MEETUP AT OFFICE JUNCTION: Noon-1:15 pm – get out of your home office, away from the coffee-shop table, go meet other at-home workers, entrepreneurs, etc., at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) – bring your lunch and be ready for inspiration and/or good conversation. (6030 California SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm – third-to-last week – info here! (32nd SW & SW Juneau)
VOLLEYBALL RIVALRY: 7 pm at West Seattle High School, the WSHS Wildcats volleyball team (photo above is courtesy of head coach Staci Stringer) host the Chief Sealth IHS Seahawks, and everyone’s invited! (3000 California SW)
WORDSWEST LITERARY SERIES: The second year of the series begins tonight at >C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), whose co-proprietor Peter Moores reads tonight’s “favorite poem” as part of a slate that includes local authors Nicole Hardy and Jourdan Imani Keith, 7 pm – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. All welcome. Especially local youth – who are invited to be part of the City Council budgeting process this year, which City Councilmember Nick Licata will discuss, as noted in agenda highlights below as shared by neighborhood district coordinator Kerry Wade:
7:05 p.m. Welcome & Introductions – All
7:15 p.m. Update on Delridge Action Plan – David W. Goldberg (DPD)
7:35 p.m. Participatory Budgeting Discussion – Councilmember Nick Licata
8:25 p.m. DNDC Member Additional Updates & Announcements – All
(4408 Delridge Way SW)
34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: 7 pm monthly meeting at the American Legion Hall in The Triangle. Agenda (see it here) includes endorsement discussion and new voter-identification software. (37th SW & SW Alaska)
Last November, we reported on Puget Soundkeeper Alliance‘s project to track what happens to salmon in Longfellow Creek – which has much more of a toxic-runoff problem than West Seattle’s other urban salmon creek in Fauntleroy. This year, we have advance word that they’re looking for volunteer help, with an orientation event coming up in two weeks, so this is your chance to get involved:
Join Soundkeeper as we investigate the health of our local salmon runs at Longfellow Creek this fall! Volunteers will assess the effects of urban runoff on wildlife by conducting a pre-spawn mortality survey of Coho salmon. Volunteers needed for weekly surveys from October to early December.
As Soundkeeper noted in this update last year, federal scientists have discovered a pre-spawn death rate of up to 80 percent in urban creeks – compared to one percent in rural creeks. The results of this work, including what you can do as a volunteer, will help support more cleanups, education, and enforcement to help clear the waters and save salmon.
This Saturday, three independent local businesses are teaming up for the first-ever West Seattle Gear Grab. Reid Curry, manager of Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor), calls it “a GIANT year-end clearance sale on outdoor gear,” featuring EWA as well as West Seattle Cyclery and Mountain to Sound Outfitters. Curry adds, “While this is in essence a giant parking lot sale, it is also an unprecedented partnership between three of the premier outdoor retailers in West Seattle…establishing West Seattle as an up and coming destination for a variety of specialty outdoor stores and representing the strong and ever growing community of outdoor enthusiasts in West Seattle.” It’s happening on Saturday (September 19th) from 10 am to 4 pm at the north end of The Junction’s parking lot along 42nd SW south of SW Oregon, right across from EWA’s shop. From the announcement:
If your thing is catching sea run cutthroats off Lincoln Park, cycle commuting to get your workout in as you slog through the work week, or SUPing and kayaking with resident harbor seals off Duwamish Head, or heading up to ski and snowboard in the Cascades, this is an event not to miss. … We will be clearing out our storage spaces, back shops, and selling demo gear to get ready for the upcoming winter season and keep the retail wheels rolling. … Deals will be had, and this event will occur rain or shine. So come out and celebrate the amazing area we live in, and support your local specialty shops which call the Junction and Triangle neighborhoods of West Seattle home. Then cruise on down to check out the amazing grub and suds right in The Junction; what a cool way to spend the afternoon in one of the best neighborhoods in Seattle.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Another no-incident morning commute so far in this area.
SCHOOLS & SCHOOL ZONES: As a result of developments yesterday, Seattle Public Schools will open tomorrow (Thursday, September 17th). So that’s when to expect school buses, families dropping off kids, people walking and biking, etc. And as noted here last night, West Seattle will have a fourth speed-enforcement camera, on Delridge Way by Louisa Boren K-8 STEM/interim Arbor Heights Elementary.
RECHANNELIZATION REMINDER: Work continued last night on Roxbury (which is being rechannelized between 35th and 17th) and 35th (between Roxbury and Willow). Other changes are planned on both in addition to the restriping.
48TH & 49TH SW: The Seattle Public Utilities sewer-repair projects are under way or getting under way – the work on 48th at Edmunds is expected to last all week; work on 49th SW in Seaview could start as soon as today.
