West Seattle, Washington
08 Tuesday
As we close out the last Wednesday of March …some beautiful views of its sunset and sunrise. The top photo is from Colleen Brenize; below, from Howella:
After the jump, more of the colors with which the day ended and began:
West Seattle High School is at the top of the Metro League baseball standings. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and photos from today’s victory:
The Wildcats traveled over the pond to take on the Crusaders of Eastside Catholic. Junior Ryan Kimsey [#15, above] started on the mound for Westside. He would go on to throw a complete game of shutout baseball, giving up only two hits and striking out three. Again West Seattle’s defense was strong behind their pitcher.
Juniors Jack Page and Nathan Johnson led the team with two hits each.
Andrew Burggraff [#39, above] had a double in the 4th inning to hit in an insurance run. In the end, behind the strong pitching of Kimsey and the great defense, West Seattle topped Eastside Catholic 3-0 and now sits atop the Metro League standings at 6-0 in league play.
Next game is 3:30 pm Friday against Ballard at Whitman Middle School.
See the full league standings on the left sidebar of this page.
With school start-and-end times – officially known as bell times – changing next year at many Seattle Public Schools, the district says it knows the change “has presented some significant logistical, scheduling, and programmatic challenges, and appreciate the feedback from schools, families and community members on the impact.” So it’s asking families to take a survey focused on how the changes will affect “Nutrition Services (Breakfast and Lunch), Before and After School Programs, and Athletics.” Find the survey here, in six languages. (And if you haven’t checked your school’s bell times, find them here.)
7:35 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos – neighbors near 39th and Raymond [map] report a semi-truck took out a fire hydrant, sending water into the street, and reducing water pressure in nearby homes.
Seattle Fire Department is there. No report of injuries – the call is classified as “investigate, out of service.”
7:42 PM: Another texter just sent word of brown water at a home nearby. Having just toured the city drinking-water control center today (story tomorrow) – we can confirm the hydrant problem would definitely cause something like that, though we would still advise making sure Seattle Public Utilities knows – 206-386-1800.
9:36 PM: Commenters in the affected area say SPU’s telling them water could be out until about 4 am.
Construction of the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway is done, SDOT announced this afternoon – aside from “a few minor tasks,” such as:
*Finish sign installation and road striping
*Replace temporary handrail with permanent handrail on the new stairway on 17th Ave SW
*Reseed planting strip on 21st Ave SW just north of where 21st Ave SW and 22nd Ave SW merge
Seattle City Light will turn on the new signal at 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St
And Seattle Public Utilities continues with the Delridge Natural Drainage Project. If you live/work in, and/or frequently travel through the greenway area, you’re invited to answer this survey. Meantime, scroll down the project webpage for the city’s before/after images of spots along the greenway.
(Saturday WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Whether or not they’re directly responsible for the illegal tree-cutting in the Duwamish Head Greenbelt, nearby property owners may be taxed for it, sooner rather than later.
Checking the status of the investigation and other revelations, we found out today from City Councilmember Lisa Herbold that the King County Assessor has received a “constituent request (to) increase 2016 real-estate tax to reflect View Property status.” She says the Assessor’s Office already “has sent division directors out to visit the site and will be sending an appraisal team out shortly.”
Speaking of valuation, Herbold told us there’s something else that she’s emphasizing to the City Attorney’s Office and others who are investigating:
I want to be sure the evaluation of the value of the trees takes into account the role the trees play in maintaining soil stability in an environmentally critical area by absorbing water, thus lessening the risk of landslides onto a major arterial.
Further, trees maintain air quality by absorbing carbon —an important issue in West Seattle, which sits adjacent to SODO and the Duwamish industrial area. The Green Cities Research Alliance 2012 Report, Seattle’s Forest Ecosystem Values, has additional information about Seattle’s trees, estimated to have a replacement value of $4.9 billion — an important capital asset.
If you’ve been away or are otherwise just tuning into this, The Seattle Times broke the news last Friday night that the city was investigating the illegal cutting of more than 100 trees on parcels owned by the city Parks and Transportation Departments in the Duwamish Head Greenbelt, north of 35th SW and northwest of 34th SW/City View.
