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Spotlight Stories

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Updates for Thursday
October 16, 2014 6:51 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Updates for Thursday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No traffic trouble in, or outbound from, West Seattle so far. Today’s notes:

VIADUCT/99 CLOSURES THIS WEEKEND: Between the West Seattle Bridge and Battery Street Tunnel, Highway 99 will be closed 6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday for its semiannual inspection. But it’ll be closed all weekend, late Friday night until early Monday morning, from the BST to Valley Street. The multipart closure is explained here.

BRIDGE STOP FOR BICYCLE RIDERS: West Seattle Cyclery is under the West Seattle Bridge again this morning until 9 am “with hot coffee, drinks, and snacks. We will also have service equipment to help with any minor repairs.”

7:25 AM: Per SDOT tweet (remember, they have a separate account for bridge updates now), the low bridge is closed to traffic right now. (The camera that’s been showing it lately is offline, so it’s not in our highlight boxes above.)

7:38 AM: Open again. All’s still relatively quiet out there otherwise. By the way, last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting included an update on the overflow-tank project at Lowman Beach that’s been generating extra double-dump-truck trips lately – the dig is halfway down and is still on track for completion in early November.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Gunfire suspect out of jail; tonight’s helicopter
October 15, 2014 11:59 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

GUNFIRE SUSPECT OUT OF JAIL: 30-year-old Daren Atwood, charged with a firearms offense after last Thursday’s gunfire incident near Fairmount Ravine, is out of jail after one day. We reported Tuesday night that he had been charged and booked; this afternoon, he appeared in Seattle Municipal Court. According to the online docket, the city asked for $50,000 bail; a judge let him out on personal recognizance. His next court appearance is set for November 13th.

ABOUT THE HELICOPTER: Just before 9 pm, a relatively brief burst of helicopter activity brought some questions from north and northeast West Seattle. Via Twitter, the Guardian One crew confirmed it was them, helping Seattle Police with “a disturbance call.” No further details, so if we find out anything in the morning, we’ll add it here.

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Morgan Community Association: Digging; rezoning; park expanding…
October 15, 2014 9:07 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Tonight’s fall-quarter meeting of the Morgan Community Association drew more than 20 people to the basement meeting area at The Kenney (WSB sponsor) and covered a wide range of topics, as usual:

MURRAY CSO PROJECT UPDATE: Excavation is going “fast and furious,” said Hannah from King County Wastewater Treatment, as the space for the million-gallon combined-sewer-overflow-storage tank is dug across from Lowman Beach Park. It’s about halfway to its expected depth – 30 of 60 feet – she said. It’s still likely to be completed by early November, which means up to eight truckloads per hour, plus the added Saturday work that started just last weekend.

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Protected zone for orcas? Find out about it at The Whale Trail’s upcoming Orca Talk
October 15, 2014 6:04 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Here’s word of the first presentation in a new series of Orca Talks presented by West Seattle-headquartered The Whale Trail: You’ll hear about the proposal for “A Protected Zone for Puget Sound Orcas,” 7 pm Thursday, October 30th at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). From TWT executive director Donna Sandstrom:

The Southern Resident Killer Whales are endangered and seriously declining; their 2014 population of 79 is the lowest since 1985. To aid their recovery, Orca Relief is urging NOAA Fisheries to conduct a public process that will result in a Whale Protection Zone for the SRKWs.

A well designed and enforced WPZ would provide the Southern Resident Orca a safe-haven in the very core of their critical habitat, and a relief from vessel impacts including noise, disturbance and air pollution. Bruce Stedman, Executive Director of Orca Relief, will describe the key aspects of how a protected area for the Orca should be developed and how it could help the SRKWs begin to recover.

Join us to hear the latest about the orcas, and updates from Robin Lindsay (Seal Sitters), and “Diver Laura” James (tox-ick.org).

These talks are usually sellouts – get your ticket(s) ASAP online, $5 suggested donation, kids free. C & P is at 5612 California SW.

