West Seattle, Washington
05 Sunday
Thanks to the Smiths for sending photos of this new “temporary art installation” in the park outside Delridge Community Center. The sign says it’s the work of local artist Yeggy Michael, part of the city’s Arts in Parks program, and that you’re invited to contribute your story:
These maps are part of it:
We’ll be checking to find out how long it’ll be on display – the Smiths believe it just went up in the past day or so.
ADDED: We’re told it will be there until July 20th, and after that, your next chance to see it is at the Arts in Nature Festival August 26-27.
Back on Monday, we mentioned a collision on Delridge that sent a bicyclist to the hospital. Today, she e-mailed to ask if we would share this:
I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came to my assistance on Monday.
I am the bicyclist that got hit at Delridge and Willow. It was a very scary situation made much better by the bystanders and first responders that came to my aid. It was incredibly kind of the complete strangers who brought blankets and jackets out to keep the rain off me. And special thanks to one woman who came over to check on me and helped keep me calm. And of course, all the first responders were unbelievably professional and kind. Just wanted everyone to know how much it meant to me.
– Kristen
11:54 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to a possible house fire in the 9200 block of Delridge Way SW. More to come.
11:57 AM: The first arrivals in the area have downgraded the call, canceling most of the dispatched units. Scanner discussion indicates steam from shingles might have been mistaken for smoke.
4:46 PM: Thanks for the text – a traffic incident at Delridge and Willow (map) is detouring vehicles. We’re on our way to find out more.
5:11 PM: By the time we got there, SFD was leaving and the scene was completely clear. We’re told by witnesses that it was a collision between a bicyclist and driver, and the bicyclist was transported by private ambulance.
5:28 PM: Via e-mail, SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley confirms this was a bicyclist/driver collision, and the rider, a woman about 30 years old, was transported to a hospital via AMR, in stable condition.
In the ongoing saga of 9029 16th SW, site of three house-fire calls in five years, demolition is finally under way right now – a week and a half after the heavy equipment arrived. We first went by around 9 this morning; workers were at the site for the first time we’d seen since the backhoe’s arrival two Fridays ago, so we made a note to go back at noon, and that’s when we recorded the short clip above, as work had finally begun.
(WSB photo from February 25th fire)
After the big fire back in February, the city had ordered the owners to do something about what was left of the house; the detached building behind it is boarded up but otherwise untouched as of noon, so we’ll check on it later. The owners have a redevelopment plan in the permit pipeline, for what’s described only as a “mixed-use building.”
Eight days ago, we reported that demolition equipment finally arrived at 9029 16th SW, the scene of at least three fires in five years, including one this past February. After that, the city had finally ordered its owners to do something about it, eventually extending the deadline to April 21st; when the demolition equipment arrived on Thursday, May 4th, we actually had an inquiry out to the city about what would happen if nothing happened. SDCI told us they had been informed the fire-gutted house would be torn down the next day.
That was a week ago. We’ve gone by daily. No activity. A new complaint is still pending. So we will renew our inquiry with the city on Monday.
Meantime, we’ve noted in our previous followups on this property that the city is considering new rules regarding what owners of structures like this can be required to do. They’re going before the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee at 9:30 am next Tuesday (May 16th). The slide deck for the hearing contains a lot of alarming stats – and photos of derelict properties that actually look better than 9029 16th SW.
(If you can’t spare 3 minutes, the stop-sign-running is particularly prolific in the final minute-plus)
That video was recorded in November at 17th SW and SW Trenton by area resident Darryll Wolf. He sent it to various city reps then – and sent it again yesterday, after a close call. This time, we were on the CC list. His e-mail:
Dear SDOT, SPD, and Councilmember Herbold,
(Thursday) morning, as I was running to catch the bus to work at 7:53 am, a driver accelerated into and through the intersection at SW Trenton Street and 17th Ave SW, refusing to stop at the stop sign while I was in the lane! She did this as I was in front of her car, forcing me to run backward to avoid being hit. I’ve reported rampant violations at this intersection before and was even hit by one car (hit and run) and nearly hit by several others in the past several months. I shared this 3-minute video in this same email thread in November showing fully 85% of drivers fail to stop or yield right of way at this clearly signed intersection.
