West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
These creative young West Seattleites have been studying fashion design for the past quarter, and tonight at VAIN in The Junction (WSB sponsor), they took to the runway to show off their creations. Proud relatives were there to cheer, and snap:
The nineteen students have been learning design in the Miss Reese Fashion Club at West Seattle Art Nest. She of course was at tonight’s show too:
Her students created fashions based on artworks that they had seen and appreciated.
Miss Reese also teaches at some local schools.
8:21 PM: Avoid Admiral Way west of Schmitz Park – there’s a significant emergency response after a driver hit a utility pole on the uphill (eastbound) side of the road. We just happened onto the scene after leaving a meeting nearby; it appears there’s other damage further west on the same side of the road, before the pole – which looks to be leaning – stopped the car. We don’t know the status of the driver, but the SFD response does not include a medic unit, which suggests no major injuries.
8:23 PM: The last SFD units have just left; City Light and Seattle Police are handling it from here on out.
9:23 PM: Thanks to Don Brubeck for the update that Admiral is now closed both ways at the crash scene.
(WSB file photo)
On a chilly, gray, early-spring night, here’s a reason to think summer: Seattle Parks‘ reminder today that Colman Pool, on the shore in Lincoln Park, will open on May 26th. That’s the start of pre-season weekend operations, and then it goes 7 days a week on June 18th. Registration for swim lessons is open as of today. The year’s full schedule is here.
(UPDATED APRIL 10 with Dr. Brown’s withdrawal)
South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) has announced four finalists for its presidency, and your chances to hear from and talk with them:
After an extensive nationwide search, South Seattle College has named four finalists for the position of president. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to attend public forums where candidates will share their background, qualifications and vision for the college, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The finalists and public forum schedule are as follows:
Monday, April 9, 2018 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | South Seattle College Olympic Hall Auditorium (OLY 120)
Dr. Tod Treat, Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Tacoma Community College
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Wednesday, April 11 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | South Seattle College Olympic Hall Auditorium (OLY 120)
Dr. Chemene Crawford, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management, El Centro College
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Friday, April 13 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | South Seattle College Olympic Hall Auditorium (OLY 120)
Dr. Alanka Brown, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs/ Dean of Arts and Sciences, Frederick Community College
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Monday, April 23 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | South Seattle College Olympic Hall Auditorium (OLY 120)
Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Vice President for Student Services, South Seattle College
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Immediately following each public forum, from 2:30 – 3:00 p.m., candidates will answer questions from current South Seattle College students. In addition to the forums, each candidate will participate in a full day of campus interviews with students, various campus representatives and Seattle Colleges District leadership.
Anyone interested in learning more about the candidates can visit the South Seattle College President Search webpage. Attendees will be able to provide feedback on the candidates at the website above and with paper forms provided at the forums. That feedback will help inform the Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees’ decision.
The presidency is open because Gary Oertli retired after last year; Peter Lortz has been serving as interim SSC president. The college’s main campus is in West Seattle, at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge.
ADDED APRIL 10TH: SSC says Dr. Brown has withdrawn her candidacy, so the April 13th event is canceled.
(WSB photo)
Unauthorized camping and trash have been longstanding complaints about the wooded area east of Myers Way. In mid-March, the city joined the state in sweeping an area along the slope over Highway 509. Now, the city confirms a cleanup is planned in the area, but not a sweep. We heard about it from SPD, and checked with the city’s homelessness-response spokesperson Will Lemke, who replied:
There is going to be work to remove garbage and debris within the unsanctioned encampment next week. This will not be a removal of the encampment and no one will be asked to leave. (The Navigation) Team continues to conduct repeated outreach in the area, offering services and shelter, and will continue doing so during the trash removal and following weeks.
The area that was swept last month along 509 was found to have no more than four campers during pre-sweep outreach, Lemke said, one of whom was “successfully connected … to shelter at the Georgetown sanctioned encampment in early March before the encampment removal. During the removal, all remaining campers left voluntarily.”
