West Seattle, Washington
30 Thursday
(Photo courtesy Coach Colin Slingsby, seen with campers this past June)
The camp at Chief Sealth International High School is actually more than a basketball camp – it teaches “life skills” too – and head coach Colin Slingsby sends word that room remains in two sessions later this month:
Sealth Basketball and Life Skills Camp kicks off Session 3 next week after two highly attended and successful sessions back in June, where we hosted more than 250 campers. There are still spaces available for next week’s session (8/12-8/16) grades 2-9, and the new Advanced Concepts session (8/19-8/23), which is for campers in grades 6-9. Contact Coach Slingsby at caslingsby@seattleschools.org or 206-854-8142 for last minute registration instructions.
(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:11 AM: The morning commute is off to a quiet start. No road work or closure advisories for today, except for an alert that the Mariners play a day game, which means that the southbound 99 ramp to Atlantic will be closed for about an hour in the late afternoon to try to help traffic keep flowing.
Looking way ahead – the weekend of August 16-19, there will be two closures of note for our area, including an all-weekend closure of the northbound I-5 ramp to the West Seattle Bridge – scroll to the SODO section of the weekly Construction Lookahead.
7:46 AM UPDATE: There’s a crash on the eastbound bridge – thanks to Jay for the tip in comments. Also, there is a crash at East Marginal and Spokane – east of the low bridge – described on the scanner as “bicycle vs. bicycle.” Fire has been called out for possible injury/ies on that one but not for the bridge crash, which has closed the middle lane, per SDOT via Twitter.
7:55 AM UPDATE: Per scanner, the two bicycles collided head-on. One rider is “up and walking around” with minor injuries, while the other one, a 30-year-old man, will be taken to the hospital.
8:01 AM UPDATE: Also per scanner, southbound East Marginal is closed at Spokane because of the aforementioned collision.
8:17 AM UPDATE: That scene is open to traffic, and we have just heard that the high-bridge car-crash scene is clearing too. No injuries reported in that one.
8:54 AM UPDATE: If you’re using Highland Park Way as an alternative – you might run into trouble there too; SFD has responded to an aid call for an incident at HP Way and W. Marginal Way SW describing as a bicyclist falling. No medic unit dispatched, though, so the injuries sound non-major, so far.
5:53 PM: Bridge update:
@westseattleblog stalled vehicle just after curve heading east on WSB. Kind of in a blind spot so use caution.
— mjs1980 (@mjs1980) August 8, 2013
8:14 PM: King County Elections expects to be out with election results any time now. They will publish the first ballot count tonight – then another update around 4:30 tomorrow afternoon, and more updates daily (or near-daily) from there.
8:18 PM: The numbers are in, and we have updated below:
SEATTLE MAYOR – Results are here.
Murray 30%
McGinn 27%
Steinbrueck 16%
Harrell 15%
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 2 – Results are here
Conlin 49%
Sawant 33%
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 8 – Results are here
O’Brien 57%
Shen 35%
KING COUNTY PARKS LEVY – Results are here
Yes 67%
No 31%
KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE – Results are here
Constantine 76%
Lobdell 12%
A plain-text file of all races is here.
6:00 PM: Seattle Police say more Night Out block parties are registered for tonight than the city’s ever seen before – 1,427, a five percent increase from last year. We’re on our way to check out some of them.
We’d also love a photo from yours – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks – updates to come!
6:21 PM: We’re starting in White Center, which is throwing a party in the downtown business district.
Several businesses have outdoor tables set up, Center Studio (WSB sponsor) has an outdoor workout going (photo above), and there’s a $2 food walk – here are Matt and Delia from Caffé Delia serving up Proletariat Pizza:
Speaking of pizza – West Seattle’s Pagliacci Pizza tells us they’re making surprise visits to block parties again this year too. Meantime, next – we head back north into Highland Park!
6:48 PM: That’s the group at Mary‘s block party on 17th SW in Highland Park. VERY bright sunshine tonight, as one young participant was all too aware of! From there, we headed into Westwood:
WWRHAH Community Council president Amanda Helmick invited us to stop by the party on 23rd SW – she’s at left in our photo with Joni Buckner (whose Head-to-Toe Day Spa in the Admiral District is a WSB sponsor). Amanda noted that they invited 22nd, 24th, and 25th SW neighbors too! Next WWRHAH meeting is a week from tonight, by the way. On to Arbor Heights:
7:06 PM: On 34th SW in AH, Block Watch captain JoDean Edelheit is proud of a great turnout tonight for their block party (above) – which is what we’re finding just about everywhere so far, good turnouts on a perfect night to be outside.