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West Seattle coyotes: Who’s seeing them and where
October 15, 2014 4:28 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Added Thursday afternoon: Coyote seen by Rebecca on SW Barton)
Maybe it’s the change of seasons. The pace of coyote-sighting reports has picked up recently. We report them for awareness and education, not hysteria – here are the most-recent reports:

TWO HIGHLAND PARK SIGHTINGS: Moments ago, someone texted about a coyote spotted today at 18th and Cloverdale. That’s the second recent report we’ve had from Highland Park; Nicole reported one seen near 14th and Trenton “with a cat carcass.”

GATEWOOD SIGHTING #1: Janet says one “walked right by me as I was doing yard work” around 4:45 pm Tuesday near California/Webster. “Did not seem afraid of me. Appeared straggly and hungry.” It was headed east and she thinks it might have come up the stairs at 44th/Webster (not far from Solstice Park).

GATEWOOD SIGHTING #2: A few hours before that, to the northeast, Elizabeth encountered one while working, similar description: “I am a FedEx driver and just followed one down the street near 38th Ave SW & Myrtle. It was extremely mangy looking and emaciated, which could be of concern. Still a rather large one though. I saw it run up a tree filled driveway toward a house (in the 4100 block of) SW Orchard. Just a heads-up!”

NEAR CAMP LONG: TH spotted a coyote around 8 pm Sunday, about to cross 36th SW at Brandon: “Probably heading towards Camp Long. He looked healthy and while he was cautious he didn’t appear afraid. I figure he was 2′ at the shoulder.”

ARBOR HEIGHTS: Wendy reported her mother-in-law spotting two coyotes hanging out at a vacant lot near 39th/105th.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE ONE? Our recent texter in HP said she had called Fish and Wildlife, which advised they don’t routinely respond to sightings. That’s true and has long been so. They do have an excellent guide about coexisting with coyotes, with advice such as how to scare them away if you see them, so that they will be encouraged to keep their distance, for our sake and theirs. We link it from every coyote report we publish – so here it is again.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Fauntleroy search, explained
October 15, 2014 2:31 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

From the “sometimes followups take a few days” file:

(WSB photo from last Saturday)
Back on Saturday, police had a visible presence near the Fauntleroy ferry dock and Lincoln Park for a few hours. All they would say at the time was that they were “looking for a felony warrant suspect.” Finally we have tracked down the case number and report with details: A fare-enforcement officer at a bus stop by the ferry dock called police around 4 pm Saturday to say he had someone who he thought had a warrant out for his arrest (didn’t say why the enforcer thought that) but couldn’t hold the suspect.

Police arrived and found the man did indeed have a warrant out for a drug charge. They arrested him and handcuffed him; he had an empty syringe in his possession and told them he had used heroin that day. As they were putting him in a patrol car, he asked them to adjust his handcuffs, which were somewhat obstructed, the report says, by rubber bracelets and a watch. While officers were using a handcuff key to adjust the cuffs, the suspect bolted with such force “he broke the handcuff key in half.” They ran after him into the neighborhoods to the east, but lost him as he ran through yards. Containment was set up – the cars you might have seen blocking streets – and a K-9 officer was called; the dog sniffed the backpack left behind at the bus stop and followed a trail into Lincoln Park, but the suspect wasn’t found. Whenever he is found, along with the drug warrant, he is now wanted for escape.

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West Seattle Halloween 2014: Trick-or-treat dates set
October 15, 2014 12:30 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Fun stuff to do | Holidays | West Seattle news

This year’s edition of the WSB Halloween (and related) event page is in the works, with numerous events/activities already in our calendar (sent your announcement yet? Hurry! editor@westseattleblog.com). In the short run, three business-district trick-or-treat events are set in West Seattle, so here’s one handy list:

THE JUNCTION: During the Harvest Festival on October 26th – business trick-or-treating starts at noon, following the 11:30 am costume parade.

THE ADMIRAL DISTRICT: 3-6 pm on Halloween (Friday, October 31st).

WESTWOOD VILLAGE: 5-7 pm on Halloween.

