West Seattle, Washington

29 Sunday

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month : 02/2023 277 results

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Two charged in LA Fitness incident
February 12, 2023 9:24 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, February 3)

Nine days ago, we reported on an incident at LA Fitness in The Junction. The two suspects who were arrested are now each charged with three felonies.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Peter M. Rodrigue Jr. and Javier E. Garcia, both 18-year-old West Seattle residents, with two counts of felony harassment and one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun. The charging documents offer a few more details on what allegedly happened at the gym that Friday afternoon:

Rodrigue and Garcia are reported to have gone in and asked for guess passes. An employee told them that without a member accompanying them, they needed to become gym members or they needed to leave. The employee said, according to the charging documents, they “got upset and asked him what time he got off work and what kind of car he drove. (Then) Rodrigue told him, ‘We’re gonna smoke you!’ which made (him) believe and fear that Rodrigue intended to hurt or kill him.” The club manager then confronted Garcia and Rodrigue and reiterated that they needed to leave; prosecutors say “she began filming them and felt threatened by their actions. … On the video, officers observed Garcia and Rodrigue walking toward the exit. Rodrigue walked outside the business. However, Garcia stops, places a ski mask over his face, turns back around, and walks back toward the front desk. Garcia then flips off (the manager), turns back around and starts walking toward the front door. As Garcia walked out the front door he turned back around and moved toward (the manager, who) screamed at Garcia asking him if he now wanted to touch her. Garcia then starts slowly backing away but reaches his left hand into his jacket pocket and starts to pull out a handgun from the pocket while threatening (the manager).” Investigators say the two then headed for the garage, and police stopped them a short time later after blocking the entrance/exit. The car they were in belonged to and was driven by a third man who police determined was not involved, so he was released. Inside the car, though, they found the modified handgun reported in previous coverage – described in the charging papers as having “an uncommon protrusion from the rear of the slide of the firearm that was discovered to be an auto sear modification. This auto sear is a small plastic or metal device that can make any handgun a fully automatic weapon – in essence, a machine gun. Auto sears are illegal at the city, state, and federal levels.”

The charging documents reveal a twist, though – police say the modified gun is not the one they allege Garcia was pulling out of his pocket. The images above are from the manager’s video and included with the police-written narrative in the charging documents, which goes on to say:

It was clear on the video footage that Garcia produced a firearm while threatening (the manager). However, the video footage was reviewed further and it was discovered that the firearm that Garcia used to threaten (her) was NOT the firearm that was recovered in the vehicle floorboard where Rodrigue was seated. The firearm in the video footage clearly does not show an auto sear device attached to it. By the time this discovery was made, (the driver) had long left the area with his vehicle. It is believed that Garcia hid the gun he was carrying within the suspect vehicle prior to being removed from the car by police. Officers at the time believed that the gun recovered from the front passenger side floorboard was the gun used by Garcia in this incident. The vehicle was not searched during the investigation before (its owner) was released with it.

Rodrigue has been in jail ever since his arrest that day, initially held on warrants from a robbery case in Auburn and a juvenile burglary case; his bail now totals $110,000. Garcia’s bail was set at $5,000 the day after the incident and he got out on bond; that remains his bail amount and he remains out of custody. He has no known criminal-conviction record, while Rodrigue has a harassment conviction. Both are scheduled for arraignment February 22nd.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Latest on this week’s snow possibilities
February 12, 2023 7:12 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Latest on this week’s snow possibilities
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Lynn Hall for tonight’s sunset photo! We’re continuing to watch the forecast for the week ahead – and a bit of snow is still mentioned as a possibility tomorrow night and overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Nothing major, but worth keeping on your radar. (Last year, we saw a little snow well into spring, in April!) Also noted in the current forecast – possible thunderstorms Monday afternoon/evening.

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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Four for ‘Superb Owl Sunday’
February 12, 2023 5:18 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

If you’re a frequent WSB reader, you likely know that during football season, we feature galleries of readers’ bird photos. While we’ve gone back lately to spotlighting birds one at a time in our daily “what’s happening” lists, Jamie Kinney suggested joining in “Superb Owl Sunday.”

