West Seattle, Washington
25 Wednesday
With the public meetings over, discussion and feedback are all that’s left till Seattle School Board members vote on the Denny/Sealth project one week from Wednesday. (All WSB coverage archived here.) The feedback that matters the most is that which you give to board members — once again, their contact info is here. There also has been a lot of spirited discussion online, on this website and elsewhere (including here and here), as well as in the public-testimony time at the start of board meetings. One of the Chief Sealth High School students who has spoken to the board, and at public meetings on the project here in West Seattle, is Duron Jones. He sent WSB a copy of a letter he said he has sent to the board, and asked us if we would post it. We are doing so with an invitation for any student with a different opinion to send us their thoughts, which we also would be happy to post.
I’m Duron Jones, a sophomore at Chief Sealth High School (CSHS). I’m sure this opening is something that sounds familiar to the Seattle Public School (SPS) board, as it should since I have spoken to them in public testimonial on several occasions. However I feel that my voice and opinion has fallen on deaf ears as well as the voices and opinions of every single student who let their voices be heard via survey and polls.
The first attempt to gain student body voice resulted in 278 against the co-location of the schools and 5 were for the co-location of the schools. To prove that these results weren’t a fluke we recently surveyed the students with a survey that allowed them to state their concerns and what they believed to be the positives of a co-located school, a survey in which John Boyd himself looked at and fixed up, might I add. That survey resulted in 70% of the students being opposed to option 2, 19% being neutral, and 11% being for option 2, however when it came down to option 3, 25% opposed it, 16% was neutral, and 59% were in favor of option 3. This shows that the Chief Sealth student body may not agree with every aspect of option 3 but we believe it to be in the better interest of the students compared to option 2. Might I also add the students will be the ones who have to deal with the fallouts of a merge campus and not the SPS board.
I’m sure you as well as the board are wondering why there are not masses of CSHS students standing up to speak their voice as they do on surveys, but they do not wish to stand up because they fear the consequences that they could possibly face for just using their right to free speech. Then when they do decide to get involved they are made to feel not welcomed.
But my reason for writing this is not to talk about protocol on how to do things when it comes to students speaking. I am writing this to air the opinions and stances of the students. It has been stated that the board believes violence wouldn’t increase with option 2, safety wouldn’t decrease with option 2, and more students would apply to Sealth via option 2. The life blood of Chief Sealth High School, being the students concur with their thoughts as 67% of the student body believes violence will increase with option 2 as 8% believes it will decrease and 25% believes it will stay the same. When it came down to students applying to Chief Sealth if option 2 was to happen, only 20% believed more students would apply and 54% believed less would apply as 26% believed it would stay the same.
Before I get into the commentary of the students I believe it needs to be stated for the record that when it came down to the academic benefits question, a horse the board has rode to death for why it’s a good idea to combine the campuses, as well as the question of what positives come from option 2. No students who were in favor of option 2 were able to answer those questions however students who were for option 3 were able to answer those questions. But when they were asked what academic affects would option 2 have they responded with middle schoolers imitating the high schoolers’ actions thus doing terribly in class, the drop out and skipping rates will increase, as well as a new building placed next to Sealth causing distractions and animosity. But there was a positive comment in the crowd and that was there would be more options for what you could do in classes, so the board should pat themselves on the back for that small achievement.
When it came to the question of what are your concerns about BEX III option 2 we received countless statements about the safety of Denny’s students, the negative influences of high schoolers to middle schoolers, the loss of identity for both schools, Sealth students admitted they wouldn’t receive Denny students with open arms, fears about it becoming a repeat of Pathfinder, fears about it becoming an exclusive international school, as well as concerns about being targeted due to us being a colored school. Also one of the biggest concerns addressed was the loss of a great group of teaching staff. However when asked about some of the positives this project holds we received replies of and I quote, “Nothing that truly couldn’t be done with the schools staying on their own separate campuses,†so the board should give themselves a hand for that one.
