West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
(WSB photo)
That sign was up this afternoon near the 63rd Avenue Pump Station south of Alki Point, following the 330,000-gallon combined-sewer overflow reported late last night by King County Wastewater Treatment. The overflow happened during Thursday afternoon’s less-than-one-hour power outage in western West Seattle, before a portable generator could be brought to and fired up at the pump station.
We followed up today with county spokesperson Doug Williams. For one, as commenter Schwaggy asked, why isn’t there already a generator at the pump station? He says there soon will be:
We are wrapping up a construction project at the 63rd Avenue Pump Station that, when finished, will include a new emergency power generator at the facility. While that construction project is underway, we have an emergency generator loaded on a trailer and stationed at the Alki CSO facility. Yesterday when our workers got the 63rd Ave pump station overflow alarm they went to the Alki facility and picked up the emergency generator for the short drive over to the pump station (about ¼ mile, I believe). However, power was restored before the emergency power was brought online.
As for how long the signs will stay up, Williams didn’t have information on water-quality-test results yet when we checked in, but he said the signs will not be taken down until results are “below thresholds for human contact.”
(TOPLINE: After a 2 1/2-day closure to clear slide debris, Highland Park Way is open again as of just after 5:30 tonight)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:52 PM: Our photo taken a short time ago shows some slide cleanup still under way on Highland Park Way, and now there’s word from SDOT spokesperson Sue Romero that it will NOT be open before the PM commute after all:
Highland Park Way SW remains closed due to slides and is expected to reopen this evening.
SDOT completed removal of the remaining debris earlier today. SCL is installing a new power pole. SDOT crews will then install ecology blocks to buttress the hillside.
This work is expected to last into the PM commute. Please continue to use detours.
The hill between Holden and West Marginal Way has been closed since the sliding happened around 5 am Wednesday (here’s our original report; here’s a Thursday report with a closer look at just how much slid).
5:39 PM: Kelly tells us it’s open. We are en route.
5:47 PM: Just drove the hill – yes, it’s open again, all lanes. And Metro says Route 131 is back to its regular route.
ADDED 6:48 PM: A couple of postscripts. First, we asked SDOT this afternoon if they had determined any cause other than the heavy rain – a commenter had noted earlier, for example, that WSDOT had blamed one of its recent freewayside slides on a drain problem. But SDOT spokesperson Romero checked and said, no other factors were involved here. Meantime, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold – who lives in Highland Park and was among those whose travel was affected by the closure – wrote about the slide in her latest e-mail-list update, which went out this afternoon. After an update on the cleanup, she added:
… I’ve asked SDOT what kind of assessment they’ll be doing about the long-term safety of this area from future slides, and what improvements we can expect after the cleanup.
I thank King County Metro for their quick rerouting of Route 131 to accommodate bus riders in the area (myself included). The incident highlights for me – once again – the need for an emphasis upon improvements on Highland Park Way. So many people (from all over West Seattle) use this corridor to get off the peninsula. What might have once been a little-known egress is not any longer.
The Highland Park Action Committee has long been an advocate for improvements to the Holden and Highland Park intersection to slow down and make traffic flow more efficient. The focus of those efforts has been on the design and development of an arterial roundabout. SDOT agrees that improvements to this corridor are warranted. It is not funded at this time. I have inquired with SDOT about the funding estimate for the design portion alone to see if I can help identify some funding to give the project some momentum.
Though the focus of the community has been on the roundabout, I am inquiring with SDOT whether they’ve considered lane separation as an improvement. Many people I know who are familiar with this road drive in the outermost lanes and avoid the opposite direction inner lanes because of the driving practices of people less familiar with the route, or practices of those who are familiar but speed hazardously nonetheless.
