West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
We’ve told you about all three of these already – but since they’re happening pretty much simultaneously this Tuesday night (June 5), consider this a sort of two-night warning:
Tuesday slide deck by WestSeattleBlog on Scribd
HALA UPZONING, DISTRICT 1 PUBLIC HEARING: The Mandatory Housing Affordability proposal to upzone all commercial/multifamily-zoned property in the city, as well as parcels in “urban villages” (some of which would expand their boundaries) is moving toward a City Council vote later this year. The process includes public hearings outside City Hall, and Tuesday night is the one for District 1 (West Seattle/South Park), scheduled for 6 pm at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle). If you’ve got something to say about the upzoning proposal – for, against, or otherwise – this is the time and place to say it. You can get caught up in advance tomorrow (Monday) when the council, meeting as the Select Committee pondering the upzoning plan, discusses the District 1 proposal at 10:30 am at City Hall (live on Seattle Channel, of course). But for the public hearing, show up at the CSIHS Auditorium on Tuesday – here’s the agenda; the slide deck is above.
HIGHWAY 99 TUNNEL TOLLS, WEST SEATTLE PUBLIC HEARING: The last big decision before the Alaskan Way Viaduct makes way for the Highway 99 tunnel is: How much will the tolls be? The Washington State Transportation Commission gets to make the decision, but would first like to hear what you think. We previewed the proposed options when the West Seattle public hearing was announced. This too is Tuesday night, 5:30-6:30 pm informational “open house”; 6:30-8 pm, meeting for your feedback. It’s at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW).
SW AVALON WAY RECHANNELIZATION/REPAVING: Two weeks ago, we brought you first word of the updated plan for rechannelizing and repaving SW Avalon Way – and a few blocks of 35th SW and SW Alaska just to the south – next year.
As with the early version of the plan a year earlier, it still takes away some parking on SW Avalon, and Luna Park businesses are girding for a fight. Whatever you think of the newest plan, Tuesday night is also when SDOT is coming to West Seattle to take comments and answer questions about it, 5:30-7:30 pm at the American Legion Post 160 hall (3618 SW Alaska).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For a fifth year, before heading on to the next phase of their education, Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) 8th-graders are working to change the world.
Teacher Tim Owens is again leading them through sustainability-related projects, on topics of the students’ choice.
With summer break nearing, the projects’ biggest events have just happened: Project presentations, first to younger students and then to adult panels, and a big assembly for the whole school.
We were invited to visit last Wednesday afternoon, which started with the assembly. It tackled four topics that were among those on which the students were focused this year:
6:53 PM: Just in case you’re in the area and wondering: Though a response happening right now at 42nd/Alaska was dispatched as “scenes of violence” (formerly “assault with weapons”), scanner traffic indicates the incident did not involve any injury after all. However, police are looking for a suspect, and so we’re on the way to find out what the call is about.
7:02 PM: A sergeant at the scene would only say that this started as some kind of argument and they’re trying to sort out the details.
5:21 PM: SFD has a “full response” headed to 34th/Roxbury for a possible house fire. More to come.
5:24 PM: This turned out to be an “illegal burn in a back yard.” All but one unit dismissed.
5:38 PM: And that one, Engine 37, was getting ready to leave when we arrived. The captain tells us the resident was trying to dispose of a stump by burning it. Very smoky.
What a summer this will be for West Seattle dogs and the people who love them. First, we had news of the PAWrade preceding next month’s West Seattle Grand Parade in the Junction. Now, the Morgan Junction Community Festival – less than two weeks away – is bringing back the Bark of Morgan! From festival communicator Susan Madrid:
The Morgan Community Association is pleased to announce the return of the Bark of Morgan Dog Show at the Morgan Junction Community Festival on June 16, 2018. Our thanks to Morgan Junction businesses Pet Elements and The Wash Dog for sponsoring the event.
The Bark kicks off at 1:45 pm with the Pooch Parade through the festival grounds followed by several audience applause-judged contests.
This is the 13th year of the popular festival, held in and around Morgan Junction Park in West Seattle. As in past years, the Festival and the Bark of Morgan will occur rain or shine!
Here are the Bark of Morgan details:
1:45 pm – Pooch Parade:
Leashed dogs and their humans assemble by 1:30 pm north of Morgan Junction Park in SW Eddy Street. Contestants will traverse through the festival grounds back to Eddy Street. Costumes are encouraged.