We followed up on Saturday and on Monday, which is when the City Attorney’s Office disclosed the cutting was brought to the city’s attention in January, and that a lawyer for at least one of the guilty parties had written to the city about it in early February. We published a statement from lawyer Clayton Graham in our Monday report. We now also have a copy of his February 5th letter and the proposed restoration-plan outline, both obtained from the City Attorney’s Office. Here’s the letter (PDF); below is the restoration-plan outline, which Graham said on Monday was provided to the city on March 9th. The city stresses that it has NOT approved the plan; we publish it to show you what was proposed before this all came to light:
RESTORATION ACTIVITY OUTLINE
Hire contractor approved by SPRD for following activities:SITE PREPARATION Spring/Summer 2016
Install erosion control along perimeter of site per SPRD and DPD guidelines
Move cut logs to accommodate work and utilize as erosion control and terraces as possible
Invasive Shrub/Vine Removal following SPRD guidelines within perimeter of exposed canopy
Invasive Tree Removal/Herbicide (if necessary) under SPRD guidelines within perimeterBroadcast Herbicide (if necessary) under SPRD guidelines within perimeter
Mulch to a depth of no greater than 6” consisting of arborist chips, straw or burlap will be installed across area to suppress weeds, increase moisture retention and limit erosion potentialPLANTING Fall/Winter (2016)
Install trees, shrubs, groundcovers in species and numbers as prescribed by Green Seattle Partnership – SPRD guidelines for similar sites.Planting will be done in the suggested mosaic for the site with adaptation for existing native plants.
Location and species of trees planted to be determined based on discussion with City staff and owners’ urban forester.IRRIGATION Winter/Spring (2016)
Installation of a temporary water reservoir and drip irrigation system in the spring is requested. Water will be supplied by adjacent property ownerIf system is not approved contractor will be engaged for 3 seasons of watering and continued invasive species control and erosion monitoring
ESTABLISHMENT WEED CONTROL Spring-Summer (2017-2020)
Invasive weed control and plant health monitoring will be contracted for three growing seasons to assure success of plantings and site
Again, that is what the one unidentified homeowner proposed in early February, and it has not been approved by the city. Graham’s Monday statement said he and his clients “offered to provide a detailed restoration plan (complete with tree size, species, placement and ongoing care obligations) from our client’s urban forester when the City was ready to review it.” (Since that apparently has not yet been received by the city, we’re asking Graham if his client would make it public.)
Whether it’s from that plan or not, will the city take any action to start restoring the cut slopes before it’s decided whether those responsible will be prosecuted, and how they will be penalized? We asked the Parks Department that question yesterday and are still awaiting the answer.
Finally, if you haven’t already seen it in our previous story’s comment thread, this online petition is in circulation, asking the City Council to toughen the laws governing incidents like this.
If we get any more new information today, we’ll add it to this story.
ADDED 4:59 PM: Parks spokesperson Christina Hirsch‘s reply to our question about whether any immediate restoration work is planned:
Right now we are working with our own restoration experts and are also consulting with outside advisers to figure out the plan to restore this area. This is a unique situation and restoration will be a challenge, both because of the scope of the damage and because it is such a sensitive and environmentally critical area. Because the situation is so severe, it could take years to get the area back to where it needs to be. Restoring this area is something that we need to do and we are working diligently with our team to put together a plan. We don’t have a complete timeline for restoration, but we do know that restoration in this area will not be something we can complete in one attempt; we will have to work on restoration on an ongoing basis.
More free public wi-fi is en route to West Seattle, as part of the city’s Digital Equity Initiative, but via public funding. A public-relations firm for Google just sent this:
Google has provided $344,000 in grants to fund WiFi access points at all 26 Seattle Parks & Rec community centers, including Delridge, South Park, Alki, Hiawatha, and High Point Community Centers, which will improve public events, classes, camps and learning programs, and to provide WiFi to low-income families in Seattle Housing Authority housing. Some community centers will also get new computers — the funding will be used to replace 31 outdated and obsolete computers at five RecTech Community Technology Labs, including Delridge.
