West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
(Sunday’s low tide on Alki, by Danny McMillin)
This will be a great day to get out on the beach (if you’re not stuck in an office) – but take note of the weather alert for tonight/tomorrow, before we get to highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEATHER ALERT: “Scattered to abundant lightning” is forecast for much of Western Washington, possibly even here in the metro area, tonight through tomorrow, and the National Weather Service has a wide area under a “red flag warning.” And before we get to that, it’s going to be even hotter today – possibly into the 90s.
Now, from the calendar:
APPEAL HEARING: The second appeal filed in relation to the project to rebuild Arbor Heights Elementary School is being heard today by the city Hearing Examiner, starting at 9 am; here’s our earlier report. (Municipal Tower downtown, 40th floor)
LAST DAY FOR BEACH NATURALISTS: With a low-low tide of -2.0 feet at 11:50 am, it’s the final day of this summer’s Seattle Aquarium volunteer-beach-naturalist program. On the shore at Constellation Park south of Alki and at Lincoln Park (toward the south end), look for the naturalists in red hats, 10:30 am-1:30 pm.
SCIENCE MAGIC! See how to use science for magic tricks – this is a library presentation for ages 5 and up – free! – but it’s at Delridge Community Center, 2:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
…AND MORE SCIENCE! Celebrating science is the theme of tonight’s Family Story Time at High Point Branch Library, 6:30 pm, free as always. (35th/Raymond)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: No formal agenda for tonight’s monthly NDNC meeting, so if you have a community concern/question, bring it! Tonight will be another outdoor meeting, 6:30 pm in Delridge Community Center Park. (Delridge Way SW/SW Genesee)
WONDERING HOW TO SHARE AN EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? The basics are on the WSB Contact page. Thanks!
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
As our traffic watch begins for a new week, a reminder of what’s ahead (the links each go to the previous stories with details on the work):
ROXBURY REPAVING: Scheduled for Tuesday/Wednesday, 25th SW to 27th SW.
CHARLESTOWN TRACTION IMPROVEMENT: Scheduled for Tuesday, 45th SW to 47th SW.
GENESEE TRACTION IMPROVEMENT: Scheduled for Wednesday, between Avalon and Delridge.
(From Harbor Avenue: Photo by David Hutchinson)
As Space.com put it, Sunday night’s full moon was the “superest supermoon” of the year – the closest one to Earth this year.
(Photo by Jim Clark)
Next month’s full moon (September 8th) will be almost as close.
(Photo by Craig Young)
As Alice Enevoldsen writes in the newest edition of “Skies Over West Seattle,” it’s only one of this week’s attractions for skygazers.
(Photo by Carolyn Newman)
How close *was* the moon, you ask? 221,765 miles. Or so. This calculator puts it a bit farther away.
It wasn’t officially West Seattle night at the Sounders FC match tonight (they won over Houston, 2-0), but it might as well have been, for at least two reasons!
West Seattle-founded WestSide Baby had a diaper drive at tonight’s game, and we spotted WS Baby reps everywhere, including Stacy, in our Instagram photo above. The big screens around CenturyLink Field displayed calls to text a special number to donate diapers. Then at the half, Alki Elementary teacher Terry Kegel was honored on the field as the club’s Community MVP:
Tonight @SoundersFC honored Terry Kegel of West Seattle Cup fame as club's Community MVP pic.twitter.com/LsuSuUoBUh
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) August 11, 2014
Terry, you’ll recall, gained regional fame for organizing the first-ever West Seattle Cup earlier this summer.
(Saturday moonrise by Christopher Frankovich)
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.
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
It is time for the Perseid Meteor Shower… and another Supermoon! Let’s get started.
Hey, what’s that?
Mars, Spica, and Saturn — Last time I said you’d notice a pair of stars just after sunset, one of which was Mars (a planet, not a star) and the other, Spica. Tonight as you look up, Mars will have moved off to the South a bit and is now about halfway between Saturn and Spica. Toward the end of the month Mars will be even closer to Saturn, making a striking pairing of planets.
