West Seattle, Washington
25 Saturday
Saturday night, we told you about an overflow after a mechanical malfunction at the Barton Pump Station in Fauntleroy. This afternoon, King County estimates the overflow totaled “five to 50 gallons of wastewater.” Their news release adds, “Cleanup crews deployed Saturday evening did not find debris typically associated with a wastewater overflow, further confirming the incident’s minimal impact.” Water samples nearby “showed normal bacteria levels,” so they say area beaches will reopen once the Public Health Department says it’s OK.
Since an alley vacation is part of the 4755 Fauntleroy Way megaproject – slated for more than 370 apartments and about 600 parking spaces, as well as a Whole Foods Market and TBA drugstore – the Seattle Design Commission has to sign off on it. It’s on the commission’s agenda for this Thursday (March 7), 1:30 pm, at the Boards/Commissions Room on the lower level at City Hall downtown. Public comment is welcome at these meetings, as it will also be when the project gets its next turn before the Southwest Design Review Board (as reported here last week, that’s set for 6:30 pm March 28 at the Senior Center of West Seattle). The two hearings, however, serve different purposes – the Design Commission’s role in reviewing projects with alley or street vacations is to be sure there will be public benefit in exchange for the public giving up some of its right-of-way property (the street or alley).
Every second Thursday, it’s a celebration of art and community, at dozens of businesses, galleries, and other venues around the peninsula – the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. And there’s room for more, according to this WSAW announcement:
The West Seattle Art Walk committee is currently putting out a call to area businesses interested in participating in the monthly Art Walk for the second quarter of 2013. Art Walk is an evening community event on the second Thursday of each month, including locations across the West Seattle peninsula. Requirements for Art Walk hosts include procuring an artist, featuring their work, and committing to being open during Art Walk for the 3 months of the quarter they are signed up for. Interested? Click here for an application, or e-mail wsartwalk@gmail.com for more information. Deadline for participation is March 8.
Note that this is *not* a call for artists, but if you *are* an artist interested in participating, you are urged to contact participating businesses (listed at wsartwalk.com).
The next Art Walk is March 14th; if your venue signs up for second-quarter participation, that would start with the April 11th WSAW.
This past Saturday was a banner day for volunteer-powered cleanups – and next Saturday is shaping up that way too. Above are members of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council-mustered crew that worked at Greg Davis Park two days ago – and NDNC beautification chair Lisa Taylor-Whitley sends “a GIGANTIC thank you” and news that they collected 14 bags of recyclables and 6 bags of trash. She adds that they’re planning on an encore: “Even though a large amount of trash was collected there is still more to be cleaned. So we are having another cleanup event this coming Saturday, March 9, from 10 am to 12 pm to finish the work that was started. Again, we will meet at the 4 large rocks.”
(Olympics panorama this morning by Patrick McCaffrey; click image for larger view)
Happy first Monday in March! Some of what’s up today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DISCOVERY SHOP EVENT: Are you a collector? The American Cancer Society-benefiting all-volunteer, nonprofit Discovery Shop, 4535 California SW, has Hummel and Goebel Friar Tuck figurines for sale during the Antiques, Vintage and Collectibles Event going on now. 10 am-4:30 pm.
ZUMBATOMIC CLASS FOR KIDS: Ages 4-7 are invited to their own Zumba-style class, starting 3:15 pm today at Alki Community Center – details in the calendar listing.
SPEAKING OF ZUMBA … YMCA BENEFIT @ MADISON: 5-7 pm, you can Zumba with Katherine Rintoul at the Madison Middle School Commons (45th/Spokane), to benefit Y “The MOST” programs. Details here.
HI-YU NEEDS YOU! Come to tonight’s West Seattle Hi-Yu general meeting if you can help with this year’s float – the city’s LAST neighborhood-sponsored traveling parade float – and/or festival events – and/or even if you just want to know what’s going on with Hi-Yu as summer inches closer. 6:30 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (California/Hanford).
PICKWICK, LIVE AT EASY STREET: 7 pm at Easy Street Records in The Junction (California/Alaska), it’s a live in-store concert with Pickwick, celebrating their new release.
TRIVIA/QUIZ TIME! Three venues have questions for you tonight – see the nightlife listings on the calendar.