As I looked over the boards reply to the meeting on February 4th I realized we truly don’t have the option to pick an option as we are stuck with option 2. Something that truly disturbs me is when a member of the design and construction team answers my question of, “Why aren’t there any drawings or figures of option 3?†with “We were told to do drawings of option 2 only and not option 3,†Now I love money as much as the next but when you compare it to the well being of a child and it’s future they don’t equal out. Then I listened to one of Steve Sundquist replies for the meeting at Sealth on the 5th of February where he talked about this project is being used to stop the drop out gaps from 8th to 9th, well maybe it hasn’t made it to the boards doorsteps yet but there is an excellent program currently in Sealth called Ignite Mentors where we the students aid Freshmen through their Freshman year and make sure they do what they have to and I’m sure any of my colleagues or mentees would speak and say this program has worked so far and will continue to work and with that statement, if you haven’t processed it yet, my point is the drop out rates are covered. I used to believe the board to be the protectors and justice seekers of the students however now I see they are no different then the men & women who currently hold office in the United States of America. I asked them to prove me wrong on that thought and actually listen to us. However we will see if that falls on deaf ears as everything else has.
Again, we would love to hear from a Sealth — or Denny (middle-schoolers can be eloquent too; we know this firsthand) — student who supports the shared campus; we have certainly heard a lot from adults on both sides. E-mail us any time.
Topping our latest review of reports from the Southwest Precinct, quick-thinking workers and fast-responding officers saved the life of an 84-year-old woman at the Daystar center across from Westwood Village. It happened at 2:44 am Thursday morning; the woman’s 46-year-old granddaughter showed up to see her, and things took a terrifying turn very fast. Daystar employees heard screams and called 911. 
Officers say they found the granddaughter holding her grandmother down on a bed with one hand while the other was raised high above her head, holding a claw hammer. They demanded – at gunpoint – that the woman drop the hammer; she didn’t, but she did lower it to her side. They told her again to drop it; though she still didn’t, they managed to get it away from her and arrest her without having to use potentially deadly force. The victim is quoted as telling police afterward, “She was going to kill me — I begged her not to do it — I could tell she wanted to kill me … I thought I was going to die, I didn’t think anyone would help me, I didn’t think you could get here in time.” The suspect has a history of mental illness and drug abuse, and admitted to police she had imbibed a “large quantity of Everclear” that night. She also has a heart problem and had to be taken to the hospital; she was booked into jail later that morning and is still there at this writing, facing possible charges of assault and harassment. Next: Yet another car prowl …Read More
This one came in just before our Friday afternoon visit to the Southwest Precinct, where we verified a police report is filed in the case. Here’s the e-mail from Chris:
I was attacked by a German Shepherd dog yesterday while taking my walk at Lincoln Park (West Seattle) at about 5:45 pm. It happened at the South Side near the Gas station. The dog was not leashed and it came attacking me from my left.
Man, it sure was a powerful dog and brought me down. I am 5ft 9in and 170 lb. I was lying on the sidewalk and could see his white teeth coming at me again and finally the owner came and pulled his dog away.
I got punctured bites on my left calf and thank God the doc said I have my shots updated.
What pisses me off is this:
I asked the owner for help and asking him for his name/info and he said he was getting the dog to his car and promised to come back. He did not come back. I wanted to take his picture on my cell but he ran away and drove off. He is a White (dark skin), crew cut, 5 ft 10’, quite built, no glasses, drove an older Honda or Toyota hatchback.
The police said chances that he lives nearby and not many people own a German Shepherd.
A lady saw him driving away too.
If I had not worn a thick sweat pants, my left calf would be gone!!!
Anyway, you dog lovers, I know most of you are responsible but this one got away!!
The police have an open case on this so if you have any tips, call the non-emergency line @ 625-5011.
