West Seattle, Washington
04 Friday
Recognize that Cannondale mountain bicycle? Gary says it just turned up in his alley in the Admiral area. Let us know if you have info and we’ll connect you.
If you or someone you know is mobility-challenged and would benefit from a ramp at home, but can’t afford it, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties wants you to know that its 25th annual Rampathon will be the biggest ever, so right now it’s looking for people to help with “free wheelchair access ramps for families struggling with mobility within their home and from nonprofit organizations whose clients or residents struggle with mobility.” Go here to find out more and apply – deadline is March 2.
(Brant, photographed by Katy)
Welcome to a new week! Some of what’s up for the rest of your Monday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SOUTHWEST SEATTLE YOUTH ALLIANCE: Noon-1 pm meeting at Neighborhood House High Point. More info on the group’s youth-wellness work is here. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL: You’re invited to the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus every day this week, 1-3 pm, for events celebrating music, art, history, and more – full list here. (6000 16th SW)
FREE TAX HELP: Drop in @ Delridge Library between 2 and 7 pm. No appointment needed. Details in our calendar listing, including which documents to bring. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
MEATLESS MONDAY: Cooking-demo class at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) with Chef Kim O’Donnel, 4-5 pm. Today: Cajun Blackened Tofu. Cost and other details here. (3622 SW Snoqualmie)
FRIENDS OF ROXHILL ELEMENTARY: 6 pm in the lunch room, tonight’s meeting includes “a special presentation by teacher Mike Popelka on his Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching. Last year, Mr. Popelka spent five months in the Netherlands learning about, thinking about and practicing ways to address disparities in education. How might what he learned be applied at Roxhill?” (9430 30th SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUPS: Both at 6:45 pm – West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), this month’s title is “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson; at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), this month’s title is “Mink River” by Brian Doyle.
THERE’S MORE … on our complete-calendar page.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:54 AM: Good morning! Chilly but dry Monday. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle
Reminders, in case you missed the original reports Friday: Fauntleroy Way/Wildwood reopened Friday afternoon after work concluded early … The school-bus strike is over; after a ratification vote Saturday, drivers were to be back to work today.
7:02 AM: Jim reports that the 16th/Roxbury lights are still flashing red, as they’ve been doing since last night’s outage.
Almost a year and a half after they were chosen for funding, two Neighborhood Street Fund projects proposed by West Seattleites are going out to bid. A notice in today’s Daily Journal of Commerce announces that the city is seeking bids on a package of five NSF projects meant to improve walking and biking safety, two of which are in West Seattle – the Chief Sealth Walkway Improvements and the Harbor Ave. SW/SW Spokane St. Intersection Improvements Project. The notice says bids will be opened March 7th; we’ll be checking with SDOT on the anticipated construction schedule.
FIRST REPORT, 7:17 PM: Getting word of a power outage in Westwood and South Delridge. More to come.
7:19 PM: Hearing from Highland Park and White Center too. And the SFD log says it’s a vault fire at 22nd and Roxbury.
7:26 PM: On our way to check out the fire scene. Meantime, we’d suggest avoiding Roxbury in that area. And remember that dark stoplights are all-way stops. More than 3,000 customers are out, according to the City Light map.
7:39 PM: Roxbury is blocked by the emergency response, which is near Holy Family. Our crew just arrived in the area. SFD is investigating smoke coming up from a utility-hole cover. For those asking what a “vault fire” means – “vault” in this case is an underground installation of utility equipment.
7:43 PM: The fire is apparently not huge – some units are being dismissed. The City Light restoration estimate is 2 am but PLEASE remember, as we always point out in outage situations (and as SCL itself acknowledges), that is just a guess … could be back on much sooner, or much later.
7:49 PM: Our crew just checked on the detours. If you are headed east, you’ll be rerouted at 21st/Roxbury; if you’re headed west, you’ll be rerouted at 17th and Roxbury.
8:01 PM: We also checked on Westwood Village businesses – the QFC to Marshall’s side is all/mostly out, but other businesses are on. Will also be checking on downtown White Center, which is in the outage zone too, per SCL’s map.
