West Seattle, Washington

09 Tuesday

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Spotlight Stories

Seattle, Tacoma ports to ‘unify management’ with Seaport Alliance
October 7, 2014 12:07 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

(Photo by Peter West Carey, shared via Twitter)
On Thursday, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce hosts Port of Seattle co-president Stephanie Bowman at its monthly lunch meeting. Questions about the future of shuttered Terminal 5 were already expected – and now there’s something new: Today’s announcement that the Seattle and Tacoma ports are forming a “single Seaport Alliance.” Here’s the news release from the Port of Seattle:

The Seattle and Tacoma port commissions plan to unify the management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals and related functions under a single Seaport Alliance in order to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo for the region.

The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments and operations, planning and marketing, while the individual port commissions will retain their existing governance structures and ownership of assets.

This unprecedented level of cooperation between the state’s two largest container ports is a strategic response to the competitive pressures that are reshaping the global shipping industry.

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West Seattle eclipse-watching: Stay up late tonight (or, get up early tomorrow)
October 7, 2014 10:03 am
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

Most of what you’ll see today regarding the lunar eclipse will refer to Wednesday. Technically, that’s correct, but conversationally, it’s more like “tonight” – starting after midnight. In case you missed Alice Enevoldsen‘s latest “Skies Over West Seattle” update on WSB, published here on Saturday, it’s full of helpful info if you’re interested in staying up late tonight to eclipse-watch (or maybe, getting up VERY early – the peak is at 3:25 am). The October SOWS has the schedule, and a look ahead to the partial solar eclipse later this month.

P.S. Wondering about the forecast? “Mostly clear” tonight!

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West Seattle Tuesday: Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights, WS Bike Connections, WS Community Orchestras, health, and nature!
October 7, 2014 9:00 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(From Chris W, via the WSB Flickr group)
Take a closer look at what’s happening around you! Ways to explore and get involved are on the list for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

TOT TREK AT CAMP LONG: 10:30 am, explore autumn colors with your toddler(s) at Camp Long Environmental Learning Center. $4/person and pre-registration is required, so check ASAP to see if there’s room! (5200 35th SW)

AFTER-SCHOOL NATURE HIKES AT LINCOLN PARK: 3:30 pm, join naturalist Stewart Wechsler for his next Tuesday afternoon nature hike – meet by the kiosk in the northern Lincoln Park parking lot. Suggested-donation amounts and other info on Stewart’s website. (Fauntleroy/Rose)

GO PLAY (MUSIC)! Tonight at Chief Sealth International High School, varying times, it’s the first rehearsal night of the season for West Seattle Community Orchestras, which include groups for all ages and skill levels. Our preview from last month explains how to sign up and get involved. (2600 SW Thistle)

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ISSUES/CONCERNS? Bring them up with the School Board director elected to represent this area, Marty McLaren, at her next community-conversation meeting (drop-in format, so don’t worry if you can’t be there right at 6) at West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library. (2306 42nd SW)

LIVE/WORK IN WESTWOOD, ROXHILL, OR ARBOR HEIGHTS? 6:15 pm tonight at Southwest Branch Library, meet your neighbors and get informed as the monthly WWRHAH community-council meetings get back to their “first Tuesday” schedule. Agenda highlights:

6:15-6:45: Introductions & Community News; New Business: Westwood / Highland Park Urban Village

6:45-7:00: Committee & Neighborhood Council Updates

7:00-7:40: Seattle Public Utilities/Parks Department, Cheryl Eastberg: Update on Roxhill Bog Rehydration Project; Q&A

7:40-7:45: Wrap Up: Break down the room; library locks up promptly at 8 pm.

The meeting has a Facebook event page, here. (35th/Henderson)

WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: 6:30 pm, join WSBC for a presentation/discussion exploring on “Port Activity and Bicycle Commuting Between West Seattle and Downtown.” Details and location on the WSBC website.

