West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
(UPDATED 7:36 PM with video and more photos; earlier 5:53 pm update with revised total: $600,000+)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“These kids are our kids.”
Interconnection was at the heart of what brought more than 600 people together this afternoon – not just theirs, but their interconnection with the people they were there to help via WestSide Baby, which now serves families in need all over King County.
The White Center-headquartered nonprofit got a sizable show of support this afternoon – (5:53 pm update) $600,000+ is the revised total – during its 15th annual CommuniTea, held once again at the Hilton conference center by Sea-Tac Airport, following what was hailed as a “record-setting year.”
The fundraising total grew (from $315,000 last year), as did the number of children served by WS Baby this year – 31,325, up from 331 in its first year – said executive director Nancy Woodland, who also noted other numbers:
For example, tea attendance was more than 600, almost 8 times the first benefit tea not long after Donna Pierce founded WS Baby in 2001. The organization has “stayed true to its mission,” Woodland said, of providing diapers, car seats, and other vital items to children in need.
With the tea reaching the 15-year milestone, a special spotlight shone on people who had long been involved with WS Baby; they reminisced about the milestones it hit over the years.
Madison Jumpin’ Jive Swing Dance & Auction 2016 from Captive Eye Media on Vimeo.
What’s cool at school? That seems to be our theme this afternoon – and we’re glad to be able to share this too: Highlights from Friday night’s Madison Middle School Jumpin’ Jive Swing Dance and Auction. Enjoy the music of Madison musicians (who shared the bill with the West Seattle Big Band), thanks to Edgar Riebe of West Seattle-headquartered Captive Eye Media.
FIRST REPORT, 1:42 PM: Though it’s not a school day, hundreds of students are busy at the Denny International MS/Chief Sealth International HS campus today. It’s the scene of the fourth annual Washington State Chinese Language and Talent Competition, explained here. The categories in which students are competing include:
Group Poetry Recitation 團體詩詞朗誦
Individual Poetry Recitation 個人詩詞朗誦
Group Talent Show 團體才藝競賽
Individual Talent Show 個人才藝競賽
Group Chinese Singing 團體歌唱比賽
Individual Chinese Singing 個人歌唱比賽
Language Art 口语才艺竟赛
Story Telling 說故事
Public Speaking 演講
Drawing 繪畫比賽
Chinese Chess 象棋
China Knowledge Bowl 中國常識競答
When we dropped by, the performances and competitions were in a break, but organizations were holding court in the Sealth hallway.
And art was on display:
The event concludes with a 2 pm awards ceremony.
ADDED 6:58 PM: Thanks to Denny principal Jeff Clark for an added report with photos:
At Denny and Chief Sealth, we are proud to have hundreds of scholars learning the Chinese language. Today, 32 of them used their Chinese language skills at the 2016 Washington Chinese Language and Talent Competition held here on our campus. Thanks to the dedication of our four Chinese teachers, Ms. Lin, Mr. Teddy, Ms. Wang, and Ms. Gong, and the hard work of our scholars, they won many awards, competing against schools from all over the Puget Sound area. Congratulations to all of them and to all of the scholars learning Chinese!
Ms. Fraser-Hammer presented awards to middle school students, including Denny scholar Aaron Burnham!
Chief Sealth 9th grader Khaim Vasser Fontenot demonstrated his Chinese proficiency as an emcee at the award ceremony:
OSPI Deputy Superintendent for K-12 Education Gil Mendoza celebrated with elementary school-age award winners:
All of us at Denny and Chief Sealth would also like to recognize and thank our partners, Wenqiu Wang from the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington, and Michele Aoki, International Education Administrator from Seattle Public Schools, for all of their support. Thank you! Go, Dolphins and Seahawks!
Students in the resurgent mariachi program at Chief Sealth International High School have new inspiration after a big festival trip. The story and photos are shared by Sealth teacher Noah Zeichner:
On Friday, 12 students from Chief Sealth’s mariachi program participated in the 18th annual Mariachi Northwest Festival in Wenatchee.