8:14 PM: Per comments, texts, and firsthand sightings in the field, we have word at least some have their power back already. SCL’s map says the outage is down to 1,300+ customers, less than half the initial number.
8:35 PM: As shown on the updated map above, almost everyone still out is south of Roxbury. That includes downtown White Center:
We’d heard police say via scanner that they had been told they could reopen Roxbury. We’ve also just seen a tweet that Route 560 is no longer rerouted off Roxbury – we’re heading back to the zone to verify.
8:41 PM: Just checked the SCL map and it shows just about everyone back on. If you are NOT – please be sure SCL knows – 206-684-3000. Thanks again to everyone for the updates, including first word of the outage – 206-293-6302 is our breaking-news hotline, 24/7.
9:24 PM: We did verify that Roxbury is open again; when we went through, the 16th/Roxbury signal was in flashing-red mode, though, so another reminder, that means stop all ways.
As we continue to check on high-profile West Seattle criminal cases making their way through the court system – the trial for Admiral stabbing suspect Kierra Ward has been pushed to next month. Online court documents show that her lawyer requested the delay during a hearing on Friday, saying they still had a variety of work to do to prepare. So the trial is now tentatively re-set for a March 21st start, depending on what happens at the next readiness hearing (“omnibus”) on March 9th. It’s been four months since Ward was arrested and charged with assault in the knife attack on an Admiral woman who was walking with her baby. She remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.
(WSB photo taken this afternoon)
As promised, SDOT did indeed install new signs this weekend to replace the ones that had been missing a while just before the side-by-side West Seattle Bridge/Harbor Island exits on southbound Highway 99. The verbiage for the bridge-exit sign is a little simpler, compared to what was on the old sign, as shown below in a Google Maps image from 2014:
(The blurring in that image is Google’s, not ours.) As reported here two weeks ago, the previous signs had been removed due to windstorm damage, the city said, while noting one sign was planned for replacement anyway.
2:36 PM: Thanks to David Christensen for the photo, and everyone else who sent tips – if you are seeing smoke near Lincoln Park, it’s from that car fire on the southbound side of Fauntleroy Way. No other info yet.
2:40 PM: And thanks to Heather Black for this photo:
3:11 PM: At the scene, which is north of the main LP parking lot. Tow truck is here. We are told no one was hurt and no other vehicles were involved – the driver was just rolling along when he noticed there was a problem.
That’s Seattle Channel video of this past week’s meeting of the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners, which included a briefing on a subject of West Seattle interest – a study focusing on the future of the city’s public golf courses/facilities, including the West Seattle Golf Course. As explained in the briefing – which starts 44 minutes into the video – the city’s golf program not only no longer generates extra revenue for Seattle Parks, something it did for a long time, but isn’t even covering its expenses. So the city has commissioned a study to help figure out the public golf facilities’ future.
The study is under way, and at Thursday night’s meeting, the Parks Board got an update on how it’s going so far. The briefing document provided to the board included the following findings from early stakeholder interviews and market research:
Preliminary Feedback from Stakeholder Interviews Conducted to Date and Market Research Findings
Seattle’s municipal golf courses provide benefits beyond the game of golf.
o Public golf is misunderstood and stereotyped in a way that is not consistent with the demographics of who plays at municipal public golf-courses. Nationally, 70% of all rounds nationally are played at public golf courses, not private clubs.
o Expanding access and creating new opportunities to experience golf and Seattle’s public golf facilities is desired.
o There are opportunities to build partnerships and to use Seattle’s municipal golf courses to meet the needs of the growing Seattle population who need open space and recreation opportunities within the City. (Seattle’s population grew by 21,000 from July 1, 2015 – July 1, 2016)
The golf program is not meeting financial policy targets.
o The Golf Master Plan strategy has not been implemented as planned and has contributed to revenue challenges.
o Rising labor and utility expenses in the City were not anticipated in budget projections.