(Monday sunset photo by JayDee)

PUBLIC HEALTH CAFE: 7 pm at Chaco Canyon Organic Café in The Triangle, come join the conversation about “The Quantified Self: Sharing your data for environmental-health research,” free, no registration required. The Public Health Café conversations are described as “a series of informal, interactive conversations intended to raise awareness about the fascinating and often overlooked science of public health.” Full details here. (38th/Alaska)

PINK & BLUES: 8 pm, the ongoing Tuesday night Blues To Do series at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) takes a special direction this month, starting tonight:

Throught October we’re dedicating each Tuesday night to Breast Cancer Awareness, featuring all-women hosted jam sessions in a series called Pink & Blues. This will be blues represented in all its hybrid forms, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, roots, Americana and folk.
We’ve invited special guest ational touring artists and legacy artists, further providing opportunities for mentoring as well as representing a powerful statement with this remarkable women’s musical collective.

More info on the Blues To Do page at the Feedback website. (6451 California SW)

MORE NIGHTLIFE! Including open-microphone night at The Cask (WSB sponsor), bingo at Outwest Bar, the Starlite singer/songwriter showcase at Shadowland, two karaoke locations … see all the listings on our calendar.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Foggy Tuesday; Olson/Myers crash
October 7, 2014 6:57 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Foggy Tuesday; Olson/Myers crash
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Foggy as we head for the heart of the commute, and that’s the biggest challenge this morning, so far.

7:23 AM: For our Vashon Island friends – King County advises the Vashon Water Taxi is running up to 15 minutes late because of the fog. No advisories re: West Seattle, so far.

7:50 AM: If you’re headed toward Highway 509 via Roxbury and vicinity – note that police and fire are responding to a “heavy rescue” call at Olson and Myers. More when we get it.

7:55 AM: “Heavy rescue” means emergency responders might have to cut someone out of the wreckage – but scanner conversation says the people in the vehicle got out OK and won’t need that, so some SFD units are being canceled. A private ambulance is being called. Still likely to be affecting traffic.

8:50 AM – VICE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY: We’ll hit this again tomorrow, but note that Vice President Biden‘s visit will be Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon, at least according to our interpretation of the Boeing Field advisory.

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Underground power-cable work means planned outages for several blocks in West Seattle
October 6, 2014 11:47 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

Seattle City Light says it’s planning underground-cable work in two West Seattle neighborhoods, and that work will come with scheduled outages. These are the maps accompanying the announcement – first, sections of 20th and Webster:


Next, several blocks in Fauntleroy.


Click either image to see the full flyer with both maps. Here’s the SCL overview of the planned work:

Seattle City Light plans to increase reliability in five sections of its service
territory by injecting aging underground electrical cable with silicone.

* Work: Seattle City Light’s contractor first tests and, if electric cable is suitable, injects it with silicone. The silicone fills cracks in the cable’s insulation and extends its life by approximately 20 years.

* Impacts and timeline: Up to three power outages per customer are required to do the work safely. Customer notification will happen on the Thursday before the next week’s outage. The start date is the week of October 13. All five neighborhoods are expected to be completed within eight weeks.

* Further information: The point of contact for customers, Website, and additional details are cited in each flyer.

(The “five sections” reference includes four areas outside West Seattle.)

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Followup: ‘Friends of Gatewood’ continue fundraising to keep a teacher
October 6, 2014 9:03 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Tomorrow night, West Seattle’s representative on the Seattle Public Schools board, Marty McLaren, convenes her second community-conversation meeting since the start of the new school year. And the topics are expected to include Gatewood Elementary parents’ unusual campaign to raise enough money to keep a teacher.

We first reported on the situation Thursday; because of enrollment numbers that differed from projections, the district said it planned to reduce the teaching staff at Gatewood by one, moving a teacher to newly reopened Fairmount Park Elementary. At both schools, parents say, the result would include moving students around in multiple classes.

Gatewood parents say that circumstances at their school, including its programs with full inclusion for Emotional/Behavioral Disorder students, mean they cannot afford the disruption of losing a teacher now:

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Seattle microhousing has rules, definition, and a name – SEDUs – after unanimous City Council vote
October 6, 2014 4:37 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

The city officially has rules for microhousing – or, if you prefer, SEDUs (small efficiency dwelling units). They’ve been in the works for months and, two weeks after the final committee discussion, won official, unanimous council approval this afternoon. Read the full bill here; here are the highlights from the city toplines featured our story about them last month:

*Creates a definition for small efficiency dwelling units (SEDU).