(WSB photo from West Seattle Summer Fest ’11)
Yes, it’s technically winter, as this morning’s icy windshields reminded us. But the sunshine also stirs daydreams of spring and summer, and West Seattle’s wonderful annual events. Here are three that are already signing up vendors/exhibitors/etc.:
SEATTLE SUMMER STREETS ON ALKI, MAY 19TH: Once again this year, after the West Seattle 5K closes Alki and Harbor Avenues 9 am-11 am, a shorter stretch of Alki SW will remain closed to motorized vehicles the rest of the day for Seattle Summer Streets, till 5 pm. SDOT is soliciting sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, and activities; apply online here.
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST, JULY 12-13-14: Vendor and music applications for The Junction’s annual festival are linked from the right side of its home page.
ALKI ART FAIR, JULY 20-21: Artist/vendor applications are available – find the links here.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:58 AM: The weekend closures are over – both the Viaduct/99 and Delridge/Trenton closures ended earlier than expected – but now we have a few new ones to share, as the week begins:
*Bicycle riders – an alert for the entire week, from SDOT:
(This) week, bicyclists using the trail under the low-level Spokane Street Bridge will be rerouted to the north side of Southwest Spokane Place daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will perform landscaping work in the area.
*Some followup work to the earthquake-safety improvements under the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the West Seattle Bridge is planned this week. Exact times/locations hadn’t yet been set when we heard from SDOT consultants at week’s end, though.
P.S. – Next weekend, the Spokane St. Interchange/I-5 project closes a ramp that does NOT directly affect West Seattle traffic – northbound I-5 to 6th Ave. S.
7:25 AM: Just checked outside and noticed serious windshield ice, a reminder that winter’s not officially over yet.
11:15 AM: If you’re heading northbound on 99 in the next few hours, take note of this last-minute advisory:
This past weekend during their inspection of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the Washington State Department of Transportation found a slight problem with the pavement around an expansion joint northbound. A crew will close a lane today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. northbound between Royal Brougham Way and King Street in order to make the repairs. Motorists should slow down and use caution passing by the work zone.
Ready for spring cleaning – including reading material you don’t need any more? The Rotary Club of West Seattle invites you to donate it next Saturday:
The West Seattle Rotary Club, along with many Rotary Clubs across the United States, is accepting donations of gently used or new books that will be sent to underserved communities in South Africa and other southern African nations. Books for all ages are welcome, for example:
§ Picture/story books (pre-K and up)
§ Teen and adult fiction
§ K-12 textbooks in sets of 10 or more (world history is okay; U.S. history is discouraged)
§ Current professional books (medical books, international law, etc.)
§ Encyclopedia sets (less than 20 years old)
§ Magazines – National Geographic, Smithsonian (please, no news magazines)Your donation will be gratefully accepted on Saturday, March 9th, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at 3925 SW Alaska Street (the empty used car lot on the southeast corner of SW Alaska Street and 40th Avenue SW – just west of the Howden-Kennedy Funeral Home at 3909 SW Alaska Street).
Cash donations of any amount are also being accepted to help with the cost of shipping the books to Africa. Make checks payable to: “District 5030 Service Fund” and send to: West Seattle Rotary, 6523 California Avenue SW, PMB 315, Seattle, WA 98136.
If you have any questions, you may contact Rotarian Martha Sidlo at (206) 933-8008.
12:14 AM: A caller driving by told 911 about seeing smoke and possibly flames at a home in the 9800 block of 35th SW (map), so Seattle Fire Department has a full response on the way. First unit on the scene isn’t seeing anything, though. 35th SW is closed between 98th and 100th while firefighters investigate.
12:59 AM: Call’s closed, which means the crews have cleared from the scene.
Got questions about potholes? Parking? Paving? Sidewalks or lack of them? Crosswalks? Bus bulbs? The man who’s in charge of the Seattle Department of Transportation – and therefore in charge of the streets, sidewalks, city-owned bridges (both West Seattle bridges over the Duwamish included) – will be in West Seattle for Q & A this Wednesday. SDOT director Peter Hahn is guest speaker at the Southwest District Council‘s monthly meeting at 6:30 pm Wednesday (March 6), Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle, adjacent to SW Pool). The public’s welcome, so if you have a question, concern, idea, kudo, be there and speak up.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For everyone who’s wished they had advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wondered “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” – this is for you – the second edition of our new 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
Last month I encouraged you to remember to look up on clear nights (we do have them!) and enjoy our “regular” night sky. This month we have a couple of exciting events that are potentially visible from here in West Seattle. Again, be ready to take advantage of what clear skies we do have, because many March nights are too cloudy for stargazing, and you’ll have to turn to airplane-spotting or cloud identification for your nocturnal hobby.