Preliminary Market Research Findings:
o A 2007 State golf economic analysis reported that of 280 courses in the state at that time, 219 were public, and 47 were municipally-owned.
o Nationally interest in golf is declining, especially among millennials; however, golf in Seattle and the State of Washington exceeds the national participation rate. (7% of total population nationally, 10 12% in Seattle.)
o Seattle golf participation rates are in the mid-range of popular recreational activities: walking, picnics, bike riding are the most popular and rugby, surfboarding, lacrosse the least popular.
o The 2017 Parks and Recreation Study conducted by EMC found that 43 percent thought the City should spend less on golf, although the survey did not provided information on the revenue contributed by the golf courses to the City Parks and Recreation Budget.
o Nationally, minority participation is about 20%, primarily among Hispanic and Latino Americans. Seattle has not tracked minority participation rates at its courses; however, the first African American and Asian American golf players clubs in the State were founded at Jefferson and are still active, and First Tee and Bogey Bear programs have successfully introduced the sport to diverse youth in Seattle.
o Seattle’s female participation at its golf courses ranges between 10-17 percent while nationally the average is 23 percent.
You can see the full document from the board briefing here. Beyond the discussion at the Parks Board meeting, it does not appear there are any open feedback opportunities related to the study – and in fact, the board was told “it’s not a big public-outreach (opportunity).” They plan more stakeholder interviews later this month and a “focus group” in March, with the final report to be presented in May, including three potential “scenarios” for the future of the city’s golf program.
You know the Southern Resident Killer Whales are in trouble. Part of the problem: Their main source of food is in trouble too. But how much do you really know about where things stand, and how to – if you can – help? This Thursday, The Whale Trail invites you to an event that’s certain to educate and inspire you. The announcement:
Saving Salmon in Puget Sound
Presentation by Jeanette Dorner
Thursday, February 15, 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
C & P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW
$5 suggested donation; kids free!
Advance tickets: brownpapertickets.comPuget Sound is an important producer of salmon for our endangered southern resident orcas (J, K and L pods). Fourteen Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups work with landowners and community partners around the state to identify and implement salmon habitat restoration projects. Join us to learn more about their ongoing work, especially in our own Seattle backyard.
Jeannette Dorner, Executive Director of the Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, will bring us up to date on salmon recovery efforts in this critical part of the orcas’ range.
The Mid Sound area includes the Green – Duwamish watershed, the Cedar/Sammamish/Lake Washington watershed, the watersheds of Eastern Kitsap County which drain into Central Puget Sound, and all the Puget Sound shorelines in the Central Puget Sound area in King County and Kitsap County.
With the survival of the southern residents at stake, it’s even more important to support and invest in local salmon recovery efforts .
This is the first Orca Talk of 2018, presented by The Whale Trail in West Seattle. The event will also feature updates from Seal Sitters.
Following the presentation, join us for a discussion about the southern resident orcas. Get up to speed about current issues and initiatives, and learn what you can do to help. With just 76 individuals in the population, it’s all hands on deck for the whales!
About the Speaker
Jeanette Dorner has a long history working to recover salmon in Puget Sound. She worked for 11 years as the Salmon Recovery Program Manager with the Nisqually Tribe, coordinating the protection and restoration of salmon habitat in the Nisqually watershed. She played a lead role in helping facilitate with partners major salmon restoration projects including the 900 acre restoration of the Nisqually Estuary. She then worked as the Director of Ecosystem and Salmon Recovery at the Puget Sound Partnership, supporting the work of hundreds of partners around Puget Sound to protect, restore and clean up their rivers, streams and Puget Sound shorelines. In 2017, Jeanette became the Executive Director of the Mid Sound Fishery Enhancement Group.
Jeanette is also the mother to two wonderful kids. Part of her passion to recover salmon habitat and to preserve and protect this beautiful place we call home is to try to pass on to her children a home where they can continue to enjoy the natural wonders of this place with their families – going to watch orcas swimming through Puget Sound, visiting salmon spawning in our local streams, and hiking in the majestic forests of the Pacific Northwest.
About The Whale Trail
The Whale Trail is a series of sites around the region where the public may view orcas and other marine mammals from shore. Our mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and our marine environment. Our overarching goal is to ensure the southern resident orcas recover from the threat of extinction.
