West Seattle, Washington
02 Saturday
It’s hot already – 86 degrees at the top of the hour, according to the closest official National Weather Service gauge at Boeing Field, and this isn’t even typically the hottest time of day. But the NWS now verifies it’s going to get hotter, and has issued an Excessive Heat Watch alert for Friday/Saturday – see it here. By Saturday afternoon, it could be into the mid-90s, says the NWS. The mayor’s office, meantime, has published a list of “cooling centers,” including, in West Seattle, the Delridge (5423 Delridge Way SW) and High Point (35th/Raymond) branches of the Seattle Public Library, and the Senior Center of WS (Oregon/California). We’ll be compiling a list of other air-conditioned locations – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
We’ve been talking about the new pedestrian-safety beacons at local crosswalks – recently installed at California/Dakota, in the process of installation at 11th/Holden, and in the works for the 5900 block of Delridge Way by the front entrance to the Boren Building, home to K-5 STEM and interim home to Arbor Heights Elementary. This afternoon, SDOT announced the timeline for installation of the latter, along with the promised crosswalk and curb ramps, and curb bulbs: “Crews plan to begin work on Monday, July 6, with construction expected to last approximately two weeks. Crews will work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. During this time, pedestrians will follow signed detours next to the school or into a temporary walkway using the parking lane.” The improvements, which the school community and other safety advocates have long sought, are funded by the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund and SDOT’s Safe Routes to School program. (The same area is also getting a speed-enforcement camera system, as reported here two weeks ago.)
A Celebration of Life is planned this Saturday for Diann Marie Sales, who died on June 9th at age 46. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Diann Marie Sales was born to Daniel C. Higgins and Florence Marie Higgins, on March 11, 1969, in Seattle, Washington. She went to Auburn Senior High School and later earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Diann met Ryan Jay Sales in 1994, and married him in Seattle in 2004. Diann worked as a visual artist and art framer at Northwest Art and Frame in West Seattle. Throughout her life she worked in mixed media, including photography, painting, and handcrafts. Diann’s dream of becoming a mother was realized when she and Ryan adopted Elliot, born in 2011, and Frances, born in 2013. Their adoption was finalized hours before she passed away after a courageous, nine-month battle with uterine cancer.
Diann was loved by all, from the children she cared for as a nanny, to regular customers in the West Seattle community, to co-workers, to longtime friends, to a large extended family, to her sister and brother-in-law, her beautiful niece and nephew, and especially her husband and two extraordinary children. She was a much-loved, unique, creative, and singular woman who will be deeply missed.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in honor of her exemplary life may be directed to Amara Parenting and Adoption Services, the organization who facilitated the adoption of her two children.
Celebrating the Life of Diann Marie Sales: Saturday, June 27th, 2015, 6:30 pm, Arbor Heights Community Church, 4113 SW 102nd St; Facebook link here. For anyone interested in attending, please contact Ryan J. Sales by 6 pm Friday: 206-225-9586.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
(City-provided photo of one of the stolen fish)
FAUNTLEROY CREEK OVERLOOK ART THEFT: Fauntleroy Creek steward Judy Pickens tells WSB that someone has stolen part of the art installation at the fish-ladder overlook across from the ferry dock:
I’m sorry to report that someone cut through the base of both the bronze coho
salmon and cutthroat trout that have been part of “Stream Echo” since its installation at the fish-ladder viewpoint in 1998. … The city’s Office of Cultural Affairs has contacted artist Tom Jay to request replacements. Because Tom is very involved with art installation at Cove Park, we have no idea when he can recast the fish.If the thief still has the fish, we would welcome them back, no questions asked, on our front porch – 4539 SW Director Place.
Judy’s husband Phil Sweetland discovered the theft yesterday, but she says it could have happened any time in the past several days. Though this is on a smaller scale physically, we still couldn’t help but be reminded of the as-yet-unsolved Walking on Logs sculpture theft, which happened almost exactly a year ago.