Comet PanSTARRS!
We are incredibly lucky here in West Seattle. We have a flat Western horizon, which is where you’ll be looking for Comet PanSTARRS just after sunset. I’ve attempted to mock up a little local finding guide image for you here (editor’s note, updated image substituted 3/9/13).
(Placement of Comet PanSTARRS from West Seattle, March 2013. Background image of the Olympics © 2011 Jason Enevoldsen, used with permission)
This is just a guide: I overlaid some planetarium program imagery on a scaled photo of the Olympics. I did my best, but to really find the comet you’ll need an accurate finder chart which includes stars (Astronomy.com has one). At first, in early March, you’ll need binoculars to pick the comet out of the bright post-sunset sky. Toward mid-March it should be brighter, and possibly as bright as the middle stars of the Big Dipper. This would make it easily visible without binoculars. Comets are notably unpredictable though, almost as unpredictable as Seattle’s weather in March.
No need to avoid the Delridge/Trenton intersection tonight – the city says it reopened early, and the adjacent section of Trenton that was closed for prep work is open too. The detour that’s in place for southbound Delridge between Trenton and Henderson remains in place while the repaving project continues Phase 1; as reported here Friday night, Phase 2 is expected to start in about two weeks.
Last night, Kristina told us about that photo via the WSB Facebook page:
At Lowman Beach this morning, there was a sign “I surrender” on a log – someone went to some trouble to letter the sign, and to cut the groove into a log to attach the sign, and I wonder what it’s about. … Who put it there? What does it mean? It’s beautiful and thought-provoking and I am appreciative: thank you.
Reminded us of a stenciled message we noticed on a Lowman Beach log and showed here almost six years ago. But apparently it’s not just a Lowman phenomenon – Kristina then e-mailed this afternoon to say she came across this today in the Schmitz Park area:
Clues, anyone? Seen others?
Actor Matt Damon says he’s on strike – and with the video you can watch above, Chief Sealth International High School students say they’re ready to join him. Haven’t heard about his strike? Watch *his* video:
With that recent “news conference,” Damon and his water.org did his best to make sure you know that 2.5 billion people don’t have access to something you likely take for granted – toilets.
Since Damon is looking ahead to World Water Day on March 22nd, and Chief Sealth is too – with their third annual World Water Week full of lessons and events March 18-22 – they’re thinking their suggestion that he come here should be an irresistible invitation, says social-studies teacher and WWW ringleader Noah Zeichner. Especially given their specific focus – sanitation and wastewater. So they’ve submitted their video to his strikewithme.org website, and sent photos like this one and this one to the #strikewithme feed he launched via Instagram. They hope he will come to Sealth to share the stage with Jack Sim, the activist nicknamed “Mr. Toilet,” who is coming all the way from Singapore to be the keynoter for WWW at Sealth (you are invited too), 7 pm March 19th at the school auditorium, admission free.
As Sim points out in this short video profile of Sim, it’s a taboo topic – and that’s killing people, as taboos too often do. So he talks about toilets, and the Sealth students are doing the same, as is Matt Damon. Will he take them up on their invitation? Stay tuned!
(P.S. A fundraiser continues, to help foot the bill for World Water Week costs and the 9th-grade WEST Project – check it out here.)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Just a reminder as the day begins – as noted in our coverage of Saturday’s crash on the bridge, WSDOT says the Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 will NOT be closing this morning after all; they did all the inspection/maintenance work on Saturday. (But if you were going to take 99 further north, note that a section is closed from the Western Avenue exit northward for a running event, until 11 am.) The ramp from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge to southbound I-5 *is* closed and scheduled to remain closed till early Monday, and that goes for the Delridge/Trenton intersection too.
