West Seattle, Washington
28 Saturday
(WSB photo from 2018 Instruments of Change)
Two weeks from tonight, the West Seattle Food Bank will honor the CoHo Team of Windermere Agents as its 2019 Instruments of Change Award recipient, at the WSFB’s annual fundraising gala/auction. WSFB says that since the team was created in 2000, “this group of agents has donated over $1.1 million to a variety of non-profits that support housing and community development.” That includes, since 2012, $52,000 to support WSFB’s work to fight hunger. You can help too by attending the 12th annual Instruments of Change celebration May 11th at the Seattle Design Center in SODO, 6-10 pm. To purchase tickets, be a sponsor, or donate to WSFB, go here.
Susan is the third person in the past few weeks to email us about a Golden Pheasant sighting – first with a clear photo, so we’re posting in case you see it too. It’s been six years since the first time we published a Golden Pheasant report; species information we’ve found online suggests six years is the outer range of their life span, so no way to know if it’s the same one. We also received a photo last year. Wild? Roaming pet? Still a mystery.
The photos and report are from Toni Wells:
16 neighbors of all ages came out this morning to participate in our Pigeon Point neighborhood spring clean. We picked up a mountain of garbage and cleared a lot of invasive plants. Please visit the bicycle park at the north end of 22nd to enjoy our labors.
P.S. If you’re thinking about a neighborhood spring clean – here’s how to get some city support.
Happening until 1 pm at the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor), everybody’s on the moo-ve at this year’s Healthy Kids’ Day. Other creature sightings:
Though the shark was sighted on land, there’s also water involved at HKD:
And a bit of rodeo-style riding:
It’s all free, membership not required (though you can sign up today with no joining fee) – activities and entertainment inside the main Y as well as outside.
Welcome to the final weekend of April! And thanks to Gary Jones for the Great Blue Heron photo at right. Your Saturday highlights:
EARTH DAY WALK: Meet up at either Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee) or Our Lady of Guadalupe (35th/Myrtle) at 9 am to walk to Rotary Viewpoint Park (35th/Alaska), as explained here.
WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION SPRING CLEAN: Can you volunteer for a bit this morning? Meet up at Junction Plaza Park at 9 am. (42nd/Alaska)
BENEFIT RUMMAGE SALE: Hope Lutheran youth have a big benefit sale today, 9 am-3 pm, to raise money for travel. (4456 42nd SW)
FIT FOR HER: Help provide clean water to women around the world by participating in this fitness fundraiser, 9 am-12:30 pm at South Park Hall. (1253 S. Cloverdale)
FREE COMPOST: Starting at 9 am and continuing while it lasts on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. (6000 16th SW)
HEALTHY KIDS DAY AT WEST SEATTLE Y: 10 am-1 pm, free family fun at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle, membership not necessary (although joining fees are waived if you’d like to try it). Entertainment and activities. (3622 SW Snoqualmie)
DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY: 10 am-2 pm, any expired/unneeded/unwanted drugs can be taken for dropoff at the Southwest Precinct, no questions asked, during the spring Drug Take-Back Day. (2300 SW Webster)
POLITICAL MEETUP: 10 am-11 am at Cupcake Royale in The Junction, you’re invited to a weekly meetup presented by the 34th District Democrats “to inform all interested Democrats on ways to help plan and participate in the Annual Fundraiser and other events. The Annual Fundraiser is our main source of funding for the monthly meetings, hosting forums/debates/panels, printing and social media sharing of updates within our community and party, as well as all necessary maintenance. We also are preparing for cost of education and execution on the transition from caucus to primary.” 34th DDs membership not required – just drop in. (California/Alaska)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: 10 am-3 pm, plants for sale at the garden center near the north entrance of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. (6000 16th SW)
ROCK AND GEM SHOW: 10 am-5 pm at the Masonic Center, first of two days for the free annual show presented by the West Seattle Rock Club. (4737 40th SW)
(added) INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY AT PEGASUS: 10 am-6 pm, Pegasus Book Exchange in The Junction celebrates Independent Booksellers Day with “free swag and deals all day long.” (4553 California SW)
CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR STREET FESTIVAL: 10:30 am-5 pm in downtown White Center – here’s the schedule. (15th SW/SW 98th)
BOOKSELLERS POP-UP: Alair is hosting Paper Boat Booksellers 11 am-5 pm for a shopping pop-up on behalf of Independent Booksellers Day. (3270 California SW)
SCHOOL ARTWORK SELECTION: Noon-12:30 pm at Delridge Library, help review artwork suggestions for beneath the new Louisa Boren STEM K-8 buddy bench. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
ITSY BITSY SPIDER BENEFIT: Bring the family to Ounces Taproom and Beer Garden in North Delridge 3-6 pm for this event benefiting and celebrating co-op preschool. (3809 Delridge Way SW)
‘A NIGHT IN SOUTH AFRICA’: Help A Child Becomes Preschool (WSB sponsor) educate kids on the other side of the world – tickets still available for this fun(draiser) tonight, 7-10 pm. (4320 SW Hill)
‘WIZARD OF OZ’: Second night for this student production at Seattle Lutheran High School, 7:30 pm curtain in the gym. (4100 SW Genesee)
CELEBRATE THE SIXTIES … with A Fine Company at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm. Ticket/reservation info is on the KH website. (7904 35th SW)
‘THE BEST YOU’VE EVER SEEN‘: Parliament Tavern show explained as “sensory overload.” In a good way, of course. 9 pm. $8 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admial Way)
WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW? Look into the future via our complete calendar.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
LOOK FAMILIAR? LK spotted that dumped-and-likely-stolen bicycle in Arbor Heights. Let us know if it’s yours.
