West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
(Photo from kingcounty.gov)
A belated Earth Day note from King County today: Its annual Green Globe Awards were presented on Monday, and the winners included Young’s Restaurant in South Delridge, “the first restaurant to participate in the RainWise program, which offers rebates to property owners who install green stormwater infrastructure.” The county announcement continues:
Supported by ECOSS and its language and multicultural environmental outreach expertise, Young’s installed three stormwater cisterns that will keep more than 11,000 gallons of runoff out of the combined sewer system each year. The King County – Seattle Public Utilities RainWise partnership recently established a “big roof” initiative expanding its work beyond residential structures to capture and divert stormwater from larger buildings.
You can see the Young’s cisterns here. Meantime, King County’s full list of winners – also including South Park’s Paulina Lopez, of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition – is here.
If you’re waiting until the last minute to decide whether to be part of the 15th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on Saturday, May 11th – you have two more days to decide. Registration closes at 11:59 pm this Thursday night (April 25th). 220+ sales are signed up so far for the big day – all sizes, all kinds of merchandise, all over the peninsula. Official sale hours on May 11th are 9 am-3 pm; some start early, some end late (if you’ll be doing one or both, be sure the “ad” you include with your registration has that information too).
So – ready to register? Here’s where to do it!
Along with other changes to SDOT‘s project list in the reevaluation of Move Seattle levy spending, the department has downsized its plan for implementing projects from the city’s Bicycle Master Plan. The 2014 version of the plan included in West Seattle, for example, protected bike lanes on multiple arterials (see page 60 of that link). But the implementation plan has been revised in recent years and right now SDOT’s taking comments on another revision, with a meeting in West Seattle tomorrow night (6 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 6:15 pm presentation, 6:30 pm “café-style conversations”). The city also is taking emailed comments through next Tuesday. We were CC’d on longtime local advocate Stu Hennessey‘s view that the downscaling is being done inequitably; we asked for and received his permission to publish:
Over the 26 years since I co-founded Greater Harbor 2000 and have advocated for bicycle transportation improvements in West Seattle through leadership with groups like Sustainable West Seattle, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways group, Spokespeople West Seattle and West Seattle Bike Connections, I have seen a great disparity between what is allocated north of SODO and moreover north of the ship canal compared to what is allocated for West Seattle.
It looks as though this pattern of neglect is not going to improve as West Seattle will be taking the biggest hit on the retracted implementation of the Bike Master Plan. This is very ironic considering West Seattle has the largest neighborhood population outside of the downtown corridor and is landlocked on a peninsula.
I am calling for SDOT to reexamine the retracted plan and take some projects off the bicycle infrastructural wealthy north end to reinstate most if not all of the planned West Seattle projects.
I am sure, and rightfully so, those neighborhoods will be upset too but let’s be fair and spread the improvements out evenly. Whatever marginal improvements that have occurred in West Seattle due to the Move Seattle funding are a drop in the bucket to overcome years of neglect.
If you can’t make it to tomorrow night’s meeting, the email address for comments is CCBike@Seattle.gov.
P.S. Another big transportation meeting in West Seattle is happening one night after the bike-plan meeting – Thursday (April 25th), 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 SW Sylvan Way), new SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe is the scheduled guest.
There are now three candidates in the running for the countywide Port of Seattle Commission seat that Courtney Gregoire is leaving. The first of those three to send an announcement is Dominic Barrera:
South King County may soon have representation on the Seattle Port Commission again, as Fire Commissioner, airport union leader, and environmental advocate, Dominic Barrera announced his intention to run for the open position being vacated by Courtney Gregoire.
Barrera has served as an elected Fire Commissioner for the North Highline Fire District since 2015, where he represents about 10,000 constituents in the communities of White Center and Boulevard Park. There, he was the driving force behind station improvements that increased workplace safety, helped craft an innovative joint-operation plan with a neighboring district to improve service and increase efficiency, and has twice amended and passed state legislation to protect low-income tax payers in his district.
“I’ve worked to balance budgets and restore the District’s economic stability without compromising the well-being of our employees or the communities we serve,” Barrera said. “I bring unparalleled experience, not only leading a public agency, but also working on the frontlines of a major Port facility, fighting for worker protections, and advocating for our environment. The Port of Seattle needs this kind of strong, well-balanced leadership in this critical time of growth.”
Barrera’s father, born in Tokyo to Mexican and Japanese parents, was an aircraft mechanic at Sea-Tac. Barrera himself has worked for Alaska Airlines for seven years, both in airport operations and accounting. Throughout his tenure, he has been a proud member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local 2202 and currently serves as a union shop steward to his peers at Sea-Tac.
