day : 09/11/2021 11 results

SCHOOLS: Bicycling/walking education resumes with special delivery in West Seattle

After a 19-month pandemic break, a program teaching bicycling and walking safety to Seattle Public Schools students is getting up and running again, starting with a special delivery Tuesday morning in West Seattle. A Cascade Bicycle Club truck rolled up pulling a trailer with 31 bicycles for Louisa Boren STEM K-8 students to use over the next three weeks during PE class.

The program is called “Let’s Go” and has been offered to elementary students in Seattle Public Schools since 2015, with a pandemic break starting last year. The announcement of its resumption says that it teaches “physical fundamentals of helmet safety, balancing, steering, pedaling, and stopping, (and) the rules of safe and courteous riding along with skills to cross a street at intersections.” The city is paying Cascade $2 million over the next five years to bring the program to more than 20,000 students each year.

WEST SEATTLE MUSIC: Brent Amaker and The Rodeo ‘surprise show’ Wednesday, pre-tour

(Photo courtesy Brent Amaker)

More local music news: Last time West Seattle musician Brent Amaker and his band The Rodeo played on the peninsula was their headline gig in 2017 for Summer Fest in The Junction. Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, they’re playing a “surprise” hometown show, before heading out on a West Coast tour opening for Grammy winners The Mavericks. Amaker’s announcement notes, “All of the 1,200-seat-theater shows are sold out. The first of the dates will happen this coming Sunday at the legendary Fillmore Theatre in San Francisco.” But first, a kickoff at Yen Wor Village in Admiral (2300 California SW): “The event is free (with a suggested donation) and open to the public. Karaoke will be hosted by Loretta from 7-10 PM followed by a performance by Brent Amaker and The Rodeo.” Note that the event “is 21 + and proof of vaccination will be required.” Here’s their latest video;

If you miss tomorrow night’s Yen Wor show, you can catch their Holiday Show at Neumos on Capitol Hill December 17th, along with local faves The Dusty 45s.

WEST SEATTLE MUSIC: See the debut video from THEM

Meet THEM – what you see above is the band’s video debut. Member Ellie emailed us to say, “We are a West Seattle teen girl band (ages 16-19) that formed at Mode Music Studios called THEM! We just released our first music video to our debut single ‘BAD 4 U’.” She and bandmates Hudson, Maia, and Thompson asked us to share it with you. You can also stream the song via a variety of channels that are all linked here. You can also see THEM onstage at a big gig downtown next month – they’re playing the Paramount on December 12th as part of the 30th anniversary screening of “Nirvana: Live at the Paramount” – tickets are on sale online. Find out more about THEM on their website.

WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: When will work start? Updates expected Wednesday @ Community Task Force

It’s November, and that’s when SDOT has said work will start on the repairs that will make it possible to reopen the 19-months-closed West Seqttle Bridge. We’ve been asking SDOT when and where we can photograph and report on the first work – or at least the preparations for it; no specifics yet. But the major updates every month have been presented to the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, and noon tomorrow (Wednesday, November 10th) is that group’s next meeting. We just received the agenda – see it here; it includes a bridge update with these points:

-What’s about to happen
-What to expect while the bridge is under repair

We also have the link you can use tomorrow to watch live – go here. The meeting does not include a public-comment period, but you can send comments or questions to westseattlebridge@seattle.gov.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Suspect arrested for Junction incidents

Multiple readers asked about a sizable police response last night at Cal-Mor Circle (the cylindrical apartment building in Morgan Junction). We had only fragments of information last night but now we have details. After a standoff, police arrested a 44-year-old man suspected of incidents earlier in the day, including this one at 11:40 am Monday, as summarized by police:

An individual walked into a bank in the 4200 block of SW Edmunds, approached the teller, and told her, “give me all your money or I will f-ing kill you.” The suspect has an account at that particular bank, so the teller knew who he was. He left with no money. The suspect is known to officers and suffers from mental illness.

Police tried to find him at his residence after that but were unsuccessful. Then, they say, this happened:

The same suspect entered a store nearby from the rear entrance. The victim said the suspect was very aggressive and threatened to kill the employee because she asked him to put a mask on. When he refused, the victim asked the suspect to leave. The suspect refused to leave. The suspect’s behavior escalated, and he threatened to kill the victim as he was reaching into his jacket as if he was reaching for a weapon. The victim said she was terrified of the suspect’s threat and action. The suspect then fled the scene on foot.

