West Seattle, Washington
21 Thursday
(WSDOT photo, added 3:27 pm)
WSDOT has just announced results of the recent Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection, and says they’ll need a followup inspection as a result:
Washington State Department of Transportation bridge engineers have scheduled an additional in-depth inspection of the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct on Saturday, March 22.
During the viaduct’s most recent inspection on March 1, engineers observed new cracks, as well as movement and widening of existing cracks along girders and supports near Spring and Seneca streets. While the viaduct remains safe for travel, engineers need a second inspection to gather more information about the cracks before they can make repairs. The inspection requires a one-day closure that will take place Saturday, March 22. Details of the closure will be available soon.
During the March 22 inspection, engineers will conduct an in-depth evaluation of the area, perform tests to determine how the cracks respond to heavy loads on the viaduct, and look for other issues. They will also install monitoring devices on the columns to track the movement and growth of the cracks over time. They will use this data to help identify potential repairs. If additional work is needed, such as filling the cracks with epoxy, further closures will be required.
This section of the viaduct is more than a half-mile north of the current location of the SR 99 tunneling machine. While the cause of these cracks is still to be determined, it is not related to tunneling activity.
No other significant changes to the viaduct were observed during the March 1 inspection. …
Read the entire news release here; see the Viaduct’s inspection history here.
Thanks to Matthew Olson for the photo of one of West Seattle’s wonderful waterfowl – a harlequin duck. Floating on into the calendar, we find:
TODDLER INDOOR GYM: If it’s rainy this morning/afternoon, this drop-in gym, 10 am-1 pm, might be a good alternative; at Hiawatha Community Center. (2700 California SW)
SPRING SALE STARTS AT WEST SEATTLE CYCLERY: Brad Loetel at West Seattle Cyclery (WSB sponsor) in The Junction says the shop’s spring sale starts today and continues for a week, with “great prices and discounts on everything in the store” (open today 10 am-7 pm):
50% OFF MSRP: 2013 Bikes, Sugoi Clothing and Closeout Accessories
20% OFF MSRP: All 2014 Bikes in Stock
20% OFF MSRP: All Clothing and Accessories in Stock
20% OFF All Tune Packages and Service Parts
20% OFF All Service Parts used for A La Carte Service
(4508 California SW)
HOMEWORK HELP AT LOCAL LIBRARIES: Three months left in the school year – if the student in your life needs some help, Seattle Public Library homework help might be in order. Today, it’s available at 3 pm at High Point Branch Library, 4 pm at Delridge Branch Library.
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the NDNC’s agenda includes Giulia Pasciuto, city researcher on the study featured here a week ago about women and food access in the Delridge area, plus Seattle Police Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon, focusing on Brandon safety issues. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM CAPTAIN MEETING: 6:30 tonight, it’s the first team captains’ meeting for this year’s West Seattle Relay for Life, the all-night event that raises money to fight cancer. It’s happening in the science lab at Seattle Lutheran High School – just look for the signs. (41st/Genesee)
(Photo substituted 9:27 am for traffic-camera image that was here previously)
8:32 AM: Huge response, including units from across the bridge, rushing to 3922 SW Alaska – the Spruce construction site. The callout is for a “major natural-gas leak.” Updates shortly.
8:50 AM: Added the traffic camera showing emergency vehicles on the north side of Alaska.
8:58 AM: Our crew says Puget Sound Energy has just arrived, and workers from the site are across the street by Trader Joe’s until they get the all-clear:
Traffic IS getting by.
9:13 AM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says crews shut off the gas before PSE arrived. No injuries reported.
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Monday! Traffic watch is under way. And we have major closures this week:
HIGHWAY 99 OVERNIGHT CLOSURES: Tonight is the first of four overnight closures for Highway 99, both ways between East Marginal Way and S. Atlantic, 9 pm-5 am, including the ramp from the West Seattle Bridge to northbound 99. This work will basically complete the Spokane St. Overcrossing (former Timber Bridge) south of the West Seattle Bridge, as explained here.
Speaking of Highway 99 …
TUNNEL-TOLL TALK TODAY: Aside from the ongoing tunneling trouble, WSDOT continues working on the issue of what toll(s) to charge once the tunnel is open. The committee working on that is leaning toward a recommendation that would be around $1.25 peak periods/$1 offpeak, and today, the concept will be presented to City Councilmembers in a 2:30 pm briefing. See the slide deck here. The briefing will be during the council’s meeting as the Committee on Central Waterfront, Seawall, and Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, and you can see it live via the Seattle Channel, online or on cable.
