West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
Days after Arbor Heights Elementary was proposed for “program closure” in the “preliminary recommendations” from Seattle Public Schools leadership two weeks ago, its community prepared and released a “fact sheet” (WSB report here). Now, the morning after its official appearance on the potential closure list – its program, not its building – Cooper Elementary has created a “fact sheet” as well, so we wanted to share that with you. Read it here (7-page PDF) in its entirety. Among many other points, the document showcases some of Cooper’s programs, like these two:
*Cooper’s Bilingual Program serves a culturally diverse group of English language learners. Two bilingual teachers and three instructional assistants provide instruction and support to students and parents who speak Spanish, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Somali.
*Cooper’s Autism Program continuum serves 24 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Eight students are served in Cooper’s general education classrooms with additional support and instruction provided by one special education teacher and 2 instructional assistants. Sixteen students are served in rooms 209 and 107, Cooper’s self-contained Autism K-2 and 3-5 classrooms. They are supported by two special education teachers and six instructional assistants. Additionally, Cooper’s resource room supports students with learning disabilities and developmental delays through both pull-put and push-in support.
The document also says closing Cooper’s program would eliminate the Earth Project (here’s its link on the Cooper site), which we’ve mentioned previously. Again, here’s where you can read the Cooper document in its entirety; the school is having a meeting tomorrow night – we covered the first Cooper meeting last Friday. Also, if you missed it last night, the latest “potential final recommendations” for school closures and changes citywide are summarized on the district website here.
That’s one of the slogans half-jokingly suggested toward the end of a small but spirited meeting at Cooper Elementary School tonight in Pigeon Point (map) – its first group meeting since Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson announced at Wednesday night’s School Board meeting that her staff — as requested by board members last week — was looking into possibly moving Pathfinder K-8 to Cooper instead of to Arbor Heights Elementary. The “Save Cooper … Again” refers to previous proposals to close or change the Cooper program, and some of tonight’s participants were veterans of those battles — read on for our report on the talking points Cooper is rushing to prepare as a late entry into the school-closure battle:Read More
Just out of the WSB inbox from “a concerned Cooper parent” – to recap, one week after proposing that the Arbor Heights Elementary program be closed so that Pathfinder K-8 could be relocated into the AH building, the district is now also studying the possibility of Cooper Elementary as a Pathfinder home (which has been proposed and dismissed before):
Just wanted to get some information out about the possible closure of Cooper Elementary as a new location for Pathfinder. I understand that Arbor Heights has had a very vocal presence, fighting to keep their school alive. They have done a fabulous job. Unfortunately, their success puts Cooper Elementary on the chopping block.
The Cooper school family faces many challenges in organizing their efforts, including economic circumstances and language barriers. This makes us no less of a family, and no less deserving of community support. None of our kids deserve to be displaced.
We are holding a meeting at 6:30 pm (tonight) in room 107 at Cooper Elementary to organize ourselves and our message. Please attend if you can. If we don’t let our thoughts be known to the District and the public we may well lose the Cooper building to the Pathfinder program. Please come and contribute your thoughts and your voice.
Thanks for helping us get our message out. Hopefully the Delridge community can rally the same way Arbor Heights has and save Cooper Elementary!!
Arbor Heights also plans a protest and petition drive tonight at Barnes and Noble-Westwood Village during an already-scheduled school-related event; more on that separately, a bit later. WSB will of course cover both events.
The news from tonight’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting wasn’t just about/for Pigeon Point. For starters – a plaintive reminder, especially apropos on a rainy night early enough in fall that the leaves are still not all off the trees – KEEP YOUR DRAINS CLEAR! You want them to look more like this:
Even if a clogged drain doesn’t cause trouble for your home or street – it can divert water somewhere that trouble WILL be caused. Meantime, other topics at PPNC tonight included a jail-site update, Delridge Community Center/skatepark-project updates, Cooper Elementary School update, library funding, and the reason why PPNC suddenly needs a new leader – all ahead:Read More
Lots of West Seattle folks with long-planned events today proved themselves adaptable, like the people of Pigeon Point, whose community celebration this afternoon-evening went on as scheduled – with just a few changes, like moving the bouncy house inside Cooper Elementary (map). Next West Seattle neighborhood celebration on the calendar: the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s Fauntleroy Fall Festival, October 19.