The incident this morning felt like a deliberate attempt by the driver to threaten or injure me with her car. I am very worried about my own safety as well as the safety of my family and neighbors who live, work, and play along the 17th Ave SW greenway.
In 2016, the Seattle Greenways project team created this new sanctioned pedestrian and bicycle greenway on 17th Ave SW north of SW Henderson Street and then placed stop signs at each of the east-west intersections along the greenway where no stop signs had ever existed for likely near 100 years. But they and SDOT failed to do any awareness campaign or enforcement follow-up to ensure the safety of those who use the greenway. I am disappointed that after having reported the frequent violations and one known hit and run at 17th and Trenton in the past few months to SPD, CPT, and the Greenways project team, we have only seen about an hour of SPD enforcement at this intersection with no ticketing for violations, and the Greenways team and SDOT have been a complete no-show here.
I have been documenting the continued pattern of violations at the 17th and Trenton intersection since last November and will continue to report this problem to SPD. I have reported similar incidents of speeding and aggressive or threatening driving through school crossing zones, and the general failure to yield to pedestrians along 16th Ave SW, and along SW Trenton Street from Delridge to 16th Ave SW. But I have seen zero SPD presence in those areas during rush hour and have never seen a single person ticketed for this blatant and common recklessness.
As the increased densification under HALA upzoning increase car, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic in our area, it is my hope that SPD, SDOT, and the City will take this seriously and do real traffic calming, enforcement, and ticketing before we see people killed by reckless drivers. Throughout the area from 16th Ave SW to SW Delridge, between Holden and Roxbury, there are many children and public transit users who are vulnerable to death and disfigurement by reckless drivers every day. And these drivers must be shown that traffic laws are not optional and that drivers cannot threaten and maim pedstrians with their cars with impunity. We need your help to send this message!
I look forward to hearing from SPD, CPT, SDOT, and the City in the near term on how each of you plan to address this very real public safety issue in our area. I am happy to discuss this in person or over a phone call if it will result in quick action.
From the list to whom Wolff sent the video, the first response (at least, the first to the entire CC list including us) was from Councilmember Herbold:
I watched your video and I’m aghast that of a dozen cars going through that intersection over the 3 minutes you filmed, only two cars made a complete stop at the stop sign. By the way of this message, I’m asking that Chief Davis consider an enforcement at this intersection. Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of pedestrian safety.
As mentioned here Thursday morning, SPD’s Traffic Unit chief, Capt. Eric Sano, is the scheduled guest for the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council next Tuesday (7 pm May 16th), so if you have neighborhood concerns, it’s a good time to bring them up.
We often get asked about rental/event spaces in West Seattle. Here’s a new one: Muse Gallery and Studio, in North Delridge. It’s a new venture by the proprietors of The Skylark next door. Matt Larson explains:
We are trying to provide a space for artists and artisans to show/sell/teach their craft in West Seattle. It also makes for an affordable and spacious photo studio as it includes seamless backgrounds and tall ceilings.
Muse Gallery and Studio is available to rent for a wide variety of events. Pop-up art shows, photo studio rental, private parties, classes, recitals, etc. can all be held in this warm, open space. Gallery lighting, wood floors, open floor plan, and seamless backdrops make it versatile for a number of uses. There is also plenty of free parking, and catering available. First and foremost, Muse is about finding inspiration and making connections in our art community. Our goal is to draw attention to and promote artists, studios, and collectives from all the neighborhoods in Seattle by showcasing them here in West Seattle.
Larson says you can get a firsthand look at Muse (3801 Delridge Way SW) during two upcoming events: Night Circus #5, an “art and social gathering” 6-9 pm this Thursday (May 11th) followed by music next door at Skylark, and a one-night art show May 20th by Casey Brookbush, with live acoustic music by Jake Carden, 6-10 pm May 20th, with music afterward at Skylark.