8:36 AM: As noted in a separate story, there is an emergency callout at the Spruce construction site (former “Hole,” 3922 SW Alaska), likely to mean backups right there at Fauntleroy/Alaska TFN.
11:15 AM: One more piece of Highway 99 news – a followup inspection will close the Alaskan Way Viaduct on Saturday, March 22nd, WSDOT has announced.
12:42 PM: Westbound lower bridge is backed up, according to multiple sources in Twitter – Steph says it’s a broken-down semi-truck.
You might have heard by now about the 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the far-northern California coast a little more than an hour ago. It could be seen on at least two official seismographs in West Seattle that are part of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network – above, the online display from the detector at the Alki stormwater-treatment plant; below, the one at Holy Rosary (which is a bit busier):
So far, no word of notable damage from the 10:18 pm quake 50 miles west of Eureka, California, according to former WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams, who lives and works there now. For us, yet another wakeup call – do you have your go bag? Know where your communication hub is? Browse westseattlebeprepared.org next time you can spare a few minutes.
P.S. Thanks to Skies Over West Seattle correspondent Alice Enevoldsen for the tip about the local seismographs,
(Photo courtesy Seattle Audubon)
Love the natural world that’s all around us? Volunteer to teach local elementary-school students about it! West Seattle’s own Sanislo Elementary is one of two schools where Seattle Audubon will place volunteers – provided they step up to help!
Want hands-on experience teaching science to kids? Seattle Audubon is looking for volunteers for its environmental education program at Sanislo and Graham Hill Elementary Schools!
Seattle Audubon’s Finding Urban Nature (FUN) is an environmental education program for Seattle Public Schools students. It introduces 3rd and 4th graders to the natural world in their own schoolyard habitats. FUN students participate in 4, one-hour lessons, over the course of 4 weeks during the month of April. Each lesson takes about one hour per classroom (usually 2 classrooms per school), and volunteers work with small groups of 5-7 students at a time. Training is provided and a background check is required.
Seattle Audubon provides environmental education at no cost to the district, so it relies on volunteers. Can you help? Please respond by 3/14/2014.
If you’re interested, please e-mail Marieke – mariekes@seattleaudubon.org.
Seattle Police say somebody fired a gun during a street fight overnight in Gatewood. 911 calls reported up to 100 teenagers fighting near 36th and Othello (map) around midnight; just as officers were getting there, other calls reported a possible shot fired. Police say they saw about 30 teens as they arrived, all of whom fled. They also found a shell casing on the street and what the SPD Blotter report describes as “two intoxicated adult male victims,” one of whom told them that several male suspects wearing black clothing and black ski masks got out of a black car and tried to fight him, with one pulling out a gun and firing it into the air. No injuries, no arrests.
Shared by his family, here’s the “larger than life” life story of Frank Novito, whose memorial service is planned for next Saturday at Holy Rosary Church:
Frank Novito, a lifelong resident of West Seattle, died peacefully at Providence Mt. St. Vincent on March 7, 2014.
Frank was born to Joseph and Mary Novito, who had immigrated from Italy, and true to the American Dream, owned several successful dry-cleaning businesses in the West Seattle and Morgan Street Junctions. Frank attended Lafayette, James Madison, and West Seattle High School.
While still a student, Frank would ride his bike down to Alki to work at Lloyd’s Boathouse before school every morning, and then back up Fairmount Avenue to WSHS for his classes. He quickly became known among Lloyd’s customers for his fishing prowess out in Elliott Bay, and became a favorite of those who wanted to know where the “prime” fishing spots were. He had many stories to tell of near-misses with ferries in the dense fog.
After high school, Frank went to work as a riveter at Boeing, and just like in the movies, he met his bride-to-be, Helen Gembolis, who was his “bucker.” They married in 1944 and had three children, Wanda, Gail and Ralph, all who attended Holy Rosary School. He served in the Army until the war ended, when “Old Mr. Fiedler” took a shine to Frank and offered him a sales job at Gene Fiedler Chevrolet, where Frank sold cars for over 40 years, often ranking as the top salesman in the entire Pacific Northwest. Frank had enduring friendships with many return customers.
West Seattle Lions president Jimie Martin says everybody’s invited – and that means you! One week from tomorrow, Monday, March 17th On March 15th, the Lions are hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at the Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction: “Festivities start at 5:30, dinner served at 6.” $15/person for corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, salad, bread, desserts, music, fun, and, they promise, “surprises.” Get your green on and go.
