West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
Some people just get involved in politics young. That little girl seemed determined to get the day off to a running start, along with one of three groups that toured the city today to campaign for Seattle Proposition 2, the $145 million, six-year parks levy (text/pros/cons/$ impact here) that’s going before voters just as the old Pro Parks Levy expires. This group started its day with a stop at Delridge Playfield, one of the West Seattle spots that stands to benefit if the levy passes, according to West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen: (who chairs the council’s Parks Committee):
Specifically, Delridge Playfield would get $3-plus million to replace its sand fields with artificial turf; the fields were hosting games when the levy campaign stopped by today:
The official pro-Prop 2 website has a map of other projects in West Seattle (and around the city). This is one of three local money-raising measures you’ll be considering on the November 4 ballot – the others are Seattle Proposition 1, the Pike Place Market levy (text/pros/cons/$ impact here), and Sound Transit Proposition 1 (text/pros/cons/$ impact here), which would expand light rail and includes money to study a potential future expansion into West Seattle.
We told you two weeks ago that the city had scheduled a celebration for the Orchard Street Ravine, a greenspace in Gatewood that neighbors and other volunteers have been working for years to restore. One key piece of the project isn’t done, though, so the city has just announced an open-house meeting to talk about that, one week before the celebration:
The construction of the through-trail, part of the Orchard Street Ravine project at 38th Ave. SW has been delayed due to design and project budget issues. Seattle Parks and Recreation remains committed to completing a through-trail from the street end at 38th Ave. SW to the existing lower loop trail at Orchard Street Ravine. To keep the project within its budget, Parks is proposing a new design for completing the through-trail, and would like to discuss the trail option with you at an open house at the lower loop trail site from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 4. This trail follows work done in the Pedestrian Connection Trail Feasibility Study and will link the upper and lower neighborhoods.
Here’s a map to Orchard Street Ravine.
All from the WSB Events calendar page: At Southwest Community Center, help design SWCC’s new fitness room, first workshop at 6 pm; at St. James Place (9421 18th SW), South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition monthly meeting, 6 pm (reps from Seattle Police and King County Sheriff’s Office among other agencies/groups, always lots of great information); at Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster), Southwest Design Review Board, Admiral Safeway project at 6:30 pm and 38th/Alaska “Link” at 8 pm; at Bamboo Bar and Grill, auditions start for “Alki Idol,” 9:30 pm
Lots of serious news today. For those who’d appreciate a quick break from it: Cats, on leashes, in Lincoln Park.
Missed getting this one in this week’s West Seattle Weekend Lineup, sorry about that. But the results and details from today’s Sundodger Invitational cross-country track meet at Lincoln Park are already up on the UW Athletics website; certainly the weather conditions lived up to the race name today (here’s the course map if you’re interested).
That’s Tai, and he’s one of more than 350 volunteers who are toiling — rain? what rain? — at Camp Long right now, for a huge work party organized by NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, a trade association for real-estate and development companies) as one of its “community enhancement projects.” We wandered the park at midmorning to see what was going on – first, the logistics center in the lodge:
Next, out into the park. NAIOP had a map to various work sites, labeled by area and by priority. One big priority, fixing up the fire ring toward the south end of the “Parade Grounds” meadow:
All along the trails, groups were restoring and rebuilding, including another huge priority – the big bridge down the trail leading north toward the golf course – lots of work alongside cabins and picnic shelters too:
And of course, the front entrance was getting some love too:
As we left after a while (we’re going back later to see how it all turned out), we ran into someone who spent LAST Saturday on a big cleanup/restoration project – Nancy Driver, co-organizer of the West Seattle Gateway Cleanup, walking by with pruning saw in hand. She explained that some NAIOP members such as Harbor Properties and Excel were major contributors (manpower as well as $power) to the work that went into the Gateway Cleanup, and she wanted to do something to reciprocate. You can lend a hand in West Seattle greenspaces just about any Saturday, by the way – the regular volunteer work parties are always in our West Seattle Weekend Lineups published every Friday, and they’re also listed at greenseattle.org.