ADDED 8:10 AM – NEW WATER TAXI, CLOSER LOOK: As we’ve mentioned, the new West Seattle Water Taxi, M/V Doc Maynard, has arrived in Seattle and is on test runs, prior to its dedication Friday, though it won’t be on the WS run for another month or so (it’ll be filling in on the Vashon run while its twin M/V Sally Fox goes in for maintenance). Thanks to those who’ve sent more photos – starting with this one from Mike. We hadn’t seen the skyline detail before:
Here’s a full-length look, also at Seacrest, from Lise Thivierge:
The Friday dedication is on the downtown waterfront but you can ride the current Water Taxi to and from the event as space permits, per King County’s announcement (starting with the Seacrest departure at 10:45 am).
We don’t often hear about two motorcycle thefts in one day – but here’s the second reader report we’ve received today. From Alicia:
Sometime between Monday at 11:00 pm and Tuesday at 2:00 pm our motorcycle was stolen out of our backyard, near 17th and Trenton, close to Westwood Village. It is a 2007 Yamaha YZF-R6, license plate number 8C5298, gray/blue in color. Please contact Alicia if found at 425-891-6248 or at aliciawimmer@hotmail.com
Motor-vehicle theft – which includes motorcycles – is holding steady in our area, neither increasing nor decreasing, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council was told tonight – our report from that meeting is coming up.
Before the strike pushed back the start date, we had been trying to get specifics from SDOT verifying the grace period when only warnings would be handed out, as was done when the new cameras on Roxbury were put in last year, but never received an answer (we’ll be checking again tomorrow). In June, they said it would be a 30-day grace period starting September 9th, which of course was supposed to be the first day of school.
This makes four speed-ticket-camera zones in West Seattle – the other three are along Fauntleroy Way SW near Gatewood Elementary and along SW Roxbury by Roxhill Elementary and Holy Family School. The times when beacons are supposed to be flashing at those schools and others in West Seattle (plus the rest of the city) are listed on this SDOT document; for a map showing only the schools with speed-enforcement cameras here and around the city, go here.
4 PM: We’re at the IAM Local 751 Hall in South Park, where Seattle Education Association leaders and building (individual schools) reps are meeting to decide whether to suspend the strike pending a membership vote on the tentative contract agreement reached early this morning. A few minutes ago, SEA spokesperson Rich Wood emerged to tell us and other media that it’s likely to be at least half an hour – 4:30 or so – before they have something to announce. The results of this meeting will determine whether school does or does not start on Thursday (Wednesday’s already been ruled out by the district). Updates to come.
4:39 PM UPDATE: We’re still waiting. While what’s happening in the meeting isn’t audible outside, aside from bursts of applause now and then, we did hear that lots of questions were being asked. (4:44 pm – Right after we wrote that, Wood came out to tell us exactly that – it’s still going to be a while longer as 15 or so people are still in line to ask questions, plus there are people standing by to offer pros and cons. “They’re very thorough – they’re educators,” he noted.)
(Added: WSB photo inside meeting room, once media was allowed in as participants departed)
5:57 PM UPDATE: It’s a little chaotic in here but word is they voted to END THE STRIKE.
6:16 PM UPDATE: Bargainers just finished their media briefing (updated – hi-res video replacing low-res version).
Technically, this vote was to SUSPEND the strike. It’s not formally over until membership vote, which we’re told will be Sunday. But school WILL start Thursday, both the union AND district now say. Adding contract details that we have heard here (and from printed copy we’ve procured):
*30 “equity teams” – 10 schools the first year, 10 more the second year, 10 more the third year.
*Also re: equity: “Partnership Committee between SPS, SEA, and community reps to eliminate disproportionate discipline”
*SEA and SPS will determine how the lost days are made up
*Compensation – same raises for certificated, SAEOPs, paraprofessionals
-3.0% raise now, with 3% added state COLA
-2.0% raise in 2016, with 1.8% added state COLA
-4.5% raise in 2017
*Recess, as previously reported, at least 30 minutes per day “during the student instructional day”
*Calendar: Full midwinter break every year, school starts first Wednesday in September, “rules to develop calendar in any year so staff and families can plan ahead”
*Re: testing, “no more Seattle student growth rating … evaluation language updated … SEA and SPS agree to jointly petition (state) regarding use of focused scores”
ADDED 7:15 PM: Other key points:
Student day increase beginning in 2017-18: “Student day is extended 20 minutes each day, within the 7.5 hour teacher workday; students are released one hour early (or arrive one hour late) once per week. Net increase in student instructional time, 22-25 minutes per week. Building Leadership Teams still set the school schedule just as they do now.
