West Seattle, Washington

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month : 05/2017 330 results

What’s big for your West Seattle Thursday
May 25, 2017 9:00 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Wednesday sunset photo from Constellation Park, by Vy Duong)

Here’s what’s big today/tonight!

LOW-LOW TIDES BEGIN: Tides get really low during the holiday weekend, and it starts today with a -2.5 foot low-low tide at 11:12 am. Go beach-walking … but tread lightly!

BEER TASTING AND VETERANS’ FUNDRAISER: Pelican Brewing is at The Beer Junction 5-8 pm and half the proceeds go to the West Seattle VFW, with Memorial Day poppies being distributed too – details in our calendar listing. (4511 California SW)

HIGHLAND PARK FIND IT, FIX IT WALK: Doors open at Highland Park Improvement Club at 5:30 pm for pre-walk mingling, and then the walk starts at 6:30 pm – see the map and description of planned stops in our preview (if you can’t join at the start, join along the way). This is your chance to come show city leaders (including department heads as well as elected officials) what you want to see fixed in Highland Park. (1116 SW Holden)

WSHS STUDENT SHOWCASE/13TH YEAR PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP EVENT: 6 pm at West Seattle High School, more than 100 career-tech student projects are on display, and the event also will include information about the 13th Year Promise Scholarship – one free year of college – adding WSHS in a year. Details in our calendar listing; all welcome. (3000 California SW)

2-DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC MEETING: 6 pm tonight at the Senior Center/Sisson Building, the city is convening a by-request public-comment meeting about two microhousing projects in one block of California SW, 5952 and 6016, as previewed here. (4217 SW Oregon)

TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: The big West Seattle Helpline fundraiser at The Hall at Fauntleroy, with more than 40 food/beverage providers is tonight. Helpline says “a limited number of tickets” for 6:30 pm general admission are expected to be available at the door. (9131 California SW)

MOVE OR REMODEL? Free workshop at 6:30 pm, with firms including Niederberger Contracting (WSB sponsor). Held at Graystone Mortgage in Jefferson Square. (4726 42nd SW)

MUCH, MUCH MORE on our complete-calendar page!

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates
May 25, 2017 6:59 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:59 AM: Good morning! No incidents in/from West Seattle so far.

7:38 AM: Still quiet. So we’ll take a moment to look ahead to some transportation-related events tonight:

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Talking Sound Transit 3 light-rail planning, as previewed here last night, 6:30 pm, Neighborhood House High Point (6900 Sylvan Way SW).

HIGHLAND PARK TRAFFIC TROUBLE SPOTS: They’re part of the route for tonight’s Find It, Fix It Walk, leaving from HP Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden) at 6:30 pm – here’s our preview.

8:20 AM: The relative quiet continues. We’ve heard, however, that the port-truck traffic backup early this morning – long before we got the morning traffic report rolling – was particularly intense. We’ll be working on an update about this – if you have any anecdotes/information to share, editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

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THURSDAY: Sound Transit @ West Seattle Transportation Coalition
May 24, 2017 9:31 pm
|    Comments Off on THURSDAY: Sound Transit @ West Seattle Transportation Coalition
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

lightrail

Earlier this week, we mentioned that the West Seattle Transportation Coalition will sketch out hopes and dreams for Sound Transit 3 light rail in a community-led design workshop next month. First – WSTC is talking with an ST rep tomorrow (Thursday, May 25th) about how the agency is going to do outreach and planning for the West Seattle line – as we reported last month, some of it’s already under way. That’s part of the agenda for WSTC’s May meeting, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point (6900 Sylvan Way SW), all welcome.

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WEST SEATTLE MEMORIAL DAY 2017: Invitations from American Legion Post 160
May 24, 2017 7:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

From American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle, as Memorial Day nears, a set of invitations:

photo
(WSB file photo)

POPPIES: Post 160 will distribute poppies at West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) 10 am-4 pm Saturday and Sunday (May 27-28). The backstory:

On September 27, 1920, the poppy became the official flower of The American Legion family to memorialize the soldiers who fought and died during the war. In 1924, the distribution of poppies became a national program of The American Legion.

Each year, members of The American Legion family, led by the American Legion Auxiliary, distribute poppies with a request that the person receiving the flower make a donation to support the future of veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families with medical and financial needs.

flagandkids
(WSB photo from 2016)

MEMORIAL DAY FLAGS IN THE JUNCTION: They go up at 9 am Monday and come down at 5 pm:

Community members of all ages are welcome to help put up and take down the flags at 9 am and 5 pm. Volunteers are requested to meet on the northeast corner of California and Alaska.

