West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
(Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, photographed near Jack Block Park by Mark Wangerin – click image for larger view)
Good morning. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, options for this last day of January:
HIAWATHA PANCAKE BREAKFAST: The annual benefit for Hiawatha Community Center‘s scholarship fund is this morning – pancakes and more, 8 am-noon, as previewed here.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: See what’s fresh and local today, 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)
SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES: All three of our area’s Catholic schools have open houses today – Our Lady of Guadalupe (35th/Myrtle) 9 am-1 pm (info), Holy Family Bilingual School (20th/Roxbury) 11 am-1 pm (info); Holy Rosary 11:30 am-1:30 pm (info).
WEST SEATTLE HISTORY: Enjoy and learn about it noon-4 pm at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s Log House Museum, just a block inland from Alki Beach. (61st SW/SW Stevens)
OPERA PREVIEW: Look ahead to the Seattle Opera‘s “Mary Stuart” with a free lecture 2 pm today at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library; details in our calendar listing. (2306 42nd SW)
FOLK/ROCK MUSIC … with singer/songwriter Andy Brucia at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
ALL-AGES OPEN MIC: Sign up at 3, music at 4, all ages, at The Skylark, with full 16-track recordings of your performance available for purchase. Info here. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
GO BACK IN TIME: 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall – itself historic – you can go back to a century, as “theatre organist extraordinaire Dennis James and ebullient songsters Connie Corrick and Hugh Hastings return for a new three-show monthly series celebrating 1916 in sight and sound. January’s show features Charlie Chaplin in three of his greatest short comedy films from 1916—the Mutual Studios classics “Behind the Screen,” “The Pawn Shop,” and “The Rink,” artfully illuminated by Dennis at the Kenyon Hall Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ.” (7904 35th SW)
EVEN MORE … on our complete calendar.
They’re next door … yet currently, they are officially treated as if they are a world apart: The Westwood/Highland Park Urban Village (WWHPUV) in the city, and White Center in unincorporated King County. This Tuesday night, city and county reps will join the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council to talk about it all together, including the potential of WC annexation and the Seattle 2035 “comprehensive plan.” If you’re interested in either or both sides of the line, be in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Library, 6:15 pm Tuesday (February 2nd).
The westbound bridge is backed up to I-5 from a crash around 1st Avenue before 9:30 pm, almost an hour ago but the good news is, according to a texter who just sent a photo (added above), tow crews appear to be finishing up at the scene. The residual backup might take a while to clear.
A touch of sorcery on the track tonight at Southgate Roller Rink, during the Harry Potter-themed “House Cup” bout between Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby and visiting Cherry Bomb Brawlers.
Good crowd at the rink as the skaters faced off – as is a roller derby tradition, the names on their shirts (and the refs’) were not to be missed:
On the sidelines, baked goods and raffle tickets were sold to raise money for the medical bills of the Brawlers’ beloved “Coach SmartAss,” who died recently after battling cancer.
We will update later when we get the results.
Here’s how local teams did in last night’s high-school basketball, as we get closer to the end of the regular season:
SEATTLE LUTHERAN HS: Both teams won at home last night over Quilcene, girls 47-45, boys 71-11 (thanks to Mike Jensen for the scores).
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Garfield, where the WSHS girls remained undefeated, 62-40; the boys fell 86-32.
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HS: Played at Roosevelt, which took both games – girls 54-41, boys 69-57.
1:28 PM: If you’re heading out of West Seattle shortly, be aware that a big Seattle Fire response is arriving at a “heavy rescue” call that’s now reported to be on northbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge. More as we get it.
1:31 PM: Now that’s changed again to just south of the WS Bridge, and everyone is reported to be out of the crashed vehicle, so the “heavy rescue” response is being downsized.
1:54 PM: The crash is now reported to be blocking three lanes. So this is more an alert if you’re headed this way on NB I-5 toward the bridge.
2:22 PM: The crash and resulting backup have cleared.
West Seattle is the first stop on the city’s tour of briefings about the next housing levy. Mayor Murray has said he wants it to be much bigger than the last one, a $145 million, seven-year levy expiring this year, as a piece of the puzzle toward easing homelessness. While full details aren’t out yet, they apparently will be by Wednesday (February 3rd), because that’s when the tour starts here:
Todd Burley from the city’s housing office is the guest at Wednesday’s Southwest District Council meeting, 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building in The Junction (California/Oregon)
(WSB photo)
10:30 AM: Police are searching for a burglar in Upper Fauntleroy. He was interrupted while going through a garage in a house on California SW south of SW Sullivan – this is near WSB HQ and we found out about it when three SPD cars arrived down the street. Officers told us the burglar bolted eastbound between houses to the north of the break-in location and dropped some of what he had stolen. No description yet.
