West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
The West Seattle neighborhoods that didn’t get their regular Monday solid-waste pickup because of last week’s snow day were invited to put out double this week to make up for it. That made for a longer day, according to some WSB commenters who mentioned late-arriving trucks. And one of those trucks ended the day with a breakdown. Ann Anderson sent photos and the story of how it was rescued:
I always find the behind the scenes of city works to be really interesting. Don’t know how many others do, but on my way home tonight about 8:30 pm, the neighborhood was all lit up by what I thought were fire engines. Turns out all the oncoming glare and flashing lights were due to Garbage Truck No. S297S, disabled on SW Atlantic St. in North Admiral.
So I wondered – when a fully loaded, 20-ton truck breaks down, who ya gonna call?
Michael, the tow truck driver, answered my questions while finishing a fairly involved procedure needed to prep the garbage truck for towing. This required him to lie down beneath 200 tons of steel-encrusted garbage hoisted several feet off the ground directly above him. He said that when the garbage trucks break down on the road, they call the City’s towing contractor, Quality Towing, for whom Michael works.
Lifting and hauling away behemoths like garbage trucks is quite a production and takes some time. The tow rig is 40 feet long and is so big that it makes a hulking garbage truck actually look small.
The rig is equipped with a whopping 550 hp that can yield 100,000 lbs. of lift, so hoisting 40,000 lbs. of garbage truck is only a moderate workout.
I asked Michael how often garbage trucks break down. He said that it happens almost every day. He then added, “there are a LOT of trucks out there”.
It seems it takes going without, even for a short time due to inclement weather, for us to appreciate city services (like curbside garbage pickup) as well as the wide range of service workers who consistently ensure they happen for us – often at all hours of the day and night.
(WSB photos from Sunday)
While on a walk from Lowman Beach into Lincoln Park on Sunday, we stopped for a few photos of the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project, planning to check for an update this week. One arrived tonight, even before we could ask. The million-gallon tank at the heart of the facility has already functioned successfully, as the King County Wastewater Treatment Division told the Morgan Community Association last month, so now the project is down to the final loose ends:
King County’s contractor is nearly finished with landscaping on the County’s facility building site, including a green roof on the facility building and a rain garden north of the public staircase. Grading is also underway in Lowman Beach Park in preparation for landscaping installation.
When complete, the green roof on the facility building will absorb rainwater and improve the building’s energy efficiency. Excess water from the green roof and other parts of the facility will be directed to the rain garden, reducing runoff to nearby storm drains.
Schedule update
Landscaping and restoration activities on site are expected to be complete by the end of the month. Once restoration is complete, the project artist, Robert Horner, will install the remaining project art.
The contractor will wait to plant grass in Lowman Beach Park until the weather is warmer, likely during the month of March. Fencing will remain in place around the park until grass is established. The County anticipates the public staircase to be open to the public by early April.
To celebrate completion of the project, the County will host a ribbon cutting event and facility tours this spring. Keep an eye out for an invite in the mail!
The county also says it’s changing its hotline hours for the project “now that major construction is complete.” They’ll answer 9 am-5 pm Mondays-Fridays and will take messages the rest of the time, 206-205-9186. It’s now been three and a half years since major work began at the Murray CSO site, with demolition of the residential buildings that used to be there.
P.S. During heavy rain, check here to see if overflows are happening anywhere around the area.
(UPDATED TUESDAY WITH MEETING LOCATION)
ORIGINAL REPORT, MONDAY 8:47 PM: Instead of meeting on the usual night this month, which would be tomorrow, the Admiral Neighborhood Association plans a special meeting this Thursday (February 16th), 7 pm, with a special agenda – the first look at the newest plan for the biggest project currently in the works for the area. That’s the planned mixed-use project on the current PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) site, with a new PCC store planned as the commercial tenant beneath more than 100 apartments. ANA president Larry Wymer says the meeting will also be at a special location – likely the classroom space at PCC (2749 California SW) – watch for location confirmation here in the next day or so. The project goes back to the Southwest Design Review Board on March 2nd, as first reported here last month, but first, the project team, led by Hewitt Architects, plans to present it to ANA and all interested community members, so save Thursday night.
UPDATE, TUESDAY AFTERNOON: The location for the meeting will be St. John the Baptist Church parish hall, 3050 California SW (across from PCC and just south of WSHS). Enter either from the church entrance on the north side, or from 42nd SW on the east side.
