West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
The latest reminder that the West Seattle Food Bank provides recycled books to its clients – and needs your donations to keep the books flowing!
The West Seattle Food Bank’s Bookcase Program was so successful with our clients during the holidays that we have run out of many books, especially children’s books. Young children enjoy the picture books while waiting with their parents in our lobby and are excited about being able to take them home. Cookbooks, history books and Adult fiction and non-fiction are extremely popular with our adult clients. Our Bookcase Program distributed more than 5,500 recycled books last year donated by local book stores and individuals in our community. Donations are accepted during our office hours of Monday – Friday 9 am – 3 pm. The West Seattle Food Bank is located at 3419 SW Morgan St. at the corner of 35th & Morgan.
First, if you happen to have been at Westwood Village and noticed police this past hour:
SHOPLIFTING/ROBBERY: What was described over the air as shoplifting-turned-robbery at the Westwood Village Radio Shack drew a big police response. Our crew was told the employee wasn’t hurt; they’re still trying to determine what was taken. Police were searching for two possible suspects, described early on as Hispanic women 18-22, both 5’3″ to 5’4″, one thin, one medium-to-heavy, one dressed all in black, one in a gray jacket. We’re hearing of one possible arrest in a residential area several blocks north and will be checking to verify.
(12:35 PM UPDATE: SPD confirms a 15-year-old girl is in custody. Apparently the other possible suspect was not involved in the crime.)
(back to original report) A few other Crime Watch notes from the past few days:
RECOGNIZE THIS CAR? Shay says it’s been parked in her neighborhood for a few weeks and neighbors thought it belonged to someone working nearby, but now realize it’s abandoned.
Police will be contacted if they haven’t been already, but Shay got a stolen car back via this kind of WSB report a few years ago and so wanted to get the word out this way too.
CAR PROWLS: Last Friday night, according to a reader report, three cars, all Hondas, were broken into near 49th/Juneau in Seaview; someone “with a flashlight was spotted at 6 am and fled upon being observed.” No signs of forced entry, so neighbors are wondering if the prowler(s) have “a keyless entry.”
NEXT CRIMEFIGHTING MEETINGS: The West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets at 6:30 pm next Tuesday (January 27th) at the Southwest Precinct – you don’t have to be a captain, or even in a block watch (yet!), to attend. And if you missed the announcement published here Tuesday morning, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole is coming to West Seattle for her first “community conversation” here, 6:30 pm Tuesday, February 3rd, also at the precinct (which is at Webster/Delridge).
P.S. The chief’s latest quarterly report to the City Council will be presented this afternoon – read it here.
(Today’s sunrise at Seacrest – photo by Lise Thivierge)
Thanks to our community contributors for views of this morning’s sunrise! Scroll all the way through to see all three views. And, of course, to see the highlights of what’s up today/tonight – maybe your first community meeting of the new year? From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STORY TIMES: Four library story times on the calendar today – preschoolers at West Seattle and toddlers at Southwest, both at 10:30 am; babies at High Point, 11:30 am; Somali story time at High Point, 5 pm. Each has its own listing, with more info and even a map, on our calendar.
DUWAMISH RIVER CLEANUP PLAN: 5:30-7:30 pm tonight in South Park, the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition offers your next chance to find out more about the plan, in three languages:
Tonight at Concord International School is your opportunity to learn about EPA’s “Record of Decision,” its final cleanup plan for the Duwamish River. It is a step in the right direction – but there is still more to do! To keep working for an even healthier cleanup, we need YOU! Join DRCC/TAG and your neighbors tonight as EPA and South Park community members provide some highlights from the plan and talk about what is next. Presentations will be available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Light dinner and child care will be available!