Inbetween:

MEMORIAL DAY REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY: 2-3 pm at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Cemetery (6701 30th SW; WSB sponsor), and you are invited to attend:

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. The ceremony will be conducted at the flag pole in the cemetery. Free parking can be found at the Forest Lawn office across the street.

After the ceremony, join American Legion Post 160 at its home, 3618 SW Alaska St, for a complimentary community cookout from 3:15 – 5 PM.

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FERRY ALERT UPDATE: Southworth service resuming after dock repairs
May 24, 2017 5:52 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

5:52 PM: If you were planning on riding Washington State Ferries to or from Southworth – you can’t. The terminal is out of service TFN, says WSF, after “a car somehow smashed the control panel for the dock.” WSF says “maintenance crews have been dispatched”; in the meantime, service between Fauntleroy and Vashon continues.

8:56 PM: Just in from WSF – repairs are finished and the terminal “will be back in service with the 9:35 pm sailing from Southworth to Vashon.”

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Another West Seattle school shuffle ahead? Meeting at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 on June 1st
May 24, 2017 3:47 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Four years ago, Seattle Public Schools proposed moving what was then K-5 STEM to what was then Schmitz Park Elementary.

Eventually, it was decided instead that what started as STEM’s temporary home, the former Louisa May Boren Junior High School, would be its permanent home.

Or maybe not permanent after all.

This week, a Louisa Boren STEM K-8 parent is calling attention to new talk of a possible move, and a district official coming to the school next week to talk about it.

When we asked district spokesperson Tom Redman what’s under consideration, his reply included the meeting announcement:

Dr. Flip Herndon, Associate Superintendent for Capital Projects and Planning and Enrollment Planning, will meet with the Louisa Boren K-8 STEM School Community on June 1st from 6:30-7:30 at Louisa Boren School to provide information and answer questions.

With growing student enrollment and the McCleary class size student-teacher ratios for grades K-3 issue, we’ll need additional classrooms in our elementary school buildings. With this in mind, we need to identify short and long term capacity solutions for Genesee Hill, Alki and Lafayette elementary schools. At the same time, we need to identify interim locations for future school capital construction projects: we will consider the use of Schmitz Park, Louisa Boren and Roxhill school buildings as options.

Just a few of the factors that might be playing into this: The Roxhill building is already scheduled to be vacated after next school year; as we’ve been reporting for more than a year and a half, its program is scheduled to move to EC Hughes Elementary, which is about to start renovation work to get ready to reopen in fall of 2018. Schmitz Park, meantime, has been home to preschool and after-school-care programs this year, since its former elementary program moved into the new Genesee Hill building last September. It, Lafayette, and Alki are already being studied for the BEX V ballot measure that the district will send to voters in 2019. Stay tuned.

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VIDEO: City Council committee briefed on gun violence, hours after deadly Alki shooting
May 24, 2017 12:08 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics


(Tuesday night photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Just after 9 am Tuesday, we noted here that a City Council committee had scheduled a briefing today about gun violence.

Just before 9 pm Tuesday, West Seattle’s second shooting in three days took the life of a 23-year-old man.

This morning’s briefing ended a little over an hour ago, and while much of it was focused on citywide trends, prepared long before the deadly shots last night on Alki Beach, councilmembers did ask repeatedly about the case and what will be done to try to prevent more violence and to reach out to neighbors.

The stats regarding the number of gunfire incidents/shootings are through May 15th, councilmembers were told. So that does not include the two West Seattle shootings in the past three days – Sunday in High Point, last night on Alki.

About the deadly shooting itself. SPD management at the briefing said the same thing that had been sent out as an SPD Blotter update earlier in the morning – it’s not believed to be random. Some sort of confrontation preceded it, with a large group in the area “because it was a nice day.”

West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold – not a member of the committee but in attendance – asked about plans for increased patroling on Alki. The main part of the answer: Bicycle patroling was being stepped up.

She also asked about use of the mobile precinct – after years without one, the SW Precinct got its own in late 2015 (WSB file photo above) – and how that’s decided. It’s up to the precinct commander, she was told.

