West Seattle, Washington
04 Monday
(UPDATED with pics from others who did some cleanup! Share your photo: editor@westseattleblog.com)
Got a little time before dusk? You can make a big impact by heading down to the beach with a bag. There’s been lots of talk today about the noise of last night – not quite as much about the debris in its aftermath. West Seattle advocate/activist “Diver Laura” James reports back on what she found when she went to the shore this afternoon to see the aftermath:
I went out for about an hour and got halfway down Alki Beach. The fireworks debris is not as prominent as it was last year after the private fireworks display, but there was definitely stuff to be cleaned up.
The public beaches are actually a bit cleaner than the private beaches and the park next to my house, mostly because the cops shut the beach down at 11 pm last night. I encourage everyone to take 15 min to half an hour and walk the local beaches in your neighborhood. If you don’t have a local beach, take a stroll by the local park. If you don’t have a local park, check your street. It may not be your fireworks debris, but I would put a healthy wager on all of us having shot off some assortment of noisemakers at some point for which others did the cleanup. Puget Sound and its inhabitants don’t care who fired them off, it’s who picks them up that really matters. While you are out there, feel free to pick up some other trash as well – plastic caps, styrofoam, plastic utensils, earplugs, wrappers, you name it… Every little bit helps and your individual actions count.
There is a garbage patch growing on the bottom of Puget Sound, and the only way we can stop it (other than everyone learning to dive and coming with me to clean it up) is to stop the trash before it reaches the waterways. So step up, bend down, and pick up that trash. Do it for Puget Sound, do it for our collective future. A lot of the cardboard and plastic debris is up in the high tide line, mixed in with the seaweed …
… but with a bit of patience you can pick it out.
If you can’t spare any time tonight – maybe tomorrow.
ADDED: NW went to Alki and shared this photo afterward:
ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: Here’s what Claire picked up:
Anybody else? editor@westseattleblog.com
By this time next weekend, we’ll be right in the middle of West Seattle Summer Fest, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year. So this weekend, the countdown continues, with our spotlight tonight on the schedule for live music, with 25 acts featured over the festival’s three days (Friday-Sunday, July 11th-13th).
The basics:
*One stage, toward the north end of the festival zone, on California SW north of SW Oregon (“CA” on map, above)
*Free
*Music starts at:
—-2 pm Friday (last band @ 9 pm)
—-Noon Saturday (last band @ 9:30 pm)
—-2 pm Sunday (last band @ 6 pm)
On the Summer Fest website’s music page, click on any act’s name to go to a website or Facebook page with more info. And note the beer garden’s right by the stage – but you can also enjoy beverages and food at The Junction’s year-round restaurants and lounges, some of which set up temporary outdoor-seating areas just for Summer Fest.
1:26 PM: Thanks to Anne from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) for the tip: Colman Pool (on the shore at Lincoln Park) is closed today, with a sign up citing “mechanical” problems (Anne also shared the photo of the sign). Another reader had e-mailed earlier in the day saying they’d walked by and noticed the pool was almost empty, but at the time there was no sign about its status. The lifeguard who answered the pool’s phone is tracking down more information for us to share, and we’ll add to this as soon as we get it; meantime, the city’s indoor pool in this area, Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle), is open as far as we know – here’s its schedule.
2:11 PM UPDATE: More information from the pool – one of the main circulation pumps failed overnight and the pool lost a lot of water. They’re working right now to find the part they need, and if it can be found and installed today, the pool could be refilled tonight and could reopen tomorrow – but note, as the sign in the photo says, the water would be cold, since there wouldn’t be time to fully reheat it, so, we’re told, they would have discount pricing. They’re promising to update their phone message and website, and we’ll update too.
5:52 PM UPDATE: Just got word that they haven’t yet procured the part they need, so the pool will be closed tomorrow too. It’s already noted on the pool website, which also makes note of the previously scheduled swim-meet dates during which Colman Pool will NOT be open for public swims – next Friday/Saturday (July 11-12).
