West Seattle, Washington
04 Friday
(Photo courtesy South Seattle College)
You could call this a massive donation of school supplies: When classes start for the fall at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) in a little over two weeks, one college program will have more than 30 tons of new material to work with, thanks to a business donation. SSC shared the photo and announcement:
This summer, Nucor donated approximately 65,000 pounds of steel to the college’s Welding Fabrication Technology program, which will help students hone their skills and prepare for welding careers for several quarters to come.
“To get a few pieces of steel here and there is one thing,” Welding Instructor Rick Baker said. “To get a whole truckload is a whole different story!”
“It’s a huge help to our program,” Welding Instructor Doug Rupik added, saying the steel bars will be used for classwork, unique building projects, welding booth improvements and “to help us get students prepared for the Washington Association of Building Officials welding certification test.”
South Seattle College and Nucor Steel have forged a strong relationship over the years, with several welding students earning their internship credits at Nucor and, in some cases, going to work for the West Seattle industry staple after graduation. South’s welding program also takes students on Nucor tours for a deeper understanding of metallurgy as part of their curriculum.
Nucor also supports South Seattle College’s Foundation by funding student scholarships, and Nucor’s Plant Controller Walter Reese serves on the Foundation Board.
“We want to give back to the communities in which we live and work, and supporting the college really fits well into that mission of ours,” Reese said, adding that the steel donation not only benefits South students in their education, but may well benefit Nucor with talented graduates coming to work for them one day.
The fall quarter starts at SSC on Monday, September 26th. Here’s how to enroll.
12:47 PM: BT reports an overnight car prowl:
My 2013 Jeep Wrangler was broken into last night by cutting through the soft top window at (4800 block) 38th Ave SW [map]. Various personal items including a yellow and black striped (like a bee) Disccraft golf bag with all of my discs and a blue and gray gym bag with boxing gloves were taken.
If anything fitting that description turns up dumped in your neighborhood, please comment.
ADDED 1:19 PM: We have received another report of a car prowl that netted sports gear, this one in the 3900 block of 37th SW:
In total they took 16 golf clubs, a discover pass, and the vehicle registration. Hope that these items turn up as I was planning on donating the clubs to Goodwill.
(Kingfisher on the lookout – photographed by Dan Ciske)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for your Friday afternoon/evening:
FRIDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, Terry’s “Greatest Movies You’ve Never Heard Of” series features “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” from 1991. $1 members/$2 non-members. Free popcorn! (SW Oregon/California SW)
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: Molly Ringle is tonight’s featured author in the monthly Southwest Seattle Historical Society-presented series. Here’s the SWSHS video featuring Ringle inviting you to tonight’s event:
5-7 pm at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, she’ll talk about her novel “Immortal’s Spring,” third in a trilogy of novels based on Greek mythology. (2800 SW Barton)
‘A NIGHT IN SPAIN’: Paella and flamenco! 6 pm benefit at and for the Senior Center of WS. Check ASAP to see if they still have tickets. (SW Oregon/California SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: West Seattle High School (1-0) has its first home game tonight, 7 pm vs. Ingraham at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) … Chief Sealth International High School (0-1) is on the road, 7 pm vs. Nathan Hale at Northeast Athletic Complex (10750 30th NE).
TX TRUMBO @ C & P: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), singer-songwriter Tx Trumbo performs live. (5612 California SW)
3 BANDS @ SKYLARK: Stuporhero, Lazy Animals, and Green Cross, 9 pm at The Skylark, $7 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
School can be tough – not just academically. Tomorrow, Elite Brazilian Jiu-jitsu of Seattle (5050 Delridge Way SW; WSB sponsor) is offering a FREE workshop on confidence-building and how to handle bullying. It’s for students 6-13, and their parents, 10 am-noon on Saturday (September 10th). Elite BJJ explains, “Most of this session will be an honest discussion about the mental preparation required to handle and defuse situations,” and parental presence is required so the info can be “reinforced and re-communicated” afterward. Go here ASAP to RSVP. Again, this is free, but if you can help, Coach Sonia Sillan reminds us that “Elite BJJ of Seattle is always in support of New Beginnings. Every event, we ask for donations (gift cards – Fred Meyer/Target/Visa; check; full-sized toiletries).”