MOONDROP COFFEE & TEA BREAK-IN: Proprietor David Livingood from the little coffee shop across from Seacrest sent word this morning that someone broke into their shop late last night. They’re still trying to assess what was stolen but wanted to get the word out. (We were headed that way this morning when diverted by the crane fire and are still planning to go over and find out more – we’ll update when there’s more information.)
(Mount Rainier @ 5:40 am today, by Rolly Francisco)
Busy news day already, but we want to remind you about four important events tonight before we move along to more news:
WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK/HELPLINE OPEN HOUSE: Everyone’s invited:
Please join the Board of Directors of both the West Seattle Food Bank and the West Seattle Helpline for our Open House, tonight, June 25th from 5 – 7:30 pm in conjunction with the West Seattle Chamber After Hours. Both the Food Bank and Helpline will have board members, staff and volunteers on hand to answer questions, give you a behind-the-scenes look at how both of our programs and collaboration help those in our West Seattle community that are in need of our help. Appetizers will be served and provided by Pecado Bueno in the Junction and Seattle & Oregon Wine Awards. West Seattle’s own 11 Olives will be doing a tasting of their Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Everyone is welcome including the kids. We have limited parking in our garage but there is plenty of street parking. We hope to meet you all tonight.
This is happening in the building where WSFB and WSH both have HQs, at the southeast corner of 35th and Morgan.
DESIGN REVIEW DOUBLEHEADER: Two projects are on the Southwest Design Review Board agenda tonight at the Senior Center of West Seattle. 6:30 pm, it’s the second Early Design Guidance review of the proposed CVS drugstore at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW (previewed here; design packet also viewable here), and then at 8 pm, it’s the first Early Design Guidance review of the latest proposal for developing High Point’s last big stretch of vacant land at 35th/Graham, described on DPD’s website as “a 4-story structure containing 89 residential units, 8,500 sq. ft. of office space and 1,500 sq. ft. of retail space located at ground level. surface parking for 98 vehicles to be provided” (design packet here). All welcome – both meetings will include opportunities for public comment. (Upstairs meeting room at SC-WS, Oregon/California)
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm monthly meeting at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. The agenda, sent this morning by the WSTC, focuses on outlining the group’s legislative priorities. All welcome. (6400 Sylvan Way)
PARKS BOARD PUBLIC HEARING ON ‘GUIDELINES’: Earlier this week, we reported on Seattle Parks‘ proposed “guidelines” for Natural Areas and Greenbelts, which have sparked concern among those who fear that’ll open those areas to commercial/disruptive uses. Tonight at 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown, it’s the Board of Park Commissioners‘ official public hearing on the plan for anyone with something to say, pro/con/otherwise. (100 Dexter Ave. N.)
THOSE ARE JUST FOUR OF TODAY’S CALENDAR LISTINGS … please go here for the full slate.
(WSB photo)
10:11 AM: Two cars have collided and are blocking all but one lane – the outside southbound lane – at 35th and Cambridge. A private ambulance has arrived for one person who medics have been checking out; two tow trucks are arriving, too, so it should clear before long.
10:25 AM: Police report that all lanes are open again.
(Added above: Photo courtesy Bryan & Janet Jones; below, WSB video by Patrick Sand)
FIRST REPORT, 8:27 AM: Seattle Fire is upgrading a “car fire” call in the 4700 block of SW Andover to a “full response” so lots of units are heading that way and we’re told the smoke is visible for some ways around. (added) First units on scene are describing it as a “well-involved crane” with “power lines below the crane” – dangerous situation – avoid the area.
8:33 AM: Thanks to Kimberly for the photo:
Our crew just arrived and says it’s in the alley between 47th and 48th. From the scanner, the fire is “confined to (the mobile crane) and fence.” Firefighters are working to keep it from spreading.
