West Seattle, Washington

19 Saturday

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month : 04/2016 306 results

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates; 9 days to Viaduct closure
April 20, 2016 5:58 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

5:58 AM: Good morning! The list of upcoming traffic alerts is longer this morning:

ROAD REPAIRS ON 26TH SW: Starting Monday, south of Westwood Village, with some detours/re-routes, explained here.

FAUNTLEROY EXPRESSWAY CLOSURES: The nighttime closures on the west end of the bridge start one week from tonight. We’re still awaiting an update from SDOT with final word on lane closures under the bridge.

ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT CLOSURE: And we’re now 9 days away from the Alaskan Way Viaduct being closed while the Highway 99 tunneling machine goes beneath it – that’s set to start before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th. The online clearinghouse of closure info is at 99closure.org – even a page where the state promises to post tunneling progress reports once or twice a day during the closure.

8:22 AM: Crash at 35th/Holden … but it is reported to have cleared quickly.

8:55 AM: If you are a Water Taxi rider – this afternoon on the downtown dock, it’s your chance to get a look at the upcoming Colman Dock overhaul:

King County Water Taxi and WSF staff will be at Pier 50 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. to share the latest design for the Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock. This includes the design of the new Water Taxi facility. Please stop by to learn more and ask questions.

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Hours after enforcement request, a crash
April 20, 2016 1:18 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | Safety | West Seattle news

Right now police are at the scene of a one-car crash on Puget Ridge, on 21st SW north of Dawson. What we’ve heard via the scanner so far is that it’s a mystery – the car was found with airbags deployed, but no one inside (which is why a “rescue” callout was quickly canceled). The location is notable because just a few hours ago, as reported in our coverage of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, a neighbor brought police a petition asking for speed enforcement on that stretch of 21st, which is now part of the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway.

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‘A lot of shots-fired incidents’ & other updates @ West Seattle Crime Prevention Council
April 19, 2016 10:04 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Gunfire was the first thing our area’s top law enforcer brought up as tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting began.

CRIME TRENDS: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis opened the meeting with his crime-trends briefing, as usual. “As of lately, there’s been a lot of shots-fired incidents, there’s reasons behind it … it is alarming,” and community members “are quite tired, and I don’t blame them one bit.”

Once shots are reported, “we do take them very seriously, our officers go out and investigate … if there’s physical evidence that can be confiscated and taken to a lab, we do that .. there’s a whole unit that does that to see if there’s a nexus between different areas of the city (and other cities). … There’s shots-fired evidence we can link to various crimes throughout the area.” According to Capt. Davis, gangs and drugs are what’s most often involved “and we’re quickly putting together the pieces as to who’s who.”

He mentioned one particular trouble spot – a mile-plus of 16th SW, from the 6900 through 9000 block. South Park (which also is served by the SW Precinct) is being plagued by gunfire incidents, too, and so, he said, patrols have been stepped up, even including SWAT officers and the Anti-Crime Team. But they can’t patrol around the clock, he warned: “Obviously these individuals are smart enough to know if you’re shooting when police are around, you’re probably going to get caught … I wish I had enough officers to have out there 24/7 but that’s not the case.”

A resident of 21st SW in Puget Ridge spoke up at this point to say she had heard gunshots for three nights.

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West Seattle weather: Another recordsetting day
April 19, 2016 8:43 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

kanitcottrellsunset

Thanks for the sunset photos! Above, that’s from Kanit Cottrell via e-mail; below, from Gary Gates via Twitter:

The beautiful sunset ended another day with a record-high temperature – 84 degrees, 10 degrees above the previous record. And we might get into the 80s again tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service, followed by possible evening thunderstorms!