*Clarifies the definition of dwelling unit.

*Establishes required components of SEDUs, including a 150-square-foot minimum sleeping room area, a 220 square foot minimum total floor area, a food preparation area (sink, refrigerator, countertop, cooking appliance) and a bathroom (sink, toilet, shower or bathtub).

*Limits the issuance of Restricted Parking Zone permits to no more than one per SEDU or congregate residence sleeping room.

*Requires Streamlined Design Review to be applied, in all zones, to congregate residences and residential uses that are more than 50 percent comprised of SEDUs if they contain between 5,000 and 11,999 square feet of gross floor area.

*Limits the construction of congregate residences that do not meet certain ownership or operational requirements to higher density zones that are located within Urban Centers and Urban Villages

*Increases the minimum required area of communal space in a congregate residence from 10 percent of the total floor area of all sleeping rooms to 15 percent of the total floor area of all sleeping rooms.

*Creates a new vehicle parking requirement of one parking space for every two SEDUs for areas of the City where vehicle parking is required for multifamily residential uses.

*Increases bicycle parking requirements for SEDUs and congregate residences to 0.75 bicycle spaces per SEDU or congregate residence sleeping room.

*Requires the bicycle parking required for SEDUs and congregate residences to be covered for weather protection.

*Allows required, covered bicycle parking for SEDUs or congregate residence sleeping rooms to be exempt from Floor Area Ratio limits if the required parking is located inside the building that contains the SEDUs or congregate residence sleeping rooms.

*Calls on the Department of Planning and Development to complete an analysis of the City’s vehicle and bicycle parking requirements and present its recommendations for regulatory changes to the City Council by no later than March 31, 2015.

That last item, as we noted last month, goes beyond microhousing.

West Seattle has two microhousing buildings already open – Footprint Delridge and Footprint Avalon I – and three on the drawing board. As reported here two weeks ago, two of the not-yet-under-construction projects – at 3268 SW Avalon Way and 3050 SW Avalon Way – are on hold because of a court decision that would require them to go through Design Review, or undergo a significant redesign.

During this afternoon’s council meeting, discussion preceding the vote included a rebuke by West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen for city departments not catching “loopholes” he said developers exploited when first opening these projects here. (You can watch the discussion and vote in the archived Seattle Channel video atop this story; the vote is 71 minutes into the video.)

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From land-use land: Comment time for West Seattle YMCA expansion, Fire Station 32 rebuild
October 6, 2014 1:53 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Triangle | West Seattle news

The official comment period has opened for two major local – but not residential – projects in The Triangle, according to notices in today’s city-issued Land Use Information Bulletin:

(Rendering of the future northwestern corner)
YMCA EXPANSION: As first reported here one month ago, the West Seattle Y (WSB sponsor) plans to expand on its current site at 4515 36th SW. Here’s the land-use-application notice; here’s how to comment – deadline is October 19th.

FIRE STATION 32 REBUILD: The fire station at 4700 38th SW in The Triangle also is expanding, with a total rebuild, and a City Council land-use action is required for permits, as well as other steps outlined in today’s notice. This notice also opens a comment period through October 19th; here’s how to have a say.

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Feeding those in need: Lettuce Pray delivers 2 1/2 tons of food
October 6, 2014 1:05 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Back in 2009, we reported on Lettuce Pray – local faith communities collecting food donations, particularly fresh-grown produce, for local food banks. It’s been going strong ever since, and just wrapped up another season. Jane Taylor shares this update:

I wanted to pass along the success of this summer’s Lettuce Pray collection. Kristen Parsons and I were unable to carry on these weekly collections of food from the churches, so Becky Boberg from WestSide Universalist Unitarian Church took it over for us.