Just spotted the listing for 2514 57th SW (map), 9 units, $3,200,000. Here’s the official listing page. If the address doesn’t sound familiar, it’s the condo-conversion building (with failed inspections listed on this city page), right next door to the Shoremont and the adjacent “Mediterranean home” that just changed hands to a different construction company (latest WSB update here). APRIL 7 UPDATE: The owner of The Sidney e-mailed WSB to point out that, as per the same city page in the original report, the building has since passed its inspections. Mackenzie Pinch says one unit in the building has just been purchased, and has a second sale pending, after doing a lot of work on the building: “It was once owned by my late great Uncle Sidney Pinch in the ’70s, bought by my father; now I have purchased it with a business partner. It is with pride and history that I have chosen to keep the name the Sidney there, and I have kept him in mind when making this property hugely improved than the way it was when he passed. I believe he would be proud to see how I have entirely remodeled the building.”
When West Seattle’s first big construction crane in years started taking shape on New Year’s Eve at Capco Plaza (along Alaska between 41st and 42nd), it was a big deal with reader photos and all sorts of hoopla. Today (photo above), we happened onto West Seattle’s SECOND big construction crane in years taking shape one block south at Mural (aka “the former Petco parking lot”) and while there were a few spectators, pretty much zero hoopla. (Although now we do recall a Harbor Properties exec saying at the West Seattle Chamber lunch the other day that excavation at the Mural site had almost “bottomed out.”) Anyway, for crane fans, we’re making note of the occasion; here’s another pic:
We were actually in The Junction to take a look at this site on the SW corner of 41st and Edmunds (kitty-corner from the south side of Jefferson Square):
An application’s just been filed this week to tear down that house and build a 5-unit townhouse project.
Just out of the inbox from Seattle City Light, a warning about a new scam – somebody who might try to make an appointment to get into your house:Read More
Just out of the WSB inbox from Jeremy M, who’s on 51st in the Charlestown Hill/Schmitz Park area (map), and offers a clue that might lead to the culprit(s):
My Land Cruiser was broken into early this morning. Silly really. The “thieves” traded my car stereo faceplate and some really crappy speakers for a “Bombay Gin” swiss army style knife and a small flashlight. While I believe I got the better end of the deal, it was a bit of a bummer that they left my door open and the dome light on. I’ll have to jump my truck to get it going now and that’s always a pain in the butt. Seems that we were the last of three on our street (51st SW near Avalon) to get broken into. You’ll notice that I mentioned that they stole the faceplate of the stereo. The funny thing is that I did such a crappy job installing my stereo (there was cardboard wedging it into the dash!) that when they tried to steal the body of the stereo, they managed to push it further into the dash and couldn’t get it out! I can just imagine a couple of big kneed, baggy pant kids sitting in my front seats laughing nervously while getting more and more frustrated as they try to retrieve the stereo from deep inside the dash. Something must have spooked them as they left in a hurry, leaving the above-mentioned “Bombay Gin” Swiss army style knife and a little red flashlight (the flashlight might have actually been mine, I really can’t remember).
So, if your son/daughter/cousin/neighbor or other person you might know had a silver “Bombay Gin” Swiss army knife, or maybe you had one and you’re missing it, ask a few questions. I’m not looking to get my stuff back but in the interest of safety it might be a good idea to nip this in the bud as the police aren’t as understanding as I am and these “thieves” aren’t all that slick. They will eventually get caught.
You know our pitch – be sure you report everything to the police – if it’s not happening right this moment or a matter of safety, 625-5011 is the non-emergency number. Here’s a page with the official Seattle Police advice on preventing “car prowls” (the term for break-ins like this).
