West Seattle, Washington
25 Sunday
(WSB photo: Ferry at Fauntleroy dock, Sunday night)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Shortages again factored into many explanations at today’s Washington State Ferries systemwide community meeting, first of two online sessions (the second is at 6 pm Tuesday), as they did during the winter meetings.
Shortage of boats and shortage of crew were just two of the shortages mentioned this time, but some things are improving, if slowly, insisted new WSF boss (aka assistant secretary of transportation) Steve Nevey:
(Zoom screengrab of new WSF boss Steve Nevey)
“A year ago, we were in crisis … (now) we’re in recovery.” One example: Two weeks ago, Nevey said, the system had an entire week with no sailing cancellations caused by crew shortages. Overall, according to stats he showed from the first five months of the year, compared to the same time last year, the cancellation trend is down:
Nevey suggested the improvement is likely to continue as extra state funding is about to kick in for scheduling extra crew on boats so that they don’t have to cancel a sailing if someone can’t make it to work. And starting today, while the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth officially remains on a two-boat schedule, they are adding a “bonus boat” (or “ghost boat”) on weekdays to make unscheduled sailings, helping the regularly scheduled boats stay on time. This is the plan for the “next several months.”
As for the two regularly scheduled boats – during the Q&A that took up more than two-thirds of the meeting, someone asked when the Triangle Route schedule would finally be rewritten, since it’s expected to take a few more years for the third boat to permanently return. That’s where another shortage came in: WSF executive John Vezina explained that WSF still hasn’t been able to hire a new service planner to work on writing a better two-boat schedule. First they opened a hiring proccess, he said – and they couldn’t find anyone. Then they tried again, found a qualified candidate – who was going to take the job but changed their mind. Now, Vezina said, they’re in the process of finding a “consultant” who can take on the schedule, and they’re supposed to get help from a WSDOT service planner. Even with that, Vezina said, it’ll probably be a year or so before a new two-boat Triangle Route schedule can be in place. He added that they actually have funding now for two service planners, so that if one leaves in the future, they won’t be entirely without one – but they still need to hire the first one before they can hire a second.
Two other personnel challenges affecting the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run came up: First, the Vashon dock cameras are currently down, because the WSDOT employee who works on cameras is “out on family leave” (and apparently has no backup), and second, traffic-control officers at the Fauntleroy dock aren’t consistently available because they’re generally area law-enforcement officers on overtime, and the short staffing at agencies including the Seattle Police Department leave few available and/or interested for those kinds of assignments.
WSF’s Nicole McIntosh talked about their efforts to recruit for other jobs, including work to increase maritime-career awareness among high-school students, plus a new effort called MITAGS in which they’re taking applications for a class of 12 recruits to start on the path toward becoming licensed deck officers. They’ve been to job fairs around the country, too, she said. In Q&A, someone asked if the system staffing is still hampered by the dismissal of employees who refused to comply with vaccination requirements during the pandemic. McIntosh said that WSF had lost 120 employees but in the past year alone has hired more than 180, so their overall staffing has more than bounced back; plus, it was noted, as of a year ago, those employees are eligible to return if they’re interested.
As for the boat shortage, introductory remarks recapped that WSF is in the process of seeking one or two builders for its new hybrid-electric ferries, two of which will be available in 2028 if the process proceeds as hoped, two more in 2029, and the fifth in 2030.
Meantime, the system keeps running with boats as old as 65, and some boats for which parts aren’t even made any more – sometimes WSF employees make their own parts, Vezina noted. The WSF manager in charge of electrification, Matt von Ruden, fielded questions including how much of an environmental savings the hybrid-electric ferries would really bring. 76 percent less greenhouse-gas emissions, he said. Twice, persistent questions about “wouldn’t it be faster to just build diesel ferries?” No, said WSF execs, because they have a design, funding, and directive to build hybrid-electric boats; even if the directive changed tomorrow, they’d be “a year behind.” Other questions about the future new boats included battery safety – that was explained in minute detail – and capacity (160 cars).
