West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Recognize that bicycle? It turned up “abandoned,” likely stolen, behind a Harbor Avenue condo. The finders have it in a safe place and hope to find its rightful owner – if that’s you, or you know who might be, you can contact them directly at ckcarman@msn.com – thanks!
A resident calling himself “Disappointed Dad on Dangerous Delridge” has continued to press SDOT on the promised, but not-yet implemented, speed-limit reduction on Delridge. At one point, it was supposed to be in place by the end of last year, and SDOT had reaffirmed to us last November that it would happen. But it didn’t. We asked again early this year, and were told it was still in the works, with an addition – “fog lines” on Delridge north of Orchard. Months have elapsed; we had checked in with SDOT’s Jim Curtin recently and were told they were finalizing design details. DDoDD e-mailed again too, cc’ing us, and asking Curtin:
We are now in the ninth month of 2016 and rapidly approaching the rainy season again. Delridge remains as dangerous as ever. I understand that there is more to this project than simply putting up new speed signs, but every day that you delay increases of the chance of injury or death for those of us with small children in this corridor. In fact, as I’m sure you’re aware, a teenager was hit just last month while crossing Delridge. The first line of Mayor Murray’s statement on Vision Zero states that “Public safety is the foremost responsibility of city government.” Please prove that these aren’t just hollow words.
WSB was cc’d on Curtin’s reply to DDoDD today:
Thanks for checking-in on this effort. You will see changes on Delridge in the 4th quarter of 2016. We are currently finalizing the design which will include additional changes beyond the speed limit adjustment. These changes will include installing the aforementioned edge lines, flexible posts for the existing bike lanes in the vicinity of SW Orchard St, and enhancing the existing crosswalk at SW Juneau Street with rapid flashing beacons (the work at Juneau may not occur until early 2017 due to equipment supply issues).
The 30-mph plan originally was part of the mayor’s citywide Vision Zero announcement in February 2015.
Another first-of-its-kind start-of-school ceremony happened today, this time at Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights.
While loud cheers greeted staffers dancing in the aisles of the school’s big theater space – each group introduced with inspirational “theme songs,” from Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” – the real call to action came in the form of a fish story.
Westside’s new head of school Ted Kalmus told the assembled students and parents that he had acquired a pet fish that came with the name Wonder. The story of the fish became a tale of how he hopes that everyone will go throughout the year with a sense of wonder – and curiosity, “become the best question-asker you can be.” He invited the students to each take a blue or green “jewel” (the glass pebbles often found in aquariums or terrariums) from bowls at the bottom of the stairs down from the theater, and to hold it and think of something they wonder about.
With that, Kalmus said, the school would be certain to have a “Wonder”-ful year.
3:24 PM: The Hanjin Scarlet is being offloaded at Prince Rupert. That’s news here because it was the next Hanjin ship scheduled to dock at Seattle’s Terminal 46, until its parent company filed for receivership in South Korea. Instead of docking at the British Columbia port, Hanjin Scarlet remained anchored in its harbor – until today. It docked at 6 am, according to an update from the Prince Rupert Port Authority. It had been scheduled to offload there in time to arrive here last Saturday. We’re checking with the Northwest Seaport Alliance – the combined Seattle/Tacoma port entity – to see what they’ve heard about a possible arrival here.
5:54 PM: NWSA spokesperson Tara Mattina says they have no new information yet on whether Hanjin Scarlet will head here from Prince Rupert, but hope to find out something tomorrow. Also tomorrow: The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting (11:30 am, Jack Block Park) looks at “the state of the port,” with commissioner John Creighton and deputy CEO Kurt Beckett scheduled to speak.
Today, we welcome Alki Dental as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what they would like you to know about who they are and what they do:
Every now and then, you discover a hidden gem or best-kept secret in our neighborhood. Alki Dental is just that. For over 15 years, Alki Dental has served the West Seattle community with outstanding dental care from their office overlooking Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle. They have earned a reputation of caring for all patients as well as for providing a safe and relaxing experience for patients who fear dental visits.
Their staff is legendary. They are seasoned professionals who are truly concerned about the well-being of their patients. Under the new ownership of Dr. Hanbit Chi (pronounced “chee”), Alki Dental is the only dental practice in West Seattle that offers:
*A dental-health approach focused on your total well-being: body, mind and spirit
*A variety of sedation-dentistry techniques, including IV Sedation, to help patients manage pain and stress
*Panoramic and 3D digital imaging to enhance treatment diagnoses, providing patients with a clear picture of their oral health
*A spectacular view of downtown Seattle from every patient chair
*An office environment that feels like home rather than a medical institution
*Alki Dental Club, a patient-membership program designed exclusively for patients who do not have dental insurance and who want a simpler way to manage the cost of their oral health. No dental insurance? Join the Club! Modeled after managed-care dental plans, the Alki Dental Club offers patients a predictable way to obtain prompt, high-quality, cost-effective dental care. Alki Dental strengthens their patient/care-giver relationships and removes costs that add little or no value to dental health by removing third-party insurance companies from all decision-making.
