West Seattle, Washington
01 Tuesday
As noted here on Saturday night, Seattle Public Schools and its teachers (and more) union have reached a tentative contract deal. The Seattle Education Association says its members will vote on the three-year deal Tuesday at 5 pm at Benaroya Hall downtown. You can see a detailed summary of the contract proposal here.
The Admiral Neighborhood Association may be best known for bringing you Summer Concerts at Hiawatha every year – just wrapped up last week – but that’s only part of what ANA’s about. Earlier this month we mentioned the survey the group opened in hopes of getting your answers to questions like the ones above. If you haven’t answered it yet – last call – it’ll close soon so the all-volunteer group can evaluate the results and chart a course. The survey starts here!
With a few months to go until the state Legislature starts its next session, maybe you have a question or comment for 34th District State Sen. Joe Nguyen. Tomorrow afternoon, 3-4 pm, you can talk with him during a “coffee hour” unlike the typical elected-official coffee hour – he’ll be at the White Center Starbucks (9862 16th SW) “serving lattes and meeting with constituents to chat and take questions from behind the bar!” as his staff describes the plan. All welcome.
(Saturday photo, sent by Kenneth)
We found out more today about a case of line-cutting that led to an arrest on the Fauntleroy ferry dock Saturday afternoon. WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling says it started around 2 pm with someone who got cut off reacting very intensely. A third person a few cars back, according to the police report, drew a gun to try to defuse the situation. That didn’t really help. A tollbooth attendant called police, and ultimately the person who drew the gun was arrested; the line-cutter apparently left the scene. No injuries reported; the ferry at the dock at the time was slightly delayed because the captain opted to hold off until everything was sorted out. Sterling tells us that August is peak time for line-cutting complaints, which have been on the rise in general – the state’s special hotline for ferry-line cutting had 2,000 calls in 2017, 2,400 last year, and is on pace to likely exceed that this year. Mukilteo and Edmonds generally bring in the most complaints – for example, 39 last August in Fauntleroy, compared to about 200 in Mukilteo. You can report line-cutting to 877-764-HERO – it’s a $139 fine.
P.S. Back to Saturday’s case – records show the 68-year-old man was arrested for investigation of “use of a weapon to intimidate,” and that after two days in jail, he’s being released today.
Lots of questions today about “no parking” signage along Harbor Avenue SW. One stretch to the south/east of SW Florida is posted for 7 am-3 pm tomorrow through Friday; another stretch from Seacrest to Fairmount is posted for 5 am to 10 pm tomorrow (Tuesday) only. The 4-day signs are missing the added explanatory sheet of paper that usually accompanies no-parking signs; on the Tuesday-only signs, the attachment on a sign by Seacrest said “loading/unloading.” We’re following up with SDOT.
The photos and report are from Stanley:
I had both of my motorcycles stolen from my secure parking spot in the Element 42 Apartment building, 2641 42nd Ave SW. I am a tenant there. Incident number 2019 – 315455
The theft happened August 18, 2:45 AM. At 2:07 AM, a man in a black and white Helly Hanson hoodie approaches the front door (Person 1). He goes to work with a pry bar. He gains entry by 2:12:19
2:13 AM, Person 1 forces entry into the first floor south hallway next to the office. This is that last I saw of Person 1.
2:45:25 AM, two men are seen leaving the garage with my motorcycles. I don’t think that Person 1 is either of these individuals. The guy in black on my Harley has different shoes than Person 1. The person pushing my dirtbike appears to be of a slighter build than Person 1, but they could be the same person, I just don’t know.
I think Person 1 has two tool bags with him. He has what is possible a Bellevue High duffel bag under his right arm, and he appears to have something on like a backpack under his hoodie. I think this because of his big humpie back in image “Capture 2”.
Stolen:
2006 Harley Davidson FXDWGI – Dyna Wide Glide, Yellow
2017 KTM 500 EXC-F, Orange
11:02 AM: Today the signage for the Highway 99 tunnel says FREE, but not for much longer. At a media briefing near the tunnel’s north end, WSDOT has just announced tolling will begin November 9. Details to come.
11:23 AM: The briefing is wrapping up and there’s been another announcement of sorts: SDOT’s Heather Marx says they are about to announce a plan for addressing the West Seattle bus slowdowns. Plus they’ll have a plan for the Dearborn demolition of the remaining Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition. The reroute details are almost ready to go.
11:46 AM: New since the announcement:
Already on the signage: pic.twitter.com/9wPlJXA9Kl
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) August 26, 2019
A few other notes from the briefing: If you already have a Good To Go! sticker, you’re set. If not, get one – you can do it online, free if you act fast.
(Good To Go sticker, held by WSDOT’s Patty Rubstello)
Otherwise, if you take the tunnel once tolling begins but don’t have one, you’ll get a bill in the mail, at a higher rate (as is the case now with other WSDOT facilities that use GTG such as the 520 bridge across Lake Washington). With GTG, as set by the state Transportation Commission last year, the tolls will range from $1 to $2.25 depending on time of day. The tolls are meant to raise $200 million of the tunnel’s cost.
Another note from the briefing – a few new SDOT catchphrases detected. For example, Marx (who lives in West Seattle) repeatedly stressed that your “commute decision is a community decision.” Also, she mentioned a new program that’ll involve large employers, to be called Flip Your Trip. Also, a repeated reminder that years of the “Seattle Squeeze” remain.
The WSDOT and SDOT reps acknowledge – as they have all along – that the start of tolling could lead to a significant amount of “diversion” – people avoiding the tunnel – possibly up to 50 percent at the start. Currently they say the tunnel is up to about 80,000 vehicles a day.
<(Orange-Crowned Warbler, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Highlights for the last Monday of August …
WADING POOL & SPRAYPARK: The forecast is for sunshine and 70s, so Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) wading pool and Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) will be open 11 am-8 pm.
END-OF-SUMMER CELEBRATION: 4-7 pm at High Point Library, all ages: “There will be bubbles, a tinfoil boat competition, create and design your own t-shirt activity (for youth ages 11+), crafts, games, prizes and an ice cream sundae bar (starting at 6 pm) for all.” (3411 SW Raymond)
WATERCOLOR CLASSES: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) with artist Jennifer Carrasco. 6 pm. Contact the artist to see if spaces remain – info’s in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
QUIZ NIGHT #1: At The Skylark, 7:30 pm, free, with Quizfix. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
QUIZ NIGHT #2: Go play! 8 pm at Parliament Tavern, $2/player. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning!
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners host the Yankees tonight, 7:10 pm, which means a late night for the West Seattle Water Taxi.
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR AVALON/35TH PROJECT: The newest weekly update includes a warning of intersection closures ahead, plus work outside the zone (on SW Charlestown west of California) later this week.
During presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren‘s Seattle visit on Sunday, Leah Griffin had a request for the candidate:
Volunteered 11 hours for #Warren2020 to be the last person in the #selfieline to ask @SenWarren to cosponsor the Survivors’ Access to Supportive Care Act. pic.twitter.com/QUlz2g2pRK
— Leah Griffin (@leahegriffin) August 26, 2019
As Griffin explained in a subsequent tweet, the “Survivors’ Access to Supportive Care Act will increase access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners so that fewer rape victims will be turned away from hospitals because they do not administer rape kits.”
Griffin has been fighting for this, and more, since becoming a rape survivor. She talked about her advocacy work earlier ths month at the August meeting of the 34th District Democrats.
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