West Seattle, Washington
14 Sunday
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is reaching beyond its regular Tuesday meetings for another opportunity to meet community members and help neighbors in need:
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is known as the fun club. While we have serious meetings and have serious goals to help the community, on the First Friday we meet at a West Seattle watering hole for friendship and libations.
In October, The First Friday was a success on a couple of levels. First we had non-Rotarians join us to just hang out. We also gathered 180 pounds of food and three boxes of paper for printers. This was all donated to the West Seattle Food Bank.
This Friday (November 2nd), we will be meeting at The Cask again (located at 2350 California Ave SW from 5 PM till 7PM). And we want to try it again; this time we are looking for gently used coats, gloves, scarves. If your kids have outgrown their coat, bring it. If your coat is out of style and clogging your closet bring it. The West Seattle Helpline will be accepting the donations; given in West Seattle, used in West Seattle.
Question? Contact Rotary publicity chair Dave Nichols, dave@disasterdave.com.
While the flood watch in effect for King County is mostly because of rising rivers, there’s now also a “special weather statement” for the entirety of the county – and it says that some areas have seen an inch of rain already today, with up to two more possible before this starts easing tomorrow afternoon. We’ll be keeping watch as always – please let us know if have any storm-related (or other) news to share.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
For years, they’ve rocked out – and this year, they’re spaced out. With an all-new space theme, and other overhauls, the animatronic extravaganza Skeleton Theatre 2012 is almost ready to go, for performances Wednesday (Halloween) night and Thursday (November 1st) night on the lawn at the southwest corner of 36th and Hanford, rain or shine.
WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams visited last night as the crew got ready for the seventh year of Halloween-time shows:
(Michael Wellborn, working on audio setup)
Our behind-the-scenes preview continues, ahead:Read More
In the neighborhood you might call south Morgan Junction or western Gatewood, neighbors are joining forces to take the most effective action in fighting crime – watching out for each other. They’ll be going around the neighborhood with invitations, but here’s an early alert, in case you’re in that neighborhood or know someone who is:
Our townhome complex has noticed increased suspicious behavior and crime in our neighborhood, so we are coming together to start a Block Watch. Join us for a kick-off meeting, where we can all meet each other and a Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Coordinator will help us get organized and share crime prevention tips.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
7:00-8:30 pm
Gatewood Elementary’s Lunchroom (4320 SW Myrtle St)Being a part of the Block Watch will not require much work on your end – just a commitment to watching out for each other and reporting any suspicious activity. For more information, visit seattle.gov/police/blockwatch. Hope you can join us!
Your neighbors in the townhomes off California & Myrtle
c/o Kati Davich
Kati.Davich@gmail.com
Kati says the area they’re targeting is roughly “on California from Frontenac to Othello and on Myrtle from Fauntleroy,” but others in the vicinity are welcome too. (And to everyone who has or is forming a Block Watch – be sure to get involved with the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network, too!)
Saturday is “Green Seattle Day” – your next chance to spend a few hours taking care of our cherished greenspaces, 10 am-2 pm. Two West Seattle organizations have invitations to share, in case you haven’t already signed up yet. First – the photo above, and the first invite, is from Friends of Lincoln Park:
Join Friends of Lincoln Park for GREEN SEATTLE DAY! Hosted by Green Seattle Partnership, Green Seattle Day is our big planting day of the year. We’ve worked hard to prepare the site and we’ll have about 250 plants, trees and lots of mulch. Starbucks is providing us with coffee and rumor has it Lisa and Sharon are planning to bake, so should be a very fun time! You can register here for this event. Here are the details:
*Meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose St)
*Dress in NW layers with rain gear and sturdy shoes/boots
*We’ll have tools and gloves, or bring your own
*We’ll be planting on the north side of trail 9 in the middle of the park. If you’re late, check the map in the kiosk to see where we are (we’ll have it marked). Hope you can join us! Please contact us with any questions: Sharon Baker: sabaker41@gmail.com or Lisa McGinty: lmcginty206@gmail.com. Or visit our site: friendsoflincolnpark.org
And the Nature Consortium is getting the word out about its designated site in eastern West Seattle:
Help keep Seattle green! Without a coordinated effort, Seattle is at risk of losing 70% of its forests in just 20 years. The Green Seattle Partnership, along with community members and nonprofits, is rallying volunteers to help save the city’s forests by pitching in on November 3rd.
