West Seattle, Washington
02 Monday
3:28 PM: Just received from the West Seattle Community Orchestras:
Attention! NO WSCO TONIGHT.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, all WSCO activities at Chief Sealth International High School are canceled for tonight, January 7th. The building will be closed. Watch for re-scheduling information in the near future.
WSCO says it’s been told there’s a water shutoff affecting CSIHS. We’re checking with the district and Seattle Public Utilities.
4:06 PM: While we await further info from those sources, WSCO has been told it’s going to be a 6 pm-midnight shutoff, so apparently it’s planned.
Thanks to Jenny for sending the photo and report: Less than a week after a driver hit and damaged the Roxhill Park swing set, it is fixed and reopened. No one was hurt in the New Year’s Day crash.
The city has announced recipients of $25,000 grants through what so far is a one-time-only pilot “stabilization” program. Two South Park businesses are on the list. From the announcement:
The City of Seattle launched the new Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program to help vulnerable micro-businesses remain in business after a destabilizing event. In 2019, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan directed the Office of Economic Development (OED) to develop a strategy to help micro-businesses better navigate the impacts of rising commercial rents, displacement, and destabilizing events. All eight Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program grantees are women and minority-owned businesses.
Small businesses make up 95 percent of Seattle establishments and provide nearly 200,000 jobs. During a time of unprecedented economic growth in Seattle, the City recognizes that many small businesses experience unique challenges that put the health of their business at risk, particularly Seattle’s low-income microenterprises. These challenges are particularly acute for women and minority-owned businesses, and businesses owned by immigrants and refugees. …
The Mayor’s Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program awards $25,000 to eight local businesses who meet the following criteria:
Business consists of five employees or less;
Business owner is at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income;
Business suffered a loss of income due to a destabilizing event, like property destruction, construction impacts, or potential displacement;
Business can feasibly be stabilized; and
Business is preferably located in a neighborhood experiencing high rates of displacement. …Grants may be used to cover the day-to-day operating expenses of the business, such as payroll or losses due to destabilizing events. In addition to funding, grantees will be provided with stabilization coaching from an OED Small Business Advocate and financial coaching from an expert. Advocates will support business owners in determining the best use of grant funds and will act as liaisons to connect businesses with additional resources, such as lease education, marketing and branding support, City permit navigation, and credit counseling. ..,
The eight awardees of the 2020 Small Business Stabilization Pilot Program funding are:
Dayspring & Fitch Funeral Home, 4200 S Othello St., Unit 123, Seattle, WA 98118
Dora’s Daycare, 906 23rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
El Buen Sabor, 8456 Dallas Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
iConcept Signs, 700 S Orchard St., Seattle, WA 98108
Muy Macho Taco Truck, 8515 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Seattle’s Best BBQ, 450 Third Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Villa Escondida, 2203 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Yearby’s Hair and Nail Design, 4501 S Lucile St., Seattle, WA 98118 …These grants are awarded through one-time funding secured for 2019; the City’s 2020 Budget invests $300,000 to sustain this program through 2020. OED will evaluate the Pilot Program later in 2020 to determine potential future operations.
The recipients were chosen from among businesses that applied in a process that concluded back in November.
Today we welcome Best of Hands Barrelhouse as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what they would like you to know as they approach their first anniversary:
By now West Seattleites are familiar with Gregory Marlor, Chris Richardson, Nick Marianetti, and the Best of Hands Barrelhouse team of dedicated, knowledgeable, and friendly beertenders. We are the folks responsible for turning the famed West Seattle “cow building” into a destination for great local craft beer brewed on premises. We’d like to thank our West Seattle community for making our first year in operation a success, and for truly making the experience of owning a small business a pleasurable one! We couldn’t have done it without the support of our wonderful community and neighbors. Now that we’re well into our first year, we can start giving back to the place that has given us so much – we figured what better way to show our appreciation than to sponsor this incredible blog!