Also from 34th SW in Arbor Heights, where police stopped by (SPD and SFD were in circulation around the city), Christi shared this photo:
7:29 PM: Thanks to Marcia for sending that photo from Ocean View – which also had visitors from the Southwest Precinct. Our most recent stops, meantime, included two in Fauntleroy – neighbors of all ages are having a grand time by Fauntleroy Community Association board member Gary Dawson‘s house off upper Fauntleroy Way by the ferry dock:
A few blocks south of the ferry dock, Marty Westerman (left) and Gordon Wiehler, also from the FCA board, ponder the meatballs:
Thanks to everyone who is e-mailing us photos, too – we’re adding them from the mobile newsroom. Here’s one – from Genesee, at 40th and Andover, Jonathan French shared this photo:
He says the musical entertainment is being supplied by local home inspector Don Hartman and band.
7:59 PM: Only one hour to go! Thanks to Midge for the bouncy-house photo from 42nd SW in Fairmount Springs:
Midge says Pagliacci made one of their random surprise deliveries to their party! Meantime, from Rutan Place west of The Junction, John shares a group photo:
8:39 PM: Had to stop down to get the election links together, but we’ve continued to visit parties and we’re getting lots more photos in – we’ll keep adding past 9 pm. Another of our Highland Park stops was by invitation of Christie, who’s with husband Mike in our photo below:
Mike made “genuine Louisiana ribs” – that’s an exact quote – for the block party:
From 36th/Brandon/Findlay, Jenny shares this summer-evening scene:
Kathleen sends the next photo from SW Grayson, reporting, “We are rockin’ it in N. Admiral!”
8:57 PM: Minutes to go in the official window for Night Out, though some parties wrap up earlier, some last longer. One of the biggest ones we visited – in the Hansen View neighborhood, home to West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network leaders Karen Berge and Deb Greer:
In their neighborhood, we also found Buddy the dog …
Also at the party, Chris Dormaier from Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor), photographed with Tim Law:
Block Watches work, you’ll hear Deb and Karen and other leaders say, because of all the neighbors – and that’s really what Night Out is about:
If you don’t have a Block Watch but are interested in starting one, watch for the WSBWCN meetings – and check out this page on the SPD website. Still more party scenes to come – we’re back at HQ now.
10:03 PM: The first person to send us an invitation to her neighborhood’s Block Party this year was Nicole, from 52nd and Charlestown:
Nicole’s chicken played a big part in the Night Out event’s centerpiece, which you might call “chicken poop bingo”:
Half the proceeds were going to the West Seattle Food Bank. Meantime, the neighborhood you might describe as Upper Luna Park had a playful Night Out too, with water balloons:
Thanks to Erik for the photo. Meantime, from 16th and Trenton, Steve reports, “We had an awesome night with neighbors including those from up the street at Station 11 who came by with their truck for all the kids to explore. Perfect evening for it.” Here’s the photographic proof:
41st and Graham got a Seattle Fire Department visit too – thanks to Jenny for the photo:
From Gatewood, Tony‘s block party at California and Portland:
Frequent WSB contributor Long Bach Nguyen just sent a photo from that same party:
Music at 46th and Dakota – Cheryl says The Spyrographs were playing (and will be at Summer Concerts at The Mount [WSB sponsor]) two weeks from Friday, on August 23rd:
From North Admiral, Karyn tweeted her block-party scene:
Getting back to Gatewood, Mark Ahlness reports, “A great gathering at 39th SW and SW Elmgrove. Wonderful food and conversations with neighborhood regulars and many newcomers! In the picture, Grace welcomes everybody and gets things organized!”
From the 7100 block of 44th, Dan reports, “25 people out for the block party. Met a ton of great neighbors that we didn’t really know before.”
Meantime, our final stop of the night was at another Gatewood gathering – Paula had invited us to visit her neighbors’ gathering on SW Rose between 35th and 37th:
ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: More party photos received overnight – one from 12th SW between Barton and Henderson, where the party included breakdancing and live music: “Hosted by Danny and Marie Figgins in Highland Park! We love Night Out and hanging making new friends!”
Diane says her Night Out party in the Belvedere neighborhood brought together five blocks!