Jamie shared some favorite owl photos from the past two-plus years – above, a Snowy Owl; below, a Barred Owl:

Looking into our files of bird photos received in recent months, we found Kersti Muul‘s photo of a Great Horned Owl in Lincoln Park last October:

And one more from Jamie, an owl you won’t see around here – a Little Owl photographed in Scotland:

Thanks again to everyone who shares bird photos – and do check our daily “what’s happening today” lists for more, as we get them! Also, if you missed the announcement Saturday, two West Seattle parks are hosting birding events soon.

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SPORTS: Search for softball coaches
February 12, 2023 4:22 pm
|    Comments Off on SPORTS: Search for softball coaches
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Spring sports are approaching and West Seattle High School is looking for softball coaches. Athletic Director Corey Sorenson asked us to publish the announcement:

West Seattle High School is looking for qualified applicants interested in being a Head Coach or Assistant Coach for Girls Fastpitch Softball this year. Applicants are encouraged to apply in the link provided and contact Mr. Sorenson at cjsorenson@seattleschools.org. (Application Link – Head Coach or Assistant Coach)

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ELECTION 2023: Voting ends Tuesday for housing initiative, King Conservation District
February 12, 2023 12:56 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Another reminder that you have until Tuesday to vote in two elections, with separate ballots and voting methods.

SEATTLE I-135: Your mail ballot has just one issue – Seattle Initiative 135, to create a new Public Development Authority to build so-called “social housing.” It is not a levy or bond measure and does not include funding aside from obliging the city to provide “startup support,” with no price tag attached (see Section 12 in the voter pamphlet that’s in your ballot envelope). Our look at I-135 last month is here. This ballot has to either be placed in a King County Elections dropbox no later than 8 pm Tuesday or in the USPS mail in time to be postmarked no later than Tuesday. So far, only 17 percent of ballots citywide have been returned.

KING CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR: This vote is happening online, with three candidates running for one seat on the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Two are West Seattleites – incumbent supervisor Chris Porter and Csenka Favorini-Csorba; the third candidate is April Brown. King Conservation District is “a special-purpose district committed to helping people engage in stewardship and conservation of natural resources” with an $8 million budget. This vote is done via online ballot access; find the voting link and candidate info here. Deadline to vote is 8 pm Tuesday.

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UPDATE: Power outage in Jefferson Square area blamed on fuse
February 12, 2023 10:17 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

(Screengrab from Seattle City Light outage map)

10:17 AM: Thanks for the tip. A power outage is affecting the Jefferson Square vicinity. A texter says Safeway is closed and Bartell Drugs is cash-only right now. No word so far on the cause; the Seattle City Light map says it started around 9 am.

11:14 AM: The map doesn’t reflect it but the J-Square businesses all appear to have power now.

12:31 PM: Partial power, per commenters.

4:55 PM: The outage has vanished from the map since our last check. We’ll be asking SCL tomorrow about the cause.

ADDED 11:06 AM MONDAY: SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang tells WSB the cause of the outage was a “fuse, which was eventually replaced.”

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UPDATE: 2-alarm fire at South Delridge apartment building, arson suspect arrested
February 12, 2023 7:50 am
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

7:50 AM: SFD is at a building in the 1700 block of SW Barton and has just called for a second alarm. At least one person is reported injured. There was also a callout to the same address early yesterday, but that one was quickly downsized. Updates to come.

7:55 AM: The fire is reported to be under control, firefighters told dispatch. According to online records, this is a three-story, 14-apartment building.

(WSB photos)

8:06 AM: They’re continuing to search inside the building to be sure no other victims are inside. We’re at the scene now and are adding photos.

8:12 AM: Still smoke on one side of the building.

They’ve just told dispatch the fire is “tapped, all three floors.” SFD’s investigator is reported to be on the way.

8:28 AM: So is an SFD chaplain. We don’t have details about victim(s) yet but a public-information officer has just arrived so more details should be forthcoming. … They are also calling for the Red Cross to help displaced residents.

8:38 AM: SFD says the person who was burned is a 35-year-old man, taken to a hospital in serious condition.