Morning people? Venus is a brilliant morning “star” this month, rising shortly before the Sun in the East. Wow. I saw it this morning for the first time this season (I am NOT a morning person. Just ask my Mom) and I thought it was an airplane it was so bright.
You may also have seen a few awe-inspiring shooting stars in the early evening or early morning. These are the earlybirds of the Perseid meteor shower, called earth grazers because of how they glance through our atmosphere making a long, bright trail.
Perseids!!!
The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brightest and most fun meteor showers to view, because it is on a comfortable summer night and is traditionally a fairly dense shower with lots of shooting stars (meteors).
(Wednesday photo by Dylan Grace-Wells: EarthCorps crewmember beginning to blaze a path through intensive wild clematis and ivy)
Southwest of the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, a green but threatened treasure is finally getting long-planned TLC – not just a round of weekend work parties, but instead, the toughest restoration project in the Fauntleroy Creek Watershed: Work has begun in the Kilbourne Ravine, announces Fauntleroy Creek watershed steward Judy Pickens, the project coordinator. After the final permit was procured, EarthCorps crew members were booked to get going with the project during two work days this past week.
The work along the middle reach of Fauntleroy Creek, between California SW and 45th SW, will focus on getting rid of invasive vegetation – aka weeds – and restoring appropriate vegetation. This in turn will accomplish goals including controlling erosion, filtering runoff, and reclaiming the ravine as wildlife habitat.
It’s a 2 1/2-acre site that is a mix of private- and city-owned property, classified overall as an “environmentally critical area.” But it’s infested, as are many of our greenspaces, with invaders including Himalayan blackberry and English ivy, as well as wild clematis and other invasive shrubs/trees. Judy reports that the work plan for the first week included:
*Cutting all clematis, especially where growing up trees, to prevent flowering and seeding this season
*Cutting blackberry (where growing in larger patches without native plants) in preparation for future spray treatment
*Pulling clematis away from native plants in preparation for future spray treatment
*If time allows, begin cutting ivy off native trees (survival rings)
*If time allows, begin treating invasive trees (holly, cherry laurel) using injection lance
*Hauling out garbage and debris as needed.
Fighting the invasives benefits more than the ravine itself – it also reduces their spread to nearby property. According to the project FAQ, this is the start of six years of work. But that will honor a legacy that is many decades old; according to Seattle Parks, its part of the ravine was donated by Dr. Edward C. Kilbourne, who established the Washington Dental Association. (Perhaps, then, it is fitting that some of the extensive work just to get to the point where restoration work can begin, sounds to have been a bit like pulling teeth.)
But Pickens and other intrepid volunteers/advocates have been at it a long time, with achievements including the restoration of Fauntleroy Creek itself as a salmon creek, so they’ve been taking it milestone by milestone, including two years of fundraising work which has yielded $55,000+ so far. Pickens notes support from “the Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund, a grant-making fund created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and administered by the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment.”
P.S. If you pass the ravine and notice rappellers – that’s what it’ll take for some of the work, given the steepness of the slopes!
Do you know “the gray-haired plant lady”? We don’t know her name, but she had a friend forward these photos and reader report expressing appreciation for West Seattle’s individual green spaces, so we are in turn sharing her words and pictures with you, which she sent under the heading ‘West Seattle Loves Green’:
With all the concrete and steel coming into our community, the citizens of West Seattle are creating their own green spaces. Have you noticed all the new plant containers in front of the local stores? The merchants also contributed to the beautiful hanging baskets. Even the new buildings are adding greenery in front of their buildings. In front of the stores you will find pots, boxes and even a wagon.
The old stump on the corner of California and Alaska has been replaced by a tree and a planter. A couple of days ago, I walked both sides of the street from Admiral Way to West Seattle Nursery. I found over 1,000 pots and planters and over 1,000 plantings. I didn’t count all the deck plants and patios.
