West Seattle, Washington
05 Friday
This fall, we’ve already had multiple times to see and talk about Puget Sound sealife – orca visits, salmon runs, seal pups, even the Seacrest octopus controversy. There’s new information today about something that affects them all, and more, and us: Puget Sound pollution. One visualization is in “Diver Laura” James‘s photo above, pointing out cigarette butts strewn on the seafloor; she took the photo near the Fairmount Creek stormwater outfall off Harbor Avenue, in about 20 feet of water. Discarded cigarette butts are washed off sidewalks and streets when it rains, go into storm drains, and wind up here, leaching toxic chemicals into the Sound. Just one source of pollution, of course – one among, unfortunately, many. To help understand what’s happening in and to the Sound, the state has just launched a new website – described in this news release:
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has boiled down a 300-page report into a new, user-friendly website that explains what we currently know about toxic chemical pollution in the Puget Sound region.
The website links what’s known about toxic contamination in Puget Sound to ongoing efforts to keep the contaminants out of the nation’s second-largest estuary. The site draws attention to actions that individuals, businesses, community groups and federal, state, tribal and local governments can take to help reduce toxic threats to the sound.
Need your windows and/or gutters cleaned? Any pressure-washing needs? We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor today, and here’s their message for you:
West Seattle Window Cleaner is proud to make West Seattle our home! We are a full-service window-cleaning, pressure-washing, and gutter-cleaning service based just off the West Seattle Bridge. After starting our original business on Mercer Island, we moved to West Seattle 2 years ago and we love to serve our local customers here in West Seattle.
This time of year we are keeping busy mostly with gutter cleaning and getting homes clean and ready to host guests at the holidays. We also can do limited holiday-lighting installation (you provide the lights, we provide the ladders and labor!) It’s also a great time to get your slippery walkways and stairs pressure washed.
We feature fair, up-front pricing and fast quotes. Just fill out the Quick Contact Form on our homepage westseattlewindowcleaner.com or give us a call at 206-453-3936. West Seattle Window Cleaner: Enjoy the View!
We thank West Seattle Window Cleaner for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Lincoln Park & Colman Pool – photo by Long Bach Nguyen; click image for larger view)
Welcome to Friday! A few things of note for today/tonight:
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET VOTES: If there’s anything you’re watching closely, keep an eye on the meeting that’s under way now (watch at seattlechannel.org). We spotted some items of interest on the agenda – including design money for improving the lower-bridge bike trail and construction/design money for the Delridge Neighborhood Greenway (they are on this budget sheet).
LAST DAY FOR COMMUNITY ART SHOWCASE: Have you seen the community-art show at Southwest Library yet? Today’s your last chance! The library at 35th and Henderson is open 10 am-6 pm today.
SPEAKING OF LIBRARIES – they’re closed Sunday for Veterans Day.
SPEAKING OF VETERANS DAY – USO BENEFIT TONIGHT: Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor; 2326 California SW) is hosting a benefit for the USO tonight, 7-10 pm, with “heavy appetizers,” beer/wine, games, and more. Admission is a $10 minimum donation. Full details in our calendar listing.
CHIEF SEALTH ‘PASSPORT TO EXCELLENCE’: They’re not selling tickets at the door, so this is just a reminder that if you have a ticket to the school’s annual fundraising dinner/auction, tonight’s the night, 6 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy.
‘LEND ME A TENOR,’ LAST CHANCE TO SEE IT! West Seattle High School‘s fall production will be performed one last time, 7:30 pm tonight at the WSHS Theater – details on the Westside Drama website.
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT – 5 venues! The listings are all on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar list for today’s date – click the “plus” sign on the right side of any calendar line to expand that listing, and then “read more” for even more info, as well as a map to the venue.
The West Seattle Art Walk really isn’t a one-night event – for most venues and artists, it’s part of a month-long exhibit. “A Feast for the Eyes: Food in Art” at ArtsWest – which includes some of longtime WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli’s internationally enjoyed “Big Appetites” work – opened the day before Halloween, but the reception highlighted last night’s Art Walk festivities. That’s Christopher above; also part of “A Feast for the Eyes,” Kristen Reitz-Green:
Jere Smith‘s work is featured as well. Along with ArtsWest, WSB’s Katie Meyer made two other Junction stops last night – photos ahead (and a reminder about the big holiday-season Art Walk!) … Read More
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:35 AM: Nothing to report as the day gets going – except that, as forecast, it’s in the 30s right now, 35 degrees at Boeing Field (usually comparable to West Seattle temps) at 6 am.
