West Seattle, Washington
12 Friday
Our photographer caught a sunbreak early this morning, looking toward north Vashon Island from a bluffside in Upper Fauntleroy. Busy, busy morning – even if you don’t have a student in the family, you’ve likely encountered school buses, crossing guards, and other signs that thousands more students (and the teachers and school staff who work with them) are back in class. P.S. We’re gathering back-to-school photos – if you want to share one, editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks! We’ll start the gallery later today. Meantime, also of note: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year observation, begins tonight. Now the highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
BACK TO SCHOOL: Parochial schools started classes Tuesday, Seattle Public Schools and most secular independent schools started today. But some are beginning with half-days and other staggered schedules, so you might encounter buses, walking/bike-riding students, and pickup/dropoff activities at times besides the normal morning start/afternoon finish.
ARBOR HEIGHTS LANDMARK NOMINATION: 3:30 pm today at the Municipal Tower downtown, the city Landmarks Board considers the landmark nomination for Arbor Heights Elementary, submitted as part of the process for the construction of a new school on the site where the old one sits now. Details and map in our calendar listing.
CLOTHESPIN ON A WIRE: Pop-up shopping at Bird on a Wire Espresso, 6-9 pm, details in the calendar listing. (35th/Henderson)
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm tonight, the council with representatives of community groups and organizations from around western West Seattle meets at Southwest Teen Life Center; public welcome. Neighborhood district coordinator Ed Pottharst shares agenda highlights: “City staff from SDOT will talk about urban forestry/street trees. Then the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council will discuss City Light surplus properties (City Light presented on that at our July meeting), and the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) would like to talk about its plans to form a land use review committee.” (2801 SW Thistle)
ROSH HASHANAH WITH KOL HANESHAMAH: 7 pm tonight, Kol HaNeshamah (WSB sponsor)’s Erev Rosh HaShanah event, followed by Honey Cake Oneg, is at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. (California/Hanford)
ROSH HASHANAH WITH WEST SEATTLE TORAH LEARNING CENTER: 7:30 pm prayers followed by a meal, RSVP for location, contact info here.
(added 10:22 am) WATER TAXI TONIGHT: Just added this to the daily traffic/transit tracker but should also note here too – if you are going to the soccer game downtown tonight, the West Seattle Water Taxi is on an extended schedule, per a reminder just texted by the county.
If you receive paper bills from Puget Sound Energy, your next one will come with something that stinks – though the good news is, that won’t happen unless you activate it, but when you do, it will be a great teaching tool, at the very least! Here’s the utility’s announcement:
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Yes, school is ON – if you missed the coverage last night, Seattle Public Schools teachers ratified new contracts. SPS schools start classes today, as do most secular independent schools; parochial schools started yesterday. Some staggered schedules, though – half-days, late starts, etc. But in general – watch out for buses, bicycles, pedestrians, dropoff drivers, anywhere there’s a school.
Meantime, it’s day 2 of the eastbound SW Orchard closure between Sylvan and Delridge; see the detour map and details here, and keep in mind that it may be slower going on Delridge itself in the area as a result.
LOOKING AHEAD: Reminder of the bike and truck safety fair at Terminal 25 this Friday morning, starting at 6:30 am – details on West Seattle Bike Connections‘ website.
10:20 PM UPDATE: The King County Water Taxi sends a reminder: “The West Seattle route will be on an extended service schedule (tonight) for the Sounders vs. Chivas USA soccer match.”
West Seattle’s city-run community centers are home to many more programs than you might realize – including preschools! One of them, Bright Beginnings at Hiawatha Community Center in the Admiral District, is still accepting students for the coming school year – read on for the announcement:
At right, that’s new Lafayette Elementary principal Robert Gallagher, one of the half-dozen new principals leading West Seattle public schools as classes begin tomorrow. Assistant principal Karmen Nordhougen was with him, making the rounds of the playground, at tonight’s Night Before School Barbecue.
Other schools might have barbecues too, but this was the first time we’d ever seen one with live music from the West Seattle Big Band:
This year’s enrollment stats won’t be available for a while, but for the past few years, Lafayette has been West Seattle’s most populous elementary school, with about 550 students listed as the official 2012 enrollment. P.S. If you missed it, we interviewed new principal Gallagher earlier this year, after his appointment was announced.
