West Seattle, Washington
09 Thursday
9:33 AM: We’ve received multiple reports of Comcast trouble this morning – from Admiral to Arbor Heights (we’ve also heard so far from Alki and Lincoln Park). The cable company confirms it is doing maintenance/upgrade work in West Seattle, and if you’re having cable/Internet trouble, that’s likely the problem; we’re still checking to see if there’s an estimate for how long this will last.
10:41 AM UPDATE: Comcast spokesperson Steve Kipp says everyone should be back on now: “The outage to our high-speed Internet service was due to network maintenance and upgrade work we were doing last night. Normally, this work takes place overnight, when it impacts the fewest number of customers. Unfortunately, in this instance our network engineers took longer than expected and did not complete their work until about 10:15 a.m., when service was restored. The outage impacted customers primarily in West Seattle.”
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
(2011 photo of Greg’s 1939 Ford in front of similar-vintage ex-Fire Station 37)
HEARING ON SALE OF FORMER FIRE STATION 37: Next step toward selling the landmark ex-fire station at 35th/Othello is this morning’s public hearing before the City Council’s Budget Committee, which meets at City Hall at 9:30 am (you can watch live on cable channel 21 or seattlechannel.org).
BLUE ANGELS! One arrived yesterday; the rest are expected at Boeing Field/Museum of Flight around 11:15 this morning (if there’s a significant change in that time, we’ll update here as well as via Facebook and Twitter.) Full Seafair Air Show details are here.
FLEET ARRIVALS: The Seafair fleet Parade of Ships isn’t till tomorrow, but as reported here over the weekend, two of the U.S. Navy ships are expected to arrive today – the USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Sampson are due in Elliott Bay before 2 pm. Ship tours are Thursday-Sunday.
NIGHT OUT! Even if you’re not having a block party, if you’re out and about in West Seattle between 6 and 9 pm tonight, you’re likely to spot someone who is – and there will be plenty of non-arterial street closures, too, so please drive very carefully. If you are having a block party, you can still register it with the city if you do it by 10 am today – go here! Or join the parties at High Point and South Park Community Centers. (You’re also invited to a South Park party at 800 South Thistle with a mini-golf theme and a mayoral visit.)
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FRISBEE: You’re invited to join in, every Tuesday night, 6:30-8:30 pm, Fairmount Playfield.
STORY TIME: Family Story Time at the Seattle Public Library’s Delridge branch, Tuesdays at 7 pm.
TRIVIA TIME: 8 pm Tuesday nights, show off your knowledge at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor).
Father James Mallahan, well-regarded as Holy Rosary‘s pastor from 1981 to 1987, will be remembered at the church with a Vigil Mass tonight at 7 and Funeral Mass on Wednesday at 11 am. He died last Friday at age 83. Holy Rosary School has long had an endowment fund in his name. Fr. Mallahan’s obituary is here; an online guestbook is here. (Thanks to Michael for sharing the news.)
Remember the July 5 saga of Patrick Abdo rescuing a baby raccoon stuck in his Morgan Junction-area fence? That was the 2nd-most-popular WSB story in July, which we are proud to announce was a record-setting month- 974,110 pageviews, up from the 961K+ record set in June, and a 25 percent increase over July of last year. This summertime readership jump is a new trend, as previous WSB records tended to result from snow!
Since most WSB stories can be seen without clicking away to another page, gauging story popularity from our Google Analytics stats is more art than science – but stories like the raccoon rescue, viewed on a standalone page as people add and read comments, or shared via Facebook, break away from the pack. The month’s #1 story appeared here just last week, inspired by an unexpected line in one of the SPD Blotter‘s relatively routine roundups of traffic patrols: A bicyclist stopped on the Admiral Way hill for going 42 mph. 
After we noticed it and followed up on it, citywide media picked it up too. Other July highlights: We were first to report on the plan for the now-iconic SBX (right) to take a short jaunt out into Elliott Bay so the drillship Kulluk could join it at Vigor Shipyards on Harbor Island; its trip drew scores of photographers to the shore, and some shared their work here.
July brought another set of numbers that we’re proud of: Community-event sponsorships! WSB co-sponsored as well as covered West Seattle Summer Fest, 
the West Seattle Grand Parade, the West Seattle Garden Tour, the Alki Art Fair (photo at left), WestSide Baby‘s Stuff the Bus diaper drive, plus the ongoing West Seattle Outdoor Movies (“Despicable Me” this week!) and Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series (Massy Ferguson this week!), and the West Seattle In Motion campaign.