SUNDAY NOTE: The part is expected Monday, which means the pool’s likely to reopen Tuesday. We’ll have a separate story a bit later.
12:18 PM: We don’t have an official count – and probably won’t be able to get one before Monday – but multiple people have reported multiple tire-slashings along 48th SW in the Seaview area overnight. Heading over just now for a look, we found the vehicle above – a neighbor, figuring out what to do about his own tire-slashed vehicle, said the SUV’s owner was off making arrangements; Doug had sent a photo earlier of that same SUV before the vandalized tires were removed, and said he saw four others plus a police officer talking to someone. This was near 48th/Juneau; a commenter reported being hit near 48th/Findlay. Even if some have already reported it, the more individual reports in the system, the better, so if it happened to you, please do file a report – you can even do it online.
3:01 PM UPDATE: We’ve heard estimates of more than 30 cars vandalized in this incident. Some neighbors are starting up a fund with a reward for information leading to the person(s) who did it. Several neighbors also have responded to our request for additional photos – this one just in, with the tipster noting, “Our poor neighbor’s car – all 4 tires”:
Chris sent several pictures, including his own Mustang and, below right, a vehicle you can’t help but notice any time you drive that stretch of 48th, which is a minor arterial:
4:17 PM UPDATE: And more:
Here’s the e-mail set up for reward-fund contributions and tips on who did it:
paybackforpunks@gmail.com
The neighbor who set it up says, “Anonymity will be respected. If we get a link to or screenshots of someone tweeting about the deed, I think that will be sufficient evidence. I’m hoping the punks posted some bragging-rights pics of their handiwork.” Note that police have taken reports, so you can contact them too.
ADDED: There’s now a GoFundMe account for reward-fund donations – find it here.
P.S. A reminder from police – if you live ANYWHERE in this area and have a security/surveillance camera, please check it if you haven’t already – it might have recorded a clue, if not an actual crime, but some cameras don’t store images for long.
Alki Beach really did look like that, for a while, on the 4th of July – just a few hours before the rain moved in for a while. Whatever the sun decides to do today, we do have options for your post-holiday Saturday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, starting, in fact, at Alki:
BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: The Alki Volleyball Association has a full slate all day long.
CLEAN UP LINCOLN PARK: Three hours can make a big difference for a big park – the announcement explains why. 9-noon. (Meet at kiosk in Fauntleroy/Rose parking lot)
DONATE BLOOD: A holiday weekend is a time when blood supplies can get dangerously low. Help keep that from happening by donating between 10 am and 4 pm today at Holy Family – details in the calendar listing. (20th/Roxbury)
SAVE MONEY ON SIGNING UP FOR THE FLOAT DODGER 5K: 2 weeks until the 5K that precedes the West Seattle Grand Parade; if you’re not signed up yet, you can get a discount (and be eligible for raffle prizes) by doing it today at a special event at Float Dodger-presenting West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 11 am-3 pm. (California/Charlestown)
TOUR ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Another chance for free tours with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at Alki Point Lighthouse, 1-4 pm. (3200 Point Place)
MAD HATTRZ: Playing 9 pm-1 am tonight at Poggie Tavern. And it’s not just your regular band sets:
Pick a Song From The Hat! One of the best dumb ideas for a band anywhere – Each Show begins with a Hat containing about a hundred Songs – all sorts of Songs. Audience members randomly select Songs from the Hat; these Songs and their Stories materialize and become The Show. Stoopydkewl.
(4717 California SW)
DISCO COWBOYS: Live tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9:30 pm. (6451 California SW)
MORE! Just check the calendar.
8:37 PM: As night falls, we’re starting a sort of live chronicle/open thread going here – anything of note that we hear about via scanner, text (206-293-6302), e-mail, etc. We start with another reminder that if you lose or find a pet tonight, once you’ve checked around the neighborhood, please send a note – pic if you have one, but not mandatory – to editor@westseattleblog.com, and we’ll put a listing on the WSB Lost/Found Pets page, which is already busier than other days of the year. Hoping for a safe night for all.
