West Seattle, Washington
01 Tuesday
Now the rest of the story from last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting:
FUTURE PARK-EXPANSION SITE: We reported last month on the last business leaving the Parks-owned commercial building at 6311 California SW that will be demolished to expand adjacent Morgan Junction Park. MoCA president Deb Barker said Parks sent word that they will soon be boarding up the building and ringing it with a chain-link fence and “no trespassing” signs, since they’re already having trouble with squatters who apparently have gotten in by breaking through the building’s “rotten” roof. The fencing will be removed for a mural project during the Morgan Junction Community Festival on June 18th; demolition of the building is expected soon after the festival, Barker said.
ABOUT THAT MURAL: MoCA is looking for someone to lead the project, which will guide local kids in creating a vision of the future park expansion. Interested? Contact MoCA ASAP – contact info’s on the group’s website.
AND SPEAKING OF THE FESTIVAL: MoCA’s been making progress signing up vendors and bands – nothing to announce just yet. The “Bite of Morgan” food samples, donated by local restaurants in recent years, will not be back this year. Food trucks, a popular feature the past few years, will be.
LOWMAN BEACH SEAWALL: David Graves from Seattle Parks brought an update on the shifting seawall at Lowman Beach Park. The city is looking for a grant to study it, but even before that, there’s one big concern: Addressing the problem could require taking out the little park’s tennis court. Parks doesn’t know much about its usage before the Murray CSO storage-tank project took over much of the park but nonetheless promises to bring this issue and others regarding Lowman to the community, with public meetings expected.
SDOT GRANT: MoCA is proposing another use for $24,000 available from SDOT to buy “street furniture” – spending it instead on repairs for the gravel alley behind businesses on the east side of California SW north of Fauntleroy. This is something that’s been a thorn in the area’s side for a long time and has even been proposed for city grant funding before – most recently in 2013, when this WSB story explained the problem. The street furniture money had a caveat anyway – maintenance and liability insurance. MoCA leaders say in other neighborhoods, that’s a responsibility placed on business owners rather than a community council.
HALA FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS: The meeting also included a brief chat with locals who had been chosen for the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda “focus group” neighborhood spots. As you can see on page 4 of this list, five people from the Morgan Junction Urban Village area were chosen, including MoCA board member Cindi Barker, who was on the original HALA advisory committee. In general, local reps hope to provide the focus group a perspective on what life south of downtown is like for people struggling to get by.
The Morgan Community Association meets quarterly on third Wednesdays, 7 pm, at The Kenney – keep up to date between meetings by checking in at morganjunction.org.
Thanks to Lindsi Griggs for that adorable photo of ducklings in Longfellow Creek! Now, on to our calendar highlights:
TINKERLAB: Today’s session of the free, all-ages, drop-in STEM-related-activity session is at High Point Library, 4-6 pm. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: Give some time, get some time! From our calendar listing for the WS Timebank event – 6 pm, orientation for new members; 6:30 pm, potluck and conversation; 7 pm, introductions and guest speaker Stu Hennessey, recently returned from a journey to Cuba. All this happens at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (California SW/SW Oregon)
DESIGN REVIEW X 2: As previewed here Wednesday, two projects will go before the Southwest Design Review Board tonight, both with opportunities for public comment: A 15-apartment North Admiral building, 1606 California SW, at 6:30 pm; a 54-apartment mixed-use Junction building, 4532 42nd SW, at 8 pm. Both reviews are upstairs at the Sisson Building/Senior Center. (California SW/SW Oregon)
NORTHWEST HOPE AND HEALING FASHION SHOW: “Style ’16” is sold out so this is just a reminder that if you DO have tickets, tonight’s the night at Showbox SODO – raising money for West Seattleite-led and -founded Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps breast-cancer patients.
‘HOW WE SAVE WHALES FROM SPACE’: The Whale Trail presents researcher Bruce Mate, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy; doors open at 6:15. Full details in our calendar listing. $10 ($5 for kids under 12) – advance tickets available here. (9131 California SW)
OPEN MICROPHONE – UNPLUGGED! The monthly acoustic open-microphone event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) is tonight, 7 pm. More info in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
BELLY DANCING: The free monthly Alauda showcase is at 7:30 pm tonight at The Skylark in North Delridge. All ages! (3803 Delridge Way SW)
And one note about what’s NOT happening:
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL CANCELED: No April meeting for the Alki Community Council, which otherwise would meet tonight (third Thursday).