I have been asked many times if I do the landscape in front of Hope Lutheran Church. A group of people help weed, mow grass and deadhead plants. The Loren Sommer family grows and plants the whole landscape. Loren, Rachel, and Bernadette spend many hours growing and planting. If you see them, say “thank you!” Omar Sommer, grandpa, helps with the watering system.
I just can’t resist adding that I was Loren’s and Rachel’s first-grade teacher.
‘The gray-haired plant lady’
In today’s West Seattle Sunday calendar-highlights list, we mentioned WestSide Baby‘s big diaper drive at tonight’s Sounders FC match. WS Baby has since let us know they need volunteers to “fill in for some last-minute cancellations” assisting with the donation drive – you would have to arrive at the stadium at 5; most jobs would end at 8:30, and then you’d be able to watch the second half of the match. If you think you can help, e-mail shana@westsidebaby.org ASAP.
(Thanks to Mark Wangerin for sharing his photo of a juvenile Black-Headed Grosbeak)
First, enjoy a very warm summer Sunday; then watch for the supermoonrise tonight. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, some options for what you could do along the way:
HIGHLAND PARK RUMMAGE SALE: Second and final day of the summertime edition of the Highland Park Improvement Club megasale, 9 am-2 pm. (12th/Holden)
LOW-LOW TIDE: This month’s lowest low tide, -2.3, happens at 11:03 am; at Constellation and Lincoln Parks from 10:30 am-1:30 pm, it’s your second-to-last chance this summer to confer with volunteer beach naturalists as you explore the shore.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm as always! (44th/Alaska)
(added) CAR WASH: Thanks to a tipster for letting us know about a car wash under way until 3 pm at the Filipino-American SDA Church across from Denny International Middle School. They shared a photo:
(2620 SW Kenyon)
(back to original list) TOUR THE ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Just a few more chances this summer for free tours with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at Alki Point Lighthouse, 1-4 pm. (3200 Point Place)
SOPRANOS! Vocal recital presented by Music Northwest at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, 3 pm. (4105 California SW)
‘HELLO, DOLLY!’ MATINEE: Twelfth Night Productions presents “Hello, Dolly!” in a matinee performance at West Seattle High School Theater, 3 pm. Don’t forget the diaper/clothing drive for WestSide Baby – get $3 off the price of an adult ticket if you bring a diaper/kids-clothing donation. (3000 California SW)
GOING TO TONIGHT’S SOUNDERS FC MATCH? Bring diapers for WestSide Baby! P.S. 7:30 pm game means extended Water Taxi service.
SUPERMOON: Watch the eastern sky around quarter past eight, right before sunset. (Moon/sun rising/setting times can always be found on the WSB West Seattle Weather page.)
OPEN-MICROPHONE JAM: Every Sunday night in August at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), hosted by Lynn Sorensen – just show up with your voice and/or instrument starting at 7:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (6451 California SW)
YES, THERE’S MORE! … on our calendar.
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for that photo of the nearly full moon, on its way to what’s likely to be another beautiful morning moonset. It’ll be another “supermoon” when it rises again tonight (Sunday) at 8:13 pm, not long before sunset (the official sun/moon rising/setting times can always be found on the WSB West Seattle Weather page). And then Monday-Tuesday, as noted in the most recent “Skies Over West Seattle” report by WSB contributor Alice Enevoldsen, watch for the Perseid meteor shower – if clouds don’t get in the way.
Congratulations to Barbara Lisko and Alex French, newlyweds after their wedding tonight at Hope Lutheran Church in West Seattle. Both are graduates of nearby Seattle Lutheran High School. Thanks to the bride’s family for sharing a photo for this announcement, and best wishes to Barbara and Alex for a long and joyful life together.
For almost four weeks, we’ve been covering the aftermath of citywide nonprofit Senior Services‘ decision to fire longtime Senior Center of West Seattle director Karen Sisson (WSB file photo at left). While the center has its own board of directors, they don’t have hiring/firing power over staff, but the board voiced their support for her leadership, days after learning of her firing.