(WSB photo: Alondro from Origins, Judi from WS Food Bank, Nate from Gold Leaf, Andrew from Origins)
More community giving! $2,300 for the West Seattle Food Bank Backpack Program – which ensures that local students in need don’t go hungry when school’s not in session – from Origins Enterprises (whose recreational-cannabis shop is in The Junction at 4800 40th SW and is a WSB sponsor) and Gold Leaf Gardens, from a holiday-season drive in partnership with the community. You can help the Backpack Program too; here’s how.
Services are planned next week for Anna Lallas Rakus, 88. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing with the community:
In life, as in her death, Anna Lallas Rakus, showed grace, dignity and fighting spirit, passing away peacefully in her West Seattle home on February 14, 2017.
Anna was born in Bellingham in 1928 to Greek immigrant parents, Tom and Estero Lallas. At the age of 10 while returning from a family trip to Greece, Anna and her 2 brothers John and George were orphaned when her parents were killed in an infamous train wreck. Anna and her brothers went to live with her mother’s brother, Gust Trames, and his wife Mary and their 3 children in Bellingham. By 16 she was working 3 jobs and helping to parent her brothers.
When Anna was 18, she was introduced to Gust Rakus, a fellow Greek from Everett. Swept off her feet, Anna and Gust were wed, moved to Seattle, and had 3 children. Their marriage was filled with everything Greek; loud, happy dinner parties with friends and family, the church, and her community. She was active with her husband in AHEPA/Daughters of Penelope, and served as Parish Council President of the Assumption Greek Church. She was a buyer for Doces Furniture and a top salesperson for Macy’s. Petite in stature, she had boundless energy and determination in every task she undertook, and could be a force to be reckoned with!
After 55 years of marriage, Gust passed away in 2004. Anna then filled her time attending to her gardens/orchids, volunteering for anything Greek that involved cooking, her family, and friends, and was always ready to go to lunch and shopping!
Anna is survived by her children, Diane, Tommy and Jamee (Dino). She will be remembered for her fierce perseverance in the face of adversity, her tenacious and feisty spirit, and warm hospitality. Although blurry in her last few years, she was up for any outing and was always ready to: “Let’s Go!” Our family thanks her many loving caregivers, and especially Chris Kelsey, with whom she formed a special bond.
Trisiagon Services will be held Tuesday, February 21st, at 7 pm, and funeral services Wednesday, February 22, at 11 am. Both will be held at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, 1803 13th Ave, Seattle.
Donations can be made in her name to the Gust Rakus Hellenic Studies Collection at the U of W.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
We’ve shared updates before from local Girl Scout Alina Guyon, who is working on a Gold Award project to build a library for refugees in Uganda. West Seattleites have donated more than 1,000 books, and now she’s sharing words of gratitude for another big donation:
Thank you Alki Lumber!
When you heard that I was building a library for refugees in Uganda, you generously offered to help. The library project not only involves sending books by container, but I’m also building an actual library. Alki Lumber donated all kinds of paint and materials to help complete the structure. Thank you for being such a generous business and key part of our West Seattle Community.
There are currently more refugees in the world than any time since World War II. While we can’t easily affect our nation’s immigration policies, this is a small way our community can make a difference to people forcibly displaced from their homes. I am so amazed by the outpouring of support from West Seattle.
More development news, starting with two teardowns:
DEMOLITION AT 5908 FAUNTLEROY WAY SW: The old commercial building on which you used to be able to read the “WASH/DRY” sign is now a pile of rubble.
As first reported here almost a year and a half ago, a six-unit rowhouse building with five offstreet-parking spaces is planned.
DEMOLITION AT 6921 CALIFORNIA SW: Eight months after the cancellation of plans to turn an old house in south Morgan Junction into a branch of Chungee’s Drink and Eat (the Capitol Hill restaurant/bar whose owners lived in the house at the time), the house is coming down right now. As reported here in October, a four-unit residential building is now planned, after the site was sold to a construction company.
