West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
12:25 PM: Six days after word of teacher cuts and moves started getting around, Seattle Public Schools is announcing (updated) working on its final decisions. We’re on our way to a 12:30 pm media briefing at district headquarters (announced on short notice), and we’ve just heard from a member of the STEM K-8 community that principal Ben Ostrom has sent an announcement. Excerpt:
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) October staffing adjustment has been finalized and unfortunately affects STEM K-8. District enrollment shortfalls necessitated the displacement of STEM’s K-8 class size reduction position. This position was assigned to reduce class sizes in our 3rd and 4th grades. Lower than projected district-wide enrollment, combined with higher than anticipated operating costs, resulted in SPS being unable to support positions below contracted class size ratios. Displaced staff are reassigned to support schools with enrollment above projections.
We’ll update live from the news conference when it begins. If you’ve heard anything from other schools – editor@wsb.blackfin.biz – thanks.
12:33 PM: We’re awaiting the briefing. But the district reps who are here – including associate superintendent Flip Herndon and communications officer Jacque Coe – say they don’t have a list.
12:37 PM: If you have Periscope, we’re live there with this. Coe says they’re “moving less than 1 percent of teachers,” and that these are “not cuts,” no teachers are losing their jobs. Teachers will be “moved to positions of highest needs” – if one school has less enrollment, they’re being moved to one where “children have a need for a teacher because of class sizes … it’s a balancing act … it occurs in every district around the state.” She says this was “earlier notification” than in years past. She said there was a “significant number of students projected to show up … that didn’t … that we believe went to surrounding districts.” She says they can’t just add a teacher to a school – “it would be just as disruptive as pulling a teacher.” She says that they don’t want to slow down the process, because “waiting (longer) will be just as disruptive.”
“This is what inadequate state funding looks like at the local level,” Coe declared. “Because of (that), districts are constantly adjusting budgets. District have to live by their budgets, by law. Dipping into district reserves is not fiscally responsible.” She says almost every elementary school has “an extra teacher” at their building, “but that’s not enough.” Friday, she says, is when they “should know all the staff who are being moved … but it’s still a very fluid process.” The deadline for changes to be in place is October 26th.
12:47 PM: Herndon and Coe are answering questions based on regional reporters asking about Seattle policies compared to other districts. They basically contend this is something all districts are going through. We asked about Schmitz Park’s teacher loss (as discussed last week) leading to ratios of 28 or 29 students to one teacher in first-grade classrooms and Herndon said it was just a matter of how the state funding shook out. “When we’re talking about the overall class ratio .. there’s going to be some variation from school to school.”
12:54 PM: Coe says again, it’s not accurate to say “cuts,” no one is losing their job. Asked about reports of district unresponsiveness to parents’ concerns, she says one specific contact went awry. Asked “is there a better way to project?” Coe says that “we had a major event prior to the start of school” – apparently referring to the teacher strike – that could have had a significant effect. Last year, more than 300 students opted out to other districts, Herndon said, this year, more than 1,000. But, he says, they don’t know why those parents opted out. Coe says that “private funding” (like the Alki Elementary fundraiser, though it wasn’t mentioned by name) “lets the legislature off the hook” and they would “encourage parents to talk to their state legislators.” Asked about the letter that legislators sent to the district asking them to hold off on these changes, Coe says, “When last I checked, the Supreme Court was waiting” (for legislators to fully fund education). She reiterates that it’s not responsible to “dip into reserves.”
1:01 PM: Asked again why they don’t have a list of schools that are losing and gaining teachers, Herndon said, “Because we’re still working through the process.” He also said they’re trying to work toward “the least disruption.” Asked how these moves save money, Herndon says, because if they’re moving a teacher from one position to another, they wind up with one position instead of two. The number that’s been circulating, 25, they say, is accurate so far as they know. Coe says she’s hopeful we’re going to have a list “soon.”
1:07 PM: The briefing just ended. We recorded it on conventional video as well and will add that when it’s uploaded. You can watch the playback (really only worth listening, our visual angle was a bit janky) on our Periscope channel.