(WSB photo from east end of closure zone on first “car-free day” in 2008)
9 AM: New information about this year’s “car-free day” event September 25th on Alki, which, as reported here last month, will be the first one since 2014. An SDOT representative told the Morgan Community Council last night that the event now officially known as Seattle Summer Parkways (previously, Seattle Summer Streets) will also be the first one in several years to close Alki and Harbor Avenues all the way to Don Armeni Boat Ramp. That’s the distance spanned during the first event in 2008; a lane will remain available for residents to get to and from their homes if needed. Entertainment and other plans will be out as the event gets closer. This was one of more than half a dozen topics on the MoCA agenda – full report to come.
ADDED 10 AM: One more note about Summer Parkways – there’s a planning meeting tonight, starting at 5:30 pm at Alki Community Center (5817 SW Stevens), to review the route and brainstorm activities before heading out to walk the route for half an hour and “build a vision” for the event. All welcome.
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Good morning! We start as almost-usual by looking ahead:
NEXT MONDAY: Road repairs start Monday (April 25th) on 26th SW south of Westwood Village. Here’s the updated city-issued alert.
NEXT TUESDAY: The draft version of Sound Transit 3 includes light rail to West Seattle. For it? Against it? Want to make sure it’s done a certain way? Have ideas for doing it better? Take some time to go to the official West Seattle meeting next Tuesday (April 26th) – open house starts at 5:30 pm, presentations at 6 (King County Metro’s long-range plan is being discussed too), your chance for commenting throughout (and take the online survey ASAP) – West Seattle High School, 3000 California SW.
NEXT WEDNESDAY: The Fauntleroy Expressway (west end of high bridge) earthquake-safety-cushion re-replacement project is scheduled to start April 27th with a series of overnight closures plus some surface Spokane St. lane closures at other times under that section of the bridge. Still awaiting final-final word from SDOT.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29TH: The Alaskan Way Viaduct‘s two-weeks-or-so tunneling closure is set to start in 8 days, BEFORE the morning commute. Lots of info here, including a reiteration that the surface streets/paths/sidewalks UNDER the Viaduct are not expected to have to close.
At this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, police said car prowls remain rampant. And we have more to report here:
INSTRUMENTS STOLEN: Maggie e-mailed that image along with her report that this happened in The Triangle:
My partner and I are musicians who were traveling through Seattle this week, visiting family, and had our car broken into and all our instruments stolen. Among the stolen gear was a rare parlor guitar, handpainted with no maker/label, from the early 1900’s. We are hoping it will surface at a pawn shop or music store somewhere so we can get it back… any help getting the word out would be so appreciated.
OFF-LEASH AREA ALERT: Two readers reported seeing/hearing evidence of multiple car prowls in recent days at the Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area, and the police-report map confirms it.
DETECTIVE AT WSBWCN NEXT WEEK: Also on the topic of car prowls/thefts, Seattle Police Detective Scotty Bach is the guest at next Tuesday’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting, sharing expertise on prevention and deterrence. 6:30 pm (April 26th) at the Southwest Precinct, all welcome.
One more reader report:
BIKE FOUND – STOLEN? From Steve, the photo and report:
Early in the morning of April 19th, a bike appeared in the alley behind 63rd Ave SW on the North side of Admiral. It is a Raleigh M20 Aluminum frame Mountain Sport Bike (2005?) with Shimano cranks and shifters.
Steve shared additional details that the owner would know – if this is your stolen bike, let us know and we’ll connect you.
(Added: Lightning photo by Chris Frankovich)
If you were looking south around 9 pm (we were headed home from a community meeting), you might have seen the lightning too – or at least heard the thunder rumbling in the distance since then. It all followed this sunset:
You can see the clouds gathering in that view from Chris Frankovich. Next, from Beach Drive, a wider view from Claudio Gonda:
And from The Junction, Renate Child shared her view, adding, “I love where I live.”
Forecast for tonight says breezy with a chance of (more) thunderstorms and showers; tomorrow, partly sunny, but cooler than it’s been for these past four consecutive 80+-degree days!
