day : 08/02/2017 13 results

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

New 34th District Democrats chair David Ginsberg opened his first full meeting – before a standing-room-only-and-spillover-room crowd at The Hall of Fauntleroy – saying, “This gives me hope.”

Ginsberg explained that he ran for chair because, after the presidential election, he wondered what he could do, what he should do. He decided “to stand up and fight. … If we stand together, I have no doubt we will win.” The first thing he and his new executive committee did was organize tonight’s meeting, titled “How To Resist Trump And Protect What We Hold Dear.” (Not only did it bring in new attendees – with the crowd estimated at ~500 – it brought in 85 new members.)

The Pledge of Allegiance, said after the vow, grew in volume on the closing words “… indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” and was followed by applause.

Centerpiece of the meeting, a five-woman panel representing advocacy groups both new and not-so-new (see their bios here):

Share This

BASKETBALL: Chief Sealth boys advance in postseason; girls’ season ends

February 8, 2017 9:50 pm

| Comments Off on BASKETBALL: Chief Sealth boys advance in postseason; girls’ season ends

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Two more basketball updates:

Chief Sealth International High School‘s boys-varsity team will play its next post-season game 7:30 pm tomorrow (Thursday) vs. Cleveland HS, at Garfield HS, after defeating Roosevelt 73-58 at home tonight. The Seahawks are one of four teams vying for three spots in the district tournament.

Meantime, the Sealth girls-varsity team played tonight at Lakeside, where their season came to a close with a 58-47 loss to the Lions. Here’s their season recap on the Metro League website.

Share This

@ Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council: HALA, crime/safety, cooking…

February 8, 2017 8:49 pm

| Comments Off on @ Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council: HALA, crime/safety, cooking…

| Arbor Heights | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | Westwood

Tuesday night was not much of a night for meeting-going, with slush and ice still on the roads, but hardy executive-board members Amanda Kay Helmick, Eric Iwamoto, and Kim Barnes were at the Southwest Library for February’s meeting of the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, as were guests Lt. Ron Smith of the Southwest Precinct and Jordan Lowe from startup Josephine.com. Over the course of an hour, here are the toplines of what they talked about:

SOUTHWEST PRECINCT UPDATES: Lt. Smith said the Parks Department was cutting more vegetation by the Roxhill Park bus stop earlier in the day, to increase visibility to reduce crime and other problems. (Helmick mentioned that Metro is getting close to permits for the long-requested lighting alongside the park and is now projecting installation in March.) Businesses in the area are contacting police more often about problems. Then, area crime stats – “a huge increase in vehicle thefts” lately, especially Arbor Heights, Lt. Smith said. Six more than the area had seen by this time last year. But they’ve been making arrests, too. And car prowls are down, as are residential burglaries and robberies. So far this year, there’s been one non-residential burglary in the area, compared to none last year.

HALA REZONING: Barnes has been birddogging this and says that because turnout was low for November’s little-publicized Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda-related Community Design Workshop for the Westwood-Highland Park Urban Village meeting was so anemic, the city Office of Planning and Community Development has offered to have another meeting for this area. It’ll be March 1st at Highland Park Improvement Club, start time TBA. They’ll go over notes from the November meeting and get into more details about how to provide community feedback on the proposed rezoning.

JOSEPHINE.COM: Jordan Lowe from Mount Baker was an invited guest to talk about this startup, which “allows home cooks to sell food to their neighbors.” He is one of those cooks and said he uses it as supplementary income. “I pick what I want to cook, how much I want to charge, put it on the website, people come and pick it up. … Over the last couple months we’ve been growing a lot in Seattle.” All cooks need to have a food handler’s permit, he said, and the company pays for it if necessary; they also check out the cooks’ kitchens. He went into some of the details. So far, West Seattle has “three or four people” who are going through the application process. Yes, there’s a catch – “we operate in a gray area,” as Lowe put it when we asked – the meals have to technically be considered “events” by health authorities rather than people making and selling food for purchase. The company started in California and expanded to Portland and Seattle.

NEXT WWRHAH MEETING: Councilmember Lisa Herbold is scheduled to be at the March WWRHAH meeting. The discussion of the group’s direction also has been moved to that meeting (6:15 pm, Tuesday, March 7th, Southwest Library, 35th SW/SW Henderson).

