day : 28/02/2019 10 results

The outside northbound lane of the 4th Avenue South bridge that many might know best as “south of Costco” could remain closed another year. That’s what we found out when we inquired with SDOT as promised. The status of the lane – already closed for more than a year – came up in comment discussion following our recent update on another 4th Avenue S.-related topic, the since-removed temporary bus lane. Here’s how SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson responded to our inquiry about the 4th Ave. section some call the “Argo bridge.” He says the lane was closed “so that the bridge remains safe to travel on,” continuing:

We are still in the process of assessing what work is needed to repair the bridge and ensure public safety.

Since the 1985 rechannelization to 4 lanes, we have seen increased traffic and loads (17,000 daily users in both directions) as well as a deterioration of the cantilevered ends of the span piers. While these restrictions ensure the bridge remains safe to travel on, the outer edges of the bridge cannot continue to support the loads it was carrying. In late 2017, we decided to close the northbound curb lane and restrict large trucks from using the southbound curb lane to protect the structural integrity of the bridge and ensure that it remains safe to drive on.

This project has been complicated by the fact that Union Pacific Railroad owns the right-of-way under the bridge and the permit we received from Union Pacific Railroad requires that we do not work in the Argo rail yard. Working on top of the bridge makes the repairs more complex. As a result we brought a consultant onboard to help determine what needs to be done to make repairs so that we can finalize the design.

Once we get started, the repairs should take anywhere from 6 to 9 months to complete and we hope to have the northbound curb lane reopened by the end of this year or early 2020.

The project has its own page on the SDOT website.

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FOLLOWUP: Commissioners’ Terminal 5 vote and what’s next

February 28, 2019 5:55 pm

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| Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

(2015 photo of Terminal 5 by Long Bach Nguyen)

As previewed here Monday, Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners – meeting as the Northwest Seaport Alliance‘s managing members – voted Tuesday on soliciting bids for the Terminal 5 modernization project. They voted to authorize staff to proceed with that, and are now moving toward a March 19th vote on leases for T-5, following a briefing back on February 5th. Video from this week’s meeting is viewable here, where you’ll also find documents from the meeting. If the bidding process for the $340 million project proceeds as planned, work could start as soon as June. Before then, if its lease is finalized, Matson will move its operations to T-5 starting in April. According to Tuesday’s briefing, while SSA‘s lease as the long-term tenant of T-5 also would start in April, its rent payments wouldn’t start until 2021 – assuming Phase 1 of the modernization project is done by then.

P.S. If you see this before 6:30 pm, a reminder that a port rep is on the agenda at tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Commission meeting to talk about T-5. The meeting’s at Neighborhood House-High Point, 6400 Sylvan Way SW.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Overnight closure tonight for NB 99 exit ramp

February 28, 2019 5:04 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Thanks to the commenter who mentioned seeing a sign on the new NB 99 exit ramp to Dearborn/Alaskan Way, about a closure tonight. We found it on SDOT‘s weekly road-work list – the ramp is scheduled to be closed 9 pm tonight to 5 am tomorrow.

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BASKETBALL: West Seattle HS girls fall to Mt. Spokane in second game at state tournament

February 28, 2019 3:23 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

3:23 PM: Just over at the Tacoma Dome – the second state 3A girls-basketball tournament game for West Seattle High School ended in a 55-35 loss to Mt. Spokane HS. They’re now in the bracket that leads to the fourth-place game, so the Wildcats are back here tomorrow, 10:30 am, to play Roosevelt. Photos and details from today’s game later.

ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: There was hope in the early going. We arrived with two minutes to go in the first quarter, and WSHS was up 7-4. Then it became the battle of the threes – five of them in those two minutes. Three were by Mt. Spokame – whose #1 Aspyn Adams sank six of her nine 3 attempts in the game – two by West Seattle, #21 Julianna Horne and #32 Meghan Fiso, who had three on the day.

The first quarter ended in a 13-13 tie. After that, the Wildcats began slipping behind. They were outshot and outrebounded – that last category in particular, with Mt. Spokane totaling 33 and West Seattle 18, was brutal, with few chances to try again after missed shots.

Mt. Spokane expanded the gap bit by bit through the second quarter, up to a 12-point advantage, trimmed a bit just before halftime by a #4 Kelsey Lenzie three.

Score at the half was 30-21. The Wildcats made another dent with a Fiso in the first minute of the second half.