(WSB photos, added 8:08 pm)
7:22 PM: Thanks for the texts. The big police response in North Delridge (and beyond) has to do with a search for a suspect and at least one of two vehicles reported to be involved in some kind of incident at Delridge and Findlay. The vehicles were described as a blue SUV and a Mustang. This is from the scanner – we don’t know yet what started all this but at some point along the way, one of the drivers was reported to be trying to run over officers. More as we get it.
7:48 PM: The search for one suspect who reportedly bolted toward the Longfellow Creek greenbelt continues, with K-9. (Other areas are being searched too.) The Mustang is being towed from the gas station on Delridge north of Findlay.
We just talked with police, who say the suspect they’re seeking was associated with the Mustang and is being impounded because there might be a gun in it. And that, they tell us, is how this started – a gun-flashing incident involving a confrontation between people in the 2 cars. No gunfire or injuries reported.
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Two veteran bartenders are working to bring a neighborhood bar to an evolving stretch of South Delridge.
West Seattle residents Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler have worked in bars and restaurants throughout the city since moving here from Oakland, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. Now the two have become business partners working toward a summertime opening of 2 Fingers Social at 9211 Delridge Way SW, a site that has seen a variety of businesses come and go in recent years, as noted here when we first mentioned an early-stage plan for the site in March.
Spence and Wheeler hope their experience in the food-and-beverage industry will help them establish their bar as a fixture in a rapidly changing area, where neighbors have already been working hard on improvements.
“It will be a place where people can come socialize with their neighbors and feel connected. It will have an old-school feel with a very old-fashioned aesthetic to it,” says Spence in describing the overall concept for the space. “It’s going to be a ‘bar’ in the traditional sense of the term, like what you would expect to see in a classic movie. It’d be a place where you would see Humphrey Bogart sitting next to Elvira.”
Beer and wine will be available at 2 Fingers Social, but the full bar will be the primary star. Spence and Wheeler are still putting their liquor lists together, but already have ruled out any cut-rate labels.
“Our well liquors are going to be what other bars serve as their calls,” says Wheeler. “Our prices may reflect that a bit, but people will quickly recognize that they’re getting quality drinks.”
Between the bar seating and tables, 2 Fingers Social will seat 50 people upon opening. The owners plan to eventually add outdoor seating on a patio in front of the building.
Though there is a heavy focus on the bar, Spence and Wheeler say their food offerings will be just as compelling. The menu will consist of hot sandwiches and sides. They plan to keep selections fairly limited and “off the beaten path.” Wheeler says they hope to work with the nearby shop Meat the Live Butcher on sourcing quality, local meats for their sandwiches. They will also have vegan and vegetarian sandwiches on the menu.
Both fathers themselves, Spence and Wheeler are dedicated to making the atmosphere of 2 Fingers Social as family-friendly as possible so that everyone feels welcome, whether they are coming for cocktails, dinner, or both.
“We want people to come into what would be an extension of our living room . . . if we could have a bar in our living room,” says Spence
The two are working hard on renovations and paperwork in the hopes they will be able to open within a few months, though typical delays in processing could push them into August before they could open their doors.
Once open, 2 Fingers Social will be open from 4 pm to midnight, seven days a week, with the potential to expand in the future into both the lunch and late-night hours.
(Click for full-size PDF version of map)
If you live in the highlighted areas of eastern West Seattle – this is for you. Seattle Public Utilities is launching the Longfellow Creek “natural drainage systems” project – meant to find ways to keep runoff out of the creek, via raingarden-type installations, among other things. Here’s the announcement we received today, including a survey:
Seattle Public Utilities is working to reduce polluted stormwater runoff from entering the Longfellow basin water system. As part of this effort, we are designing and constructing 7 – 10 blocks of Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) in the Longfellow Creek basin.
SPU is currently working to determine where we can partner with other city departments on related projects and which blocks will be technically feasible for NDS placement. While SPU can only build these systems where it is technically feasible, we would like to incorporate community input into the final decision. (Please see the map for our initial analysis of potentially feasible areas in your neighborhood, where input from the community is needed.)