They spent the day in workshops, learning from members of Mariachi Divas, a Grammy-winning all-female mariachi group from Los Angeles.
In the evening, they attended a gala concert. Mariachi Huenachi, Wenatchee High School’s award-winning mariachi group, performed with Mariachi Divas, Bailadores de Bronce (Seattle’s premier Mexican folkloric dance group), and trick ropers Los Hermanos Escamilla. The trip was supported by El Centro de la Raza, who provided transportation to Wenatchee and meals during the festival.
Chief Sealth’s mariachi program began nearly 20 years ago and was incorporated into the music department in the early 2000s. The mariachi class disappeared from 2011-2014 due to budget cuts, but as a result of student organizing and community support, it returned last year. There are currently about 20 students in the mariachi class.
Mariachi serves as a cultural bridge to school for many Latino students, but the group welcomes students from all backgrounds. Mariachi is also an academic intervention and leadership development program. Wenatchee High School has documented the success of their mariachi program, celebrating a 100% graduation rate (only 40% of the students in the program graduated ten years ago). To learn more about Wenatchee’s program, watch this recent 25-minute TVW documentary.
In the coming weeks, with the support of the Creative Advantage fund, after-school mariachi programs will start at both Denny IMS and Chief Sealth IHS. The program also hopes to expand in future years to feeder elementary schools with the goal of exposing students to mariachi music at a younger age.
More than 450 musicians from around the region were part of the festival.
(2014 WSB photo)
After a year off, a “car-free day” street party is in the works for West Seattle again this year.
SDOT now calls the program “Seattle Summer Parkways,” a change from “Seattle Summer Streets.” For six years, they scheduled the local event to start right after the West Seattle 5K, which is actually in spring (May 22nd this year), and the weather tended to be less than summery. This year, SDOT says, they’re steering in the other direction, and they’re working on a “Summer Parkways” event for Alki that’s likely to be in early fall.
The Summer Parkways website has dates set for two other events around the city already – August 13th in Rainier Valley and August 27th in Ballard – and according to this exchange is looking at a possible date of September 25th for Alki. September was the month that warm sunshine graced the very first “car-free day,” back in 2008 (WSB coverage here). Again, nothing’s finalized yet, but we thought you might want to know it’s in the works.
(Bald eagle, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Welcome to the first full day of spring! Highlights for the day and night ahead:
FERRY-SCHEDULE CHANGE: As of today, the Washington State Ferries system is on its spring schedule – go here to see it.
PALM SUNDAY SERVICES: Holy Week services are part of our special “Easter, Etc.” page, along with seasonal activities like egg hunts.
LAST DAY FOR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: If you don’t already know where and when to find them, use the lookup box on the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website.
WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN WORK PARTY: Help get the garden ready for spring (and the next WS Bee Festival, coming up in May) – 10 am-2 pm, they can use all the help they can get! Details here. It’s on the north side of High Point Commons Park. (Graham/Lanham)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Among the highlights for today’s WSFM, 10 am-2 pm, is the return of Cascadia Edible Landscapes, per market managers. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: The National Wheelchair Basketball Association Women’s Championship Tournament wraps up with consolation-round games at 9 am and the championship battle at 11 am, the defending champion Denver Lady Nuggets vs. the Milwaukee Lady Bucks, in the gym at West Seattle High School. Admission free. If you just can’t be there, you can check out the live stream here. (3000 California SW)
LABYRINTH WALK: Come walk and meditate at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), noon-3 pm and 6-9 pm. See the full Holy Week schedule on our special page. (3940 41st SW)
JAMTIME: Bluegrass and old-time music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm. (5612 California SW)
WESTSIDE BABY COMMUNITEA: 2 pm at the Hilton Seattle Airport Conference Center, help the organization that helps thousands of families every year; it’s WestSide Baby‘s 15th annual benefit tea – info here. (17620 International Blvd.)