MISCELLANEOUS: If you’re interested in ridership trends, it’s not back to pre-pandemic levels yet (that’s the green line, while the red line is this year so far):
And here’s the by-the-numbers slide with which the meeting opened:
IF YOU’RE WONDERING ABOUT THE FAUNTLEROY TERMINAL PROJECT: It wasn’t mentioned in the presentation (though it got a brief mention in the winter meetings), and we didn’t hear anything about it in the Q&A (although we missed a few minutes in the last half-hour of the meeting).
TO ATTEND TUESDAY’S MEETING: It’s scheduled for 6 pm, online; go here to register for the link.
Two West Seattle music notes for later this week:
AURORA AVE. ON THE ROAD: West Seattle-founded band Aurora Ave. hopes to entice you to leave the peninsula for their big show this Wednesday:
Aurora Ave. is so excited to have our biggest hometown show yet this Wednesday. We’ll be headlining at one of our favorite venues in Capitol Hill, Neumos, on June 19th! This show is our last show in Washington before the band continues our Origami Tour in California for the first time. Our tour includes a show at the famous Whiskey a Go Go in LA, so come out for our Seattle show before we leave! We would love to see our West Seattle community at the show. We began as a band in WS, so we couldn’t be where we are now without you! We’ll be playing alongside our friends WINEHOUSE and The Kerrys, so come out to this awesome show. This show is 21+. You can get tickets at auroraave.com or neumos.com
NOVOSELIC’S BONA FIDE BAND AT EASY STREET: Then on Thursday, you can stay right here in West Seattle and see/hear rock royalty. Easy Street Records‘ endless series of free, all-ages in-store performances continues Thursday with the debut perforance of Novoselic’s Bona Fide Band – that’s Novoselic as in Krist Novoselic, whose first claim to fame was Nirvana. Also in the band, Mark Pickerel from Screaming Trees, along with Kathy Moore (Brad, Star Anna), and, from 3rd Secret, Jillian Weiss and Jennifer Johnson. 7 pm Thursday, free, all ages!
South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) has a new permanent president on the way. a year and a half after Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap moved up to become interim (then permanent) Seattle Colleges chancellor. Here’s the announcement from SSC:
Dr. Monica Brown, a higher education leader with over 18 years of progressive leadership experience, has been named South Seattle College’s next permanent president. After a nationwide search, Dr. Brown was named to the position by Seattle Colleges Chancellor Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap and will start on Aug. 1, 2024. Dr. Sayumi Irey, who led SSC as acting president over the past academic year, will return to her role as vice president of instruction on Aug. 1.
“Dr. Brown is a dedicated leader and comes ready to deeply engage in the work we have begun to evolve into an anti-racist college, and address issues of equity in all areas of the college community,” Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap said. “I know she is looking forward to get to know the South community and our region.”
“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to join the Seattle Colleges family,” Dr. Brown said. “I look forward to being part of a community of educators and learners who are passionate about student success. Anticipating my arrival at South Seattle College, I am excited to collaborate with the exceptional faculty and staff to propel our equity initiatives and achieve our student success objectives. Together, we will continue to create a vibrant and inclusive college experience – one that empowers every student to thrive academically, socially and personally. My commitment is to ensure that South Seattle College remains a place where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
Dr. Brown brings nearly two decades of progressive leadership experience in the community college environment and eight years at the senior level to her new role at SSC. She has worked at four-year and two-year institutions with diverse student, faculty, and staff populations. Her eclectic background derives from her experiences in academic affairs, continuing education and student affairs.
In 2003, she started her tenure at Montgomery College, a multi-campus institution in the suburbs of Washington, DC, with a diverse population of 43,000 credit and non-credit students representing more than 155 nations, where she most recently served as the senior vice president for student affairs.