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MYSTERY: West Seattleite hopes to reunite this photo with its subjects’ family
April 19, 2016 5:31 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

haugs

Ron Tjerandsen would love to give this photo to the family of the people in the photo. Here’s how he found it:

I was sorting through a stack of old photos of my family – Tjerandsen – which has been in West Seattle since 1906 when my grandfather, Jacob “Jack” Tjerandsen, and his brothers set up the Maritime Engine and Boat Works on the banks of the Duwamish River just north of the “low” bridge out of West Seattle. I happened on the [photo above] and looked at the reverse and all that was written there – in my aunt’s handwriting (Bernice Tjerandsen Gravem) – was the following:

Mary and Martin Haug
West Seattle
Hinds Street

The Tjerandsens belonged to the Norwegian Lutheran Church in West Seattle whose name was later changed to the First Lutheran Church, now situated on California Avenue, just north of the Junction. That may be a place to start to try to find out who the Haugs were – there may be records in their vault. The photo is in perfect shape and as mentioned initially – since the subjects mean nothing to me – I will release it to anyone who turns up from the family.

Might that be you? E-mail Ron at ron.tjerandsen@gmail.com – and let us know how it turns out!

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FLUSH UPDATE: Night 3 tonight as Seattle Public Utilities works to clear WS water
April 19, 2016 3:33 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

IMG_3131
(WSB photo from Sunday, California/Spokane)

We checked in today with Seattle Public Utilities, whose crews are getting ready for Night 3 of a months-long process to flush rust/sediment out of the West Seattle water system, to reduce the recurring brown-water problems that have hit various parts of our area since last fall.

So far, SPU’s Ingrid Goodwin tells WSB, “The crews are still working out the flushing process and have been making some field adjustments to achieve the results we need. So far they have completed four flushes (2 Sunday and 2 Monday). We were hoping to complete 3 to 4 flushes per night, but we’ve run into some problems with operating some of the older valves.”

Tonight, she says they’re expected to be at three locations: 44th/Lander, 45th/Stevens, and, for some “pre-flushing” work, 44th/Spokane. Remember that – as was apparently the case Sunday night – the flushing itself can lead to temporarily discolored water as that water heads out of the system; if at any time you have a problem that persists, notify SPU at 206-386-1800.

BACKSTORY: The plan to flush West Seattle’s pipes this spring/summer was announced three weeks ago. Then on April 8th, SPU shared the map of the first area to be flushed, along with other details. On Sunday, just as the flushing was about to start, we took a closer look at the water-system workings, in part a followup to our March 22nd report on how SPU monitors and tests local drinking water – for “flavor” as well as safety.

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Celebration of life on Friday for Joseph C. Harris, 1940-2016
April 19, 2016 2:58 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Family and friends will gather this Friday to celebrate the life of Joseph C. Harris. Here’s the remembrance that’s being shared today:

Joseph Claude Harris, age 75, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 16th. He is survived by his wife Sue, his children Sean (Courtney Harris-Campf), Colleen, Becky (RJ Masters), Marianne (Patrick McGah), and CJ, 5 granddaughters, and his brother, John Harris.

Joe was born and raised in West Seattle, attended Holy Rosary School, O’Dea High School, and Maryknoll Seminary. He later earned an MBA from City University. Joe and Sue met through their work with the CYO Summer Camps and after their wedding they lived as the caretakers at Camp Cabrini.

Joe was a proud father to his five children, often driving kids around the city for activities, teaching them to play cribbage, and supporting them in their endeavors. He devoted many years of service to the Catholic Church in parish ministry, school and parish finances, and researching demographics of the Church around the country. Joe was a regular volunteer at Holy Rosary, suggesting that Fr. Mallahan start the endowment fund, serving on various committees, and helping with the plans for Lanigan Gym. Joe loved running, biking, hiking, and playing basketball. He will be greatly missed.

The celebration of his life will be at Holy Rosary Church on Friday, April 22nd at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fr. Mallahan Endowment Fund at Holy Rosary School.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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DANCE! DNDA to launch Cultural Events Series with April 29th World Dance Party
April 19, 2016 1:52 pm
|    Comments Off on DANCE! DNDA to launch Cultural Events Series with April 29th World Dance Party
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

World Dance Party

The World Dance Party on April 29th at Delridge Community Center will launch something brand new in West Seattle – Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association‘s Cultural Events Series. It’ll be the first of 10 events – both new and recurring, including the Delridge Day and Arts In Nature festivals – from now through the end of the year. Today’s announcement includes this backstory:

There has been growing discussion throughout broader Delridge about a need for more collaboration and communication between organizations, and an aspiration to highlight the diverse cultural groups working and living in SW Seattle. According to the 2010 census, Delridge had some of the highest per capita percentages of diverse ethnic groups represented in Seattle, and the highest percentage of youth ages 0-17 in the city. As the demographic of Delridge is rapidly changing, it is important that all residents are encouraged to invest in their community and support organizations doing significant service, cultural and artistic work here in the neighborhood.