SOUTHWEST STORIES: 2 pm at High Point Library, the new Southwest Seattle Historical Society series “SouthWest Stories” begins with Rob Ketcherside talking about the Morgan Street Drive-In Market, which used to be where West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) is now. Here’s Rob’s video invitation:
Get there early, since space is limited. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE COMMUNITY CHOIR: 2 pm at Olympic Hall on the south end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, “Songs of Spring and Rebirth.” Free admission. (6000 16th SW)
SILENT MOVIE SUNDAY @ KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm, hear Kenyon Hall‘s Mighty Wurlitzer accompanying the work of Buster Keaton. Details here. (7904 35th SW)
OF COURSE … there’s more! See the complete calendar here.
Just got another car-window vandalism report – from Stacie on Puget Ridge:
Our car window and one of our neighbors’ car window were busted out this evening. 3-19 between 7:30 and 9:20.
We are on 16th Ave SW not too far from the college. We have filed a police report but also thought it would be good to let our community know.
This follows multiple reports from Admiral and points just south, published in Crime Watch this morning, plus secondhand mentions from Sunrise Heights and North Delridge. Call 911 fast if you see/hear something happen, to increase the chances whomever’s doing this will be caught before somebody gets hurt.
That’s Luca, leaping onto the Solstice Park marker that would have lined up with the setting sun tonight, if it had been visible for the sunset closest to the spring equinox (which arrived less than an hour ago, at 9:30 pm – earliest one in more than a century, because of leap year). He and the rest of the nearly 20 people who gathered for NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen‘s 28th equinox/solstice sunset watch didn’t mind the clouds – which were sparse enough in the east to show the moon:
Alice, as usual, explained many things cosmic, including the path the sun takes across the sky each season, and how that correlates to the three paths that lead to the central viewing circle at Solstice Park.
Even without a sunset alignment to check, attendees admired the view.
Some stayed afterward to talk stargazing with Alice, who offered to help with any skywatching apps that people had installed on their phones. You can follow her on Twitter, and/or check her website, for news of the next sunset watch around the summer solstice, and other updates.
Chances are you only know the Morgan Street Drive-In Market from that mural on the west side of the building on the southwest corner of Morgan and California – if at all. Tomorrow (Sunday, March 20th) is your chance to get to know it much better. As first previewed here four weeks ago, urban historian Rob Ketcherside is the first presenter in the new Southwest Seattle Historical Society series SouthWest Stories, and he’ll be talking about the market, seen in this 1937 assessor’s photo:
It’s on the site where West Seattle Thriftway [WSB sponsor] is now, and was at the time part of a trend toward “drive-in markets.” Whether you drive, walk, bicycle, bus, or find some other way to get there, be at the High Point Library at 2 pm (sooner, since it’s first-come, first-served for seating) tomorrow. (The Seattle Public Library, by the way, is co-sponsoring the series; see its future monthly guest speakers and topics on the SWSHS website.)
The photo and report are from a Pathfinder K-8 “Proud Parent“:
Pathfinder K-8 was in its own March Madness today. The boys’ middle-school basketball team entered the day as the third seed and knocked off second-seeded Orca K-8 in the semi-finals. With a bit of rest and a whole lotta heart, the boys went into game two of their double header and took down the one seed, Broadview, to win the Seattle Public Schools Sound Division championship (all Seattle K-8 schools). Big congratulations to the kids and coaches Mike Giomi and Rob Wright for bringing the trophy back to WS and making Pathfinder school history!
Next Saturday brings your chance to see the award-winning, West Seattleite-produced documentary “Drawing the Tiger” and meet its filmmakers Amy Benson and Scott Squire right here in their (and your) backyard.
We most recently mentioned their project in spring 2015, when Benson spoke at the WAGIN conference at Chief Sealth International High School, and a few weeks after that, as they prepared for their film’s premiere. And now, she writes:
After 7 years in the making, we completed the film last spring. It has been traveling the world since. It was the Best Feature Award from Northwest Film Forum’s Fest, Local Sightings as well as the UNICEF award at Film South Asia in Nepal.