Two beautiful scenes to share tonight:
Above, Mike Jensen photographed tonight’s clear-sky, kayaker-enhanced sunset at Lowman Beach. Below, Kersti Muul photographed today’s post-sunrise moonset, and the frosted Olympic Mountains:
editor@westseattleblog.com when you have something to share – or text 206-293-6302 if it’s breaking news – thank you!
Days like this one – bright, almost warm – bring out the annual question: When is this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day? Just happens to be exactly three months away – May 13, 2017 (the second Saturday of May, as usual). This will be the 10th year that we’ve coordinated and presented WSCGSD, dating back to 2008; its creators at a community-connecting nonprofit called Megawatt launched it in 2005 and also ran it in 2006 and 2007. Registration will open in early April, as always, and we’ll announce that date when finalized. If you have a question in the meantime, we’ve just started monitoring our special mailbox – garagesale@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
Thanks to Dan Ciske for the photo of a boat fire off Bainbridge Island, visible from this side of the Sound. Here’s what the Bainbridge Island Fire Department says via Twitter:
Marine 21 and a Seattle fireboat are fighting a fire on a 40' boat off Rockaway Beach. One person onboard has been removed.
— Bainbridge Island FD (@bainbridgefire) February 14, 2017
A Seattle Fire Department fireboat is assisting, per the SFD 911 log and MarineTraffic.com.
Both the West Seattle High School girls (who took 2nd in the Metro League playoffs) and boys (who finished 3rd) have district-tournament games tomorrow, and we know today who they’ll be playing. The girls will play Garfield at 3 pm Tuesday at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE); the boys will play Ballard at 5:30 pm Tuesday at the Chief Sealth IHS gym (2600 SW Thistle).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Though both were billed as “Community Design Workshops,” there were major differences in the meetings about Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda-related rezoning for Admiral, held this past Saturday, and for The Junction, held last month.
Turnout was different – about 50 people for Admiral, more than 200 for The Junction – though that’s proportionate to both the areas’ population differences and their respective scopes of change proposed by the rezoning for Mandatory Housing Affordability, in which developers/builders will get extra capacity and in exchange will have to include “affordable housing” in their projects or pay a fee into a city fund that will bankroll some. The changes are proposed in the city’s Urban Villages (West Seattle has four) and for all commercial/multifamily property citywide (check this map to see how/if you’re affected).
Also different: The meetings’ format.
At The Junction’s meeting on January 26th (WSB coverage here), the initial explanatory presentation by a city Office of Planning and Community Development staffer was followed by a Q/A period, with slips of paper having circulated at the start of the meeting for participants to write down questions.
That didn’t happen in Admiral; a few questions were addressed when people spoke out during the presentation, but at its end, facilitator John Owen of consulting firm Makers Architecture and Urban Design pushed to get everyone into small-group breakouts, despite one attendee requesting a chance for Q&A so everyone could hear.
At Admiral on Saturday (a morning meeting at West Seattle High School), small groups were not preassigned as they had been for pre-RSVP’d participants in The Junction (an evening meeting at the Senior Center). Their work did conclude with another difference: At Admiral, each group presented a summary to the entire room; in The Junction, that didn’t happen – tables just wrapped up, left their notes, and departed.
We recorded the Admiral summaries on video, and you’ll see those relatively short clips later in this story. But first, toplines from the opening presentation: Read More
The next Seattle Parks play area set for renovation in West Seattle is in High Point. Two public meetings have just been announced so you can see and talk about the design options, and whether or not you can make one or both of those meetings, the Parks Department has an online survey up about the project right now. You can answer the survey here. The meetings are both at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), both on Saturday afternoons, 1-3 pm February 25th and 1-3 pm April 8th. The project – which is south of HPCC, near the tennis courts – has $700,000 in funding from the Seattle Park District levy.
(Townsend’s Warbler, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPEN ENROLLMENT: Today’s the first day, if you are interested in a school that’s not the one to which your child will be automatically assigned. Here’s the info on the SPS website.
