West Seattle, Washington
12 Friday
(UPDATED 9:27 AM)
(Anna’s Hummingbird with a fall-foliage backdrop, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Saturday! Here are highlights of what’s happening – first, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
‘SHOP SMALL’ SATURDAY! This is the day to get out and support local independent businesses – as every day should be, but this day brings an extra spotlight. You’ll find places to “shop small” in a BIG way all over West Seattle, but in The Junction alone, more than 20 businesses have something special for you today – see the list here, and here’s a printable version. Outside The Junction and doing something special too? Comment below! We’ll be out covering this big day as it happens.
BAZAAR: Alki Masonic Hall Holiday Bazaar, sponsored by Alki Court 21, 9 am-4 pm. (40th SW/SW Edmunds)
GIFT FAIR: Duwamish Native Holiday Gift Fair continues 10 am-5 pm today, second of three days, at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle. Details in our calendar listing; here’s our coverage from the first day. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
ANNIVERSARY SALE: 6th anniversary sale continues at Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor), with “15% off most guitars, amplifiers, and pedals.” Open 10 am-6 pm today. (4736 California SW)
(added) SMALL BIZ SATURDAY AT ALAIR: Everything is 20 percent off at gift shop Alair, proprietor Shandon Graybeal tells us. (3280 California SW)
SEATTLE CIVIC DANCE THEATRE HOLIDAY BREAKFAST: 11 am at Fauntleroy Church:
There will be a dance concert, pancakes, raffle baskets, and a special visit from Santa! All proceeds go to support our scholarship program. Doors open at 10:30, breakfast served at 11. Tickets online at scdt.yapsody.com or at the door.
All welcome! (9140 California SW)
FOR THE LITTLE ONES: At Kid-Friendly Footwear @ Again and Again (WSB sponsor): “Customers enjoy 25-50% off all brand-new infant and toddler carriers including Ergo, Beco, Lilllebaby, Moby Wraps and more! 25% off iPlay waterproof cozy toddler winter coats & baby buntings. Many in-store new kids shoe & boot discounts 10 – 50% off Bogs, Keen, Hanna Andersson and more!” (4832 California SW)
(added) SMALL BIZ SATURDAY WITH BUSINESS IMPACT NW: Got a small business or thinking about starting one? Meet Business Impact NW at Sound & Fog this afternoon, 2-5 pm. (4735 40th SW)
WEST SEATTLE LIGHTS: Night 3 for for West Seattle Lights, light shows synched to music. 5-10 pm tonight; see the nightly schedule by going here. Bring nonperishable food for the West Seattle Food Bank bin out front. Here’s our coverage from Friday night.
(3908 SW Charlestown)
GARY BENSON’S CHRISTMAS SHOW: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
And from the year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WS LINUX USERS’ GROUP, LOCATION CHANGE: Today’s meeting of the West Seattle Linux Users’ Group is at a different location – 9 am at Be’s Restaurant in The Junction. (4509 California SW)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: If you can donate blood, consider helping with the holiday-season shortage by donating at today’s drive on the south side of Westwood Village – look for the Bloodmobile, 9:30 am-3:30 pm, closed 12:30-1:30 pm. (2600 SW Barton)
MAHONIA PROJECT WORK PARTY: 10 am-noon at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – a unique work party, explained here. (6000 16th SW)
(added) CHIEF SEALTH BASKETBALL JAMBOREE: High-school basketball season begins with the annual boys-basketball jamboree at Chief Sealth International High School and adjacent Denny International Middle School – 8 teams are participating. JV plays starting at 11 am in the Denny gym (schedule here; 2601 SW Kenyon) and varsity plays starting at noon in the Sealth gym (schedule here; 2600 SW Thistle).
