West Seattle, Washington
17 Sunday
That’s artist Mindi Katzman, who we photographed this afternoon as she put up her new show at CAPERS in The Junction today, getting ready for Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk. (Mindi also created the distinctive trophies for last year’s West Seattle Car Show; read about her new CAPERS show here.) While WSAW happens on the second Thursday evening EVERY month, the July edition is our favorite because it coincides with what’s informally known as “West Seattle Summer Fest Eve” – the streets in the heart of The Junction close by 6 pm Thursday for festival setup, and that’s when WS Art Walk begins. Here’s how to plan your Summer Fest Eve:
*Art Walk venues/previews – wsartwalk.com
*Entertainment in the street – Per wsjunction.org‘s Summer Fest Eve preview:
–Magic & music at Elliott Bay
–Music at West 5
Or just come stroll in the street, watch the festival zone take shape, have dinner at a Junction restaurant. Get your Summer Fest going early – see you in the street Thursday night. (P.S. Anybody else with something special in The Junction on WSSF Eve – let us know! editor@westseattleblog.com)
EARLIER SUMMER FEST PREVIEWS ON WSB
*The basics
*The music
*The kid stuff
*The transit info
…more tomorrow!
Thanks to Deborah Hazlegrove for the photo and report:
The West Seattle Little League 10/11 All-Star team won the District 7 Championship and is headed to state! The state tournament is in Vancouver (WA) this year and begins on July 18. The team was led by Manager Isaiah Brent and Coaches Steve Savage and Ted Godwin.
Good luck to them, and to the 13-year-olds who (as noted here) are state-bound too!
No, that wasn’t a Segway tour rolling through The Junction earlier this evening. The two-wheel travelers were members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, visiting businesses to drop off copies of its brand-new directory.
Above, that’s Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis (at center, Segway-less) with Clay Eals from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Katie Krause from Daystar Retirement Village, pausing for a photo op. You can get a copy of the directory at the Chamber’s office, or stop by the Info Booth at West Seattle Summer Fest (in the heart of Walk-All-Ways at California/Alaska) this Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
P.S. We’re told the Segways did come from the Admiral District business that offers the two-wheeled tours you’ve probably seen around the peninsula, West Coast Entertainment.
5:36 PM: That photo from a Highway 99 project webcam shows a new landmark in progress – two of the four bright-yellow ventilation stacks going up at what will be the “south operations building” for the tunnel. Each one is 40 feet tall, made of 3/8-inch-thick steel, and built in Longview; the other two will be within a day or so, according to WSDOT. The “north operations building” at the other end of the tunnel route will also have a set of stacks like this. Read more about this week’s installation here.
P.S. Still no new schedule for the tunneling machine, so far.
ADDED 6:38 PM: But there will be one soon, WSDOT says tonight: “Today, the Washington State Department of Transportation received a new schedule from Seattle Tunnel Partners, the SR 99 tunnel contractor. We intend to release this schedule information to the public, but first need time for a preliminary review. WSDOT and STP will provide an update on their repair efforts and their schedule sometime next week.”
Tomorrow morning in White Center, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and King County Sheriff John Urquhart plan to brief the media on what their advisory describes as an “effort aimed at closing down unlicensed marijuana businesses operating in unincorporated King County,” which includes WC. Sources tell us they’ve already been circulating letters to some of those businesses. Some unincorporated-area community advocates have long been expressing concern about the proliferation of medical-marijuana enterprises in North Highline, particularly White Center; it’s been a frequent topic at North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meetings, including one we covered in April. This follows passage of a new state law requiring that medical marijuana be handled as a sideline in state-licensed recreational-marijuana shops. (One of the latter recently opened in downtown White Center.)
Here in the city, Seattle is moving toward a crackdown of its own – the issue is, in fact, on the agenda for the City Council’s Finance and Culture Committee tomorrow afternoon.
(City of Seattle photo by Jason Huff: ‘Flyers,’ installed @ park expansion last year)
More than five years in the making, the Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow.
On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, Seattle Parks and Recreation will open the 20-acre expansion of Westcrest Park at the West Seattle Reservoir, located at 9000 8th Ave. SW in the Highland Park neighborhood of West Seattle. The new park expansion is the fifth reservoir lid-park collaboration between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).