Another baseball victory for Chief Sealth International High School, 4-0 over Seattle Prep. Sealth head coach Ernest Policarpio says Nik Turcinec “pitched a complete shutout game. Exciting all the way around!” That’s 7 innings, and four strikeouts. Offensive stars for the Seahawks included David Johnson, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Kyler Gaither, 1 for 1 with an RBI and two walks. Sealth and Seattle Prep face each other again on Friday, 3:30 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center.
“IT’S OPEN!” shouted the students who just dedicated a “new” restroom at West Seattle High School this afternoon. They pitched for an all-gender restroom – and now they have one. Its grand opening was marked with a tissue-cutting ceremony.
We talked with two of the students, who explained this has been in the works since last school year, and they plan to talk with the School Board about making this happen at other schools:
“This is a big deal,” said Brennon Ham, an advocate who works with the Gay Straight Alliance at WSHS, in the note sending us word of the event on the students’ behalf, lauding their work: “They researched, organized, and advocated for their school to have a gender-inclusive restroom available for students of all genders. They recently gave a presentation to their principal and to folks at Seattle Public Schools, garnering support for this special change in the West Seattle community. This is a big deal (and) especially important to highlight in the wake of the terrible things happening in North Carolina. It would be so special to show the world that the youth of West Seattle are doing it right and doing it with love.”
Also at the after-school celebration, WSHS principal Ruth Medsker, who is working to get the retrofitting that is expected to convert the previously unused three-stall restroom into two enclosed stalls.
It wouldn’t have been affected by the new city ordinance requiring that all public single-stall restrooms be labeled “all-gender,” but it’s certainly in the spirit.
With Earth Day coming up, we have word of several community cleanups around West Seattle. Rather than lumping them together, we’re going to spotlight each one, starting with this one announced by the North Delridge Neighborhood Council:
The North Delridge Neighborhood Council long ago became the Adopt-a-Street owner of northern Delridge Way for purposes of once-a-quarter (or so) trash pick up.
We are calling on neighborhood volunteers to join us Saturday, April 23rd to help spruce up Delridge Way sidewalks and stairways.
Trash bags, gloves, pickers and other supplies are provided. You are also welcome to pick up trash bags and use them to pick up trash on your own street instead. You will just need to let me know where your full bags are located so I can coordinate pick up by the city.
This is a great family activity and you can participate for as little or as much time as you have to spare.
For those interested, we will be meeting a half hour early at Uptown Espresso for a neighborhood coffee social (and donut holes!) prior to heading out.
Date: Saturday, April 23
Time: 9:30 – coffee social; 10:00 – head out for trash pickup
Location: Meet at Uptown Espresso [Delridge] by 10:00 am
If you would like to help pick up trash at a different time or location, I am happy to deliver bags and supplies to you. Email Contact@ndnc.org if you’d like to arrange picking up bags with (beautification chair Kirsten Smith.
Thanks for participating in your community!
More announcements to come! Having a cleanup but not sure whether you’ve sent us word of it? editor@westseattleblog.com soon as you can – thanks!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Since we talk about crime/safety issues often, we also often hear about people’s experiences with calling for help when something happens. Often the discussion is about interaction with calltakers/dispatchers and why they seem curt sometimes; we’ve covered community-group discussions about how 911 works and best practices for citizens calling something in (you can find that info online here).
But lately, anecdotally, we’ve heard more about people being on hold waiting to talk to someone – and today, we’ve found out a likely factor: SPD’s Communications Center – “the primary answering point for all police, fire, and medical emergencies within the city limits” – is not in its usual quarters.
Four West Seattle development/construction notes:
(1606 California SW rendering by Roger H. Newell AIA)
DESIGN REVIEW DOUBLEHEADER TOMORROW NIGHT: Two projects go before the Southwest Design Review Board tomorrow (Thursday, April 21st) night at the Sisson Building (Senior Center) in The Junction. At 6:30 pm, it’s the second review – two years after the first – for 1606 California SW, a three-story building with 15 apartments and 21 offstreet parking spaces replacing two residential structures; see the design packet here. At 8 pm, the six-story, 54-unit, 50-parking-spaces proposal for 4532 42nd SW goes in for a third Early Design Guidance meeting, required because of the tree tussle; see the design packet here. As always, both projects will have public-comment periods. (California SW/SW Oregon)
LIVE-WORK UNITS PROPOSED FOR 5458 CALIFORNIA SW: Design Review would be required, according to city files, for a proposal that’s in the early stages for 5458 California SW, seeking to replace a 107-year-old house-turned-commercial offices with seven live-work units. This happens to be the headquarters of Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor); we checked with Ventana and they replied that they are tenants: “We have no knowledge of the owners’ plans for the property. We are in the process of identifying another location for our business, as our lease expires a year from this summer. We intend to stay in West Seattle, and hopefully in this neighborhood.” The early “site plan” in city files shows three units would face California, behind the northbound RapidRide stop, and four would face Findlay.
