West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
(Avalon Way photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
11:33 PM: Police and fire are at the scene of a shooting reported in the Charlestown/Avalon area of the Luna Park business district. We heard the first police call on the scanner – someone reporting possible gunshots or fireworks – then came the word someone had been shot, and after that, there was word of a silver car possibly speeding away from the scene. Initial description of the shooting victim sounded like multiple, potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds, with CPR being done. The victim is being taken to Harborview Medical Center. More to come.
11:43 PM: Police are searching the area.
Still no word of any suspect(s) in custody.
11:49 PM: From the scanner, more information on the possible car involved – gray or silver, windows with heavy tint, possibly a late 90s four door sedan.
11:51 PM: Now there is a second scene – police and fire responding to a report there might be another shooting victim in a car in the 5600 block of Delridge (map). We’re sending one crew that way. There is word the car at this scene might be the one that reportedly left the Avalon Way scene.
(Delridge Way photo by Patrick Sand)
MIDNIGHT: We have one crew at each scene. At Delridge (above), our crew says traffic is blocked at Findlay, on the south edge of the small business district there. The victim at this scene is being attended to in the middle of the street.
12:08 AM: Because this is suspected to have been an “exchange” of gunfire, police have been checking with area hospitals for any other possible victims, per scanner traffic. Meantime, the victim found on Delridge also is described as having multiple gunshot wounds, but has been stabilized.
Crime tape is now up across Delridge in the 5600 block.
12:42 AM: We still have crews at both scenes (Christopher Boffoli on Avalon, Patrick Sand on Delridge) but no new information – police are carefully searching both scenes.
SPD Blotter, meantime, has put up something, but it only mentions the first victim – with a bit of new information, describing him as 27 years old, with life-threatening injuries.
12:55 AM: A second SPD Blotter item is now up, saying that the two incidents have not definitively been linked (though what we’ve heard/seen at scenes and via radio suggested there wasn’t much doubt), and saying the Delridge victim is a 19-year-old man, with non-life-threatening injuries.
1:20 AM: CSI team members are at both scenes gathering evidence, our crews say.
3:09 AM: Adding more photos to the story from both scenes, including the one above, of a gun lying at the Avalon scene. No new information yet from police. We have a note from one person who was in the area where the first victim was found, and says, “I heard approximately 5 to 6 gunshots … I didn’t hear any voices prior to the gunshots, but heard a man yell ‘let’s go’ about ten seconds after the shots.” (That corroborates what we heard in early scanner traffic.)
TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: No arrests reported so far.
That’s a bit of Mudhoney‘s in-store show tonight at Easy Street Records in The Junction (if you want to jump ahead, the music starts around 1:40 in) – marking the release of the band’s new album Vanishing Point, along with the 25th anniversaries of Easy Street, Sub Pop Records, and Mudhoney itself. Fans lined up in the early-evening sunshine along SW Alaska …
… filled the California SW sidewalk (and then some) by showtime –
… as well as every bit of spare space inside too:
Just steps away from Easy Street, Mudhoney played West Seattle Summer Fest back in 2009.
8:51 PM: If you’ve been awaiting an update on what time tomorrow we’ll see the ship carrying “Bertha,” the custom-built machine that’ll dig the Highway 99 tunnel, WSDOT’s newest estimate via Twitter tonight is for a “midday” arrival – get the backstory here. It’s in 41 pieces on board the Jumbo Fairpartner, a heavy-lift ship you’ll recognize for its giant cranes (see a photo in our story on its departure). The live monitoring website MarineTraffic.com still labels it “out of range”; we don’t know if that’ll change as it gets closer, since it’s already reported to be in Washington waters, but WSDOT promises updates via its Twitter account @BerthaDigsSR99, and we will have updates tomorrow morning in all our channels too.
EARLY TUESDAY: Got a tip around 1:30 am that Fairpartner now shows up on MarineTraffic.com – just put its name in the “vessel” box.