Through our current sites and signs, including two on every Washington State ferry, we reach more than 30 million people each year. The Whale Trail is currently adding new sites along the west coast, from California to British Columbia, throughout the southern resident orcas’ range and beyond.
The Whale Trail is led by a core team of partners including NOAA Fisheries, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Seattle Aquarium, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and the Whale Museum. Our BC planning team is led by the BC Cetacean Sighting Network.
Many members of the Whale Trail teams met when they worked together to return Springer, the orphaned orca, to her pod. Executive Director Donna Sandstrom was inspired by the project’s collaborative success to found The Whale Trail in 2008.
The Whale Trail is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, registered in Washington State. Join us!
(Yesterday, we featured perched bald eagles. Today – two views of one in flight! Both photos are by Mark Wangerin)
Some suggestions for today, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street in the heart of The Junction – vendor info here. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
BRUNCH: Did you know Mission Cantina (new WSB sponsor) in The Admiral District serves weekend brunch? 10 am-4 pm. See the menu here. (2325 California SW)
PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 11 am-1:30 pm, interested families are invited to visit the Little Pilgrim Preschool at Fauntleroy Church. (9140 California SW)
GREYHOUNDS: Meet-and-greet with Greyhound Pets Inc. at Admiral MudBay today, 11 am-1 pm. (2625 California SW)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Been to see the new exhibit “Navigating to Alki” yet? The home of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is open noon-4 pm. (61st SW/SW Stevens)
LADIES’ MUSICAL CLUB: This month’s free concert at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 3-4 pm, “will feature a Mendelssohn piano trio and songs by 20th century British composers. Performers will include Ann Rackl, violin; Larry Chu, cello; Selina Chu, piano; Gwen Trussler, mezzo-soprano; Sabine Endrigkeit, recorder; and Johanna Mastenbrook, piano.” (2306 42nd SW)
THE BREDS: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm.
Planning an event/performance/etc. and want to invite your West Seattle neighbors? Send it to us for the WSB calendar and daily previews – as early as possible – plain text in your e-mail – editor@wsb.blackfin.biz – thank you!
Two rounds of upcoming citywide awards will celebrate sustainability – and both have West Seattle ties.
HEART OF SEATTLE AWARDS: Adam Werner of Clean Air Lawn Care in West Seattle sent word of these – not just because his business is nominated, but also because, as he points out, other West Seattle businesses are too. You can vote here; note the locally linked businesses in the dining, grocery, and sustainable-services categories.
SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS: You can’t vote on these – the finalists already have been chosen – but the event at which they’ll be announced is happening here in West Seattle, and you’re invited. Sustainable Seattle will present the awards the night of March 2nd at a party at Brockey Center on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Finalists are listed here, and they include West Seattle restaurant Mashiko in the Business category as well as Plant for the Planet (which has a WS group) in the Resilience category. Tickets include a cocktail reception, dinner, and auction, and you can get yours here.
Thanks for the photos! Above, Jim Spraker‘s view of the sunset; below, Lynn Hall‘s look at The Brothers in the sunshine, and JayDee’s wider morning view of the Olympics.
With clearing skies, temperatures are already into the 30s, and the forecast warns of a “chance of rain and snow showers in the morning.”
36-27 WSHS with 4 mins left in game. Video: #23 Anthony Giomi basket. pic.twitter.com/7vymr1jrPW
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 11, 2018
(4th-quarter basket by WSHS #23 Anthony Giomi)
FIRST REPORT, 6:25 PM: In the second of two district-playoff games this afternoon/evening at West Seattle High School, the WSHS boys have just defeated Lake Washington, 46-36. Photos and details to be added later. With the win, the WSHS boys will play Rainier Beach at 5 pm Tuesday (February 13th) at Sammamish HS in Bellevue, right after the Wildcat girls’ 3:30 pm game vs. Seattle Prep.
ADDED 11:11 PM: Here’s how the game unfolded for head coach Keffrey Fazio and his team – far more defense than offense, as you can tell from the score. #1 Marcus Collins, West Seattle’s top scorer in the game with 8 points, got the team’s first basket.