Barrera was part of a successful grassroots campaign in 2015 to save the Myers Parcels, an environmentally critical wetland that feeds into the Duwamish River, from industrial development. He was later selected to lead PlantAmnesty, an environmental nonprofit that works to protect Seattle’s greenspace, as their Executive Director.
He and his fiancé, Andrea, live in the Highline-area, directly under Sea-Tac’s northern flight path and within earshot of seaport operations.
“I would bring a voice for people living in the areas most impacted by Port activities,” Barrera said. “I know firsthand how crucial it is for the Port of Seattle to be a good neighbor.”
Barrera also served on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council board. The other two candidates who have registered Position 2 campaigns with the Public Disclosure Commission so far are Ali Scego and Preeti Shridhar, but we haven’t yet received an announcement from either. Position 5 is also up for election this year; so far incumbent Fred Felleman is the only registered candidate. The formal filing period is in mid-May; the primary election is August 6th.
Another West Seattle business that’s being displaced by development has just announced it’s found a new location. Good Dog, on the southwest corner of California/Frontenac where rowhouses are about to be built, confirms it’s moving to 9064 Delridge Way SW. There’ll be a lag between their closure April 30th at the current location and the reopening at the new one. (Thanks to Anne for the tip!) Previous coverage of what’s happening on that block is here and here.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
MAILBOX BREAK-INS: The photo is from Mark in the 6700 block of Beach Drive. He reports: “Our mailbox was broken into by this gentleman Sunday morning, April 20th, at 4:15 am. About a half a dozen other neighbors reported their mailboxes broken into Sunday morning along Beach Drive.”
CAR BREAK-IN: This photo and report are from Omie:
“My car was broken into between 5 and 5:15 p.m. (Monday) … parked at 42nd and Oregon streets. I found my rear window smashed and backpack stolen.”
REMINDER: You can hear updates from, and talk with, local police at tonight’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting (6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct, 2300 SW Webster).
Saturday is the semi-annual Drug Take-Back Day, and the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster) will accept your no-longer-wanted/needed and/or expired prescription drug dropoffs between 10 am and 2 pm. Calling it “life-saving” is no exaggeration – even if there’s no one living or visiting your home who’s at risk of overdose, if something’s sitting around in your medicine cabinet, it could be taken by burglars and end up on the street. Just drop by and drop off, no questions asked.
(Juvenile Bald Eagle, photographed by Gary Jones)
An eclectic Tuesday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DROP-IN CHESS: 4:30-5:30 pm, kids and youth are welcome to drop in and play at High Point Library. Chess sets are available as well as guidance from an adult chess coach. (3411 SW Raymond)
CANDIDATES’ DEBATE: They’ve had two forums – now, the first debate-style event for the District 1 City Council candidates, as previewed here. This is presented by the 34th District Democrats as a standalone event, 6:30 pm at Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School. All welcome. (20th & Roxbury)
GUARDIAN ONE @ BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: Well, the helicopter itself won’t be there – the parking lot’s not quite landing-pad-sized – but reps from the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit will be. The <strong>West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network will also hear from SPD during the 6:30 pm meeting at the Southwest Precinct, all welcome, block watch participation not required. (2300 SW Webster)
CLIMATE SCIENCE ON TAP: “Is It Climate Change or Just Bad Weather?” Tackle the topic with Cascadia Action Network‘s gathering at Beveridge Place Pub, 7 pm – details in our calendar listing. 21+ venue. (6413 California SW)
DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY NETWORK: 7 pm at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse: “The District 1 Community Network is a meeting open to all community group and interested individuals who would like to work together on topics of interest within District 1.” (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
MOE WEISNER QUARTET: Jazz at Parliament Tavern. No cover. 21+. Starts at 8 pm. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THAT’S NOT ALL … see for yourself here.
(WSB photo from Healthy Kids Day 2017)
Free fun – no membership required – this Saturday at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), for the annual Healthy Kids Day, 10 am-1 pm! As announced by the Y, the event “features activities such as hands-only CPR lessons, free helmets and helmet fittings, games, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home throughout the summer months.” Performances include a dance team at 11:30, martial arts at noon, and Baby Shark at 12:30 pm; Y executive director Shalimar Gonzales says a fire truck is expected on site 11 am to noon, plus: “Helmet fittings, games, CPR training, and all other activities will occur through the day.” (Outdoors and indoors.) And smoothies from nearby Chaco Canyon Café! One more bonus: If you’re not a Y member and would like to be, no joining fee! The Y is at 3622 SW Snoqualmie in The Triangle.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning! No traffic or transit alerts for our area so far.
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