Edward photographed the neighbors in the 6700 block of 41st SW, where it’s a tradition to display “flags from countries, states neighbors are from”:
AND ANOTHER: Carrie Ann reports from the 42nd/Dakota-Andover block party: “This is a photo of our neighbor, Brad, a wonderful fiddle player and singer. One of the best parts of our annual block party is that, every year, we’re treated to a musical serenading by many of our extremely talented neighbors”:
Carrie Ann continues: “We even managed to lure in passersby who saw how much fun we were having, and invited them to join us in singing, dancing, and marshmallow roasting. I highly encourage everyone to reach out to their neighbors on this night, because you’ll learn so much and create priceless memories!”
P.S. Next year will be the thirtieth anniversary of Night Out!
Another new business is on the way to Morgan Junction. The space that opened when Aaron’s Bicycle Repair moved to White Center is being split in two, and one of the spaces will become Second Gear Sports, which bills itself as “West Seattle’s first sports/recreation consignment store … offering “high-quality, gently used sports/recreation gear.” West Seattle resident Mark Bremen is the owner; they’re hoping for a soft open around September 1st, and a grand opening later in the month. The official address will be 6529 California SW. In addition to consignment drop-offs at the storefront, they’re working on other logistics for “acquisitions” – stand by for an update on that.
Three weeks after we reported that former Roxhill Elementary principal Carmela Dellino was leaving her position as the district’s executive director of Schools after a year, her successor has just been announced by Seattle Public Schools superintendent José Banda:
I am pleased to announce that
Mr. Israel Vela has been appointed Executive Director of Schools for the Southwest region.
Mr. Vela will support the principals and schools in the southwest region of the city with responsibilities that include coaching principals, coordinating professional development for principals and teachers, strengthening our systems for monitoring and using student data, and conducting frequent learning walks in the schools – all in service of ensuring a world-class, 21st century education for every child in every classroom in the Southwest region.
Mr. Vela comes to Seattle from the Kent School District, where he has held leadership roles for the past 13 years.
(SCROLL DOWN for latest update – adding the first car reported to have been hit by the stolen truck)
10:37 AM: A Seattle Police car was hit and seriously damaged in the Morgan Junction area – and police are looking for the pickup truck driver who did it – he might be on the run in Gatewood. The truck is described as a ’98 gray Chevy pickup with landscaping equipment. According to scanner traffic, the officer driving the damaged car is not hurt. More to come.
(Added photo – tweeted by Robert)
10:45 AM: Co-publisher Patrick Sand was in the area when this happened. Police at the scene tell him that an officer checked the plate on the truck as it headed westbound on Fauntleroy and discovered it was stolen. They tried to pull it over and that’s when it hit the patrol car and took off, headed eventually into Gatewood, where they are still searching. The truck itself has been found.
10:49 AM: Suspect is in custody in Gatewood. Just added our photo of damaged SPD car in Morgan Junction. Engine 37 has been dispatched because the suspect, described as 23 years old, is complaining of an injury.
11:04 AM: At least one TV helicopter is in the area trying to get some visuals on this.
11:18 AM: Traffic is blocked southbound on California at the crash scene south of Fauntleroy until the damaged police car is towed. The suspect is reported to be facing potential charges of assaulting an officer as well as hit-run. We also confirmed directly with police at the arrest scene that, as we’d heard via radio communication earlier, the officer whose car was hit was not hurt.
11:35 AM: We’ve learned the truck was reported stolen from the Admiral/Alki area and apparently hit a car there before continuing on to the Morgan Junction area where the incident with police happened.
11:43 AM: SPD Blotter has just posted its summary, saying the car hit in Upper Alki contained someone who had reported the theft to 911.
12:26 PM: That’s the car hit in Upper Alki. We talked with its owner and the owner of the stolen truck. They told us that the truck’s owner was doing work at Cactus on Alki, packing up to leave, stepped away from the truck for just a moment – and that’s when the thief jumped in and took off. The Audi’s driver was a Cactus employee who saw it happen and followed the truck while calling 911; he says the thief noticed he was being followed and pulled the same maneuver that was used to hit the SPD car later – put the truck into reverse and deliberately back into the vehicle behind him.
(Rene, Tracy, and Sarah, photographed Monday at the Greenbridge ballot van location)
Vote today! Hang out with your neighbors tonight! Just two of the highlights from our calendar and elsewhere:
ELECTION DAY: Get your ballot in the mail by day’s end, OR to a dropbox or drop-off van by 8 pm. As we’ve been noting here for a while, there are drop-off vans in West Seattle AND White Center this time around:
–West Seattle Stadium driveway (4432 35th SW)
–Greenbridge Library (9720 8th SW)
-Nearest dropboxes are downtown and in Burien; full countywide list here
In addition to helping decide which two of the nine Seattle Mayor candidates will make it to the November election, the ballot also includes two Seattle City Council races and a levy to raise money for King County Parks. We should get one run of results tonight around 8:15 pm, and then additional counts each afternoon until everything’s tallied. We’ll publish results here as soon as they’re in.