That tied things at 2-2. And after a bit of lead-swapping, they were tied again when the first quarter ended, 7-7. Overall, the Wildcats were having an off-day on the boards. Things got a little better in the second quarter, starting with #23 Anthony Giomi (7 points) opening a three-point lead with a basket and foul shot.
#3 Kendall Green followed with a three-pointer on an assist by #32 Maar Rambang, and suddenly WSHS was up by six. A couple of baskets by #5 Abdullahi Mohamed (8 points) in the ensuing minutes helped the Wildcats keep the lead despite a Lake Washington three-pointer shortly before halftime taking the score to 19-15.
A somewhat sloppy start to the second half gave way to a strong scoring run including back-to-back baskets by Collins, and then one by #2 Elijah Nnanabu, giving WSHS a 12-point lead. The Wildcats held a 9-point lead over the Kangaroos by the end of the third quarter, and then it was a matter of digging in to stay ahead. Lake Washington got to within six points at midpoint in the final quarter – 36 to 30 – and a three-pointer a few minutes later made it a five-point margin, 38-33. The Kangaroos tried the time-honored tactic of fouling their opponents, repeatedly, to see if they could make some magic happen, but the resulting WSHS foul shots just widened the Wildcats’ lead, and time ran out for Lake Washington, losing 46-36. As mentioned above, West Seattle’s Tuesday opponent is Rainier Beach, and that’ll be the third Wildcats-Vikings faceoff this season.
At halftime, West Seattle HS girls 31, Mercer Island 22. (Video: WSHS #11 Gayles basket in final minute of half) pic.twitter.com/BtJOcYGL3S
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 10, 2018
(West Seattle’s top scorer today, #11 Jasmine Gayles, with an end-of-first-half basket)
FIRST REPORT, 4:28 PM: Just concluded at West Seattle High School, the girls’ first game in district basketball playoffs, and it was a victory – 67-55 over Mercer Island. Photos and details later. The Wildcat girls now advance to the next round, with a game at 3:30 pm Tuesday (February 13th) at Sammamish High School (100 140th Ave SE in Bellevue), against Seattle Prep.
ADDED 10:03 PM: Head coach Darnell Taylor and his team had a lot of strategizing to do to keep this one in the W corner. Twice, they pulled out to a sizable lead, only to have the Islanders recover.
First time was fairly early on – the Wildcats were ahead 11-2 by midway through the first quarter, but that lead was down to three points as the second quarter began, 15-12. In the second quarter, Mercer Island fought to a 20-17 lead after two 3-pointers, with 5 minutes to go until halftime. But the Westsiders didn’t give up, and after baskets by #20 Grace Sarver (12 points) and #11 Jasmine Gayles, (17 points) they had the lead back, 21-20. They kept building on that and were out to a 31-22 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats dominated the early minutes of the second half, expanding their lead to 16 points before Mercer Island started their second comeback attempt – with 11 unanswered points before the end of the third quarter. West Seattle was still ahead – 43-38 – but the Islanders were within striking distance.
#4 Kelsey Lenzie ended the scoring drought with a basket at 7:15 to go, on an assist from Sarver. The two repeated the feat less than half a minute later, and the Wildcats had a little breathing room, 47-38. #1 Kaiya Mar added a three-pointer at 5:26, and WSHS had momentum.
By 3:40, they’d opened up to 56-42 after #32 Meghan Fiso (6 points) got a three on an assist from #21 Julianna Horne (11 points).
At 2:30, the margin was 19 points and victory was looking certain; Mercer Island made up a little of that ground but not enough, and the final score was 67-55. As mentioned above, Seattle Prep is next for the WSHS girls, four weeks after they beat the Panthers by six points.
2:14 PM: Thanks to everybody who’s just sent word (including the photo above) of a crash blocking 35th and Fauntleroy. No word of serious injuries so far but avoid the area for a while.
2:54 PM: SDOT just tweeted that the intersection is now clear.
12:56 PM: That’s the scene earlier today at the Teamsters Local 174 hall in Tukwila, where First Student school-bus drivers voted on the agreement announced Friday. The photo is from West Seattle driver Al, who provided updates during the 7-day strike, and told us earlier that everyone he’d talked to was in favor of the agreement. He just texted to say the drivers have been told they voted 97 percent “yes,” so the strike IS over and they will be back to work Monday. We’ll update this story whenever the official statement comes in.