At that point, we messaged SW Precinct leadership and talked with Operations Lt. Ron Smith. The mobile precinct has spent some time on Alki already this year, he said, but they have to balance it with deployment to our area’s other trouble spots – Westwood, Roxhill Park, Don Armeni Boat Ramp (last weekend), South Park, among others.

Councilmember Lorena González, the West Seattle-residing at-large councilmember who chairs the committee that was briefed today, said she had heard good things about the mobile precinct’s use and wondered about its funding and staffing. She also asked what SPD’s plans are regarding reaching out to neighbors and others worried about what happened last night and about safety in general. She referred to a woman who had spoken about the Alki shooting, emotionally, during the public-comment period at the start of the meeting.

The response started out with a mention of Community Police Team outreach and eventually circled around to a suggestion that SPD could call a community meeting to provide information and answer concerns. And what we hear at every police briefing at neighborhood meetings was reiterated – call 911 if you see something that makes you “feel uncomfortable … we need to come out and see what’s going on.”

Again, this briefing was scheduled long before what happened last night, and was more intended to address a wave of shootings in the South Precinct jurisdiction earlier this year, as well as citywide trends. Toplines on that included SPD reps saying that Seattle’s violent-crime rate is lower than it was a few years ago – same number of incidents, more residents.

But the number of gunfire incidents this year is higher than previous years, and here’s some of what’s being done to address that:

SPD says they’re looking at “street segments” where there are repeated problems and trying to analyze how to address it – for example, one such location somewhere in the city was a convenience store, so they were looking at talking with the business owner about better lighting. (There’s no grant money to help with that, so far as SPD knows, though – that was noted in response to a question.) Somewhere else in the city, a house that was repeatedly fired at was once the home of gang members, and though they had moved, their “opponents” continued to go by and shoot at it.

What about public perception that safety could be improved by police visibility in known trouble spots? Herbold asked. SPD says they do ask officers to drive through such areas, spend “down time” in such areas. Data-gathering is a big part of their effort to reduce the problem. So is regional collaboration to put what happens into context and try to prevent future instances, and the recognition that some of the trouble stems from people “coming into and out of our city.”

Collaboration with other agencies includes tracing shells/firearms with help of ATF.

Video of the entire briefing should be available via Seattle Channel‘s video archives by day’s end, and we’ll embed it here when it is. (Added: Here’s the video.)

We’ve also asked the Southwest Precinct for any additional details of what’s planned in terms of a presence on Alki for the upcoming holiday weekend, which is likely to be a busy one at the beach with sunshine predicted to return starting Friday and continuing into next week.

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What’s ahead for your West Seattle Wednesday
May 24, 2017 10:30 am
|    Comments Off on What’s ahead for your West Seattle Wednesday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous


(Photo from Al – sunrise skyline from earlier this week)

Calendar highlights for the rest of today/tonight:

ADMISSIONS WORKSHOP: South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) invites future students to this workshop to help with the admissions and enrollment process, 4:30-6:30 pm in the library on campus. (6000 16th SW)

WSHS MULTICULTURAL POTLUCK: Everyone’s invited, 6-8 pm tonight – bring a dish to serve 6-8 people if you can, you’re still welcome if you can’t – for food and performances and community, at the West Seattle High School Commons. (3000 California SW)

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 7 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club, including a look ahead to tomorrow night’s Find It, Fix It Walk. (1116 SW Holden) CANCELED: We’re told the HPAC meeting is off, with the FIFI Walk coming up tomorrow.

MADISON MS PTA & BIRDS-BEES TALK: After a short Madison Middle School PTA meeting at 7 pm, stay for a 7:30 presentation with Amy Lang on “The Birds & The Bees for Parents of Middle Schoolers.” Details in our calendar listing. (45th SW/SW Spokane)

BOB DYLAN BIRTHDAY BASH: 8-11 pm at Parliament Tavern. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

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UPDATE: Fire call at former Schmitz Park Elementary building turns out to be boiler problem
May 24, 2017 9:17 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news


(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)

9:17 AM: Big SFD response to the former Schmitz Park Elementary School building, 5000 SW Spokane. Crews on scene are finding smoke but not its source.

9:19 AM: What crews are seeing is now described as a “large volume of steam,” but no related fire, so far.

9:35 AM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports that the response is winding down. The building, by the way, is currently used primarily for child care outside school hours, though the district is taking another look at its future (separate story later). Christopher says he’s told that the students who would be brought to the SP building after school today will stay at Genesee Hill instead.