Calendar-wise, it’s a relatively quiet day – see for yourself here.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
First, happening right now, police have taken someone into custody from a Metro bus stopped in Fauntleroy, after an incident at the 35th/Barton 7-11. We’re not clear from scanner reports whether the store was robbed or the clerk assaulted by an armed person, or both; we’re following up. (Sunday morning note: Official information isn’t available yet, but one commenter offers a report.)
Also in Crime Watch, a stolen vehicle to watch for: Tod says his work van, white and bearing the company name Leibold Communications on its door, with a ladder rack on its roof, was stolen from Fauntleroy/Brandon last night. Call 911 if you see it.
10:07 PM: Another West Seattle beach has or will soon have a warning sign up about a sewage problem. We first got a reader tip tonight about sewage overflowing at the Barton Pump Station in the 5 pm to 7:30 pm vicinity, and as we were about to seek verification, an announcement came in from King County Wastewater Treatment Division with this news:
An undetermined amount of wastewater overflowed from a blown cap on a pipe north of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal at about 7 p.m. To stop the leak, crews temporarily shut down one of the pumps to slow flows and reduce pressure in the line. The system resumed normal operation, though the cause of the overflow is still under investigation.
Crews initiated cleanup this evening and reported the overflow to health and regulatory agencies. Employees will make additional assessments, post the beach as closed, and take water quality samples when daylight resumes.
In response to our followup question about when it started, KCWTD spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson says she can’t confirm the start time but “we got a report from a State Ferry employee who said he noticed it at dusk, but the stop time sounds correct.” The beach on the north side of the dock is already off-limits to the public because of the pump station’s ongoing upgrade project, but there are residential beaches to the south of the dock and immediately north of the pump-station work.
This is the third recent sewage problem along West Seattle shores: Just a week and a half ago, Murray Pump Station, about a mile north, had an overflow estimated at 18,000 gallons when it lost power during a Seattle City Light outage in the vicinity; also last month, pipe problems at the over-water Harbor West Condos building led to leakage estimated by Seattle Public Utilities at around 30,000 gallons.
ADDED 11:13 PM: We should also note that it is the second problem the county has reported at this particular pump station in less than a week. The previous one – which was NOT reported to have caused an overflow – was a power outage last Wednesday.
After publishing the news earlier this week that West Seattle Helpline received a $10,000 grant from the RealNetworks Foundation, we found out Helpline wasn’t alone: Transitional Resources, headquartered in the Luna Park neighborhood, has received one too. Above are TR’s CEO Darcell Slovek-Walker and RNF’s Kevin Johnson. A TR spokesperson tells WSB, “This grant will go so far in helping us expand our onsite chemical-dependency services to provide intensive substance abuse help to our clients. We are so happy to see their support for the organizations in West Seattle who are doing so much for the community!”
St. Patrick’s Day is on a Sunday this year – two weeks from tomorrow – and that means an entire 3-day weekend of revelry at The Celtic Swell on Alki – featuring a costume contest for “Pets and Their People.” It’ll run 2-4 pm on Saturday, March 16th, per the announcement we received today:
Labs dressed-up like leprechauns! Shar peis with shillelaghs! Bulldogs boasting bagpipes! There’s no telling what you’ll see when Alki’s Celtic Swell Irish Pub hosts its first annual St. Patrick’s Day “Pets & Their People” Costume Contest featuring a free photo booth and prizes to benefit the Seattle Humane Society. The family-and-pet-friendly event is a must-do for everyone seeking festive and memorable St. Paddy’s Day fun.
Guests are invited to dress up their pets (and themselves) in St. Pat’s day garb, mug it up Irish-style in the Celtic Swell’s free photo booth, and win incredible prizes donated by some of the area’s favorite local businesses. Participation is free with all donations benefiting the Seattle Humane Society.
With two Siberian Huskies of his own, Celtic Swell owner Gareth Hughes says the costume contest and the cause felt like a natural fit for the Swell. “This year marks our 9th annual Paddy’s celebration, so we wanted to try something a little different! I can’t think of a better way to get the entire family in on the fun of St. Paddy’s day and give back to invaluable community organizations like the Seattle Humane Society who work tirelessly to promote positive change. Judging from the tremendous positive response we’ve received already, I’m confident this will become a cherished family tradition for years to come.”