2:35 PM: According to neighbors, there’s a partial description – 20s, 5’7″, stocking cap with snowflakes or stars on it.
(North shore of Lincoln Park, photographed last weekend by Jim Clark)
Weekend time! Your options for today include:
WEST DUWAMISH GREENBELT TRAILS WORKSHOP: 9:30-11:30 am, you’re invited to a workshop at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) “to discuss what the future trail system in the West Duwamish Greenbelt might look like,” including “potential connections to destinations such as South Seattle College, the Duwamish Longhouse, Pathfinder School, Riverview Playfield, and others.” The workshop will be at the Chan Center on the north side of the campus, next to the Arboretum – all welcome. (6000 16th SW)
COMETA PLAYSCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-noon, open house at Spanish-language-immersion preschool Cometa Playschool. (4402 SW Walker)
FIRE STATION 29 OPEN HOUSE: 11 am-1 pm, come see the recently completed upgrades to the North Admiral firehouse, as previewed here. (2139 Ferry SW)
WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI OPEN HOUSE: 1-3 pm, prospective families are invited to the West Seattle Montessori School & Academy (WSB sponsor) open house for “a chance to meet our staff, teachers, and tour the facilities. You’ll be able to view samples of student work and pick up application materials.” (11215 15th SW)
VISCON CELLARS TASTING ROOM: 2-7 pm Saturdays, the tasting room is open at Viscon Cellars (new WSB sponsor) – find out more about the winery here. (5910 California SW)
SOUTHSIDE REVOLUTION JUNIOR ROLLER DERBY: 5:45 pm at Southgate Roller Rink, come cheer for Southside Revolution during its second bout of the season – a Harry Potter-themed doubleheader, with the SSR Cadets and Friends mixup at 5:45 pm, the SSR Rebels and Cherry Bomb Brawlers mixup at 7:10 pm. Admission $10 adults, $5 children 6-12, free 5 and under. All proceeds, including 50/50 raffle and bake sale, go to a medical-funds benefit for the Brawlers’ coach, who lost her fight with cancer days ago. (9646 17th SW)
NOT DEAD YET: West Seattle favorites! Not Dead Yet is live tonight at The Skylark, 9 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
SCOTT M.X. TURNER: West Seattle’s Scott M.X. Turner “is joined by bluesman Zach Rourke for a night of rousing tunes” at Parliament Tavern in The Admiral District, 9-11:45 pm. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Two weeks have passed since WSB came out of the first stage of our first major technical overhaul in the 10 years since the site was founded (built on a foundation intended for the small personal site this originally was, and no longer able to accommodate what it had grown into). Overnight tonight (possibly Saturday night too), more work is ahead, this time including expansion of the storage space on our server, as WSB’s database of stories, photos, comments, and Forum posts continues to grow. This will mean some downtime after midnight. If wee-hours breaking news happens and we’re down, we will of course report via our backup site (westseattleblog.wordpress.com) and social-media channels (facebook.com/westseattleblog and twitter.com/westseattleblog), so please keep those links handy. Keep our number for breaking news too – 206-293-6302. Thanks for your understanding!
We’ve received multiple reports about suspected gunshots heard before 10 pm on Puget Ridge, possibly from a car heard/seen speeding southbound in the 6000 block of 16th SW and beyond. It’s been reported to police, who are investigating. We haven’t heard yet whether they’ve found any evidence of gunfire (casings, damage).
(WSB photo from Southside Revolution’s December bout)
Saturday night brings the second bout of the season for Southside Revolution Junior Coed Roller Derby. The Cherry Bomb Brawlers from Spokane are visiting, and it’s more than a bout – the Brawlers’ coach Ti “SmartAss” Marchand” lost her battle with cancer days ago, and they’re raising money both to cover her bills and to help another coach’s mom. Southside team manager Pamela McCarty sends the reminder:
THE HOUSE CUP, DOUBLE HEADER BOUT! Come watch the Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby positional and full-contact teams mashup with Cherry Bomb Brawlers and Friends. Bout 1 at 5:45 pm will be Southside Revolution Cadets & Friends Mashup. Bout 2 at 7:20 pm will be Southside Revolution Rebels, Cherry Bomb Brawlers, Mob City Misfits and Seattle Derby Brats.
