West Seattle, Washington

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month : 09/2017 302 results

WEST SEATTLE WHOLE FOODS MARKET: ‘We are moving forward’ after all, company tells WSB
September 26, 2017 2:16 pm
|      96 COMMENTS
 |   4755 Fauntleroy | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

WSB has just confirmed that the West Seattle Whole Foods Market is back on.

WFM spokesperson Susan Livingston confirms that to WSB this afternoon via e-mail: “We are moving forward with our West Seattle location at The Whittaker and will share more information on timelines for the opening once details are finalized.”

We inquired today after seeing WFM featured in the graphic shown atop this story – it’s the latest online map of which businesses are going where at The Whittaker (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW; WSB sponsor).

It’s been six months since the revelation that Whole Foods was backing out of West Seattle again, though its official statement at the time was that “Whole Foods Market has decided to delay indefinitely the opening of our West Seattle store.” The company overseeing the businesses in The Whittaker, Weingarten Realty, subsequently said that WF was working with it to find a replacement tenant.

Less than three months later came the news about Amazon buying Whole Foods. We tried multiple times after that – before and after the deal closed – to get a comment about whether the new ownership might lead WFM to reconsider the West Seattle store location; no reply.

Until now, the space has continued to be shown on the online Whittaker site map as available – you can see that in our August story about the signing of another tenant, Orangetheory Fitness. And then our routine check last night showed Whole Foods was back on the map – Weingarten pointed us to WFM for comment, and we just got the confirmation quoted above.

It’s been almost five years since Whole Foods was originally announced as the anchor tenant for The Whittaker (even before the mixed-use project got that name). That in turn was two years after WF announced it was no longer going into the project across the street that at the time was an inactive excavation site dubbed “The Hole,” since sold and finished as Spruce, with LA Fitness in the space where the grocery store was to be.

At The Whittaker, Whole Foods will join already-signed businesses T-Mobile (which is now open), BECU, MOD Pizza, CityMD, and Orangetheory Fitness. As spokesperson Livingston told us, there’s no timeline just yet – but we’ll continue to follow up. Before the March announcement, the company had told us two months earlier that it was expecting to open the store in summer 2018.

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Seattle Early Learning Center: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
September 26, 2017 1:36 pm
|    Comments Off on Seattle Early Learning Center: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Today we welcome Seattle Early Learning Center, at Alki Beach, as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s their message for you:

Dear Parents!

As parents and longtime local residents of West Seattle, we are pleased to announce the startup of our preschool right on Alki & 59th, locally operated and owned by Regina Steinsvik, whose previous experience stems from YMCA West Seattle Preschools as well as her Master in Environmental Engineering and various jobs with larger companies throughout the world.

Seattle Early Learning Center is dedicated to providing a developmentally appropriate curriculum, knowledgeable and well-trained program staff, and comprehensive services that support children’s health, nutrition, and social well-being.

In a small group of 10 children, 2 teachers focus on each individual child and make learning meaningful, support children’s growth and skill development in a safe, well‐organized and material‐rich environment, and provide warm and responsive interactions. Our curriculum is built around activities that enhance growth in main areas that are essential for school and long-term success. We support social and emotional development, language and literacy skills, approaches to learning, cognition, perceptual, motor, and physical development. Children have lessons in the following subjects: Movement and Coordination, Mathematics, Social-Emotional Skills, Orientation of Time and Space, Science, Music, Writing, and Arts.

Our engaging environment is thoughtfully and carefully designed to support active participation and engagement that affects learning, promoting independence and positive behavior, fostering children’s excitement about learning and enabling them to reach developmental goals.

Teachers at Seattle Early Learning Center support English and Russian languages. We are pleased to offer two groups – depends on your interest in languages, enrolled kids may be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to move into full-day programs, if desired by parents. We have flexible half-day schedules until the full-day program is up and running. Both programs provide opportunities to impart stimulating and fundamental learning experiences for all children and prepare them to be school-ready!