Two West Seattle Junction development notes:
CALIFORNIA/ALASKA/42ND CRANE UP: No, you weren’t seeing double. Two cranes are now up in one square block. The newest – in the foreground of the photo above – is for Equity Residential‘s two-building project at California/Alaska/42nd. That’s just a bit north of the one that’s been up since September for 4730 California. The new crane is rooted just east of the alley that splits its site:
The Equity project will total ~200 apartments with ~270 underground parking spaces. In all, there are now four cranes up in West Seattle – these two, the one over Spruce (formerly “The Hole”) at Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th, and the one for The Blake at 5020 California, which likely won’t be up much longer, as the building has topped out.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Back to the 4730 California project, next Friday (March 14th) its “Level 2” concrete slab will be poured, and the general contractor Compass Construction says that means a lane closure:
Northbound California Avenue SW will be closed during the pour from SW Edmunds Street to SW Alaska St. Uniformed police officers will direct traffic around the closure. The pour starts at 7:00 am and should last about 6 hours. We have the 17th reserved as a backup day. The midblock crosswalk will remain open during the pour.
This project is owned by The Wolff Company.
The 4800 block of 21st SW on Puget Ridge (map) is open again now that Seattle Fire units have cleared that crash scene. The driver of the car that hit the tree (which is atop a sloping stretch of West Duwamish Greenbelt open-space) was taken to Harborview Medical Center; her injuries were not major, according to emergency-radio information. A tow truck just arrived as we were leaving the scene, so the car will be gone soon too.
Three reader reports this morning in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN SUV: Tony reports from Gatewood this morning, “A 2000 tan Chevy Blazer was stolen on the corner of 39th and Willow. Be watchful, the car was taken from the driveway of the homeowner around 3:00 am.” Plate: ANJ1117. (Side note – the SPD crime-reports map shows 8 other auto-theft cases in the past week, a lower rate than last time we checked the big picture.)
HIT-AND-RUN #1: From Randy – this happened early Saturday on Genesee Hill:
About 3 am, the police were heard knocking on our front door. They informed me that our car was hit by an apparent hit-and-run driver. Our Saab was spun 180 degrees and came to rest against a utility pole. We had owned the car since new, 1988, and would save it if we could, but it is beyond repair. It can be utilized as an organ donor. The car was parked on SW Genesee outside our home kitty-corner from Genesee (Hill) Elementary School. The hit-and-run driver has not surfaced.
HIT-AND-RUN #2: Christine reported this via the WSB Facebook page:
(Friday) night around 7 just north of the post office on California, my visiting parents’ rental car was struck in a hit and run. There were some people out walking dogs and 1 nice women thought she saw the women who hit the car and them apparently a boyfriend came to help get the car and took off!
Contact police with info on any of the above – or any other crime. P.S. The next community crime-fighting meeting is a week from Tuesday; the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets March 18th, 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).
(Eagle at Alki, photographed by Danny McMillin, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Good morning – are your timekeeping devices all caught up? Here are the time-pegged highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction. Market managers tell us a new vendor from West Seattle debuts today – Flight to Lebanon Foods, based in Delridge, offering Lebanese food. Go say hi to proprietor Arze Wehbe and the other vendors you’ll find at the market today. (44th/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: 11 am at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point. Find out more about the league via its Facebook page. (31st/Myrtle)
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES: As previewed again last night, the 34th District Democrats invite you to the district caucuses today at 1 pm at the Evergreen Campus – if you’re a Democrat, be there to start the road toward 2016. (830 SW 116th, White Center)
WEST SEATTLE GREEN SPACE COALITION: Six pieces of long-idle public property – will they become private property, or is there a way to keep some or all of them as community open space? The group working on that, the West Seattle Green Space Coalition, invites you to its 3 pm meeting today at Delridge Branch Library. Here’s an update published here Saturday. (5401 Delridge Way SW)
FOLK MUSIC AT C & P: 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), live folk music with Stefanie Robbins & The Straight Shooters and Cynthia Marie. (5612 California SW)
LADIES MUSICAL CLUB: Free concert at West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library, with works for piano plus a Bach cantata. 3 pm. (2306 42nd SW)
‘THIRD’: First matinee performance of ArtsWest‘s current production “Third,” by Wendy Wasserstein. 3 pm. (4711 California SW)
BOOZE, BALLS, AND BINGO = BENEFIT! Camp Ten Trees is the beneficiary for tonight’s edition of drag bingo at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 5:30 pm, hosted by Tru St. James. (6451 California SW)
That’s a WSB file photo of the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One – which helps in other jurisdictions too, including Seattle – and next Thursday afternoon, you just might notice it over south Highland Park and Greenbridge. White Center Heights Elementary PTA president David Sonsteng sent early warning of the plan. Kindergarteners are “working on their community-helpers module in class,” he explains, so Thursday (March 13) 1:25 pm-2:25 pm, they will “get to meet some of these community helpers.” In addition to Guardian One, they’re scheduled to meet KCSO Deputy BJ Myers (who’s based out of the downtown WC storefront office), a fire engine from the North Highline Fire District, and an ambulance from AMR. We’ll remind you again that day, but if you might be anywhere near the area, store away the info. (The school is at 10015 6th SW.)