Finally, thank you so much for your support of OUR sponsors – the local businesses and organizations who advertise on WSB because they want to make sure you know who they are, where they are, what they offer. Please let them know you appreciate their support for 24/7 community-collaborative news/information on WSB. Besides their ads in the sidebar, you’ll find them all listed, categorized by type of business, with web/Facebook links and other info, on our SPONSORS! page. Here’s to a great August!
“You need a great principal, you’re deserving of that.”
That’s how Seattle Public Schools‘ interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield opened tonight’s meeting at district HQ to talk about the process of getting Chief Sealth International High School a principal for the school year that’s just a month away – since longtime principal John Boyd is leaving for a new job in Highline Public Schools.
More than 60 people came to the meeting, including a dozen or so Sealth students, Seattle School Board president Steve Sundquist (father of two Sealth graduates), West Seattle’s executive director of schools Aurora Lora (at center in photo at right, taken during small-group breakouts), Sealth PTSA and faculty members, among others.
Before we get to the toplines – for anyone who wasn’t able to attend tonight, Lora will be on the Sealth campus tomorrow, 8:30 am-2:30 pm in the alumni room (near the main entrance), available to anyone who wants to talk about the principal situation.
Just as the county moves into the next stage of the plan to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) from West Seattle’s Murray Pump Station by razing homes to install a huge underground tank in the area shown above, questions have been raised about the overall cost-benefit efficiency of the ongoing state-mandated CSO-reduction programs that the city and county both are pursuing.
Those questions are not new, but they are suddenly in a bright spotlight because of a Seattle Times report – which even led King County Executive Dow Constantine to send a news release late today with his thoughts on the issue.
More on that ahead, but first, the latest on Murray, one of two county CSO-control projects now in the planning stages in West Seattle (the other is a “green stormwater” approach for the basin feeding the Barton pump station by the Fauntleroy ferry dock):
At the Morgan Community Association‘s recent quarterly meeting, Murray CSO project manager Erica Jacobs said they’ve chosen a design team – Bellevue-based HDR – and are in the “contract negotiation and execution stage,” with preliminary design work to start next month. The design process, Jacobs said, will take more than a year – the timetable projects “final design” will be done by December of 2012. Next month, she said, also is when the county expects to make purchase offers to property owners.
The state-mandated environmental-review process is closed, she added, saying it brought “eight formal comment letters” – and that all have been responded to. Next step, according to Jacobs, is a September public meeting to “introduce members of the design team,” once the contract is “initiated.” Crews will be boring at the site, too, to “gather information for technical parameters of the design,” Jacobs explained, including “the depths that will be needed for the storage tank.” Then in October, she said, a community “design advisory committee” will be formed.
But now, enter the Times story about the overall CSO program – read it here. Reporter Lynda V. Mapes‘ story doesn’t dispute the point that CSO control has made a difference in Puget Sound water quality; it focuses on how much money is scheduled to be spent to make an additional, relatively small reduction in the pollution from the overflows that happen during big rainstorms, and points out that the biggest pollution threat to Puget Sound right now is runoff, which the hundreds of millions slated for further CSO control won’t even touch. She quotes several authoritative sources as saying it seems like time to step back and re-examine priorities.
County Executive Constantine’s statement late today appears to reaffirm support for the ongoing projects – read on for the full text:Read More
Thanks to the WSB’ers who reported a sizable police presence in the 1200 block of Alki (map) in the 4 pm hour and wondered what happened. We checked with Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith, who says a real-estate agent arrived at a condo unit and “discovered it occupied by an unknown person. The door was locked; the subject in the condo failed to respond to officers’ command to open the locked door and required a locksmith to make entry.” And then, the person “was uncooperative with officers and required officers to physically restrain the subject,” who has since been taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation.
At the King County Courthouse this morning, the gallery in Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque’s courtroom was almost completely filled for what was anticipated to be the start of opening statements in the trial of Bryce Huber and Brandon Chaney, charged with murdering West Seattleite Steve Bushaw (right) in February 2009. Among those on hand were members of the victim’s family. Then suddenly, a surprise – a problem that, over the course of the first hour, led to one of the jurors being excused from the case. That resulted in a new mini-round of jury selection to replace him, and that took the rest of the day, with word just in that opening statements are expected to start tomorrow. The trial may last the entire month and has already gone through a variety of delays; it was on the verge of starting back in January when it was pushed back by sudden developments, including 2 other defendants deciding to plead guilty. (The backstory’s in our original report on the charges filed in fall 2009.)