As part of this effort, SPU is sending a mailing (the attached letter, project brochure, and survey) to residents located on these potentially feasible blocks. We need input from folks who live directly on these project blocks to help inform our final NDS siting decisions. The cutoff for the survey (linked here) is May 26, 2017.
Please feel free to contact Luis Ramirez, project manager, at Luis.Ramirez@seattle.gov or 206-684-3660, or April Mills, Line of Business Representative, at April.Mills@seattle.gov or 206-733-9816 for eligibility requirements or our survey outreach approach. Visit our SPU project page for additional information.
As the brochure says, construction is expected to happen in 2019. City and county “natural drainage systems” projects are already in place in other parts of West Seattle including Highland Park, South Delridge, Sunrise Heights, and Westwood.
Just announced – and you’re invited:
This Friday, May 5th, from 5-9 pm, the West Seattle Chapter (#23) of DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is hosting a community potluck at their Chapter Hall, located at 4857 Delridge Way SW. The potluck is open to all. DAV provides services for men and women who were injured or disabled while serving our country. The warm people at DAV offer a welcoming place for vets and their families to connect with each other and receive support. Feel free to come and enjoy the food and community at this special West Seattle gathering in support of our local heroes.
5:19 PM: A big Seattle Fire response is arriving at a vacant building in the 9200 block of Delridge Way SW, where they’re finding smoke but so far no obvious source.
5:27 PM: Most of the responding units have been canceled.
5:37 PM: Photo added. SFD says the fire started in a trash can or similar receptacle outside the house. Firefighters also confirm a fire here a few years ago – (update) our archives show one person died in that fire in June 2014.
5:53 PM: The 2014 fire also killed four puppies, as noted in a followup. We’re checking records for the address, 9222 Delridge Way SW, and have found only two items, both 2015 complaints about alleged unspecified violations of the city’s vacant-building ordinance.
No holiday for criminals – a texter reports a vehicle theft on SW Dakota near Delridge Way [map] overnight: White Ford 350 Econoline work van, marked “Valley Electric.” Plate C59814B. If you see it, call 911.
(Photo courtesy Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle)
Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge is offering another free self-defense class for women and girls, ages 10+, this Saturday (April 15th). It’s a three-hour clinic “about awareness, empowerment, setting boundaries, having confidence … finding your voice and believing in yourself … a three-hour clinic where our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically).” Noon-3 pm. RSVP by going here. While there’s no charge, donations are always welcome to support women’s shelter New Beginnings, cash or check. Elite BJJ is at 5050 Delridge Way SW.
(Delridge Community Center file photo from seattle.gov)
4:40 PM: Heads up if you use Delridge Community Center – it’s closed through Friday, according to Seattle Parks, which says the closure is for “routine maintenance.” But the center is scheduled to reopen by Saturday, when its annual egg hunt is set for 10 am. (Here’s our list of all this week’s egg hunts, services, and other seasonal activities!)
ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: Delridge CC’s Angie Ramirez tells WSB that the maintenance includes refinishing of the center’s hardwood floors in the gym and multipurpose room, and “other deep cleaning of the center.”
Live jazz and treats await you at the grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments (9051 20th SW). The music continues until 4, the party until 5, including tours.
The 40+-unit complex, built by STS Construction Services (longtime WSB sponsor) and managed by North Pacific Properties, has variety. First-floor units, including a handful of live-works, have high ceilings (16 feet). The building includes 2-bedroom apartments (not always easy to find in new construction) as well as 1-bedrooms – more than a dozen floor plans, even 2 bedroom/2 baths. Each unit has its own laundry room. And there are unexpected touches such as built-in connections for portable air-conditioning units.
The four-story building includes some views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, and some units have terraces or balconies.
The lighting is all LED.
BlueStone is leasing now – another tenant was moving in while we were visiting – and we’re told one of the live-work units is expected to soon have a small café. If you don’t get to stop by today, you can inquire online.