1:28 PM: The school district’s increase in central administration (“district office”) budget – 16.4% – has come up often. West Seattle/South Park school board rep Marty McLaren sent us this memo she had received from the administration spelling out where the increases were made, and it confirms the budget went up by that number:
Staffing increases in district
Thanks to those who’ve sent photos of this morning’s car fire at 30th and Graham in High Point; these two are from Joe Moorman. Seattle Fire spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl says their fire investigator was not called out, but police impounded the car.
So we checked with SPD spokesperson Officer Lauren Lovanhill, who says the car was not stolen – it was registered to a West Seattle address – but it was illegally parked, and that’s apparently why it was impounded. The report’s not in the system yet, so there’s no official information on the cause. No one was hurt in the fire, which was reported around 5:20 am.
We first told you back in January that a Neighborhood Park and Street Fund application for sidewalk repair in Morgan Junction had been approved – and now, the work is finally about to begin.
Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker tells WSB that the group has word from SDOT that work is about to start on the project – “long-needed sidewalk repair at the SW intersection of California Ave SW and Fauntleroy Way SW alongside three properties. Ginnie Hance, who manages the Ivy Court Apartments, was concerned about the hazardous sidewalk condition caused in part by tree roots, and submitted the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund application in 2014.” That’s a fund open to community applications for projects like this. SDOT says the work will start “as soon as October 20th,” but is weather-dependent. Once it starts, it’ll take three to four weeks, which means it should be finished by Thanksgiving; SDOT is working now on putting together flyers to send around – once we get a copy, we’ll publish it as an update.
P.S. MoCA’s next quarterly meeting is just a week away; it’s at 7 pm next Wednesday (October 21st), at The Kenney (WSB sponsor).
(Fall flowers – photo by Max)
Made it to the middle of the week! Here’s what’s ahead for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
COWORKING/NETWORKING MEETUP: Noon-1:15 pm at coworking/meeting space West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor):
Our informal brown bag lunches for freelancers, independent business professionals, creatives and entrepreneurs working from home or coffee shops. Please RSVP on our meetup page. We talk about business ideas, share skills, get feedback on projects, collaborate, and network.
All welcome. (6040 California SW)
NEED AN ORCA LIFT CARD? 1-6 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, it’s a new weekly West Seattle drop-in opportunity to get one. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
‘PINK OUT’ VOLLEYBALL NIGHT AT WSHS: You’re invited! From West Seattle High School head volleyball coach Staci Stringer:
Tonight, the West Seattle Girls Volleyball team will be hosting Cleveland High School for our annual “Dig Pink” game. JVC Will host Kennedy and JV will play Cleveland at 5:45 PM.
Varsity plays at 7 PM and we would love to invite the community to grab their pink and come support a great cause and cheer on the Wildcats! For every Dig, the Varsity girls team will be donating money to support breast cancer research! Come join the Wildcats for our Pink Out!!
In the gym at WSHS. (3000 California SW)
MADISON CURRICULUM NIGHT: 5:45 pm, drop-in library help available, followed by 6:30 pm Curriculum Night for Madison Middle School families. (45th SW & SW Spokane)
HARBOR SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30 pm tonight, Harbor School (WSB sponsor) on Vashon Island, has an open house, with a special invitation to West Seattleites – a shuttle is offered, but you need to RSVP ASAP (see how in our calendar listing). Harbor is now a K-8 school. (15920 Vashon Highway SW)
CUB SCOUT ‘JOINING NIGHT’: Happening tonight:
Cub Scout Pack 799 of Arbor Heights invites you and your boy to our “Joining Night”!
When: 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Arbor Heights Elementary Cafeteria
For: Boys in grades 1-5The boys will enjoy making and racing their own Stomp Rockets with current Cub Scouts, while parents and families will have the opportunity to learn about Pack 799. If you have any questions in advance, please contact our Cubmaster, Matt Andersen, at pack799cubs@gmail.com or (206) 300-5100. Thanks, and hope to see you there!
That’s the interim Arbor Heights school at Boren. (5950 Delridge Way SW)
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES @ 34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, during the 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting, an hourlong forum/debate with City Council District 1 candidates Lisa Herbold and Shannon Braddock. We’re on the question-asking panel, along with former Rep. Velma Veloria and Sustainable West Seattle‘s Stu Hennessey. Full details on the 34th DDs’ website. (9131 California SW)
FIXING SCHOOL FUNDING: 7 pm at Fairmount Park Elementary, you’re invited to a conversation about what’s happening, and not happening, with school funding – the situation that’s the underpinning of this past week’s uproar over teacher cuts, among many other things. Here’s our preview. (3800 SW Findlay)
MORE! Here!