We also wanted to let everyone know that we have big plans for the cow building in 2020. We can’t divulge too much at this time, but be on the lookout for new amenities and food options at the brewery in the upcoming year! Also, we are releasing our first packaged products! We have released our first bottled beer (extremely limited, available only at the brewery, 4-bottle-per-person limit). And we will be canning two beers today (January 7th), with an initial brewery release before distribution to retailers of fine craft beverages. We are very excited for the next year of our endeavor and we hope you all are too!
Please look for updates on bestofhandsbarrelhouse.com or follow us on social media.
Best of Hands Barrelhouse is located at 7500 35th Ave SW (on the corner of 35th Ave SW and SW Webster – there’s a giant cow named Merriam on the roof). Hours are listed here.
We thank Best of Hands Barrelhouse 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.
(Seal @ Don Armeni Boat Ramp on New Year’s Day, photographed by Steven Director)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ENDOLYNE CHILDREN’S CHOIR: New singers welcome as the winter session begins – 4:30 pm, 5:45, 7 pm depending on the age group. Rehearsals are at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. (3050 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: First meeting of 2020, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point. Agenda to include:
• The Avalon bike lanes-what’s working, what’s not?
• What’s in the pipeline for 2020 and beyond – West Seattle Greenway, completion of Avalon, more planning for Delridge Multimodal project and (maybe) the beginning of planning for East Marginal..
.
• Random brainstorming and so much more!
(6400 Sylvan Way SW)
ART CLASSES: The Orange Door Studio starts a series of classes in Linoleum Reduction Printing tonight, 6:30 pm. (1922 47th SW)
SINGER-SONGWRITER CONTEST: 7 pm at the Pacific Room (WSB sponsor) on Alki – “Six artists perform their original music in friendly competition to find the best songs. Free event, audience choice for the winner!” (2808 Alki SW) Thanks for the tip – this isn’t happening after all; the Pacific Room is closed tonight.
OPEN MIC: 9 pm at Parliament Tavern – unleash your inner star as 2020 ramps up. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
GOT AN EVENT FOR THE CALENDAR? Send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
The photo and announcement are from Endolyne Children’s Choir:
Endolyne Children’s Choir – West Seattle’s community choir since 2003 – kicks off our Winter Session tonight (Tuesday, January 7th) and it is a great time for new singers, from Kindergarten to High School, to join our fun and welcoming non-audition choir. Singers in kindergarten through 2nd Grade rehearse from 4:30 to 5:30 PM, 3rd through 5th grade rehearse from 5:45 to 6:45, and singers 6th through 12th grade rehearse from 7:00 to 8:30. Registration materials will be available before rehearsals at the Parish Hall at St. John The Baptist Church next to West Seattle High School. For more information, visit endolynechoir.org.
Our winter theme this year is Rhythm of Life. Music Director Megan McCormick and Staff Director Janelle Maroney have selected a fantastic repertoire to engage and challenge all of our choristers, whether new or returning. Debut singers (K-2nd) will transition from experiencing rhythm to tracing and beginning to write their own rhythms. Encore singers (3rd-5th) will also start writing rhythms, and eventually begin some rhythmic dictation. And for Advanced Ensemble (6th and up): we have some extra adventures in store for you! Singers will continue to sight read more complicated melodies, as well as begin performing some extremely challenging rhythmic music (For a sneak peek, watch this video).
The session will culminate with performances in March. This December we performed for friends and families in our Winter Fantasy concert, residents at The Kenney, at Seattle Center Winterfest and the West Seattle Tree Lighting, among other events, and we will continue this with our Winter Session Concert and more performances to be announced. Singers will also perform a fun song at our annual I Heart Endolyne Karaoke Night Fundraiser at Kenyon Hall on Friday, February 7th. This is our annual community building and fundraising event that is a highlight for our choristers and families.
New singers are welcome to try out the first rehearsal before registering and submitting payment. Tuition assistance is available. If you have questions or need more information, please email info@endolynechoir.org.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:55 AM: Good morning! Checking in late for the end of the first week of the new year. No current incidents. If you’ve already traveled to work/school, how’d it go?
