West Seattle, Washington
19 Friday
(Surf Scoter, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Seven from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for the rest of your Wednesday:
FOOD & DRINK FUNDRAISER: Restaurants and coffee shops around Seattle are donating 10 percent of their proceeds to the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project today in the Chefs+Together Seattle benefit. Check the list for updated local participation.
LUNCH AND LEARN: This month’s Equity in Education Coalition event is at noon at the Bethaday Community Learning Space in White Center – exploring “The Intersection of Racism and Mental Health.” Details in our calendar listing. (605 SW 108th)
DENNY PTSA: 6:30 pm meeting in the Denny International Middle School library. (2601 SW Kenyon)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 7 pm, our area’s largest political organization meets for the first time since the election. Agenda info is in the newest newsletter (PDF). Meeting’s at The Hall at Fauntleroy. (9131 California SW)
‘THE DETENTION LOTTERY’: Second and final chance for this immersive theater experience written by a local immigration lawyer, as explained here. 7 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe. (35th/Myrtle)
POEMS AND STORIES: Monthly PoetryBridge event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm, with featured readers Benjamin Schmitt and Jason Kirk – details here. (5612 California SW)
‘FOOLS’ AT WSHS: Three more chances to see the West Seattle High School Drama Club (which provided the photo above) production of Neil Simon‘s “Fools,” starting at 7:30 pm tonight. Ticket info is in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
AS ALWAYS, THERE’S MORE … see our complete calendar, and preview the pre-Thanksgiving holiday events via our Holiday Guide!
8:40 AM: Again this morning, you have a chance to watch for orcas off West Seattle shores. Kersti Muul tells us they’re headed northbound and about to emerge from Colvos Passage on the west side of Vashon Island, so watching from west-facing West Seattle might yield a sighting. Rain will hamper visibility to some degree – but on the other side, those dorsal fins are extra-visible against silver water. Let us know if you see them!
10:44 AM: Just talked with Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail, at Constellation Park looking for the whales. Not in view yet, she says, but visibility is improving.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:03 AM: Two incidents as we begin:
–SOOT reports a crash at Delridge/Andover
–Kersti reports a crash on southbound California just south of Fauntleroy, with the sidewalk newspaper boxes hit and strewn across the sidewalk
No SFD dispatch for either one thus far, so apparently no injuries of note.
7:27 AM – ADVANCE ALERTS: Reminder of the SB Highway 99 closure this weekend – late Friday night through early Monday. And tomorrow (Thursday), the Seahawks play Green Bay at 5:30 pm at CLink.
8:30 AM: The NB 1st Avenue South Bridge has a new crash blocking two lanes.
8:47 AM: One of those involved, in comments, reports and requests:
5 car accident on the (NB) 1st Ave Bridge. My car was hit. I’ve made sure we moved to the left lane. If it’s possible for everyone to not yell, honk, and tell me I’m a horrible person for blocking their commute, that would be awesome. I didn’t want my car hit this morning and to be inconvenienced either.
8:49 AM: And if you are bridge-bound on Admiral Way, just heard police dispatched to an incident there.
9 AM: 1st Avenue South Bridge scene is clear.
9:38 AM: Two reports from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge – one from a reader who reports a crash near the curve before Nucor, another via scanner reporting a crash by the 99 exit.
Toplines from tonight’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting:
POLICE: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand presented updates. Person-to-person crimes such as assaults and robberies are dow in the Fauntleroy area, while auto theft is up. Squatters were cleared from a vacant house. Some reports have come in about camping in Lincoln Park but police haven’t found anyone yet. One board member mentioned an uptick in car camping near the park and Lt. Strand said they’d investigate, as it was a problem toward the north end of the park a few months back. Though it’s not in the Fauntleroy area, he mentioned that Myers Way, where campers were cleared earlier this fall, will be revisited as there are reports that campfires are being seen in the area.
And a reminder: The Public Safety Survey conducted by Seattle University to assess attitudes on crime, safety, and policing, is still open – go here to answer it before November 30th.
(WSB photo, Fauntleroy ferry dock, last month)
FERRIES: With Gary Dawson‘s retirement from the board, Frank Immel is now the point person on Washington State Ferries issues. WSF is working toward its next Long-Range Plan, with a comment period on the draft version earlier this fall. Immel suggested FCA should work on its talking points regarding the ferry system’s future. He’ll summarize the major issues and suggested positions the board can discuss at its next meeting.