(added) HEALING TREE OPEN HOUSE: “Open house at Healing Tree today. 10 therapists giving away free massage and free Reiki. BOGO on gift certificates. Caroling sing-along at 11:30 am. Champagne, hot cocoa, appetizers. Pathfinder wreaths will be for sale.” (3225 California SW)
MARKET STREET DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND: 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall, “traditional jazz at its finest” – details in our calendar listing, including how to make your reservation. (7904 35th SW)
WEST END GIRLS – A DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA: Doors at 8, show at 9 at The Skylark in North Delridge. See our calendar listing for the featured performers and ticket link. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
WAR PUPPY & DYNAMITE NUGGET: 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(WSB photo)
The journey of a thousand laps begins with a single stride, you might say. So Michele Pettinger of P3 | Running was happy to draw a starter-sized group to the first-ever West Seattle edition of Track Friday, a movement meant to meld fitness and fundraising on the day after Thanksgiving, which has been growing nationwide since 2012. She organized it with the help of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and set up alongside the Hiawatha track this morning to see who would show up:
(This photo & next, courtesy of Michele Pettinger)
Some hardy, giving-minded runners did!
Michele hopes Track Friday will grow as a tradition here as well as elsewhere. Her chosen charity was for the fight against Parkinson’s Disease, which her mom is dealing with, but participants could pledge to any nonprofit they chose. So make a plan to be part of Track Friday next year – Friday, November 23, 2018.
Night 2 for @wslights (3908 SW Charlestown) pic.twitter.com/edYswRm5Ju
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) November 25, 2017
Every holiday season since 2009, a humble house across from the city water tank at SW Charlestown/39th SW is transformed into a platform for West Seattle Lights – the music-synched Christmas-light show created by Jim Winder, a friend of the homeowners. This year’s show launched on Thanksgiving night; we stopped by on Night 2 tonight for a bit of video – a short clip above, longer clip below:
Those two songs are WSL classics, but the show has added new ones this year too. The season-long schedule is here; you can watch while standing along the street, though the music is relatively quiet, so if you want to turn it up, you can tune your vehicle or personal radio to 101.9 FM for the soundtrack. The show has nonprofit beneficiaries, including the West Seattle Food Bank, with a bin out front for nonperishable-food donations, which totaled a third of a ton last year; you also can donate cash – all of which goes to the nonprofits, none to the show itself – via this page on the WSL website, which shares space with info about Maple Valley Lights, the show Winder added in his own neighborhood.
P.S. Wonder how many lights in all? The answer is here (with other “fun facts”).
West Seattle Lights is of course featured in the WSB WS Holiday Guide, along with other light shows, and if you have or see other notable decoration displays, please let us know – thank you!
Late last night, we reported on a search and arrests following a street robbery in The Junction. Tonight, new details from SPD:
Officers arrested three people after they robbed a woman and a convenience store in West Seattle Thursday evening.
Officer Jesse Cahill was on patrol near California Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street at 11 p.m. when he saw a disturbance near a bus stop. He drove his patrol car closer and saw that three men were struggling with a woman over a purse.
One of the suspects threw the woman to the ground and the group fled as Officer Cahill approached. The officer checked on the 22-year-old victim who sustained scratches on her hands, as additional officers responded to search for the suspects.
Officers found one of the suspects, a 15-year-old male, at a nearby bus stop still holding the victim’s purse. The officers placed the boy into custody and the purse was returned to the victim.
A K-9 officer tracked the other two suspects, an 18-year-old male suspect, and another 15-year-old male, to the 4400 block of 44 Avenue SW, where they were taken into custody.
The officers investigating this robbery noticed that the three suspects’ descriptions matched a robbery from earlier in the evening. The three suspects entered a convenience store in the 4800 block of Erskine Way Southwest at 6:30 p.m. and began removing items from the shelves. The clerk remained behind the counter as one of the suspects implied he had a gun, allowing the trio to escape.
Officers booked the 18-year-old into King County Jail and the two 15-year-olds into the King County Youth Services Center for investigation of robbery.
This year’s West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays events officially begin tomorrow, with Small Business Saturday (also known as Shop Small Saturday), which has become a big day for holiday shopping at local independent businesses coast to coast. The West Seattle Junction Association has assembled a list of more than 20 businesses with deals and/or something else special going on – see it here. And if you would like to print it out to use as a checklist while you’re out shopping, here’s the printable version.
P.S. After tomorrow, the next big date for Hometown Holidays (which WSB is co-sponsoring again this year) is the following Saturday, December 2nd, including an expanded Night Market in the street (3-7 pm) by Junction Plaza Park, where this year’s Tree Lighting celebration will start that night at 5.