Now, an Admiral-project update:
2715 CALIFORNIA SW: Four months after we had first word of an early-stage mixed-use proposal to replace the buildings at 2715 and 2719 California SW, we have a few more details: It’s proposed as 48 apartments and ground-floor commercial, with 46 off-street parking spaces. And it’s going before the Southwest Design Review Board at 6:30 pm March 16th (Sisson Building/Senior Center, 4217 SW Oregon). This is just a few buildings north of the PCC-site project, so that will be a busy block before long.
Speaking of Design Review Board meetings …
3257 HARBOR SW: The SWDRB also has this site on its schedule, for 6:30 pm April 6th. It’s the combined first review for 34 townhouses split between four project numbers. We noted back in November that this new proposal had been filed for the site of what had been a two-building, 80+-apartment proposal at 3257-3303 Harbor SW (which even went through its first SWDRB meeting three years ago).
(Design rendering shown to Admiral Neighborhood Association Thursday night)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two developments this morning related to the mixed-use project planned for the current site of PCC-Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) at 2749 California SW:
First, PCC announced this morning that it has set the closing date for the current store: May 31. PCC spokesperson Heather Snavely also tells WSB that “details around the logistics of the closure” are being worked out. And:
An important part of the next few months will be recognizing just how special the West Seattle community is to PCC. We want to celebrate our members, shoppers and the West Seattle community we’ve had the pleasure of serving for over 25 years – including providing a sneak peek into some of the features to come in the new store. Expect more details in the coming weeks.
PCC had said in December that it expected to stay open “through spring,” but no date was announced at that time. Meantime, the May 31st closure announcement came just hours after the team working on Madison Development Group‘s project for the store site gave a “sneak peek” to a special meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, two weeks before they take it back to the Southwest Design Review Board: Read More
6:50 AM: Highland Park Way between Holden and West Marginal remains closed this morning, two days after a major slide; the city announced late yesterday that they expect to reopen it by today’s PM commute. Metro Route 131 remains rerouted.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
Otherwise, no incidents in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
One note: Seattle Public Schools‘ midwinter break is next week. And Monday is Presidents Day, with holiday-level transit planned, including no Water Taxi service.
7:17 AM: Just tweeted/texted by Metro:
Transit Alert – Metro Route 57 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Alaska Junction at 7:38 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) February 17, 2017
7:55 AM: One SFD unit is responding to a crash reported at 29th and Trenton, a few blocks west of the north side of Westwood Village.
8:34 AM: Via Twitter, Jeremy reports a bus breakdown:
.@westseattleblog @kcmetrobus C line eb broke down on 99 north before dig entrance. 55 picked up ~100 strandees and another bus got the rest
— Jeremy Kahn (@trochee) February 17, 2017
8:53 AM: Watch out for some possible congestion in the 5000 block of Delridge Way SW – several SFD units are en route to check out a possible wall fire at an address on the east/northbound side.
Meantime, we’ll update here, and in a separate story, whenever we get the official word that Highland Park Way hill is open – again, SDOT has said they expect it to be open by late afternoon, before the PM commute.
While the West Seattle High School boys’ second game in eight days against Nathan Hale ended the way the first one did – with a loss – the Wildcats refused to be intimidated by the nation’s #1 team. They were behind by just 3 points at halftime (29-26) and after three quarters (44-41).
The WSHS defense limited Hale’s ability to run and gun. It was another physical game, with fouls and steals, but the Wildcats just couldn’t close the gap in the final moments, and Hale got the win, 62-52. WSHS #1 Nate Pryor led scoring with 31.
The Wildcats should find out sometime Sunday who and when they play next.
Just got word from the King County Wastewater Treatment District that this afternoon’s power outage caused a ~330,000-gallon overflow from the 63rd Avenue Pump Station in South Alki. The pump station usually sends stormwater and wastewater flows to the Alki Combined Sewer Overflow facility at Alki Point. That facility has an emergency generator on site, and the county says crews brought that generator to the pump station, but it wasn’t needed for long, since the outage lasted less than an hour.