You’ve probably heard by now that we MIGHT see some snow next weekend. Too soon, stlll, to really go into all-out Snow Panic Mode, but not too soon to contemplate whether you’re ready for it. In particular, the video above points out one thing that often comes up in WSB comment discussion when things get snowy: If there’s a sidewalk adjacent to your residence or business, you need to be ready to clear the snow/ice. More specifics here. We’ll talk more about snow readiness if the flakes stay in the forecast as the week proceeds. P.S. Need inspiration? Here’s a fun February flashback.
7:51 PM: Thanks for the texts. What started as a “full response” SFD callout in the 3100 block of SW Avalon Way has been mostly dismissed, but we are headed that way to check on it anyway.
8:10 PM UPDATE: Firefighters tell us this involved some items too close to a heater “smoldering.” No injuries, no major damage.
“I take this oath in gratitude and service, inspired by the kind of city I want for my grandchildren,” declared District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Councilmember Lisa Herbold this afternoon, right after taking the oath to start her second term. Her grandchildren, Jamaya and Jamil, were right there with her – Jamaya administered the oath, and Jamil fastened the customary pin. You can see Herbold’s oath and speech starting at 10:45 into the official Seattle Channel video:
Councilmember Herbold said her priorities, as set by District 1 voters, include fighting homelessness by doubling the investment in permanent supportive housing, progressive taxation including the high-earners’ income tax “in order to make property taxes, sales taxes, and taxes on small businesses less regressive.” Since Herbold will be chairing the committee overseeing public safety, it’s also notable that she listed as a priority that “We’re going to get back in full compliance with, and out from under, the consent decree, ensure constitutional policing, while also meeting our goals for Seattle Police Department staffing.” She also vowed to “increase access to transit, make all transportation options safer, and work to deliver Sound Transit 3 on time, and to mitigate disruption of D-1 neighborhoods.” Supporting “truly transit-oriented development” in The Junction and Delridge was on her priority list too. She promised to continue “truly superior constituent services,” too. After listing priorities, she declared that her November victory was a result of “people power,” saying that, “If we continue to mobilize like we have, our voices will change the status quo, wherever and whenever change is most needed.”
Herbold will serve as acting council president for part of this month, once the new president, Councilmember Lorena González (a West Seattleite who holds citywide Position 9 and is midway through her 4-year term) goes on maternity leave; councilmembers serve monthly rotations as president pro tem, and this year, Herbold is up first. González’s unanimous election as council president makes her the first Latinx person to serve in that role (more on that here); she became the council’s first Latinx member in 2015.
(West end of Columbia Street plan – see here for other blocks’ configuration)
Many who ride Metro between West Seattle and downtown have been asking about the status of the new transit pathway involving Alaskan Way and Columbia Street. Last we heard from SDOT was a January estimate, so we’ve been asking them if that’s still accurate. We talked late today with city spokesperson Lauren Stensland. She says they don’t have a date yet but that “early 2020” remains accurate. The city and Metro are working out details as Columbia work gets finished, she says; Metro generally likes to give three weeks’ notice of routing changes, so at this point it’s not likely to happen before late January. Stensland said they hope to have a date set by the end of next week. When up and running, the new 2-way Columbia Street will be used by routes including 21x, 37, 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, and C Line.
One month ago, we published a followup on the status of the “Stone House” at 1123 Harbor SW, a stone-studded old bungalow that the Southwest Seattle Historical Society hopes to move to a new site, with redevelopment on the way to its current one. Today, news of the next step: A briefing at this Thursday’s meeting of the city Board of Park Commissioners. The agenda indicates the briefing will address the possibility of relocating the structure to Alki Beach; an early version of that plan was described at last June’s meeting of the Alki Community Council. Thursday’s Park Board meeting is at 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.) and includes a public-comment period.
