West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
First high-school-football score in for the night – Close game at Southwest Athletic Complex; West Seattle High School beats Nathan Hale, 21-20. That’s our featured game tonight; video and summary to come. According to our partners at the Seattle Times, Seattle Lutheran won at North Beach (in Ocean Shores), 35-0, while Sealth lost at Ingraham, 39-6.
ADDED 11:59 PM: Summary/video from WSHS game:Read More
Both of King County’s West Seattle projects to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) are proceeding, and we have updates tonight.
In the area of Sunrise Heights/Westwood where the map above is shaded – part of the “basin” feeding the Barton pump station north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock – the plan is to install “green stormwater infrastructure” including rain gardens, and another round of field work is imminent, according to spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson. She says residents in the affected area have been sent a letter (see it here), and will get more notification whenever something is happening on their block, but they wanted to get wider word out too. This is what will be happening, according to an online update about the project:
• Project team members conducting land and utility surveys, and looking at topography, stormwater and groundwater patterns, existing parking strip uses, trees, driveways, accessibility for residents with disabilities, and other physical features of the project area
• Geotechnical borings to better understand soil and groundwater conditions
• Infiltration testing to see how long it takes water to soak into the ground
• Parking and traffic pattern survey
• Potential installation of additional groundwater monitoring wells
• Examination of roof downspout connections/disconnections to the existing combined sewer system
All that will start over the next few weeks, Kolb-Nelson tells WSB. There’s also a map showing specific properties in the project area – you can see that here. The county says construction won’t start until 2013.
We also asked what’s new in the neighborhood that is going to be affected by the plan for the basin feeding the Murray pump station at Lowman Beach Park, where a separate pump-station maintenance project is under way right now. For Murray, you may recall, the county has decided to build a huge underground storage tank across the street from the park, which requires buying and demolishing the residential properties that are there now. Kolb-Nelson says, “We’re in contact with property owners and have begun making offers. We’re also notifying people about eligibility for relocation benefits.” She adds that community meetings are planned next month, but the dates aren’t set yet. This project also is set for construction in 2013; an aerial view is here.
Two weeks before Mayor McGinn sends his budget proposal to the City Council, he’s coming to West Seattle to announce a key part of it: Recommendations for how city-owned community centers should be operated next year. He and Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who chairs the Parks Committee, are scheduled to make the announcement at High Point Community Center, with Acting Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams, on Monday. You’ll recall that last year’s budget led to cuts including the downgrading of Alki Community Center to “limited use.” Whatever they propose, the formal budget presentation is on September 26th, and almost two months of meetings and hearings will ensue before a final plan is adopted in November.
Seattle Public Library branches are hosting a sheaf of “Urban Self-Reliance” workshops this fall. Some are in West Seattle. They updated the news release this afternoon and re-sent it to media, and in light of the BC quake (earlier coverage here), we couldn’t help but notice this part. Call ASAP!
“DIY Seismic Home Retrofitting” – Experienced home retrofit contractors and experts will show participants how to assess and retrofit their homes using the City of Seattle’s free pre-engineered plans. This workshop is presented in partnership with the Seattle Office of Emergency Management and Seattle Department of Planning and Development. Registration is required; call the Seattle Office of Emergency Management at 206-233-5076 to register.
(three locations elsewhere in the city, plus …)
o 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., 206-684-7455
For all the other workshops – which cover a wide range of topics from canning to chicken-raising to spreading the word citywide about the West Seattle Tool Library! – check out the news release.
(CityDog photo by Tabitha Headrick, used with permission)
Before we get to the next wave of serious news … a quick break for a cute pet photo. West Seattle-headquartered CityDog Magazine has just announced Matisse as the winner of the West Seattle round of its Cover Dog Model Search, which involved afternoon photo sessions at West Seattle Thriftway three weeks ago. You can see all the West Seattle contenders on the CityDog site – the photo viewer starts with Matisse, and you can click on to the others. Didn’t get to enter your dog? CityDog still has three more “model search” events, plus an online contest, and in the end, eight dogs (including Matisse) will go before CityDog readers for the final cover-choice vote.
1:04 PM: One WSB ‘er sent a note a few minutes ago asking if there had been an earthquake – she’s downtown in a high-rise and says they were swaying for several long minutes. We’re just now seeing the reports that indeed, there was a 6.7 quake on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Maybe we’re immune from growing up in Southern California, but we didn’t feel anything here in Upper Fauntleroy. You?
