West Seattle, Washington
04 Wednesday
4:28 PM: Thanks to Dane Salle for the photos. SW Barton is blocked at 41st SW in Fauntleroy after a driver hit a pole that then fell onto the roadway. The driver was described via radio communication as “alert and conscious” when SFD got there.
5:58 PM: Just went by. Traffic is getting through now; the pole is coned off on the downhill side of the road.
10:58 AM: Thanks for the tip. Washington State Ferries has just confirmed there’s a problem at the Fauntleroy dock – the transfer span is currently “out of service,” with an electrician on the way. That means a scheduled departure is on hold, and the Cathlamet, which was on its way to land, is waiting offshore. Updates as we get them.
11:09 AM: Vessel Watch shows both ferries now headed to Vashon, and the WSF cam (screengrab above) shows vehicles waiting on the Fauntleroy dock are being turned around.
12:01 PM: The Fauntleroy dock is still out of service.
1:36 PM: WSF just announced that repairs are complete and service is resuming with the 1:40 pm Vashon departure to Fauntleroy.
This time of year, Salmon in the Schools volunteers would be hosting hundreds of students at Fauntleroy Creek as they release salmon fry they’d been raising at school. This year, though, school closures brought an abrupt end to that project. As reported here in mid-March, teachers and volunteers scrambled to save the salmon fry. And part of that effort led to what happened at the creek on Friday. Louisa Boren STEM K-8 teacher Christina Massimino sent the video, photos, and report:
Salmon releases looked a little different this year.
Two local schools released their salmon fry today in Fauntleroy Creek. Students from Louisa Boren STEM sent in “well wishes” for the fry and they were read out loud as the fry were released. This was live streamed on Zoom so families could join in the experience. Arbor Heights had several people in attendance for their release as well and is putting together a movie for families. STEM released at 10 and Arbor Heights at 12:00.
Local volunteers Dennis and Pete were there to help.
Some schools released their salmon early due to schools being closed. Arbor Heights and STEM had teachers who brought the salmon home and have been taking care of them until they could be safely released on schedule.
As the one-year anniversary of its mysterious appearance nears, The West Seattle Turkey is back in the neighborhood where those early sightings happened.
WSB commenter “1994” texted that photo from north Arbor Heights tonight. Earlier, Emily K. photographed it in Upper Fauntleroy, near 36th/Cambridge:
Steve also reported a sighting there, while a texter saw TWST at 36th/Cloverdale: “I have always wanted to see her on a walk and then she appears right outside our yard! So cool!” The day began with Amy‘s sighting in Seaview:
TWST has covered a lot of ground in the past few weeks – south to Fauntleroy, then north to North Admiral, and now all the way south to Arbor Heights. BirdWeb says of the wild turkey, “They typically get around by walking although they can fly and often roost overnight in tall trees.”
(WSB photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal, last month)
From Washington State Ferries:
The last sailing from Fauntleroy to Vashon and Southworth will be cancelled tonight due to needed terminal maintenance. Cancelling the 1 a.m. sailing out of Fauntleroy will allow crews to complete necessary repairs to the terminal’s transfer span.
Listed below are the final sailings for the day for each destination:
Fauntleroy
The 11:45 p.m. sailing to Vashon/Southworth will be final departure for the day.
Vashon
The 10:50 p.m. to Fauntleroy will be the last sailing to West Seattle.
The 1:25 a.m. sailing will be the last trip from Vashon to Southworth.Southworth
The 11:10 p.m. sailing to Fauntleroy will be the last sailing to West Seattle.
The 12:30 a.m. departure from Southworth to Vashon/Fauntleroy will only go to Vashon.
The Triangle Route is already operating on a reduced schedule,
While neither of these is directly related to Camp Second Chance, both bits of information emerged during this afternoon’s meeting (by videoconferencing/phone) of the CSC Community Advisory Committee (full report later): 2 elements of COVID-19 response that are dropped or on hold because the West Seattle Bridge closure has suddenly rendered our area a lot less accessible.
One is the plan for the Southwest Teen Life Center to be used as an additional shelter space for up to 50 people, so that existing shelters in the city could be made less dense. Shawn Neal of the city Human Services Department said that site is on the back burner now because transportation logistics between here and, for example, downtown services are a lot more complex without the bridge. Also, Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski of Fauntleroy UCC (now the camp’s sponsor) said a plan for the co-housed Fauntleroy YMCA to be used as a child-care space for medical personnel/first responders hit the same snag – suddenly it’s a lot harder to get to/from WS – so the church is now exploring “other (interim) uses” for its building.