8:38 AM: We’ve added a short Instagram video clip from our crew atop this story. Firefighters say the fire’s under control.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
No injuries reported. The smoke was visible from as far away as downtown – here’s one of the views tweeted to us:
@westseattleblog View from Downtown. pic.twitter.com/SYOL9YHaAI
— Hubert Ka (@TPW1981) June 25, 2015
8:46 AM: Update from our crew at the scene: The mobile crane was lifting roof trusses for a construction project nearby. Those items are largely undamaged.
(WSB photos from here down are by Christopher Boffoli unless otherwise credited)
The fire response is scaling down. No report of flames spreading to nearby homes – firefighters got it handled in time.
8:54 AM: SFD tells us they believe the fire started when the crane touched a wire, which would explain commenters’ reports of a brief power outage at about the same time.
9:00 AM: Thanks to John for the video we’ve just added above this line. We still have crews at the scene but also just have heard via scanner that Seattle City Light has advised SFD to keep a 30-foot safety perimeter around the burned crane.
The project with which it was associated, according to our crew, is at 4007 47th SW, which is showing in city permit files as an addition to a single-family house.
9:23 AM: Thanks to everyone who sent photos, and to those with additional scene info in comments. Adding to the story, as well as adding photos shot by WSB’s Patrick Sand and Christopher Boffoli. The scene, meantime, has stabilized to some degree; we will be checking back later.
9:39 AM: Also via scanner – the power lines “are still energized” and they’re awaiting City Light’s arrival to cut the power as well as a salvage crew to remove the crane.
10:07 AM: Not sure how this will affect people in the area but now they’re saying SCL won’t be able to shut down the power until noon or so. At least one SFD engine is remaining on scene TFN.
5:05 PM: It’s been pointed out to us that power’s been out since just after noon, for more than two dozen customers (homes) in the surrounding area. The City Light website projects restoration soon.
10:30 PM: The power outage is over. But a quick drive through the area shows the fire-damaged crane is still there.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:07 AM: So far, no trouble headed outbound from West Seattle.
7:33 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Since it’s quiet – we’ve gone back into the Seattle Municipal Archives for a look back. No date for this photo, but you can narrow it down fairly well since it was taken during the construction of the “high bridge” in the early ’80s:
Click the image to go to an SMA page where you’ll see the photo in a much-larger size (when you do, scroll right for a closer look at the vehicles waiting to cross, including early ’80s-era buses).
8:03 AM: Thanks to the texter for alerting us to a crash at 40th/Oregon. They report a driver and motorcyclist involved; the SFD 911 log says it’s an “aid response,” which generally means injuries are NOT major.
8:08 AM: Per scanner, eastbound traffic on Oregon will be diverted at 41st. If you usually use Oregon to head outbound, avoid it TFN – head for Alaska, or even 35th, to get to the bridge.
9:32 AM POSTSCRIPT: After arriving at the crash scene and finding out traffic was no longer being diverted, we ourselves had to divert to the 47th/Andover fire (separate story). But WSB’s Christopher Boffoli covered the crash for us too:
He reports:
Driver of the small silver car told police she was headed westbound on Oregon when the motorcycle, headed southbound on 40th, ran the stop sign and they collided. The woman driving the car said it was her birthday today. She had two very small children with her but everyone was OK. Scared and a little shaken up but physically fine.
Again, this is more than an hour ago now, and as far as we know, the scene is clear. The motorcycle rider was transported by private ambulance, indicating non-life-threatening injuries.
9:59 AM: We’re checking out another crash now – 35th and Cambridge, reported to be blocking all lanes. Update as soon as our crew arrives – we’ll break it out into a separate story if it seems major. (We did – and then it cleared fairly quickly.)
10:42 AM: If you will be riding Metro downtown this Saturday, you might want to know about this advisory we just received:
On Saturday, June 27 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the bus stops northbound and southbound on 3rd Av at Virginia St will be closed due to construction. Affected buses will operate via their regular routes, but will not serve the regular stops at Virginia St.
