West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
Biggest event of the day, the continued very-warm weather, likely back into the 80s. Our showcase image above is from Christopher Boffoli, who explains: “Just thought I’d share an image I grabbed yesterday from Richey Viewpoint (beach) that demonstrates a ‘superior’ (or cold water) mirage resulting from warm air over the cold water of the Sound which creates a strange lens effect – in this case – on the tree line in the distance behind the Fauntleroy ferry. Cliff Mass mentioned this effect too in an image he posted on his weather blog yesterday.” Now, on with calendar highlights:
POOL SCHEDULE: As featured in our story last night looking ahead to summer swim season, city-run Southwest Pool is open to the public year-round, so if the expected high in the 80s has you looking to cool off in the water, see the schedule for today/tonight here. (2801 SW Thistle)
MATH BUDDIES: Drop-in help for K-5 students at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 4-5 pm, thanks to teen volunteers. More info here. (2306 42nd SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUP: 6:30 pm at High Point Library; this month’s title is “Bucking the Sun” by Ivan Doig.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: If you have neighborhood crime/safety concerns, this is the monthly chance to take them directly to local police. Local crime trends and concerns comprise the first part of the 7 pm meeting at the Southwest Precinct; then there’s a spotlight topic, which is scheduled to be “parking enforcement” this time around. All welcome. (Delridge/Webster)
TRIVIA FUNDRAISER: 7:30 pm, fundraising trivia at the Senior Center of West Seattle, hosted by Phillip Tavel from the longrunning Wednesday night trivia at Talarico’s. Make your reservation ahead of time and get a discount – info is in our calendar listing. (California SW/SW Oregon)
LOTS MORE for today/tonight, on our complete calendar!
(WSB file photo)
Another big West Seattle event for de-cluttering is getting close – just five days until this Sunday’s spring edition of the Recycle Roundup that Fauntleroy Church‘s Green Committee presents twice a year. Here is the official list of what you can drop off (and what you can’t) in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW 9 am-3 pm Sunday (April 24th). No fees. If you have questions even after checking the list, it includes contact info you can use to ask the church’s event partner, 1 Green Planet. Otherwise – just show up!
We’re in the third week of registration for the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, with 160+ sales now signed up, north to south, east to west, all sizes, many types! Later this week, we’ll announce the registration deadline, but we can tell you that signups will continue for at least one more week.
Whether you’re shopping or selling, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 14th, is the big day (some sales choose to start earlier and/or end later, our only rule is to honor that basic six-hour window). We close registration relatively early so that we can get the map made and available a week ahead of time – we provide it free in two versions accessible online, the clickable “interactive” version and the printable/downloadable PDF version, both with the up-to-20-words listings that sellers provide, so shoppers can plan ahead.
One more reminder – if you just have a few things to sell and would like to be part of a multiseller site, check directly with the two who are offering spaces again this year, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse and C & P Coffee Company (both WSB sponsors).
Why be part of WSCGSD? It’s about more than buying and selling, as organizer Susan wrote on her block-sale registration form: “The 5900 block of 34th Ave SW loves this event! Every year it’s an excuse to party! We visit with our neighbors, meet new folks and catch up with annual Garage Sale returnees, who come to our street each year.”
Ready to register your sale? Here’s the form. Questions? garagesale@westseattleblog.com (or comment section here) – thanks!
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:23 AM: Quiet, sunny Tuesday morning so far, headed into the 80s again.
VIADUCT-CLOSURE COUNTDOWN: 10 days until the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes for two weeks or so while the Highway 99 tunneling machine goes beneath it. Some new information emerged at a Monday media briefing – here’s our report. The city, county, and state transportation agencies are continuing to add information to 99closure.org.
The winning pitcher in Chief Sealth International High School‘s 8-5 victory over Bainbridge had a big day at the plate as well as on the mound. Thanks to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score: Isaac Hamilton was Monday’s winning pitcher with 5 runs over 6.1 innings and also went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI. Next up for the Seahawks – Seattle Prep visits them at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 4 pm Wednesday.
