day : 08/04/2017 11 results

(Seal Sitters photo by Robin Lindsey)

When we first mentioned Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network‘s concerns about a seal pup nicknamed Taffy, who’s been coming and going from a stretch of Alki Beach for two weeks, they described her as healthy. Now, that’s changing, and they are asking you to please keep your distance:

This morning she tried to come ashore, but was scared away repeatedly by people gathering on the sidewalk above her – this, even though they were standing behind the yellow tape – still far too close to the 7- to 8-month-old weaned pup. The pup is terribly sensitive to activity even 50 yards away, much less 20 feet. She gave up after about 5 attempts and we did not see her the remainder of the day and on into this evening. It is imperative that harbor seal pups get stress-free rest out of the water.

Taffy appears to have some kind of trauma to her front foreflippers, though we have not been able to sight any specific wounds. The first few days we observed her, she would not bear weight on her left flipper. Now she will not use either one. This makes her terribly vulnerable on land to people and off-leash dogs.

We have seen a rapid decline over the past week as she has lost weight, is dehydrated, and appears to now have some lung issues, most likely lungworm infestation. While trying to come ashore this morning, we could actually hear her hoarse breathing and cough – not a good sign.

It is unusual for Seal Sitters to leave a tape perimeter in place when there is no seal onshore. However, under this special circumstance, we have been leaving tape intact on the sea wall above small bit of beach she prefers, as well as leaving stakes and tape on the beach when the incoming/outgoing tide permits.

We ask that people please respect the perimeter – even if you can’t see Taffy inside it. Often, she crawls up in between rocks and cannot be seen. Since she is now struggling with health issues, her haulout patterns have changed and we can’t predict when she will try to find rest. If you see her onshore, please don’t gather directly above her on the sea wall. Observe her from either end of the perimeter and please call Seal Sitters’ hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325) if volunteers are not onsite, as that means we are not aware Taffy is on land at this dangerous location. She needs space.

Seal Sitters First Responders had hopes of capturing the skittish pup today and transporting for evaluation and treatment. Capture will be very challenging because of the location and her hyper-awareness – she stays just a few feet at most from the water’s edge. Sadly, we anticipate her health will rapidly decline.

If you haven’t already noticed the taped-off perimeter in the past two weeks, the area in question is east/north of the main sandy stretch of Alki; if you are walking/running in the area, consider crossing to the inland sidewalk until you’re past where the tape is.

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More community-cleanup success: 25th & Trenton, with SDCG and WWRHAH volunteers

April 8, 2017 9:47 pm

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| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Thanks to Marianne McCord from the South Delridge Community Group for that photo from today’s SDCG/Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council cleanup at 25th/Trenton. She reports 16 volunteers were there, as was SDOT‘s Natalie Graves from the Chief Sealth Walkway Neighborhood Street Fund project that’s planned in the area. She adds: “I want to give a shout out to our dedicated volunteers who attend monthly clean-ups around the South Delridge Neighborhood. They are making a difference!” Watch the SDCG website for word of its next meeting (usually third Sundays, but this month, that’s Easter).

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PHOTOS: Neighborhood volunteers clean Fairmount Ravine for the 25th year

April 8, 2017 6:26 pm

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| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Along the road and on the slope, another big haul in the annual Fairmount Ravine (north of here) cleanup today.

This was the 25th annual edition of the cleanup, this year coordinated by Matt Algieri, taking over for John Lang. Here are today’s volunteers, with Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officers Jon Flores and Todd Wiebke:

They had piled up more than 80 bags – similar to last year – by the time a Department of Corrections community-work crew arrived for pickup and haulaway:

Here are links to our coverage from past years – 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.

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COUNTDOWN: 5 weeks to West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2017

April 8, 2017 5:41 pm

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| Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

May 13th is exactly five weeks from today – and that’s the date for this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. We’re now in our third day of registration, with 45+ sales signed up and on their way to the map already – sales of many sizes, in many areas, including moving sales, “making room for baby” sales, nonprofit sales, block sales … Anything you’re looking for, you are likely to find on sale SOMEWHERE on WSGCGSD (our 10th year coordinating it, 13th year overall). If you’re planning to sell rather than shop, registration will continue for another 2 1/2 weeks but you might as well get it done now – once you have your eye-catching 20-word listing ready, just go here – thank you!