This is a HARRY POTTER THEMED BOUT. The teams will be sorted into their ‘Houses’ at the beginning of the bout with the ‘Sorting Hat’ as per standard with all students of Hogwarts. The team with the most points will win the HOUSE CUP!
Doors at 5:15 pm, 1st Bout at 5:45 pm. $10 General Admission Adults, $5 Children 6-12, Children under 5 are free.
This is at our area’s only roller rink, Southgate, in White Center,
(Clip of Ben Dyer’s TPIR appearance, provided to WSB by CBS)
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
When Ben and Heather Dyer decided to travel to southern California around the time of Heather’s mid-January birthday, the idea was to get away from their normal day-to-day routine, enjoy time with family members in the area, and return to Seattle with batteries fully charged from time spent soaking in the famous California sun.
When they returned to their West Seattle home and their regular day-to-day lives, Ben probably shared the typical return-to-work stories of vacation with his fellow firefighters at Seattle Fire Station 26 in South Park. Heather almost certainly told friends about celebrating her birthday while out of town with her husband.
And now that their January 12 visit to the Bob Barker Studio has been aired by CBS, all those friends, family, and coworkers who heard tales of the Dyers’ Southern California trip are learning that a fairly significant event was omitted from those early recountings:
Ben was a contestant on “The Price is Right” – TV’s longest-running game show – but he and Heather were unable to tell anyone that until it aired this past Wednesday, much less could they have revealed he went on a winning streak that ran from contestant’s row all the way through the “Showcase” finale. We didn’t hear about it until one of Ben’s coworkers sent us the tip.
“We were just gobsmacked,” an audibly still-elated Ben told WSB on Thursday, the day after his episode (which can be watched here) aired, allowing him to finally let go of the big secret he’s been keeping for two weeks.
The couple hadn’t planned to attend a taping of the game show as part of their vacation, but once down there decided it might be a fun option for the day before Heather’s birthday.
Still planning for next school year? More open houses ahead – the next few days’ lineup includes:
SATURDAY – WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI: Tomorrow from 1-3 pm, West Seattle Montessori School & Academy (WSB sponsor) opens the doors to give “parents and prospective families a chance to meet our staff, teachers and tour the facilities. You’ll be able to view samples of student work and pick up application materials. Our teachers and staff are available during and after the Open House to answer questions.” Preschool through 8th grade. (11215 15th SW)
SATURDAY – COMETA PLAYSCHOOL: 10 am-noon, this Spanish-language-immersion preschool offers an open house – details in our calendar listing. (4402 SW Walker)
SUNDAY – HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL: 11 am-1 pm Sunday brings an open house at Holy Family Bilingual School; details in our calendar listing. (20th SW/SW Roxbury)
TUESDAY – HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTEN TOUR: On Tuesday night, Highland Park Elementary principal Chris Cronas hosts tours for prospective kindergarten families. (1012 SW Trenton)
Find more tours/open houses on our calendar – and if yours isn’t there, please send info (editor@westseattleblog.com) so we can add it!
Two notes today related to homelessness in our area:
ONE NIGHT COUNT: Overnight, a thousand volunteers traversed King County to count how many people were sleeping without shelter. This year’s “One Night Count” total is 4,505 people, 19 percent more than last year. Here’s the breakout of where they were found and in what sleeping situations:
You can also see the chart online here.
HIGHLAND PARK ‘SAFE LOT’ SITE’S FUTURE: Questions remain even after new information was provided at this week’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting (WSB coverage here) about the future “safe lot” for RV/car campers at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way: 15 vehicles are expected, none likely to be home to more than three people; referrals will be made to people found vehicle-camping in West Seattle and SODO; LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute) will be managing the lot; Compass Housing Alliance will be providing services. The city will provide toilets and handwashing facilities, as well as trash pickup, and is looking into getting electricity to the lot.
Questions that remain include the site’s status and post-“safe lot” future. So we checked over the past two days with the city’s Finance and Administrative Services department, which manages city-owned land. Spokesperson Julie Moore explained that the paved lot to be used for the RVs/cars is owned currently by the state (WSDOT), and that the city owns much of the rest of the sprawling parcel, home to the original, unsanctioned encampment that called itself “Nickelsville.” She says the purchase of the paved lot already was in progress. And she provided this aerial image – the future “safe lot,” which she describes as a former park-and-ride, is toward the top left:
As you may know, the City owns the piece of land along the top of the triangle, WSDOT owns the other two corner parcels, and the piece in the middle along W. Marginal Way SW with the large building is owned privately. The City was already working to buy WSDOT’s small corner piece (the former park and ride) to make the City-owned land connect all the way to W. Marginal Way SW, as a means of maximizing the value of our land, with the intent to sell. There is not currently a planned future City use for the property.
