West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
(Seattle Public Utilities photo)
When Seattle Public Utilities announced two months ago that the South Transfer Station in west South Park would close for three-plus weeks for “upgrades,” the target reopening date was August 29. We pinged SPU at the end of last week to ask if they were still on schedule for that. This morning, the reply: No. Here’s the extension announcement:
South Transfer Station Closure Extended Through September 10
Alternative Drop-Off Locations Updated for Seattle ResidentsSeattle Public Utilities (SPU) has extended the temporary closure of the South Transfer Station, located at 130 S. Kenyon Street, until September 10, 2025, to allow critical safety upgrades and give the newly replaced tipping floor sufficient time to reach full strength before reopening to the public. This essential project involves replacing 35,000 square feet of tipping floor used for waste handling to ensure safe, efficient operations and to protect the well-being of staff and the public.
During the extended closure, SPU urges customers to postpone non-essential trips and to make use of alternative disposal options. Please note the following changes:
Now through August 30: Customers with Seattle ZIP codes and small residential loads may use King County’s Bow Lake and Renton Transfer Stations.
August 31 through September 10: Customers with Seattle ZIP codes and small residential loads should instead use Seattle’s North Transfer Station.
Large trailer loads and hydraulic-lift vehicles should continue to use Seattle’s North Transfer Station or WM Eastmont during this time.
Before visiting any transfer station, SPU recommends customers:
-Visit www.seattle.gov/south-transfer-station for a full list of disposal alternatives by material type and load size.
-Confirm hours, accepted items, and fees directly with the alternative facility.
-Sort and secure all loads properly.
-Bring smaller loads and plan for increased traffic at open stations.
-Use the “Where Does It Go?” online tool to explore donation, recycling, or curbside pickup options for common items.
10:55 PM: At right, that’s Rachel Glass, in the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 751 hall, in the 13th hour of the marathon “Bend It Like Booker” event she organized, with dozens of speakers. The person at the podium now is talking about the Constitution, and its first three words … “We the People” … noting the inclusivity of that phrase. As we walked in a few moments, Glass whispered big news … the inspiration for this marathon, New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker – who spoke on the Senate floor for 25 hours last spring – plans to send a video to be part of this megastream. Meantime, the speaker is examining Walt Whitman‘s reverence for democracy – writing of “the great American lesson” and about what he envisioned doing “For you, O democracy!”
This has been under way since 10 am. WSB contributing photojournalist Dave Gershgorn stopped by in the early going, when Glass introduced U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, joining by video:
This event also can be viewed online as well as in person (yes, the doors are open on the east side of the union hall at 9125 15th Place S.) – tickets are available here.
Meantime, the speaker (Dave) has gone on to read Whitman’s work, “Song of Myself.”
11:05 PM: Glass introduces the Russian-immigrant couple, Yuri and Natasha, who she had mentioned when we spoke for a preview. They will reflect on their years in Russia and draw parallels to what’s happening in the U.S. now. They left Russia a decade ago, then spent six years in Lithuania, and have been here for four years. … Yuri spoke of his disbelief upon learning of Russia’s war on Ukraine. … Natasha, born in 1991 in Moscow, spoke of the years of hope for democracy there, and then “how it happened … a dictator was elected by the people.” In her childhood, before then, “there was free speech” – she recalled a TV series where politicians were lampooned, “and that was allowed.” But then people “were pissed off” because they’d been given economic promises that did not come true, or at least, not quickly enough. The “never-ending” war in Chechnya upset people too, she said. She spoke of how Putin emerged as an unpopular unknown – until “one event,” terrorist attacks blamed on Chechnya; Putin promised to protect people “and his rating went up.” The active war ended but attacks did not, she said. She concluded that “when you trade freedom for security, you get neither.”
11:45 PM: Yuri reclaimed the mic and said that in his view, Donald Trump is working from the same playbook that Putin and others before him used. When Natasha picked up the narrative again, she spoke about ways that Putin had taken over institutions and branches of government.