TUESDAY 8:30 AM: We’re tracking Bertha right now in the daily traffic report, and will switch that over to a standalone report a bit later.
Two notes tonight from West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) – co-owner Todd Ainsworth says, 
“We are happy to announce that we have received our AAA approval here at the shop. It was a process that took months to complete, but it’s official now” – and that’s why the logo is now on the sign (photo at right). Todd also says WSAW is “participating in a new campaign sponsored by the State Department of Ecology and ASA called ‘Don’t Drip and Drive’ – aimed at educating consumers about the problems that can be caused by fluids leaking from vehicles. Runoff from the streets go directly into storm drains and, in turn, into the streams and creeks that feed Puget Sound.” Watch for a promotional campaign this month by the state, in which, Todd says, “participating shops such as ours will provide the customer with a free leak inspection. If leaks are found, the customer will be entitled to a coupon for 10% off (up to $50) toward the leak repairs.” You can find out more at fixcarleaks.org and pugetsoundstartshere.org.
That’s one of several photos that Jason e-mailed to us this morning – showing tagged trees, as well as a trash-surrounded picnic table, at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park on Beach Drive. (We’ve blurred the trees so as not to clearly show the tags, which were done in white paint.) By the time we got there for a firsthand look at noontime, the picnic table had been cleaned up, but the vandalism on the trees remained. Seattle Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad tells us that Parks’ graffiti team plans to go to the park tomorrow morning and see what can be done about it: If the bark is thick – like on a fir tree – we can spray it with a combination of water and sand. That assumes that we can get a truck close enough to spray it – because our graffiti trucks have water tanks and spray equipment on them.” For deciduous trees, which appear to be what’s involved here, Hammerstad says it’s a little dicier, but they’ll give it a try.
One more reason Arbor Heights Elementary can’t vacate its crumbling building a minute too soon – this weekend, a classroom flooded in bone-dry weather. We went over for photos after parents forwarded a note from principal Christy Collins talking about the damage suffered by Room 9 when a water filter burst over the weekend. The principal wrote in part:
It appears the water ran all weekend with several inches of water soaking all material on the floor. The water and warmth of the room appear to have caused significant condensation on the windows, thereby increasing the possibility of more damage to materials in the room. … a crew from Seattle Public Schools’ maintenance department have worked diligently to move furniture and absorb the standing water with machinery and fans. Unfortunately, it appears the flooring in room 9 is beginning to buckle, so the room most likely will not be habitable for a while. … Teacher and student materials were removed from desks and wooden shelves due to the risk of additional water damage from the accumulated moisture on materials within the room. Students’ personal supplies were transferred to room 19 by morning recess. We were able to salvage most all of the items in the students’ desks that were not made of paper. The classroom computers were turned off and appear to be working.
Here’s the scene in a hallway:
Arbor Heights’ aged facilities are a major reason why it was written into the Building Excellence levy in February for a rebuild – and why after community clamor, the rebuild has been moved up three years from the end of the levy list, to be complete in 2016. As reported here last week, the school is taking applications to be part of its Design Advisory Team – tomorrow’s the deadline.
Just announced today by Chief Sealth International High School‘s athletic director Sam Reed, the plan for the third annual Sealth Athletics Golf Tournament – at a new location this year, with other changes:
If this past weekend’s sunshine wasn’t enough to get you excited for spring and summer, how about an e-mail about golf sent on the opening day of the newest MLB season! Selfishly, I’m hoping to capitalize on that excitement and to invite you all to join me for the 3rd Annual Chief Sealth Athletics Golf Tournament, coming Friday, June 7th to Foster Golf Links.
After two great years at Rainier Golf and Country Club, I’m excited to announce that we’re moving this year’s event to the recently updated Foster Golf Links in nearby Tukwila. The new location will allow for this event to continue to grow and help to raise even more money for our athletic programs and student-athletes – all while actually lowering the price to participate in the event!
