day : 29/01/2017 10 results

Transit/traffic changes ahead: Why you need to know about, and weigh in on, One Center City plan


At the very end of last week, you might have seen some headlines go by about “One Center City.”

It’s about downtown … but unless you literally never leave the peninsula, it’ll affect you. So listen up.

It’s specifically about transportation through downtown Seattle, and some big changes ahead. (This slide deck lays it all out.) The Highway 99 tunnel, and the Viaduct demolition and waterfront redevelopment that will follow, is only part of it. The biggest component, we’re told, is that buses will be kicked out of the Downtown Transit Tunnel next year; it’s going to be light-rail-only. The bus moves aren’t expected to happen before September 2018 – but decisions about downtown traffic/transit flow/routing will have to be made way before then, so you’re being asked for your opinion now, regarding a variety of options for how to accommodate the buses on the surface, and how to get through the area with other projects and changes factoring in. Without making some changes, the project team says, downtown traffic and transit will slow to near-gridlock.

First step in finding out what’s ahead and offering your opinion is this: An “online open house,” now up and running at onecentercity.participate.online. Go there and start clicking through. Don’t drop out too soon – the two “surface streets” pages are where things really get interesting. And after that comes the page about potentially restructuring bus service downtown. That section includes this packet of maps, with one specifically focused on possible changes involving routes to/from here:

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So once you’ve gone all the way through the “online open house,” they’re asking for feedback via the pages or via e-mail at info@onecentercity.org. The “open house” will be up and running for about three weeks. Then the partner agencies will have a list of potential changes that they’ll float for more input. Transit service changes, for example, would have to be approved by the services’ governing agencies – the King County Council for Metro, the Sound Transit Board of Directors for ST services. The peak time for all this potential congestion – “maximum constraint” – is expected to be late 2018 through 2022.

At this stage of the “engagement” process, they’re not planning standalone meetings, but if you are interested in a briefing at a meeting you’re already having – community council, etc. – contact the One Center City group – same address as above – info@onecentercity.org.

UPDATE: Big response, small fire in High Point

8:55 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to Bridge Park at 3204 SW Morgan in High Point. First units on scene report it’s a laundry-room fire on the first floor.

9 PM: To be precise, per scanner, it’s a dryer fire, and it’s out. No injuries reported. Most units are being dismissed. The ones staying behind will be clearing smoke from the first floor, but report that’s the only floor affected.

West Seattle scene: Poem excerpt @ Alki Statue of Liberty

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Thanks to DN for the photo: The most-quoted lines of the poem that graces a plaque at the Statue of Liberty have been placed at the base of her little sister on Alki Beach. The poem is “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus; you can read it in full on the Statue of Liberty National Monument website.

Celebration of life next Saturday for Charles W. Henke, 1926-2017

Family and friends will gather to remember Charles W. Henke at 1 pm next Saturday (February 4th) at Hope Lutheran Church in West Seattle. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing with the community:

Charles William Henke was born on December 9, 1926, in Gary, Indiana. He was the son of Charles and Martha Henke. He had one sister, Ruth J. Little of Aspen, Colorado, who died in March 2014.

Charles’ father, Charles Sr., was Captain of the Gary Fire Department. As a small boy, little Charles loved to spend time at the fire station sliding down the fire pole. If the fire alarm rang when Charles was in the station, it was his job to open the large doors for the fire trucks to exit. Sometimes his father would let him ride on the fire truck and ring the bell.

Charles and his family were members of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he also attended school through eighth grade.

During his high school years at Tolleston High, Charles played drums in the band and was Lt. Colonel of the ROTC, in charge of the whole school. In his senior year, he would go to school in the morning, run home to eat a quick lunch, then take the trolley to the steel mill and work 8 hours, unloading an entire box car of bricks for the steel mill settling pond and furnaces.(hard, hot work). He earned $6.36 a day which was good money for that time.

Immediately following graduation, at the age of 17, Charles enlisted in the U. S. Navy and served in the Pacific where he remained until his father died in 1947. He was proud to serve his country.

Charles met his wife, Henrietta Ellen Little of West Seattle, in Chicago in 1949 at the wedding of his sister, Ruth, and Henrietta’s brother, William. Charles had seen a picture of Henrietta before the wedding and said that she was the girl he was going to marry. Charles went back home to Gary, Indiana where he began exchanging letters with Henrietta. Charles proposed to Henrietta in a letter and sent a ring to her father to give to her on Christmas. They were married June 10, 1950, by Pastor Emil Jaech at First Lutheran Church, because the new Hope Lutheran Church building was still under construction.