P.P.S. If your business is outside The Junction and you have something special going on for Shop Small Saturday or any other time this season, we would love to promote that too – e-mail us the info at editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
So many unique places in West Seattle to find unique gifts – such as the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center, where this year’s Native Holiday Gift Fair is happening until 5 pm today and again 10 am-5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
This is your chance to buy directly from Native artists and craftspeople. Below, a crow figure by Peter Boome:
And Nativity figures by Ixtli White Hawk:
Snacks are also available so you can take a break in the Longhouse’s beautiful surroundings – including soup and hot chocolate. It’s at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW.
Two weeks after the city went public with its “preferred alternative” for HALA upzoning, as part of the final Environmental Impact Statement, a new citywide coalition has announced it will file an appeal. The community councils from three of West Seattle’s four “urban villages” are among the groups comprising the coalition: the Morgan Community Association, the Junction Neighborhood Organization, and Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Coalition. From today’s announcement of the new coalition and appeal plan:
… The coalition is called Seattle Coalition for Affordability, Livability and Equity.
Jon Lisbin, small business owner and president of Seattle Fair Growth, said, “We are worried about affordability and displacement. Our neighborhoods are so different that one-size-fits-all upzones don’t work well for residents or small businesses. The Final EIS completely neglects the differences between neighborhoods that are ripe for multifamily development such as Lake City and Northgate, and other racially diverse neighborhoods, such as South Park and Beacon Hill, that are mainly of older single-family homes owned or rented by lower-income families. The city is leaving low- and middle-income families with no place to go.”
Said David Ward, a Ravenna renter and president of the coalition, “It will make Seattle far more unaffordable and also make it more difficult to live here due to more traffic, not enough schools, more pollution, fewer trees, and a loss of the diversity of residents we currently have.”
“I’m worried about moving out from my parents’ home because I know it’ll be hard to find an apartment I can afford,” said Beacon Hill Council Member and UW student Cacima Lee. “And the idea of buying a home in Seattle is almost a joke.”
“Instead of invalidating all neighborhood plans, the city needs to support and celebrate differences while maintaining intact communities,” Christy Tobin-Presser of the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Coalition added. “These upzones are not needed to accommodate the growth that’s planned. The city already has the more than twice the capacity in multi-family zoning to accommodate all the growth that’s coming, so who’s driving this land-grab?”
Wallingford resident Susanna Lin states: “We have a school capacity crisis and the City is planning upzones without coordinating with the School District on a plan to build more schools. In addition, trees are disappearing at an alarming rate. What kind of future is this for our children?”
The Grand Bargain, or Mandatory Housing Affordability-Residential (MHA-R), is a one-size-fits-all proposal by former Mayor Ed Murray and City planners that would give developers increased height limits and profitability in exchange for either building affordable units in their projects or contributing a fee in lieu of including them. In fact, according to the City, most developers have said they will decline to include rent-restricted units in their projects. They prefer to pay the fee.
According to Lake City homeowner and affordable housing advocate Sarajane Siegfriedt, the
City Office of Housing then leverages the fees 3:1 mostly with federal, state and city tax funds to
build low-income housing in other parts of Seattle. Most of the required affordable housing will
be built in locations with cheap land, not in the neighborhoods where builders maximize profits
by replacing older houses with costly new market-rate housing. Then there’s the delay. It takes
four or so years for a nonprofit to receive City and state grants, assemble the rest of the funding,
and construct a building, assuming they already have the land.”“We share the City’s goal of affordable housing for those earning less than 60% of Area Median Income, but it is simply not achieved by these upzones,” Siegfriedt said. “That’s why we are filing an appeal. The real impacts that destroy and gentrify our low- and moderate-income neighborhoods are loss of affordability, community and livability.” …
The new coalition plans a media briefing/Q&A event downtown next Monday, which is when they also say they’ll file the appeal. Read today’s full announcement here (it includes the list of 24 participating groups).
P.S. If you haven’t already checked on what’s proposed for your neighborhood (or anywhere else that interests you) in the HALA MHA “preferred alternative” – you can use the city’s interactive map to look up specific locations. Before anything becomes final, the City Council has to consider forthcoming legislation, isn’t expected to come to a vote before next summer.
It was a great morning for parade-watching downtown – no rain, not too cold – and we were there to see both local high school marching bands be part of this year’s My Macy’s Holiday Parade, which also spotlights inflatable floats, costumed characters, and even dog clubs. Above and below, the Chief Sealth International High School Marching Band appeared toward the start of the hour-plus parade.