Police found him at home at Cal-Mor Circle later after being dispatched there “because the suspect had threatened to kill other residents and pulled the fire alarm.” Police say he barricaded himself inside his apartment; they called in negotiating-team officers, then got a search warrant and arrested him. The SPD summary makes one final note: “During transport to King County Jail via AMR, the suspect spat on an officer and two AMR personnel.” So far the jail roster shows his bail set at $3,000, and that his case was sent to Seattle Municipal Court. We’ll add anything more we find out.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Afternoon updates

(Updated 3:11 pm)

Our storm coverage continues, picking up from our morning updates (which included school closures):

WEATHER: Unsettled weather continues – as noted in our earlier coverage, that tornado warning some got last hour (depending on your cell service) was intended for Kitsap County, not us, but the Wind Advisory alert continues until 4 pm, and if you look to the west, very ominous skies. (Added 3:11 pm) There’ve been sunbreaks, too – Stewart L. got this photo during one of them:

TRANSPORTATION: Metro has canceled the 12:30 pm and 1 pm West Seattle Water Taxi runs because of the stormy weather. … Some traffic signals are still out in the areas that lost power this morning…. (3:01 pm update) The Water Taxi did return to its regular schedule.

(Photo sent by David – SCL crew at work)

POWER OUTAGES: 823 residences/businesses are still out, mostly east of The Junction, according to the Seattle City Light outage map. There are a few small pocket outages, too, like 5 customers near 21st/Genesee on Pigeon Point. (1:43 pm update) Most are back on – now just a handful of single-digit pocket outages.

More updates to come …

4-DAY WEEKEND: Seattle Public Schools to close Friday as well as Thursday

12:38 PM: Thanks to the readers who just forwarded this message saying Seattle Public Schools will be closed Friday as well as Thursday due to “an unusually large number of SPS staff taking leave on Friday, and do not believe we have adequate personnel to open schools with the necessary environment for high-quality learning.” The district’s message adds, “This learning day will be added to the end of the 21/22 school year to ensure all students have access to the full number of educational hours.” The originally scheduled last day of the year is June 17, 2022.

2:03 PM: Some are noting in comments below that at least some district-distributed calendars listed this as a four-day weekend earlier in the year.

WEST SEATTLE TUESDAY: 5 events to know about for the rest of today/tonight

November 9, 2021 11:29 am
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE TUESDAY: 5 events to know about for the rest of today/tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Wind-fueled waves on Beach Drive this morning – thanks to Karen for the photo)

Major community events are scheduled for today/tonight, so while we’re continuing to update weather-related news here, we don’t want to miss the chance to preview what’s ahead:

FAUNTLEROY FERRY TERMINAL PROJECT: The Technical Advisory Group meets at 1 pm, following the two other advisory groups’ meetings last week (WSB coverage here). This is an online meeting and the public is welcome to watch/listen – find the registration link by scrolling down this page.

CAMP SECOND CHANCE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE: This group finally has a new day and time – second Tuesdays at 6 pm, still online. Public welcome to hear updates and ask questions/provide comments about West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment. Info for participating/watching/listening is in our calendar listing.

WESTSIDE SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT: If you’re interested in preschool through 4th grade at Westside School (WSB sponsor), tonight’s information night – online – is for you. Registration info is here.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: As previewed here, this group is having a hybrid meeting – 7 pm at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill), but you’re also welcome to participate by video/phone – that info is in our calendar listing.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm board meeting, online. Community members welcome. Here’s the agenda; register to attend by going here.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Wind alert, big power outage, schools/businesses/other closures – updating

(12:40 pm note, we are no longer updating this story – see our afternoon coverage here)

We’ve been covering the wind-related trouble in our morning roundup but now it’s time to break it out for updates.

WEATHER ALERTS: We’re under a Wind Advisory until 4 pm, with gusts up to 45 mph out of the south. … 11:57 AM: Some are getting a tornado warning but it’s for Kitsap County, not us. … 12:21 PM – The warning for Kitsap County has expired. Whether you got it or not depended on your cell provider – our AT&T phone got it, our Verizon phone didn’t, for example.

POWER OUTAGE UPDATES: More than 5,300 homes and businesses in West Seattle lost power at 7:40 am (here’s the SCL map).