For the second year in a row, April began with a celebrity bagging battle at Admiral Safeway to kick off a monthlong fundraising campaign through Special Olympics and Easter Seals – with the help of the KING 5 Morning News team. News anchor Mark Wright, traffic reporter Tracy Taylor, and meteorologist Rich Marriott each partnered this morning with a Safeway employee who’s also a Special Olympics athlete, to face off in a grocery-bagging competition – see the video above, and click ahead for the results and photos!
We can say that with relative certainty because this is the SECOND West Seattle sighting of this exotic bird that’s been brought to our attention in the past few days. The first one – from Scott, who saw it Friday at 16th and Kenyon – was a little too blurry to use, but when Chelsea sent this photo from Delridge and Webster this morning, we thought it might be time to see if anyone is missing this long-tailed bird that she described as a golden pheasant.
9:58 AM: We’re downtown at Metro HQ in Pioneer Square for GM Kevin Desmond’s upcoming briefing on the cuts that are foreseen if “sustainable funding” isn’t found (here’s our background report from last night). The top of the news release we’ve just been handed is “65 bus routes face elimination when Metro Transit’s temporary funding expires.” **The cuts, if needed, would start taking effect in fall 2014, not this year.**
UPDATED: Full list of 65 routes that might be cut: 7EX, 19, 21EX, 22, 25, 27, 30, 37, 48NEX, 57, 61, 76, 77EX, 82, 83, 84, 99, 110, 113, 114, 118EX, 119, 119EX, 123EX, 139, 152, 154, 157, 159, 161, 173, 179, 190, 192, 197, 200, 201, 203, 205EX, 210, 211EX, 213, 215, 216, 237, 243, 244EX, 250, 257, 260, 265, 268, 277, 280, 304, 308, 601EX, 907DART, 910DART, 913DART, 914DART, 919DART, 927DART, 930DART and 935DART.
Full list of 86 routes that might be cut: 1, 2S, 2N, 3S, 3N, 4S, 4N, 5, 5EX, 7, 8, 9EX, 10, 11, 12, 14S, 16, 21, 24, 26, 26EX, 28, 28EX, 29, 31, 36, 41, 43, 47, 48N, 60, 65, 66EX, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 106, 107, 116EX, 118, 121, 122, 125, 148, 156, 177, 181, 182, 186, 187, 193EX, 202, 204, 209, 214, 221, 224, 226, 232, 234, 235, 236, 238, 241, 245, 246, 248, 249, 255, 269, 271, 309EX, 311, 312EX, 331, 355EX, 372EX, 373EX, 901DART, 903DART, 908DART, 909DART and 931DART.
A Metro summary of what West Seattle/White Center might face, with a clearer view of the map shown above, is here.
10 AM: Metro GM Kevin Desmond begins his briefing. “We have a lot to share with you, a lot of information.” He says the system is at a “crossroads. … Unfortunately, bus service cuts are on the horizon again.” After some background about Metro’s second-highest ridership last year, and the increasing use of the service, he gets to the explanation of why they are in money trouble, including sales-tax revenues and the impending expiration of the “Congestion Reduction Charge” approved by the Legislature as a bridge that runs out next year. Metro also has raised fares, reduced staff, improved productivity, drawn on reserves, cutting its capital program to cover the budget gap, Desmond says. He says they are still looking for belt-tightening ways, but when the CRC expires, “we are still facing a very considerable hole in our budget” – $75 million. And that doesn’t even speak to needs, he says, such as retiring aging buses.
10:08 AM: Desmond explains that what’s being released today are not just projected cuts/reductions, but also the annual route-performance report mandated by the County Council for delivery on this date. He says that ideally, they should be increasing service by 10 percent “right now” to serve underserved corridors and improve quality of service – including relief of overcrowding – and that he wishes he were here talking to us about such improvements and increases. “What we’re facing right now based on the initial analysis is reduction of about 600,000 hours of service” – a 17 percent cut. He says the 65 routes potentially to be cut are those falling in the bottom 25 percent of ridership and other criteria. “Mind you, that’s just relative – that does not of course mean that people don’t use those routes – a lot of people do in fact use those routes.” But he says only half the 600,000 hours to be cut could be taken from the bottom 25 percent – some of the lowest-use routes have to be kept to serve certain areas.