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:05 AM: No incidents on routes through/from West Seattle so far.
7:51 AM UPDATE: SDOT’s newest update on greenway construction in northeast West Seattle:
On Monday, October 12, crews began installing a new storm drain system north of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW, necessitating temporary lane restrictions. Flaggers are stationed at either end of the work zone to direct traffic. This work is expected to be complete in a few days. Bus zones will not be affected. Click here to view construction notice.
Crews will return at the end of October to install curb ramps, sidewalk on the west side of 21st Ave SW, and a new crosswalk just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW.
The intersection of 21st Ave SW and SW Genesee St continues to be closed to southbound traffic while crews install new sidewalk and curb ramps. A signed detour is in effect to direct southbound traffic around the work:
· From 21st Ave SW travel east on SW Charlestown St to 20th Ave SW
· Then travel south on 20th Ave SW to SW Genesee StClick here to view construction notice. Work hours at this intersection are 7 AM to 5 PM.
8:29 AM: Need an ORCA LIFT card? Today, your first chance to use a new weekly West Seattle drop-in spot to get one – info here.
Just got the photo via text from Aaron:
My “new” 1986 Toyota pickup I just bought and restored was just stolen from in front of my house at 44th and Dakota. License #C09191E.
If you see it – call 911 and refer to incident # 15-359078.
With schools in the news more than usual lately, WSB reader Jade wanted to warn you about e-mail spam with a too-close-to-real address: She received e-mail tonight from an address containing seattleschool (dot) org. That’s one letter off the district’s official domain – but some might not catch that and would open it anyway. The body of the e-mail, Jade explains, contained “the ever-so-obvious ‘follow instructions for lottery payout’ instructions” in an attachment. But attachments are one of the most common ways for viruses and other problems to get passed onto your computer – don’t EVER open one you’re not expecting – so beware.
7:43 PM: Parents concerned about the Seattle Public Schools teacher cuts/shuffles (first reported here last Thursday) rallied outside district HQ this afternoon.
And they got some encouragement in their cause – a letter signed by legislators asking the School Board to put the changes on hold. Thanks to Amy King for sharing this scan of the letter:
(Here it is as a PDF if you can’t read the Scribd embed above.) The parents who are organizing under the name Kids Not Cuts plan to be at a school board Committee of the Whole meeting at district HQ at 4:15 pm tomorrow to directly make the request, though the issue is not on the agenda. The meeting is open to the public.
ADDED 8:39 PM: The board has already responded to the legislators’ letter, saying basically, sorry, they can’t. Thanks to Robin Graham for sharing their letter:
The afternoon protest, by the way, was the second of the day outside SPS HQ, after the “Half-Baked Sale” at midday.
An update on Fit Bar, the healthy-food café that’s been taking shape next to Anytime Fitness at 2222 California SW in Admiral – Andrew Saldana says he, girlfriend Bles, and his brothers Daniel and Jacob, all West Seattleites, “are thrilled to announce a healthy alternative for our neighborhood! … Our Grand Opening will be Saturday, October 24th, from 8 am – 4 pm. … We are overjoyed to share what inspires us and use it as a medium to inspire others. We know we are all a little different individually, but collectively we strive to find what fuels our lives, and within that journey, we find the strongest connection; that of the mind and body.” Fit Bar will be open weekdays 7 am-7 pm and weekends 9 am-4 pm; Andrew says its website at fitbarcafe.com will go live on Friday. You can see some of the smoothies and bowls they plan to serve by checking out their Instagram feed.
In West Seattle Crime Watch today – another burglary report:
I’d like to get the word out that my home on Fairmount Ave SW was burglarized yesterday during the daytime while my roommates were at work. I arrived home from a trip to see they broke a window in the kitchen & had stolen items from each of my roommates.
