West Seattle, Washington
07 Tuesday
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
As colors splashed across tonight’s sky, we were looking ahead yet again to Saturday, the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, ninth one coordinated by us here at WSB. Tonight’s quick update: The printable/downloadable version of the map is available, joining the clickable online map that’s been up since Saturday. Click here for the 19-page PDF, 13 of them featuring all 320+ sale descriptions and addresses. It’s also linked atop the page that holds the online map, on which you can click any line on the sale list, or any of the markers on the map, to open an info-bubble with its details. 9 am-3 pm Saturday, sales of all sizes in neighborhoods all over our beautiful peninsula! Watch here and on the WSCGSD site the next three days for lists, previews, and special sale-day info.
Carmilia’s in The Junction is home to a Little Free Library once more! Proprietor Linda Sabee sent the news, and the photo above, a month and a half after she reported the first one outside her boutique at 45xx California SW had been vandalized and then stolen. This one, like her first one, was built by family members including her dad Dale Hutchinson, who’s in the photo above. Linda notes, “The building of these libraries is a true family affair. My dad, my mom’s memory, my son AND my ex-husband!” Her mom, who’s been gone since 2007, was a teacher, Linda told us in March, “a lover of education, and a huge supporter of reading, books, and literacy.”
(2010 WSB photo – generator truck at Lowman Beach after power outage-caused overflow)
What you see above shouldn’t ever be needed again at Lowman Beach, because of work that’s about to happen at the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project site and Murray Pump Station next door: A portable generator to power the pump station in times of trouble. Today’s update from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division explains why – along with providing an alert to work that will affect that end of Beach Drive starting tomorrow:
Lane closure on 7000 block of Beach Drive SW tomorrow – May 11 – while crews set standby generator inside facility
King County’s Murray Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Project contractor will use a second crane to set a standby generator inside the facility building’s southern end. The standby generator will provide backup power to the entire facility and to the existing Murray Pump Station. The pump station currently does not have a standby generator, which created odor and overflow issues in the past.
Crews will use a second crane for one day to set the generator in place. Beach Drive SW will be narrowed to one lane to make space for the second crane. Flaggers will direct traffic on the 7000 block of Beach Drive SW. Drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes while the work occurs.
The contractor will then start installing the final section of the 5-foot-wide sewer pipe connecting the new tank to the existing pump station. The pipe will be installed along the southeast side of Beach Drive SW. It will take one month to install the pipe. Shoring installation will occur intermittently throughout the month. Increased noise and vibration is expected at times during shoring work.
Thank you for your continued patience during construction. Please contact the project hotline at 206-205-9186 with any questions or concerns.
As reported here recently, KCWTD told the Fauntleroy Community Association that the project will be done before the end of this year.
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: Alexandria reports the pickup shown in part above was taken early Saturday morning from the 7300 block of 28th Ave SW. Description: “’87 Toyota gray pickup with topper. The passenger-front parking light smashed in, red heart/love sticker on back of topper, and red tape over the driver-side tail light.” Plate B59337N, per @getyourcarback, which reminds that if you see it, call 911.
NOTES: In case you missed these followups to stories from the past few days:
-We finally know where the “crash and dash” stolen car in Saturday’s crash at 35th/Hudson was stolen from – Capitol Hill. The carjacking victim commented on our story last night; we subsequently obtained the link to Capitol Hill Seattle‘s report on the original incident.
-We added multiple updates to yesterday’s followup on the arrest following Saturday night’s North Delridge gunfire. The most-recent update: The suspect posted bond and got out of jail late last night. The comment thread includes some information we’ve found about his record.
Since we first reported on sightings of an apparent turkey around West Seattle, we’ve continued to get reports in just about every one of our messaging channels, from comments to texts. The newest photos arrived via e-mail today from Emily, who saw it by Alki Elementary this morning while taking her daughter to school. Some wondered how the turkey has managed to range so widely across the peninsula, from Lincoln Park to Pigeon Point, if not beyond. Some have worried that it might be in danger of getting hit by a car or attacked by, oh, say, a hungry coyote. (Emily also photographed it crossing the street by the school.)
In light of those concerns, we checked today with Seattle Animal Shelter director Don Jordan, who replied: “Yes, we are aware of this turkey and according to my staff, there may be more than one.”