9:43 AM: Christopher also has just found out that this indeed was a steam issue in the boiler room. Seattle Public Schools engineers are on scene. No one was hurt.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates
May 24, 2017 6:54 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:54 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle right now.

FERRY SERVICE BACK TO 3 BOATS: As promised last night by Washington State Ferries, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run is back to its 3-boat schedule.

7:33 AM: SDOT reports a stalled vehicle on the eastbound bridge is blocking the right lane just past the Delridge ramp.

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VIDEO: Gunfire on Alki, one person killed
May 23, 2017 9:12 pm
|      231 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news


(Photos and video by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)

9:12 PM: First we got a call about gunfire heard on Alki – then, a big emergency response for an “assault with weapons” call at 62nd and Alki. More to come.

9:19 PM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli is at the scene and says a victim is being worked on in an aid unit. A witness tells him the same thing we heard from some readers – multiple shots. Police have been looking for a vehicle, described via scanner as a gray Mercury Marquis, last seen heading out across the bridge.

9:41 PM: SPD is sending a public-information officer to Alki to brief media. Detectives are on the way too. There is no information so far about the victim’s condition – only that they have been taken to Harborview Medical Center.

9:48 PM: More police continue arriving at the scene – Gang Unit and Homicide Unit among them. Please note that the presence of the latter does NOT mean anyone has died – they respond to certain non-fatal incidents as well.

10:12 PM: The PIO has arrived so more information should be available soon. And a side note, as we reported 13 hours ago, SPD has a scheduled City Council committee briefing about gun violence tomorrow morning – this will certainly be part of it.

10:45 PM: Police briefing wrapped up. (Added – here it is in its unedited entirety:)

Victim in his early 20s, life-threatening injuries. No suspects in custody so far. Both SPD and a witness with whom we just spoke say it was preceded by a large gathering, and then some kind of disturbance, and then gunfire. The witness said everyone then scattered – except the victim, who had fallen to the ground.

11:46 PM: Police recap has just appeared on SPD Blotter – the only additional detail is that the victim was shot “several times.” Still no word of arrests or suspect/vehicle description; anyone with information is asked to call police.

ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: A commenter identifying herself as the victim’s mother says he did not survive.

8:03 AM WEDNESDAY: A Harborview Medical Center spokesperson confirms to WSB that the victim died.

8:38 AM: Police have updated the SPD Blotter report, adding that the victim was 23 years old, and that they believe he was targeted, that this was not random.

4:13 PM: The Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim as Jordan D. Thomas.

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FOLLOWUP: Repairs expected by year’s end for arson-damaged Riverview Playfield comfort station
May 23, 2017 8:01 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

yellowtape
(WSB photo of fire’s aftermath, June 2016)

Some promising news about one of the stops set for Thursday night’s Find It, Fix It Walk in Highland Park. It’s the long-closed, arson-damaged restroom/storage building at Riverview Playfield. As we’ve reported previously, community members are concerned that the building has yet to be fixed and reopened, almost a year after last year’s arson -and at one point were told that it might be up to six years before repairs could be funded. But Christina Hirsch of Seattle Parks tells WSB that funding for repair and restoration has been secured. Hirsch told WSB’s Randall Hauk that the Seattle Park District has approved $202,000 for the work.

Parks will now work with city purchasing and contracting on details for the management of the project. Though there is no set deadline yet for completion of repairs, Hirsch says the hope is to finish by the end of the year. She adds that the schedule and scope of the project will be posted on the Riverview Playfield webpage as it becomes available. Meantime, portable restrooms will remain in place at the much-used fields until the permanent facility.

P.S. If you haven’t already seen it, the route, starting place, and other information about Thursday night’s walk – starting at 6:30 pm from Highland Park Improvement Club (where you can gather starting an hour before that) – is here.

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FERRY UPDATES: Fauntleroy-Vashon-SW back to 3 boats tomorrow; Triangle task-force update
May 23, 2017 6:30 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Two Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry-route notes tonight.

3-BOAT SERVICE TO RETURN WEDNESDAY: Washington State Ferries is putting the new ferry Chimacum into service early to help alleviate the current boat shortage. It’ll go onto the Seattle-Bremerton run so that Sealth can become the third boat on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. This is scheduled to happen first thing tomorrow morning.

TRIANGLE ROUTE IMPROVEMENTS: WSF’s Hadley Rodero shares an update on last week’s four-day test of tollbooth changes as part of the Triangle Task Force project:

We completed the pilot from May 15-18 as planned. After direct observation and a preliminary review of the data, we are cautiously optimistic.