(WSB photo, Fauntleroy Fall Festival, last month)
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: Though FCA doesn’t organize this, it provides major support, and the board heard tonight that the October 21st festival (WSB coverage here) was a big hit. Attendance was estimated at 2,000 people. The supplies of 800 pumpkins for decorating and 200 kits for birdhouse-making were both fully utilized. New features – “Elvis” (Bret Wiggins) and a pie-eating contest – were hits too. And $800 was donated to help with future festivals.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room (9131 California SW).
Thanks to James Ross for sending the report and photo!
Congratulations to the West Seattle Raging Bulls boys soccer team for winning the South Sound United League (SSUL) U12 group to advance to the quarter-finals of the Washington State Youth Soccer Recreational Cup! The Raging Bulls outmatched five of the best clubs from South King and Pierce counties and now will represent the South Puget Sound district (District 3) for the State title.
The Raging Bulls held on in a thrilling match against another team competing in the West Seattle Soccer Club, the West Seattle Spurs. I believe the WS Spurs also advance to the State tournament, which is a true testament to the outstanding local talent and coaches we are lucky to have in WSSC!!
The WYSA Recreational Cup State Tournament championship weekend will be held December 1-2 at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. We are very proud of our team and look forward to bringing the State title back to West Seattle!
P.S. – This is the second team Coach Eric has brought to the Recreational Cup. His WS Red Bulls team (featuring two older brothers of players on his current team) won the State Championship in 2015!
The WS Raging Bulls consist of:
Brady Murphy
Caden Ross
Cody Buehring
Grant Williams
Jack Madden
Landon Pugh
Lane Anderson
Luca Gomez
Luke Brown
Nick Beardemphl
Nolan Polaski
Owen Christianson
Ryan Typpi
Will FurmanHead Coach Eric Beardemphl
Assistant Coach Matt Pugh
Assistant Coach Justin BuehringGood Luck to them in the next round!!
5th grader in the house? You want to be here. Until 8 pm, the first-ever Greater West Seattle Middle Schools Information Night (co-sponsored by WSB) is on. It’s happening in the gym at Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s Walmesley Center (northeast corner of 35th and Myrtle), open-house style but also featuring a presentation at 6:30 pm with information you can use about getting ready for middle school, no matter where your future 6th grader is going.
(If you ARE still school-shopping, 10 area middle schools have reps here who will be happy to talk to you!) Everybody in the family’s welcome.
4:53 PM: 24 hours after the mayor and police chief came to West Seattle to in essence campaign for council approval of the Seattle Police contract, the vote has just happened at City Hall downtown. The contract required seven council “yes” votes to pass and got eight, with Councilmember Kshama Sawant the lone “no” vote. West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold voted yes despite a number of concerns, explaining that – among other reasons – she has told constituents that she supports police staffing to address public-safety concerns, and didn’t see how that would reconcile with a “no” vote given the expectation that contract rejection would make SPD hiring even more difficult than it’s been lately. M
ADDED 9:31 PM: The Seattle Channel video from this afternoon’s meeting is available now, and we’ve embedded it at the top of this story. Also, we talked briefly with Councilmember Herbold after an unrelated community meeting we covered tonight. Asked to comment on her voting decision, she reiterated what she had said during the meeting – both that she felt she had to be consistent with her three years of telling constituents she supported increased police staffing, and also that she knew she let some people down, too. She said that when alternatives she was exploring turned out to be unworkable, she felt she had to vote “yes.”
(Terminal 5 photo from portseattle.org)
Though a tenant has yet to be announced, the modernization plan for Terminal 5 in West Seattle is moving forward. The Northwest Seaport Alliance – the partnership of the Seattle and Tacoma ports – approved a 2019 budget today, and T-5 plans factor heavily into the announcement, which mentions “final negotiations with a potential tenant”:
At today’s special dual meeting, the Managing Members of The Northwest Seaport Alliance adopted a budget for 2019 as well as a five-year capital investment plan. The budget and investment plan allow for terminal modernization to accommodate larger vessels and retain a competitive position in the global marketplace. The budget also includes environmental and business development investments.