The intent is that the preschool will have a full-day program starting in January 2018. Meanwhile, we have weekend play dates that just started. Fun time for the children, while parents enjoy some time to themselves! Read more at seattle-elc.com and facebook.com/seattleELC. Seattle Early Learning Center is at 2634 Alki Ave. SW, phone 206-535-4205.

We thank Seattle Early Learning Center 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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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Cars vandalized; gunfire confirmed; truck prowled
September 26, 2017 12:11 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CARS VANDALIZED: Several readers tipped us this morning (thank you) about half a dozen or so cars vandalized near 36th SW and SW Graham, with red spray paint and a slashed P, perhaps mimicking the “no parking” symbol. Chris noticed it at 7 am and called police, who said they would investigate.

That photo is from J. Boyd, who had called police later in the morning, but was told individual car owners would have to report it. J. wondered if it were some sort of parking rage, reporting that a vehicle down the street appeared to have been “booted.” (Note – we don’t usually show tagging vandalism, but this doesn’t appear to be a tag – unless you’ve seen it elsewhere?)

P.S. We now have a police-report # for this, in case you have a tip – 17-358012.

SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: Thanks to Kim for the tip on this – while some reports of possible gunfire turn out to be fireworks, this one in South Delridge on Sunday night was verified. We requested and obtained the report narrative from SPD this morning. It says people called 911 around 7:20 pm Sunday, reporting hearing shots around 20th SW and SW Barton; a pizza delivery person told police he had seen someone standing at the intersection and firing a gun. It was caught on a nearby building’s security cameras, according to the police report:

The video shows the suspect exiting a vehicle which is parked facing .northbound, on the northeast corner of the intersection. The suspect exits the vehicle, and fíred in the direction of the vehicle, as the vehicle drove northbound on 20 AV SVü. The vehicle then continued onto Delridge WY SW. The second video shows the suspect running westbound when he drops an item, the suspect stops to retrieve the item, and continues running westbound. … The vehicle was described as a possible 2010 dark blue Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle drove northbound on 20 AV SW and then northbound on Delridge.

The report says police found three 9mm shell casings and a black plastic cell-phone case that might have been dropped by the suspect. No injuries or property damage were reported (or found).

CAR BREAK-IN: Car prowlers are active again – a resident of Holly Court SW said that their secluded private driveway was no haven; someone broke into their truck Sunday night and stole a “laptop and bag with business checks and equipment.” It’s their third vehicle break-in in the city this year.

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West Seattle Tuesday: What’s up for today/tonight
September 26, 2017 10:12 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: What’s up for today/tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

With the right camera lens (and/or binoculars), the Space Needle‘s renovation work is in view from West Seattle, as David Hutchinson shows us with the photo above. Besides gazing across the bay, here’s what else you can do today/tonight – highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SOUTH SEATTLE FIBER ARTS CLUB: 11 am-1 pm, you’re welcome to drop in at Highland Park Improvement Club: “A group for people in South Seattle who like to knit, crochet, quilt, spin, etc., or who are interested in learning. We trade tips, supplies and snacks! Everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level. Children are welcome. Free and open to the public.” (1116 SW Holden)

REBUILDING WEST SEATTLE SCHOOLS? Seattle Public Schools is planning its next big BEX ballot measure, and at least four West Seattle elementary schools are under consideration for rebuilds. The School Board has a work session at district HQ in SODO today, 4:30-6:30 pm (thanks to the Seattle Schools Community Forum website for pointing this out). No public comment at work sessions, but they are open to the public for observing. (3rd Ave. S./S. Lander)

JUSTIN KAUSAL-HAYES: Live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)

CRIME, SAFETY, PREPAREDNESS: It’s all on the agenda for the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network, which gets back to monthly meetings post-summer, starting at 6:30 pm tonight at the Southwest Precinct. All welcome – you don’t have to be a captain or even part of a BW. (2300 SW Webster)

FAMILY STORY TIME: All ages at Delridge Library, 7 pm. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

LOTS OF LAUGHS: Comedians’ Power Hour at Parliament Tavern, 8-11 pm: “The joking and drinking roadshow bout to find out which Seattle comic has what it takes to call themselves CPH Champion. Local comedians Erin Ingle and Rachel Walls battle wits against one another in a joke for joke competition to land the best punchlines.” 21+. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

KARAOKE: Got the Tuesday blues? Sing them away tonight. On our calendar, two opportunities – Baby Ketten Karaoke at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) in North Delridge and karaoke @ Yen Wor Village (2300 California SW) in the Admiral District, both starting at 9 pm.