(WSB photo)
Washington State Ferries will reduce service on some routes – including Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth – starting Sunday, and continuing for at least a month. WSF says the “Triangle Route” will reduce sailings by about a third, moving to a two-boat schedule. WSF says the temporary schedule will also suspend these early-morning sailings:.
· 1:25 a.m. Vashon to Fauntleroy
· 1:45 a.m. Southworth to Fauntleroy
· 2:20 a.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon
· 2:45 a.m. Vashon to Southworth
WSF explains:
These service reductions and the earlier announced extension of the winter sailing schedule prepares WSF for the ongoing effects of COVID-19 disrupting service, including:
· A continued decrease in ridership due to public health recommendations
· Availability of sufficient crew personnel to meet federal requirements
In the announcement, WSF head Amy Scarton is quoted as waning, “Further suspensions and adjustments are possible depending on ridership trends.” Systemwide ridership is down 60 percent compared to a month ago – 80+ percent fewer walk-ons, almost 50 percent fewer vehicles.
(Phil Sweetland checks that coho fry from West Seattle and Gatewood elementaries, now in his carport because of school closures, are eating. Photo by Judy Pickens)
Special to West Seattle Blog
From the Fauntleroy Watershed Council
Last week, when schools began closing for COVID-19, teachers and volunteers had to scramble to save lives – the lives of nearly 2,000 coho salmon being reared by students in 13 West Seattle schools.
Knowing that their fish were too small to survive in the wild, all sought to keep school tanks going until May releases in Fauntleroy Creek. Most teachers turned to school custodians to feed the fish and provide access for someone trained to maintain healthy water chemistry.
For Arbor Heights and Gatewood elementaries, the solution was to move their fish immediately off site, one to the home of a tank volunteer and the other to Phil Sweetland‘s carport. He and his wife, Judy Pickens, help guide the Salmon in the Schools program for 73 schools throughout the city and provide particular support to participating schools in West Seattle.
When the governor extended school closures by several weeks, Roxhill Elementary and Louisa Boren STEM K-8 also relocated their fish and Phil added West Seattle Elementary‘s fish to his carport.
Teacher Andy Darring soon concluded, however, that he had to release Pathfinder K-8‘s fry five weeks earlier than planned. “It was a difficult decision to let the fish go but it was the only real choice, given the situation,” he said.
“Release dates for all other West Seattle schools remain on the calendar so students can still have that experience,” Judy said. “If classes don’t resume by late April, fry will be big enough for likely survival in the wild.”
Teachers who find they need to relocate their fish should contact Phil at 206-938-4203.
Creek no place for dogs, children
Pathfinder’s small fry will have a tough enough time surviving without having dogs in their water. Last year, experts pointed to off-leash dogs in the creek as a reason that only a handful of the coho released in Fauntleroy Park did not survive to migrate to central Puget Sound.
“Juveniles can stay for weeks near the big bridge, where students released them,” said Dennis Hinton, long-time release volunteer. “One dog thrashing in the water there can kill dozens of fry in just a few minutes.”
For habitat protection, Seattle Parks and Recreation requires dogs to be on leash at all times in the park. Also, with kids home from school, parents may be tempted to let their children pad in the water on a warm spring afternoon.
“The creek is always teeming with life, whether you see it or not,” Dennis emphasized. “It’s no place for a dog or a child.”
We’re starting to get word today of some independent school/preschool closures – out of caution, NOT because of illnesses. Fauntleroy UCC confirms that its Little Pilgrim School has canceled classes for the rest of the month. From the letter sent to families:
It is with the abundance of care that the leadership of Fauntleroy Church has decided to cancel Little Pilgrim School classes starting this Monday, March 9 through March 31, 2020.
As you’ve realized by now, the issues around the COVID-19 virus have been a dynamic concern for everyone in Washington, and particularly in the King County area. New information about best strategies for prevention and health have come out every day. Each day we’ve asked, “What is the best way to care for those at Fauntleroy Church, Little Pilgrim School, the Y, and our neighbors?”
Our primary concern has been for those who are considered most vulnerable–and at Fauntleroy Church, that especially includes your children. We do not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 on our campus, but we are taking the CDC’s recommendation at its most serious level to limit group interaction.