The biggest forest in the city happens to be right here in West Seattle. At more than 500 acres, the West Duwamish Greenbelt is the largest contiguous forest remaining in Seattle and faces threats from invasive plants like Himalayan blackberry and English ivy. Those wanting to pitch in on Green Seattle Day can join West Seattle nonprofit Nature Consortium in the greenbelt to remove invasive plants and install new trees and shrubs.
In keeping with their mission to connect people, arts, and nature, Nature Consortium hires local musicians to play at their volunteer events. The November 3rd event at the West Duwamish Greenbelt will feature live music by the Rabbit Stew String Band and saxophonist Brian Kent. To volunteer with Nature Consortium on Green Seattle Day, sign up at www.naturec.org/volunteer.
With nine days to go till the second Early Design Guidance review of the biggest project on the boards for West Seattle right now, 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, the information/graphics “packet” for the meeting is already available online – see it here (but be forewarned, it’s a 33-MB PDF). This means those who are interested have plenty of time for homework before it comes back to the Southwest Design Review Board on November 8th. Above, the concept for the two-building site, as if you were looking toward the Fauntleroy/Alaska corner (keep in mind, this is still the “early” phase, which means this is for size and shape, aka “massing,” not for any sort of final appearance). Next, the frontage along Fauntleroy (drugstore to the left, grocery to the right and wrapping around Alaska – also note the “mid-block connector” which goes through to 40th SW on the other side):
The proposal includes 43,000 square feet for a grocery store, 14,000 square feet for a drugstore, about 8,000 square feet for other retailers (no the tenants have been announced yet), more than 350 apartments, and an underground parking garage. The revised documents also includes sketches of loading-ramp options, a big topic of discussion at the first meeting last month (WSB coverage here), along with alleys. Here’s the overhead view (40th at top, Fauntleroy at bottom, the Masonic Hall property – which is NOT part of the project – at top left) including the landscape plan:
Next week’s review is part of a Design Review Board doubleheader, with 4724 California‘s second review (no “design packet” from them yet) at 6:30 pm and this one at 8 pm, both at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). There is a public-comment period in which you will have the opportunity to get up and speak about your observations – providing they relate to the design; other comments can be sent to the project’s assigned city planner, Bruce Rips, at bruce.rips@seattle.gov.
Thanks to a tip and photo from Vic, we reported Sunday night that Metro has made a change to Route 22 service through Arbor Heights. The question remained – what else is Metro doing about adjusting Arbor Heights service? Here’s an update from county spokesperson Jeff Switzer, starting with the formal announcement of last weekend’s change:
King County Metro Transit has revised the last evening trip for Route 22 in West Seattle to make the service more consistent.
The last evening trip from Alaska Junction now continues beyond 26th Avenue Southwest and Roxbury Street, turns west on Southwest 106th Street, turns north on 35th Avenue Southwest and right on Roxbury Street. The bus then goes out of service.
The change went into effect last week, and was added to the Metro online trip planner Oct. 27. The information will be updated in the February 2013 printed timetable.
Metro staff also are reviewing other options for Route 22 that would provide service through Arbor Heights. This will require additional operating funds, which must come from Metro’s limited service contingency. Any change to the routing would most likely take place in conjunction with an upcoming Metro service and schedule change. These changes occur three times per year: February, June, and September.
The Arbor Heights cuts were a big topic two weeks ago at Sustainable West Seattle‘s Transportation Forum, and a Metro rep said there that they expected to make changes.
(Monday rainbow, by Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bicycle Connections)
Not likely we’ll see rainbows today – the rain may be even heavier in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
TALK TO YOUR SCHOOL-BOARD MEMBER: West Seattle board rep Marty McLaren‘s next community-conversation meeting is 9:45 am today at Concord International Elementary School in South Park.