Now community supporters are launching a campaign, telling WSB that tomorrow, a community petition drive will kick off to urge Sisson’s reinstatement. Volunteers are gathering at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market at 10:30 am Sunday to ‘share information and collect signatures and support for bringing back Karen Sisson as director of the Senior Center of West Seattle,” according to a note we received today from Cindy, who adds, “Any volunteers are welcome to join us. We are also setting up a Facebook page, ‘Bring Karen Back,’ for people to start their own petitions and upload information.” That page is here. Sisson led the Senior Center for a quarter-century, with her accomplishments and the center’s growth detailed and celebrated in the center’s newsletter earlier this year.
Meantime, the West Seattle center’s board president David Robertson told WSB this past week that they “continue to work on this issue.”
4:42 PM: Police are closing all lanes of southbound Highway 99 because of a crash reported to be parallel with Holgate, not far north of the West Seattle Bridge exit. No details yet; a witness texted to us that they believe a motorcycle rider was involved. Medics are headed northbound in the southbound lanes to reach the victim(s).
4:53 PM UPDATE: Tweeted by Seattle Fire: The patient is a 61-year-old man who was riding a motorcycle that collided with a car. He is being taken to the hospital with head trauma, and CPR is under way. Meantime, since the injuries are life-threatening, that means the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is likely to be summoned, and the road will be closed for some time. Police are working right now to get other vehicles off southbound 99, which they describe as “completely gridlock” – here’s the latest image from the south end of the elevated structure:
5:07 PM: Metro confirms via Twitter that it’s working on rerouting buses.
5:29 PM: SFD has confirmed the rider died. Police are continuing to clear traffic off southbound 99 but also advise it will be “difficult” in the area for some time.
6:08 PM: SPD also confirms southbound 99 will remain closed – from Battery St. Tunnel southward – until investigators have finished, likely a few more hours. No official report from police yet but the other vehicle involved is reported to be a RapidRide bus. A KING 5 journalist tweeted this photo:
Motorcycle accident involved this King County Metro bus. pic.twitter.com/3tN2kEYqQv
— Ted Land (@TedLandK5) August 10, 2014
8:11 PM: Southbound 99 has reopened.
9:09 PM: That was according to this SPD tweet – but commenters say it is NOT fully reopened, only to Atlantic. We are hoping SPD will clarify. As of right now, this traffic camera south of the crash scene does seem to verify the stretch from stadiums to West Seattle Bridge remains closed.
9:23 PM: That camera now shows traffic moving across the last southbound stretch, indicating SB 99 has now fully reopened.
Here’s a reason for you to come visit one of West Seattle’s semi-hidden treasures – the Seattle Chinese Garden Kite Festival continues until 6 pm.
We just left the garden; it’s breezy and beautiful. It’s just past the horticulture zone on the northernmost end of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge.
Admission is free; bring your own kite or buy one at the garden – also, as noted on the SCG home page, you can enjoy “kite flying demonstrations, displays, and kite painting.”
(Festival music/activities schedule here)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:20 AM: As of the top of the hour, Delridge Day is on – with cool people ready to meet you, and to entertain you, on the north side of the park by Delridge Community Center (Genesee/Delridge). Not just people – check out Olive the goat:
And a Seattle Police robot, converted for the moment into a Tootsie Pop dispenser:
“Picnic at the Precinct” is instead happening here in the park concurrent with Delridge Day again this year. We’re told new SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole is expected here around noon, so if you’d like to meet her, be here. But first, come meet all your neighbors, here with various organizations and activities. And tell them what you want to see in your community – there’s a big blackboard ready for your thoughts, as part of the North Delridge Action Plan kickoff.
Also here: Seattle Public Library:
Miss Bea says "Come see us at the @SPLBuzz booth #DelridgeDay!" pic.twitter.com/n6efMWJ3UJ
— Beck Be (@BeaucoupBeck) August 9, 2014
Commenters asked earlier if any food trucks are here. Yes, Outside the Box is here again this year, up near the Delridge CC entrance.
Where, we’re also told a Seattle Fire engine is expected around noon.