A city celebration last night honored groups citywide who successfully sought “Small and Simple” grants from the Neighborhood Matching Fund; among them, four in West Seattle. Three, we’ve mentioned before — the play-area projects in North Delridge (Cottage Grove “tot lot”) and Admiral (California Place) got $15,000 each; the Pigeon Point neighborhood celebration (coming up 9/20) got $2,100. The fourth is $15,000 for the ongoing restoration of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, this time going to the “Genesee Ravine Action Committee.” All of these projects involve matching funds – the city doesn’t just hand out $ without the groups showing a commitment of their own, money and volunteer labor. Here’s the full list of 24 “Small and Simple” recipients citywide; the city accepts applications four times a year, and the next deadline is October 6 – here’s more about the program. Meantime, the Neighborhood Matching Fund program itself is marking its 20th anniversary with events around the city, including an open house (free food!) this Saturday, 10 am-2 pm, at Youngstown Arts Center.
(video added 9:48 am, shot about an hour and a half earlier in Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge)
ORIGINAL REPORT: Thanks to those who have e-mailed/texted about major police activity in the South Seattle Community College vicinity, mostly around 16th SW – we’re checking to see what it’s about, both by phone and in person. Will post when we find something out; let us know if you know anything. 8:27 AM UPDATE: We’ve seen King County Sheriff’s Office personnel involved in this as well as Seattle Police so we have inquired with both departments; KCSO’s Sgt. John Urquhart says “we’re looking for a suspect who ran off on us” but can’t elaborate on exactly what the suspect is wanted for – he says they’d received a tip the suspect lived in West Seattle, then about 7 this morning the suspect “took off” — Seattle Police are helping with the search. More information as we get it. 9:01 AM UPDATE: Scanner information (and one text message) suggests the search is also moving into other parts of east West Seattle – just letting you know in case you see the officers. 9:53 AM UPDATE: A description was just put out over the scanner: Black male, 28 years old, thin, no facial hair, black jacket/blue jeans but “possibly changed clothes to unknown T-shirt and boxer shorts.” Call 911 with any info. 10:09 AM UPDATE: Sgt. Urquhart just confirmed, the man they are looking for was being sought in connection with last night’s double shooting in Burien (here’s tv coverage). They now believe he may have escaped the area. If any photo or further description is made available later today, we will post it in a separate report.
Sometime in the next few hours, it’s more than likely someone in Pigeon Point — atop the ridge that represents northeasternmost West Seattle — will wake up to the blast of a train horn, or more than one, from activity along that stretch of track, roughly Harbor Island to Harbor Ave. Tonight, more than 20 concerned neighbors joined government reps in a cozy City Hall meeting room — more people than you see sometimes in meetings about West Seattle issues that are held IN West Seattle — to try to figure out where to start on a complicated journey toward relief. When we first told you about their effort last week, many comments of disbelief came in, but if you had been in that meeting tonight, and listened to the desperation in some of those voices, you’d know the problem is very real, and some of them are at wit’s end — funny what sleep deprivation can do to you. Ahead, what they said, what they heard, and what happens next:Read More
From Admiral to Pigeon Point, some West Seattle residents say train noise is getting worse, and – as first discussed in this WSB Forums thread – they are ready to figure out how to put some limits on it. 
Not to stop the trains — as Liz Hardy explains, “Many people are affected by this noise because we have found that the bulk of the train traffic is at night and early morning. While we all understand that this is an industrial area and we do not expect (or want) the train traffic to stop, this is also a residential area and something needs to be done to mitigate the effect that the train noise is having on the surrounding neighborhoods.” As the West Seattle Train Noise Action Committee, they are now working to establish a federal “quiet zone” (explained here) in the area around the Port and Harbor Island. They’re hoping you can come to their first meeting, even though it’s downtown – they’ve booked West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, plus SDOT and Port of Seattle reps too – is Monday, at City Hall downtown for various reasons, and they are hoping for a big turnout – if you are concerned about train noise, be there: 5:30 pm Monday 8/18, Sam Smith Conference Room on the 2nd floor at City Hall (600 4th Ave.; here’s a map).
Diane sent this, with that plaintive plea in the subject line:
On Sunday, July 27 someone decided they needed to remove my sixteen-year-old Acura Vigor from my driveway in Pigeon Point. I am hoping that it is sitting in your neighborhood taking up space. It is black with a spoiler on the back with a good-looking outside and a well-worn inside. The license plate number is 861RMX. If you have seen it, I would love to bring it home.
Side notes: According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Seattle’s auto-theft rate is #16 in the nation, with more than 24,000 vehicles stolen last year. The police department has an auto-theft-prevention webpage here, and crime stats by census tract (including car-theft breakouts) on an interactive map here.
