West Seattle, Washington
30 Tuesday
(Added: Photo montage by David Hutchinson)
FIRST REPORT, 7:38 PM: Go outside right now and look high in the eastern sky. You should be able to see the start of the “Super Blood Wolf Moon” eclipse. If you can’t see it – or if you’d like to watch with an expert skywatcher – Alice Enevoldsen is at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) until 9:30 pm, in the field on the south side of campus as shown by the red star on this map she tweeted earlier:
The college is at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge. Alice also shared this info-sheet about the eclipse. Short version: Total eclipse starts at 8:41 pm. Updates to come!
8:20 PM: Haven’t looked yet? It’s very cool right now. About 2/3 covered.
— Alice's AstroInfo (@AlicesAstroInfo) January 21, 2019
9:04 PM: The moon is still covered, but duskily visible, if you haven’t looked yet!
(Photo by Jim Clark)
9:29 PM: Note that the total eclipse, according to the timeline Alice shared, ends at 9:43.
(Photo by John Nakatsu)
Meantime, overheard during totality – (1) People howling. (2) Per scanner, somebody (not sure if this was a SW or South Precinct dispatch; they share a channel) called in a possible burglar; officer reported back, “Homeowner is just trying to watch the moon. No burglary here.”
10:25 PM: Two-thirds-plus back out again. What a sight! Adding a few photos (thank you). Not just the moon – the one below from Trileigh Tucker shows part of the Orion Nebula, “where you can see the nebula clouds around the bright white area in the center. Star nursery!”
10:58 PM: Though the eclipse may look over, it’s not fully over – the penumbral phase doesn’t end unti 11:48 pm.
(WSB photo: Youngstown-area residents gathered to hear about light rail that might force them to move)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Light rail does not just appear one day in a neighborhood where it didn’t exist the day before.
Years of construction follow years of planning.
Some of that construction is preceded by demolition – tearing down homes and businesses that, to put it bluntly, are declared to be in the way.
That will happen to some in West Seattle. Just where, and how many homes and businesses, won’t be settled until the route and station locations for the due-to-open-in-2030 line are finalized. But some people for whom it’s a possibility are already grappling with it. This past Wednesday night, dozens of them gathered at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center with pointed questions for Sound Transit – questions that in many cases, ST reps said, it’s too soon to answer. Most of the people in attendance were from nearby streets where construction of the Delridge station might push them out, depending on what location is chosen.
The briefing/Q&A event was organized by a neighbor, Dennis Noland, who opened by saying, “It was devastating news to me” to find out that Sound Transit’s West Seattle light-rail plan might cost him and some of his neighbors their homes. Noland took it on himself to personally talk with neighbors after that revelation last fall.
The next step in that was organizing the meeting, intended for neighbors – “specifically a two-block area” bounded by, as he explained it:
SW Genesee on the south
SW Dakota on the north
West side of Delridge Way SW on the east
26th SW transecting 25th SW on the west
We recorded the 2-hour-plus event, but our video is mostly just of use for the audio as the projected slides could not be captured – they’re all in this slide deck (7 MB PDF) – and we didn’t have a separate crew member to zoom from person to person while we took notes. Nevertheless, here’s the recording:
Now, our chronicling of what happened:
(U.S. Coast Guard photo – aerial view of Seattle base)
From the WSB inbox – in case you haven’t already heard of this way to help local U.S. Coast Guard personnel as the shutdown continues, we were asked to publish this:
Seattle! Our local United States Coast Guard families are affected by the current federal shutdown. Please consider donating if you can.
Seattle Area CPOA in conjunction with CGEA, CWOA and PSOA have opened a Food Pantry located in the CPO Mess 3rd deck of Building 7. It is open to all AD CG, Reserve on AD, CG Civilians affected by the shutdown.
Hours are M-F 1100 – 1400.
Anyone wishing to help [can do so] by donating non-perishable items or toiletries to the front gate. If you can access the base, the OOD will take donations or you can bring them to the pantry.
Anyone wishing to send a check, it will be used to buy grocery gift cards; send it to:
Coast Guard CPOA
C/O US Coast Guard Base
1519 Alaskan Way So.
Seattle, WA 98134Other ways to help… Consider donating to USONW online at usonw.org. Click on the DONATE tab then scroll down to Coast Guard. There is a dollar for dollar match for all money contributed up to $50k! All money contributed there will go to grants for Pacific NW CG personnel. Thank you so much for your consideration on helping our families!
