West Seattle, Washington
09 Thursday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Today is the start of the first full week of classes at Westside School (WSB sponsor) under the leadership of new head of school Kate Mulligan.
In honor of her previous home and school in Hawaii, Mulligan was feted on the last day of the traditionally short first week with an island-themed assembly, featuring Sunshine From Polynesia:
The faculty got into the act too:
By the time Westside’s students walked in last Wednesday, Mulligan already had been on the job for two months. We talked with her before the year began.
For tonight and beyond, this week’s edition of the day-by-day/night-by-night traffic-alert list for routes to and from West Seattle, as taken from the most recent SDOT announcement and the newest WSDOT list:
SUNDAY 9/9 (tonight)
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed till 5 am Monday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
MONDAY 9/10
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Monday to 5 am Tuesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”
TUESDAY 9/11
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Tuesday to 5 am Wednesday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “Two westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed … between I-5 and SR 99 from 11 pm-5 am … The northbound I-5 off-ramp and the Columbian (Way) ramp to westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will also both be closed.”
WEDNESDAY 9/12
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Wednesday to 5 am Thursday, between Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”
THURSDAY 9/13
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – Southbound lanes closed 9 pm Thursday to 5 am Friday
*Spokane Street Viaduct – From SDOT: “The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed each night at the off-ramp to northbound SR99 … 10 pm-5 am. Traffic on the West Seattle Bridge will be detoured to northbound SR99. Traffic wishing to continue further east will be diverted to the lower Spokane roadway in West Seattle.”
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY 9/14-9/16
*Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 – (Monday update) 11 pm Friday-5 am Monday, “Northbound SR 99 will be closed between South Royal Brougham Way and the West Seattle Bridge” per WSDOT.
*Spokane Street Viaduct – Aside from ongoing 1st Avenue S. exit closure (it’s reopening Wednesday morning 9/19), nothing scheduled
*NON-HIGHWAY NOTE: California SW and Alaska SW will be closed in the heart of The Junction all day Sunday for the West Seattle Junction Car Show – see you there!
(L-R, Laura Noftsger, Tracy Dart, Janae Landis, posing. Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Next Friday-Saturday-Sunday, they walk … tonight, they party. And, of course, fundraise. You have another hour or so to get over to Angelina’s in the Admiral District if you’d like to join Team Tracy‘s T-Shirt Release Party – where of course you can buy a shirt:
That’s the women’s edition – sported already by Team Tracy’s leader/namesake herself, Tracy Dart (above), longtime breast-cancer-fighting fundraiser and three-time survivor:
The shirts, $20, also come in the meant-for-males edition:
The team is getting ready for the annual Seattle edition of the 3-Day Walk to fight breast cancer, Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
(From left, Samantha Prokopy, Dena Johnson, Vicki Albrecht)
Tonight’s party includes – besides the chance to buy T-shirts – karaoke! P.S. If you don’t see this till the party’s over, you can still donate to Team Tracy members via this webpage.
That’s the Gilbert family with Evelyn, when she joined them March 6, 2011, as their first puppy with West Seattle See Dogs, which trains future guide dogs. Ruth Oldham of WSSD shares their story as the group welcomes new puppy-raisers – including news that Evelyn has graduated!
“There is nothing as fulfilling as meeting your now guide dog’s partner at graduation and learning what your gift of love for a puppy and time commitment means to them,” Ruth explains. Evelyn went to the Guide Dogs For The Blind’s campus in Boring, Oregon, back in May, “sped through her phases,” as Ruth describes it, and graduated on August 25th. In the photo, she says, Evelyn “guides her new partner, Allen Scarbrough, over a curb, demonstrating her prowess to her former raisers. She actually stopped with one paw on the curb, and waited for Allen to respond. Allen can feel the raised paw through the harness.” Want to join the group making moments like that – and lifetimes beyond it – happen?
Ruth says, “You too can be part of this experience. West Seattle See Dogs is actively looking for new raisers to become part of our team. Our volunteers are all working toward improving the quality of life for people who are blind. Come to our meeting on Tuesday, September 11th, at 6:30 pm at The Kenney and learn what’s involved…….we need you!”