In report #1, we showed you the pix we took and posted while traveling around West Seattle 6-9:30 pm last night to visit Night Out parties. Only made it to a dozen of the 32-ish stops we’d hoped to visit – next year we’ll split up AND recruit reinforcements! But luckily pix are starting to come in from places we didn’t get to – like the Pigeon Point party with almost 100 participants — Pete Spalding, shown below with Southwest Precinct Captain Joe Kessler, sent some pix:
Capt. Kessler and other precinct leaders made the rounds to other Night Out events around West Seattle; we’ve heard of at least a few other sightings. Back to Pigeon Point, here are three other shots Pete sent – note they had Fire Department representation too – in this next photo, Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council president Matt Swenson is in the foreground, with longtime neighborhood volunteer Ed Doyne in the center:
Now, from Arbor Heights, State Sen. Joe McDermott sends a photo of Joy and Anna, whose karaoke number he found himself introducing when he stopped by their neighborhood’s block party near 100th/California:
Speaking of music, here’s that video we promised with the jam by the 40th Street Band, headlining the Fairmount Springs block party we featured in our first report:
And we have a block-party report from Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Mark Ahlness, who shows us what happened in his Gatewood neighborhood:
Mark also shared this report:
OMG what a beautiful night! At the corner of SW Elmgrove and 39th SW we had our annual Night Out. We were definitely feeling the absence of co-host for so many years Wilma, but husband Wally, son Ed, and neighbors carried on. We wished Wilma a speedy return from the hospital – sent her a banner and a group “Hi†picture tonight. Our local fire department spent some time with us again – a tradition we really appreciate and enjoy.
Here’s the banner they made for Wilma, followed by the visit from Engine 37 (which is getting a new station at 35th/Holden – city status reports say construction starts soon), and the group shot Mark mentioned:
Next chance to meet neighbors and local law enforcers: Picnic at the Precinct, Saturday 8/16, 1-4 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster; map).
Thanks to the Pigeon Point neighborhood mailing list for sharing this alert from Boeing Field management:
Naval Air Station San Diego notified KCIA Operations about four F-18s arriving between 4-6 PM on Saturday, June 14 to conduct over-flights, arrivals and departures, and departing at 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 15.
From June 23-28, one F-21 from Norfolk, VA will visit KCIA to support the Boeing Company’s testing of its Wedgetail aircraft at Boeing’s Military Flight Center. The jet fighter will make a couple operational flights/day during business hours.
Whenever scheduled military flights are known in advance, KCIA will alert surrounding neighborhoods; however, occasional refueling stops occur by military aircraft without any advanced notice to the Airport.
KCIA is an open-access airport and must accommodate all aircraft 24/7. By Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the Airport cannot discriminate against any aircraft because it is a violation of the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.To report noise incidents, please call KCIA’s Noise Information Line at 206-205-5242; or email KCIANoise@metrokc.gov.
We’re no experts but — according to online research, F-18 is a Blue Angels-type jet; F-21 is this.
In comments on our running outage/storm coverage last night, Pete mentioned seeing this toppled tree on the fence bordering the east side of Cooper Elementary School‘s parking lot, so we went back this afternoon for a closer look. Hard to get perspective but that’s a five-foot (or so) fence pulled up by the tree roots. It’s in the greenbelt that stretches east from there, so it’s not blocking anything; the fence damage is the only real impact.
That’s Matt Swenson from the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, presenting a check Monday night to Cooper Elementary principal Cathy Rutherford during PPNC’s monthly meeting at the school. As reported in this month’s edition of the Pigeon Point newsletter (read it here), the Pigeon Point sale that was part of last month’s WSB-presented West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day brought in almost $800 to be donated to Cooper. Next WSCGSD is May 9, 2009; long before then, Pigeon Point will be inviting you to a big event of its own — its first Fall Festival, on the drawing boards now for a September Saturday TBA.
Yes, yard/garden/habitat work can be fun — if you have company! That video shows just one of several merry mulch-relaying groups we saw in action during a brief visit to the EarthCorps– and Nature Consortium-organized Duwamish Alive! Earth Day event at Pigeon Point Park today. The restoration work at PP Park has really taken shape since we visited for this report a few months ago. After today’s cleanup work, the party was scheduled to move inside neighboring Cooper Elementary for indoor events (good timing; as our video shows, we were there during a sun break, but we all know that didn’t last long). One organizer told WSB today’s turnout numbered about 400!
Looks like Winter Encore ’08 smacked other areas but spared us (so far), so here are outdoor and indoor highlights (find today’s full list in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup):
EARTH DAY: It’s officially not till Tuesday but today, Cooper Elementary and neighboring Pigeon Point Park are the epicenter of the Duwamish Alive! activities happening all day long (with work parties at Roxhill Park and Brandon Street Natural Area too). Full details here.
FREE SWIMMING! It’s part of the April Pools Day event 10:30 am-noon at Southwest Pool.
LONGFELLOW CREEK FARM WORK PARTY: As we put it in our first report, “free organic produce … with just one catch!” Noon-4 pm.