VALENTINE’S DAY EVE AT FLEURT: Though Fleurt (WSB sponsor) is usually closed Mondays, today it’s OPEN, 10 am-6 pm, to help you get ready with flowers and/or gifts for Valentine’s Day. Details here. You can order by phone – 206-937-1103 – or online (fleurtseattle.com) or go to the shop. (4539 California SW)
FREE TAX HELP: That time of year again! 2-7 pm today, free tax help at Delridge Library – full details in our calendar listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
TRIANGLE IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE: Second meeting today for the citizens’ advisory committee tasked with coming up with some “quick wins” to help fix problems on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route. 4:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church. Here’s our report on the first meeting two weeks ago; here are the official WSF notes. (9140 California SW)
ROXHILL PTSA MEETS AT EC HUGHES: 6 pm, Roxhill Elementary‘s PTSA gets a look at the school’s future home, before major renovations start, at EC Hughes Elementary. (7740 34th SW)
HUDDLE FOR CHANGE: Organizers explain that this is “part of the 10 Actions in 100 Days movement – the Second Action is for community members to huddle together and come up with goals and an action plan for the next 100 days (and really, the next 4 years!).” At Proletariat Pizza, 6 pm, though some will show up as early as 5:15 to chat and get to know each other. (9622 16th SW)
PIGEON POINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm in the cafeteria at Pathfinder K-8 School. Everyone welcome. (1901 SW Genesee)
WESTSIDE ART CLUB: Bring your art project to Parliament Tavern, 8 pm-noon, and work on it with DJ Audrey Horne providing the soundtrack. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
CHECK OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR … for even more, and for tomorrow, next week, next month, beyond!
Ron e-mailed to ask you to be on the lookout for that distinctive stolen vehicle:
Our 1985 VW Westfalia Van was stolen from 60th Ave and Admiral Way in Alki area. White van with black bra on front, roof rack (spare tire on roof) and side ladder. Black rims also. Driver’s side window broken out. WA plate ANJ9602. If seen or found, please call Paul at 206-295-9547 or email phuggett@mac.com.
They believe it was taken Friday afternoon, and yes, they have notified local shops and Vanagon groups.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:39 AM: Good morning and welcome to a brand-new week. No problems reported in/from West Seattle so far.
One on-peninsula traffic alert for today: Jay at the Hill Crest Apartments (east side of 35th SW between Holden and Webster) says crane work there (which you might have noticed on Thursday) is set to continue starting at 8 am today, possibly running until 6 pm but they “hope to be done much sooner than that.”
As for the weather – hard to believe it’s been just a week since our snow day; sunshine is forecast today and tomorrow, temps in the 50s.
And looking ahead: Mid-winter break for Seattle Public Schools and those who follow its calendar is NEXT week (February 20-24).
8:11 AM: Still relatively quiet. Traveled the bridge this past hour on an errand to downtown and back – busy, and bright, but nothing out of the ordinary. Leaving Upper Fauntleroy at 7:10, we got to the south end of downtown (via 4th Avenue S.) in half an hour.
8:20 AM: Traveling north West Seattle streets reminds us that people with Monday trash/recycling collection can put out double today because of the collections missed last Monday. That includes recycling even though today wouldn’t be a recycling day otherwise, SPU said.
9 AM: WSDOT says a stalled vehicle is blocking the right lane on northbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge.
By Cliff Cawthon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Neighborhood House’s High Point Center is a place where neighbors gather almost every day of the year.
But Saturday afternoon had something extra – a Neighbor Day gathering with an emphasis on welcoming and celebrating the neighborhood’s immigrant communities amid the Trump Administration’s attempts at what’s being called the “Muslim Ban.”
“A lot of people who we work with could be affected by the immigrant ban,” explained Megan Demeroutis, Neighborhood House’s Family Resource Center supervisor. Demeroutis said that the potluck’s international flavor and the activities were meant to bring people together in the mixed-income Seattle Housing Authority– managed community. Read More
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
STREET ROBBERY: Police were searching in South Delridge this past half-hour for a man who is reported to have robbed someone at knifepoint around 16th SW and SW Cambridge [map] and gotten away with the victim’s wallet. He is described as dark-skinned, in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, medium build, clean-shaven, wearing a dark pulled-up hoodie, possibly gray pants. We have a crew in the area trying to find out more.
Also tonight, two reader reports:
MAILBOXES BROKEN INTO: The photo above was sent by Stefan, who reports, “This is what (the mailboxes) looked like this morning. We’re in the townhouses at the corner of 35th and Cambridge [map]. Pried open with a big bar from the top, all mail gone. Happened overnight, we noticed at 10:30 this morning.”
PACKAGE THEFT: Kevin reports a package was stolen off his front porch at 37th SW and SW Barton [map] on Saturday.
(Photo by Ben Ackers, from 2015 cookoff)
Do you make chili that draws raves from family and/or friends? You’re invited to enter the sixth annual Fauntleroy Chili Cook-Off. It’s coming up on Saturday, March 4th, and both vegetarian and meat recipes are welcome. Prospective entrants can contact the Fauntleroy Church office (206-932-5600 or jackie@fauntleroyucc.org) for all the details.
