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Mayor chooses Bernie Matsuno as permanent Neighborhoods director
April 20, 2011 11:46 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Bernie Matsuno, who’s been acting director of the Department of Neighborhoods for three months, will be its permanent director if confirmed by the City Council, according to an announcement just sent by Mayor McGinn‘s office. The announcement includes other appointments – a new personnel director and communications director. Read on for the full news release:Read More

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West Seattle Wednesday: Quake drill; Morgan, Delridge meetings
April 20, 2011 8:30 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Clouds over the Sound last Thursday, shared by Jeff Johnson)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

EARTHQUAKE DRILL: Statewide, whether you’re at work, home, or school, today’s the day to “Drop, Cover, and Hold” at 9:45 am. From the state, here’s info on how to do it – no matter where you are.

MORGAN’S QUARTERLY MEETING: The Morgan Community Association has a busy agenda for its quarterly meeting tonight, with topics including the Murray Pump Station combined-sewer-overflow project (short discussion, not a formal county presentation), Solstice Park (with a Seattle Parks guest), Zipcars, a traffic-circle request for 38th and Graham, the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (with a guest speaker), and an update on the Morgan Junction Community Festival (coming up in June). Everyone’s welcome to MoCA’s meeting, which starts at 7 in the lower-level meeting room at The Kenney, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW.

DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: The monthly gathering of reps from community groups and major organizations around eastern West Seattle is at 7 tonight, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), and you’re welcome to come early for the strategic discussion at 6 pm, taking a broader look at the area’s challenges and goals. The 7 pm agenda includes a presentation on where the Elliott Bay Seawall Replacement Project stands, as well as a review of area proposals for city Large Project Grants.

LOWEST TIDE OF THE MONTH: 1:16 pm today, -2.5 per our favorite chart. Tidewalking time!

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West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘Huge spike’ in burglaries
April 19, 2011 9:14 pm
|      48 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

2nd story from the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (and we have a 3rd story to come, focusing on the 35th SW safety discussion): After something of a lull in residential burglaries, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen announced, there’s been a “huge spike” these past two weeks. How huge? The recent average has been 5 a week, he said, but suddenly “we are pushing almost 20.” Police suspect one or two people are responsible for most of the spike, he said, and they’re asking for community help in catching the culprits.

Capt. Paulsen says two “hot spots” have been the focus of most of the increase – the “William 1” sector, Genesee/Admiral, and the “Frank 3” sector (plus a bit westward), in the 35th/Thistle/Trenton/Barton area. Most of the burglaries are happening between 10 or 11 in the morning and 4 or 5 in the afternoon, he said, and the most common break-in method is kicking in the back door. They suspect “people we have arrested before” are to blame, though when we caught up with Capt. Paulsen toward meeting’s end, he stressed they do not have anyone specific identified yet, nor is there any specific description available to share with you – they just ask that you be extra-vigilant, particularly in those areas and during that time of day, and if you see/hear ANYTHING suspicious, call 911. “We’re putting as many resources as possible” toward stopping the burglary spike, added operations Lt. Pierre Davis. (Other crime trends, according to Capt. Paulsen, are more encouraging – car prowls and thefts are “trending downward,” and non-residential burglaries have ‘flat-lined.”)

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West Seattle sports: Kids Bowl Free visits West Seattle Bowl
April 19, 2011 8:46 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

West Seattle was one of the stops today for a nationwide bus tour promoting a new program called Kids Bowl Free – which really is exactly what it seems. WS Bowl is among the bowling centers participating in the program offering kids two free bowling games every day this summer. Also along for the ride, pro bowler Mitch Beasley, who hails from Puyallup and is clearly excited about finding a way to get more kids involved with bowling:

West Seattle Bowl management tells us there’s plenty of room for hundreds more kids to sign up for the Kids Bowl Free program, beyond the 500 or so they have signed up already – just go to kidsbowlfree.com/wsbowl. (According to the registration page, the age limit is 15, and bowlers will still pay “standard rental rates” if you have to borrow bowling shoes.)