Aha! Anyway, Jordan continued: “Our best guess is that this turkey has gotten loose from someone’s private flock. While we don’t advocate anyone trying to capture it, if someone does, they can certainly turn it over to the Seattle Animal Shelter. Also, citizens can contact the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife if they have concerns or questions, as this would fall within their jurisdiction. If someone does capture it and turn it over to SAS, we would look to either reunite with the owner or adopt it to someone with property outside of Seattle whereas it could live out its natural life.”
We’re pretty sure that means, beyond Thanksgiving.
P.S. You might not have to worry about it too much – earlier this morning, when Julia spotted it in the Alki area, it “flew or jumped” up on a roof …
… and then down again.
Five quick West Seattle (and vicinity) food notes:
WILDWOOD MARKET: Finally an answer to the question of “what’s going in at the old Guadalajara Restaurant?” at 9214 45th SW in Fauntleroy. Wildwood Market‘s website says it will open this fall, a market and sandwich shop described as “… your locally owned community-focused eatery … A modern take on Seattle’s old neighborhood corner stores, you will find wholesome foods, beer & wine, and staples for your fridge & pantry, in a family-friendly atmosphere.”
(added Wednesday night) We reached Lonjina Verdugo, part of the Wildwood Market team, who you might remember as proprietor of the Center Studio in White Center. She says it’s a family operation, and they’re modeling it on a market in Washington, D.C., that a relative operates. “With permits and remodeling, we are hoping to open this Fall if not sooner. Very excited!”
(back to original report) HARRY’S CHICKEN JOINT ON VACATION: Don’t get alarmed if you find Harry’s Chicken Joint (6032 California SW) closed; proprietor Bruce sent a note this morning to say, “We are taking a much-needed rest and vacation and will be closed until Friday, June 3rd.”
CRAWFISH AT CIRCA TODAY: Circa proprietor Gretchen e-mailed to say they’re doing another crawfish boil at the Admiral restaurant (2605 California SW) today, 11:30 am-4 pm. Gumbo too. (And their regular menu is available as well.)
PROLETARIAT PIZZA LAUNCHES BRUNCH: As of last weekend, “the pizza that made White Center famous” – created by the Albaeck family of West Seattle – is now serving brunch on weekends, 9 am-noon. Get a taste by checking out the first brunch menu on our partner site White Center Now.
KIZUKI RAMEN UPDATE: This is the number one reader question in the restaurant realm right now – “when is Kizuki Ramen opening in The Junction?” Especially since the sign went up recently (thanks for the pic!):
Latest answer we’ve found to the “WHEN?” question: “In a few weeks.”
(And yes, we’re following up on a hefty helping of other eats/drinks on the way; more news as we confirm it!)
(Bubbling at the beach! Photo from the WSB Flickr group, by Flickr member Bill Blue)
Busy night ahead! Highlights from our calendar:
WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL PREVIEW: 6 pm tonight, prospective preschool families are invited to West Seattle Montessori School (WSB sponsor), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. (11215 15th SW)
WEST SEATTLE MOTORCYCLE CLUB RIDE-IN: 6 pm, Pizzeria 22, new club forming and invited to ride in. The restaurant will be hosting, every second Tuesday. (4213 SW College)
SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: West Seattle High School plays Holy Names Academy at 6 pm, Southwest Athletic Complex. (2801 SW Thistle)
CHIEF SEALTH IHS PTSA: Final general meeting of the year, 7 pm in the Confucius Center on campus:
This is an important one. We’ll be adopting the 2016-17 PTSA budget, New Standing Rules for our organization, holding elections for Co-President or Vice President, Treasure, Secretary and amazing presentation on Restorative Justice.
(2600 SW Thistle)
FAMILY STORY TIME: For families with kids 1-5, 7 pm at Delridge Library. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: ANA meets at 7 pm at The Sanctuary at Admiral. Tonight’s agenda highlights are in our calendar listing. All welcome. (42nd SW/SW Lander)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The FCA board meets at 7 pm in the board room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. The agenda includes:
*Fall Festival Fundraiser at Endolyne Joe’s [coming up May 17]
*Endolyne Triangle revisions [as discussed in February]
*Fauntleroy Community Parking Subcommittee
*Ferry update
*Southwest District Council update
*Disposition of property at 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW [as discussed last month; community meeting set May 24]
All are welcome at board meetings. (9131 California SW)
SOUTH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Live/work in South Park? Your neighborhood association meets tonight too. 7 pm. (8201 10th Ave. S.)