It is with this vision that the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) seeks to convene the Cultural Events Series to not only advance the mission of the organization but also to activate growth in a manner that will build, strengthen and empower all of the communities within the Delridge Corridor.

Partnerships will encompass the diverse group of organizations housed at DNDA’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center and other local organizations including Nature Consortium, Totem Star, Reel Grrls, Arts Corps, Southwest Youth & Family Services, Vietnamese Cultural Center, Delridge Community Center and others. Significant funding for the project comes from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods.

By fostering local partnerships and incorporating the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), the Cultural Events Series will increase awareness around the history, culture and needs of Delridge. The series will activate a support network to encourage residents and families who have long called Delridge home to stay rooted, empowered and engaged while deepening the perspectives of what is possible in our neighborhood.

After the World Dance Party, the Summer Kickoff will be next, June 10th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. The full list of events for the rest of the year is here.

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MORE ROAD WORK: Bus-battered street panels in Westwood to be replaced starting next week
April 19, 2016 11:56 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

IMG_2175
(WSB photo from March)

FIRST REPORT, 11:56 AM: The city is about to start replacing concrete panels on 26th SW north of Roxbury. The Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council shone light on this problem during its March meeting, which we covered here; residents along that stretch of 26th south of Westwood Village point out that both the road and their houses have been literally rattled by the dramatic increase in bus traffic since the area became a “transit center” a few years ago. WWRHAH leadership just got this notice from SDOT and shared it with us to help get early warning to you:

SDOT Maintenance and Operations staff will be reconstructing portions of older, thinner concrete pavement on 26th Ave SW that are failing due to heavy Metro bus loads. Work will commence on Monday April 25th, 7:00 a.m.

All southbound traffic, including Metro buses, will be detoured for the duration of the project. Metro buses will continue to use northbound lanes. The roadway will be closed to general traffic, however local access, including solid waste vehicles, postal carriers, etc. will be able to travel northbound only. It is anticipated that the roadway will be reopened no later than 6:00 p.m., Sunday May 1st. Areas adjacent to work zone will be no-parked; Uniformed Police Officers will be assisting during active construction periods.

WWRHAH leadership was told the first phase will be between Roxbury and Cambridge.

ADDED 4:23 PM: An advisory just sent by the city spells it out this way:

From 7:00 a.m. on Monday, April 25, to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 1, travelers can expect the following:

• The southbound direction of 26th Ave SW between SW Roxbury St and SW Cambridge St will be closed to general traffic.

• All southbound traffic, including Metro buses, will be detoured for the duration of the project.

• The northbound direction of 26th Avenue SW will be open to traffic, including Metro buses.

• Local access will be available in the northbound direction only.

• There will be no parking in areas adjacent to the 26th Avenue SW work zone.

They refer bus riders to Metro’s site for bus-detour info, though we’re not seeing it posted there yet.

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West Seattle power outage: Pathfinder K-8 without electricity
April 19, 2016 11:12 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

11:32 AM: Thanks for the tips – parents of students at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point mentioned getting e-mail from the school that the power’s out, and a few other people have mentioned losing power for a short time in other areas of east West Seattle (Highland Park, Westwood). Seattle City Light‘s outage map is itself out right now so we can’t use that for a reference. Seattle Public Schools confirms Pathfinder is out; City Light is checking for us to see if anyone else is and what’s going on.

12:21 PM: Scott Thomsen from SCL says, “It was a momentary interruption of two feeder lines caused by a tree making contact with the wires.”