Now are are bringing it super local for a FREE screening right where we live at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on March 26th @ 4 pm in the theater. My husband and I as well as one of our translators, Neeta Shrestha, will do a short Q&A following the screening.
Here’s the one-paragraph description of their film:
Shot over seven years, Drawing the Tiger takes a sweeping view of one Nepalese family’s struggle to survive off of subsistence farming. Eat, pay their debts, stay alive—that’s their day-to-day reality. But when their bright daughter receives a scholarship to study in Kathmandu, the family’s prospects suddenly improve by leaps and bounds overnight. She promises to return and free her family from their hand-to-mouth existence. But when she doesn’t come home, the family is forced to face their fate. Is their future set in stone or sand; is it solid or ever-shifting? What is the price of this golden opportunity?
No ticket or RSVP required – just show up for the 4 pm screening next Saturday (March 26th) at Youngstown, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
Exactly two months ago today, Mayor Murray announced two “safe lots” would be set up for RV/vehicle campers within one month, one in Ballard, and one at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW. As we’ve been reporting, the local one is more or less on hold. And we’ve continued to learn more about the situation, including the latest community-council briefing by Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith. Asked about the West Seattle RV-camper situation at Thursday night’s Alki Community Council meeting, he explained a site we’ve been asked about lately, on the west side of Myers Way a few blocks south of Olson:
(WSB photo, taken Friday)
RVs that are awaiting the “safe lot,” said Lt. Smith, are “staged” at the Myers Way spot. (At another recent meeting, he had said police had found nine RVs eligible for the future “safe lot,” which is more than were at Myers yesterday/today.) He explained that the campers there “turned out to be very cooperative” and have been cleaning up – they’ve used city-supplied garbage bags for that. Some RVs in the area have been towed, though – making the distinction between “cooperative” and towable, Lt. Smith said, “”If it’s a criminal enterprise, they’re not homeless, and that’s our interpretation unless we’re told otherwise.” They’re not towing those who seem to be truly homeless, but they are offering services. “If they’re honestly trying to make an effort, we’re going to provide every service we can. … I hate to paint all of them with the same brush – you meet a broad spectrum of people living in the RVs, as you do when you’re walking down the street.”
But SPD is still wondering when the “safe lot” will be cleared to open – they’re waiting on “downtown” to give the word. The Human Services Department told WSB three weeks ago that it’s waiting until it can benefit from “lessons learned” at the Ballard lot, which did open a month after the mayor’s declaration. But that lot is maxed out, Lt. Smith noted, with 16 RVs at last check determined to be the most it could hold. That’s about how many we counted, taking a quick look while passing through Ballard last weekend:
(WSB photo, March 12th)
That’s less than half what the city had originally said they’d hoped the Ballard lot would hold.
Meantime, some at the ACC meeting thought RV residents might need some help with how and where to store their belongings, and offered ideas – Lt. Smith suggested they talk to both the mayor and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. Meantime, the SW Precinct’s Community Police Team remains the primary point of contact for the local RV/encampment issues.
(Roadblock at Harbor/California, photo courtesy Christine)
11:25 AM: We’re getting word of a police/fire response at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, and one tipster says it’s affecting traffic on Harbor Avenue SW. It reportedly involves a person in crisis in the area. Avoid the area for now. We’ll update when we find out more.
11:38 AM: Police tell us the first call on this came in about an hour ago. They have crisis-trained officers on scene and “are doing everything they can to resolve it peacefully.” Harbor is blocked near Seacrest on the east side.
11:41 AM: Per scanner, the situation is now under control and police are reopening Harbor and the boat ramp shortly. The person had been reported to be threatening suicide and police had been told the person was believed to have been armed. (Reminder, as we always note when we mention situations involving self-harm or threats of it, the Crisis Clinic‘s 24-hour hotline is 206-461-3222.)