(Still Valentine night, so we have to keep the “love” theme going …) To recap, Ercolini Park is now the official name for this under-construction park along Alaska west of The Junction, and work is well under way:
Months ago, we told you about the campaign to get money and commitments of volunteer time. Now it’s time to get ready to make good on the time commitment: Bill Barna, Ercolini volunteer (and WSB sponsor), says those who promised that time are asked to save the weekends of April 19-20 and 26-27, because that’s when the just-ordered play equipment is likely to be installed. Bill says they’ll need help with tasks including volunteer registration, bringing/distributing refreshments, distributing foundation materials, and of course, putting up the play structures. More details to come as April gets closer.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Bree:
Last night someone broke into my neighbor’s car. The only thing they took was the $20 in her glove box and the change in her ashtray. They didn’t take anything else, not even CDs. I live (in the 3400 block of) California Ave SW, which is directly across from Swedish Physicians. Our cars are parked in a back alley, which is dimly lit. I would highly advise everyone to lock their cars and be on the lookout.
And we add, as always, be sure you report everything to the police as soon as possible – if it’s hours later, the non-emergency SPD number is 625-5011, always available on our Crime Watch page.
Just got word that the woman hit by a car near Westwood Village last Friday night has died. (We reported briefly on the crash in this post, with updated info in the comments – police believe it was truly an accident, someone in dark clothes crossing outside a crosswalk on a dark, rainy night; the driver apparently never saw her.) We don’t have her name at this point, though. By our accounts, this is the first fatal pedestrian accident in West Seattle since 85-year-old Oswald Clement was hit and killed at 35th/Othello last October.
That’s an architect rendering of Neighborhood House, the new social-services center to be built in High Point starting this fall. 80% of the money for it already has been raised – now the “Heart of High Point” campaign wants to get the word out about this major West Seattle project, and invites you to a gathering next Monday night. Here’s what Cathy Cooper e-mailed WSB about it:
This “Heart of High Point” Neighborhood Center will be a Gold LEED certified
Green building, with solar panels, water filtration systems, a deep-well based heating/cooling system … all set in the environmentally sensitive and award winning High Point community. This building will be a real-life example of how to create sustainable spaces for delivering social services, combating poverty, and building a stronger community.The HPNC will provide vital community services and support programs to more than 4,000 residents and their families annually. It will provide access to critical support services to 700 low-income families living in the redeveloped public housing in the High Point mixed income community.
The center will also demonstrate how cultures all over the world view environmental stewardship, and how immigrants from these cultures can teach us all lessons about caring for our shared planet.
To help spread the word about this exciting new development in our own backyard, a group of West Seattle-connected volunteers are meeting at Mission (2325 California Ave SW) at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18. We’re focused on how to raise awareness about the “Heart of High Point” campaignand let West Seattelites know what this new building is all about. We’d like to invite our neighbors to join us. For more information, contact me at cooper1513@comcast.net.
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS’ RESOLUTION: A comment under our report from last night mentioned the 34th DDs voted last night to support the Westwood Neighborhood Council and Denny/Sealth school staff in pursuing an “authentic” public process. We received a copy of the resolution this morning; you can see it here.
SPEAKING OF PUBLIC PROCESS: West Seattle’s school-board rep Steve Sundquist asked district staffers last night about reported discrepancies and omissions in the information that’s posted on the district website as answers to the public questions from last week’s meeting. District staff acknowledged some “confusion.” One point of ongoing dispute/confusion that was not addressed clearly last night — board member Harium Martin-Morris wanted clarification about the oft-repeated complaint that the language on the ballot did not mention the shared campus. He didn’t get a complete answer to that during the public meeting we observed last night (and it’s not fully answered in the district Q/A, either; see Question 14 under Pink Room on this page); fellow members Sherry Carr and Peter Maier talked again about the pamphlet mailed to all 45,000-ish households with Seattle Public Schools students, which did talk about the shared campus, but what was left out was the indisputable fact – whether or not you think it matters – that the actual text seen in the official King County Voters’ Pamphlet by voters casting ballots in the February 2007 election (direct link here) explaining what the money would go for, was this:
Section 2. Authorization of Construction and Modernization Improvements. The District shall modernize and expand its school facilities through the following programs:
(1) Middle /K-8 school improvements including full renovation of Hamilton, and replacement of South Shore and Denny.