After a week that began with snow and continued into wind, rain, and mud, it’s not surprising that the Sunday sunshine seemed to bring everyone outside. Cindi shares the view from Lincoln Park, observing it looked almost like summer. We were there for a while too and can attest to that. If you haven’t been out yet, you have about an hour until sunset (you can always find the sunset/sunrise and moonrise/moonset times on the WSB West Seattle Weather page).
Fleurt, the West Seattle Junction’s flower and gift shop, has rejoined the WSB sponsor team for Valentine season 2017, and wants you to know:
*Extended hours Monday (10 am-6 pm) and Tuesday (8 am until 6 or 7)
*Pickups available today through Tuesday
*Fleurt delivers in West Seattle and throughout the metro area – same-day delivery available
*Order online, fleurtseattle.com
*Call direct for orders, 206-937-1103
*Follow Fleurt on Instagram for a special Valentine’s Day giveaway
*”Flowers are Fleurt’s specialty – but don’t forget, we are a gift shop filled with goodies. Some of our favorites are jewelry, perfume, candles, lotions, scarves, plants and terrariums.”
*Also doing a pop-up shop at Cupcake Royale in West Seattle and pop-up shops in Anthropologie Downtown and Anthro University Village, Tuesday 2/14 11 am to 5 pm. Many regular customers have placed pre-orders for convenient pickup downtown and the University village location.
(Photo credit Josiah Michael Photography)
Congratulations to Addison “Archer Addy” Nachtrieb for another achievement in her already-illustrious career! The announcement and photos are from her family and support team:
Addison Nachtrieb, 13-year-old West Seattle student, stood on the podium yesterday as the 2017 World Archery Festival “Vegas Shoot” CHAMPION, 12-15 year division, containing 95 archers. The Vegas Shoot is the largest archery event in the world attracting 3,500 of the top archers around the world.
Addy’s score after two days of shooting, 579/600 34/60X, puts her within the top 13 indoor archery women of all ages, including adults, in the world! In Addy’s own words: “I was just having fun.” A testament not only to Addy, who shot a perfect 300/300 19X in her second day of competition, and her mental perseverance – as this is a mind-control game – but the coaching staff who support her.
Addy was awarded a $1,000 USD scholarship and her target was placed on the coveted Hoyt Archery perfect 300 score wall!!! Asked her favorite moment by her father just after shooting, she commented, “Dad, I think the best was when I made a girl smile, not my score. She shot two 8’s and a 9. She was tearing up walking back to the line. I did that once. I told her it doesn’t matter, there are lots of arrows to shoot, not even here, this is just where you are practicing. She told her Mom and her mom told my mom that I made her smile in her tears. That was the best time in my shooting today.”
Addison Nachtrieb is coached by Rob Cook at Next Step Archery and the Nock Point. Addy is also a three-time NFAA National Champion, holds an NFAA National record, was the 2015 Washington State Junior Archer of the Year and has a book on Amazon, “Archer Addy.” You can follow her experiences on Facebook and on Instagram as “Archer Addy.”
We first featured Archer Addy three and a half years ago, when she won a state championship at age 9.
Advance calendar note for next Sunday – the Southwest Seattle Historical Society has invited us to be featured in the monthly series they co-sponsor with the Seattle Public Library, SouthWest Stories. SWSHS executive director Clay Eals will host a conversation with your WSB co-publishers Tracy Record and Patrick Sand in honor of WSB’s 10th year reporting news 24/7 news for West Seattle. (We started turning toward news with the December 2006 windstorm and then officially became a business in fall 2007.) We’ll see you at the newly upgraded High Point Library (35th SW/SW Raymond), 2 pm on February 19th. As always with SouthWest Stories, admission is free and seating is first-come first-served.
Thanks to West Seattle High School Mandarin teacher Su-Chun King for sharing her students’ report and photos from the school’s Lunar New Year celebration earlier this month. The report is by Greta Guess, the photos by Brielle Martin:
On February 2nd, West Seattle High School students celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year, the year of the rooster. The Chinese language program hosted the activity. They did this by setting up different booths in the cafeteria based on how people in the Chinese language world celebrate the traditional New Year. Many booths were open for the students to participate in! For example, there were games, such as the chopstick contest. Students could see how many M&Ms they could take out of a bag and put into a bowl in a certain amount of time.