1:21 PM: For those interested – here’s a data-laden page about this quake, courtesy of the U.S. Geological Service Survey. Also just added a Google map showing the epicenter. **NO** tsunami alert, per this link. The Vancouver Sun‘s ongoing coverage (the story is a little longer every time we’ve checked back) can be found here.
1:48 PM NOTE: You might recall that just yesterday, we mentioned that September is Preparedness Month. Can’t pass up another opportunity to implore you to be sure you really are prepared. If we had to point you to just ONE West Seattle-specific resource – it would be West Seattle Be Prepared (in particular, find and memorize your nearest “Communication Hub”). And any time you wonder whether you felt a quake, check here (though ironically, the BC quake is outside its range).
3:26 PM: Commenters asked about the Viaduct’s new automatic quake gates. We then asked WSDOT, which replied that it would take a quake of at least 5.0, “near” the Viaduct, to trigger them. (This one is now estimated at 6.4, but it was nowhere “near” us, relatively speaking.) WSDOT has since issued a news release saying it’s checked key structures to be sure the BC quake had no effects:
Inspection teams from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) are checking key transportation structures in the Puget Sound region after today’s earthquake near Vancouver Island. No damage has been found so far.
WSDOT crews have completed a visual inspection of the State Route 520 floating bridge and report no damage. They will do a more in-depth inspection in the coming hours.
The Alaskan Way Viaduct remains open and has been inspected visually, with no signs of damage. In addition, seismic sensors installed to trigger automatic gate closures to the structure show no impact from the Vancouver quake, now measured at 6.4. The sensors require an earthquake larger than 5.0 in the immediate vicinity before triggering gate closures.
Moveable bridges in the Seattle area, including the Montlake and 1st Avenue South bridges, also have been inspected, with no damage reported.
Due to the location of the quake, WSDOT crews also were sent to Skagit and Whatcom counties, including the Deception and Canoe Pass bridges. No damage has been reported there.
P.S. Thanks to Jim Edwards for pointing out this online seismic-activity tracker from Vashon, which clearly showed the quake.
That video is from Kickstarter.com, where West Seattle artist Claire Renaut is hoping to raise $2,500 for her tribute project, “9/11 Knit.” Even if you think you’ve seen and heard enough about art projects paying tribute – you probably haven’t seen/heard anything like this. We certainly haven’t. It’s worth a minute to take a look, whether you consider donating or not. It’s still a work in progress, and if all goes well, it will be displayed at a Seattle space this November. Claire’s husband Tom e-mailed the tip about what she’s working on; her studio is at their home in the California/Charlestown vicinity.
Also today, we have updates on the slate of West Seattle events planned for the anniversary on Sunday, starting with the 1,000-paper-cranes effort at Providence Mount St. Vincent:
(September 1st photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Jessica Fletcher at The Mount says they’ve reached their goal: “Our Café is colorfully decorated with all the cranes and we will be presenting them at our Remembrance on Sunday at 1 pm in the Chapel followed by a reception with dessert.” Their event is part of the growing list that we have been updating here – including a new addition today: The Admiral Theater is offering free matinee admission on Sunday to police and firefighters and their families.
(August 27th photo by Tony Bradley)
Two weeks ago tomorrow, a black plume of smoke was visible from all over West Seattle and miles beyond, as flames consumed a home near 41st/102nd. We’ve been following up on three issues raised by the fire – from the water-supply problem that hampered firefighters’ work in the early going, to the status of the family who lost their belongings (and two pets) in the fire. Read on:
(Photo from Delridge Day 2010, courtesy North Delridge Neighborhood Council)
One week from tomorrow, the biggest party on the peninsula will be at Delridge Day, 11 am-3 pm on Saturday, September 17th – not just the North Delridge Neighborhood Council-presented festival, but also the grand opening of Delridge Skatepark. Several updates:
FESTIVAL VENDOR DEADLINE TODAY: There’s still room for vendors at Delridge Day, but the sign-up deadline is TODAY. Please e-mail NDNC’s Amanda Leonard at amanda.leonard.wa@gmail.com so they can save a spot, and turn in paperwork with payment when you arrive for Delridge Day (or mail it sooner). To get the form, scroll down the Delridge Day page at the NDNC website till you see “Would You Like To Join Us?” on the lower right.
HELP CLEAN UP DELRIDGE TOMORROW: Saturday’s Adopt-A-Street cleanup is the last major spruce-up opportunity before the festival a week later. NDNC would love to have your help, according to NDNC outreach chair Holli Margell, who says, “This is the fall Adopt-a-Street and final push to pretty things up for Delridge Day the following weekend. Come on out for a couple hours of picking up trash along Delridge Way, the Park, and Playfields. We will provide bags, pickers and gloves. Meet up at the Delridge Community Center parking lot, 10 am, plan on working as long as you like (or about 2 hours).”