The 20-acre expansion of the park captures panoramic views of the mountains and city skyline, while integrating a range of multi-generational amenities. Features include a flexible great lawn, a new play area with two zip-lines and a hillside slides, swaths of native prairie, strolling paths, parking and streetscape improvements, restrooms, and public art.
(Added: WSB photo taken today)
A mix of oak species will provide strategic shading, frame views and contribute to Seattle’s urban forest and habitat for generations to come. Site Workshop collaborated with the community, Seattle Parks and Recreation and SPU on designing the park and Mid-Mountain Construction built the park.A new public artwork by David Boyer, “Flyers,” was installed in the park [photo above]. The piece consists of 15 bird- and plane-like kinetic sculptures mounted on steel poles. Grouped in three locations around the park, the sculptures will move to face the wind and the articulating tails will pivot as the wind blows. His inspiration for Flyers comes from airplanes in the SeaTac flight path and birds in the Duwamish Greenbelt. The artist worked with Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation and local community members to develop the wind-driven artwork. Flyers was commissioned with SPU and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 1% for Art Funds and managed by the Office of Arts and Culture.
In addition, the Department of Neighborhoods constructed a P-Patch in Westcrest Park featured in our park design. This feature is funded by the community garden funding included in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.
Seattle Public Utilities has replaced open reservoirs with underground structures to improve the quality and security of Seattle’s water supply. That replacement also provided for new park space at Jefferson Park, Cal Anderson Park, Myrtle Reservoir Park and Maple Leaf Reservoir Park.
Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a community celebration for Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Updates on two development-rules issues @ Seattle City Council:
‘LOW-RISE CODE CORRECTIONS’: That’s the video from Monday afternoon’s shorter-than-usual full City Council meeting, with just one item of note on the agenda: The “low-rise code corrections” bill got final approval, 8 to 1. These are tweaks to the rules for development in “low-rise” zones (the backstory is in our June 1st report). The “no” vote was West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who proposed a long list of amendments before the earlier committee vote but only got three of them through, and expressed disappointment today that no other councilmembers had come forward with potential changes. He later published his full statement online, here. Councilmember Kshama Sawant voiced concern about affordable housing in low-rise zones being torn down and replaced by “luxury units,” but she voted for the bill.
LOT-BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS – NOTICE FOR NEIGHBORS? This afternoon at 2 pm, the Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee gets briefed on a followup to some rule changes last year regarding “lot-boundary adjustments” – which, as the briefing memo acknowledges, can have this effect: “Development on sites created through LBAs have sometimes surprised neighbors who were unaware that a potential development site existed. To address that concern, Council indicated that it would consider whether notice requirements should be established for LBAs.” The briefing will include a mention of three options to consider for how neighbors are notified, if at all:
Lot Boundary Adjustments notification
This is NOT a formal proposal yet, so no vote will be taken. If you want to watch live, it’ll be on Seattle Channel, cable channel 21 or online, coming up at 2 pm.
In the information booth at West Seattle Summer Fest (where you’ll find us again this year), a perennially popular question is: Where do I catch my bus? Metro has just published this year’s reroutes, in effect from 5 pm Thursday (July 9th) through late Sunday night (July 12th). We’re linking them all below, in case you want to get familiar with them in advance:
RapidRide C Line Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 22 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 37 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 50 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 55 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 57 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 128 Summer Fest reroute – here
Route 773 (Water Taxi shuttle) Summer Fest reroute – here
(WSB photo: 35th SW, looking south from SW Holden)
FIRST REPORT, 10:46 AM: Last Friday, after we published the announcement of the July 15th meeting at which SDOT will unveil its plan for 35th SW, commenters pointed out at least three other notable West Seattle events scheduled for that night. If you were already going to one of those other events but also want to hear the 35th SW details, good news – one more meeting and another info opportunity have just been announced. So here’s the full list of SDOT’s three planned events:
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Neighborhood House – Room 207
6400 Sylvan Way SWThursday, July 16, 2015
6:00 PM to 7:45 PM
Southwest Branch Seattle Public Library
9010 35th Avenue SWTuesday, August 4
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Night Out – High Point
Central Commons
SDOT presented “design alternatives” for 35th in March; during the lightly attended walking tour in May (WSB coverage here), project manager Jim Curtin said “Option A” was shaping up as the most promising one for most of the project zone.
ADDED 11:56 AM: We e-mailed SDOT to ask if the three events would have different focuses – short answer, no, but spokesperson Marybeth Turner did add this: Mayor Ed Murray is expected at the July 15th meeting.