(2010 Night Out photo of 48th/Dawson party, by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Tomorrow night is the biggest block-party night of the year around West Seattle and the rest of the U.S. – Night Out. 
Years ago, it started as National Night Out Against Crime, and that’s still its focus, to bring together neighbors and neighborhoods in the interest of crime prevention and deterrence. It’s not too late to get your party on the citywide map – a few West Seattle events are there now, but we know there are more! (10 am Tuesday is the deadline.) And thanks to party organizers who have sent us info on locations/times for the traditional WSB “as it happens” Night Out report – if you wouldn’t mind us potentially stopping by, please e-mail us the address and who to ask for. It’s a great chance to celebrate neighborhood spirit.
That photo from Genesee Hill would be lovely without words – another beautiful West Seattle view on a perfect summer day. But Lolo, who shared the picture, explains the reason it’s worth a smile:
A while back our bench disappeared. This morning a bench appeared at the overlook, magically. Not sure this is hugely newsworthy, but I think it’s an example of anonymous giving that should be recognized.
If you’re going to the meeting at Seattle Public Schools headquarters tonight regarding the process of choosing a new principal for Chief Sealth International High School – note that the location has been moved. Still at SPS HQ at 2445 3rd Avenue South, but now it’s in the main auditorium (first floor) rather than the previously announced room. It’s scheduled from 6-8 pm tonight. (And another reminder, you can take an online survey here.) District officials say an interim principal for next year could be announced as soon as this Friday, which is also the last official day for 7-year principal John Boyd.
Several notes this afternoon. First, we finally have some official police information on an incident at the Shell station in the 5400 block of Delridge about this time Sunday. (Thanks to Patrick Baer, who also provided the photo, and to Lawrence, for the tips about this.) Seattle Police media-unit Det. Mark Jamieson confirms that the incident involved police spotting a stolen truck (it was a Toyota Tundra, according to Lawrence). Four people were inside. Two were arrested and booked into jail – investigation of auto theft and an outstanding warrant, according to Det. Jamieson, who says the other two were released. The truck’s owner came to the scene, too. Note: This was first reported to us as an incident involving police “with guns drawn.” That is standard procedure if a vehicle is being stopped for a potential felony (car theft qualifies) – so if you happen to see that startling sight, know that just might be the circumstance. (And let us know – 206-293-6302.)
Speaking of auto theft, here’s a report sent today by J:
Just discovered my car missing and presumed stolen from my off-street driveway (Genesee area near Schmitz school). Report has been filed with police.
Asking folks to keep an eye out for and report to police sighting of:
2001 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
blue, 4 door, 5th door hatchback with spoiler
“Uff Da” frame around license plates
And today’s third note (so far), Gregor reported a string of car break-ins in Arbor Heights Friday night/Saturday morning (he was among the victims) – including some windows broken on locked cars, in the area of 36th/108th (map), and possibly beyond.
(UPDATE: Tuesday arrival of other Blue Angels expected around 11:15 am)
(The Museum of Flight tweeted this photo of #7’s arrival just after 8 am)
The first Blue Angels jet to arrive in Seattle got here just after 8 am, but will be back in the air this afternoon, giving rides to pre-selected “community influencers.” The other Blue Angels are due to arrive at the Museum of Flight adjacent to Boeing Field around 11 am tomorrow.
If you’re a longtime WSB’er, you know we recommend watching at least one of their Seafair takeoffs from the MoF, for an experience beyond just the airshow (here’s one of our previous reports that should explain why). But we just found out firsthand this morning about a *traffic challenge* you’ll want to be aware of if you go to MoF: Last year, after the South Park Bridge (which had been a good shortcut from West Seattle) closed, it was easy enough to take Highland Park Way to the 1st Avenue South Bridge, then the Michigan exit to East Marginal Way, turn right, drive a few miles, voila, you’re there. Right now, though, there’s a stretch of East Marginal where road work is under way, and that took it down to one lane each way this morning:
This morning, the work covered a stretch north of 14th South (the old SP Bridge turn from East Marginal), and it took quite some time to get through. We turned onto 4th, headed north to downtown, and encountered more slowdowns. We’ll work to get more specifics before the big days Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and to recommend alternative routes if needed, but in the short run, just be aware. Also on the traffic alert front, the I-90 bridge closes those days too – the specific times are here. And you can find all of this week’s airshow info on the Seafair website. (Looking for info on when you’ll see the Seafair fleet off West Seattle shores? Here’s our story from last week.)