… King County has reported the overflow to health and regulatory agencies. King County employees will post signs in the vicinity of the pump station at first light on Friday, Feb. 17, and employees with the County’s Environmental Lab conducted water quality monitoring.
The Alki facility itself had a quarter-million-gallon overflow just four weeks ago.
Next Monday and Tuesday, you have the chance to have your infant/child car seat checked, free, at Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor). Both days, 10 am-2 pm, certified child-safety passenger technician Victor Gonzales will be checking seats to be sure they’re properly installed. Just stop by Swedish Automotive during those hours, those days (February 20-21), 7901 35th SW (corner of Kenyon). Questions? Call Swedish at 206-539-1984.
Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STABBING SUSPECT CHARGED: The woman accused of stabbing a 16-year-old girl in The Junction early Sunday is now charged with second-degree assault. 44-year-old Tillie J. Lee remains in the King County Jail, with bail still set at $220,000. The charging documents tell the same basic story as the probable-cause documents on which we reported – saying the suspect became enraged because the victim hugged Lee’s boyfriend. Lee allegedly stabbed the girl in the shoulder and then took off. Prosecutors say in the charges that Lee has been booked 64 times since 1996 and has had 88 warrants for her arrest. Two of the convictions are felonies, both from the early ’00s, for vehicular assault and second-degree theft.
PACKAGE THEFT IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: From Erik this evening:
My neighbor just had a couple packages taken from their front porch. They were taken from 99th & 35th around 5:15 in Arbor Heights. Police were called.
The vehicle is a mid-2000s red Toyota 4-door truck. No plate on front bumper & damage to front bumper as well. Blue tarp covering items in the bed of truck. Be on the lookout. 2 white males with beards, probably mid to late 30s.
CAR PROWL IN ADMIRAL: Rick reports this happened early Wednesday in the 4000 block of California SW:
There are 4 townhomes facing California, 3 facing the alley. In between the 4 in front and the 3 in back is a communal driveway. Our car is parked about 5 feet from our back door. All townhomes can easily see the driveway from their windows; there are bright motion-sensing lights. … I saw my driver-side door was open (I know I locked it night). Inside the car, the glovebox was open and had been rummaged through. Looks like they got away with an old GPS from the glovebox, and a phone charger that was plugged into the cigarette lighter. No damage as far as I can tell. Seemed similar to the North Admiral Car Prowl mentioned here so I thought I’d report it, as it looks like they may be making their way south down California.
REMINDER: The next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is next Tuesday (February 21st), 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
(WSB photo of cleanup work this morning, taken via long lens from top of hill)
Just in from SDOT: Highland Park Way is expected to reopen “by late afternoon Friday.”
Full update from Norm Mah of SDOT:
Highland Park Way SW will remain closed today and is expected to reopen by late afternoon Friday for the PM commute.
SDOT crews have removed 90% of the material that came down from the hillside on to the roadway, about 2400 tons.
Crews will remove the remaining material tomorrow and will place approximately 50 concrete Ecology blocks (6’ long x 2’ wide x 2’ high) along the western edge of Highland Park Way SW to buttress the hillside.
SDOT thanks the public for its patience while this work is being completed.
The slide happened just before 5 am on Wednesday; no one was hurt, but it caused a 2,008-customer power outage for a few hours.
Meantime, we have photos with a closeup look at the slide zone from pre-cleanup, courtesy of Joe Finelli, Jr.:
4:21 PM: Thanks for all the texts – the Seattle City Light map confirms a big power outage in West Seattle, more than 4,800 homes/businesses. No word yet on the cause. More to come.
4:30 PM: Via Twitter, SCL says they “have reports of a downed pole,” though we haven’t heard where. Evan, via Twitter, reports having seen transformer trouble and sparks near High Point Pond Park. There was a short-lived SFD call near 29th/Findlay. Meantime, remember that non-working signals are all-way stops.