BREAST-CANCER-FIGHTING FUNDRAISER: Shop today at West Seattle Runner (California/Charlestown; WSB sponsor) and part of your purchase goes to fight breast cancer, via West Seattle’s own Team Tracy. The shop opens at 10 am. More info on this Facebook event page.
TODDLER PUMPKIN-PALOOZA: It’s a Halloween-time tradition at High Point Community Center – 10 am-noon. Pumpkin painting, carnival games, more ($5 admission).
TAKE A HIKE: Tot Trek – Happy Halloween Hike at Camp Long, 10:30 am – 11:45 am. Adults, explore the wonders of nature with your toddler. Join a Seattle volunteer naturalist for an exploration of some of the animals associated with Halloween. Be sure to wear your Halloween costume. No strollers, please. All children must be accompanied by an adult. One adult may accompany up to two children. $8 adult/child pair. $4 each additional person. Call 206-684-7435 ASAP to see if there’s still room!
OPEN HOUSE: Hope Lutheran School‘s middle-school open house is tonight – 42nd and Oregon, 6:30 pm.
‘SCARE NIGHT’ AT ADMIRAL THEATER: Two spooky (and then some) Halloween movies are being screened at the historic Admiral Theater tonight – “Night of the Living Dead” and John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” 6:45 pm and 8:50 pm – see the calendar page for listings on both.
More on the calendar – and, through tomorrow night, the WSB Halloween page!
As of the most-recent official check, local physical-therapy clinics had collected almost HALF A TON OF FOOD in their mega-food drive to help the West Seattle Food Bank – and you only have two more days to pitch in! Sound Physical Therapy issued a friendly challenge to other clinics, in honor of National Physical Therapy Month. You can drop off non-perishable donations (including diapers and formula for the littlest WSFB clients) there or at any of the other participants (we’ve linked the names to the respective clinics’ websites so you can find them): Highline PT, Life in Balance, BioJunction Sports Therapy, Southwest Hand Therapy, Cascade Dizziness and Balance, Kinetic Physical Therapy, West Seattle Rehab Services, and West Seattle Physical Therapy.
You’re invited to play poker, enjoy dinner, and vie for prizes this Saturday night, at a fun(draiser) presented by the West Seattle Basketball Boosters. Just announced:
Come join the West Seattle basketball community and friends for a “Texas Hold ’em Poker” fundraiser to sponsor our players and their efforts to travel to a 2012 holiday basketball tournament in Las Vegas in December. All proceeds go to travel costs. Dinner is at 4 pm, and the poker tourney starts at 5 pm. Ticket includes dinner, poker chips, and a chance to win prizes, such as Husky football tickets, Safeway and Starbucks gift cards, and more!
November 3rd (this Saturday) 4 pm-10 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 3050 California Ave SW (map)
For more details, visit our website at wsbasketballboosters.com – buy tickets online there, or at the door for $50
Questions? Please contact our West Seattle Basketball Booster President Pierre Newsome at (206) 227-5386 or e-mail jpnewsome@comcast.net. West Seattle Basketball Booster Club is a Non-Profit 501-c(3)
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:54 AM: Once again this morning, the rain is the main challenge as drivers/riders head out – and this may be the rainiest day of the week.
7:24 AM: One report from the bridge, via Twitter – slower going than usual. No incidents reported, so perhaps just the rain.
9:06 AM: Crash just reported southbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel. Don’t know yet how many lanes are affected.
9:46 AM UPDATE: Per the scanner, the tunnel is reopening.
11:29 AM UPDATE: Battery St. Tunnel is a hot spot today. Now there’s a crash just south of it, in the NORTHBOUND 99 lanes.
1:10 PM: That’s clear now, by the way. But WSDOT has sent an overall alert for the rest of today and for tomorrow:
Commuters should buckle up and prepare for a long, soggy ride home this afternoon and another wet drive Wednesday morning.