9:04 PM: Police are checking out a reported strong-arm robbery at the bus stop on Barton by Roxhill Park, per the scanner. The victim is reported to have said a group of 8 or so robbers “stole his fireworks” and then got on a RapidRide bus. By the way, police *are* being dispatched to some fireworks calls. We’ve heard addresses from Westwood to Alki.
9:27 PM: A dispatch to the 2700 block of Alki right now, with a report of someone putting fireworks in front of cars and on fences. Meantime, LS in Highland Park just sent this report about something earlier tonight:
Around 8 pm, I saw someone driving away very fast in a very loud white pickup, and looking back toward my mailbox seconds before it exploded. Police arrived about half an hour after I reported it, and are submitting it to the bomb squad. It was a sizeable bomb. Apparently the same person (same pickup) was seen after exploding something else in W Seattle (according to the officers). Hopefully someone will see the license plate and report this jerk.
9:54 PM: The fireworks dispatches/callouts on the scanner continue – addresses all over West Seattle. Also a few minutes ago, four people reported to be brawling near 61st/Stevens in Alki. Meantime, the fireworks on Lake Union are now less than half an hour away.
10:26 PM: “Chinese lanterns, falling into people’s yards” in the 2400 block of Alki. (Likely the popular “sky lanterns.) And now another strong-arm-robbery report, not far from the first one – someone saying they were knocked down by QFC at Westwood Village, and had their wallet stolen. Police got there quickly and now report “one in custody.” (Again, this is all preliminary information – we won’t be able to see the final reports before Monday.) Over on Lake Union, the big Seafair-produced fireworks show has begun. (**a few minutes later**) Brush-fire call at the former Genesee Hill Elementary.
10:45 PM: Fireworks on Lake Union are over. East Alki will be emptying out. But the unofficial shows continue. Someone just texted about “huge” fireworks visible somewhere near California/College in Admiral.
11 PM: Police are going to start “sweeping the beach” to tell people Alki Beach Park is closed (as of 11) and that it’s time to clear out.
12:52 AM: Much quieter out there; so far, no major incidents in West Seattle, though police and fire have been plenty busy.
2:08 AM: Missed the initial dispatch for the “assault with weapons” call at 64th/Admiral. A private ambulance was called, suggesting non-life-threatening injuries, and the call closed after about half an hour, so, pending further info, it seems to have not been major; will update when we find out more.
2:47 AM: We’ve received a phone call from someone who says he was a witness. He says a stranger barged into a neighborhood party and stabbed one of the guests, then ran out. The caller alleges police were slow to show, and that the suspect – who he described as white, mid-30s, bearded, blondish-brownish hair, wearing a white shirt – was long gone. He didn’t have an update on the victim’s condition but did affirm the injury didn’t seem to be life-threatening. (added) Southwest Precinct Lt. Paul Leung did respond to our original inquiry and also said it was a private party, at which, he says, an “unknown person showed up and somehow got into an altercation with one of the guests. The guest was cut in the hand with a knife and the suspect left in an unknown direction. The injuries were minor. Everyone was intoxicated.”
4:06 AM: Reader report from Kristen:
Just want to report that there was a car crash here on Marine View and about a block south of 106th at about 2:44 AM – one that sent a Jeep off the road into a downhill bank. My household and I heard the screeching of tires and then a loud crash. We found a Jeep off the main road crashed in-between trees… but no one there. Apparently the driver and anyone else in the car split… we called the police and two officers arrived immediately. They’re towing the car and I suspect the driver will be notified accordingly (which makes it all the more silly that they would think running would be smart)…
Tonight is an especially perilous night because of the holiday, but people almost always come around the curve on MVD too fast, going north and south. This is not the first time we’ve known someone to take it too fast and go careening off the main road (we live on the part of MVD that dips below the main road), sober or drunk. I wish that drivers would be more cautious on the main road. Tonight was certainly a scary reminder that people need to be more aware that there is potential to careen off the road if they’re going too fast!
