West Seattle, Washington
02 Wednesday
Two events are ahead this week as the process of planning Sound Transit West Seattle (and Ballard) light rail gets back into high gear: On Wednesday (September 5th), the Stakeholder Advisory Group meets for the first time in more than a month, and is expected to get technical-evaluation information that’s long been clamored for. That meeting is set for 5-8 pm at Sound Transit’s board room downtown (401 S. Jackson) – no agenda yet but watch for it here. Then next Saturday (September 8th) is your chance to jump in deeper, at the next “neighborhood forum,” set for 9-11:30 am at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym (4100 SW Genesee). How that’ll unfold is explained here. Feedback from the forum goes to the stakeholder group before its recommends at month’s end what should move to the third and final level of review
One more Labor Day weekend event to recap: The “Work It, West Seattle” bike ride. The photo and report are from Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections:
The highlight of our Labor Day weekend ride (Saturday) was meeting Jack Block and Vicki Schmitz-Block at Jack Block Park. Jack told us about the sawmills, shipyards, and creosote plant and the docks. Great to hear his stories of skipping afternoon classes at WSHS to go down to the dock to unload bananas with other kids, starting his longshoreman career at age 15, and eventually becoming a Port Commissioner and working to clean up the pollution and create the park named after him.
We had great presentations by historian Judy Bentley about the Delridge working-class neighborhoods and the steelworkers union; Phil Hoffman about the sawmills at Alki and logging; Dora-Faye Hendricks at the Nucor Steel plant; and 10-year old Asher, resident at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, about Cooper School and the artists who live and work there now.
This was a Cascade Bicycle Club ride hosted by West Seattle Bike Connections and Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Jeff McCord and Valerie Kendall from SWSHS lined up the speakers.
Your next chance to get involved with WSBC is its monthly meeting, 6:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, September 4th) at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) – here’s the agenda preview.
The photo and announcement are from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, sent by Lynn Shimamoto:
Seal Sitters’ “Share the Shore” banners are once again hanging along Alki Avenue. The banners were designed several years ago as a Seal Sitters outreach project with the help of a city grant. They are to remind everyone that this is the start of pupping season, when newly weaned harbor seal pups show up on West Seattle beaches. Indeed, we anticipate “Jam,” the still-nursing pup who has been frequently seen with mom ”Pearl,” will soon be weaned and vulnerable as he/she tries to rest and warm up on the beach. Please, if you see a seal: stay back, keep dogs off the beach, and call Seal Sitters at 206-905-SEAL (206-905-7325).
Seal Sitters is part of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. We respond to marine mammals dead or alive in West Seattle from Brace Point to the Duwamish River, including Harbor Island.
A new flag flies over the Alki Masonic Lodge tonight after a Labor Day tradition: A ceremony retiring the flag flown for the past year and raising a new one.
The flag ceremony was performed by VFW Post 1263 (Renton)’s Darrell Pilat and John Rickenbach. Speakers included Laurel Glassley, Worthy Advisor of the West Seattle Rainbow Girls, who read a brief history of the American flag:
And Brian Rivers, DeMolay Master for the Cascade Region, had a short speech about patriotism.
This is the 7th year the lodge has changed flags on Labor Day – usually accompanied, as was the case today, by a barbecue:
The Alki Masonic Lodge’s history goes back to 1906.
So far today we’ve had one bicycle reunion. How about another? Be on the lookout for SGK‘s stolen bicycle:
My bicycle was stolen from my backyard (30th and Myrtle) the night of 9/2. It a blue GT with yellow decals. Flat handlebar, thumb shifters, Ultegra shifting and a very worn seat with white tape on the nose.
We’ll add the police report # when we get it.
The renovations are done and classes start Wednesday at what is now Roxhill Elementary at EC Hughes (7740 34th SW). But first – you are invited to the ribboncutting ceremony tomorrow, followed by school tours. It begins at 11 am, with Roxhill principal Tarra Patrick providing a welcome, followed by speakers including new Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau and three West Seattleites, School Board president Leslie Harris, Seattle Council PTSA co-vice president Manuela Slye (who shared tomorrow’s program – thank you!), and Friends of Roxhill president Shawna Patterson Lystra. The school’s renovation was completed earlier this summer (here’s our report with a look inside), as was the separate community-led playground upgrade.
