From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin: The apartment project just uphill from the southeast edge of Westwood Village has received key land-use approval. 2222 SW Barton [map] – a project first reported here almost two years ago – is planned as a 4-story building with 39 apartments and 27 “small efficiency dwelling units” (microstudios), no offstreet-parking spaces. Southwest Design Review Board members gave their final approval at a meeting last September (here’s the city report). The decision (PDF) published today opens an appeal period – the official notice explains how to file one; March 12th is the deadline.
AFTERNOON BOOK GROUP: “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante is this month’s title for the Southwest Library afternoon book group, 2 pm. (9010 35th SW)
DROP-IN TAX HELP: That April deadline gets ever closer. Drop in for free help today, 2-7 pm at Delridge Library. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
MEATLESS MONDAY: Roasted Cauliflower with Salsa Verde is today’s recipe for Chef Kim O’Donnel‘s Meatless Monday cooking demo at West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), 4:30 pm. (3622 SW Snoqualmie)
HELP DECIDE HOW TO SPEND $3 MILLION: 5:30-7:30 pm, first “project development” meeting for this year’s Your Voice, Your Choice park/street grant proposals in District 1 (West Seattle and South Park), as explained here. North side of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – at Chan Education Center. (6000 16th SW)
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE MEETUP: Don’t just despair about problems – be part of the solution! Sustainable West Seattle will make it easy for you – be at tonight’s meetup, where, among other things, you’ll meet neighbors who already are making a difference, as previewed here – see the comments, too! 7 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle. (4217 SW Oregon)
Case of theft, or delivery to the wrong address? Amyposted in the WSB Forums that she is hoping the manila envelope USPS says was delivered to her residence really turned up somewhere else instead, so if you by some chance haven’t looked at your Saturday postal mail … take a look when you can, and if you got her envelope, the post includes her contact info (or – in this case or any other time you get someone else’s mail – you can drop it back in a mailbox with a note attached “wrong address”).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! Seattle Public Schools‘ mid-winter break is over. The cold weather isn’t over yet, though – 32 degrees out there right now. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
7:30 AM: Crash reported at Spokane/Klickitat.
Also, the state ferry Issaquah will be taken off the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth run after the morning commute for emergency maintenance; some sailings will be canceled.
10:26 AM: WSF has changed the plan – Issaquah will continue running, but at half-power, while the work is done.
On a smaller scale, she has been visiting community business districts, including an hourlong walking tour in the heart of the West Seattle Junction on Saturday before her town-hall event at the Senior Center.
We’ve already published our “town hall” coverage, but we were also along for the walking tour – here’s what we saw and heard:
Lora Swift(above right), executive director of theWest Seattle Junction Association, met with mayoral staffers in advance to plan the tour, which started at West Seattle Performing Arts (4210 SW Edmunds). A kids’ dance class was under way when the mayor and her entourage arrived; she had a bouquet of flowers and high-fives before she left.
This was after she posed with students and parents for a “smile and say West Seattle!” photo op.
6:44 PM: A “full response” was heading to a possible house fire in the 3500 block of SW 108th in Arbor Heights – but now most units are being canceled, as the first units to arrive say it’s a “large illegal outdoor fire” that is not threatening any structures.
6:55 PM: The address was corrected to the 10800 block of 36th SW. Our crew has just arrived and was told that the fire was in a big pile of construction debris behind a house.
7:05 PM: The last engine has left and the call is closed.
In case you wondered about the short-lived call at Springline Apartments (3220 California SW) about an hour ago, Christopher Boffoli checked it out for WSB. Kitchen fire, he reports, and it was out pretty quick. No injuries reported; the SFD units you see in his photo have cleared the scene.
(Orcas seen with West Seattle in background, 2009 photo by Terry Wittman)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Our theme for this year is matching our learning with action,” says The Whale Trail‘s executive director Donna Sandstrom.