We’ll be checking with police to see if the car by any chance was stolen – which is sometimes the case when a crashed car is abandoned.
(Click picture for larger view)
Thanks to Jim Edwards for our first look at this year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu float, participating in this year’s Burien 4th of July Parade this afternoon. As seen in our earlier coverage, Hi-Yu Junior Court members were in today’s West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, minus float, but you’ll be able to see the float and both Senior/Junior Court royalty (and volunteers!) two weeks from tomorrow in the West Seattle Grand Parade (for which Jim is longtime co-coordinator) – 11 am Saturday, July 19th, with an easy-to-remember route – California SW between Lander (north side of Hiawatha) and Edmunds (south end of The Junction).
How many bridges have connected West Seattle to the mainland? What year did the first one open? What year did the bridge get hit by a freighter, paving the way (so to speak) for the current high bridge? Those are three of the trivia questions* that Southwest Seattle Historical Society executive director Clay Eals has asked so far in a quiz during the Log House Museum‘s traditional 4th of July picnic.
The trivia quiz is part of the SWSHS-led celebration of the 30th anniversary of the high bridge’s completion, with more events to come, as listed here – including a special booth during West Seattle Summer Fest July 11th-13th and an event at the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) courtyard on the 30th anniversary of the bridge’s completion, July 14th. Meantime, today’s picnic is on until 3 pm, and you’re welcome to come by – 61st/Stevens, one block inland from the beach, home of the renovated Admiral totem pole, and if you’re not already a SWSHS member, consider signing up during your visit (info here). The museum also celebrates its volunteers on this day; President’s Volunteer Service Awards were received by two people – (L to R) volunteer coordinator Bethany Green presented the awards to Kerry Korsgaard, and Dave Hrachovina:
*(Trivia answers: 13, 1890, 1978. The T-shirt Clay Eals is wearing was today’s quiz prize – the special commemorative shirt you can still buy at the LH Museum & Hotwire.)
The 20th annual West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade has just finished crossing California SW at Atlantic, on the way to the afterparty – family-style games at Hamilton Viewpoint Park (concessions too!) – even if your family missed the parade, c’mon down! Above, a quick Instagram clip from the first leg of the parade route; we’ll have lots more video and photos here later. And here’s what else is up today/tonight.
ADDED 3:28 PM: Above, our traditional annual video of everyone in the parade, from Admiral-based Seattle Fire Department Engine 29 at the start to the Seattle Police officer whose vehicle trailed the final parader (a wee bicyclist). Next: Video of the pre-parade ceremony:
In that clip are co-coordinators Jackie Clough and Allyson Schreck, former Mayor Greg Nickels (who lives near the parade route) …
… West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court Princesses Callie and Sadie (who also helped with the donation boxes pre-parade) …
… and national anthem singer Leilani Nitkey, who did a great job despite a faltering loudspeaker system (we were close enough with the video camera, we could hear her without amplification):
As Mayor Nickels said, “The real meaning of today is Independence Day, where we celebrate the fact that some very brave people … our forefathers, if you will … were willing to take a stand and declare that this nation would be independent, with certain inalienable rights, (such as) the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that was revolutionary.”
ADDED: A few parade photos (and don’t miss the pre-parade “bonus” pics at the end of the story). Here’s the contingent riding in the blue pickup that followed Engine 29:
Non-motorized transportation, otherwise, was the order of the day – including scooters:
Next – from the post-parade games on the green at Hamilton Viewpoint:
Kids toured the fire and police vehicles that had bookended the parade:
WSB sponsor A Kids Place Dentistry For Children handed out pinwheels:
The Admiral Neighborhood Association handled concessions as usual – this year, ANA president David Whiting (1st photo below) went mobile into the crowd, in addition to ANA’s fixed-location van (second photo below, with Kayle Shulenberger in the foreground):
Co-coordinator Jackie told us afterward that the parade diaper drive brought in 600 diapers and 100 wipes!
They’re going to WestSide Baby – in advance of its annual mega-drive Stuff the Bus on July 20th.
