West Seattle, Washington
19 Tuesday
Toplines from last night’s 34th District Democrats meeting, from transit funding to ballot measures:
Panographic view of the 34th District Dems monthly meeting as @NickJlicata speaks – pic.twitter.com/N5EOBzbwjy
— 34th Democrats (@34dems) July 10, 2014
TRANSIT-TAX ALTERNATIVE: Councilmember Nick Licata pitched the proposal for an employer “head tax” and increased commercial-parking tax to raise money to prevent Metro cuts in Seattle, instead of a sales-tax hike. He said there are “three strong arguments” for it – first, reliability, since sales tax is vulnerable “to downturns in our economy” but the commercial-parking tax continued to grow even during the recession years; second, he said, “it’s a stronger connection” between saving transit and parking vehicles; third, the sales tax makes the already-regressive tax situation even more regressive, and Licata thinks the city “keeps going back and back” to the sales-tax well too often. The main argument against it, he said, is that “the business community will say, why are you burdening us?” when the minimum-wage increase already is going to affect businesses and when it might make Seattle look like a bad place to do business.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Thursday! It’s the eve of West Seattle Summer Fest, with Junction street closures and bus changes starting tonight. From 6 pm until late Sunday night, California SW will be closed between Edmunds and Genesee and SW Alaska between 44th and 42nd. Here again are the announced Metro reroutes – each link goes to the Metro PDF explaining the temporary changes;
*RapidRide C Line
*Route 50
*Route 55
*Route 57
*Route 128
*Route 773 (Water Taxi shuttle)
Big milestone reunion this year! We were asked to share this reminder:
The West Seattle High School Class of 1974 40th Reunion is July 19th from 6:30 to 11:30 PM at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave SW. All tickets must be purchased by this Friday, July 11th. None will be sold at the door. To register, go to WSHS1974.com. PayPal and credit card accepted.
If that’s your reunion – have a great time!
Ever dream of ditching the day job – assuming it’s NOT your dream job – and making a living doing something you love?
West Seattle musician Richie Jenkin worked as a social worker downtown, coordinating a program for homeless men. He says it was good work he enjoyed, but the time came for it to end.
All his life, Richie had been a musician, sometimes in clubs, sometimes in bands, sometimes teaching guitar, sometimes playing at home alone, or with friends. So as his social-work job started to wind down, he wondered what was ahead. First, he says, “I began teaching guitar again, and when I had built up a big-enough student load, I resigned from my day job. Thoughts ran through my head about doing some recording of songs, but I took no action. Six months went by. One morning while sitting quietly in my music room, and without prior thought, I got up and walked over to my recording equipment that had been lying dormant for many years, and began work on a version of an old favorite folk song: ‘500 Miles.’ “
In the three years since then, Richie says, he has been consumed with writing, playing, singing and recording songs, both originals and covers. He continues teaching. And now he has released a CD, “Richie Jenkin: New Songs,” a product of his new life. Here’s a sample track:
You can hear more of his album at his website, richiejenkin.com. It is also available for download from iTunes and from Amazon.
After multiple reports of this dog wandering Lincoln Park, possibly for days, we mentioned it on the WSB Lost/Found Pets page, and after no owners stepped forward, animal rescuers got involved. The dog has just been humanely trapped and is in rescuers’ care, and we’re helping cast a wide net to see if anyone has any idea who it belongs to. Here’s who to contact: Jim at Useless Bay Sanctuary, 206-552-0304 or uselessbaysanctuary@gmail.com, who says so far it’s believed to be female, about 55 pounds, no chip detected yet. For more of the backstory, see the Pets page item and its comment section. Thanks!
It’s a huge summer for West Seattle Little League, with, as previously noted here, teams in the state championship tournaments, and one of those tournaments happening right here at the WSLL’s home fields, Bar-S on Alki Point. Updates on all of the above:
(Photo courtesy WSLL)
9-10 ALL-STARS’ FUNDRAISER: This team is raising money for its travel expenses to get to the state tournament in Richland this weekend, and you have one more chance to buy raffle tickets (and/or make donations), 4-6 pm tomorrow (Thursday) at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) and Admiral Safeway. Some of the items being raffled are listed here.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP WITH THE TOURNAMENT: Current and past WSLL families are being asked to volunteer to help the league with various things during the week of the tournament at Bar-S, July 12th-19th – find out more here about how to get involved.
VISITORS’ GUIDE TO BAR-S: Going to the games during the 11-12 state tournament? Parking, shuttle, and other information that will be helpful whether you’re coming from West Seattle – or from outside the metro area – is in the “Visitors’ Guide to Bar-S“; see it here. At the Bar-S tournament, the WSLL team‘s first game is Saturday at 1 pm vs. Camas (here’s the full bracket/schedule).