A bit later, parade-goers saw and heard the West Seattle High School Marching Band:
(You’ll see the WSHS Band closer to home one week from tomorrow, on Saturday night, December 2nd, during the West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Tree Lighting, 5 pm at Junction Plaza Park.)
One more West Seattle sighting – the nutcrackers from Salty’s (WSB sponsor) rolled down the route right before the WSHS musicians:
This was the 27th annual downtown parade, which, along with the 5 pm Macy’s star-lighting, bookends the downtown festivities on the day after Thanksgiving every year.
If you were looking forward to Alki Spud Fish and Chips reopening today, you have to wait a few more days. We checked with parent company Ivar’s, and regional manager Theresa Fallon replied:
Barring any more setbacks, Alki Spud will be opening on Wednesday 11/29.
We are excited to get back open and serve all those Guests who have missed their hometown favorite!
Spud’s been closed for more than a month for “much-needed repairs.”
NOVEMBER 27TH UPDATE: Now the date is Thursday 11/30.
(White-throated sparrow, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Shop local! Our highlights for today start with selections from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
TRACK FRIDAY: Now through 11 am at Hiawatha Playfield – fun way to get post-Thanksgiving exercise and do a good deed. Run/walk on a drop-in basis or participate in one of the scheduled runs. Details in our calendar listing. (2700 California SW)
DUWAMISH NATIVE HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR, 10 am-6 pm, first of three days at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle. Details in our calendar listing. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
HOLY ROSARY TREE LOT: The Holiday Guide has the full list of Christmas tree locations, and among those opening today is the Holy Rosary Tree Lot, north of the school. 10 am-9 pm. Part of this lot’s proceeds benefit West Seattle Helpline, Hickman House (domestic-violence shelter), and West Seattle Food Bank. (41st/Dakota)
SANTA PHOTOS: They start today at Westwood Village (fee) – 11 am-7 pm. Lots of other opportunities coming up this season around West Seattle, too – see the Holiday Guide for a list of what we have so far. (2600 SW Barton)
THUNDER ROAD GUITARS ANNIVERSARY: Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) is celebrating its sixth anniversary all weekend “and offering 15% off most guitars, amplifiers, and pedals.” (4736 California SW)
OTHER SHOPS WITH SALES/SPECIALS include West Seattle Cyclery (4508 California SW), Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor); it’s Record Store Day Black Friday at Easy Street Records (California SW/SW Alaska) … it’s Free Gift Friday at Avalon Glassworks (2914 SW Avalon Way) … check out your favorite local, independent West Seattle store today, and on Shop Small Saturday tomorrow too!
WEST SEATTLE LIGHTS: The lights-synched-to-music show has its second night tonight, 5-10 pm (see the full schedule here). Bring donations for the West Seattle Food Bank – the bin’s right in front of the house. (3908 SW Charlestown)
And from the year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
CAN YOU GIVE BLOOD? Bloodworks NW needs help with a seasonal shortage and you can donate in West Seattle today, 1-7 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s Walmesley Center. (35th/Myrtle)
TINKERLAB: 2-3:30 pm all-ages STEM crafts at Southwest Library. (9010 35th SW)
THE CASTAWAYS: Ukulele band that does NOT play Hawaiian music! Tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
GENTLEMEN OF LEISURE, HARPER CONSPIRACY: 8 pm at The Skylark. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:33 AM: Quiet out there so far. But just in case you don’t have the day off:
*No school
*No Water Taxi
*Metro on “reduced weekday” service
*Sound Transit buses on regular schedule
*Some downtown streets closed for the Macy’s 9 am Holiday Parade (with local participants!) and 5 pm star lighting
If you heard the sirens in eastern West Seattle – a “heavy rescue” response was initially sent for a crash reported at West Marginal Way SW and 2nd Avenue SW [map], but it’s been downsized – only one vehicle is reported to be involved, with one person inside, not believed to be seriously hurt, and not needing extrication. The driver is reported to have hit a tree in a “wooded” area.
11:23 PM: Thanks for the tips about police activity in The Junction near 44th/Oregon. Officers are searching for at least one suspect in what was described via radio as a street robbery in which the victim, whose purse was stolen, was told the robbers had a gun. One suspect is reported to be in custody.