Dr. Brown earned a doctorate in higher education administration from Morgan State University, a master of arts in counseling from Trinity College, and a bachelor of arts from Georgetown University.
She will become South Seattle College’s eighth permanent president since the college opened in 1969.
SSC is about to celebrate this year’s graduating class – the commencement ceremony for all Seattle Colleges is set for 5 pm this Friday at T-Mobile Park.
5:16 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are on their way – including an SFD rescue response – to what’s reported as a two-vehicle crash at 30th/Trenton [map], with one vehicle “on its side.” Updates to come.
5:21 PM: Trenton is reported to be blocked both ways. One person, “stable,” was inside the sideways car, and firefighters are helping them get out.
5:32 PM: That driver was helped out via the hatch, and most of the responding units were dismissed. No serious injuries, so no one is going to the hospital; tow trucks are on the way and the scene likely will clear fairly quickly.
5:36 PM: Remaining SFD scenes are leaving the scene. Police were talking to drivers regarding the cause of the crash; apparently one vehicle was traveling on 30th, the other on Trenton.
6:14 PM: Police just told dispatch that 30th/Trenton is now clear.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed a charge of unlawful gun possession against the 16-year-old arrested after three people were reported to have been seen firing a gun into Seola Pond. We reported on the incident one week ago today; the 16-year-old was one of two people detained nearby. According to charging documents, the witness who reported this to police was unable to identify exactly who had been firing the gun. But police found a loaded 9mm gun – same caliber as the three casings found by the pond – in the backpack that was in the suspect’s possession. They say he told them it wasn’t his gun or backpack, claiming an unidentified person gave him the backpack. The police report also notes, “A records check of the gun was performed, but no information could be located about who the owner of the gun was.” The 16-year-old, who has no record, has pleaded not guilty and remains on electronic home monitoring (as ordered last week), with the judge adding this condition to stipulated rules of staying in that form of custody: “Respondent shall not brandish firearms or apparent firearms on social media.”
Along with everything else they’ve taken on, the new leadership of the Alki Community Council has organized a summer mini-festival – and it’s now just three days away!
Thursday night (June 20), 5-8 pm, be at Whale Tail Park/Alki Playfield (58th/Lander) for the first-ever ACC-presented Alki Community Summer Celebration. Free fun, plus food for sale. The plan (updated) includes:
Performances from:
Mixed Meta4
Billy from Billy and the Dreamboats
Dylan Yuste
Michael Pearsall
Abbigale
Hayward SunFood for sale from Fire Tacos & Cantina
Also present will be:
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Seattle Parks and Rec
A Cleaner Alki
Alki History Project
West Seattle Arcade
Seal Sitters
Alki Beach Pride
Starbucks free cold brew
SPD’s Courageous Lions and Community Service Officer program
Alki Community Council
Poogooder
Schmitz Park Preserve
Alki Elementary PTA
And you’ll have the chance to see and comment on the in-progress plans for the Alki play area between the playfield and the past-and-present school site. We’re expecting real summer weather that night, so set your calendar for a fun evening.
A new mural is up inside the building that’s home to American Legion Post 160 and the West Seattle Veteran Center (as well as the Westside Neighbors Shelter). The 4′ x 8′ mural was presented and hung by Jimmy Knapp and Heather Buggee from a New York-based organization called Splashes of Hope. The mural “is called ‘Take a Vet Fishing‘ and is part of a national campaign to encourage giving a helping hand to disabled veterans,” explains Keith Hughes, who leads the post/center/shelter. Look closely and you’ll even see him painted into the mural!
The donors also brought painted tiles, created by Vietnam veteran Gerald Fox:
Keith plans to take them to another local veterans’ organization, the DAV hall on Delridge, soon.
Missing a backpack? These two were seen in Gatewood, per this texted report:
I walked by two probably dumped backpacks on Glenridge (almost at the top near Austin Street).