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West Seattle Tuesday: Crime Prevention Council, fundraiser trivia, more …
April 19, 2016 11:06 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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Biggest event of the day, the continued very-warm weather, likely back into the 80s. Our showcase image above is from Christopher Boffoli, who explains: “Just thought I’d share an image I grabbed yesterday from Richey Viewpoint (beach) that demonstrates a ‘superior’ (or cold water) mirage resulting from warm air over the cold water of the Sound which creates a strange lens effect – in this case – on the tree line in the distance behind the Fauntleroy ferry. Cliff Mass mentioned this effect too in an image he posted on his weather blog yesterday.” Now, on with calendar highlights:

POOL SCHEDULE: As featured in our story last night looking ahead to summer swim season, city-run Southwest Pool is open to the public year-round, so if the expected high in the 80s has you looking to cool off in the water, see the schedule for today/tonight here. (2801 SW Thistle)

MATH BUDDIES: Drop-in help for K-5 students at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 4-5 pm, thanks to teen volunteers. More info here. (2306 42nd SW)

EVENING BOOK GROUP: 6:30 pm at High Point Library; this month’s title is “Bucking the Sun” by Ivan Doig.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: If you have neighborhood crime/safety concerns, this is the monthly chance to take them directly to local police. Local crime trends and concerns comprise the first part of the 7 pm meeting at the Southwest Precinct; then there’s a spotlight topic, which is scheduled to be “parking enforcement” this time around. All welcome. (Delridge/Webster)

TRIVIA FUNDRAISER: 7:30 pm, fundraising trivia at the Senior Center of West Seattle, hosted by Phillip Tavel from the longrunning Wednesday night trivia at Talarico’s. Make your reservation ahead of time and get a discount – info is in our calendar listing. (California SW/SW Oregon)

LOTS MORE for today/tonight, on our complete calendar!

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RECYCLE ROUNDUP: Five days until the spring edition
April 19, 2016 10:12 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

Another big West Seattle event for de-cluttering is getting close – just five days until this Sunday’s spring edition of the Recycle Roundup that Fauntleroy Church‘s Green Committee presents twice a year. Here is the official list of what you can drop off (and what you can’t) in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW 9 am-3 pm Sunday (April 24th). No fees. If you have questions even after checking the list, it includes contact info you can use to ask the church’s event partner, 1 Green Planet. Otherwise – just show up!

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West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2016 update, as registration continues
April 19, 2016 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

We’re in the third week of registration for the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, with 160+ sales now signed up, north to south, east to west, all sizes, many types! Later this week, we’ll announce the registration deadline, but we can tell you that signups will continue for at least one more week.

Whether you’re shopping or selling, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 14th, is the big day (some sales choose to start earlier and/or end later, our only rule is to honor that basic six-hour window). We close registration relatively early so that we can get the map made and available a week ahead of time – we provide it free in two versions accessible online, the clickable “interactive” version and the printable/downloadable PDF version, both with the up-to-20-words listings that sellers provide, so shoppers can plan ahead.

One more reminder – if you just have a few things to sell and would like to be part of a multiseller site, check directly with the two who are offering spaces again this year, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse and C & P Coffee Company (both WSB sponsors).

Why be part of WSCGSD? It’s about more than buying and selling, as organizer Susan wrote on her block-sale registration form: “The 5900 block of 34th Ave SW loves this event! Every year it’s an excuse to party! We visit with our neighbors, meet new folks and catch up with annual Garage Sale returnees, who come to our street each year.”

Ready to register your sale? Here’s the form. Questions? garagesale@westseattleblog.com (or comment section here) – thanks!

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; 10 days until Viaduct closure
April 19, 2016 7:23 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

7:23 AM: Quiet, sunny Tuesday morning so far, headed into the 80s again.

VIADUCT-CLOSURE COUNTDOWN: 10 days until the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes for two weeks or so while the Highway 99 tunneling machine goes beneath it. Some new information emerged at a Monday media briefing – here’s our report. The city, county, and state transportation agencies are continuing to add information to 99closure.org.