11:49 PM: Police are reported to be questioning two other possible suspects.
Three reader reports:
BREAK-IN: From a reader in Fairmount Springs:
We had a break-in last night just before 6 pm at our house on 41st Ave SW / Juneau [map], this guy rang the doorbell soon after we left the house and then kicked in a side door and stole some antique jewelry:
The incident number is 17-432859.
TIRE SLASHED: Alia wonders if anyone else woke up to this: “My tire was slashed during the night last night, cross-streets Walker and California.” [map]
HIT-RUN? Joshua saw this early today: “Probable hit and run at Brandon & 49th [map]. BMW smashed up with debris in the street. Such a nice treat on the holiday morning.” It appears a police report was filed later, 17-433380.
If you have some extra giving capacity this year, maybe you can help handle a few of the 1,124 requests received by the West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) this season. Both locations have giving trees up, with two weeks and two days for you to help make the holidays happier for someone. From the Y’s executive director Shalimar Gonzales:
The West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA invites local residents of all ages to participate in a variety of free activities and give a gift to support kids and families in the area. There is a giving tree on display in each of the lobbies of the West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA locations with cards attached. If you are interested in sharing a gift, just take one or more cards, purchase the requested gift, and return it to the Y by December 9th. Last year, over 800 gifts were provided by the community for this effort. It’s been a tough year for many people in the community, and during this special season, the need for even more donations from our community members is even more critical.
As for those free community activities – to which you’re invited whether you’re a Y member or not – they include:
*Family Night, 6:30 pm-8 pm December 1st
*Healthy Holiday Stress-Reduction Workshop, 6:30 pm December 11th and 10 am December 14th
*Winter Holiday Bake-A-Rama with Chef Kim O’Donnel, 4:30-5:30 pm December 14th (Sufganiyot [Jelly Donuts] and Benne [Sesame] Biscuits)
All of those events – which have been added to the WSB WS Holiday Guide – are at the West Seattle branch (36th SW/SW Snoqualmie); the Fauntleroy branch is at 9131 California SW. Our Holiday Guide also has a “holiday giving” section where we have added these giving trees – if you have a giving tree, donation drive, fundraiser, volunteer need, etc., please let us know so we can add it too – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
It’s free community Thanksgiving dinner time in West Seattle, if you don’t already have plans. Above and below, The Hall at Fauntleroy is serving dinner until 3 pm, 19th year, and David Haggerty of D Squared – parent company of The Hall and Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes Catering – tells WSB that this might be the biggest one yet: 70 people were waiting when they opened the doors at noon, and they had served more than 220 by the time we visited in the second hour.
Community contributions to The Hall at Fauntleroy’s dinner include donated desserts, as well as warm clothes for anyone who needs them:
But you don’t have to be in need to join in the community dinner – all are welcome; The Hall is at 9131 California SW.
Meanwhile, now that it’s 2 pm, the doors also are open at the West Seattle Eagles‘ HQ at 4426 California SW, where they’re offering a free community dinner – turkey and all the trimmings – until 5 pm.
West Seattle Produce, on a site that’s been targeted for redevelopment for years, has just announced it’s closing at the end of this year, and hoping to reopen at a new location next spring. From today’s announcement:
… It is with heavy hearts we announce we will be closing our doors at the end of this year. The development bug finally got to us and our beloved stand will likely soon become West Seattle’s newest 7-story apartment building.
It has been a joyous ten years on the Fauntleroy block and we could not have done it without your support. We love and will miss you all but hopefully not for long! It is our hope to open at a new location in the West Seattle area in Spring of 2018.
This will be the second time WSP has had to leave a site that was planned for redevelopment – its original location 7 1/2 years ago was across the street, where The Whittaker (WSB sponsor) is now. As mentioned in the announcement, an apartment building is planned for WSP’s current site at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, but that’s not the first proposal since it moved there six years ago; before the apartment plan, a CVS drugstore was proposed for the site, but that plan was scrapped in mid-2016. The new plan includes about 300 apartments, and some commercial space, in two buildings.
P.S. Again, WS Produce has announced it’s closing at the end of the year – but remains open for business until then, and in fact, as you can see in the photo above, is about to start selling Christmas trees.