She made that declaration toward the start of her West Seattle-based, but far-ranging, organization’s latest event, an educational/social/inspirational gathering at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) a month and a half ago. The featured topic was the salmon on which Southern Resident Killer Whales – our region’s endangered resident orcas – depend. How to help ensure their survival, and that of the SRKWs, was the focus of guest Jeanette Dorner, executive director of the Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, speaking to TWT for the third time. Dorner said she has been working for 20 years to restore salmon in Puget Sound, starting with a salmon stream along her parents’ property in Pierce County.
The orcas eat salmon that come from all over the region, so “what we can do … there’s a seed of hope in that,” Sandstrom said. “It may take decades to take down a dam,” but there’s other action that can be done right now. She shared views of whales and salmon – which have “been in the news a lot lately.” Mainstream media coverage can leave people a bit confused and without context about the biggest issues facing salmon here, she warned. “Many people are not aware that we have a federal recovery plan for Puget Sound salmon,” Dorner noted. “We have a road map in the salmon recovery plan … there’s a chapter for every watershed.” She said the plan wasn’t written by “a bunch of NOAA scientists in a back room,” it was written with assistance of communities. The Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan has a 10-year update, in fact.
Her main focus: Habitat. That’s what affects salmon the most, she said.
ORIGINAL REPORT, SUNDAY AFTERNOON: The photo and report are from Michelle:
Our 2003 Saab (silver/license plate 147UJZ) was stolen from our driveway on Friday morning. We live on the 3400 block of 38th Avenue SW. My husband was headed to the pool and decided to warm it up for a few minutes and went back inside to get the rest of his things. Big mistake! It was at least a two-person job. My neighbor’s camera shows a car waiting in front of their house until the Saab was stolen.
We want to warn others to be more careful than we were. We never imagined someone would come onto our driveway at 5:45 a.m. and steal our car. Lesson learned.
If you see the car, call 911.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Michelle says the car was found in Auburn last night.
Mike e-mailed to say he’s called it in, and he advises that people and pets keep their distance. He saw the raccoon, appearing “severely injured” as he described it, on SW Dakota between 47th and 49th SW. Here’s what the Seattle Animal Shelter (aka “animal control”) says about injured/ill wildlife. Other animal-involved situations? Info here.
Spring is almost here and we’re continuing our series of youth-sports signup announcements. Today, three from the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor)! First, baseball/T-ball:
YMCA baseball/T-ball for Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grades is designed to help players learn basic skills such as batting, catching, throwing and basic game play. All kids are encouraged to play by getting equal chances to bat, run bases and play in the field. Our coaches emphasize participation, skill-building, sportsmanship, teamwork, fitness, friendship, family involvement and fun. Season starts April 23! Learn more and sign up.
Next, flag football:
Y Flag Football for grades 1-5 is all about having fun, being active and learning football skills. Kids learn the fundamentals of the game including rules, skills and how to work together. Plus, flag football helps develop coordination, self-confidence and sportsmanship. Season starts May 4. Learn more and sign up.
And finally, volleyball:
In addition to being a fast-paced and exciting game, volleyball for grades 5-8 fosters strong team bonding on and off the court. This league focuses on sharpening skills, learning the rules all in a fun, non-competitive environment. Season starts April 16. Learn more and sign up.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street, in the heart of The Junction. (California/Alaska)
AUDUBON SOCIETY NATURE CAMP MEETUP: 1-4 pm at Ounces in North Delridge, come find out about Seattle Audubon‘s new Nature Camp in West Seattle. John the Falconer will be there with birds until 3 pm. More info here. (3809 Delridge Way SW)
BYSTANDER INTERVENTION WORKSHOP:2-3:30 pm at Admiral UCC Church, walk-ins welcome if you didn’t pre-register for this free workshop – “learn how to protect a targeted person and de-escalate an incident of harassment or hate speech.” (4320 SW Hill)
2:06 AM: If you’re hearing the sirens: An initially sizable “rescue” response for a crash at Olson Place and SW Cambridge [map] is being downsized. Per scanner and SFD tweet, a driver hit a tree and wall, but isn’t trapped in the vehicle as originally feared.