8:55 AM: Police are investigating too. Now that the fire’s out, the most heavily damaged side of the building is visible:

9:16 AM: At the scene, SFD spokesperson Heather Reichmann tells us six units were damaged in this fire. She described the incident yesterday as “minimal” – logs show that most of the initial dispatch was canceled before even arriving – but two incidents in two days is why SPD is investigating.

10:06 AM: Some firefighters are still on scene after about 2 1/2 hours and are reporting a small “hot spot.”

11:56 AM: Via Twitter, SFD also says a cat and parakeet were found dead in one unit.

3:51 PM: SPD has announced an arrest in this fire – the person who was taken to the hospital:

Police spoke with witnesses who reported seeing a man on his porch light an item on fire then walk away. This man was also seen setting fire to items in his apartment before he himself caught on fire.

SFD provided medical aid to the 35-year-old male suspect with non-life-threatening injuries. He was later transported to Harborview Medical Center.

The apartment building sustained extensive damage to several units but no one else reported injuries.

The suspect was arrested for arson and will be booked into King County Jail once medically cleared.

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WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 12 options!
February 12, 2023 6:34 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Emily Carlston)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and our inbox, here are some possibilities for your Sunday:

ONLINE RELIGIOUS SERVICES: We’re continuing to list these – see today’s lineup here.

ANIMATED CAFE STORY TIME: 9:30 am in the building next to the coffee stand’s lot at 4518 Fauntleroy Way SW. Sign up in advance here.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market offers winter produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)

YOUTH SOFTBALL CLINIC: Registered West Seattle Little League softball players are invited to this 10 am clinic at the upper fields of Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).

PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: Westside Wonderspace nature preschool invites prospective families to an open house today, 11 am-1 pm. (7018 14th SW)

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: Lots of places to watch. One is the Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way), opening early, at 11 am. Also note that some places close if they’re not obvious game-watching venues – so check directly before going.

‘AN ENDLESS SHIFT’: Matinee at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 3 pm performance of “An Endless Shift,” described as: “Created from verbatim accounts of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Seattle nurses who were there.” Get your ticket(s) here.

NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).

LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Princess Pulpit (4 West Seattle teens) and School of Rock West Seattle House Band, live at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 5:30 pm doors, 6:30 pm music, $10 cash at the door, all ages.

YOGA, MEDITATION, GONG BATH: Presented by Inner Alchemy 7 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35.

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 9 pm to 1:30 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).

Have an event to add to our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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UPDATE: Flipped-car crash in Morgan Junction
February 11, 2023 11:58 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

11:58 PM: Police and fire are arriving at a reported flipped-car crash at California/Fauntleroy. Everybody’s reported to be out of the car, no serious injuries.

(WSB photo)

12:26 AM: This is on the southbound side of California by Morgan Junction Park. Northbound vehicles are getting by.

(Photo sent by Bryan)

12:51 AM: Officers at the scene just told dispatch that they’ll be “reopening the road shortly” and are calling for a tow for the flipped car.

ADDED MIDDAY SUNDAY: As noted in comments, two damaged cars remained parked at the crash scene this morning.

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BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School boys win district-tournament opener
February 11, 2023 10:03 pm
|    Comments Off on BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School boys win district-tournament opener
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The second round of the high-school basketball postseason has begun!

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

Tonight at West Seattle High School, the Wildcats won their first game in the district tournament. Strong defense as well as offense took WSHS to a 60-41 victory over visiting Mercer Island.

Top Wildcat scorer on the night was #5, senior Ryder Mackay (above), with 20 points. Not far behind at 18 points was #24, senior Chase Clifton.

#3, junior Bo Gionet, was next with eight points. Head coach Dan Kriley‘s Wildcats (13-9) move on to play Eastside Catholic Tuesday night (February 14th), 8 pm at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE).

Ticket info for Tuesday’s game is here.

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WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Pastel sunset tonight, bit of snow possible next week
February 11, 2023 8:11 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Troy Sterk for the photo of tonight’s pastel sunset, following a day with a generous amount of sunshine. Next week, the forecast suggests, we might see a bit of snow – the ever-popular “wintry mix” is a possibility late Monday night and early Thursday. We’re still running behind normal rainfall, by the way – the four inches we’ve seen since the first of the year is just a little more than half of what’s normal.