“With the adoption of this budget, we are sending a clear message to the industry and our communities that The Northwest Seaport Alliance is working,” said Courtney Gregoire, Port of Seattle commission president and co-chair of the NWSA. “It allows us to make transformative investments in our harbors so we are competitive in the global marketplace, attracting jobs and retaining the economic vitality of the Pacific Northwest.”
“Now in its third year, The Northwest Seaport Alliance remains strong,” said Clare Petrich, Port of Tacoma commission vice president and co-chair of the NWSA. “Our partnership with the Port of Seattle is good not only for our local communities but for manufacturers and farmers across the nation. This budget ensures the alliance will continue to benefit our region well into the future.”
Planned capital improvements take the NWSA one step closer to transforming Seattle’s Terminal 5 into a premier international container facility on the West Coast. The Managing Members passed a motion authorizing CEO John Wolfe to prepare a lease, bidding documents and a request for construction funds for the necessary upgrades. Final negotiations with a potential tenant are currently underway.
Improvements to T-5 will include dock and power upgrades and berth deepening to handle the world’s largest cargo ships. Currently, T-5 can handle vessels with a capacity of up to 6,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), but shipping lines are now investing in vessels with 18,000 TEU capacity or greater.
Once complete, T-5 will have a capacity of a 3 million TEUs annually.Modernizations at T-5 bring environmental benefits as well, allowing creosote-treated wooden piles to be replaced with a panelized fender system and increasing the electrical capacity of the terminal for quieter, cleaner operations.
A negotiated lease and a request to initiate construction are expected to come to the Managing Members for approval in the first quarter of 2019.
Port reps had previously said that news of a T-5 tenant was likely before this year was out (most recently, when Seattle Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins spoke to the WS Chamber of Commerce two months ago). More than four years have passed since the last cargo-line tenant left T-5. Meantime, you can see the draft 2019 budget by going here. (We’re still reading through it for the financing specifics.)
UPDATED WEDNESDAY, 10:03 AM: NWSA says its estimate of T-5 volume was an error and so we have added a strikethrough above – they’ve removed it from their release, which you can see in its entirety here.
Just in from SDOT:
For 2 hours tonight, starting at 7 PM, the Spokane St Bridge (West Seattle Lower Bridge) and the bike trail will be closed, so crews can replace a power control cable. A shuttle van will be available both directions, to take interested travelers over the high bridge.
What you can expect:
During this project, barrels and barricades as well as message boards, will direct traffic. After cable replacement and successful bridge testing, the bridge will reopen to traffic.November 13: 7 – 9 PM
Impacts –
· Spokane St Bridge (aka Lower W Seattle Bridge) closed.
· W Seattle Bridge Trail closed.Assistance – A shuttle van will travel back and forth over W Seattle High Bridge, in 15-minute intervals, with the following stops:
· East Side – 11th Ave SW & SW Spokane St.
· West side – SW Spokane St and Port of Seattle Terminal 5 Entrance.Shuttle service is scheduled to run during the duration of the outage. Should this maintenance work experience unexpected challenges, the shuttle will run all night, as needed.
(Spotted sandpiper, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Lots going on in the hours ahead! Among the highlights:
DROP-IN CHESS: For kids/teens, 4:30-5:30 pm at High Point Library. All skill levels welcome! (3411 SW Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE MIDDLE SCHOOLS INFORMATION NIGHT: 6-8 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe – information on middle schools all over the area, plus a presentation at 6:30 pm that will be of interest to future middle schoolers’ families even if you aren’t school shopping. Admission free. (35th/Myrtle)
HOPE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30 pm, preschool through 8th grade Hope Lutheran School in The Junction invites you to tour the campus and meet the staff. (42nd/Oregon)
FAIRMOUNT PARK ELEMENTARY PTA: General membership meeting, 6:30 pm at the school. (3800 SW Findlay)
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: All are welcome to hear a presentation on our state’s new high-school graduation requirements, during tonight’s Chief Sealth International High School PTSA meeting. (2600 SW Thistle)
SOUTH DELRIDGE COMMUNITY GROUP: Last meeting of the year, 7 pm at 2 Fingers Social. Come talk about the neighborhood’s present and the group’s future! (9211 Delridge Way SW)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm FCA board meeting at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, public welcome. Agenda includes ferry, crime, development updates, and other topics. (9131 California SW)
FLY-TYING: 7 pm at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) – check fast to see if there’s still room; our calendar listing explains how. (42nd/Oregon)
MORE FOR TONIGHT AND BEYOND! Just check our complete calendar and Holiday Guide.