COLMAN POOL REOPENS: We checked with Seattle Parks, and yes, they completed the pump repairs that closed the pool yesterday – so it will reopen on schedule today at noon.
NIGHT OUT: It’s block party night all over the nation – it’s not too late to sign up your (non-arterial) block for a street party during the event 6-9 pm! Just go to the SPD website. And send a photo from your block party so we can include it in our coverage! editor@westseattleblog.com
WHITE CENTER BUSINESS DISTRICT PARTY: If you’re not having a block party, check out what’s happening in downtown White Center – including a free outdoor Zumba class at 6 pm courtesy of Center Studio (WSB sponsor), and a $2 food walk (see the map in our preview).
MORE LIVE MUSIC AT EASY STREET: Second night in a row for a live in-store performance at Easy Street Records! Tonight, it’s The Maldives and Ken Stringfellow, who just released a split 7″ – see them tonight at 7. (California/Alaska)
More on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!
With four weeks to go (already?) until the new school year, the Seattle Public Library has announced that two elementary schools in West Seattle will get an extra literacy boost via a new partnership:
Students at Seattle’s Sanislo and Roxhill elementary schools will benefit from expanded literacy programs and library resources this school year, thanks to a partnership with The Seattle Public Library.
The one-year pilot project is funded by a $91,000 grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Through the grant, titled, “Sharing Our Stories: A School and Public Library Partnership Project,” The Seattle Public Library will:
(Photo by David Hutchinson; courtesy Seal Sitters)
Over the weekend, we published yet another reminder from Seal Sitters that too much human attention can endanger seal pups now appearing around the Sound, like the newborn pup nicknamed “Sparkle” turned up on a platform off west Alki on Saturday. It was determined Monday, in consultation with state wildlife authorities, that Sparkle’s life was at risk because mom wasn’t coming back, so she was rescued from the private beach near the platform and taken to PAWS. Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey explains:
The emaciated newborn is almost certainly a victim of human interference, as the barrage of boater harassment of seals on the raft was virtually non-stop all weekend.
We warn people over and over that a mom will abandon her pup if there is too much disruption from people and dogs. And studies have shown that stress takes a terrible toll on young pups – these animals need to be given the space to rest in peace.
We hope this pup will survive at PAWS, but it will be a tenuous and lengthy rehab. If she makes it through to be released back to the wild, she will never have the advantage of mom’s teachings to help her thrive or even know how to integrate into harbor seal society. This is the sad reality of human interference. Rehab does not guarantee her survival post release. A pup’s best chance to beat the 50% mortality odds is to be raised those first 4-6 precious weeks with mom.
More photos and details are on Seal Sitters’ Blubberblog.
(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing unusual on the routes out of West Seattle so far today. Two reminders: SDOT is scheduled to be working all day, as late as 7 pm, on westbound Roxbury, closing one lane between 15th/16th SW; tonight, the Battery Street Tunnel has an overnight closure – 10 pm to 5 am on the southbound side, midnight to 5 am (or starting two hours after the M’s game if that runs later than 10) on the northbound side.
We start this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup with two incidents we’re still working to find out more about – 
two gunpoint street robberies in the past four nights. We requested the details from Seattle Police today but did not receive them; reports with narratives are unfortunately not usually available online for up to a week, if at all. Anyway, what little we do know: The most recent one happened at 34th and Myrtle early Saturday, just after midnight, and neighbors saw police searching the area; the one before that was late Thursday night in the 5200 block of 16th SW, and we know a few details because a safety bulletin was subsequently circulated over the weekend by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – someone with ties to the school forwarded it to us. It noted that the robbery happened off-campus: “A student was reportedly robbed at gunpoint by four individuals at approximately 11:30 pm on Thursday, August 1. The student was uninjured but shaken up; the robbers reportedly stole the student’s iPhone and approximately $150 in cash.” Again, we are still trying to get the detailed reports on these two street holdups and will publish more information in Crime Watch when we get it.