Tomorrow’s the day that Democrats from West Seattle, White Center, Vashon/Maury Islands, and the rest of the 34th Legislative District are invited to caucus – “the first step in the journey toward the all-important 2016 election,’ per the 34th District Democrats‘ official caucus call. Registration starts at 1 pm at the Evergreen Campus, 830 SW 116th in White Center (map). While they aren’t voting on candidates – too soon for that – the “first step” includes electing delegates to June’s statewide convention, and collecting resolutions and platform issues for next month’s countywide convention. (State Republicans are not caucusing this year.)
How rainy is it? In the late afternoon, West Seattle-based environmental advocate “Diver Laura” James – whose specialties include stormwater-runoff education – caught these maxed-out sewer covers at the east dead-end of Yancy between West Seattle Athletic Club and Longfellow Creek (map).
The National Weather Service has two alerts out for our area – a Special Weather Statement that warns the rain “has led to an increased threat of landslides in Western Washington … The threat will increase tonight into midday Sunday as heavy rain affects the area. Several inches of rain over the past several days has increased soil moisture to high levels across Western Washington,” and a Flood Watch that speaks for itself. Here, by the way, is the runoff’s outfall to Longfellow, as noted by Laura:
To find out how to minimize the toxicity of what’s in runoff water, check out tox-ick.org. You can also check this real-time map to see which marked outfalls have combined-sewer overflows happening right now, the same kind of overflows that city and county projects under way now are aiming to reduce.
P.S. The NWS says the official gauge at Sea-Tac has collected almost four inches of rain in the first week of March – ending yesterday.
Two meetings in the next four days will deal with the six ex-substations City Light is getting rid of:
GREEN SPACE COALITION TOMORROW: Can’t make meetings on weeknights? The West Seattle Green Space Coalition, working on the future of six City Light-owned ex-substation sites in our area, invites you to its meeting tomorrow afternoon:
The West Seattle Green Space Coalition will meet Sunday, March 9 at 3:00 pm at the West Seattle (Delridge) Public Library. Topics will include follow-up on the WSGSC’s March 5th meeting with representatives from Seattle City Light and Tom Rasmussen regarding SCL’s project to decide within months what to do with former substations that have sat idle for decades, including ones in West Seattle. We made good progress on how to work with the City to come up with best ways to give the Neighborhoods more time to keep these open spaces for the community.
Here’s our report on the Wednesday tour mentioned above. Then on Wednesday:
CITY COUNCIL ENERGY COMMITTEE: A briefing on the ex-substations is on the agenda for the 9:30 am Wednesday (March 12th) meeting of the Energy Committee, chaired by Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Mary Fleck from the WSGSC is among those who will be participating. You can see the city’s slide deck here, including this slide outlining what happens next:
The Wednesday meeting is in council chambers at City Hall downtown; there will be a public comment period.
1:08 PM: Thanks to Diane and Keith for the tip: Police and fire are blocking 37th in Admiral, near Hinds (map), in the aftermath of a crash. Diane reports a private ambulance has arrived – no medic unit was dispatched, indicating no life-threatening injuries – and that there’s debris in the street. So if you have to get around in that area, avoid 37th for a while.
2:16 PM UPDATE: The road’s open again, Diane reports. And Keith sent photos that we’re adding – in the one immediately above this paragraph, he says the car in the background by the ambulance also was damaged. Both mention one person transported by ambulance.
Students from Middle College High School (based at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center) are doing it – and you can do it too! Deborah Vandermar from the High Point Neighborhood Association shares the photos and an update on Keep High Point Green:
Keep High Point Green (KHPG) is a project that evolved last year as a community response to High Point’s need for weed control and its commitment to sending only clean water to Longfellow creek by avoiding the use of herbicides. HP Open Spaces Association assigned 30 plots including park beds, roundabouts, and parking strips to the The High Point Neighborhood Association (HPNA) for maintenance.
KHPG has been organizing teams of neighbors in and around High Point into teams to weed and providing ongoing classes that include garden analysis, plant selection and garden design. These classes are conducted by green gardening experts such as Vera Johnson of the Village Green Perennial Nursery and Janice Nyman, Architect and Landscape Designer.