BILLY JOE & THE RC’S: Live music, 8 pm, Parliament Tavern. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
AND OF COURSE THERE’S MORE … just check our complete calendar.
In case you haven’t already seen this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – it’s now just three and a half weeks away, and you might have something to contribute in advance:
As Schmitz Park Elementary plans its move to Genesee Hill this fall, we thought it was important to celebrate the legacy of Schmitz Park Elementary, which has been open since 1956, having moved into its current building in 1962.
We invite those in the community – especially those that were involved at Schmitz Park as a teacher, student, or parent – to join us on Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 p.m., at the school, to reminisce, walk the halls, view photos, etc.
Those who wish to be involved are invited to:
*Attend the event in June.
*Send in photos or request someone to copy their photos or memorabilia.
*Share an anecdote or memory via email.
*Consider being interviewed by a student.
*Add their email address to the mailing list for more information.
*Spread the word to neighbors and relatives that may have been at Schmitz Park.Please contact Fiona at history@schmitzparkpta.org or visit the school’s web page for more information.
If you’re wondering about the future of the SPE site – it remains up in the air. Seattle Public Schools says there’s no plan to use it for anything next school year, for starters. We’re following up on the process for determining its longer-range future.
(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)
6:32 AM: Good morning! Second day post-Viaduct reopening, and no incidents so far.
7:06 AM: Second low-bridge closure (to surface traffic) of the morning.
7:26 AM: Open again. We’ve added the link to the “bridge open or closed?” Twitter feed (@sdotbridges) above our highlighted cameras, as we’d done during the Viaduct closure, for a permanent quick morning-commute reference.
8:25 AM: Crash at 35th/Barton. Engine 37 on scene:
It’s mid-intersection so avoid the area for a while.
8:40 AM: We went by the crash scene a second time, headed back to HQ after checking on an unrelated report, and a motorcycle officer was headed that way. As noted also by Sunuva in comments, it didn’t appear anyone had major injuries, and no medic unit’s been called, though Engine 37 is still on the scene. The larger vehicle’s airbag had deployed and a firefighter was looking in when we went by.
9:07 AM: Haven’t gone back to check, but SFD has closed out of the call. Meantime, there’s some sort of a weird spill on the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge, in the center lane.
5:08 PM: Thanks for the text, which we turned into this tweet:
If you're headed back home up the 1st/Myers/Olson/Roxbury/etc. hill, crash blocking right lane (WSB reader photo) pic.twitter.com/oasMl8KsPl
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) May 11, 2016
Thanks to Don Brubeck for sharing the photo: The Husky crew rowers may be based on the lake, but when it’s team-photo time, they’re here on the bay. Don happened onto tonight’s photo session at Seacrest for the University of Washington rowers, who swept the Windermere Cup on Saturday (congratulations!).
Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Students and stewards are in the midst of a record-setting salmon-release season at Fauntleroy Creek, with more than 800 students participating in 22 release events.
But their work is being jeopardized by vandals, we’ve learned today – painful and criminal in any event, particularly so because this is all work involving students and volunteers, along an urban salmon stream whose survival is by no means guaranteed.
More on that shortly – first, here’s what the work is all about.
That group of 50 fifth-graders from West Seattle Elementary is one of the school groups scheduled to visit Fauntleroy Creek this spring to release coho fry into the creek. Speaking with them in the photo is creek/watershed steward Judy Pickens, who has long volunteered with the Salmon in the Schools program. She and husband Phil Sweetland ferry salmon eggs to local classrooms in one mad dash every school year, and then for the next step, students and teachers bring the fry to the creek.
And off they go, with volunteer Denny Hinton‘s help:
Some classes turn salmon-raising and -releasing into an even larger learning experience. A recent visit by Arbor Heights Elementary included not only a release, but also a presentation by students who are studying the creek:
In our photo are Harriet and Hannah Mae, Arbor Heights fifth-graders who, as Pickens explains, are along with classmates delving into the mystery of what’s happening with the hundreds of thousands of coho salmon that have not come back into Puget Sound from the ocean.”
They gathered on a creekside patio with Pickens, who notes, “The fall 2015 return was nearly non-existent and the fall 2016 return is expected to be at least as dismal. Under the direction of teacher Angie Nall and aided by scientists from Seattle Public Utilities, the students explored El Niño warming off the coast that killed the prey coho need to survive, ocean acidification, and pollution from stormwater runoff.”