11:50 AM: Now that this is being resolved, we’re adding photos sent to us (thank you) showing the response:
(Photo courtesy Carolyn)
11:56 AM: Our crew arriving in the area says Harbor is still blocked at California.
(ADDED: WSB photo)
12:01 PM: And NOW it’s reopened. The person in crisis is being taken to a hospital. And police/fire are clearing out of the park.
We start this West Seattle Crime Watch update with two reader reports of multiple cars with shot-out/broken windows:
CAR WINDOWS SHOT OUT/BROKEN, FIRST REPORT: That’s one of several photos Mark sent along with this report:
I wanted to make readers aware and ask if anyone saw this incident happen. I parked our vehicle between Admiral Way and SW Lander Street on the East side of the street while we went to dinner at the Copper Coin. Sometime between 9:15 and 10:15 someone shot out 3 of our windows and also damaged the side panels with a BB gun. We filed a police report and now are dealing with the aftermath.
CAR WINDOWS SHOT OUT, SECOND REPORT: Just as we were about to hit “publish,” this hit the inbox, from Alice:
Our truck window was broken last night, along with those of four other cars on our block.
We are at 44th/ Spokane. The police came and said there were other broken windows south of us and he’s looking around for others. They were all the driver-side rear window and the cars were not opened or rifled. Some of the windows have a small hole but the officer couldn’t say if it was a small gun or not.
Too soon to have any idea if this is related to any of the other windows-shot-out incidents that happened around West Seattle some weeks back; no arrests in those as of the last time we had checked.
CAR PROWLS: As this continues to be our area’s biggest crime problem, as noted by police at every community meeting we’ve covered recently, we checked the police-report map to see what’s there for the past week – and found 26 (this does not count incidents from yesterday/today that haven’t even made the map yet but are likely on Tweets by Beat, which you can see on our Crime Watch page) – here’s our screengrab, after configuring the map to only show car prowls:
The mapped car prowls are, as shown north to south:
Thursday morning – 2300 block of California SW
Monday evening – 3200 block of 60th SW
Monday morning – 3000 block of SW Bradford
Sunday afternoon – 4500 block of 36th SW
Wednesday evening – 4800 block of California SW
Tuesday morning – 5000 block of 51st SW
Tuesday morning – 5000 block of 36th SW
Wednesday night – 5900 block of High Point Drive
Sunday night – 6300 block of Beach Drive
Wednesday morning – 2600 block of Sylvan Heights Drive
Last Friday night (reported last Sat.) – 34th SW/SW Myrtle
Last Saturday morning – 3600 block SW Webster
Sunday afternoon – 2400 block of SW Holden
Wednesday night – 2200 block of SW Holden
Tuesday morning – 7700 block of 35th SW
Last Friday night (reported last Sat.) – 7900 block 34th SW
Sunday morning – 600 block SW Kenyon
Thursday afternoon – 8000 block Fauntleroy Way SW
Last Saturday afternoon – 8100 block 16th SW
Last Friday afternoon (reported last Sat.) – 8100 block 34th SW
Last Friday night (reported last Sat.) – 8100 block 34th SW
Last Friday night (reported last Sat.) – 26th SW/SW Thistle
Last Sunday morning – 8500 block 16th SW
Last Sunday night – 8600 block Delridge Way SW
Last Wednesday afternoon – 8600 block 20th SW
Last Friday night (reported last Sat.) – 9200 block 35th SW
FOUND BICYCLE: A potentially stolen “small pink Barbie bike with white tires” was found in California Place Park this past week; if your household is missing one, please contact police to reclaim it.
P.S. For other lost/found items that are NOT pets – please remember we now have a special WSB Forums section for those – please use it if you have lost or found something!