After the wedding, Charles and Henrietta went back to Gary and, on September 13, 1951, they had their first son, Charles Edward. When little Charles (Chuck) was 11 months old, Charles and Henrietta moved back to her home in West Seattle, where he bought her a brand new house on Gatewood Hill, overlooking Puget Sound with a stunning view of the Olympic Mountains. Two more children joined their family, Jeralee Ellen (Knittel) born December 17, 1953, and Steven Martin two years later, May 16, 1956. Charles and Henrietta lived and raised their family in this same home for 59 of the 61 years of their marriage and created many precious memories there.

On March 31, 1977, Charles and Henrietta had their first grandson, Timothy James Knittel. Over the next few years they were blessed with four more grandchildren, Elizabeth Ellen Knittel (Guzman) Sherilyn Joy Henke (Sweeney), Bethany Rose Henke (Rich), and David James Knittel. Several years later, two other grandchildren were added to the family, William and Molly Henke. Charles and Henrietta loved their grandchildren and made each one them feel special and accepted.

In addition to seven grandchildren, God blessed Charles and Henrietta with six great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Emma, and Makenna Sweeney; James Guzman; and Izabella and Levi Rich. Right up to the end of his life, Grandpa Charles truly enjoyed having his great grandchildren visit. They brought him much delight!

Charles worked primarily in underground construction, building up manholes, catch basins, and laying water, storm, and sewer lines. He was involved in numerous projects in the Puget Sound area including Sandpoint Naval Base, Fort Lewis, Boeing Field, and Kent, Renton, and Everett Boeing Facilities, as well as, the 2nd runway at SeaTac Airport. He also worked at many other locations around the state, Snoqualmie Pass, Aberdeen, and Ellensburg to name a few. He was a member of local 440 Street Pavers and Tunnel Workers for over 50 years.

Charles and Henrietta served at Hope Lutheran Church from the time they moved to West Seattle. They and several other couples had a vision for a Lutheran parochial school which they thought was important for the spiritual and academic development of the children of Hope. Charles was a member of the Christian Education Board, Church Council, Personnel, and a longtime trustee. He taught Sunday school for many years and helped in any capacity where he was needed. He served the church and others throughout his long life.

Charles and Henrietta loved the Northwest and frequently traveled to the Olympic Peninsula to visit their son, Chuck and his family in the Elwha Valley. They enjoyed the mountains, and walking the ocean beaches of Washington and Oregon. They also took several cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean.

Charles remained active throughout his life and frequently helped his sons and daughter on various home projects-including running a backhoe, repairing water lines, unplugging sewers, and pouring and finishing concrete with his sons until a heart condition began to slow him down 2 years ago. He was a lifelong learner and was always willing to share his practical experiences with others.

Charles’ first priority was always his family. This was clearly demonstrated in his loving devotion to Henrietta during the last several years of her life. As she became weaker and less able to care for herself, because of a series of strokes and other medical issues, he cared for her every need with patience and tenderness. He expressed to his family what a great joy it was to be able to keep her at home and look after her through her final days.

Faithful service sums up Charles’ life. He loved his Lord. He loved his wife and family. He loved serving in his church. Charles humbly and willingly helped anyone who needed it. Everyone who knew him appreciated him and recognized his servant’s heart. We can imagine His Lord saying to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Please share memories and condolences on the guestbook at emmickfunerals.com. Funeral Arrangements entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle.

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

MONDAY: City Council briefings on port, property, transit tax

January 29, 2017 6:55 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The City Council usually starts Mondays with a morning briefing, and then gets down to business in the afternoon. Tomorrow morning’s briefing has three topics of interest – not to mention the likelihood they’ll be talking about some of what’s developed since the agenda came out. But just in case you’re interested, the agenda includes a Port of Seattle presentation (the slide deck includes a mention of the Terminal 5 project), an update on the city’s surplus-property disposition process, and the annual report on the Transportation Benefit District (fee/tax to raise money so the city can buy extra Metro service – you’ll see some C Line stats in the slide deck). You can watch live on Seattle Channel (online, or cable 21) starting at 9:30 am.

From problems to possibilities: What’s next for the South Delridge Triangle Bus Stop Park, after Saturday’s workshop

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(WSB photo taken post-workshop – looking south across the triangle)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Whoever you talk to about the “South Delridge Triangle Bus Stop Park” [map], Kim Barnes began, “they say, oh yeah, we gotta do something about that.”

Last summer’s Find It, Fix It Walk provided the spark to ignite “something,” and after a community workshop on Saturday morning, it’s officially launched. About 20 people gathered at the Highland Park Improvement Club to discuss the site’s challenges and possibilities.