Today’s announcement also includes a schedule of other events at Celtic Swell that weekend – see the full list here (PDF). The pub’s on Alki Avenue SW, just east of 61st SW, across from Statue of Liberty Plaza and Alki Bathhouse.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
3:16 PM: Thanks to everybody who’s texted and tweeted about this: A multiple-vehicle crash on the eastbound bridge around the 1st Avenue South Exit is backing up traffic – compounding the challenges of the Viaduct and southbound I-5 ramp closures. One texter says it appears to be “in the left lane eastbound right after 1st Ave. S. exit.” No other details yet – just getting the warning out for starters. Note that the Viaduct closure is scheduled to end at 5 pm, so the exit to northbound 99 should open then (another 99 closure is scheduled 6 am-noon tomorrow).
3:48 PM UPDATE: Some are asking about the low bridge. This camera’s the only view we have – it shows the west entrance to the eastbound low bridge, in the background, and has been looking fairly backed up:
4:17 PM: The high bridge is still backed up but the low bridge looks to be in better shape (one commenter on Facebook said it appeared to have marine traffic going through earlier).
4:26 PM: Some of the pressure’s being taken off with the slightly early reopening of Highway 99 – all cameras show the exit from the eastbound bridge has been reopened, and traffic is moving on Viaduct/99:
Thanks again to everyone who helped with updates (as long as you can do so safely – no texting/calling if you’re driving, please, we can wait to hear till you get where you’re going!) – 206-293-6302 any time.
6:26 PM UPDATE: We just read the fine print on the later WSDOT confirmation that 99 was open: They are now saying the previously announced Sunday morning closure is no longer needed – not the 99/Viaduct stretch, anyway; there IS still a 6 am-11 am closure planned *north* of Battery St. Tunnel for the Hot Chocolate run.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
1:22 PM: Those are a few of the two dozen-plus people who were already getting to work on the beach at Constellation Park about an hour ago, with more arriving for the Beach Creeps Bicycle Club Beach Cleanup. It’s not that the beach is full of typical trash – more insidious, to beach and sea life, lots of styrofoam pieces and particles have washed up, and getting some of it out from where it’s mixed up with rocks and driftwood is a key objective. Still time for you to join, since they’re there till 3 – just check in at 63rd/Beach Drive (by the octopus sculpture that’s embedded in the sidewalk). Full report later.
4:54 PM: A closer look at the cleanup as it unfolded, from WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams:
(This photo and all others below are by Nick Adams for WSB)
As they arrived, volunteers were given what they needed, and sent off to work on the rocky beach:
Rachelle Kauffman worked under and between the driftwood:
Sticks made the best tools, as 7-year-old Cooper Guidry also found out:
The cleanup volunteers got some big pieces of debris of the beach, like the one Kris Blazina is hauling away:
Picking up the little things – like bits of styrofoam – mattered a lot too, though:
That’s part of what Scott Pietz was up to:
Background, dark sweatshirt, that’s the club’s publicity chair Michael D. Adams helping scour the shore:
This area of West Seattle shoreline is especially precious because it holds a marine-reserve area.
The cleanup was organized in the span of just a week:
Over the week, it went from a casual idea among friends, to an official capital-e Event that even had to get on the Parks Department radar, for a permit, and also trash pickup.
SUNDAY NOTE: In a just-posted comment, Willis from the Beach Creeps reports more than 40 people signed in as part of the event, and the group is thinking about sequels.
Photographed outside West Seattle Thriftway this morning, that’s broker Chris Hanley and granddaughter Enna Ernst, volunteering for the Prudential Northwest Realty Food Drive, which continues till 2 pm outside Thriftway and Metropolitan Market-Admiral. At either store, you can drop off donations of nonperishable food, money, or other essentials (like diapers!) to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. (Our standard disclosure, when mentioning sponsors: Prudential NW Realty, West Seattle Thriftway, and Metropolitan Market are all WSB sponsors.)
Thanks to Girl Scout Troop 43774 for sharing a photo from their cookie-sale station outside West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – they’re there till noon, but other Scouts will be there later too (all the way till 8 tonight), and other stores and sites are hosting cookie sellers as well. You can find them all – dates, times, places, troops – via the Cookie Locator. This is day two of cookie-selling season, which continues through March 17th. P.S. See the sign for “Operation Cookie Drop”? Here’s what that’s about.
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