On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, we saw smoother operations and what we believe to be more efficient use of the dock under your recommended procedures (more to come once we look at the numbers). Last Wednesday was tough for customers and staff alike, with long wait times and space left on boats. We think this was due to several factors. We didn’t communicate as well within the pilot team or use the dock as efficiently as other days. There was an unexpected mix of traffic (lots of Vashon at an unusual time). Customers are still learning the process (had to back a lot of people up because they tried to pull past the tollbooth). We also had the typical disruptions such as a car parked in the ferry line after “no parking” time, and a large truck blocking two holding lanes with a poor parking job.

Overall, customer feedback was mixed. Some people said they liked it, others disliked it, and there were a lot of people wishing for the by-pass.

Next steps: We’re reviewing the data and collecting another round of baseline data when things are back to “the old way” this week. We aim to have an official conclusion and next steps within a week.

The community task force on the Triangle project also has set its next meeting dates – open to the public, so if you’re interested:

June: Tuesday, June 6, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

July: Wednesday, July 12, 4 – 7 p.m. (terminal site visit and walk-through)

August: Thursday, August 10, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

September: Thursday, September 14, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

All except July 12th will be at the Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall (9140 California SW).

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REMINDER: May 31st is last day to shop at PCC West Seattle’s current store; here are your options during construction
May 23, 2017 4:30 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news


(Rendering courtesy Hewitt Architects)

Local PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) customers have a little over one more week to shop at the current West Seattle store before it closes for construction of a new mixed-use project that includes a new, bigger store. But even during construction, you’ll have shopping options, as noted in this reminder shared by PCC today:

As a reminder of news shared on February 17th, PCC Natural Markets’ (PCC) West Seattle store at 2749 California SW will be closing after May 31st for redevelopment. The new West Seattle PCC, at the same location, is slated to re-open in mid-to-late 2019.

“Many PCC members and shoppers have asked about the future of the West Seattle PCC staff,” said Cate Hardy, PCC Natural Markets CEO. “Because we are community-owned, we were able to locate new opportunities within the co-op for almost all of the staff at our other 10 area stores. While all staff were offered an opportunity to stay with PCC, some staff preferred to stay in West Seattle and pursue opportunities outside PCC.”

During the closure, West Seattle shoppers can still visit the Columbia City PCC and, in early 2018, the new Burien PCC. For those shoppers who crave organic produce, organic and non-GMO meats, and PCC deli favorites like the Emerald City and Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salads, PCC will continue to provide delivery to West Seattle through both Instacart and PrimeNow.

PCC says you can sign up for its e-mail newsletter/alerts by going here.

BACKSTORY: The PCC-site project has been in the works for almost a year; last May, Madison Development Group bought the site where PCC has long been a tenant. News of a redevelopment project ensued; then in July, PCC announced it had reached agreement to be the retail tenant in the project, which also will include more than 100 apartments.

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Sound Orthodontics: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
May 23, 2017 2:46 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

We’re welcoming Sound Orthodontics as a new WSB sponsor – here’s what they would like you to know about what they do:

At Sound Orthodontics, we take great pride in providing our patients with the highest quality orthodontic care in a comfortable, friendly environment. Our doctors and team are available to answer any questions you have before, during, and after treatment.

What Sets Us Apart

Our caring and experienced team creates an orthodontic experience that is fun, affordable, interactive, and effective. We do everything we can to make sure that each patient has an exceptional experience at our practice. From the moment, you enter our practice, we want you to feel comfortable, welcome, and appreciated. Everyone on our team is excited about what we do, and when you walk into our office, that shows. We enjoy working together and even spend our free time together outside of the office!

Sound Orthodontics appointments are appropriately scheduled so that you will spend less time in our office, and more time out enjoying the things that make you smile. Your comfort is important to us, and because we work with patients of all ages, we recognize that each person who visits our practice has unique needs and expectations.

Treatment Types

Our office utilizes the most comfortable, efficient and technologically advanced orthodontic treatment options available. Regular metal braces are still the most widely used, yet other types of orthodontic appliances are gaining popularity.

*Metal Braces are the most widely used type of braces

*Ceramic or Clear Braces are made of ceramic material that blend in with your teeth

*Invisalign® are “braces” that consist of strong plastic trays that are fabricated specifically for each individual

We would love for you and your family to visit our West Seattle Sound Orthodontics’ office to meet the doctors and team! 2617 California SW – 206-935-2414.