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West Seattle pedestrian safety: New proposal for California/Dakota
April 19, 2011 8:04 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

At the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, where SDOT community traffic liaison Jim Curtin is front and center: While most of the discussion so far has centered on 35th, Curtin revealed a new proposal for a California SW intersection that’s been of concern – California/Dakota. You might recall the most recent wave of concern there, sparked when a hit-and-run driver killed a dog (and narrowly missed its owner – WSB coverage here and here, and specifically regarding traffic-safety followup, here). Curtin says that the city is applying for a state grant to install a “rapid-fire beacon” (here’s what those look like) that would be pedestrian-activated. If they get the grant, the installation could happen this fall, he says.

ADDED: We asked Curtin a few follow-up questions after the meeting. He says the city will apply for the grant in May, and is fairly confident it’ll be approved; the cost of the special lights will be about $50,000 $15,000. The case of Lucy the dog is not the only reason California/Dakota is being singled out for this, he says; it’s also a busy crossing area because of the schools on the north side of The Junction – such as Tilden, Holy Rosary, Hope, Seattle Lutheran.

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In case you wondered: Loud West Seattle flyover = V-22 Osprey
April 19, 2011 6:28 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Photo by Danny McMillin)
When someone texted us a half-hour or so ago saying an Osprey was headed this way, we thought maybe they meant the feathered type. Nope. It was the tilt-rotor military-aircraft V-22 Osprey type. We have already mentioned this on Twitter and on Facebook, but some FB commenters say it was window-rattling quality in parts of West Seattle (not down here in Upper Fauntleroy, though), so in case you were wondering too, we’re also making note of it here. (Boeing is apparently awaiting some news about an upcoming contract for more.)

11:26 PM: Finally a photo! Major thanks to Danny McMillin for sharing what he and his camera captured from Alki.

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Traffic alert: ‘Emergency’ overnight closure for 1st Avenue S.
April 19, 2011 5:45 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Spokane St. Viaduct project | West Seattle news

From SDOT:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will completely close First Avenue South between Horton and S Spokane streets tonight to make emergency repairs to temporary shoring for the new Spokane Street Viaduct First Avenue S on-/off-ramp. The shoring was knocked out of alignment this morning after being struck by a truck. The closure begins at 11 p.m. with the expectation that lanes will re-open for use by 5 a.m. Wednesday, April 20. Detours will be provided for both southbound and northbound traffic.

Though that’s some distance south of the stadiums, it’s still worth noting there’s a Mariners night game at Safeco Field (which will be over by then unless it runs extra-long) .

6:04 PM UPDATE: Also note that, apparently unrelated to this, there currently is a traffic problem right at 1st/Spokane, northbound, affecting people coming off the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, related to a crash: SDOT says, “Traffic inbound from West Seattle must either continue on S Spokane St eastbound to I-5 or take a right turn and head south on 1st Ave S. Traffic northbound on 1st Ave S is being diverted to E Marginal Way S.” We’ll update here when we get word this has cleared.

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You asked for it, you got it: Seattle Police out today on ‘I-35’
April 19, 2011 4:00 pm
|      35 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Somehow, we had expected to see this happen in advance of tonight’s traffic-safety discussion at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, since SDOT’s Jim Curtin (who will address WSCPC) had told us “more enforcement” was a possibility after last week’s deadly crash: The Seattle Police Aggressive Drivers Response Team was out on 35th SW earlier this afternoon. (Thanks to the WSB’er who texted us after spotting them!) We photographed one of the Chargers at 35th/Henderson – after first spotting them just north of 35th/Webster (and as we got the camera out, off they went, lights flashing):

This comes six days after the deadly motorcycle-car collision at 35th/Juneau, where this afternoon, as police patrolled, we found a roadside tribute to the motorcyclist, Andrew Seffernick (whose 25th birthday would have been today):

Though there have been other 35th SW deaths in the years between, that stirred memories of the tribute a few blocks away at 35th/Graham after the death of bicyclist Susanne Scaringi (also in her mid-20s when a collision killed her in 2006 – also a 2-wheeled vehicle hitting a turning 4-wheeled vehicle broadside). Meantime, we spotted two TV crews out in the area this afternoon, so you may see regional-media stories tonight about 35th SW; the Crime Prevention Council meeting is at 7 pm, Southwest Precinct.

7:48 PM UPDATE: We’re at the WSCPC meeting. SW Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen says 21 tickets were written today, average speed 50 mph (in a 35 zone), highest one, he believes, was for 60 mph.

