West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
After six months of campaigning, our area’s hottest race has less than two days to go. We caught up today with both candidates for the open 34th District State Senate seat.
Shannon Braddock and supporters gathered at Grand Central Bakery in Burien at midday before setting out for more door-to-door campaigning. Among her volunteers – her dad Dennis Braddock:
We asked Braddock for her final pitch, in a minute or less, on why an undecided voter should choose her for the job:
A few hours later, Joe Nguyen and supporters gathered at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle:
Joining him in campaign canvassing today, 7th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal:
(She too is on Tuesday’s ballot, running for re-election vs. Republican Craig Keller.) And we also asked Nguyen for his final pitch:
You can browse our West Seattle Politics archive for past coverage, dating back to April, when both announced their candidacy for the 34th Legislative District State Senate seat from which Sen. Sharon Nelson is retiring. Nguyen and Braddock, both West Seattle residents, were the top two finishers in the August primary field of 11. The district includes White Center and other parts of unincorporated North Highline as well as Vashon and Maury Islands and part of Burien. 8 pm Tuesday (November 6th) is when the voting ends and the counting begins; here’s how to get your ballot in.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
POSSIBLE GUNFIRE: Police were investigating reports of possible gunfire off Harbor Avenue SW this past hour. The twist this time, per radio communication: It might be offshore. One texter, meantime, tells us they heard it in the Harbor/Fairmount area. No resolution to this yet, so far as we’ve heard, but we’re mentioning it in case you were wondering.
ADMIRAL-AREA PROWLER/PEEPER: Just received via e-mail from an Admiral-area resident:
We caught a man peeping in our dining room windows around 1 pm this afternoon. Our house is very close to our neighbors, he was bold to walk in such close quarters. Description: Caucasian male, 30s-40s, app. 6′ 2″, large beard, wearing a fluorescent yellow work jacket, driving a Ford F-350 truck. Police were called (and they had another call on the same man from the same neighborhood), police report filed and photo shared with SPD. Photo of truck below, hard to make out the plates, but it’s dark green or black with a unique rack on top.
We will add the police report # when we get it. (Update: It’s 18-413587.)
Was it the Seahawks? Was it the sunshine? Or was it the lack of controversy? Not much of a turnout today for the monthly Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meeting, which as a result ran just half an hour. Three committee members – chair Willow Fulton, Cinda Stenger, Judi Carr – plus C2C site coordinator Eric Davis, and one newly assigned rep from the city Human Services Department, Nissa Limbach.
CAMP STATUS UPDATE: Davis provided the latest toplines:
-46 residents (down two from last month, and they could take in two more people, Davis said)
-Now up to 36 tiny houses, 8 more to be completed, “only 11 tents left” (the people in those tents will move into the tiny houses when they’re ready)
-Asked if anyone had moved into permanent housing this month, Davis said 1 person left recently to move back with family members with whom he had reconnected – otherwise, he said, case manager Richard Horne is frustrated by the shortage of affordable housing
SINCE THE CLEANUP: Both Fulton – an area resident – and Davis said that the recently cleared unsanctioned encampment on the east side of Myers Way does not appear to have returned, and area issues have lessened. Some illegal dumping, but “pretty quiet overall,” said Fulton. Carr noted that a vehicle “with a cooler on top of it” has been at the end of the driveway at Arrowhead Gardens (where she lives, and where the CAC meets) and she wonders if someone’s camping in it. Committee discussion ensued regarding reporting it if it’s been there longer than 72 hours.
ALKI UCC: Stenger says the on-site building of donation-funded tiny houses will be on hold once five current platforms/houses are done because they need someplace to safely build the rest that’s out of the rain. Got about 1,000 feet of space? Secure so tools and materials can be left there? Can you spare it for a month or two? Contact the church. One more note: The church plans a holiday concert December 16th, and proceeds will benefit C2C and the West Seattle Helpline.
ABOUT THE FUTURE: No members of the public for comment/questions, so we asked the city rep Limbach one: The second sanctioned year for the camp expires in less than half a year. So far, that’s the limit by city law. One other encampment whose second year expires in April has already been announced as destined for closure. When will the process of determining this camp’s future begin? Reply: The city is “discussing options” and also realizing that this site has shortcomings – the absence of water and sewer service, for example. But she said she’d look into where things stand.
NEXT MEETING: December 2nd, 2 pm, community room at Arrowhead Gardens (9200 2nd SW).
(Edited Monday morning to add name of city’s rep)
Thanks to Michelle for the tip and photo – a new business is on the way to the easternmost live-work space at 4304 SW Walker, around the corner from West Seattle Grounds and Mioposto. The signage is for Prep Table, “cooking classes for the curious.” It points to a website that’s currently down (the Google-cached version has the same slogan). Nobody there when we went over for a look, but we did notice that the Samila & Co. dress outlet that had opened earlier this year in the space next door has closed, with a sign directing people back to its Redmond store.