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West Seattle development updates: Demolition at 4101 SW Oregon & Fauntleroy/Alaska corner; plus, High Point ‘cover-up’
October 15, 2014 11:47 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Three development-related updates:

4101 SW OREGON DEMOLITION: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli caught demolition starting this morning at this 87-year-old house making way for a 4-unit rowhouse. This project has been in the works for almost a year.

FAUNTLEROY/ALASKA CORNER DEMOLITION: Crews are continuing to bring down the buildings at the future site of The Whittaker, ~400 apartments, ~600 offstreet parking spaces, street-level retail including Whole Foods. Today, they’re working at the Fauntleroy/Alaska corner, demolishing the old Shell station and the former Howden-Kennedy (they moved) building.

The former auto-dealership buildings are expected to be torn down next week. A project spokesperson tells us the plan is still on to digitally re-create the mural that’s on the east side of one of those buildings; the image will be taken from a Southwest Seattle Historical Society photo that is clearer than the faded mural, which couldn’t be moved because it’s on cement block.

HIGH POINT ‘COVER-UP’: In our late September update on 35th/Graham, the photo showed a big sign for Polygon, saying NEW HOMES COMING 2015. Then, a commenter pointed out, the sign was suddenly covered over in green canvas/tarp/plastic, both sides (and we discovered the same thing on a sign a bit to the east).

Why the “cover-up”? We checked with the Seattle Housing Authority, which owns the site, and deputy executive director Anne Fiske Zuniga explained, “The Polygon signs went up prematurely and were covered up because the information was not accurate.” She added,
“Polygon and SHA are in conversation regarding the development of the site at 35th & Graham, the site is not under contract. Polygon is in the preliminary planning stages, so nothing is definite at this time.”

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West Seattle Wednesday: Morgan, Delridge meetings; school open houses; Memory Café; WordsWest, edition 2; and more…
October 15, 2014 10:21 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Don Brubeck)
Murky morning – but looks to be lightening up a bit now. (Did you see last night’s rainbow/clouds?) Looking ahead to the rest of your West Seattle Wednesday, here’s just some of what’s on the calendar:

DONATED YET? Now that we’ve arrived at mid-month, we wanted to mention the local physical-therapy clinics’ West Seattle Food Bank donation competition again. Two more weeks to help your favorite clinic “win” (and any donation is a “winner” for WSFB and its clients) – details in our calendar listing.

MEMORY CAFE: The monthly event for people living with dementia/Alzheimer’s is today, 3-4:30 pm, at Angelina’s – details in our calendar listing. (2311 California SW)

TRANSITION HEALTH FAIR: 6:30-8:30 pm tonight at Chief Sealth International High School, it’s “a Transition Health Fair for students and families interested in meeting professionals in the Transition Services, College and Career planning, and Health Services. Our goal is to make the move from high school to career and college a smooth one. There will be more than 30 community partners and several pull out sessions for students with special needs.” In the Galleria. (2600 SW Thistle)

OPEN HOUSE #1: At Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor), 6:30-8 pm, come “try out” EWMS during “an interactive school tour including art and drama demonstrations.” (10015 28th SW)

OPEN HOUSE #2, WITH RSVP REQUESTED: 7 pm at Harbor School (WSB sponsor), West Seattle families are especially welcome to visit the school serving grades 4-8, for its open house on Vashon Island. Campus tours will be offered, with an “overview of the curriculum as well as highlights on the school’s Travel Study, Service Learning and Arts Integrated programs.” West Seattleites ferrying over from Fauntleroy can arrange for a shuttle ride if you RSVP ASAP – our calendar listing explains how. (15920 Vashon Highway SW)

FOUR GUESTS FOR DNDC: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske is on the agenda for the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, 7 pm Wednesday at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. He’s one of four guests; also scheduled are guests talking about the city budget, Neighborhood Matching Fund, and the SDOT Freight Master Plan. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The quarterly MoCA meeting is 7 pm tonight at The Kenney (WSB sponsor); big list of topics – see it on our calendar listing. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)

WORDSWEST, EVENT #2: The new West Seattle literary series features “politics and poetics” tonight with Rick Barot and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, plus a “favorite poem” by Northwest Art and Frame, 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)

NIGHTLIFE: Comedy, trivia, karaoke, open microphone … see the listings/venues on our calendar!

