West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning:
ANOTHER MISSING OUTBACK: For the second day, we have a stolen Subaru Outback whose owner is asking for your help, though this theft happened a week ago. Michelle says her red 1996 Outback Impreza was stolen in the North Admiral area on the morning of February 29th. Distinctive features: “It has a rusted dent on the drivers side front tire area and on the driver-side tail light, the inner part is covered in red tape. All hubcaps missing!!” If you see it, call 911.
SUSPECT ARRESTED: From SPD Blotter this morning – police went to the 4800 block of 47th SW (map) southwest of The Junction late last night with a warrant for a suspect’s arrest, and found more than they expected:
Officers contacted the homeowner who let the officers know that the suspect was in a downstairs bedroom. Officers went downstairs, only to find a locked door. The suspect’s roommate was located in the garage and opened the locked door with his own key. The 23 year old warrant suspect was located sleeping inside and was arrested without incident. Officers observed guns and drugs inside the room. Officers wrote a search warrant and then arrested the roommate as well for Violation of the Uniform Firearm Act (VUFA) and Violation of the Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA). The roommate, a 49-year-old male, is a convicted felon and two of the guns recovered were stolen. Officers recovered a large amount of methamphetamine and other drugs, as well as a large amount of cash.
That photo from our short-lived Tuesday-morning snow is courtesy of Machel Spence, whose work is at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) as part of tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk, which is one of the highlights:
‘BITE OF WEST SEATTLE’ AT WSHS: Tonight, join West Seattle High School students for the “Bite of West Seattle,” 6-8 PM in the WSHS Commons. From the announcement sent by Haily Hage: “This is the third annual Bite of West Seattle hosted by the West Seattle High School Diversity Club. It is a potluck and all are welcome. There will also be performances by cultural clubs.”
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK NIGHT: West Seattle Art Walk, from Alki to Admiral to The Junction, and elsewhere – meet artists, enjoy their work, explore local businesses, all free, 6-9 pm. Here’s the venue list/map for tonight; preview some of the exhibits and artists on the official WS Art Walk website.
WOMEN IN ART AND MUSIC: That’s the theme tonight at Alki Arts (2820 Alki SW) as part of West Seattle Art Walk, details here (including other upcoming Alki Arts events)
AT MIND UNWIND: They’re not on the official list because they opened after it was issued for the quarter, but Mind Unwind in the Admiral District is participating in tonight’s Art Walk too. 6-9 pm: “The Collective” with artists Charles Smith, Robroy Chalmers, Mark B. Bauschke, Monica Depeisse and Scott W. Pietz. More info here.
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 2 PROJECTS INCLUDING DELRIDGE DESC COMPLEX: Southwest Design Review Board mets at 6:30 pm for Early Design Guidance for 20-unit proposal at 9051 20th SW (“packet” here), and at 8 pm for 66-unit DESC Delridge Supportive Housing project (“packet” here) at 5444 Delridge Way SW, both meetings at Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon)
SAVE THE SOUND, HELP A SCHOOL: Fight the Tox-Ick Monster and help Sanislo Elementary (1812 SW Myrtle) win a $1,000 grant – show up there at 7 tonight for an hour-long presentation explaining how you can reduce toxic runoff into Puget Sound. Free pizza! More details here.
‘GIRLS’ FIGHT NIGHT OUT’: At Lee’s Martial Arts (3270 California SW), fundraising event for new Web comedy series “The Collectibles” (with West Seattleites among the co-creators and stars), 7-10 pm – full details and ticket link on this Facebook page.
‘RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE: Comedy continues at ArtsWest in The Junction, second night of the run, 7:30 pm.
P.S. – WEST SEATTLE WRITER FEATURED IN BALLARD: The “It’s About Time” Writers Reading Series performance at the Seattle Public Library branch in Ballard (5614 22nd NW) tonight, 6-7:45 pm, includes West Seattle poet Katy E. Ellis.
A little time out of the classroom can go a long way. Seattle Lutheran High School students and staff got the chance to test that on Wednesday – including the freshmen in our photos, taken at Camp Long. SLHS’s Bil Hood explained that it was “CHIP Day,” focusing on the school’s “core values – Confidence, Hope, Integrity, Passion.” The first value was taken on by the freshmen, on a field trip to work through the park’s new Challenge Course. In part, as Hood explaied it, the Challenge Course was meant to “enable participants to grow at both the team and individual levels, exploring confidence, risk, leadership, communication, problem-solving, and coaching.” Collaboration was a big lesson for the “low” portion of the course, including this balancing challenge:
Other activities scheduled included sophomores pursuing “Hope,” by spending time working at the homeless encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville,” while juniors explored “Integrity” with an “honesty test” of sorts (which is being kept under wraps till its results are in, which will take days), and seniors explored “Passion” through one-on-one conversations with people over 60, about their life experiences.