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CAN YOU HELP? Chief Sealth International High School Photography Club seeks someone with darkroom experience
September 26, 2017 9:09 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo courtesy Chief Sealth International High School Photography Club)

With so many talented photographers contributing to WSB, maybe there is one with the very specific skillset that the Chief Sealth International High School Photography Club needs, and some time to volunteer. From Zhen Williams:

The Photography Club is looking for someone with darkroom experience! One main goal Chief Sealth Photography Club has this year is to start up the Sealth Darkroom again. However, we would need an adult supervisor who knows how to work a darkroom. It would be once or twice a month for a couple of hours. You must be willing to go through the Seattle Public Schools background check.
If interested, please email Zhen Williams: williams.zhen@gmail.com

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Fall’s first Tuesday
September 26, 2017 7:02 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

7:02 AM: Good morning – no incidents reported so far in/from West Seattle.

One alert: Today’s the day SDOT says paving work on California SW between College and Hill will start.

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WHERE YOUR MONEY MIGHT GO: Our miscellaneous notes from proposed 2018 city budget
September 26, 2017 1:38 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Monday afternoon, the City Council‘s biggest fall task – budgeting – got into gear with newly appointed Mayor Tim Burgess presenting the proposed 2018 budget.

After taking a look through much of it (you can find all the links here), plus the resulting standalone announcements, a few notes:

BUDGET BOSS: West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold will lead the council through its review and finalization process. Burgess had been chairing the Select Budget Committee; Herbold was vice chair of the committee whose portfolio included finance, which meant it was likely she’d become the budget boss, but not finalized until a council vote on Monday.

HEADLINER: Burgess’s big headline proposal was the “Seattle Retirement Savings Plan” for workers whose employers don’t offer retirement plans. It’s explained here.

From a few of the city departments’ budget plans:

TRANSPORTATION – Its budget notes are here. Catching our eye:

Arterial Paving – (adding) $500,000: Heavy use and winter weather take their toll on city streets. SDOT’s Arterial Major Maintenance program addresses deteriorated pavement and uses City crews to pave one to three street blocks. The 2018 Proposed Budget includes a one-time investment of Real Estate Excise Taxes to augment the $4.9 million base budget for this program.

The next one didn’t say which of the five city-operated bridges (which include the West Seattle “low bridge”) would be the subject of the pilot project, but it’s notable because it could lead to automation of all five:

Bridge System Enhancements – $3,000,000: The City operates five movable bridges that open approximately 15,400 times annually. To operate these bridges, SDOT employs 23 bridge operators who operate the bridges 24/7. The proposed budget includes a one-time commercial parking tax allocation to pilot automation of one of Seattle’s movable bridges during 2018. This investment includes a remote operations location as well as communication and video enhancements. If the pilot is successful, it will take three to five years to automate all the City’s movable bridges and could result in approximately $1 million in annual cost savings as well as reduce or eliminate unnecessary bridge openings.

Speaking of pilot projects, a West Seattle SDOT project is mentioned here:

CIP Staged Oversight Proviso: The City is developing a more consistent approach to the planning, budgeting, design and delivery of capital projects with the goal of improving the overall quality, responsiveness, and success at meeting project schedules and budgets. As part of this effort, the proposed budget will pilot two projects by placing spending restrictions on them. For SDOT, the pilot project is the Delridge Multimodal Corridor Project where spending will be restricted until Seattle Department of Transportation reports to the Sustainability & Transportation Committee, or its successor committee, on the 10% design baseline package in a format requested by that committee’s chair.

The biggest part of the Delridge MCP is the conversion of Metro Route 120 into RapidRide Line H – still a couple years away.