(Photo added: From left, Pete Spalding, Dorsol Plants, Michael Taylor-Judd)
12:19 PM: Shoutout to the festival organizers – a small group of local community advocates put it together this year, including Dorsol Plants, Pete Spalding, Michael Taylor-Judd, Ron Angeles, and music by Chas Redmond, who is tune guru for more than a few local events:
Ellis Bros in stage at Delridge Day Festival pic.twitter.com/pE6sDp6zDU
— chas redmond (@chasredmond) August 9, 2014
12:38 PM: In addition to community groups/nonprofits – North Delridge Neighborhood Council, which is screenprinting its (Heart) Delridge logo onto T-shirts you bring, or bags they have…
….Also: West Seattle Food Bank (whose board member Rev. Ron Marshall pointed out they have a fundraising raffle going on):
Also: Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, West Seattle Transportation Coalition, 34th District Democrats, Seattle Neighborhood Group, Nature Consortium …
… and more – local businesses are here too, including Skylark Café and Club and Mode Music Studios, neighbors in the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW:
12:49 PM: SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole is here, as promised. We photographed her with Karen Berge and Deb Greer from the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network:
SFD Engine 36 was here for a while but had to rush off on an aid call a few minutes ago. (added) SPD Mounted Patrol horses were the center of attention:
If you missed the horses today – the Mounted Patrol Unit’s next open house at its Westcrest Park-adjacent headquarters will be 11 am-5 pm on Saturday, September 20th.
2:30 PM: Half an hour left until Delridge Day wraps up – such a beautiful afternoon. Hard to think about rain in the midst of the sun, but RainWise is here, to help you envision a raingarden at your home:
In some areas of West Seattle, you can get a rebate to install raingarden and/or cistern-type “green stormwater infrastructure” to cut down on how much of your stormwater runoff goes into the sewer system – find out more here.
2:54 PM: Moments to go and booths are folding up. SPD Chief O’Toole was here for a couple hours but departed a short time ago. We’ll be adding a bit more to this coverage in the hours ahead, but also wanted to mention an event for which we just got a flyer – mark your calendar for the North Delridge Tree Walk, starting near the boulders at Greg Davis Park 10:30 am Saturday, September 13th, five weeks from today. As for the rest of today – there’s more going on around West Seattle, and here in the park, the wading pool is open for almost four more hours!
(Moonrise over Brace Point, by Laura James; sun/moon times are always on the WSB Weather page)
If you haven’t already browsed the full Saturday lineup on our calendar – here’s a quick list of highlights:
HPIC RUMMAGE SALE: It’s big, it’s quirky, it’s happening now through 3 pm (and again 9-2 Sunday if you can’t get there today), it’s the Highland Park Improvement Club rummage sale. Also go admire how the HPIC parking lot has evolved into a courtyard/raingarden since last time. (12th/Holden)
ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR: Now through 3 pm, unique creations are on sale at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – go browse and meet the artists! Like Machel Spence, who sent the photo of her shell-box display:
(5612 California SW)
LOW-LOW TIDE: 10:16 am, tide’s out to -2.2 feet, and that’s excellent for exploring. Do it with expert advice from volunteer beach naturalists at Constellation and Lincoln Parks, now until 12:30 pm, details here.
SOCCER SHOE SALE: Big event with small prices – new soccer shoes/cleats for as little as $10/pair – and all for a good cause – the West Seattle Soccer Club wants you to know about this sale 10 am-4 pm at Grace Church – full details are on the WSSC home page – just scroll down a bit. (10323 28th SW)
INCOMING GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTENER? Come to today’s playdate with your child’s future classmates (and your fellow future Gatewood families), 10:30 am-12:30 pm. The playground’s on the north side of campus.