(Crowd at the final WS Outdoor Movies screening this season, “Top Gun” on August 25th)
If you were part of the record crowds for this summer’s free West Seattle Outdoor Movies and bought raffle tickets and/or concessions, you were part of a season of giving, as well as a season of fun. Five local nonprofits benefited from this year’s donations, which totaled $1,599: WestSide Baby, West Seattle Helpline, Seattle Lutheran High School Key Club, Furry Faces Foundation, Make It Better Project. Also, movie-series host Lora Swift (of 10th-anniversary-celebrating Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor]!) sends props to West Seattle Christian Church for donating time to run the projector, PB&J Textiles (WSB sponsor) for donating their time/$ to buy and run the popcorn machine, and to the West Seattle Junction Association. And WSB was proud to be the official WSOM media sponsor again this year. On behalf of all the series sponsors, we also want to thank the businesses who in turn donated raffle prizes! Soon enough, it’ll be springtime again and time to talk about the next edition; Lora says,”We look forward to another fun movie series in 2013.”
Another stolen car to watch for. From Sarah:
My car was stolen on Thursday night in the Delridge neighborhood. It is a maroon 1988 Toyota Tercel. Passenger window is missing. The liscense plate number is AHR2334. If someone sees it, please contact me: sarah_e_fry@yahoo.com
And, as the official police advice goes, call 911.
Southwest Precinct police helped on the 4th of July (WSB coverage here) – can you help on 9/11 and on West Seattle Junction Car Show day a week from today? Don from The Junction (in our 7/4/12 photo above, with officers) needs some flag-placement assistants those days, and beyond. Here’s the official call for help from the West Seattle Junction Association:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP PUT UP FLAGS IN THE JUNCTION!
The Junction Association puts up flags on all appropriate occasions. The Junction’s handy-man Don has been putting up flags for years, but health issues have made repeated trips up and down the stairs increasingly difficult for him.
So, who wants to help Don on the 11th and 16th of September?!
The volunteer job includes meeting him at 7:30 am to put them out, and 6pm to put them away. The job includes lots of stair walking since the flags are stored in the basement of the Cupcake Royale building.
We are looking to create a list of interested people, so if you’d like to be called upon for these two days in September or in the future, please e-mail Liz Schroeder at liz@wsjunction.org or call 935-0904.
Not much today for a full-length daily preview so we’re pointing you to the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar. Quick highlights: Holy Family‘s street fair continues till 4 pm – pony rides, food, more – and various local venues invite you to come watch the Seahawks-Cardinals game, including The Bridge (sound up for at least 2 screens, plus a projector) and Bamboo (with a New England-style clam bake on the patio). After the game, West Seattle’s most famous breast-cancer-fighting 3-Day team, Team Tracy, is throwing a T-Shirt Release Party at Angelina’s in the Admiral District, 5 pm. (This year’s Seattle 3-day is next weekend.)
A big police and fire “heavy rescue” response at 29th and Othello (map). Our crew at the scene says two vehicles collided near the intersection; one is on its side. Firefighters tell us one person is going to the hospital. That person is reported to be from the larger vehicle, and the injuries do not appear to be major.
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Because working on a master’s degree in post-Katrina New Orleans and being pregnant with a third child while raising twins wasn’t quite enough to keep Gretchen Williamson-Evans occupied, she decided to move to the Northwest and start a business … selling fully cooked, frozen organic grains.
They’re now arriving in local stores, packaged as Gretchen’s Grains.
The idea of having those staples available for easy use started in the Evans’ kitchen in New Orleans, while Gretchen was working on her Master’s and husband Bill Evans was operating his flight-training school.
Gretchen wanted the ease of eating the grain-and-vegetable salads featured in the healthier delis, but didn’t want to pay the deli prices, so she made grains in advance and froze them. Friends and family began requesting packages of the cooked quinoa, brown rice and wheat berries for themselves, and the couple recognized a niche market.
They did some research and realized “the whole-grain market was exploding,” says Gretchen. “We decided to throw our whole weight into it.”
The decision was the easy part.
Before more clouds move in for a projected two-day stay, they helped create another beautiful sunset tonight. Bill Wolford shared the photo above; the next one is from John Kieltyka:
ADDED 8:53 PM: From Rebecca Emmert, via Twitter:
Today by the way, was the 48th day without measurable rain at Sea-Tac, according to the National Weather Service, which says the record is 51 days.