11:24 AM: Thanks for all the tips about police on the south end of the Lincoln Park waterfront. They have taped off part of the beach where we are told a body was found. Our crew talked to a woman who says she found the body while out for a walk with her dog less than an hour ago. She said the person appeared to be male, gray-haired. Police apparently found ID on him, but had no comment on the situation except that they were awaiting the Medical Examiner.
11:44 AM: As noted by commenters, there was an extensive search two days ago to the south for a man in his 80s reported to have gone into the water in Des Moines, 10+ miles south of here. Coast Guard and King County crews had searched exhaustively for him without success.
12:35 PM: We checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office to see if they had heard whether this was the person they had been searching for. No notification so far, according to spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West.
1:44 PM: We also have talked with SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson. Final word on an ID and cause of death would have to come from the Medical Examiner, but he says it’s currently NOT being investigated as foul play (we had verified with the officers on scene that Homicide detectives had not been called out), and also says SPD is indeed looking into whether the discovery is connected to the Des Moines disappearance on Tuesday.
The southbound lane in the 6000 block of Beach Drive is blocked right now by the response to that crash. The driver is not seriously hurt; the car went up over the sidewalk and into a wall.
(Thanksgiving Eve rainbow, photographed by Carolyn Newman)
Happy Thanksgiving! As usual, we’ve compiled info you might be looking for:
GROCERY STORES OPEN TODAY: The list is in the Thanksgiving section atop our Holiday Guide.
COFFEE SHOPS OPEN TODAY: 16 coffee shops open for at least part of today are also listed in the Thanksgiving section of our guide.
RESTAURANTS (AND BARS WITH FOOD) OPEN TODAY AND/OR TONIGHT: Here’s the list; please be aware that it is a list of who told us, when we called, that they planned to be open – always subject to last-minute change without notice to us, so please let us know if you find discrepancies – thanks!
PRE-TURKEY EXERCISE : Three options this morning, which you also will find in the Thanksgiving section atop the Holiday Guide .
WHERE TO FIND A FREE COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER: Three options this year, everyone welcome:
*The Hall at Fauntleroy, noon-3 pm (9131 California SW)
*West Seattle Church of the Nazarene, noon (4201 SW Juneau, church basement)
*West Seattle Eagles, 2 pm-5 pm (4426 California SW, banquet-room entrance off parking lot on south side of building)
AND IF YOU WANT TO HELP: You can donate a dessert to The Hall at Fauntleroy’s dinner – such as a pie and/or cookies – dropoffs are welcome between 10 am and 1 pm, same address as above (south end of the historic schoolhouse).
THANKSGIVING POTLUCK: 11 am-2 pm on the patio outside Tully’s on Alki. “Bring and share a hot dish, or salad, or dessert, bring family/friends, all are welcome.” (2676 Alki SW)
WHAT TO DO AFTER DINNER:
The Admiral Theater is open this afternoon/evening – see the movies/showtimes here (2343 California SW) … The West Seattle Lights music-synched light show starts tonight, 7-9 pm – bring food for the West Seattle Food Bank! (3908 SW Charlestown)
(Surf scoter, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
THANKSGIVING TRANSPORTATION NOTES:
*Metro is on the Sunday schedule
*No Water Taxi service
*Sound Transit Route 560 is on the Sunday schedule
*Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run is on its regular schedule
*Parking is free on city streets in neighborhoods with pay stations
OTHER INFO:
*No trash/recycling pickup today – Thursday pickups will happen Friday; Friday pickups, on Saturday
*Seattle Parks closures for today, tomorrow
*Seattle Public Libraries closed today
Detailed info for today and beyond is in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide. We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving! (And if you see/hear news, please text/call 206-293-6302 – thank you!)
(Seattle Channel video of today’s budget signing)
The two-month-long process of changing and finalizing next year’s budget ended today with Mayor Tim Burgess signing what the City Council passed a day earlier. So what’s in it for our area? Here’s how West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold – who led the budget process this year – broke it down in her weekly update:
*Funding for public safety coordinator and pedestrian/lighting improvements identified by the South Park Public Safety Task Force
*Statement of Legislative Intent report from SPD by March 16 about solutions to vehicle-noise enforcement and cruising in Alki (which could also affect Fauntleroy and Belltown)
*Expand the Ready to Work project into District 1. There are unique challenges facing immigrants and refugees living in SW Seattle. The Ready to Work model is designed to support Seattle residents who are English learners and hinges on the intensive centralized and neighborhood-based support available to these English learners. The special features of this project include level 1-3 ESL classes, 12 hours a week of classes focused on supporting English learners to succeed in a professional environment, intensive case management, and curriculum focused on digital and financial literacy. The Ready to Work expansion is currently in its planning phase and is slated to open in April of 2018.
