day : 15/03/2018 9 results

(January 2018, Polar Star in Antarctica, photographed by Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen)

The Seattle-homeported U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker Polar Star is one of a kind, and it’s coming home tomorrow after more than three months at sea. You’ll see it off north West Seattle before its scheduled arrival on the downtown waterfront at 4 pm. It’s been off supporting Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, which the announcement describes as “the U.S. military operation to resupply the U.S. Antarctic Program.” It had a tough time, with flooding and engine-failure problems during the mission, which involved “cutting a resupply channel through 15 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea and escorting supply vessels to the continent.” It’s 399 feet long and 41 years old, and, the Coast Guard says, “expected to reach the end of its extended service life by 2023.” The Coast Guard recently announced it’s issuing a request for proposals to build new icebreakers.

See the Mariners at a discount, help the West Seattle High School baseball team!

March 15, 2018 7:21 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

In a few weeks, the West Seattle High School baseball team plays at Safeco Field – a tradition linked to fundraising via selling tickets every year to a particular Mariners home game, below cost. Parent Steve Joseph wants you to know they have tickets left for this year’s game, 7:10 pm Tuesday, July 31st, with the M’s playing the Houston Astros. Tickets are $40 for the 100 level, $20 for the 300 level. You can contact Steve if you’re interested in buying tickets – stevejoseph82 (at) gmail (dot) com.

P.S. The team’s game at The Safe this year is at 12:30 pm April 7th. Admission free!

P.P.S. The baseball team also has a spaghetti dinner/silent auction fundraiser 5-9 pm March 24th at West Side Presbyterian (3601 California SW) – tickets $10 at the door, kids under 3 free.

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HAPPENING NOW: Art Walk @ Gatewood Elementary School

March 15, 2018 6:02 pm

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| Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

You have until 7 pm to go wander the halls at Gatewood Elementary and admire art created by its students.

Parent volunteers pitched in to help set up the display. And if you admire any of it enough to think you might want to take it home – it’ll be auctioned off at tomorrow night’s fundraising auction! These next works, by the way, are garden art by kindergarteners who studied bugs all year and drew pictures of bugs which were then copper-embossed and set into a cedar frame.

And as mentioned in our West Seattle Thursday preview today, the Yummy Box food truck is on hand during tonight’s Art Walk too.

Gatewood is at 4320 SW Myrtle.

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WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: ‘Early themes’ from first round of feedback, and more, @ Stakeholder Advisory Group’s second meeting

March 15, 2018 2:49 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Sound Transit | Transportation | West Seattle news

(One sheet with all 5 “early themes” depicted as possible routes – see each individually in the story below)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The people who are on the front lines of filtering your feedback on West Seattle light rail got their first look last night at five possible variations of the route/stations – not a “final five” by any means, but what had emerged, Sound Transit staffers explained, as “major themes” in the feedback review so far.

This happened at the second meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Group appointed to help determine a “preferred alignment” for the West Seattle and Ballard extensions of ST light rail

As the meeting began, 19 of the 29 advisory-group members were present, including, from West Seattle, community reps Deb Barker (who is on the board of the WS Transportation Coalition and president of the Morgan Community Association) and Brian King (who is with WS Bike Connections), as well as Hamilton Gardiner of the WS Chamber of Commerce, Greg Nickels (“former mayor and longtime transit advocate” is his self-intro), and Walter Reese from Nucor Steel.

Their seating in the Sound Transit board room at Union Station downtown was changed, notably, for this meeting – instead of sitting up in the board’s”U” as facilitator Diane Adams called it, the group members were placed around square tables in the center of the room. “This meeting is going to be much more interactive,” she explained. That was a foreshadowing of the review of the “early themes” for the line.

First:

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Confirmed gunfire; prowler on video; car broken into, again

March 15, 2018 1:11 pm

| 20 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

1:11 PM: Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes so far today:

CONFIRMED GUNFIRE: A texter asked this morning about an incident very early this morning on Avalon in which they heard what sounded like shots and then saw police show up and put out markers. According to the SPD Twitter log, gunfire was confirmed at 35th/Avalon, no one hurt. We’re working to get any further details.

PROWLER ON VIDEO: From Matthew:

We caught this prowler on video trying to find a way into our garage yesterday. As you can see he tries the window and then goes around to the door but it was locked. Luckily my wife came home right about then and that’s why he slinks out of there like the rat he is. We called it into police but people should be on the look out for this guy. Wearing what looks like a yellow vest and Seahawks ski cap. We live on Erskine and 45th Ave SW near the Alaska junction.

P.S. Questions/concerns to bring to local police? The next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is coming up next Tuesday – 7 pm March 20th at the precinct (2300 SW Webster).

(ADDED) REPEAT CAR PROWL: Also received this afternoon, from Dan: “Last night for the second time in the past 3 weeks. our car was prowled at 42nd and Thistle. Car parked in the driveway and was broken into; they took misc items.”

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VIDEO: Mayor Durkan visits Delridge to announce Seattle Preschool Program additions

March 15, 2018 11:02 am

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| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | West Seattle schools

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)

11:02 AM: “I could do that all day!” So exclaimed Mayor Jenny Durkan after spending a few minutes reading to Delridge preschoolers this past hour.