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No, the Argosy boat off Alki was *not* ‘stuck at low tide’
April 19, 2011 3:05 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(March photo by Kevin McClintic)
A note we received this afternoon said it looked like an Argosy Cruises boat was stuck during today’s very-low tide off Alki. Turns out, it wasn’t stuck, though Argosy gets that question about this boat all the time, and we had in fact asked them about it recently, intending to eventually write a story, so here it is: The one that’s seen off Alki frequently – anchored for hours at midday/early afternoon – is the Goodtime II, and Argosy’s Maureen Black explained that it’s used by Pacific Marine Research: “PMR is an educational organization that arranges marine science field trips in Puget Sound for local schoolchildren to help them understand Puget Sound and the watershed. Since 1972, Argosy Cruises has been providing boats and crew for the approximately 80 field trips held yearly from March to September. ” This promotional video shows what it is they’re up to during their field trips:

You can find out more at Pacific Marine Research’s website.

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West Seattle Chamber’s question for you: What’s our #1 transportation problem?
April 19, 2011 1:46 pm
|      71 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news


(Photo by Long Bach Nguyen; click the image to see a larger version on his website)
From the distance at which that West Seattle overview was photographed, it’s easy to forget what it’s like down in the trenches, on the roads and the sidewalks, in the cars and the buses and the trucks and the ferries, on the bikes and the motorcycles. We talk about individual challenges and concerns here all the time. But take a moment if you will for the big picture. Right now, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is doing that – in hopes of angling for a share of another city pie related to transportation needs.

Chamber CEO Patti Mullen has convened a group to brainstorm a potential “wish list” for the Citizen Transportation Advisory Council, CTAC III for short, as it drafts recommendations on spending about $7 million around the city (partly related to the new $20 license tax, as explained here). No one on that council represents West Seattle, so the Chamber is trying to make sure our peninsula has a loud, unified voice, by presenting some strong requests/recommendations. We sat in on the Chamber-convened group’s first conversation last week and agreed to run a list of questions by you – for your seat at the table, so to speak, if you’d like to post a comment with your answers to these questions:

*Identify ONE transportation improvement or project you believe is essential? (for example improved bus service to Delridge, more bike lanes or paved streets)

*What ONE street needs the most improvement? What specific improvements (new sidewalks, paving, crosswalks, signals) need to be made?

*If you had $500,000 to improve some part of the transportation system in West Seattle what would you invest it in?

The Chamber needs to compile comments by April 28th; that’s the date CTAC will convene a meeting about “neighborhood interests” (see the link above), and the Chamber plans a followup shortly thereafter. P.S. In case you’re wondering who’s in the Chamber-convened group – facilitated by consultant Josh Stepherson – those on hand for the first of two conversations last Friday were: John Huey, Viking Bank; Patrick Jablonski, Nucor; Brandon Nicholson, Nicholson Kovalchick Architects and West Seattle Junction Association; Denny Onslow, Harbor Properties; Gary Oertli, South Seattle Community College; and Chas Redmond, Feet First (and Morgan Community Association, Sustainable West Seattle, Southwest District Council, among other groups).

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 burglaries, 1 ‘unplugged’
April 19, 2011 11:58 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

The two latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports are burglaries – one came in by phone because the victim’s computer was part of the loot, so she had no other way to report it here – read on for details on that, and another break-in with a puzzling “clue” – an unplugged appliance:Read More

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West Seattle Tuesday: Toddlers, traffic, trivia, tide, Teepa…
April 19, 2011 9:47 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Monday rainbow photo, shared by Greg Daly)
Seen the WSB Easter page yet – egg hunts, church services, brunch notes? Find it here. The first of the egg hunts happens this morning:

TODDLER SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA: At High Point Community Center, Ages 2 – 5. A morning of fun and activities, including a very special bunny visit especially for toddlers. There will be games, crafts for the children, and an egg hunt (11 am sharp) with age-appropriate prizes and candy. Activity fee $5.

2ND-LOWEST TIDE OF THE MONTH: 12:31 pm today … not sunny but not so bad for tidewalking if you can get out! -2.4 tide; even lower tomorrow (here’s the chart).