Metro currently has 200 routes – discontinuing 65 would be a cut of about a third, and “the effect on our customers cascades.” Routes that aren’t ended or cut would become more crowded, and overall, the reduction would affect an estimated 70 percent of the system. And he says they will certainly lose ridership, including those who are no longer served, and those who say it’s too inconvenient and go back to driving. “Particularly in the context of a growing economy … this will place more and more pressure on the region’s highways and arterials that are already crowded by more and more traffic.”
10:16 AM: He says they are announcing the possible cuts now – even before knowing for sure if the Legislature will provide relief by giving permission for seeking new revenue sources – because they have to prepare. None of this would kick in till fall. And this doesn’t even cover possible restructuring – such as what happened in West Seattle last September. Overall, he says, sustainable funding is not just about staving off cuts, but also enabling Metro to grow, which it needs to do. **We have added the full lists of routes that MIGHT be cut and routes that MIGHT be reduced, above. Please let us know if we’re missing identifying which ones are West Seattle-linked.**
10:23 AM: Q/A. First one: What about fare increases? Desmond says they have had many already, and “that’s raised a lot of money.” They are already assuming a fare increase in 2014, he says, “and that’s built into the deficit.” He says they haven’t lost hope for this legislative session – Desmond says he’s heard talk it may go overtime. “We think the time is now,” since even though these cuts wouldn’t kick in until NEXT year, so much preparation is needed, they need new revenues flowing by the time the Congestion Reduction Charge expires in the first half of next year. He says that if there is a statewide solution, great – the state used to provide a lot more money – but if not, “we need local options,” such as a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, but “we’d be open to other tools.” He doesn’t think more sales tax is the solution – relying on it so much in the past has left them vulnerable, because of sales tax’s “volatility” as the economy fluctuates.
10:32 AM: Going through more of what Metro has put online – here’s a close-up look at how our region might be affected if these dire cuts are needed. There’s a map, too, which we’ll add to this story as soon as we can process it. Meantime, Q/A continues – Desmond says they are continuing to “work with our labor unions to find ways to contain cost growth” as well as other ways to be “smarter” about spending, but he insists that the King County Auditor’s finding have already resulted in changes and there is not much more they can do. “We will continue to push reforms, we will continue to push working as smart as we can …” If the Congestion Reduction Charge can be extended – $20 for every motorist – it would still only cover a third of the money problem they have, he says. If the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax suggested by regional leaders including King County Executive Constantine and Mayor McGinn is implemented, it would go to roads as well as to transit (which would get 60 percent of it, more than $80 million). But that would only leave $10 million to cover growth, and Desmond says they need to be growing to the tune of $30 million a year, because “the demand for transit is insatiable in this county, frankly.”
10:39 AM: Asked if cuts are inevitable given all the pressure, Desmond says he’s an “optimist by nature. … King County needs to succeed.” He says he thinks even people who don’t use transit will understand the need to “dig deeper into their pockets” because of the road capacity and the fact transit helps with that. “It makes the overall network work better.” So what would he want to see? He’s not specifying exactly which funding source he thinks would be best, just a source that’s “progressive enough and consistent enough … for a sustainable future.” Asked to reiterate the timeline of these possible cuts, he says what’s being discussed today is just “a starting point for our planners,” who would be coming up with something to take to the public starting late this year. Asked again about raising fares, which one reporter says people are suggesting on Twitter, he reiterates that another fare hike is in the works for next year and the farebox recovery – how much of the expenses are covered by fares – is already at more than 27 percent. But, he says again, a quarter fare increase only covers about $10 million. “At some point, you start raising the fare too much, and a lot of people will not be able to afford transit,” or quit because it’s not cost-effective.