NEW PROPOSAL FOR 5414 DELRIDGE WAY SW: The proposal that went through Early Design Guidance last year to replace a house on this site has itself been replaced. A new proposal, with a new architect (it’s now Lisa McNelis; it had been NK), is now in the early stages, with its site plan showing a 3-story, 2,400-square-foot commercial building in front of a four-townhouse residential unit. The owner is still listed as Eric Christianson, who operates Community Care next door.
‘PET AFTERCARE’ AT 9205 35TH SW: City files show a proposal for the former West Seattle Refinishing site described as follows: “convert detached garage to commercial use … establish use as animal shelter for pet aftercare and disposition, construct tenant improvements in existing commercial building.” The documents point to Resting Waters, whose website says they expect to start providing “aquamation” services in June. We’ll be contacting them to find out more.
(Alki sunset photographed by Jay Strevey)
Sunset-watching, community-group participation, and more – here’s what’s up in the hours ahead, trom the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NETWORKING AT LUNCHTIME: Bring your lunch and ponder telecommuting/coworking/networking while getting ready to be Viaductless for two weeks. Or, drop in even if you’re a regular on-the-peninsula worker/entrepreneur. Noon-1:15 pm at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) – more here. (6040 California SW)
BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP: Monthly meeting 1-3 pm at Uptown Espresso in The Junction – info in our calendar listing. (California/Edmunds/Erskine)
FAMILY FUN AT ROXHILL: 6 pm tonight, it’s Family Health and Fitness Night at Roxhill Elementary:
There will be food, prizes, Zumba, community organizations, fitness activities, and giveaways! It will be a fun night for the whole family.
(30th SW/SW Roxbury)
COED ULTIMATE FRISBEE: 6 pm pickup game every Wednesday night at Fairmount Park Playfield, all welcome. (5400 Fauntleroy Way SW)
WORDSWEST LITERARY SERIES: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), this month featuring “Poetry in Music and Music in Poetry” with Jenifer Browne Lawrence and Lana McMullen; “Favorite Poem” by Victoria Melton, Seattle Public Schools music teacher. More info in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm monthly meeting at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. The agenda:
7:05 p.m. Welcome & Introductions
7:15 p.m. DNDC Updates & Announcements
· CNC Report
· Update on NSF Project
· West Seattle Grand Parade
· Other announcements7:30 p.m. Northwest Seaport Alliance Terminal 5 EIS
7:40 p.m. Neighborhoods SLI (Statement of Legislative Intent)
8:00 p.m. Southwest Youth & Family Services
8:15 p.m. Councilmember Lisa Herbold
8:50 p.m. Other DNDC Business
· Next month Neighborhood Street Fund Project Reviews and Ranking
(4408 Delridge Way SW)
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm quarterly meeting at The Kenney. Agenda:
7:00 Introductions and Morgan Minute Updates
· April 28, 2016: Morgan Junction Business Mixer at Zeeks Pizza
· Morgan Junction Sidewalk Improvements
· Morgan Junction Park Expansion status
· Murray CSO Update7:05 Introducing Morgan Junction HALA Focus Group members
7:15 Old Business
· Lowman Beach shoreline retaining wall (David Graves)
· Morgan 2015 NPSF award status
· June 18, 2016 Morgan Junction Community Festival
o – – Music and Entertainment Lineup – –8:00 New Business
· SW District Council updates
· 2016 Morgan NSF prioritization
· Seattle Summer Parkways8:30 Adjournment
(7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)
34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: 7 pm at American Legion Post 160. Guest speaker tonight: Michael Waite, running for State Treasurer. (3618 SW Alaska)
TONIGHT’S SUNSET: 8:07 pm is the official time (you can always find it on the WSB West Seattle Weather page)
LOTS OF NIGHTLIFE! See the listings on our complete calendar!