But Mt. Spokane wouldnt let them get close. A Sarver basket at just under three minutes to go in the third made it 34=26.

But then – another Adams three. Seconds later, a Fiso three … but then a Mt. Spokane layup. And so it went. The third period concluded with yet another three by Adams, and the WSHS deficit was double digits, 42-31.

The fourth quarter was grimmer aside from four alternating baskets around the 3-minute mark. The Wildcat scoring woke up too late – none of them hit a double-digit point total in this game – and once it was down to the final few minutes, they were too far back to recover, and some of the reserves came in to get playing time under the bright lights of the big court. Final score 55-35, and back to Tacoma in the morning.

P.S. The WSHS sportsmanship award this game went to Fiso.

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YOU CAN HELP! One more day to get your ticket to Pathfinder K-8 auction

February 28, 2019 3:09 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another local school is hoping for your support – and offering you a fun way to do it. The annual auction for Pathfinder K-8 is Saturday, March 9th, 5 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Here’s the announcement from the PTA:

Pathfinder’s annual auction is just over a week away on Saturday, March 9th. Tomorrow — Friday, March 1 — is the final day to purchase auction tickets.

Don’t miss the fun and festivities of Pathfinder’s biggest party of the year. Some special highlights:

*Super cool silent auction items, ranging from sports activities to spas to theater tickets and more.
*Kid made Classroom art
*Games, including a wall of wine and a chance to win ten times your bid.
*Sweet vacation homes, including a few new ones.
*An after-party, with dancing, if you choose to stay late.
*And, of course, all of this goes to a great cause — our kids!

Buy your ticket by going here.

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COMMUNITY GIVING: Impact West Seattle’s first quarterly gift

February 28, 2019 1:28 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

A celebration at noontime today in the West Seattle Triangle – the demonstration house that’s temporarily on American Legion Post 160‘s lawn was the backdrop for Impact West Seattle‘s first quarterly-gift presentation. The recipient of the $15,300 donation: The BLOCK Project. Here’s the announcement from Impact West Seattle:

Impact West Seattle is a newly founded coalition of women using their collective giving to make an impact on the major issues facing the area. The group is an example of so many people’s desire to ‘do something’ amidst a challenging political climate and in a city facing massive growth and major challenges.

‘We saw an opportunity to bring together a community of local women who want to learn more about local non-profits, and how collectively we can support them in a meaningful way’, according to Rachel Lazar, one of the six group founders. ‘Along with the growth of our city, the need has also grown, and there are so many people who want to help but don’t know where to start. We simply wanted to provide a platform for community, learning and action’.

Impact West Seattle provides a simple membership structure, requiring a $100 quarterly donation which goes directly to the non-profit selected by the group at each quarterly meeting. Prior to the start of each year, members select four quarterly giving themes and can nominate non-profits that fit within them to pitch to the full membership. In the quarterly meeting pitches, members learn about local non-profits and ultimately vote to determine which will receive the significant quarterly gift.

The giving group grew to over 150 women in the first few months prior to the first meeting and hopes to continue to grow in the West Seattle area, as well as to expand into other neighborhoods of Seattle and the Eastside. This fast growth demonstrates the need for these types of programs not only in our area, but across the Country.

The BLOCK Project, run by local non-profit Facing Homelessness, is the recipient of the first Impact West Seattle Gift. The housing and community building project invites community into the task of ending homelessness by placing a BLOCK home in the backyard of one single-family lot on every residentially zoned block in Seattle. Each 125 square foot home is beautifully designed to be sustainable, self-sufficient, and amenity-rich.

‘We are so incredibly grateful for Impact West Seattle’s generous donation’, said The BLOCK Project Executive Director Sara Vander Zanden. ‘This group models one of our organization’s core beliefs which is that the collective impact of many compassionate gestures can make a profound difference on this city and in the lives of people living outside. When each of us asks, “What can I do?” despite knowing we cannot do it all, we begin to end homeslessness.’

Funds from the Impact West Seattle donation will contribute directly towards the construction and landscaping of the six backyard BLOCK homes being built in 2019.

The BLOCK Project’s demo house is expected to be on display outside Post 160 for a few more months, until it’s moved to a permanent home – to become someone’s home.

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EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY: Are you ready for the next one?