(Photos courtesy Edgar Riebe)
Wednesday night, about 100 third- through fifth-graders from Lafayette Elementary debuted in this year’s school play, “The Wartville Wizard,” at nearby West Seattle High School Theater. The school bulletin describes it as “a story about littering and how
one wizard takes care of the problem,” adapted from a book by Don Madden. The title role is played by Leo Schuehle:
“The Wartville Wizard” will be performed three more times – once for the school, twice for general audiences (Friday and Saturday at 7 pm).
Lots of news to share from tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting in the board room at South Seattle Community College:
FIGHTING/PREVENTING CRIME: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis announced a public-safety forum for 7 pm March 29th at the precinct (Delridge/Webster), focused on a very specific section of northeastern West Seattle, from the bridge to Boren, centered on Delridge Way SW and the adjacent streets. Lt. Davis explained, “We want to try to strengthen the Block Watch capabilities (there) … (since) we really got hammered with petty crimes and burglaries” in recent months, though as he recapped, multiple arrests have made a big dent in that previous trend. He said the “if you see something, say something” philosophy is helping bring in more tips from citizens in other areas of West Seattle, but they would like to see more tips come in from the Delridge neighborhood, and are hoping that the forum might educate more people on best practices for preventing and reporting crime/suspicious activity.
Next, two reports from SDOT, on current work and a future event:
(Photo from Ventana Construction [WSB sponsor] Facebook page – work on SE corner of California/Findlay)
RAPIDRIDE-RELATED STREET/SIDEWALK WORK UPDATE: SDOT’s Jonathan Dong, who had spoken to the SWDC before about the construction, was there with James Sido, a rep from the construction company that’s working on the right-of-way changes (Tri-State) to facilitate RapidRide Line C, which Metro is launching to replace West Seattle’s Route 54 this fall. (We reported last month on the start of work in south West Seattle.) The Rose, Webster, and Myrtle stops on Fauntleroy have now received their new concrete, though Sido said that the Myrtle concrete “had an issue” and needs to be redone, which is “high on their priority list to get that area up to speed as quickly as they can.”
The work that’s happening in north Morgan Junction right now is drainage work, he said, with a new stop to be located there; he also mentioned the major work on the northbound side of California at Findlay. Sido explained that the landowner was going to have some side-sewer work done, and asked that this be folded into the RapidRide-related construction project. He says the next areas where you’ll see work crews are Fauntleroy/California near Zeeks Pizza and the southbound side of California at Findlay. They hope to have this segment of work “substantially completed” by May.
Dong reiterated, in response to a question, that stops further south, such as the Fauntleroy ferry dock vicinity and Westwood Village, are being handled by county crews. Morgan Community Association rep Chas Redmond asked SDOT’s Dong to make sure someone takes a look at the areas along California where Puget Sound Energy has done gas line work and left behind a “temporary patch.”
Dong says the rechannelization of SW Alaska – changing a car lane to a transit lane and removing some parking, among other changes that he acknowledged are “going to be the most visible change in the community” – will likely happen in early April. They want to “blanket the area for one or two blocks in both directions” with reminders, and Dong says that’ll happen about two weeks before the work is done. What’s holding up the scheduling right now is that they’re waiting on the traffic-signal work. The work will take a few days and will likely start around 7 am, said Sedo, though Erica Karlovits of the Junction Neighborhood Organization suggested they might consider starting later to avoid rush-hour complications. Dong thinks the work will take two to four days, weather-dependent, of course. Karlovits and West Seattle Junction Association‘s Susan Melrose both stressed that the more warning, the better, since the lane and parking changes will be a surprise (if not shock) to some people, both shoppers, businesspeople/employees, and Junction-area residents.