During this closure, board or exit northbound routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 16, 24, 26, 28, 33, and the RapidRide D Line and RapidRide E Line at the temporary stop northbound on 3rd Av just north of Lenora St.
Board or exit southbound routes 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 16, 21, 27, 33, 40, 120, 124, 131, 132, and the RapidRide C Line and RapidRide E Line at the temporary stop southbound on 3rd Av just north of Lenora St.
Riders can also board or exit buses at their regularly scheduled and posted stops prior to or after Virginia and Lenora streets.
Visit the Metro Service Advisories page for specific stop information.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Admiral/Upper Alki residents opposed to SDOT’s Southwest Admiral Way Safety Project have just launched a campaign titled Keep Alki Safe.
With little advance notice of the proposed Admiral Way changes, SDOT first presented them at April’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting (WSB coverage here), then at May’s Southwest District Council meeting (WSB coverage here), and finally in a contentious standalone community meeting May 21st at Alki Elementary (WSB coverage here). That meeting included the following slide deck, showing the heart of the plan in the final few pages, proposing removing more than 200 parking spaces along Admiral Way west of California SW, to make room for changes including the addition of bicycle lanes:
(Slide deck from May 21st meeting)
The parking removal is the center of concern for area residents, for reasons including that it would require some of them to park across Admiral and dodge traffic to get to and from their vehicles. When they heard SDOT say it considered the parking removal to have a relatively nominal impact because of usage studies they had done in the winter, rather than in the busy summer season, that led to further concerns. From the group’s newly launched website:
We are a group of neighbors who came together, in shock and disbelief, in April 2015, when Seattle Department of Transportation informed us they were planning to remove 200 parking spaces on Admiral Way, between the Admiral Junction and 59th SW, four months hence. Admiral Way is a residential arterial, bordering the Alki Parking Overlay; it is the main access route to Alki Beach, the Alki business district, Alki Elementary School, Alki Community Center, a church, and the Alki neighborhood.
We are concerned that SDOT does not understand this street: the traffic patterns, the parking, the adjoining structures and the safety challenges. Most of the accidents on this section of Admiral Way are caused by impaired drivers, late at night. The SDOT Admiral plan is dangerous because SDOT would force some residents to park on the dangerous side of the street, the side where impaired drivers crash into cars and structures on a routine basis. The plan is dangerous because SDOT would also force some residents to cross a busy arterial, with children, elderly and handicapped family members in tow, to get to their cars. The plan is shocking because this portion of Admiral Way suffers from extreme parking congestion during the summer and during school pick-up and drop-off time.
The new website also links to an online petition asking Mayor Ed Murray to drop the plan, and organizers say they’ll soon have yard and roadside signs to catch the attention of neighbors and visitors alike, including ones like this:
Organizers also tell us they are lobbying elected officials directly and expect to meet soon with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
As for where the plan officially stands:
At the May “open house,” pressed by Admiral Neighborhood Association president David Whiting to commit to at least one more public meeting about the project, SDOT agreed. No date’s been announced yet; Rasmussen asked SDOT director Scott Kubly about this project’s “public process” during yesterday’s City Council Transportation Committee meeting (starting 53 minutes into the clip at that link); Kubly said he knew one public meeting had been held and thought multiple additional meetings would be ahead. The project website now shows this timeline, mentioning a “community briefing” in late summer:
We left a message for project manager Emily Ehlers today to ask about the status, and have not received a response.
Pagliacci Pizza in The Junction has been remodeling and expanding into the former boutique space next door, so it can expand its sit-down area and start serving slices. We first reported on the plan last December; work started in April, and tonight, Pagliacci’s Shelly McNulty sends word that they’re almost done:
We plan to start serving slices next Tuesday, June 30. We will be open for lunch at 11 am daily. However, our delivery hours will remain the same, starting at 5 pm weekdays and 4 pm weekends. In addition to pizza by the slice, dine-in customers may enjoy a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine and beer and wine offerings (unfortunately not available for delivery).