*Funding to plan and design walkable, bikeable path uniting the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods to enhance walkability between Georgetown and South Park’s historic “Main Streets” and connect the heart of the Duwamish Valley
*Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD): expansion of LEAD to North Precinct, and to begin taking referrals from the SW and South Precincts, and a Statement of Legislative Intent to expand LEAD citywide in 2019
*Addition of $1 million for participatory budgeting (done through the Neighborhood Parks and Streets Fund), which, in 2017, funded projects in Delridge, Westwood/Highland Park, High Point, and South Park
*Vacant Building Monitoring Program: While working on legislation earlier this year to modify maintenance and demolition standards related to vacant buildings I worked to add an amendment that would require the department to present the Council with legislation by March 31, 2018. Requiring property owners to register vacant and foreclosed properties allows the City to register properties to ensure they are maintained and secure, and are not a nuisances to the public. The City has experienced a significant increase of complaints about vacant buildings – between 2013 and 2016 we saw an increase of 58%. Of those, District 1 has the second highest amount of complaints at 189 between 2013 and 2016.
That is only part of Councilmember Herbold’s budget wrapup (which you can read in full here). She also lists key points under these headings:
-Human Service and Homelessness
-Public Safety
-Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee
-Fiscal responsibility
And finally, she writes about what’s next for the “head tax” proposal – explaining the resolution that the council passed, days after their 5-4 vote against including it in next year’s budget:
Often, we talk about economic prosperity not lifting all boats, but the proposition we are faced with — and the reason the Employee Head Tax was proposed — is because economic prosperity has not only failed to help everybody, but this economic prosperity has hurt some people, as noted in the Mayor’s proposed budget. I believe that the beneficiaries of that economic prosperity must do more to address the impacts of prosperity that has not been shared by all.
In seeking a budget that had, at its core, a principle of fiscal responsibility and sustainability, I proposed a progressive, ongoing revenue source to support a surge in affordable housing production – to more than double the units built with Housing Levy funds – to meet the great need of people living without homes. Instead of passing that ongoing revenue source, the Council passed Resolution 31782. This resolution requires the Council to assemble a task force to be appointed by December 11. This task force will develop recommendations for a dedicated progressive revenue source to support people experiencing or at high-risk for homelessness and to raise no less than $25 million a year. This task force will deliver recommendations by February 26, 2018, and the Council will take legislative action by March 26. 2018. This is a huge win for those who have been waiting for something big and bold to address the city’s civil emergency on homelessness.
The full list of council changes to the mayor-proposed budget is here.
One count of residential burglary was filed today against 20-year-old Jorge Cruz-Benitez, arrested after a burglary in Highland Park on Saturday morning. As reported here on Monday, one of the home’s residents, David, widely shared his story of being awakened by his niece screaming after one of her three young children told her about the intruder. He then confronted the man, ordered him to leave, finally pushed him out of the house, and then led police to him after driving around and finding the suspect near South Seattle College. Court documents say Cruz-Benitez told police after his arrest that he thought he had entered a friend’s house, though he also said he hadn’t been to that friend’s house before; the victims told police that they later noticed things had been taken out of closets in the house, and that their garage had been gone through. The charging documents say Cruz-Benitez has a criminal history including second-degree robbery as a juvenile, and domestic-violence assault earlier this year. He remains in King County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail, and is scheduled for arraignment December 6th.
FIRST REPORT, 5:02 PM: Police are blocking 24th SW just south of SW Webster [map], across from Home Depot’s south driveway, right now because a utility pole fell. It fell toward, but between, two of the multiplex residential buildings on the west side of 24th.
No one was hurt. The weather was calm at the time, so the cause of the fall is a mystery so far. (Thanks to the person who texted us about this!)
7:34 PM: Just went by to check; crews are still there working. Also, per the City Light outage map, 90 customers in the vicinity are without electricity.
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