7:32 AM: Just went out to see if that meant ice on the windshield – and yes, there’s a light coat of ice on ours, so you might need the scraper today.
9:49 AM: There’s been a snag on the eastbound bridge for a while, with a semi blocking the right lane at the 99 overpass – but the city says it’s cleared.
12:09 PM: A note from Washington State Ferries:
There will be a temporary capacity reduction on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route starting after this evening’s commute and prior to the beginning of service tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 10. The 90-car Sealth will replace the 124-car Issaquah for approximately one week while larger vessels are out of service for routine maintenance. The galley on the Sealth will be closed Friday, Nov. 9 and will re-open on Sat., Nov.10, at 7:00 a.m.
Here’s a different way to raise money while running/jogging – not a 5K, but an ongoing event. West Seattle High School PE teacher Sylvia Hahn explains “Monday Runday”:
Every other Monday, students participate in a twenty-minute jog that serves quite a few purposes. It contributes to the recommended 60 minutes of activity per day for a person. It helps to build upon cardio respiratory endurance, which in turn can create healthy habits for the future and help prevent cardiovascular disease. Yet, in our classes, we have another purpose related to this 20-minute jog.
For each lap that each student runs, they have chosen to fund a non-profit entity within our West Seattle community that helps animals. I have chosen the non-profit Kitty Harbor as our recipient of the funds raised throughout this semester. For each lap I will donate ten (10) cents out of my pocket to Kitty Harbor.
So far, students have raised over $183. I am rounding that number to $200 and will be making our first donation this weekend, November 10th. My hope is that parents/guardians and other community members will be willing to donate, along with these hard working students, to Kitty Harbor. You can do so by visiting their website at www.kittyharborseattle.org. Thank you so much!
Next Monday, as part of the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) party for the new Soundgarden album release, a guitar autographed by Soundgarden will be raffled – with ticket sales benefiting the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival. It was explained at this week’s general Hi-Yu meeting that the guitar was donated by the brother of Hi-Yu’s new treasurer, Susan Stanley-Jones. Raffle tickets are only $5, available from Hi-Yu (contact info’s on their website at westseattlehiyu.com) or during the party Monday night at the Feedback. Also keep an eye out for Hi-Yu Junior Court members selling tickets in The Junction this weekend – times TBA.
More big news from Hi-Yu – they have chosen next year’s theme: Alki Deep – An Undersea Adventure. That was one of more than half a dozen theme suggestions at the meeting:
Now that a theme is set, float ideas are next – you’re invited to the December 3rd holiday open house; bring yours, and/or be there to vote. Speaking of the holidays, it’s benefit ornament time:
They have 60 to sell, at $20 each, for starters. P.S. November 30th is the deadline for Senior Court candidates to apply – scholarship money up for grabs! The application is here.
We’ll have separate full-length reports later on both parts of tonight’s Design Review Board doubleheader, but since it has just wrapped up after more than 3 1/2 hours, we have toplines: The board gave its final blessing to 4724 California, the building planned for the ex-Petco site in The Junction, and allowed 4755 Fauntleroy Way – the megaproject that we now know will include Whole Foods – to move on to the second phase of Design Review. 4724 California still has other parts of the permit process to go through, but now that this stage is complete, they’re expecting to start construction – with demolition first – around April 1st. A fair amount of public comment was provided on both projects, mostly positive for 4724 California, some negative for 4755 Fauntleroy Way – “South Lake Union next to West Seattle” was one vivid phrase. Again, full coverage coming up later.
Another update tonight on the Roxhill Castle playground project, almost complete after five extensive days of volunteer work: Volunteer organizer Mat McBride says, “We are targeting the first day of Winter Break, 12/22/12, for the opening of the Castle Park.” (The adjacent skatespot, still under construction, will open separately, at another date.) The finishing touches include a new treatment for the “castle roof,” McBride explains: “Cool as the metal surface is, that’s only the superstructure for a mosaic sculpture. Originally, it was set to look like all of the other crenellations, but local amazing human Mike Henderson was assigned to work it. Mike had other ideas, which he shared with Barry [from Leathers and Associates], and we decided to go with it, on the spot. Because of the unique nature of this park build, we could do that.” He added that other “sculpture elements” are under consideration.
(Recent aerial view of bridge construction, by Long Bach Nguyen)
One week after first word that the South Park Bridge would not be complete until next year, King County has announced a meeting to update everyone who’s interested:
King County will host a community meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 to update residents on the status of South Park Bridge construction. The meeting will be held at the South Park Neighborhood Center, 8201 10th Ave. S., Seattle.