(Added: Photo Kersti shared in comments)
9:52 AM: Thanks to Kersti Muul for the news that orcas are headed this way again: Southbound, approaching the mouth of Elliott Bay.
10:41 AM: Kersti reports they’re visible from Constellation Park south of Alki Point.
4:05 PM: Kersti says in comments that they’re off south Vashon now.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning! A crash blocking the center lane on the NB 1st Avenue South Bridge is the only incident reported in our area right now.
7:13 AM: And the 1st Avenue Bridge scene is cleared, per WSDOT.
(WSB photo)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:21 PM MONDAY: Multiple texters have reported hearing gunfire in the Delridge/Kenyon area, and though no injuries are reported, scanner traffic indicates police have found some evidence – “property damage.” We’re heading that way to try to find out more.
9:39 PM: Police are on SW Kenyon west of 24th.
9:50 PM: Officers told us at the scene that they have found three casings so far (photo added). No elaboration on the “property damage”; no injuries reported.
ADDED TUESDAY, 1:44 PM: In addition to the information and photos provided in comments below, we’ve learned that two people were injured – they showed up at a hospital later, according to the police report, which we requested and obtained. The officer wrote that he and another were dispatched:
Multiple 911 calls were received from the said location. On our way
to the scene, dispatch updated the call and said that a white 2-door sedan was seen leaving the scene.Prior to Officers arrival, everyone had fled the scene.
At the scene, (officers) found two shell casings on the road, a bullet fragment in the planting strip, a cellphone, keys and a chapstick on the side walk. The items were located just to the north of (7900 block) Delridge WY SW.
Bullet holes were located on the back portion of two apartment units … The bullets did not enter the living space of either units. …
Seattle PD Gang Unit Detectives responded to the scene. Gang Unit Detectives processed the scene and collected evidence.
Officers were informed by a witness on scene that the victims were possibly driven away from the scene by a white Dodge Challenqer. … No witnesses were located that actually witnessed the shooting.
While (officers were) still on scene, Dispatch updated over the air that two shootinq victims showed up at Highline Medical Center. Dispatch also updated that the white Dodge Challenger was seen parked outside the Hospital. Gang Detectives responded to the hospital and processed that scene.
Victim 1 … was shot in the left ankle. Victim 2 … was shot in the left calf. The white Dodge Challenger … was impounded to the processing room.
(Mayor Durkan, Councilmember González, Junction Association executive director Lora Radford)
Story and photos by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s second West Seattle Junction walking tour/community Q&A of the year was very different from the first one.
For one, she shared the spotlight this time, with Police Chief Carmen Best and City Councilmember Lorena González (a Junction resident). For two, this one – unlike the one back in February – had a theme: Public safety, with the Seattle Police union contract agreement up for a council vote tomorrow afternoon.
However, the community questions and concerns that were voiced – both at walking-tour business stops and during the general-public “coffee chat” that followed – ranged beyond that topic.
With citywide media also in attendance, the tour started off with the mayor taking reporters’ questions, about the contract vote and other matters (one reporter asked about the NHL arena). Durkan said she’s “optimistic” about tomorrow’s vote – seven councilmembers must approve the contract for it to be ratified, all or nothing, no changes – and that she “respects” those asking questions/voicing concerns about it. Here’s what she said in that Q&A with media:
A major concern voiced by the contract’s supporters is that more officers will leave if it’s rejected; they haven’t had a raise since 2014. Some have suggested coming up with a way to pay the raise (which is retroactive) while taking the controversial accountability issues back to the table; the mayor dismissed that idea in her visit-opening Q&A.
Councilmember González, who heads the council committee that oversees public safety, said she’s spent a lot of time answering her colleagues’ questions and concerns.
Then the tour began, stopping first at A La Mode Pies, hit by burglars a few weeks ago.