Contact us for a FREE consultation with Dr. Chi to experience the Alki Dental difference. Alki Dental is located on the waterfront at 1331 Harbor Ave SW; call 206-933-9300. Online, you can learn more here.
We thank Alki Dental 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.
The Lander Street Bridge (ex-overpass) in SODO – seen as a key part of mobility between there and here – is now $40 million away from full funding.
That’s what the city says in this afternoon’s announcement that the feds have just finalized a grant covering about a third of the price tag of the project that’s been revived after almost a decade on the shelf. Read on for the official news release, plus news of another “open house” about the project: Read More
(Photo courtesy Mission Cantina – from left, Tina Padilla, Shawn Padilla, Peter Morse)
That’s the new ownership team for what was Mission Latin Lounge and is now Mission Cantina (2325 California SW). From the announcement:
Peter Morse, an original owner and manager of the restaurant, has teamed up with new partners, husband and wife Shawn and Tina Padilla. This is the first ownership change for the West Seattle restaurant since it opened in 2005.
Mission Cantina has reason to be enthusiastic about the future, as there are numerous projects in the works, such as expanding the offering of rare and boutique tequila, mezcal, and other agave-based spirits. Peter, Shawn, and Tina will ring the bell when La Escuela Del Misión (The Mission School) is in session in late fall. You’ll never be late for class at this school for tequila, which will provide opportunities to taste the new options. Look for a new sign to reflect the updated name soon and a refreshed interior including new skylights, Mexican tiles, and agave harvesting tools, just to name a few. One much-anticipated change is the launch of a weekend brunch later in the year.
Shawn Padilla tells us there will be some other menu changes – watch for the “big reveal” around Dia de los Muertos, just after Halloween. You’ll likely see the new Mission Cantina signage before then.
(Surfbird, back from Alaska – photographed by Mark Wangerin)
It’s not ALL about back-to-school today – four from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NETWORK AT LUNCHTIME: If you see this in time and happen to be on-peninsula – working from home, from a coffee shop, etc. – you are invited to get over to West Seattle’s only coworking center Office Junction (WSB sponsor) and network at noon. Bring your lunch if you want! (6040 California SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARMSTAND: Just a few more Wednesdays left in the season! 4 pm-7 pm, see what’s fresh at the High Point Market Garden Farmstand, which sells what local residents grow on the mini-farm next door. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)
PARKS SUPERINTENDENT, STREET FUND REVIEWS @ SW DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest District Council is back in session with three major agenda items – Parks Superintendent Jesús Aguirre will lead off by talking about how the levy-funded Park District fits into the department’s big picture; then there’s a discussion of the state of district councils, post-mayoral announcement; and finally, ranking of Neighborhood Street Fund proposals – see here what SWDC is looking at. (California SW/SW Oregon)
JIM PAGE: Singer-songwriter performing live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
LOTS MORE! for today, tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month … on our full calendar.
(Photo via Twitter: @mayoredmurray)
One day after the dedication of the all-new Arbor Heights Elementary, Mayor Ed Murray visited this morning (as previewed here yesterday) to celebrate something else that’s new there – the Seattle Preschool Program. The levy-funded program has expanded to 600 students at more than 30 schools around the city; the levy’s original goal is to enroll 2,000 students by 2018. Tuition is free to families whose income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Arbor Heights still has room for more students, according to the SPP website, which also says there’s room at two other West Seattle schools where the program operates, Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and Highland Park Elementary.
9 AM: The call went out two weeks ago: Help get West Seattle Elementary students off to a good start with a show of support, the “Be There” rally (explained here). And community members answered the call! More photos to come.
ADDED 10:30 AM: As promised, more photos. “Captain America” made an appearance:
So did Southwest Precinct Community Police Team officers Kevin McDaniel and Jon Flores:
And City Councilmember Lisa Herbold:
But the students were the stars:
This was also the first day of the first school year with new principal Pamela McCowan-Conyers, promoted from assistant principal when Vicki Sacco – who was there for today’s rally – moved to a new job at district HQ.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:22 AM: It’s the big day – back to school for Seattle Public Schools and most of the independent schools that hadn’t yet started. First, a Metro cancellation just in:
Transit Alert – Route 113 to downtown Seattle due to leave Shorewood at 6:31 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) September 7, 2016
Remember that SPS had some big schedule changes for this year, including most elementaries moving to a 7:55 am start. We list all the local schedules here.
7:22 AM: Metro also has canceled the 7:43 am run of Route 113.
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