10:49 AM: The other shoe dropping on transit funding, the looming expiration of the “mitigation money” covering 45,000 hours of service – mostly in our area – has been brought up. Desmond says he has not spoken to Gov. Inslee yet about that problem (or transit funding in general), but they remain hopeful that the state will find money in WSDOT’s budget to extend that. He says the mitigation money so far has resulted in a “roaring success” – more people on transit, fewer people driving on “that very congested corridor.”
No, it’s not Photoshopped, but yes, it’s a prank. We thought someone was just trying to be April Fool’s funny via Twitter when they tweeted at us this morning, “Uh, they’re putting a Wal-Mart in the hole at Fauntleroy and Alaska?” THEN came the note from a local resident reporting their spouse saw a sign about Wal-Mart and was therefore wondering when the LA Fitness plan changed. So of course we had to go take a picture. Sorry, Wal-Mart fans, it’s still going to be an LA Fitness with apartments on top … whenever construction gets going. (The last public review was three months ago.)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to April! We start with word of a stall on northbound 99 “just before the Viaduct,” according to KING 5’s traffic reporter Tracy Taylor. Updates as we get them.
News for bus riders later this morning: Metro has been warning for a while about looming cuts if two funding sources run out next year. As noted here last night, its GM will talk with the media at 10 am today about a new report promising more specifics on how that might look.
Bicycle riders – a reminder of WSDOT’s alert that the crossover point on the shared-use path down along the downtown waterfront has shifted as of today.
ADDED 2:29 PM: If you missed our coverage earlier of the Metro briefing – here it is.
Back in November, we reported on West Seattle Office Junction – local entrepreneurs Christine Bartels and Stefan Hansmire (above) working to find a space on the peninsula to set up a co-working enterprise, someplace that at-home/telecommuting, or otherwise office-less, workers could use, not just as a working space, but as a place to collaborate with and enjoy the workday company of others.
The Junction space they were close to leasing at the time didn’t work out – but after an extensive search, they have locked down a brand-new multi-level unit just south of the Junction, and tomorrow (Monday, April 1st) is opening day. It’s a space with a view:
We photographed Stefan, Christine, and the view from West Seattle Office Junction’s rooftop deck during an open house they had last Thursday night for those who have been participating in co-working meetups and other events while the quest for a permanent location has been under way.
For opening day tomorrow, you are invited to drop in – for a few minutes, or even a few hours – free, to give the space a try. It’s a free day for everyone. West Seattle Office Junction is at 5230 California SW, unit B (map). See many more photos in their gallery here – the WSOJ website also includes information on amenities, membership levels, and rates here, chronicles of meetups and other events along the path to WSOJ becoming reality, and more.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Crowded buses on busy routes, service cuts on non-busy routes.
But what’s happened with Metro since last fall is nothing compared to what is looming if politicians can’t get the money mess straightened out, with two sources of funding about to expire.
Tomorrow (Monday) morning, Metro’s general manager Kevin Desmond plans to meet the media to offer specifics on what the transit service believes it will have to do if its next big budget shortfall isn’t solved. The briefing will come in advance of a Metro report going to the King County Council tomorrow “outlining routes at risk of cancellation or reductions … unless Metro can obtain a stable revenue source.”
The specifics will go beyond what Desmond told two groups of politicians earlier this month – politicians who say it’s up to the Legislature to empower them to rustle up more money.
The first problem is the scheduled end of “mitigation funding” – $32 million the state gave the county to make up for the transportation complications posed by the Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct projects.