(723 S. Concord)
NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN MEETING: Talk about climate change with the Green Party of Seattle and Sustainable West Seattle. 6:30 pm at Admiral Bird. (2600 California SW)
(Today’s sunrise, Olympics view – photo by James Bratsanos)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Agenda toplines:
7:10 p.m. Friends of Art on Pier 86, the Silos & Grain Elevator – David Levinson
7:17 p.m. UWKC Free Tax Campaign – Thomas Gardner
7:25 p.m. Multimodal Corridor Program, Delridge Way Project – Sara Zora (SDOT)
7:45 p.m. Update from CM Rasmussen – Tom Rasmussen
8:15 p.m. DNDC Business/Events/Discussions – All
-District 1 Candidates Forum
-2015 Grant Opportunities
-Joint DC Meeting with SWDC
-Annual DNDC Membership Meeting/Elections
-West Seattle Working Waterfront Tour
8:35 p.m. Neighborhood/Community Announcements – All
This time, DNDC meets in the Youngstown theater. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), it’s MoCA’s quarterly meeting. Agenda toplines:
* Special Guest – James Bush, Department of Neighborhoods
* Murray CSO
* Morgan SDOT update
* Morgan Park Little Library update
* Donation to Morgan Neighbors
* New Bike Racks for Morgan Junction
* 2015 Neighborhood Streets and Parks Funds – Morgan applications
* 2015 Morgan Festival
* Election of Officers, slate presentation for April meeting and vote
Find MoCA in The Kenney’s lower-level meeting rooms. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)
WORDSWEST LITERARY SERIES: As previewed here Monday night, WordsWest takes on New Year’s resolutions in the 7 pm writers’ showcase at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), featuring Jennie Shortridge and Frances McCue. (5612 California SW)
COMEDY! 8 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), hosted by Mona Concepcion, it’s the next “Just Laugh It Off” showcase – check the lineup here. (6451 California SW)
MORE COMEDY: Tonight’s also the night West Seattle native Adam Cozens, visiting from L.A., stars at Comedy Underground in Pioneer Square, 8 pm, as mentioned in our recent followup story on how his showbiz career is going. (109 S. Washington)
(More of the Olympics, from Alki – photo by Don Brubeck)
EVEN MORE … daytime activities AND nightlife, on our calendar!
Two new reports of the scam phone callers who claim to be from Seattle City Light, alleging you owe money and are at risk of imminent shutoff if you don’t pay them. This came in last night from Dan at Peel and Press in Morgan Junction:
My employees at Peel and Press just got a call from someone claiming to be Seattle City Light stating that they were going to shut off our power in one hour and that they needed to confirm our billing info. My employees took down the name and number and then called me. I called back “Mr. Allan Grey” and he went on about how my last two payments weren’t cleared and they would be shutting off my power in the next few minutes. He wanted me to confirm my card number and exp date. I asked him to reference the last 4 numbers of my SCL account because something didn’t seem right and I had a feeling this was a scam. He assured me I could wait for my power to get shut off so I would know it was real. I again asked for the last 4 digits and he hung up. I called Seattle City Light and just as I expected my power bill was up to date and no issues with my service. Claimed to be Allan Grey – Ph. 1-800-237-3081
At least one local residence also just got this kind of call – see this post in the WSB Forums. And as noted here a month ago, utility-bill scammers are showing up in person, too.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: City Light has scam-protection advice for you here.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:05 AM: With the temperature at/around freezing, after a mostly clear night, watch for icy spots this morning. First transportation-related tweet of the day is from Kevin, who says his girlfriend hit a spot of black ice while on her bicycle passing the bottom of the SW Yancy hill in North Delridge.
7:44 AM: Junction traffic note from SDOT:
A medical response has blocked the WB lane of SW Alaska St just east of California Ave SW. pic.twitter.com/Hj9PUTxdkt
— seattledot (@seattledot) January 21, 2015
ROADSIDE-WORK REMINDER: Today is scheduled to be the second and final day of SDOT work on the medians near Admiral Way Viewpoint, 8 am-3 pm, with inside lanes closed on both sides.
99 OVERNIGHT WORK NORTH OF DOWNTOWN: Again tonight, 8 pm-6 am, there’s work on 99 north of downtown – here’s the WSDOT alert.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
No new information about Saturday’s Morgan Junction holdup, when it was brought up during tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
What did dominate the evening was a wide-ranging discussion on various neighborhoods’ problems and what can, can’t, and – in some neighbors’ view – should be done about them.
First, the crime-trend update:
LOCAL CRIME TRENDS: Auto theft has remained the same – a high level, but “we’re starting to make some arrests.” Car prowls are “down drastically.” So said precinct operations Lt. Ron Smith, representing precinct leadership at the meeting – he said car prowls are down to 11 in the past week, compared to 18. A new way of handling the data is being implemented soon, he said, so that could make a change. Nonresidential burglaries are down; residential burglary is down 40 percent from an average week, 6 compared to the average of 10. “We’ve made a couple arrests, and that might have made a difference – names known to the community.” Strong-arm robberies, usually 1 a week, this past week we’ve had two (both reported here).