There have been glimmers of hope. In fall 2012, more than 200 spawners returned. Every fall, volunteers take up their spots along the creek and watch with hope.
For them and for the salmon, it’s enough of an upstream swim, they don’t need any more challenges. Which brings us to the vandalism. Pickens reports two recent incidents: “One was ripping the net from our smolt trap in the upper creek. We have the trap in place in order to know how many coho have matured to migrate to saltwater – a gauge of both food abundance and water quality. A volunteer checks that trap daily and was able to make repairs within hours of the vandalism so that this important monitoring could continue.
“The other was digging stones out from a derelict section of concrete pipe imbedded in sediment at the salmon-release site. A few days ago, our volunteers discovered a sizable hole in the pipe that was diverting much-needed water from where children release their fish. A volunteer hydrologist temporarily plugged the hole with stones so that flow was restored and releases could continue. Then someone removed the stones, requiring another fix. A long-term fix can’t happen until a period of low flow this summer, so we need the pipe left alone. ‘Volunteer’ appears a lot in this report, an indication of the community’s commitment to salmon in Fauntleroy Creek and the students who cap their salmon study on release day.”
Pickens concludes, “If responsible park users can be on the lookout for destructive behaviors, we can stop this senseless vandalism.”
(UPDATED TUESDAY MORNING with suspect getting out of jail – also, see comments for more info)
3:52 PM: Late Saturday night, we reported on a gunfire suspect arrested near Delridge and Genesee. We have more information this afternoon from both SPD Blotter and the police report. First, just published on SPD Blotter by the department’s Jonah Spangenthal-Lee:
A ride-share driver led police to arrest a convicted felon Saturday night and recover a backpack filled with meth, crack cocaine, cash and a handgun.
Officer Nic Plemel was on patrol in the Delridge neighborhood around 11 PM Saturday when he heard the sound of gunfire several blocks away.
Moments later, a ride-share driver called 911 and reported seeing a man dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans and a red baseball cap firing a gun on the street in the 5400 block of Delridge Way Southwest.
Officers arrived and immediately saw a 29-year-old man, dressed just as the 911 caller had described, standing behind a bus stop at Delridge Way SW and SW Genesee Street.
Officer Plemel and Officer Nathan Worthen approached the man, who was standing right next to a backpack on the ground. He refused to answer any questions, but said the backpack wasn’t his.
When police looked inside the backpack, they found $2,700 in cash, 53 grams of suspected methamphetamine and three containers of marijuana. They later discovered 21 grams of suspected crack cocaine in the man’s pocket.
After a witness confirmed the 29-year-old was the same person they had seen firing a gun on the street, officers also discovered the 29-year-old is a previously convicted felon.
Officers booked the man into the King County Jail for drug possession and unlawful possession of firearms and are investigating.
According to the police report, a gun also was found in the backpack. We’re checking on the suspect’s record and status and will update with whatever more we find.
4:12 PM: The suspect’s background includes multiple felony convictions, according to what we’ve found so far in online records, including previous drug and gun cases.
7:33 PM: We’ve obtained the police-report narrative from the probable-cause documents provided at a hearing this afternoon during which the suspect’s bail was set at $150,000. It has some additional information beyond the SPD Blotter summary:
Two big announcements today regarding West Seattle-based nonprofit Nature Consortium, known for its forest-restoration work and melding of arts and nature, in education and other activities:
Executive director Merica Whitehall (WSB file photo at left) is leaving after a year and a half, departing in mid-May to become executive director of Fontenelle Forest in her home state, Nebraska.
There won’t be a search for a successor because of the other big news – Nature Consortium will become a project of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the nonprofit that runs Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, where NC is based. According to DNDA’s David Bestock, NC will be “retaining its own branding and programs, but with operations and finances run through DNDA,” and that’s why it won’t have its own executive director any more.
Bestock adds, “All NC programs will continue as they are, as well as NC staff other than Merica, who was sought out and recruited by the organization she’s moving to in her home state of Nebraska. Willard Brown, DNDA’s Properties and Housing Director, who has been spearheading DNDA’s environmental justice programming in Delridge and partnering with NC, will become even more involved in supporting NC’s staff and programs. … We are still working out details for how this will look structurally, but it made lots of sense to everyone when Nature Consortium approached us with their proposal. Our missions have a ton of overlap in terms of social and environmental justice, preservation of local greenspace, etc. The staff and board of both orgs feel that together we can do more for our shared community by combining our resources to address the educational, health, and economic disparities that exist in Delridge.”