Just got a request from the Senior Services Transportation Program to put out a call for volunteers. They have an urgent need for people to drive seniors to health-care appointments – and right now, they’re so short, they say they’re turning away half the seniors who call! You choose the days and times you are available to give someone a ride. Want to know more? Contact Melissa at melissat@seniorservices.org or (206) 748-7588.
(Finally summer! Eugene shared this Sunday afternoon photo of his son at Alki)
Today’s forecast: Sunny, 70s. Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
FIRST BLUE ANGELS ARRIVAL: The biggest week of Seafair is under way, and you may see/hear the first Blue Angels jet to arrive – #8, the two-seater, is due in this morning, with Lt. Commander Todd Royles, who is scheduled to be giving rides to pre-selected “community influencers” starting around noon. (The other Blue Angels are due in around 11 am Tuesday). As always, the Angels will be based at the Museum of Flight adjacent to Boeing Field during their Seattle stay; here’s this week’s airshow info from the Seafair website.
COUNCIL CELEBRATES GRANT RECIPIENTS: Two West Seattle groups receiving city grants from the Large Project Fund will be among those celebrated at a City Council reception at 1 pm today downtown. West Seattle CoolMom is receiving $60,000 for a “Think Outside the Car” outreach program; The New Camp Long Community Collaboration Project is receiving $100,000 for the “challenge course” that’s going in at the park.
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: Today’s theme is Middle Eastern for this informal group of cooking aficionados, meeting at 2 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (they’re on Facebook, here).
CHOOSING A CHIEF SEALTH PRINCIPAL: As previewed here, tonight is the meeting at Seattle Public Schools HQ (2445 3rd Ave. S, room 2700) downtown, 6 pm, for everyone interested in the process of helping choose a successor for Chief Sealth International High School principal John Boyd. District management says an interim principal will be appointed ASAP for the coming school year. You also are invited to participate by taking this online survey.
FAMILY STORY TIME: 7 pm tonight at the High Point branch of the Seattle Public Library (35th/Raymond) – songs, rhymes, games, and books with the children’s librarian.
The event’s not in West Seattle, but West Seattleites abound in the regional plan for the first-ever National Can-It-Forward Day. It’ll actually be a two-day event at Pike Place Market on August 13-14, featuring Canning Across America, for which Alki-based cooking author/advocate Kim O’Donnel (foreground of photo at right) is a founding member. Kim sent the official announcement, noting that other West Seattleites involved with the can-stravaganza include The Shibaguyz:
In its third season of spreading the love for “putting up” food, Canning Across America is cooking up its most exciting endeavor to date. Mark your calendars for the weekend of August 13-14, when Canning Across America will be preserving up a storm at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
The new Denny International Middle School is ready to go, proclaims principal Jeff Clark, just a month after presiding over the move out of the old one (where building demolition is entering its final phase). Along with project manager Robert Evans from DKA, which has overseen the entire Denny-building/Chief Sealth-renovating process, he led us on a long-awaited tour last Friday morning. Outside, banners welcome visitors (and students/staff) in multiple languages:
What’s new INSIDE – and more of what’s new outside – ahead, with 20 more photos:
If you’re registered to vote, your ballot should have arrived by now – and needs to be postmarked by August 16th, or placed in a drop box by then. Still no drop box in West Seattle or White Center – here’s where you WILL find them. Meanwhile, we have one last segment of video to share from last Thursday night’s West Seattle Candidates’ Forum at South Seattle Community College – City Council candidates:
On stage were, from left, Pos. 1 candidate Michael Taylor-Judd (of West Seattle), Pos. 1 candidate Bobby Forch, moderator Mike Hickey (from SSCC), Pos. 1 candidate Maurice Classen, Pos. 9 candidates Sally Clark (incumbent) and Dian Ferguson. (Pos. 1 incumbent Jean Godden was on hand for the ice-cream social part of the program earlier, but left before the onstage Q/A; Pos. 9 candidate Fathi Karshie was not present at all.) Transportation and transit were a big topic in the West Seattle-specific questioning, as you’ll see/hear in our video. Positions 1 and 9 are the only ones with more than 2 candidates, so those are the only City Council races you’ll see on the primary ballot. (Our previous two WS Candidates’ Forum reports are here [School Board Position 6] and here [County Council District 8].)