Asked about the strong-arm robbery, Lt. Smith mentioned – without specifying the location – the Sealth student who was walking to school when her phone was stolen. They don’t know yet for sure whether the robber is a student or not, though “similar age group” to the victim. Sometimes the response time is hampered by the fact the robbery isn’t reported until they tell their parents hours later. He says this type of robbery has now been dubbed “Apple-picking.”
Asked about shoplifting, aggravated assault, drug-dealing arrests, Lt. Smith said he doesn’t have numbers on those categories but can get them. He says the Anti-Crime Team is going after drug crime right now, though, and that drug dealing is being addressed “through other methods” – CPTED, such as lighting, removing phone booths, cutting back shrubbery, and talking to businesses to let them know it’s their responsibility to keep watch on what’s happening on their property.
NUISANCE HOUSES: A question is asked about a South Delridge block and a particular house on 17th SW. Lt. Smith says they’re aware of several trouble houses. Precinct liaison Matthew York from the City Attorney’s Office, seated next to Lt. Smith (photo at right), gives his card to the asker. Another man says there’s a similar problem in his neighborhood – stolen cars dumped, an unregistered sex offender who they say had a teenage girl in his house, someone else who was wanted on warrants and “had a sawed-off shotgun.” The house in question had “constant turnover,” troublemakers in the back yard – they would report the problems, police would show up, and be deterred by a locked gate and people going into hiding. “With (houses like this) you can look at the 911 calls – 197 on that block – (people have) called constantly.” Someone else says “it’s kind of like we’re at war” but it has quieted down a bit with the involvement of the Community Police Team.
(All photos in this story are by Mark Wangerin. Above, rhinoceros auklet)
A glimmer of good news about the health of Puget Sound and some of its wildlife. This news release arrived via NOAA, but much of the work was done by volunteers:
A new analysis of seven years of bird sightings by volunteer birdwatchers from the Seattle Audubon Society has found positive trends in several Puget Sound seabird species that had been in historic decline.
(Common loon)
The study tracked the occurrence of 18 seabird species at 62 sites around Puget Sound and found increased presence of 14 species, including cormorants, loons, rhinoceros auklets, and harlequin ducks. It also documented local hotspots for certain species, which may reflect especially important habitat or prey the birds depend on.(Harlequin duck)
“This means that all other things being equal, if someone goes out now they’re more likely to see these birds than they would have been seven years ago,” said Eric Ward, an ecologist at NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle and lead author of the research.Many seabird species are thought to have declined around Puget Sound since the 1960s and 1970s but the new results suggest the trends have turned up for many species.
New details about Saturday morning’s Morgan Junction street robbery/carjacking attempt are in the official police report we have just obtained, as well as the reason for the subsequent search in Gatewood. Until now, as weekend WSB readers are aware, most of what we knew came via comments (here and here) plus a bit of information we procured by finding an SPD sergeant at an unrelated scene post-search. So far, no word of any arrests, but we hope to hear more directly from Southwest Precinct police during tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. Ahead, we’ve transcribed the report’s narrative, since this is a high-interest incident, the third street robbery in three days in West Seattle at the time (no reports of any since Saturday):
PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) has just announced a new CEO – and she is a West Seattle resident. Cate Hardy joins PCC this week from Starbucks, where she has worked for 9 years, most recently as vice president of operations, according to the PCC announcement, which says she “brings more than 15 years of retail experience in general management, retail operations, supply chain, growth and store development, and strategy” to her new job. The Seattle-based food-store company had been led since last May by Randy Lee, its chief financial officer, serving as interim CEO. The full announcement, with more on Hardy’s background, is on PCC’s website, here. PCC has 10 markets around the metro area, including one at 2749 California SW here in West Seattle. (Photo courtesy PCC Natural Markets)
(Photo by Jim Clark, taken Monday at Lincoln Park)
Some of what’s up today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FIVE STEPS TO YOUR RIGHT LIVELIHOOD: 2:30-4 pm, free workshop at High Point Branch Library – details in our calendar listing. (35th/Raymond)
STUDENT AID: West Seattle High School seniors and parents/guardians are invited to an event to help them finish the FAFSA (the standard application for financial aid for college), 6:30-8:30 pm, drop in – open labs with volunteers ready to help. (3000 California SW)
MASTER MIXOLOGY: 6:30 pm, cocktail class tonight at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) – but call ASAP to see if there’s room. Details in our calendar listing. (1936 Harbor SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room right by the entrance from the parking lot. Questions/concerns to bring up to West Seattle police leadership? This is the time and place. Tonight’s meeting has no other guests – you, SPD, WSCPC – and you’ll hear about the latest crime trends as well as plenty of time for Q/A. (Webster/Delridge)
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT: Blues to Do at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm … Weekly singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, 9 pm … More nightlife on our calendar!