CAR PROWL: Amanda reports, “My car window was broken into between 4/24 10 PM and 4/25 6 AM. The entire window was smashed. The car was parked in a rear alley off Beach Drive. A red Sleepypod (pet carrier) was stolen. If anyone sees this around, it would be nice to get it back.”
HIT-RUN: It’s been a few weeks since this incident but Tom sent this in hopes someone has info:
On Friday afternoon 4/12/2019, my neighbor driving a gray Mazda CX5 was traveling north on Highland Park Way and making a left turn onto SW Holden when she was struck by a green Dodge Durango. The driver of the Durango sped away southbound on Highland when he almost struck another car. The Durango should have front end damage due to the hit and run. If you have any information, please contact the Seattle Police Department (2019-130096).
The photos and report from this week’s Super Science Night at Madison Middle Schoolt are courtesy of educator Fred Jenner:
Excellent job to Madison Middle School’s science department, Ms. Bell, guest presenters, adult volunteers, and student volunteers for making it a great Super Science Night.
Our guests had a great sampling of activities for students and families to interact with, including Microsoft HoloLens, computer coding, physics and chemistry experiments, owl pellet dissection, a Ruben’s tube experiment, science trivia competitions, delectable root beer floats, and a great selection of books on sale.
Thank you again to all who offered support and who participated in making it a successful and interesting night!
Something cool at YOUR school? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Two quick reminders about opportunities this weekend to get rid of what you don’t need:
DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY: 10 am-2 pm Saturday, take unneeded/unwanted/expired medication to the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster) and drop it off. No questions asked. We asked SPD if there were any restrictions on what type they’re accepting – the reply is, no.
RECYCLE ROUNDUP: This also is a twice-yearly event. 9 am-3 pm Sunday at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), bring your recyclables – as long as they’re on this list – and drop them off, free. Organizers request that you come as early in that window as you can to avoid an end-of-day backup.
(WSB photos, taken from Jack Block Park)
Just arrived at Terminal 5: The 860-foot Matson container ship Mahimahi, first call of Matson’s new lease to use part of T-5 while modernization work gets going on another part of it.
Mahimahi sails weekly between Seattle and Hawaii. The last regularly scheduled container operations at T-5 were in 2014.
Matson previously called at T-30 on the south end of the downtown waterfront.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Both major topics at last night’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting had to do with SDOT – its biggest current WS project, and its new leader.
AVALON PROJECT: As the project’s second week of ~14 months of work concludes, project team reps came to WSTC. So what’s new? When the 35th work starts in early May, that street will be down to one lane each way, said project spokesperson Adonis Ducksworth. And some early 35th work could start as soon as next week, which is one week before the big work starts, he said. First, the latest weekly update on the project, received a few hours before the meeting:
This week, crews are demolishing and removing the road on the east side of SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to SW Yancy (Zone B) so we can rebuild the base before beginning to pave on the east side of SW Avalon Way as early as Saturday, May 4. Paving is highly weather dependent so it can be postponed if weather is wetter than anticipated.
From Saturday, April 27 through Sunday, May 5, we will be closing the east side of the intersection of SW Avalon Way and SW Genesee St to make water utility repairs. Crews will need to work across multiple lanes of traffic in the intersection. We also anticipate work on 35th Ave SW (Zone E) to begin as soon as the week of May 6. You can expect to see no-parking signs go up as early as next week. …
Overview of upcoming work for next week:
*Lots of construction activity including jackhammering, removing the east portion of the roadway, large trucks, machines, noise, dust, and vibrations.