We thank Sound Orthodontics 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.

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YOU’RE INVITED TO LUNCH! Let a graduating culinary student cook for you
May 23, 2017 1:37 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Busy for lunch tomorrow? If not – and if you’re going to be in West Seattle or able to get here – we’ve been asked to share this unique invitation on behalf of a local culinary student:

We have an invitation for anyone interested to come join us at the Alhadeff Grill at South Seattle College for graduating student Solmi‘s capstone lunch on Wednesday, May 24th. Price is $15 for the following.

Choice of Appetizer:

– Chicken Wings and Asparagus with Baby Green Salad or
– Seafood Saffron Vol au vent

Choice of Entree:

– Seed-Crusted Rack of Pork with Cabbage-Cranberry compote or
– Cod with Artichoke

Dessert:

– Sweet Cherries with Kirsch Chantilly and Pistachio Ice Cream

Seating is limited. Call 206 934-5817 for reservations between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

For additional information – darrell.tsukiji@seattlecolleges.edu

So you’ll have to call tomorrow morning. SSC (a WSB sponsor) is at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge.

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Before tonight’s open house, Avalon paving project revealed as rechannelization plan, too
May 23, 2017 11:26 am
|      57 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

11:26 AM: When SDOT announced the start of “outreach” for two paving projects, including SW Avalon Way and a short stretch of 35th SW, the Avalon project wasn’t described as anything more than repaving.

But with SDOT‘s “open house” meeting about it coming up tonight, Luna Park entrepreneur John Bennett called our attention this morning to a new addition: Rechannelization is proposed, including removal of parking along a stretch of the east side of Avalon – parking that Bennett and other businesses had to fight to (partly) keep before the RapidRide C Line brought a part-time transit lane to the area.

Bennett says the new proposal was a surprise to Luna Park merchants; when SDOT asked for an advance discussion with them, he thought it might just tackle the topic of what would happen for construction. Since the addition of rechannelization hasn’t been widely announced, it might be a surprise to you too.

For the full details, see the PDF of “boards” for tonight’s meeting – added to the SDOT project page – and embedded at the top of this story; we’ve highlighted cross-sections below. Part of the stretch would lose the center turn lane as well as parking. The SDOT document shows the proposed changes in five sections. Below, the three sections through and by Luna Park, “current” followed by “proposed”:

CURRENT SECTIONS 1 & 2:

PROPOSED SECTIONS 1 & 2:

What you see above – with the view looking north – between Manning and Spokane (section 1), shows the addition of bicycle lanes, with the removal of a median and the narrowing of travel and turn lanes. Between Bradford and Manning (section 2), the center turn lane would be removed, and a bicycle lane added on the east side of the street. The west-side bicycle lane would be moved to between the sidewalk and the parking area.

**********************

CURRENT SECTION 3:

PROPOSED SECTION 3:

What you see above – again, with the view looking north – between Yancy and Bradford, would also move the west-side bicycle lane next to the sidewalk, and would add a protected bicycle lane to the east side, while removing the parking on the east side.

Bennett says SDOT first told merchants about this in a meeting last Friday and said that the east-side parking removal would stretch for 600 feet; estimating 20 feet per space, he says, means removal of 30 spaces. From his note to SDOT afterward:

I must say we were all shocked with the plans you presented us. I was thinking the main topic was going to be dealing with the inconvenience and mess of construction, not wholesale loss of customer parking. This is very scary for our small businesses. We are still reeling from the loss of parking due to the bus lane. This additional loss of parking will most likely put some of us out of business. I am not being dramatic. Our businesses depend on street parking. Permanently removing 30 street parking spaces is a devastating blow to us.

We have a call out to SDOT with several questions. The cross-sections also are shown in a revised version of the survey on the project page – which is a new survey, not the same survey that was linked from the page when the project was announced last month. If you haven’t already scrolled through that and/or all the “boards” at the top of this story, note that we have just highlighted three of the five cross-sections – there are two more, for the rest of Avalon to 35th, plus a few blocks of 35th south of Avalon.

Again, your comments are being sought at tonight’s “open house,” 5:30-7 pm at Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW). You also can take the new survey here, and/or e-mail SDOT at avalonpaving@seattle.gov. The city says this project is currently targeted for construction in 2019, after the Fauntleroy Boulevard project is complete. (Speaking of Fauntleroy – you might recall that the 2009 repaving project between The Junction and Morgan Junction included rechannelization, too.)