It doesn’t get much fresher than a stand selling organic produce right next to the big garden where it’s grown, and that’s what’s happening until 7 pm at the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand (32nd/Juneau), during this season’s first weekly opportunity for public purchases. Here’s the produce/price list for this week:
High Point is one of two Market Gardens that are part of the city Department of Neighborhoods community-gardening program. The produce stand will be open to the public every Wednesday, 4-7 pm, through the end of September.
One Saturday night in July of last year, a pickup truck sped through a red light on southbound Delridge Way at Kenyon, hit an SUV (its wreckage is at right), and rolled. 43-year-old Michael Fisher was thrown from the truck and died at the scene; another passenger was hurt, as was the SUV’s driver. The pickup’s under-the-influence driver, 44-year-old William Edmon, was arrested that night and has since pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment. We just discovered it in a periodic check of ongoing case files; the plea was entered in late May. Edmon has a long record, as reported here when he was charged last year, including 13 instances of driving with a suspended license, three DUI cases, and cases including inattentive driving, ignition-interlock violation, reckless driving, property destruction, harassment, hit-and-run, malicious mischief, plus several “failure to appear” charges along the way. Because of his record, prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence that would total 160 months – just over 13 years – with 72 of those months as a “DUI enhancement.” The sentencing is scheduled for July 25th, postponed from a date last month so the victim’s relatives can be present.
Four months after regional media first reported allegations that three people – including two off-duty Seattle firefighters – attacked a homeless man downtown, the City Attorney’s Office has filed criminal charges, and court documents confirm that one defendant is a West Seattle resident.
The incident happened in March at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Occidental Park downtown.
(UPDATED THURSDAY with fire’s cause, damage estimate)
(WSB photo by Katie Meyer)
12:21 PM: Now there’s another fire call in Highland Park – this one for a house in the 7500 block of 11th SW (map). First crews on the scene are seeing smoke.
12:26 PM UPDATE: Fire crews say the house is fully engulfed in flames. Per scanner, they’re saying they’ve been told no one is inside. It’s a duplex and they report the fire is “knocked down.”
(This photo and next by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
1:10 PM UPDATE: WSB’s Katie Meyer confirms from the scene that everyone got out OK, including a cat and dog. Firefighters are still working to figure out how the fire started.
2:04 PM UPDATE: Also from the scene, WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports that SFD plans to keep a crew there on “fire watch” in case it rekindles.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore says the investigation determined the fire was caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials, discarded into a couch. The damage estimate is $60,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.”
(Seattle Fire Department photo via Twitter)
12:01 PM: The big Seattle Fire response is for an industrial building in the 7000 block of Highland Park Way SW, near the intersection with West Marginal Way SW. SFD describes it via Twitter as a machinery fire and says all employees have been evacuated.
12:05 PM: Per scanner, the fire is declared “tapped.” The address checks to Pioneer Industries/Human Services. Firefighters are working to ventilate the building because of the smoke.
12:57 PM: SFD says the fire was “limited to a bin of metals” and that the “smoking bin” is being taken out of the building.
1:25 PM: SFD also has tweeted a picture of the aforementioned bin:
Pic of metal bin that was on fire. Mobile ventilation unit being used to air out building pic.twitter.com/WFqdf6aAeT
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) July 9, 2014
That photo was taken on the grounds of the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, shortly after its 1917 opening. Though it’s not in service as a public school any more, it’s part of the heart of the Fauntleroy community, and that’s why planning is already accelerating for the schoolhouse’s centennial celebration. Fauntleroy communicator/community advocate Judy Pickens shares this information on how to help, starting now:
The Fauntleroy Schoolhouse will turn 100 in 2017, and a planning committee is laying the groundwork for several events to honor “A Century of Serving the Community.” Here’s how you might help:
§ Photos and memorabilia from your time at the school, either donated or loaned.
§ To build a database, your full name, contact information, and year(s) you were a student or staff member at the school.
§ Centennial event planning. If you would like to help, meet at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, at the Original Bakery.
If you can help with any of the above, please email faunt.schoolhouse100years@gmail.com.
The first centennial event will be an open house next May. Grander celebrations will follow in 2017.
The schoolhouse (file photo above) has been community-owned since the purchase from Seattle Public Schools was completed four years ago.
Thanks to Mark Wangerin for today’s featured photo, a rhinoceros auklet photographed off Duwamish Head. Mark explains:
This bird shows the breeding plumage well. The Auklets are Puffin relatives and feed by diving for fish and “fly” underwater. They are fairly difficult to photograph in that they prefer deeper water and tend not to get too close to shore. They do come close occasionally and can be seen from our shoreline. When approached by boat they escape by diving under the water. Photography is quite difficult from a moving boat on choppy seas.
