day : 24/08/2017 11 results

2nd annual ‘Unmask the Night’ raising money for ‘awareness, care access, treatment of mental illness’

August 24, 2017 11:56 pm

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| Health | How to help | West Seattle news

If you didn’t already know Todd and Laura Crooks, you might have ‘met’ them through our story last year, published as they prepared for their first ‘Unmask the Night‘ event to benefit their work with Chad’s Legacy Project, addressing issues related to mental illness. The project is named for their son, who died by suicide last year at age 21. From their loss was born action to address issues key to helping more people get more effective help for mental illness, and to maximize efforts that are under way by bringing together the people who are doing the work (read more about this here).

Here’s where you come in: The 2nd annual “Unmask the Night” is happening September 9th at Eden Seattle, in nearby SODO. It’s a masquerade party with food, drinks, auctions, and more. You can buy tickets online right now. (They’re also looking for more wine donations.) You’ll not only have a good time, for a good cause, but you’ll find out what’s happening, and what’s next, in advancing mental-health education as well as mental-health care.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Sheriff’s search; bicycle ditched

August 24, 2017 8:18 pm

| 19 COMMENTS

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

WESTWOOD SEARCH: Thanks for the texts. Just northeast of Westwood Village, the King County Sheriff’s Office search is related to this car:

Deputies tell us they tried to pull it over and the driver wouldn’t stop. Finally he pulled over, got out and bolted. The description: White man, white T-shirt, possibly a scrape-type injury to the head, and “lips” tattooed on his neck. If you think you see/have seen him, call 911.

(added) And yes, this is why the Guardian One helicopter is/was in the area.

(8:53 PM) Commenters say the suspect was caught. (Texted photo added)

We’re headed back to see what we can verify.

(9:05 PM) We talked with SPD officers who originally responded to back up KCSO. They arrested the suspect after their K-9 found him in blackberries near 23rd/Trenton. He’s been turned iver to KCSO.

(Back to original report) Also tonight, another dumped, likely stolen bicycle:

BICYCLE FOUND: Marci says this bicycle turned up on Aikins SW, which is upslope from Beach Drive, and no one in the neighborhood recognizes it. Let us know if you know whose it is.

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VIDEO: Caspar Babypants @ 2017’s last Summer Concerts at Hiawatha

August 24, 2017 7:02 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

7:02 PM: Until 8 pm, Caspar Babypants is onstage – with and without photobombing fans like the one above! – on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center. Again this year, his bouncy kindie-rock is closing out the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series – this is the sixth of this year’s six free Thursday night concerts.

ADDED 10:26 PM: More of the fun – first, video. “Pushy the Tug” is a West Seattle song if we ever heard one:

Before the show, the concert series’ new organizers Stephanie Jordan and Josephine Davis (wrapping up their first season) conferred with Mr. Babypants:

Leslie and Christi from Dream Dinners-West Seattle, a series co-sponsor as well as longtime WSB sponsor, were there to let the many families in attendance know about their service:

Hey, look! Towering over the crowd, it’s CB:

At his feet, many young fans:

No moshing, though:

That’s it for this year’s series, but we cover the Admiral Neighborhood Association – which has presented the annual concert series every summer since 2009 – throughout the year, so watch our reports for updates on planning for next year.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: ‘Emergency work’ to close eastbound West Seattle Bridge ramp to Highway 99 tonight

August 24, 2017 6:22 pm

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| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Announced late today by Seattle City Light – work that will close the eastbound bridge ramp to NB 99 for about five hours tonight, starting at 9 pm:

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JUNCTION HARVEST FESTIVAL 2017: Seeking Chili Cookoff competitors!

August 24, 2017 3:42 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(WSB photo: 2016 Harvest Festival Chili Cookoff competitors)

A little over two months until this year’s West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival (co-sponsored by WSB), and the menu of competitors in the Chili Cookoff is already filling up! Five spots remain as of the announcement sent this afternoon by Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association:

The Junction Association is sponsoring a fundraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank at our 6th Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 29th.

Our neighborhood restaurants will bring their best pot of chili and compete for bragging rights of Best Chili at Harvest Festival – 2017. It’s free for restaurants or caterers to enter.

The West Seattle public will vote by buying a flight of chili and choosing their favorite!