Last year, you might recall, Google bought borrowable wi-fi hotspots to make available through Seattle Public Library branches.
Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
SEEN THIS STOLEN CAR? Susumu e-mailed Tuesday to say his silver 2-door 1997 Honda Civic stolen from the apartment parking lot at 6901 Delridge late March 19 or early March 20, plate AYL1636, is still missing. Call 911 if you see it.
SHOPLIFTING CASE #1: Two shoplifting suspects who police say had fled the RiteAid store south of The Junction wound up crashing at 41st and Brandon Tuesday evening.
At least one person was in custody – we had to break away from the scene to go to the 15th/Henderson crash so that’s all we know so far.
SHOPLIFTING CASE #2: Mike from Sound Advice (the Verizon store in The Junction) reports two iPhones were shoplifted on Tuesday while the store was full of customers. The two shoplifters were caught on HD video that is already in police hands, he says.
HIT-RUN: Shelly sent word of this last night:
Everyone keep a lookout for a red/maroon sedan with substantial front end damage. Saturday at about 6 am, it bumped into my neighbors cars, then smashed into my car and took off. They hit my car so hard it jumped the curb and caused substantial damage. The police have pieces of their car as well as descriptions of the people/car, but any leads would be super helpful. This happened on 30th between Myrtle and Othello.
Thanks for the tips and reports – 206-293-6302 text/voice if urgent, editor@westseattleblog.com if not – as long as you have already called 911/SPD!
It isn’t spring on WSB without a Canada-gosling(s) photo by David Hutchinson, whose note accompanying the photo above said, “Noticed these 3 goslings with parents heading for shore along Harbor Ave this past weekend. Spring has arrived.” (Scroll down for Lise Thivierge‘s photo of goose and goslings on shore.) And now, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
4 STORY TIMES: Coming up at local libraries in the hours ahead – Toddler Story Time at 10:30 am at Southwest Library (35th SW/SW Henderson), Preschool Story Time at 10:30 am at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), Baby Story Time at 11:30 am at High Point Library, and Somali Story Time at 5 pm, also at High Point (35th SW/SW Raymond).
DREAM DINNERS ‘FREEZER SALE’: 10:30 am-12:30 pm, see what’s pre-assembled and ready to buy in the freezer at Dream Dinners-West Seattle (WSB sponsor), on the street-level outer east side of Jefferson Square. (4701 41st SW)
ENTREPRENEUR MEETUP: Bring your lunch to West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), noon-1:15 pm, and meet other local entrepreneurs. (6040 California SW)
FINAL WEEK FOR ‘VIOLET’: Been to the musical @ ArtsWest yet? Time’s running out. Tonight, it’s a 7:30 pm curtain. (4711 California SW)
TALARICO’S TRIVIA: The biggest local trivia night, 8:30 pm at Talarico’s Pizzeria in The Junction. Details in our listing. (4718 California SW)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:50 AM: Good morning. Notes so far:
PIONEER SQUARE INVESTIGATION: If your commute takes you through/to Pioneer Square, note that SDOT reports 2nd is closed between Yesler and Washington for a police investigation (two people shot, one killed).
YANCY/AVALON/30TH SAFETY PROJECT: Work began on Tuesday, with 30th closed at Avalon.
SOUND TRANSIT 3 COMMENT TIME: The monthlong comment period has begun for the Sound Transit 3 draft plan made public last Thursday (including light rail to West Seattle in 2033). You’re invited to share comments via this survey, and a community meeting at West Seattle High School is set for 5:30 pm April 26th. The final plan will be approved this summer and go to voters in November.
7:01 AM: JayDee texted to say the 56 is running 25 minutes late.
8:43 AM: Metro says bus operation downtown in the aforementioned investigation zone is back to normal. See the comments for discussion of Admiral bus woes – we don’t know whether they have anything to do with what had been happening downtown.
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