David says his house is toward the water end of Fairmount Ave. With reports of three other burglaries in recent days, we took the occasion today to check the SPD Police Report map, sorted for burglary reports, showing nine:
You can sort the map by crime type via controls on its left side (click the image above to go to the live map, where you can also see the locations of these and other crimes, plus time/date reported, by clicking each icon). But as we’ve noted in the past, the map has some omissions – for example, it’s not showing the business break-in in the 3400 block of California SW that was part of our coverage on Saturday. It’s not caught up with yesterday yet, so David’s break-in isn’t shown. And from Tweets by Beat (you can see the West Seattle sectors’ tweets any time on the WSB Crime Watch page), we also have these four:
-Reported this morning, 3200 block SW Morgan
-Reported last night, 9600 block 47th SW
-Reported Monday afternoon, 4400 block 42nd SW
-Reported Monday morning, 2nd SW/SW Michigan
So, by our compilation, that’s 15 burglaries reported in the past week, up from where things were trending at the last West Seattle-wide briefing.
(Photo from SDOT Blog)
Have you traveled on 35th SW and/or SW Roxbury since the recent rechannelizations (and other changes)? SDOT has just published its first report on the aftermath – see it on the SDOT Blog website, now that the work is mostly done. An excerpt:
… The project team has been monitoring the revised segments of 35th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street on a daily basis. We’ve also collected data in an effort to obtain preliminary insights into the effects of the recent changes.
To date, we’ve seen no change in volumes on 35th Avenue SW or SW Roxbury Street. Daily traffic volumes on these streets remain within the same range as pre-project volumes. During our public outreach process, some people commented that they were concerned about drivers diverting to nearby residential streets after the channelization changes. We’ve received no reports of diversions from residents and our volume data does not indicate diversions to residential streets. However, we will continue to keep an eye on this issue moving forward.
Our first look at vehicle speeds on 35th Avenue SW is encouraging. The street once commonly referred to as “I-35” in the neighborhood no longer sees the majority of drivers pushing speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Instead, most drivers now travel around 34 to 35 miles per hour. This is a significant improvement but we’d like to see drivers traveling at lower speeds which are closer to the new posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour. We will expand our speed data collection efforts in October and November and hope to see lower speeds as drivers adjust to the new conditions.
There’s no doubt that these corridors feel different than they used to, especially during the afternoon commute when traffic volumes are highest. With just one general purpose travel lane in each direction, vehicle queueing at signalized intersections is more substantial during the afternoon/evening commute period. However, longer signal cycles effectively mitigate the queues and vehicles are able to clear intersections in just one green phase. Occasionally, emergency response vehicles such as police and fire will preempt signals at SW Holden Street, so it can take up to two signal cycles to clear the intersection when traffic volumes are high.
Again, the corridor feels different but vehicle and transit travel times have been minimally impacted. During community outreach, we mentioned that traffic modeling projected delays on 35th Avenue SW of one-to-two minutes with a maximum delay of 2.5 minutes during the afternoon rush hour. Our travel time data, based on driving the 35th corridor dozens of times during peak hours, show that our models were a bit conservative:
The data tables are in the full post on the city website – with car and bus travel times – as are ways to get your feedback to the city.
P.S. If you missed the backstory on the 35th and Roxbury projects – check the links and slide decks in this story we published while the road work was under way.
A day of protests outside Seattle Public Schools‘ SODO headquarters, less than a week after news of teacher cuts (first reported here last Thursday) began circulating:
Thanks to Helen Green for sending photos from today’s 11 am-1 pm “Half-Baked Sale,” organized by Louisa Boren STEM K-8 parent Shawna Murphy.
Helen, also a STEM parent, says, “There was a great turnout of parents from all over Seattle. A lot from West Seattle. I talked to two Roxhill parents who said that kids have been hit very hard by the teacher reduction there.”
Next up: At 4 pm, a rally – also outside district HQ at 3rd/Lander – everyone concerned about the state of school funding (the big picture as well as situations like the current one) is invited. The North Seattle parent who contributed $70,000 to save a West Seattle teacher job, first reported here Sunday night, is expected to be among the speakers.
A memorial service is planned in West Seattle this Saturday for Patricia J. Hansen, 86. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, Patricia J. Hansen passed away peacefully after suffering many years with Alzheimer’s Disease on Monday, September 28th at Park West Care Center.
She was born on May 19, 1929 to Ingvald and Christine in Seattle.