BONUS: Some views from the pre-parade sidelines, ahead:
Read More
In honor of the USA’s birthday, KBCS Radio is spotlighting stories narrated and produced by students from West Seattle’s Denny International Middle School. Not just via interviews – the students also worked on production of the stories, in conjunction with teaching artists from the Jack Straw Cultural Center:
Denny International Middle School students and staff come from diverse backgrounds and represent many nations. This spring, 8th grade Washington state history students at Denny interviewed staff and students, capturing their immigration stories. The students worked with Jack Straw teaching artists at their school and in the Jack Straw studios to create Immigration Portraits: Voices from Denny, a series of radio pieces documenting the immigration experiences of Denny students and staff.
The broadcast schedule on KBCS (91.3 FM on-air, kbcs.fm online) is one story a day starting today, at 7:30 am and 6:50 pm; the audio stories are also already published online, here.
(Photo by Mark Wangerin)
From transit changes, to info on the 10 am West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, the noon Southwest Seattle Historical Society picnic, and other events today, plus fireworks info and who’s open/closed, find it all here.
We’re counting down to West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 – presented by the WS Junction Association Friday-Sunday, July 11-13 – exactly one week away. This time, a quick infobit – the fun unofficially starts on what we like to call West Seattle Summer Fest Eve, when the streets close in the heart of The Junction on Thursday night, July 10th. The shutdown is technically for setup, but for years now, it’s also facilitated a whole lot of fun right in the heart of California SW – it’s the July West Seattle Art Walk (6-9 pm – previews next week), for one thing, and participants usually turn it up for this one. Then there’s the annual appearance of Bubbleman, out in the street in all his glory, courtesy of Elliott Bay Brewery. And somebody usually has live music in the street – usually more than one somebody. So plan to come down to The Junction not just for Summer Fest July 11-13 (co-sponsored by WSB), but also for Summer Fest Eve and Art Walk next Thursday.
One more quick reminder … we’re hours away from the 20th annual West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade, 10 am tomorrow from 44th/Sunset as always, proceeding to Hamilton Viewpoint Park for post-parade games – that’s all free, but bring some $ for the concessions sold by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. If you’ve never seen/been in this parade before, it’s casual and fun (here’s our video from last year) … just hundreds of people young and not-as-young walking through North Admiral streets – red/white/blue decorations are encouraged but not mandatory – after a bit of ceremony (including 6th-grader Leilani Nitkey singing the national anthem) at the beginning. No floats. Usually a pace pickup and banner. A couple notes tonight from co-coordinator Jackie Clough – if you are driving to the parade, please don’t park along the route (the streets to the west and south, basically, but especially not on Atlantic, both sides of California) and remember there’s no parking at Hamilton Viewpoint for the duration of the event. Also – there’s some road work on Palm, the last bit of the way to the park after the parade crosses California (police stop traffic for the crossing), so that means one slight change for the last half-block or so into the park. See you in the morning!
(January 2012 photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Remember the work done to toughen up the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the high bridge in 2011-2012, to make it more earthquake-resistant?
We’ve just learned that much of it has to be re-done because of parts that weren’t as strong as they should have been.
This is revealed in the slide deck that accompanies an item on next Tuesday’s City Council Transportation Committee agenda (thanks to the texter who pointed it out before we’d gotten a chance to read the agenda, which was just published this afternoon).
We’re still working to find out more – a challenge with government shutting down for a 3-day holiday weekend – but here’s what we know so far:
The problem, according to the slide deck, is with the bearing pads – cushions inserted between the bridge deck and supporting pieces such as columns – which should have been designed to be “stiffer.” This city webpage reminds us that more than 600 of those pads were replaced during the $2.7 million project. We took a closer look at the work in January 2012; much of it happened during overnight closures of the southwest end of the bridge.
One slide indicates this potential problem was noticed at final inspection of the work two years ago. Since then, it says, they’ve been working to develop a new pad design and putting together other logistics. That slide also mentions “Additional funding through existing Bridge Rehab Program; balance approx. $2.6M, pending design & additional scope.”
