West Seattle, Washington
11 Tuesday
(Potential concept for the parklet – not an exact overlay – just a lengthwise comparison)
Until now, West Seattle wasn’t represented in the city’s pilot program turning a few street-parking spaces around the city into “parklets” – a program inspired by other cities including Vancouver (BC), San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
But today, SDOT confirms West Seattle’s first parklet is one of a dozen-plus in the works around the city (map added).
It will be at 3270 California SW, in front of Equilibrium Fitness (WSB sponsor) in the south Admiral area. Lora Swift of Swift Media Solutions is working with EQ Fitness on the plan, which is still taking shape, and, she says, will next go through “a couple of rounds of public comment,” as well as searching for a designer, and funding. With all that ahead for parklet plans, the approval is just the start – all the hosts around the city “will work with SDOT over the next several months to design, permit, and construct their parklets, with the goal of opening this summer,” according to today’s announcement.
The pilot program started with three test parklets, including a Capitol Hill bar whose parklet – open since last September – you can see here. If you’re curious about the rules and requirements, from size to mandatory insurance, you can read about that here.
Stand by for updates on how to have a say as the parklet plan takes shape.
(Thanks to the person who texted us this photo from the Bainbridge ferry this morning!)
Multiple reports this morning of orcas back in the area (thanks to Barb for the first report) – we’ve heard of southbound whales sighted near Bainbridge and Blake Islands. They’re reported to be closer to the west side of Puget Sound, so you’ll need binoculars. Please let us know if you spot them!
Another beautiful West Seattle bird – this time, a horned grebe in all his looking-for-love splendor, photographed by Mark Wangerin. On shore – and in the sky – highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PROPOSITION 1 CAMPUS RALLY: As previewed on Friday night, South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) students are rallying in support of the Metro/roads proposal for which ballots are due a week from tomorrow. Clock Tower plaza on campus at noon. (6000 16th SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Though it’s spring break for Seattle Public Schools, three local teams have home games today – West Seattle High School baseball is coming off a 5-0 win over Nathan Hale last Friday:
(Photo by Greg Slader: Pitcher Jake Magera, who threw six shutout innings Friday)
The Wildcats play Seattle Prep at Hiawatha this afternoon at 3:30 pm. Meantime, Chief Sealth International High School has two teams playing at Southwest Athletic Complex this afternoon at 4 – softball vs. Holy Names, baseball vs. O’Dea. (Schedule is per Metro League’s website.)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Tonight’s monthly meeting at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (Room 103) is at 6:30 pm, with agenda items including a letter of support for the Pathfinder K-8 playground project and a conversation with Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council chair Amanda Kay Helmick. All welcome. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
FOOD BANK WORK PARTY: Part of the PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) Food Bank program, 7 pm at West Seattle Food Bank, volunteers welcome; details here. (35th/Morgan)
PASSOVER … The Jewish festival of freedom begins at sundown tonight and continues for eight days. (Seders are on the schedule later this week at West Seattle’s Kol HaNeshamah synagogue.)
LUNAR ECLIPSE: As detailed in our most recent edition of “Skies Over West Seattle“ by Alice Enevoldsen, a total eclipse of the moon starts just before 11 pm tonight and continues for more than three hours. The big question is whether the weather will cooperate; the forecast foresees clouds tonight.
(WSB photo from the aftermath of the incident in November 2012)
Another West Seattle criminal case of note has ended in a plea bargain. Checking the cases on our watch list, we just discovered that 38-year-old Amy Lynn O’Brien has pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and hit-and-run. She’s the woman arrested in November 2012 for deliberately driving her car into two Chief Sealth International High School students across the street from the school. According to charging documents, O’Brien was upset about the 17- and 18-year-old girls’ interaction with her unleashed dog, and came after them with a taser and then her car, hitting them while driving at an estimated 40 mph. Both were badly hurt; one girl’s ear was nearly severed. O’Brien turned herself in the next day and spent about a week in jail before being released on personal recognizance. Court documents related to the plea bargain say a six-month sentence will be recommended when she is sentenced May 30th.
9:18 AM: Seattle City Light estimates the power outage affecting a section of southwestern West Seattle might not be fixed until after 1 pm. SCL says “equipment failure” is to blame for the outage at 77 homes in The Arroyos. (Thanks to Susan for the tip.)
