With state funding restored, charter operator ‘still working toward opening’ in West Seattle
(WSB file photo – future Summit Atlas site @ 35th/Roxbury)
“We are committed to opening Summit Atlas – our West Seattle school.”
That’s what charter-school operator Summit Public Schools‘ regional officer Jen Wickens told WSB when we checked in after news that Governor Inslee would not veto the bill that created a new public-funding source for charters to replace what they lost when the State Supreme Court ruled the original voter-approved plan was unconstitutional.
While the governor said he wouldn’t veto the charter-funding bill, he also said he wouldn’t sign it – the first time a bill has been allowed to become law that way in our state in more than 30 years, according to the Tacoma News-Tribune.
Summit opened two schools, in Seattle’s International District and in Tacoma, last fall. It originally planned to open Summit Atlas in fall of this year at the former Freedom Church site (35th/Roxbury) with one middle- and one high-school grade, eventually building to a full middle/high school campus. But amid the funding uncertainty, California-headquartered Summit announced in December that it would delay the West Seattle plan (first reported here in January 2015) until fall 2017. And Wickens confirms that Summit is “still working toward opening the school” on that timeline. The city continues to review its permit applications to remodel the former church (and before that, supermarket) building, purchased last summer by Washington Charter School Development for $4.75 million.
The bill, SB 6194, officially became law today; read the full text of the final version here. All three of West Seattle’s state legislators – 34th District State Sen. Sharon Nelson and State Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon – voted against it.
Food news: Mioposto adds brunch; White Center gets fried chicken; more
Three quick restaurant notes:
MIOPOSTO STARTS BRUNCH NEXT WEEKEND IN ADMIRAL: As you plan ahead for next weekend (and beyond), you’ll have a new brunch option in West Seattle. Starting next Saturday, Mioposto in Admiral (2139 California SW; WSB sponsor) opens weekend mornings at 10 am for brunch/breakfast. Until now, it’s been dinner only. The brunch menu isn’t posted yet but you might consider the brunch menu from their Bryant location to be a taste. (Between now and then, you’ll want to dine at Mioposto on Tuesday, April 5th, if you are a fan of public-radio station KPLU; in the effort to raise enough money to prevent its sale and big changes, Mioposto is donating 30 percent of its proceeds at all three locations on Tuesday.)
MORE BREAKFAST IN THE JUNCTION: Highstrike Grill at West Seattle Bowl (39th SW/SW Oregon) sends word it’s expanding its breakfast hours; as of April 14th, it’ll be serving breakfast 7:30 am-2 pm Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
FRIED CHICKEN ON THE WAY TO WHITE CENTER: From our partner site White Center Now – the WC space where the bricks-and-mortar Charlie’s Buns just closed after six months (98th just east of 16th SW) already has a new tenant: Bok a Bok, “Korean fried chicken and biscuits,” to be opened by Chef Brian O’Connor, a veteran of the Seattle restaurant scene, who also has another WC plan once that’s up and running. (Added Monday: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reminded your editor here that Chef O’Connor has a past WS connection – he was on the team that opened The Swinery in 2009 and is at right in the top photo in our story about it.)
MONDAY: April’s first community-council meeting – Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights
Live and/or work in Westwood, Roxhill, Arbor Heights, vicinity? Tomorrow (Monday, April 4th), go see what your community council is up to. The agenda includes updates on WWRHAH‘s committees – including Metro, Infrastructure, Roxhill Bog, and Roxhill Park – and new/old business including brainstorming ideas for seeking Neighborhood Street Fund money – two weeks left to apply! “Bring Your Thing,” exhorts co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick. Also planned: Talking about what’s next for ongoing issues including the Roxhill Park fen, the pavement problems along the Westwood-area “bus loop,” and lighting for the RapidRide stop across from Westwood Village. Just go grab yourself a seat in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Library (35th SW/SW Henderson), 6:15 start, 7:45 end (no overtime because that’s when the library closes).
UPDATE: Crash at 35th/Kenyon
3:12 PM: Seattle Police and Fire are headed to a reported crash at 35th and Kenyon. According to scanner traffic, a motorcycle rider is involved. That’s all we know so far; avoid the area for a while.
3:31 PM: No traffic effects; Seattle Fire has already left the scene. The motorcycle is on Kenyon just east of 35th; the only police left at the scene were talking with what appeared to be the rider, and another person.
West Seattle Crime Watch update: Stolen car found
11:50 AM: Late last night, we published this Crime Watch report featuring a look at the West Seattle auto thefts shown on the SPD crime-reports map for the preceding week. This morning, another one to add, reported by Dianna:
My fiance’s white 1991 Acura Integra, 2-door hatchback, was stolen sometime either Friday evening after 8 pm or Saturday on Hill Street (near the intersection of Hill St. & Ferry Ave.), right across from the Admiral Congregational Church. His license plate is 641XDA. His car was parked right at the triangle park, where the temporary fire station used to be.
If you see, or have seen it, please call 911 – and then consider commenting below.
2:21 PM: Dianna just sent word that her fiance’s car was found nearby, with “items stolen from the car (red tool box with random craftsman wrenches and tools).”
Reader report: If you find a flower like this, please leave it alone
The photo (which was accompanied by a similar one, except the flower is white) is from Jeremy Puma in Sunrise Heights, who writes:
My son and I found these beautiful trillium flowers growing in the woods at Lincoln Park (Saturday). Wonder if you would be open to reminding your readers that these ephemeral beauties are threatened natives, and picking the flowers will kill the plant?
Some trilliums are threatened or endangered; It’s best to enjoy the flowers with eyes and/or a camera.
That’s an excellent reminder to tread lightly in general in our natural areas.
6 ideas for your West Seattle Sunday
(Male pileated woodpecker, photographed Saturday by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, ideas for the first Sunday of April:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the heart of The Junction; here’s what’s fresh this week. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
JAZZ SUNDAY: 10:30 am, everyone’s invited to Admiral Congregational Church‘s traditional post-Easter, jazz-music-filled service – details in our listing. (California SW/SW Hill)
CATSINO: 2-6 pm at Beveridge Place Pub, play games and place bids to help four local animal-advocacy/-rescue groups. (6413 California SW)
EVAN HULSE, ZACH ROURKE, ABBY KARP … live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
FINAL PERFORMANCE OF ‘VIOLET’: 3 pm at ArtsWest, it’s closing day for “Violet.” (4711 California SW)
ASK THE AGES: 8 pm at Parliament Tavern, avant-jazz music. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
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