Also, as has already been communicated, a challenging part of small programs is that they are easily rattled by even small events. It is apparent that at this moment we presently don’t have sufficient staffing to provide the quality program we want for your children. Our remarkable LPS staff’s hearts and attention are being stretched to the limit trying to care for those they love at home and at school. We have had to stretch to find substitutes in the past week and anticipate this as an ongoing challenge.
We know that closing our preschool until the end of March will create consequences for your family. However, part of our job as an organization is to continue to do what we do best, and this is putting our community and the people (especially your child) in our community first, especially in times of crisis.
We know that some preschools and area schools have not yet closed. But we suspect that we are one of many that will begin to make the same decisions in the best interest of limiting the spread of COVID-19 and helping to protect the children and families they serve…
We know that Jenny Romischer and LPS teaching staff will be in contact with you soon with information about how you can talk to your child about this closure and how LPS will continue to support your family from March 9- March 31, 2020, even though there will be no physical classes.
Next steps? Well, we assume the Coronavirus will continue to be an on-going concern. We know we will have to reassess how to best care for and love one another day by day. But that is at the heart of all we do every day. Thank you for your patience as we made this difficult decision and for your love and care of Little Pilgrim School. Let us know if you have any questions. And as we get closer to March 31, we’ll be in touch about how we move forward together in ways that are both healthy and hope-filled.
Sincerely,
The Executive Committee of Fauntleroy Church
Senior Pastor Leah Atkinson-Bilinski and Associate Pastor Karyn Frazier
As previously reported, the church itself moved to online services as of this past Sunday.
Washington State Ferries says MV Kittitas will return to the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route this morning, since repairs are complete. That means the route is back to the regular 3-boat schedule as of the start of the service day, with the vessels tasked as: #1 Issaquah, #2 Kittitas, and #3 Cathlamet.
(WSB photos)
As spring approaches, it’s a great time to plant, and that’s why fifth-graders from Taproot School were out helping this morning with a new pocket garden at Kilbourne Ravine, by the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Above, Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteer Mike Arizona was helping guide them. They had nine species of native shrubs and ground-cover plants to work with:
The pocket garden is meant “to demonstrate the use of beneficial native plants in any landscape,” Judy Pickens, also from the watershed councll, tells WSB. It’ll hold an interpretive sign too.
Volunteers have worked for six years to restore the ravine, with the help of a $70,000 grant from the King Conservation District. The pocket garden’s funding comes from a $4,000 grant from the 2019 West Seattle Garden Tour; maintenance will be funded by donations to the Fauntleroy Watershed Stewardship Fund.
Annie reports this happened early Monday morning near 40th/Barton in Fauntleroy:
Had my car prowled at 6 am. Someone in sweats and a hoodie got into my car and took something out of the glove box. I got to the window in time to see a car racing away with its lights off, east up Barton, then turned left/north onto 39th Ave SW. I filed an online report with the police.
2:59 PM: Another waterborne transportation note: Thanks to the caller who pointed out that the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state ferry run is down a boat. MV Kittitas has what WSF describes as a “fire-main leak” and has been pulled off the route TFN. WSF says it “will continue to operate the regular 3-boat schedule using vessels #2 and #3. Engineers on board the vessel are working to fix the problem.” We’ll update when there’s word it’s back.
11:25 PM: Looks like it’ll be a while. From WSF late tonght:
Due to the need for more extensive repairs to the M/V Kittitas, we will implement a 2-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route starting Monday, March 3. The Cathlamet will operate as the #1 vessel, with the Issaquah as the #2. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to maintain our fleet.
(WSB photo)
Thanks to Mary for the tip about that drilling crew at work in a very visible Fauntleroy spot – across from the church/YMCA, just south of the historic schoolhouse, right at a RapidRide stop. Shortly after her inquiry, we belatedly received this notice from Seattle Public Utilities, explaining it’s part of preparations for the Fauntleroy Creek Culvert Replacement Project:
When we reported on the project’s early-stage planning last year, construction was expected to happen in phases between 2021 and 2024.
After two days with two boats, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route is back to all three. Washington State Ferries says M/V Issaquah is fixed and back in service, so the regular schedule has resumed.