Seattle Lutheran High School‘s varsity football team had to travel about five hours for today’s game vs. Lake Roosevelt. We just got word they are coming home with a win, 19-6.
We’re now less than two months away from the November election – less than a month and a half from the arrival of ballots and the start of voting. One of the marquee local races is for King County Sheriff. Steve Strachan, appointed to the job after Sue Rahr left earlier this year, is on the ballot along with John Urquhart, who as a KCSO sergeant was the department’s longtime media spokesperson till leaving a year ago. Both candidates will be featured during an event in White Center next Thursday – the quarterly public-safety forum presented by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. Everyone’s invited, wherever you live, and we haven’t heard yet about any West Seattle forum planned with this nonpartisan race, so we’re mentioning this one here – 7 pm Thursday (September 13th), North Highline Fire District headquarters, 1243 SW 112th.
(Photo courtesy Tyler – added 12:50 pm)
12:31 PM: At least one person is reported hurt in a crash that the 911 log says is on the westbound bridge – described on the scanner as involving a vehicle on the median. If you happen to see this while getting ready to head back this way from points east, you’ll want to use another route – low bridge, 1st Avenue South Bridge – for now. (The only city bridge camera that’s working shows a backup on the eastbound side – adding the image here – so avoid the bridge entirely for a while.)
12:44 PM UPDATE: Commenters say the crashed vehicle is a red pickup. From one: “Truck involved in accident is hanging by 2 tires off the westbound median sideways.”
12:50 PM UPDATE: Added a photo (thanks, Tyler!). Per scanner, police are reopening the westbound side of the bridge.
4:19 PM UPDATE: The scene is long clear but we’ve received a few more photos. The one above is from David.
Another stolen vehicle to watch for: From Brady via Twitter, “My black ’99 Subaru Outback Sport was stolen last night outside of the Link Apts (38th & Alaska)! WA license 045VTO.” As Seattle Police note in their @getyourcarback tweets – if you see a known stolen car, call 911.
(SEVEN otters frolicking in a yard south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock! Thanks to Dan and Philip for the photo)
Welcome to the weekend! From the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
GARAGE SALES! The West Seattle Eagles are having a big one at their HQ in The Junction, 9 am-3 pm (map in the listing); also, we notice a sizable list of sales for this weekend that have been posted directly (free!) in the Freebies/Deals/Sales section of the WSB Forums.
ADMIRAL ADOPT-A-STREET CLEANUP: Meet at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) at 9 am and join the Admiral Neighborhood Association for its quarterly cleanup. Tools and bags provided – as are free treats!
ALSO IN THE ADMIRAL DISTRICT: Pets looking for new homes will be at Umpqua Bank (next to Admiral Safeway) with Saving Great Animals, 10 am-1:30 pm.
HOLY FAMILY STREET FAIR: Bigger than ever this year, says Holy Family School principal Frank Cantwell. Food and fun, 10 am-4 pm (tomorrow too), 20th/Roxbury, details here.
GRANDPARENTS’ DAY CELEBRATION: At Life Care Center of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – everybody’s invited, 11 am-2:30 pm, with festivities including free barbecue and live music.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Open noon-4 pm (61st/Stevens); go see the new exhibit from the first phase of “Telling Our Westside Stories,” which includes audio!
‘MAD SCIENCE INSTITUTE’ BOOK SIGNING: Author Sechin Tower will be at Atomic Boys in the Admiral District, 1-4 pm.
SKIHAWKS BENEFIT: They help get developmentally challenged people involved with winter sports, and you can help them in that work by attending tonight’s benefit at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 6:30 pm.
LIVE MUSIC: Gary Kanter at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 6-8 pm … Three bands at Skylark, starting at 8 pm … Blake Noble Band at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 9 pm … You saw their “West Seattle Hey” video here this week, now see/hear Not Dead Yet at Poggie Tavern in The Junction, 9 pm.
… and, as always, more on the calendar!