Along with community members – led by Barnes, who’s with the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council – city reps were there too, including SPD’s Lt. Ron Smith and Sgt. Ryan Long, since safety/crime concerns are a major motivator for doing “something.”

So is the fact that the site could become a RapidRide stop when Delridge’s RR line opens in a few years.
Read More

HAPPENING NOW: High Point Library celebration

January 29, 2017 1:16 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPENING NOW: High Point Library celebration
 |   High Point | West Seattle news

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1:16 PM: Three weeks after the High Point Library reopened following a month-plus renovation/upgrade project, it’s party time! Until 3 pm, you’re invited to help celebrate. City Librarian Marcellus Turner is here (at left in the top photo, with HP library staff) and speaking at 1:30 pm. Treats and kids’ activities (book-themed, of course!) too:

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The branch is at 35th SW and SW Raymond.

1:40 PM: “We’re really happy to have you back home,” Turner has greeted patrons (and staff), lauding the upgrades here, including the kids’ area, joking that the newly decorated wall means different things to different people – he saw lily pads, while someone else suggested it looked like an aloha shirt. If you haven’t been to the branch since the reopening, some of the biggest changes are small but mighty – additional outlets all around the space, so you can plug in and get your work and/or studies done. (SPL’s full rundown of the changes is here.) While the party’s on until 3, the library’s open today (and all Sundays) until 5.

Free training for teen leaders! Rotary Club of West Seattle accepting applicants

January 29, 2017 12:07 pm
|    Comments Off on Free training for teen leaders! Rotary Club of West Seattle accepting applicants
 |   Rotary Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

If you are, or know, a 10th- or 11th-grader who’s interested in leadership in their school and community – here’s a chance for free training. The Rotary Club of West Seattle is accepting applications for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, which covers the costs of an annual seminar March 16-19 at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, described as “taught by leadership experts and directed at teens in high school. Fully chaperoned, meals included. … Great addition to a college application.” For questions and/or an application, e-mail West Seattle Rotary president Dr. Susanne Gee at drgee@drgee.com.

West Seattle Sunday: Schools, libraries, more…

January 29, 2017 8:32 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Sunday: Schools, libraries, more…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(Photo by David Hutchinson)

A bald eagle’s afternoon grooming at Alki Point caught the attention, and lenses, of at least two West Seattle photographers. Above and below are two views shared with us to share with you, accompanying today’s calendar highlights:

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE OPEN HOUSE: 9 am-1 pm, staff and parents will be at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School to answer questions. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)

HOLY FAMILY OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-1 pm, meet staff and tour Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School. (20th SW/SW Roxbury)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, fresh food and beverages are available for purchase from growers/makers – see what’s fresh this week. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)

HOLY ROSARY OPEN HOUSE: 11:30 am-1:30 pm, visit Holy Rosary School, “a K-8 STEM + focused school. The + stands for our continued commitment to Fine Arts, Language Arts, Music, & Religion.” (42nd SW/SW Genesee)

TIBBETTS VALENTINE PARTY/LUNCH: 11:30 am, all are invited to a “free and fun gathering to make Valentine cards and enjoy a warm meal” – toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. In the Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) Fellowship Hall. (3940 41st SW)

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(Photo by Gary Jones)

HIGH POINT LIBRARY CELEBRATION: 1-3 pm, celebrate the recently completed renovations/upgrades at High Point Library. City Librarian Marcellus Turner will speak at 1:30 pm. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

OPERA PREVIEW LECTURE: 2 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, a preview lecture for “Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Janáček’s ‘Katya Kabanova‘.” Free. (2306 42nd SW)

NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: 7 pm-11:45 pm at Yen Wor Village, with live music, karaoke, prizes. Details in our calendar listing. (California SW/SW College)

LUCKY BROWN BAND: Soul, jazz, funk, 8-11 pm at Parliament Tavern. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

SPORTS: High-school basketball updates, as postseason nears

It’s almost postseason time for high-school basketball teams. So we’re checking in with all three local high schools’ varsity teams.

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(#11, WSHS sophomore Jasmine Gayles)

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS: The Wildcats were second in the Metro League standings going into their Friday night home game against the third-ranked team, Rainier Beach.

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(#20, WSHS sophomore Grace Sarver)

Beach went home with the win, 73-63. Next up for the WSHS girls, a road game at Cleveland, 7:30 pm Wednesday.

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS: No game this weekend but they’re also visiting Cleveland next, 7:30 pm Tuesday. The Wildcat boys are #2 in the Metro Sound Conference.

On Friday night, Chief Sealth International High School and Seattle Lutheran High School each had home games for both varsity teams: Read More