(WSB photo from August 2014 – Chief O’Toole with Karen Berge & Deb Greer of the WS Block Watch Captains Network)
Shortly after Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole started her job last summer, she visited last summer’s Delridge Day/Picnic at the Precinct festival. She has not, however, been to a formal community meeting here – but that’s about to change. Just announced:
The Southwest Precinct Advisory Council (SWPAC) and the West Seattle Block Watch Captains are pleased to announce a community conversation with Seattle’s Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole.
The West Seattle community is invited to come to the Southwest Police Precinct on Tuesday, February 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm to participate in this community conversation.
There will not be a formal program as this is an opportunity for the citizens of West Seattle to come out and meet Seattle’s new police chief.
If you would like more information or have any questions, you can contact Pete Spalding at SWPAC@comcast.net.
The precinct is at 2300 SW Webster, on the NW corner of Webster/Delridge.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:07 AM: Back to school, back to work, back to regular transit schedules, and probably back to “regular” traffic as Tuesday gets going. One alert for today: As announced last week, city crews plan to clean the Admiral Way medians between Olga and 39th SW today and tomorrow, 8 am-3 pm, closing the inside lanes both ways. Also worth noting: The same city/port measures that helped avert a third day of truck backups last Friday are supposed to be continuing today. But if you see any sign of a backup, please let us know.
8:24 AM: Backups on 4th because of a crash at Main should be improving as the scene is clearing.
This Wednesday (January 21st), you’re invited to the next edition of the WordsWest Literary Series at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), and with two days to go, there’s been a last-minute change in readers – Jennie Shortridge (above right) will now join Frances McCue (above left). Here’s the updated announcement from the WordsWest curators:
From fad diets to online dating to world peace — this is the exhaustingly inexhaustible material of New Year’s Resolutions. Join us for the perspectives of two amazing local authors as they take a new look at the old tradition of making and breaking our resolve. For the January 21, 2015, edition of WordsWest Literary Series, best-selling novelist Jennie Shortridge and award-winning poet Frances McCue will read their work which invites all of us to explore our ideas, hopes and intentions for the coming year.
This month WordsWest is thankful for support from Poets & Writers.
Frances McCue is a poet, essayist, reviewer and arts instigator. From 1996-2006, she was the founding director of Richard Hugo House in Seattle. Her poetry collection The Bled won the 2011 Washington State Book Award. McCue’s other work includes the essay collection The Car That Brought You Here Still Runs (runner-up for the Washington State Book Award), poetry collection The Stenographer’s Breakfast, and prose in Mary Randlett Portraits.
Jennie Shortridge is the author of five bestselling novels, including Love Water Memory and When She Flew. Her books have been selected as American Booksellers Association’s Indie Next picks, Target Bookmarked picks, and Library Journal’s Editors’ Picks. Three have been optioned for film. An avid volunteer, Jennie is the co-founder of Seattle7Writers, a nonprofit collective of Northwest authors who raise money and awareness for literature and literacy.
Every third Wednesday, 7 pm, at C & P Coffee Company, WordsWest hosts literary events that range from readings by published local and national authors, to craft discussions and guided writing explorations for every experience level. Folks from local, independent businesses share a favorite poem as part of the Favorite Poem Project. On January 21st, Twilight Gallery and Boutique will join us.
WordsWest is curated by West Seattle writers Katy E. Ellis, Susan Rich, and Harold Taw. Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/WordsWestLiterary. For more information, please contact wordswestliterary@gmail.com or visit WordsWestLiterary.com.
C & P is at 5612 California SW.
(WSCO photo: Wind Symphony in concert, December 2014)
The West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ new Wind Symphony, just launched last fall, is open to new members – and if you’re interested, you can check it out as soon as tomorrow night’s rehearsal, says orchestra manager Mariane Hermanson:
Following the great concert which concluded the fall season, the Wind Symphony of the West Seattle Community Orchestras is jumping into spring season rehearsals.
This group of musicians, including students and adults, is combining talents to perform two concerts this spring, the first at Providence Mount St. Vincent on March 20, 7:00 PM, to which the public is invited!
Anton Coleman, director of the group, has selected a program of wind band classics for the upcoming concert, including Alfred Reed’s “A Festive Overture,” Samuel Barber’s “Commando March,” and a band transcription of the finale from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.