UPDATE AT NDNC MONDAY MEETING: A final pre-festival update is part of the agenda just announced for Monday night’s NDNC meeting, 6:30 pm, Dragonfly Pavilion at 28th/Dakota (if the weather somehow turns bad, Delridge Library at Delridge/Brandon instead).
SKATEPARK CELEBRATION SCHEDULE: The Parks Department is out with more details about that part of the party. The ribboncutting is at 1 pm, but the festivities start with the Skate Like A Girl YES Program offering skateboarding lessons at 11 am. Professional skaters will be there with demos, and live music’s on the schedule too. Here’s the official flyer; here’s the official news release.
MORE DELRIDGE DAY DETAILS: NDNC sends “a huge Thank You to Nucor, All Star Fitness, Highline Urgent Care, and Alki Bike and Board for being event sponsors. Thanks to Legacy Partners, BE&T and Grindline, the event will have games with prizes starting at 1 2pm. Alki Bike and Board will be providing awesome giveaways too! All vendors who participate are also supporting the event and a portion of all fees are going to a scholarship fund for classes at the Delridge Community Center (look for more ways to give back at a Bake Sale booth with your sweet tooth).”
To get first word on the last-minute details, “like” the Delridge Day Facebook page.
(Thanks to Brenda C for Thursday photo of the “Spring Hill” demolition site – here’s our Wed. story)
Today’s preview, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
ROAD WORK ALERTS: Again today, city crews are scheduled to repair cracked pavement in the bike lanes on the south end of 16th SW, as explained here … And again tonight, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to be closed for construction work 
overnight; details here.
ZUMBA LAUNCH AT YOUNGSTOWN: Friday morning Zumba classes (at 9:30 am) start today at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). Taught by certified Zumba instructor Jennifer Cepeda. Evening classes will be added to the schedule later this fall. Web page with more info is here.
MOVIE CREW IN WHITE CENTER: The rescheduled filming for “Eden” is set for this afternoon, this evening, and into the night in downtown White Center. Here’s the latest update from partner site White Center Now.
SWYFS GALA: Fundraising auction/gala for Southwest Youth and Family Services, doors open 5:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
SOMALIA FUNDRAISER: High Point fundraiser for famine relief in Somalia, 6 pm at Neighborhood House, details here.
‘SONGS OF SUMMER’ AT C & P: Local musician Trevor Ras will play a solo show at C&P Coffee (WSB sponsor), tonight from 6-8 pm. The show is free and all ages and the theme is “Songs of Summer,” with “summer-inspired original songs” from his three recent releases plus summer-themed classics.
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Chief Sealth at Ingraham (Northwest Athletic Complex), 7 pm; West Seattle hosts Nathan Hale (Southwest Athletic Complex), 7 pm; Seattle Lutheran at North Beach, 7 pm.
ONSTAGE IN THE JUNCTION: “Amy’s View” continues at ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction, 7:30 pm.
Thanks to Bradly for the heads-up on a stalled car in the eastbound center lane on The Bridge – one of the bridge cams was even pointed at it when we took the screengrab above. (For the latest version, refresh the page and look at the “Traffic and Weather” view of the bridge atop the right sidebar – also note that if you click the bridge visual, it’ll take you to the WSB Traffic page with more cameras, and if you click the temperature icon below it, it’ll take you to our experimental – more features to be added, as we check how well the current ones work – WSB Weather page.)
Still more than a month away, but these are considered the hottest races on the Seattle ballot this fall, so you might want to mark that calendar: Announced last night in the WSB Forums, an October 18th forum at West Seattle’s Madison Middle School with the candidates for the 4 Seattle School Board seats on the November ballot. Though board members represent geographic districts, in the general election, all up-for-a-vote board seats are voted on citywide. The forum is hosted and sponsored by local PTA/PTSAs.
A few scenes from last night’s West Seattle Art Walk: At Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction, we found artist RobRoy Chalmers and proud daughter Izzy. His “Sporozoan Swarm” is now on display at Twilight, for the entire month. Across SW Alaska:
Phil Cline of Naches Heights Vineyard (southeastern Washington) was pouring at Bin 41 during Art Walk night. That means it’s a two-in-a-row week, since you’ll find the traditional Friday night tasting there too, with new wines tonight from the Willamette Valley (Oregon)’s Alexana Winery, 6-7:30 pm. More Art Walk people ahead:Read More
Got a classic car to show off during the 4th annual West Seattle Junction Car Show, coming up one week from Sunday? Still time to sign up – find the application here. Meantime, check out this year’s T-shirt art, just made public:
Coyote? Wolf? Fox? We forgot to ask, so you decide. (Update: 1st commenter calls our attention to the license plate, which we NOW notice says, COYOTE. At least it’s not a crab, considering “Deadliest Catch” cast members are scheduled to appear.) The car show (with sponsors including WSB) happens in the heart of The Junction, on closed-for-the-occasion California SW between Edmunds and Oregon, 8 am-4 pm on September 18th.