Southwest Community Center needs your help designing a new fitness room to replace the current workout zone next to the pool (which has been closed 3 months, 1 1/2 to go, for renovation work). To help, join in three workshops set for 6-8 pm 9/25, 10/16, 11/20. Want to know more? E-mail Kellee Jones, kellee.jones@seattle.gov.
We dropped by the Seattle Parks Foundation‘s “park” in The Junction thinking it was a quick photo op – and instead, we found out a lot of new information that answers a question asked every time we show the site of Junction Plaza Park (northwest corner of 42nd/Alaska): “When is it going to be done and how much more money do they need?” Read on for details plus the latest park plan:Read More
We just stopped at the White Center “PARK(ing) Day” (backstory here) park and are en route momentarily to the West Seattle version set up by KeyBank in The Junction. At the one in WC (more pix on partner site White Center Now), Sopha Danh of White Center Community Development Association and Richard Brown from Technology Access Foundation are going high-tech and low-tech – with laptops and produce – the latter, to help spark the dream of reviving a WC Farmers’ Market. The WC “park” will be on the west side of 16th SW, half a block south of Roxbury, in front of Full Tilt, till 3; the West Seattle one is scheduled to be in place till 4 – we’ll add pix here as soon as we get ’em.
TODAY: TEMP PARKS: We just checked and the soggy weather’s not stopping the local plans for PARKing Day, a nationwide event with temporary “parks” set up – often in onstreet parking spaces – to demonstrate the importance of greenspace in urban areas. One was planned for Alaska/California 9 am-4 pm today (as of 9:08 am, they’re setting it up), and another in the 9600 block of 16th SW in White Center, 10 am-3 pm in front of Full Tilt Ice Cream.
TONIGHT: PUNISHMENT PROTEST: A demonstration is planned outside Mars Hill Church-West Seattle at 6 pm tonight by people who are upset about the parenting-book author whose Mars Hill-Ballard seminars are going to be broadcast there live tonight and tomorrow, Tedd Tripp, because his advocacy of corporal punishment includes the suggestion parents may need to hit children starting in infancy. This Times story today takes a thorough look at the controversy, including a statement from MH; the genesis of the demonstration was in this WSB Forum thread, followed by this one specifically about the protest plan (check it if you are interested in participating in the protest; meantime, MH’s seminar schedule is here – the “physical discipline” discussion is tomorrow morning).
Supporters of the proposal to add a “natural playscape” to the California Place mini-park in Admiral (map) invited neighbors to an ice-cream social at the site today, funded by the smallest of two grants they’ve received from the city. At the other end of the mini-park – just yards away, a group with a different invitation:
Nearby residents who want California Place to remain unchanged waved their sign at passing drivers, and invited their supporters to sign a petition. They’ve also attended the twice-monthly meetings that the pro-playscape group has been holding (here’s our coverage from a meeting last month). Despite the proximity, the two sides avoided direct conflict today, and opponents told us they were staying low-key so as not to spoil the afternoon for the youngest partygoers, some of whom played nearby, where California Place adjoins Admiral UCC Church:
Here’s where the California Place proposal stands: As we first reported last month, the city Neighborhood Matching Fund just awarded the pro-playscape group, FANNA (Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral), $15,000 to hire an architect to come up with designs; they are continuing to schedule meetings (open to the community) twice monthly – join the FANNA Yahoo! group to find out more.
A city celebration last night honored groups citywide who successfully sought “Small and Simple” grants from the Neighborhood Matching Fund; among them, four in West Seattle. Three, we’ve mentioned before — the play-area projects in North Delridge (Cottage Grove “tot lot”) and Admiral (California Place) got $15,000 each; the Pigeon Point neighborhood celebration (coming up 9/20) got $2,100. The fourth is $15,000 for the ongoing restoration of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, this time going to the “Genesee Ravine Action Committee.” All of these projects involve matching funds – the city doesn’t just hand out $ without the groups showing a commitment of their own, money and volunteer labor. Here’s the full list of 24 “Small and Simple” recipients citywide; the city accepts applications four times a year, and the next deadline is October 6 – here’s more about the program. Meantime, the Neighborhood Matching Fund program itself is marking its 20th anniversary with events around the city, including an open house (free food!) this Saturday, 10 am-2 pm, at Youngstown Arts Center.