BACKSTORY: It’s been three years since we first reported on the possibility that Roxhill would move to Hughes. Roxhill’s original building has long been in bad shape – as discussed at this 2012 meeting – and a $73 million rebuild remains on the long list of possible projects for next February’s BEX V levy. In the meantime, as reported here in June, the district will use the Roxhill building for special-education and alternative-high-school programs. The city-landmark EC Hughes building, meantime, had long been used as a district surplus/interim building until independent Westside School (WSB sponsor) leased it for five years until building its own campus in Arbor Heights.
From the WSB inbox, two reports of dumped-and-likely-stolen bicycles:
34TH/ROXBURY: From Cass:
This red Sekine bike showed up in our yard this morning. I’m hoping the owner reads the blog and can get it back. It’s on the Roxbury side of the 34th SW and SW Roxbury corner.
EMMA SCHMITZ OVERLOOK: Sent anonymously:
Seen while walking in Emma Schmitz park – at the bottom of the north end of the “soon to replaced” sea wall – stolen and dumped? – looks like the brand is Nishiki.
UPDATE: This bike’s been reunited with its owner, per comments!
BACK TO ORIGINAL REPORT: (We hope it never happens to you but if your bike – or anything else! – is stolen, PLEASE report it to police – if it’s found but there’s no record, they can’t make a match. Here’s how. And then please let us know so we can include it in Crime Watch – thank you!)
(Labor Day birding, anyone? David Hutchinson photographed one of two Ruddy Turnstones that he says have been drawing birders to Constellation Park)
No traffic report this morning (check cameras here) because of the holiday – but we do have the transit/transportation toplines, to start the holiday highlight list:
METRO: Buses are on Sunday schedules.
WATER TAXI: West Seattle runs on an “extended Sunday” schedule (since the Mariners play tonight); Vashon is not running.
WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth is on the “weekend summer” schedule.
SOUND TRANSIT: The 560 Express bus is on a Sunday schedule.
STREET PARKING: In areas with city pay stations/metering, today is a “free parking day.”
Here’s open/closed/etc. info for the holiday:
SEATTLE PARKS CLOSURES: The what’s-closed/what’s-not list is here.
SPRAYPARK & WADING POOL: Last day of the season for Highland Park spraypark, 11 am-8 pm (1100 SW Cloverdale), no matter what the forecast … It’s also the last scheduled day for the Lincoln Park wading pool, same hours (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) if the forecast is for a warm afternoon. We’ll update at midmorning. (OPEN!)
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARIES … are closed.
REGULAR SOLID WASTE PICKUP? If you are a Monday customer, yes.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: Holiday.
A few events today:
SEATTLE LABOR RIDE/POKER RUN: Again this Labor Day, riders are invited to join City Councilmember Lisa Herbold on this motorcycle ride and “poker run” celebrating the history of the labor movement. $20 entry fee benefits the Labor Archives of Washington. The ride starts at Chelan Café in West Seattle at 9 am, with registration starting at 8 am. All riders welcome, any size motorcycle or scooter. (3527 Chelan SW)
FREE BURGERS: As noted on our partner site White Center Now, Li’l Woody’s in White Center is offering free burgers 2-5 pm today. (16th SW/SW 98th)
GRAND OPENING: The new Bohemian Studios location at the 4801 Fauntleroy Apartments (WSB sponsor) building is throwing a Grand Opening party 3-6 pm today. (Edmunds/Fauntleroy)
Have a great Labor Day! If there’s breaking news, best way to tip us is text/voice at 206-293-6302, 24/7 – thank you!
1:13 AM: If you’ve got Shelter 4 on the Lincoln Park shore booked for a Labor Day picnic – be forewarned. Kevin sent the photo late Sunday night:
We were down there walking this evening around 10 pm and came across one of the most disgusting messes that we’ve ever seen. It’s quite heartbreaking to see a public space in our neighborhood treated with so little care.
We made some attempt at cleaning up, but it was very dark and my phone was about to die and it provided the only light. We made a dent, but the size of the mess was quite overwhelming. I’ve called Seattle Parks about it also, but safe to say they won’t get the message until Tuesday – hopefully there’s some recourse from them to whoever had the reservation. Words can’t do the mess justice. … I can only imagine the poor folks who show up tomorrow for a Labor Day picnic and have to deal with that before they can have their own day – at least it will be light.
I’m sure people leave picnic sites in an untidy state quite often, sadly… but the absolute magnitude of this mess and the disrespect to others left us dismayed and angry.
MONDAY AFTERNOON: Commenters who’ve since been to the park say this has been cleaned up. Given that so many unused items were among what was left behind, some wondered if what happened was an abrupt emergency departure. The archived real-time 911 log shows a medical response at the park at 4:42 pm, but there’s no way to tell whether it was related.
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