West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Toplines from Tuesday night’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse:
EX-SUBSTATION SITE: The group looking into buying Seattle City Light‘s former Fauntleroy Substation site at 4520 Brace Point Drive has not yet come up with the funding to do that; the city is offering it at $250,000. City Light has given them a little more time, community members were still talking before the holiday season about the possibility of bringing in some major donors.
SCHOOLHOUSE CENTENNIAL: Fauntleroy Schoolhouse turns 100 this year, and the big party is 11:30 am-3:30 pm on Sunday, May 21st. If you went to Fauntleroy Elementary at the schoolhouse, organizers are looking for photos and other memorabilia – you’re invited to loan or donate it. Here’s one photo already awaiting the event:
If you have something of interest for the celebration, e-mail faunt.schoolhouse100years@gmail.com – they’re also seeking memorabilia from longtime schoolhouse tenant Fauntleroy Children’s Center.
CRIME UPDATE: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith brought the newest stats. Car prowls are still the biggest problem – 11 in the past four weeks. Also of note, five larceny-level thefts and two stolen cars.
MEETING CHANGE FOR NEXT MONTH: Since the second Tuesday in February is Valentine’s Day, the board is switching its meeting to Wednesday, February 15th (still 7 pm, at the schoolhouse, 9131 California SW).
No, it’s not a water break. Your neighbor Joe Szilagyi already inquired with Seattle Public Utilities and shares what he found out:
We had SPU out in the mid block the past two days on 32nd between 97th and 100th cleaning sewers and they had to tap the fire hydrant heavily today to finish the job — all the water is very brown SPU told us approximately from 97th to 100th on 32nd, *maybe* adjacent blocks. It should be fine tomorrow morning sometime if no one uses the water, more usage slows the sediment settling. They said if it’s still brown tomorrow for people to call SPU.
The number to call would be the one we’ve published many times – the one Joe used, too – 206-386-1800.
(Photo by @34dems via Twitter)
Our area’s biggest political organization elected new leadership tonight, at its every-two-years reorganization meeting. The 34th District Democrats‘ new chair is David Ginsberg, shown above with Marcee Stone-Vekich, who declined to run for re-election after two 2-year terms. Per prescribed party process, the meeting was convened by the King County Democrats, and then Ginsberg took over after his election.
Two positions were contested: The first to be voted on was state committeeman – incumbent Chris Porter, challenged by Patrick Wicklund; Porter won 43-24.
(Voting in most races involved Precinct Committee Officers – the rules empower them to vote for all positions, while members who aren’t PCOs can only vote for secretary and treasurer.)
Also contested, county committeeman: Les Treall won over David Toledo, 55-12.
The rest of the slate of newly elected officers (asterisk denotes incumbent):
First Vice Chair – Treina Aronson
Second Vice Chair – Michael Taylor-Judd
State Committeewoman – Lisa Plymate*
County Committeewoman – Carrie Alexander
Alternate County Committeewoman – Martha Koester
Alternate County Committeeman – Ted Barker
Secretary – Jason Cheung
Treasurer – Gina Topp
The 34th Dems’ website has bios on those who had declared their candidacy pre-meeting – you can see them here. The group’s next meeting will be 7 pm February 8th at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
ADDED 9:29 PM: One more note from the meeting:
The 34th Democrats approve a resolution opposing Medicare privatization pic.twitter.com/yTFjcJRz7n
— 34th Democrats (@34dems) January 12, 2017
THANKS … to King County Council Chair Joe McDermott and the official @34Dems Twitter feed for info from tonight’s meeting.
Registration is open for another local youth-sports league! Thanks to Megan Simmons for sharing the announcement:
West Seattle Girls Softball is a local nonprofit recreational league for all girls ages 6-15. No previous softball experience necessary. Registration is open through February. Practices begin in late March. Season wraps up by the end of the school year. Go to westseattlegirlssoftball.com to register.
The new year is still new … but it’s already time to look ahead to West Seattle Summer Fest 2017. This year’s dates are Friday-Sunday, July 14-16. Past vendors have already been invited to an earlybird registration period, and now it’s time for general vendor registration – deadline March 1st.
Here are the forms:
After checking out the forms, if you have questions, e-mail vendors@monumentalundertaking.com or call206-472-9928. And find lots more details on the West Seattle Junction Association website!
Six weeks after a driver hit her in The Admiral District, Britt Russell is out of the hospital, with a lot of healing left to do. Mission Cantina, where she was going to work that evening, has announced a benefit for January 25th – two weeks from tonight – and looking for donations and partners for the fundraiser. From Mission’s co-owners:
Our employee and friend Britt Russell was struck by a car a month ago in the Admiral Junction. She was on her way into Mission to work her shift at 4:50 pm. As she walked across California Avenue, she was hit by a vehicle traveling about 30 miles per hour. She was severely injured and was at Harborview up until this week. She has a shattered pelvis, cracked neck vertebrate, broken leg, and traumatic brain injury.
Mission is holding a fundraiser on Wednesday, January 25th. We would greatly appreciate any donations to this cause. Mission will be donating 20% of all sales that evening. If your business would like to donate a portion of your sales at your establishment that night as well, please let me know. We will put your logo on a flyer that will go out on the West Seattle Blog and our website/ Instagram/ Facebook. If you would like to donate gift cards, hoodies, parties, tickets, etc. they will be auctioned off at Mission that night. All the proceeds will go directly to Britt. Georgetown Brewery has donated a keg to help with the fundraiser. All the proceeds from the sales of Manny’s Pale Ale that evening will go to Britt and her family.