As you can see, she collected about 1500 pounds of food, of which 1150 were fresh produce, grown by West Seattleites and taken to church on Sunday, where Becky picked it all up and deposited it directly into cold storage at the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks.Besides OLG and WWUU, participating churches included Alki UCC, St. John the Baptist Episcopal, Tibbetts United Methodist, Holy Rosary, and St. Bernadette’s.

In its six years, Lettuce Pray has collected over 5,000 pounds of fresh produce and an equal amount of canned goods and non perishables. Our thanks to the generous souls (and gardeners) of West Seattle – and to Becky Boberg! We’ll be back next summer!

Jane also forwarded the photos – noting that’s Becky’s hand, holding those beautiful tomatoes!

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen station wagon; mystery hit-run
October 6, 2014 10:25 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two Monday morning West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

HAVE YOU SEEN CARRIE ANN’S STATION WAGON? Silver 2002 Volvo V70 wagon, license #AAE8123, stolen in The Junction “up the street from Holy Rosary,” sometime between 8:30 pm Friday & 9:30 am Saturday. Small black spot on the back hatch, where the previous owner’s bike rack rubbed; small-medium dent in the rear passenger’s side door; long slice all along the headliner, across the front, near the windshield; multiple brightly-colored IKEA blankets left inside. Call 911 if you see it.

Also this morning:
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West Seattle Monday: What’s notable for today/tonight
October 6, 2014 9:09 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Monday: What’s notable for today/tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Mark Wangerin (psst, bought his student-benefiting West Seattle Wildlife calendar yet?) for the photo of a young Cooper’s Hawk. We now fly on into Monday. Not too much on our calendar, but here are a few notes:

MICROHOUSING VOTE: During its 2 pm meeting, the City Council is expected to vote on the microhousing rules it’s been working on – read them in full here; toplines are in our report from two weeks ago. (City Hall/Seattle Channel)

SEAHAWKS ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: 5:30 pm; places to watch with a big screen *and* food as well as beverages (it’s a dinnertime game, after all) include WSB sponsor Feedback Lounge (6451 California SW) in Morgan Junction and Skylark in North Delridge (3803 Delridge Way).

FAMILY STORY TIME: For kids of all ages (and the grownups accompanying them) – 6:30 pm at High Point Branch Library. (35th/Raymond)

LATER START TIMES FOR TEENS: Today’s the deadline if you’re interested in pursuing a position on the task force Seattle Public Schools is setting up to consider this.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: October’s first Monday
October 6, 2014 6:30 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: October’s first Monday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to a new week! Perhaps the biggest traffic note of the day, so far, would be expectations that the pm commute might ramp up a bit earlier tonight, with Seahawks fans trying to get to wherever they plan to watch tonight’s game (5:30 pm vs. Washington)

TRANSPORTATION NEWS OVER THE WEEKEND: Want to help look at the “big picture” in The Junction – what it would take to truly be a “transit community”? Join a tour and conversation Saturday … Speaking of The Junction, a signal-sequence change has drawn attention … Here are two alerts for later this week.

8:50 AM UPDATE: Northbound I-5 has a lane-blocking crash described as “south of I-90,” so that’s likely to be affecting the offramp from the east end of the bridge.

8:58 AM UPDATE: WSDOT says the crash has cleared.

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New SPD Chief’s first City Council update on Monday; notes of interest include wireless-mesh system & unsolved murders
October 5, 2014 10:43 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Tomorrow morning, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole reports to the City Council on her first three months leading SPD. The agenda includes this written report, with multiple points of special interest here. For one, she briefly mentions a potential change in the future of the surveillance camera/wireless mesh system first reported here in January 2013 – a system that has been put on hold pending SPD development of policies for its use, as mandated by the City Council a year and a half ago. Now, it seems SPD might be seeking to hand it off:

In accordance with City Ordinance 124142 the department has not utilized the Port Wireless Mesh system. We are exploring the prospect of transferring the management and administration of the Wireless Mesh system to the City IT Department.

Our last update on the system’s status was in March, when Mayor Ed Murray told WSB he didn’t expect them to be used for a long time – if ever.

Many other aspects of SPD operations are mentioned in the report, but this one caught our eye – the subject of unsolved murders. West Seattle has at least four in the past few years – Stephen Jeffries, Jr. (January 2014), Greggette Guy (March 2012), Kaari Higgins (January 2011), and Jeremy Peck (December 2010) come to mind, for starters. The report does not mention specific cases but says this:

The Criminal Investigations Bureau Chief and Violent Crimes Captain have conducted a thorough review of all unsolved homicides twice during 2014. While I cannot discuss specifics of those open investigations in this report, I can tell you that the cases that remain unsolved have either problems with the integrity of evidence or a lack of cooperation from witnesses. I hope that we can develop greater trust and communication with our community so that individuals with information about these cases or other unsolved crimes will come forward.

Chief O’Toole’s briefing is scheduled for 10 am during Monday morning’s City Council “briefing” meeting. Immediately afterward, she and other SPD leaders will update the council on bias crimes/incidents in the city; the accompanying report says five were in the Southwest Precinct, out of 60 citywide, in the first half of this year.

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Election 2014: Not registered to vote? Deadline tomorrow
October 5, 2014 8:23 pm
|    Comments Off on Election 2014: Not registered to vote? Deadline tomorrow
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgThere’s a lot to decide in the November 4th election, now less than a month away – closer, really, since voting begins when ballots start arriving at mid-month. If you’re not registered and want to sign up online or by mail, tomorrow’s the deadline – here’s how to register (same goes for updating your address if you ARE registered). If you miss that, you’ll be able to register in person at the King County Elections offices in Seattle and Renton on September 27th – but why delay? Easiest way to do it is to sign up right here, right now.

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‘Bless those who curl themselves around your hearts’: Blessing of the Animals 2014 at St. John’s
October 5, 2014 6:13 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

(WSB photos by Katie Meyer)
Sunshine again graced the annual Blessing of the Animals event presented by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral, drawing pets and their humans to the West Seattle High School parking lot next door this afternoon.

While St. John’s isn’t the only local church offering animal blessings, it’s the only one where you’ll find a member of the Order of Saint Francis participating in this tradition inspired by the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals:

That’s Brother Paul from the OSF, explained here. St. John’s priest in charge Rev. JD Godwin offered blessings as well – below, he blesses Waffles:

Even if you’re not religious, if you have a companion animal in your life, you might appreciate this offered prayer: “Bless those who curl themselves around our hearts, who twine themselves through our days, who companion us in our labor and who call us to come and play.”

We did spot one brave, well-behaved cat, named Purrcilla:

Rev. Godwin and Brother Paul blessed St. Francis medals and offered one for each pet blessed.

Most waited patiently for their turn.

West Seattle’s Peace Lutheran Church also offered animal blessings today, and next Sunday afternoon, they’re planned at Fauntleroy UCC Church.

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West Seattle’s newest Little Free Library answers the call
October 5, 2014 2:29 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

We feature new Little Free Libraries as they pop up around West Seattle, as we hear about them – and today, Rose Sheppard from the Building Committee at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation sends word and pic of theirs, and its designer:

On October 4th, our Little Free Library was installed. Designed and built by congregant John Monahan, we love the Dr Who phone booth motif. It’s a perfect model! We are sure it’s the best British phone booth on this side of the Atlantic Ocean – and much more useful.

We are very grateful to John and proud to have such a distinctive Little Free Library structure on the south side (Othello St.) of our church property at 7141 California Ave SW.

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Tour The Junction with Seattle Planning Commissioners who are also your neighbors, to discuss ‘successes … and opportunities’
October 5, 2014 10:30 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Development | How to help | West Seattle news

“We want to see this through your eyes – we’re interested in a dialogue.”

With that, two Seattle Planning Commissioners, both West Seattleites, are inviting you to be part of the dialogue about the future of The Junction and vicinity with a walk-and-talk event next Saturday (October 11th), 10 am.

They came to September’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting to initiate the dialogue, and we since have received official confirmation and the invitation itself (see above, or click here for the PDF version) – RSVP for updates on where they’re planning to meet (we’ll also have that here, later in the week).