More musicians are welcome to join in the fun and camaraderie of playing in a large ensemble. Woodwind, brass, and percussion players with high school level or above skills may join in; students participate without charge. Rehearsals are at Chief Sealth International High School, Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30. More information at WSCOrchestras.org.
CSIHS is at 2600 SW Thistle.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Soccer Club)
Congratulations to Bill Fry, vice president of administration for West Seattle Soccer Club, honored as national Administrator of the Year award by U.S. Youth Soccer. WSSC’s Tim McMonigle explains, “Over the past year, he had moved up by winning at the club, association, district, state, region, and now the national level. This is a huge honor, and continues our recent successes at the national level with others from our club that have represented our club and association very well.” As the announcement notes, while Fry was WSSC president, the number of registered players nearly doubled.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Should the Fauntleroy Boulevard project include undergrounding utilities – considering that could cost an extra $6 million or so? That’s the question Councilmember Tom Rasmussen raised at this month’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting.
The undergrounding cost was first mentioned publicly a week earlier, at the Southwest District Council meeting (WSB coverage here), with SWDC’s immediate past co-chair Sharonn Meeks reporting on a conversation with Rasmussen. This is the first time he had subsequently discussed it publicly with a West Seattle group. Taking utilities underground, he noted, “can be … transformational,” but the project has to be designed that way, and it’s now at a crossroads, with about two-thirds of the design completed: Should it be designed with underground utilities or not? The councilmember says he’s looking for community feedback. A few points to consider:
3:37 PM: If you are heading toward downtown any time in the next half-hour or so, either northbound or southbound, note that Highway 99 and I-5 are both being affected by protests right now. We’re still trying to get a clear picture of what’s going on by monitoring scanner and Twitter, but we do know for sure that Highway 99 northbound is closed at the Battery Street Tunnel, with traffic being diverted off at Western. More to come.
3:44 PM: Seattle Times (WSB partner) photojournalist Lindsey Wasson is among the journalists on scene:
Three #BlackLivesMatter protesters still lying down on #nb99, #seattle police sawing apart reinforced tubes linking them together
— Lindsey Wasson (@lindseywasson) January 19, 2015
KING 5 reports protesters on Mercer near I-5. Via scanner, police are concerned about protesters getting onto Aurora. Journalists who are tweeting in the area confirm there are two separate groups.
4 PM: This is truly a fast-changing situation, but again, right now, avoiding downtown, especially the South Lake Union vicinity, is fairly solid advice. And 99.
pics from #skyking have the protest on both directions of HWY 99 – all lanes in both directions are blocked
— King5TracyT (@King5TracyT) January 19, 2015
.@SeattlePD arresting protesters on SR 99. NB lanes blocked. SB lanes are moving at the moment. pic.twitter.com/EFDmX52DSM
— KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) January 20, 2015
4:21 PM: Police are hoping to be able to reopen 99 soon but the situation remains in flux, especially in the South Lake Union area.
4:23 PM: Per scanner, 99 has just been reopened. The I-5 ramps that were affected by the protest are open again too. But some protesters are still in action on surface streets, police are saying, on Fairview and on Dexter.
(WSB photo from 2014 WSGS season)
Play ball! Registration is open for the 2015 spring season of West Seattle Girls Softball. From the official announcement sent to us:
WSGS is a local nonprofit organization and is fueled by its dedicated volunteers. WSGS goals are to ensure that its players have the best possible experience playing fast-pitch softball. We hope to build both team sportsmanship and individual sportsmanship, all while having fun. We teach the basics and build skills as players continue with the program. WSGS looks forward to giving all girls ages 6-15 who are interested in learning the game a chance to build self-esteem and learn about sportsmanship. We try to place players onto teams that will be most beneficial to their needs. No previous experience necessary. Registration is open through February. Please go to westseattlegirlssoftball.com for more information.
The WSGS season starts with practices in March and runs through June.
(First two photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Nature Consortium‘s new executive director Merica Whitehall (above right) been on the job just a few weeks, and today she’s out with a legion of volunteers, including Deputy Mayor Kate Joncas (above left), for NC’s MLK Day of Service event in the West Duwamish Greenbelt east of Riverview Playfield. Mayor Ed Murray was on the way after a big MLK Day event at Garfield High School. Here’s another VIP we caught on her way up from the work site:
If you don’t know her already, that’s newly crowned Miss Seattle Taryn Smith, a West Seattle High School senior. The West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest contiguous forest, is the focus of Nature Consortium’s restoration work, planting trees and removing tree-killing invasives so that the forest can survive and thrive into the future. We expect to add a few more photos later.