Yuri then showed Russian video of four people getting pulled off the street by police and detained for an anti-war protest – something as simple as holding a piece of paper – and then a clip of a woman taken away for a pro-war demonstration. Yuri also veered into song lyrics he said he’s working on, encompassing the loss of freedom. But, he added, “I don’t want to be right” about what he fears is unfolding here as it did in his homeland. And he showed a song video he’d been working on, about war. With that, at 12:10 am, he and Natasha prepared to leave the podium.
12:10 AM: The number of people here is up to a dozen or so. Glass is showing the video sent by Sen. Booker. He thanked them for “sparking hope.” (We recorded it off the screen and [update] have added it below.)…
She followed it up with the video sent by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Another live speaker was about to take the podium as we departed.
(WSB photo: Luchadore meets fans, at last year’s South Park Summer Party)
Several big events ahead this weekend, rain or shine – biggest in West Seattle will be Alki Beach Pride tomorrow – but you are also invited on Saturday to visit our neighbors over the ridge for SOPASUPA, the annual South Park Summer Party. This will run all day and into the evening at various locations around South Park, and a festival publicist got the details for us, including a street closure:
SOPASUPA! – The South Park Summer Party invites all to celebrate all things South Park and community development. The full-day celebration includes kid-centered activities, music and dance performances, luchador wrestling, a lowrider show, a skateboard competition, 60+ local vendors and more.
They will be closing Cloverdale from 12th – 14th Ave S. Most activities will be concentrated around this area.
Activities will be in the following locations:
Cloverdale St starting at 14th, moving East: Vendors, Artists & Community Partners
Parking Lot behind Uncle Eddie’s: Main Stage, Beer Garden, Lucha Libre Ring
Parking Lot at Burrito Express: Kids Zone
Parking Lot at Good Voyage: Food Trucks
River City Skatepark (736 S. Cloverdale): Skate Party
South Park Library: Vendors & Community Partners
South Park Plaza: Vendors & Community Partners
All Day 12 pm – 6 pm: VENDORS – KIDS ACTIVITY ZONE – SKATEPARK PARTYSPECIAL EVENTS:
KIDS ACTIVITY ZONE:
3:30 – 4:00 Seattle Fire Department Trucks
4-6 pm Free Skate Like a Girl LessonsMAIN STAGE:
12:00 PM – 12:20 Swing It Seattle Performance
12:30 PM – 12:50 West African Dance Performance
2:00 – 3:30 LUCHA LIBRE VOLCANICA show
6:00 – 7:30 LUCHA LIBRE VOLCANICA show
7:30 – Low Riders Parade (14th Ave S)SKATEPARK PARTY:
1 pm – Big Time
1:30 – Raffle
2pm – Bridge Kids
2:30 – Raffle
3pm – The Fakies
4pm Time TrialsMAIN STAGE FULL SCHEDULE:
11:00 AM – 12:00 DJ Set
12:00 PM – 12:20 Swing It Seattle
12:30 PM – 12:50 West African Dance
1:00 PM – 1:30 Opus
1:40 PM – 2:00 Her Mountain Majesty
2:00 PM – 3:30 Lucha Libre – Show 1
3:30 PM – 4:15 Ancient Robotz
4:25 PM – 4:55 Scoffs
5:05 PM – 5:50 The Pazifica
5:50 PM – 6:00 DJ Set
6:00 PM – 7:30 Lucha Libre – Show 2
7:30 PM – 8:15 Heavy Bloom
8:15 PM – 9:00 Yambambo
(Seattle Public Utilities photo)
Thanks for the tip! The transfer station (aka dump) closest to West Seattle will close for more than three weeks in August, and Seattle Public Utilities is trying to get the word out early. Here’s the announcement they’re circulating today:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will temporarily close the South Transfer Station, located at 130 S. Kenyon Street, from August 4 through August 29, 2025, to complete essential safety upgrades and replace the commercial tipping floor used for waste handling. The closure will affect both public customers and account holders. However, contractors will not be impacted.
This critical project involves replacing 35,000 square feet of commercial tipping floor to maintain safe, efficient operations and protect the well-being of staff and the public. The station is expected to reopen Saturday, August 30, 2025, pending construction progress.