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:58 AM: Good morning! The list of upcoming traffic alerts is longer this morning:
ROAD REPAIRS ON 26TH SW: Starting Monday, south of Westwood Village, with some detours/re-routes, explained here.
FAUNTLEROY EXPRESSWAY CLOSURES: The nighttime closures on the west end of the bridge start one week from tonight. We’re still awaiting an update from SDOT with final word on lane closures under the bridge.
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT CLOSURE: And we’re now 9 days away from the Alaskan Way Viaduct being closed while the Highway 99 tunneling machine goes beneath it – that’s set to start before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th. The online clearinghouse of closure info is at 99closure.org – even a page where the state promises to post tunneling progress reports once or twice a day during the closure.
8:22 AM: Crash at 35th/Holden … but it is reported to have cleared quickly.
8:55 AM: If you are a Water Taxi rider – this afternoon on the downtown dock, it’s your chance to get a look at the upcoming Colman Dock overhaul:
King County Water Taxi and WSF staff will be at Pier 50 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. to share the latest design for the Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock. This includes the design of the new Water Taxi facility. Please stop by to learn more and ask questions.
Right now police are at the scene of a one-car crash on Puget Ridge, on 21st SW north of Dawson. What we’ve heard via the scanner so far is that it’s a mystery – the car was found with airbags deployed, but no one inside (which is why a “rescue” callout was quickly canceled). The location is notable because just a few hours ago, as reported in our coverage of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, a neighbor brought police a petition asking for speed enforcement on that stretch of 21st, which is now part of the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Gunfire was the first thing our area’s top law enforcer brought up as tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting began.
CRIME TRENDS: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis opened the meeting with his crime-trends briefing, as usual. “As of lately, there’s been a lot of shots-fired incidents, there’s reasons behind it … it is alarming,” and community members “are quite tired, and I don’t blame them one bit.”
Once shots are reported, “we do take them very seriously, our officers go out and investigate … if there’s physical evidence that can be confiscated and taken to a lab, we do that .. there’s a whole unit that does that to see if there’s a nexus between different areas of the city (and other cities). … There’s shots-fired evidence we can link to various crimes throughout the area.” According to Capt. Davis, gangs and drugs are what’s most often involved “and we’re quickly putting together the pieces as to who’s who.”
He mentioned one particular trouble spot – a mile-plus of 16th SW, from the 6900 through 9000 block. South Park (which also is served by the SW Precinct) is being plagued by gunfire incidents, too, and so, he said, patrols have been stepped up, even including SWAT officers and the Anti-Crime Team. But they can’t patrol around the clock, he warned: “Obviously these individuals are smart enough to know if you’re shooting when police are around, you’re probably going to get caught … I wish I had enough officers to have out there 24/7 but that’s not the case.”
A resident of 21st SW in Puget Ridge spoke up at this point to say she had heard gunshots for three nights.
Thanks for the sunset photos! Above, that’s from Kanit Cottrell via e-mail; below, from Gary Gates via Twitter:
Warm day & spectacular night in Alki. @westseattleblog @sunset_wx pic.twitter.com/ZjDgne9Prv
— Gary Gates (@DrGaryJGates) April 20, 2016
The beautiful sunset ended another day with a record-high temperature – 84 degrees, 10 degrees above the previous record. And we might get into the 80s again tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service, followed by possible evening thunderstorms!
Ron Tjerandsen would love to give this photo to the family of the people in the photo. Here’s how he found it:
I was sorting through a stack of old photos of my family – Tjerandsen – which has been in West Seattle since 1906 when my grandfather, Jacob “Jack” Tjerandsen, and his brothers set up the Maritime Engine and Boat Works on the banks of the Duwamish River just north of the “low” bridge out of West Seattle. I happened on the [photo above] and looked at the reverse and all that was written there – in my aunt’s handwriting (Bernice Tjerandsen Gravem) – was the following:
Mary and Martin Haug
West Seattle
Hinds StreetThe Tjerandsens belonged to the Norwegian Lutheran Church in West Seattle whose name was later changed to the First Lutheran Church, now situated on California Avenue, just north of the Junction. That may be a place to start to try to find out who the Haugs were – there may be records in their vault. The photo is in perfect shape and as mentioned initially – since the subjects mean nothing to me – I will release it to anyone who turns up from the family.
