West Seattle, Washington
31 Friday
(WCN/WSB photo)
While Seattle city leaders debate how to help people experiencing homelessness, King County is converting one of its buildings in White Center into an “enhanced shelter” for 70 people. From West Seattle to Burien, there’s no shelter of any kind that’s anywhere close to that size, says the county official who’s leading the project. Looking ahead to a community meeting this Thursday night in White Center, we’ve been reporting on this on partner site White Center Now. Our newest report – published early today – has full details of the county’s plan for the building at 8th SW/SW 108th – read it here.
(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)
6:51 AM: Good morning! No incidents in/from West Seattle, so far.
7:20 AM: Still relatively quiet. One transportation-news note, looking ahead to today:
SPEED LIMIT ANNOUNCEMENT: This is happening at noon in the U-District but will affect the whole city, so we’ll be monitoring: “The City of Seattle will announce a proposal for new speed limit measures to improve street safety. The proposed changes include reducing the speed limit on all residential streets and on center city streets.”
7:44 AM: Meanwhile, in the 35th-to-Avalon bus lane:
Time for a bus lane crackdown @ 35th/Avalon, @SeattlePD. cc @westseattleblog @kcmetrobus pic.twitter.com/ES4HKRDd2w
— Kevin Freitas (@kevinfreitas) September 13, 2016
8:37 AM: Still quiet, otherwise, in this area. Another look ahead:
ADMIRAL WAY PROJECT @ ANA TONIGHT: 7 pm at The Sanctuary @ Admiral (42nd SW/SW Lander), this month’s Admiral Neighborhood Association includes SDOT project reps for the upcoming changes on Admiral Way west of California SW. The group also will hear from a citizen privately researching vehicle-noise issues in Seattle neighborhoods. Here’s our full preview.
8:57 AM: Seattle Fire is responding to a reported car fire at Delridge Way/17th SW. Just one engine so far but that can be a chokepoint in South Delridge.
(Andrea Wilmot with customer during last week’s farm-stand session)
By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Andrea Wilmot works full-time as a financial analyst at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). But in her off-hours, she is motivated to bring healthy food to an area of West Seattle that she – and many others – describe as a food desert.
With no nearby supermarket, every Thursday this summer, from 4 to 7 p.m. she has been setting up a tent between the Delridge P-Patch and the Full Gospel Pentecostal Federated Church, for the farm stand operated by volunteers from the Delridge Grocery Co-op, which just might be on track to finally open as a real grocery store on the ground level of Cottage Grove Commons, the DESC-owned supportive-housing complex that opened almost three years ago in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW.
Wilmot is president of the Delridge Grocery Co-op and manager of its farm stand.
(WSB photo from 2015)
The only West Seattle swimming event of its kind is back next week at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club! In case you haven’t seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar yet, here’s the heads-up:
Bring your furry friends for a swim in the AHSTC pool during the week after the club closes.
11003 31st Ave SW
Tuesday-Friday, September 20-23, 5-7 pm
Saturday, September 24, 11 am-1:00 pmWe have some new treats in store for the pups this year!
This is a fundraiser for AHSTC teams used to purchase big ticket items and helps us to keep our team fees down. Suggested donation is $10/dog for one day or $25/dog for a pass and come as many days as you want! Be sure to invite your friends!
Basic details: Dogs must be healthy, up to date on shots and well socialized. Humans are responsible for their dog’s behavior (and poop). Running on the pool deck is encouraged! No people in the poo,l but you will get wet so dress accordingly.
Thank you for supporting AHSTC teams!
If you haven’t heard about this event before – this is after the last swim of the year in the pool for PEOPLE, and before the pool gets its post-season cleaning, and again, it’s dogs-only, no people. Here’s our report from last year’s event.
(August 31st photo by Vlad Oustimovitch)
WSDOT announced this afternoon that the Highway 99 tunneling machine is back on the move after a two-week stop to change cutterhead tools. Above is a photo of a used “tooth,” taken by Vlad Oustimovitch, a West Seattle resident who is a longtime member of the citizens’ advisory group and shared photos with WSB after a tour of the machine toward the start of the stopdown. Today’s WSDOT update says that as of lunchtime, “crews were tunneling north approximately 170 feet below First Avenue, just north of Union Street” and that the contractor “replaced a total of 14 large cutting tools during the two-week maintenance period. Bertha has moved from clay to a mixture of sand and gravel that wears down cutting tools more quickly. … The tools STP changed during this maintenance stop are the first parts of the cutterhead that contact the ground, making them crucial to the machine’s ability to excavate soil. STP will continue to inspect and replace these tools as needed during the course of mining. … The machine has tunneled more than 4,135 feet and is nearing the halfway point of its 9,270-foot-long journey.”