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‘THE LAST ACT’: West Seattle filmmaker telling a story that’s both personal and universal
February 11, 2023 5:46 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people | WS culture/arts

We’ve reported before on West Seattle filmmaker Amy Benson‘s work, including the award-winning “Drawing the Tiger.” This time, she’s telling a personal story – which is also one that’s ahead for us all, one way or another:

I am making my first personal documentary about my mom, Patsy Benson, a 92-year-old retired actress and homemaker who lives at The Kenney on Fauntleroy.

The film is called “The Last Act: A short documentary about Life and Death.” It follows my mom’s journey of deciding it is no longer safe to live on her own and finding a retirement community she can afford and feel at home — all while her best friend of 60 years is in hospice. It is a film about aging and preparing emotionally for the final stage of life. It is half verite documentary and half theatrical performance. Throughout, my mom performs monologues that we captured on the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center stage.

We are currently running a Kickstarter campaign for finishing funds for the film. We need to raise $14,300 by February 22. The campaign is going really well and I believe we will make our goal. Once we do, we plan on making a stretch goal to fund free screenings at senior settings in greater Seattle accompanied by a curriculum for seniors and their adult children/care partners.

We are on target to have the project completed by May. My mom and I will premiere it at The Kenney over the summer, as well as Kenyon Hall. It is edited by West Seattle resident Kristin Ougendal.

Even if you’re not interested in donating, check out the Kickstarter page to watch a two-minute video about the project, in which you’ll meet Amy’s mom and also hear from Amy, who explains she’s telling the story because she feels her mom’s approach to this stage of life is “both comforting and contagious.” (As somber as the subject matter may sound, the video is likely to make you smile.)

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WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Two events ahead at local parks
February 11, 2023 3:55 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Two events ahead at local parks
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | Wildlife

If you’re one of the many bird fans out in WSB-land, Seattle Parks environmental educator Nicole Parish-Andrews has an invitation for you:

Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Environmental Education Unit will be hosting 2 bird-watching events for the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 17th and 18th in West Seattle. One at Westcrest Park on the 17th from 3-4:30 pm (meet at the picnic tables near the P-patch), and one at Camp Long on Saturday the 18th from 10-11:30 am. You can attend just one or both. No previous birding experience? No problem! We will have naturalists there to help guide you and your family and also provide binoculars to borrow. Join us as we explore the wonderful world of birds in our beautiful local parks!

Free, no pre-registration required – just show up.

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FYI: It’s 211 Day
February 11, 2023 1:52 pm
|    Comments Off on FYI: It’s 211 Day
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Everyone knows about 911. What about 211? People in West Seattle’s five zip codes made 2,200 calls to the help hotline in the past year, according to stats you can check here. Today’s an awareness-raising day for the service, according to this news release we received:

Saturday, February 11, is 211 Day, celebrating the go-to resource 211, which has helped over 5 million Washingtonians, since its inception in 2006, providing “No Wrong Door” access to needed services with professional live assistance.

211 is an essential component to the continuum of service provided through Washington’s three three-digit dialing services. The readily recognized “911” handles emergencies, the recently instituted “988” responds to possible suicides and mental health crises and “211” assist callers with overcoming the many other life crises such as housing uncertainty, job loss, loss of electric and other utilities, health care and legal issues.

The 211 service not only provides personalized assistance to our safety net, it also collects information about the many demands on a community’s social and health resources. Visit WA.211counts.org to review demand for services in your Washington community such as by school, legislative or congressional district.

“211 is a critical state resource that connects people in need with live, in-person skilled assistance”, states Dona Ponepinto, CEO of the United Way of Pierce County; “however, to meet 211’s significant call volume growth these past few years and boost our capacity to serve more people, additional resources are needed from the state to meet the demand.”

This week, advocates for the 211 service have been talking to legislators in Olympia about correcting historic underfunding of the program. Call volume for 211 has doubled since the start of the pandemic and yet funding has been stagnant, causing an increase in call response times. Advocates seek sufficient funding to increase operating hours to be consistent with 911 and 988 (24 hours, 7 days a week), decrease call wait times, and enhance the 211’s extensive community resource database used to make service referrals.

211 provides referrals to local agencies around the state – here that would include agencies such as the West Seattle Food Bank, which offers emergency assistance to help people from becoming homeless.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Morning package grabber; meeting reminder
February 11, 2023 11:15 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

Two notes:

PACKAGE GRABBER: Around 8 am today, this package thief struck in Highland Park:

Mike, who sent the video and report, says this happened near 12th SW and SW Kenyon.

MEETING REMINDER: You’re invited to hear from and talk with police at the Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting this Thursday, in person or online. The featured guest will be from the city’s Unified Care Team, which deals with encampments. The meeting’s at 7 pm Thursday (February 16) at the precinct (2300 SW Webster); online and phone attendance info is in our calendar listing.

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WEST SEATTLE SATURDAY: 17 options!
February 11, 2023 6:34 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Driftwood logs at Lincoln Park)

February’s second weekend has begun, and we have some options for you today/tonight:

SATURDAY MORNING ULTIMATE: 8 am at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), just show up to throw with the West Seattle Ultimate Frisbee Family.

SOFTBALL PITCHING CLINIC: Softball players registered with West Seattle Little League are welcome at today’s clinic at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex fields (2801 SW Thistle), 9-10 am rookies/minors, 10:30-11:30 am majors/juniors. More info in our calendar listing.

POTTERY SALE: 10 am-3 pm today. (4111 47th SW)

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN: 10 am-5 pm, the garden’s centerpiece courtyard is open, while the rest of the garden’s grounds are accessible dawn to dusk. More info here. (5640 16th SW)

GRIEFSHARE RECOVERY GROUP: Continuing at 10:30 am today, “Grace Church will host a 13-week GriefShare recovery support group for those who have lost a loved one by death. There is a one-time charge of $20 for the GriefShare journal.” Meeting in the church basement. (10323 28th SW)

MORNING MUSIC: 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Marco de Carvalho and Friends perform. Find out about Marco’s music here.

FREE WRITING GROUP: 10:30 am in West Seattle, registration required – see full details in our calendar listing.

VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: The center is open to visitors noon-3 pm, as explained here. (2234 SW Orchard)

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Visit the home of West Seattle’s history is noon-4 pm Saturdays. (3003 61st SW)

VISCON CELLARS: 1-6 pm, the doors are open to the tasting room at Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) – selling wine by the glass or bottle. Learn about their wines here! (5910 California SW)

NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: You can visit the tasting room on the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus 1-6 pm today.

‘THE CLAW’ AT ALKI ELEMENTARY: The 1 pm and 6:30 pm performances of the Alki Elementary production are officially sold out, but a “limited number of walk-up tickets” is noted on the website. (3010 59th SW)

AT C & P: Live music with Levi Said, 5-7 pm at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School boys’ district-tournament game vs. Mercer Island, 7 pm at WSHS (3000 California SW). Get tickets online here.

THE BYRD ENSEMBLE: Choral concert by this acclaimed professional vocal ensemble, 7:30 pm at Holy Rosary (4139 42nd SW). Get your ticket(s) here; use WSBLOG30 code for 30% discount.

‘AN ENDLESS SHIFT’: This solo show at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) continues tonight, 7:30 pm: “Created from verbatim accounts of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Seattle nurses who were there, “An Endless Shift” is a tribute to the everyday heroes who were confronted with what would become the longest shift of their lives.” Get your ticket(s) here.

AT THE SKYLARK: 7 pm doors, 8 pm show at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), with Glass Beaches, Fairground, De-Esser, Rainezra.

If you have a show, event, meeting, seminar, field trip, fundraiser, or ? for our calendar … please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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FOLLOWUP: Status of three West Seattle signals, including work this weekend
February 10, 2023 9:39 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Updates tonight on three traffic signals in West Seattle, after we checked in with SDOT:

12TH/HOLDEN: The new pedestrian signal at this intersection is taking shape, and you may see crews there again this weekend. SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells WSB, “We have completed three of the curb ramps and are pouring concrete for the final curb ramp today. We have also begun installing the signal poles. The remaining steps will be to finish installing the underground power conduit across the road, installing electrical equipment, and painting the crosswalk. We’ll be working at this intersection this weekend and next weekend, so anticipate some travel delays.”