Admiral Neighborhood Association vice president Karl de Jong asked the two if the projects were creating jobs in West Seattle, and also about what kind of labor and apprenticeship agreements were involved; they didn’t have answers but promised to get back to him. Next SDOT topic:
(WSB photo from 2011 Seattle Summer Streets on Alki)
SUMMER STREETS/CAR-FREE DAY: SDOT’s Sonia Palma talked about the 5th annual car-free day on Alki as part of Seattle Summer Streets. As reported here last month, the date this year is May 20th, starting with the West Seattle 5K (co-sponsored again this year by WSB). Palma says the street-closure plan is the same as last year, with a full closure from 63rd to Don Armeni for the race, and then, after 11 am or so, the closure only extending eastward to 58th SW for the Summer Streets remainder of the day. SDOT is currently looking for sponsors and organizations interested in participating, while also asking community reps to get the word out about the big day.
Even more from tonight’s meeting, including quick updates on key projects that individual groups are focusing on, ahead:Read More
We mentioned it in today’s “West Seattle Wednesday” preview, but in case you couldn’t watch it on TV a couple hours ago, we now have video of tonight’s KING 5 “Evening Magazine” report about West Seattle diver/photographer Laura James and her “Battery Roundup” in WS waters. (Here’s our most recent report, from last week; here’s more background from Laura’s website.)
Thanks to Emily Austin for the photo of tonight’s super sunset – apparently with “light pillar.” Gives us a reason to mention something you might want to look for tonight and tomorrow, if the sky is clear enough – local expert Alice Enevoldsen of Alice’s Astro Info mentioned it in e-mail, citing Spaceweather.com: Activity from a solar flare is expected to “reach our planet” just before 10:30 tonight, and that could mean auroras (aka Northern Lights) “at all latitudes,” Alice notes. We’ll be watching!
The Seacrest transition is under way, with Alki Crab and Fish now closed, and Marination taking over next week, with months of renovation work ahead before they officially open this summer (as we reported last week). Now, there’s word of an open house later this month. Just e-mailed by Seattle Parks:
Seattle Parks and Marination, the new Concessionaire for the Seacrest Boathouse Facility, are hosting an open house on March 27, 2012, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the boathouse, 1660 Harbor Avenue SW.
The public is invited to the open house for a question and answer session and to learn about Marination’s vision and plan for providing quality food services at Seacrest. Come and learn about:
· What types of food they will have on their menu
· What types of boating recreation, and amenities, new and old, will be provided
· What types of remodeling and enhancements to the facility that are being proposedWe look forward to seeing you. For more information, please call Charles Ng, Operations Manager, Magnuson Park and Business Resources, at 206-684-8001, or email him at charles.ng@seattle.gov.
Reminder from SDOT – of note if you commute through SODO: “Tonight (March 7) 20,000 soccer fans are expected to be on hand at CenturyLink Field for the 7 p.m. Sounders’ CONCACAF Champions League match against Santos Laguna of Torreón, Mexico.”
(Tuesday afternoon photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
As a followup to Tuesday’s gunfire at Westwood Village, which did not cause any physical injuries but did lead to lockdown/shelter-in-place precautions at three nearby schools (WSB as-it-happened coverage is here), we now have information from the initial police report filed afterward. While that first police report isn’t always the “last word” – the investigation is continuing – we thought you might be interested to hear what it says, since it adds some detail not available yesterday:Read More
(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli from 2010 West Seattle Grand Parade)
An update to our story from last month about the West Seattle Grand Parade seeking your help again this year: Parade coordinators now have the price estimate for the signs that the city no longer provides, and it’s almost double last year’s cost! This is the second year the city has required event presenters to pick up these costs, and without $ help, the parade is in jeopardy. Here’s the update from parade co-coordinator Dave Vague:
The 79th Annual West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade is in need of community support to happen this year. The parade is currently scheduled for Saturday, July 21, at 11:00 AM. However, to run the parade, we are in desperate need to raise funds. Our largest expense started last year when the Seattle DOT required us to fund the cost of our own No Parking barricade signs. The initial bid last year was $3,000 and ended up being about $3,700. The bid we have secured for 2012 for the same signs as jumped to $7,000!
One of our sponsors from last year has agreed to fund a similar amount this year, which means we still need to raise $5,000 in the next four months. If you would like to donate or sponsor the parade this year we can use your help.
Donations can be made at the West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade website:
thewestseattleparade.com/Donate.html.Or you can contact the West Seattle American Legion Post 160 directly at (206) 935-9407.
For more information, please contact Dave Vague vagued@comcast.net or Jim Edwards wsbigband@ureach.com.
As noted in previous reports, the parade cannot charge entry fees, or else it will have to pay an even-higher fee to the city for its permits. As do many local businesses, WSB supports many community events, so we’ve just chipped in again for this one. Whether you can give $10 or $1,000, we challenge you to join in too.