ALKI “CAR-FREE DAY” TODAY: As per beaucoup previous mentions – noon-6 pm, no driving on Alki between California Way/Harbor and Alki/63rd except for the Water Taxi shuttle, the 56 bus (here’s one reroute alert), and a few exceptions spelled out in the official city advisory; parking restrictions (no parking between Maryland/Harbor and 63rd/Alki) kick in two hours earlier, so they’re in effect 10 am-6 pm. We will be posting frequent updates from Alki starting around 10, so you can check here for the latest report before you go. Lots of activities planned, and remember the Cones for Kids fundraiser at Alki Bathhouse (planned before the Car-Free Day was scheduled, so they’re really hoping it’ll be a fundraising boon and not a boondoggle), 1-4 pm.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Happening 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska as always. Here’s our weekly link to the latest “Ripe ‘n’ Ready” fresh sheet, listing what you can expect to find.
POOL FINALE: Today’s the last 2008 day for Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shoreline. (Here’s our report on its first day; seems like minutes ago instead of months.) Today’s schedule, from the Colman brochure: Lap Swim noon-2:45 pm, Public Swim 3-4:45 pm, Lap Swim 5-7 pm.
More of today’s options are listed in the latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
Luckie caught that owl on camera during a family overnight last month at a cabin at Camp Long; we’re sharing it along with two ways to help the park/environmental learning center considered one of the city’s semi-secret treasures. First, you can help take care of Camp Long by joining in a work party tomorrow morning, 9 am-noon (show up at the lodge and they’ll point you in the right direction). Second – Camp Long is looking for some people power on a longer-term basis: new members for the Camp Long Advisory Council. Many local Parks Department facilities rely on these volunteer groups for help; Sheila Brown from Camp Long explains what this one does, and how you can help:Read More
(photo by David Hutchinson)
After two months in storage during plaza construction, the Alki Statue of Liberty is back – and on its new pedestal. Today, the pedestal and plaza get a few finishing touches, just in the nick of time for tomorrow’s all-day dedication celebration (schedule here). At the site Thursday afternoon, Plaza Project co-chairs Libby and Paul Carr revealed they’ve reopened brick sales – they have the green light to sell hundreds more, $150 personal/$300 business, to be engraved on-site – the money, they say, goes to a special fund the city Parks Department will use to maintain the plaza. Brick-buying forms will be available at Saturday’s event, and online at sealady.org.
Less than 48 hours to go till the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza dedication celebration – and Parks Department workers, under the direction of project manager Patrick Donohue, are racing to the finish of what was an incredibly short construction schedule – less than two months. As part of that, the statue itself is to be placed atop its new pedestal by day’s end – it’s already on site, resting in the back of a pickup truck (as shown above) on the north side of the construction site. Its current position affords a view that hopefully won’t have to be seen again – inside the statue from its base:
Right now, crews are working to be sure the new pedestal, its steel support, and the bronze lantern between pedestal and statue all fit together – they were built in different places at different times, in part because of the project’s time constraints. Also at the site, along with Donohue and his crew members, Plaza Project co-chairs Libby and Paul Carr, who are busy putting the final touches on the plan for Saturday’s all-day celebration (we’ve got one of the first copies of the official program; you can see the schedule online here); one data point they shared – if you bought a brick in the plaza, you will be able to find it easily on Saturday, because committee members David and Eilene Hutchinson (who have kindly shared great photos with WSB along the way) have catalogued the location of each brick, and a schematic will be available at a table by the plaza to direct brick-owners to the locations. 4:16 PM UPDATE: The statue has just been replaced atop its pedestal – so that’s what you’ll see if you come by Alki tonight – we’ll be adding more visuals a bit later – some paving work at the site is scheduled tomorrow morning, for finishing touches.
