West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
7:02 PM: As forecast, the clouds cleared and the sun shone in time for tonight’s first Summer Concerts at Hiawatha show. Hundreds are on hand to see and hear West Seattle-residing singer Carrie Akre:
You still have time to get to the park (east side of Hiawatha Community Center) to enjoy the show until 8 pm or so. If you can’t get there tonight, you have five more concerts to enjoy, over the next five Thursday nights – courtesy of the Admiral Neighborhood Association – see the schedule here.
10:20 PM: We recorded this song:
Akre returned to West Seattle last year, as noted in this WSB story from November.
Thanks for the texted tips about Seattle Police SWAT officers at 9200 16th SW. Unlike last week’s West Seattle sighting, this was NOT training – this is for real. They’re carrying out a search warrant, police said at the scene. Too soon for details, they said, but they described it as a “drug-related warrant.”
City records show an auto-repair business licensed at the site through the end of last year.
That’s Pablo and he’s one of the Fauntleroy Children’s Center students who helped “Stuff the Bus“ when WestSide Baby‘s diaper drive made a stop at historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse today.
These might just be the youngest bus-stuffers to participate in this year’s drive.
We’re told that the FCC community gathered 4,000 diapers to contribute! The young donors got a chance to hang out in the bus a bit, too.
The heart of this year’s drive started with last Sunday’s donation event at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction and – since WestSide Baby serves families outside this area too – continues on Capitol Hill this weekend (9 am-2 pm Sunday at St. Joseph’s, 732 18th Ave. E.). If you haven’t donated yet, go here to find out how to help.
P.S. Congratulations to Fauntleroy Children’s Center for recently getting re-accredited for five more years by the National Association for the Education of Young Children! Director Kim Sheridan says, “We have been accredited since 1987 and are currently the only center in West Seattle with NAEYC accreditation.”
(From left – Miguel, Abel, Jimmy, Akili)
Congratulations to four West Seattleites who are part of a regional soccer team that’s had a huge year, culminating in a trip to the national championships in Tulsa. From Nikki:
Would like to share that 3 local players from West Seattle are headed to the semifinals of the US Youth Soccer National Championship on Saturday.
Akili Kasim (goalkeeper from West Seattle High School), Abel Kidane, and Miguel Macias Garibay (field players from Chief Sealth International High School) are all part of Seattle United 98 Copa. The team is led by Coach Jason Farrell and Club Director (also a longtime resident of West Seattle) Jimmy McAlister.
Seattle should be proud: This team has won some great titles in the last 10 months. From the far west title, Division 1 state title, Dallas Cup champs, and in June, won US Youth Region 4 title, now headed to the semi-finals of the us youth soccer National Championship.
Seattle United is the group champs – they have won all three games this week and will head into the semi-finals Saturday at 8 am (6:00 am Seattle time).
The photo above was taken after today’s game, which was delayed for more than three hours because of thunder and lightning. You can see the scores and track their progress on this page of the national-championships website.
Just found out from Sonia Sillan at Straight Blast Gym Seattle (WSB sponsor) that there’s room for more participants in their free “Warrior Woman” self-defense seminar 11 am-2 pm this Saturday (July 25th). From the Facebook event page, the description:
This seminar isn’t your typical self-defense seminar. Our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically). We’re going to show you a wide range of practical techniques and more importantly, the concepts that are critical to learning how to avoid becoming a victim of violence. No experience necessary; open to all women, and girls age 10+.
Go here to sign up – click on the calendar box for the 25th and it’ll lead you through. (Or cal 206-420-1834.)
A memorial is planned next Tuesday for Dolores Barnecut, who died two weeks ago at 88. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Dolores M. Barnecut succumbed to cancer on July 9, 2015, surrounded by her family.
“Dee” was born in Seattle on July 26, 1926, and was the only daughter of the late George and Margaret Anderson. She graduated from West Seattle High School, Class of 1944, and she married her high-school sweetheart, Richard J. Barnecut, in 1947. Dick and Dee lived in West Seattle for the entirety of their 68-year marriage.
As the consummate wife, mother and homemaker, Dee was always in your corner and selfless in her commitment to those she loved. She was a happy person, humble to a fault, and she presided over a happy household.
Dee was a longtime member of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in West Seattle, where she served on the altar guild. The family vacation home on Hood Canal was a special place for her. She was a loyal fan of Husky football and held season tickets for almost fifty years. As the nest emptied, Dee had the opportunity to evolve and nurture her artistic side, and she developed into an accomplished and prolific watercolorist.
Dee will be remembered for her devotion to her family, her sense of humor, and her tenaciously positive outlook on life. She was a purveyor of unconditional love before that term became fashionable, and she gave her children what all parents must: roots and wings. Mom was tired at the end but she faced her final illness pragmatically and with her characteristic wit, dignity, and toughness. She will be missed and never forgotten.
Dee is survived by her husband, Richard, four adult children and their spouses: Margaret (Paul) Abrahamson, James (Jamie) Barnecut, Mary Ellen (Ron) Smulski, and Andrew (Lisa) Barnecut. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Tom Smulski, Jill Smulski, Jenny Abrahamson, Rachel Barnecut, Nick Barnecut, and Angelina Barnecut.
A memorial service honoring Dee’s life will be held at St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church on Tuesday, July 28th at 3:00 p.m. with reception to follow at the parish hall. The church is at 3050 California Avenue SW. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the charity of your choice. Sign Dolores’s online Guest Book at Legacy.com and/or at emmickfunerals.com.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Photo by Erik Walum)
The next big summer series starts tonight! Though the weather looked a little suspicious earlier, it’s improving! So first, our spotlight event:
SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA – SERIES BEGINS: 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, come see/hear local singer Carrie Akre as the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series (co-sponsored by WSB) opens – first of six Thursday nights. Free! (Walnut/Lander)
Also from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:
SHOW YOUR STRIPES – TIGER ART VISITS! 1-3 pm at High Point Library, a traveling show of tiger art visits, on behalf of the Woodland Park Zoo‘s newest exhibit. Details in our calendar listing. (35th/Raymond)
DELRIDGE GROCERY FARMSTAND: 4-7 pm, it’s the second week for the fresh-produce farmstand presented by the Delridge Grocery Coop and friends, in the Super 24 lot. (5455 Delridge Way SW)
GET FIT, WEST SEATTLE! INFO NIGHT: Come to West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) at 6:30 pm tonight to learn about the free couch-to-half-marathon training program. (2743 California SW)
DESIGN REVIEW DOUBLEHEADER: From our reminder earlier this week, tonight’s Southwest Design Review Board meetings at the Senior Center of West Seattle are:
6:30 PM – 4801 Fauntleroy Way SW. 21 apartments, 7 live/work units, 950 sf of retail space across from the south side of The Whittaker. Previous WSB coverage here.
8 PM – 4700 SW Admiral Way, the Aegis Living proposal for an 80-unit assisted-living center on the site of the former Life Care Center. Previous WSB coverage here.
That’s what’s on the SWDRB online schedule, anyway (last week the scheduled hearings were flipped at the last moment without notice – we’re checking to verify tonight’s order). The Senior Center is at Oregon/California.
PORT OF SEATTLE @ WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm-8:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. At the heart of the agenda, as provided by WSTC leadership:
6:45-8:00: Port of Seattle, Bari Bookout, Director of Seaport Commercial Strategy and George Blomberg (Sr. Enviro. Program Mgr.: Discuss future plans for T5 and transportation issues as they relate to West Seattle.
· Which stakeholder groups have you involved in the conversation about improving the WS Bridge Transportation Corridor — between the WS hill and I-5?
· To help alleviate pressure off the low bridge, and reduce freight-blocking congestion on the high bridge, would the Port be willing to move some budget money toward commuter infrastructure improvements?
· Have you explored Seattle impact fees, and other supplementary funding options with the city, county, state and federal governments to help pay for transportation infrastructure improvements?
· Train horns are intended to be noisy, typically between 85 dBA and 115 dBA at 100 ft compared to a jet airplane at 600 ft altitude causing 120 dBA. Will the port install quiet zones at public street train crossings to mitigate train horn noise?
· Regarding T5 expansion traffic impacts: Please walk us through your justification that a $230M expansion project, that appears to significantly increase multimodal congestion in an already heavily congested area, didn’t require an EIS? In other words, how do you know that this will work for you as well as residents and other businesses in WS without due diligence?
(6400 Sylvan Way SW)
LIVE/WORK IN ADMIRAL? THIS IS FOR YOU: The next “focus group” about crime/safety/policing in a local neighborhood is at 6:30 pm tonight at the Southwest Precinct – this time, focusing on the Admiral area. Backstory here. (2300 SW Webster)
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: Greenstage presents “The Two Noble Kinsmen“ at 7 pm in Lincoln Park. Free! Follow the signs from the main parking lot. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
WHAT, THAT’S NOT ENOUGH? Check our calendar for more!
A month-long public-comment period is now open for two matters related to Nucor, the steel mill in North Delridge – renewal of its Air Operating Permit and also a proposed Order of Approval for a change in the way it “determines the amount of sulfur dioxide” that it’s releasing. While the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says these involve NO change to what Nucor is, and is allowed to, emit, they want to hear from you if you have something to say, so we’re republishing the notice that just arrived in our inbox:
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing out of the ordinary so far in today’s outbound commute.
SATURDAY NIGHT VIADUCT CLOSURE: According to Metro’s alert for Saturday night’s Seafair Pirate Run and Torchlight Parade downtown, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for about an hour – time approximate but the race runs approximately 6:30-7:30 pm – and the southbound side won’t be affected at all. Remember that the parade itself spans the length of downtown, Seattle Center to the International District, mostly on 4th Avenue, and that will result in closures for most of the evening.
ADDED 8:05 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: From the Seattle Municipal Archives, dated August 1916, a streetcar scene, identified only as Donald Street:
Click the photo to go to its page on the SMA site. We believe this is North Admiral, as maps show Donald St. only in the Hamilton Viewpoint vicinity.
Following up on the arrest that caught attention on the last day of West Seattle Summer Fest: 
20-year-old Justin R. Vincent, Jr., is charged with first-degree theft for allegedly stealing a money pouch containing $4,500 from a festival vendor. As reported here in our festival coverage that day, after the pouch was grabbed from a food vendor at California/Alaska, a man running southbound on the sidewalk on the east side of California was pursued and tackled by citizens while festival-patroling police were summoned. They arrested Vincent, a Sunrise Heights resident, and got all the money back. He has no criminal record and, as reported in our first followup, was released on his own recognizance after a day in jail. A few days later, records now show, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed the felony charge as recommended in an SPD detective’s report. No weapon was involved , and no one was hurt, though the detective’s report says Vincent complained of soreness and was treated by SFD medics at the Southwest Precinct before being taken to jail downtown. (WSB photo of 7/12/15 arrest)
Another big achievement for a local youth-baseball team – from Eric Olson of West Seattle Baseball:
The West Seattle Baseball 10U All-Stars went 5-0 in the PONY NW Regional Championships, earning their way to play in the PONY West Zone Championship next week in Los Alamitos, California. The team mashed their way through the tournament, beating every team by 10 or more. They beat Seattle Pony in the championship game, 11-1.
Pictured left to right: John Cahill, Chase Clifton, Joel Clark, Jack Cahill, Brendan Johnson, Eric Olson, Jimmy Zeissel, Patrick Galvin, Jing Gardner, Tyler Eisenhut, Pat Galvin, Kai Perala, Ryan Moore, PJ Barton, Brody Olson. Not pictured: Elliot Paskett
Their tournament in California starts one week from tomorrow.
(July 2014 WSB photo)
This time tomorrow night, the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (map) will be full of people listening local singer Carrie Akre, who’s first up in this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with co-sponsors including WSB. Showtime is 6:30 pm Thursday, no admission charge, bring a blanket and/or chair, bring your family/friends/date/co-workers/neighbors/whomever, and enjoy the evening! This is the first of six consecutive Thursday night shows (see the full season lineup here).
After three days on a 2-boat schedule because of repair work elsewhere in the system, Washington State Ferries says the “Triangle” route will be back to 3 boats tomorrow:
The Tillikum will rejoin the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route by mid-morning, Thursday, July 23. The route will return to the regular, three-boat schedule at that time. Thank you for your patience during the recent temporary downsizing of this route.
Tomorrow morning, retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Bridget Guerrero starts a four-day, 160-mile run around Puget Sound, and it will include a stop Saturday at Westwood Village, according to a notice circulated to merchants there. (Thanks to Donna at Giannoni’s Pizza for the tip.) The photo is courtesy of our friends at MyEdmondsNews.com, who wrote last weekend about Maj. Guerrero’s plan, part of Valor Run, an organization honoring military women lost in Iraq and Afghanistan; 160 have died since 9/11, so Guerrero’s run will include one mile for each. According to the webpage about her run – where you can make a donation – “Bridget’s goal is to raise $5,000, which will be split between Valor Run, Inc. and the USMC Scholarship Foundation for a scholarship given in the name of USMC MAJ Megan McClung.”
Guerrero starts running tomorrow morning on Whidbey Island and will conclude her run Sunday in Dupont, southeast of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Her full route can be seen here, and you are invited to run with her at any point along the way. She is expected to arrive at Westwood Village sometime between 12:30 pm and 3 pm on Saturday. An “honor station” will be set up for the occasion in the center of WWV across from Carter’s, according to the notice circulated to merchants, which says it will be supported by Warrior Pointe as well as by a local family, relatives of U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarod Newlove, killed in Afghanistan five years ago.
If you’ve been to Seacrest today and noticed the photography crew … including support RVs along Harbor Avenue to the east … here’s what’s up: After getting a tip from Sunny, we headed over for a look. It’s a photo shoot for Timberland Shoes. A crew member told us the bicycles in our photo are among the props and also mentioned they’ll be shooting tomorrow at nearby Don Armeni (where “no parking” signs are already up).
The County Council has just voted to send “Best Starts for Kids” to the November ballot. As explained on the county website, it’s a “six-year levy lid lift at a rate of 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which would raise about $58 million in the first year and a cumulative $392.3 million, at a cost to the average King County homeowner of about $56 per year.” King County Executive Dow Constantine proposed it earlier this year as a way to help give more young people a better chance at a trouble-free life with prevention/intervention early on, instead of just casting them to the wind in the early going and finding them in trouble with crime, addiction, etc. later. Here’s the full county announcement explaining the levy and today’s vote.
(West Seattle and Mount Rainier, seen from the Bainbridge ferry route; photo by Elizabeth Bourne)
Highlights for the rest of today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SCIENCE FUN AT DELRIDGE LIBRARY: 11:30 am-12:30 pm for ages 5-12, “Professor Ficklestein’s Physics Phactory.” Details in our calendar listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
NETWORK! Noon at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), our area’s only coworking center. Even if you love whatever form of nontraditional work you’re doing, take a break from the home office and go meet others to share ideas and inspiration. (6040 California SW
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARMSTAND, WITH ROAR: Remember it’s a double freshness feature at the High Point Market Garden Farmstand this summer, 4-7 pm Wednesdays – not only can you buy the fresh organic produce grown right there on site, but the ROAR Mobile Farmstand is visiting too as shown in our coverage from opening day last month. Elliott from ROAR wants to make sure you know this:
ROAR market provides Puget Sound Coop-sourced local veggies to complement the P-Patch gardeners’ offerings. … Specifically, we’d like to raise awareness around the fact that residents of the Seattle Housing Authority in the High Point Neighborhood are eligible for vouchers that subsidize the cost of our produce. Vouchers are to be distributed in the August edition of The Voice; they are available at the Neighborhood House in High Point; and residents of Housing Authority in High Point can access vouchers at the market, too. The voucher offers half-off all produce up to $10.
Find the High Point Market Garden and ROAR produce today at 32nd/Juneau.
CRIME/SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE ALKI AREA? Tonight is YOUR “focus group” with a research assistant who’s working on behalf of the Southwest Precinct – come talk about your concerns regarding crime, safety, police presence and/or lack of it. 6-7 pm at the precinct. (2300 SW Webster)
POEMS AND STORIES AT C & P: Rayn Roberts is the featured reader for Poetrybridge‘s monthly event tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – plus, the community microphone! 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
MORE ON THE CALENDAR, AS USUAL … see for yourself here.
Seattle Parks‘ new superintendent Jesús Aguirre is moving into the job with a “listening tour.” As just announced via the department’s Parkways website, it starts July 28th in South Park and includes five West Seattle stops (all 6:30 pm events)
· Hiawatha Community Center, Aug. 11
· Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, Aug. 18
· Alki, Aug. 19
· Delridge, Aug. 25
· High Point Community Center, Oct. 28
All are billed as chances for you to tell Superintendent Aguirre your ideas about Seattle Parks. An immediate way to do that is via an also-just-announced online survey – we just previewed it; just five questions. Go here to take it.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
So far, nothing major happening in the outbound commute. Looking ahead:
SATURDAY NIGHT VIADUCT CLOSURE: Exact times haven’t been announced yet, but the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for a few hours Saturday in connection with the Seafair Pirate Run (6:30 pm); that precedes the Seafair Torchlight Parade, which brings surface-street closures through downtown until late evening, particularly the parade route itself on 4th Avenue from Seattle Center to the International District.
ALKI ART FAIR SATURDAY/SUNDAY: Watch for a preview here later today. No street closures, but the beach will be busy, and there is a transportation note – free shuttle bus; details on the festival website’s home page.
7:40 AM: The bridge is “almost at a standstill,” notes one bus rider; no incidents that we’re seeing/hearing about.
The week after Mayor Murray went public with his housing proposals – concurrent with release of a report by the advisory committee appointed to examine the issue – the City Council got its first official briefing:
The Seattle Channel published video today of Monday’s first meeting of the council’s Select Committee on Housing Affordability – the creation of which was announced last week, at the same time as the mayor’s proposals and the Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory committee (HALA) report.
For this update on the plan, we also sat down with a West Seattleite from the HALA committee, Cindi Barker, to talk through a few of its more-confusing points. (She was not on the committee as a West Seattle representative, but as a member of the City Neighborhood Council.)
First – some toplines from Monday’s council meeting. Early on, a city staffer offered an understatement, saying it will be a “long conversation” because “some of the suggestions do step outside of the comfort zone.”
Much of the briefing focused on the backstory of how this all happened.
One major issue of interest brought up by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen was the oft-quoted contention that the city has enough “capacity” for all the new housing it needs, without any upzoning.
SUMMARY: Twenty people spoke tonight at the only local hearing the Washington Charter School Commission will have for Summit Public Schools‘ proposal to open West Seattle’s first charter school in a supermarket-turned-church building in Arbor Heights. Only one was a charter-school critic. Another voiced some skepticism. The other 17, including Summit employees and even a recent graduate from a Bay Area Summit school, voiced strong support. The speakers were chosen in a drawing; when they were done, time remained, and many more numbers were called, but almost all those ticketholders seemed to have vanished. Meantime, the commission will make its decision in mid-August and is still taking written comments.
Below, our as-it-happened coverage of tonight’s meeting:
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6:12 PM: We’re at what will become, if the state Charter School Commission approves, the home of the first charter school in West Seattle, where three commission members are in attendance for an official public hearing/forum on the proposal. Summit Schools, a California-based charter operator, wants to open a middle-/high-school campus at 9601 35th SW, just purchased by a charter-development firm from Freedom Church (which is leasing back the space until the project gets under way). We’ll be reporting live as the hearing goes.
Joshua Halsey, executive director of the commission (whose members include West Seattleite Steve Sundquist, former member of the Seattle Public Schools board), has just welcomed attendees and explained the process, that the commission will vote to approve or reject Summit’s application in mid-August. Two other commissioners are here, including Trish Millines Dziko, who leads the Technology Access Foundation, which has its headquarters in White Center.
Halsey says speakers will have up to 2 minutes each (longer if they need translation services). A stenographer is here to record the comments. A rough estimate of the crowd? Maybe 100 people, seated in the Freedom pews. Written comments are being accepted, by e-mail and postal mail, between now and July 31st, Halsey says.
And with that, Jen Davis Wickens, Summit’s chief regional officer for Washington, begins her presentation. (We spoke with her for our most-recent story on the proposal, which we’ve been covering since the first of the year, after finding out about it via an application in city Department of Planning and Development files.)
She first shows, on the big screens here in the cavernous former supermarket, a shot from “signing day,” a celebration of college acceptance among Summit schools.
That painting by JoEllen Wang will soon be a familiar sight – it’s on posters for the West Seattle Urban Farm Tour that’s just been announced by WS-based Seattle Farm School, whose Katie Stemp shares the news:
I’m organizing a one-day tour of urban agriculture sites all around West Seattle. It will be Saturday, August 8 from 10 am – 3 pm and include more than 15 locations including private homes, community gardens, school gardens, and organizations that promote and support urban farming here in our community! It’s only $12 for adults and FREE for all kids under 18! Very family-friendly!
Buy your ticket online here, where you’ll also find more info about the tour.
Three weeks ago, we noted the city Department of Planning and Development‘s announcement that a development-tracking map was in the works. Today, the map has gone public.
(Screengrab from DPD’s ‘Shaping Seattle’ map)
It’s called “Shaping Seattle,” and you can click any dot on the map to see aspects of a project that’s in or has gone through Design Review, including the most-recent design proposal, a timeline of meetings and decisions, and how to comment on the project. We just spun through what it shows for West Seattle and noted a few glitches – a project you see on the map might be active, or stalled, or even already built, and that won’t be readily obvious unless you follow the development files day in and day out (one example of “stalled,” 2310 California SW), so be sure to read the fine print and check the dates. But take a look for yourself by going here. This comes eight months after a private technologist, Ethan Phelps-Goodman, created something similar, Seattle In Progress; we talked with him recently and he’s continuing to refine and add on to what he’s created.
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