Next year will mark Pagliacci’s 20th anniversary in its Junction location.
Summer weather arrived early, and it’s led to an early opening for the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, selling freshly harvested vegetables grown steps away, at 32nd and Juneau. Today is the first of the farm stand’s weekly selling sessions between 4 and 7 pm on Wednesdays – while there, we noted peas on sale for $3/pound and a variety of other veggies, including greens, leaf lettuce, and root vegetables, on sale for $2/bunch. We also were there for a blessing by The Venerable Soveth Mountain from Wat Dhammacakkaram Khmer Buddhist Temple, dedicating the stand’s season:
The words of gratitude, as printed on a commemorative card:
Thank you, earth, for this food,
Thank you to the gardeners who till this soil,
Thank you to the sellers who bring the food to market,
Thank you for this abundance,
Which we accept in grace and deep gratitude.
The stand is extra-abundant this year because of a new partnership with the urban farmers of ROAR (Roots Of All Roads), who are selling at a table by the stand – what’s there today is from Hillman City, we were told:
They’re also offering samples of a squash salad prepared with some of the items on sale today. Again, if you don’t make it there by 7 pm, stop by next Wednesday, 4-7 pm, and see what’s fresh. The Market Garden, by the way, is tended by community farmers, in partnership with the city Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Community Garden program.
2:56 PM: As we were discussing here just yesterday, while fireworks are illegal within the Seattle city limits, they’re legal on the other side of the line, in unincorporated King County, and that’s unquestionably where some if not most of the fireworks illegally used here are bought. So you might be interested to know that community leaders from the unincorporated areas of North Highline and West Hill have just launched a petition drive asking county leaders for an emergency fireworks ban – the petition is on this Change.org page. The petition is addressed to the County Executive and County Fire Marshal. We’ll be checking with their offices, as well as with County Councilmember Joe McDermott, to see if this is something they are considering. Right now, fireworks sales in the unincorporated area are scheduled to start at noon on Sunday.
3:43 PM: We’ve just spoken with Jim Chan in the King County Permits and Environmental Review department, which oversees the Fire Marshal’s Office. He says the same thing that commenter Karen was told by the County Executive’s Office – that the county has no authority for an emergency ban; any ban couldn’t take effect for a year. Chan says a few Washington counties’ laws enable such a ban – Douglas and San Juan Counties, he mentioned – but for King County, that sort of authority has just never come up. We asked if the state would have authority, then, to take an action that could enable an immediate emergency local ban, and he said yes. So we’ll be checking next with the state Fire Marshal’s Office. Meantime, we were forwarded a news release that the county Fire Marshal’s Office had been planning to issue, saying only this:
King County fire agencies are urging citizens to attend one of the many professional public fireworks displays during the Fourth of July weekend. Prolonged dry weather and below average spring rainfall have cured grass and vegetation growth, creating high fire danger nearly six weeks earlier than normal. Last year in King County fire agencies responded to nearly 200 fire calls with 82 of them related to fireworks, as reported in the 2014 Washington State Fire Marshal report.
While it is not advisable to light fireworks, follow the three B’s – Be Prepared, Be Safe, and Be Responsible. Retail fireworks go on sale June 28 through July 4 and in those communities that allow fireworks, discharge is limited to July 4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. only.
If you’ve been letting parking tickets pile up … this could happen to you:
Just announced via SPD Blotter:
Seattle Parking Enforcement Officers began issuing Courtesy Notices to vehicles with 3 unpaid parking tickets today. Notices encourage motorists to address unpaid tickets and alert them that after 4 unpaid tickets, the vehicle is subject to being booted with a wheel-locking device; whether they are parked legally or illegally.
Courtesy Notices help motorists avoid the added time and expense of the boot and ensure motorists are informed even if the City does not have a current mailing address for the vehicle owner.