5:02 PM: At day’s end, SDOT e-mailed us their responses to the questions we had left for project spokesperson Dan Anderson by voice mail. First, they say the parking removal would be along 465 feet of Avalon, which they calculate as 23 spaces. Second, regarding businesses’ concerns:

We previewed our proposal with business and commercial property owners in a face-to-face meeting in Luna Park last week. We wanted to make sure they were the first people to learn about our proposal and could weigh-in before the open house. We spoke for an hour and a half and discussed how paving will improve the street surface and be an investment in the neighborhood. We also talked about the long-term city goals of moving as many people in the corridor as efficiently and safely as possible, which is why we’re including protected bike lanes on both sides of the street in our proposal. We said on-street parking would be maintained along the corridor except for two blocks on the opposite side of the street as the businesses.

We’re committed to continuing the dialogue with the Luna Park merchants to explain our project, answer their questions and incorporate their feedback into final design as possible. We’ll have a follow-up meeting with them, including a representative from the city’s Office of Economic Development to learn more about their needs on the streets and how we can work together to address them.

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West Seattle Tuesday: SW Avalon project open house; Block Watch Captains Network; Dine Out for Highland Park Elementary; more…
May 23, 2017 9:49 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

The beautiful weather continues (don’t tell anyone, but the extended forecast even suggests sunshine on Memorial Day itself, so don’t worry that you’re missing out before the holiday weekend arrives). Thanks for the photos – above, by John Hinkey; below, by Jim Borrow.

And now … what’s on the calendar for today/tonight:

PRESCHOOL PREVIEW: As part of Westside School (WSB sponsor) reintroducing preschool, prospective parents are invited to classroom observation this morning, 10-11 am. (10404 34th SW)

DINE OUT FOR HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY: 4-9 pm, dine at Proletariat Pizza in White Center and 20 percent of the food/beverage sales will go to the Highland Park Elementary PTA, to support the playground project. Important: Show this flyer. (9622 16th SW)

AVALON PAVING/RECHANNELIZATION PROJECT OPEN HOUSE: 5:30 pm-7 pm at Delridge Community Center, a drop-in event to learn about and comment on what’s proposed along SW Avalon Way from the bridge to 35th SW. And we’ve just learned while writing this, new information reveals that it’s more than a paving project – it’s also a rechannelization project – story to come. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Pickup game at 6 pm, Fairmount Playfield. (Fauntleroy Way/SW Brandon)

WEST SEATTLE BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, with special guest Community Police Team Officer Todd Wiebke, talking about how to plan what you would do if you found an intruder in your home. (2300 SW Webster)

SUPER KREWES: “Side musicians” live at Parliament Tavern, 8-11 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

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Wondering what’s being done about gun violence? City Council briefing Wednesday
May 23, 2017 9:04 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

9:04 AM: In discussion following recent gunfire incidents in our area – with or without victims/damage – someone invariably asks what elected officials are doing about it. One answer just came in via the agenda for tomorrow morning’s meeting of the City Council’s Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans Committee – an item titled “Seattle Police Department Briefing on Gun Violence” is first up at 9:30 am. No documentation is attached to the agenda yet; we’ll check back. The SPD briefers are scheduled to include Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey. The committee is headed by West Seattle-residing at-large Councilmember Lorena González; its meeting starts at 9:30 am Wednesday at City Hall – if you can’t be there, you can watch live via Seattle Channel, online or cable 21.

P.S. As of SPD’s most-recent SeaStat briefing last Wednesday – see page 5 of this slide deck – shots-fired incidents were ahead of this point last year, with 155 reported citywide (the graphic at right is from that slide). The Southwest Precinct area – West Seattle and South Park – has the second-highest number of them, though at 27 so far this year, that’s a distant second to the 72 reported in the South Precinct.

5 PM UPDATE: The slide deck for tomorrow’s briefing is now available here.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates
May 23, 2017 7:06 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:06 AM: Good morning. Reader report of a multi-car crash on the eastbound bridge, “far left lane … where Admiral merges in.” No SFD dispatch on the log.

FERRY REMINDER: Washington State Ferries says the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run remains on the 2-boat schedule.

8:21 AM: Quiet since last hour (just the usual slowness).

