stock items (excluding our featured artist)

Full details here. (4540 California SW)

HARVEST DINNER AND TALENT SHOW: 6 pm potluck dinner – bring a dish to share! – and talent show at Highland Park Improvement Club. Go here to see what it’s all about. (12th SW & SW Holden)

BON-FULTON: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

PINT, DALE, WHATEVERLY BROTHERS: Big bill tonight at 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall – check it out here. (7904 35th SW)

FIRST SHOW AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Stuporhero, Blanco Bronco, Lux Fontaine, Coke & Snickers are all on the bill, 9 pm at the new Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

Something else you can do today/tonight …

MAKE A CAKE FOR THE FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL CAKE WALK TOMORROW: The festival is 2-5 pm Sunday, but cake dropoff is at noon, so by the time we mention it again in the Sunday morning preview, it’ll be pretty much too late for you to bake and decorate a cake, so go get details on the FFF website now – and see some of last year’s entries in our 2014 coverage.

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High-school football: Chief Sealth player hurt in homecoming game vs. Ingraham

October 10, 2015 1:50 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

At Southwest Athletic Complex on Friday night, Chief Sealth International High School‘s homecoming game vs. Ingraham ended in a 1-point loss, 13-12. But before we get to the details, an update on a frightening incident that stopped the game for a while just before the end of the first half:

Sealth senior Andrew Leota was down for about 20 minutes before being taken to a medic unit. Both teams and their cheer squads made a line to the ambulance and applauded as the stretcher went by.

While injuries are not uncommon at football games, many already had a nearby tragedy on their mind, the death of Evergreen player Kenney Bui after an injury in Burien a week earlier, so that gave this even more gravity. This injury, however, did not appear to be major. Sealth athletic director Ernest Policarpio told us that Andrew thought he “took a helmet to his lower back” and was doing better as he was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The game eventually resumed and the first half was finished. We will be checking on his condition.

Here’s the rest of the story from the game: