West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
When Mark saw that animal in his alley (2900 block of Alki Avenue SW) very early this morning, he thought it was an otter. It’s not unusual to see one of those cross the street – or your path. But he later found out it was a beaver!
Apparently it was disoriented and animal control came by to investigate, retrieve, and rehabilitate it.
Sometime between my early morning sighting and 11 am it had managed to get into the water drains covered by heavy iron grates in the alley. They had to have another Seattle services unit remove the grate and the animal control officer reached down to retrieve it. Needless to say it was a very exciting and interesting morning, most welcome on a quiet gray winter day…
If a statewide initiative gets enough signatures to go to voters, the State Legislature first gets the chance to approve it, which would mean it will become law without going onto the ballot. That’s what just happened with Initiative 2113, which will lift restrictions that legislators placed on police pursuits three years ago (and loosened a bit last year). Unlike legislation, initiatives don’t require the governor’s signature – if both the State House and State Senate pass them, they will become law. Both votes happened today – the House voted in favor of it, 77-20, and the Senate vote was 36-13. According to the roll-call tallies on the Legislature’s website, all three West Seattleites representing the 34th District in the Legislature voted no – Senator Nguyễn and Representatives Emily Alvarado and Joe Fitzgibbon.
Under current state law, pursuits are allowed in six types of circumstances; under 2113, the authority becomes simply “There is reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law.” There are some caveats, such as that “The person poses a threat to the safety of others and the safety risks of failing to apprehend or identify the person are considered to be greater than the safety risks of the vehicular pursuit under the circumstances.” Officers also need to notify a supervisor, who will then oversee the pursuit, and they need to have gone through a particular type of training. You can read the initiative’s full text here. Initiatives passed by legislators become law 90 days after the end of their session, which in this case is Thursday. Departments can have more restrictive policies than state law allows, as has been the case with SPD (here’s their current policy).
(Friday photo, sent by Carolyn)
Last Friday, one of the two main King County Water Taxi vessels went out of service after a small engine fire, as reported here. We asked Metro today about the status of that vessel, M/V Sally Fox. Spokesperson Al Sanders told WSB this afternoon, “The engine fire on the Sally Fox was caused by a loose oil line to a turbocharger. The fire was small and the damage was superficial. Repairs have been made to the Sally Fox and the Marine Division is awaiting USCG approval to operate.” That was potentially expected by day’s end today, although the Water Taxi Watch tracker showed Sally Fox still at the downtown barge dock around day’s end.
P.S. We also asked about the problem early this morning that delayed the start of West Seattle service until 6:30 am. That involved M/V Spirit of Kingston, Sanders said, which was briefly “unable to transfer helm control to exterior station,” a problem that Water Taxi engineering staff handled.
Two more porta-potty fires in West Seattle last night bring the total to at least four in just over three weeks, all in north West Seattle. Our photo above shows the aftermath of one at Admiral Way and SW Waite. We got a tip about it last night but SFD had closed out their response and left before we arrived, so we followed up on it today, and found out it was one of two in the span of an hour. SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty says the first fire last night was in the 3600 block of 44th SW around 6 pm, less than an hour before the one at Admiral and Waite, and that investigators ruled the cause of both as “undetermined.” That’s also what SFD concluded about these two we noted three weeks ago, at 51st/Dakota and along an alley in the 3400 block of California SW.
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That’s an SDOT photo from work done these past three days to reinstall a refurbished cylinder removed from the low bridge last fall. This is part of an ongoing process, SDOT reminds us:
Last October, we reinstalled the refurbished cylinder from the east pier that was damaged when the piston head became stuck in January 2023. When the unexpected damage occurred, preparations to overhaul all four of the bridge’s hydraulic turning cylinders were already underway as part of our comprehensive repair and maintenance efforts. This allowed for repairs to be completed sooner than if we had started from scratch. Our bridge maintenance crews, and our design and repair experts redeveloped a part of the turn cylinder so that this type of malfunction is much less likely to occur in the future.
Between March 1-3 [this past Friday-Sunday], crews successfully reinstalled the refurbished cylinder that was removed during the October 2023 low bridge closure! We will continue to rehabilitate the remaining two turn cylinders in the west bridge pier this year.
That’s not the only low-bridge work that’s yet to come. Next month, SDOT says, “crews will reroute the control tower wires from the high bridge to a new conduit beneath the West Duwamish Waterway that connects to the motors that open and close the bridge. … The original system, composed of buttons, switches, and wires, is about 30 years old. To remedy this, we will be rerouting the wires connecting the control tower with the motors that open and close the bridge off the high bridge to a new conduit under the West Duwamish Waterway. This work will increase the resiliency of the West Seattle Bridge system and help decouple the low bridge from the high bridge.” More details on this work and how it will affect bridge users are promised soon.
Today we’re welcoming Andy Randles, a real-estate broker with Ewing & Clark, as a new WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – here’s what Andy Randles would like you to know:
“I have a depth of knowledge for Seattle real estate and neighborhoods, and love helping new neighbors move in. There’s so much to love about this area and working with people seeing everything for the first time is such a treat to be a part of.