Skip a Trip, Plan Ahead, Know Where to Go
During the closure, SPU recommends that customers postpone trips to the transfer station if possible. A list of temporary alternative locations is listed on the website. These locations may have different hours, additional fees, or not accept certain items, so customers are advised to:
*Visit www.seattle.gov/south-transfer-station for a full list of alternative disposal locations by material type and load size.
*Visit the website of the alternative location to verify hours, fees, and items accepted
*Sort and secure loads properly before visiting any alternative facility.
*Bring smaller loads and be prepared for higher-than-usual traffic at other sites.
*Use the “Where Does It Go?” tool online to explore donation, recycling, and curbside collection options.
Additionally, select construction and demolition (C&D) materials must be recycled and cannot be disposed of in Seattle garbage. Materials such as asphalt, bricks, concrete, metal, untreated wood, and gypsum scrap must go to a recycling facility: DTG Hudson St., MCS Recycling, or DTG Renton. Non-recyclable C&D materials can go to WM Eastmont or Black River. Large trailer loads and hydraulic-lift vehicles should use North Transfer Station or WM Eastmont. King County stations at Bow Lake and Renton will accept only small residential loads from Seattle, and may have additional restrictions, such as fees for mattresses and limits on appliance drop-offs. View completed closure guidance and the most up-to-date information on the project timeline, alternative locations, and FAQs at www.seattle.gov/south-transfer-station.
Items Not Accepted at Seattle or King County Transfer Stations:
Radioactive and Hazardous Waste including Oil Paint (and Containers) and Household Chemicals
Ammo, Firearms, Fireworks, Flares, Explosives, Weapons
Sealed Drums, Fuel/Propane/Oil Tanks, Compressed Gas, Fire Extinguishers
Electronics, TVs or Monitors (CRTs)
Furnaces and parts, Wood stoves, Duct work
Asbestos, or material containing asbestos
Dead animals over 15 lbs (call animal control)
SewageSeattle Public Utilities appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation during this necessary closure and encourages everyone to plan ahead, travel light, and dispose smart.
If you haven’t used the transfer station, you might still know it as the huge building just south of the ramp from West Marginal/Holden onto the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge. It was built in the early 2010s.
Watching the just-concluded joint meeting of the King County and Seattle City Councils, discussing effects of federal changes, we heard a mention in passing that this year’s Duwamish River Festival has been canceled. The Duwamish River Community Coalition subsequently confirmed it – here’s the explanation they’re circulating:
The festival has been an early-August tradition in South Park for years, featuring numerous community organizations offering information about what’s happening with Seattle’s only river, as well as cultural performances and river tours. (Here’s our coverage of last year’s festival.)
Thanks to Nathan for the photos! Looking for someplace new to take your little one(s) to play? If you can get over the ridge to South Park, the play area at this brand-new park is an option. The park is South Park Plaza, on what was most recently a big gravel lot southwest of the South Park Bridge. The grand-opening celebration is happening until 2 pm, with speeches and a ribbon-cutting:
The city infopage for the project says the almost-one-acre park has been in the works for seven years, at a cost of $2.6 million.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The missing 12-year-old South Park girl has been found safe.
Earlier:
The Reconnect South Park initiative continues, envisioning future change along the stretch of Highway 99 that bisects South Park, and if you’re interested in this, the project team invites you to answer its survey: Find the survey here. You can also look at the potential options on the RSP website. (Here’s our report on a project-milestone gathering a little over a year ago.)
(King County photos)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
You’ve probably heard many times that the Duwamish River – running along much of West Seattle’s eastern boundary – is a “Superfund site,” referring to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, and that a multi-billion-dollar cleanup has long been under way.
Tuesday, we got a rare chance to hear specifics, as the cleanup of decades-old industrial pollution – really, more than one cleanup – marked a milestone.
A media briefing was held on the river’s shore at Duwamish River People’s Park (itself a cleaned-up site), days after work began.