The mayor reads the pirate story. (Where are the @SeafairPirates when you need them?) pic.twitter.com/IBED8JomO7

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 15, 2018

The book: “Pirates Don’t Change Diapers.” The occasion: She visited the preschool at the Immigrant and Refugee Family Center as a backdrop for announcing the ongoing growth of the levy-funded Seattle Preschool Program, which she subsequently did at a portable podium set up elsewhere in the building.

And now the announcement. pic.twitter.com/HjpscaRLnN

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 15, 2018

She noted that the program is now four years old. In fact, its original announcement also happened in West Seattle, with then-Mayor Ed Murray and then-Councilmember Tim Burgess talking to reporters and community members in May 2014 at the amphitheater behind Neighborhood House High Point. The four-year levy passed later that year, and is up for renewal this fall. We asked the mayor about that; she said the details are still under development. Meantime, from the media materials distributed at this morning’s event, here’s the list of sites joining those already participating in the city program:

(Delridge Community Center had a different preschool program, not part of the SPP, until early this year, when it was abruptly closed for low enrollment.) We’ll be adding more info about all this later, including video of the mayor’s entire announcement – meantime, she invited interested families to check out the program’s enrollment website at seattle.gov/applyspp.

12:58 PM: Here’s the official city announcement; added above this paragraph, our full video of today’s announcement, also including the city’s Director of Education and Early Learning, Dwane Chappelle. Regarding applications, note that the city is welcoming applications from families of all 4-year-olds regardless of income level, as well as 3-year-olds whose families’ income qualifies.

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West Seattle Thursday: Talk about Summer Fest! Talk about Sub Pop’s party! See student art! That’s just the start…

March 15, 2018 9:40 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Serene morning view from The Arroyos, photographed by Anjanette Nelson-Wally)

Happy Thursday! Lots going on …

MAYOR IN WEST SEATTLE: For the third time in three weeks, Mayor Jenny Durkan is making an official visit to West Seattle. At 10 am today, she’s announcing an update to the city-funded preschool program at a facility in the 6500 block of Delridge. So if you notice media vehicles, that’s what’s going on.

A CAPPELLA CONCERT: The group Under Construction from Harvard University will perform a free concert in the chapel at The Mount at 1 pm today and everyone is welcome. (4831 35th SW)

GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY ART WALK, WITH FOOD TRUCK! You’re invited! 5-7 pm, come to Gatewood Elementary and admire the displays of student art for free – and if you want to have dinner, bring some money for the Yummy Box food truck that’ll be on site! (4320 SW Myrtle)

RESOURCE FAIR AT DENNY: 5:30-7:30 pm, starting with a light dinner, and including activities for kids, Denny International Middle School families are invited to come find out about “housing resources, health information, tutoring information, college scholarships, and much more!” (2601 SW Kenyon)

WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: Potluck dinner and informative guests – that’s what you’ll find at this gathering, 6:30-8 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building. (4217 SW Oregon)

SUMMER FEST COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: 6:30-8 pm, drop by Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction for a conversation with the West Seattle Junction Association about WS Summer Fest. Ideas? Concerns? Questions? All welcome. (4752 California SW)

SUB POP AT ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Tonight’s 7 pm ACC meeting at Alki UCC will include reps from Sub Pop Records talking, and answering questions, about the August 11th megaparty. (We covered Tuesday’s Admiral Neighborhood Association briefing here.) All welcome. (6115 SW Hinds)

AT THE SKYLARK: 8 pm, Speak Easy, Thom Joseph, Glass Souls perform. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

SEE WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON … by browsing our full calendar here.

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FILLING IN: King County passenger ferry to handle Kitsap County run for 2 weeks

March 15, 2018 9:00 am

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| Transportation | West Seattle news

Just in case you notice this over the next two weeks and wonder – we’re sharing the official announcement:

Starting on Monday, March 19, King County’s Spirit of Kingston will provide passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle while Kitsap Transit’s Rich Passage 1 is in dry dock for repair work. RP1 is expected to return to service on Monday, April 2.

Under an agreement finalized on Monday, the Spirit will substitute for RP1 during the two-week period and return on April 2 to its current role as a backup vessel in King County’s fleet. Should King County have an emergent need for its backup vessel during the two-week period, the Spirit will revert to King County for its Water Taxi service.

While the Spirit has capacity for 149 passengers, Kitsap Transit plans to board 118 passengers, the same capacity as the RP1, to minimize any potential for schedule delays or impact to beaches in Rich Passage. Kitsap Transit’s Marine Services Ambassadors will continue to process fast-ferry passengers in Bremerton and Seattle. Kitsap Transit will have a representative on the Spirit of Kingston during the two-week period to hear from passengers and relay any concerns.

Kitsap Transit does not anticipate any material changes to its fast-ferry schedule. Fast-ferry customers
should continue to contact Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Office with any questions.

During the two weeks the RP1 is at Foss Shipyard in Seattle, all four of the RP1’s engines will be replaced or rebuilt, and the hull will be painted. The repair work is anticipated to cost about $590,000.

While we’re talking Water Taxi, we should also remind you that the seven-days-a-week spring/summer schedule is now two weeks away.

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