1:20 PM: Blustery weather continues – though there’s no wind advisory in effect, we’ve noticed some strong gusts, and one has apparently taken down some lines in Gatewood. Seattle Fire has checked out the report at 41st/Southern [map] and assessed one wire as electrical, so Seattle City Light is being summoned. No outage reported, though.
5:17 PM: Just got a chance to go back and look; tape’s down, road’s open.
Back in October, the city announced a big home-recycling change – no more plastic bags/wrap in your cart/bin. Now that the new year has begun, the change is in effect, so Seattle Public Utilities has sent this reminder, including best practices for how to handle what you CAN still recycle via pickup:
With the start of a new year, the King County Solid Waste Division and Seattle Public Utilities remind residents that recycling right is one of the best resolutions they can make to protect the environment and make recycling effective. Recycling right means keeping plastic bags and wrap out of curbside recycling bins and carts, and making sure all recycling is empty, clean and dry.
As of Jan. 1, garbage and recycling collection programs no longer accept plastic bags and plastic wrap in curbside recycling carts and bins.
Instead, customers should take those separated materials to one of the more than 100 drop-off locations in King County where these materials can be properly recycled. This includes plastic retail bags, sandwich bags, produce bags, dry cleaning bags, and the plastic wrap around bundled toilet paper and paper towels.
Find the full list of materials accepted at drop-off locations and a directory of drop-off locations at plasticfilmrecycling.org. King County and SPU are working to expand drop-off locations that accept plastic bags and plastic wrap for recycling.
While bringing plastic bags and wrap to a drop-off location is best for the environment, customers in Seattle and King County also can throw them in the garbage. It’s better to toss them out rather than contaminate other collected recyclables.
Plastic bags and wrap are often wet or have food waste on them when placed in the curbside recycling and contaminate other materials. Additionally, at recycling facilities, these plastics can jam sorting and processing equipment, leading to frequent shutdowns so workers can remove the tangled materials.
Bringing plastic bags and wrap to a drop-off location keeps the bundled recyclables cleaner and easier to manufacture into new products.
Other ways to recycle right include:
• Make sure your recycling is empty, clean, and dry before putting it in the recycling bin;
• When in doubt, find out – check your city or recycling collection company’s guidelines on which materials are recyclable and which are garbage; and
• Always recycle empty, clean, and dry plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs; paper; glass bottles and jars; metal cans; and cardboard.Find more information at these websites:
· Drop-off locations for plastic bags and wrap
· Seattle Public Utilities information on plastic bags and plastic wrap
Local dropoff locations listed via the lookup include Admiral and Roxbury Safeways and Westwood Village Target. The private service Ridwell offers home pickup of plastic wrap/film/bags, too.
(Cedar Waxwing at Lincoln Park, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
A handful of highlights as everyone eases back into the post-holidays routine …
CITY COUNCIL OATHS OF OFFICE: November election/re-election winners will take their oath at this afternoon’s City Council meeting, including re-elected District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold, 2 pm at City Hall. (600 4th Avenue)
FAMILY STORY TIME: Bring kids of all ages to High Point Library tonight, 6:30 pm. Free as always. (3411 SW Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS: 7 pm meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (4217 SW Oregon)
ZEN MEDITATION: 7 pm at Fauntleroy UCC, hosted by Puget Sound Zen. All welcome, whether or not you’ve meditated before – details in our calendar listing.
3 TRIVIA/QUIZ NIGHTS: Monday nights bring a trio of options:
*Best of Hands Barrelhouse (7500 35th SW; WSB sponsor), 7 pm, $2/person, 21+
*The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7:30 pm, free, all ages
*Parliament Tavern (4210 SW Admiral Way), 8 pm, $2/person, 21+
WHAT ELSE IS UP TODAY, TONIGHT, BEYOND? Find out by browsing the full Event Calendar!