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BASEBALL: Chief Sealth over Bainbridge
April 19, 2016 12:14 am
|    Comments Off on BASEBALL: Chief Sealth over Bainbridge
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

The winning pitcher in Chief Sealth International High School‘s 8-5 victory over Bainbridge had a big day at the plate as well as on the mound. Thanks to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score: Isaac Hamilton was Monday’s winning pitcher with 5 runs over 6.1 innings and also went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI. Next up for the Seahawks – Seattle Prep visits them at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 4 pm Wednesday.

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West Seattle weather: Record temps, & looking ahead to summer swimming
April 18, 2016 10:03 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

lynnsunset
(Tonight’s sunset, photographed by Lynn Hall)

Beautiful end to a recordbreaking day – with a high temperature of 89 degrees, 12 degrees over the previous record high, 77 (in 1962), and 30 degrees above the usual high for this date, 59. Tomorrow’s forecast is for another recordbreaking day going into the 80s. If you want to go swimming, your only options this time of year are indoors – pools at fitness facilities including the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), or, if you aren’t a member someplace with a pool, city-run Southwest Pool has public swim sessions – see the schedule here.

Without fanfare, the city’s wading-pool and spraypark schedule for this year has been made publicly available – we found it via web search; see it here. Our area’s lone spraypark, Highland Park, opens May 28th. The first of West Seattle’s four wading pools to open, Lincoln Park, will start up on June 25th, followed by Delridge on June 27th, and E.C. Hughes and Hiawatha on June 29th. Once again this year, Lincoln Park is the only seven-day-a-week wading pool in West Seattle.

The last day of spraypark and wading-pool season will be September 5th – with some closing much earlier – and one Seattle resident thinks that’s too early. Sacha Davis has started a change.org petition asking the city to extend spraypark season and asked if we would mention it. You can read Sacha’s rationale, and sign the petition if you’re interested, by going here.

P.S. Summer outdoor-swimming season, of course, also includes Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore. Its schedule is out too; the historic 75th-anniversary season starts May 28th.

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SPORTS: West Seattle High School track team success!
April 18, 2016 9:41 pm
|    Comments Off on SPORTS: West Seattle High School track team success!
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Congratulations to the West Seattle High School track team for success at a big meet over the weekend. Here’s the report from WSHS track and field head coach Will Harrison:

The most prestigious high-school track meet in the state was held over the weekend, and West Seattle HS Track put their program on the map. The Pasco Invitational, hosted by Pasco High School on Saturday, April 16th, included 105 teams and over 1500 athletes. West Seattle had two individual winners at the event – Lani Taylor secured a victory in the 400m Dash in 56.11 seconds, and Chaaka Trahan won the Long Jump with a leap of 22 feet, 9.75 inches. Those marks put both athletes in the No. 1 spot in the current 3A state rankings. Taylor also placed 5th in the 200m Dash, and Trahan placed 6th in the 110m Hurdles and 9th in the 300m Hurdles. The Wildcats also had school record performances in the Boys’ High Jump (Nuradine Abdi at 6’2”) and Girls’ Triple Jump (Natalie Fuller, 35’9”). Other notable performances included Lexi Ioane taking 9th in the Shot Put and Cass Elliott placed 10th in the 300 Hurdles.

(See the full results here.) Your next chance to see the WSHS track-and-field athletes close to home is April 28th, at Southwest Athletic Complex, vs. Sealth and Lakeside.

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See the permanent ballot-dropbox locations just proposed for West Seattle, White Center, South Park
April 18, 2016 7:47 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   South Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | White Center

dropboxes

Tonight we know the locations where King County Elections is proposing to add more than three dozen fixed ballot dropboxes, including West Seattle (where the last one was removed more than five years ago), White Center, and South Park. Each would get one dropbox before primary voting starts in mid-July, if this plan is approved. Read the full news release here.

Toplines for our area:

In West Seattle, the location would be High Point Library (35th/Raymond); in White Center, it would be the White Center Library (the address listed in the county report is for the current one on 16th, though the new one on SW 107th is scheduled to open soon, so we’ll be doublechecking on that tomorrow). The South Park Library is proposed for a dropbox by the November general election. A 132-page report including how and why these locations (and the others around the county) were chosen – and why some other locations were not chosen – can be seen here.