Patricia grew up in Ballard and attended Ballard High School, graduating in 1947. After high school, she worked at JC Penney clothing store in downtown Seattle. While out dancing at the Spanish Castle and The Trianon Ballroom, she met the love of her life – Charles “Chuck” Hansen. They married in 1953 and raised three children in West Seattle.
It was here in West Seattle that she made a loving home and worked many years at Don Swanson Insurance. She volunteered at the WS Senior Center and played Bunco there. Pat and Chuck traveled to Australia, Europe, Scandinavia, Hawaii and Mexico. Upon retiring, they spent some years as “rain birds” in Mesa, Arizona. Pat took up clogging and enjoyed time at the pool with Chuck.
Patricia is predeceased by her parents Christine and Ingvald, her loving husband Chuck in 1989, and her sister and brother-in-law, Pauline and Phil Isaminger. Surviving Pat are her three children – son Greg (wife Chris), son Keith (wife Irene), her daughter Diane, her grandchildren Veronica and Charlie, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Memorial services will be Saturday, October 17th at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle at 11 am. Remembrances can be made to The Alzheimer’s Association.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
(Roxhill Bog volunteer – WSB photo from April 2015 Duwamish Alive! day)
Update as the fall edition of Duwamish Alive! – simultaneous work parties to help Seattle’s only river and its watershed – gets closer (this Saturday, October 17th, 10 am-2 pm): Coalition coordinator Sharon Leishman tells WSB that these West Seattle sites are in most need of more volunteer signups:
T-107 PARK, both kayaks and habitat restoration. DRCC, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (this is the first time we have the kayak cleanup near the mouth of the river. Double kayaks are used, no experience needed, all equipment and instruction provided.) – 4700 West Marginal Way SW
ROXHILL BOG – habitat restoration with Seattle Parks and Friends of Roxhill – 2850 SW Roxbury
HERRINGS HOUSE PARK – habitat restoration with Seattle Parks – W Marginal Way SW & SW Alaska
LONGFELLOW CREEK AT BRANDON STREET, habitat restoration with King Conservation District and EarthCorps – SW Brandon St. & 29th SW
Choose one and sign up via its link on this page of the Duwamish Alive! website.
(Neighborhood fall colors, by Flickr member yel0rose, via the WSB Flickr group)
Looking ahead to the rest of the day and tonight via the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SCHOOL FUNDING RALLY: 4 pm outside Seattle Public Schools HQ, parents from West Seattle and elsewhere are organizing a rally sparked by this past week’s news of teacher cuts – if you’re concerned about the state of public education, be there. (3rd Ave. S. & S. Lander)
SING WITH ENDOLYNE CHILDREN’S CHOIR: It’s “Bring a Friend Night,” an open-rehearsal event for young singers interested in the choir, which actually starts at 4:30 pm:
BAFN is an open rehearsal, free for any child in grades K-10 who is interested in an evening of holiday music singing and hot cocoa.
Rehearsal Times:
Debut (grades K-2): 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Encore (grades 3-5): 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM
Advanced (grades 6-10): 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
This is happening in the reception room at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. (3050 California SW)
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE-WATCHING PARTY: Looking for someplace to watch tonight’s Democratic presidential candidate debate at 5:30? Krista in Gatewood is hosting one of the Bernie Sanders supporters’ parties and has room – check here.
CANDIDATE FORUM/DEBATE FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 & POSITIONS 8-9: 6:15 pm mingling, 6:45 pm debating at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, presented by the WS Chamber of Commerce and WS Transportation Coalition. See the schedule here. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
TUESDAY TUNE-UP, BENEFITING WESTSIDE BABY: 6:30 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), live music “by Piano-man and Emcee Victor Janusz with Robertson Witmer on accordion and MD Dixson on saxophone,” no cover but raffle benefits WestSide Baby – details in our calendar listing. (1936 Harbor SW)
ORCA TALK: What do orcas and ants have in common? Erich Hoyt – who filled The Hall at Fauntleroy last time The Whale Trail brought him here – is back as TWT’s new season of Orca Talks begins, tonight at 7 pm – details in our preview. (9131 California SW)
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd SW & SW Lander)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm, board room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. (9131 California SW)
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PTSA: 7 pm in the Confucius Room. (2600 SW Thistle)
MORE ON THE CALENDAR FOR TODAY/TONIGHT … see it all here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:39 AM: The SDOT cameras are fixed, so the bridge views are back … and backed up, though it’s mostly “just” the rain – the big incidents this morning are NOT on the outbound routes from here, but instead on northbound I-5 *south* of West Seattle (truck crashes at Albro and in Federal Way).
