West Seattle, Washington
01 Wednesday
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:04 PM FRIDAY: Nine days after the Stakeholder Advisory Group for West Seattle/Ballard light rail decided to recommend two options for the third and final stage of review, the next group up the ladder has thrown one of them out. We’ve obtained from Sound Transit the results of this morning’s Elected Leadership Group meeting:
That means the ELG did not accept one of the SAG’s recommendations, keeping the “Pigeon Ridge” alternative – which ST estimated would cost an extra $1.2 billion – in play. (The “Golf Course” etc. option is projected to cost $700 million extra.) Here are discussion points from the meeting:
Here’s the full set of ELG recommendations from todaySeattle Channel website eventually, as SC has recorded the ELG meetings because the group’s membership means the meetings technically also qualify as Seattle City Council Sustainability and Transportation Committee meetings.
WHAT’S NEXT: The third and final level of review now begins, with a “preferred alternative” for environmental study to be arrived at next spring. The next public meeting in the process isn’t until late November, when the Stakeholder Advisory Group is scheduled to meet again.
ADDED SATURDAY: Here’s the video of the meeting.
West Seattleite Tomasz Biernacki has been working on a documentary about homelessness here and elsewhere in the city. Above is the trailer for his film “Trickle Down Town”; two local screenings are planned in the next few weeks. If you want a free ticket to the Admiral Theater premiere at 7 pm October 21st, go here. “Trickle Down Town” also will be featured at West Seattle Meaningful Movies next month (no tickets required), 6:30 pm November 3rd at Neighborhood House High Point.
We published an SDOT alert on Thursday saying the striping of the long-on-hold Harbor/Spokane project was planned sometime in the next few days. SDOT now says that’s back on hold because of the weather: “Due to the rain forecast, striping work has been delayed. At the earliest, crews may begin striping Thursday, October 11. However, because this work is weather dependent, this date is still tentative. Once striping work begins, it’ll take approximately 2 days to complete. We appreciate your patience.”
Back in July, we reported that Admiral attack defendant Kierra Ward had been found incompetent to stand trial and would be sent to Western State Hospital for treatment to attempt to restore competency. This week, a hearing in her case revealed that it took some time for a space to open up for her there, so her treatment did not begin until mid-September. Her next status hearing is now set for December. It’s been a year since Ward was arrested and charged with assaulting an Admiral woman who was stabbed from behind while out for a walk with her baby.
11:29 AM: Thanks for the tips! A power outage is reported to be affecting part of The Junction. So far the City Light map only shows 1 customer but that’s not always precise.
11:46 AM: SCL has updated to 419 homes/businesses affected.
(Photo tweeted by @WSJA)
11:58 AM: Actually two pockets – we’ve added a screengrab from the SCL map – totaling 450+ homes/businesses. No official word yet on the cause. Restoration time is estimated as 7 pm but remember, even SCL acknowledges those times are just speculative – could be sooner, could be later.
12:27 PM: And we’re getting word at least some of the power’s back on, after just about an hour.
12:41 PM: The SCL map has updated, showing the 419 customers (homes/businesses) in the larger pocket are back on, but the 32-customer pocket near 41st/Edmunds is still shown as without power.
3:56 PM: And the smaller pocket has since had its power restored too.
(Anna’s Hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Friday! A few possibilities from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FRIDAY AFTERNOON MOVIES: 1 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle. This week, “Lone Star” (1996). $1 members, $2 nonmembers. (4217 SW Oregon)
ALKI SKATING! Go skate at Alki Community Center‘s Friday night event! 5:45-7:45 pm. (5817 SW Stevens)
CORNER BAR: 6 pm doors open, 8 pm (ish) music starts – Cool Water is this month’s featured band. More info on the monthly pop-up bar on the Highland Park Improvement Club website. Free entry; all ages. (1116 SW Holden)
STUDENT SHOWCASE: 6-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), students from West Side Music Academy perform. (5612 California SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: West Seattle High School homecoming (corrected – see comments) Senior Night tonight at 7 at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) vs. Ingraham. Chief Sealth International High School on the road, 7 pm vs. Lakeside at Northwest Athletic Complex (1819 N 135th). At West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), it’s O’Dea vs. Eastside Catholic.
‘SKELETON CREW’: 7:30 pm curtain for the current production at ArtsWest. You can check ticket availability here. (4711 California SW)
NORMAN BAKER & THE BACKROADS: 8 pm at Parliament Tavern, celebrating a new single release with a night of their trademark “Barrel-Aged Lumber Rock” sound. $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
PREVIEW THE WEEKEND! Our complete calendar has it all.