4:57 PM: New estimated restoration time – 5:50 pm. (Could be sooner, could be later.)
5:12 PM: Thanks for all the updates! Took the City Light map a few minutes to catch up but it confirms, outage is over.
(UPDATED 9:07 PM with details, photos)
FINAL: West Seattle HS girls beat Bellevue, 47-37. (Video: 4th Q basket by Jasmine Gayles) pic.twitter.com/rr9j46bGYf
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 17, 2017
(Video: 4th-quarter basket by WSHS’s Jasmine Gayles)
FIRST REPORT, 4:19 PM: “Championship game, here we come!” yelled a West Seattle High School fan, as the Wildcat girls beat defending state 3A champs Bellevue HS 47-37 moments ago at Bellevue College. They play for the district championship at 8:15 pm Saturday, again at Bellevue College, vs. the winner of tonight’s game between Bishop Blanchet and Cleveland at Chief Sealth. Photos and details from today’s game, coming up.
ADDED 9:07 PM: Photos and game summary ahead: Read More
Thanks to Jen Calleja for the tip – multiple White Center businesses are closed today for the Day Without Immigrants protest against the federal crackdown on immigrants. We stopped by some of the businesses she mentioned – above, the sign at Greenbridge Café; below, the signs at Salvadorean Bakery and Best Roasted Corn:
And Jen sent this collage of other businesses she found closed, including Deli Garcia in South Delridge:
We haven’t seen/heard of any other West Seattle closures – if you have, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com or 206-293-6302.
Meantime, there’s news about the court fight over the presidential order on immigration – according to a news release from state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, saying a federal appeals court was notified that “the President intends in the near future to rescind the Order and replace it with a new, substantially revised Executive Order” to eliminate constitutional concerns. Ferguson’s reaction: “Let’s be clear: Today’s court filing by the federal government recognizes the obvious — the President’s current Executive Order violates the Constitution.”
You never know what you’re going to find when you dig in!
The photos are from Anne Higuera at Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), who says, “While finishing up the last piece of our large expansion project at West Seattle Nursery (replacing the sidewalk and removing paving from the planting strip in front of both businesses), one of our employees found (this) in the dirt. … The street there has a brick base, so there are many layers of history in that street. The back, with the trees, says “good for one fare” and the front says “Seattle Transit” and the name of the director — looks like Beckett — along the bottom.” The token is smaller and thinner than a penny, she noted:
(Here’s a look at a cleaned-up version of a similar token.) At first they thought it was a token from the trolley days. Online research revealed that Seattle Transit was what the bus system was once known as. Evro M. Becket – who died in 1960 – was on the Seattle Transportation Commission in the ’40s, so the token likely dates back about 70 years. You can find out more about the Seattle Transit System via its annual reports, some of which are available as PDFs through the Municipal Archives. (1940, for example, is hailed as “a year of almost complete changeover from rail to rubber” – as the streetcar system was dismantled. The report features many photos, of buses, streetcars, and examples of streets where the tracks were paved over. And it includes the dates when streetcar runs changed to buses – you’ll see some West Seattle runs listed on page 13. Relevant to the token discovery, page 21 mentions the average Seattle Transit fare was six cents in 1940. The last page, 34, shows the city’s route map.)
(Sanderlings on Alki, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
What’s ahead for the rest of your West Seattle Thursday:
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: District-playoff games at Bellevue College – West Seattle High School girls vs. Bellevue HS at 3 pm, WSHS boys vs. Nathan Hale HS at 8:15 pm. (3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue)
‘HONORING WEDDING TRADITIONS ALONG THE SILK ROAD’: Planning a wedding? Free event with vendors including food, photography, more – details in our calendar listing. 5:30 pm-8 pm at The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd SW & SW Lander)
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN CELEBRATION: It’s all about the 9th-graders and their families tonight at West Seattle High School, 6:30-8 pm. From the school’s weekly newsletter:
The first year of high school can be challenging. We thought organizing an evening of sharing, caring, and building community around this idea would benefit everyone – students, parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators. Students will speak and share their thoughts about what they find challenging and likewise, rewarding about their first year in high school. The Teen Health Center and other community organizations will be available for families to learn about their community services. Dinner will be served.