The Fauntleroy fish-ladder overlook hasn’t been the same since the fish were stolen from its art installation in June of last year. But new fish are arriving, thanks to the artist. The photo and report are from Fauntleroy Creek steward Judy Pickens:
Artist Tom Jay brought a big drill to begin installation of new coho and cutthroat sculptures at the fish-ladder viewpoint (upper Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Director). The original aluminum fish were stolen in June 2015. This time, Jay built the sculptures using several techniques that have proven to protect art from such vandalism. His “Stream Echo” installation at the viewpoint dates from 1998, when the city built the fish ladder and applied 1% of the construction cost to public art. The new fish will be duly welcomed at the annual salmon drumming on Sunday, October 30, at 5 pm.
The overlook is across Fauntleroy Way (and up the embankment) from the ferry dock.
The morning got away without our daily calendar preview, but we do want you to know about two meetings tonight involving groups that need more helping hands:
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Live and/or work and/or study and/or play in North Delridge? 6:30 pm, be at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center for tonight’s NDNC meeting. Agenda highlights announced today:
*SDOT’s plan to lower the speed limit on Delridge to 30
*Discuss the Top 5 in the next round of Neighborhoods projects which the District Council should be discussing and voting on this Wednesday, September 21st, at the monthly Delridge District Council meeting. Scroll down in this link to see the details.
*Talk about possible solutions for addressing problems with the convenience stores in our neighborhood.
Upcoming elections
(Regarding the first item – here’s our most-recent coverage.) Youngstown is at 4408 Delridge Way SW.
WEST SEATTLE HI-YU: 7 pm, Admiral Congregational Church. From outgoing president Jay Murray:
This will be the last West Seattle Hi-Yu meeting for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.Please come and bring a friend to celebrate the end of the West Seattle Hi-Yu summer festival year.
There will be a lot of decisions to be made about the continuation and re-organization of the West Seattle Hi-Yu, Inc.
Volunteers are needed to serve as officers and board members during the interim period. Volunteers are also needed to serve on the committee to re-organize as a 501 c 3 non-profit organization.
Membership applications will be available for the fiscal year of 2016-2017.
Thank you to all of the volunteer members of the board, parents and members of the Sr. Court, Jr. Court and Teen Ambassadors and all of the other individual, Service Club, and business members that have been a part of the West Seattle Hi-Yu organization to make it a success.
Admiral Church is at California SW/SW Hill.
Two notes from the West Seattle food world:
ENDOLYNE JOE’S, ORIGINAL BAKERY CLOSED ALL WEEK: Thanks to Cindi for the tip. The owner of the Fauntleroy/Endolyne building (45th SW/SW Wildwood) that is home to Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) and The Original Bakery is doing work this week – so both are closed all week. Joe’s even made the cute altered logo at right and has this statement: “Due to landlord-related building improvements for other tenants, Endolyne Joe’s will be closed Monday, September 12th- Monday, September 19th. Regular business will resume September 20th.” The bakery, meantime, is usually closed Mondays anyway, and has posted that it too will reopen September 20th.
A LA MODE PIES FINALIZES WEST SEATTLE OPENING DATE: We’ve been reporting since April that A la Mode Pies is expanding to West Seattle – the official white-neon sign is now up outside its future storefront at 4225 SW Alaska (left photo, courtesy ALMP). Today, A la Mode has finalized the opening date first mentioned here last month: Monday, October 3rd. Hours will be 8 am-10 pm Sundays-Thursdays, 8 am-11 pm Fridays-Saturdays, with a happy-hour-style “pie time” starting at 3:14 pm daily. Savory pies (“with flavors like Slow Braised Beef and Potato, Spinach and Feta, Chicken Pot Pie, BBQ Pulled Pork”) will be offered as well as the “boozy milkshakes” that WSB readers were asked to help name (mentioned in the announcement, Admiral Apple and Genesee Grasshopper), six flavors of ice cream, and “PieFries – shreds of buttery pie dough sprinkled with parmesan and herbs or cinnamon and sugar.” As mentioned in earlier coverage, weekly pie-making classes are planned and regular customers will have “a front-row seat to the pie-making process.”