City reps at Wednesday’s meeting said the “safe lot” would be in operation for up to a year – six months with the possibility of a six-month extension.
Every night next week, you’ll see another round of overnight closures on SW Alaska between 40th SW and Fauntleroy Way, like the ones earlier this month. That’s the word from the project team for The Whittaker (the 4755 Fauntleroy mixed-use development), as work on the new Alaska/39th/Fauntleroy crossing continues. The work, generally to be done between 8 pm and 6 am, will include temporary road repairs that they hope to finish the night of the 8th (one week from Monday).
Today we’re welcoming West Seattle winery Viscon Cellars as a new WSB sponsor. Our new local sponsors get the chance to tell you about themselves:
We are West Seattle’s winery. All of our wine is made here in West Seattle; it has been our home for over 20 years.
Our vision and mission is to make premium wine, sourcing grapes from some of Washington’s best vineyards and share with our West Seattle neighbors and friends. When presented with the opportunity to open our tasting room in Woodinville or West Seattle, hands down we chose our own neighborhood and do not regret it for one second.
Our wines are easily approachable and not intimidating. They are great simply by the glass and compliment foods nicely.
There are a lot of wine lovers in West Seattle. Our central location for our neighbors has created a great opportunity for them to try new wines they cannot get elsewhere also while supporting their neighborhood small business. Our customers love that when they come in they get to speak directly with the winemaker and hear about the personal stories of each wine. We even have customers who volunteer their time to help with crush and bottling.
We are fortunate to have a very loyal customer and fan base. So much so that we sold out of our inaugural release of wines before our second planned release of wines was ready to debut. This resulted in us closing temporarily until the new wines were released. They have supported us and introduced their friends to our winery, and their friends have introduced their friends …. so we are truly fortunate to expand our circle of customers through the mutual love of Washington Wine and West Seattle loyalties. It’s fun to hear their reaction when they discover us! Our winery tasting room (at 5910 California Ave SW) has quickly become a neighborhood gathering place. The vibe is friendly and welcoming. We have seen longtime neighbors finally meeting each other face-to-face at our tasting room and discovering their common connections over our wines.
Many folks bring in food from local restaurants or from home and enjoy dinner, conversations and a bottle of our wine on Friday evenings and Saturday late afternoons. We even have an example of a young couple who had just moved to Seattle; we introduced them to another couple having a glass of wine at the tasting room. They became fast friends and even spent Thanksgiving together. We love the sense of community that happens at our shop.
ABOUT VISCON CELLARS: Ben Viscon is the Winemaker and Owner for Viscon Cellars. He has been making wine for over 12 years in Washington State. He first explored the art of winemaking as a curious hobbyist, then honed his knowledge and education of winemaking by attending University of California, Davis, College of Viticulture and Enology. We are part of Seattle Urban Wineries, a group of 25 wine producers that make and sell wine in their respective neighborhoods throughout the City of Seattle. Our Winery Tasting Room is located at 5910 California Ave. SW, Suite B, in the heart of West Seattle and is open on Fridays from 5-9 pm and Saturdays from 2-7 pm, or by appointment outside of those hours. Our space is also available for private events.
We thank Viscon Cellars 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.
(Photo by Long Bach Nguyen, looking south over the peninsula from north of The Junction)
The weekend’s in view and here are the Friday highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Seattle Lutheran is the only local high school with home games tonight: Quilcene is visiting. 6 pm girls, 7:30 pm boys. (4100 SW Genesee)
AMAZING RACE: “Race” around the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) with your family, complete challenges, and get your “passport” stamped. Free fun, 6:30 pm. (4515 36th SW)
LIVE ’60s-’70s ROCK … with the Five Buck Band at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
CLASSICAL CONCERT: 7:30 pm, The Girsky Quartet performs works by Beethoven and Schubert at Kenyon Hall. (7904 35th SW)
ROCK ‘N’ SOUL: DJ & Mrs. Plantkiller, 8 pm at Parliament Tavern. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
BOWIE, WHO, ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE BANDS … at The Skylark, 9 pm. Details in our listing. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
And a reminder …
PORT TEST PLANNED TODAY: Somewhere around “midday” (last week it was early afternoon) the Port of Seattle plans the second of nine potentially noisy tests related to its planning for modernization at West Seattle’s Terminal 5. Here’s the alert we published earlier this week.