Share This

BASKETBALL: West Seattle boys keep it close till the end vs. Nathan Hale

February 8, 2017 7:05 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The Metro League semifinal boys-varsity basketball game between West Seattle HS and Nathan Hale HS is over. Though WSHS led at halftime, 40-34, Hale pulled away and got the victory, 72-59. The Wildcats will play at Chief Sealth IHS at 7:30 pm tomorrow vs. the loser of tonight’s Rainier Beach vs. Garfield game.

Share This

BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School girls beat Rainier Beach @ UW

February 8, 2017 5:04 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

5:04 PM: Just in from the University of Washington arena – the West Seattle High School girls-varsity basketball team got the win over Rainier Beach – which ended the regular-season just one spot above the Wildcats’ third-in-the-league finish. Final score this afternoon, WSHS 51, RBHS 45. The Vikings had been up by one point at halftime, 24-23.

GIRLS’ NEXT GAME: WSHS plays at 5:45 pm Friday at Chief Sealth International High School, vs. the winner of tonight’s Garfield-Bishop Blanchet game (7 pm at UW). Meantime, the WSHS boys play at 5:30 pm, also at UW, vs. Nathan Hale.

9:08 PM UPDATE: The girls’ opponent in the championship game Friday will be Blanchet.

Share This

WEATHER/TIDE ALERT: Coastal Flood Advisory for early Thursday

February 8, 2017 4:27 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

If you live near the water – or have another reason to be on the shore in the early morning hours – the National Weather Service has an alert for you: A Coastal Flood Advisory (read it here) for 1-9 am Thursday:

The combination of high astronomical tides and relatively low pressure could produce minor flooding along the shorelines around the time of high tide early Thursday morning … Low pressure should result in tidal anomalies of 1 to 1.5 feet above the predicted tides.

The predicted high tide tomorrow morning is 12 feet at 4:34 am. That’s about a foot below the highest tide of the year.

Share This

HALA REZONING: New date for Morgan Junction workshop; Admiral version 3 days away; another Westwood-Highland Park meeting planned

February 8, 2017 2:41 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Two updates and a reminder today in the ongoing discussion of rezoning proposed for the Mandatory Housing Affordability component of the city’s HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) initiative:

(Direct link to draft Morgan Urban Village rezoning map)

NEW DATE SET FOR MORGAN JUNCTION ‘COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP’: Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s office sends word that the Morgan Junction Residential Urban Village’s rescheduled Community Design Workshop – a meeting like this one held in the West Seattle Junction two weeks ago – is set for Monday, March 6th, 6-9 pm, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). From the city: “Please bring a neighbor or a friend to join the conversation. RSVP is not required to participate in the workshop but does give priority for facilitated working groups as well as assist our team in planning for staffing, room setup, and resources.” If you choose to RSVP, e-mail spencer.williams@seattle.gov.

REMINDER – ADMIRAL’S WORKSHOP COMING UP SATURDAY: This gives us the opportunity to remind you again that the Admiral Residential Urban Village’s Community Design Workshop is now three days away, 9:30 am-12:30 pm Saturday, February 11th, at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW).

ANOTHER WESTWOOD-HIGHLAND PARK URBAN VILLAGE MEETING: Announced at last night’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting (full report later today), the city will come back out for another HALA discussion regarding the WW-Highland Park Urban Village, on March 1st, start time TBA, since the Community Design Workshop back in November had low attendance due to little publicity.

WHEREVER YOU ARE … you can still comment on the proposed rezoning via hala.consider.it or by e-mailing halainfo@seattle.gov. Not sure whether/how HALA MHA is affecting the neighborhood(s) where you live/work? Check the citywide interactive map here.

Share This

UPDATE: Suspect in custody after SWAT response in South Delridge

February 8, 2017 1:40 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:40 PM: Thanks for the tip about a sizable police response near 21st SW and SW Cambridge [map] in South Delridge. Police at the scene tell us that they went there to arrest a domestic-violence suspect who has not yet come out of his own accord. We’ll be checking back again later.

3:16 PM: The SWAT team is there now.

Nearby streets are blocked off, too, until this is resolved, so avoid the area.

4:12 PM: Per neighbors and scanner, the suspect is in custody. No injuries reported.