3:55 PM UPDATE: The estimates of power-restoration time have moved back, and we checked with Scott Thomsen of SCL about the status:
There is a crew working on this outage. We know that it involves underground equipment. We do not yet know what piece of equipment failed or where that failure took place. The crew is troubleshooting the system to locate the problem and identify it so they can make repairs. The … estimate for restoration of service is only an estimate and could change once the crew finds the damage and determines what is needed to fix it.
11:50 PM UPDATE: Looks like it’s finally over as of late tonight, after, as is pointed out in a comment, growing at one point to almost 200 homes. We’ll ask SCL again tomorrow what the cause turned out to be.
TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Turns out it was not entirely resolved – see comment below – so we checked with SCL’s Thomsen again this morning:
Yesterday crews found that an underground cable failed, which caused the outage. They switched around the damage to restore power. A permanent repair involving the replacement of the cable is being scheduled.
Today, crews are investigating an outage on that same circuit. This is limited to equipment in a single underground vault. They are working to determine what piece of equipment failed. It is possible that the two events are connected. If the vault equipment failed first, it could have caused a surge that the cable could not withstand.
When the crew identified the failed cable, they believed they had discovered the problem and restored service to all customers. In some cases like this, a customer’s call to tell us they are still out is how we learn that there is other damage that needs to be fixed.
Back on Friday, we reported on the official debut of the city’s proposed rules for (including a definition of) microhousing, when the legislation showed up on the City Council’s Introduction and Referral Calendar. Today, another online city publication, the Land Use Information Bulletin, brings news of the public hearing required before a vote can be held: 5:30 pm Monday, May 19th, in the City Council chambers at City Hall downtown. Here’s the hearing notice, including a summary of the proposed rules (which you can read in full here) and details on how to comment if you can’t make it to the hearing. The rules would not affect any of the projects already making their way through the city system. (WSB photo: First West Seattle microhousing project to open, Footprint Delridge)
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Monday! It’s the first day of spring-break week for many if not most local schools (including all Seattle Public Schools), so traffic might be lighter. This week’s road-work alerts:
SW GENESEE: Its hill just east of Avalon Way is scheduled to close at 9 am today and remain closed for the next five days for concrete-panel work, as announced last week.
SW CHARLESTOWN: The project on the steep section a few blocks west of California SW is scheduled to continue through tomorrow. (10:21 am – Paula says in comments that it’s done)
I-5 LANE CLOSURES NEXT WEEKEND: Another weekend of lane closures on northbound I-5, just north of the West Seattle Bridge, is ahead – late next Friday (April 18th) through early next Monday (April 21st). Details here.
Though Handel’s “Messiah” is a Christmastime staple, it was actually written for Easter season. In that spirit, West Side Presbyterian Church is hosting a singalong – and playalong! – Friday, May 2nd:
The entire oratorio will be performed under the direction of Carreen Smith, director of music at West Side. All singers and instrumentalists are invited to participate. Sing the entire oratorio, all choruses and solos! If you don’t sing or play, come listen! Bring a vocal score if you have one. Vocal scores and orchestra parts will be available for loan at the event. Refreshments will be available at the two intermissions. There is a suggested $10 donation. All proceeds go to Care Net of Puget Sound. West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California SW.
Doors open at 6 pm, the music begins at 7.
P.S. Speaking of Eastertime, the annual WSB Easter/Passover page will be up Monday, so if you have an event (religious or secular) to which the community is invited, and haven’t sent it yet, please do – editor@westseattleblog.com – ASAP, so we can include it!
8:36 PM: Police and fire are on the scene of a crash at 35th and Brandon. Someone texted us to report that “a car hit another that drove off the street and through a fence.” 35th is blocked at Dawson on the north and we’re not sure yet where on the south; buses will be allowed through, according to the scanner. More to come.
8:55 PM UPDATE: Traffic is getting through both ways, alternating one direction at a time, slowly.
9:09 PM UPDATE: Police at the scene tell us both vehicles were headed southbound; one clipped the other, which went into a yard on the east side of the street. One person was taken to the hospital.
10:14 PM UPDATE: In comments, Erin reports the scene is clear.