1:56 PM: From the NC Instagram feed – first, a short video clip including something they’re famous for, providing music while volunteers work:
If you didn’t get to sign up for today’s event – Nature Consortium has many others, at least once a week – check naturec.org for opportunities.
You’ve seen Mark Wangerin‘s wildlife photos here on WSB (here, here, here, here, more). Maybe you were lucky enough to be able to buy one of the education-fundraising 2015 West Seattle Wildlife Calendars featuring some of them. Today, Laura Robb from Mark House Publishing shares the final results of the calendar fundraiser:
Congratulations to these West Seattle students who sold Mark House-published calendars to raise money for environmental education! Above, photographer Mark Wangerin (left) presents proceeds from the sale of the 2015 West Seattle Wildlife Calendar to Chief Sealth International High School students and teacher Noah Zeichner (right), who will use the donation of more than $1,200 for the 2015 Washington State Global Issues Network (WAGIN) Conference. You can support the event here: firstgiving.com/fundraiser/WAGIN/2015
That link also has more information about the conference, the first-ever WAGIN, to be held at Sealth in March.
(WSB photo taken this morning: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center mural, painted and dedicated last summer)
Make a difference in your own quiet way, this MLK Day. City park facilities and libraries are closed, but we do have suggestions/possibilities for today/tonight:
GROWING GARDENERS’ WORKSHOP: West Seattle Nursery offers a free activity for students on no-school days – today, planting! 1-2 pm, must be accompanied by an adult, but most importantly, call to see if there’s room. Details on the WSN calendar. (California/Brandon)
DONATE TO WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK VIA SBG: Less than 2 weeks to go in the Straight Blast Gym (WSB sponsor) donation drive for the West Seattle Food Bank, and dropping off donations today is a simple way to honor the holiday with a bit of community service. We wrote about it last week, here. (5050 Delridge Way SW)
VISIT THE DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE CULTURAL CENTER: Ever been to the Duwamish Longhouse, which opened six years ago this month? Maybe today is the day. Free admission (goodwill donations accepted), free parking. Open Mondays-Saturdays, 10 am-5 pm. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW) (Our apologies: Commenters report it’s closed)
LEARN, VOLUNTEER, JOIN WITH SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: 6:30 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), as previewed here last night, you can get involved with your community and the planet’s future by checking out Sustainable West Seattle‘s annual meeting. They’ll provide dessert and inspiration. (5612 California SW)
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:23 AM: No traffic trouble spots so far on this holiday Monday. A few reminders – Metro is on the “reduced weekday” schedule; King County Water Taxis are not running (West Seattle or Vashon); schools are closed. If you are driving downtown or to another neighborhood with on-street city pay stations today, you don’t have to pay for parking. Two of West Seattle’s transit services are on regular schedules today: Sound Transit Route 560 and Washington State Ferries (all routes).
8:03 AM: From SDOT’s Traffic Management Center via Twitter:
Traffic is now light to moderate on major routes pic.twitter.com/plzjsd2uYQ
— seattledot (@seattledot) January 19, 2015
Super Bowl countdown is on! But first, tonight: Some of the photos (etc.) we’ve received since The Big Win. First, intrepid fans waded into Puget Sound to celebrate:
Thanks to Mark for that photo. Next one’s from Amy:
Amy says, “Finnegan from Gatewood Hill brought good luck to the Hawks in the 4th quarter!!” Meantime, two West Seattleites snapped themselves during a historic moment at the CLink:
Gary Potter (left) e-mailed the photo, captioning it, “Josh Sutton snaps a selfie after the final TD in OT!!!!”
Also notable today, the weather. Trileigh Tucker caught video of the brief ice-pellet shower:
Trileigh captioned it “Hailquake“; we’ve also heard it dubbed the “Hail Mary” moment! It followed – after a bit of a time gap – one burst of thunder that coincided with the Seahawks’ big comeback. Earlier, John Bartell caught this sunbreak with a rainbow (promise of victory?):
Last but not at all least – this isn’t in West Seattle but does have a local link. Jim Winder, mastermind of the West Seattle Lights/Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular, has a light show in Maple Valley and says it’s 100 percent Seahawks-themed, continuing nightly through the Super Bowl. He shared this clip of “Hawktown Funk”:
Want to go check out the Maple Valley lights? Address and map are here.
So now we have two weeks of pre-Super Bowl excitement to come – if you have a Seahawk-spirit photo or tip, please let us know so we can share along the way.
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