2:49 PM: Washington State Ferries says the Triangle Route is down to two boats because: “Vessel #3 Issaquah is out of service for the remainder of the service day due to an issue with the propulsion system.” However, that does NOT in this case trigger the two-boat schedule. Instead, WSF says: “The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route will continue to operate on a 3-boat schedule with 2 vessels (#1 Cathlamet and #2 Kittitas).” So that means these schedules – Fauntleroy/Vashon, Fauntleroy/Southworth, Vashon/Southworth – minus the runs that are labeled “3.”
3:37 PM: An update from WSF: “The 3:55 p.m. sailing from Southworth will make an unscheduled stop at Vashon to pick up students due to the service disruption.”
7:20 PM: The Issaquah is expected to be out of service TFN so WSF says it’ll start the official two-boat schedule on the Triangle Route tomorrow (Tuesday).
The announcement is from the nonprofit Fauntleroy Children’s Center:
Fauntleroy Children’s Center has earned renewal of its accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC),—the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.
NAEYC Accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments.
“We are proud to have earned the privilege of continued accreditation as a sign of our commitment to the highest set of standards for children and families in our community. We have been able to display the ‘Torch of Excellence’ since 1987, when we were the first center in West Seattle to achieve national accreditation. Our recent scores range from 92%-100%, with 7 of the 10 program standards having achieved a score of 100%! Our skilled, professional, diverse staff work diligently to provide meaningful, play enriched, educational experiences to the children in our care. We have fun as we grow and learn together. We invite you to tour our school and see our beautiful, spacious classrooms and multiple outdoor environments.” said Kim Sheridan, Director.
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Fauntleroy Children’s Center went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by a 2-day on-site visit by one of the NAEYC Assessors to verify and ensure that the program met each of the 10 program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for 5 years.
In the 30+ years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 7,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC—less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.
FCC is in the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse.
After being on a 2-boat schedule since this morning due to “mechanical issues” with M/V Kittitas, Washington State Ferries says the Triangle Route is going back to a 3-boat schedule this afternoon.
When service resumes this morning on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry route, it’ll be on the 2-boat schedule – M/V Kittitas is having “mechanical issues” that need attention, WSF says. See the 2-boat schedule here.
(Photo by Monika Lidman)
One week before a milestone birthday, a special candle – the report is from Judy Pickens:
This season, elders have been lighting one candle on each of the four Sundays of Advent at Fauntleroy Church, United Church of Christ, and today’s candle lighter was the eldest of all. Aided by son Brian, about-to-be-centenarian Bettie Porter Dunbar lit the candle of compassion to open the worship service. She was born on December 29, 1919, in Puyallup and she and her late husband, Horace, joined the church 70 years ago this month, shortly after he finished building their home in Fauntleroy.
P.S. If you’re looking for Christmas Eve church services, our list is in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
Got a couple questions about a fire call at 38th/Barton, with smoke seen coming from Fauntleroy Park. After returning from court downtown, we went that way and caught up with Engine 37 as firefighters were packing up to leave after more than an hour on the call. What burned, they told us, was a tent, deep into the east area of the park (which is why the fire engine was not parked at the public entrance to the park). No other damage and no injuries, they told us.
Thanks for the tips about a police search in and around Fauntleroy Park. We went over to find out what it was about and talked with the person whose report led to the search. He said he was doing volunteer work in the wooded area just east of the Fauntleroy Church lot when he happened onto a man camping there. When he told the man he wasn’t supposed to be there, he told us, the man indicated both verbally and with a gesture that he was armed and wanted to left alone. The man who’d been threatened subsequently called 911. so far, police have not found the suspect. (And in case you are in the area and wondering, the SFD medic response in the church lot is completely unrelated.)
If you haven’t already seen this Washington State Ferries alert:
The smaller M/V Salish is scheduled to replace the larger M/V Sealth on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route beginning Tuesday, Nov. 12. The 64-vehicle capacity Salish is set to sail in the #2 position on weekdays while running in the #3 position on the weekend. The vessel will remain on the route for about a week.
Customers should give themselves extra travel time and be prepared for delays during peak commute hours, especially during weekday afternoons. In particular, passengers traveling from Southworth in the morning may want to consider using the 7:20 a.m. sailing as the 5:00 and 6:45 a.m. sailings aboard the M/V Salish will have fewer vehicle spaces than usual.
Crews will be working to return a larger vessel to the route as quickly as possible.
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