What is believed to have been stolen from a Fauntleroy porch today wasn’t a package – just something left for friends, by friends. David is just hoping to get the items back:
Some friends left a Trader Joe’s paper grocery bag on our front porch this afternoon (in the 8400 block of) Fauntleroy Way SW (directly across the street from Lincoln Park, just north of the southern parking lot) and the bag was stolen from the porch. It’s terribly frustrating because the bag didn’t contain much except a couple of kids’ books and kids’ sunglasses (both Easter presents), and my prescription glasses (which I have no backup for). Nothing of value to anyone but me and my family. Hopefully someone might come across the contents (maybe dumped in the park?) and could return to them to us. My phone number is 206-349-5477.
When we first reported two months ago on the new Seattle Police surveillance camera/wireless-mesh-communication system – after readers noticed cameras installed, unannounced, along Alki – SPD had expressed hopes of activating the system by March 31st – today.
Now that the date has arrived – in case you were wondering, we’ve verified it will come and go with no decision yet on when the system stretching from Fauntleroy to Ballard might be activated.
Mayor McGinn first said on February 11th, in a response to WSB, that “the system will not be operated without a thorough public vetting …” While he did not set specific criteria for that “vetting,” so far it has consisted of a briefing before the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee on February 20th (WSB coverage here), a briefing at the Alki Community Council‘s February 21st board meeting (WSB coverage here), an SPD-led briefing/Q-A session at Alki Bathhouse on March 12th (WSB coverage here, with video of the entire meeting), and a similar session one week later at Belltown Community Center.
We were not at that March 19th meeting, but privacy/technology activist Phil Mocek, who has closely followed and researched this, recorded and published its audio:
Grant/equipment-related documents he had sought through a public-disclosure request also are now available online.
With no updates since the March 19th meeting, we checked with the mayor’s office at week’s end to see the status of a possible decision. Spokesperson Aaron Pickus replied, “SPD is still putting together additional public meetings.”
The system was described as “port security” in the original May 2012 City Council discussions of the $5 million federal grant that’s paying for it, but in interviews and discussions over the past two months, police also have talked about other ways they, Seattle Fire, and others plan to use the camera system in developing public-safety situations. They also said for the first time at the Alki meeting on March 12th that images from the cameras would be made available to the public online – likely with a frame refreshing every two minutes or so.
For now, along with awaiting SPD word on the “additional public meetings,” we also are awaiting the department’s documentation of protocol for the cameras’ operation, as mandated by new city rules the council approved earlier this month. SPD had said those rules were being drafted by a “steering committee.” Its membership has not been disclosed; Mocek’s public-disclosure request regarding its membership is still awaiting fulfillment.
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
It’s a beautiful day on the water and a beautiful day for wildlife watching – if you keep your distance, and that’s a required-by-law 100 yards. Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters shared the photo and asked us to help get that reminder out – please don’t get so close to those sea-lion-laden buoys on the bay:
It was like a flotilla out there yesterday and lots of watercraft around them today, too. While it is tempting to get closer, people need to remember that all marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Sea lions and seals need to rest and regulate their body temperature. That is exactly what a huge Steller sea lion bull and a jostling gang of sea lions, mostly male California sea lions, are doing on the buoys. Our Eastern stock of Stellers are considered “threatened,” while the Western stock that lives in Alaska and Russian waters is indeed “endangered.”
Watercraft violating this federal law are being photographed and the images are being sent to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement. A Steller bull is a huge animal, weighing up to a ton, and if provoked could leap off and injure someone. It is only common sense that a kayaker not get within feet of the buoy as they were doing yesterday. Alki Kayak Tours is doing a great job of informing their renters to steer clear of the buoy, but others may not be aware that getting too close not only causes undue stress on the animals, but is a violation of the MMPA and punishable by fine.
We want people to get out on the water and enjoy wildlife – from a respectful distance.
Want to know more about marine mammals? Here’s the Seal Sitters’ resource-links page.
Around the town on Easter, from your cameras and ours ….
Every year, somebody gets Peeped – last year, a home near Lowman Beach; this year, it’s the Lorentz home in North Admiral! They shared the photo of what the Easter Bunny did after he came in through the chimney …no, wait. 1900 block of 41st SW, if you won’t believe it till you see it firsthand.