Pay for longer student day: 100 minutes – 60 paid as collaboration, 15-18 paid as prep, 13.3 paid as tech, 10 paid as .5% of 3rd year raise.
Special Education: Special Ed preschool ratio lowered to 10:1:2, Distinct (social/emotional) classrooms lowered to 7:1:2, Special Ed Task Force will review special ed coasts; savings will be redirected to reduce employee workloads. Special Ed Team to decide on Instructional Assistant deployment when students are grouped across classrooms in a building.
ESA Caseloads: Enforceable caseload ratios for the first time.
The list continues – we’re still looking for an electronic version of the toplines so we can just link.
9:03 PM: See comments for a few other quotes from the printed summary. Also a note: Teachers will be back on campus tomorrow, to get ready for the start of classes Thursday.
With three days to go until the ceremony dedicating West Seattle’s new Water Taxi, the M/V Doc Maynard, it’s already out and about testing the waters following its arrival in Elliott Bay at the end of last week. And the county says the entire Water Taxi fleet is or has already gone green:
What could be better than commuting across Puget Sound in a water taxi and bypassing all that traffic? Now there’s yet another reason to appreciate the ride – in addition to fighting congestion, these King County water taxis are doing their part to combat greenhouse gas emissions by switching to the use of biodiesel fuel.
“Using homegrown biodiesel, our water taxis have some of the cleanest-burning engines around,†said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “The use of biodiesel on the newest member of our fleet, the Sally Fox, will reduce particulates in the air and prevent more than 140 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.â€
In line with the biodiesel initiative, the County’s Marine Division has earned membership in the Passenger Vessel Association’s Green WATERS Program – a national volunteer effort that encourages environmental responsibility and action to reduce the environmental impacts of marine operations.
The Sally Fox, soon to be joined by a second new vessel, the Doc Maynard, has a host of green features that include:
· Operating on a locally-sourced 10 percent biodiesel blend, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuel.
· Engines that operate more cleanly and emit less particulate matter.
· The addition of high-efficiency heating systems, LED lights, and recycling stations to help reduce waste.
· Expanded capacity for bicycles. The new vessels can accommodate 26 bicycles on every trip.
When the County’s third vessel, The Spirit of Kingston, has its annual maintenance this fall, fuel tanks will be cleaned readying the vessel to burn biodiesel.
ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: Be on the lookout for two extinguishers like that – stolen from the Seattle Fire Department in West Seattle today, according to SFD Lt. Sue Stangl:
Fire Engine 32 from West Seattle’s largest fire station had two firefighting extinguishers stolen early this morning while they were on a medical incident near the intersection of Alaska and California. … It would be great to be able to retrieve them, not to mention that stealing from the people that are in place to help anyone in need is in poor taste.
Call 911 if you have any info. (Station 32, by the way, is in its interim location on 40th north of Edmunds while an all-new station is being built at its permanent site.)
FRIDAY NIGHT: We have word the fire extinguishers were returned – with a note of apology.
UPDATED 2:52 PM: *Four* items in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon – first, a stolen motorcycle:
VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE TAKEN IN GATEWOOD: From Jackie:
Last seen at 9 pm on 9/14/2015 in West Seattle on Myrtle and California SW. Police report made, but please contact us if you know of anything pertaining to this bike:
1974 Honda CB 550 Four
Original (faded) olive green tank
Original black frame
Chrome fenders, shocks and tailpipe
New custom light brown leather long, flat seat with diamond pattern stitching
Light brown leather grips with galvanized pipe looking caps
Gold/brass tail light, 3″
Black “bullet” style Rizoma turn signals
Call 911 if you see or have seen it. **WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Found, thanks to a watchful WSB reader! Thanks! Jackie reports tears of happiness.**
ARMED STREET ROBBERY: The SPD map indicates someone was held up in the 4800 block of Fauntleroy Way SW just before 11 last night. We have a request out for details from the report and will add them as soon as we get them. (added 3:31 pm) SPD says a man in his 40s reported being held up by three people, one of whom had a gun, near 40th and Edmunds just before 11 pm. They made off with several items including his bag, wallet, and phone. They were last seen fleeing westbound on Edmunds. The only description so far: All males, white or Hispanic, with dark bandanas over their faces, and dark clothing.
CAR PROWL FOLLOWUP, AND STOLEN CAR FOUND: We reported Betina‘s car break-in in Arbor Heights the other day. We’ve since received a followup about both the break-in AND a stolen car that turned up nearby. You’ll recall that whoever broke into Betina’s car left the hood partly open Turns out that the radiator hoses were taken (and they weren’t even new). Meantime:
… (Also) I called the police a couple of days ago to report an out-of-place vehicle in front of our house. It was missing the driver’s door and was getting soaked by one of our rare summer rain events. It turned out to be a stolen car. The owner arrived a couple of hours later grateful to have the car and its contents back (unfortunately, minus a door). It turns out that it was the green Honda that WSB reported missing on Sept. 4th.