The last speaker, Duwamish River Community Coalition director Paulina López, offered the most relatable context, reminding those gathered that the cleanup was about bringing the river “back to life”:
(WSB videos)
López followed representatives of government agencies and Boeing, all talking briefly about what role their agencies play. The cleanup section where polluted sediment is being scooped out right now – much of it contaminated by PCBs – is managed by King County, said Jim Bolger, whose brief words of introduction were followed in this clip by Elly Hale, (updated) one of the EPA’s project managers along with Nasrin Erdelyi:
We talked with Hale after the briefing to get details on exactly what’s happening right now. Contaminated sediment is being scooped up, placed on a barge, towed to shore, transferred to land, then loaded onto trains bound for the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Oregon.
How deep the scooping goes depends on how deep the pollution goes – the goal is to get to clean sediment, Hale said, which could be anywhere from one to six feet down. An important point she had mentioned at the microphone was that people are still advised not to eat any fish from the Duwamish River but salmon. Wondering why that’s OK but others aren’t? It’s because the others are residents, living out their lives in the polluted river, while salmon spend most of their lives out in cleaner sea water before showing up here.
Another key point of the work that’s under way is “source control” – keeping new pollution out of the river. The lead agency in that work is the state Department of Ecology, whose representative Dr. Kim Wooten spoke briefly too, along with Boeing‘s Katie Moxley and the City of Seattle’s David Schuchardt:
The in-water work that’s under way now can only last through February before taking a break until October, to protect fish. Because of that short work window, it’ll take 10 years for the operation to get to the south end of Harbor Island.
The cleanup work – planning, design, and execution – has been a quarter-century in the making. This is, to be technical, the Upper Reach of the Lower Duwamish Waterway. This page has more detail on exactly what’s happening now; Pacific Pile & Marine is the lead contractor.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
The most spectacular sight in today’s Fiestas Patrias Parade through South Park was at the end – dozens of horses and their riders.
According to the parade lineup we obtained from Sea Mar Community Health Centers, which presents the parade as well as the Fiestas Patrias festival at Seattle Center downtown, two groups participated – Folkloric Horses and Octavio Rios Horses. Mariachi musicians walked with some of them:
We also saw an aspiring rider:
The annual parade is an exuberant celebration of Latin American culture and heritage, in the month that many of those nations celebrate their independence. Before more photos, here’s our video of the entire parade, recorded at the starting point, 14th Avenue S. and S. Henderson (note the first few minutes were stop-and-start, before the parade began to flow) – this year’s theme was “Unifying Our Communities“:
The colors of flags and traditional dresses brightened the gray morning. The many folkloric and cultural groups included Joyas Mestizas, Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin, Grupo Folklore Costarricense, Grupo Folklore Grupo Folklore Salvadoreño, Somos Mujeres Latinas, and Sea Mar’s many locations:
The Duwamish Valley Youth Corps walked in the parade with environmental exhortations:
Local schools participated, including Chief Sealth International HS:
Denny International MS and Concord International Elementary marched too, as well as the Kennedy Catholic HS band (see them all in our full-parade video). One school, Whittier Elementary, came all the way from Ballard, with their unicycle team:
Wheeled entries also included the Malportados Vespa scooter club:
And with four wheels, a big turnout of lowriders from multiple car clubs, including Eazy Duz It, Lord Riderz, Family Stylez, Northwest Finest, and Panaderia la Ideal (again, you can see them all in our video):
And so many more people, including Grand Marshal Karla Mora from the Consulate of Mexico:
Marching in masks were El Diablos de Seattle:
SPD sent a delegation too (in addition to the officers who were guarding the periphery of the parade):
The parade was largely rain-free, aside from a brief bit of mist about halfway through, and lasted about 45 minutes at the starting point. Meantime, Sea Mar’s Fiestas Patrias festival at Seattle Center continues Sunday (here’s the program), 11 am-6 pm.
(WSB photo from 2023 Fiestas Patrias Parade)
If you love parades, you don’t have to wait for next summer. Tomorrow (Saturday, September 14) brings this year’s Fiestas Patrias Parade in South Park, as part of the annual celebration of Latin American cultures and heritage. More than 40 entries are scheduled to participate, including groups from Denny International Middle School, Chief Sealth International High School, and Concord International Elementary. The entries also include folkloric dancers, horseback riders, mariachi musicians, car clubs, even the Seafair Pirates. The route starts at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, which presents the parade, continues eastbound on S. Henderson to 14th Avenue S., then turns west on S. Cloverdale and ends near South Park Community Center. It starts at 10 am.