*We will coordinate with residents for driveway closures.
*Uniformed police officers will typically be onsite
*Typical work hours from 7 AM – 7 PM (no noise from equipment like jackhammers before 9 AM on Saturday and Sunday or before 8 AM on weekdays)
*We have heard that Seattle Public Utilities will be working to make some water service renewals along SW Avalon Way. They will coordinate directly with neighbors as their work is scheduled.
*Buses are making in-lane stops. Please follow the safe passageways set up for your safety. Starting Monday, April 22nd the northbound stop at Genesee will be temporarily closed.
*The contractor is coordinating with King County Metro to reroute route 50 from Saturday, April 27 through Sunday, May 5.
Project questions included the closure of 30th SW, with WSTC board member Chas Redmond saying it reduced part of the access to that neighborhood and Ducksworth contending it was a safety issue, and board member Marty Westerman asking about Avalon business access, with Ducksworth mentioning what SDOT had told us in a pre-construction briefing – that they are trying to do some early work there. Some discussion of the project’s effects on bicycle riding also ensued. At some point, travel will be on ground-down pavement, Ducksworth warned, while also saying there would not be plates in the road during May, which is “Bike Everywhere Month.” WSTC board member Deb Barker also wondered what further steps SDOT would take to communicate important messages – more on-site signage and enforcement, she suggested. The project team said another sign was planned, for starters.
SAM ZIMBABWE: He joked he gets “like one more week of being the new guy” before recapping his background. We recorded his entire appearance:
12:31 PM: At the Sound Transit board room downtown, the Elected Leadership Group that’s been working on West Seattle-to Ballard light rail just finished its meeting for recommendations to be made to the ST Board. Comprehensive report to come later, but in the short run, the West Seattle recommendations were not dramatically different from those sent to them by the Stakeholder Advisory Group last week. Perhaps the biggest difference: This group wasn’t given a directive to come up with one recommendation “if extra money is found” and another if it’s not. As summarized by ST’s Cathal Ridge at meeting’s end, the major support was for crossing the Duwamish River south of the existing bridge, the Delridge area would be “blue line with refinements” in hopes of “reducing neighborhood effects,” and for The Junction, “blue tunnel/red modified” with no further consideration of the orange option. Full details, video, and more, later.
5:26 PM: Pending our full report tonight, here’s our video of the hour-and-a-quarter in which the ELG members made their recommendations:
Seattle Channel also records ELG meetings but its video isn’t available yet.
We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor today!
Snip-its Haircuts for Kids is open in West Seattle, joining Snip-its of Bellevue in providing a magical space full of fun distractions, and a happy haircut adventure for kids. Duc Quan is the local owner of both locations and is a West Seattle resident with husband Brian and 6.5-year-old daughter Justine.
Duc noticed that there were no kid-focused salons in the area and parents were driving a significant distance for a children’s salon or taking them to a local adult salon that might not be equipped for kids. Duc and his family are very excited to have found the right space in the Alaska Junction to open the second Snip-its in the PNW.
Everything at Snip-its is about helping kids look and feel great all while making haircuts relaxing for parents. Every haircut adventure starts with a Snip-its Adventure Pass, then the stylists work their magic while kids play games and watch videos on kid friendly tablets. At the end of each haircut, kids turn in their adventure pass and get a prize from the Magic Box! There are other goodies like crackers, lollipops, and balloons that make getting a haircut so easy. But this salon is more than just haircuts- Snip-its will offer kid friendly spa services and birthday parties. There will also be a fun play area in the lobby and families are welcome to come play, even if they don’t need a haircut yet!
Snip-its parents love that their kids look forward to getting a haircut and that our stylists are so kind and patient to their littlest clients. They often comment about how their first visit at Snip-its was the first time their child actually enjoyed a haircut, which is extremely rewarding to hear.
Snip-its has also partnered with Autism Speaks to develop a training program where stylists are certified to work with kids on the Autism spectrum. All kids, all abilities, are welcome! It’s fitting that the salon is opening during Autism Awareness Month.
Duc loves the West Seattle community and is connecting with local family-focused no-profits about possible partnership opportunities. And since the salon is located on the Farmers’ Market block, Snips (the Snip-its mascot) will make frequent appearances on Sundays to say hello to community members while staff provide fun, free activities such as temporary hair color for kids.
Soft-opening is today, at 4506 California SW! Appointments can be booked on the salon webpage, coming soon. In the meantime, the Snip-its West Seattle Facebook page has all the information and updates. Come check us out and see why we say #WeSpeakKid!