(3000 California SW)
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL EVENING TOURS: 6:30-8 pm, prospective families are invited to visit Madison Middle School tonight. (45th SW & SW Spokane)
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm meeting at Alki UCC – agenda includes:
1) Update on Seattle Noise Ordinance, Jesse Robbins
2) SDOT Paving Plan (discussion)
3) Discussion of alignment between ACC and Seattle City Council goals
(6115 SW Hinds)
PCC PROJECT @ ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: As previewed here, you’re invited to get a look at the newest version of the mixed-use project at the PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) site, before it goes back to Design Review in two weeks. Tonight’s special Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting is at 7 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church‘s hall. (3050 California SW)
ROCK FOR STANDING ROCK: 8 pm-11 pm benefit performances at The Skylark, to help the Standing Rock Sioux’s challenge to the route planned for the Dakota Access Pipeline. Details in our calendar listing. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE: 8 pm at Parliament Tavern – “a night of Seattle singer-songwriters featuring Candice Rose, Amanda Navares, and David Rodriguez.” (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MORE! on our complete-calendar page.
(Photo from 2016 Black History Month Community Dinner)
Thanks to Chief Sealth International High School Black Student Union senator Khaim Vassar for sharing the photo and invitation:
The Chief Sealth International High School Black Student Union will be hosting our 2nd Annual Black History Month Community Dinner at Southwest Teen Life Center on Saturday, February 18th, 2017 from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm (doors will be opening at 4:45 pm). All are welcome. Free to attend.
We encourage our community to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of Black People locally, nationally, and globally.
“Unity is Strength, Division is weakness” ~ Swahili Proverb
Southwest TLC is in the same building as Southwest Pool – 2801 SW Thistle.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:13 AM: At 9:30 this morning, the City Council’s Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Waterfront Committee agenda includes a Parks Department request for approval to seek state grants for three boating-related projects, including one at West Seattle’s Don Armeni Boat Ramp. From the slide deck for the meeting, here are the details:
The grant would cover two-thirds of the $1.5 million cost; the city funding comes from the voter-approved Park District levy. You can watch the discussion live during this morning’s committee meeting via Seattle Channel, online or on cable channel 21, and you can find more details of the meeting via its agenda, here.
10:56 AM: The council-committee meeting is over. Parks got approval to pursue the grants. The briefing included an explanation that of the three projects for which those grants are being sought, Don Armeni – the only one in West Seattle – is the highest priority, because waves have caused so much damage to the old floating docks. So even if the grants aren’t received, the committee was told, the Don Armeni project will happen anyway.
A celebration of the life of Elizabeth LaVerne Thorneycroft is planned on March 4th. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing with the community:
Elizabeth LaVerne Thorneycroft, 94, entered Heaven’s gates on Thursday, February 2, 2017 in West Seattle. Born January 2, 1923, in Ketchikan, Alaska, she was the daughter of the late Alden and Betty Harvie. LaVerne married the love of her life, Norman Henry Thorneycroft, in February 1941. They resided in West Seattle where she and Norman welcomed their daughter Marilyn Anne.
LaVerne’s life can be summarized in four words: Faith, Family, Friendship, and Philanthropy. LaVerne had a kind spirit and sharp wit. She was a faithful servant who shared her love for Christ through her actions. As a longtime member of Fairmount Church and Admiral Congregational Church in West Seattle, she delighted in women’s fellowship, made friends everywhere she went and had a huge heart for those less fortunate. Knitting hats for the homeless was part of her 30-year stewardship with the Seattle Milk Fund, all while making sure every member of her family had a warm hat of their own. When she wasn’t knitting, setting up church luncheons or playing pinochle, she enjoyed traveling the globe and spent some of her most memorable years at Hood Canal with her family.