Two coyote reports to share tonight – one sent this afternoon by an Arbor Heights resident who says her neighbors don’t believe they come out in the daytime. Check the WSB archive of coyote sightings, some with photos – they do! And/or, click ahead to read today’s report (and another one that had been in queue):
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
4:49 PM: No serious injuries reported in a collision involving two cars at 37th and Thistle in Gatewood (map), with one car on its side, but westbound Thistle is blocked until a tow crew arrives.
5:05 PM: Added a photo. Our crew doublechecked at the scene and police confirmed, no one required medical attention at the scene. The road should be clear shortly. P.S. Thanks to the people who called and e-mailed to let us know about this.
If you’re hearing the sirens and/or seeing the Seattle Fire units – false alarm; it’s just a barbecue that apparently generated enough smoke to worry somebody. The fire response has just been called off.
After the Boston Marathon attack one year ago, West Seattleites ran to show support – and this year they’ll do it again. Just in from Lori McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), an invitation for you to join “a 3-mile run in memory of Boston’s bombing last year and to run in solidarity with our friends running the Boston Marathon.” It’s planned for 6:30 pm Monday, April 21st (one week from tomorrow); gather at WSR (northwest corner of California/Charlestown).
We’re featuring two photos of West Seattle’s beautiful birds today. First, thanks to David Hutchinson for the then-and-now photo: “The Harbor Avenue Canada Goose goslings have done a lot of growing up in the past 7 weeks. The top photo was taken on February 19th, while the bottom is from earlier this week on April 9th.” Second, thanks also to Chris Frankovich for the eagle photo featured below! Now, on with the calendar highlights:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, with more returning vendors every week now that we’re well into spring. (44th/Alaska)
STORYTELLING AT DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE: 2 pm, in honor of the upcoming Earth Day, native and non-native storytellers with tales of Earth and our relationship with it. Details in our calendar listing. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
LEARN ABOUT EDIBLE GARDENING: 2 pm at Delridge Branch Library – details here. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
LADIES’ MUSICAL CLUB: Classical music, live at the West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library, 3 pm. Program details here. (2306 42nd SW)
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: Burgundy Pearl performs acoustic Americana at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
FINAL PERFORMANCE OF ‘A … MY NAME IS ALICE’: 5 pm at historic Kenyon Hall, it’s the final performance of this musical-comedy revue presented by Twelfth Night Productions. (7904 35th SW)
BOOZE, BALLS & BINGO BENEFIT: The monthly drag-bingo/charity-benefit event at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 5:30 pm, this month raising money for LoveForMark.com. (6451 California SW)
As always, there’s even more on our calendar!
Beautiful day on the water – and the sights from West Seattle shores included the Blue Heron Canoe, photographed by Mark Wangerin from Jack Block Park. The canoe family is led by skipper Michael (didahalqid) Evans; we’ve covered their participation in local events including the dedication of the T-107 canoe launch during Duwamish Alive! three years ago (next one is a week away, by the way). Today’s paddle was one of the scheduled events listed on the Blue Heron Canoe’s website.
“It’s absolutely crucial that Proposition 1 pass,” King County Executive Dow Constantine told a get-out-the-vote gathering at the Senior Center of West Seattle this afternoon. It’s been one year since Metro general manager Kevin Desmond issued a warning of cuts to come if the State Legislature didn’t come up with a funding solution; they never did, as Constantine noted again today. Added City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen at today’s event, “We’ve done everything we can in Olympia” to try to get help, and none was forthcoming. So now it’s in voters’ hands, he, Constantine, and County Councilmember Joe McDermott – all three West Seattleites – reiterated, and they urged supporters to talk to their friends and family to make sure they vote, since a one-issue springtime special election might be ignored otherwise, with ballots potentially languishing in stacks of junk mail.
Our video above includes the entirety of what they said today; April 22nd is the deadline for voting – by mail or by dropbox/van.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports – first, a stolen car:
The photo and report were texted (206-293-6302 any time); the car is described as a 1997 Honda EK Civic hatchback stolen last night from the owner’s home near 17th and Henderson (map). It’s been reported to police, so please call 911 if you see it.
Second – Leeann reports a package theft in the 5400 block of 25th SW (map): “Just wanted to let you know that we had a package shipped to us that was tracked and shows being delivered on 4/9, but was nowhere to be found when we got home.” This too has been reported to police.