We got that news after asking SDOT about two intersections where “temporary” signals are to be replaced with permanent installations:

DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE: SDOT’s Sara Zora had told the Bicycle Advisory Board at its meeting last week that the permanent installation here may not happen until next year. So we asked for more information. Bergerson replied, “Finalizing the schedule will require more coordination with our rail partners. The work to install new traffic signal equipment has already been completed, and we are now working to finalize an agreement with the railroad companies so that we can move forward with paving work around the railroad tracks. This would include creating a smoother transition from the street to the sidewalk on the eastern side of the crosswalk and building more room apart from the bike trail for people to wait for the signal.”

HIGHLAND PARK WAY/HOLDEN: You probably recall this “temporary” signal going up at lightning speed days after the West Seattle Bridge closure in March 2020, with promises that a permanent one would replace it. That’s getting closer, Bergerson tells us: “We still expect to begin construction on the replacement Highland Park Way SW & SW Holden St traffic signal this summer. We will build new curb ramps and curb bulbs at all four corners of the intersection, repaint the crosswalks, replace the wooden signal poles with more durable metal poles, and add underground vehicle detection equipment.” And as we’ve reported previously, public art is going up there too – a giant Steller’s Jay.

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Love, sweet love: Donuts for your Valentine!
February 10, 2023 8:39 pm
|    Comments Off on Love, sweet love: Donuts for your Valentine!
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If somebody you love is a Krispy Kreme fan – or maybe you yourself can’t resist the glazed treats – here’s a Valentine’s Day deal. The Madison Middle School PTSA is selling Krispy Kreme donuts again, for pickup outside the school on Valentine’s Day afternoon. You need to get your order in by 8 pm Saturday night (February 11th). Here’s the link for ordering – $15/dozen. If you just can’t commit in advance, they do expect to have some donuts available for walk-ups (cash or PayPal). Donut pickup will be 3:30-4:30 pm Tuesday (February 14th) outside Madison, 3429 45th SW.

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WEEKEND PREVIEW: The Byrd Ensemble in concert in West Seattle
February 10, 2023 7:10 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

With that video, you can preview the title performance planned for a concert by The Byrd Ensemble tomorrow night (Saturday, February 11th) at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle. The chamber vocal ensemble will perform composer John Sheppard‘s “Media vita” – “In the Midst of Life” – with the program also including music by Arvo Pärt, Eric Whitacre’s setting of “When David Heard,” John Tavener’s “Song for Athene,” and more. The Byrd Ensemble is sponsoring WSB today and tomorrow to ensure more know about the concert and to offer a 30% discount – buy tickets online and use the code WSBLOG30. The concert begins at 7:30 pm Saturday; the venue is at 4139 42nd SW. (Not familiar with The Byrd Ensemble? Learn about the ensemble here.)

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ELECTION 2023: Fred Felleman announces Seattle Port Commission reelection campaign
February 10, 2023 5:18 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

This year’s primary and general elections will include two Seattle Port Commission seats. The first campaign announcement is from Fred Felleman, the longest-serving commissioner, who’s seeking a third 4-year term in Position 5. He was first elected in 2015 with 58 percent of the vote, then reelected in 2019 with 72 percent. He says he’s hoping “for the opportunity to continue advancing the Port’s triple bottom line focused on commerce, community, and climate.” His background is in marine conservation, and he notes that in the past few years, “the Port continues to make unprecedented investments in infrastructure such as Terminal 5 and the new international arrivals facility, in addition to tens of millions for community programs while advancing its climate goals 10 years early.” You can read his full announcement here. Felleman, a Ballard resident, is the first to send a campaign announcement for this seat, which is elected in a countywide vote; it’s early in the season, with the formal Filing Week not until mid-May, and the primary on August 1st.

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: Another submarine sighting
February 10, 2023 4:18 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

That distant texted pic is the only photo we have, but multiple readers report another submarine sighting off West Seattle earlier this afternoon. This time, the submarine was inbound, headed for Bremerton. One reader said, “Looks like a Los Angeles class, not the Ohio class that departed yesterday.”