P.S. – Final word of reminder – the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council resumes its monthly fall/winter/spring meeting schedule TONIGHT, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster) – police updates, a discussion of self-defense devices, AND neighborhood Q/A if you bring it.
(ADDED 2:52 PM) STOLEN CAR: Just got word of this:
Our car was stolen this morning between 5:30am and 11:30am today from 12th Ave SW and Kenyon Ave. It is a green/blue 1997 Honda Accord, license plate WA 880YZC.
JuNO meetings are open to all. Our guest speaker will be Jennifer Burbridge, Seattle University Graduate Research Assistant, and a Seattle Police Dept. representative from the SW Precinct. Jennifer will lead the discussion identifying key objectives of Micro-Community Policing plan for the West Seattle Junction neighborhood.
What’s considered the boundaries for this Micro Community Policing Plan
45th Avenue SW – Western boundary
35th Ave SW – Eastern boundary
SW Charlestown St – Northern boundary
SW Findlay St- Southern boundary
ALSO: Ellen West will be updating us with details on the West Seattle Junction Emergency Communication HUB.
(SW Oregon & California SW)
‘HUMOROUS SPEECH’ CONTEST: You’re invited to the Toastmasters 832 “Humorous Speech” contest tonight, 6:30 pm, at Brookdale of West Seattle – details in our calendar listing. (4611 35th SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct meeting room, as previewed earlier this week – the WSCPC is back from summer recess. In addition to SPD crime/safety updates, tonight’s announced topic: Self-defense, and what works. (2300 SW Webster)
SILVERSUN PICKUPS, LIVE IN-STORE – BUT ‘SOLD OUT’: Easy Street Records presents Silversun Pickups‘ free, all-ages in-store acoustic performance, 7 pm. Details in our calendar listing. **UPDATE, 12:50 PM – Thanks to Evan for pointing out that pre-orders of the new SP album were required for admission, and ESR’s website says no more pre-orders are available. So in effect, though “free,” this is now “sold out.” (California SW & SW Alaska)
TWO DEADLINES TODAY: Want to go on the Port of Seattle‘s free “West Seattle Working Waterfront” tour this Saturday (Sept. 19th)? RSVP ASAP – info here. Also: Artists/crafters interested in being part of the Fauntleroy Fine Art and Gift Show in November must apply by today – info here.
7:43 AM: Just texted and tweeted by the union – “SEA reached a tentative contract agreement …” after negotiators pulled an all-nighter. Seattle Education Association members are being told to go to their picket sites at 8:30 am for more information. In its Facebook post, SEA added that while the bargainers have a tentative agreement, “the strike will continue until the SEA board and representative assembly review the agreement later today and decide whether to recommend approval to the SEA membership or continue striking.”
8:32 AM: Per the district, “goal is to start school Thursday.” Again, per the union, their recommendation is still pending review. We have just arrived at the Chief Sealth IHS picketing location (photo above) to see what educators there are hearing.
9 AM: No new details in the briefing for this group of strikers, but a reiteration that the strike continues for now:
That’s teacher Ian Golash. He said Denny and Sealth teachers (who you might recall marched to district HQ downtown yesterday afternoon) will be picketing together while they wait for news on whether leadership recommends suspending the strike and setting a vote. For the official bottom line from the district, its strike-info page currently begins, “SPS and SEA have reached a tentative agreement. Details have not yet been released. We do not yet know when school will resume.” (added) KIRO has posted unedited video of the district briefing here (held on very short notice so we couldn’t get downtown).
9:26 AM: District negotiators said at today’s briefing (per the aforementioned video, which we just watched) that the marathon negotiating session went from 11 am Monday until just before 7 am today. District spokesperson Stacy Howard reiterated that the district is working on logistics, which is why school might not be able to reopen before Thursday – primarily transportation and food – and that they’re also working on the calendar details, and that they will get information out to families as soon as they have it. She and the negotiators at the briefing said they could not discuss any details of the deal, “embargoed” while the union leadership reviews it.
10:19 AM: The most-recent text from the union to its membership reiterates that the union’s board will review the tentative agreement today, but the strike continues in the meantime. We’ve received these photos from Jennifer Hall(second from right in 2nd photo below) at West Seattle High School, with messages of gratitude for community support:
The downtown march that was scheduled days ago, if the strike had continued this long, is under way right now.
11:46 AM: SEA president Jonathan Knapp is talking with citywide media at union HQ. He’s quoted as saying it’s a three-year agreement.