During the meeting, County engineers will review construction progress, including efforts to excavate new piers. The contractor, Kiewit Massman JV, has informed the County that this phase of work has taken longer than expected, which will shift the timeline for opening the bridge. The County and the contractor are now working on a revised construction schedule. The updated timeline for bridge completion should be announced in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, other elements of the project are moving forward. Major steel components for the new bridge have started arriving. Later this month demolition of portions of the old bridge will get underway.
During the meeting, engineers will provide more details about construction activities currently underway, share photos of recently completed excavation work and answer questions.
For more information about the meeting, contact Ashley DeForest, (206) 684-1154 or email her at ashley.deforest@kingcounty.gov.
Around West Seattle today, there was an unusual number of “arrests” – and an unusual number of smiles associated with them. The occasion: The “lockup” fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Above, environmental health/safety specialist Christa Colouzis getting “arrested” at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) at noontime today. That photo was shared by co-worker Marcia Mitchell; next photo, we went to the lock-up site – Talarico’s in The Junction – to see who we would find “behind bars”:
That’s Lora Swift from Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) – Lora tweeted the actual “arrest” – and David Groves from Seattle Logo Pro. Firefighters made the “arrests,” and then the “arrestees” were supposed to get MDA donations from friends, family, colleagues, whomever, to make “bail.”
4 PM: We’re checking with Seattle City Light about what at first glance might look like a small power outage in High Point – two “customers,” per the SCL outage map – but affects many more people, because one of those “customers” is West Seattle Elementary School, according to tipster Odetta, who says it happened right around dismissal time, just before 3. The city map projects restoration around mid-evening, but says the cause is being investigated.
4:07 PM UPDATE: SCL spokesperson Scott Thomsen tells WSB the problem isn’t with their system, but rather “the customer’s panel.” So now we’re checking with the school district.
ADDED: Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Teresa Wippel explains:
(The) power outage was from 2:50-3:47 pm, caused by a boiler malfunction that blew the circuit breakers. Students left school about 10 minutes early to wait for the bus since there was no power. They were able to bring the power back on and City Light came out to inspect and ensure there were no safety issues. So school is on as usual for (Friday) but I’m told it may be a little cool at the school in the morning since the boiler still needs repairs — the building also has a heat pump, which will be used as a backup until the boiler is fixed. (They need to get some parts to do that.)
This didn’t happen in West Seattle, but the choosing-to-be-anonymous victim – and the person who helped her – were both headed this way:
Last night I had the unfortunate experience of being robbed while waiting for the Rapid Ride C line downtown. I was at the stop on the corner of 3rd and Pike at 9 pm after my evening class let out when a man grabbed my iPhone right out of my hands and ran away with it before I could even get a good look at him.
I was shaken and upset and I want to warn other bus riders of this danger. The stop really didn’t feel unsafe, even at that time of night because the corner is so well-lit and there were LOTS of people around. The officer that took my report said that this crime is very common in that location.
A very nice young woman stepped up to loan me her phone to call 911. She missed her bus to West Seattle in order to let me place my call. I’m trying to focus my mental images of the night on her good deed rather than the jarring experience of being a crime victim.
Thanks to Amy for sharing the photo from the Myrtle Reservoir Park playground and this report:
Eleanore and Mimi (were the) first kids to use the new slide after they removed the yellow tape about 12:45 pm today.
Checking the WSB archives, we are reminded that the Myrtle slide was taken out nine months ago after a nationwide recall following at least 16 injuries involving that particular type of slide.
12:36 PM: There’s a postscript today to last week’s big controversy over a 19-year-old diver removing an octopus from popular Cove 2 at Seacrest.
West Seattle environmental advocate “Diver Laura” James – the first person to tip us last week – monitored the proceedings in Olympia before state Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. In our coverage last week, we focused on plans to push for protection of wildlife at Cove 2, since otherwise, the octopus catch was completely legal. The state explained that public comment was welcome at commission meetings (today and tomorrow are the first ones since the incident). James reports that the octopus catcher, Dylan Mayer, spoke during the public-comment period of today’s meeting, “on behalf of closing Cove 2 for octopus and putting up clear signage.” She adds, “Massive props go to Craig Willemsen, the owner of Silent World Diving Systems, who met with him on Tuesday and discussed it as an option.” Mayer had defended his action in various discussions, including the WSB Forum, with several posts including this one. This morning’s meeting was webcast by TVW, and video will eventually be online here.