Ahead, a burglary today, and a suspicious person spotted Sunday night:
As noted here last week, the every-other-year run of pink salmon is under way. The classic photo of pink-salmon fishing seems to involve people in waders on the beach at Lincoln Park – but an upcoming fishing tournament just will bring an entirely different view: Fishing from kayaks. Greg Whittaker at Alki Kayak Tours says the Northwest Kayak Anglers are presenting the “Humpy Kayak Classic” on August 17th, with its check-in station at Jack Block Park. It’s a benefit for Heroes On The Water Northwest; “Humpy” is a nickname for pink salmon, but if no one catches any that day, organizers will allow “a legally caught coho.” More details about, and rules for, the tournament can be found here – including how to register and how to pay. They’re asking for sign-ups by August 12th.
Another change in the Alki business district: As the sign on the door says, Bada Bistro has closed after less than five months at 61st and Alki. The restaurant/bar was a rebranding of what Sharon and John Bang, owners of Alki Café across the street, originally opened in spring 2011 as Beachside Café, in the space that had been Alki Bakery until its abrupt closure in November 2010. As for the new owners mentioned in the note as expected to open their doors next month – the outgoing owners, who say the decision to close Bada Bistro was “hard,” aren’t ready to comment just yet. They do say they will continue to own and operate Alki Café.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Thanks to a WSB’er for the tip on this: Convicted kidnapper/rapist Donald Randolph Hooper is out of prison, after a ruling by the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board.
Longtime West Seattleites might recognize the name. In December 1982, at which time he happened to be working for Washington State Ferries on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, Hooper kidnapped a 14-year-old girl at gunpoint from a bus stop in West Seattle. She survived an ordeal that also included molestation and rape, at multiple locations in King and Kitsap Counties, before Hooper dumped her in the water of Hood Canal after binding her hands and partially binding her feet. She managed to struggle to shore after he left, and found someone who called police.
Hooper also was eventually convicted of a separate incident that had happened weeks earlier, involving raping a hitchhiker at gunpoint, though that conviction was reversed on appeal because of a technicality; ISRB documents say he admitted he committed the crime.
His sentence for the West Seattle kidnapping and Kitsap County rape was life in prison. But because Hooper’s conviction and sentencing predated our state’s mid-’80s fixed-sentence laws, Hooper was eligible for the equivalent of parole, which is granted by the aforementioned ISRB.
If your neighborhood is NOT celebrating Night Out tomorrow (August 6th), consider spending the evening at White Center’s Business District Night Out from 6 to 9 pm. Highlights include a free Zumba class with Center Studio (WSB sponsor) outside at 6 pm, and a $2 food walk with more than 15 local restaurants (see map above). There will also be live music, a beer garden at Big Al Brewing, a raffle at Seattle Silkscreening Company, and free bike safety and emergency preparedness classes with the White Center Community Development Association. You can find more info (including photos of food walk offerings) at the White Center Chamber of Commerce‘s Facebook page.
P.S. If you’re in the Seattle city limits, not too late to sign up your block party for a street closure tomorrow night (non-arterial) – all the info’s here!
Just announced by Seattle Parks – no swimming today at West Seattle’s only city-run outdoor pool:
A pump failure at Colman Pool has resulted in closure today. A repair company is on site and working on correcting the problem.
The pump that takes water from the filters and returns it to the pool has stopped working. The repair requires replacement of key parts and detailed realignment of the unit. This is expected to take the whole day and the pool should reopen for programs on Tuesday.
The pool, which marked its 70th anniversary two years ago, had a bout of pump trouble earlier this summer, too.
In case you wondered about the Seattle Fire Department response at Lincoln Park early this morning: A 75-year-old man is hospitalized in critical condition this morning after falling off his bicycle. Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says witnesses saw the man fall on the path near Colman Pool around quarter past 6 and called 911, then: “When firefighters arrived, the man was unconscious, not breathing, and did not have a pulse. We immediately used a defibrillator and performed 1 hour of CPR on the man. We were able to get his heart beating again and have him breathing on his own.” Moore says the call was handled by Engines 32 and 37 as well as Medic 10, which took the man to a hospital downtown. No word on whether the fall was the result of a sudden health problem or something else.
(Spot of color on the Duwamish River shore, by Flickr member “old desolate,” shared via WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
JUNCTION TRUE VALUE’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY: The family-owned-and-operated store in The Junction is celebrating 60 years in business with festivities all week, leading up to a celebration on Saturday. See JTV’s WSB ad here and special discount coupon here. (4747 44th SW)
BALLOT DROP-OFF VAN: It’s Election Day Eve, and the King County Elections ballot-dropoff van is back today, 10 am-5 pm at West Seattle Stadium (10 am-8 pm tomorrow, too). There also are fixed, around-the-clock drop-off boxes – see the list here; the nearest ones are downtown and in Burien. You also can mail your ballot as long as it’s postmarked by tomorrow; don’t forget the stamp (NOT needed if you drop it off at a county van or box).