8:05 AM: That said, as pointed out in comments, alternate routes are affected as people divert. Meantime, a transportation-related note on tonight’s calendar: The first and biggest of three City Council forums/debates in West Seattle this week is tonight, and you can expect to hear a lot about transportation since the WS Transportation Coalition is co-presenting with the WS Chamber of Commerce. All are welcome, 6:15 pm mingling, 6:45 pm debating, citywide Positions 8 and 9 first, then West Seattle/South Park District 1 – it’s happening at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way).
9:09 AM: Bridge trouble, per SDOT:
Stall on the West Seattle Br EB before SR 99 in left center lane. Use caution and expect delays pic.twitter.com/UKPpc7jCXW
— seattledot (@seattledot) October 13, 2015
9:22 AM: And don’t take the low bridge as an alternate route right now:
The Lower Spokane St Bridge has closed to traffic – 9:21:16 AM
— seattleDOTbridges (@SDOTbridges) October 13, 2015
(May 15th photo of Polar Pioneer at T-5, by Long Bach Nguyen)
1:54 AM: Since Shell‘s announcement two weeks ago that it was shelving Arctic offshore drilling TFN, we’ve been awaiting word on where its rigs would wind up – whether there was any chance, for example, the Polar Pioneer would come back to West Seattle’s Terminal 5, where it spent a month before heading off to drill. You’ll recall that the T-5 interim tenant, Foss Maritime, said at the time that it was too soon to say.
According to new reports in two publications, both quoting Shell, the answer is “no.”
Both KUCB in Unalaska and the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles say the Polar Pioneer will head back to PA. KUCB reports that both the PP and Shell’s other rig, the Noble Discoverer, arrived Sunday in Unalaska’s Dutch Harbor. According to KUCB, the ND didn’t stay long, heading out on Monday, bound for Everett, where it was docked until heading north for Shell’s short-lived drilling effort. The PDN reports Shell isn’t saying when the Polar Pioneer is due back in those waters, where it spent four weeks before coming to T-5 for a similar stay. And we don’t know if any of the support vessels might return to T-5; the one that seemed to spend the most time there, Aiviq, is currently Everett-bound, according to MarineTraffic.com.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Along with the City Council races, the “Move Seattle” levy – Seattle Proposition 1 – is the biggest thing on your soon-to-arrive ballot. A mini-forum with reps from both sides headlined this month’s Southwest District Council meeting, along with a Port of Seattle update on the Terminal 5 modernization project, and a briefing on a new project for the West Seattle Timebank.
Toplines on all of the above follow, plus a few extras:
(Annie’s Nannies founder Annie Davis with daughter & partner Suzanne Royer McCone)
Congratulations to Annie Davis, founder of West Seattle-based Annie’s Nannies (WSB sponsor), for a big honor. Here’s the announcement:
The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, a national non-profit that helps set the bar for safe professional service in the nanny industry, has bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award to Seattle’s Annie Davis, founder of Annie’s Nannies, Incorporated.
“I started my business in 1984. In the last 31 years, my staff has done a wonderful job helping thousands of our families find a nanny for their children. These women make me so proud and happy,” says Davis. “They offer integrity and compassion in finding a nanny the perfect position and the family the perfect nanny. My staff deserves this award and I will be sharing it with them, as well as a nice bottle of champagne!”
The Northwest’s longest-serving household staffing agency, Annie’s Nannies, Incorporated provides child care/family assistants, elder companions and other personal employees. ANI is a 2009 Mayor’s Small Business Award winner and the first Seattle small business to pay a $15 minimum wage.
Annie’s Nannies moved its headquarters from Ballard to West Seattle almost exactly a year ago.
Big week as the November 3rd election approaches.
BALLOTS MAILED THIS WEEK: By week’s end, you should have your ballot – since King County says they’re going out Wednesday. (The sample ballot on the county website is what yours is going to look like, if you’re in West Seattle.)