Might that be you? E-mail Ron at ron.tjerandsen@gmail.com – and let us know how it turns out!
(WSB photo from Sunday, California/Spokane)
We checked in today with Seattle Public Utilities, whose crews are getting ready for Night 3 of a months-long process to flush rust/sediment out of the West Seattle water system, to reduce the recurring brown-water problems that have hit various parts of our area since last fall.
So far, SPU’s Ingrid Goodwin tells WSB, “The crews are still working out the flushing process and have been making some field adjustments to achieve the results we need. So far they have completed four flushes (2 Sunday and 2 Monday). We were hoping to complete 3 to 4 flushes per night, but we’ve run into some problems with operating some of the older valves.”
Tonight, she says they’re expected to be at three locations: 44th/Lander, 45th/Stevens, and, for some “pre-flushing” work, 44th/Spokane. Remember that – as was apparently the case Sunday night – the flushing itself can lead to temporarily discolored water as that water heads out of the system; if at any time you have a problem that persists, notify SPU at 206-386-1800.
BACKSTORY: The plan to flush West Seattle’s pipes this spring/summer was announced three weeks ago. Then on April 8th, SPU shared the map of the first area to be flushed, along with other details. On Sunday, just as the flushing was about to start, we took a closer look at the water-system workings, in part a followup to our March 22nd report on how SPU monitors and tests local drinking water – for “flavor” as well as safety.
Family and friends will gather this Friday to celebrate the life of Joseph C. Harris. Here’s the remembrance that’s being shared today:
Joseph Claude Harris, age 75, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 16th. He is survived by his wife Sue, his children Sean (Courtney Harris-Campf), Colleen, Becky (RJ Masters), Marianne (Patrick McGah), and CJ, 5 granddaughters, and his brother, John Harris.
Joe was born and raised in West Seattle, attended Holy Rosary School, O’Dea High School, and Maryknoll Seminary. He later earned an MBA from City University. Joe and Sue met through their work with the CYO Summer Camps and after their wedding they lived as the caretakers at Camp Cabrini.
Joe was a proud father to his five children, often driving kids around the city for activities, teaching them to play cribbage, and supporting them in their endeavors. He devoted many years of service to the Catholic Church in parish ministry, school and parish finances, and researching demographics of the Church around the country. Joe was a regular volunteer at Holy Rosary, suggesting that Fr. Mallahan start the endowment fund, serving on various committees, and helping with the plans for Lanigan Gym. Joe loved running, biking, hiking, and playing basketball. He will be greatly missed.
The celebration of his life will be at Holy Rosary Church on Friday, April 22nd at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fr. Mallahan Endowment Fund at Holy Rosary School.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
The World Dance Party on April 29th at Delridge Community Center will launch something brand new in West Seattle – Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association‘s Cultural Events Series. It’ll be the first of 10 events – both new and recurring, including the Delridge Day and Arts In Nature festivals – from now through the end of the year. Today’s announcement includes this backstory:
There has been growing discussion throughout broader Delridge about a need for more collaboration and communication between organizations, and an aspiration to highlight the diverse cultural groups working and living in SW Seattle. According to the 2010 census, Delridge had some of the highest per capita percentages of diverse ethnic groups represented in Seattle, and the highest percentage of youth ages 0-17 in the city. As the demographic of Delridge is rapidly changing, it is important that all residents are encouraged to invest in their community and support organizations doing significant service, cultural and artistic work here in the neighborhood.
It is with this vision that the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) seeks to convene the Cultural Events Series to not only advance the mission of the organization but also to activate growth in a manner that will build, strengthen and empower all of the communities within the Delridge Corridor.
Partnerships will encompass the diverse group of organizations housed at DNDA’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center and other local organizations including Nature Consortium, Totem Star, Reel Grrls, Arts Corps, Southwest Youth & Family Services, Vietnamese Cultural Center, Delridge Community Center and others. Significant funding for the project comes from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods.
By fostering local partnerships and incorporating the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), the Cultural Events Series will increase awareness around the history, culture and needs of Delridge. The series will activate a support network to encourage residents and families who have long called Delridge home to stay rooted, empowered and engaged while deepening the perspectives of what is possible in our neighborhood.