SKIES OVER WEST SEATTLE: Last-quarter moon is here, if the clouds clear a spot forus to see it. Another reason to take another look at our monthly “what’s up there?” report from Alice Enevoldsen: Only eight days to the solar eclipse! Read all about it in SOWS, here.

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Memorial tomorrow for Bennett McKnight, aka Lucky Freeman
October 15, 2014 10:03 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

A memorial is planned tomorrow for Bennett McKnight, also known as Lucky Freeman:

Our brother is gone.

His kindness and generous spirit will continue on with those who love him.

Bennett was a local artist, well known and beloved to many in West Seattle. He enjoyed frequenting many of the local businesses and always was enthusiastic about supporting the local community.

Memorial Thursday, October 16th
5:00 pm-midnight
West Seattle Veterans Center
3618 SW Alaska

(Photo courtesy Matt Sellars)

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Fairmount Park Elementary alum? You’re invited to Fall Falcon Fest
October 15, 2014 8:59 am
|    Comments Off on Fairmount Park Elementary alum? You’re invited to Fall Falcon Fest
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The first festival at reopened Fairmount Park Elementary isn’t just a celebration for students, staff, and families – organizers are reaching out with a special invitation for alums and others who were part of the school in its past life. In case you haven’t already seen it on the WSB calendar, with the event just a week and a half away, here are the details:

The Fairmount Park Elementary PTA (FPEPTA) invites alumni/alumnae of the newly expanded and reopened school to join us for our first festival, the Fall Falcon Fest on October 24th from 5-8 pm at the school.

Events for the evening include:

· Alumni tour (please email spirit@fpepta.org to register)
· Student craft booths
· Art stations – decorate a pumpkin, create a falcon-themed barrette or pin, make a lantern, and more!
· Add your own falcon to our “flock of falcons” art installation
· Join the cake walk
· Take your photo at the fall falcon photo booth
· Enjoy food trucks – no need to cut the evening short, stay for dinner! (Wicked Pies, Fusion on the Run, and The Cookie Cutter)

The event is free, although a suggested donation of $1 per person is welcome and donations to FPEPTA’s Annual Giving Campaign will be accepted.

Visit the FPEPTA website to find out more about the fabulous things happening at the school. We are off to a great start and look forward to engaging with neighbors in the years to come.

All former Fairmount Park Falcons are strongly encouraged to join in the fun! If you have not yet shared your experiences with us at the FPEPTA website, please do so! We are treasuring the fabulous stories shared thus far.

For more information contact Shanti Breznau and Parie Hines: spirit@fpepta.org

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates; NB 99 crash south of WS Bridge; 35th SW paving
October 15, 2014 7:05 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:05 AM: Good morning! Highway 99 is the trouble spot in our area right now, just north of the 1st Avenue S. Bridge, if you come in from south of the West Seattle Bridge. Lanes are blocked in both directions.

Today’s notes:

35TH SW PAVING: The city is scheduled to continue the work on 35th SW between Morgan and Juneau that started Tuesday, almost a week ahead of what was previously announced.

HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE THIS WEEKEND 6 am-6 pm inspection closures for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and 99 north of the West Seattle Bridge both days this weekend, plus stretches to the north of that, in phases.

7:20 AM: The problem north of the 1st Avenue S. Bridge continues blocking most lanes (which is also backing up Highway 509), and if you’re contemplating East Marginal Way S., a crash is reported at 4th.

7:38 AM: From SDOT, an illustration of how this is affecting traffic south of downtown:

And it’s raining.

7:51 AM: The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad will be investigating this, per radio communications. They expect that to take a few hours.