Commissioners Jeanne Krikawa and Luis Borrero said they realize many might not even have heard about the Seattle Planning Commission, an independent, but city-convened/funded, group of appointees. That’s why they and commission policy analyst Jesseca Brand visited JuNO, to talk about not just what they do but also about looking at The Junction’s “walkshed” – what “essential components of livability” it has, and doesn’t have. Those were described as parks, plazas, libraries, community centers, wayfinding, green streets, bike infrastructure, as laid out in the Seattle Transit Communities report a few years back.

If any of those elements don’t exist in a “transit community,” they should be only “a stop or two away.” Here’s the slide deck Borrero and Krikawa showed JuNO:

This all figures into the Seattle 2035 process to update the city’s Comprehensive Plan, a major project for the Planning Commission right now, and one that has already resulted in a variety of events.

Even if this all sounds a little too wonky for you, remember that a process more than 15 years ago set the stage for much is what’s happening now. That’s what designated The Junction and vicinity as a Hub Urban Village – one meant to encourage workplaces to locate in the area, not just residences and services, the commissioners told JuNO.

In turn, JuNO director René Commons and attendees told Krikawa and Borrero that the Junction “walkshed” is definitely missing some of what are supposed to be hub characteristics – no nearby community centers, libraries, public schools.

The commissioners in turn asked those in attendance how they feel about The Junction’s growth. We’d summarize the various answers as “trepidational,” as well as eager for more transit – but join next Saturday’s walking tour, and tell them yourselves.

The bottom line of all this is consideration of how The Junction and vicinity should be viewed in the decades ahead, as a prism through which to see growth and the choices to be made. It’s a rare chance for more of a big picture look than the piecemeal decision-making so many have decried in the past few years. If you’re interested in having a say – or at least listening – be part of the tour next Saturday, and the conversation to follow.

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West Seattle Sunday: From books to blessings, wine to walking…
October 5, 2014 6:34 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(At Alki Beach Harbor House, by Loren Beringer, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Happy Sunday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

GET YOUR COPY OF ‘APRON STRINGS’ AT WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, during today’s Farmers’ Market, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society will sell its newly released recipes-and-stories book.

Added 11:04 am, a photo from SWSHS: Joan Stover (left), co-editor of “Apron Strings: Recipes and Recollections from the Duwamish Peninsula,” chatting with Gay Johansson of Roxhill at this morning’s market (44th/Alaska)

G0SPEL SUNDAY, WITH SINGALONG: 2 pm at Hope Lutheran Church, join this choir-hosted event featuring gospel and spiritual songs, including the opportunity to sing along! Details in our calendar listing. (42nd/Oregon)

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS #1: First of two events today – 11:45 am at Peace Lutheran Church, on the Westside Patio; details in our preview. (39th/Thistle)

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS #2: 1 pm in the West Seattle High School parking lot, St. John’s Episcopal Church offers blessings to your pet/companion animal(s); details in our preview. (3000 California SW)

CROP WALK TO FIGHT HUNGER: Registration at 12:30 pm, walk at 1 pm, from Alki UCC, again hosting this walk raising money to fight hunger. (62nd/Hinds)

COMMUNITY ARTISTS’ SHOWCASE: 2-3 pm, stop by the Southwest Branch Library for the reception that opens the 23rd annual Community Artists’ Showcase. The works being shown by your neighbors and friends will be up throughout the month. Stop by and meet the artists today, free, and enjoy coffee and dessert. (35th/Henderson)

WSB FORUM PICNIC: It’s a place to talk about everything from politics to schools to food, a place for raves and rants, a place to list jobs and yard sales, a place where you never know what might happen next. The WSB Forum has been up and running for seven years, and every so often, members organize a picnic. You don’t have to be a member to join them – they’d love to meet lurkers too! 3-5 pm at Lincoln Park Picnic Shelter 1 – see the forum for updates.

BENEFIT WINE TASTING: Bring a wine to contribute to this fun tasting event (and more!) benefiting Furry Faces Foundation – read about it here. (2942 SW Avalon Way)

FINAL PERFORMANCE OF ‘THE MOUNTAINTOP’: 3 pm, the acclaimed ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) production of “The Mountaintop” is on stage one last time. (4711 California SW)

AS FOR WHAT’S UP TONIGHT … see the calendar!