Tonight’s final note: The West Seattle Democratic Women have announced their endorsements for the primary. Read on to see the list, as shared by WSDW chair Karen Chilcutt:Read More
Just got word from WSDOT that the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct is open again, as of just before 9 pm; that’s eight hours earlier than they expected to reopen it following a construction closure, and it means both directions are back to regular operation.
(March 2010 ‘Walking on Logs’ photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Volunteers have been doing their best to take care of the West Seattle gateway area along the Fauntleroy Way end of The Bridge for years, particularly the “Walking on Logs” sculpture and its surroundings. They’ve been doing it by scraping together what labor and materials they could get and give. Now, they’ve gotten word of a city matching-funds grant that will help with maintenance as well as an upcoming re-landscaping project. Nancy Driver has been the catalyst for many of the cleanup/restoration efforts as it became clear that longtime volunteer caretaker Earl Cruzen needed help (backstory here). She says they were pleasantly surprised to get news of the $8,163 grant. The budget for re-landscaping is almost that much – $7,900 – but Nancy says they’ve already raised some money, and they’re in line for a share of the West Seattle Garden Tour proceeds, which all means they’ll wind up with some money for ongoing maintenance. She says, “We will do most of the maintenance with volunteers, although we may hire day laborers to weed whack under our supervision on occasion. Our goal is to make the remaining funds last as many years as possible, both to cover maintenance and pay for any plants that may, from time to time, need to be replaced. We’ve already spent part of our funds on purchasing a good string trimmer (weed whacker) which is an absolute necessity for maintaining the site.”
Landscape architect Chuck Warsinske with SBA Landscape Architecture, who has donated his time, has been working with SDOT on the re-landscaping plan; Nancy says the only issue left is whether SDOT will let them add more trees to the site. They’re expecting to do the re-landscaping work this October. Meantime, she says the Landscape Restoration Group will be back out doing “weed-whacking and maintenance” at the site at 9:30 this Tuesday morning. Want to help, or find out more about the restoration group? nldriver@q.com.
Less than two weeks till a brand-new fundraising 5K in West Seattle – Breathe Deep Seattle, the first 5K event benefiting the LUNGevity Foundation, raising money for lung-cancer research. Starting at 9:30 am on Saturday, August 13, participants will run or walk the course through Lincoln Park, both through the forested upper area and along the beachfront lower area. Not signed up yet? Wondering what it’s all about? Organizers have shared a personal story in their latest news release – read on:Read More
Yes, that WAS a juggling unicyclist you saw along the Alki Trail this afternoon – along with a group of other unicyclists, bicyclists, other cyclists, and/or jugglers:
They got together for what they call the “Alki Classic” – biking and barbecuing. They headed out from a spot along Harbor Avenue near the West Seattle Bridge, and planned to follow the shore all the way to Lincoln Park.
ADDED 10:36 PM: Video as the cyclists went by – including Nate, the juggling unicyclist:
Summer break hasn’t kept local schools from making news. Today, 3 updates from Our Lady of Guadalupe School:
FLASHING LIGHTS FOR 35TH SW SCHOOL ZONE: OLG says the Washington Traffic Safety Commission has awarded the school a grant “to purchase lighting which will require drivers to reduce their speed to 20 miles per hour before and after the school day. School-zone flashing beacon lights will soon be installed on 35th Avenue SW between Othello and Willow Streets.” The announcement quotes principal Kristin Dixon: “We are grateful to the City of Seattle for working with us in an effort to keep our children and families safe!”
Meantime, OLG has been officially certified as a Level 1 Washington Green School – as you might have noticed in their award-winning West Seattle Grand Parade entry:
OLG is one of 35 “Level 1” (levels explained here) schools among the 160-plus Washington Green Schools statewide. (They’ve even produced a video about it!) Last but not least, news shared by Tom Fine about a classroom improvement (thanks to Tom for sharing the rendering, too):
OLG (Our Lady of Guadalupe) is in the process of renovation of the 6th grade classroom. The new classroom will house the school’s new Science Lab. This transformation will allow the students to spend more time exploring science and hands-on experiments. The Science Lab is receiving new cabinetry, countertops, lab stations, plumbing and electrical, to provide the students with the tools and environment to expand their learning. This modification to the school is exciting to have the students utilizing the new space from the continuing support by the families of OLG. We are all excited for this new transformation, which will be ready for the new school year.
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