TRAFFIC SAFETY @ WSCPC: As previewed here yesterday, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets tonight at Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 7 pm, with traffic safety on the agenda – guest, Jim Curtin, the community traffic liaison for SDOT.

TEEPA SNOW AT THE MOUNT: 7-9 pm in the Chapel at Providence Mount St. Vincent (4831 35th SW), you are invited to come hear Teepa Snow, a nationally recognized expert on ways to understand and better help people living with dementia. She will lead a discussion on non-traditional stress management for the person with dementia and their caregiver – with a focus on humor and positive interactions. Free, public welcome.

KIDS BOWL FREE: If you pass West Seattle Bowl this afternoon, you might see the promotional bus for this nationwide campaign. They’re scheduled to visit around 1 pm, while making a tour of Seattle-area bowling centers (Roxbury Lanes and White Center’s Magic Lanes are on the agenda afterward). (But you don’t have to stop in to get the “bowl free” deal – WS Bowl tells is they already are signing up kids for free games all summer long, and you can register online at kidsbowlfree.com/wsbowl.)

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS Always open to new members, and Tuesday night is practice night – details here and at the WS Community Orchestras website.

COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE IN HIGHLAND PARK: 3rd week for the Highland Park Improvement Club-hosted Community Acupuncture Clinic, 11 am-3 pm (here’s our story from last week).

ROCK TRIVIA AT THE FEEDBACK: Rock music trivia every Tuesday night at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm

FAMILY STORY TIME: At the Seattle Public Library’s Delridge Branch (Delridge/Brandon) — with Amy! 7 pm.

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Preparedness Month: What to do before/during/after quakes
April 19, 2011 8:04 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

Disaster Preparedness Month is almost two-thirds over – are you any more prepared now than you were when it started? If your answer is “no,” click “play” and at least listen to our video in the background for a while today. It’s our recording of last night’s special edition of SNAP – Seattle Neighborhoods Be Prepared – training, presented by the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network and West Seattle Be Prepared.

Trainer Debbie Goetz doesn’t just go through the rock-bottom basics; she has surprises along the way – did you know, for example, that your hot-water heater is eventually an OK source of drinking water, post-disaster? Another good reason you want to make sure it’s strapped so it doesn’t come down during a quake – preserve the supply, just in case. SNAP classes are offered around the city, including a few a year in West Seattle; you can watch this calendar for upcoming ones – including sessions focused on earthquake retrofitting (last Saturday’s WS session was a full house – about 50 people!). Next scheduled one is June 7 in High Point (details here).

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Help West Seattle High School baseball: Buy $10 M’s tickets
April 18, 2011 11:41 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Remember Kellen Gearon, the West Seattle High School senior who launched a drive to collect donations for foster kids via Treehouse? He’s working on a new fundraiser – but first, words of thanks about his Treehouse project: “Thank you to everyone who so generously donated to my Drive for Foster Kids. It was a huge success. With all the community support I received I was able to collect over two large containers of clothes and items and $225 in cash donations. Treehouse will be able to better serve foster kids because of this.”

Now, he’s sent word of a chance to get a deal while helping out the WSHS baseball team, which he’s on. Once again this year, WSHS gets to play at Safeco Field – but needs to sell 1,000 tickets for an upcoming M’s game (it’s a team fundraiser too). So they’re offering $10 view seats for the May 5th 7:10 pm game against Texas. Here’s the official flyer. Kellen’s selling tickets through Menashe and Sons Jewelers in The Junction (4532 California SW) – or call 206-932-4272 and ask for Kim Gearon (Mondays-Fridays, 8:30 am-5:30 pm).

As for the Wildcats’ big game at the Safe, it’s at 4 pm Saturday, April 30th, against the Highline Pirates – and admission will be free.