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LOW BRIDGE: Maritime advisory ahead, and cylinder updates
February 10, 2023 2:43 pm
|    Comments Off on LOW BRIDGE: Maritime advisory ahead, and cylinder updates
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

(SDOT photo)

A two-part advisory/update from SDOT regarding the low bridge:

Between 1 AM Saturday, February 11 and 5 AM Wednesday, February 15, maritime vessels will have limited access under the Spokane St Swing Bridge to navigate the Duwamish Waterway. We do not expect impacts to people driving, walking, or biking.

During this time, only one span (side) of the bridge will swing open and close for maritime vessels on the Duwamish Waterway.

-East bridge span single openings: 1 AM Saturday, Feb. 11 through 1 AM Tuesday, February 14
-West bridge span single openings: 1 AM Tuesday, Feb. 14 through 5 AM Wednesday, Feb. 15

We’ve been communicating with the U.S. Coast Guard and mariners about this work, which will limit when some larger vessels can pass through.

This change is necessary for us to remove the bridge’s hydraulic pumps for routine maintenance. These pumps push hydraulic fluid to the bridge’s cylinders, allowing the cylinders to swing the bridge open and close for maritime vessels.

How the bridge is performing since turn cylinder repairs in January

After completing repairs and reopening the Spokane St Swing Bridge on January 13, the bridge is operating as expected and the turn cylinder we removed is being analyzed to determine the next steps for refurbishment.

We have more work planned for 2023, including rehabilitating the east-side lift cylinder and upgrading the bridge’s control and communications system.

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Student-created Climate Clock tells a different kind of time in Madison Middle School library
February 10, 2023 12:39 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(WSB photos. From left, Madison librarian Stacia Bell, Climate Clock creators Aidan Busby and Lola Thaler, teacher Robin Russell)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Talk about follow-through.

While in 8th grade at Madison Middle School last year, two students collaborated on a project so ambitious, they continued work on it even after the school year ended and they moved on to high school.

Now the result has a prominent place in the Madison library, where it presents a simple but powerful message to everyone who visits.

That’s the Climate Clock designed and built by Lola Thaler and Aidan Busby. They returned to Madison to install it a few weeks back, and now it presents a continuous two-part message. “It’s not a doomsday clock,” they are quick to tell you. You could in fact describe it as an anti-doomsday clock – the countdown shows the time remaining for emissions-elimination action to limit the planet to 1.5 degrees (C) of warming. So you can look at it as “cup half full” – there’s still time. The second number, chosen from other possibilities, shows the percentage of global energy use that’s renewable – another cause for hope, as that number rises (though slowly so far).

Not only did Lola and Aidan plan, design, and build the climate clock – he did the programming – they got funding for it; Lola applied for – and received – a $200 grant from the Madison PTSA.

This was a “Social Change” project originated while they were in teacher Robin Russell‘s class. Lola happened onto the concept of a climate clock while doing research. They could have ordered one. But the teacher suggested, “Maybe you could make your own.”

Aidan says he heard about the project and jumped in – “I thought it would be interesting to build.” He was the tech expert for the project, both hardware and coding.

Then they talked with Madison librarian Stacia Bell about setting it up in the library. She says this is the first time she can recall a student project seeking and obtaining PTSA funding. She’s proud to host it: “It’s become a topic of conversation.”

For teacher Ms. Russell, she remains impressed at how much time Lola and Aidan put into it – and how they saw it through. Finding the time was a challenge, the students admit – Aidan’s family was out of town for the summer, and Lola recalls it required “short bursts of work.” Aidan put dozens of hours into the coding, “including debugging.”

As for the clock’s message, it’s serious business to both. “I think we need to make serious changes,” Aidan observes, especially “better energy choices … solar, nuclear.” Lola sees the big picture – personal changes can only go so far, and beyond them, “it’s frustrating that it’s just a few big corporations doing most of the damage.”

Last year she also gave a Climate Clock presentation in the citywide Environmental Slam, held online in May.

The ultimate message is to challenge the status quo. “If we are to go on with business as usual, the goal won’t be met in time,” says Lola. So raising awareness is imperative. “The most important thing is educating others,” Ms. Bell agrees.

And that’s the lesson of students’ Social Change projects, Ms. Russell says: “That each person CAN make a difference.”

If you want inspiration to make a difference yourself, more information is available at climateclock.world (which also features additional metrics of ongoing world action).

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