(Great Blue Heron, photographed on Alki by Theresa Arbow O’Connor)
Here’s what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STATE FERRIES MEETING: Washington State Ferries‘ periodic systemwide updates/Q&A meeting happens in two duplicate sessions, and the first one is today at noon, online – register here to attend.
BABY STORY TIME: Bring little ones up to 2 years old to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), noon-12:30 pm, for story time!
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.
GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.
D&D: Weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too.
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Four places to play tonight – 6:30 and 7:30 pm music-quiz sessions at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) … 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)
COMEDY SHOW: Monthly “Routine Killers” show at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), headlined by Scott Losse this month. Get tickets here.
MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: All welcome at free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
MEDITATION IN ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community hosts meditation at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 7-8:30 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 start for Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather Thursday to celebrate the life of Lena Morel. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing now:
Lena (Angelina) Rose Morel
Born May 13, 1923, in Seattle to Joseph and Louise Merlino. She went to be with her beloved husband Leon on June 12, 2024. She was 101 years old when she passed away.
Lena was preceded in death by her mother and father Joseph and Louise Merlino, husband Leon, infant son John, and brothers Ernest and Michael.
She brought into this world four sons: Paul, Eugene (Beth), Stephen (Kathy), and Mark (Deanna),
Grandchildren Ryan (Marell), Angela (Ryan Binder), John, Stephanie, Melisa, Tim, Rachel, Anthony (Chelsea), Nicole (Curtis), Jeremy, Christopher (Shaunnacy), Dale (Anna), Stacey (Paco).
Great-Grandchildren Sam, Charlie (Angela), Addy, Evie (Ryan), Lena (Anthony), Natalie, Haley, Kate, Lindsey (Nicole), Preston, Kennedy (Christopher), Savannah, Logan (Dale), Charlotte (Stacey).
Lena attended Beacon Hill Elementary in Seattle. She was very proud of graduating from Immaculate High School and attended many class reunions. In her early life she worked at the family-owned Mission Macaroni, Majorette Macaroni, in the bakery department at the Bon Marche, and at Morel Foundry.
Celebration of life will be June 20th, at an 11:00 AM Catholic Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in West Seattle. A reception will follow in the OLG church hall. Interment will be at Holyrood Cemetery.
Special THANKS to all the staff at Aegis Living West Seattle for the incredible and amazing love and care they showed our mother.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in West Seattle, where mom volunteered for many years.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, June 17 – summer officially arrives Thursday afternoon.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Mostly cloudy, high in the low 60s, warming for the rest of the week. Today’s sunrise was at 5:11 am again – earliest of the year, and won’t change until Saturday – while sunset will be at 9:10 pm.
(Sunday night photo by Eli Barlag)
LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL
By Friday – the last day of classes at Seattle Public Schools – everybody will be out for summer. For some, tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day, including the Vashon and Highline districts.
ONGOING ROAD WORK
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check for 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 last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is. … Note that WSF is holding two online systemwide community meetings, today and tomorrow.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Low bridge: Here’s the main view:
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
1st Ave. S. Bridge:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander (sorry if it’s still malfunctioning – out of our control):
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 open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
12:27 AM: Big Seattle Fire callout is on the way to the 5000 block of 26th SW [vicinity map] for a possible house fire. Updates to come.
12:31 AM: First units arriving confirm it’s a “working fire.”
12:33 AM: One person is being brought out of the house and is reported to be in need of medical treatment.
12:38 AM: Firefighters report the fire – which is apparently centered on the house’s second floor – is “knocked down.”
12:48 AM: Firefighters say the person who needs medical attention is being taken to a hospital by SFD medic unit.
12:50 AM: They’ve now declared the fire “tapped” (out).
1:49 AM: Some units are still on scene, including SFD’s investigator.\
8:40 AM: SFD says the fire victim is a 90-year-old man who was in critical condition when transported.
11:28 AM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Hanson says they also now know the cause: “The fire was ruled ‘accidental’ and was caused by overheated electrical wiring that ignited nearby combustible material.”
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