Preparation for replacement is scheduled for later this year; then the new bearing pads will be ordered and installation will begin next spring, with, “overnight & limited weekend structure closures.”
Again, we’re asking around right now to see if we can find out anything more before the holiday weekend. The Transportation Committee meeting with this item on the agenda is at 9:30 am next Tuesday (July 8th).
ADDED 6:07 PM: Our inquiry to SDOT was answered by manager Bill LaBorde. In a phone conversation, he confirmed that all 670+ of the bearing pads will be replaced, and that the $2.6 million cost is in addition to the original project cost.
One key clarification: He says that some of that cost – he didn’t have the breakdown handy, so we’ll expect it next week – is discretionary: The replacement bearing pads are being designed to an even-stronger (and costlier) industry standard that has come out since this project. Since they were redesigning and remaking them anyway, he says, they decided to go with the upgrade, which will extend the bridge’s life. Another part of the added $2.6 million will cover some “repair work” that needs to be done, separate from the bearing-pad replacement.
As for the original design flaw, he says that the design consultant was to blame, not city specifications – we asked, so if they had designed the bearing pads to what the city specified, no replacement would be needed? Yes, replied LaBorde.
Last but not least, we asked if this had been mentioned publicly since its identification as “an issue” in July 2012. LaBorde says it had been mentioned in SDOT directors’ reports at some previous Transportation Committee meetings. (We still have a message out to committee chair Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, and that’s one of our questions for him.)
(2011 US Navy photo of USS Essex)
The Blue Angels aren’t all that the U.S. Navy is sending back to Seafair this summer, after a year away because of federal budget travails. The Seafair Fleet Parade of Ships is back too – with the ships planning to sail past West Seattle shores on their way around Elliott Bay starting around 10 am July 30th. We just received the announcement of which ships will participate – the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), and guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83). All three are homeported in San Diego; they’ll also be open for public tours July 31-August 3. The Parade of Ships will include U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian participation, too – more as it gets closer.
P.S. Last amphibious-assault ship to participate in the Seafair Parade of Ships was the USS Bonhomme Richard in 2011 – here’s our coverage from that year.
Metro Transit has gone public with its annual Strategic Plan Progress Report, which its announcement says “provides data on 61 performance measures” and “includes opinions expressed by riders and non-riders, drawn from a survey of 2,500 King County residents. It also looks at how we stack up with peer transit agencies across the country.” This is in advance of upcoming assessments including an audit and “independent peer review.” Another recent report that might be of interest is the compiled customer-survey results on RapidRide, including the C Line. First: Toplines from the “progress report” announcement today by Metro general manager Kevin Desmond:
*Ridership continues to grow: We delivered 118.6 million passenger trips in 2013—a near record. An all-time-high 45% of King County households now have at least one Metro rider.
*85% of riders say they’re very or somewhat satisfied with Metro service. 90% of our riders say Metro is an agency they trust.
*Metro gets people to jobs: Almost all (97%) of Metro’s regular bus trips serve the region’s job and growth centers.
*Our buses were on time nearly 78% of the time. We continually monitor on-time performance so we can make adjustments to keep buses on schedule.
*Metro has significantly improved safety and security over the past 10 years and is holding on to those gains. Preventable accidents have steadily declined since 2011, and we’ve enhanced emergency response.
*Metro’s cost per hour grew 2.7% — above the inflation rate — but cost per passenger mile decreased by 3.1% as the job market improved and Metro buses carried more commuters.
*Fares covered 29.1% of Metro’s operating costs. Our farebox recovery rate increased by 8.8 percentage points in the past 10 years — more than most of our national peers.
*Energy use per bus boarding decreased 4.6% last year.