(Friday’s sunrise, photographed by Karen Baer)
Happy Saturday! Spring officially arrives tonight. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s some of what you can do in the meantime:
SCOUTING FOR FOOD: Local Boy Scout/Cub Scout troops are collecting today in their annual door-to-door donation drive. The usual advance flyering was somewhat thwarted by last Sunday’s windstorm, so check our story (and the comments) to see if you’re in an area where they’ll be going door-to-door.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: The National Wheelchair Basketball Association‘s women’s championship tournament continues all day, starting at 8 am, in the West Seattle High School gym – see our report here. No admission to drop in and cheer! (3000 California SW)
FREE TAX-PREP HELP: The United Way’s free drop-in help for qualifying taxpayers continues at the West Seattle Food Bank, 10 am-2 pm, explained here. (35th SW/SW Morgan)
VIETNAMESE STORYTIME: 11:30 am-noon at Delridge Library – details here. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
READING DIFFICULTIES? Longtime educator Robert Femiano‘s free workshop is 1-4 pm at High Point Library, for parents of preschool, elementary, and ELL students – details here. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SPRING BINGO BENEFIT: 6 pm at Seattle Lutheran High School‘s gym, fun(draiser) for the Saints’ athletics program – details in our listing. (4100 SW Genesee)
BLACK-AND-WHITE MOVIE NIGHT: “King Kong” – the 1933 version – at Admiral Bird, 6 pm. (California SW/Admiral Way SW)
EQUINOX SUNSET WATCH: 6:45 pm at Solstice Park, welcome the spring equinox with NASA Solar System Ambassador and Skies Over West Seattle correspondent Alice Enevoldsen‘s sunset watch. The equinox moment is 9:30 pm; Alice’s educational sunset events are always timed with the sunset that’s closest to the equinox or solstice moment, and that means this one. The gathering spot with the equinox/solstice markers is just upslope from the park’s tennis courts, which are across Fauntleroy from the north end of Lincoln Park. (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW)
STEREO EMBERS AT EASY STREET: 7 pm free, all-ages live in-store Easy Street Records performance by Stereo Embers. (California SW/SW Alaska)
ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: “Eclectic mix” of music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘MORNING STAR’: Award-winning comedic drama presented by Seattle Jewish Theater Company at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm. (7904 35th SW)
NORTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 8 pm concert at Holy Rosary features two world premieres. Ticket info is on the orchestra’s website. (42nd SW/SW Genesee)
MORE ON THE CALENDAR … take a minute to go over and browse (all on one page, where you can preview tomorrow and beyond, too).
Nat'l Wheelchair Basketball Assoc. women's championship tourney just underway @ WSHS gym. 3 games right now. pic.twitter.com/3c2h9gnHLz
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 19, 2016
March is prime time for championship basketball, and you’ll find more of it today at the West Seattle High School gym. Three games on Friday evening tipped off the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Women’s Championship Tournament; 13 games are scheduled today, starting at 8 am. Eight teams are here for the tournament, including the defending champs, the Denver Lady Rolling Nuggets:
That’s #12 Christina Schwab with the ball. Denver was playing the Seattle Storm in one of yesterday’s openers, while another game featured the Milwaukee Lady Bucks vs. the NWSRA Lady Hawks:
For Milwaukee, that’s #4 Mareike Miller with the ball.
The WSHS gym is partitioned into three courts for the tournament; the 8 am games are Milwaukee vs. the PossAbilities Shield Maidens, the Dallas Lady Mavericks vs. Seattle, and Denver vs. the University of Arizona; subsequent games are at 9:45, 11:30, and then two semifinals at each tipoff time of 1:15 pm and 3 pm. Sunday’s schedule has three consolation games at 9 am and the championship game at 11. No admission charge to drop in and watch any or all of the games, which are co-sponsored by Seattle Adaptive Sports; WSHS is at 3000 California SW.
At Hiawatha Playfield this afternoon, West Seattle High School simply overwhelmed Rainier Beach, 23-3. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photos and wrapup:
Another beautiful afternoon for baseball at Hiawatha.
Sporting their new home jerseys, West Seattle hosted Rainier Beach. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the first inning and never looked back.