(Not snow – photo taken during downpour)

4:28 PM: Police will be in the area a while, as they’re searching the suspect’s house – the original big pre-SWAT turnout was because they suspected he was armed.

Share This

YOU CAN HELP: Get your Destination Delridge tickets!

February 8, 2017 1:23 pm

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP: Get your Destination Delridge tickets!

| Delridge | Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Just a little more than two weeks to this year’s Destination Delridge benefit – and tickets are still available!

Celebrate the arts, nature, and community that make the Delridge neighborhoods of West Seattle a vibrant and thriving place to live, work and play. The annual Destination Delridge fundraiser, February 24, 2017, supports low-income housing, educational programs for at-risk youth, arts, culture and environmental restoration efforts of the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA).

Doors and Reception 6 pm | Dinner 7 pm | Dance Party 9 pm

Metropolist, 2931 1st Ave South

“This year we celebrate the success of our Cultural Events Series, our Wetlands Restoration and Stewardship project, and the range of programming at DNDA’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center that attracts over 45,000 people annually. We provided affordable housing for 300+ residents at our 7 properties, and with the help of over 3,000 volunteers we planted 1,300 native trees and led restoration of 58+ acres of park land, as part of our merger with our nonprofit partner, Nature Consortium,” said David Bestock, Executive Director of DNDA. “It’s been an incredible year of integrating programs, growing our staff and expanding our reach into our community.”

The event includes dinner, performances by AU Collective dancers, poet Carlynn Newhouse, musician Monica Elenes, and a dance party with DJ Jyun Jyun.

Tickets for the event can be purchased through DNDA’s website. For more information on the event, call the DNDA office at 206-935-2999 or email destinationdelridge@dnda.org

Share This

SAFETY: Highland Park Elementary alerts families about student’s report

February 8, 2017 11:11 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Highland Park | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

11:11 AM: Thanks to the parents who forwarded this note sent to Highland Park Elementary families this morning by principal Chris Cronas:

Yesterday afternoon during dismissal, a student was approached by a man on the corner of 11th Ave SW & SW Cloverdale while he waited for his ride home. The student claims the man demanded he go home with him. The student fled on foot, running home where his family found him, safe.

The man was described as having a dark complexion with black hair. He was reported to be wearing a dark green ascot and a dark jacket. We have no further information. The family contacted the police yesterday and provided the school with an incident number. We have notified Safety & Security as well. We will also be increasing our presence during afternoon dismissal by placing adults in different areas throughout the campus to increase our overall supervision.

This is a good reminder to talk with your student about what to do in the event something like this occurs. Please tell your student to immediately go to a nearby adult they know to ask for help.

If we are provided any additional information about this incident that could help the community identify this person, we will let you know.

We’re also asking police if they have any more details.

1:02 PM: SPD tells WSB it’s an open investigation; no other info to share so far.

Share This

Highline Premier Football Club: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

February 8, 2017 10:27 am

| Comments Off on Highline Premier Football Club: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor – the Highline Premier Football Club, which is about to start its first 2017 tryouts. Here’s what the club wants you to know:

Highline Premier Football Club (HPFC) is the premier soccer club for Highline Soccer Association (HSA) and the proud partners of our sister clubs, West Seattle Soccer Club, Highline Soccer Club, and HSA Select. HPFC is dedicated to providing its surrounding communities a player-centric approach to competing at the highest levels of youth soccer.

HPFC is committed to enabling players from all backgrounds an opportunity to share in “the beautiful game” teaching sportsmanship, mental toughness, self-discipline, teamwork, and commitment. Our direct goal is to produce well-rounded and skillful players who have the character, discipline, and determination to compete at the highest levels of the sport. As one of the oldest soccer associations in the state, many young athletes have passed through our program with the opportunity to continue their soccer careers at the collegiate level and beyond. With a long-standing history and top-level experience, coaches and staff support our players in every part of their development as athletes, students, and citizens. Once you are a part of HPFC, you are part of a soccer family with a storied history and the support of their surrounding communities helping to make HPFC the club of choice.

HPFC is excited to kick off the first session of tryouts for 2017, leading off with High School Boys from February 14-16 at Highline High School stadium. Check out highlinepremier.com/registration and learn more about this upcoming opportunity as well as additional information on the club and everything it has to offer. All High School Boys teams are now holding Open Sessions for players who’d like to learn more about HPFC. If you would like to train in an open session or have questions, please visit our tryout page for more details – highlinepremier.com/tryouts.