Back on land, today’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
BLOOD DRIVE: Summer is a challenging time for keeping supplies up at Puget Sound Blood Center – so if you can give, please do, at today’s Our Lady of Guadalupe blood drive, 1-7 pm (closed 3-3:45 pm) – details in our calendar listing. (35th/Myrtle)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN: Today’s the first of 12 Wednesdays this summer/fall when you can visit the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand 4-7 pm and buy organic produce that was grown just steps away. Here’s our preview from earlier this week. (32nd/Juneau)
CANCELLIERI AT SALTY’S: Live acoustic folk on what promises to be another beautiful evening on the water, starting at 5:30 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), no cover, no minimum. (1936 Harbor SW)
CANDIDATE RECEPTION: As previewed here Tuesday, you can meet and talk one-on-one with more than 20 candidates/elected officials from around the area at tonight’s reception at The Sanctuary at Admiral, co-sponsored by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Seattle Business Association. (California/Lander)
TALK WITH COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN: West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s next “Little City Hall” conversation opportunity is tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 6 pm. Question? Comment? Idea? Drop by. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Rasmussen is one of two City Councilmembers on the agenda tonight for our area’s largest political group. As previewed here last night, Councilmember Nick Licata is scheduled to speak about the alternative tax proposal he and Councilmember Kshama Sawant have proposed to raise money to avoid Metro Transit cuts in Seattle city limits; the 34th DDs will be considering endorsing it. Rasmussen is scheduled to speak about the August 5th ballot measure to create a permanent Park District for extra Seattle Parks money (he spoke about it at last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, and we’ll have that story here later today). See the rest of the agenda here. (9131 California SW)
MUSIC BINGO AT THE CASK: Described as “a cross between bingo, trivia, and karaoke” at The Cask (WSB sponsor) – starts at 7 pm. (2350 California SW)
AND MORE NIGHTLIFE … on our calendar!
Now just two days until West Seattle Summer Fest – and the countdown continues with news for parents of babies and toddlers: Again this year, Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) wants you to know that its booth “will have a cozy place for moms to nurse their babies and for parents to change diapers … We’ll be located right across from Northwest Art & Frame as usual.”
You can also find the booth number for Nurturing Expressions (and any other local business or visiting vendor that’s part of the festival) on the online directory here – then find the number on this map. And during the festival, we’ll be in the Information Booth for the seventh year, right in the middle of California/Alaska, so if you can’t find something/someone, we and the community-organization volunteers joining us will do our best to help. Festival hours are 10 am-8 pm Friday/Saturday (with music running later) and 11 am-8 pm Sunday.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! While we watch the roads, first reminder of the day – California SW paving between Holly and Fauntleroy is scheduled to continue today, and Morgan Junction businesses remind you they ARE open, even if the California-fronting access is blocked.
SUMMER FEST REMINDER: Tomorrow (Thursday) night at 6 until late Sunday night, California SW will be closed between Edmunds and Genesee and SW Alaska between 44th and 42nd for West Seattle Summer Fest (presented by the WS Junction Association, co-sponsored by WSB). Here again are the announced Metro reroutes – each link goes to the Metro PDF explaining the temporary changes;
*RapidRide C Line
*Route 50
*Route 55
*Route 57
*Route 128
*Route 773 (Water Taxi shuttle)
Transportation news in case you missed it:
BIKE CORRAL ON THE WAY: As first reported here Tuesday afternoon, the stalemate over installing on-street bicycle parking (a “bike corral”) in The Junction is over, and SDOT says it will be in place on the west side of the SE corner of California/Alaska by month’s end.
SEATTLE TAXES TO AVOID METRO CUTS? As previewed here last night, Councilmember Nick Licata will be at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting tonight (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy) to pitch his and Councilmember Kshama Sawant‘s alternative proposal, which also goes before a council committee this afternoon.
If Seattle’s going to increase taxes to raise money to avoid bus cuts, which (if any) taxes would you prefer? As reported here two months ago, Councilmembers Nick Licata and Kshama Sawant are proposing commercial parking and employer “head” taxes instead of the sales-tax increase favored by Mayor Murray. Licata will be at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy tomorrow night to pitch the idea and seek the group’s endorsement, after the proposal comes up for a discussion and possible vote by the Council Finance and Culture Committee (which he chairs) at 2 pm – read the proposal here. In short, the proposal would raise commercial-parking taxes 5 percent, to 17.5%, and create a “head tax” of $18 per employee per year. The council could pass it without sending it to voters. Here’s the resolution the 34th Dems will consider at their meeting; the agenda is here.)
(WSB file photo)
Just in case this isn’t already on your calendar: A West Seattle summer-outdoor-music tradition is just one week away – 7 pm next Tuesday (July 15th), the West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, featuring the West Seattle Big Band. Bring your family, friends, picnic dinner, blanket and/or chairs, and enjoy great music for free on the east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California, but the concert area faces Walnut, to the east).