Sunday nights are often relatively quiet in West Seattle – but not this weekend. Here’s what, and who, you’ll find at The Skylark in North Delridge tomorrow night – organizer Ann-Dee Levine tells us it’s the first of what they hope might become a monthly event citywide, each one benefiting “a local non-profit that is doing work in response to what is happening nationally and/or that is at risk of losing funding due to what is happening nationally”:
CLAMOR! – a Musical Insurgency
A benefit for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
clam·or
n. insistent public expression (as of support or protest).
v. to raise an outcry.There is both solace and power to be found in art, and we need anthems to help us weather this storm and power up for the battles to come. Five amazing musical acts will fill that need on Sunday, April 2, in the first of what we hope will be many such events. Featuring:
6:30 p.m. – The Hinges
7:15 p.m. – Robert Stewart (photo above)
8:00 p.m. – Young Pioneers (photo above)
8:45 p.m. – Ready Steady Go (photo above)
9:30 p.m. – Jason Webley (top video)Music is the medium — Resistance is the message! Come listen, laugh, dance, cry, scream and shout, and shake your fist at the sky!
Doors open at 5:30 pm (3803 Delridge Way SW), with music starting at 6:30 pm. All ages welcome. Suggested donation $10, and it all goes to NWIRP.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:42 AM: Thanks for the tips. We have multiple reports of apparent gunfire along Delridge – described as sounding like five shots – and one person reports police are searching Delridge Way by SW Kenyon. No medical calls, so, no reports of anyone hurt, so far. (Just a reminder – if you think you hear gunfire, even if you didn’t see it and aren’t sure exactly where it happened, police ask that you call 911 – the more reports they get, the more likely they are to be able to figure out what happened and where.)
10:08 AM UPDATE: We followed up this morning with Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson, who tells WSB that responding officers did not find victims or property damage but did find, photograph, and collect five 9mm shell casings in the street.
Thanks to the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 parents who just shared a letter sent to families today: The school says the county Health Department has told them a student has a confirmed case of mumps. According to today’s weekly update about the countywide mumps outbreak, that’s one of 25 cases in Seattle, 254 confirmed/probable cases in King County. Here’s the text of the letter families received:
Dear Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Parents:
Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) has been informed of a student with mumps who attends Louisa Boren STEM K-8. The student is doing well and will remain out of school until no longer contagious. This case is linked to the ongoing King County outbreak.
What is mumps?
Mumps is an illness caused by a virus that can cause fever, headache, and swelling of the cheeks and jaw. In rare cases, mumps can lead to more serious complications that may require hospitalization. Up to 30% of people with mumps infection will have no symptoms.
How is mumps spread?
A person with mumps can spread the virus by coughing, sneezing, or talking. It can also be spread by sharing cups or eating utensils, and by touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that are then touched by others.
Who is at risk of getting mumps*?
Infants who are too young to receive mumps vaccine (less than 1 year of age).
Children over 1 year of age who have not received at least 1 dose of MMR
Adults born in or after 1957 who have not been vaccinated or have not previously had mumps
disease.
If you are unsure of your child’s vaccination status please contact your health care provider.
Even persons with 2 doses of mumps vaccine can get mumps infection (but the risk is less
than for people who have not been vaccinated or those who have only had 1 dose of mumps vaccine).What should I do now?
Watch your child for symptoms of mumps, even if your child has had 2 doses of mumps vaccine. If your child develops any of the symptoms listed above:
Call your child’s healthcare provider and tell them about your child’s symptoms and that he or she may have been exposed to mumps. Bring or read this letter to the health care provider.
Keep your child home and away from other persons and from public settings until he or she has been evaluated by a healthcare provider.
If you have additional questions, please contact your health care provider.Will children who do not have two doses of mumps vaccine be excluded from school?
At this time Public Health is not recommending exclusion of children with vaccine exemptions. This will change if there are additional cases in the school. Students without at least one dose of MMR vaccine will be excluded from school of a minimum of 25 days after the last case. If your child does not have 2 doses of MMR vaccine please contact your healthcare provider to discuss vaccination.