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Historic Fire Station 37 likely to turn into a private home?
April 18, 2011 8:47 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news

If you’ve driven by the city-landmark former Fire Station 37 and noticed a new sign, here’s what it’s about: The city Finance Department is recommending the City Council approve plans to sell the building at 35th and Othello, since the city has no further use for it. It was vacated when Engine 37 and its team moved into their new, larger station a few blocks south last October. This recommendation triggers a 30-day comment period before the Council moves ahead with the process of putting the site on the market. But this process actually started nine months ago (here’s our report from July), so there’s already a fair amount of information on what the city expects might happen. Ahead, how to comment, as well as what sort of interest the city has already received:Read More

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West Seattle’s ArtsWest has an offer for Intiman ticketholders
April 18, 2011 7:10 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Added: “Shipwrecked” photo by Michael Brunk, courtesy ArtsWest)
If you follow the regional theater scene, you have likely heard that the Intiman Playhouse has canceled the rest of its season, though it hopes for a comeback. West Seattle’s ArtsWest Playhouse is reaching out to ticketholders left in the lurch, offering them a chance to swap their Intiman tickets for admission to the next ArtsWest production, “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment,” which opens a week from Wednesday. Read on for the announcement:Read More

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Update: Date set for Sylvan Way ‘spot paving’
April 18, 2011 5:13 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

The date is now set for the pothole-fighting “spot paving” work along Sylvan Way we told you about earlier this month. The traffic advisory is just in from SDOT:

SDOT paving crews will lay a new surface of asphalt this week in the eastbound lane in the 2400 block of Sylvan Way SW (at the curve by Home Depot).

On Thursday, April 21, the crews will grind off the old surface, and on Friday, April 22 they will lay new asphalt. One lane will remain open in each direction. Traffic flaggers will assist traffic.

This repair work is needed due to an ongoing pothole problem at this location.

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Followup: ‘I-35’ safety, and a chance to talk about it Tuesday
April 18, 2011 1:44 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(Seen April 2010 at 35th/Webster, shared by MAS)
There have been safety concerns for years along the central stretch of 35th Avenue SW – symbolized by the sign in our file photo – and they resurfaced following last Wednesday night’s 35th/Juneau motorcycle-car collision, which killed a motorcyclist identified by his family in WSB comments as Andrew Seffernick (who would’ve been turning 25 tomorrow).

If you share those concerns – or are worried about other West Seattle streets – it just so happens that, coincidentally, a key SDOT traffic-safety manager is the guest at tomorrow night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. West Seattle resident Jim Curtin is community-traffic liaison for SDOT. We had checked with Curtin late last week, after the deadly crash, to ask if anything happened to currently be in the works for that stretch. He pointed out that Seattle Police will investigate the crash to see what factored into that, but in the meantime: “No changes are currently planned for this location [35th/Juneau] at this time. We can, however, recommend additional enforcement in this area and will look at SPD’s findings to see if any changes are warranted.” It should be noted, though, that those findings may not be out for months, given how long major investigations often take. Tomorrow night’s WSCPC meeting is at the Southwest Precinct (the meeting room is right off the parking lot alongside SW Webster, east of Delridge), 7 pm, all welcome (and you can bring neighborhood-crime questions for SWP police, too). Till then, you can also read up on SDOT’s neighborhood-traffic program, by going here.

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Delridge Skatepark: Another sign that groundbreaking is near
April 18, 2011 11:02 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(Fence photo added 12:55 pm)
With a few speed bumps along the way, it’s a day some wondered if they’d ever see – but it’s truly almost here. No formal groundbreaking ceremony is planned, but Delridge Skatepark construction is about to begin. Stu Hennessey from Alki Bike and Board just shared the news that the fence is up. (We’re heading out for a photo.) We had checked a few days ago with Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Davidson, who told us that since the official “notice to proceed” kicked in last week, preparations were in motion – including “utility locates,” as well as an on-site meeting with Parks’ arborist. “It just takes a few steps before they really start tearing things up out there,” Davidson told us. The park will be built by West Seattle-based Grindline, the skatepark specialists who also designed it:

Their winning bid was $483,000. Construction is expected to last about four months, with the skatepark opening in late summer.