We just got details of an armed robbery on Sunday afternoon that started in Roxhill Park and ended at the nearby Safeway store. Thanks to the person who tipped us about it last night; they had heard about it secondhand but only knew about the part that happened at the supermarket, which is in unincorporated King County, so we contacted KC Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West for details. She says it happened around noon, and that the victim was “walking in the area of Roxhill Park when he was approached by … a lone black male on foot,” who “displayed a handgun and told the victim that if he did something wrong, he would shoot him.” The robber took the victim’s backpack and cash, Sgt. West says, but “told the victim he would give him his property back for $1,000.” So they went together to the ATM at the Shell station across Roxbury, but the victim couldn’t get money there, and they proceeded to the ATM inside Safeway. “There were other people waiting in line at the ATM so the victim yelled ‘he has a gun!’,” says Sgt. West, and with that, the robber ran away, “southbound.” He is described as around 18 years old, black, with a goatee, about 5’4″, 120 pounds, last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, camo pants, and “red basketball-type shoes.”
The first-ever Orca Half (Marathon) on Alki is now less than two weeks away – one of three big events on Sunday, September 25th, along with Seattle Summer Parkways (the latest incarnation of “car-free day”) and the Disaster Relief Cargo Bike Trials. Orca Half organizers tell us that they DO have some spots open for the run, so you can register now if you haven’t already (even though some parts of their website might say it’s sold out). West Seattle-headquartered The Whale Trail is the beneficiary (as previously announced here). Go here to find out more about signing up.
(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)
6:52 AM: Good morning. The main traffic problem right now is affecting northbound I-5 – a fatal crash by the exit at 50th is reported to have led to a backup all the way past the West Seattle Bridge offramp and on toward Boeing Field.
7:01 AM: The aforementioned backup was compounded by a crash on NB I-5 at I-90, but that has cleared. If you’re heading north of downtown, the investigation at 50th continues.
ROAD WORK: The surface Spokane Street work east of the low bridge continues. This week it will include repaving between 11th and Manning.
METRO’S FALL SERVICE CHANGES: Most of the Metro changes that kicked in over the weekend do not involve routes in this area. But busy Route 120 does have a few. From the Metro website:
On weekdays, a new northbound Route 120 trip to downtown Seattle will leave 15th Ave SW & SW Roxbury St at 4:37 am. The two current northbound Route 120 trips leaving 15th Ave SW & SW Roxbury St at 6:14 and 7:53 am will be revised to leave at 6:17 and 7:55 am instead. Also, the northbound trip leaving Bay 3 at the Burien TC at 7:37 am will be revised to leave three minutes later at 7:40 am. These improvements are funded through a mobility contract between Metro and the City of Seattle.
7:58 AM: Nothing unusual reported right now in the immediate West Seattle/outbound-from-WS area. North of downtown, the 50th exit will remain closed until about 9 am, according to the State Patrol.
8:47 AM: From the scanner – crash on NB 99 in the stadium zone, vehicle and school bus, no children on school bus.
9:19 AM: SDOT is also showing a crash scene closer to the West Seattle Bridge exit.
Late-in-the-day sun shone on the Children’s Moonlight Festival at the Vietnamese Cultural Center on Sunday afternoon. The Center invited community members to celebrate the traditional “mid-autumn festival,” featuring handmade lanterns:
Dancers and singers performed:
And the center’s flags were at half-staff in observance of the 9/11 anniversary.
(added) Video of the Lion Dance, by the GDPT Van Hanh Lion Dance Team, courtesy of Lynda, via Instagram (mouse over image to reveal clickable “play” button):
While the center hosts several public events each year, you are also welcome to visit on Saturdays, noon-3 pm. Its address is 2236 SW Orchard, just north of Home Depot.
Two more probably-dumped bicycles have turned up on West Seattle streets. Recognize either?
IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: From Dawn: “This bike was found on the side of the road, near 35th Ave SW and SW 112th.”
Dawn brought it in off the street.
NEAR LINCOLN PARK: Lorraine reports, “For several days there has been a ladies’ purple Huffy bicycle with pink cables leaning against the railing on the sidewalk, about half a block north of the ferry dock on the east side of Fauntleroy Way.” Brian reported the same one and sent a photo:
If your bike has been stolen but has not turned up “found,” be sure also to check with SPD – bicycles turned in to police are often posted on their @getyourbikeback Twitter feed.