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SAVING FALCONRIDGE FARM: Riding instructor launches ‘long-shot’ crowdfunding campaign to buy it for therapeutic-riding center
September 25, 2017 7:41 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

It’s the largest goal amount we’ve ever seen on a crowdfunding drive:

$6.600,000.

Julia Montagnet of Vashon Island has put that pricetag on a Generosity.com campaign to try to buy and save Falconridge Farm, the four-acre West Seattle horse farm that – as we first told you two weeks ago – is up for sale and being marketed as a potential housing subdivision.

Julia says she is working on opening a therapeutic-riding center. She says she has been in contact with Falconridge Farm’s owner Dr. Jean Nokes and says that Dr. Nokes has at least one offer from a developer on the table but has another week or so to make a decision. Julia adds:

Our therapeutic riding facility is brand new although it’s something that has been in the works to get to this point for a couple years. We feel like being right in Seattle like that would be a huge benefit to families who would like their kids to have that opportunity without having to go far outside the city. Plus, seeing how long the waiting list is for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding in Redmond, it is obvious there is still a big need for such facilities in our area. It’s a short time to come up with the money, but we would like to at last try.

Julia has been teaching riding lessons on Vashon for three years and is about to go to Idaho for her certification testing at PATH International. She says she has set up a nonprofit for her center “and started looking at where it would be. Falconridge is a long shot but it would be such a perfect location! My staff therapist is in Renton so it’s right in between us. And I am hoping to be able to hire a second PATH certified instructor and it would be easier for folks to get to than Vashon Island.” The crowdfunding page is here. (Julia’s contact info, by the way, is in comments on our original Falconridge story.)

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TUESDAY: Crime, safety, preparedness @ West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network
September 25, 2017 7:16 pm
|    Comments Off on TUESDAY: Crime, safety, preparedness @ West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network
 |   Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

Neighborhood cohesiveness and collaboration are ultimately what the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network is all about. But that doesn’t just involve crime and safety … another big issue for neighborhoods is emergency/disaster preparedness. And with so many reminders lately of that topic’s importance, it’s one of the topics on the WSBWCN meeting agenda for tomorrow night (Tuesday, September 26th). 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). You don’t have to be a Block Watch Captain, or even be in a BW, to be there – all are welcome. More on the WSBWCN website.

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HAPPENING NOW: Collecting donations for Puerto Rico hurricane relief
September 25, 2017 5:18 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

At right is Rey Delgado, with brother Mato at left and son Diego at center. Look for them until about 7 pm on the baseball field at Hiawatha Playfield in the Admiral District, and bring donations for Puerto Rico survivors of Hurricane Maria. As mentioned here this morning, Rey is headed there next week and looking for:

*Batteries
*Flashlights
*Manual/crank chargers
*Small-denomination gift cards for Home Depot, Walgreens and Walmart
*Water purification tablets

If you don’t see this in time, or can’t get there by 7, but still want to help, contact Rey via the e-mail link on his business website (lower right).

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Police searching for suspected burglar in Arbor Heights
September 25, 2017 3:57 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

3:57 PM: If you’re noticing the police response in Arbor Heights right now – they’re searching for a suspected burglar. Seattle Police tell us the break-in was reported by someone who was home at the time in the 10500 block of 39th SW. A preliminary description distributed via radio communication was that of a man in his 30s, possibly “Hispanic or Samoan,” about 250 pounds, red short-sleeved T-shirt, black knit cap, dark jeans, boots, tattoo on his left forearm, possibly headed east to 35th and then north. Call 911 if you think you have any helpful information.

4:16 PM: They’re still searching – no additional information.

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ANOTHER RESIDENT ORCA DEATH: J52, two and a half years old
September 25, 2017 2:29 pm
|      26 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo courtesy Ken Balcomb)

The Center for Whale Research confirms today that Puget Sound’s resident orca population has dropped again, with the death of J52, nicknamed Sonic. Here’s the news release they sent this afternoon:

As of 19 September, another Southern Resident Killer Whale, J52 – a two and a half year old male born during the so-called Baby Boom of 2015/2016 – is deceased, presumably from malnutrition.