2:14 AM: No major injuries – the medic unit has been dismissed too.
ADDED SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Photo from the scene added above, courtesy of Aaron Wells Photography.
For 10 years, WSB has been home to the only all-West Seattle lost/found pets webpage. Once in a while, the story of a lost/found pet scampers out here to the news page. Like tonight, the story of Sam‘s rescue. Sam’s person Jackie e-mailed us this morning saying Sam was missing in Gatewood. Not long after we posted the listing, Jackie e-mailed again to say, “We just got a call from the post and we found him but he is way up a tree.” We mentioned Canopy Cat Rescue – perhaps remembering them from the story of Miep in 2016. Jackie contacted them, and they showed up just a few hours later:
We asked Jackie to send a photo if she could, since we were off-peninsula covering the basketball game. She sent both of these!
And she recapped, “Shaun from Canopy Cat Rescue climbed that big ole tree and rescued Sam! We are so thankful to CCR, the West Seattle Blog, and our amazing community!” (Re: that last reference, she said they heard from lots of people who wanted to help.) Canopy Cat Rescue, by the way, is a nonprofit run by arborists (who were on reality TV for a while!), and does accept donations.
(Last few seconds of tonight’s game – WSHS in blue)
FIRST REPORT, 7:19 PM: Though theWest Seattle High School girls were guaranteed a spot in the state tournament anyway, it was still a big deal to take this victory over Garfield, moments ago at Bellevue College, 56-53. Their first game at state will be 7:15 pm Thursday (March 1st) at the Tacoma Dome, vs. either Seattle Prep or Shorecrest, who face off on Wednesday. Photos and details when we get back to HQ!
9:50 PM: Garfield was the last team that won a game against the Wildcats this season – two weeks ago in the Metro tournament – and the WSHS girls were clearly determined this wouldn’t be a repeat.
They had to shake off a rocky start to get on the path to victory, though. Their shooting and rebounding took a while to get to the usual level of excellence. Garfield got out to a 4-0 lead two minutes into the game – but that was the widest lead the Bulldogs ever managed. Two foul shots by #20 Grace Sarver and baskets by #11 Jasmine Gayles and #32 Meghan Fiso got WSHS the lead, 6-4, two minutes later, and by the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats were ahead 14-8.
Gayles (10 points for the game) was first to score in the 2nd quarter. But then Garfield went on a run – not just hot shooting, but temporarily owning the boards, and after 10 unanswered points, they had the lead, 18-16, with 4:32 to go in the half. But WSHS didn’t let them pull away, and was back out in front, 27-23, at halftime.
Both teams came back out of the locker rooms ready to scrap for every possession. Garfield netted the first four points of the second half, tying things up again, but Sarver sunk a basket and #4 Kelsey Lenzie tossed a three, followed by a backhand basket, to put WSHS seven points ahead and regain the momentum just two minutes into the second half.
Things were run-and-gun for a while, and Garfield made up some ground, getting to just one point back with less than a minute and a half in the quarter – Fiso (with a 16-point night) quadrupled the lead instantly with a three-pointer, but two quick Garfield baskets erased it at :33 to go. A Fiso basket sent West Seattle into the fourth quarter ahead by two points, and half a minute into the final period, she got another one, with Sarver’s backhand basket at 7:11 stretching the WSHS lead to six points. Not long thereafter, she added a three, bringing WSHS to its biggest lead of the game at 48-40; the Bulldogs responded with a three of their own, and Sarver cut through their sometimes-smothering defense after that to sink one (on her way to a 20-point game).