(WSB photos)
If you’re a fan of Lucha Libre (the showy masked wrestling style that originated in Mexico) but you missed the 2 pm bouts at SOPASUPA, good news – luchadores from Lucha Libre Volcánica will be back in the ring at 6 pm. This is part of the South Park Summer Party festival, happening in multiple spots at and around the 14th/Cloverdale intersection in the heart of South Park.
In the first bout, Sniper (wearing the black and white shirt) was victorious….
In the second bout, Red Dog (in pink and black) was the last luchadore standing.
The ring – as well as the main music stage – is behind the building on the southwest corner (right behind The Scene coffee shop). You can even buy your own luchadore mask:
Behind the building on the northwest corner of 14th/Cloverdale, you’ll find the Kid Zone, with bouncy toys:
And a coloring table:
Across 14th at the northeast corner, art and food vendors:
And a few blocks west on Cloverdale, next to the Highway 99 overpass, South Park’s skatepark is hosting festivities too. The festival’s on until 9 pm; the stage schedule is in our calendar listing.
For 30 years, the Seattle Public Library has welcomed volunteers to help local students with their homework during drop-in after-school hours. This year, they’re recruiting volunteers for free Homework Help tutoring at the High Point and South Park branches. Citywide, last school year, SPL says 1,100 students used Homework Help more than 4,400 times, aided by more than 180 volunteers. SPL says 60 percent of the students reported better grades as a result of the help they received. You can be part of kids’ success this year! Here’s what SPL wants prospective volunteers to know:
The Library requests a volunteer commitment for the school year, specifically from Sept. 16, 2024 through June 12, 2025. Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Thursday between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and each shift is approximately two hours.
Volunteers must be 18 or older. Having competence in another language, especially Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali, Oromo and Spanish, is also helpful. The majority of students served by the program are youth of color, with 90% of students reporting their parents speaking a language other than English at home.
Volunteer tutors receive an orientation and additional materials about working with youth and concepts such as social-emotional learning and growth mindset.
During Homework Help sessions, volunteers help students with homework, play learning games, read to students, or work with them on academic worksheets. Volunteers work with students individually and in small groups. High-school students can get help with not just academic subjects but with other priorities such as college essays.
Because Homework Help is a drop-in program, students can show up any day to receive help, and they do not need to have a Library card to attend. Snacks are provided at every Homework Help session, courtesy of The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Hunger Intervention Program.
Can you help? Or, have a question? You can email SPL’s Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@spl.org (and find more info here). They’re hoping to hear from new volunteers ASAP as the new school year approaches, but they do also accept volunteer applications throughout the year.
Our area’s next festival is Saturday afternoon (August 3), the Duwamish River Festival in South Park. Here’s the stage schedule:
The festival is hosted by the Duwamish River Community Coalition at Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat (8700 Dallas Avenue S.; map). If you’re driving, parking is a bit of a challenge, so they’re offering twice-hourly shuttles from four locations, two in South Park and two in Georgetown:
Georgetown Playfield (750 S Homer St)
Oxbow Park (Carleton Ave S between 6445 & 6421)
Boeing Parking Lot (1521 S Trenton St)
Concord Parking Lot (723 S Concord St)
This festival is educational as well as cultural, and fun – you can even experience Seattle’s only river via free kayaking, enjoy and create art, and more, noon to 5 pm Saturday.
Today’s El Mercadito pop-up shop and farmers’ market in South Park had special guests:
Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Councilmember Rob Saka, Metro general manager Michelle Allison, SDOT senior deputy director Francisca Stefan joined South Park community advocates, including members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, in celebrating this week’s launch of Metro Flex on-demand transit serving Delridge and South Park. While Metro is a county service, as we reported when the launch was announced two weeks ago, the Seattle Transit Measure is paying for the new service. That’s why both city and county reps spoke at Duwamish Waterway Park today – here’s what everyone had to say:
Harrell and Saka stressed that this is a boon for “underinvested” communities like Delridge and South Park.
Stefan said this is filling gaps in the transit network, and being able to get where you need to go “can be life-transforming.”