The official news release about all of the above is here.
(Water Taxi boarding @ Seacrest on May 2nd, Viaduct closure’s lone Monday. WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
We just checked on the West Seattle Water Taxi numbers for this morning – first commute post-Viaduct closure – after commenter Elton wondered how ridership had gone. From Greg Lerner of the King County Marine Division:
6:15 am – 52
6:45 am – 81
7:15 am – 115
7:45 am – 94
8:15 am – 78
8:45 am – 62
9:15 am – 45
That’s higher than the pre-closure norm, Lerner says, while about half of the ridership tallied last Monday, a Viaductless day with almost perfect weather, and the highest West Seattle ridership day of the entire closure, according to the county’s overview of how both WT runs did for the shutdown period:
The West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi routes carried record numbers of riders during the 99 closure. Preliminary tallies from April 29 through May 7 show the two routes carried an estimated 30,000 riders, compared to about 13,500 riders the week before.
“We’re thankful to everyone who looked at other travel options besides driving during the closure, and thrilled to see ridership this high,” said Paul Brodeur, director of King County’s Marine Division. “We hope riders continue to see the water taxi as a good option for their trips to and from downtown.”
The West Seattle route roughly tripled its typical ridership as riders took advantage of additional parking options and regular spring service. The service on that route carried more than 24,000 riders compared to a typical 8,000 riders over the same time period. The single-day peak ridership to and from West Seattle was 3,269 riders on May 2, more than triple the riders compared to the week before.
Vashon route ridership climbed by a total of 900 riders during the 99 closure as riders took advantage of additional round trips. Ridership peaked at 1,100 on May 4 compared to about 900 the week before.
One last reminder in case you used it today: After last night’s earlier-than-projected reopening of the Alaskan Way Viaduct due to tunneling progress (now 342 of the originally announced 385 feet needed to totally clear the AWV), today was the last day of added Water Taxi parking and larger shuttles. The West Seattle Water Taxi runs year-round, weekdays in late fall/winter and seven days a week in spring/summer/early fall; its current schedule continues until October 30th. It’s been four months since the new vessel Doc Maynard took over the run, with a capacity of more than 270 passengers.
(Black-Headed Grosbeak males are “back from Mexico … and singing!” reports photographer Mark Wangerin)
Half a dozen highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION WEST SEATTLE CAREGIVER GROUP: 1:30-3 pm at Providence Mount St. Vincent, the twice-monthly support group meets – details here. (4831 35th SW)
HANG OUT/HELP OUT IN THE ORCHARD: 5-7 pm, the weekly meetup/work party (service-hours opportunity for teens, too) at the Community Orchard of West Seattle. on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. (6000 16th SW)
PHYSICAL THERAPY NIGHT: 5:30-7 pm, stop by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) for a free individual injury assessment with Biojunction Sports Therapy. (2743 California SW)
TINKERLAB DROP-IN: 6 pm at Delridge Library, “work on a fun STEM-based craft or challenge and tinker around with construction and builder kits. There will be something for everyone ages 6 months to 1506 months! Tinkerlab is a weekly all-ages program that introduces science, technology, engineering and math concepts through play, experimentation and discovery.” (5423 Delridge Way SW)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, everyone who lives, works, plays, dines, shops, etc. in North Delridge has a chance to get more involved with the community. Tonight’s agenda includes discussion of the area’s 17 proposed Neighborhood Street Fund grant applications. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
‘SEATTLE READS’: 6:45 pm at Southwest Library, you’re invited to join in “a discussion of the 2016 Seattle Reads featured work, ‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves‘ by Karen Joy Fowler.” (35th SW/SW Henderson)
In case you missed it over the weekend: The online map is live for next Saturday’s big event – really, more than 320 big events! – this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. You can browse the online map here – click any map marker or any line on the list on the side of the map to bring up the infobubble with its address and highlights. Scroll down the page for tips on using the map, and if you have questions, e-mail us at garagesale@westseattleblog.com.