His obligatory nursing ended more than a year ago, and his life was dependent upon salmon that have become in short supply this summer.

He was last seen alive near the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca on 15 September 2017, and photographs taken at the time reveal severe “peanut-head” syndrome associated with impending death. Young J52 was accompanied by his mother (seventeen and a half year old, J36) and an adult male (twenty-six year old L85, potentially his father) at least five miles away from the other members of J and L pods that were foraging within a mile or two of the coastline from Camper Creek to Bonilla Point west of Port Renfrew, British Columbia.

The observation of this sad event was at sunset, and the young whale appeared very lethargic while barely surfacing as the two adults were swimming around in circles and not feeding while attentive to the young whale. We estimated J52 was within hours, if not minutes, of death at the time, and he was not present during the J pod foray into Puget Sound on 19 September, though his mother and L85 were. The mother did not appear overly emaciated on either occasion, but she is lean and seems distressed. Yes, these animals do exhibit emotion, and death of an offspring brings it on. It is worthy of note that all of the SRKW observed this summer appear skinny and small compared to Bigg’s Transient killer whales in the Salish Sea that have abundant prey resources (seals and other marine mammals). Timing of food availability is everything, especially in critical phases of growth or gestation.

With the passing of J52, three of the six whales born in J pod during the so-called Baby Boom, which began in December 2014 with the birth of J50, have now died; and, two mothers (J14, J28) and a great-grandmother (J2) in the pod have also died. No southern resident killer whales from any of the pods have been born alive and survived thus far in 2017 – the baby boom is over. This population cannot survive without food year-round – individuals metabolize their toxic blubber and body fats when they do not get enough to eat to sustain their bodies and their babies. Your diet doctor can advise you about that.

All indications (population number, foraging spread, days of occurrence in the Salish Sea, body condition, and live birth rate/neonate survival) are pointing toward a predator population that is prey limited and non-viable. We know that the SRKW population-sustaining prey species is Chinook salmon, but resource managers hope that they find something else to eat for survival, at least beyond their bureaucratic tenure. Our government systems steeped in short-term competing financial motives are processing these whales and the salmon on which they depend to extinction. If something isn’t done to enhance the SRKW prey availability almost immediately (it takes a few years for a Chinook salmon to mature and reproduce, and it takes about twelve years for a female SRKW to mature and reproduce), extinction of this charismatic resident population of killer whales is inevitable in the calculable future. Most PVA’s (population viability analyses) show functional extinction as a result of no viable reproduction within decades to a century with current predator/prey trajectories, but it can happen more quickly than that.

J52’s birth was announced in March 2015. The death leaves the resident orca population at 76 – 77 counting Tokitae (who remains in a Florida theme park, called Lolita).

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Suspect in Riverview burglary has long record
September 25, 2017 1:20 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

1:20 PM: A 32-year-old man remains in the King County Jail today after being arrested on Puget Ridge Saturday night in connection with a burglary in Riverview. We reported briefly on the incident shortly afterward, but learned there was more to the story – including a car crash before he was taken into custody – so we requested and received the police-report narrative today. We’ve also learned that the suspect has a lengthy record dating back more than half his life, including previous burglary convictions.

On Saturday night, the police report says, a neighbor called 911 after seeing a man trying to kick in the door of a house near 12th and Orchard in the Riverview Playfield area. Police arrived quickly and saw a man walk out of the front door carrying a TV set. He then went out of sight and a car on SW Orchard was seen leaving. Two officers had the car pulled over briefly, but the man inside refused to get out and took off westbound toward 16th SW. Police were sharing all this information over radio frequencies and other officers spotted the car near 16th and Brandon, crashed into a parked car (a reader later provided the photo below – the green car is the one the suspect was reported to be driving, according to the police report, and it was subsequently impounded):

The car’s owner told police they had seen a man flee toward a house in the 1600 block of SW Dawson, and they found the suspect in that house’s back yard, appearing to be under the influence – slurring his speech, with a “strong order of alcoholic intoxicants” on his breath. He also was seen, police were told, falling down some stairs at the house. Back at the burglarized house, which police report was ransacked, the TV had been left behind, near the fence.