DELRIDGE DAY: 11 am-3 pm in Delridge Community Center Park, with live music, activities, community info/vendor booths, plus SPD’s “Picnic at the Precinct” activities – see last night’s preview for the schedule. (Delridge/Genesee)
BENEFIT BARBECUE: 11 am-4 pm at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), today’s benefit barbecue is part of the Dog Days of Summer – details in our calendar listing. (California/Morgan/Fauntleroy)
KITE FESTIVAL: 2-6 pm, the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north edge of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus welcomes you to come celebrate these wind-powered wonders. Details in our preview. (6000 16th SW)
‘BLUES BROTHERS’ AT WS OUTDOOR MOVIES: Gates open at 6:30 pm, movie at dusk, with the 1980 classic “The Blues Brothers” as tonight’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies feature presentation on the big screen in the courtyard at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor). Free; preshow entertainment, too. Details in our preview. (4410 California SW)
NIGHT 2 FOR ‘HELLO, DOLLY!’: Twelfth Night Productions presents “Hello, Dolly!” again tonight at West Seattle High School Theater, 7:30 pm. In addition, they’re having a diaper/clothing drive for WestSide Baby – get $3 off the price of an adult ticket if you bring a diaper/kids-clothing donation. (3000 California SW)
MORE NIGHTLIFE! Music all over town – see individual venue/event listings for tonight (and beyond) by going directly to our calendar!
Hours to go until summer’s next West Seattle festival – Delridge Day is happening Saturday in the park adjacent to the community center at Delridge Way/SW Genesee, 11 am-3 pm. Here again is the activity schedule and music schedule:
Other reasons to come to Delridge Day:
*Again this year, the Seattle Police Foundation-presented “Picnic at the Precinct” also is happening concurrently, at the park instead of the precinct. We’re told new Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole is expected to visit, though we don’t have a time on that yet – that would be her first official public visit to West Seattle.
*Want to talk/ask about the SW Roxbury Safety Project, including a potential “road diet” for Roxbury from 17th SW westward? SDOT will be at Delridge Day, ready to chat.
*Want to find out about the North Delridge Action Plan? City reps are ready to talk about that too.
*Live and/or work (etc.) in North Delridge? Meet your community council – the North Delridge Neighborhood Council – which is offering freebies including a chance to screenprint the (Heart) Delridge emblem on a shirt (you bring it) or tote bag (free blank bags available). Two screenprinting stations! And, adds NDNC’s Amanda Leonard, “We will even have a drying rack so you can enjoy the rest of the festival without dealing with wet paint.”
*Check out the close-to-finished Youngstown Cultural Arts Center mural right across the street from the festival zone, along the east side of the 4400 block of Delridge Way.
*Safety and preparedness: The West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network and West Seattle Be Prepared will be there.
… and so will we. 11 am-3 pm, Delridge CC Park, come have fun!
(Photo added 9:45 pm, by Gary Jones at Alki Point)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:55 PM: It’s been about an hour since the scrapyard-bound USS Constellation was towed from Bremerton.
(US Navy Public Affairs photo)
The aircraft carrier is passing the mouth of Dyes Inlet and in another hour or so should be visible from West Seattle, as it emerges from Rich Passage between Bainbridge and Blake Islands. We’ll be updating as it gets closer; you can track the tow via MarineTraffic.com – a group of tugs is escorting it now, and the oceangoing Corbin Foss is en route to rendezvous with them, preparing for its solo 16,000-mile tow around South America and up to Brownsville, Texas.
4:45 PM: Still a ways to where they’ll be out of Rich Passage and visible from here. It’s somewhat hazy off to the west so it won’t be a really crystal-clear view as it would be if it were a cloudless summer morning – Alki Point and vicinity will likely be the clearest. But the tugs are showing on MarineTraffic.com as having picked up some speed – about 2 knots per hour now. We’ll update when they’re in view (at least via binoculars).
5:40 PM: Getting closer. The tugboats show on MarineTraffic.com as starting to round the point that is just north of Manchester.
6:09 PM: Now in view with binoculars from Emma Schmitz Viewpoint, having just emerged from Rich Passage. At this moment, it’s still pointed south, and has to be pulled to face northbound before it will start sailing toward Alki Point and beyond.