Heavy rain is forecasted in the Puget Sound area and is expected to last through the peak commute times. Drivers should increase their following distance and leave plenty of room to stop on wet roads. With the mix of weather and traffic, some may want to consider adjusting their schedule to leave early or wait to head out until later in the commute.
Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are working ahead of the weather to keep roadside drains clear of debris, so water doesn’t pool onto the roadway. However, fall leaves are still blowing and drains can clog quickly. Crews will service drains as soon as possible, but drivers should try to avoid standing water on the roadway.
2:02 PM: Battery St. Tunnel yet again – northbound, this time. Also trouble on NB 5 by the Convention Center.
Today, Lafayette Elementary second-grade teacher Dano Beal takes his Room 26 second-graders to Camp Long for their annual “Spider Safari and Feast,” a tradition for almost 20 years. On Monday, he was already in the spirit, dressed as a spider (above), while the entirety of Lafayette’s second grade – four classrooms – enjoyed their 15th annual “Spider and Creepy Crawly Tea.” In teacher Kayleen Diaz‘s class, we found students masquerading as amphibians:
And there was even amphibian – OK, frog, to be precise – bread:
Teachers Michael Fletcher and Sheila McBeth presided over a fun day too. This wasn’t just a one-day event, but rather a culmination of work that involved, according to Mr. Beal, “researching all sorts of creepy critters” as well as reports and more than 60 displays – all of the latter made of fruits and vegetables!
The Port of Seattle has announced the new date for what was originally an October 23rd meeting to talk with South and West Seattle residents about concerns related to “existing flight procedures” – such as noise and flight patterns. The rescheduled meeting to include representatives of the FAA, port (which runs Sea-Tac Airport), and county (which runs Boeing Field) is now scheduled for 6:30-8:30 pm Tuesday, November 13, at the auditorium of Cleveland High School (5511 15th Avenue South; map).
“Drumming works!” So exhorted Fauntleroy Creek steward Judy Pickens late today, one day after leading the annual “drumming to welcome the salmon home” event at the creek overlook. As noted in our coverage of the event (photos and video here), Judy told the gathering that so far, seven spawners had tried to make it up the creek, but all turned into otter chow. However, today was a different story – in the early evening, Judy sent photos by volunteer Dennis Hinton and this report:
It’s dark now but Dennis and a new watcher, a Boy Scout after a merit badge, are still down there, which suggests the fish have continued to come from a late-afternoon high tide.
As of 5:30 PM, we had seen 10 spawners through and above the fish ladder, where they’ll have a chance to spawn and their offspring will have a chance to survive late-winter rains. The fish are a good 18″, robust, and beautiful. I’ve put out the call for watchers to get on the schedule and help document these beautiful fish.
Want to help watch? This story from last week explains how to sign up.
(13-month-old Nathan Boggs, photographed on Sunday by Nick Adams for WSB)
In our two reports here on WSB – “as it happened” coverage and post-event photo gallery – plus Facebook and Twitter updates, we showed you how successful the first-ever Junction Harvest Festival was, in many ways. The West Seattle Junction Association agrees it was spectacular, writes director Susan Melrose, in a note to say “thanks”:
The Junction Association was thrilled and amazed by the success of the Harvest Festival. What a day filled with smiles, friends, and fun. Our community embraced this event and each aspect flourished. I LOVED the parade led by the WSHS Marching Band! The best part is that this event made so many in our community happy and gave folks yet another reason to get together. When the Junction Association’s board decided to expand this event, the #1 goal was to give the neighborhood something great. I’m glad that we succeeded.
Big thank you to the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance for bringing the Harvest, community groups for bringing truly awesome activities, our volunteers for helping make it happen, and the businesses in The Junction who have made all this possible. Thanks to all who came and brought their energy, smiles and laughter.
Cheers to the First Annual Harvest Festival!