The suspect was arrested and booked into jail early Sunday. Online court files show that his most recent felony conviction was for a Highland Park burglary in 2012; he received a seven-year prison sentence in March 2013. Previous convictions included a 2008 burglary on Pigeon Point. The county jail roster shows he was booked twice in the past two months for alleged probation violations. He is expected to have a bail hearing this afternoon, and we’ll update with its result.

5:04 PM: The jail register has been updated to show the suspect’s bail is set at $5,000.

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UPDATE: Southwest Pool reopens after temporary closure
September 25, 2017 12:42 pm
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: Southwest Pool reopens after temporary closure
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | Westwood

12:42 PM: Seattle Parks reports that Southwest Pool – which would usually be in the middle of a lap-swimming session right now – is temporarily closed. There’s a problem with the HVAC system, and crews are on scene working to fix it. They hope to reopen later today; we’ll update when we get word of that.

3:40 PM: As of just before 3, the pool is open again.

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DEVELOPMENT: Official comment time for Morgan Junction rowhouse project, with address changed to 4300 SW Willow
September 25, 2017 11:34 am
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news


(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

Back in June, we brought you first word of a then-early-stage proposal which at the time carried the address 6721 California SW – replacing the century-plus-old house shown above with a 7-unit rowhouse and 5 offstreet-parking spaces. The project address has since been changed to 4300 SW Willow – it’s at the corner of California/Willow in south Morgan Junction – and today’s Land Use Information Bulletin brings the official notice of the developer’s land-use-permit application. This opens a two-week comment period focused on environmental aspects of the proposal; you can use this form to comment – the deadline is Monday, October 9th.

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YOU CAN HELP: West Seattleite collecting supplies for Puerto Rico hurricane survivors today
September 25, 2017 10:02 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

As you might – or might not – have heard, Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico ravaged. You can help. Here’s one way: A West Seattle man who is from Puerto Rico is collecting supplies today for a trip there next week. Here’s the announcement:

Rey Delgado, a West Seattle resident and local baseball/softball coach, will be collecting Puerto Rico Relief Supply Donations today, Monday 9/25, at Hiawatha Playfield from 3-7 pm.

We are collecting batteries, flashlights, manual/crank chargers, small-denomination gift cards for Home Depot, Walgreens and Walmart, and water purification tablets to take to Puerto Rico and hand out to the hardest hit of the population.

He is scheduled on a flight on Monday 10/2 and will be traveling to Puerto Rico to assist with the relief effort. He will be working with local Puerto Rican agencies to help distribute the donated supplies to low income areas hard hit by Hurricane Maria.

Rey is from Carolina, Puerto Rico and all of his family is there.

The announcement is from Rey’s wife Jessica; she is a lifelong West Seattle resident and explains that Rey moved here when they got married 15 years ago. Hiawatha Playfield is at 2700 California SW, just north of West Seattle High School.

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What’s up for your West Seattle Monday
September 25, 2017 9:00 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Saturday night photo by Kersti Muul)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FALL QUARTER STARTS AT SSC: It’s the first day of the fall quarter at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). See the “Welcome Week” schedule here. (6000 16th SW)

CITY COUNCIL TODAY: The 9:30 am briefing meeting includes a discussion of the proposed process for filling a Council vacancy until the November election results are finalized, plus a briefing on the city’s homelessness-related efforts via Pathways Home. At 2 pm, Mayor Tim Burgess formally presents the proposed budget. This is all happening at City Hall and viewable live via Seattle Channel (online or cable 21).