ADDED 6:37 PM: The official state news release about what happened today, including Mayer’s comments:Read More
(Photo by Doug B, whose work you can check out on Flickr)
Beautiful morning! And the Olympic Mountains’ snow frosting reminds us it’s getting colder – tonight’s low is expected to drop into the 30s. But no rain is expected today/tonight, so it’s still a great chance to be out and about, with the following highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
LIBRARY STORY TIME: 11:15 am, it’s Preschool Story Time at Delridge Library (Brandon/Delridge).
MDA FUNDRAISER ‘LOCKUP’: At midday today, as part of a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, various local business/organization leaders/reps will be “arrested” and “locked up” till they are “bailed out” by pledges/donations to MDA.
NEXT ELECTION RESULTS: King County plans to release new vote counts at 4:30 and 8:30 pm today/tonight. They say about 3,300 “on-time ballots” arrived with this morning’s mail.
BIKE MASTER PLAN WORKSHOP: Downtown last night, on Beacon Hill tonight – it’s your second chance to speak up for West Seattle’s needs in the city’s Bicycle Master Plan Update. 5:30-7:30 pm at NewHolly Gathering Hall, as explained here.
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: 6-9 pm tonight at dozens of venues around West Seattle! Here’s the list/map. Some highlights:
-Longtime WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli‘s internationally famous “big food/little people” work is part of a group show at ArtsWest in The Junction, and he’ll be there for the reception, 6-7:30 pm, as will Kristen Reitz-Green and Jere Smith, whose work also is part of “A Feast for the Eyes.”
–West Seattle Cellars (WSB sponsor) has its weekly free tasting 5:30-8 pm and is showing the work of Glenn Brewer.
–Heidi Horwitz DDS-Orthodontics for All Ages (WSB sponsor) at Genesee/California is participating, with jewelry designer Katherine Dancer.
-In The Admiral District, participants include Heartland Café featuring Nicole Melchior, and Zatz A Better Bagel (WSB sponsor) featuring
–Rachel Austin (whose work is featured on this quarter’s WSAW poster, above) is back at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in The Junction
-Also in The Junction, Kari-Lise Alexander is featured at Wallflower Custom Framing (WSB sponsor).
-Find lots more spotlights on the official West Seattle Art Walk website
DESIGN REVIEW DOUBLEHEADER: Two major West Seattle Junction projects go before the Southwest Design Review Board tonight for the second time. Both meetings are at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon – enter on the Oregon side and go upstairs); both will include public-comment periods (regarding design issues). Here’s the lineup:
–6:30 pm, 4724 California. This is the project proposed for the ex-Petco, now-Sound Ad Group site. The project passed Early Design Guidance back in May (WSB coverage here) and is now up for potentially final approval. Here’s our most recent report.
–8 pm, 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW. This is the megaproject which, as first reported here yesterday, will include a Whole Foods Market. It did NOT pass Early Design Guidance at its first meeting (WSB coverage here), so it’s back for a second round.
GENESEE-SCHMITZ NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Live in the Genesee Hill/Schmitz Park area? This is your neighborhood council, and they’d love to see you at their meeting tonight, 6:45 pm at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW).
Music and more in our other listings for tonight – and for many days/weeks/months ahead – on our calendar.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Helen, who wonders if anyone else got a call like this:
I got a most peculiar message on my land line last night. The message was from a young woman claiming to be with the King County Republican party, and she was calling to report that my ballot could not be counted because of a discrepancy with my signature. I didn’t listen to the rest of the message, but I found it very odd, especially since this came the day AFTER the election. I checked to ensure my ballot was received and counted here:
info.kingcounty.gov/elections/BallotTracker.aspx
My ballot was indeed received, verified and counted.
This morning I called the King County elections office and reported this. The number that my caller ID caught was 425-679-9085. According to the person I spoke with, the elections office is getting a pretty good number of complaints about this number.
The point of my message is this: If you got a call from these people, PLEASE report it, I don’t care what your political affiliation is. What they’re doing is a federal crime.
We have a message out to King County Elections to ask about this. We also called the number Helen mentioned – and it went to a voicemail greeting that self-identifies as the King County Republican Party, saying they are “currently reminding voters to return their ballot” as part of a “Get Out the Vote” effort, though a crossreference via Google does not list the number as anything official. We left a message. The official number for KC GOP is listed on its website as (425) 990-0404, and we’re also contacting them through official channels to ask about it. We’ll update this later as we find out more.
10:38 AM UPDATE: No replies yet to any of the aforementioned inquiries, but commenters say they received similar inquiries from someone claiming to be with the Democratic Party. As Helen notes above, you can check the county Ballot Tracker – but note that if you didn’t drop off or mail your ballot until the last minute, it may not have shown up yet.