Even if you have no connection to Chief Sealth International High School, you’re invited to tomorrow’s CSIHS PTSA meeting, with a topic of wide interest. From PTSA vice president Nicole Sipila:
We’d like to invite the West Seattle community to our Nov. 13th PTSA General Meeting for a presentation on the state requirement for 24 credits for graduation. Presentation by Heidi Bennett, Wa. State Region 6 Legislative Representative:
NEW 24-CREDIT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS & DECIPHERING HIGH SCHOOL – A guide for middle and high school parents
With the change to WA State 24-credit graduation requirements approaching, (this is) a presentation geared toward middle and high school parents to explain:
v New WA State 24-credit graduation requirements
v State and Federal testing High School requirements
v Deciphering acronyms – PPR, HSBP, AP, IB, CHIS, CTE, STEM, etc. – do you know what these are?
v Why and how to earn post-secondary credit (college or work credentials) in high school
For Shoreline and Seattle, the 24-credit graduation requirement starts with the class of 2021 (rising 10th graders) and beyond, as both districts have a 2-year waiver. Neither district has finalized plans for offering more credits beyond their current 6-period day/24 credit earning opportunities!
Come and learn more about this new requirement.
The PTSA meets at Chief Sealth at 7 pm Tuesday, at 2600 SW Thistle.
That’s one of at least two cars broken into in the past hour or so, according to a texter, who says a purse was stolen from the other car but didn’t have a wallet inside. No police report # yet but the victim wanted to get the word out.
Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Brio at Greenbridge, which opens tomorrow at 9888 7th SW. Here’s the announcement:
11 am-6 pm Tuesday, November 13th, we’re opening a delightful new neighborhood, 22 modern townhomes close to West Seattle, Burien, and White Center!
Greenbridge is a planned community at the center of the recent Southwest Seattle revival. We just made it more exciting with the debut of BDR Urban’s newest collection of modern, thoughtfully designed townhomes. These stunning homes are modern in style, packed with features and designed for both family life and entertaining. Imagine an in-city, brand new home, in an area with a quick commute to both Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. And at a price you’ll find quite attainable!
The Greenbridge planned community offers a variety of neighborhood and pocket parks, walking trails, playgrounds, and its own community center with shops, a recreation center, and brand-new library.
SURPRISING SIDE OF SEATTLE
More and more families are discovering the fun and style of Southwest Seattle’s many vintage neighborhoods, spacious parks, and walkable beaches. They are also discovering a unique blend of culture and style.
Rich in history, Southwest Seattle is a group of neighborhoods welcoming new families, trend-setters, and cultural creatives who are all uncovering its many charms and are happy to call it home.
We invite you to come visit and discover for yourself The Surprising Side of Seattle. Visit BDR Urban on the web at bdrhomesllc.com.
We thank BDR Urban 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.
As first noted here back on Friday, southbound Highway 99 will close this coming weekend for more work in advance of the viaduct-to-tunnel transition. WSDOT just sent this reminder:
The State Route 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct through Seattle is scheduled to close this weekend at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 and reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 19. Northbound SR 99 will remain open.
Southbound SR 99 will close between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and South Spokane Street to allow crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to finish paving work near South Atlantic Street. The work must occur before crews can open the new SR 99 tunnel in early 2019.
The paving work requires good weather and will be rescheduled if heavy rain is expected.
This gives us the opportunity to note that the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct is now less than two months away – January 11th, as announced two months ago. WSDOT says it’ll then need about three weeks to “realign 99” before the tunnel can open; the exact opening date isn’t set yet, but WSDOT did announce recently that a pre-opening weekend of viaduct goodbyes and tunnel hellos is set for February 2-3. (By the way, we did verify with the King County Water Taxi that it will NOT be offering weekend service for that event – it’s doubling up during the shutdown, but as with the standard winter service, weekday commuter periods only.)
P.S. If you still have questions about getting around post-viaduct, be at next Monday’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting (6:30 pm November 19th, Senior Center/Sisson Building, 4217 SW Oregon) – city/county/state reps are on the agenda to talk about it.