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING: It’s Monday Night Ladies’ Night at Alki Kayak Tours, 6-8 pm, details in our calendar listing. (1660 Harbor SW)

FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm at High Point Library, suitable for kids of all ages. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

MONDAY NIGHT QUIZ: Got all the answers? Be at The Skylark tonight, 7:30 pm, for the weekly all-ages quiz. Prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Fall’s first Monday
September 25, 2017 6:54 am
|      6 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: Two incidents to report this morning – a crash blocking westeastbound Sylvan Way SW in the 7100 block [map], and, if you use surface Spokane St. east of West Seattle, it’s blocked at Colorado because of a truck/train collision nearby.

Reminders:

*It’s the first weekday since Metro’s “service change” took effect on Staurday – here’s the plan for routes in our area.

And remember the Columbia/2nd stop downtown has closed and moved (Metro photo added above).

*The fall quarter starts today at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor).

7:12 AM: The truck/train crash affecting surface Spokane St. has been cleared, per scanner.

7:27 AM: SFD has just closed out of the Sylvan Way call.

7:57 AM: SDOT reports a crash at Admiral and 42nd.

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LAST CALL: New West Seattle Junction park – what should be part of it?
September 24, 2017 9:31 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Which of those design features would you want to see in the new West Seattle Junction park? As mentioned in our coverage of last Tuesday’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, they’re now part of a survey on the city website – and project manager Karimah Edwards tells WSB that the survey is closing tomorrow (Monday, September 25th), so this is your last chance to offer opinions at this stage of the project. It’s a simple survey, asking you to choose 10 of those 36 features, and asking your zip code – that’s it. Take it here. (If you stopped by the “open house” at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market two weeks ago, these are the same 36 features you were asked about there.)

So what’s next? Edwards says a meeting will be scheduled to go over “concept designs” resulting from this input: “The community will have the opportunity to select their preferred concept design during the second meeting. We anticipate mid-November.” Seattle Park District levy money – almost $2 million – is set aside for developing the park site in the 4700 block of 40th SW in 2019.

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THURSDAY: West Seattle dad and daughter launching new card game
September 24, 2017 8:25 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Enjoy playing cards? Make plans to be at Meeples Games (3727 California SW) on Thursday night to play a new card game with the local dad and daughter who created it. Their announcement:

West Seattle father and daughter team, Chad and Lillian Gray, invite you to come and play their new card game, Goatfish, at Meeples Games on Thursday, September 28, starting at 6:30 PM.

A love of playing tabletop games with friends and family evolved into a project to create their own game to share. They set out with three important goals: provide simple rules for players of all skill levels, have enough strategy to appeal to more serious gamers, and encourage people to laugh and have fun. Together, they created Goatfish, a silly, goat-themed card game that blends ideas from classic games like Go Fish and Uno with added strategy and humor.

They are launching their game on Kickstarter, September 26th, and in celebration are hosting a family game night at Meeples Games. There will be tables to play Goatfish with the creators and drawings for board-game giveaways selected from the extensive inventory at Meeples Games.

Thursday night’s event will run until 9 pm.
More about the game is here – you’ll see they’ve been testing it at local game-related gatherings including the recent PAX West.

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PHOTOS: Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in West Seattle and beyond
September 24, 2017 8:20 pm
|    Comments Off on PHOTOS: Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in West Seattle and beyond
 |   Health | West Seattle news

(Photos courtesy Jonathan Rundle)

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride finally did make a West Seattle stop today – at Jack Block Park!

As mentioned here earlier, the fundraising motorcycle riders had to change their planned WS stop from Hamilton Viewpoint Park – where it turned out to be West Seattle Soccer Club Photo Day; that in turn was a change from Don Armeni Boat Ramp, which was home today to the Orca Half Marathon finish line). After West Seattle, it was on toward the Alaskan Way Viaduct and beyond:

The photos are courtesy of Jonathan Rundle, who was kind enough to let us know that West Seattle was on the route, says 358 riders participated in the Seattle edition of this international fundraiser for men’s-health concerns, bringing in more than $25,000. (Jon keeps a travel website at jontheroadagain.com.)