(Mom Northern Flicker feeds son – photo by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Tuesday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ART EXHIBIT OPENS AT SSC: “Sightseeing through the Eyes of Northwest Artists” is the new exhibit at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Gallery, opening today (gallery hours until 3 pm), with a reception next Tuesday. Details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)
BIKEMOBILE BIKE REPAIRS: The Bike Works truck is back in the lot behind Neighborhood House’s High Point Center 1:30-4 pm, where it’s scheduled to be every Tuesday until September – read here about its mission. (6400 Sylvan Way)
WEEKLY DEMO & PADDLE RACE: Paddleboarding and kayaking @ Alki Kayak Tours, 6-8 pm demos, 7 pm races, no preregistration required. (1660 Harbor SW)
‘DRINKING LIBERALLY’: Talk politics with this group at Pizzeria 22 during the monthly meetup, 6-7:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (4213 SW College)
SEE IT ALL! Browse all the listings for today and beyond on our calendar.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:27 AM: Good morning! Only problem in the area so far this morning has been for people heading north toward the 1st Avenue South Bridge from White Center southward – a crash on NB 509 at Cloverdale. The most recent report says it’s cleared off to the shoulder, though.
This week’s big reminder:
WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST (co-sponsored by WSB) happens in The Junction this coming Friday-Saturday-Sunday (July 10-11-12); streets close to vehicle traffic starting at 6 pm Thursday for setup – California between Genesee and Edmunds (Oregon remains open to through traffic) and Alaska between 42nd and 44th – so we’re sounding the alert early. More countdown coverage later today. No transit-reroute info on Metro‘s site yet, but that’ll be part of our coverage and previews when it appears.
7:37 AM: New problem – per WSDOT, “On the I-5 northbound on-ramp from West Seattle Bridge, there is a disabled vehicle partially blocking the ramp.”
7:52 AM: Update from WSDOT – that vehicle’s been cleared from the ramp.
8:57 AM: Crash at California/Fauntleroy – no details but be aware if you’re headed that way.
12:57 PM: Keeping the promise we mentioned above – Summer Fest reroutes for Metro have just gone public – we’ve put them all in one list, here.
Ready to run the same route as the West Seattle Grand Parade? Again this year, the big parade on Saturday, July 18th, is preceded by the Float Dodger 5K, presented by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), with proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not only do you get to dodge floats – you get a chance at great prizes, and even one for the “middle-of-the-pack runner” – a cake donated by legendary Bakery Nouveau, the “It’s Sweet in the Middle” prize. Costume contest for kids (you’re welcome to wear one too). And after the race – watch the parade at West Seattle Runner, where there’ll be a beer garden provided by The Beer Junction, also raising money for the LLS. Sign up right now online, or stop by West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) as soon as you can – that’s where the Float Dodger 5K begins at 9:30 am, one week from Saturday.
P.S. Look how much fun it was last year!
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:31 PM: Someone stole that car this afternoon in Morgan Junction. Justin sent us the photo and report:
Black 2003 Subaru Baja with license plates A12916Y. Has a blue and white Scottish flag on the back window. Last seen in enclosed lot at 5953 California Ave SW between 1 pm and 5:30 pm on Monday, July 6, 2015. It had only 2 or gallons of gas in it at the time of theft.
If you see it – as Seattle Police always advise – call 911.
12:23 AM: Justin says the car’s been found.
If your child(ren)’s summer isn’t already completely locked in, and you’re still considering summer camps/activities … four possibilities:
BASKETBALL/LIFE SKILLS CAMP @ CHIEF SEALTH: The 18th annual camp has two more weeklong sessions ahead, July 13-17 and August 3-7, both produced by Hoops4Life. It’s for girls and boys going into grades 2 through 9 this fall. For more info and registration: hoops4life206.com.
LEARN TO PLAY TENNIS: The U.S. Tennis Association (WSB sponsor) is back this summer with a variety of options at West Seattle’s Solstice Park – not just for kids, but also whole-family, teen, and adult sessions. Click the park here in the category you’re interested in checking out.
ECO-ARTS CAMP WITH NATURE CONSORTIUM: Six 1-week sessions start July 20th, and there’s still time to sign up kids 5-12 years old for the camps offered by Nature Consortium (WSB sponsor). Read about them and register here.