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Suggested one yet? 1 more call for West Seattle Outdoor Movies
April 18, 2011 10:37 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

Thanks to everybody who answered the first call for suggestions for this summer’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies (a six-Saturday series in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor]). Organizers are getting ready to sit down and look ahead, so they asked if we would put out one more call, in case you missed the first one. Since the movies are a free, all-ages event, they need to be somewhat family-friendly, but that does not mean they have to be kid-geared or even G-rated. Here’s the direct link to the comment area with the suggestions that came in earlier this month; here’s the movie list from last year – the biggest crowd was for the kickoff movie, “Mamma Mia!” You can make a suggestion via comments here or via the Outdoor Movies Facebook page – thanks for your help! (August 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)

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West Seattle Monday: Flying into a big week
April 18, 2011 6:30 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Think you’re off to a tough job this morning? So are some of the littlest birds in our urban forest – Trileigh Tucker shares the photo and this explanation:

All over Lincoln Park, chickadees have found holes in decaying trees that make perfect places to raise their babies. We have both Black-capped Chickadees and Chestnut-backed Chickadees here in the park. This is a busy time of year for the little parents as they scramble to feed their young; both parents fly back and forth from their nest holes to nearby shrubbery looking for seeds and small bugs. This photo is of a Black-capped Chickadee cleaning its nest this morning, trying to keep up with the housework while its mate looks for food!

Now, on to the daily preview: This is a momentous day for at least three reasons: Federal tax-deadline day (e-file by midnight or get the envelope postmarked by this evening – ); Passover starts at sunset; it’s Spring Break for Seattle Public Schools. A few more highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

REMEMBERING CHEF JOSEPH BREWER: The community is invited to his memorial at Lincoln Park picnic shelter 3, 4-7 pm (full details here, as announced over the weekend)

PREPAREDNESS TRAINING: Earthquake safety/readiness and more, 6 pm tonight at Southwest Precinct, led by city expert Debbie Goetz, presented by West Seattle Be Prepared and West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network, as previewed here.

SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE TALKS PERMACULTURE: Biochar, Puget Ridge Edible Park, and the Community Orchard of West Seattle are all on the agenda as Sustainable West Seattle‘s April community event digs into permaculture. 7 pm at Camp Long Lodge – and you’re welcome to join the pre-forum potluck at 6:30.

LOW TIDES: As we write this, a big bright moon is on its way to setting, which reminds us that means tidal extremes – some good beachwalking low tides start today; here’s the chart.

SING IT!: Karaoke with Kelli tonight, at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 9 pm

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Followup: Warm words for Delridge Green Up volunteers
April 18, 2011 5:53 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

When we dropped by Delridge Community Center at noontime Saturday, our quick pic captured only a glimpse of the volunteer power behind Delridge Green Up. Last night, Holli Margell from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council e-mailed WSB to share these photos and warm words for those who pitched in (including “early team” arrivals in the top photo, with Nancy Folsom in front wielding Adopt-A-Street supplies):

A huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped make Delridge Green Up a success!

We enjoyed chocolate cookies from Jennifer Knutson, fruit from Kirsten Smith, hot beverages from Amanda Leonard and Holli Margell.

Our volunteers spruced up Delridge Park by picking up trash, weeding and mulching, and our Adopt A-Street Team cleaned up Delridge Way.

Karrie Kohlhaas refreshed our Welcome to Delridge Sign, which was completed with help from Amanda Leonard – Thanks to Pete Spalding for the paint!

Tasha Mosher and her daughter Ilah show off some “treasures” found while picking up trash to our youngest weeding volunteer, Cooper Margell.

Patrick Baer finished up the mulched bed. Our weeds pile almost equaled the mulch pile.

Though NDNC’s next meeting isn’t until next month, you can connect with Delridge-area leaders this week – as the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets at 7 Wednesday night, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (the stately brick building in the background of the last photo above).

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Preparedness Month: More West Seattle training Monday!
April 17, 2011 10:58 pm
|    Comments Off on Preparedness Month: More West Seattle training Monday!
 |   Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

If you are one of the few who can answer that question “Yes, we are as prepared as we possibly could be” – congratulations! If not, join West Seattle Be Prepared and the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network for another special FREE training session tomorrow (Monday) night, this time at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 6-7:30 pm. If you were among the 50 or so who attended the first one earlier this month (here’s our coverage, including video of the entire presentation), note that this one is different – with more of a focus on earthquake safety, among other things (here’s an explanation of how the two sessions are differentiated). Disaster Preparedness Month is only half over but this week is the big spotlight for quake survival – Wednesday is the statewide drop/cover/hold drill. Meantime, the perennial preparedness advice – be sure you know your Emergency Communication Hub!

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