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:39 AM: Good morning! One incident reported on an outbound route right now – at 4th and Lander in SODO, a crash is blocking one northbound lane.
WEEKEND REMINDER – LIMITED ACCESS TO HARBOR ISLAND: Ramps to Harbor Island will be closed this weekend because of railroad-crossing work – here again are the details.
WEEKEND LANE CLOSURES ON EB I-90, SB I-5: Road work will affect traffic on eastbound I-90 just east of I-5, and southbound I-5 in South King County – read the alerts if your weekend plans will take you onto either of those freeways.
WEEKEND EVENTS, CITYWIDE: Here’s the weekly SDOT look at major potentially traffic-affecting events, including Sunday’s Seahawks home game.
7:02 AM: SDOT says the 4th Avenue crash has cleared. But now there’s a northbound I-5 problem on this side of downtown – WSDOT says the right lane is partly blocked by a crash “just south of” Seneca. (Added a few minutes later – WSDOT now says there are TWO crashes in that same area.)
7:12 AM: Both NB I-5 crashes are now cleared, WSDOT now reports.
8:53 AM: It’s been incident-free since then, at least in our general area, but here’s a traffic note: We’re on the high bridge right now, on the way to an interview off-peninsula, and the bridge is stop-and-go … more stop than go.
9:01 AM: Two other notes – we’ve received multiple reports of a water problem on California SW by West Seattle High School – checking with Seattle Public Utilities to see what they know. Also, if you are headed for surface Spokane St. in SODO, there’s a fire-alarm call with multiple SFD units at an address that checks to just west of 1st Avenue South.
9:23 AM: We might have a separate story about it later, but for now, we’ve confirmed that SPU is aware of the break – it’s a “service line,” not an actual main line – and will have a repair crew out later.
9:42 AM: Our photographer reports the crew is actually there now. This is on California SW near the south entrance to WSHS:
Thanks again for the tips – there’s no outgoing center of information about SPU problems, unlike Seattle City Light, which has an outage map, so we appreciate tips when you see something happening. (As with crime, report it to the authorities first, then let us know – 206-293-6302 text or voice if it’s happening now!)
As reported here one week ago, SDOT has started marking Admiral Way for forthcoming changes a year and a half in the making. That’s one of two major topics just announced by Admiral Neighborhood Association president Larry Wymer for next Tuesday’s meeting:
*Dawn Schellenberg and Sam Woods from SDOT will be returning for their 3rd visit to our group to provide their latest update – and Q&A session – on the SW Admiral Way Safety Project. They both conducted an on-site ‘Walk & Talk’ session on August 20 which some of you were at, and are now involved in “preparatory work” including marking the roadway for upcoming lane changes as part of the final design. Construction should begin within a matter of weeks, with the exact schedule announced prior to our meeting.
*Jesse Robbins is doing research across Seattle to learn if and how noise pollution from, among other things, cars and motorcycles with loud mufflers is a problem among residents. He has been visiting neighborhood organizations throughout Seattle as part of this research project, and is now focusing on neighborhoods throughout West Seattle to make sure our voices are heard. He welcomes any insight Admiral residents can provide towards his research in proving that vehicle noise pollution is still a problem, and working towards resolving with the right prioritization of focus and resources among city officers.
The ANA meets at The Sanctuary at Admiral, at 2656 42nd Ave SW. Our monthly meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
I love you.
Chad
Those words are tattooed on the inside of Laura Crooks‘s left wrist:
Her son’s last written words.
Chad Crooks died by suicide last January, at 21. (You might have read his obituary here.)
Within weeks, Laura and husband Todd found themselves turning their grief into action.
“For his service, people wanted to have a way to donate to something. We couldn’t really find anything that that people could donate to for psychiatry” – so they found themselves setting up a foundation, Chad’s Legacy Project.
This Saturday night (September 10th) at Duos Lounge in West Seattle (2940 SW Avalon Way), you are invited to be part of the foundation’s first fundraiser “Unmask the Night,” which has a very specific goal – to fund a summit next year to bring together people who can make a difference on the issues the Crooks family has prioritized, from “ideas about what should change because of the care Chad received, or didn’t receive.”