(Tonight’s sunset, photographed by Lynn Hall)
Beautiful end to a recordbreaking day – with a high temperature of 89 degrees, 12 degrees over the previous record high, 77 (in 1962), and 30 degrees above the usual high for this date, 59. Tomorrow’s forecast is for another recordbreaking day going into the 80s. If you want to go swimming, your only options this time of year are indoors – pools at fitness facilities including the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), or, if you aren’t a member someplace with a pool, city-run Southwest Pool has public swim sessions – see the schedule here.
Without fanfare, the city’s wading-pool and spraypark schedule for this year has been made publicly available – we found it via web search; see it here. Our area’s lone spraypark, Highland Park, opens May 28th. The first of West Seattle’s four wading pools to open, Lincoln Park, will start up on June 25th, followed by Delridge on June 27th, and E.C. Hughes and Hiawatha on June 29th. Once again this year, Lincoln Park is the only seven-day-a-week wading pool in West Seattle.
The last day of spraypark and wading-pool season will be September 5th – with some closing much earlier – and one Seattle resident thinks that’s too early. Sacha Davis has started a change.org petition asking the city to extend spraypark season and asked if we would mention it. You can read Sacha’s rationale, and sign the petition if you’re interested, by going here.
P.S. Summer outdoor-swimming season, of course, also includes Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore. Its schedule is out too; the historic 75th-anniversary season starts May 28th.
Congratulations to the West Seattle High School track team for success at a big meet over the weekend. Here’s the report from WSHS track and field head coach Will Harrison:
The most prestigious high-school track meet in the state was held over the weekend, and West Seattle HS Track put their program on the map. The Pasco Invitational, hosted by Pasco High School on Saturday, April 16th, included 105 teams and over 1500 athletes. West Seattle had two individual winners at the event – Lani Taylor secured a victory in the 400m Dash in 56.11 seconds, and Chaaka Trahan won the Long Jump with a leap of 22 feet, 9.75 inches. Those marks put both athletes in the No. 1 spot in the current 3A state rankings. Taylor also placed 5th in the 200m Dash, and Trahan placed 6th in the 110m Hurdles and 9th in the 300m Hurdles. The Wildcats also had school record performances in the Boys’ High Jump (Nuradine Abdi at 6’2”) and Girls’ Triple Jump (Natalie Fuller, 35’9”). Other notable performances included Lexi Ioane taking 9th in the Shot Put and Cass Elliott placed 10th in the 300 Hurdles.
(See the full results here.) Your next chance to see the WSHS track-and-field athletes close to home is April 28th, at Southwest Athletic Complex, vs. Sealth and Lakeside.
Tonight we know the locations where King County Elections is proposing to add more than three dozen fixed ballot dropboxes, including West Seattle (where the last one was removed more than five years ago), White Center, and South Park. Each would get one dropbox before primary voting starts in mid-July, if this plan is approved. Read the full news release here.
Toplines for our area:
In West Seattle, the location would be High Point Library (35th/Raymond); in White Center, it would be the White Center Library (the address listed in the county report is for the current one on 16th, though the new one on SW 107th is scheduled to open soon, so we’ll be doublechecking on that tomorrow). The South Park Library is proposed for a dropbox by the November general election. A 132-page report including how and why these locations (and the others around the county) were chosen – and why some other locations were not chosen – can be seen here.
The county says it will spend $239,695 to have the boxes made, wrapped, and installed. Assuming approval is received from the King County Council and all property owners, this would put 91.5% of the county’s population within three miles of a dropbox, the county says. A public hearing is planned before the County Council’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee at 9:30 am Tuesday, April 26th, in the council chambers downtown.
(Texted photo)
5:35 PM: Thanks for the tips. We are en route to Alki and Bonair to check out a rescue response, reportedly involving jet skiers.
5:52 PM UPDATE: Two people on a jet ski went into the water. One was in a state of reduced consciousness when rescued, we were told by emergency personnel at the scene; both are being taken to Harborview.
As high-tech as our lives have become, there are many reasons to celebrate pencil and paper – and DRAWTASTIC, coming up later this month in West Seattle, is a big way to do just that. Organizer Tony White has joined the WSB sponsor team to get the word out – here’s his announcement:
Pencil April 30th into your diary for Seattle’s most ‘drawsome’ festival of Drawing & Animation, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle!
DRAWTASTIC is the brainchild of British award-winning animator, author and educator, Tony White. With the unceasing rush to modern technology in this digital world it is easy to devalue the most wonderful hardware we have ~ the humble pencil!
Although the creative world fully embraces every technological resource available to it these days, it is almost certain that every idea either begins with pencil sketch, or as a result of years of drawing practice, or even through a full-time application of this most wonderful piece of hardware ~ which even comes with its own rubber ‘undo’ button at the other end!
White therefore is seeking to put the pencil back on its pedestal where it belongs. DRAWTASTIC is a ‘Pencil-fest’ that embraces all the artistic worlds that the pencil touches. Speakers include a top Simpsons animator from LA, an Australian living in New York who has made his own drawn movie and who is flying in to present it for its Seattle premiere, a caricaturist who is acknowledged as the very best the industry offers, and a respected game industry professional who acknowledges like everyone else how the pencil is so fundamentally important to their work.
Additional DRAWTASTIC events include the screening of 62 animated shorts from around the world ~ all vying for a prestigious ‘Golden Pencil Award’ ~ together with a vendor hall where indie work is shown and sold. Other drawing-based events will take place, including a ‘how to caricature’ session and ‘how to draw an animated flipbook.’ White himself will reflect the huge interest in drawing that he’s found through his online ‘Animator’s Sketchclub’ ~ currently possessing over 6,000 worldwide members ~ by hosting his own drawing for animation ‘Happy Hour.’
Entry is FREE to the festival, although there is a small charge for the speaker presentations to cover basic costs. The event runs from 11:30 am until 5 pm on Saturday, April 30th, with a ‘Meet ‘n Greet’ get-together afterward ~ where speakers, vendors and visitors can all meet and chat (presumably about the pencil) in a friendly and relaxed manner. White hopes that the event will once and for all prove the maxim that… ‘Pencils are Drawsome’!
We thank Tony White and DRAWTASTIC for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
For five months – since a windstorm last fall – the iconic cow atop John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster has been more like a side of beef. Until today! Thanks to Patricia for sending the photo, which came in before we could follow up a tip from West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) across the street. Patricia declares the sight, “Udderly marvelous!”
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon:
WARNING FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES: Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) proprietor Dave McCoy says two thieves hit his store on Saturday, “worked as a team, distracted our one employee as the other hid and stashed in his fanny pack some high end merchandise.” – three Hardy fly reels, two Featherweight 4/5s and a Marquis 2. The only description is 20-40 years-old, dark complexions, no surveillance photo at this point; we’ll add any additional descriptive information we get.
STOLEN SUBARU: Melinda reports a stolen car in the North Shorewood area:
I would like to report our 2005 Silver-Gray Subaru Outback, 920ZID, stolen last night from the 112th and 26th Ave SW area (a few blocks south of Westwood Village). Last seen around 11:00 pm in our driveway in front of the house. Inside the car was assorted baseball gear belonging to our son and associated with West Seattle Baseball Club and Baden baseball club.
And from Sunrise Heights, Jay reports:
One of my neighbors had a TORO brand mower stolen off the top of their van between 5:00 am and 6:00 am this morning. The van was parked on 35th in front of Trinity Church, and the mower was well-secured with straps that were cut. It’s believed that the person(s) that took it headed north on 35th, but we have no information to go on at this time.
Again, as we’ve been mentioning, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council’s next meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday, April 19th) night, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Webster/Delridge) – bring neighborhood crime concerns and questions for local police. There also will be a discussion of parking enforcement – so if you have questions/concerns about that, bring them too.
(WSB photo: From left, Metro’s Victor Obeso, KC Marine Division’s Paul Brodeur, WSDOT’s David Sowers, SDOT’s Jon Layzer)
11:55 AM: We’ve just left the downtown waterfront, where media reps were invited to an update and Q&A with city, county (Metro and Water Taxi), and state transportation reps on the first weekday since the big announcement that the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunneling-related closure will start April 29th. We recorded it all on video that we’ll add here when uploaded (12:54 pm update – here it is):
(Also), here are a few toplines beyond what we and others already have reported:
*Extra Water Taxi parking: The biggest added temporary lot off Harbor Avenue will be Pier 2, with its entry across from the 7-11 in the 2400 block of Harbor and room for 200+ cars. It will be open for vehicle entry/exit 5:45 am-9:15 am weekday mornings and 4 pm-7:15 pm afternoon/evenings – it’s a secured lot so at midday, it’ll be closed and you won’t be able to get to your vehicle, so it’s not a good choice unless you are headed out for a full workday. It’s also expected that 120 cars will be able to park along Harbor south of Seacrest, on the water side, because of temporary overnight parking restrictions. And about 40 spaces will be available on the SW Bronson Way street end south of Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor).
*Larger Water Taxi shuttles: In addition to a special shuttle that will run continuously during those hours between the Pier 2 parking lot and Seacrest, the WT shuttle buses on routes 773 and 775 will be upsized to 39-passenger buses.
*Speaking of Water Taxi shuttles: A commenter had asked why the Morgan Junction leg of the route is only at midday. The King County Marine Division says that’s the only time of day they can run it because of the gap between Water Taxi runs from Seacrest.
*Special Viaduct-closure-related brochure with West Seattle Water Taxi-specific info: See it here.
*In case more buses are needed: Metro will have 11 more buses with 22 scheduled operator shifts, and a potential of 135 added hours, depending on how things go.
*UberHop: This new vanpool-type alternative will have a pickup/dropoff point at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, the county says.
*The biggest message: Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. And if you possibly can shift out of commuting during the usual peak hours – via a temporary schedule change, working from home, whatever – please do. And even if the first day doesn’t seem so bad (it won’t, because people really will try something different), don’t just go back to your old ways on day 2 or day 3. They’re continuing to promote 99closure.org as the multi-agency with info you need to plan, now and when the closure’s under way.
We also asked the SDOT rep why, now that the date is set for this, they aren’t considering delaying the Fauntleroy Expressway-related bridge and lane closures until the Viaduct closure is over. SDOT’s rep first said they didn’t think there would be a problem because the bridge closures are at night only. We noted that the surface Spokane St. lane closures UNDER the west end of the bridge include some daytime work and he said he would “take that back” (to HQ) for consideration.
12:54 PM: Video of the briefing/Q&A, unedited, is now added toward the start of this story. As the closure approaches, we’ll continue with previews and updates, and if you have questions, we’ll do our best to get and publish the answers.
(Local photographer Patrick McCaffrey sent us this – taken from the Kingston ferry, but you have to love the Mount Rainier view)
Good morning! Calendar highlights for this almost-summery Monday:
TEENY TUNES: New music classes for infants/parents and toddlers/parents start this morning, 10:30 and 11:30 respectively, at Delridge Community Center – see our calendar page for both listings. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
AFTERNOON BOOK GROUP: 2 pm at Southwest Library, all welcome. “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan is this month’s book. (35th SW/SW Henderson)
HIGHLAND PARK PLAYGROUND & HP ELEMENTARY PTA: 2 meetings in one at the school tonight, of interest to the entire HP community: “Not only is this the first day back to school after Spring Break, but it is also the monthly PTA Meeting. Come out to hear about upcoming events, including the city’s plans for Highland Park Playfield, HPE’s annual Earth Day Clean up, updates on the HPE playground project, and more! City Park presentation at 5:30 followed by PTA meeting at 6:00. Snacks will be provided. Both Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be available. All are welcome!” (1012 SW Trenton)
TINKERLAB: 6 pm drop-in science/tech/engineering/math (STEM) fun for all ages at Delridge Library – details in our listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
DENNY PTSA: 7 pm tonight in the Denny International Middle School library, all are welcome at the PTSA meeting, with topics including looking ahead to summer learning opportunities, and volunteering for the school’s first-ever walk-a-thon. (2601 SW Kenyon)
SPRING COCKTAIL CLASS: 7 pm tonight at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) – call ASAP to see if there’s a spot! (1936 Harbor SW)
PUB QUIZ: Play tonight at Shadowland in The Junction, 8 pm. (California SW/SW Oregon)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Welcome to what’s expected to be a sunny, very warm Monday. Spring break’s over and everybody’s back in school, so be watchful for everything from beacons to bicycles to buses.
Two big reminders of what’s ahead:
11 DAYS TO VIADUCT CLOSURE – ANY QUESTIONS? In case you missed it, last Friday brought the two-week warning of the tunneling-related Alaskan Way Viaduct closure. Before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th, Highway 99 will be shut down from the Battery Street Tunnel to the West Seattle Bridge so that the tunneling machine can go beneath The Viaduct; that’s expected to take about two weeks if all goes well. As we’ve been reporting for months, local transit/transportation agencies have made all kinds of plans to try to help you get through it. Do you have any questions? We’re going to a media briefing/Q&A event later this morning with WSDOT, SDOT, Metro, and Water Taxi reps and would be happy to take yours along.
9 DAYS TO BRIDGE CLOSURES AND MORE: Also announced Friday, specific dates and times for bridge and lane closures related to the Fauntleroy Expressway bearing-pad re-replacement project. The west end of the bridge will be closed overnight many nights starting April 27th. Some lane closures are planned for Spokane St. *under the high bridge*, too. Here are all the details.
6:46 AM: Alert from Metro:
Metro Transit Alert – Route 50 is currently rerouted off of S Lander St between 1st Av S and SODO Busway, due to a blockage.
6:57 AM: And now Metro says it’s back to normal.
8:46 AM: Two more reminders:
30TH/YANCY CLOSED ON THE WEST SIDE OF AVALON … as the pedestrian-safety project at that multi-point intersection continues; the work switched from east to west last Thursday.
OVERNIGHT 99 CLOSURE NORTH OF DOWNTOWN: Tonight through Thursday night, the nightly Highway 99 closure north of downtown, 10 pm to 5 am, will be for all lanes of SB 99 between the Aurora Bridge and Thomas Street – full details here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
That big tank on SW Barton, about halfway between Westwood Village and the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock – officially known as the Barton Standpipe – is empty and decommissioned.
We didn’t know that until our recent visit to Seattle Public Utilities‘ Operations Control Center in SODO:
At the heart of that visit was a preview of the big flushing operation that SPU is about to start in West Seattle in hopes of lessening the recurring brown-water problems we’ve been covering since last fall. (Even today, we’ve received scattered reports of discoloration – no word on the cause this time.) We published our first flush preview on March 31st, and then followed up on April 8th with the first look at what was being mailed out to local homes.
Now, months of targeted flushing is about to begin in the area shown on this map:
SPU was planning to start with test flushes late tonight at California/Spokane and 49th/Spokane (11:34 pm update: they’re under way, as shown in our quick added video clip).
They’ll be working out the process for a night or two. So we’re taking the opportunity to report the rest of the story behind how SPU gets water to you.
Another auto-theft reader report tonight – this one is from Andrea in Gatewood:
2007 Black Audi A3 2.0T 4 door hatchback with tan interior stolen from 3500 block Rose St and 35th Ave sometime after 11 pm (last night). WA AJU7551. Faded West Seattle Soccer sticker on back window. Car was in front of our house; neighbors heard nothing.
This theft is one of the 10 currently in view on the Seattle Police crime-report map in default view (our screengrab below is for the view that was sorted only to show this category of crime) for reports filed over the past week:
We don’t know what types of vehicles for the five incidents on which we have not received reader reports, since the map only shows the location and date/time reported, but the locations are, north to south:
*Thursday afternoon, 3200 block Alki SW
*Friday evening, 5700 block SW Winthrop
*Saturday 4/9 (reported Sunday 4/10), 3700 block California SW
*Wednesday morning, 4500 block 45th SW (white Ford van; reader report here)
*Sunday night 4/10, 5900 block 36th SW (black VW Passat; reader report here)
*Thursday night, 5900 block Beach Drive SW (gray Mercedes; reader report here)
*Wednesday afternoon, 6300 block 39th SW
*Thursday night, 3900 block SW Elmgrove (reader report here – found quickly)
*Saturday night, 3500 block SW Rose (the one reported at the start of this story)
*Wednesday afternoon, 8400 block Delridge
P.S. Reminder that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s next meeting, featuring your chance to bring up neighborhood concerns/problems with local police, is Tuesday (April 19th), 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). After that part of the meeting, the spotlight topic this month will be parking enforcement.
Seattle Public Schools reopen tomorrow after spring break. Today, we have three updates from Denny International Middle School, shared by principal Jeff Clark:
SPRING BREAK ACADEMY: A Denny tradition happened again this year:
At Denny International Middle School, 113 of our scholars volunteered to come to school over break, Monday through Thursday, for additional math, literacy, and science learning time with our great staff! We are super proud of the scholars who attended — great job! After four days of learning, we all enjoyed some time at the Family Fun Center!
A special thank you to our Spring Break Camp team: Mr. King, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Watts, Mr. Lai, Mr. Moor, Mr. Wecker, both Mr. Nelsons, Ms. Ostroff, Mr. D. Evans, Ms. Hoang, Ms. Escobar, Ms. Nestor, Ms. Moland, Mr. Mosser and all of City Year, and our outreach team led by Ms. Amaral! Go Dolphins!
The week before break was big at Denny, too:
‘WE ALL BELONG’ ANTI-BULLYING WEEK: Special activities were held throughout the week, highlighted by a team-building day on Thursday (April 7th) and an assembly on Friday (April 8th) to celebrate our work at ending all bullying and raising awareness in support of LGBTQ youth.
Thank you to Ms. Thomas, our planning team, City Year, Mr. King, 6th and 7th grade science teachers and 8th grade social studies teachers, and our partners from Camp Long for teaming up to bring a cross-grade team-building day to Denny on Thursday. Our scholars enjoyed the activities focused on cooperation and support of one another!
I would also like to recognize and thank those involved in our assembly on Friday. A big thank you to Ms. Thomas’ girls group and others for sharing insightful information and inspiration to fully eliminate all bullying and to our Gay Straight Alliance and their advisors, Ms. Kugisaki and Mr. Chase, for helping us to shatter stereotypes and ending the Day of Silence, a national event that brings attention to the anti-LGBT bullying, harassment, and silencing that persists across our country. The information shared, singing, poetry, and dancing at the assembly were all inspirational! At Denny International, We All Belong!
And a final note – congratulations to the Denny teams the Novel T’s (6th grade) and the Second-Round Slayers (7th grade) for winning the middle-school Global Reading Challenge!
P.S. We note from our calendar (and the school website) that Denny’s PTSA has its next meeting tomorrow night – 7 pm – join in and help the organization support the school and its students and staff.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:28 PM: Thanks to the tipster who let us know that the 236-foot superyacht Albatross is sailing north on the Duwamish River right now, after leaving Delta Marine. We don’t know if it’s heading all the way into Elliott Bay, nor whether this is a shakedown cruise or journeying toward delivery to its owner, but if you’re among the many WSB readers who like to know about unusual boat sightings off our shores, here’s your heads-up. MarineTraffic.com shows it approaching the 1st Avenue South Bridge as we hit “publish” on this note (1:28 pm).
2:05 PM: We’re watching from Jack Block Park. It’s now headed NW in Elliott Bay.
3:01 PM: MT now shows it moored in Magnolia’s Smith Cove. We’ve added our photos taken from Jack Block as Albatross (worth $80 million per this page) crossed the bay.
Sign in starts at the @34dems Legislative District Caucus at West Seattle High School cc @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/DPb3mpn8me
— 34th Democrats (@34dems) April 17, 2016
12:12 PM: That photo tweeted by the 34th District Democrats is from the next step in the process of choosing the party’s presidential-nomination delegates: The legislative-district caucus, officially starting at 1 pm at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW). Those voting there today were chosen at the precinct-level caucuses last month; the list and other info can be found here. More than 1,000 delegates and alternates are expected; if you’re going, please bring a donation of non-perishable food for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks.
5:20 PM: No word on results yet – commenters and tweeters say the event has moved very slowly.
7:09 PM: Not over yet, according to Twitter reports (see the latest from the hashtag #WAcaucus here), which indicate some other legislative-district caucuses are also still in progress.
9:24 PM: As of the top of the hour, the delegate counting wasn’t over yet, according to an e-mail report from Jill, who sent this photo:
Meanwhile, from the official 34th District Democrats‘ Twitter account:
For everyone who tweeted frustration about the @34dems caucus today: will try to post an explanation on https://t.co/b1hOCisu9b by midnight
— 34th Democrats (@34dems) April 18, 2016
But the bottom line: if you are frustrated you must become actively involved in Democratic Party process to change the way things are.
— 34th Democrats (@34dems) April 18, 2016
10:41 PM: While the caucus adjourned about an hour and a half ago, delegate tallying isn’t over, Jill adds – the Sanders delegates’ ballots are still being tallied.
12 MIDNIGHT: Another photo from Jill. Still waiting for word:
12:39 AM: 34th Dems’ web editor Bill Schrier has published a post on the organization’s website with some explanation, as promised, of what happened over those many hours. Bill, like everyone else in the org, is a volunteer, something he mentions they needed, and need, more of.
If you’ve been thinking about Sunday dinner at Azuma Sushi in The Junction, you have two more chances, tonight and next Sunday. As of May 1st, Azuma will be closed on Sundays. And that means a regular day off for this mainstay:
That’s Harry Tu, co-proprietor and sushi chef for Azuma, who has worked seven days a week since the restaurant opened in 2000. We photographed him while lunching there on Saturday, after getting a tip from a patron about the notices posted throughout the restaurant and on the menus:
Harry’s standards are exacting, we’re told, and so even though Sundays have been a half-day at Azuma, open just for dinner, he’s still worked a full day, coming in early to prepare the fish and vegetables with which his creations are made. But starting two weeks from today, he and everyone at Azuma will get Sundays off. Their hours are staying the same otherwise.
(The ospreys are back from South America and nesting, reports Mark Wangerin, who shared this image and the one at the end of this roundup)
Today is much quieter than Saturday – but the calendar isn’t entirely empty:
PEONY AND BAMBOO FESTIVAL, DAY 2: 10 am-4 pm, the second of two days for this celebration at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge. See the schedule here, including demonstrations, Q&A, food, other vendors, more. (6000 16th SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street in The Junction – with today’s features including a noon cooking demonstration, and new vendors – details here. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
6TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION @ WEST SEATTLE RUNNER, DAY 3: Final day of the celebration/sale at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), continuing during store hours 11 am-5 pm – details here. (2743 California SW)
MEET THE GREYHOUNDS: 11 am-1 pm at Mud Bay in The Admiral District, Greyhound Pets Inc. invites you to a meet-and-greet. (2611 California SW)
SOUTHWEST STORIES: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s monthly series continues with a look at “West Seattle Heritage in Jazz,” featuring vibraphonist Tom Collier, who recorded this music-enhanced video invitation:
2 pm at Delridge Library, Collier will talk AND play. SPL, by the way, co-sponsors the series. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
OPERA PREVIEW LECTURE: 2 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, “an entertaining preview lecture on Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Wagner’s stirring fable which recounts the stormy romance between a supernatural sea captain and a young woman obsessed with his legend.” (2306 42nd SW)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … next week, next month, beyond, via our complete calendar.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning:
OVERNIGHT GUNFIRE: We checked with police to find out if overnight reports of possible gunshots in the Admiral and High Point areas led to any confirmation of gunfire. According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, “a few casings” were found at 35th and Raymond, but “no known property damage, injuries, or verifiable witnesses to our knowledge at this time,” and “nothing else from any of the other locations where people reported hearing what sounded to them to be shots being fired.”
COAT STOLEN: A resident at 17th and Cloverdale says a coat was stolen from her car in front of her house between about 8 and 10:30 last night, a “women’s navy Barbour coat with hood and red interior in a size small … the suspect left another article of clothing on the sidewalk, presumably something he/she did not find as interesting.” She thinks that after grocery-shopping late in the day, “I had forgotten to doublecheck all car doors were locked.” Please comment, or let police know, if you happen to see a coat like this tossed aside somewhere.
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