Carson Wright (#17) pitched 4 strong innings, giving up only one run and striking out 8. Junior Daniel Lo (#18) came in to close out the game. In the end, the game only went 4½ innings as West Seattle put up 23 on the Vikings.
Next game is scheduled on Monday, at 3:30 against O’Dea at Bannerwood Ballpark in Bellevue.
High-school baseball continues and Chief Sealth International High School is 2-0 on the season, after a road win against Ingraham this afternoon. Final score 6-1, with the Seahawks’ Evan Moe getting the win, pitching 7 innings, striking out 7, and giving up only 3 hits. Jackson Chilcott scored a run and had four hits; Ingraham Chamberlin went 2 for 2. Thanks to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score. The Seahawks play Hazen at home tomorrow (Saturday) at noon; here’s the full season schedule.
10:25 PM: Another crash tonight – this time, in Arbor Heights, at 35th and 104th. According to scanner traffic, a driver has hit “several” parked cars and a fence. We’re off to check it out.
10:36 PM: This appears to have happened on the east (northbound) side of the street; traffic is getting through.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Know the difference between the Neighborhood Street Fund and the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund?
What they have in common is that both are available for community-proposed projects, and both were at the heart of this month’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, which focused on different stages of the processes for the two city funds with similar names.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET FUND: Megan McCoy from the city presented information about this grant program, which is handled by SDOT (as opposed to the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund, which is administered by the Department of Neighborhoods) and is accepting applications now. It involves larger projects, and runs on a 3-year cycle – time to design and then build the projects – $8 million per cycle (up to $1 million/project), funded by the Move Seattle levy that voters approved last year.
Project locations have to be fully in city right-of-way (streets, sidewalks), need to not trigger a lengthy environmental process, and must meet warrants and guidelines – in other words, be necessary as defined by city rules/laws/guidelines.
6:47 PM: The crash on the SFD 911 log for 37th and Alaska has traffic diverting from both the eastbound and westbound directions on Alaska, per a texter. If you’re headed out, avoid for now.
7:03 PM: The crash is blocking the westbound side of Alaska but firefighters are directing traffic around it, both ways.
We’re heading next to a crash Russ has been tweeting about, a motorcycle down by Chelan and West Marginal.
Bike's console 10 ft from rest of bike @westseattleblog @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/7LXdp1LCMG
— Russ Walker (@russ_walker) March 19, 2016
Avoid that area too.
7:16 PM: SFD was clearing from the corner east of Chelan Cafe; medic unit headed out toward the eastbound low bridge. No info on injuries but no evidence of setup for the level of investigation that life-threatening injuries would require.
7:31 PM: Just went back through both areas. Chelan scene was totally clear, no fire, no police. The motorcycle is still on a patch of greenery by the sidewalk. On Alaska, SFD, SPD, and two crashed cars are still there.
(WSB file photo)
Spring arrives with the vernal equinox at 9:30 pm tomorrow (Saturday, March 19th), and that means the closest sunset is a few hours earlier – so our local NASA Solar System Ambassador, Alice Enevoldsen, invites you to come watch at Solstice Park (address & map are on Alice’s website), where markers were set to line up with the equinox/solstice . Sunset’s around 7:10 pm (earlier than the official times because of the Olympic Mountains) so be there around 6:45. Forecast suggests clouds but you never know around here – see you there!
4:17 PM: Thanks to the neighbors who texted about this: Seattle Fire is in the 8100 block of 15th SW (map), blocked off while a possible natural-gas leak is under investigation. One neighbor tells us they’ve been evacuated from their house and the street’s been blocked off. We’re en route to see if we can find out more.
4:32 PM: Puget Sound Energy (which is our area’s natural-gas utility) is on scene now to find out what happened and to shut off the gas; as our photo shows, they’re digging next to a hydrant. No injuries or damage. The street closure is just covering part of the block where this is happening, south of Elmgrove. It’s a residential street so no businesses are affected.
6:16 PM: Neighbors say they were allowed back in their homes by 5 pm; SFD has closed out the call.
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