MEETING AT K-5 STEM: As Seattle Public Schools prepares to finalize decisions in the fall about boundaries as well as the future of campuses including reopening-next-year Fairmount Park Elementary and vacating-in-2016 Schmitz Park Elementary, West Seattle’s newest public school finds its own future in the eye of the storm, and has announced proposals to solve much of the puzzle, as reported and discussed here last week. Tonight, a special PTA/community meeting is planned to discuss those proposals and strategize advocacy for them. 6:30 pm at the Boren gym. (5950 Delridge Way SW)
LIVE AT EASY STREET RECORDS: In-store performance by Walking Papers (featuring Duff McKagan) – free, all ages! 7 pm. (California/Alaska)
(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Here’s what’s ahead for this week:
TUESDAY & THURSDAY: Road work 7 am-7 pm each of those two days on the westbound side of SW Roxbury. On Tuesday, one westbound lane will be closed between 15th and 16th SW; on Thursday, one westbound lane will be closed between 23rd and 24th SW.
OVERNIGHT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY: 10 pm-5 am Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, the southbound Battery St. Tunnel will be closed on Highway 99. There will also be a northbound closure but it won’t start until about midnight, or “two hours after the Mariners’ game ends.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wish for advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wonder “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” Here you go! It’s our monthly feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famous for her solstice/equinox sunset watches among other things.
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
August might be your peak month for stargazing, depending on the time you have available. Whatever your reason for finding time to view the beautiful August skies, take advantage of it, and don’t miss the Perseid meteor shower next weekend. The only thing working against you is the late sunsets and early sunrises. First:
Hey! What’s That?
Venus – in the W just after sunset
Saturn – medium-low in the SW after sunset
Arcuturus – high in the W
Jupiter – low in the E before sunrise
Capella – low in the NE after midnight
Let’s talk about Aurorae (“Northern Lights”)
I’ve been tweeting very wishy-washy Aurora alerts over the last couple months. I wish I could be more specific for you, but the Aurora is one of those sky phenomena that is less predictable – just like comets.
The Aurora is so unpredictable is because it is caused by an interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind.
(WSB photo: Participants in 2011 Arts in Nature Festival ‘Species Parade’)
West Seattle’s next festival is six days away: As promised, Nature Consortium is bringing back the Arts in Nature Festival after a one-year hiatus. It’s next Saturday and Sunday (August 10-11) at Camp Long. The schedule is online – use the tabs on this page to see each individual day/venue. Saturday begins with Caspar Babypants at 11 am at the lodge; after that, he and Kate Endle will be in residence at Cabin 4 as part of the ongoing “Museum of Sound.” Headliners Cloud Cult will perform at the lodge at 7 pm Saturday and 2 pm Sunday. The always-popular Species Parade is set for 1 pm Saturday and 11:30 am Sunday in the meadow. And those are just a few items from the long list of festival events. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the first Arts in Nature Festival; admission is free, but a donation is suggested, $10 individual/$25 families.
In the foreground, that’s “Sparkle” the seal pup, the first one spotted this season by Seal Sitters – and its appearance on an Alki-area platform these past few days unfortunately is cause for an urgent reminder instead of a happy announcement, because of boaters getting way too close. Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey estimates the pup to be just a few days old, which means if its mom is scared away, its life is at risk: “It is imperative that people STAY BACK from this platform (both in the water and on shore) to lessen the risk of abandonment and death for this pup, shown here with a larger yearling. There was a steady stream of boaters getting much closer than NOAA’s 100-yard recommendation, causing the adult seals to flee into the Sound.” Robin reiterates that “human interference truly is a matter of life and death for all seal pups their first year of life – and most certainly the first 4 weeks when they are nursing on mom’s rich milk, unable to forage on their own. We are documenting all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and sending photos to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement and WDFW Enforcement for investigations – neither of which takes harassment of wildlife lightly. Boaters need to stay back from rafts, docks and buoys with resting seals and sea lions. For boater guidelines, go here.” Robin shows and tells even more of the story on Blubberblog.
P.S. If you see a seal pup – or a marine mammal of any kind, alive or dead – ashore in the West Seattle area, please call Seal Sitters at 206-905-SEAL (206-905-7325). Elsewhere – find info here.
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