THREE CHANCES TO SEE, HEAR, QUESTION COUNCIL CANDIDATES: Unless you are absolutely certain without a hint of a doubt who you are voting for in the City Council races – West Seattle/South Park District 1, plus citywide (at-large) Positions 8 and 9, you might consider going to at least one of this week’s three local forums/debates:
–First and biggest, tomorrow night (Tuesday) brings all six of those candidates (who last shared a table in West Seattle at the Fauntleroy forum five nights ago) to Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way) for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and WS Transportation Coalition co-presented event, focusing on business and transportation related questions. The at-large candidates are up first – Jon Grant and Tim Burgess for Position 8, Bill Bradburd and Lorena González for Position 9 – with District 1’s Lisa Herbold and Shannon Braddock for the finale. Mingling at 6:15 pm; debating starts at 6:45 pm.
–Wednesday night, Braddock and Herbold will be at centerstage in a forum/debate during the 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), with guest moderators (your editor here is among them) asking questions on a variety of topics.
-Thursday night, Herbold and Braddock meet again, as we emcee the Friends of the Seattle Public Library-presented District 1 debate/forum at 6:30 pm at High Point Library, part of a simultaneous series of forums in the council districts citywide. Audience questions too – see you there!
As promised, we’ve followed up today on Sunday morning’s burglary in the 8200 block of California SW, with a nearby resident seeing it happen and calling it in, but police not arriving until after the burglar was gone.
The 911 call was made at 11 am, as we reported on Sunday – the witness has record of that on a cell phone screen. The first officer to arrive at the house was shortly after quarter past – we happened to see it firsthand, because we are based a few blocks south and happened to be heading out on an errand at the time.
Here’s what SPD told us happened in the meantime.
*The dispatch went out at 11:03. An officer was headed to the house by 11:09.
*Before arrival, police got word the burglar(s) had left (11:14, the witness said), and so instead of proceeding immediately to the house, they tried to find the vehicle, using the description and plate (Washington AWB5824 – here’s a photo from the witness):
As the witness told us, they spotted a car they believed to be the vehicle, and they tried to pull it over – but the driver didn’t stop, and proceeded “in an unsafe manner,” as SPD put it, so officers were told to terminate the pursuit, which is SPD policy if it’s believed to be a threat to public safety. From the SPD pursuit policy, which you can read in full here:
…3. Officers Will Not Pursue Without Justification
The circumstances justifying the decision to pursue an eluding vehicle must be articulable at the time the officer initiates the pursuit.
Officers will not pursue solely for any one of the following:
– Traffic violations / Civil Infractions
– Misdemeanors
– Gross misdemeanors
– Property crimes
– The act of eluding alone4. Officers Will Cease Pursuit When the Risk of the Pursuit Outweighs the Danger to the Public if the Suspect is not Captured
Following up on one other point from our original story – the SPD spokesperson with whom we spoke hadn’t seen anything about the mention of “shift change” and did not think that was related. The case is open, SPD verifies, and detectives have “good information” to follow up on.
(2012 WSB photo)
How does this sound for a volunteer gig: Sit and watch the water! That’s exactly what you’re invited to do:
If you’d like to experience coho spawners up close, consider joining Salmon Watch 2015 on Fauntleroy Creek. We’ll begin Monday, Oct. 19, with veteran watchers, then fold in newcomers if/when we start seeing fish. To learn why West Seattleites eagerly get wet and cold to document fish, contact Judy Pickens at judy_pickens@msn.com.
Hard to tell how exciting (or not) this’ll be this year – last year saw 19 spawners, two years earlier, a record 274. Salmon watch starts right after a community event this Sunday – the annual gathering to drum, sing, and dance to call the coho home. To be part of that (all ages welcome!), be at the creek overlook (across the street and up the embankment from the ferry dock) at 5 pm Sunday (October 18th).
Two months after Feedback Lounge closed in Morgan Junction, we know what’s next. And yes, it’s local. Get ready to say hello to Sound Bar. Its prospective proprietor is already a Morgan Junction entrepreneur – Dan Austin, whose restaurant Peel and Press less than a block south is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Full details on Sound Bar are yet to come, but Austin tells WSB that the space at 6451 California SW “will continue to be an awesome neighborhood cocktail bar and live music/entertainment venue.” He’ll continue to operate Peel and Press, too (if you haven’t been lately, it added lunch this summer).
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