The official Veterans Day observance doesn’t mean everything’s closed. Libraries, for example, are open. They’re part of our list of highlights for the rest of today/tonight:
TALK PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE MAYOR: As previewed here last night, Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best are touring The Junction this afternoon, with a public coffee chat at Cupcake Royale at 4:15 pm. Got a public-safety question for them? Bring it. (California/Alaska)
PHYSICAL THERAPY NIGHT: Free evaluation at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 5:30-7 pm. (2743 California SW)
WHEN IS HOME NO LONGER A SAFE OPTION? Free talk/discussion at Aegis Living of West Seattle (WSB sponsor), 6 pm. Appetizers and refreshments. (4700 SW Admiral Way)
EVENING BOOK GROUP IN WESTWOOD: Southwest Library‘s evening book group meets at 6:45 pm. This month’s book is “Citizen Vince” by Jess Walter. (9010 35th SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUP IN ADMIRAL: West Seattle (Admiral) Library‘s evening book group also meets at 6:45 pm. This month’s book is “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher” by Timothy Egan. (2306 42nd SW)
AND THERE’S MORE! See our complete calendar here.
(WSB photo from 2017 Hall at Fauntleroy Thanksgiving dinner)
Just a week and a half until Thanksgiving Day, and this will be the 20th year that everyone is invited to a free community Thanksgiving dinner at The Hall at Fauntleroy. If you haven’t already seen it in our calendar and Holiday Guide, here’s when/where, and how to help even if you’re dining elsewhere:
Join us for a free Community Thanksgiving meal at the Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22nd, from 12 noon to 3:00 pm. All are welcome for a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. This is the 20th year that Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes owners Meg and David Haggerty and David Meckstroth have hosted this dinner. They are joined by a wonderful group of volunteers who help greet our welcome guests and serve dinner.
We will gladly accept donations for desserts. Desserts can be dropped off at our Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes office in Sodo – 4101 Airport Way South – from Monday, November 19th, to Wednesday, November 21st, from 9 am to 3 pm, or you can bring it to the Hall at Fauntleroy on Thanksgiving Day from 10 am to 1 pm.
This year we are also collecting new socks and blankets and gently used warm clothing for our clothing bank.
Most volunteer spots are filled but if you’d like to help – check here. You can also sign up there to let them know you’ll donate a dessert, though you can also donate (per the times/places above) without signing up. The Hall at Fauntleroy is on the south end of the historic schoolhouse at 9131 California SW.
(SDOT MAP with travel times. Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE. West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:30 AM: Good morning! Schools are out today. Transit/transportation notes for the Veterans Day observance:
Metro – Reduced weekday service
Sound Transit – Regular weekday service
Water Taxi – No service
Street parking – In Seattle neighborhoods with pay station/metered parking, no charge today
Traffic/transit problem others should know about too? Call/text 206-293-6302 when you can do so safely/legally – thank you!
On the eve of a big public-safety-related City Council vote, Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best are coming to the West Seattle Junction Monday afternoon. Part of their visit is billed as a “neighborhood walking tour,” followed by a 4:15 pm gathering at Cupcake Royale where they “will meet with residents and business owners for coffee to discuss public safety and issues facing residents and businesses in the community,” according to the announcement we received tonight from the mayor’s office. (The Junction, you might recall hearing, is the city’s first neighborhood business district to start its own Block Watch.) This is happening on the eve of the City Council’s scheduled consideration Tuesday afternoon of the contract agreement with the police union, which won’t take effect unless seven of the nine councilmembers approve it and which has drawn some controversy.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
On the long to-do lists that usurp most days for most people, it’s easy to let the maybes slide beneath the certainties.
Thanksgiving? Definitely a week and a half away.
Catastrophic earthquake? Could happen tomorrow … or not in your lifetime, or your children’s lifetimes, or their children’s lifetimes.
Still, about 200 people filled the auditorium at Hiawatha Community Center a week ago to start their weekend getting practical advice for getting ready for the latter.
It was a power-packed few hours, going beyond the standard advice you might have tuned out despite best intentions.
The longtime local volunteers of West Seattle Be Prepared and the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs were elated by the turnout. It was the second of two nearly identical weekend sessions they had organized, the first one a month earlier at High Point Community Center. They’re hoping to do it again in 2019. Before our toplines: Highlights from videographer Mark Jaroslaw:
The event provided more than preparedness advice – it gave a bigger view, too, as well as a behind-the-scenes window into how public servants are, and are not, getting ready:
| Comments Off on 7 for your West Seattle Wednesday!