Another local youth-sports league has opened signups – Southwest Little League, for girls and boys 4-16. You can register online any time at southwestlittleleague.org, or do it in person on one o two dates next month – February 8th or February 15th, 10 am-2 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park‘s “little log cabin” in White Center (1321 SW 102nd).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! School is back in session starting today.
No current incidents, but we have these transit notes:
STATE FERRIES: The winter schedule is now in effect.
SOUND TRANSIT: If you use light rail, note that 2+ months of construction-related changes have just begun – info here.
Mark sent the video, saying that prowler was recorded in his “back driveway” around 1 am Saturday, near 35th/Holden in Gatewood. Checking the SPD tweet log (which you can scroll through any time atop the WSB Crime Watch page), we note that Saturday also brought two auto-theft reports in Gatewood, 4100 block of SW Monroe and 4100 block of SW Portland – haven’t heard from the victims, so no details.
The two-week winter break is over and it’s back to school tomorrow. Seattle Public Schools has two key dates this first week:
MONDAY – First day of registration for kindergarteners and other students who will be new to the district next fall. The sooner you register, the better, as schools rely on this information for planning. All the info is on this page of the SPS website, including dates for school tours.
WEDNESDAY – This is the date when SPS says it will exclude students if they’re not in compliance with immunization requirements, as explained here. In particular, state law no longer allows a personal exemption from the MMR vaccine.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
2020 will be the fourth full year on the Myers Way Parcels for city-supported tiny-house encampment Camp Second Chance.
The year’s first monthly meeting of the CSC Community Advisory Committee happened this afternoon at Arrowhead Gardens, a few blocks north of the encampment. Here’s what happened:
CAMP UPDATES: Co-founder/site cooordinator Eric Davis said 51 people are now at the camp, occupying 45 houses with five more being replaced. No one has exited to housing this past month, but Davis said at least four people are likely to be moving out soon, as they just got vouchers. Five of the 50 tiny houses are being replaced; Davis explained that they’re the oldest ones, donated to CSC from another village, Davis said, and had mold and other safety issues.
The 35th/Alaska closure has ended early, as did the one last month, and the detours are lifted. Just drove through to confirm. Still one lane each way. SDOT says it’s expecting a third closure but has not yet set the date.
Our video is from Constellation Park, south of Alki Point, at high tide, just after noon, and shortly after the sun overpowered what had been hours of drippy weather. Aside from the sunbreak, looks like more breezy/rainy weather for the start of back-to-school (etc.) week.
P.S. Though there’s been some talk of snow chances next weekend, the National Weather Service isn’t making much noise so far.
The family of Dorothy Louise (Johns) Nute is sharing this remembrance with the community:
Dorothy was born to Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Emil & Ellen (Olson) Johns on July 10, 1919 in Seattle, Washington.
She lived her whole 100 years in West Seattle where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Jack, at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Dorothy graduated with West Seattle High School’s Class of 1938. After graduating, she worked at Sears Roebuck & Company during the “Mail Order” days, and retired in 1981.
In 1940, she married the love of her life, “Jack” Nute. Dorothy & Jack were happily married for 45 wonderful years, until he preceded her in death in 1986. She is survived by their daughter, Ginny, and their sons, Bob, Bill, & John.
Dorothy also leaves her grandchildren, Michelle, Michael, Heather, and several Step-Grandchildren; her great-grandchildren, Valery, Shelby, Mitchell, & Odessa; her nieces, Sue, Sally, & Diane; and many dear Family members & Friends to cherish her loving memory.
Selfless to a fault, Dorothy took care of her invalid Mother before her passing, as well as her Husband, who was later disabled by a stroke.
Everyone who knew Dorothy knew that she always put the well-being of others before her own. For that reason and countless more, she will always have a very special place in our hearts.
A Private Gathering in her honor was held on Saturday, January 4th, 2020.
Share your condolences & memories of Dorothy with Family & Friends for generations to come by visiting her online memorial page at www.EmmickFunerals.com/notices/Dorothy-Nute
Care & Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle
(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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