100% of the donations collected will go to the West Seattle Food Bank to help our community.

Some logistics and rules to enter. Participants must:

*Be a West Seattle business or caterer.

*Bring three gallons of hot chili made in a commercial kitchen in a commercial container.

*Provide a chili server who has a current Food Handlers Card.

*Be ready to serve at 11am! With 3 gallons of chili, we’ll be able to serve about 150 flights and the competition will probably be done by 1pm.

We’ll provide everything else: tasting spoons, trays, napkins, individual chili containers, voting forms, warmers (thanks, Jack Miller).

To register … complete the Harvest Festival registration form.

Deadline Friday, October 6th – HURRY, though, we only have five spots remaining!

P.S. Even if you’re not a chili creator (or you are, but you’re not a restaurateur or caterer), there are other ways to be part of the Harvest Festival – check them out here!

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TONIGHT: First meeting of city’s Community Involvement Commission, created to ‘replace the District Council system’

August 24, 2017 2:30 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Sorry for the same-day notice – we had been asking about this, but just got word today: The first meeting of the city’s new Community Involvement Commission is tonight at City Hall downtown. This is the group whose formation was announced by Mayor Murray more than a year ago in his plan to “replace the District Council system.” Its appointed members are listed here; representing West Seattle/South Park is Jeniffer Calleja, who’s profiled here. The commission meeting is open to the public, 6 pm in the Boards and Commissions Room on the lower level at City Hall (600 4th Avenue); see the agenda here.

P.S. While no longer receiving the previous ~$500/year city funding, West Seattle’s two district councils are still alive and well and continuing as independent groups composed of reps from smaller organizations such as community councils and nonprofits. The Southwest District Council meets first Wednesdays, 6:30 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building; the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets third Wednesdays, 7 pm, next location TBA.

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FLAT FARE: Ready to pay $2.75 per Metro trip?

August 24, 2017 1:13 pm

| 26 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Last spring, Metro launched two surveys about simplifying fares. The second one asked about two options. Today, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the County Council will be asked to approve one of those options – a $2.75 flat fare. That would be a fare reduction for some riders. Otherwise, the announcement notes:

An estimated 35 percent of Metro boardings take place during off-peak hours, and those passengers would pay 25 cents more.

21 percent of off-peak riders pay full adult fares without any subsidy or employer-sponsored pass.
14 percent of off-peak riders use employer or organization-sponsored transit passes.
About 31 percent of Metro riders qualify for ORCA Lift, youth, senior and disabled fares. They would see no change.

The ordinance would include additional funding to help passengers who earn very low incomes not covered by ORCA Lift and passengers least able to pay during off-peak hours:

-Increased funding for the Human Services Ticket Program, from $3.6 million to $4 million, to offset higher cost for social service agencies that distribute discount tickets. Forty-four percent of tickets sold through the program are for off-peak trips.

-Working with ORCA partners to reduce fees for adult and youth ORCA cards and eliminate the $3 card fee for seniors and people with disabilities.

-Continuing to work with schools, colleges and universities to enhance fare programs for students.

The announcement says the soonest this could take effect is July of next year. Here’s more background on the process that led up to this proposal.

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3 West Seattle grants announced for city Neighborhood Matching Fund money

August 24, 2017 12:03 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Just announced by the city – a round of Neighborhood Matching Fund grants that includes three projects in West Seattle:

$100,000 to Gatewood Elementary School PTA to rebuild the existing one-half acre grassy field area within the playground. Improvements are based upon the Master Plan and full construction documents created with community input. The physical improvements will occur this fall. (Community match: $78,185)

$60,000 to Delridge Neighborhood Development Association to organize the Delridge Neighborhoods Let’s Talk Race Series. The 12 events will use film, dialogue, restorative justice, and storytelling to transform the narrative around institutional and historic racism and build stronger relationships between community organizations, individuals, and groups. (Community match: $47,860)

$27,500 to Longfellow Creek Neighborhood Path for 24th Ave SW to create a more intentional Longfellow Creek Trail connection along 24th Ave SW between SW Willow St. and SW Graham St. This project will coordinate with a design project by the Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group to reduce flooding, improve drainage, and restore habitat along Longfellow Creek. (Community match: $27,047)

The grants are from what is now called the Community Partnership Fund, the larger of two NMF grants the city offers. Meantime, the fund’s citywide grants also included one for South Park:

$50,000 to Sea-Mar Community Health Center to produce Fiestas Patrias, a free 2-day cultural festival which provides opportunities for the community to come together to celebrate Latin American arts, culture and heritage through music, dance, food and more. (Community match: $29,500)

Fiestas Patrias includes a parade, festival, and health fair in South Park on Saturday, September 16th, and Sea-Mar is inviting parade participation – here’s their post in the WSB Forums.