“People appreciate that I’m patient and understanding. “Patience” shows up a lot in my reviews and leads to referrals and repeat clients. I also have a rich understanding of the home-purchase process and real-estate market to ensure clients have a smooth experience, and I help maximize their value.
:My community involvement includes serving as a chapter lead for Seattle YIMBY, and being a member of Circle the Block (a neighborhood watch group for Pioneer Square). In my spare time, I’m also a member of an American History meetup group! Here’s how to connect with me.”
We thank real-estate broker Andy Randles for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!
Last week on the Nisqually earthquake anniversary, we reminded you about Emergency Communication Hubs – the volunteer-powered meeting places pre-designated in case of catastrophe, places you can go for information/resources if something big takes down the usual means of communication. One of West Seattle’s 20+ hubs is hoping nearby residents will come to a gathering this Thursday (March 7), 6:30 pm – the one for South Gatewood and Upper Fauntleroy residents, at Peace Lutheran Church (39th/Thistle). Here’s the announcement from organizer Joel:
The Emergency Hub located at Peace Lutheran Church is meant to provide community-run support efforts in the area of Cloverdale up to Othello, and 35th to California in the event of infrastructure related disturbances such as a major snowstorm, extended power outages, or the big earthquake/ tsunami/ volcanic eruption/ Guadalajara type of disaster.
If you are, or you know anyone, in the area that may be interested in doing some tabletop role-playing exercises that’ll cover several information gathering and resource distribution techniques to help us be better prepared for managing our local needs in a time of crisis, please feel free to join us. All are welcome. No prior knowledge or training is needed. Enter on the west side of the church.
For detailed info on how hubs are supposed to work, go here
Last Thursday, Kathleen sent these photos of a “parade” of tow trucks she saw heading from Myers Way toward Highway 509. After a few inquiries, we finally found out today where they were towed from. It wasn’t an encampment cleanup/mitigation, we were told, but it was a cleanup – involving a Seattle City Light parcel along Myers Way.
SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang told WSB, “This has been a collaborative operation between several city entities to secure the City Light property along Myers Way. We removed vehicles that were sitting at the bottom of the hill and are also closing in on removal of trash and debris in the next few weeks. Once cleared, it will be secured with ecoblocks to prevent further dumping in the area. A total of 10 vehicles, plus a stripped-down frame, were taken off the property.” (We have a followup question out regarding which specific parcel this involved – maps show SCL property on both sides of Myers, close to the city-limit line.)
(Quiet February morning at Alki – photo by James Bratsanos)
Here’s the list for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm at City Hall, the weekly meeting in which councilmembers talk about their plans for the week ahead. Here’s the agenda. Watch live via Seattle Channel.
TODDLER GYM PLAYTIME: Free indoor drop-in playspace 3-5 pm at the Salvation Army Center. (9050 16th SW).
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: Fourth day of cookie booths at various locations – some starting at 4 pm. Search here for your nearest locations.
BENEFIT BAKE SALE: A local soccer club, Valencia CF Academy Boys 2010/2011, is fundraising for its upcoming trip to Spain, including scholarship costs to ensure all players can make the trip. They’re having a bake sale during Arbor Heights Food Truck Night, 4:40-7 pm. They’re promising key lime pie, cookies, brownies, pan dulce, more. Read more about them in our calendar listing. (10835 42nd Ave. SW)
DISCOVER SEATTLE COLLEGES: As previewed here last night, South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) and its sibling campuses are opening the doors – virtual and physical – this month so you can learn about what they offer. Tonight at 5:30, the first online info session focuses on health and medical programs – RSVP here to get the link.
GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three options tonight – 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander); 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
MEDITATION ON ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community invites you to Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) for meditation. 7 pm.
MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.
KARAOKE: 9 pm, Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Last year, almost two dozen local businesses and organizations were part of the West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair. This year’s event is a month away and organizers asked us to share this invitation for participation:
West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair – 4/3/24
If you’re looking to hire teens and/or soon-to-be high school graduates, West Seattle High School is hosting the WSHS Job and Internship Fair on April 3rd from 11:30am-2:30pm. Come showcase your opportunities and connect with students!
Fill out this MS Form to attend: forms.office.com/r/vh7TccqWEZ or email Brian Fitzgerald at bjfitzgerald@seattleschools.org with questions or concerns.
Positions offered can include:
Paid
Volunteer
Internships
Permanent
Seasonal
Pre-apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
6:28 AM: Just in from Metro: “West Seattle Water Taxi will miss first two round trips this morning due to a mechanical issue.”
Earlier:
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, March 4th.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Unsettled weather again today, with the forecast including a chance of showers, possibly some “wintry mix,” high in the mid-40s. Sunrise will be at 6:42 am, sunset at 5:59 pm.
ALMOST TIME FOR A CHANGE
Daylight Saving Time arrives Sunday morning (March 10) at 2 am, when we’ll “spring forward” an hour.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for changes, and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge:
1st Ave. S. Bridge:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene). Thank you!
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