(Volunteers Kendra Okoro and Jessica Loui, working at Camp Long’s Schurman Rock)
Going up? Many of those attending Saturday’s big party at Camp Long were: The all-day celebration marked the park’s 75th anniversary as well as its annual Mountain Fest. Photojournalist Leda Costa was there for WSB. Of course, there was an anniversary cake:
West Seattle’s own Stuffed Cakes made it. Read More
Thanks to Irene Stewart for photos from a sold-out benefit event happening right now at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), the paella party raising money for West Seattle Helpline (as announced here last month). Top photo shows one of Chef Joey Serquenia’s two “ginormous” (as Irene put it) pans of paella; below, some of the friends and supporters enjoying the late-summer sunshine along with their paella:
Didn’t get a ticket to tonight’s event? Here’s how else to help Helpline, which provides emergency assistance to thousands of people every year.
For the first time in a while, we’ve received a flurry of e-mails in the past few days with reports of/concerns about door-to-door sellers. You might not be aware of city law, so here’s a recap:
*Hours for door-to-door (residential) selling are limited to 8 am-9 pm.
*The seller’s employer has to be licensed and the seller (agent) has to have ID that shows the license and the agent’s name. Regarding the ID, “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” Ask to see it before you even listen to a pitch. And beyond the ID: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”
*If you have a “no soliciting” sign by your door, it’s illegal for sellers to ignore it. If you don’t, you still have no obligation to listen to a pitch – city law includes the stipulation that “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”
You can read the rules in their entirety by going here..
A big exception – if someone is just asking you to donate to a charity (not describing a “sale” of something as a “donation”), they don’t have to be licensed. Also: The types of selling that don’t require licenses under Seattle law are “newspapers, or fresh or perishable food items.”
P.S. If you do buy something door-to-door – be aware of cancellation rights.
While there’s no official observance planned at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza today, we stopped by at midmorning and found tributes already in place, on this 15th anniversary of 9/11. In the hours and days after the attacks, the statue became a focal point for Seattleites’ mourning and memorials, and that continues, to varying degrees each year.
Five years ago, on the 10th anniversary, hundreds gathered for a vigil. So far today, the tributes are quieter – even this small one we spotted:
As mentioned in our morning calendar highlights, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s Log House Museum – less than a block inland from Statue of Liberty Plaza, at 61st SW/SW Stevens – has brought out a 9/11-related display, today only. The museum is open until 4 pm.
P.S. If you are new, a bit more history — the statue itself was recast and returned to the beach in 2007, unveiled on September 11th of that year. One year later, the plaza – the result of a community-led project – was dedicated.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: We have just confirmed with Madeleine’s mother that her daughter has been found and is OK.
ORIGINAL SUNDAY MORNING REPORT: Read More
We start with two views of an early-morning rainbow seen in the west! Above, Frank sent the photo of the rainbow over Lafayette Elementary, as seen from Admiral Safeway across the street, where he was picking up something for his son Oliver‘s 9th birthday (Happy Birthday, Oliver!) Below, the view is from Don Brubeck in Upper Alki:
Thanks for the photos (both via editor@westseattleblog.com)! We start the list of today’s highlights with a way to observe today’s 15th anniversary of 9/11:
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM EXHIBIT: From Clay Eals of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society: “For today … we have put on display the laminated, large-format notebook ‘First Response: A Community’s Grief, Hope, Horror and Prayer.'”
“(It’s) a 2002 exhibit depicting the wide array of writings, drawings and other items left at the base of the Alki Statue of Liberty replica in the days following 9/11. Our open hours are noon to 4 p.m.” (61st SW/SW Stevens)
The museum is just a block inland from Statue of Liberty Plaza, dedicated in 2008.
Before the rest of the calendar highlights, this reminder:
TRAFFIC ALERT: If you’re heading off-peninsula – to the 1 pm Seahawks game, or someplace else – remember the Harbor Island work and related ramp closures (detours are described here), scheduled to continue until early tomorrow morning.