6:49 PM: It’s still in the shadows near Manchester, looking across from here. The Foss blog-format website tracking the journey has a photo looking back this way as the Corbin Foss and “Connie” get acquainted at the start of their 16,000-mile journey. (Click here for a larger version of the photo in Foss’s update.)
7:37 PM: You can see the silhouette without binoculars now, and it appears to be slowly starting to make the turn. At this rate, it’ll likely be a lovely sunset scene somewhere in front of Bainbridge!
8:05 PM: After four hours on Beach Drive, we headed for higher ground. Looks like it will be a great view from west-facing North Admiral (we’re at the famous Seattle/Sunset street-sign mini-viewpoint waiting for it to get into better photographic range).
8:22 PM: Some spectators up here. This viewpoint likely will be good all the way until dusk, since you can see north to West Point from here. Meantime, the Foss website has linked to a photo gallery of the Bremerton departure.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
8:55 PM: Just as it gets dark, the Connie and Corbin Foss are heading out of range.
(Photo with vehicle carrier Auriga Leader passing, by Greg)
9:49 PM: Added three photos, from three photographers. (Thank you!) Corbin Foss and Constellation are expected to arrive at Long Beach for a refueling stop at mid-month; the trip around the tip of South America (as someone pointed out while talking with us during Connie Watch, it’ll be summer down there) and up to Texas is expected to take almost five months.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:36 PM: Two developments this afternoon in the case of Jean and Byron Barton, whose Morgan Junction home was foreclosed on, then auctioned off. Three weeks after King County Sheriff’s Office deputies carried out an order to evict them – followed hours later by the Bartons re-occupying the house – the property’s new owners had a court hearing today. Triangle Property Development sought an order to require the city to enforce trespassing law and get the Bartons out of the house; you’ll recall that Mayor Murray had told Seattle Police to “stand by” while legal matters played out. King County Superior Court Judge Mariane Spearman listed to arguments but did not rule immediately. This motion, by the way, did not involve the Bartons’ separate case alleging that the foreclosure was illegal. We had a crew at the hearing, as well as in the hallway outside the courtroom, where Jean Barton joined the SAFE advocacy group in a pre-hearing news conference (added: video of her brief comments):
We will add more details from both parts of the event later.
Meantime, Mayor Ed Murray‘s office forwarded a letter from the city Office of Housing, detailing its efforts to offer the Bartons help with housing, mentioning they have not taken advantage of that help so far. The letter also, toward the end, mentions that city staff visiting the Bartons’ home “observed alarming conditions inside the residence that required them to submit mandatory reports to Adult Protective Services.” Here’s the letter as a PDF – or read it, embedded, below:
They did not elaborate on the “alarming conditions.”
ADDED: In case you’re interested in the legal documents – here’s the Triangle petition:
And the city’s reply:
10 PM NOTE: Still more to add; check back in the early morning.
EARLY AM ADD: After the jump (if you are reading from the main page), co-publisher Patrick Sand‘s notes from the hearing:
(Photo taken before last Saturday’s WSOM, shared by Hotwire’s Lora Swift)
Before Friday is too far gone – we wanted to make note of a few Saturday highlights – starting with the next edition of West Seattle Outdoor Movies. Tomorrow night (August 9th) on the courtyard screen next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW; WSB sponsor), it’s the original “Blues Brothers” movie from 1980. Preshow music by Those Guys with Wrecking Yard. Bring your own chair/blanket. Free as always, but come with a few bucks if you can for nonprofit-benefiting raffles and concessions – tomorrow night’s featured beneficiary is the West Seattle Helpline. Gates open at 6:30, movie at dusk – 9-ish, but don’t try to arrive at the last minute, since the courtyard fills up fast.
Back on July 25th, we published the 17 questions City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen had sent to new SDOT director Scott Kubly, looking ahead to his confirmation hearing before the Transportation Committee, which Rasmussen chairs. That hearing is part of the committee’s agenda for next Tuesday (August 12th, 9:30 am, City Hall). From the agenda, here’s the full document with Kubly’s answers inline.