For vehicles with 4 or more unpaid tickets where the City does not have the vehicle owner’s address, a 30-Day Notice will be placed on the vehicle.
Read the rest of the announcement – which includes links you can use to check if you have a ticket-backlog problem – by going here.
(WSB photo from June 2014 Field Day)
By proclamation of the governor, it’s Amateur Radio Week in our state – and it will wrap up this weekend with a big event that you’re invited to visit, Field Day on the south end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club is one of the groups that’ll be participating. Here’s the official announcement:
Members of the Puget Sound Repeater Group (PSRG) and the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, June 27 – 28, 2015 South Seattle College (behind Olympic Hall) in West Seattle. Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.
For over 100 years, Amateur Radio — sometimes called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster, all without needing a cell phone or the Internet.
(Panorama by Chris Frankovich)
Highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Lots of story times at local libraries to help with summer fun – today at 10:30 am, preschoolers (and their designated grownups) are welcome at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)
NOONTIME MEETUP AT OFFICE JUNCTION: Did you meet the Office Junction‘s designated signkeeper at the Morgan Junction Community Festival last weekend?
Don’t know if he’ll be there, but today, YOU and your fellow home-office workers, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, coworking-curious West Seattleites are all invited to the OJ (a WSB sponsor) at noontime for the free weekly meetup/networking opportunity. (6040 California SW)
MEDICAL-MARIJUANA RULES @ COUNCIL COMMITTEE: 2 pm, the City Council’s Finance and Culture Committee takes up the city’s new proposed rules regarding medical marijuana and how they will be enforced; some current operations face closure. Live on Seattle Channel if you’re not going to City Hall. (4th/5th/Cherry/James)
FRESH AT THE FARM STAND: As previewed here earlier this week, the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand‘s opening earlier this year, and you can buy fresh-grown organic produce there every Wednesday, 4-7 pm, starting today, through September. (32nd/Juneau)
WEST SEATTLE PRAYERS FOR CHARLESTON: 6:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, you’re invited to join in prayers for the Charleston, S.C., massacre victims, one week later, as previewed here. (3050 California SW)
GO THROW! West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee‘s 6:30 pm weekly pickup game is tonight at Fairmount Playfield. (Fauntleroy/Brandon)
MOTOPONY, LIVE AT EASY STREET: 7 pm at Easy Street Records, free all-ages album-release show by Motopony – more info in our calendar listing. (California/Alaska)
POEMS & STORIES AT C & P: It’s the monthly Poetrybridge event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, featuring Mike Hickey this month, and community-microphone readers; details here. (5612 California SW)
LOOK UP! First-quarter moon tonight, and the latest Skies Over West Seattle says moonrise/ moonset provide optimal viewing – check the times here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:36 AM: After a short delay for what turned out to be a small fire in South Delridge (we’re still updating here), the overall traffic watch is on.
8:01 AM – TRANSPORTATION NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: From Tuesday coverage here and elsewhere, in case you missed it:
*11th/Holden pedestrian-safety beacon going in
*47th/Admiral/Waite signal & crosswalks update, plus a reader concern
*Council committee keeps property-tax plan for transportation levy
8:23 AM: Via Twitter, we’re getting reports of at least two SPD traffic-enforcement areas this morning – on the bridge (thanks to Joe for the tip; he saw at least five drivers/riders “lined up” for citations) and at 35th/Morgan (thanks to Randall for that tip).
8:35 AM: And thanks to Lola for mentioning an orange-cone hazard (usually they mark hazards; this time they WERE the hazard) on the bridge; an SDOT tweet suggests they’ve been handled.
7:13 AM: Big fire response right now to the (corrected address) 9200 block of 17th SW (map) in South Delridge. First crews on scene say it’s a brush fire in front of an apartment building.
7:16 AM: The fire is quickly pronounced “tapped,” and they’re canceling some of the units.
