day : 09/05/2016 10 results

Thanks to Don Brubeck for sharing the photo: The Husky crew rowers may be based on the lake, but when it’s team-photo time, they’re here on the bay. Don happened onto tonight’s photo session at Seacrest for the University of Washington rowers, who swept the Windermere Cup on Saturday (congratulations!).

Fauntleroy Creek volunteers joyous over a record salmon-release year, saddened by vandalism

May 9, 2016 8:46 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers

Students and stewards are in the midst of a record-setting salmon-release season at Fauntleroy Creek, with more than 800 students participating in 22 release events.

But their work is being jeopardized by vandals, we’ve learned today – painful and criminal in any event, particularly so because this is all work involving students and volunteers, along an urban salmon stream whose survival is by no means guaranteed.

More on that shortly – first, here’s what the work is all about.

That group of 50 fifth-graders from West Seattle Elementary is one of the school groups scheduled to visit Fauntleroy Creek this spring to release coho fry into the creek. Speaking with them in the photo is creek/watershed steward Judy Pickens, who has long volunteered with the Salmon in the Schools program. She and husband Phil Sweetland ferry salmon eggs to local classrooms in one mad dash every school year, and then for the next step, students and teachers bring the fry to the creek.

And off they go, with volunteer Denny Hinton‘s help:

Some classes turn salmon-raising and -releasing into an even larger learning experience. A recent visit by Arbor Heights Elementary included not only a release, but also a presentation by students who are studying the creek:

In our photo are Harriet and Hannah Mae, Arbor Heights fifth-graders who, as Pickens explains, are along with classmates delving into the mystery of what’s happening with the hundreds of thousands of coho salmon that have not come back into Puget Sound from the ocean.”

They gathered on a creekside patio with Pickens, who notes, “The fall 2015 return was nearly non-existent and the fall 2016 return is expected to be at least as dismal. Under the direction of teacher Angie Nall and aided by scientists from Seattle Public Utilities, the students explored El Niño warming off the coast that killed the prey coho need to survive, ocean acidification, and pollution from stormwater runoff.”

There have been glimmers of hope. In fall 2012, more than 200 spawners returned. Every fall, volunteers take up their spots along the creek and watch with hope.

For them and for the salmon, it’s enough of an upstream swim, they don’t need any more challenges. Which brings us to the vandalism. Pickens reports two recent incidents: “One was ripping the net from our smolt trap in the upper creek. We have the trap in place in order to know how many coho have matured to migrate to saltwater – a gauge of both food abundance and water quality. A volunteer checks that trap daily and was able to make repairs within hours of the vandalism so that this important monitoring could continue.

“The other was digging stones out from a derelict section of concrete pipe imbedded in sediment at the salmon-release site. A few days ago, our volunteers discovered a sizable hole in the pipe that was diverting much-needed water from where children release their fish. A volunteer hydrologist temporarily plugged the hole with stones so that flow was restored and releases could continue. Then someone removed the stones, requiring another fix. A long-term fix can’t happen until a period of low flow this summer, so we need the pipe left alone. ‘Volunteer’ appears a lot in this report, an indication of the community’s commitment to salmon in Fauntleroy Creek and the students who cap their salmon study on release day.”

Pickens concludes, “If responsible park users can be on the lookout for destructive behaviors, we can stop this senseless vandalism.”

Share This

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Delridge gunfire suspect out of jail

May 9, 2016 3:52 pm

| 32 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

(UPDATED TUESDAY MORNING with suspect getting out of jail – also, see comments for more info)

3:52 PM: Late Saturday night, we reported on a gunfire suspect arrested near Delridge and Genesee. We have more information this afternoon from both SPD Blotter and the police report. First, just published on SPD Blotter by the department’s Jonah Spangenthal-Lee:

A ride-share driver led police to arrest a convicted felon Saturday night and recover a backpack filled with meth, crack cocaine, cash and a handgun.

Officer Nic Plemel was on patrol in the Delridge neighborhood around 11 PM Saturday when he heard the sound of gunfire several blocks away.

Moments later, a ride-share driver called 911 and reported seeing a man dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans and a red baseball cap firing a gun on the street in the 5400 block of Delridge Way Southwest.

Officers arrived and immediately saw a 29-year-old man, dressed just as the 911 caller had described, standing behind a bus stop at Delridge Way SW and SW Genesee Street.

Officer Plemel and Officer Nathan Worthen approached the man, who was standing right next to a backpack on the ground. He refused to answer any questions, but said the backpack wasn’t his.

When police looked inside the backpack, they found $2,700 in cash, 53 grams of suspected methamphetamine and three containers of marijuana. They later discovered 21 grams of suspected crack cocaine in the man’s pocket.

After a witness confirmed the 29-year-old was the same person they had seen firing a gun on the street, officers also discovered the 29-year-old is a previously convicted felon.

Officers booked the man into the King County Jail for drug possession and unlawful possession of firearms and are investigating.

According to the police report, a gun also was found in the backpack. We’re checking on the suspect’s record and status and will update with whatever more we find.