You’ll notice he also promises the requested analysis of June’s “4 miles, 5 hours” Highway 99 shutdown (most recent followup here) by September 30th.
Also on the agenda for that same meeting: Another discussion of Sound Transit‘s Long Range Plan Update. The comment period on its draft environmental-impact statement is now closed, but this is still another opportunity for questions/answers about whether the update will include a proposal for light rail serving West Seattle. Here’s the slide deck that will be shown during the Tuesday meeting – note that it also discusses the potential Ballard service, as well as “South King County,” which includes West Seattle. ST’s presenter will be Rachel Smith, whose recent West Seattle Chamber of Commerce appearance was covered here.
Today, we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor: West Seattle Window and Door, owned by Joseph Miller (right), a West Seattle resident. Joseph grew up in Seattle belonging to a family with a passion for remodeling, music and the arts. Joe’s father, Jerry Miller, lead guitar player for the legendary San Francisco rock band Moby Grape, shared his love for music and film with little Joe. This led to Joseph’s love for music; he later started his own band, Open Blue.
While finishing his degree at the University of Washington, Joseph wanted to carry on the tradition of making the neighborhoods in Seattle 
energy efficient and beautiful. With this passion he decided to start West Seattle Window & Door. He is delighted to have his mom, Michan Rhodes, on board showcasing almost 30 years’ experience in replacement window/remodel consulting & design. She has been on the Northwest window & door scene for the past 28 years and has built a stunning design oriented portfolio to show for it.
Michan Rhodes began rolling little Joe and his younger brother and sisters around the neighborhood in a red Radio Flyer wagon looking at gardens and houses, visiting with neighbors, and sharing her ideas on how to beautify and restore their homes while embracing the original charm. Giving them the facelift needed for their homes, while adding energy efficiency and value, is and has always been her mission.
West Seattle Window & Door is committed to providing Homeowners, Contractors, Builders, Architects, and Designers with a high level of expertise and technical knowledge on an array of custom quality product lines at competitive prices. We will listen to your needs, discuss and interpret your distinctive style and space, and help you come up with a personally tailored design plan.
West Seattle Window & Door is a full-service company that meets with each customer one-on-one while taking direct responsibility for each project. This process has led to a steady stream of referrals. We believe you can maximize your investment without sacrificing quality or craftsmanship. Embrace what you already have without compromising your vision.
(Above: Before & after)
We offer Leaded Glass, Wood, Vinyl, Aluminum, Fiberglass, Wood Clad, Sound Reduction, Enlarged Openings, Bay Windows, Entry Doors, French Doors, and New Construction Window Packages at competitive prices. Free design consultations! All job estimates are free! We have a showroom located on Beach Drive (by appointment only). We are looking forward to moving our showroom up to one of the Junctions just as soon as the right spot presents itself. We are that West Seattle Business that supports the neighborhood & community.
West Seattle Window and Door is licensed, bonded and insured in compliance with all Washington state laws. Find WSWD online at westseattlewindows.com.
We thank West Seattle Window and Door for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Those icons represent auto thefts in West Seattle in the past week – it’s our screengrab from a custom view of the SPD Police Reports map (you can follow that link and click individual icons on the “live” map there if you want specific locations/times). In addition to the 14 thefts on the map, we know of at least one more just today, because of this note from James:
My brother in law had his black 1999 Honda Civic, plate AND3427, stolen from the 9000 block of 34th Ave. If anyone sees it or reports an abandoned vehicle we would greatly appreciate if you would let us know.
Though the theft’s not on the map yet, it IS on the SPD @GetYourCarBack Twitter feed, which advises calling 911 if you spot a known stolen car. This area tends to average one a day, so this past week’s thefts are about twice the usual rate.
One more reader report today, from Shannon:
Just wanted to inform our neighbors that my car has been ransacked 3 times in the last month..I do leave my doors unlocked and nothing inside as we have had windows broken before. Everything was gone thru but nothing taken each time. CD’s, Stereo, change all left each time … 8100 block of 15th and Elmgrove.
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