The November election is just a month away, and voting starts in about two weeks. If you’re not registered yet, Monday is the deadline for registering online or by mail. You can do the former by going here; to print a form for mailing, go here – it’s available in 21 languages!
P.S. Here’s an incentive – the coffee shop Bird on a Wire (3509 SW Henderson) has voter-registration events both days this weekend, with forms printed and available: “Enjoy a free ‘bird drop’ cookie or small cup of joe with every filled-out application!” during these times – 9-11 am Saturday, 10 am-2 pm Sunday.
P.P.S. We are reminded that this is an important time to check to be sure your registration status is still active – that could have changed if, for example, you moved and ballots sent to your old address were returned as undeliverable. Go here to check your status.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:11 AM: Good morning! No traffic incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
8:28 AM: Late alert just sent by Metro: “Rt 57 to Seattle due to leave the Alaska Junction – Bay 5 at 7:47 AM will operate more than 45 minutes late this morning.”
(King County photo: Marine Division director Paul Brodeur, Councilmember Joe McDermott, MV Doc Maynard deckhand Bob McDougall and captain Jeff Bearden)
The West Seattle Water Taxi crew’s rescue of a boater in August led to a special recognition event today. Here’s the official news release:
Pulling out of West Seattle’s Seacrest Dock on August 30, the crew of the King County Water Taxi MV Doc Maynard saw a man in the water and immediately went into action to get him out of the water and onto their vessel.
During an afternoon sailing of the Doc Maynard to West Seattle today, Metropolitan King County Council Chair Joe McDermott recognized ship Captain Jeff Bearden and the crew of the Doc Maynard for their quick response to the water emergency.
“It’s an honor to know Captain Bearden, Ms. Cook and Mr. McDougall. These are true professional public servants,” said McDermott. “Their skillful response to a dangerous situation should give confidence to everyone in King County that we’re in excellent hands on this very important regional transit service.”
When the man, who had fallen out of his boat, was spotted in the water, Captain Bearden steered the water taxi near his location and notified authorities of a person in distress. Deckhand Amanda Cook quickly threw the man a life jacket and prepared the equipment used for a man overboard. Deckhand Bob McDougall went into the water after getting into a rescue suit and helped the man out of Elliott Bay and onto the vessel.
“What impressed me most was the efficiency with which our crew responded to the man in the water and worked in unison to do as we’d trained,” said Capt. Bearden. “From the instant we first spotted him in the distance to the moment the paramedics were giving him a clean bill of health at the dock, only 15 minutes had elapsed and we were back on our way.”
Friends and family of Jackie Dupras will gather this Sunday (October 7), 1-3 pm, at The Hall at Fauntleroy for what her husband Ed Dupras describes as “a wake” in her memory. Jackie – who had been diagnosed with dementia – was missing for two weeks before her body was found last weekend on a greenbelt slope in South Alki. She was long active in the community, especially with the 34th District Democrats, for whom she served as the longtime newsletter editor; the group honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. Ed Dupras says the event will be informal – open microphone if there are memories you want to share, but no official program. No flowers – he says “the guest of honor” wouldn’t have wanted them. The Hall at Fauntleroy is at 9131 California SW.
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Three major topics when the Southwest District Council met Wednesday night at the Senior Center/Sisson Building, with featured guests City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, Susan Oatis of Anti-Hate Alaska Junction, and Lisa Corbin of Friends of Southwest Tennis:
Tennis & More?
According to Lisa Corbin, there are 35 outdoor tennis courts in West Seattle, but proper resources for winter weather are much more limited, with just 20 indoor courts in the entire city.
Corbin’s group, Friends of Southwest Tennis, has been working to expand the area’s indoor options for the game, citing the need for more facilities to be able to introduce children to the game outside of summertime.
The group had originally begun discussions to convert the courts west of Southwest Pool/Teen Life Center into a covered, revenue-generating solution, but were told earlier this year that the property would not be made available. So now they’re pivoting.
One of the dormant SDOT projects in West Seattle is about to start up again. Just out of the WSB inbox:
Crews plan to begin striping the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St tomorrow, Friday, October 5. This work must be completed in dry weather conditions and may be postponed to Monday, October 8. Striping will take approximately 2 days to complete.
Due to a manufacturing delay, crews are unable to activate the bike signal until late October. Initially crews hoped to activate the signal and complete road striping at the same time. However, striping cannot be completed in the rainy months, so it may occur before the bike signal can be activated. Later this month, crews will also install fencing along the bike path and complete plantings.
Traffic impacts during striping and signal activation:
*Westbound SW Spokane St will be reduced to one lane of traffic at Harbor Ave SW, except during peak hours (3 PM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday), when it will remain fully open
*2 uniformed police officers will be direct traffic at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW from SW Spokane St during work hours
*Sidewalks will be maintained for people walking and biking
This project (here’s its official website) started almost four months ago and was initially described as likely to last about six weeks.
Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor: West Seattle Coworking! Here’s what proprietors Crystal and Rosario would like you to know about what they offer:
We love our coworking place! We are a West Seattle family who believes in the power of community and the benefits of sharing. Our office is great for those who are not as productive working from home or from a coffee shop. Many times people working at home feel isolated or are easily distracted by household tasks like laundry, dishes, pets, cleaning, etc. Some also find it hard to separate personal life from work hours, while others don’t like the isolation that can occur when working from home. Coffee shops present other challenges. They can become loud and distracting, or it can be hard to find an appropriate location to have a professional meeting, either in person or over the phone.
When West Seattleites come to our shared office at West Seattle Coworking, they will find a community-oriented group. A group of friends and neighbors who are there to be productive but not alone. We have a meeting room for in-person meetings as well as phone booths for private calls. We have printers, a fax machine, fast internet, and anything else one might need to have a productive day of work. And we are open around the clock. Many of our members will tell you that they are much more productive since they joined our community!
We invite anyone to come take a tour in our Morgan Junction location (6040 California Avenue SW), call us to ask questions (206.531.0557) and see what we have to offer. You can find more info at
westseattlecoworking.com or by following our Facebook page.
We thank West Seattle Coworking for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Fall colors! Tree in White Center, photographed by Gill Loring)
Morning through night, here are highlights of what’s ahead:
‘STEREOTYPE THREAT & IDENTITY THREAT’: 11 am presentation at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) with Stanford psychology professor Dr. Claude M. Steele. (6000 16th SW)
FIREFIGHTER STORY TIME: Parents/guardians and caregivers are invited to bring preschoolers to meet firefighters and learn about fire safety during this special story time, 11:30 am at High Point Library. (3411 SW Raymond)
RAINWISE AT YOUNG’S: Young’s Restaurant in South Delridge is the first local restaurant to join RainWise, and you can learn about it there during an open house starting at 4:30 pm. Details in our calendar listing. (9413 16th SW)
CITY BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING: Got something to say about the proposed city budget? The City Council will be there to hear it at the first public hearing on the budget, 5:30 pm at City Hall downtown. (600 4th Ave.)
BLESSING OF THE PETS: 6:30-8:30 pm at Resting Waters. Info in our calendar listing. (9205 35th SW)
CANDIDATES’ FORUM: 34th District State Senate candidates Joe Nguyen and Shannon Braddock are the main event on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council agenda tonight, 7 pm at North Highline Fire District HQ. All welcome. (1243 SW 112th)
READ THE KORAN IN 4 WEEKS: Tonight’s the start of Rev. Ron Marshall‘s next series, 7 pm at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle. Check to see if there’s room. (4105 California SW)
JIM PAGE: Singer-songwriter performs live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
FREE VISION WORKSHOP: 7:30 pm at West Seattle Coworking (WSB sponsor), a “free vision workshop to learn about holistic eye care.” Info in our calendar listing. (6040 California SW)
MORE! See for yourself on our complete calendar.
Got your ticket(s) for Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the West Seattle Helpline fundraising dinner that’s now eight days away? Ticket sales end tomorrow (Friday). Helping the Helpline means you’re helping prevent homelessness; providing emergency assistance to help people stay in their homes is a big part of what the nonprofit does. Your ticket gets you a seat at the 6 pm October 12th event at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), which starts with music, a cocktail hour, and silent auction, continuing through dinner, a live auction, and dessert dash. Tickets are available online here.
P.S. If you voted for WS Helpline in the recent HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) grant competition, a big thanks from WSH – they won!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
STADIUM ZONE: 7:30 pm CenturyLink concert tonight – Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
7:55 AM: SFD response for a crash at 32nd/Cloverdale.
9:50 AM: Caller reports a collision blocking westbound lanes of Admiral at 61st in the Alki area.
(WSB photo, 2017 Blessing of the Animals outside St. John’s)
Blessing events for pets and their people are traditional this time of year, around the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, and we have received announcements for two in West Seattle in the days ahead:
THURSDAY: This one is new – Resting Waters (9205 35th SW) invites you to a “blessing of the pets” event tomorrow night, 6:30 pm, including in memory of those you’ve lost. Calendar listing with details is here.
SUNDAY: The traditional “blessing of the animals” presented by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, in the parking lot next door at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW), 1 pm. Calendar listing with details is here.