Garfield remained behind the rest of the way, no closer than three points back – first at 4:45, with another Lenzie three making a “you’re not closing the gap” statement, and then toward game’s end, as time ran out. As you can see in our clip at the top of the story, the buzzer sounded with the Garfield ball-holder being double-teamed.
The victory gets WSHS a first-round bye at state, and one extra day to rest up before facing either Seattle Prep, who they’ve beaten twice this season, or Shorecrest (here’s their record) at state. See the brackets here; we’ll be there. (During games, we update quarterly, sometimes more often, on the WSB Twitter feed.)
Photos by Patrick Sand; narrative by Tracy Record – WSB co-publishers
Just wanted to get the word out that there was a car prowler working on 28th and SW Nevada last night – my car was broken into in my driveway. The only major item that was taken was a watch (stainless steel with a white face and leather band) – a gift given to me approx. 15 years ago and has a lot of sentimental value. If people could keep an eye out (especially watch repair shops, as it was in my car because I needed to get it repaired) I would greatly appreciate it. I’m happy to provide a reward to anyone who finds or returns it.
The initial police tracking-report number is 2018-901799.
3:42 PM: There’s a small Seattle City Light outage in Riverview right now after what a tipster texted us was a boom that they suspect involved a transformer. The SCL map notation attributes the outage to “equipment failure.” Meantime, we want to remind you that the forecast calls for things to get windy tonight and early tomorrow, possibly gusting up to 33 mph – no official alert, but there wasn’t one last Sunday either, when gusts took down trees and took out power, so you’d be wise to be ready just in case.
10:05 PM: Jen says in a comment that the power was restored around 9:15.
Just wrapping up at the Senior Center of West Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s first “town hall” event – part speech, part Q&A, part resource fair with multiple city departments tabling. She took half a dozen questions, but heard even more about local concerns during a pre-event walking tour of Junction businesses:
That photo is from Virago Gallery (on Alaska west of California but moving soon) – we’ll have a separate full report on the walking tour later. We’ll also have full video from the Senior Center event, at which center director Lyle Evans introduced Durkan as the “first woman mayor elected in Seattle in more than 100 years.” He also lauded her for choosing this location and shining a light on the “Silver Tsunami.” (Later she joked that she had a solution for what she re-termed the “gray tsunami” – “Don’t go gray.”)
The mayor sounded the themes of her State of the City address – including her concern that the city is in danger of losing its soul if issues such as affordability are not addressed. She also touted the Seattle Promise program for two free years of community college for all graduates of Seattle Public Schools, and the ORCA cards that will be provided to all public-school students.
She brought up the “shock” delivered with the new property-tax bills, acknowledging that too is adding to the affordability crisis, and that landlords will be passing the increases on to renters.
Problems won’t be solved overnight, she warned, and she knows people will be frustrated.
Transportation – “you can’t come to West Seattle without talking about transportation,” she acknowledged. She mentioned Sound Transit 3 and light rail, and hopes of speeding it up. She then mentioned the impending d “Traffic in West Seattle is going to get much, much worse in the next three years and it’s not the mayor’s fault – you look at what’s coming online – the viaduct’s being torn down, 1st Avenue’s being torn up for the streetcar, the Convention Center (is resulting in) buses coming out of the (transit) tunnel and onto the street … we’re going to have to look at innovative solutions to get past this time.” That will include transit. “We’ll work with Metro,” she promised. “We’ve got to get people out of single-occupancy vehicles out of this time … we have more cars than we have room on the streets.” But as she had done in her State of the City Address, she declared that Seattle is “the best city anywhere” – in no small part because of the “eclectic nature of the individual neighborhoods … Every one of our communities has its own feel, and that’s what we’ve got to preserve.”
Yes, the demolition of the viaduct will lead to what she sees as temporary traffic trouble, but she envisions a “collective gasp” when people see the viaduct-less waterfront.