You see – suicide isn’t what you might think it is. It is seldom simply a decision someone takes because of a life crisis. It is far more often a deadly symptom of mental illness. For Chad, that illness was schizophrenia, which is often first diagnosed just as a person is coming into young adulthood – already a vulnerable and challenging time. He was diagnosed less than a year before his death.
“There’s so much to be done,” Laura said. They want to support education to end the stigma of mental illness, better care for people living with it, research to find cures. Mental illness can be curable, not just treatable, she says – “we just haven’t studied it (enough) yet.” Read More
Another milestone in West Seattle Nursery‘s expansion project – as you might have noticed if you have gone by along California SW, the greenhouse is now going up. WSN’s Marie McKinsey sent the photo and tells WSB, “The office building is pretty much complete and now the greenhouse is being built. We hope to see the carbonite ‘glass’ panels added within the next couple of weeks.” Ventana Construction is building the expansion, and the architect LD Arch Design (both are WSB sponsors). As reported here last year, the expansion on the existing nursery’s north side is also expected to include a new classroom, gift/house-plant shop, and coffee bar.
(Empty Terminal 5, steps away from site of today’s lunch – WSB photo)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tough questions for Port of Seattle/Northwest Seaport Alliance leadership at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting that just wrapped up at port-owned Jack Block Park.
Top topics: The proposed Terminal 5 expansion – and whether it would go forward without a tenant being signed – and the Hanjin bankruptcy.
(WSB photo, L-R: Commissioner John Creighton, deputy CEO Kurt Beckett)
First to speak, Port Commissioner John Creighton, who made note of the recent one-year anniversary of the teaming of Seattle and Tacoma in the Northwest Seaport Alliance. He said that from a variety of standpoints, “it’s really worked wonderfully. … We had to change what we were doing, to remain relevant …”
As for the Port of Seattle itself, Creighton declared it to be “at a good place … we still have a lot of challenges, but they’re good challenges,” such as “growing like gangbusters at the airport.”
It’s West Seattle Art Walk night! That tops our quick look at calendar highlights. As always, the Art Walk runs 6 pm-9 pm, and this month’s venue list/map is above. Note that Art Walk night is always special at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor), whose tasting room is usually only open on Fridays and Saturdays, but you can stop in on Art Walk night too and sit down for a glass of award-winning wine. That and other venues are highlighted on the official Art Walk website.
Also today/tonight:
DELRIDGE GROCERY FARMSTAND: 4-7 pm next to the Delridge P-Patch, visit volunteers with the Delridge Grocery Coop and see what fresh-picked fruit and vegetables they’re selling this week. (Delridge Way SW/Puget Boulevard)
SECOND THURSDAY OUT! 6-8:30 pm – “Inviting the LGBTQ community and their friends and neighbors for social hour, light meal and in-house movie, ‘4th Man Out,’ and popcorn! Everyone is welcome to attend – no membership or sign up is required.” At Senior Center of West Seattle. (SW Oregon/California SW)
FISHING SEMINAR: 7 pm at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor), find out about “Getting Into Spey Casting.” Free, but RSVP is requested – our calendar listing has the info. (42nd SW/SW Oregon)
LOTS MORE … see many more listings on our complete calendar, for today, tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, and beyond.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
If Mayor Murray expects that cutting city support – $500/year and some staff time – to Neighborhood District Councils will cause them to fold, West Seattle’s district councils will be proving him wrong.
The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council has already displayed defiance by hosting the first citywide gathering of DC reps to follow the mayor’s announcement that he wanted to cut off the councils and find different means of “engaging” citizens. And last night, the Southwest District Council formalized its intention to continue on, with or without city support. Here’s how things unfolded at the SWDC’s September meeting at the Sisson Building/Senior Center:
DISTRICT COUNCILS’ FUTURE: SWDC co-chair David Whiting from the Admiral Neighborhood Association led this discussion, on behalf of the SWDC executive committee (in which he is joined by co-chair Eric Iwamoto from the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council and Vicki Schmitz-Block from the Fauntleroy Community Association). He says the SW District Council executive committee wants to continue on, regardless of whether the mayor’s plan to cut off official city support goes forward. A vote was subsequently taken – and everyone present agreed with that plan. (Besides the aforementioned executive-committee members, other reps at the SWDC meeting were from Alki, Genesee-Schmitz, Morgan, and the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs.)