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Reader report: New sequence at ‘Walk All Ways’ intersection
October 4, 2014 10:22 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news


(“Walk All Ways” signage in 1956; click image to see full-size Seattle Muni Archives photo)
It’s not often news when a traffic signal is tweaked. But in this case, we’ve now received several reader reports of a sequencing change at the most-famous intersection in West Seattle – and since tomorrow is usually its busiest day of the week, with Farmers’ Market shoppers and brunchgoers (among others), we’re sharing the FYI. First word came from Kathleen, who explained:

The sequence of red/ green lights and “walk” signs has changed sequence. I walk up to the Junction nearly every day and it has always been: green light going east on Alaska across Calif.: then green light going west; and then green light for the traffic going north/south on Calif; THEN the walk all 4 ways signal.

(Thursday) I couldn’t figure why so many cars were running through the intersection at the wrong times. I almost missed going across the street because I was waiting for the north/south traffic to go before me. It has been changed so the 4-way walk is now BEFORE north/ south cars can go. Confusing to anyone who has done it the old way forever!

We’ll be asking SDOT about this on Monday.

P.S. The history of “Walk All Ways” here is part of this HistoryLink.org essay about The Junction, which says it was installed in 1952, removed in 1974, brought back in 1988.

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Video: Seen off West Seattle shores, ‘Beneath a Dark Sea’
October 4, 2014 8:01 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Last time we featured undersea video from “Diver Laura” James – observing a curious octopus – we heard clamors for more. Laura has obliged, inviting us to share the clip you see above, which she titled “Beneath a Dark Sea.” Yes, these are local waters – Cove 2, right off Seacrest.

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Skies Over West Seattle, October 2014 edition: Two eclipses!
October 4, 2014 4:06 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Skies Over West Seattle | West Seattle news

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wish for advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wonder “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” This should help. It’s our periodic feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famed for her solstice/equinox sunset watches, among other things.

(Friday’s moon, photographed by Danny McMillin, shared via the WSB Flickr group)

By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog

Eclipses! We have eclipses this month! Don’t miss them, if the clouds part: This Wednesday, early morning (October 8th), lunar, and October 23rd, solar.

Hey, what’s that?

Clouds. I’m betting you saw clouds. As the rainy windstorms of fall come in, we lose some of our night skies. We’ll get a few sparkly-clear nights in winter again, but we’re into the time of year where you take what you can get. Enjoy the way the clouds make for some amazing sunsets.

Although Saturn and Mars are both still beautiful in the evening sky and Arcturus is also visible higher in the West, Capella is probably the most striking object in tonight’s sky. It is that this star always seems to sparkle and twinkle just a bit more than most other stars.

Just before the Sun rises, you’ll be unable to miss Jupiter shining low in the East. Orion is rising a bit South of Jupiter, and Sirius will be twinkling like crazy closer to the horizon than that.

Safe Eclipse Viewing

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Update: Gatewood Elementary ‘save the teacher’ bake sale
October 4, 2014 12:16 pm
|      49 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

12:16 PM: The sale is on at California and Myrtle, half a block east of Gatewood Elementary, whose families are trying to raise $90,000 in a matter of days to keep a teacher – if you missed our earlier stories, here are the Thursday (with 100 comments) and Friday reports. All ages are helping out, from facepainting …

… to beverage-pouring …

Laura posed with the apple-shaped tote board as things got going after 10 am:

While we were there, somebody gave them a drive-up donation:

They say they’ll be out as long as possible.

2 PM UPDATE: Organizers say they have raised $35,500 so far, including “an anonymous $10,000 donation.”

3:15 PM UPDATE: Just in from Gatewood parent Kevin Kincade:

Both the Feedback Lounge and The Bridge will have donation boxes to support the Friends of Gatewood tonight. Go and have a drink and kick in a few extra bucks to help save a teacher. It’s a win-win! This is to support their cause of raising $90,000 in order to save a teacher at the school. Any and all donations will be appreciated. Thanks!