(WSB photo from 2013 Hiawatha pancake breakfast)
Pancake breakfasts are a time-honored and tasty way to raise some money – and this Sunday is one of the biggest ones of the year, Hiawatha Community Center‘s annual pancake breakfast. 8 am-noon on Sunday (January 31st) you’re invited into the gym at 2700 California SW for all-you-can-eat pancakes with butter and syrup; sausage, fruit, and bagels available too. $6 for people 13 and up; $5 for ages 3 to 12; free for ages 2 and under. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund to ensure that more people can enjoy programs at Hiawatha.
(Click any view for a close-up)
6:43 AM: Good morning. No incidents in/from West Seattle so far, but some notes/alerts to share:
WATER TAXI: Doc Maynard has returned to the West Seattle run this morning, now that Sally Fox is fixed and back for Vashon.
EXTRA HIGHWAY 99 LANE CLOSURES THIS WEEKEND: From WSDOT:
Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation continue building sign foundations along a one-mile stretch of SR 99/Aurora Avenue North, intermittently closing two lanes in each direction. This Friday night through Saturday morning, two lanes will be closed between Highland Drive, just north of Mercer Street and the Aurora Bridge. The closure starts at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 and will end by 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.
A reminder to drivers that one median lane will remain closed around the clock until this first phase of work is complete.
8:12 AM: Trouble on northbound I-5 – crash blocking a lane near the James/Madison exits.
8:25 AM: SDOT reports a crash at 35th/Avalon. The SFD response is already closed, so no serious injuries.
8:30 AM: … and now a new dispatch to the same incident. If you’re on the bus or at the stop and can see it, let us know – 206-293-6302 text or voice – scanner info can be cursory.
8:52 AM: Thanks to the texters who’ve sent details on 35th/Avalon – it’s blocking the middle lane northbound but vehicles including buses are able to get around.
Tonight brought the first of two big film-related events for Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) in The Junction:
The shop often hosts events and tonight it was the EWA Film Festival, set to continue until about 10 pm. From left below, filmmakers Leah and Russ Ricketts, Daniel Silverberg, Flyfish Journal editor Steve Duda, a West Seattleite, and EWA proprietor Dave McCoy:
This was the lead-in for an even bigger event next week, when EWA brings the Fly Fishing Film Tour to the historic Admiral Theater, 7-10 pm Wednesday (February 3rd). Tickets are $15 and you can buy yours at the shop. Here’s the tour trailer; read more about the tour here.
Avery sent this warning for neighbors who park on Delridge Way SW, particularly in the 5400 block:
Just wanted to get the word out that my car was broken into last night or this morning (1/27-1/28) from where it was parked in front of the Delridge Branch Library. It seemed like they tried to steal the whole car, since the ignition was broken into, but they were unable to.
My checkbook was stolen along with some change, and my car was left disabled. It could have been a lot worse, but residents along that block should take extra care with their cars parked on the street.
Avery had to arrange to have it towed for repair.
P.S. Crime stats for the year are in the newest SeaStat briefing from which Seattle Police has released some numbers. Citywide, car prowls were down last year – 13,695 in 2015, compared to 15,351 the year before. (Precinct breakouts were not included.)
Two weeks after WSDOT told its Highway 99 tunnel contractor to stop digging, it’s still not ready to give the green light for digging to resume, according to this update late today:
Last week, Seattle Tunnel Partners submitted their analysis of recent incidents on the SR 99 Tunnel Project. WSDOT and their tunnel experts determined STP’s analysis did not sufficiently address the cause of these incidents or specify how they would prevent them from occurring in the future.
(WSDOT graphic from January 13th)
WSDOT has notified the contractor that in order to lift the suspension for cause, STP must confirm that:· The tunneling machine is operating as intended and meets the design-build contract’s technical requirements.
· All necessary training for staff on the tunneling machine is complete.
· The tunneling work plan is updated to address the issues that led to the sinkhole.
· Processes are in place to ensure STP’s tunneling work plan is followed.
· STP updates its quality program to ensure key quality program managers are involved in all tunneling activities.
It is STP’s responsibility to determine how to address these issues and ensure they are in compliance with the technical requirements of the contract. This section of the tunnel drive was designed to be a test section for operation of the tunneling machine. With approximately 250 feet of tunneling prior to reaching the next planned maintenance stop, demonstration of these steps is critical.
No indication of exactly how this is affecting the schedule aside from obviously pushing it back at least two weeks – including the expected Viaduct closure when the tunnel machine goes beneath it, previously expected to happen in March.
| 1 COMMENT