(WSB photo from September: WSHS #2 Cyrus Storlie)
Congratulations to West Seattle High School quarterback Cyrus Storlie, announced today as a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Player of the Week after his performance in the Wildcats’ first win of the season last Friday. From the WIAA announcement: “Storlie controlled the Wildcats to a 51-8 win over Franklin, on 16 of 19 pass(es) for 319 yards and five touchdowns.” WIAA explains the honor as recognition of “varsity athletes who exhibited an outstanding performance for the previous week (based off nominations). All varsity level students in good academic standing at their schools are eligible … Students may win the award once during any given academic year.” This Friday at 7 pm, Storlie and his WSHS teammates are back at home at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), hosting Ingraham.
Thanks for the tips! First we heard a rumor – now a sign is up, and we have confirmation: The West Seattleites who run Shug’s Soda Fountain at Pike Place Market are opening a “mini” version here. We talked today with co-proprietor Colleen Wilkie, who says they’re “excited to be in the neighborhood” since it’s where they live – “we feel we could fit right in.” The space is at 3800 California SW, the north corner at Rally, in one of the live-works that have drawn an eclectic collection of businesses (including WSB sponsor Welcome Road Winery, as well as Olympia Coffee and several retailers) to the outer ring of townhouses on the ex-Charlestown Café site. Colleen says they’ve already become friends with some of the other entrepreneurs in the complex. But now the big question: What will they serve? Ice cream (Lopez Island Creamery is their supplier), with some sundaes (Shug’s makes its own toppings), maybe sodas, hopefully (license pending) champagne floats as they do downtown – they’re hoping to be an all-ages establishment, not just families for ice cream, but grownups out for a treat too – “date night,” ladies’ night out, etc. And coffee (no decision yet on whose coffee they’ll serve on this side of the bay), which means they can offer affogatos too.
Shug’s won’t open in West Seattle until spring/summer next year – Colleen has another project in the works, a baby due in March! – but when they do, they’re planning to be open until 9 nightly.
Thanks to Beth for sending the video! She says a rescue operation got the SV Pointless away from Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive a little while ago. We first mentioned the stuck sailboat on Tuesday; its owners publish Beach Drive Blog and wrote about the situation there.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports, and an FYI about newly available data:
STOLEN BICYCLE: Thomas reports this bicycle was stolen Tuesday around 4:30 pm from the 3100 block of Alki SW:
He reports a “white (man) in his 20s with blond hair and blue eyes” was seen cutting the lock and stealing the bicycle. It’s been reported to police.
STOLEN TRIKE: This also happened in the Alki area, 3000 block of 61st SW. Autumn‘s purple Schwinn Meridian adult tricycle was stolen from under a cover in her backyard sometime between Friday night and Saturday afternoon last weekend. A police report is also on file in this case.
CAR PROWL: Yma reports a car break-in in Gatewood, 4100 block of SW Portland, overnight, adding: “Not much of value taken – as we didn’t have much in there. If anyone finds some Rx Sunglasses – those would be nice to have back; they won’t be of any value to the scum that took them.”
NEW SPD DATA: We’ve talked about it in comment discussions over the years – many 911 calls for Seattle Police have nothing to do with crime. Now you can see what all those calls are about, and what areas of the city generate what number of calls, via a new SPD “data dashboard.?+: Here’s the SPD Blotter post announcing it.
Last time we mentioned the now-set-for-2021 Delridge Route 120/RapidRide H Line transition, an upcoming open house was noted. Today, details were announced – one week from tonight, Wednesday, October 10th, 5:30-7:30 pm. The event announcement from SDOT – which is partnering with Metro on the project going back to when it was under the “Delridge Multimodal Corridor” umbrella, since the transition will also “redesign” much of Delridge – includes:
In the Delridge corridor, we are proposing:
Bus lanes
Landscaped medians
Crosswalk improvements
Protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenway connections
Signal upgrades
Paving
Water and sewer pipe upgrades
Spot parking and bike lane removal
Public artLearn more and give specific feedback about this early design work at our upcoming open house with King County Metro.
Attend our open house: Wednesday, October 10 – 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Mount View Elementary School
Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Room
10811 12th Ave SW, Seattle
*Child care providedFor more information about the open house, please click here to see our postcard.
Stay tuned for an online open house with survey questions if you can’t make the event. Check out our website and keep an eye out for additional email updates from us to learn about additional opportunities to review the preferred option and provide feedback.
If you’re not on the e-mail list already, send a note to DelridgeTransit@seattle.gov. We first reported back in July that the H Line launch date had been pushed back to 2021.
We mentioned last month that demolition was ahead for the Charmann Apartments at 5917 California SW, long boarded up after a history of complaints. Thomas, who lives nearby, sent the photo and word that the teardown is under way today. As reported here in February, a redevelopment proposal is in the works for the site – eight townhouses.
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