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Hiawatha hosts early egg hunt

April 8, 2017 4:09 pm

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Most years, the Seattle Parks community-center egg hunts are held simultaneously, day before Easter. This year, the Hiawatha hunt was scheduled a week early, and brought hundreds of kids out this morning.

Just one day after major wind and rain, the weather wasn’t too bad for this morning’s event, and participants were able to follow up their hunting with checking to see what they’d found.

The other local centers’ egg hunts are set for next Saturday morning, as is the legendary West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) hunt and more – see the full list for the next 8 days, including local Holy Week/Passover services/events, by going here.

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HAPPENING NOW: BlueStone Apartments’ grand opening

April 8, 2017 2:59 pm

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| Delridge | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Live jazz and treats await you at the grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments (9051 20th SW). The music continues until 4, the party until 5, including tours.

The 40+-unit complex, built by STS Construction Services (longtime WSB sponsor) and managed by North Pacific Properties, has variety. First-floor units, including a handful of live-works, have high ceilings (16 feet). The building includes 2-bedroom apartments (not always easy to find in new construction) as well as 1-bedrooms – more than a dozen floor plans, even 2 bedroom/2 baths. Each unit has its own laundry room. And there are unexpected touches such as built-in connections for portable air-conditioning units.

The four-story building includes some views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, and some units have terraces or balconies.

The lighting is all LED.

BlueStone is leasing now – another tenant was moving in while we were visiting – and we’re told one of the live-work units is expected to soon have a small café. If you don’t get to stop by today, you can inquire online.

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BASEBALL: Post-win wind gives WSHS a challenge

April 8, 2017 2:36 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

West Seattle High School baseball parent Sheree Fantz-Gut shares that photo with her report on the Wildcats’ latest win:

The WSHS Wildcats and the Cleveland HS Eagles completed completed a very WET and WINDY game yesterday at Hiawatha. WSHS 12, Cleveland HS 2.

Five players were definitely not enough to cover the mound after the game. It ended up taking almost the entire team to battle the wind!

WSHS goes for its third consecutive win on Monday, 4 pm at Hiawatha (2700 California SW), vs. Garfield.

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TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Trucks cleared; bridge offramp open again

April 8, 2017 12:39 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

12:39 PM: Thanks to Mark for the tip: Semitruck trouble has blocked the Harbor/Avalon offramp from the westbound bridge. SDOT says crews are on the way.

2 PM: The semitrucks blocking the ramp have been cleared and it’s open again, SDOT says.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Jessica Detrick’s ‘alternative’ sentence revoked

April 8, 2017 11:46 am

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| Crime | West Seattle news

After two arrest warrants related to violation of its terms, the Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative has been revoked for convicted burglar Jessica Detrick.

(July 2016 security-camera photo from Fauntleroy burglary)

As reported here last Saturday, she was arrested again after failing to return to residential drug treatment as ordered following a previous failure to comply. DOSA is offered to some offenders as an alternative to jail/prison, but they are warned that the standard sentence remains a possibility if there is trouble like this. This case is related to two residential burglaries for which she was charged last year, in Highland Park and Fauntleroy; at the time she was described as having a multi-state criminal history and 38 King County warrants since 2000, though this was only her fourth felony conviction. She plea-bargained and got the DOSA sentence last fall. Shortly after she ended three months in residential treatment in January, an arrest warrant was issued for failure to comply with reporting requirements; she was arrested in February and ordered to stay in jail until a new residential-treatment space opened for her, but when it did, she didn’t show up, and a new warrant was issued, leading to her arrest a week ago. At a hearing yesterday, court documents show, Detrick, 37, “agreed to voluntary revocation” of DOSA, resulting in a 15-month state-prison sentence with credit for time served.

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CONGRATULATIONS! Denny-Aki Kurose’s Global Reading Challenge winners

April 8, 2017 10:39 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

“Reading makes us all winners.” So said Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark as he shared the results of his school’s annual Global Reading Challenge finals vs. Aki Kurose Middle School. As explained in our morning preview on Wednesday, since the Seattle Public Library’s citywide GRC is limited to elementary schools, the two middle schools decided a few years ago to launch their own. Two teams from each school reached the finals; each team read 10 books and answered quiz questions in competition format. The results: “The Denny Dolphins had won the 6th grade trophy! The Aki Peace Cranes won the 7th grade prize! Congratulations to all of our teams from both schools — we are proud of you!”