The bulk of tonight’s joint meeting of the Delridge and Southwest District Councils was devoted to an intensive briefing on where the Alaskan Way Viaduct projects stand now; we’ll be writing that up in the morning, but there are a couple quick notes to pass along tonight: First, the councils’ members voted unanimously to ask the Parks Department to make an exception to its park-naming policy so that a future West Seattle park can be named in honor of the late West Seattle Herald reporter Tim St. Clair — possibly the new park in Morgan Junction, where Mr. St. Clair lived prior to his untimely death six months ago. (Official Parks policy currently says that can’t be done till someone’s been gone three years.) Second, Nancy Driver from Fairmount Community Association provided another update at meeting’s end on the West Seattle Gateway cleanup coming up a week from Saturday: Volunteer power is stacking up nicely (thanks to all the WSB’ers who have signed up); what’s most needed now is $ donation to help pay for some tree work. DNDA is serving as the “fiscal agent” for the cleanup effort (which will beautify the “gateway” area along the Fauntleroy end of The Bridge, Walking on Logs to 35th/Fauntleroy. To find out more about how to donate, e-mail Nancy at ndriver@quidnunc.net.
David Hutchinson, who’s been photographically chronicling the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza construction (you can see many of his pix in our coverage archive as well as at the project’s official website), sends these new photos this morning with an update: What you see above is the “internal steel support” for the statue and its new pedestal — he says the pedestal is likely to arrive late this morning, and the statue is expected back tomorrow (here’s our coverage with video of its 7/8 departure). A wide view of the almost-done plaza:
The dedication celebration has events scheduled all day and into the night on Saturday, 11 am-8:45 pm; the full schedule is here, anchored by the ribbon-cutting/dedication ceremony @ 1 pm. Yes, it really has been almost a full year since the last dedication ceremony at the site – when the recast statue was returned to and unveiled on the old pedestal (demolished during plaza construction) on 9/11/07 (WSB coverage with video here).
While at Alki for another story this morning, we checked in on the Statue of Liberty Plaza — since the big all-day dedication ceremony is next Saturday, just one week away (there’s extensive coverage in our Alki Statue of Liberty archive, plus a full schedule of events is on the Plaza Project website). As you can see in the photos above and below, there’s not much still missing but the new pedestal and the statue itself (this 7/8 report includes video showing it “flying away” when temporarily removed for the construction); plantings are even in place now:
That’s Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area (map) — West Seattle’s only off-leash park (featured in this West Seattle 101 chapter) — and in the north parking lot adjacent to it, you’ll find some “Westcresters” having a dog-cookie bake sale this morning, 9:30-noon, raising money for the upcoming PAWSwalk. (If you can’t go buy treats, but would like to find out about supporting them in the walk, here’s their page; the walk is a week from today in Magnuson Park.)
Here’s another photo from The Junction, taken the other day and waiting patiently in queue since then: The site of Junction Plaza Park, northwest corner of 42nd/Alaska, with its brand-new lawn. The city has updated its official webpage, making note of the additional fundraising that’s needed before further park improvements are possible, and projecting that design work will resume next spring.
Thanks to David Hutchinson for new photos including that fisheye view of the in-progress Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza — which is scheduled to be done in less than two weeks, with the all-day dedication celebration scheduled for Saturday, 9/6. (More details on the celebration are now posted on the Statue of Liberty Plaza Project website, by the way.) Another big milestone in the past week – installation of thousands of pavers:
David says, “By Saturday almost all, including the 1503 with inscriptions, were in place.”
All WSB coverage of the Alki Statue of Liberty is archived here.
First — Luckie sends three pix from the Arts-in-Nature Festival‘s second and final day at Camp Long today, before the deluge:
Luckie was up on Schurman Rock to get that photo of the dome set up as part of the Nature Consortium‘s annual extravaganza. Next, kids working on, well, art in nature:
Final pic – an unwelcome guest at the festival – Luckie says a Camp Long naturalist found it in one of the park ponds and told her that “it’s a non-native species that is partly responsible for driving out the native frogs. Nobody knows how it got there—possibly, someone slipped it into the pond. The naturalist noted that releasing a non-native species such as this one opens a Pandora’s box of possibilities, which are seldom good”:
The Nature Consortium does a lot more than put on this festival; restoring the West Duwamish Greenbelt is its main mission, and you can join the effort in a work party almost every weekend (watch the West Seattle Weekend Lineup and greenseattle.org). Second Camp Long-related note tonight: We just got a news release about what sounds like a HUGE volunteer effort at Camp Long on September 20th – up to 500 volunteers fanning out to work in the park. Here’s the full announcement:Read More
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