You’ll find sales all over the peninsula – from the Ocean View Addition Neighborhood Sale, #13, on Marine View Drive SW, southernmost sale this year, to Sale #255 on Palm SW in North Admiral, the northernmost sale; from Sale #316 on SW Austin Place in Highland Park, easternmost, to Sale #290 on Alki Point, westernmost – and hundreds more inbetween. Use the zoom-in button on the lower right of the map page to get a closer look at all the markers; once you open an infobubble about a sale, you can also click the zoom in that bubble to get closer. We’re finalizing the printable/downloadable version of the map today (including all the listings) and that will be linked atop the online-map page when it’s ready, as usual.
The two big multi-seller sites again this year are the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) courtyard/Ginomai Art Center (42nd/Genesee) parking lot site and C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW). More spotlights to come, including the benefit sales! Whether you’re selling or shopping, get ready for the 12th annual WSCGSD (biggest community sale day in the region so far as we’ve found!), coordinated by us here at WSB for the ninth year – 9 am-3 pm this Saturday!
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6 AM: Good morning! The Alaskan Way Viaduct is open again as of last night. As of this morning, Metro is back on its pre-closure routes.
And – our back-to-normal watch starts with a stalled vehicle in the right lane of the eastbound West Seattle Bridge at the crest, per SDOT.
6:35 AM: Cleared.
8:46 AM: Incident-free since then, and light, as commenters point out. If you use the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry run, here’s an advisory about vessel downsizing starting in a few hours:
Customers are advised to plan for reduced capacity due to a vessel downsizing on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route. Beginning with the Vashon 12:25 pm departure, the 87-car Tillikum will temporarily replace the 124-car Issaquah while the Issaquah undergoes required maintenance. The Issaquah galley will close at 7:30 am and the Tillikum galley will open Tuesday at 5:00 am. We apologize for the inconvenience. Vending machines are available on board the vessel and inside the terminals.
Preparations also are expected to start today for the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion re-replacement project, with overnight closures of the west end of the bridge starting next Sunday night.
And at the site of the 30th/Yancy/Avalon safety project, the crosswalk striping is now expected to happen as soon as tomorrow, postponed from last week.
Thanks to Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer for the photos and report on the school’s observance of Cinco de Mayo last week:
Chief Sealth students celebrated 5 de Mayo with an assembly that was both educational and entertaining.
The goal of the assembly this year was to educate the Chief Sealth community on the contributions that immigrants make to our country as well as on the plight that undocumented students, who are part of our community, face. At Chief Sealth, 5 de Mayo is used to celebrate Latino culture and foster unity among Latinos and the greater Chief Sealth Community.
Students of all ethnicities participate in the assembly by dancing, hosting, or playing in the Mariachi group.
It’s a celebration that Proyecto Saber and M.E.Ch.L.A students have been organizing for thirty years.
The Taste of West Seattle – your chance to sample dozens of local establishments in ONE place, while helping the West Seattle Helpline – is less than three weeks away. But your chance to get ticket(s) is likely to end much sooner – last time we checked with Helpline executive director Chris Langeler, the number left was down in the double digits. General Admission tickets are $65, and while there’s no limit on food tastes, each GA admission comes with three “drink taste” tickets, with more available for purchase ($2 each, three for $5, unlimited for $20) when you get to The Taste. But you won’t get in without a ticket, so guarantee yours now by going here and support the work of the Westside Award-winning Nonprofit of the Year, 6 pm May 26th at The Hall at Fauntleroy!
P.S. Organizers have been serving up food-and-drink participants’ names in little bites but we’ve noticed the ones revealed so far include WSB sponsors Metropolitan Market (also the presenting sponsor this year), Salty’s on Alki, and Dream Dinners.
As of a few minutes ago, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct [“live” camera above] has reopened, following the southbound side [“live” camera below] by about half an hour.
And that concludes the almost-ten-day closure, five hours after today’s surprise announcement of an early ending to what was expected to be a shutdown lasting about two weeks. Full backstory in our afternoon report published right after the news broke.
8:18 PM: Carol points out in a comment that the ramp from the EB bridge is still blocked off – the camera verifies – so crews haven’t gotten there yet.
8:51 PM: WSDOT says the ramp is open now. (Here’s the camera view.)
9:18 PM: Thanks again to everybody who helped out by sharing commute reports this past week and a half – and remember that we have long been reporting on the morning commute every weekday, so we’ll be back at it tomorrow (just not quite as early!). And remember, another major project is ahead – overnight closures of the west end of the bridge, starting in a week, for the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion re-replacements.