Principal Clark adds: “Thank you very much to the literacy teachers of both schools, Ms. Nestor, Ms. Clark, Mr. Treistman, Ms. Williams, and Mr. Reeve for all of the help and support that went into making this event such a success!”

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Ways to spend your West Seattle Saturday

April 8, 2017 6:58 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Brant along Alki, photographed by Jim Borrow, who reminds us that these are migratory geese, here for what’s left of the seagrass they need to survive, and that they are easily disturbed, “and often will avoid feeding if they are impacted by human or human-generated activity. Unleashed dogs chasing or swimming after birds on our beaches have a particularly negative impact.”)

From morning until night, lots happening! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

25TH ANNUAL FAIRMOUNT RAVINE CLEANUP: 8:30-10:30 am, join neighbors in cleaning up the ravine that many use to get from Admiral to Alki, and help remove ivy from its trees. Here’s our preview. (Meet at Fairmount/Forest)

EGG HUNT AT HIAWATHA: 10 am sharp at Hiawatha Community Center, this year’s egg hunt is a week before the other city-run community centers have theirs. (2700 California SW)

25TH/TRENTON COMMUNITY CLEANUP: As previewed here, join the South Delridge Community Group and Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, 10 am-11 am, to help beautify a corner of the neighborhood. (25th/Trenton)

WEST SEATTLE RUNNER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 7 years in business for West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and special events today start at 11 am and continue through live music at 7 with Jared Mitchell. (2743 California SW)

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE ARBORETUM CLEANUP: 10 am-noon, come help maintain your local botanical garden! Bring your own water bottle, gloves and hand tools. South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) north end. (6000 16th SW)

EGG HUNT FOR BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUTH: As previewed here earlier this week, the Lions Club of West Seattle is presenting its first annual egg hunt for those with vision challenges, at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym, 11 am. Also bring unneeded eyeglasses to donate! (4100 SW Genesee)

‘GREEN WALL’ INSTALLATION: 11 am at South Park Library. “To reduce the impact of air pollution, the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group and Just Health Action are partnering with the South Park Branch to install 7 artistic green wall panels, each 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall, creating a free standing vegetated trellis system.” Come see for yourself. (8604 8th S.)

BLUESTONE APARTMENTS’ GRAND OPENING: Noon-5 pm, with live music 1:30-4 pm, “grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments. Take a tour of the brand-new building complete with spacious outdoor courtyard, covered parking, and Live/Work spaces in addition to the well-appointed one- and two-bedroom apartments.” (9051 20th SW)

FREE KINDERMUSIK: All kids welcome, 12:30 pm at My Three Little Birds (WSB sponsor) in south Morgan Junction. (6959 California SW)

HIGH POINT PLAY AREA OPEN HOUSE, WITH OTHER CITY INFO: 1-3 pm, drop in to review design proposals for the play-area renovation at High Point Community Center – outdoors, weather permitting. You’ll also find information about other city departments, projects, and services, as explained by the city here. (6920 34th SW)

EASTER BUNNY BAR HOP: Three bars in Morgan Junction, 4-7 pm. Starts at The Bridge. (California/Graham)

DIEGO DAVIDENKO: Singer-songwriter at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

MCGUIRE SISTERS SONGBOOK: At Kenyon Hall – “Pianist extraordinaire David Duvall has put together another musical extravaganza starring Caitlin Frances, Kim Maguire, and Meg McLynn singing The McGuire Sisters’ many hits.” 7:30 pm. (7904 35th SW)

LIT END: 4-piece band from Olympia with a mix of covers and originals at Poggie Tavern, 9 pm. (4717 California SW)

AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Denny Blaine and Steve Pearson’s British Racing Green: “Denny Blaine features the singing and songwriting talents of Jack Johnson and Steve Aliment. British Racing Green is fresh Americana in a cool pop wrapper.” $8 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

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