7:30 AM: According to our crew on the scene, SFD is saying that so far, this appears to have been started by cigarette(s) tossed into bushes, and that it scorched a deck of the 2-story building before being put out.
ADDED: Damage is estimated at $5,000.
The photos are from West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade organizer Jackie Clough of Alki Party Treasures (WSB sponsor) – as of tonight, Walking on Logs alongside the Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge is decked out as a red, white, and blue reminder that the holiday is just a week and a half away.
As always, the parade starts at 10 am on the 4th (which is on a Saturday this year) at 44th and Sunset in North Admiral (map) – all welcome to participate – walking, biking, riding in a stroller or wagon. The route goes through the neighborhood and then over to Hamilton Viewpoint Park for post-parade games (sack races, etc.). Three ways to help:
1. Bring diapers for WestSide Baby
2. Volunteer to help with the post-parade games
3. Loan Jackie a bullhorn/microphone so they can bag the equipment that in the past has cut out on the national-anthem singer and announcements
E-mail her at jackie@alkipartytreasures.com if you can help with #2 and/or #3 – for #1, just bring them on the 4th!
(Photo taken this evening, looking westward at 47th/Admiral/Waite)
Two messages tonight about the 47th/Admiral/Waite signal and crosswalks project. First one is a progress report from SDOT:
Work resumed last week at the intersection of 47th Avenue SW and SW Admiral Way. Crews installed the signal poles and striped the intersection, including new crosswalks. They also began installation of wiring in preparation for the new signal heads that we expect will be delivered later this week. We anticipate approximately three more weeks of construction while the signals are installed and configured.
The striping of the crosswalks before the signal’s installation, however, led WSB reader Jennie to e-mail this safety concern and ask if we’d share it:
I was wondering if you might be able to highlight a safety concern and an extra need for people to slow down and use caution when driving through the new Admiral stoplight intersection that is being created near Alki Mail and Dispatch.
There are not lights yet to control this intersections, yet they have decided to lay down all of the crosswalks. I am *very* concerned that someone is going to use one of these new crosswalks (potentially even young kids now that they are out of school) and get hit. The one crosswalk that was always there was placed in about the best position for line of sight for cars and it obviously didn’t do its job well with crossing deaths and accidents.
Crosswalks don’t require lights – don’t even require striping (as explained here) – but nonetheless, since the painted crosswalks are new features and the light is still a few weeks away, it’s a good idea to take extra care in that area as people using all modes get used to the new features.
(2012 photo by Gary Jones)
It’s been a fixture for years on Alki Beach, right next to the Seafair Pirates’ Landing (which is coming up this Saturday)- the Alki Swashbuckler Beach Vault pole-vaulting competition. 19 years, according to its website, which is where we found out that it’s NOT happening this year for the first time since 1996. The website mentioned only the Pirates’ Landing date change as a reason, but this is the second year since the landing moved up to late June, so we contacted the presenting group to find out more.
Becca Gillespy Peter of Pole Vault Power explained in response to our inquiry, “The early date is bad for us, we have multiple conflicts, primarily the USA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and our local Junior Olympic Association Championships.” She said that while one of those conflicts existed last year, they made the choice to give it a try anyway, but the weather was iffy – more of a risk in June than July – and the turnout seemed lower. With all that and some communication challenges with the Seafair Pirates organization, they decided to cancel: “We are bummed to have to cancel the event after 19 years, but hope to return next year … We do hope to return next year, it may conflict with the Olympic Trials, depending on what date they choose, but I should be able to find enough volunteers to run the event in my absence, if necessary …” And if you just want to get your annual fix of pole-vault spectating, Becca reminds us, “We also have a beach vault every year on July 4 at the city of Tacoma’s Freedom Fair Festival; this will be the 21st year in a row for pole vaulting at that event.”