7:59 AM: In West Seattle, a three-car collision – no one hurt – is reported at Delridge/Genesee, blocking the bus lane. And right after we added this – police have spotted a 3-car crash at 40th/Morgan.

8:34 AM: According to SPD, the problem north of the 1st Avenue S. Bridge originated as a car/motorcycle crash. Its surface location is East Marginal/Fidalgo, and again, investigators will be at work there for hours, so if you are heading in from the south, find an alternate route.

8:46 AM: Jennifer Knutson shares a photo from 8th/Roxbury, where traffic is backed up because of the northbound 99 crash/investigation we’ve been tracking – this is a look at eastbound Roxbury:

Again, the 99 (East Marginal/Fidalgo) situation will be a problem for at least a few hours. We’ll update here whenever it reopens; even after we move on to other news atop the main WSB page, you can find the daily traffic watch linked atop the “BIG STORIES” list on the right sidebar, every weekday.

10:40 AM: East Marginal, aka surface 99, is now clear at the crash scene, all lanes open again.

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School open-house season: Explorer West, Harbor School, Westside this week
October 15, 2014 2:05 am
|    Comments Off on School open-house season: Explorer West, Harbor School, Westside this week
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Our calendar includes open houses for three area independent schools (all WSB sponsors) in the next four days:

TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) – EXPLORER WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL: 6:30-8 pm, come “try out” EWMS during an “an interactive school tour including art and drama demonstrations.” (If you can’t make it to this one, open houses for prospective students/families also are planned at 10 am November 15th and 6:30 pm December 9th.) EWMS is at 10015 28th SW.

TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY – HARBOR SCHOOL: West Seattle families are invited to visit Harbor School, which serves grades 4-8, for its open house on Vashon Island, 7 pm. Campus tours will be offered, with an “overview of the curriculum as well as highlights on the school’s Travel Study, Service Learning and Arts Integrated programs.” West Seattleites ferrying over from Fauntleroy can arrange for a shuttle ride if you RSVP ASAP – our calendar listing explains how. Harbor School is at 15920 Vashon Highway SW.

SATURDAY MORNING – WESTSIDE SCHOOL: 10 am-noon, Westside – which moves to its new campus next year – has an open house for prospective families interested in all grades, pre-K through 8th. Its current campus is at 7740 34th SW.

P.S. Looking ahead to month’s end, we’re again co-sponsoring a School Information Fair for pre-K through middle schools, to be held in the Seattle Lutheran High School gym (41st/Genesee), 6:30-8:30 pm Tuesday, October 28th.

P.P.S. Open house coming up? Please send the info for our calendar! editor@westseattleblog.com

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Gunfire suspect now in jail and other investigation updates at tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting
October 14, 2014 9:08 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(October 9 photo by Christopher Boffoli; suspect Daren Atwood at center, khaki pants)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The man arrested after last Thursday’s gunfire incident near Fairmount Ravine was booked into jail this evening and is charged with a misdemeanor.

That case topped crime updates from Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores during tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, held at Hiawatha Community Center (a last-minute move because of a conflict at regular venue The Sanctuary at Admiral).

We had been checking on the suspect’s status; as reported during our coverage on Thursday, he was initially taken to Harborview for a 72-hour mental evaluation. That has since ended and as of this evening, King County Jail records confirm that the suspect, 30-year-old Admiral resident Daren Atwood, is there, charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, a gross misdemeanor. No bail amount is listed on the jail register so far, but Atwood is due in the city’s Mental Health Court tomorrow, according to online records.

Ahead: Other crime incidents/issues discussed at the meeting, plus two other major topics, including presentations on both preschool-related measures you’ll see on the November 4th ballot:

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Update: West Seattle Transportation Coalition votes to endorse transit-funding measure, but no position on monorail
October 14, 2014 9:06 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Two toplines so far from tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting: WSTC voted to endorse the bus-funding measure on the November 4 ballot, officially Transportation Benefit District Proposition No. 1. And it voted NOT to endorse the monorail measure on the ballot, officially Seattle Citizen Petition No. 1. More to come.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: More toplines from the WSTC meeting:

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West Seattle weather: Rainbow before sunset
October 14, 2014 7:41 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Carolyn Newman for sharing the beautiful photo from just before tonight’s sunset – she said it’s the first time she’d seen anything like that in 40 years of living on Harbor Avenue!