1:50 PM: The district says school will start Thursday. The union hasn’t had its reps’ meeting yet, so we’re not sure what’s led to that declaration, but it’s what SPS says. As a commenter said here hours ago, the union meeting is at 2:30.
3:15 PM: The union reps’ meeting is at the Machinists’ Union Hall in South Park, and SEA says their announcement will happen there when it’s over, so we’ve just arrived there to join the rest of the staked-out media. According to SEA’s latest text, the Representatives’ Assembly (reps from the 97 schools in the district) is what’s happening now.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page) 7:19 AM: No incidents to report as the heart of Tuesday’s morning commute approaches.
SCHOOLS & SCHOOL ZONES: It’s day 5 of the Seattle Education Association strike, so Seattle Public Schools remain closed; the union says negotiators pulled an all-nighter and are still going. Independent/parochial schools remain open. School-zone beacons are still flashing in public-school zones, because, SDOT says, they’re pre-programmed, but if you get an automated-camera ticket from a strike day, SPD is not supposed to be enforcing those. (Unless it’s from the Holy Family School zone near 20th on Roxbury, where school IS in session.) **7:57 AM UPDATE**See our separate story for news of a tentative agreement.
(back to original 7:19 am report) Road-work notes:
ROXBURY/35TH: As reported here, work on both projects continued last night, so you’ll see changes in striping, for starters.
48TH & 49TH SW: The Seattle Public Utilities projects are getting under way. We added SPU’s update to yesterday’s traffic/transit report late in the day – in case you missed it:
The work on 49th Avenue SW at Edmunds was scheduled to begin the week of September 8. The contractor started light mobilization last week and began heavier construction (Monday) morning. Work on the sewer repair will take approximately one week.
* The work on 48th Ave SW between SW Juneau and SW Raymond Street will begin this week, with mobilization as early as Wednesday, and will also take approximately one week to complete.
Two tales of heroism on board local waterborne transit this weekend.
FAUNTLEROY FERRY CREW SAVES MAN: Just before 3:30 pm Sunday, a medical call brought emergency vehicles to the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Tonight, the Kitsap Sun, while telling the story of a variety of ferry-schedule interruptions, explains what it was about: An 84-year-old Vashon Island man was found unconscious in his car aboard the M/V Cathlamet after it docked at the island. Two deckhands started CPR and used a defibrillator. An ambulance was called to the boat, which continued on to Fauntleroy, where the man was rushed to a hospital.
WATER TAXI CREW RESCUES KAYAKER: Shared by King County Executive Dow Constantinevia Twitter, a report from Paul Brodeur, director of the KC Department of Transportation’s Marine Division, about an incident Saturday evening: “We pulled a borderline hypothermic kayaker out of the water at Seacrest, brought him on board to warm up, called 911, fire department came, assessed him, took him into their care. We left on the 1800 run ten minutes late but made up the time. Kudos to G.W. and Scott for quick thinking and providing good care to the young man.”
(WSB photo, 2014 Harvest Festival)
It’s on! Fall’s biggest festival returns to The Junction in just six weeks. And it’s time now to jump in if you’re interested in providing an activity – and/or sponsorship – for this year’s Harvest Festival:
The Junction’s Harvest Festival will be Sunday, October 25 from 10 am till 2 pm. You’ll find the West Seattle Farmers Market in its new permanent location on California Ave, community groups and businesses offering kids’ projects, the costume parade at 11:30, and trick-or-treating starting at noon.
If your organization or business would like to help create a wonderful day for West Seattle families by offering a “Harvest Activity,†please visit the event’s announcement page for an application.
You also can support this beloved community event through sponsorship! Find it on the same page.
If you’d like to volunteer at the event, please email Junction Association Director Susan Melrose at susan@wsjunction.org
You might have missed this if you don’t read the daily road-work alerts in the traffic/transit coverage we publish each weekday morning: SDOT crews are due back out on Roxbury and 35th tonight, as marking, restriping, and “hydroblasting” removal of the old striping continues in both projects. We saw this crew on 35th north of Thistle less than an hour ago:
Jim Curtin, managing both projects for SDOT, says, “Our crews will be out on Roxbury again tonight since there’s still some work left,” as well as working on 35th (plan below, as announced two months ago):
If it does rain Wednesday, that could delay some work, Curtin adds: “We can remove paint in the rain but re-painting is impossible.”
MARCHING TO SODO: Dozens of strikers left the Chief Sealth/Denny vicinity around 12:30 pm, marching to school district headquarters at the John Stanford Center in SODO.