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Wednesday turned out to be a busy day with traffic/transit effects … today is starting quiet but we’ll see what’s ahead.
The first of two city workshops for the city’s Bicycle Master Plan Update included plenty of input from members of newly organized West Seattle Bike Connections. And if you missed it, there’s another workshop tonight. WSBC’s Don Brubeck shared the photo with this report on how things went Wednesday night at City Hall downtown:
West Seattle was well represented at City Hall! We provided, and the SDOT planners sincerely welcomed, our input. Due to representation from neighborhoods all over the peninsula, and all types of bike riders, our contingent had incredible local knowledge of the streets and routes people need to travel. We were able to give SDOT feedback on their preliminary draft routes, eliminating some due to steep hills or potential conflicts with vehicle traffic or parking, and adding other possible neighborhood connecting routes on lower traffic streets. A bunch of us also sported new West Seattle Bike Connections shirts.
City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen (from West Seattle) and Sally Bagshaw were present, along with the whole Seattle Bike Advisory Board and a large contingent from SDOT and their bike planning consultants, Alta Planning & Design.
The meeting tonight (Thursday) is 5:30-7:30 pm at the NewHolly Gathering Place, 7054 32nd Avenue S. on Beacon Hill (map).
If you have driven the newly reopened lower Spokane Street, westbound under the newly widened Spokane Street Viaduct, you have seen the designs painted on the columns – city-commissioned art that’s part of the project. The city has just announced plans for a formal dedication:
After three years of construction, the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project is nearly complete. At a public dedication scheduled for 9 a.m, Friday, Nov. 16, a unique set of artworks will be unveiled, along with new sidewalks and landscaping in the lower roadway reconstruction. Santa Monica, Calif. artist team merge conceptual design’s (Claudia Reisenberger and Franka Diehnelt) artwork, SODO, is a vast visual narrative that catalogues more than 200 years of SoDo’s history. Created in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the artwork consists of stenciled and barcode designs painted on the concrete columns that hold up the existing and new portions of the Spokane Street Viaduct between Sixth Avenue South and East Marginal Way South. Nine different color and image schemes create separate zones that recollect the natural and cultural history of the area, the industries that flourished there, and wildlife that inhabited the site. In total, more than 500 column faces were painted.
7:26 PM: After months of meetings and revisions, the Seattle School Board has just unanimously approved the project list for the $695 million BEX IV levy they will send to voters in February, including expanding and renovating Fairmount Park Elementary to reopen in 2014, building a new Schmitz Park Elementary on the Genesee Hill site to open in 2015, and building a new Arbor Heights Elementary to open in 2018.
There were no amendments proposed before the vote but the list that passed (see it here) included the extra language we have reported here in the past few days – clarifying that the current Schmitz Park Elementary will be kept open as a school (either neighborhood or option, said assistant superintendent Pegi McEvoy tonight) and that the district will rebuild AH sooner if it can figure out a way. The levy will go to voters February 12th, as will the district operations levy also finalized tonight; between the two, they’re asking voters for $1.2 billion, acknowledged board president Michael DeBell, saying, “This is a bold package. We’re asking for a lot of money.” Tonight’s public speakers, pre-vote, included Vicki Schmitz Block and son Dietrich Schmitz, thanking the board for responding to the family’s request that the current school, on a site their family donated to the district decades ago, remain in operation as a school.
ADDED 8:10 PM: The district’s official news release, ahead:Read More
5:40 PM: Thanks for all the tips – we’re on our way to check out a police search in the 36th/Graham/Raymond vicinity. Police are looking for a suspect linked to a car in which, according to the scanner, a gun was found. More info as we get it.
5:45 PM: It’s a search for an assault suspect, according to Southwest Precinct Capt. Steve Paulsen, who confirms a gun has been found. Per the scanner, police have blocked off an extensive area for containment and a K-9 team is expected to be part of the search. Scanner traffic also indicates this is linked to an incident that happened yesterday.
6:11 PM: Police are reported to have a suspect in custody. (added) Capt. Paulsen says this is related to a road-rage case in which the suspect was reported to have pointed a gun at the victim.
Along the Metro Route 120 corridor, work has been under way to boost the busy route’s efficiency, and the county says another round will start in about a week:
King County Metro Transit launches another round of construction in West Seattle next week, focusing on improvements that will help pedestrians and bus riders for Route 120 – one of Metro’s top 10 busiest routes.
Up to eight weeks of work are planned starting as soon as November 13 at the intersection of Southwest Barton Street and 26th Avenue Southwest just south of Westwood Village.
| 17 COMMENTS