The HPNA won a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to cover child care, translation, and outreach so that all members of the High Point Community can be engaged. Seattle Public Utilities partnered with KHPG to produce a film about weeding featuring Garden Hotline teachers Katie Vincent and Justin Maltry. It will be on SPU’s YouTube site shortly. Other projects include a large garden fence mural by YELS in Hip-hop style.
Our first team of gardeners, students from Middle College High School, started Thursday at Morgan & Sylvan. In spite of the cold and rain, they were enthusiastic and began the conquest of vetch that has taken over the south west corner of Commons Park.
Anyone can join a gardening team in High Point. Classes, tools, mulch and plants are free. Volunteer opportunities include bringing snacks, taking pictures, working with kids, fixing fences, outreach, doing research for theme gardens and more.
For more information, contact Deborah at 206-225-5627 or dvandermar@gmail.com. And check out more about the Middle College HS students’ work here!
The city’s trying to find a way for Seattle families to have access to affordable, voluntary “Preschool for All,” and wants to hear from you about how it might work. 6-8 pm Thursday (March 13th) you can come to a West Seattle meeting – with free dinner and child care – to share your thoughts and ideas. It’ll be at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW); here’s the official flyer, listing some of the specific topics they want to talk about. The child care is for ages 2-8 and if you’d like to take advantage of it, e-mail upk@seattle.gov with the number of children you’ll be bringing and their ages.
(Male Anna’s hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Saturday! Notes and events:
TRAFFIC ALERT: I-5 expansion-joint work continues; tonight until Monday morning, WSDOT is closing up to 3 northbound collector-distributor lanes downtown. The main lanes remain open, as do exits (follow the link to see a map), but this could still lead to some backups.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS TONIGHT: OK, technically tomorrow (Sunday) morning, 2 am.
ADMIRAL ADOPT-A-STREET CLEANUP: 9 am, join the Admiral Neighborhood Association outside Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) and spend a few hours helping beautify your community. Perks, too, as noted in our preview. Young helpers welcome too. (41st/Admiral Way)
INTERNET BASICS, 1 & 2: Know someone who isn’t quite Web-savvy? This class might be just what they need. 11 am-12:30 pm at the High Point Branch Library. Call quick to see if there’s still room – registration is required. Details in our calendar listing. (35th/Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Pre-spring cleaning? Fixing? The West Seattle Tool Library is open 11 am-4 pm on Saturdays, on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
DUWAMISH RIVER, THE FIRST 15,000 YEARS: 1-3 pm presentation by geologist Devin O’Reilly, sharing how glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes & humans have shaped the river. Free; more information here. Duwamish Longhouse. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
PATHFINDER K-8 AUCTION: 5 pm in Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor), it’s the Pathfinder K-8 School auction, themed “Starry Night in the Woods” this year. (6000 16th SW)
3 PLAY RICOCHET: “Bluegrass, Old-Time, Ragtime, & String-Band Americana” music, live, with 3 Play Ricochet at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
By Tracy Record & Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
For the first time in the two weeks a King County Superior Court jury has spent hearing the case in the second-degree-murder trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers, they have heard his voice.
As is standard in a criminal trial, the defendant is in the courtroom for all on-the-record proceedings, so the 15 jurors (including three alternates) have seen Chambers (at right, WSB courthouse-hallway photo from Wednesday) day in and day out. But he has not been on the witness stand. Thursday afternoon, before the trial went into recess until Monday (March 10th), prosecutors played parts of the video recording made during the hours he spent in a Seattle Police interview room – sometimes alone, sometimes with SPD personnel – after the January 21, 2012, shooting by Morgan Junction Park that left 35-year-old Travis Hood dead.
The video playback came while Detective Cloyd Steiger was on the witness stand. It happened in two somewhat lengthy stretches – the first was mostly quiet, in which Chambers appeared to be resting on a chair in the corner. (The jury watched on the wide-screen monitor used to show evidence; the defense, and gallery, were in view of a laptop screen from which the video was being played back.)
(Photo courtesy Jaydee)
Though some clouds were around at sunset, as our Skies Over West Seattle correspondent Alice Enevoldsen tweeted a little while ago, it’s a great night for stargazing. And for walking, which Laddie and Polly did, from Alki to Anchor Park:
(Photo courtesy Christine)
Earlier – even for wading:
(Photo by John Hinkey)
Thanks to everyone who shared photos! P.S. Remember Daylight Saving Time arrives tomorrow night – 2 am Sunday; spring is less than two weeks away – March 20th.
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