Susan Melrose
Junction Association Director
With eight days till the official nationwide Election Day (though voting-by-mail has been under way for a week and a half), three notes today:
DEADLINE REMINDER: In case you missed this in today’s daily preview, last chance to register to vote if you aren’t already registered in this state – get yourself to these locations downtown or in Renton by 4:30!
STUDENT MOCK ELECTION: When results of a national student “mock election” for president come out next Monday, they’ll include results from voting tomorrow right here in West Seattle, as announced by Chief Sealth International High School teacher Noah Zeichner:
Students and teachers at Chief Sealth International High School will be taking part in a national mock election on Tuesday, October 30th. Students will use a state-of-the art online voting system as they participate in a mock election program sponsored by the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a national civic education program based at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. With approximately one million students expected to vote nationwide during the two-week voting period from October 22-November 1, the YLI Mock Election is the largest secure, student-only online mock election in the nation. Results of the YLI National Mock Election will be available the morning of Monday, November 5, 2012.
BALLOT DROPOFF VAN: Still no dropoff box in West Seattle – but the county will bring back its dropoff van starting this Friday, same spot as the primary, southwest side of the West Seattle Stadium parking lot. 10 am-5 pm Friday-Monday (November 2-5), you’ll find it there, and 7 am-8 pm on Election Day (Tuesday 11/6).
The Roxhill Park playground “community build,” for a new Roxhill Castle, starts Friday. From volunteer organizer Mat McBride, one last call for help (including setup work tomorrow):
We need some tools and supplies
Most of the tools for the build are covered by the West Seattle Tool Library, because they are awesome. They don’t have everything though, and we need some specific tools, lumber, and other building supplies. The Tool Library has a list of what we still need, and you can lend or donate tools, or make a financial gift. Your gift to the library will help build the park, And it will still be at the library after. You might need it for Your next park project. You can email micah@wstools.org to talk about specifics, or just make a 501c3 tax deductible online donation; click here and they can buy it directly. The link to donate is at the bottom of the page, and any amount is welcome. I have tested the theory, it works great.We also need shelter, you know, in case it rains. The West Seattle Junction Association has set us up with a bunch of great pavilions, but we might need more. You know, in case it rains. Do you have a pop-up shelter?
We need help with set-up
Can’t wait to start working on the project? You don’t have to! We need to get the worksite ready for a horde of volunteers. We’re planning on Tuesday, October 30th. If you’d like to help set up, e-mail roxhillcastle@gmail.com. It’s like a VIP pass, no one else will be allowed in early.We still need volunteers
All kinds of tasks – light duty, general labor and technical work. We are building this park from scratch, not a kit. If you know folks who are good at building things from scratch, Well, have we got a deal. Seriously, tell your friends about this page, right here.A huge Thank You to everyone who has signed up for this project
It quite literally would not have happened without you. There’s a new page on the project website dedicated to that. Have a look, Roxstar. Note – this is a large project and some names (individuals are based on the Doodle signup page) may be missing or incorrect. Please update me if so, I think it’s important.
Check out the community website for the project here.
(Photo courtesy Jeff Hogan NWFSC, taken under permit #13136)
Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales, first to let us know on Sunday about the latest sightings of orcas in West Seattle waters, shares that photo taken while he was on a NOAA research boat later in the the day. He reports:
We followed them from roughly Alki all the way up to Mukilteo. We had all the members of J Pod, K Pod and a few L-Pod whales as well. Didn’t see any foraging, but just lots of slow travel and socializing. Collected several fecal samples in addition to all the photo identification work.
He identifies the whale in the photo as K21, a male (if you didn’t already know that because of the large dorsal fin) born in 1986, according to this page on the Center for Whale Research website. J, K, and L pods are the “Southern Resident” groups who live in this region, though they sometimes forage much farther away.
(UPDATED 5:11 PM with new information following bail hearing – see end of story)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A repeat offender who gained regional infamy in 2009 for prolific West Seattle graffiti vandalism involving an anti-gay slur is back in jail right now, under investigation for an alleged hate crime.