She acknowledges concerns about HALA – “we’re not going to undo HALA and upzoning because we have to have growth and density … but I (also) don’t believe ‘one size fits all’ … so we’re going to listen to you … (and will) have a process that’s meaningful.” She says that in some places she asks people who wishes growth would just stop – a lot of hands go up – and then she asks how many people were born here, and most hands go down. (Note – she did not ask that here.)
Then to Q&A. First person to speak is from Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Gunner Scott. He mentions that they have been asking for transportation infrastructure improvements “for 70 years – 70 years.” There is a plan for density, but no plan for improving that infrastructure. He also mentions that Highland Park is hosting a third encampment. And he invites her to visit Highland Park. She accepts the invitation, also says SDOT can look at the improvements (editor’s note, which they have), and says that Camp Second Chance – the third encampment Scott mentioned – seems to be successful and that encampments are needed because there’s no place for
Next question: How will the Seattle Promise college plan be funded? There’s no more room for added property taxes, the questioner asks, because “we’ll break.” Durkan says that she is aware of the tax burden, but “if we don’t do right by our kids … we will have to spend more time on them in other systems.” She says many people who are frequently booked into jail “are discharged into homelessness.” She says that “full buildout” of the college program would be about $7 million a year – “not only can we afford to do it – we’ll look at some of it in the family levy” and other unspecified places. “I know we’ve got to make choices.” And she says she’s asked all her department directors to provide budgets with potential cuts.
Next question: David Toledo brings up a work-readiness/arts program that started in 2011 that was initiated by Mayor Mike McGinn and cut by Mayor Ed Murray. Durkan says it’s “critical to have kids exposed to the arts” and promises “additional programs like that.” She mentions her pre-Town Hall walk and the apprentice who she met at Virago Gallery. She says arts are vital to “the soul of the city.”
Next question: Diane Vincent, identifying herself as a lifelong renter whose Social Security barely covers half of her rent, and she’s been on a waitlist for a senior apartment for three years. The mayor’s Office of Senior Citizens is being shut down, she says, but she needs retraining because she has to work “to survive.” Her Social Security went up $12 – her rent went up $200. The city isn’t offering help for senior jobs, she said.
The mayor’s reply included a mention that she is asking the state for tax breaks for landlords in affordable rentals – so that tax increases don’t automatically mean rent increases. Vincent follows up about jobs. Durkan mentions job losses imminent because of automation and uses “self-driving vehicles” as an example.
Next: What about free college for adults to help with retraining? Durkan reiterates the success of the Seattle Promise’s predecessor program, 1 free year at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) for graduates of certain high schools’ graduates, and says she hopes it might eventually be more than that.
Final question is from someone who identifies herself as a “second-generation landlord” who also says she was on one of the HALA focus groups and she is happy about the upcoming upzoning, but she also wants to see permitting sped up. She also wants to see more mental-health and addiction services, saying her brother was homeless because he needed help “and it took us two years to get him help … (the system is) broken. Addiction and mental health go hand in hand. .. We wait for people to (seek help) but if someone is (unwell) they are not going to come to a rational decision.”
Durkan says everyone in the room likely has been touched by the problem. Overall, she says, she is a “data-driven person” but knowing the numbers doesn’t assist in solving the problem. “There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for homelessness. … They all need the same solution, a home, but how you get them there … is different.” She then notes the city/county/regional group that’s convening to “work and coordinate better” to try to find solutions. “It’s a longer-term (solution) … it took a long time to get where we are.” She does get to one solution for some – methadone for heroin addiction, but Seattle has one provider, she says, and they are maxed out at 1,400 people. She says she’s in favor of increasing services but “we’re going to have to do it together” and urges the community member to continue advocating.
“Seattle’s only Seattle if people like you show up not only in these rooms but (in their personal lives) and not only demand a better city, but work for a better city.” She promises to “listen … and we’ll do what we can.” And she wraps at 1:45 pm. The resource fair continued on for another 20-plus minutes.