Next, the RapidRide customer-survey report. It was mentioned in passing in a Metro announcement last week but we didn’t happen onto the report link until today. Here it is. Skimming through, two points of note: From page 17, “Satisfaction with personal safety on RapidRide C Line remains significantly lower than it was on the routes it replaced.” And on page 22: “Dissatisfaction with the availability of seats on the RapidRide C Line is the primary factor driving lower overall scores” in the area of “satisfaction with things about the bus.” The surveys were taken on board RapidRide buses in April, according to the report, which also – after page 39 – looks at the D Line.
(Husky Deli proprietor Jack Miller with, at right, Teri Templin of the Rotary Foundation)
Congratulations to four people recently honored by the Rotary Club of West Seattle. Club spokesperson George Brinkmann shares the info and photos:
Jack Miller, the proprietor of the Husky Deli, was recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow award as an outstanding local businessman. He has long supported local Rotary project fundraisers. The Husky Deli opened for business in 1932. Jack is the third generation to operate the family-owned business, which features ice cream, catering, lunch, and groceries.
(L to R, Dave Vague and John Fretz)
Dave Vague and John Fretz also received Paul Harris Fellow recognition. For many years, Vague has volunteered as a coordinator of the West Seattle Grand Parade, to be held on July 19th this year. Fretz is an employee of Salty’s on Alki who has ably served Rotary luncheon meetings for more than 5 years.The Paul Harris Fellow award, named after the founder of Rotary, was established in 1957 to recognize individuals for whom contributions have been made to the Rotary Foundation in support of its charitable projects around the world, including the eradication of Polio. The Rotary Club of West Seattle made contributions to honor these three individuals.
(Aya Hoffman with RC of WS past president Len Burton-Hardin)
Aya Hoffman, President of the West Seattle-Burien Rotaract Club, received the Service Above Self Award, given annually to that person believed to best exemplify Rotary’s motto: ‘Service Above Self.’ Aya has volunteered her time and talent to serve as President of the West Seattle-Burien Rotaract Club for young adults ages 18 to 32 since its inception in 2012. She is the Communications and Events Manager at the Alexander Hamilton Friends Association in Seattle.
Charissa e-mailed with word of a power outage in the 48th/Edmunds area that she says started when a “transformer blew” around 9:30 am. The City Light site says 11 households are affected and they’re hoping to have the power back within a few hours. It’s notable because this is at least the second time this week that area’s had a small (double-digit or fewer customers) outage. The cause is listed, however, as still officially being “investigated.”
10:44 AM: Charissa says the power’s back on: “It was a crow pecking at a live wire attached to the transformer. Seattle City Light guy said happens all the time. they electrocute themselves. very sad. City Light puts a piece of plastic down to help prevent it from happening again.” So often, that’s what the small outages turn out to be.
That little harbor seal photographed by Adem at the Fauntleroy ferry dock last weekend wasn’t technically a pup, Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network explains, but rather a yearling. However, the season of seal births IS now under way, and if you see a little seal on a local beach, it’s most likely a nursing pup and it’s critical that you keep your distance so its mom won’t be scared away when she comes back for it. It’s also important to call Seal Sitters – 206-905-7325 (SEAL) – so they can help.
Earlier this week, rescuers had to intervene after a nursing pup got stuck in the rocks by Duwamish Head; the story is on their Blubberblog website. That pup, nicknamed Junebug, was the third spotted on West Seattle shores already this season, which Robin says is the earliest on record.
(Downy woodpecker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WADING POOLS *WILL* BE OPEN: Since it’s cloudy this morning, we called the city hotline to check. Hiawatha will be open noon-6:45 pm, EC Hughes noon-7 pm, and Lincoln Park (as well as Highland Park Spraypark) 11 am-8 pm. Addresses and full schedules are here.
HEALTH AND HARVEST AT THE COMMUNITY ORCHARD: Have the day off? This is your chance to check out the Community Orchard of West Seattle‘s weekly Health and Harvest tour/work party/Q-A session, 5-7 pm Thursdays on the northeast side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Read about it on the COWS website. (6000 16th SW)
NATURE EXPLORATION: 3:30 pm Thursdays, explore nature at Camp Long with naturalist Stewart Wechsler – details on his Stewardship Adventures in Nature website. (5200 35th SW)
LIGHTS ON AT SYNTHETIC-TURF FIELDS: Just so you’re not wondering why the lights are on tonight at Delridge, Walt Hundley, and Hiawatha Playfields – it’s part of Seattle Parks‘ plan to discourage fireworks use, which is illegal, dangerous, and costly. Here’s our previous note about it.