4:12 PM: The suspect’s background includes multiple felony convictions, according to what we’ve found so far in online records, including previous drug and gun cases.

7:33 PM: We’ve obtained the police-report narrative from the probable-cause documents provided at a hearing this afternoon during which the suspect’s bail was set at $150,000. It has some additional information beyond the SPD Blotter summary:

Share This

Nature Consortium merging into Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association; executive director Merica Whitehall leaving

May 9, 2016 2:21 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

Two big announcements today regarding West Seattle-based nonprofit Nature Consortium, known for its forest-restoration work and melding of arts and nature, in education and other activities:

Executive director Merica Whitehall (WSB file photo at left) is leaving after a year and a half, departing in mid-May to become executive director of Fontenelle Forest in her home state, Nebraska.

There won’t be a search for a successor because of the other big news – Nature Consortium will become a project of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the nonprofit that runs Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, where NC is based. According to DNDA’s David Bestock, NC will be “retaining its own branding and programs, but with operations and finances run through DNDA,” and that’s why it won’t have its own executive director any more.

Bestock adds, “All NC programs will continue as they are, as well as NC staff other than Merica, who was sought out and recruited by the organization she’s moving to in her home state of Nebraska. Willard Brown, DNDA’s Properties and Housing Director, who has been spearheading DNDA’s environmental justice programming in Delridge and partnering with NC, will become even more involved in supporting NC’s staff and programs. … We are still working out details for how this will look structurally, but it made lots of sense to everyone when Nature Consortium approached us with their proposal. Our missions have a ton of overlap in terms of social and environmental justice, preservation of local greenspace, etc. The staff and board of both orgs feel that together we can do more for our shared community by combining our resources to address the educational, health, and economic disparities that exist in Delridge.”

The official news release about all of the above is here.

Share This

POST-VIADUCT CLOSURE: West Seattle Water Taxi ridership updates

May 9, 2016 12:24 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

(Water Taxi boarding @ Seacrest on May 2nd, Viaduct closure’s lone Monday. WSB photo by Patrick Sand)

We just checked on the West Seattle Water Taxi numbers for this morning – first commute post-Viaduct closure – after commenter Elton wondered how ridership had gone. From Greg Lerner of the King County Marine Division:

6:15 am – 52
6:45 am – 81
7:15 am – 115
7:45 am – 94
8:15 am – 78
8:45 am – 62
9:15 am – 45

That’s higher than the pre-closure norm, Lerner says, while about half of the ridership tallied last Monday, a Viaductless day with almost perfect weather, and the highest West Seattle ridership day of the entire closure, according to the county’s overview of how both WT runs did for the shutdown period:

The West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi routes carried record numbers of riders during the 99 closure. Preliminary tallies from April 29 through May 7 show the two routes carried an estimated 30,000 riders, compared to about 13,500 riders the week before.

“We’re thankful to everyone who looked at other travel options besides driving during the closure, and thrilled to see ridership this high,” said Paul Brodeur, director of King County’s Marine Division. “We hope riders continue to see the water taxi as a good option for their trips to and from downtown.”

The West Seattle route roughly tripled its typical ridership as riders took advantage of additional parking options and regular spring service. The service on that route carried more than 24,000 riders compared to a typical 8,000 riders over the same time period. The single-day peak ridership to and from West Seattle was 3,269 riders on May 2, more than triple the riders compared to the week before.

Vashon route ridership climbed by a total of 900 riders during the 99 closure as riders took advantage of additional round trips. Ridership peaked at 1,100 on May 4 compared to about 900 the week before.

One last reminder in case you used it today: After last night’s earlier-than-projected reopening of the Alaskan Way Viaduct due to tunneling progress (now 342 of the originally announced 385 feet needed to totally clear the AWV), today was the last day of added Water Taxi parking and larger shuttles. The West Seattle Water Taxi runs year-round, weekdays in late fall/winter and seven days a week in spring/summer/early fall; its current schedule continues until October 30th. It’s been four months since the new vessel Doc Maynard took over the run, with a capacity of more than 270 passengers.

Share This

6 ways to spend the rest of your West Seattle Monday

May 9, 2016 10:17 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Black-Headed Grosbeak males are “back from Mexico … and singing!” reports photographer Mark Wangerin)

Half a dozen highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION WEST SEATTLE CAREGIVER GROUP: 1:30-3 pm at Providence Mount St. Vincent, the twice-monthly support group meets – details here. (4831 35th SW)

HANG OUT/HELP OUT IN THE ORCHARD: 5-7 pm, the weekly meetup/work party (service-hours opportunity for teens, too) at the Community Orchard of West Seattle. on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. (6000 16th SW)

PHYSICAL THERAPY NIGHT: 5:30-7 pm, stop by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) for a free individual injury assessment with Biojunction Sports Therapy. (2743 California SW)

TINKERLAB DROP-IN: 6 pm at Delridge Library, “work on a fun STEM-based craft or challenge and tinker around with construction and builder kits. There will be something for everyone ages 6 months to 1506 months! Tinkerlab is a weekly all-ages program that introduces science, technology, engineering and math concepts through play, experimentation and discovery.” (5423 Delridge Way SW)

NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, everyone who lives, works, plays, dines, shops, etc. in North Delridge has a chance to get more involved with the community. Tonight’s agenda includes discussion of the area’s 17 proposed Neighborhood Street Fund grant applications. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

‘SEATTLE READS’: 6:45 pm at Southwest Library, you’re invited to join in “a discussion of the 2016 Seattle Reads featured work, ‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves‘ by Karen Joy Fowler.” (35th SW/SW Henderson)

Share This

5 DAYS AWAY: West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2016

May 9, 2016 9:18 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

In case you missed it over the weekend: The online map is live for next Saturday’s big event – really, more than 320 big events! – this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. You can browse the online map here – click any map marker or any line on the list on the side of the map to bring up the infobubble with its address and highlights. Scroll down the page for tips on using the map, and if you have questions, e-mail us at garagesale@westseattleblog.com.

You’ll find sales all over the peninsula – from the Ocean View Addition Neighborhood Sale, #13, on Marine View Drive SW, southernmost sale this year, to Sale #255 on Palm SW in North Admiral, the northernmost sale; from Sale #316 on SW Austin Place in Highland Park, easternmost, to Sale #290 on Alki Point, westernmost – and hundreds more inbetween. Use the zoom-in button on the lower right of the map page to get a closer look at all the markers; once you open an infobubble about a sale, you can also click the zoom in that bubble to get closer. We’re finalizing the printable/downloadable version of the map today (including all the listings) and that will be linked atop the online-map page when it’s ready, as usual.

The two big multi-seller sites again this year are the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) courtyard/Ginomai Art Center (42nd/Genesee) parking lot site and C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW). More spotlights to come, including the benefit sales! Whether you’re selling or shopping, get ready for the 12th annual WSCGSD (biggest community sale day in the region so far as we’ve found!), coordinated by us here at WSB for the ninth year – 9 am-3 pm this Saturday!

Share This

VIADUCT OPEN AGAIN: Monday traffic/transit watch

May 9, 2016 6:00 am

| 20 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

6 AM: Good morning! The Alaskan Way Viaduct is open again as of last night. As of this morning, Metro is back on its pre-closure routes.

And – our back-to-normal watch starts with a stalled vehicle in the right lane of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge at the crest, per SDOT.

6:35 AM: Cleared.

8:46 AM: Incident-free since then, and light, as commenters point out. If you use the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry run, here’s an advisory about vessel downsizing starting in a few hours:

Customers are advised to plan for reduced capacity due to a vessel downsizing on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route. Beginning with the Vashon 12:25 pm departure, the 87-car Tillikum will temporarily replace the 124-car Issaquah while the Issaquah undergoes required maintenance. The Issaquah galley will close at 7:30 am and the Tillikum galley will open Tuesday at 5:00 am. We apologize for the inconvenience. Vending machines are available on board the vessel and inside the terminals.

Preparations also are expected to start today for the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion re-replacement project, with overnight closures of the west end of the bridge starting next Sunday night.

And at the site of the 30th/Yancy/Avalon safety project, the crosswalk striping is now expected to happen as soon as tomorrow, postponed from last week.

Share This

‘Educational and entertaining’ celebration @ Chief Sealth International High School

May 9, 2016 5:04 am

| Comments Off on ‘Educational and entertaining’ celebration @ Chief Sealth International High School

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks to Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer for the photos and report on the school’s observance of Cinco de Mayo last week:

Chief Sealth students celebrated 5 de Mayo with an assembly that was both educational and entertaining.

The goal of the assembly this year was to educate the Chief Sealth community on the contributions that immigrants make to our country as well as on the plight that undocumented students, who are part of our community, face. At Chief Sealth, 5 de Mayo is used to celebrate Latino culture and foster unity among Latinos and the greater Chief Sealth Community.

Students of all ethnicities participate in the assembly by dancing, hosting, or playing in the Mariachi group.

It’s a celebration that Proyecto Saber and M.E.Ch.L.A students have been organizing for thirty years.

Share This

Got your Taste of West Seattle tickets yet? Hurry!

May 9, 2016 1:30 am

| Comments Off on Got your Taste of West Seattle tickets yet? Hurry!

| How to help | West Seattle news

The Taste of West Seattle – your chance to sample dozens of local establishments in ONE place, while helping the West Seattle Helpline – is less than three weeks away. But your chance to get ticket(s) is likely to end much sooner – last time we checked with Helpline executive director Chris Langeler, the number left was down in the double digits. General Admission tickets are $65, and while there’s no limit on food tastes, each GA admission comes with three “drink taste” tickets, with more available for purchase ($2 each, three for $5, unlimited for $20) when you get to The Taste. But you won’t get in without a ticket, so guarantee yours now by going here and support the work of the Westside Award-winning Nonprofit of the Year, 6 pm May 26th at The Hall at Fauntleroy!

P.S. Organizers have been serving up food-and-drink participants’ names in little bites but we’ve noticed the ones revealed so far include WSB sponsors Metropolitan Market (also the presenting sponsor this year), Salty’s on Alki, and Dream Dinners.

Share This