Just back from an errand in The Junction, during which we happened onto two unrelated but notable things:
BREEZEWAY REPAIRS: The Junction’s south breezeway – between Puerto Vallarta and Northwest Art and Frame – is closed today (and possibly longer; we’re expecting an update later from Liz with the West Seattle Junction Association). A pipe problem has to be fixed. So if you’re parking in the 44th SW lot behind that area, you’ll either have to use a business’s back door, or walk around via Edmunds. (4:17 PM NOTE: The breezeway is expected to be closed for 4-5 days.)
SURVEY CREW: In case you wondered: The one that was working on the west side of California, around the SW Alaska intersection, says their work is on behalf of the new property owners on the southeast side of that intersection (Equity Residential, which, as first reported here in January, expects to start construction this year at the site they bought in December from Conner Homes).
Topping West Seattle Crime Watch this morning – Christian‘s Outback was stolen overnight in North Admiral, and he hopes you’ll keep an eye out for it:
It is a 1996 Green Subaru Legacy Outback, License # AGF1432. I attached a photo to help with the description. Its a very distinctive outback because of the roof rack, lights, and spare tire. Also it is missing the front license plate, its in the front window instead of on the front bumper. Last seen in front of my house last night. Noticed it was gone at 7:30 this morning.
As SPD always says in its @getyourcarback Twitter feed of stolen-vehicle info (which just mentioned this one) – call 911 if you see it.
Speaking of stolen property, in case you missed the citywide-media reports, if you have been a theft victim, you might want to check the photos SPD has posted in connection with a big bust announced yesterday. The links are in the announcement on SPD Blotter (which this morning, by the way, has posted the first Aggressive Driver Response Team roundup in a while, with speeding-stop info from four West Seattle areas).
Finally, from Anita, word of a bizarre case of vandalism in the 3200 block of Belvidere:
Not even sure where you file this one. On Saturday morning, my husband came out of our house to find our car, which was parked in our driveway, covered in flour and Splenda. There was an open bag of flour and lots of little bags of Splenda strewn about our driveway. The car was a mess. We don’t have any teenagers or any other reason to think we would be targeted. We’re a plain old middle aged couple with one little kid. Wondering if anyone else has had this happen.
(Images courtesy ArtsWest, from “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice”)
From midmorning stories to evening theater, here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY STORY TIMES: Preschool story time at West Seattle (Admiral) branch, 10:30 am, and Southwest branch, 11:30 am; Somali story time at High Point branch, 5 pm – SPL Calendar of Events has details on all 3.
EARLY DISMISSAL DAY: Seattle Public Schools classes get out two hours early today.
FIND OUT WHAT SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS ALL ABOUT: Tonight is “College Night,” geared for everyone from high-school students looking ahead, to much-older prospective students looking to return to school, to people who want to study certain trades with experts – 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Brockey Center on the south side of SSCC’s campus, more details in last night’s preview.
THIS YEAR’S SUMMER STREETS (CAR-FREE DAY) PLAN: An SDOT rep will talk about it (May 20th’s the day, by the way) during tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting, 7 pm, board room at South Seattle Community College. See the full agenda here.
BATTERY PROJECT ON TV: Our friends at KING 5 read about diver/photographer Laura James‘s “Battery Project” here and contacted her about doing a story, which you can see tonight at 7 pm on “Evening Magazine.” (In case you miss it, we’ll watch for the video clip online, to link here afterward.”
OPENING NIGHT AT ARTSWEST: At ArtsWest in The Junction, “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” by Jim Cartwright, directed by Christopher Zinovitch, opens tonight. Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, 1993. AW’s story synopsis:
In a working class town in Northern England, Mari Hoff is desperate for the elixir that will make her feel alive. And she’s not the only one. Her teenage daughter, LV is a shut in who lives by the light of the records left by her father. Turns out she’s a prodigy who can perfectly imitate the great vocalists she loves. Enter a seedy talent agent with big plans for Little Voice’s future, and a quiet young phone man with his own electric dreams, and you have a delirious burst of light to lift us all.
Curtain time tonight is 7:30 pm.
RESTAURANT NOTE: Pizzeria 22 sends word they’re closed tonight for a sold-out private wine dinner with West Seattle’s Siren Song Wines.
(Photo added 8:17 am)
Looks like no major damage and no injuries, but traffic is being slowed, particularly on northbound 35th, by what appears to be a fender-bender involving an SUV and Access bus at 35th/Thistle. If you’re just heading out, you might consider another arterial for a little while if you can.