As a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, LaVerne was the matriarch of her family. Whether it was dinner shared around her kitchen table, or baking her classic banana cream pie and cookies, she loved cooking for her family. Fittingly so, as the rock of her family, LaVerne will lay to rest next to her husband at the Rock of Ages area at Washington Memorial Cemetery.
LaVerne is survived by her daughter Marilyn Anne Shoemaker, grandson Christopher Norman Shoemaker, granddaughter Keri Anne Patashnick (Lyle), and great-grandchildren, Seth Henry Patashnick and Emery Anne Patashnick. We will remember her smile, her warmth, her tenacity, her love of the Lord, family and friends. She made a difference in the lives of many.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017, 11:30 am, at Admiral Congregational United Church in West Seattle. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Seattle Milk Fund at seattlemilkfund.org and the Senior Center of West Seattle at 206-932-4044 or online sc-ws.org.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(UPDATED 11:20 AM with latest from Highland Park Way – scroll down)
5:04 AM: We’re starting traffic/transit coverage early because of the continuing Highland Park Way closure between West Marginal Way SW and SW Holden, now in its second day after a slide around this time yesterday. SDOT‘s most-recent update said the closure is expected to continue “through (today).” The closure also affects Metro Route 131; here’s the most-recent information on its reroute.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
If anything changes with Highland Park Way this morning, we’ll update here, along with any other traffic notes as the morning continues.
6:32 AM: Still no other incidents reported. We’re not the only area affected by a slide; there are slides elsewhere in the region including one closing westbound I-90 in Issaquah and another forcing cancellation of Sounder train service.
6:39 AM: And now we have an incident – eastbound West Seattle Bridge. Conflicting reports between a texter and scanner dispatch; the former says it’s after the Fauntleroy ramp, the latter said it’s “midspan.”
6:48 AM: We have another verification that this is on the eastbound bridge from Fauntleroy, parallel with Nucor. (Backup on Fauntleroy ramp just past 35th is also visible on the travelers’ map video feed.) So if you’re bridge-bound shortly, getting on someplace further east is likely a better choice.
7:04 AM: The feed shows traffic on the Fauntleroy approach is flowing again, so though we haven’t had an official update, it appears the reported crash/stall has cleared. One of SDOT’s bridge cams, the one that can see the west end, is down right now, so that’s complicating things.
7:11 AM: New problem – WSDOT reports a stalled vehicle partly blocking the ramp to I-5 northbound from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge.
8:05 AM: Multiple reports that Delridge is backed up again today, apparently a domino effect from the Highland Park Way closure (we’ll be going over for a look a bit later).
8:15 AM: Bus trouble in Admiral. Metro just sent a 40-minute-late alert saying that the 7:38 am Route 57 “did not operate.” We got a concurrent text from someone saying: “There’s no 7:50 57 or 8 am 56 yet at 47th and Admiral … 25ish people waiting here for a bus, any bus, to downtown.”
11:20 AM: Our photo above is from the Highland Park Way slide scene, earlier this morning. We just checked in with SDOT; no new info on how soon it might reopen, and they’re still expecting that it’ll likely be closed for the rest of today, so for now, plan on an alternate PM route. We’ll publish a separate update before the PM commute.
You’re invited to nominate somebody – and/or someplace – for this year’s Westside Awards, to be presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce on May 4th.
The categories again this year are:
Westside Business of the Year
Westside Emerging Business of the Year
Westside Not-for-Profit of the Year
Westsider of the Year
The nomination form is online, here. It includes more information on the criteria for each category. Nominees do NOT have to be WS Chamber members, nor do those sending in nomination(s). You can see who’s won in recent years by going here. Nominate someone/someplace (yes, you can send in multiple nominations) by March 6th!
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