HOMEMADE BRIGADE: Artists and craftspeople are setting up inside Freshy’s noon-4 pm today to show and sell their creations. Organizer Amber Bennett says live music will follow.
SNOOTY WALK: Across the street from Freshy’s, at Hiawatha, the pet event organized by and benefiting the West Seattle High School Class of ’09 starts at 2 pm. Read all about it here.
GOING TO THE HEALTHY LIVING EXPO? It’s not in West Seattle but if you’re going to this event @ Qwest, the WS Nia Divas asked us to let you know they’re presenting a free Nia class there @ 3 pm.
WSB FORUM COMMUNITY GET-TOGETHER AND ARSON-VICTIM FUNDRAISER: 6-9 pm tonight at Admiral Pub, join the WSB Forum Community for an evening of fun — all ages welcome — including a dart tournament and raffles with a list of enticing items (still growing as we speak) to raise money for Puget Sound Key and Lock, the Morgan Junction business gutted a month ago by a still-unsolved arson attack (recent followup here). Admiral Pub is on the east side of California just a few blocks north of Admiral; here’s the latest forum thread about tonight’s event (including raffle-item updates).
At our caucus, so many said they yearn for hope. Want some now? Before and after caucusing, we visited other events where people gave their time today to make West Seattle a better place:Read More
In case you missed the spectacular sunbreaks while, oh, say, indoors watching The Game … above, we present a snippet of video from Beach Drive, as the sun held court over Vashon. Below, we dropped by the Pigeon Point Park environmental-restoration work party (video preview here) and while the Nature Consortium folks and their volunteers were just getting going, we found artist Aaron Voronoff already well into the process of making an ever-evolving sculpture out of trash and plant debris that work-party participants were collecting:
Voronoff’s creation was to be disposed of later, by the way. The Nature Consortium tells us that most of its work parties feature environmental entertainment like this, with artists, musicians, etc.
Have you ever been to Pigeon Point Park? The trail we walked in the video clip above is just a small part of this hidden treasure next to Cooper Elementary School in northeast West Seattle. Tomorrow, it’s one of the places on the WS “east side” that will get special attention during Green Delridge Day — plenty of time for you to participate before settling in for the Seahawks game. The Pigeon Point Park event is the first-ever work party there for the Nature Consortium, whose restoration-project staffers Mark Tomkiewicz and Elizabeth McDonald gave us a mini-tour (much of which we videotaped):Read More
One week till Christmas … and at 4050 21st in Pigeon Point, all the lights are lining the walkway with care …
Thanks to Chris Wells for that photo. And thanks to Todd for e-mailing us about 2424 Alki, which looks awesome at night but also simply must be seen by daylight because of the decorated backhoe:
Both these displays are on the ever-growing list of what you can find with our West Seattle Christmas lights map, reachable at the WSB Holidays page, and they’re archived with all other displays we’ve featured, here.
From Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council leaders: An urgent call to neighbors to find out if they want to meet this week with the principal/CEO of the firm behind a sizable housing development on 22nd SW (city info page here), because that executive can schedule a meeting either this week, or not till next year. The development centered at 3816 22nd SW (here’s a map) would include 14 housing units — 2 single-family homes plus 12 townhouse units. Neighborhood leaders need to hear by 6 pm tonight from anybody who would be interested in a meeting this week; if you’re in the Pigeon Point area and not already on its list, contact info is at the PPNC site.
Though this post is 10 days old and long since fallen off the WSB home page, it’s still getting comments because of other related sightings, including one last night in Pigeon Point — worth another look before that next knock at your door, especially the police advice in this newsletter. (Which reminds us, next Tuesday is the monthly West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting – 7 pm @ the Southwest Precinct – and as we all were reminded last month, it’s a great place to get updated information on what/who to watch out for and how to protect your home and your family.)
From Pigeon Point on the east side of WS, a burglary report from a resident of 19th SW, shared with the permission of the PP neighborhood mailing list manager (note the burglary victim’s damage photos below the e-mail text):
I had a break-in – we believe Wednesday. I noticed it on Thursday morning when I started to do yard work. The police think it was kids looking for drugs and money. It appears that I might have interrupted them when I returned from a trip around 3:30 pm as all the TV’s, VCR’s, and computers were lined up at the back door. It also appears that they went up in the attic to get to the other side and fell thru the ceiling. The police think they then tried to get into my side by removing sheetrock from the adjoining wall. The officer said he had investigated a similar break-in Wednesday on the 4900 block of 18th. He also said there were many transients living in the woods between here and West Marginal Way.
Two things: It’s been reiterated here before; report all crimes to the police, and don’t hesitate to call 911 if you see something suspicious. Also note that the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meets a week from tomorrow (Tuesday, 8/21), 7 pm, SW Precinct, everyone invited.
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