While WSB policy is generally to not identify suspects until they are charged, the circumstances of this case and the history of the suspect have led us to make an exception. The suspect is 34-year-old Ryan J. Cox, arrested on Saturday and accused of hitting a man with a baseball bat on Friday as he and the victim were leaving a Metro bus in the Luna Park area. The man told police that he believed he was attacked because of his sexual orientation, and that Cox had been hurling insults at him on board the bus.
Though police could not find a suspect after the attack – in which the victim said he was hit four times, leaving raised welts on his back – they encountered Cox on Saturday at the Solstice Park tennis courts across from north Lincoln Park, an area he has been known to frequent, and the encounter led to the arrest. That part of the story was first told to WSB by a reader who asked for anonymity. He wrote on Saturday:
(Photo of Longfellow Creek, by Laura James)
Fairly quiet day on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar and the WSB Halloween page … time to recover from weekend activities including the first-ever Harvest Festival (our coverage is here and here), but we have a few things:
DINE OUT TO HELP A SCHOOL: All day/night, Endolyne Joe’s in Fauntleroy will donate part of today’s proceeds to West Seattle’s new K-5 STEM school.
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: The final deadline for voter registration is today – details on the King County Elections page.
FERRY DRILL: As mentioned here on Friday, an anti-terrorism drill is planned today on board a state ferry somewhere between Vashon and Edmonds – and if it happens to be off West Seattle shores at the time, you might notice unusual air/sea activity.
SPOOKY STORYTIME: 7 pm tonight at High Point Library (35th/Raymond), Halloween story time! Details here.
NIGHTLIFE: Pub quiz night at Shadowland, 8 pm … Flat Earth Society DJ’ing at West 5 features Jody McKane spinning tonight, 9 pm.
Check the calendar for a few more recurring events!
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:52 AM: Wet weather is the main challenge for the morning commute so far. A few notes:
-The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its fall/winter schedule now (and using Melissa Ann for the next three weeks, with Rachel Marie getting some work done)
-Routes 120, 55, and 22 have some changes (see our story from last night)
Let us know what you encounter out there – we’ll also update this story any time there’s a traffic/transit note between now and the end of the evening commute.
8:16 AM: Crash just reported on northbound I-5 at I-90.
8:47 AM: A crash on northbound I-5 just south of the West Seattle Bridge is no longer blocking lanes. Haven’t heard of any trouble from the “near I-90” report.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Report #1, as-it-happened coverage with photos plus parade video, is here)
Thousands thronged The Junction on Sunday for its first-ever Harvest Festival – melding the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with business-district trick-or-treating. We covered it “live” as it unfolded over four hours, but there’s more to show, in these two-dozen-plus photos by WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams. Above, 4-year-old Joseph Cho (“The Flash”) awaits fruit in a market booth. Next, hay was a playground for a little dinosaur, 11-month-old Noah Wootton, and friends:
Grownups and pets got into the spirit too:
That’s Jim Rogers with Olaf, who is masquerading as Al Capone. 19 more festival scenes, ahead:
Read More
“The circle of life” took on multiple meanings at this afternoon’s Fauntleroy Creek “drumming to call the salmon home” event. First – the circle of those who came to celebrate the annual return, about three dozen participants by our count. Second, the phrase was part of a “call-and-response” inviting participants to share a significant event in their lives since last year’s gathering. And third – organizer and creek/watershed steward Judy Pickens noted that while seven spawners had been counted so far, none had made it up the creek – otter(s) had eaten them. Nonetheless, the celebration was on – with drums of many sizes and types:
That provided a mentoring opportunity, too, as Irene Stewart demonstrated:
Singing accompanied the drumming – that’s organizer Judy at center, music leader Jamie Shilling at right:
(video added) The gathering had begun with Judy recalling the first returning salmon (nicknamed “Harry and Louise”) almost two decades ago, followed by Jamie leading a song:
Mary led young welcomers through a recounting of the story of baby salmon’s comings, goings, and growing:
As noted here last week, volunteer watchers will be keeping an eye out for the salmon in the weeks ahead.
| 3 COMMENTS