The Chief Sealth International High School Seahawks were on the road Friday night, but had a strong cheering section on hand for the game against Cleveland at Memorial Stadium downtown. Above, with the Sealth Cheerleaders, are Sealth’s first-ever Link Crew participants (explained in our story from two weeks ago) – the mentors in the red shirts accompanied some of their freshmen charges to the game, which saw Sealth beat Cleveland, 32-14. Ahead, highlights and toplines:
Friday night’s West Seattle High School football game was actually the second half of a doubleheader of sorts. First half was presided over by the WSHS Cheerleaders – their back-to-school barbecue, held at Southwest Athletic Complex right before the game. That, we’re told, was awesome; the game itself, not as much for WSHS, which lost to visiting Seattle Prep, 32-12. More photos and the key points, ahead:
We’re working on separate stories, both with photos, for each of these games, but in case you hadn’t heard the scores yet: At Memorial Stadium downtown tonight, Chief Sealth over Cleveland, 32-14; at Southwest Athletic Complex, West Seattle lost to Seattle Prep, 32-12.
So Admiral-based Engine 29 pulls into the Lafayette Elementary schoolyard this afternoon:
No fire, but there was a sense of urgency. The entire school was out on the playground, watching the engine come to a stop:
Then a woman in a firefighter’s hat bounded out of the engine.
We knew the secret – it was actually Lafayette’s new principal Shauna Heath, who used the first assembly of the school year for a “dramatic entrance” to announce the year’s theme: “Lafayette is on fire!” (As in, burning for learning, etc.) She and some of her staff were also wearing T-shirts with another slogan – “Only the best is good enough.”
Hot day – apropos to the theme – so the kids (and staff!) weren’t kept out too long; they got a pep talk and then it was back to class.
Thanks to JayDee for the sunset view from Upper Alki tonight! The forecast suggests one more summery day is in the works – likely getting into the 80s again – before clouds move in for Sunday. Outdoor events for tomorrow on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar include the Street Fair at Holy Family School (20th/Roxbury), 10 am-4 pm tomorrow – with an outdoor movie Saturday night! – and the Grandparents’ Day celebration at Life Care Center of West Seattle (WSB sponsor), with a free community barbecue, 11 am-2:30 pm. And while you’re in Admiral, check out Sechin Tower‘s book signing event for “Mad Science Institute” at Atomic Boys, 1-4 pm. See more on the calendar – for tomorrow, Sunday, and weeks/months into the future.
The past two nights, the Federal Aviation Administration has held open houses as part of the environmental-assessment process of the flight-path/-procedure changes known as Greener Skies. Though the plan affects West Seattle, with more jets turning over Elliott Bay instead of farther north, neither of the meetings was in West Seattle – so we went to the one last night in Ballard, to at least get it on video (above) for anyone interested in commenting; the public-comment period runs for another week. The FAA contends that the changes will not mean a significant increase in noise – which is considered part of the environmental effects they’re assessing – for West Seattle. Take a look at this map to see the turn pattern over the bay, north of Alki and Admiral:
Some testing already has been under way, as The Seattle Times (WSB partner) reported in June. Alki Community Council president Tony Fragada has been following this and was at the open house last night:
You might recall from our coverage of Mayor McGinn‘s recent Town Hall meeting here that Fragada brought up the issue during Q/A. The mayor promised to look into it. We asked his spokesperson Aaron Pickus today what has transpired since then. His reply via e-mail:
The mayor directed his Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to connect with appropriate public offices, agencies and stakeholders to gather more information on this issue to determine the city’s options for addressing the Greener Skies proposal.
If you’re interested in commenting – September 14th is the FAA’s deadline. Contact information is here.
Another change in the Admiral District restaurant scene, in addition to the upcoming Copper Coin (here’s our 8/16 report on that): Brickyard BBQ at 2308 California SW has a new owner and will soon have a new name. José Prieto, who with his family owns Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant in Fauntleroy, took over Brickyard on September 1st. He says it too will soon be called Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant (after the city in Mexico that he’s from). He told WSB’s Katie Meyer that he thinks the place has potential, so he wants to clean it up and fix it up to have more of a “family atmosphere,” though he’s keeping its bar. A Mexican menu will be added next month, but barbecue, he says, will also stay on the menu at least through the winter. Hours: 11:30 am-10 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 am-midnight Fridays-Saturdays, noon-10:30 pm Sundays, with lunch specials daily and happy hour 3-6 pm weekdays. (We’ll be updating the WSB West Seattle Restaurant Guide with the new info. Thanks to Frank for the tip on the Brickyard change!)
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