Local filmmakers made that video clip (featuring actors from the West Seattleites-featuring “The Collectibles“) to educate you, entertain you, and inspire you to give them a hand. Not the applause kind – the making-a-call or writing-e-mail kind. ASAP. They’re trying to save their industry from an unhappy ending.
As West Seattleite Todd Downing explains, SB 5539 – regarding incentives for the film industry in our state – is hung up in the State Legislature. The State Senate has passed it (including a “yes” vote from our area’s Sen. Sharon Nelson) but it hasn’t come to a vote in the State House, and it might fade to black if that doesn’t happen by Thursday. A phone call or note from you might help it get there. Todd elaborates:
Just about every state in the US has a film industry tax incentive program to entice productions to the state, and local areas within the state. Washington’s program is about mid-range in comparison to other states. What it does is refund a certain percentage of a production’s expenditures based on budget level and local talent/crew hired.
As we are sandwiched between Oregon and BC, both of which having superior incentive programs, much of our talent and skilled crew end up leaving the WA film community for jobs in Portland or Vancouver. Our existing incentive program is the baseline that we must build on to create more jobs for skilled crew and support personnel, as well as keeping performance talent in the state … Anyway, the numbers are pretty overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the current incentives by a huge margin of return per dollars spent.
Want to give SB 5539 a boost? We noticed on the Legislature’s website that it’s scheduled for a public hearing in Olympia at 10 this morning, before the House Ways and Means Committee (whose members include West Seattle State House Rep. Eileen Cody). You might not be able to get there, but you can call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000, and e-mail/call Rep. Cody to urge that she support getting the bill to a vote.
(WSB photo from last Saturday night)
Three nights after the Chief Sealth International High School Seahawk Spirit Dinner/Auction, CSIHS PTSA president Amy Daly-Donovan just announced the fundraising total: Nearly $60,000, “a huge increase over last year’s successful event.” The proceeds, she writes, will be shared between the PTSA for funding “programs and activities that support academics, student enrichment, and staff/curriculum support,” and the Performing Arts and Athletics programs.
P.S. As we’ve reported in the past week or so, you’ve got ample chances ahead to support other school fundraisers too: Gatewood Elementary‘s auction this Friday, Madison Middle School‘s auction this Saturday, Arbor Heights Elementary‘s “family photo event” this Saturday-Sunday, Lafayette Elementary‘s auction March 17th, Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor)’s auction March 23, Schmitz Park Elementary‘s auction March 31.
(Photo courtesy SSCC)
Landscape/Horticulture is just part of a long list of studies you can pursue at South Seattle Community College in West Seattle – which is throwing open the doors to prospective students, families, community members, etc., tomorrow night, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm, during its annual College Night. If you come to SSCC’s Brockey Center (on the south side of the campus at 6000 16th SW), you can find out about starting a degree there, finishing a degree there, getting a 2- or 4-year degree there, or joining one of its training programs. They’ll also have information about getting money for school. Parking is free, admission is free, and refreshments are promised too. Want to know more? Find it here.
Two notes about the DESC Delridge Supportive Housing project – first, the “packet” for this Thursday’s Design Review Board meeting (8 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle) is available online – download it here. Also, tonight is the second meeting of the Community Advisory Committee, which is tasked with prioritizing community concerns and will again listen to public comment; it meets at 6 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way).
1:07 PM: We are on the way to Westwood Village, after a report of possible shots fired. There’s no indication anyone has been shot – no medic calls, for example. Police describe the situation as “still fluid.” Our son, who attends school at Chief Sealth a few blocks away, texted us that they are in lockdown/shelter in place, and we are trying to call to confirm. Again, no reports of anyone hurt, and we will be on scene before long for an update.
1:17 PM UPDATE: Our crew is almost to Westwood but meantime we have heard from a WSB’er who was there (and who sent the photo immediately above this paragraph). She says police are mostly concentrated in the Bank of America area on the east side of the center, and are searching for something/someone. As noted in comments, we have heard from parents who say Denny, next to Sealth, is also in lockdown. Again, no reports of any injuries related to whatever has happened.
1:26 PM UPDATE: Our crew has arrived at Westwood Village. The police activity there is indeed around B of A – we are trying to find someone who can talk to us. But the shopping center itself is business as usual aside from that one particular area, so there does not seem to be an atmosphere of general danger.