1:11 PM: We have received this statement from First Student’s lead negotiator Kim Mingo, confirming the strike is over and yellow-bus service for Seattle Public Schools will resume Monday:
We are very pleased that First Student yellow bus drivers have voted to ratify the expanded benefits program included within their contract. We look forward to resuming the reliable transportation that First Student is known for, and that Seattle Public Schools families depend on, on Monday.
6:18 PM: The union’s announcement says a bit more about what’s in the deal:
The new agreement is an overwhelming victory for the group of more than 400 bus drivers. Most of them did not receive healthcare through their employer and did not have access to a reasonable retirement plan. All of that changes with the ratification of this agreement.
The agreement provides quality healthcare at an affordable cost. It also provides the bus drivers with a Teamster pension plan, the first ever achieved for contracted school bus drivers in Seattle and possibly the entire country for First Student members.
Read Local 174’s full statement here.
Four of the five Seattle Fire Department stations in West Seattle are having open houses right now as part of Neighbor Day, and you are welcome to stop in before 1 pm. Our photo’s from Station 37 at 35th SW and SW Holden [map] in Sunrise Heights, West Seattle’s second-newest station, completed in 2010 – replacing a smaller old city-landmark building a few blocks north – and home to Engine 37.
(added) Also there today – one of SFD’s SUVs, B77:
And SFD Lt. Harold Webb introduced us to his “newest recruit,” firefighter Chris Tarkir:
In the background is an illuminated “37” you might notice if you pass by the station at night – we thought, seeing it from a distance, that it was neon, but found out today that it’s not – it’s a holiday-lighting holdover.
Also open for you to visit before 1 pm:
-Fire Station 11 in Highland Park (16th/Holden)
-Fire Station 29 in North Admiral (2139 Ferry SW)
-Fire Station 32 in The Triangle (38th/Alaska – just completed and opened last year)
(Bald Eagles – this photo and next are by Dan Ciske)
Happy Neighbor Day! That’s part of what’s happening around West Seattle today/tonight. From our calendar:
MEDITATION 101: Get your weekend off to a calm start. 9 am-11 am class at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, taught by Peter Drummond. Details in our calendar listing. (3050 California SW)
ARCHBISHOP @ THE MOUNT FOR WORLD DAY OF THE SICK: Archbishop Peter Sartain will lead Mass and Anointing of the Sick at Providence Mount St. Vincent at 10 am:
During the Anointing of the Sick, Archbishop Sartain and other priests will individually bless anyone who is poor or sick, bringing the hope and the healing of Lourdes to them. They will also offer a Special Blessing for Caregivers, welcoming any caregiver in the community to attend. Music is provided by The Starry Crowns and concert harpist Leslie McMichael. Rev. Matthew Oakland will serve as master of ceremonies and concelebrants include Very Rev. Paul Magnano, Rev. James Eblen, Rev. Natch Ohno, SJ, and Rev. Bill Cleary, CSsR. Reception will follow.
This will be in The Mount’s chapel. (4831 35th SW)
SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-1 pm, you are invited to visit the Community School of West Seattle. (9450 22nd SW)
SOUTH SEATTLE HOME FAIR: Not in West Seattle, but the city wanted to make sure we let you know about it, because many of the programs and services are valuable citywide, and this is as close as this event gets to us. Check out all the info here. 10 am-2 pm. (5740 Martin Luther King Jr Way S.)
NEIGHBOR DAY – FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSES: In celebration of Neighbor Day, four of West Seattle’s five fire stations will have open houses 11 am-1 pm:
-Station 11, 16th SW/SW Holden
-Station 29, 2139 Ferry SW
-Station 32, 38th SW/SW Alaska (the brand-new one!)