Just FYI we had our work trailer broken into last night at 2 am. Our neighbor scared them away mid-breakin (thankfully) but they managed to get away with some expensive festools (similar to the ones stolen the other night from that truck break-in on 36th and Morgan). Trailer was in the driveway, fully locked with specialty high-end locks, but they literally broke through the door.
We asked Chris if there are any particular items for people to be on the lookout for – “Festool 75 track saw, a Carvex jigsaw, and a Festool plunge router.”
Family and friends are remembering Joyce Carfrae, and sharing this tribute with the community:
Joyce Carfrae, 83, of West Seattle, died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease on February 18, 2018. Her daughters were with her when she peacefully passed.
Joyce was born in Seattle on September 19, 1934. She graduated from West Seattle High School in 1953. She married George, who preceded her in death (2012), on April 23, 1954. George and Joyce lived most of their married life in the Alki area.
When her children were young, Joyce was active in the elementary PTA and was a Camp Fire Leader. Joyce was an avid reader. George and Joyce enjoyed walking, spending time together at their lake property, made several trips to Maui and on an Alaskan cruise. They were members of Admiral Congregational United Church of Christ. They also played an active role in the lives of their young grandchildren.
Joyce is survived by her daughters, Carol Pennie (Jim) and Carrie Ferrulli; her Grandchildren Victoria and William Ferrulli, Catherine and Michael Pennie; her brother Bruce Thomason (Barb); her sister-in-law Susan Thomason and several nieces and nephews.
There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. A memorial gift in Joyce’s name can be made on www.alz.org.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Alki gulls, photographed by Paul Twibell, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
The weekend has arrived! Be ready for more blustery weather, especially later in the day – keep everything charged. In the meantime, your West Seattle Saturday options include:
WEST SEATTLE MOMENTIA MIX: 10:30 am-noon:
A free monthly event for community members with memory loss and their family and friends at Camp Long. Enjoy community, tasty treats, and a different creative activity each month, including music, movement, improv, art, bingo, and more!
MAYOR IN WEST SEATTLE: 1-2 pm, be at Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction, hear from Mayor Jenny Durkan, and talk with reps from various city departments, as previewed here. (4217 SW Oregon)
BASKETBALL: The district-champion West Seattle High School girls’ first game in regional/state play is tonight at 6 pm, at Bellevue College, vs. Garfield HS. (3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue)
RANGER AND THE RE-ARRANGERS: 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall: “Their repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django Reinhardt, and Ranger’s unique originals.” Ticket info in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
‘NEXT TO NORMAL’: 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, it’s your second-to-last chance to see Twelfth Night Productions present this “unflinching look at a suburban family struggling with the effects of mental illness.” Tickets at the venue or online. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
One night before Thursday’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition presentation/discussion, it was also a big part of the agenda at Wednesday’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting – including another potentially loud voice supporting tunneling along at least part of what’s been drafted as an all-elevated route.
So that’s where our report begins:
(From the draft map for Sound Transit’s West Seattle light rail)
CITY REP ON SOUND TRANSIT 3 LIGHT RAIL: Interested in some tunneling on the West Seattle light-rail line, now in the “early scoping” public-comment mode through March 5th? The city may be on your side. Lyle Bicknell came to speak with DNDC on behalf of the city’s interest in the ST3 planning process – he’s with the Office of Planning and Community Development – and talking about how to minimize the impacts of the upcoming light-rail project.
Thanks to Doug B for the photo from a flipped-car crash at 44th SW and SW Graham in Seaview this past hour. We missed it because it was originally dispatched as a “heavy rescue” to 44th South and South Graham, miles away, and didn’t catch the correction – by which time it was re-dispatched with only one engine after all, and the incident log shows that engine left two minutes after arriving, indicating no injuries of note.
Joyce Carfrae, 83, of West Seattle, died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease on February 18, 2018. Her daughters were with her when she peacefully passed. 
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