That tree was blocking northbound Fauntleroy Way by the south end of Fairmount Playfield as of the top of the hour – don’t know if it’s cleared yet (we’ll check back), but when we were there, it was quite a hazard – no illumination, no police or flares or road crews. No injuries or damage.
ADDED: Finally was able to go back and check around midnight. Tree had been cut up and moved off the road.
(Scroll down for latest updates – contract ratified; reaction coming in …)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:36 PM: We’re watching news from the Seattle Education Association membership meeting downtown and will update here as it comes in. They’ve just updated via Facebook/Twitter that “Debate on the certificated staff contract has started” as of a few minutes ago – that means the teachers. Two smaller workgroups’ contracts were approved, according to SEA, by voice vote. Updates to come – and we’re embedding the union (and other key sources’) tweets here so you can follow along.
(Refresh the WSB home page to make sure you’re seeing the newest tweets.)
8:04 PM UPDATE: As you can see in the tweetstream above, the union says all contracts have been ratified. (Post-vote tweets continue, as the stream remains “live.”)
8:14 PM: Quick statement e-mailed to news media by district Superintendent José Banda:
I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication in negotiating this agreement. I appreciate each and every one of our staff members, whose work contributes to the academic success of our students. All of us at Seattle Public Schools look forward to welcoming our students and families to a new school year tomorrow.
Four weeks after his August 6th arrest for allegedly stealing a truck on Alki and then using it to ram two cars – one a Seattle Police cruiser – 
23-year-old Donald M. Plute is back in jail. (Thanks to commenter Tophat Topcat for the tip!) You might recall that Plute spent only one day in jail because, as reported here August 8th, a judge ruled there wasn’t enough probable cause to hold him. Compounding matters, a warrant for his arrest in another case was issued the day of that ruling – but it didn’t show up in the system until after Plute was released from jail.
On August 16th, prosecutors charged him in the truck theft/ramming case, and a $250,000 warrant was issued – but that was just a piece of paper until he could be taken into custody again, which happened sometime yesterday. We don’t have any information on circumstances of his arrest, but Plute is jailed in lieu of $260,000 bail – the quarter-million for the August 6th incident, and $10,000 for the other warrant. We’ve obtained court documents from that case, which involves an incident in White Center one year ago today, in which a King County Sheriff’s Office deputy tried to stop Plute after he allegedly ran a stop sign on his motorcycle at high speed, without a helmet. The documents say he ditched the bike and bolted; when the deputy caught up with him, he wrote, Plute advanced toward him with clenched fists, and was subdued with a Taser. The charges in that case are reckless driving and failure to obey a police officer. He’s due back in court on September 11th. (WSB photo above is from Plute’s arrest in Gatewood on August 6th)
There’s overdevelopment – and then there’s underdevelopment. The proposed one-story, 14,000 standalone pharmacy at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW – first reported here in July – is considered by some to be a potential case of the latter, along with two similar projects we mentioned in that story, one in Wallingford, one in lower Queen Anne, since they are planned on sites where much bigger developments could be built. City Councilmember Richard Conlin has announced a proposal that would prohibit these types of projects in certain urban areas in the future:
Councilmember Richard Conlin introduced interim controls legislation today that sets a minimum density requirement for new buildings in pedestrian-oriented Neighborhood Commercial zones in Seattle’s urban villages and urban centers. Councilmember Conlin developed the legislation in response to neighborhood concerns about one-story, suburban-style projects proposed in various Seattle urban villages.
Two stolen-vehicle reports to share – first, from Jacob:
I had my green 1995 Acura Integra stolen from in front of my house on 41st and Kenyon in Gatewood overnight. It is a four door vehicle with a baby seat in the back.
Second, Kristine is hoping you might be able to help her find her stolen truck:
It was stolen from the 2000 block of Alki. It is a forest-green Chevrolet Z71. The year is 1998. The front license plate has a Seahawks cover on it.
If you see either vehicle, or have any related information, call 911.