(2) High School improvements including renovation of Chief Sealth and Nathan Hale, addition at Ingraham and modernization of Rainier Beach Career and Technology facilities.
(3) Infrastructure improvements for water piping, indoor air quality and synthetic sports turf, including contributions to Hiawatha Playfield with Seattle Parks for conversion to synthetic turf.
(4) Technology equipment and training.
On the ballot itself, before checking approve or reject, voters saw this:
The Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1 adopted Resolution No. 2006/07-3 concerning this proposition for bonds. This proposition approves a program to renovate or replace four high schools, two middle schools and one K-8 school and make other capital improvements, to issue $490,000,000 in general obligation bonds with a maximum term of seven years; and to levy excess property taxes to repay the bonds and to replace the expiring capital levy, not to exceed $81,666,667 annually for six years.
Just for the record, since this keeps coming up. There certainly was coverage, on our site and elsewhere, before the election, talking about the shared campus — but the official voters’ pamphlet and the actual ballot did not include that point, as project critics frequently note.
As mentioned yesterday, some interesting nuggets emerged from the transportation presentations at the monthly West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch: On the RapidRide bus route that will replace the 54 in three years, a Metro rep acknowledged opposition to possible re-routing along California through The Junction, saying the agency’s heard “loud and clear” from the “strong fan base” for the current routing. (One more meeting about RapidRide is coming up – next Tuesday night, Southwest Library.) City transportation director Grace Crunican suggested we haven’t heard enough about the major improvements coming to the Spokane Street Viaduct section of the bridge – which she describes as the city’s #1 priority – particularly the eastbound exit to be added at 4th (no westbound onramp at 4th though, and the long-closed one will finally go away). And while recapping the latest developments with the Elliott Bay Water Taxi — particularly the creation of the county Ferry District — West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine noted this year’s schedule should be announced relatively soon.
From the latest reports at the Southwest Precinct, we begin with yet another round of rock-throwers, this time on the south end of West Seattle: A man in his 80s who lives in the 9400 block of 9th SW called police around 8:30 last night, complaining that four or five boys have been throwing rocks at his house for the past week and a half, on non-rainy nights, always between 7:45 and 9 pm. Last night, he spotted them crouching behind a tree on the south side of Roxbury; he yelled to his wife to call the police, and the boys bolted. He told police he’s lived in the house 45 years and never had a problem like this. No description of the suspects, though. Next — another throwing incident, and a masher at the mini-mart:Read More
UPDATE #1: As has been the case for the past several meetings, the public-comment period at the start of the meeting was dominated by testimony from merged-campus opponents. The board’s in a brief break now, with what’s been described as a “presentation” and “discussion” yet to come on items including the formal introduction of the superintendent’s recommendation that the board approve Option 2. More to come; it’s live on cable channel 26. UPDATE #2, ADDED 9:55 PM: The Denny-Sealth presentation/discussion took more than an hour and a half. Read More
One week after our last update on fire repairs at the Charlestown Cafe, we went over to the restaurant to see if owner Larry Mellum had anything new to report – He does, and it’ll be disappointing news for CC fans: Kitchen repair work is a little more extensive than expected, and with the permits they need to get, and other aspects of the process, it will take at least two more weeks before they’ll be ready to reopen.
We’ve talked about “I (heart) West Seattle” bumper stickers here several times before – now there’s a brand-new way to get one – at the monthly West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch today, the Chamber unveiled the stickers you see above. You can buy ’em for $2.50 at the Chamber office (3614 California, east side of street just south of Spokane; map). Lots of other info to share from the event – transportation was the main topic, with more on the Viaduct info presented last night at Cooper; also extra details on city projects such as the new ramps coming to the Spokane Street Viaduct end of the West Seattle Bridge, plus a county update on the Water Taxi – updates ahead.