First point of discussion, how to make up the $500/year that the city has provided as financial support, all of which had been covering the cost of renting a room at the Senior Center for 11 meetings a year. Participating groups will be asked to chip in. Deb Barker from Morgan Community Association suggested lower-cost meeting space could be found, too. Whiting also had attended a recent City Neighborhood Council meeting and said other groups’ reps were in varying degrees of frustration and anger, but also most of them “want … to continue forward in some capacity.”
Also mentioned: The Seattle Neighborhood Coalition‘s “mini-summit” on the same topic coming up this Saturday, with participation from around the city invited – details here.
As for the city’s efforts to figure out where to go with future community engagement, the ongoing city survey was mentioned too – if you haven’t taken it yet, go here.
Also at last night’s meeting: Read More
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:34 AM: Good morning! For Seattle Public Schools, it’s the second day of classes, so we will remind you one more time that schedules have changed, with most elementaries starting at 7:55 am – the full list of local start times is here.
EARLY-MORNING FERRY TROUBLE: Some cancellations on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth early this morning because of “necessary repairs.” WSF says the Cathlamet will be back in service with the 6:40 am sailing from Vashon, but keep an eye on their site.
WEEKEND REMINDER: Ramps to Harbor Island will be closed this weekend because of railroad-crossing work, as announced earlier this week.
7:31 AM: Tweeted/texted 20+ minutes after the fact:
Transit Alert – Route 57 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Alaska Junction Bay 5 at 7:06 AM did not operate this morning.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) September 8, 2016
8:26 AM: Some trouble out there. Texter says Admiral is backed up. We’re not seeing any obvious reasons – no crashes on 911 log or in Seattle DOT Twitter feed (which often includes crashes that don’t make the 911 log because SFD isn’t called out) – but maybe it’s related to the Avalon clog shown in this tweet:
I'm confused @SeattlePD and @kcmetrobus Thought "Bus Only" on Avalon is bus only. @westseattleblog pic.twitter.com/p2WuZOttXe
— Maverick (@smyliegrl) September 8, 2016
8:37 AM: Texter says police have been out by the new Genesee Hill Elementary this morning with what appears to be a speed-emphasis patrol. Two cruisers and a “radar gun,” the text noted.
9 AM: SFD log reports a crash response at 35th and Avalon. The SDOT camera doesn’t show anything blocking.
9:14 AM: That response is now “closed.” And via comments and e-mail, there’s word of a problem on eastbound Alaska at Fauntleroy. The e-mail says it appears something from The Whittaker construction site has fallen onto a car. We’ll be going over to look soon as we can.
9:38 AM: Everything is clear at Alaska/Fauntleroy, our photographer reports. Thanks again to everyone for reports/comments about incidents this morning – we and our usual information channels seem to have been at least a step behind, and firsthand reports (again, as long as you’re not the driver!) make a major difference.
3:52 PM: One other Metro cancellation texted/tweeted today after the fact:
Transit Alert – Route 21 Express to Westwood Village due to leave 3rd Av and Virginia St at 3:34 PM did not operate this afternoon.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) September 8, 2016
Recognize that bicycle? It turned up “abandoned,” likely stolen, behind a Harbor Avenue condo. The finders have it in a safe place and hope to find its rightful owner – if that’s you, or you know who might be, you can contact them directly at ckcarman@msn.com – thanks!
A resident calling himself “Disappointed Dad on Dangerous Delridge” has continued to press SDOT on the promised, but not-yet implemented, speed-limit reduction on Delridge. At one point, it was supposed to be in place by the end of last year, and SDOT had reaffirmed to us last November that it would happen. But it didn’t. We asked again early this year, and were told it was still in the works, with an addition – “fog lines” on Delridge north of Orchard. Months have elapsed; we had checked in with SDOT’s Jim Curtin recently and were told they were finalizing design details. DDoDD e-mailed again too, cc’ing us, and asking Curtin:
We are now in the ninth month of 2016 and rapidly approaching the rainy season again. Delridge remains as dangerous as ever. I understand that there is more to this project than simply putting up new speed signs, but every day that you delay increases of the chance of injury or death for those of us with small children in this corridor. In fact, as I’m sure you’re aware, a teenager was hit just last month while crossing Delridge. The first line of Mayor Murray’s statement on Vision Zero states that “Public safety is the foremost responsibility of city government.” Please prove that these aren’t just hollow words.