2:00 pm – Canine Contests:
The contests take place north of Eddy Street after the Parade. Contest categories are:
• Cutest Puppy
• Loudest Bark
• Smallest and Largest Dog
• Best Trick
• Best Costume
• Best Owner/Dog LookalikeThree winners will be awarded for each contest. Contest winners are based on the audience applause-o-meter as certified by Festival Master of Ceremonies.
The Morgan festival, 10 am-4 pm Saturday, June 16th, will also include live music, Bubbleman, and more. WSB is a co-sponsor again this year and we’ll have more info in the days ahead!
From Kathy Powers at West Seattle Little League:
Please join us in congratulating the following players and coaches who will represent WSLL on our All-Star teams.
We hope you will come to cheer them on during our District Tournaments. Our 11/12 team will play at Bar-S in West Seattle starting 7/6/18 at 6 pm. Our 9/10 and 10/11 year old teams will play at PacWest starting 6/30/2018.
9/10 Team – Manager Matt Schlede
Ari Fein-Wallace
Bryce Alonzo
Felix Law
Jack Freeborne
Jack Madden
Jacob McCall
Kainoa Goldman
Leo Bronk
Max Cooper
Otis Schlede
Owen Fahy
Rafael Fein-Wallace
Ryan Typpi10/11 Team – Manager Otis Moore
Andrew Rhinehart
Caden Ross
Cameron Fitterer
Cody Buehring
Cody Sazama
Duncan Monnin
Hudson Harding
Henry Newgard
Ivan Moore
Jesse LaBella
Jones Kasperson
Lincoln Scott
Reese Holmes11/12 Team – Manager Mike Fahy
Blake Taft
Bobby Trigg
Caden Fahy
Elijah Palmer
Jake Daily
Joe Sherick
Mathew Henning-Dierickx
Matthew Hazlegrove
Miles Gosztola
Parker Eley
Robbie Foisy
Simon Vance
Tristan Buehring
Wyatt Glover
A memorial service is planned June 16 for Erma Martin Couden, whose family and friends are sharing this remembrance of her long and eventful life:
Erma Martin Couden, an exemplar of love and peace, the matriarch of an extensive family, a former public-school teacher and librarian and a longtime activist in church and civic affairs, died May 24, 2018, at Horizon House in Seattle. She was 103.
In addition to her own accomplishments, Erma devoted herself, with her husband, Elliott N. Couden, to family matters and to the advocacy of civil rights and local heritage preservation, all grounded in the pursuit of caring human connections.
“I like to know people,” she reflected in 2010. “Love is basic in our lives and being positive. I think that is what I want people to do, is to find the positives.”
Erma Fannie Martin was born Jan. 13, 1915, in the town of Irondale, near the Missouri Ozarks, to William Henry Martin, stationmaster for Missouri Pacific Railroad, part-owner of the town bank and co-owner of a gas and oil distributorship, and his wife, Lulu Vahrenkamp Martin, homemaker and daughter of the town baker.
Fittingly, given Erma’s lifelong values, one of her ancestors was William Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Lulu made sure that Erma and her younger sister, Alma, received post-secondary educations at Lindenwood College for Women (now Lindenwood University) in St. Charles, northwest of St. Louis, and both became teachers.
Erma received a bachelor’s degree in English literature and her teaching certificate from Lindenwood, a course of study that included a year at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
In the summer of 1936, Erma met her future husband on a blind date. He was handicraft director for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scout Council’s summer camp in Irondale. With his guitar, Elliott serenaded Erma with “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” and a lifelong relationship was born.
Erma taught high-school English and advised the yearbook in Irondale before joining Elliott in Seattle. The two were married July 24, 1940, at First Methodist Church, Seattle’s oldest church.
They became deeply involved with Moral Re-Armament (MRA), an international moral and spiritual movement with “four absolutes”: honesty, purity, unselfishness and love.
In 1941, Erma and Elliott moved to the south end of West Seattle, between White Center and Arbor Heights, where Elliott sold real estate in the Fairchild Addition. They had a son in 1942 and daughters in 1943 and 1946 and joined Fauntleroy Church in 1948.
Erma became credentialed to teach in Washington and starting in 1951 was a third-grade teacher and later the librarian at West Seattle’s E.C. Hughes Elementary School.