After the World Dance Party, the Summer Kickoff will be next, June 10th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. The full list of events for the rest of the year is here.
(WSB photo from March)
FIRST REPORT, 11:56 AM: The city is about to start replacing concrete panels on 26th SW north of Roxbury. The Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council shone light on this problem during its March meeting, which we covered here; residents along that stretch of 26th south of Westwood Village point out that both the road and their houses have been literally rattled by the dramatic increase in bus traffic since the area became a “transit center” a few years ago. WWRHAH leadership just got this notice from SDOT and shared it with us to help get early warning to you:
SDOT Maintenance and Operations staff will be reconstructing portions of older, thinner concrete pavement on 26th Ave SW that are failing due to heavy Metro bus loads. Work will commence on Monday April 25th, 7:00 a.m.
All southbound traffic, including Metro buses, will be detoured for the duration of the project. Metro buses will continue to use northbound lanes. The roadway will be closed to general traffic, however local access, including solid waste vehicles, postal carriers, etc. will be able to travel northbound only. It is anticipated that the roadway will be reopened no later than 6:00 p.m., Sunday May 1st. Areas adjacent to work zone will be no-parked; Uniformed Police Officers will be assisting during active construction periods.
WWRHAH leadership was told the first phase will be between Roxbury and Cambridge.
ADDED 4:23 PM: An advisory just sent by the city spells it out this way:
From 7:00 a.m. on Monday, April 25, to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 1, travelers can expect the following:
• The southbound direction of 26th Ave SW between SW Roxbury St and SW Cambridge St will be closed to general traffic.
• All southbound traffic, including Metro buses, will be detoured for the duration of the project.
• The northbound direction of 26th Avenue SW will be open to traffic, including Metro buses.
• Local access will be available in the northbound direction only.
• There will be no parking in areas adjacent to the 26th Avenue SW work zone.
They refer bus riders to Metro’s site for bus-detour info, though we’re not seeing it posted there yet.
11:32 AM: Thanks for the tips – parents of students at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point mentioned getting e-mail from the school that the power’s out, and a few other people have mentioned losing power for a short time in other areas of east West Seattle (Highland Park, Westwood). Seattle City Light‘s outage map is itself out right now so we can’t use that for a reference. Seattle Public Schools confirms Pathfinder is out; City Light is checking for us to see if anyone else is and what’s going on.
12:21 PM: Scott Thomsen from SCL says, “It was a momentary interruption of two feeder lines caused by a tree making contact with the wires.”
Biggest event of the day, the continued very-warm weather, likely back into the 80s. Our showcase image above is from Christopher Boffoli, who explains: “Just thought I’d share an image I grabbed yesterday from Richey Viewpoint (beach) that demonstrates a ‘superior’ (or cold water) mirage resulting from warm air over the cold water of the Sound which creates a strange lens effect – in this case – on the tree line in the distance behind the Fauntleroy ferry. Cliff Mass mentioned this effect too in an image he posted on his weather blog yesterday.” Now, on with calendar highlights:
POOL SCHEDULE: As featured in our story last night looking ahead to summer swim season, city-run Southwest Pool is open to the public year-round, so if the expected high in the 80s has you looking to cool off in the water, see the schedule for today/tonight here. (2801 SW Thistle)
MATH BUDDIES: Drop-in help for K-5 students at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 4-5 pm, thanks to teen volunteers. More info here. (2306 42nd SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUP: 6:30 pm at High Point Library; this month’s title is “Bucking the Sun” by Ivan Doig.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: If you have neighborhood crime/safety concerns, this is the monthly chance to take them directly to local police. Local crime trends and concerns comprise the first part of the 7 pm meeting at the Southwest Precinct; then there’s a spotlight topic, which is scheduled to be “parking enforcement” this time around. All welcome. (Delridge/Webster)
TRIVIA FUNDRAISER: 7:30 pm, fundraising trivia at the Senior Center of West Seattle, hosted by Phillip Tavel from the longrunning Wednesday night trivia at Talarico’s. Make your reservation ahead of time and get a discount – info is in our calendar listing. (California SW/SW Oregon)
LOTS MORE for today/tonight, on our complete calendar!
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