Just announced:
WEEKEND WORKSHOP & MIXED-MEDIA SHOW
For all visual artists at the Seattle Chinese Garden
With Ray Pfortner, Educator & PhotographerImprove your camera and composition skills – no matter what your final medium – by photographing the Garden with exclusive early morning and evening access. Learn fromin-class and online critiques. Determine how to select, price and prepare your work for a juried, mixed-media exhibition.
For all visual artists with any camera and any level of experience, whether making photographs for artist’s reference to render later in watercolor, acrylics and woodcuts or for framing.
The workshop takes place over two weekends this fall:
Friday, Sept 30, 6:30-8:30pm, Sundays, Oct 2 &16, 7am-6pm
Tuition: $220 ($200 for Garden members) Materials: $20Space is limited to 16. To register, contact the Garden at 206-934-5219 or info@seattlechinesegarden.org
For more information about the workshop: raypfortner@gmail.com
Two more notes from last night’s Southwest District Council meeting (the Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit update, reported here earlier, was the first).
That’s a screenshot from seattle.changeby.us, which has just gone “live,” as Code for America‘s Anna Bloom told SWDC reps. She and other Code for America fellows have been working on projects for Seattle (among other cities) off and on for months, as local community groups (with whom they’ve met, while listening to needs and vetting ideas) are well aware. The site is meant to be collaborative – if you have an idea, you can type it in the Post-It Note-like space on the Change By Us home page, and then it’ll take you into the site, where you have the option to hook up with any similar proposals already in the system, or to just go ahead and launch yours. Bloom explained that it offers options for sharing your idea, in order to get others involved, and other ways to get traction. Now that it’s live, in “beta” mode, you’re invited to give it a try.
Second note: Waste Management Northwest, which handles much of the trash/recycling pickup around here, came to SWDC because it’s in the final stages of planning “Neighborhood Recycling Rewards.” It’s a contest aimed at helping Seattle boost its recycling rate (relatively high as it is, there’s room for it to rise), and it’s going to be in the “neighborhood vs. neighborhood” mode. Whichever WM-served neighborhood “reduces the most waste through increased recycling and composting” during the six-month contest will get $50,000 to use for some kind of community improvement project.
WMNW came to the council with a couple of questions – whether SWDC could be the official WS community partner, including helping decide what the “prize” might be if this area wins. Also to be decided: How to define a neighborhood for this competition, since West Seattle includes three different pickup-day zones. Will the entire peninsula be counted as one neighborhood? Just so happened that Delridge Neighborhoods District Council chair Mat McBride was at the meeting, and invited WM to to DNDC’s next gathering (7 pm September 21st, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center) to pitch there too. Once the contest is under way on September 30th, WM promises weekly online updates on neighborhood performance, and then an award ceremony next March.
That view of tonight’s sunset is courtesy of Barry in Gatewood. If you’re reading from the home page, click ahead to also see JayDee‘s view from Upper Alki, and WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand‘s view from Genesee Hill:Read More
(Looking at the Avalon/Admiral/Spokane on-ramp, from under The Bridge, 9 am today)
On a day when we heard from many – via e-mail, Web, Facebook, Twitter, and text – about a worse-than-usual outbound commute, WSB’er James cc’d us on this letter to Paul Elliott at SDOT. James has a few suggestions he thinks would be simple to implement, and a fast, vast improvement to bridge traffic. Agree? Disagree? Have your own ideas? Comments welcome, but first, here’s James:
This afternoon, I made a call to Mayor McGinn’s office admin, who forwarded me to you. In that call, we discussed the DOT’s lack of solutions for West Seattle commuters, especially those who commute to destinations north of downtown. The bottom line is that there is no innovation mandated in the traffic management considerations, and that’s specifically what I expect from Seattle DOT when state, county, or city DOT projects impact city residents. To be clear, I’m expecting Seattle DOT to own this innovation, regardless of the implementer.