(West Seattle section of Parks map showing ‘natural areas’ in purple, parks in green)
Remember the GoApe/Lincoln Park kerfuffle three years ago? In short – Seattle Parks spent one year talking with a commercial zipline operator about a potential facility in Lincoln Park without any public notification/discussion. A local advocate got wind of it, asked us about it, we reported on it, local community advocates organized against it, the proposal was withdrawn.
No specific proposal of that type has emerged since. But natural-space advocates say they’re afraid a new Seattle Parks policy proposal that has a public hearing this Thursday (June 25th) – sparked by the controversy over a mountain-bike course elsewhere in the city – would open the gates for it, and for much more. They are circulating an online petition and sounding the alarm.
You might already have seen discussion of this in the WSB Forums. The “briefing paper” about what’s formally known as “Natural Area and Greenbelt Supplemental Use Guidelines” explains in this preface:
The purpose of the Supplemental Use Guidelines is to provide a transparent tool to evaluate use proposals in Parks’ classified Natural Areas and Greenbelts. (See map, Appendix B of the Guidelines.) The impetus to develop use guidelines came from the difficult process Parks, the Board and the community have been through regarding locating a new use – a bicycle trail – in the Cheasty Greenspace, one of Parks classified Natural Areas. We need to ensure that as an agency, we are meeting the needs of all of our residents and that policies reflect the
changing needs of residents and long-term goals for the city and Parks.
Here’s the full document:
One of the loudest opposition voices is from the Seattle Nature Alliance statement, which has major roots in West Seattle. Its statement includes a link to its petition:
Seattle Parks Department proposes to change the use policy for Natural Areas and Greenbelts, allowing previously prohibited uses in protected areas. After heated community debates over a proposed commercial zipline in Lincoln Park (2012), and more recently, a mountain-bike skills course in the Cheasty Greenspace, Seattle Parks seems to be proposing this policy change to streamline future projects and is ignoring the growing concerns about Seattle’s booming development and its effect on natural areas.
Concerned by equitable access to nature and potential damage to wildlife habitat from overuse, the Seattle Nature Alliance launched a Change.org petition. – ‘Preserve Seattle Parks Natural Areas and Greenspaces’. The Seattle Nature Alliance is opposed to the expansion of ‘specialized’ recreation in our natural areas and greenspaces. Co-director Denise Dahn believes “these revisions give privileges to a select few at the expense of everyone else. This is unfair as well as environmentally unsustainable. Parks are for everyone.
Parks staff is recommending that the Parks Board approve the new guidelines. First comes this Thursday’s public hearing, during the board’s 6:30 pm meeting at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.) Their vote is expected four weeks later, on July 23rd.
(2012 photo: Illegal fireworks at Hamilton Viewpoint Park while spectators awaited view of legal Lake Union show)
With the 4th of July a week and a half away – plus an extra-long spell of warm, dry weather already well under way – the Southwest Precinct asked us to share a reminder that’s more important than ever:
The Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department would like to remind the public that fireworks are illegal in the City of Seattle.
The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited. Fireworks offenses are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.
Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. The holiday-related fires and injuries are preventable.
On the 4th of July, 911 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 911 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 911 and getting help.
Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 911. Other fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number at 206-625-5011.
Via Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores, we also have SPD info-sheets to share on preventing/deterring crimes that are even more common in the warm season:
*Car prowls
*Making sure your windows are secure
*Making sure your doors are secure
*Burglary deterrence, outside your home
*Suspicious behavior and when to report it
P.S. More crime-prevention info is just a few hours away at tonight’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meeting.
The restaurant that’s moving into the north section of what was Admiralty House Antiques has set its opening date.
Via Twitter, Mioposto told us today that it’s planning to open the 2141 California SW restaurant on August 6th. News of Mioposto’s West Seattle expansion came back in January; our most-recent update was in March, when proprietor Jeremy Hardy told us they’ll open for lunch in Admiral as well as dinner. This will be Mioposto’s third restaurant, after Mt. Baker and Bryant. (Here’s the current menu.)
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