This includes some traffic signals – treat any dark or flashing signalized intersection as an all-way stop. (9:12 am update) Some have their power back but 3,500+ homes/businesses are still out per SCL map. (9:35 am update) Getting reports of more power restoration – waiting for map to update. (9:44 am update) Map finally updated – now down to just under 900 customers still out. (10:12 am update) Down to 826. Adding updated SCL map below:

(11 am update) Still 826 out, mostly east of the heart of The Junction; SCL attributed outage to a tree.

SCHOOL CLOSURES/CHANGES:
Hope Lutheran School is closed for the day.
Holy Rosary hopes to start late – families are advised to stay home and wait for word. (10:06 am – CLOSED for the day)
West Seattle High School closed – this is the only SPS school in West Seattle affected so far

BUSINESSES/OTHER CLOSURES/CHANGES: Please text or call with updates – 206-293-6302

*Trader Joe’s in The Junction is without power and closed – (11:12 am update – REOPENED)
*QFC in The Junction closed (10:57 am update – REOPENED)
*Safeway in Jefferson Square closed (10:30 am update – REOPENED)
*West Seattle YMCA – closed (10 am update – REOPENED)
*Swedish clinic at 42nd/Alaska – closed
*Dr. Peter Yi‘s dental office – closed
*Senior Center of WS – closed
*Other Junction closures – mostly on the east side of California and eastward (zoom way in on SCL map); if outage continues past 10:30 am we’ll be making an in-person sweep

Remembering Karen Hooper Daum, 1954-2021

November 9, 2021 8:14 am
|    Comments Off on Remembering Karen Hooper Daum, 1954-2021
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Karen Hooper Daum and sharing this remembrance with the community:

Karen Hooper Daum was born January 14, 1954 in Seattle and passed away in early October in her home on Camano Island. She is remembered by friends as smart, thoughtful, fun-loving, compassionate and friendly.

Karen was a 1972 graduate of West Seattle High School and attended Highline and South Seattle Community Colleges. In 1976 she began working for West Seattle Associates as a receptionist, typesetter, and provided administrative support for the Neighborhood Telephone Directories.

That same year Karen married the love of her life, Gary Daum, a talented artist and gentle soul with a great sense of humor. They were a perfect match.

In 1998 Karen and Gary moved to Camano Island, where she became Director of Tourism and Operations for the Camano Island Chamber of Commerce. She served on the 2% Joint Tourism Committee and collaborated on activities with the Camano Senior and Community Center. She assisted with many community events.

Karen and Gary loved spending time on their Lake Tyee property with their good friends and neighbors. She was heartbroken after Gary passed away on February 21st, 2021, a devastating loss after 44 years of marriage.

Preceded in death by her parents Eileen and Bill Hooper and her brother Marty Hooper, she is survived by her brother Rod Hooper, nieces Michelle Besagno and Kelly Burdette, nephew Justin Worthen, grandnephews Nik and Ben Turcinec, and grandnieces Dani and Hazel Rose Besagno. There will be no services.

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

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: Tuesday morning, with wind trouble

ADDED 7:29 AM: Tree down on westbound Sylvan Way, according to texter. Also note that we’re under a Wind Advisory alert until 4 pm, with south winds gusting up to 45 mph.

7:43 AM: Tree cleared from road. Power outage reported in SE Admiral.

7:52 AM: Map shows it’s a 5300+-customer outage.

7:57 AM: Hope Lutheran School is closed. Holy Rosary is starting late. We will break this all out into a separate story shortly.

8:20 AM: Separate wind-related coverage now here.

Earlier:

6:04 AM: Good morning.

WEATHER

Today’s forecast: Windy and rainy.

NOTE FOR BICYCLE COMMUTERS

As Ride in the Rain Challenge continues, today’s the day riders can stop at the Light Up Your Trip event under the bridge 7-9 am – food, lights, more.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

596th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: No new trouble reported over the weekend. Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

South Park Bridge:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

Are movable bridges opening for vessels? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed is working again; 1st Ave. South Bridge openings are also tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.

ROAD WORK

26th SW – Continuing southbound closure between Roxbury and Barton for RapidRide H Line prep work. Also, new work at 26th/Roxbury. This flyer has details.

Delridge Way – Trees for the medians have been arriving; SDOT says planting is expected later this month.

BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES

Regular Metro schedule, except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones, including 26th SW. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.

For ferries and Water Taxi: WSF continues a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates. The Water Taxi continues on its modified schedule for this fall/winter (7 days but no weekend or off-peak shuttle buses). Note that the Water Taxi will NOT run on Thursday.

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.