(Mouse over that image to bring up “play” button for the Instagram video clip.) We caught up with them early on, as they headed northbound on Delridge from Thistle toward the bridge. (added) A moment after we published this, we heard scanner traffic indicating police are tracking the march, which has just crossed the “low bridge.”
We had seen one car in the early blocks – near the Southwest Precinct at Delridge/Webster.
OTHER PICKETING: We took a quick look around after covering the start of the march.
Another group of picketers from multiple West Seattle schools is spread out among multiple corners at 35th and Thistle (above), a few blocks west of Sealth/Denny.
In The Admiral District, there are two groups – outside West Seattle High School(above), and outside Lafayette Elementary. (While all schools had picketers this morning, some consolidated for the afternoon events.)
NEGOTIATIONS RESUME; DISTRICT BRIEFING AT 3: In the late morning, the union announced that negotiations would resume this afternoon. The district, meantime, is having another 3 pm media briefing; we will be there and will update this report with as-it-happens toplines.
3:05 PM – FROM DISTRICT HQ BRIEFING: We’re at the 3 pm media briefing at district headquarters in SODO, which started a few minutes late while awaiting a crew that got stuck behind a train.
(Added: Unedited WSB video of briefing)
“Late last night, SEA presented a new idea to the district. The SPS bargaining team is studying this closely … and we expect a response back to SEA today.” NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, though. Because of the strike’s length, spokesperson Stacy Howard says, there’ll be some turnaround time whenever the strike finally ends (later, she elaborates that they don’t know how much time that would be, but “parents shouldn’t be surprised if we get word of a tentative agreement but we can’t restart just 12 hours later” – food service and other logistics are part of the reason for that). She is discussing a few other points such as special education – the topic of a demonstration here earlier in the day. As for “the strike impacts on the calendar” – the three snow days on the calendar will be used, for starters, one midyear, two at the end of the school year – “all additional makeup days” will be determined once the strike is over. Possible ideas: Saturdays, and/or part of the mid-winter break (which was scheduled for five days this year – alternating years have shorter breaks). Re: graduation days – Seniors are required to be in school 175 days before graduation, so graduation dates might have to change. SPORTS: As reported here yesterday, middle-school athletic events are postponed. High-school practices and games “continue to go on as usual – a lot of those employees are in different unions or not in unions at all,” says Howard. She says that by the time this news conference is over, the district expects to have a “timeline” posted online from negotiations to date. Asked how the strike is affecting other employees, she said, “Everybody’s in a holding pattern, and everyone’s being impacted …” district-wide. We asked exactly when negotiations had resumed today; Howard couldn’t say, only that the district team is “expect(ing) to respond to” the union’s offer. Meantime, apparently some union reps tried to attend press briefing and were told they couldn’t; the district has been saying for days that briefings required media credentials (which we have but have not to date been asked at door to show). Asked about this today, Howard cited reasons including security. (3:20 pm) Briefing is over; we’ll upload and add video, as usual, once back at HQ.
4:02 PM: Before leaving district HQ, we spoke briefly with union spokesperson Rich Wood outside, during what he said was the first picketing at John Stanford Center since the strike began:
That’s about all he could confirm. (added) By the way, here’s video of the picketers as they arrived – the marchers from Denny/Sealth:
Meanwhile, the district’s timeline of when proposals/counterproposals were made, mentioned by Howard in the briefing, is now online here.
5:48 PM: Someone asked in earlier coverage what Mayor Murray was doing about the strike. His office just sent this news release:
Today, Mayor Ed Murray released the following statement after meeting with Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Larry Nyland and Seattle Education Association President Jonathan Knapp to get an update on the latest surrounding negotiations:
“At my request, both Superintendent Nyland and SEA President Knapp agreed to meet with me separately today. In these conversations I reiterated my offer to help in any way possible. I urged all parties to continue negotiations in good faith to reach a fair agreement ending the strike and allowing the school year to begin as soon as possible.
“As I’ve said since the strike began, I stand ready to assist should my help be requested. I also asked that, should the strike continue, they again meet with me at the end of the week. In the meantime, the City remains committed to doing what it can to support families impacted by the strike.â€
The mayor’s news release ended with a reiteration of the community-center drop-in programs, which we updated earlier in this report. Earlier in the day, the City Council passed a resolution designating this as Seattle Educators’ Week; it addresses both the strike and the state education-funding crisis.
7:57 PM: An e-mail update from the union to media a short time ago says negotiations are still under way: “It’s unknown how long negotiations will go tonight, but SEA bargainers are willing to work as long as it takes to get a tentative agreement.” We also have heard from a coalition of educators that they plan a “candlelight vigil” at West Seattle High School 7-9 pm tomorrow (Tuesday night) if this isn’t resolved by then. (added) We first mentioned this a few days ago – a message we received tonight says this support march downtown is still planned tomorrow morning, too.