On Alki, the Easter Bunny seems to have an engine along with the bunny ears and bunny nose:
Thanks to Lisa Ruiz for sharing that photo. Whatever form the Easter Bunny took, s/he was busy at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor):
The annual C & P Easter-morning egg hunt drew dozens — little kids went first. Over at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, the egg hunt was ongoing, but we did drop by the info booth as participants recycled the plastic eggs:
Steps away, the crew from Blue Geisha Tattoo painted faces, and arms:
And then there’s the Easter Weasel – featured on the WSB Facebook page.
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing video of researcher John Calambokidis‘s harbor-porpoises presentation from the latest in The Whale Trail‘s series of talks, this past Thursday night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Another good turnout – click the image to see a larger version of this panorama:
This was the third in TWT’s new series of events, also featuring other local advocates (such as Laura, for tox-ick.org and Puget SoundKeeper Alliance, and Seal Sitters – whose David Hutchinson is in the panorama, standing by a camera, of course). We’re checking with TWT’s Donna Sandstrom to see what’s next on the schedule; you can also watch the Whale Trail calendar for future additions.
Though the West Seattle/South Seattle expansion of Car2Go‘s car-sharing service wasn’t supposed to start officially until tomorrow, its white-and-blue Smartcars are already here. Thanks to everyone who reported sightings; WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams found this one in the Alki area early today. And if you check the company’s Seattle availability map (thanks to Sue for sharing the link), you’ll see them listed from Duwamish Head to Lincoln Park. Car2Go’s expanded “home area” does not include all of the peninsula – that map is part of this update we published earlier this week. P.S. If you have questions, Car2Go tweeted that it would have reps at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market today – we haven’t been there yet to check but will be stopping by shortly.
(Photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
This Easter Sunday began clear and cool, with early services including the traditional joint sunrise service on the sands of Alki Beach, organized by West Seattle’s three UCC churches – Admiral, Alki, and Fauntleroy.
(Photo we tweeted Saturday from the corner of Delridge and Dakota)
Happy Sunday! Today is Easter; tonight is the seventh night of Passover. Calendar highlights:
SERVICES
Easter begins with two 6:30 am outdoor sunrise services, and continues at churches all around the peninsula. Here’s the list we’ve put together.
EGG HUNTS
Many churches precede or follow today’s services with Easter-egg hunts, and our list includes three others:
West Seattle Farmers’ Market – 10 am-1 pm, with more eggs hidden hourly
C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – 11 am
Village Green Perennial Nursery – 1 pm
ALSO HAPPENING
LIBRARIES ARE OPEN: Regular Sunday hours, at your friendly neighborhood Seattle Public Library branch.
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P – Kaley Marie, a Denny International Middle School 8th grader, will sing country songs at the coffeehouse 3-5 pm – her own as well as others. Her proud grandma Polly says this is Kaley Marie’s first big public performance.
LIVE MUSIC @ SKYLARK – Multiple bands @ 3 pm, Holly Figueroa at 8 pm. Both shows are all ages; schedule and cover/no cover info here.
The new West Seattle Water Taxi vessel Spirit of Kingston has arrived on the downtown waterfront and is docked alongside the county’s new maintenance barge. (We noticed it late Friday via MarineTraffic.com, though it’s now listed as “out of range.”) This is the only view we could get today, but you’ll surely see it out and about soon, since it’s scheduled to take over the West Seattle-downtown run by the time the 7-day-a-week schedule kicks in on Monday, April 8th. Spirit of Kingston’s capacity is slightly less than the run’s current vessel, Rachel Marie, but based on ridership averages, that won’t be an issue till the heart of summer, if then. The 8-year-old catamaran was originally purchased for its namesake town with the help of federal grants, and that’s why it could be transferred here basically for free, since Kingston cut its passenger-ferry service and didn’t need it any more. King County, meantime, will use federal grants to pay for two brand-new boats that will start construction soon.
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