We thank Snip-its Haircuts for Kids of West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Guardian One, 2013 WSB archive photo
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Neighborhood leaders gathered Tuesday night to share ideas and hear from police leadership at the monthly meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network at the Southwest Police Precinct.
Special guests at the meeting: Members of the Guardian One helicopter team from the Air Support Unit of the King County Sheriff’s Office, who talked about their work in the skies of West Seattle and the surrounding area.
(Sea anemone, photographed by David Hutchinson at Constellation Park)
Happy Friday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT RAIL: The Elected Leadership Group meets at 9:30 am at the ST board room downtown – with a public-comment period toward the start of the meeting – to recommend which West Seattle-to-Ballard routing/station locations they want to see go into environmental studies. We’re there and will be updating on Twitter as well as publishing a story as soon afterward as we’re able. (401 S. Jackson)
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: 10:30 am-2 pm at Daystar. Visitors welcome for all or part of the meeting; agenda info is in our calendar listing. (2615 SW Barton)
FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle. Today’s movie is 1955’s “Soldier of Fortune.” $1 members, $2 nonmembers, free popcorn. (4217 SW Oregon)
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD’S OFFICE HOURS: 2-7 pm, drop-in hours with City Councilmember Lisa Herbold meeting with constituents at the Southwest Customer Service Center adjacent to Southwest Pool. (2801 SW Thistle)
PLANT SALE: The White Center Library Guild is selling plants at the library 10 am-2 pm today. (1409 SW 107th)
BOWLING BIRTHDAY PARTY: West Seattle Helpline‘s 30th birthday celebration at West Seattle Bowl! 6 pm – still tickets available last time we checked. (39th/Oregon)
CONCERT FOR AUTISM SPEAKS: 7 pm, a big lineup for the annual benefit show at The Skylark. Details here. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
GARY BENSON: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). 7-9 pm. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
‘WIZARD OF OZ’: Student production at Seattle Lutheran High School, 7:30 pm curtain in the gym. (4100 SW Genesee)
JOHNNY & THE MOLES, STINGSHARK: Live at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm. $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
PREVIEW THE WEEKEND … via our complete calendar!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:13 AM: Thanks for the tips. We start with word of a crash on Harbor Avenue SW not too far north of the West Seattle Bridge. Avoid the area. A texter says it’s on the southbound (toward the bridge) side.
7:52 AM: The SFD response on that crash was canceled fairly quickly, so apparently no serious injury. No further info on the scene’s status – please let us know if you find it cleared.
Meantime, notes:
BEACH DRIVE PAVING: This is the last scheduled day for the project between Weather Watch and Me-Kwa-Mooks Parks (we’ll check the area this afternoon).
4TH SW CLOSURE STARTS NEXT WEEK: Here’s our update on the month-plus closure scheduled to start next week just south of Roxbury.
STADIUM ZONE TONIGHT: Mariners are home, 7:10 tonight, vs. the Rangers.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The lockers lining a corridor at Seattle Lutheran High School carry colorful “Random Acts of Kindness”- words of appreciation from students for schoolmates and staff.
Those messages dovetailed with what students heard this afternoon as the school’s third annual Mental Health Day concluded: “Words matter.”
So declared Todd Crooks, a former SLHS parent who lost his 21-year-old son Chad to mental illness and suicide three years ago.
He spoke to the students at the conclusion of a day meant to help SLHS students learn about mental illness as well as about mental health and how to cope with the stresses life brings. After starting the day with a keynote presentation by a counselor, students spent the morning in breakout sessions learning about specific mental-health issues including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. They rotated through workshops after lunch, focused on coping skills. Some were activities – yoga, tai chi, meditation – while others focused on talking. We listened in to part of the “Mental Health for Men” session, with students listening to a man who had fought depression.
“There’s ways to cope with everything,” he assured the students. He told them he favored getaways and also music – he plays in two bands.
Music was the subject of another workshop all its own, in fact; as we wandered the corridor, we heard the sounds of a guitar, through a closed classroom door.
And that’s when we saw the sticky-note-decorated lockers. Tim Caudle, the faculty member who coordinates Mental Health Day, told us the notes were a student-generated and -led idea. One message on a locker identified as belonging to a staffer caught our eye:
The Random Acts of Kindness were separate from Mental Health Day, and yet they seemed to synergize perfectly.
We joined the students in the gym for the closing assembly, which Caudle opened with thanks for his colleagues on the SLHS mental-health team who helped make the day happen. And then he introduced Todd Crooks.