We told you last weekend about Harbor Properties — the company behind Mural, going in at the former Petco parking lot — applying to the city for a permit to build a mixed-use project east of The Junction, including former Huling parcels (photo above) and land now occupied by West Seattle Montessori School. We’ve since talked with Emi Baldowin at Harbor, who says there’s one big “if” here — “We have not formally acquired the property,” she says, explaining that they went ahead and filed for the permit anyway to get the ball rolling because the process takes so long. She wouldn’t comment on how much other Huling land Harbor Properties is hoping to buy, but says her firm should have word on its proposed purchase by the end of the month. She also says that if it does go through and they are indeed able to work with West Seattle Montessori, they’re looking at the school perhaps being “on the other end of the block,” which could alleviate a pickup/dropoff situation that has been less than ideal for parents (and sometimes for drivers going by on Fauntleroy).
Tonight, Seattle School Board members will officially be presented with Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson‘s recommendation that they approve Option 2 for the Denny Middle School rebuilding/Chief Sealth High School renovation process, with the final vote in 2 weeks. Last night, at a public panel-discussion meeting organized by the Westwood Neighborhood Council, West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist announced which way he’s leaning, while also revealing what it’s been like to walk right into this turbulent controversy as a newly elected board member:Read More
Tonight at Cooper Elementary in Pigeon Point, state, city, and county transportation leaders — along with more than 50 members of the public — took the next step toward deciding the future of the critical central section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct – the section that Governor Gregoire has said will come down in 2012, period:Read More
Just back from both of tonight’s major meetings in West Seattle. Full separate articles coming for both. But in the short run, the headlines:
DENNY-SEALTH: West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist announced he’s “leaning toward Option 2,” the “go ahead with the shared campus but add $10 million for a few more Sealth renovations” option that district staff is officially recommending the board approve. However, Sundquist reiterated that it’s the board’s decision, and he invites EVERYONE to spend the next two weeks letting him and other board members (three of whom were at the meeting) know what they think. 10:30 PM ADDITION: Just in from Steve Fischer, president of the Westwood Neighborhood Council, which presented tonight’s meeting – results of the unofficial, voluntary straw poll they took (via secret ballot) after the meeting: Zero for Option 1, 16 for Option 2, 52 for Option 3. (100-plus people were there tonight.)
VIADUCT: This open-house-with-open-mike was part of the process leading up to a decision in about a year regarding what will replace the “Central Waterfront” section of The Viaduct. Some of those who offered open-mike comments urged reconsideration of the notion of NOT tearing it down, but retrofitting it instead.
Again, much more to come, including some video, from both meetings.
Spotting this Seattle City Light crew at work in Fairmount Springs a little while ago reminded us we want to share an update from Scott Thomsen at SCL, who says feedback at the open house a few weeks ago (WSB coverage here) has led to an addition to the plan:
Several of our customers who attended that meeting were served by a 4 kilovolt conversation bank on feeder 2744 out of the Delridge Substation. Their biggest concern was the two block stretch that was in the unimproved alley between 37th Avenue SW and Fairmount Park. Before the meeting that area was not on the schedule for trimming.
We’ve taken a look at our work plan for the year and have decided to add that entire feeder to the mix. It’s a short feeder coming up the hill from the Delridge Substation and going directly over to the Fairmount Park neighborhood. We’ll begin work there after we do the Alki feeder (2746) and the North Admiral feeder (2740) that you saw on our maps at the meeting.
We’d like to thank everyone who came to the meeting for their comments, ideas and interest. As you can see, we were listening and appreciate what our customers tell us.
By the way, if anyone still wants to see a digital copy of the map shown at that meeting – the one in the photograph shown with our meeting report – we’re having a little bit of trouble uploading it but can e-mail it to you; send us a note.
Time to toss out that old mental image of your local public library as a hush-or-else quiet temple of bookshelves. Today’s libraries have a lot more going on. Last weekend, for example, we told you about an adult Wii-gaming class at Delridge Library — nice turnout, we’re told, and now we have another activity at that branch — one of four Seattle Public Library branches in West Seattle – that we want to tell you about: “Wonderful Ones.”Read More
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