Noticed while out this afternoon that demolition has begun on a long-in-play redevelopment site south of Southwest Library, 9030 35th SW. 10 years ago, the two-house site started Design Review as a 4-story, 33-unit, 38-parking-space mixed-use project; that went idle. Then in 2016, a new mixed-use proposal emerged and went all the way through the process – this time 5 stories, 40 apartments, 32 parking spaces.
(Rendering from 2016 design packet for 9030 35th SW)
As shown in our photo, one of the two houses on the site is now gone; the other is next.
P.S. If you’re wondering about the also-fenced-off property to the north, the Alison Apartments at 9020 35th SW, it’s not part of this project, but it’s vacant, after changing hands last year, and city files note a “substantial rehabilitation” is planned.
One more season-finale score to report this weekend: Chief Sealth International High School played at Ingraham on Friday night and came back from a halftime deficit to beat the Rams 43-33. Head coach Ted Rodriguez‘s Seahawks end the season at 7-3.
12:30 PM: Thanks for the tips! Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales and Kersti Muul both send word of orcas headed southbound, now coming into view midchannel off Alki. Let us know if you see them!
1:06 PM: As Kersti notes in comments, the orcas in the area include Southern Resident Killer Whales. We aren’t able to go look for them due to unrelated events we have to go cover so sightings appreciated, either here or 206-293-6302 (our text/voice 24/7 hotline) – thank you!
1:13 PM: Among those out watching is Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail; she says most reports so far are to the north so keep your eyes (and binoculars) pointed that way.
3 PM: Thanks to Kersti for the updates in comments!
7:55 PM: Added above, a photo by David Hutchinson, who explains that it “shows Maya and Mark Sears on their way out of Elliott Bay to document and observe the Southern Resident Orcas that visited our area today. The yellow pennant flying from the stern of their boat has their NOAA permit number.” Below, you can glimpse them and an orca, captured by photographer Anthony K while he was focused on a rainbow:
Was trying to get a shot of the rainbow when a whale splashed down in the bottom left corner of the frame. @wsferries @komonews @westseattleblog @StormHour pic.twitter.com/KT8BSD6Z30
— anthonyk (@anthonykdrives) November 5, 2018
With Thanksgiving as early this year as it’s possible for the fourth Thursday to arrive – November 22nd – holiday happenings are early too, so we’re working on this year’s West Seattle Holiday Guide. If you have a holiday-related event set to happen now through New Year’s – including donation drives that span all or part of the season – please send us info as soon as you can! We don’t need news releases or poster images, just the basics – what/when/where/who/etc. Thanks to those who have already sent theirs (you’ll find some listings in our year-round calendar’s Holidays category)! westseattleblog@gmail.com remains the best address.
(Bushtit, photographed at Lincoln Park by Trileigh Tucker)
Welcome to Sunday and Standard Time! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
VOTE! Best place to take your ballot at this point is an official dropbox, and West Seattle now has two, in The Junction and High Point. Addresses and maps are on the official King County Elections ballot-dropbox page. Your deadline is 8 pm Tuesday (November 6th).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, see what’s fresh this week! (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
‘ELECTION DAY CAKE’ SAMPLES: 10:30 am-11:30 am (time approximate), chef/cookbook author Kim O’Donnel plans to be at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market to offer samples of, and the recipe for, Election Day Cake. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
HONEY GIRL BOOKS POP-UP: 2 pm at Curious Kidstuff in The Junction, meet Honey Girl Books and Gifts proprietor Julia Douthwaite Viglione, who will answer questions about her upcoming “Write Your Story” workshop for kids as well as selling from her books/gifts line. (4740 California SW)
CAMP 2ND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 2 pm at Arrowhead Gardens‘ community room, all are welcome at the monthly meeting of the committee convened for updates and concerns about the city-sanctioned Myers Way encampment. (9200 2nd SW)
SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS: 2-4 pm at Grace Church, one-day grief-support seminar. (10323 28th SW)
AT C & P COFFEE: Choro Tocando performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
LADIES’ MUSICAL CLUB: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, free “concert featuring oboe duets and songs from American and British musical theater.” (2306 42nd SW)
WEST SEATTLE NEIGHBORS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE: 5 pm meeting, speaker, and potluck. All welcome. Details in our calendar listing. At Alki UCC. (6115 SW Hinds)
AT KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm, Yet Another Sousa Birthday Bash with the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band:
Kenyon Hall fans can’t get enough of this only-in-Seattle ensemble. Every year they play our favorite Sousa marches, directed by the delightfully droll Liz Dreisbach. For this occasion we eschew Root Beer Floats, opting instead for free birthday cake for all.
Ticket info is in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? .Today, tonight, beyond – see it all on our complete calendar.
| 36 COMMENTS