The county says it will spend $239,695 to have the boxes made, wrapped, and installed. Assuming approval is received from the King County Council and all property owners, this would put 91.5% of the county’s population within three miles of a dropbox, the county says. A public hearing is planned before the County Council’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee at 9:30 am Tuesday, April 26th, in the council chambers downtown.

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UPDATE: Jet skiers rescued off Alki
April 18, 2016 5:35 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
(Texted photo)

5:35 PM: Thanks for the tips. We are en route to Alki and Bonair to check out a rescue response, reportedly involving jet skiers.

IMG_4205

5:52 PM UPDATE: Two people on a jet ski went into the water. One was in a state of reduced consciousness when rescued, we were told by emergency personnel at the scene; both are being taken to Harborview.

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DRAWTASTIC, April 30th at Youngstown: New WSB sponsor
April 18, 2016 4:00 pm
|    Comments Off on DRAWTASTIC, April 30th at Youngstown: New WSB sponsor
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

As high-tech as our lives have become, there are many reasons to celebrate pencil and paper – and DRAWTASTIC, coming up later this month in West Seattle, is a big way to do just that. Organizer Tony White has joined the WSB sponsor team to get the word out – here’s his announcement:

Logo banner
Pencil April 30th into your diary for Seattle’s most ‘drawsome’ festival of Drawing & Animation, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle!

DRAWTASTIC is the brainchild of British award-winning animator, author and educator, Tony White. With the unceasing rush to modern technology in this digital world it is easy to devalue the most wonderful hardware we have ~ the humble pencil!

Although the creative world fully embraces every technological resource available to it these days, it is almost certain that every idea either begins with pencil sketch, or as a result of years of drawing practice, or even through a full-time application of this most wonderful piece of hardware ~ which even comes with its own rubber ‘undo’ button at the other end!

White therefore is seeking to put the pencil back on its pedestal where it belongs. DRAWTASTIC is a ‘Pencil-fest’ that embraces all the artistic worlds that the pencil touches. Speakers include a top Simpsons animator from LA, an Australian living in New York who has made his own drawn movie and who is flying in to present it for its Seattle premiere, a caricaturist who is acknowledged as the very best the industry offers, and a respected game industry professional who acknowledges like everyone else how the pencil is so fundamentally important to their work.

Additional DRAWTASTIC events include the screening of 62 animated shorts from around the world ~ all vying for a prestigious ‘Golden Pencil Award’ ~ together with a vendor hall where indie work is shown and sold. Other drawing-based events will take place, including a ‘how to caricature’ session and ‘how to draw an animated flipbook.’ White himself will reflect the huge interest in drawing that he’s found through his online ‘Animator’s Sketchclub’ ~ currently possessing over 6,000 worldwide members ~ by hosting his own drawing for animation ‘Happy Hour.’

Entry is FREE to the festival, although there is a small charge for the speaker presentations to cover basic costs. The event runs from 11:30 am until 5 pm on Saturday, April 30th, with a ‘Meet ‘n Greet’ get-together afterward ~ where speakers, vendors and visitors can all meet and chat (presumably about the pencil) in a friendly and relaxed manner. White hopes that the event will once and for all prove the maxim that… ‘Pencils are Drawsome’!

We thank Tony White and DRAWTASTIC 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.

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ON THE MOOOOVE: John’s Corner Deli cow finally un-tipped
April 18, 2016 2:49 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

cowback

For five months – since a windstorm last fall – the iconic cow atop John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster has been more like a side of beef. Until today! Thanks to Patricia for sending the photo, which came in before we could follow up a tip from West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) across the street. Patricia declares the sight, “Udderly marvelous!”

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Junction business hit by thieves; car stolen; mower taken…
April 18, 2016 1:59 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon:

WARNING FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES: Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) proprietor Dave McCoy says two thieves hit his store on Saturday, “worked as a team, distracted our one employee as the other hid and stashed in his fanny pack some high end merchandise.” – three Hardy fly reels, two Featherweight 4/5s and a Marquis 2. The only description is 20-40 years-old, dark complexions, no surveillance photo at this point; we’ll add any additional descriptive information we get.