TUESDAY, 7:10 AM: The union says talks went all night and are still going.
(Silkscreener Shino Mikami, right, was one of 15 West Seattle artists at last year’s Fauntleroy show)
The photo and final reminder are from Judy Pickens – please note, if you’re interested, that the deadline is TOMORROW:
September 15 is the deadline for West Seattle artists and creative crafters to apply for the eighth annual Fauntleroy Fine Art & Holiday Gift Show Nov. 6-8. Details and application form are at www.fauntleroyucc.org.
Any other shows/bazaars/etc. accepting vendor applications, please let us know so we can share your announcements too. We’re also already adding holiday-season events to the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – follow that link to see not only listings but also guidelines for sending information about announcements year-round … bottom line is always, the sooner the better!
We’ve just received confirmation that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council WILL resume its monthly meeting schedule as planned, starting tomorrow night (Tuesday, September 15th), 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct‘s community meeting room. If you have a neighborhood concern to bring up with SPD, and/or want to hear local crime trends firsthand, this is the one open, public, monthly chance to do that. Each meeting usually also has a featured topic and/or guest; this time around, it’s self-defense, discussing with SPD and attendees, according to WSCPC president Richard Miller, “(the) relative advantages and disadvantages of various personal protection/self defense devices (stun guns, tasers, pepper spray, handguns, etc.).” The precinct is at Delridge and Webster; the community-room entrance is off the parking lot on Webster.
At least once a day, someone asks us about a sewer-ish stink in the Beach Drive vicinity or upslope. While busy with other stories this past week-plus, we’ve been replying by pointing them to Beach Drive Blog‘s explanation – but it’s time, while we have a moment, to mention it here for anyone else who wondered but hasn’t inquired. BDB says it’s the rotting sea lettuce that turns up every so often, more notoriously a ways further south at Fauntleroy Cove. This isn’t unique to West Seattle, nor even to Washington, nor even to the U.S. – a Google search for the term “rotting sea lettuce” turns up reports from other nations including Canada, China, and the UK.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents in the area so far this morning. And still no school for Seattle Public Schools – this is the fourth weekday of the Seattle Education Association strike. (Non-public schools remain in session.) Road-work alerts:
SB 21ST BETWEEN ANDOVER & GENESEE: This section of 21st will be closed to through traffic for repair work as part of the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway project, as announced here.
ROXBURY/35TH RECHANNELIZATION: Nighttime work to restripe and remove the old stripes (via hydroblasting) is beginning – crews were seen out last night on Roxbury. Here’s the alert.
8:40 AM: Just checked out Roxbury. It is now officially rechannelized (one travel lane each way, center turn lane) from 35th to just west of 17th.
New configuration in place on SW Roxbury this morning. Old striping gone, 35th to 22nd. pic.twitter.com/fHCtZdiYAL
The old lane lines are mostly gone west of 22nd; still some work to do east of there.
9:04 AM: We also went again to see if the SPU sewer work on 48th/49th has begun. While we still haven’t found anything in the Seaview area, we did find crews on 49th north of Hudson, which is closed to through traffic. (This also might affect you on west-east routes – we initially went west on Hudson and had to turn into the alley because it was closed at Hudson.) We’re checking with SPU to get an update.
10:36 AM: Nothing to add to that yet but – a crash reported in the 7100 block of W. Marginal Way, blocking southbound lanes right now, per scanner traffic. No injuries reported so far.
4:49 PM: Here’s what SPU says about the road projects:
The work on 49th Avenue SW was scheduled to begin the week of September 8. The contractor started light mobilization last week and began heavier construction this morning, as you saw. Work on the sewer repair will take approximately one week.
* The other sewer repair project you mention is on 48th Ave SW. The work on 48th Ave SW between SW Juneau and SW Raymond Street will begin this week, with mobilization as early as Wednesday, and will also take approximately one week to complete.
Though other matters are holding the spotlight, the November election is just seven weeks away, and you’ll have a lot to decide. The coverage ramp-up has begun.
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES DEBATE THURSDAY: The finalists for the City Council’s new West Seattle/South Park seat will debate in the district on Thursday (September 17th) for the first time since last month’s primary.
Shannon Braddock and Lisa Herbold will face off at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 7:30 pm Thursday. Your editor here is lead moderator, with community moderators including Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen. The debate is presented by Town Hall Seattle, whose website has full details – they’re also requesting you RSVP via that page (though admission is free).