-Station 37, 35th SW/SW Holden
BASEBALL REGISTRATION: Southwest Little League is registering players 11 am-2 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park. (1321 SW 102nd)
NEIGHBOR DAY GAME SWAP ETC.: The West Seattle Timebank, High Point Library, and Neighborhood House/High Point invite you to visit the library 1-4 pm for a resource event and game swap in honor of Neighbor Day – full details here. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
SINGING AND LEARNING ABOUT MUSIC: 1-4:30 pm event at Admiral Congregational Church focused on African-American vocal traditions. More info here. (4320 SW Hill)
WINE & CHOCOLATE: One more chance before Valentine’s Day to visit Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor), where they’re pairing three award-winning wines with three chocolate truffles from Seattle’s own Intrigue Chocolate – this time with truffle bars, mini-truffle sets, and assorted chocolate bars. You can check it out at the Viscon Cellars tasting room 2-7 pm. (5910 California SW)
BASKETBALL: Must-win games today for the West Seattle High School teams. Both are at the WSHS gym. The girls play Mercer island at 3 pm; the boys play Lake Washington at 5 pm. (3000 California SW)
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL AUCTION: 6:15-10 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club – info here; check to see if any tickets are left! (1116 SW Holden)
ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: Music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
And a traffic reminder, if you’ll be using southbound 99 near the West Seattle Bridge:
REPLACING THE SIGNS: Work is planned, starting this morning, to replace the missing signs on SB 99 just before the West Seattle and Harbor Island exits.
Tonight’s March for Peace in South Park was not a march to protest, complain, or oppose, organizers stressed as more than 100 people gathered outside the SP Library before it began. It was to envision what neighbors want South Park to be, to have.
The catalyzing event was what neighbors want South Park to NOT have … violence. Two nights ago, a 16-year-old boy was critically injured by a shooter who has yet to be caught. That was one week after a shooting that injured two men. The two incidents are unrelated, police told us, yet both left people in South Park determined not to go back to the way things were long ago. With that determination, hope, and love, “this is the new South Park,” organizers declared.
With bicycle officers riding alongside, and police at every cross-street, marchers walked on eastbound Cloverdale and southbound 14th.
The march turns onto South Park's main business street, 14th Ave.S. pic.twitter.com/JehlFRrSnF
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 10, 2018
They carried signs, some made outside the library minutes before the march began.
And when their silence was finally broken, as the march ended at the service station near the scene of Wednesday’s shooting at 14th/Trenton, first it was by music, some softly singing along to “Lean on Me”:
At the gas station near Wed's shooting scene. Bill Withers' classic 'Lean on Me' is being played; some softly sing along: 'We all need … somebody to lean on …' pic.twitter.com/7QKEF1fzCy
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 10, 2018
Then, there were words of support, urging the youth in the crowd to know everyone was there to support them – and there were many young participants there to hear the message:
Also there, dignitaries who took care not to hold the spotlight for long, if at all. Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best had a few words before the march began.
City Councilmember Lisa Herbold did not take the microphone
Nor did Councilmember Lorena González:
Both councilmembers have worked to advocate for increased safety resources for South Park; Herbold wrote about it again in her weekly online update hours before the march. But first – a young man remains in the hospital, and before the gathering ended, organizers requested prayers and thoughts for his recovery.
The times and teams are set for the West Seattle High School basketball teams’ district-playoff games tomorrow. Both are at WSHS, so if you can go cheer them on, you don’t have to go far. And both are loser-out games, so a loss would be season-ending. The girls play Mercer Island at 3 pm; the boys play Lake Washington at 5 pm. WSHS is at 3000 California SW.
(WSB file photo)
It’s been a full month now since first word that the 5612 California SW site of C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) had been put up for sale. Days later, proprietors Cameron and Pete Moores – who have been leasing the Craftsman house on the site for 15 years, not only selling beverages but also running it as what many consider a community center – launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise some of the money needed to buy it. And though their landlord tentatively accepted another offer, they said they had right of first refusal. At that time, a deadline was mentioned. We’ve been checking in with the Moores, including a conversation with Cameron today, and she says that deadline is no longer in play. Other than that, she says, there’s nothing to report – they’re still working toward a purchase, and there are “many moving pieces” in the situation. She stresses that they are endlessly thankful for all the community support. (That includes the upcoming “heartbombing” event organized by Historic Seattle next Tuesday.)
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