STOLEN SUBARU: Melinda reports a stolen car in the North Shorewood area:

I would like to report our 2005 Silver-Gray Subaru Outback, 920ZID, stolen last night from the 112th and 26th Ave SW area (a few blocks south of Westwood Village). Last seen around 11:00 pm in our driveway in front of the house. Inside the car was assorted baseball gear belonging to our son and associated with West Seattle Baseball Club and Baden baseball club.

And from Sunrise Heights, Jay reports:

One of my neighbors had a TORO brand mower stolen off the top of their van between 5:00 am and 6:00 am this morning. The van was parked on 35th in front of Trinity Church, and the mower was well-secured with straps that were cut. It’s believed that the person(s) that took it headed north on 35th, but we have no information to go on at this time.

Again, as we’ve been mentioning, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council’s next meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday, April 19th) night, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Webster/Delridge) – bring neighborhood crime concerns and questions for local police. There also will be a discussion of parking enforcement – so if you have questions/concerns about that, bring them too.

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VIADUCT CLOSURE COUNTDOWN: What you need to know from today’s Q&A with city, county, state reps
April 18, 2016 11:55 am
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Highway 99 tunnel | West Seattle news

fouratbriefing
(WSB photo: From left, Metro’s Victor Obeso, KC Marine Division’s Paul Brodeur, WSDOT’s David Sowers, SDOT’s Jon Layzer)

11:55 AM: We’ve just left the downtown waterfront, where media reps were invited to an update and Q&A with city, county (Metro and Water Taxi), and state transportation reps on the first weekday since the big announcement that the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunneling-related closure will start April 29th. We recorded it all on video that we’ll add here when uploaded (12:54 pm update – here it is):

(Also), here are a few toplines beyond what we and others already have reported:

*Extra Water Taxi parking: The biggest added temporary lot off Harbor Avenue will be Pier 2, with its entry across from the 7-11 in the 2400 block of Harbor and room for 200+ cars. It will be open for vehicle entry/exit 5:45 am-9:15 am weekday mornings and 4 pm-7:15 pm afternoon/evenings – it’s a secured lot so at midday, it’ll be closed and you won’t be able to get to your vehicle, so it’s not a good choice unless you are headed out for a full workday. It’s also expected that 120 cars will be able to park along Harbor south of Seacrest, on the water side, because of temporary overnight parking restrictions. And about 40 spaces will be available on the SW Bronson Way street end south of Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor).

*Larger Water Taxi shuttles: In addition to a special shuttle that will run continuously during those hours between the Pier 2 parking lot and Seacrest, the WT shuttle buses on routes 773 and 775 will be upsized to 39-passenger buses.

*Speaking of Water Taxi shuttles: A commenter had asked why the Morgan Junction leg of the route is only at midday. The King County Marine Division says that’s the only time of day they can run it because of the gap between Water Taxi runs from Seacrest.

*Special Viaduct-closure-related brochure with West Seattle Water Taxi-specific info: See it here.

*In case more buses are needed: Metro will have 11 more buses with 22 scheduled operator shifts, and a potential of 135 added hours, depending on how things go.

*UberHop: This new vanpool-type alternative will have a pickup/dropoff point at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, the county says.

*The biggest message: Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. And if you possibly can shift out of commuting during the usual peak hours – via a temporary schedule change, working from home, whatever – please do. And even if the first day doesn’t seem so bad (it won’t, because people really will try something different), don’t just go back to your old ways on day 2 or day 3. They’re continuing to promote 99closure.org as the multi-agency with info you need to plan, now and when the closure’s under way.

We also asked the SDOT rep why, now that the date is set for this, they aren’t considering delaying the Fauntleroy Expressway-related bridge and lane closures until the Viaduct closure is over. SDOT’s rep first said they didn’t think there would be a problem because the bridge closures are at night only. We noted that the surface Spokane St. lane closures UNDER the west end of the bridge include some daytime work and he said he would “take that back” (to HQ) for consideration.

12:54 PM: Video of the briefing/Q&A, unedited, is now added toward the start of this story. As the closure approaches, we’ll continue with previews and updates, and if you have questions, we’ll do our best to get and publish the answers.

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