It was a busy life. After school hours and on Saturdays, Erma worked as bookkeeper and manager of Elliott’s real-estate and insurance office in White Center. She also cooked dinners and made many of her children’s clothes.
Erma was a Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout leader, Job’s Daughters adviser and summer-camp cook. She served on YMCA and church boards and Seattle Public Schools advisory committees. She and Elliott ran dances and senior activities at Chief Sealth High School and advised the Fauntleroy Church youth group.
Challenges, including personal threats and financial pressures, came to the Coudens because of Elliott’s leadership roles with the Church Council of Greater Seattle and Seattle Human Rights Commission to support open housing in the 1960s. At one point, Erma returned to teaching after Elliott’s real-estate business plummeted as a result of his activism. She retired in 1975.
Erma also provided behind-the-scenes help to Elliott when he founded the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in 1984 and while he served the organization over the next 20 years until his death at age 93. He often credited Erma’s love, support and encouragement for his success.
The Coudens lived in Fauntleroy/Westwood, Admiral, and Alki, settling in later years near Morgan Junction. They supported South Seattle Community College, took time to get to know their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and traveled to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Canada and nearly every U.S. state.
Erma moved to Horizon House in February 2012, making new friends and becoming known for her capacity to smile, love and reach out to newcomers.
Besides Elliott, she was predeceased by sister Alma Rice (2014). She is survived by son William M. Couden (Judith), of Vallejo, Calif., granddaughter Nancy Williams of Poulsbo, great-grandchildren Luke, Sam and Abbie, and grandsons Rich Couden of Bothell, and Ron Couden of Seattle; daughter Virginia C. Stimpson, of Seattle, grandson Steven of Seattle, granddaughter Jennifer (Scott) Soule of Port Angeles, and great-grandchildren Maria, Kenny and Michael; and daughter Barbara Couden-Ochs (Steffen), of Boquete, Panama.
The memorial service for Erma will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 2018, at Horizon House, 900 University St., Seattle.
Remembrances to Fauntleroy Church, UCC, 9140 California Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98136-2598 and Southwest Seattle Historical Society, 3003 61st Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116-2810.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Three views of a Great Blue Heron at Constellation Park during Saturday’s low tide, photographed by Gary Jones)
Here’s what’s up for today/tonight, starting with a reminder:
I-5 CLOSURES CONTINUE, BUT … As we verified on Saturday, you CAN take the NB I-5 exit from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge to get to I-90. Otherwise, closures are scheduled to continue until early Monday.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street in the heart of The Junction, see what’s fresh! (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
BENEFIT BRUNCH FOR ONE MILLION TAMPONS: 10:30 am-1:30 pm at South Park Hall, karaoke/waffle brunch to benefit the One Million Tampons campaign to get menstrual products to those who need them. (1253 S. Cloverdale)
ALKI LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: 1-4 pm (arrive by 3:45 pm), this weekend’s round of free tours at historic Alki Point Lighthouse! (3201 Alki SW)
CHECK THE CHIP: Lien Animal Clinic offers you the chance to come in during a 2-4 pm event today and check to see if your pet’s microchip info is accurate/up to date – or, if your pet’s not chipped, change that! Treats, prizes, tours. (3710 SW Alaska)
CAMP 2ND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Curious about what’s happening at West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned encampment – and/or, have a concern? 2 pm, all are welcome at the monthly meeting of C2C’s Community Advisory Committee, at Arrowhead Gardens. (9200 2nd SW)
CHORUS IN CONCERT, AND BIDDING DIRECTOR FAREWELL: 3 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church:
The director of the Seattle Metropolitan Singers, John Gulhaugen, is retiring after 12 years of leading this group of amateur women singers. John has spent much of his life tied to music – from earning a BA in Music from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, to singing with the Seattle Opera Chorus, to directing the music at Peace Lutheran Church in West Seattle, to challenging the Seattle Metropolitan Singers to improve the depth and breadth of their singing. John plans to relax during his free evenings, and maybe take up singing in a group for himself.
The concert program “Encores” will include songs from the past 12 years of concerts, including such pieces as “A Girl’s Garden,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Hotaru Koi,” and “The Storm is Passing Over.”
At this concert, the Seattle Metropolitan Singers will also introduce the incoming director of the group.
A farewell reception will be held after the concert.
(3050 California SW)
CORREO AEREO: Live Latin/world music performance at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
PREVIEW THE WEEK AHEAD! Browse our complete calendar.
| 15 COMMENTS