Allison said it’s about equity and flexibility as well as convenience, and reflects community voices.
One of those voices is that of South Park’s Ruby Montes De Oca, who said that additions like this are helping as “South Park is starting to shine with new hope”:
Metro Flex’s South Park/Delridge launch is the start of a two-year pilot. We asked Metro how the first week had gone; spokesperson Jeff Switzer said those numbers aren’t in yet but we might be able to get an update next week. They realize the word hasn’t gotten out widely yet and plan a new promotional campaign to ensure more hear about it. You can book a ride, in the service area, by calling 206-258-7739, using this website, or using this app. Here’s a peek inside one of the vans:
One of the places especially excited about Metro Flex is the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle – their location at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW isn’t on a bus route but Metro Flex can take you there! The service is available seven days a week, 6 am to 11 pm.
King County Road Services reminds us that today is the 10th anniversary of a momentous day in local transportation history – the opening of the rebuilt South Park Bridge. Our photo above is from the grand-opening party, held on Sunday, June 29, 2014, a day before the full opening to traffic. The bridge opened exactly four years after its predecessor was closed for safety concerns; when its closure was announced, there was no guarantee a new one would be built, as funding hadn’t been finalized, and community tumult resulted. But a few months later, full funding was announced, and construction started half a year after that. Final cost of the bridge, which is a King County structure, was $175 million.
(Photos courtesy Duwamish Rowing Club)
The Duwamish Rowing Club wants you to know it’s relaunching its program for high-school students this summer! From the announcement:
Duwamish Rowing Club is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to providing affordable rowing opportunities on Seattle’s only river. Our organization operates on a site generously donated by a neighbor to introduce rowing to the youth in our community and cultivate a space that fosters discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and enhances personal growth and self-confidence. Our adult rowers support our youth programs by donating time and subsidizing program costs.
During the pandemic, our youth rowing program was temporarily halted. In February 2024, our volunteers relaunched our youth rowing team through a partnership with Rainier Prep Middle School, a charter school a few minutes from our boat house. Throughout winter and spring, a sixteen-week rowing program introduced 16 students to rowing, first through an eight-week on-land coached program utilizing rowing machines at their middle school, followed by another eight-week on-water coached program. Financial support from the George Pocock Rowing Foundation allowed us to hire our new coaches, Lead Youth Coach McKenna Niemer and assistant youth coach Jay Olson. The Washington State Parks Boater Program donated 24 life vests to help us meet our safety requirements to welcome students to not only the Duwamish River, but also to the greater rowing community.
This June, we are shifting our focus to high school athletes, offering a new introductory summer program to get new rowers ready for our fall rowing season.
You can read more of what they’ve done so far and what’s ahead by going here. This flyer has information on two sessions for teens this summer, including dates and costs.
3:54 PM: Avoid the South Park Bridge for a while – it’s at the heart of a rescue response after a report of a person jumping or falling into the water. Responders tell dispatch that they have found her and are trying to talk to her, apparently closer to the East Marginal Way end of the bridge than the South Park side. The original 911 call came from someone passing by who saw the person on the bridge just before they went into the water.
3:57 PM: Rescuers report the person is out of the water and on shore “about 100 yards upriver.”
By Sean Golonka
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Residents from across West Seattle and South Park expressed concerns about community safety and a desire to see more alternatives to policing at a city-convened public forum tonight, but most people in attendance described feeling at least somewhat safe in their neighborhood.
Among the few dozen attendees — who reported hailing from all over the area, South Park to Alki — 32 people responded to a poll at the event asking how safe they feel in their neighborhood, with 12% selecting “very safe,” 51% “somewhat safe,” 15% “somewhat unsafe,” and 6% “very unsafe.”
The forum held at Concord International Elementary in South Park was one of four community-safety forums held by the mayor’s office, with a fifth and final forum scheduled in Queen Anne later this week.
The Tuesday forum offered local residents a chance to speak with staff from about a dozen city agencies, including Seattle Police Department (SPD) and Seattle Department of Transportation, and was designed for local government officials to collect feedback meant to shape the One Seattle Safety Framework.