CAMERA ACTING FOR KIDS: Playhouse Northwest Acting School here in West Seattle is offering this one-week camp August 18th-22nd, culminating in a short film production – more info, including how to register, here.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
(Added: WSB photo)
SUSPECTED STOLEN CAR: If you’re seeing a big police response in the Alki area, police were pulling over (or otherwise dealing with) a suspected stolen car, which usually calls for a “felony stop” response, guns drawn. Via the scanner, police report detaining two people, and searching for a passenger who got out of the car and “walked away” in the 56th/Alki area – only description so far, “18-year-old white male, white shirt, green stripes, Seattle Sonics hat.”
BELVIDERE VANDALISM: Here’s a reader report about an odd case of vandalism on 37th SW sometime during the day on the 4th of July:
Since this is a relatively unique act of vandalism, we thought we would reach out to the blog in case it has happened to others in West Seattle and as a precaution to other residents (although there is really no way to safeguard against this type of crime.)
On Sat we came home at 6:30 PM to a running hose that had been cut. The water was turned on and the hose was intentionally and cleanly cut causing the running water to seep into our foundation and eventually into our lower level where it has caused significant damage. We filed a police report and heard from the neighbor that he saw a 25-30 year old white male with a blue shirt and dirty blonde hair on our back deck around 1:00-3:00 that afternoon. (We weren’t home from 10:00-6:30 on the 4th.) There were no signs of a potential break-in and we have an alarm system which was armed and not triggered. Thankfully, this was the only damage that was done. However, it has caused significant damage to our property and it is highly likely that it was completely random.
Only four days to Friday – the first of three days of West Seattle Summer Fest 2015. We’re counting down with daily previews. Today – free kids’ activities!
Yes, you’ll find rides and bouncy toys at Summer Fest, and those require tickets that you can buy from ride operator Clowns Unlimited, BUT the West Seattle Junction Association-presented festival also offers FREE fun for kids, including:
*
*Facepainting with Lashanna, who’s at Summer Fest every year – as a Pathfinder K-8 parent, she helped establish the free kids’-activity area at Summer Fest eight years ago.
See the map for the kid-zone location. Also at Summer Fest, for families:
*Parents’ Rest Stop – City Mouse is offering its space to families with young children again this year – on SW Alaska just east of California.
And if you missed it:
SUMMER FEST BASICS: All in one place, as published here last Friday.
When the levy-funded Seattle Preschool Program launches this fall, one of its first 12 classrooms will be in West Seattle. That’s according to a city announcement sent to media outlets today, listing the locations at which the program will begin this September. The announcement says the Community Day School Association, including a location described as “Delridge,” will be among the first providers. For specifics, we followed up with Jason Kelly from Mayor Murray’s office, which sent the announcement; he says the CDSA site at Highland Park Elementary will have one classroom for the SPP. If you’re interested in applying for a spot in the program – which the city says will expand year by year, find the application here.
Two quick notes about transportation surveys:
WEST SEATTLE TRANPORTATION COALITION ‘MOVE SEATTLE’ SURVEY RESULTS: WSTC has just announced the results of its latest survey, asking people’s thoughts about the city’s “Move Seattle” transportation levy that’s headed for the November ballot. WSTC says it received 476 responses – see the results, pie charts and all, by going here.
LIGHT RAIL TO WEST SEATTLE? OR? SOUND TRANSIT 3 SURVEY NUDGE: As mentioned here again last Wednesday, time is running out for the Sound Transit survey that represents your best chance right now to let ST know you want light rail to West Seattle – or, if you don’t, to otherwise express what you’d like to see on the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure next year. Go here, ASAP, because ST says the poll ends in two days.
As Anne pointed out while sharing that photo via the WSB Facebook page this morning, the haze these past few days is attributed to the forest fires up in British Columbia (have you seen the plume photo yet?). Meantime, though the National Weather Service‘s “heat advisory” is lifted, it’ll be hot again today – possibly 90 again – so here’s the keeping-cool info:
WADING POOLS & SPRAYPARK SCHEDULE: Today, Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open 11 am-8 pm, as is the Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW); also open, the Delridge wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW), noon-6:30 pm. See the full citywide schedule here.
COLMAN POOL SCHEDULE: Get your outdoor swimming in early this week – Colman Pool on the shore at Lincoln Park has swim-meet closures Thursday-Saturday (July 9-11). Today, however, it’s the regular schedule – lap swims noon-1:30 pm and 5-7 pm, public swim 1:45-4:45 pm.