With nine weeks until the November 5th election, and summer in the rear-view mirror, the campaign for Seattle mayor is about to resume in earnest, and what we believe to be West Seattle’s first post-primary mayoral forum has just been confirmed for two weeks from today: Senior Center of West Seattle executive director Karen Sisson says incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn and challenger State Sen. Ed Murray will be there at 1 pm on Tuesday, September 17th. Lucy Gaskill Gaddis will moderate, in a format including opening/closing statements, moderator questions, and audience questions. (The Senior Center is at California/Oregon in The Junction.)
Any other groups have forums/debates scheduled? Don’t wait until the last minute to let us know – we’d love to get your event in the WSB calendar now; editor@westseattleblog.com. Thanks!
We’ve already previewed two big West Seattle events for next Sunday, in the afternoon (Harbor Seal Day) and evening (“The Earth Cried Out“). Get ready for a big Sunday with another big event: The West Seattle Junior Football and Cheer fundraising pancake breakfast! Parent volunteer Annie Higgins explains, “It’s such an important event for this group because the funds raised there go to help so many kids who might not otherwise have a chance to participate. … All money will go toward player scholarships, safer gear, and other franchise expenses. Join us for some fun, exciting raffle items, and a delicious breakfast.” 9-noon Sunday (September 8th) at the Masonic Center (4736 40th SW), $6/person, $25/family.
That upcoming event is not in West Seattle but has a “huge West Seattle tie-in,” points out Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert (besides the fact that he designed the poster):
A bunch of Northwest musicians have come together to re-create George Harrison’s landmark 1972 charity concert for Bangladesh on Friday, September 13, at the Hard Rock [9 pm]. And of the 20 performers, half are West Seattle residents. Tickets are $10 advance/$12 day of show, 21+, with all proceeds benefiting Roots Young Adult Shelter and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF™. This is gonna be epic!
The Hard Rock Café-Seattle is downtown, at 116 Pike; advance tickets are available online here.
With fall and the new school year arriving, Seattle Public Schools‘ board is scheduled to make major decisions soon about “growth boundaries,” including the future of some West Seattle schools. As reported here a month ago, West Seattle’s STEM elementary – about to start its second year – is hoping to either stay at the Boren building on Delridge Way and grow to a K-8, or move into Fairmount Park Elementary, which is being expanded prior to reopening next year. Back in May, though, the district proposed moving K-5 STEM onto the current Schmitz Park Elementary site after it’s vacated upon completion of the new school at Genesee Hill in 2016. STEM has been marshaling community support, and is getting it in a letter being sent today by the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, backing the suggestion to stay at Boren. Co-chairs Parie Hines and Kirsten Smith write, in part:
Delridge as a neighborhood has felt the negative effects of having the Boren school used as a transitional and temporary school for many long years. It has been a pleasure to see the students, parents, and staff of the STEM school begin to “take ownership” of the building
Read the entire letter here:
NDNC letter supporting keeping K-5 STEM at Boren
(If you can’t see the document, try it here on our server as a PDF.) The school board’s decision is due later this fall; before then, the district plans a series of community meetings detailed here, one of which is in West Seattle – 6:30 pm September 25th at West Seattle High School. Comments are being accepted before (and after) that meeting via e-mail: GrowthBoundaries@seattleschools.org.
Thanks to Dan for sharing a back-to-school photo! This trio, he says, is headed to Holy Rosary – from left, Elena, 11; Cameron, 13; Elliot, 8. Lots of school notes in today’s highlights list from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, and we’ll start with those:
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: In our daily traffic watch, we mapped the five major schools that start today – if you missed it, they are:
*Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee)
*Seattle Lutheran High School (40th/Genesee)
*Hope Lutheran (42nd/Oregon)
*Our Lady of Guadalupe (34th/Myrtle)
*Holy Family (20th/Roxbury)
Note that for some, the first day of school is a half-day.
CHIEF SEALTH ‘WELCOME BACK, SEAHAWKS’ DAY: At Chief Sealth International High School, students are invited to campus today (on a staggered schedule spelled out here) to get schedules, locker assignments, etc.
ARBOR HEIGHTS MEET-AND-GREET: Arbor Heights Elementary is inviting families to the campus 2-3 pm today so students can meet their teacher and see their classroom, and to get a jump on start-of-school paperwork. (37th/104th)
TEACHERS VOTE: Members of the Seattle Education Association gather at Benaroya Hall downtown at 4:30 pm to vote on a proposed contract. Their leadership recommends approving it, but the union also confirmed last night that the leadership vote was a close one. No specific time is set for announcing the results, but we’ll publish an update here when there’s word.