If you’re planning on being a seller on West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2018 – Saturday, May 12 – tomorrow brings your first chance to register! This will be the 14th year that the second Saturday in May sees sales all around the peninsula; WSCGSD was launched by community-connecting nonprofit Megawatt in 2005 (inspired by Phinney-Greenwood’s sale day), and when that organization’s founders moved on to other things, WSB became the sale day’s coordinator. This will be our 11th year of mapmaking and promoting. (Our favorite stories every year come from sellers who meet neighbors they had never before met face-to-face!) Sale hours on May 12th are 9 am-3 pm, but you are welcome to start earlier and/or continue later; if you do, include that information in the 20 words of “ad” text that we request in your registration. When the signup form is ready to go tomorrow – mid-to-late morning – we will announce and link it here and at westseattlegaragesale.com. Same goes for the printable and clickable maps, which will be available a week before sale day.
Thanks to Jeff Hogan for the video of Seattle Police motorcycle officers riding in Lincoln Park this morning. We checked with SPD media relations to see if there was a particular occasion or operation; just a training ride for the Traffic Enforcement Unit (which is based downtown), they tell us. Not the first time they’ve been seen in the park – WSB archives include these reader photos from 2012.
(Monday’s sunset, photographed from Cove Park in Fauntleroy by Alex Vargas)
Lively Tuesday around West Seattle – here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CHILDREN’S THEATER: 11 am, fun interactive Japanese folk tales for ages 2 and up – details in our calendar listing. At Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), in Adams Hall. (3940 41st SW)
DINE OUT FOR LAFAYETTE: 4-8 pm at Marination Ma Kai, enjoy dinner with a view, while helping students at Lafayette Elementary School, who will benefit from part of the proceeds. (1660 Harbor SW)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COALITION: 6 pm at Southwest Library, come get involved in helping your community! All welcome. Here’s our report on last month’s meeting. (9010 35th SW)
LEARN ABOUT THE LEVIES: 6:30 pm at Madison Middle School, it’s the second of five meetings around the city that Seattle Public Schools is holding for input into, and information about, next year’s BEX V and Operations levies. Here’s our most-recent report on how the former – a six-year levy that includes school rebuilds and other major projects – might affect West Seattle. (3429 45th SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS, LOCATION CHANGE: 6:30 pm, this month’s WSBC meeting is at Neighborhood House High Point: “Come join us to plan activities and advocate for sustainable, healthy transportation.” (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
YOUNG DESIGNERS’ FASHION SHOW: Miss Reese’s Fashion Club has a runway show tonight at VAIN West Seattle (WSB sponsor) in The Junction – young designers ages 7-10 modeling their own creations! Everybody welcome! (4513 California SW)
THE WHALE TRAIL’S MONTHLY MEETUP: 6:30 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), you’re invited to The Whale Trail‘s monthly meetup, free and open to the public, all ages:
There are just 76 individuals in the Southern Resident Killer Whale population (J, K and L pods), nearing their historical low. The threats that have brought these beloved and iconic pods to the edge of extinction are all human-caused: lack of salmon, toxin accumulations, and stress and noise from boats.
Together, we can make a difference for the orcas – if we act now, and work together. Join us to become part of the solution for the southern residents. Learn more about the issues, and get up to speed on current initiatives. Join a sub-pod, and put your skills to work for the whales. It’s all hands on deck for the orcas! Bring your ideas, your questions, and a snack to share. Please register at brownpapertickets.com so we know how many people to expect. Whale Trail meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month at C&P Coffee in West Seattle. Meetings are free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.
(5612 California SW)
DENNY CONCERT: 7 pm, Denny International Middle School‘s Senior Chamber Band is in concert at Chief Sealth International High School Auditorium next door. (2600 SW Thistle)
AND THERE’S MUCH MORE … all on our calendar, which you can browse any time by going here.
(May 2017 photo by Lynn Hall, West Seattle 5K turnaround at Anchor Park)
The biggest 5K run/walk of the year is now in signup mode – you can register for this year’s West Seattle 5K by going here. It’s set for a course along Alki, as always, 9 am Sunday, May 20th, and all ages are welcome – kids 6 and under run (or walk) free. It’s a benefit for students at West Seattle High School. WSB has been a co-sponsor every year since the first one in 2009; there’s still time for more sponsors to join, too. See you at the start/finish line by Alki Bathhouse on May 20th!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! Just checked around and so far, no transit alerts or traffic incidents from/in West Seattle.
ROAD WORK: Beach Drive repaving work between Andover and Douglas is scheduled to continue.
FIRST WAVE OF SPRING BREAK CONTINUES: Most if not all parochial schools are off this week; Seattle Public Schools, and independent schools that follow the SPS schedule, are off next week.
7:20 AM: Per scanner, police are checking out a reported blocking incident at Delridge/Thistle.
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