Additional information about mumps can be found at:
kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/mumps.aspxSincerely,
Krista Rietberg, MPH
Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section
The 25 cases reported within Seattle city limits are not publicly broken out by location, so we don’t know if any of the others are in the West Seattle area, but this is the first West Seattle notification that’s been called to our attention.
BACKSTORY: This Seattle Times report says the King County outbreak started last fall in Auburn. Statewide, through mid-March, this data sheet says 473 cases have been reported this year; that’s up from 155 statewide for all of 2016, Before that, according to that same page, the statewide total had been in single digits 2009-2015, following three years in double digits.
(WSB photo)
Six months after the three-alarm fire at the Lam-Bow Apartments complex (6955 Delridge Way SW), the building left “unsalvageable” (as the Seattle Housing Authority deemed it) is being demolished. We just went by for a look, after two reader tips (thank you!). SHA spokesperson Kerry Coughlin had told us in January that they were waiting for permits so they could tear it down, and now the work is under way. The September 27th fire displaced more than 40 residents; no one was hurt, and investigators never determined the cause, just that the fire started on the building’s exterior. Coughlin told us this afternoon: “Rebuilding will not start immediately and we don’t have any plans or details. We had to get the damaged structure down as soon as possible but need due diligence time to make sure we maximize the opportunity to replace.”
Three stretches of West Seattle streets are due for new sidewalks this year, as shown on the map above, made public as Mayor Murray spotlighted the city’s updated Pedestrian Master Plan today.
*35th SW in Arbor Heights between 100th and 106th adds to the sidewalks built north of there 5 years ago
*Arbor Heights also will get a block of sidewalk along SW 104th between 35th and 36th, just east of AH Elementary
*In Delridge, sidewalks are on the way to SW Orchard between Myrtle and Dumar
Today’s full announcement says the mayor is sending the plan to City Council later this week. If you’d like to look into the future to see where future work might be focused, the “priority investment network” map for our area starts on page 60 of the full Pedestrian Master Plan.
>(L-R: Ryan Colby, Sampson Lee, Zaid Bezzaz interviewubg with judges at 2017 Washington State VEX IQ Challenge Championships)
Robotics students from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in North Delridge are going to the VEX IQ Challenge World Championships next month! This is just the second year for the robotics program at the school, launched by technology teacher Julie Schmick last year, and the STEM students are the only team from a Seattle school to make it to worlds. Here’s the announcement:
A team of fifth-grade students from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is headed to Louisville, Kentucky to represent the school at the VEX Robotics World Championship. Four robots from STEM competed in the Washington State VEX IQ Challenge Championships in Ellensburg, Washington on March 11th. Two robots made it to the final matches, and a third took home the competition’s top honor, qualifying the team for the world championships April 23-25, 2017.
The Excellence Award, the highest honor at a VEX robotics competition, was presented to the drivers of Robot 10966C, Zaid Bezzaz, Ryan Colby, and Sampson Lee. The award goes to a team that exemplifies overall excellence in building a high-quality VEX robotics program, taking into consideration a team’s behavior, sportsmanship, and professionalism at the event, in addition to robot design, driving skills, and performance in tournament matches. The approach demonstrated by the STEM K-8 teams in working on their robots and participating in competitions is representative of the school’s project-based learning curriculum, as is the student engineers’ ability to clearly articulate the work they put into designing and building their robots.
In VEX competitions, teams of students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams in game-based engineering challenges. The VEX IQ Crossover Challenge provides elementary and middle school students with exciting, open-ended robotics and research projects that enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through hands-on, student-centered learning. Two robots compete as an alliance in 60-second teamwork matches, working collaboratively to score points. Additional points are earned through skill tests, documentation reviews, and team member interviews.
Thanks to parent Lisa Dawson for first word on this, and for the photos, including this one of all the students who competed at the state championships:
In all, more than a thousand teams from around the world will be competing at worlds – but the STEM students are the only ones at elementary level from a Seattle school. Robotics is a before-/after-school enrichment program at STEM, whose PTA is covering the event-registration fees for the students, while their families must cover the cost of traveling to Louisville. They’re crowdfunding for help with that – if you’re interested in helping, here’s the YouCaring page.
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