His words about words were in the context of mindfulness – being mindful of how your words might be heard by someone, even if you don’t intend them to be heard a certain way. “Do you want to risk affecting someone in a way that has long-term impact?”
He also urged the students to take what they had learned this Mental Health Day and carry it out into the world to help others – perhaps going even further, taking a Mental Health First Aid course, for example, so they could be ready to help someone in crisis the way you might do CPR for someone having a heart attack.
And with optimism and hope – the same spirit we noted when covering SLHS’s first Mental Health Day in 2017 – all went out into the afternoon sun.
P.S. Resource links for everything from education to crisis counseling are on the website for Chad’s Legacy Project, founded by Chad’s parents.
If you bought Girl Scout Cookies from Troop 44398, here’s what you’re helping make happen – troop leader Elizabeth Chapman sent the photo and report:
West Seattle Girl Scout Junior Troop 44398 will fly to San Francisco tomorrow to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge with 5,000 other Girl Scouts from all over the United States.This is the largest “bridging ceremony” in the country. The girls sold over 3000 boxes of cookies to meet their travel goal.
This troop of fifth graders have been together since kindergarten and while meeting their travel goals is important to them, they also love supporting their community. This year they supported Seattle Children’s Hospital by donating copies of their favorite books to give to children in the hospital.
Troop leader Chapman is also the owner of Trendy Crafts, with which the troop worked two years ago to donate craft kits for kids at Children’s.
8:16 PM: What was briefly a “full response” by Seattle Fire has been downgraded. The fire in the 5200 block of Fauntleroy Way is described by SFD as “a small fire inside a dryer.”
8:59 PM: At the scene, firefighters confirmed that it was out quickly and no one was hurt.
That’s the slide deck circulated for tomorrow morning’s meeting of the Elected Leadership Group in the Sound Transit West Seattle to Ballard light-rail planning process. The 9:30 am meeting at the ST board room downtown (401 S. Jackson) is supposed to culminate with the ELG (here’s the roster – but note that City Councilmember Debora Juarez has replaced ex-CM Rob Johnson) recommendation on potential routing/station locations to go into environmental studies.
New in the slide deck (which you also can see here in PDF), starting at page 61: Visual representations of what the Stakeholder Advisory Group recommended more than a week ago (WSB coverage here). Tomorrow’s meeting includes public comment – here’s the agenda; once the ELG makes its recommendation, the final decision is in the hands of the Sound Transit Board, at committee and full meetings next month.
We’ve received a few questions about the film crew at Don Armeni. All they would tell us is, it’s a TV commercial. They’re shooting intermittently on Harbor Avenue, with this camera-equipped car:
The postponed 4th Avenue SW closure south of Roxbury, for work related to the King County Housing Authority‘s construction in the area, is now set to start Monday. From KCHA:
We have resolved the complex utility conflicts that delayed our road closure and are ready to proceed with the full road closure. We have received final road closure permission from King County Road Services Division, King County Department of Local Services. 4th Avenue SW will be totally closed from SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street starting Monday, April 29th. This closure will continue from April 29th to Monday, June 3rd, with the following work hours:
• Monday – Friday 7 AM to 5 PM
• Saturday – 9 AM to 5 PMThere will be additional brief road/lane closures following the initial closure to complete additional work.
We have coordinated with local residents, emergency services, schools, and area service providers.
Here’s our original report on the project.
Seven hours left if you haven’t yet signed up YOUR sale for the 15th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (coordinated by WSB) on May 11th! 11:30 pm tonight (Thursday) is the deadline – we then get busy making sure the clickable and downloadable/printable versions of the map and sale listings will be ready a week in advance of the big day. To register, go here – thank you!
(Junction volunteers Mike and SuzAnne)
The photo and invitation are from the West Seattle Junction Association:
Junction Spring Clean
Saturday, April 27th
9 AM to Noon
Meet at Junction Plaza ParkSpring clean in the Junction. Join fellow neighbors and businesses for the 3rd Annual West Seattle Junction Spring Clean Saturday, April 27th 9 am to 12 Noon. The Junction QFC will supply breakfast, coffee, cleaning supplies, and a nifty volunteer lunch tote.
Activities include picking up litter, stenciling storm drains to prevent water pollution, painting out graffiti, removing invasive plants, and more. Seattle Public Utilities and the Junction Association support volunteers by providing free tools like garbage bags, gloves, garbage grabbers, safety vests, and paint supplies.
Grab a group of people! It’s a perfect time for organizations, businesses or groups to work together on a volunteer project.
There’s something for everyone, kids included! Meet at Junction Plaza Park (42nd and Alaska). No pre-registration necessary, just show up and be ready to dig in.
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