9:58 PM: Just in case you missed this earlier: Metro’s plan:
All Metro routes that normally serve the Alaskan Way Viaduct will return to their regular routes and stops at the start of service Monday morning, May 9. … With the start of service on Monday, the bus stop on westbound Columbia Street at Second Avenue will reopen to regular transit service, and Viaduct buses will no longer serve the temporary stops they made in the SODO area on or near S Lander Street during last week’s closure.
All riders should note that Viaduct service will remain on the current reroutes throughout Sunday night and until about 4:30 AM on Monday.
And the Water Taxi will continue its extra West Seattle parking and extra Vashon runs for one last day, tomorrow morning. Then everything is back to normal Tuesday.
Breaking crime news this weekend – and breaking traffic news – has gotten in the way of our usually-daily roundups of West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports. Until now. We have burglary, car prowl, and theft reports – and a followup from someone who has gotten some of their stolen stuff back.
BURGLARY ATTEMPTS: From Anne in Upper Fauntleroy:
We have just reported 2 break-in attempts at our home at 42nd and Thistle. One was on April 21st between 9 pm and 8 am, where they attempted to break off the lower garage door handle to pry in. The next day we had flood lights installed.
The second attempt was made on May 4th, this time the upper garage side door, door knob pried off but our steel door framing holds the extended deadbolts. Our neighbor thinks it was around 3:30 am, because their dog was trying to wake up everyone in the house. They let the dog outside and the dog took off, so the neighbors got in their car and encountered 2 men in a late-model Toyota Sienna minivan that is red or burgundy. They were wearing reflective vests and said they were doing construction work; one had a very thick Slavic accent. They left and then moved the van a few blocks away.
We have security sensors and cameras inside the house, so if they were successful, we will get a good photo to share. I just thought I would let you know, just in case someone else has experienced anything similar, or has seen this van.
CAR PROWL: From Steve in Gatewood:
Add us to your car prowl list. 41st & Holden, underneath bright streetlight. Nothing was left in car, they took a box of Kleenex and some loose change from the center console. We had a couple of CDs in the glovebox; those were still in car. Clear case of someone prowling for money or getting lucky with a hidden valuable.
The car was locked this morning, they may have used electronic means to get in the vehicle – late-model Nissan. Neither of our other two cars was hit, nor were our neighbors’ cars across the street.
‘IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO STEAL AN IDOL’: An Admiral resident texted this on Saturday:
A sentimental piece of yard art was stolen from the front yard of my gray house next to Pizzeria 22 on College Street. It was an Easter Island-style head carved out of wood, about 2 feet tall. This may not sound like much, but it had very sentimental value and has been with me for decades.
Keep in mind, it is not a good idea to steal an idol. The hand-carved head has orange flecked paint on it. Someone now has it in their yard probably, unaware of the danger. And they should know that it is special and especially dangerous when placed in the wrong yard of someone who has stolen it. You still have time to return it to where you found it before your trouble starts. Look for a wooden carved Easter Island head with orange paint flecks.
STOLEN INSTRUMENTS, RETURNED: Back on April 21st, we published Maggie‘s reader report about musical instruments stolen while she and her partner were traveling through West Seattle. Today, we got a followup from her:
I wanted to send a huge thank you for posting our story/photo on West Seattle Blog. A man purchased two of our instruments and, after seeing the cases still had personal items in them, started looking up info on stolen instruments in West Seattle and found the info on your site. He contacted us and has returned both the guitar and the ukulele. We cannot thank you enough!
(7:01 PM UPDATE: The Viaduct is now open southbound)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:14 PM: Just in from WSDOT – The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be reopened in time for the Monday morning commute. The first news release:
After 10 days of around-the-clock tunneling, Bertha’s biggest hurdle is now behind her. That hurdle – the Alaskan Way Viaduct she was built to replace – will reopen for the Monday morning commute, bringing an early end to the much-anticipated #99closure.
Structural engineers with the Washington State Department of Transportation completed a thorough inspection of the viaduct on Sunday. Their inspection confirmed what a team of engineers observed throughout the past 10 days of tunneling: continued stability of the ground and the viaduct.
Contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners estimated that tunneling beneath the viaduct would take approximately two weeks. With the ground holding steady, and the most challenging part of the machine’s drive beneath the viaduct complete, WSDOT made the call to reopen both directions of State Route 99 through downtown.