While other servicemembers are not affected, the USCG is because it’s under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense. Here’s the map to its Seattle base, toward the south end of the downtown waterfront, so it’s not far from here.
(Photo by Jim Borrow)
2:48 PM: Thanks to Joseph for the heads-up: The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is in view from west-facing West Seattle right now, headed southbound toward Rich Passage and on to Bremerton. The Vinson (CVN 70) is switching homeports from San Diego to Bremerton, starting with a maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
3:10 PM: Added above, a photo just sent by Jim Borrow. He notes the detail that many cars are visible on deck – likely because of the aforementioned relocation.
(WSB photo from Friday, M/V Doc Maynard sailing in to Seacrest)
If you missed our mention in Friday’s expanded traffic/transit coverage – the West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi service WILL run tomorrow on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, though that holiday in previous years has been a no-service day for the foot ferry. Also note that the West Seattle route will be on the same expanded two-boat schedule it’s been running since the first Highway 99-less commute a week ago; expanded shuttle service and free Pier 2 parking will be available too. (If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s the brochure with the overview. One change, says King County: A downtown departure was moved up to 5 pm, 5 minutes earlier than in the brochure. The website schedule here is correct.)
P.S. Though traffic is bound to be lighter since schools and most government facilities are closed, we will launch our expanded traffic/transit coverage at 5:30 am Monday as we’ve done since last week, too. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed comments, tips, questions, alerts!
If you park in one of the West Seattle Junction Association‘s “free” lots today while visiting the Farmers’ Market, you might notice something missing: The donation boxes are gone. As reported here earlier this month, the Junction Association was served with an order from the lots’ owner, the consortium Trusteed Properties, to remove the boxes or be found in violation because TP considered the boxes to be charging for parking, which the lease forbids without permission.
WSJA removed the boxes earlier this week after its response to the order drew no reply. So the donation boxes are in storage. The small replicas at local businesses are still in place and WSJA has launched another way you can chip in:
You can choose to “round up” your purchase at participating local merchants to the nearest dollar, to contribute to the fund to cover the rent increase that imperils their ability to keep offering parking ($90,000 in 2016 to $245,000 this year). You can also text WSPARK to 44321 to donate by credit card. Or donate here online. (The Junction Association is a nonprofit.)
(WSB photo: Sunrise on Elliott Bay, from Seacrest earlier this week)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
START YOUR SUNDAY @ LINCOLN PARK: 9 am-noon, Friends of Lincoln Park offers you an “eco-friendly workout” when you join them to help restore the forest. Info here, including: “Meet near the NORTH parking lot Kiosk (Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Rose St). If you miss us at 9 am, check the kiosk map to see where we are working or call Lisa at 248.506.7155.”
WOMXN ACT ON SEATTLE + FOOD DRIVE: Followup to Saturday’s march – an all-day event at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center:
Following the inspiration of Saturday’s Womxn’s March, on Sunday, we get down to the real work of breaking down barriers for womxn in neighborhood trainings and workshops throughout Seattle. An exciting choice of workshops and programs will be offered in West Seattle from 10 AM-5 PM at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Please bring food donations for Food Lifeline when you come; all donations will be picked up by 4PM. For more information and details, see (the schedule). Organized by Seattle Womxn Marching Forward, Seattle Chapter of the Women’s March.
(4408 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, see what’s fresh at the year-round market, in the heart of The Junction. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
COMETA PLAYSCHOOL NEW-LOCATION OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-1 pm, visit Cometa Playschool‘s new space in The Admiral District. (4311 SW Admiral Way)
WEST COAST SWING DANCE LESSONS & SOCIAL DANCE: Offered by the Seattle Swing Dance Club at Alki Masonic Center in The Junction:
4:00-6:00 PM Intermediate+ Level Workshops
6:00-9:30 PM Social dance w/ DJ
6:00-6:30 PM FREE Beginner Lesson upstairs
Fees and other info here. (4736 40th SW)
DRUNKEN OWL THEATER: 7 pm at Parliament Tavern. “Live readings of works from local playwrights.” Details in our calendar listing. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
WHAT NEXT? Look ahead via the complete calendar!
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