Also for your Sunday:
COOKIES AND LEMONADE FOR LOUISIANA FLOOD RELIEF: 10 am-1 pm, stop by this special stand set up by kids to raise money for the Red Cross to help the people of Louisiana recover from the deadly flooding. (California/Portland)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, see what’s fresh! (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)
LAST CHANCE TO SWIM AT COLMAN POOL THIS YEAR: Noon-7 pm, it’s the final day of the one and only “postseason” weekend at West Seattle’s only city-run outdoor pool, on the shore at Lincoln Park. (8603 Fauntleroy Way SW)
CHILDREN’S MOONLIGHT FESTIVAL: 3-6 pm at the Vietnamese Cultural Center in West Seattle, featuring “storytelling, tasty delights such as moon cakes (a traditional sweet treat), homemade lantern contest for children under 13, foods, games led by Boy Scout Troop 286, and a children’s lantern parade led by a lion dance. It is an exciting opportunity for families to visit, learn about, and participate in a Vietnamese tradition for children.” Free admission. (2234 SW Orchard)
ENCAMPMENT OPEN HOUSE: What is and isn’t being done about homelessness in Seattle is much-discussed. In the meantime, our area currently has one organized encampment and you’re invited to an open house/potluck this afternoon, 3-6 pm at Camp Second Chance just inside the entrance to the city-owned Myers Way Parcels. (9501 Myers Way S.)
Look for that sign at California and Portland in Gatewood [map] on Sunday, 10 am-1 pm. Yma tells us her daughter and friends have been making signs all day for a cookies and lemonade stand that will raise money to help with Louisiana’s recovery from deadly floods. The parents will “match whatever is made and donate to Red Cross, targeted to flood relief.” The flooding killed 13 people and forced thousands from their homes, leaving the state trying to find billions for recovery.
UPDATED 7:39 PM: Two scenes, one incident, working right now. We’re at lower Spokane St. at East Marginal, where a motorcycle rider apparently fell to the surface, off the bridge, where the motorcycle was found:
The rider is reported by SFD to have “critical” injuries.
Police are on the high rise bridge and here at Spokane/Marginal. They’re also, according to the scanner, closing the southbound 99 offramp to the westbound bridge so they can figure out “where the point of impact” was. Spokane/East Marginal is closed all ways. Be aware, if you’re trying to get to/from Harbor Island, that besides this incident, the weekend-long construction-project closures have resulted in detours.
7:51 PM UPDATE: We’re still at Spokane/Marginal. Traffic is being allowed northbound on East Marginal, but surface Spokane St. is closed west of East Marginal.
That and the southbound 99 ramp to the westbound bridge – which is right over the scene where the rider was found (photo above) – will both be investigation scenes for the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad and will be closed TFN.
8:32 PM: To get back to West Seattle, we took the westbound bridge from the 1st Avenue South ramp, and saw two SPD cars on the left shoulder of the bridge before the high rise, with the injured rider’s motorcycle still on the ground. SPD is describing this as a “single-vehicle collision,” so far, but the investigation is continuing. No further information on the rider yet.
9:58 PM: So far as we know, both closures are still in effect. If we don’t hear anything official by 10:30, we’ll go check. Meantime, we have added some photos above.
11:25 PM: Live, albeit blurry, video via the SDOT Travelers’ Map, for 99/Lander, shows the offramp to the West Seattle Bridge is still closed.
11:29 PM: And moments later … per scanner, confirmed by that video feed, police have JUST reopened the ramp. Their investigation continues on the roadway below.
ADDED SUNDAY, MIDDAY: In comment discussion below, family members say the rider has died. SPD hasn’t yet released any additional information.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON: The rider’s family tells us his name was Ryan, and he was 41 years old.
Last weekend, we brought you the story of Ruth Parker Winquist, who as of today is West Seattle’s newest centenarian. Linda Ball, who wrote that story for WSB, was at the official birthday party today and reports that “probably 30 or so extended family members and friends (were there) honoring Ruth.” Linda’s photos also include a picture of the mayoral proclamation in honor of Ruth’s “amazing feat.” And here’s the birthday honoree with some of the partygoers:
Among those in attendance was Ruth’s daughter Sallie Morris, who arranged the party refreshments, and who also was the first person to tell us about her mom’s milestone. Happy hundredth to Ruth!
3:50 PM: What started as a house-fire response has now switched to a “rubbish fire that spread to brush” in the 7300 block of California SW in Gatewood [map]. We’re on the way to check it out.
4:01 PM: The last SFD unit was pulling away as we got there. So, it’s out, and wasn’t major.
| 6 COMMENTS