“Closing a major highway is never easy, and the public deserves a big thank you for their patience and flexibility while this crucial work took place,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “I would like to thank the WSDOT and STP project teams and construction crews on a job well done. To finish this piece of the project almost a week early is commendable. The planning and flexibility of commuters, along with strong coordination between WSDOT and partner agencies, ensured commuters had access to real-time information that helped them plan ahead.”
WSDOT temporarily closed SR 99 through Seattle so crews could more closely monitor the structure as the machine passed beneath. The tunnel team originally planned to keep the highway closed until after the machine had completely cleared the viaduct, but the success of the tunneling operation and the continued stability of the ground led to discussions of an early opening as work progressed.
By Friday, the machine had successfully tunneled through complex soils only 15 feet below the viaduct’s foundation – the closest the machine will come to any structure at any point in its drive beneath Seattle. On Sunday, STP completed installation of the rings beneath this critical location, clearing the way for the final inspection and the early opening of the highway. WSDOT’s 24-hour command center will remain open until the machine has successfully tunneled 385 feet, the distance at which it will be completely clear of the viaduct.
WSDOT worked closely with Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, King County Water Taxi, Sound Transit, Community Transit and the Port of Seattle to keep traffic moving and provide travel options for drivers during the closure.
“Removing traffic from the viaduct was critical to the success of this work, but we don’t want the closure to last a moment longer than it needs to,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Roger Millar. “I want to thank the WSDOT and STP project teams as well as our local partners for successfully managing the closure of a major highway in our system. And, a special thank you to the community for their patience. I hope commuters saw the value of having several transportation choices, and consider using alternatives to driving alone more regularly going forward.”
Millar said the success of STP’s drive beneath the viaduct will help build momentum for the remainder of the tunnel drive.
“The end of this closure marks a new beginning for the SR 99 Tunnel Project,” he said. “Much work remains, but we are encouraged by the contractor’s performance during this phase of the project. Our shared focus now, as it has been, is on delivering this tunnel to Washington taxpayers.”
ADDED 2:32 PM: The 99closure.org website has some additional practical details about how the closure will end – read the post in full here – some key points:
Water Taxi resumes regular service Tuesday morning, May 10
The King County Water Taxi will continue additional parking options at West Seattle (PDF) and additional sailings on the Vashon route (PDF) through the end of the day on Monday, May 9.
Regular West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi service will start Tuesday morning, May 10.Metro Transit returns to regular routing Monday, May 9
King County Metro Transit service will resume regular routing via the Alaskan Way Viaduct with the start of service Monday morning. At that time, the bus stop on Columbia Street at Second Avenue will also reopen.
Current surface street reroutes through SODO and temporary stops remain in effect for the remainder of Sunday, May 8.Restrictions on city streets lifted for Monday morning commute
With the exception of parking restrictions along Harbor Avenue in West Seattle, temporary city street restrictions put in place for the closure will be lifted before Monday morning.
WSDOT is having a media conference call at 3 pm and we’ll be on it; updates to come.
3:15 PM: Just off that conference call. The big news – the Viaduct actually will reopen TONIGHT, per WSDOT’s Todd Trepanier. The barrier removal will start as soon as 4 pm – they’re calling in crews to get that done.
He said what makes the early reopening possible is the ground stabilization techniques that contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners has been using.
He also said that when the machine gets to the 380-or-so-foot spot, they’ll pause before going on to the next phase – they’ll continue working 24 hours a day until then.
7:01 PM: As reader Kyla reported in comments, the southbound Viaduct is now open. This camera is proof.
(WSB photo)
1:21 PM: If you’ve seen/heard the big emergency response to 42nd/Alaska, it’s an “assault with weapons” call. We’re en route, no details yet, except that the SFD response has been scaled back. More to come.
1:36 PM: A private ambulance was called to Jefferson Square; it and SFD have left and the SFD call on this has closed. A patrol car is still there and we’re hoping to find officers to ask what this was about. Whatever it was, apparently not major.
1:49 PM: Finally talked to officers and got a bit of information. The victim was a man who was slashed in the arm with a boxcutter. He couldn’t tell them anything about who did it or why.
3:36 PM: A commenter says the victim reported trying to stop shoplifters before getting slashed.
| 3 COMMENTS