Kevin adds, “And one more update — they are in their last hour at the bake sale now (3:15) so come by and get some goodies before we shut down.”

Just as we were adding this update, we received a photo from Sam with donation collectors at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor):

We’ve had a few other community-contributed photos come in, and we’ll be adding to the story.

4:59 PM: We’re told that Beveridge Place Pub has joined the list above of nearby establishments that will have donation boxes tonight.

ADDED LATE SATURDAY: An update and thanks from Nicole Sipila:

We had an amazing day. Many times I was brought to tears and for those folks who know me, that is not an easy feat.

In the bank, as of 4:00 closing time, we have collected $35,300.00 We also have approx. $8,500.ish coming back to the school from a grant that the PTA made last year, so that would put us at $43,000ish to our ultimate goal of $90,000!

Yes, we had one anonymous donor with a check for $10,000. Another for $5000 and yet another for $1000!!!! I was moved to tears at all of these checks! But I was even more emotional about some of the small moments that happened today.

First, we had an amazing parent, teacher turnout. Bringing baked goods and just handing us cash, saying, “Keep it. If you don’t make your goal, do something great with the money for the kids.”

Also, one set of parents who happen to be foster parents, who had heard that many of the GW teachers would be contributing $500 and they wanted to match that amount. Then I learn that these are foster parents of a child at GW that might be going back to birth parents at the end of the month and they didn’t want a refund if we don’t meet our goal! “Keep it, do something good with it!” Yes, I was a teary mess.

We had some ADORABLE little Gators who were standing on the corners collecting drive by donations. They had walked down toward Thriftway and passed by the Real Change vendor that hangs out by McDonald’s. This man, who doesn’t have much himself, gave these children a dollar. I am tearing up just writing this.

Plus all the other small moments, the Schmitz Park 1st grade teacher (young and new to the district) who stopped by with friends who just wanted “to support us and our teachers.” And all the other schools who posted our event on their web sites (STEM and Fairmount Park) and the parents of other schools who stopped by to drop off small donations just to say, “We support you.”

I am truly blessed to be apart of this community and am amazed at the generously of friends and strangers.

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‘No ordinary cookbook’: 114 recipes from 49 locals in ‘Apron Strings’
October 4, 2014 10:20 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle books | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

(WSB photo: Cookbook editors Joan & Joey arranging stacks at LHM on Friday)
Get ’em while they’re hot! Copies of “Apron Strings,” a brand-new local cookbook, are officially on sale. This weekend, you can buy it during regular hours at the Log House Museum (noon-4 pm Saturdays, Sundays, and Thursdays and Fridays) – or maybe you’ll be at the LHM for the volunteer orientation today (11 am-1 pm) and get yours then – or, look for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market tomorrow. And get busy making recipes like this one:

Here’s the SWSHS announcement about “Apron Strings”:

Just in time for Thanksgiving meal planning and the search for a unique holiday gift, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is releasing a new, home-grown cookbook.

“Apron Strings: Recipes and Recollections from the Duwamish Peninsula” is a 180-page paperback with 114 recipes from 49 local residents. Stories accompany many of the recipes, and the book is laced with 16 photos from the historical society’s archive.

Editors of the cookbook are three longtime members of the historical society: Dayle Banks, Joey Richesson (former board secretary) and Joan Stover (former board treasurer). The cover features a colorful, quilted vintage apron from Merrilee Hagen, past president of the historical society.

“Apron Strings,” priced at $25, is on sale at the historical society’s “Birthplace of Seattle” Log House Museum. It also will have its public debut from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at a table at the West Seattle Farmers Market in The Junction.

Net proceeds will go to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.

Three years in the making, “Apron Strings” is “no ordinary cookbook,” the editors write in the book’s preface. “It is a collection of recipes that reflect the history and culture of Duwamish Peninsula families and friends. … Entwined with the details for sifting, stirring, baking and frying are the stories of the people and circumstances surrounding the dishes, the family traditions of meals and snacks, and the community history of food that is uniquely West Seattle, White Center and beyond.”

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