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS’ ENDORSEMENTS: We’ve already reported on some of what happened at last Wednesday’s meeting of our area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats – a resolution supporting the striking Seattle Education Association‘s contract proposals, and a speech plus Q/A with SEA’s lead bargainer. Also at the meeting Wednesday night, in addition to endorsements they made before the primary, a block of general-election endorsements was approved, including Courtney Gregoire for re-election to Port Commission Position 2, approval of Seattle I-122 “Honest Elections,” approval of King County Proposition 1 “Best Starts for Kids,” and rejection of State Initiative 1366. In separate votes, Fred Felleman was endorsed for Port Commission Position 5 and the Move Seattle transportation levy was endorsed. The full list of new 34th endorsements is here.
The group also heard from numerous candidates and candidate reps. One memorable point was made by County Elections Director candidate Zack Hudgins, who spoke disapprovingly of the 25 percent turnout for the primary and said action was needed because “to get better government we need better participation.” One of his ideas: More ballot boxes in the county. West Seattle, you might recall, doesn’t have a fixed dropoff box – the last one was removed five years ago.
(West Seattle’s last fixed-location ballot-dropoff box – WSB photo, 2009)
A ballot-dropoff van visits for three of the four days before the voting deadline. Otherwise, you have to pay postage and get your ballot into the mail, an idea that once was suggested as a turnout-booster, not reducer.
Next month’s 34th Dems meeting (7 pm October 14th, Hall at Fauntleroy) is scheduled to include a City Council candidates’ forum.
3 PM: We’re at Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SODO, where district spokesperson Stacy Howard is briefing media – fourth time in five days they’ve held a mid-afternoon briefing.
Both sides confirmed they were negotiating today, but that’s all we’ve heard until now. “The district presented an offer to pay teachers for added instructional minutes,” Howard says, adding, “no time will be added to the instructional day.” She says ****no school on Monday****, though negotiations are still under way. She says the district is now to the place where they’ve run out of the three “snow days” that can be used to make up for the lost days, so they’ll have to be looking at other ways to get to the 180 state-mandated days – maybe looking at what’s scheduled as a full-week mid-winter break this year, for example. Still too soon to say how this might affect graduation dates, according to Howard.
As for what the district is currently proposing, “It’s not what we would like, but what we can afford.” We asked if they could characterize the talks as having made progress; Howard wouldn’t or couldn’t say. The briefing is over after 10 minutes (we recorded it on video as usual and will add that here when it’s uploaded *4:48 pm, it’s up). We’ll update this story if and when there are any other strike-related developments today.
5:13 PM: The union announced a 5 pm media briefing at the Neptune Theater in the U-District, where a concert is being held tonight to benefit striking educators; we didn’t see the announcement in time to get there, but tuned into the KIRO-TV stream in which a union member was telling them they didn’t have anything to say but were awaiting the bargaining team’s arrival.
6:07 PM: The union has just announced by text and tweet that its “Bargaining Team gave the Seattle School Board bargainers a new proposal today: Two-year contract, raises of 4.75% and 5%.” [added] Also, the SEA briefing that finally happened at the Neptune is viewable via Periscope video recorded by KING 5 reporter John Langeler – go here. The first speaker was SEA president Jonathan Knapp, who said it is the board and superintendent’s fault the teachers walked out, because they are not “offering a fair contract.” Lead bargainer Phyllis Campano, SEA vice president (and a former Pathfinder K-8 teacher), said the negotiations were still ongoing at the time of this briefing and that she was headed back immediately afterward. Campano said they have still not come to an agreement on issues she listed as “pay, fair evaluations, reasonable testing, student equity, lengthening the school day.”
6:43 PM: Thanks to the tipster who shared word of tomorrow’s plan: Individual school picketing in the morning, then gathering at “zone” locations in the afternoon. On the Fairmount Park Elementary PTA website, this link says that means FPE teachers will picket outside the school 8:30 am-noon, then joining other schools from their “zone” at West Seattle High School 1-3 pm. Still trying to find out what’s happening at other local schools – any info, please comment or e-mail us (editor@westseattleblog.com) – thank you.
8:51 PM: HPN in comments says what we suspected – the two “zone” locations for afternoon picketing in WS tomorrow will be WSHS and Chief Sealth IHS.
10:10 PM: Amanda in comments says Roxhill is planning to picket at its school all day, rather than going to join the “zone.” Meantime, a Madison MS teacher tells us via e-mail, “We’re picketing at Madison in the morning, then in the afternoon we’re walking over to West Seattle High School for demonstrations there.”
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: Most recent update we can find says negotiations were still under way as of 10:15 last night.
9:15 AM MONDAY: Just texted by SEA, “Negotiations are likely to continue today. No TA yet.” We will launch a new story later today but for now we’re updating this one.
12:20 PM: New update from the union – negotiations “will resume this afternoon.” And the district is again having what’s becoming its daily 3 pm briefing.
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