February 28, 2019 11:11 am

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| Preparedness | West Seattle news

If you were in this area 18 years ago, right now you were coping with the aftermath of the Nisqually earthquake, which hit at 10:54 am on February 28, 2001, with a magnitude of 6.8. Someday, the experts say, something even bigger will hit. It’s the natural disaster you most need to prepare for, and you are lucky to have neighbors who are dedicated to helping. To mark the anniversary, they’re sharing the video (by local videographer Mark Jaroslaw) from two of the keynote presentations at a full-house preparedness event in West Seattle back in November:

Journalist Sandi Doughton and preparedness Dave Nichols were just two of the presenters; we covered the entire event and published this report afterward. As our headline noted, the most important preparedness plan is the one for your home, your family, your neighborhood – especially in the early aftermath, even the professional responders will be overwhelmed, and you need to be ready to be self-reliant. Lots more resources, by the way, are available at West Seattle Be Prepared.

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From parking to park to port and beyond, all ahead for your West Seattle Thursday

February 28, 2019 10:20 am

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| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Anna’s Hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Tonight’s highlights:

FREE TAX HELP: 5-9 pm at the West Seattle Food Bank, the United Way of King County‘s free tax help program continues – no appointment needed. Our calendar listing explains eligibility and how the free help works. (35th/Morgan)

JUNCTION RPZ HEARING: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, as previewed here, SDOT plans a public hearing on the proposed Restricted Parking Zone in the West Seattle Junction area. (4217 SW Oregon)

LOWMAN BEACH SEAWALL MEETING: 6:30 pm at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), Seattle Parks will present the preliminary design for removing the damaged remaining seawall at Lowman Beach Park and take community comments. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)

FERRIES, PORT @ WS TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition meets, with guests from Washington State Ferries and the Port of Seattle (regarding Terminal 5). All welcome. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

‘PLAYFUL PARENTING’: 7 pm at Brockey Center on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, West Seattle Cooperative Preschools presents “The Opposite of Worry – Playful Parenting in Anxious Times” with Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D. Details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)

THURSDAY TRIVIA: Two rounds, 7 and 8 pm, at Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction. (4752 California SW)

INTO THE COLD: ‘Heavy duty rock ‘n’ roll’ at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

EVEN MORE … on our complete calendar.

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Remembering Patty Wamsley, 1931-2019

February 28, 2019 9:13 am

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| Obituaries | West Seattle news

The family of Patricia “Patty” Wamsley is sharing this remembrance with the community:

Patricia A. Wamsley passed away Saturday, February 16th, at the age of 87.

Patty was born in Winchester, ID in 1931 to Hilliard and Katherine Patton. She grew up near Craigmont, Idaho on the family homestead amongst a large extended family on the Camus Prairie. She attended St. Gertrude’s Academy in Cottonwood, Idaho before graduating from Craigmont High School. She went on to attend the University of Idaho and then received her teaching certificate from the Lewiston Normal.

She taught elementary school in Pasco, WA until she married Arnold “Red” Wamsley, also of Craigmont, in 1956. In 1960, Red took a job at The Boeing Company, and they moved to West Seattle, where they raised their family in the Junction area. Once her children were grown, Patty spent some time as a substitute teacher for the Seattle School District, as a page at the High Point and Southwest Branch of the Public Library, and as a volunteer at the Jefferson Elementary School Library.

Patty loved to read and to garden and, until her health prevented it, was a regular at Holy Rosary Church. Later in life, she spent time in Winchester with her childhood companion Mike Mathison, attending Eastern Star and old Time Fiddling events.

Patty leaves behind her children Kathy and David in Burien, Stacie Jo in West Seattle, and a granddaughter, as well as her siblings Mary Jo Ringwood, George Patton, Dwight Patton, and an extended collection of niece and nephews. Patty will be buried in the Craigmont Cemetery during a short graveside ceremony on Tuesday, March 5th, at 11:30 in the morning. A local lunch will follow.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that people consider a donation in her name to The Friends of the Craigmont Community Library at PO Box 191, Craigmont, ID 83523.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch

February 28, 2019 6:58 am

| 14 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)

6:58 AM: Good morning! No incidents or alerts to report so far.

7:28 AM: Metro says the 7:34 am Route 113 won’t run.

9:34 AM: Taking surface Spokane St. to West Seattle? SFD is responding to a two-vehicle crash reported to be blocking Spokane/Colorado, with one vehicle reported to be a delivery truck.

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