4:42 PM: In South Admiral, the big fire/police response in the past 15 minutes or so was for an “automobile rescue” call at Walnut and Hinds (map). Turned out not to be as bad as reported, so many of the responding units have been canceled. Our crew is en route to find out more.
5:04 PM UPDATE: Added a photo. We’re told the car was stolen from a lot at/near the YMCA building in The Triangle; it hit a tree. Police say a juvenile from the car was injured and taken to a hospital; others were in the car and took off running.
5:47 PM UPDATE: Added a photo that includes the tree (thanks to Paul for sending).
7:37 PM UPDATE: The photo above this line was sent by Mark, whose tree was hit in the crash. He tells us, “This is the 3rd accident of this type (my other huge cedar got hit by some joyriding kid last year) at this location in 7 years. … The city needs to put in traffic circles here. If I had been home, they would have totaled my car, because that is exactly where I park every night.”
THURSDAY AFTERNOON NOTE: We’ve been trying for a couple days to get more information from police. So far, one important update from the information originally available at the scene – the person who was hurt, and trapped in the car, was a passenger, not the driver. We’re still following up on a few more points before writing an update.
FIRST REPORT, 4:35 PM: A week and a half ago, we published an open letter decrying the delay in installing the planned West Seattle Junction bike corral. Today, in a comment on that letter, an SDOT spokesperson says there’s a resolution and installment is nigh:
We’ve been working with the developer at this corner on a system for requesting temporary closure or removal of the corral should construction require access to the entire frontage curb space. In the meantime, we are planning to move forward with the installation of the corral on the east side of California Ave SW, immediately south of Alaska St, and expect this to happen later this month.
The city already has 25 bike corrals (see the list, and a photo of what they’re like, by scrolling down this page) – but none in West Seattle; this will be the first.
ADDED 9:55 PM: West Seattle Bike Connections has been working to make this happen and sent this news release tonight:
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Three days until West Seattle Summer Fest – our area’s biggest party of the year, in the heart of The Junction, Friday-Sunday, July 11th-13th. We’re continuing to roll out previews of what you can see and do, and today we have an update from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, 
which will have a booth at the fair to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the “high bridge,” partnering with Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor). SWSHS’s Clay Eals sends word that in honor of another anniversary – the state’s 125th birthday – you can “meet” Seymour History at the booth. That’s Seymour at left; he is a 10-inch-high doll replica of an Olympic Marmot, the state’s official land mammal, available for photo ops at the booth, where you can also enter a contest to win him or other prizes including two “History Is Not for Wimps” T-shirts, the book “Washington Curiosities,” and four guest passes to the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. If you stop by the booth 11 am-3 pm on Summer Fest day 1 this Friday, you’ll also meet staffers from the Washington State Historical Society; other hours, SWSHS volunteers will do double duty as Seymour’s handlers, while also leading the bridge-a-versary activities including an interactive art opportunity and more chances to buy commemorative T-shirts and coffee beans. Get ready for everything Summer Fest has to offer by browsing the official site here.
Today is the deadline for advance registration for an event tomorrow night offering you the chance to mix, mingle, and chat one-on-one with more than 20 candidates/elected officials from around the region. It’s co-presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Seattle Business Association, 5:30-7:30 pm Wednesday at The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander). We checked with WS Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis to find out about the format and who has RSVP’d. She confirms, no political speeches – but if you want to do a bit more than just wander around the room, a “bingo-mingle card” will be offered with suggestions of who to look for, including West Seattle business owners (fill in 5 of the 9 bingo squares and you’ll be able to enter a drawing for free airline tickets from Alaska/Horizon Air, the event sponsor). Click ahead for the list of who’s RSVP’d, who’s likely, and how to get a ticket (with the discount rate for WSCC/GSBA members expiring end-of-day today):
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(WSB photo taken this morning)
Just drove through Morgan Junction near the California SW paving zone. While the east-west part of the main intersection is open, unimpeded, right now, it’s one lane each way in the actual paving zone between Fauntleroy and Holly, and that means no street parking next to the businesses on the west side of the street. On behalf of their business and others in the area, Second Gear Sports asked if we’d remind you (a) they ARE open as usual despite the road work, which is scheduled to continue until Wednesday evening, and (b) there’s still other parking you can use while you’re visiting the businesses – alongside/behind the Subway/Pet Elements/WS Vision/Starbucks building, or across California in the Thriftway or BECU ATM (etc.) lots.
(2012 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
How did more than 600 “bearing pad” cushions get installed on the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the West Seattle Bridge with a design flaw that made them too soft? The City Council Transportation Committee got a few more answers in a briefing this morning. The agenda including that briefing is what led to our report last Friday about the problem, which means that much of the work done two years ago, requiring multiple nighttime closures so the bridge deck could be jacked up for bearing-pad installation, will be re-done next year.
First: What exactly was the problem?
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