P.S. Next Tuesday is the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting; if you have a neighborhood crime/safety concern, come and bring it to the attention of precinct management. 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster; map), also featuring, after crime-trend updates and neighborhood-concern comment time, a presentation about the SPD Crisis Intervention Team.
Objects of nostalgia, objects of mystery, objects of utility … However you choose to regard them, antique human-powered typewriters are waiting for you right now at the High Point Branch Library as the second stop in “Ribbon and Rhyme,” described as a “hands-on art installation.” Go type a few words. Listen to the keys as they meet the paper, through the ribbon. Look at your words, unpixelated.
The typewriters await, until 5:30 today.
We’ve heard time and again that orca fans would like to hear about “possibilities,” not just sure-bet sightings, so: Alisa Lemire Brooks, posting on the Orca Network Facebook page, has been tracking a group for the past few hours, currently off Bainbridge and southbound until they stopped for a snack. Apparently it’s some of the transient orcas (the ones that eat other mammals, unlike the resident orcas, which eat fish) who’ve been visiting lately. They’re reported to be on the west side of the Sound, so not likely visible without binoculars. We’d love to hear from you if you see ’em (text or call 206-293-6302) – thanks!
Less than two weeks until this year’s citywide Dining Out for Life benefit for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, on Thursday, April 24th. Six West Seattle/White Center restaurants are on the participants list so far, all listed as donating 30 percent of their proceeds during the dayparts noted below:
Duos (WSB sponsor) – dinner
Buddha Ruksa – dinner
Locol Barley & Vine – dinner, late night
Mac’s Triangle Pub – lunch, dinner, late night
Proletariat Pizza – dinner
Talarico’s Pizzeria – dinner, late night
The full area list is here (sortable by cuisine, neighborhood[s], daypart).
(Art by Pathfinder parent Shannon)
Our area’s latest community-fueled school-playground project – for Pathfinder K-8 School on Pigeon Point – is proceeding, and welcoming more help! Outreach co-chairs Holli Margell and Toni Wells share this update:
We have chosen a design company that has the skills to translate our needs and dreams into reality: Johnson Southerland. Their designs can be played on at Seward Park, Salmon Bay, and Concord Elementary.
Mark your calendars for our first community meeting on April 30th, 5:30-7 pm at Pathfinder K-8 School. Please come, and bring your kids. Your participation at this meeting counts not only toward shaping our playground design, but also toward volunteer hours required for our next grant application (the big one that will help us actually build it).
The time you commit to volunteer will help us get the Large Neighborhood Matching Grant to build it. For example, attending each design meeting (3 x 2 hours) equals 6 pledged hours. We also need folks who can put up posters, help host our three community meetings, and make sure every family in the community knows about the project.
Want to sign up now? Click here. Want to stay in touch? Check out our blog.
Save These Dates: April 30th, 5:30-7:00, May 20th, June 18th (there will be ice cream)!
Where: Pathfinder K8 School, 1901 SW Genesee
And, here’s a photo from a table top display of sorts that a parent, Shannon, made:
It’s all in the angle! That’s an early-morning scene from West Seattle Stadium that Sandy couldn’t resist sharing. Got a caption? Post a comment! Meantime, for today’s calendar highlights, please go direcly TO the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar –
(4/16/14 UPDATE: Full house for the training – no more room. Seal Sitters says thanks for the support!)
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
It’s volunteer work with a view. If you’ve been thinking about helping Seal Sitters, you can sign up for the group’s next new-volunteer-training session, two weeks from today – 10 am-noon Saturday, April 26th at Alki Bathhouse, with a short on-the-beach session afterward if weather permits. The announcement from Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey:
On Saturday morning, April 26th, Seal Sitters will be holding a special training for those wanting to protect marine mammals along the shoreline of West Seattle and the Duwamish River. Unlike most marine-mammal-stranding networks, we encourage children to participate in Seal Sitters – supervised at all times, of course, by a parent or guardian. We are so proud of our amazing and dedicated volunteers who are on duty rain or shine – we hope you will join us!
A multi-media presentation will illustrate our educational work in the community and the unique challenges of protecting seals and other marine mammals in an urban environment. Included in the training is an overview of NOAA’s Western Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network and biology and behavior of seals and other pinnipeds (due to time frame, supplementary sessions will include more marine mammals of Puget Sound).
You’re asked to RSVP ASAP if you’ll be there – the link is on this page of the Seal Sitters’ site.
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