WSB was cc’d on Curtin’s reply to DDoDD today:
Thanks for checking-in on this effort. You will see changes on Delridge in the 4th quarter of 2016. We are currently finalizing the design which will include additional changes beyond the speed limit adjustment. These changes will include installing the aforementioned edge lines, flexible posts for the existing bike lanes in the vicinity of SW Orchard St, and enhancing the existing crosswalk at SW Juneau Street with rapid flashing beacons (the work at Juneau may not occur until early 2017 due to equipment supply issues).
The 30-mph plan originally was part of the mayor’s citywide Vision Zero announcement in February 2015.
Another first-of-its-kind start-of-school ceremony happened today, this time at Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights.
While loud cheers greeted staffers dancing in the aisles of the school’s big theater space – each group introduced with inspirational “theme songs,” from Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” – the real call to action came in the form of a fish story.
Westside’s new head of school Ted Kalmus told the assembled students and parents that he had acquired a pet fish that came with the name Wonder. The story of the fish became a tale of how he hopes that everyone will go throughout the year with a sense of wonder – and curiosity, “become the best question-asker you can be.” He invited the students to each take a blue or green “jewel” (the glass pebbles often found in aquariums or terrariums) from bowls at the bottom of the stairs down from the theater, and to hold it and think of something they wonder about.
With that, Kalmus said, the school would be certain to have a “Wonder”-ful year.
3:24 PM: The Hanjin Scarlet is being offloaded at Prince Rupert. That’s news here because it was the next Hanjin ship scheduled to dock at Seattle’s Terminal 46, until its parent company filed for receivership in South Korea. Instead of docking at the British Columbia port, Hanjin Scarlet remained anchored in its harbor – until today. It docked at 6 am, according to an update from the Prince Rupert Port Authority. It had been scheduled to offload there in time to arrive here last Saturday. We’re checking with the Northwest Seaport Alliance – the combined Seattle/Tacoma port entity – to see what they’ve heard about a possible arrival here.
5:54 PM: NWSA spokesperson Tara Mattina says they have no new information yet on whether Hanjin Scarlet will head here from Prince Rupert, but hope to find out something tomorrow. Also tomorrow: The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting (11:30 am, Jack Block Park) looks at “the state of the port,” with commissioner John Creighton and deputy CEO Kurt Beckett scheduled to speak.
Today, we welcome Alki Dental as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what they would like you to know about who they are and what they do:
Every now and then, you discover a hidden gem or best-kept secret in our neighborhood. Alki Dental is just that. For over 15 years, Alki Dental has served the West Seattle community with outstanding dental care from their office overlooking Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle. They have earned a reputation of caring for all patients as well as for providing a safe and relaxing experience for patients who fear dental visits.
Their staff is legendary. They are seasoned professionals who are truly concerned about the well-being of their patients. Under the new ownership of Dr. Hanbit Chi (pronounced “chee”), Alki Dental is the only dental practice in West Seattle that offers:
*A dental-health approach focused on your total well-being: body, mind and spirit
*A variety of sedation-dentistry techniques, including IV Sedation, to help patients manage pain and stress
*Panoramic and 3D digital imaging to enhance treatment diagnoses, providing patients with a clear picture of their oral health
*A spectacular view of downtown Seattle from every patient chair
*An office environment that feels like home rather than a medical institution
*Alki Dental Club, a patient-membership program designed exclusively for patients who do not have dental insurance and who want a simpler way to manage the cost of their oral health. No dental insurance? Join the Club! Modeled after managed-care dental plans, the Alki Dental Club offers patients a predictable way to obtain prompt, high-quality, cost-effective dental care. Alki Dental strengthens their patient/care-giver relationships and removes costs that add little or no value to dental health by removing third-party insurance companies from all decision-making.
Contact us for a FREE consultation with Dr. Chi to experience the Alki Dental difference. Alki Dental is located on the waterfront at 1331 Harbor Ave SW; call 206-933-9300. Online, you can learn more here.