There were also plenty of other activities, like doing spring festival couplets, Lunar New Year painting, making bookmarks, paper sky lanterns, Chinese chess, Chinese spinning tops game, traditional Chinese wedding costume show, Chinese god of wealth visiting, and even tea tasting in traditional Chinese tea ceremonies. On top of that, there was a variety of traditional Chinese foods to be served. These included egg rolls, chow mein, edamame, dumplings, sticky rice cakes, Chinese New Year candies/fortune cookies, and more.
There was even a lion dance performed, entirely by the students, which is a big part of a traditional Chinese New Year’s celebration.
Big thanks to the CIWA (Confucius Institute of the state of Washington) for sponsoring the food cost.
(Friday waves at Constellation Park, photographed by David Hutchinson)
Highlights for the rest of today/tonight:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street, in The Junction. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
LITTLE PILGRIM SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 11 am-1:30 pm, come visit this preschool for ages 2-5 at Fauntleroy UCC Church. (9140 California SW)
POP-UP MERCADO – CON CORAZON: Noon-5 pm, local vendors at Highland Park Improvement Club – art, apparel, crafts, food, jewelry, more. (12th SW/SW Holden)
VALENTINES FOR OLYMPIA: 2-3 pm, local advocates will be at Roxhill Park playground, collecting Valentines for legislators in Olympia, to continue pressing for full public-education funding:
Do you have Valentines for your legislators?
Volunteers from PTAs, Washington’s Paramount Duty, and others will hand deliver the cards on Tuesday in Olympia. Templates are available through Washington’s Paramount Duty, Seattle Council PTSA, and Soup for Teachers, and a few extras will be available at the park, but feel free to get creative and make your own! Please clearly identify to whom the card or cards should be delivered.
(29th SW/SW Barton)
SEATTLE GREEN SPACES COALITION: 3 pm at Southwest Library. You’re invited “to brainstorm on preservation of the Avalon substation properties according to our neighborhood’s wishes and as a welcoming entrance to West Seattle. Seattle City Light’s Lynn Best confirmed City Light does not have plans to sell the property, but we believe a plan must have a contingency plan developed to counter any future possibility of the sale of this land.” (35th SW/SW Henderson)
ITALIAN AND GERMAN OPERA: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, free concert by the Ladies Musical Club. (2306 42nd SW)
FOLK MUSIC: 3-5 pm, C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) features folk musician Noah Derksen. (5612 California SW)
GO HAWAIIAN: West 5 in The Junction – which just marked its 14th anniversary – is having a special Hawaiian Happy Hour, with a specially themed menu and music by Aunty Manu Lono and Kalei Medeiros (a nominee for Hawaii’s Na Hoku music awards). 4 pm-7 pm. (4539 California SW)
MORE FOR TODAY AND BEYOND … on our complete-calendar page.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:06 AM SUNDAY: An “assault with weapons” response to The Junction right now. According to Seattle Fire radio, a female victim reported being stabbed in the chest by a woman in her 40s with a “pocket knife.” The victim is being taken to Harborview Medical Center; the attacker is still at large, last seen southbound in the alley between California and 44th SW. The wound was not believed to be life-threatening.
UPDATE, 10:44 AM MONDAY: As promised, we sought the report from SPD, and have obtained it. Here’s what it says: The victim, a juvenile, told police it happened in the alley behind KeyBank. The attacker’s boyfriend, she said, had hugged her, and that upset the attacker, who the victim described as “intoxicated.” The attacker subsequently took out a “pen-type knife” and started stabbing the victim. The boyfriend pulled her away and was last seen with the attacker headed southbound down the alley. The attacker is described only as a Native woman in her 40s, missing her front teeth, dressed “industrial-looking,” including a brown/tan Carhartt jacket. No arrest so far.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
Close call for the Seattle Lutheran High School boys on Saturday night, but the Saints pulled out a 42-38 postseason win against La Conner, and ran their winning streak to 18.
The SeaLu boys, coached by Brett Kapels, had double-digit leads at halftime and through the end of the third quarter, but La Conner worked up a comeback in the rough-and-tumble, low-scoring game, and even took the lead. But with less than a minute to go, Seattle Lutheran #20, senior guard Roberto Duenaz was fouled, and put SeaLu ahead by converting a one-and-one into two points. Then with less than 30 seconds to go, Saints’ #1, senior Grant Ball, was fouled and also picked up the one-and-one to get back ahead of La Conner for the win.
Ball led scoring with 14 points on the night:
Duenaz was next with 12.
And #34, senior forward Josh Meyer, was the third leading scorer, with 7.
The Saints’ next game is Thursday (February 16th) in Sedro-Woolley, vs. Orcas Island, 6 pm.
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