We thank Highline Premier Football Club 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.

Share This

West Seattle Wednesday: Sealth/Denny safety meeting; 34th District Democrats; marine wildlife; utilities’ future; more…

February 8, 2017 9:49 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(“Confused hummer near West Seattle Junction” in Monday’s snow, as photographer Lynn Taylor captioned this)

Busy day and night around West Seattle, as the big meltaway continues. The highlights, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

LOUISA BOREN STEM ELEMENTARY TOURS: Now through 11 am today, if you’re interested in elementary at Louisa Boren STEM K-8. (5950 Delridge Way SW)

LOCAL BIZ MEETUP: Noon-1:15 pm, local businesspeople are invited to network at West Seattle’s only coworking center, Office Junction (WSB sponsor) – details here. (6040 California SW)

DINE-OUT FUNDRAISER: 3-9 pm at Chipotle in The Junction, you have the chance to help out this team:

That’s the Rainier Beach High School tennis team, and one player works at the restaurant, so they’re having the fundraiser here. Their coach Irvin MacQuarrie is a West Seattle resident too, and explains:

The team is made up of immigrant families and we are doing a fundraiser this Wednesday night from 3-9 pm at the West Seattle Chipotle in The Junction. The team receives 50% of proceeds excluding alcohol and gift card purchases. This allows the team to buy uniforms for the kids to keep and to put on an end of the year banquet. Patrons must mention that they are there to support the team or the team doesn’t get credit.

(4730 California SW)

SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES’ FUTURE: 6 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, talk with SPU about the future of their services and what you pay for them, as previewed here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL (UPDATED 10:55 AM WITH SEALTH GAMES ADDED): One postseason game at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) tonight – boys’ varsity hosts Roosevelt at 7 pm; girls play at Lakeside at 7 pm; both are loser-out games … Elsewhere in WS, one regular-season home game – the Seattle Lutheran boys go for their 17th consecutive win, 6 pm at SLHS vs. Auburn Adventist (4100 SW Genesee) … Both West Seattle High School varsity teams play postseason games today/tonight at the University of Washington – girls vs. Rainier Beach at 3:30 pm and boys vs. Nathan Hale at 5:30 pm.

CHIEF SEALTH IHS/DENNY MS COMMUNITY SAFETY MEETING: The annual PTSA-sponsored safety meeting for Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School is a great place to bring up questions and concerns, with guests including school and district administrators and police leaders – details in our calendar listing. 7 pm in the Chief Sealth library. (2600 SW Thistle)

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, this month’s theme is “How to Resist Trump and Protect What We Hold Dear,” with guests from organizations including the ACLU, the Seattle Neighborhood Action Coalition, and Indivisible Seattle. Details on the 34th Dems’ website. (9131 California SW)

SR3 MARINE WILDLIFE TALK: As previewed here, the new marine-wildlife organization SR3 invites you to a talk at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 6 pm. Get an update on local marine life and on SR3’s plans for the metro area’s first marine-wildlife rehab hospital. (2306 42nd SW)

THE LOOSE HEELS: Country at Parliament Tavern, 8 pm. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

Share This

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday morning updates

February 8, 2017 6:45 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts | West Seattle weather

(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)

6:45 AM: Though some snow/slush remains – pending a warming trend that’s on the way – things are getting back to normal today. No school changes. Metro’s back on its regular routes. Seattle Public Utilities‘ trash/recycling one-day delay continues.

8:04 AM Crash on Delridge north of Thistle. NB blocked, says Twitter tip.

8:15 AM: Metro says the Delridge crash is delaying buses.

8:26 AM: SDOT says Delridge is blocked both ways by the crash, though the 911 log shows Seattle Fire has cleared (which indicates no major injuries). We’re off to look.

8:41 AM: SDOT reports, and we just verified, Delridge is now clear.

9:04 AM: Out on a morning errand run, we can confirm that Waste Management IS out picking up today. We’ve seen them in Westwood and Fauntleroy so far. Weather-wise, the snowmelt is accelerating, as we’re now up to a steady rain and upper-30s temp.

Share This