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Update: About the helicopters near east West Seattle …
October 14, 2014 5:46 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Added: Guardian One video from the arrest scene)
5:46 PM: We’re getting a few questions about helicopter activity near east West Seattle. KIRO TV says it’s a search by the 1st Avenue South Bridge related to a stolen car, and that three people have been detained. Aerial pictures show a King County Sheriff’s Office vehicle, so we’re trying to contact KCSO for more information.

6:34 PM: KCSO confirms 3 – all the suspects they had sought – are in custody.

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West Seattle scam alert: Fake ‘City Light’ callers, again
October 14, 2014 4:03 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to community advocate Tracy Dart for sharing the word that another local business (not hers) has been targeted by the bogus “City Light” telephone-call scam. We’ve reported on versions of this scam at least four times in the past year, most recently here. Bottom line, whether you’re a business or a residence, if you get a phone call from someone claiming you’re facing imminent disconnection, DON’T FALL FOR IT – if you aren’t sure of your billing status, hang up and call the utility directly yourself to check. (And call the police!)

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West Seattle road-work update: 35th SW paving, round 2
October 14, 2014 3:01 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Added: Photo courtesy Deb)
The second round of 35th SW repaving has been accelerated – the Morgan-to-Juneau plan originally mentioned for next week – according to this update just in from SDOT:

Paving crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation are working on 35th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Morgan Street and Southwest Juneau today and tomorrow, weather permitting.

They had planned to close part of the street, leaving one lane open in each direction from 8:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m. each day. They have now decided to keep one southbound lane on 35th Avenue Southwest closed overnight for safety reasons. One southbound lane will remain open. If weather allows, they plan to complete paving the street tomorrow.

P.S. While we’re on the topic of 35th – next week is the meeting launching the safety project, 6:30 pm October 22nd @ Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (backstory here).

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Charge a development fee to encourage ‘affordable housing’? Seattle City Council committee says yes
October 14, 2014 1:45 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(Click the image to go to the full-size map on the city website)
Would a new type of development fee lead to more affordable housing in the city? The City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee has just voted in favor of a proposal for a so-called “linkage fee” intended to make that happen. If it became law, it would affect commercial and multifamily development in certain parts of the city, shown on the map above – including parts of West Seattle:

A City Council committee today recommended approval of a plan to create an affordable housing linkage fee to preserve and create affordable housing in Seattle. The resolution directs City departments to develop legislation whereby new construction in multi-family and commercial zones would mitigate the cost of increasing rents by funding housing affordable to those households making $45,000 – $65,000 per year, which is 60% – 80% of area median income (AMI).

“If we want Seattle to be an inclusive city for people of all incomes, then we need to see more housing produced that’s affordable to more people. Up until this point, the market has clearly not given us the housing we need,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien, chair of the Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee and the legislation’s sponsor.

Developers could either pay a per-square-foot fee, which is variable based on project’s location in the city, or avoid the fee by dedicating at least 3% – 5% of the units in their project to households making less than 80% AMI. The money generated from fees would be invested in workforce housing.

“Our expert economic consultants suggest that at this fee level, development would absorb the fees without constricting new supply or significantly raising rents,” Councilmember O’Brien added.

The (above) map illustrates where the linkage fee would be applied in multi-family and commercial development in the city.

Full Council is expected to vote on the resolution on Monday, October 20. Draft legislation for Council consideration is expected by June 1, 2015. The final legislation is anticipated to gradually phase-in over a three year period and would not affect existing projects or new projects with permit applications already submitted.

Additional information about O’Brien’s proposal for an Affordable Housing Linkage Fee in Seattle is available online.