We thank Alki Dental for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
The Lander Street Bridge (ex-overpass) in SODO – seen as a key part of mobility between there and here – is now $40 million away from full funding.
That’s what the city says in this afternoon’s announcement that the feds have just finalized a grant covering about a third of the price tag of the project that’s been revived after almost a decade on the shelf. Read on for the official news release, plus news of another “open house” about the project: Read More
(Photo courtesy Mission Cantina – from left, Tina Padilla, Shawn Padilla, Peter Morse)
That’s the new ownership team for what was Mission Latin Lounge and is now Mission Cantina (2325 California SW). From the announcement:
Peter Morse, an original owner and manager of the restaurant, has teamed up with new partners, husband and wife Shawn and Tina Padilla. This is the first ownership change for the West Seattle restaurant since it opened in 2005.
Mission Cantina has reason to be enthusiastic about the future, as there are numerous projects in the works, such as expanding the offering of rare and boutique tequila, mezcal, and other agave-based spirits. Peter, Shawn, and Tina will ring the bell when La Escuela Del Misión (The Mission School) is in session in late fall. You’ll never be late for class at this school for tequila, which will provide opportunities to taste the new options. Look for a new sign to reflect the updated name soon and a refreshed interior including new skylights, Mexican tiles, and agave harvesting tools, just to name a few. One much-anticipated change is the launch of a weekend brunch later in the year.
Shawn Padilla tells us there will be some other menu changes – watch for the “big reveal” around Dia de los Muertos, just after Halloween. You’ll likely see the new Mission Cantina signage before then.
(Surfbird, back from Alaska – photographed by Mark Wangerin)
It’s not ALL about back-to-school today – four from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NETWORK AT LUNCHTIME: If you see this in time and happen to be on-peninsula – working from home, from a coffee shop, etc. – you are invited to get over to West Seattle’s only coworking center Office Junction (WSB sponsor) and network at noon. Bring your lunch if you want! (6040 California SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARMSTAND: Just a few more Wednesdays left in the season! 4 pm-7 pm, see what’s fresh at the High Point Market Garden Farmstand, which sells what local residents grow on the mini-farm next door. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)
PARKS SUPERINTENDENT, STREET FUND REVIEWS @ SW DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest District Council is back in session with three major agenda items – Parks Superintendent Jesús Aguirre will lead off by talking about how the levy-funded Park District fits into the department’s big picture; then there’s a discussion of the state of district councils, post-mayoral announcement; and finally, ranking of Neighborhood Street Fund proposals – see here what SWDC is looking at. (California SW/SW Oregon)
JIM PAGE: Singer-songwriter performing live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
LOTS MORE! for today, tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month … on our full calendar.
(Photo via Twitter: @mayoredmurray)
One day after the dedication of the all-new Arbor Heights Elementary, Mayor Ed Murray visited this morning (as previewed here yesterday) to celebrate something else that’s new there – the Seattle Preschool Program. The levy-funded program has expanded to 600 students at more than 30 schools around the city; the levy’s original goal is to enroll 2,000 students by 2018. Tuition is free to families whose income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Arbor Heights still has room for more students, according to the SPP website, which also says there’s room at two other West Seattle schools where the program operates, Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and Highland Park Elementary.
9 AM: The call went out two weeks ago: Help get West Seattle Elementary students off to a good start with a show of support, the “Be There” rally (explained here). And community members answered the call! More photos to come.
ADDED 10:30 AM: As promised, more photos. “Captain America” made an appearance:
So did Southwest Precinct Community Police Team officers Kevin McDaniel and Jon Flores:
And City Councilmember Lisa Herbold:
But the students were the stars:
This was also the first day of the first school year with new principal Pamela McCowan-Conyers, promoted from assistant principal when Vicki Sacco – who was there for today’s rally – moved to a new job at district HQ.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:22 AM: It’s the big day – back to school for Seattle Public Schools and most of the independent schools that hadn’t yet started. First, a Metro cancellation just in:
Transit Alert – Route 113 to downtown Seattle due to leave Shorewood at 6:31 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) September 7, 2016
Remember that SPS had some big schedule changes for this year, including most elementaries moving to a 7:55 am start. We list all the local schedules here.
7:22 AM: Metro also has canceled the 7:43 am run of Route 113.
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