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LAST CALL! Taste of West Seattle 2017 down to final few tickets
May 23, 2017 4:00 am
|    Comments Off on LAST CALL! Taste of West Seattle 2017 down to final few tickets
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle news

Springtime’s most delicious event is just a few nights away … and we’re told a few tickets remain for the Taste of West Seattle. It’s Thursday night (May 25th) at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 6 pm for VIP admission, 6:30 pm for general admission, 40+ food/drink purveyors with fabulous things for you to enjoy (see the list in our previous update). 21+ – IDs will be checked at the door – and the proceeds go to West Seattle Helpline programs that prevent people from becoming homeless. Get your ticket(s) here ASAP!

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SPORTS: West Seattle High School track and field athletes heading to state
May 22, 2017 8:01 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Thanks to West Seattle High School head track and field coach Will Harrison for the report, with photos by Erik Bell:

West Seattle HS Track and Field continued a great season at the Sea-King District II Meet, held May 19th and 20th at Southwest Athletic Complex. By placing in the top seven, the Wildcats qualified four athletes in seven events for the 3A State Championships. Photos by Erik Bell.

Sophomore Chloe Cunliffe qualified for 2 events. She placed 2nd at Districts in pole vault at 11 feet, though her season best of 12 foot, 9 inches is the best mark in 3A this year. She also placed 4th in a loaded long jump competition with a leap of 17 feet, 10 inches – the #5 mark in 3A this season.

Junior Cass Elliott will compete in 3 events at state for the second year in a row. At districts, he placed 4th in the 110m Hurdles (15.19 seconds), 6th in the 400m (though his prelim time of 49.37 seconds, a new school record, is #4 in state), and 1st in his marquee event, the 300 hurdles (38.19 seconds- further improving his #1 rank in 3A).

A pair of dedicated throwers qualified for their first state meet. Senior Caden Snodgrass (above) placed 5th in the discus throw at Districts (136 ft, 1 in), while junior Joe Kirk-Woodbury (below) took 6th (135-10).

The 2A/3A/4A State meet will be hosted by Mt Tahoma High School this Thursday through Saturday.

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Remembering Carl H. Kroll, 1910-2017
May 22, 2017 5:49 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news


Family and friends are remembering Carl H. Kroll, noting that he was “one of the oldest and longest residents of West Seattle,” and sharing this recounting of his life:

Carl H. Kroll left us peacefully on April 19, a month short of his 107th birthday.

He was born in West Seattle to German immigrants in 1910, and started school at Gatewood Elementary. In 1920, the family went to visit relatives in Ahrensburg, Germany, and ended up staying for ten years when his father became involved helping Quakers feed the children after WWI.

In 1930, Carl moved back to the US, first to Philadelphia, where he got a job at a small valve manufacturing plant. After two years, he joined his father in the business of importing lily-of-the-valley flowers, which included numerous trips between the US and Germany.

In 1934, he married his childhood friend from Ahrensburg, Erna K. Dammann, and they moved back to West Seattle along with his parents, returning to the same block he had grown up on. Together they built their two houses side by side overlooking Puget Sound, where they happily spent the rest of their lives.

From 1938 until retiring in 1970, Carl worked for the Pomerelle Wine Company, which ultimately became part of Chateau Ste. Michelle. But, wishing for a more independent employment and to expose his two sons to a more rural life, he established the family raspberry farm in the late 1940s in Kitsap County. Until the early ‘70s, he and Erna, and often their sons, Carl G. and Detlev, spent most weekends in its operation.

Right up until the very end, Carl retained a sound and capable mind, and was fascinated to discuss such things as computers, cell phones, and driverless cars. He would often say, when we were stuck for an answer, “look it up on your phone.”

Carl was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a wonderful role model and was a firm believer in staying active and engaged. After retirement, he kept busy with many projects, including teaching himself to weave, building playhouses for his grandchildren and numerous pieces of furniture, researching his family tree, and writing his history. Even as a centenarian, he remained active by continuing to make Christmas wreaths for sale in the West Seattle neighborhood and the raspberry-farm-now-turned-Christmas-tree-farm near Poulsbo.

He was loved by all family and friends who knew him and will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Erna in 2007, and his four siblings, Irma, Meta, Edna, and Gilbert. He is survived by their two sons: Carl G. (Linda) and Detlev (Gale); four grandchildren: Carl B. (Vicky), William, Renate and Alden (Meghan); three great-grandchildren: Xabrina, Carl E. and Ronan, and numerous nieces and nephews. A private service is planned.

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

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