This is separate from the city’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption program, which enables a partial tax exemption on projects that commit to below-market rents for part of their units. The city’s current list of projects in that program includes nine buildings in West Seattle.

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Congratulations! West Seattle Thriftway’s Paul Kapioski accepts Grocer of the Year honors
October 14, 2014 12:42 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Congratulations to Paul Kapioski, owner of West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction, just honored as the Washington Food Industry Association‘s 2014 Grocer of the Year. The award was announced in a surprise presentation at the store this morning; Kapioski said his staffers are the people who “make the store happen”:

WFIA says the award is given for “lifetime commitment to the independent grocery industry and exemplification of business leadership.” WS Thriftway celebrated its 25th anniversary just last year. The store’s ongoing campaign of community giving includes donations to the West Seattle Food Bank as well as summer-long series of benefit barbecues every year, with proceeds going to community nonprofits.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Pink & Blues; child safety; Sealth PTSA; Admiral, Fauntleroy councils; WS Transportation Coalition; more
October 14, 2014 11:24 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: Pink & Blues; child safety; Sealth PTSA; Admiral, Fauntleroy councils; WS Transportation Coalition; more
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(October 7th photo by Ilona Berzups – see it full-size on Flickr)
The photo (Kim Archer on guitar, Polly O’Keary on bass) is from last week’s edition of tonight’s spotlight event – Blues to Do, Tuesday nights at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), is spotlighting female blues musicians all month long during Breast-Cancer Awareness Month (therefore, the theme “Pink & Blues”). Tonight’s announced lineup: Kim Archer, Patti Mey, Kelli, Teri Anne Wilson, Erin Rubin-Tate, Marilyn Beebee, Sheryl Clark, and Antoinette Truzito, 8 pm. (6451 California SW)

Also ahead for today/tonight:

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Second week of the season; new prospective members welcome. Rehearsals are at various times, starting at 5:30 pm, at Chief Sealth International High School – details in our calendar listing. (2600 SW Thistle)

FREE CHILD-SAFETY WORKSHOP: 6 pm tonight, “Savvy Parents/Safe Kids,” all invited, at Hope Lutheran School. Details in our calendar listing. (42nd/Oregon)

CRIME STATS, PRESCHOOL BALLOT MEASURES @ ANA: Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores is on the agenda for tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, as is a discussion of the two preschool-money measures on the November ballot (ANA president David Whiting elaborated on that in this comment). 7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd/Lander)

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Will the West Seattle Transportation Coalition endorse Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1? That’s the big agenda item tonight, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

TUESDAY TUNEUP FUNDRAISER: Starting at 6:30 pm, enjoy live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) with a chance to donate to Cancer Lifeline in tonight’s Tuesday Tuneup. (1936 Harbor SW)

CHIEF SEALTH PTSA: 7 pm in the school library at Chief Sealth International High School, get to know this year’s “community partners”! Details on the PTSA website. (2600 SW Thistle)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm tonight, the Fauntleroy Community Association has its regular board meeting (all welcome) at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Long list of agenda topics including plans in the works for a community-wide meeting about traffic issues. (9131 California SW)

COLLAGE WORKSHOP: Also at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, a collage workshop at 7 pm – sign-up info is in our calendar listing, so check ASAP to see if there’s still room. (9131 California SW)

NEED LEGAL ADVICE? Free community clinic @ Senior Center of West Seattle, appointments starting at 7 – our calendar listing includes info on how to get one. (Oregon/California)

MORE NIGHTLIFE: Bingo, karaoke, trivia, more music – and quilting! Lots of listings on our calendar.

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No, it’s not the storm: City Light maintenance outage in Fauntlee Hills
October 14, 2014 10:33 am
|    Comments Off on No, it’s not the storm: City Light maintenance outage in Fauntlee Hills
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Just got a call from someone wondering – understandably, in light of the overnight weather – if the power’s out in part of Fauntlee Hills right now because of the scheduled maintenance announced last week, or something else. According to the SCL outage map, it’s the start of planned work, and the power will be out for those 50+ homes until early evening.

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