The issue at hand is the near exponential increase in travel time. My personal 11 minute commute to Fremont now takes upward of 45 minutes on average, and has been as long as 2.5 hours, even prior to 7AM. This is unacceptable, and I believe that the solution is as simple as innovating beyond the poor signage along the route.
My suggestion is comprised by the following 3 signage changes:
Seattle-based Viking Bank (WSB sponsor), which has one branch in West Seattle, is getting new ownership and a new name. Spokane-based AmericanWest Bank has just announced it’s buying Viking’s parent company, and will merge Viking Bank into AmericanWest. Here’s the official news release; here’s a letter from Viking Bank to its customers, saying “you can count on working with the same professional staff as always at our seven locations.” The merger is expected to be finalized by the end of the year, according to this list of FAQs.
Though the $2.4 million Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project is already under way – that’s what you seein our photo, taken this morning along eastbound Spokane Street under The Bridge – the biggest effects on West Seattle’s already-beleaguered drivers/bus riders/bikers are yet to come. SDOT consultant Josh Stepherson was at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting at South Seattle Community College to deliver the latest words of warning.
We’ve reported on this project before. But in case you’ve missed it, a quick definition: The Fauntleroy Expressway is the half-mile-long section of the high-rise bridge between Delridge and Avalon/Harbor. It was built in 1963, and it needs to be reinforced in case of earthquake. Stepherson called it the “weakest link in the corridor for (potential) structural failure during an earthquake.” (Some work was done in 1994, as explained here, so it’s not completely unreinforced.)
The work under way right now is around three of its support columns. But the really big part of the project will involve lifting sections of the “expressway” to replace its weight-bearing pads – and when that happens, there will be closures and detours.
Though it’s not as hot a topic as the West Seattle Trader Joe’s project nearby (see yesterday’s update?), we know there are folks awaiting the opening of the new Les Schwab Tires on the southwest corner of 38th/Alaska, so we checked to see how that’s going. This one’s taking a bit longer, too; when we talked with a spokesperson in June, they were hoping to open this month. But that spokesperson tells WSB today that the new estimate for opening is mid-October.
(THURSDAY NIGHT NOTE: We’re told event registration has maxed out now and is closed – sorry!)
This is National Preparedness Month – another chance to make sure you are ready for anything, even the things we all hope never will happen. In case you are having trouble with the cost of putting together an emergency kit, the Seattle Police Department and Target are joining forces for an event here in West Seattle later this month – but you have to sign up for it, ASAP. Here’s the announcement:
The Seattle Police Department’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is joining with Target to make that step easier for families in Seattle. Target has generously donated $10,000 to help families build emergency kits. Each participating family will receive a $100 gift card that they can use to build their own emergency kits. Seattle Police Department will be on hand to help people identify basic items for an emergency kit, as well as help them customize their kit to meet their specific needs. Participants must sign up for the event to be eligible. The event will be held at the West Seattle Target on September 29, 2011 at 9:00 AM. They will be given a map of the store with locations where items for emergency kits can be found highlighted and the gift card to make their purchases. Families with children are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
The number of available kits is limited so if you are interested in participating in this one of a kind event please e-mail the Seattle Office of Emergency Management at snap@seattle.gov or call us at 206-233-5076.
If you’re OK building a kit without financial assistance – but just need advice on what it should contain – find it here. And remember the incredible West Seattle-specific preparedness resources offered by West Seattle Be Prepared, particularly the neighborhood communication hubs – know yours and be ready to go there in case disaster strikes.
FIRST THURSDAY REPORT, 12:25 PM: If you’ve noticed anything unusual today at the port facilities in and near West Seattle: Reports are circulating that longshore workers in Seattle and elsewhere are off the job today in relation to a dispute that turned violent in Longview. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is quoted as saying it’s “investigating” those reports; the Port of Seattle has issued a statement acknowledging “work is not occurring at our terminals today”:
The Port of Seattle is aware that work is not occurring at our terminals today, as longshore workers are not present. Port of Seattle terminals are leased to terminal operators who work directly with ILWU for staffing. We do not know when work will resume. We will send an update at 3:00 pm today.
Here’s the ILWU’s side of the story about what’s happening in Longview. The dispute has been simmering for a while, as chronicled on the union’s Facebook page.
THURSDAY 1:09 PM UPDATE: Labor Notes quotes ILWU as saying no action had been formally called, but “large numbers of individuals appear to have taken action on their own.”
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING: Our partners at the Seattle Times have updated the situation. No followup statement emerged from the Port of Seattle Thursday afternoon/evening; it remains to be seen if work will resume today.
8:25 AM FRIDAY MORNING: The Port has issued a short statement saying operations are back to “normal” today.
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