AIR-CONDITIONED LIBRARIES: Here are the hours today at the two fully-air-conditioned local Seattle Public Library branches: At Delridge (5423 Delridge Way SW), 1 pm-8 pm; at High Point (35th/Raymond), also 1 pm-8 pm.
COCKTAIL CINEMA: The air-conditioned Feedback Lounge shows movies at 9 pm Mondays. Tonight – “The Avengers.” (6451 California SW)
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Welcome to back-to-work Monday. Transit services are back to normal schedules, since the holiday observances and changes were on Friday and Saturday, but we suspect traffic will be a little lighter, with some people taking an extra day off.
LOOKING AHEAD: West Seattle Summer Fest (co-sponsored by WSB) takes over the heart of The Junction this coming Friday-Saturday-Sunday (July 10-11-12), with street closures starting at 6 pm Thursday for setup – California between Genesee and Edmunds (Oregon will stay open to through traffic), Alaska between 42nd and 44th – so we’re sounding the alert early. Watch for our countdown reports resuming later today, and “live” festival coverage.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:49 PM SUNDAY: Just before our side trip to investigate the no-longer-a-mystery music, we stopped by the latest West Seattle “brush fire” call, 5000 block of Erskine Way, just southwest of The Junction. The top photo was sent by Janet, who said neighbors attacked it even before firefighters could get there. Engine 32 was there and already wrapping up by the time we arrived:
(WSB photo)
While firefighters couldn’t find the source, neighbors believe fireworks were to blame for starting it (around 7:40 pm). The flames swept across a grassy embankment just north of the Erskine roadside. No structures damaged, nobody hurt. But this one brought in several tips – thanks as always (206-293-6302 text/voice any time).
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: We also received this photo from Brandon:
That Sunday fire near 34th/Juneau is blamed on a cigarette. And as we were writing this, a comment came in about a similar situation within the past hour in Morgan Junction. It gets drier by the minute out there, so please be extra-extra-safe.
In the past couple hours, we started getting questions about music/beats audible in north West Seattle for hours – maybe from the beach. Nothing on the calendar; we finally went down to look, nothing in view, but from the Seacrest vicinity, we could hear the beats in the distance. The answer finally came when we put out the open question on Twitter: @SDOT and @romabit pointed out the Dirtybird BBQ concert event in SODO, which had been under way since early afternoon. Just in case you wondered too … now you know.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:06 PM SUNDAY: Still a few hours of light left … so if you haven’t been out patroling your neighborhood, and/or your nearest park, consider this:
Karen Allan made sent that, explaining:
When my kiddo was little, I used to say “In this town, what’s on the ground is swept into the Sound.” So if you see bits and pieces of the things that went bang, pop, and KABOOM on your block, please consider sweeping them up. Grab a bucket, broom and perhaps a neighbor and make a little outing out of it.
Here’s some of what Karen found near 29th and Othello:
She added, “Unfortunately, there is a lot more fireworks debris in the storm drains that I can’t
get to. It will all end up in the Sound with the next big rainfall.”
Some of the holiday-leftover trash and debris was already near the Sound in the first place: . We also heard from Chris Porter, who lives near Lincoln Park and spent time there this morning to help clean up. It wasn’t just fireworks debris he found:
The spectacular fireworks last night are only secondary to the enormous disaster of trash left behind the next day. I spent this morning picking up as much fireworks debris and trash as I could. I have forgotten about what happens to parks after summer holidays.
East to west, north to south, many other West Seattle neighbors were also out today, cleaning up the mess somebody else left behind. Travis Houston sent photos from Riverview Playfield:
We also stopped by Riverview before neighbors were done with their herculean cleanup:
Crossing the peninsula over to Alki, Kim sent the next photo, saying this was what just one small part of Bar-S Playfields looked like before she got to it with her broom:
Even in the unincorporated area where fireworks are legal on the 4th of July, the “legal” time period expired 18+ hours ago … but we’re still hearing dispatches on the scanner, including a fireworks call at Highland Park Elementary a short time ago and “brush fire” calls around the city (see photos in earlier reports here, here, and here).
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: Just sent by Chris:
I picked up a box full of spent fireworks debris on the playground at Gatewood Elementary this morning. The haul included one live mortar. Glad I found it and not some kids.
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