JACKIE POCK @ SALTY’S: 5:30-8:30 pm, live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), tonight featuring the acoustic music of Jackie Pock. No cover/minimum. (1936 Harbor SW)
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Four- or five-day weekend for many, with the 4th of July tomorrow, so the morning commute is reported to be quiet.
Reminder – holiday transit changes for Friday are listed on the WSB 4th of July page.
TRANSPORTATION NEWS: A few headlines from Wednesday, if you didn’t catch them first time around:
–Mayor announces SDOT director choice
–More repaving in Morgan Junction
–SDOT’s new plan for Admiral Way hill
–What went wrong with the low bridge Tuesday night
Two strong-arm robberies this week in West Seattle both ended with the victims reported being assaulted and being robbed of their smartphones. Both happened in local parks; we obtained police reports for both:
HAMILTON VIEWPOINT PARK, MONDAY NIGHT: Police were called to the park in North Admiral at 10 pm Monday night. The two victims told police they were in the grassy area of the park, kicking around a soccer ball, when three people approached them and asked if they could play too. They did, for about 10 minutes, and the victims decided to sit down to rest. At that point, the report says, one of the other three yelled “You’re getting robbed!” and all three attacked the first two, punching and kicking them, and then stealing personal belongings that had been on the ground nearby. As they got away, the three attacker/robbers dropped everything but one victim’s iPhone. The report says they left in what looked like a blue late ’90s or early ’00s blue BMW. The three were described as males – one white, 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, medium-length blonde hair, baggy clothing; another dark-skinned, “possibly East African,” 5’11”, 150 pounds, with a flat-top haircut; the other black with a medium complexion, 6’3″, 230 pounds, short shaved hair. Seattle Fire was called to check out the victims’ injuries; one was described as having a swelling on his jaw “the size of a golf ball.” Police did not find the robbers.
ROXHILL PARK, TUESDAY NIGHT: This call came in to police at about 10:41 pm Tuesday. The victim said he was jumped while walking southbound on the north-south trail in Roxhill Park, just south of the bus stop in the 2700 block of SW Barton. Both robbers hit and kicked him before taking two smartphones from him, an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy. He told police he recognized the two because they had been riding the bus with him from downtown all the way to Westwood, and that he had seen them often on Route 120 and on RapidRide Line C. Police did not find these robbers either; the victim described them as black, about 16 years old, both wearing black T-shirts and sweatpants (one orange, one black).
As Southwest District Council co-chair Sharonn Meeks said toward the start of tonight’s SWDC meeting, its agenda didn’t have one central guest or topic because “we just need to talk.” Rather than rattle off a mega-list of bullet points from the ensuing talk, we’ll be following up on a few things for separate stories, and making note right now of two things:
LAND USE SUBCOMMITTEE: Other neighborhoods have land-use committees that often look at projects of note outside official government processes such as design reviews, and SWDC announced a few months back that it intended to get one going as a subcommittee. The first meeting is finally set – 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 27th. Location TBD, agenda TBD, but if you’re interested in West Seattle development and land use and want to be part of a citizen-led group looking at it, set the date aside.
PARK DISTRICT BALLOT-MEASURE FORUM: Admiral Neighborhood Association president David Whiting announced that ANA’s meeting next Tuesday will include guests from both sides of the August 5th ballot measure proposing creation of a Seattle Park District with permanent taxing authority, instead of sending levies/bond measures to voters every several years to raise extra money for parks. The ANA meeting is at 7 pm Tuesday (July 8th) at The Sanctuary at Admiral, 42nd/Lander. (The Delridge District Council had a forum on the proposal in May; we recorded video.)
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