Although she is improving greatly every day, she has a long recovery road ahead of her. She has been recently discharged and needs to begin paying rent at a new apartment that is wheelchair accessible. Not to mention the medical bills that have been piling up. Britt is from Australia and her mother has now moved to Seattle to take care of her. She is an amazing person, employee, and friend. Britt is an extremely hard worker. She was working three jobs at once and now has no form of income. She could really use the help.
Please feel free to contact Peter at any time with questions or donations. He can pick up donations anytime. On behalf of Britt’s employers, coworkers, friends, and family I would like to thank any and all donations. Hope to see you Wednesday, January 25th!
Peter Morse
Shawn Padilla
Tina Padilla
Best way to reach Peter is via e-mail – peter@missionbar.com.
P.S. The GoFundMe account for Britt is still open, too.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It started with a tree.
It’s grown into something more.
Tomorrow, the city Hearing Examiner will hear arguments in the fight over whether a house will replace a 100+-foot tree at 3036 39th SW.
We first wrote about it seven months ago, in early June, when a neighborhood 9-year-old was going door to door to let people know that the Ponderosa Pine’s days might be numbered.
Its fate was seemingly sealed by this preliminary city opinion, sought right after the sale of the site, including an existing house at 3038 39th SW, was finalized in November 2015. Allowing a new house on a site smaller than 3,200 square feet – this one is measured at 3,166 sf – requires a “special exception.” The city announced in October that it would grant one.
The ensuing months have taken the case through twists and turns. As also reported here in October, the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition filed its own appeal of the city’s decision allowing a new house, but that appeal was dismissed in November. Neighbor Lisa Parriott, leading the neighborhood appeal – part of which was dismissed in the same November ruling – learned that the cost of the challenge could go well into five figures.
She and other residents involved in the case gathered at her house on Sunday to talk about it as the hearing drew near. Read More
Thanks to Kathleen Collins for the photo! It’s from High Point Community Center last night, when the young athletes of the High Voltage Track and Field Club got to meet Olympic track-and-field medalist Tori Bowie (top row, center). Bowie, 26, was a triple medalist at last year’s Summer Olympics – gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 100m dash, bronze in the 200m dash. She lives in Florida; her visit to Seattle also included receiving an award from Casey Family Programs.
(Surfbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
We’ve made it to midweek! Here are the highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FAMILY STORY TIME: Perfect for 1-to-5-year-olds and their grownups. 10:30 am at Southwest Library. (35th SW/SW Henderson)
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: This one is best for 3-to-5-year-olds and their grownups. 10:30 am at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)
HEY, WEST SEATTLE BIZPEOPLE! Noon-1:15 pm, it’s your meetup day at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), our area’s only coworking center. Bring your lunch and come network. (6040 California SW)
DINE OUT FOR LAFAYETTE: 6-10 pm, part of tonight’s proceeds at Pizzeria 22 go to help Lafayette Elementary School. (4213 SW College)
BELLYDANCING CLASSES: New series begins, with “toolbox” at 6 pm, workout at 7 pm, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Details in our calendar listing. (4409 Delridge Way SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS’ REORGANIZATION MEETING: Every two years, West Seattle’s biggest political group elects new leadership, and that’s what happens at tonight’s meeting, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Here’s the agenda; the list of declared candidates is here. (9131 California SW)
COUCH-TO-DASH INFO NIGHT: 7 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), come find out about an upcoming training program looking ahead to the St. Pat’s Dash. (2743 California SW)
‘THE ODD COUPLE, FEMALE EDITION’: Student-directed play opens tonight at West Seattle High School Theater, 7:30 pm. Ticket info and other details here. (3000 California SW)
BILLY JOE HUELS & THE RCs: 8 pm at Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Got something for the calendar? Let thousands of your West Seattle neighbors know about your community/school meeting, performance, fundraiser, freebie, work party, support group, or … we list a lot. Send the info in plain text in the body of your e-mail, at least a week before the event, editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
(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)
5:38 AM: We’re launching early this morning because it’s already a troubled morning commute:
-Texter says a car spun out on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge and is blocking the left lane. No injuries reported (no Seattle Fire dispatch).
-If you take northbound I-5 from points south of the West Seattle Bridge, it’s closed because of a deadly crash overnight at Michigan.
-The Vashon Water Taxi is canceled again this morning (as it was last night) because of strong wind.
Watch out for road ice – temperatures are below freezing this morning.
6:12 AM: Another reader says the crash on the bridge is still blocking the two left lanes. It’s out of camera range, and SDOT hasn’t tweeted about it, so if you’re on a bus or otherwise in a passenger seat and you have an update (tow truck on scene or …) please comment.
Also, SFD is responding to a crash on NB 99 at Henderson – that would be south of the bridge. And Metro says the NB I-5 crash at Michigan is continuing to affect transit routes, even ones miles from the scene.
6:23 AM: The crash is near the crest of the EB West Seattle Bridge. Meantime, most lanes have reopened at the scene of the deadly NB I-5 crash at Michigan
6:41 AM: Thanks for the update in comments – bridge crash is reported to have cleared. And all lanes on NB I-5 at Michigan have reopened after that crash investigation (original incident was at 2 am). The SFD call for the NB 99/Henderson crash has closed.
7:21 AM: New problem! SDOT says a stall in the NB Battery Street Tunnel is backing up The Viaduct.
Meantime, there’s a medic response on the SFD 911 log as 38th/Alaska.
7:27 AM: SDOT says the Battery Street Tunnel stall has cleared, but as always …”residual delays” will remain for a while.
8:08 AM: It’s been such a busy morning, we forgot to mention that – as far as we know – another day of streetlight work on the west end of the bridge is scheduled today between 9 am and 4 pm. Details here.
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