1:36 PM UPDATE: One officer at the scene said that they were looking for three people in connection with this incident, and have arrested two. The school lockdown, he said, was indeed a matter of standard procedure when schools are within blocks of an incident. Still no word of any injuries, and we still don’t have the full scope of what exactly happened, but we should be able to put it together before long.
1:39 PM UPDATE: If you’re among the many parents who have been receiving texts from your kids, you probably already heard, but our son just texted us to say the lockdown/shelter in place is over. We haven’t heard back from Seattle Public Schools yet with any official comment.
1:50 PM UPDATE: Conflicting info from commenters regarding the shelter in place, but we have another assurance from the top of the ranks at the Southwest Precinct that it’s a precaution, everybody at the schools is fine.
2:18 PM UPDATE: We’re at the Sealth/Denny campus. Just got this update from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen:
Still sorting out the facts given the information we are obtaining from possible involved subjects..There was a disturbance at Westwood Village, exact location is still being determined. Shots were fired with subjects dispersing. We took the extra care in locking down our nearby schools as precaution. We worked closely with our school administrators to ensure the safety of our students. Our Denny and Chief Sealth students were never in any danger.
We are currently interviewing individuals. No individuals were injured by gunfire or property was damaged. The SW Precinct will be providing high visibility in the area of Westwood Village and our schools this afternoon as well as the rest of the week when school gets out.
We can attest to the latter – Denny appears to have gotten out on schedule; there are two police cars visible along Thistle. Sealth assistant principal Lupe Barnes says they will continue sheltering in place till dismissal before 3.
3:15 PM UPDATE: Sealth dismissal happened as usual; we took the photo above at the campus shortly before 3. In comments, Cheryl, a Roxhill Elementary parent, says she got a robo-call saying that school had “sheltered in place” as well and will get out at their normal time.
3:47 PM UPDATE: Here’s the letter that Denny Principal Jeff Clark and Sealth Principal Chris Kinsey sent home with students:
Dear Denny and Sealth Students and Families,
This afternoon gunshots were fired at Westwood village. As a result, to ensure the safety of our students, both Denny and Sealth went into a lockdown. After a few minutes, we shifted to a “shelter-in-place” where we keep the exterior doors locked and resume normal class activities.
We have been in consultation with the Seattle Public School Safety and Security Office as well as the Seattle Police Department to monitor this situation in our community. As always, safety is our top priority.
Thanks for your support,
Jeff Clark, Principal
Denny International Middle SchoolChris Kinsey, Principal
Chief Sealth International High School
(The letter also was read in a robo-call.)
Diver Laura James‘s video shows what came out of just one “outfall” off Alki when stormwater was running fast and furious. Your everyday choices can ensure that stormwater is less toxic – and you’ll know what choices to make and not make, if you can spare an hour Thursday night, with a bonus side effect: Sanislo Elementary, which is hosting the event, will win $1,000 from Sustainable West Seattle, which is presenting it, if at least 50 community members show up. (The money would go toward a native-plant-education project at Sanislo.) Ready to help? Be at Sanislo (1812 SW Myrtle) at 7 pm Thursday. You’re also invited to stay afterward for an 8 pm meeting described by organizers as intended “to discuss a ‘greenway’ proposal to filter street stormwater on 21st and provide sidewalks or safe routes to school.” Plus – you’ll be gifted with a free native plant – and there’s free pizza. Need more info? tox-ick.org, or contact cate@sustainablewestseattle.org.
Five years ago, Seattle Public Schools went to voters with the Building Excellence (BEX) III levy, which included money to build a new Denny International Middle School on the campus of Chief Sealth International High School, renovated as part of the project. After the vote, some community members complained they weren’t really aware that an unprecedented shared campus would be created as a result of the levy.
We can’t speak for what led up to that levy, since WSB wasn’t a news service then – but we CAN tell you that the next BEX levy (IV) is being planned now, and here’s your chance to speak up loud and clear about what you think should (and, maybe, should not) be part of it: The district has just announced three meetings to “share information and ask for feedback about options for possible building-construction projects to be included” in the levy, which goes to voters next February. One is in West Seattle: 6:30 pm April 5th, at Denny (whose old site, now an open field, might be used to build a new school, if that winds up in the levy).
In case you’re planning to head through the East Marginal Way/Spokane Street area (map) east of the “low bridge”/under the “high bridge” any time soon – you may encounter traffic trouble, as police have been working on diverting traffic away from the new Port of Seattle-built East Marginal Way Grade Separation bridge, after a semi-truck crash on that structure. No word of injuries.
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