The framework, which has not yet been released, will guide the city’s strategic approach to public safety, and includes six key goals:
If you want to hear what the city is doing about crime and/or other public-safety issues – and share your thoughts about what you’d like to see done – here’s another reminder: Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14) brings Mayor Harrell‘s regional public-safety forum. It’s happening at 6 pm at Concord International Elementary School, 723 S. Concord in South Park (here’s a map). This is the third in a series of five, one in each of the city’s SPD-precinct areas (the Southwest Precinct serves both West Seattle and South Park). Here’s how the format’s been described in media advisories:
The public forum is part of a series of forums held in neighborhoods with community members across Seattle over the next month to share more about Mayor Harrell’s public safety framework and to receive input and feedback on safety priorities, allowing neighbors to engage in direct conversation with City leaders and representatives on public safety ideas and solutions.
Mayor Harrell and City leaders will make opening remarks, followed by interactive input sessions for participants. Community members will rotate in small groups to engage directly with City leaders and provide input informing action and policy priorities.
According to an SPD event announcement, these are the city departments expected to be represented:
Seattle Police Department
Seattle Fire Department
CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement Team)
Seattle Police Department Alternative Response Team
PARKS – Park Rangers
Seattle Police Department Youth Liaison
Department of Education and Early Learning
Seattle Department of Transportation
King County Metro
Department of Neighborhood
Office of Economic Development
(corrected) Human Services Department
Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
They’re asking for attendees to RSVP – you can do that here.
Thanks to West Seattle/Georgetown/South Park entrepreneur John Bennett for sending the tip and the photo: A one-of-a-kind South Park business is having a going-out-of-business sale today and tomorrow. It’s the Big Top Curiosity Shop “antiques and oddities” store at 8507 14th Avenue South, right by the south end of the South Park Bridge. Open until 8 pm today, noon-6 pm tomorrow. As for why they’re closing, they’re also referring to this as the “lost our lease sale.”
(Map from Reconnect South Park website, showing focus area and alternate routes)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
What sounded like an impossible dream a few years ago is rolling down the road toward potential reality.
A planning effort, with state money and city assistance, is looking at whether 1.4 miles of Highway 99 that divide and pollute South Park neighborhoods could be removed, buried, boulevardized, or at least mitigated.
An event Saturday afternoon at Concord International Elementary School – barely a block west of 99 – was the onramp to the next phase of that work, under the Reconnect South Park banner: Developing a “community vision plan.” The open-house-style gathering in the school’s lunchroom offered information on possibilities as well as opportunities for feedback.
Maria Ramirez, project director, explained in brief remarks, “We know we have options; we don’t know where we’re going to end up. We have a year to come up with a vision.”
When put into numbers, what the highway did to South Park is stark – 22 of the neighborhood’s streets are dead ends because of it, Ramirez noted, and only two places to cross over it.
9:10 PM: If you’re heading to or from the South Park Bridge, be aware that the main intersection in downtown South Park – 14th Avenue South and South Cloverdale – is closed off right now, as is the bridge’s northbound side, by a big fire response. The fire is reported to be in the business building on the northeast corner of the intersection. The smoke is visible on the nearest traffic camera (which points toward the bridge’s south end), as shown in the screengrab above.
9:22 PM: SFD is still fighting the fire. Southbound traffic off the South Park Bridge is being detoured onto westbound Dallas.
9:25 PM: SFD says the fire’s under control.
9:40 PM: No injuries, per SFD. Meantime, southbound traffic on the bridge is now being held behind a bus, and the traffic camera shows cars turning around and heading back northbound.
9:45 PM: SFD has declared the fire “tapped” (out). Some of the units are being dismissed.
10:37 PM: 14th/Cloverdale is still blocked but south/westbound bridge traffic is flowing again and the camera shows some vehicles getting onto the north/eastbound side from Dallas.
10:53 PM: Officers just told dispatch they’re reopening SB 14th and one lane of NB 14th. The fire, meantime, is under investigation.
(Added: SFD photo)
2:37 AM: As commenter David points out, SFD has summarized the fire response here, including the determination that the fire was accidental, “likely caused by faulty electrical.” The photo confirms it’s the building that’s home to the café Good Voyage.
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