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Celebration of life planned on October 8th for Janet Osborn, 1956-2017
September 24, 2017 4:59 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Two weeks from today, family, friends, and others who knew and loved Janet Osborn will gather at Pathfinder K-8 School, where she taught, to celebrate her life. Today, her life story, written by Zachary Desmond, is shared in remembrance:

Janet Leigh Osborn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 1st, 1956. In deference to Janet’s penchant for non-linear thinking, compassionate inclusivity, and radical love of learning and discovery, the remainder of this life account is organized not by chronology, but by beginnings.

It begins in a hospital room. “When they brought her in to me, she weighed nine pounds, four ounces, and she was so cute,” Jane, Janet’s mother, tells me over the phone. “The nurses had put a ribbon in her hair and the lady next to me said, ‘Well, why didn’t they put a ribbon in my daughter’s hair?’ And I thought, ‘Well, because your daughter isn’t as cute!'” Sixty-one years later, Janet’s husband, Mike Oliver, upholds the opinion.

It begins in a classroom at the EEU on the University of Washington campus. “It was 1986, and we had a mutual friend, Jennifer Annable, our principal, she got me the job and she and our other friend Debbie Sherwood were trying to matchmake,” he tells me. “We were definitely interested in each other.” He would watch her interact with her students and have “so much fun with her coworkers,” and, “just enjoy being a teacher.”

It begins at home. “It was Matthew who turned her to teaching,” says Jane. When Janet was seventeen, her brother Matthew was born with Down Syndrome. Betty Schwieterman, Janet’s best friend since high school, tells me, “When Matthew was born, a whole group of our friends started learning about babies with Down Syndrome, and what special education is and a few of us were like, ‘Wow, this is cool,’ and we realized that we could actually have this as a career.” That impulse to learn and facilitate learning led Janet across the country and eventually to the school in Seattle, where she met Mike.

It begins with a road trip. “One day out of the clear blue sky, they packed up and went on their way to California.” So the great adventure begins, according to Jane. Betty assures me that it wasn’t quite so spontaneous. “We were planners. We planned the trip, planned the route, but there was a lot we didn’t know.” They’d talked about leaving for awhile, but 1980 was a particularly miserable summer in Kansas City, so they did their research, saved their money, sought out a place with “a pleasant climate, a pleasant political climate, a good graduate school, and good neighborhoods,” and set off on their grand adventure.

Janet had her misgivings, especially about leaving Matthew behind, “but something was drawing us here,” says Betty. “We didn’t know what it was, but we gave each other the confidence to do it.” This is a characteristic Janet later helped cultivate in her children, according to Maggie, Janet’s daughter.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 2 vehicle prowls; store burglary; car vandalized
September 24, 2017 4:14 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Four reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:

CAR BREAK-IN: It can happen even in a busy parking lot, like the one at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) early this afternoon. Chad reports that while his daughter ran into the store, without locking the car, someone entered it and stole a wallet left inside, with cards and cash. It’s been reported to police.

TRUCK BREAK-IN: A texter reports their truck was broken into last night while parked in their driveway near SW Edmunds and 50th SW. Stolen were a checkbook, Samsung tablet, cell phone, and sunglasses.

CAR VANDALIZED: The photo and report are from Charlie:

My wife’s rear windshield got busted sometime late last night in our carport, while my car sitting right next to it was fine. It doesn’t look like they even tried to steal anything, as the hole is too small to reach through and the instant we touched it more pieces dropped off. Our neighborhood has seen a few similar vandalisms the past few weeks. We live just up the hill from Luna Park Café, across from the large construction lot.

And one report narrative from the past week is now available on the Seattle Police website – our summary:

STORE BURGLARY: The gas-station mini-mart north of Lincoln Park was broken into around 4 am last Monday. Someone had broken a window and stolen cigarettes and lottery scratch tickets. Surveillance video recorded the break-in but the burglar – described as white, male, in a dark gray hooded jacket, carrying a dark backpack – had covered his face. He did leave behind a lug wrench and left-handed black glove, which police took in as evidence.

P.S. Next crime-and-safety community meeting is Tuesday night, when the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network resumes monthly meetings – 6:30 pm (September 26th) at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). All welcome. Here’s a preview.

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