LAFAYETTE NIGHT-BEFORE-SCHOOL BARBECUE: As previewed here last night, at 5 pm on the playground, community members are invited to join the Lafayette Elementary school community for a hot-dog barbecue and live music with the West Seattle Big Band. (Lander west of California)
MADISON SIXTH-GRADE ORIENTATION: Sixth-graders and families are invited to Madison Middle School 6:30-8 pm tonight for orientation. (45th/Spokane)
In non-school happenings:
TRANSPORTATION TALK: 9:30 am, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Governor Jay Inslee plan a media briefing downtown, regarding transportation issues. Not a public event, but this is likely to relate to Metro Transit and potentially looming budget cuts, so we’ll be monitoring it and reporting on what they have to say; you can watch live here.
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS MEETS: 6:30 pm, this month at West Seattle Cyclery (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Meeting details here. (4508 California SW)
TOASTMASTERS’ HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST: You’re welcome to join West Seattle Toastmasters 832 for their humorous speech and table talk contest, 6:30 tonight at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle – details in our calendar listing. (4611 35th SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s not just back-from-holiday-weekend day, it’s also the first of the two biggest back-to-school days – today, the parochial schools reopen; tomorrow, other independent schools, as well as the public schools. That means it’s time to be extra-safe and mindful of school zones again, starting today – here’s a map of the major schools that are back in session:
Also important to note: Today is the scheduled start of partial closures on SW Orchard between Delridge and Sylvan, as part of the Delridge Way Repaving Project – for two weeks, it’ll be closed eastbound; see the detour map and details here.
4:03 PM UPDATE: Crash reported on southbound 99 right by the bridge exit. Here’s some of the backup (not that southbound 99 isn’t megabusy this time of the afternoon anyway):
We’ll keep an eye on this.
No Labor Day break for Zippy’s Giant Burgers proprietors Blaine and Rahel Cook – while their beloved burger emporium is closed until Wednesday, they’re cooking up something big: More seating. Zippy’s has knocked down the wall and is expanding into the space next door. Blaine explains that this will finally bring back the full footprint of the old Cookbook Café. There’s even potential space for a bar in the expansion zone, but for now, when Zippy’s reopens on Wednesday, it’ll just mean more room to dine in – good news for fans including those who live too far to keep take-out food warm. It’ll be Zippy’s second expansion – their move from 16th/Holden in Highland Park to 9614 14th SW in White Center two years ago meant a whole lot more room.
West Seattle’s two most populous elementary schools have evening events this week to which the community’s invited – both out on the playground!
LAFAYETTE BARBECUE: The Tuesday night party at Lafayette Elementary‘s playground just got bigger, according to PTA president Sean Reynolds:
The Lafayette Night Before School BBQ is an event open to the community – we welcome all those who attend, surround and support Lafayette Elementary.
We will be joined this year by the West Seattle Big Band – – starting at 5 pm on the playground.
Hot dogs, chips and drinks provided – as well as some dessert treats, too.
The playground’s on the west side of the school, which is at California/Lander.
SCHMITZ PARK OUTDOOR MOVIE: Friday night, Schmitz Park Elementary‘s PTA invites you to come see “Epic” on a big screen set up on the SP playground. Gate opens 6:15 pm, movie at dusk (around 7:30 pm), $3/person (kids 3 and under are free), pizza and snacks/drinks will be sold ($2 or less). “It is open to the community and supports the 4th-grade outdoor-education experience at Islandwood,” says Christine Morrell, PTA fundraising chair. The playground’s on the northeast side of the school, which is at 50th/Spokane.
For the second year, Labor Day was celebrated today with a flag ceremony and potluck picnic at the Alki Masonic Center in The Junction. Leaders of American Legion Post 160, also in The Junction, assisted:
At left, that’s Post 160 Commander Dr. Don-Michael Bradford, with the post’s former commander Kyle Geraghty. Representatives of other local organizations including the West Seattle Eagles (whose HQ is in The Junction too) were in attendance. And before the Pledge of Allegiance was said, Carolyn Monk read an essay about the Pledge:
During the first event last year, the Masonic Center’s new flagpole was dedicated. Organizers hope to continue growing this as a community event, particularly with service groups’ participation, so make a note for Labor Day next year.