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CAMP SECOND CHANCE: With operator change ahead, residents plead to keep their camp drug- and alcohol-free

August 24, 2017 10:08 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| Myers Way | West Seattle news

(WSB photo: Tents and tiny houses at Camp Second Chance)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Camp Second Chance residents who gathered Wednesday afternoon to hear from city reps and their future fiscal agent/operator had one main question:

Will they be allowed to keep their self-imposed rules under new management – particularly, no drugs and alcohol?

They did not get an immediate commitment from Sharon Lee of the Low-Income Housing Institute, which is expected to assume the city contract that is currently held by Patacara Community Services, withdrawing from its management of the city-sanctioned camp after questions about the status of privately donated money, as first reported here last Friday.

At multiple times during Wednesday’s meeting, held under a canopy on the camp’s fenced site at the city-owned Myers Way Parcels, Lee said it was too soon for her to be able to say how things will work once her organization takes over, expected to happen at the start of September.

But the rule is imperative for the camp’s survival, she was told.

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West Seattle Thursday: Caspar Babypants @ Hiawatha, and more…

August 24, 2017 9:21 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

On this morning, we look back at what Mark from Gatewood – who shared the photo above – called “a stunner of a sunset.” A few items down, it’s JayDee‘s view from Upper Alki, including the moonset. Will we see the sun today? Forecast suggests it’ll be back. Here’s what else is ahead:

ACTIVE DADS’ PLAYGROUP: 10 am-noon Thursdays at Neighborhood House High Point. Free, open to the public, babies welcome too. (6400 SW Sylvan Way)

WADING POOL AND SPRAYPARK UPDATE: The only West Seattle wading pool still open for the season is Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way), but (UPDATE – 9:50 AM) it’s closed today because of the weather. However, Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open.

SAFETY WORKSHOP: With Seattle Neighborhood Group, 3 pm at Delridge Library. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

WEST SEATTLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ‘AFTER HOURS’: This month’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce mixer is at Brookdale West Seattle, 5:30-7:30 pm. Free to members, $10 nonmembers. Info in our calendar listing. (4611 35th SW)

SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA FINALE: 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series – presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with co-sponsors including WSB – wraps with Caspar Babypants. What? Haven’t seen him before? From the announcement:

Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants’ alter ego) is also well known as the singer of The Presidents of the United States of America. How does someone transform from mega rock star to children’s songwriter? In 2002, Ballew lent his talents to “PEPS Sing A Long,” an album of traditional children’s songs supporting the nonprofit Program for Early Parent Support. Later, he was inspired by the work of his wife (collage artist Kate Endle) to make music that “sounded like her art looked”. Ballew began writing original songs; his first album “HERE I AM!” was released in 2009 and he began performing as Caspar Babypants the same year. Since then, he manages his own label and produces and masters his albums himself.

Ballew describes his show: “Caspar Babypants sings songs for parents and kids ages 0-6 with a catchy simple sing along good time folk acoustic country rock and roll feel that will make you smile and dance at the same time.” He takes great care to ensure that the music is wonderful, but also that noise levels are appropriate for very small children and babies.

Free! Bring your own chair/blanket. The weather‘s supposed to get better by then, too. (Walnut/Lander)

PROUD & NASTY: Live music at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm-midnight. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch

August 24, 2017 7:11 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

7:11 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/near West Seattle so far.

WEEKEND REMINDER: Remember that the Cosmo 7K/5K is this Sunday morning (August 27th) along Alki Avenue SW, so be aware of parking restrictions/road closures.

8:16 AM: Crash reported on the eastbound bridge at the exit to NB I-5.

8:52 AM: SDOT says the incident is no longer blocking the ramp – just one lane from the bridge to Columbian Way.

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