If you spent today doing some pre-fall cleaning – we did! – you might be happy to hear that Fauntleroy Church has set the date for the next edition of its popular twice-yearly Recycle Roundup: Sunday, September 22nd, 9 am-3 pm. That’s when nonprofit 1 Green Planet will bring big empty trucks to the church at 9140 California SW and drive them away full of West Seattleites’ recyclables. Keep an eye on the church website for details on what they’ll accept (no charge – just drop it all off!).
(September 2001 photo by David Hutchinson)
By Clay Eals
Special to West Seattle Blog
A dozen years later, Dean Keppler reels at the memory. His eyes well up. His voice chokes as he talks haltingly, reverently, and, in the end, almost dazedly in trying to describe the indescribable.
“It all just happened,” he says, over and over, through tears.
Keppler is standing in the second-floor workroom of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum. He combs through hundreds of an estimated 1,000 brown-paper bags on which people from all over West Seattle and beyond inscribed messages of sadness, anger, fear and hope.
The trigger for these emotional expressions, of course, was the terrorist attack on Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, 2001, that came to be known as 9/11. The inscribers were countless men, women, and children who for five days following the tragedy gathered beneath the Statue of Liberty replica on Alki Beach.
And the catalyst for the heartfelt messages was Keppler.
(Southwest Seattle Historical Society video)
Keppler will be among four who will speak briefly at a 9/11 memorial event, “The Earth Cried Out,” at 6:30 pm next Sunday (September 8th), at Alki Arts, 2820 Alki Ave. SW, two blocks west of the Statue of Liberty replica.
Organized by SWSHS, the free event also will feature reflections by King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert.
The focus of the event, however, will not be the speeches.
11:12 AM: In case you’re wondering about the police presence in Arbor Heights – officers responded to what apparently was a call about prowlers, and have been trying to track down multiple suspects. Per the scanner, it sounds as if at least one possible suspect is in custody. We don’t know if there was an actual break-in, but have a crew in the area trying to find out more.
11:26 AM UPDATE: Police tell us neighbors called in the report of suspected prowlers spotted in an alley and yards (added: in the 35th/105th area). At least one person is being taken in for questioning. Scanner traffic also indicates police are looking for a car that is believed to be related to the case, described as a silver Impala with chrome wheels.
2:34 PM UPDATE: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis confirms that the suspect was booked into jail – and lauds the “great work by neighbors.”
(Jamie‘s aerial view – quadcopter cam! – of last night’s sunset; click image for larger view)
Happy Labor Day! Saw a sunbreak a little while ago, but the forecast suggests clouds will rule most of the day. Holiday notes:
TRAFFIC ALERTS: The ramp from northbound I-5 to the West Seattle Bridge is scheduled to be closed until 3 pm for the expansion-joint work that’s been under way all weekend. And starting tomorrow, partial closures of SW Orchard between Sylvan and Delridge – beginning with the eastbound side – start, as part of the Delridge Way Repaving Project.
TRANSIT SCHEDULES: Metro Transit is on a Sunday schedule, as are the West Seattle Water Taxi (along with its shuttle buses; however, the Vashon WT is NOT running today), and Sound Transit express buses. Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is on a weekend schedule today, to provide more evening sailings.
STREET PARKING DOWNTOWN, ETC.: Pay stations/meters are on holiday – it’s a city parking holiday.
WHAT’S CLOSED: Most government offices/facilities closed, including the Seattle Public Library system), banks closed, no mail delivery.
OUTDOOR AQUATICS TODAY: Last day of the season for the Highland Park Spraypark and Lincoln Park wading pool (schedule here), and, also at LP, last day of daily operations for Colman Pool (which then opens for one postseason weekend next Saturday/Sunday). It’s open noon-7 today; schedule’s here.
POTLUCK AND FLAG CEREMONY: You’re invited to a 1 pm potluck and 2 pm flag ceremony at the Masonic Center, 40th/Edmunds on the east edge of The Junction. Details in our preview from last night.
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