West Seattle, Washington
08 Tuesday
That’s how Capitol Hill Seattle headlines its story about one of the demonstrations today in which a small hate group from out of town has been outnumbered in a big way by counterprotesters; see it here. “The forces of hate and anti-hate” is the description at Central District News; you can see CDN’s report here. The out-of-towners had promised multiple stops and you can check back with those two sites (main URLs hotlinked to their respective names) for continuing coverage through the day.
If you have an iPhone (or Android), the county Health Department has come up with an app(lication) you can add to it to have handy in case of emergency – apparently it’s been out for a while so you may have it already, but if not, read on for the newly issued reminder:Read More
An alert today from Sea-Tac Airport: Starting tomorrow, the “cell-phone lot” — the lot where you can wait for someone to call you when they’re ready to be picked up — is closing for a month. During that time, it’ll move to a new location, slightly north of the current one, with double the room. What to do in the meantime? Parking-options info is linked from this Port of Seattle news release about the change.
MargL noticed signs yesterday for a closure at Ambaum/120th (map) starting 6/15 and suggested we check it out, since it’s of potential interest to everyone who uses Ambaum between West Seattle/White Center and Burien (whether it’s for Trader Joe’s or something else). We now have details from King County, published on partner site White Center Now. (And while KCDOT suggests a detour, of course you can use Highway 509 to get to Burien too.)
(photo by Kurt Ricketts, added 12:15 am)
… it’s a publicity stunt for the new Microsoft search engine Bing. The Space Needle‘s supposedly lit up orange right now, along with the Pacific Science Center arches – but what you can see from almost anywhere, looking north (we just saw it while out on a walk here in Upper Fauntleroy), is a beam of light straight up into the sky alongside the Needle. Check out this webcam to see for yourself. 1:24 AM NOTE: Adding a second photo taken from West Seattle, this one courtesy of David Rosen from SlickPix Photography:
After spending most of the day at the Delridge Day festival, we haven’t been off the peninsula today, so we didn’t cover it in person, but Team Soapbox – a PR firm – sent the above photo of the health-care-reform march from Pratt Park to downtown earlier today. We know some West Seattleites were planning to take part; we previewed it in our coverage of the documentary screening and discussion at Fauntleroy Church (WSB sponsor) earlier this week. (West Seattle participants whom we’ve seen mention it on Facebook – where you can friend us as WS Blog – included King County Council Chair Dow Constantine and Brian Allen of Sustainable West Seattle.) More on the march’s purpose, and participants, at its official website, may30thmarch.org.
Girl Scouts of Western Washington asked if we could help spread the word on this, even though it’s not West Seattle-specific, since the camps start running next month. Scholarships of any kind are always big news, so check this out:
Girl Scouts of Western Washington is offering a scholarship to girls in grades K-12 who are daughters of disabled military personnel. This applies to girls with one parent who is disabled in some way and was or is currently serving in the military. This scholarship covers any of our camps – one or two week programs, day or resident camps. Girls needn’t be a Girl Scout to apply. You can find more details on our website: girlscoutsww.org/news/DisabledMilitaryScholarship
If you know someone who might be interested, please forward – remember that you can use the “Share This” link below any WSB post or page to forward a link in many ways, including e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Just in case you work (or commute through) downtown and hadn’t heard about this already – or if you hadn’t heard and might want to attend – we’re the downtown bureau today as we’ve already covered two stories here with West Seattle ties and there’s one more to go (if you participate in this event, by the way, please consider sending photos – editor@wsb.blackfin.biz):
Up to 2,000 protesters are expected to demonstrate this afternoon (May 26) in response to the California Supreme Court ruling on the Proposition 8 issue. The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Westlake Park. Streets adjacent to Westlake Park—Fourth Avenue and Pine Street—may be affected.
Here’s a Google News link to the latest stories from around the country regarding today’s ruling (upholding California’s anti-marriage-equality ballot measure) and reaction to it.
At 7 o’clock this morning, the first attempt will be made to land the space shuttle Atlantis, piloted by West Seattle High School Class of ’72 alum Gregory Johnson, 11 days after its launch. The weather might be dicey; the shuttle has two “landing windows” this morning at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and if things don’t look good for either one, it won’t get to try again till tomorrow. Get the latest here. 11:38 AM UPDATE: Neither of today’s landing opportunities worked out, so NASA decided to try again tomorrow – 6:16 am our time is the first window.
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is back from covering this afternoon’s rally at Pier 66, outside the EPA’s public hearing on whether to designate climate change as a threat to human health. His first photo shows some of the youngest delegates from West Seattle’s CoolMom chapter to attend; the CoolMom kids spent some time up on stage, and other West Seattleites were there, including a delegation from Sustainable West Seattle. Here’s an overview of the rally:
Among the speakers, Mayor Nickels:
The hearing is scheduled to continue until at least 8 pm; here’s how to listen to live audio. ADDED 5:08 PM: From the mayor’s office, his “written testimony” submitted during the hearing:Read More
SIGN: Amy reports a sign sighting on the Fauntleroy “overpass,” which would be the first one in a long time, since extra DON’T YOU DARE DO THAT-type signs went up … Unfortunately, she says the sign bears an unfriendly message we won’t repeat. Off to check it out as soon as we hit “publish” on this item. (Added later – Nope, it was gone.)
LINK #1: Remember the Cat’s Eye Cafe’ on Fauntleroy north of Lincoln Park, closed after a car hit it three years ago, now the Four Aims Center? Its former owner Julie Malcolm is in the street-food business up north, according to this Edmonds article about Here and There. Sounds a little bit like the Snohomish County version of Skillet
LINK #2: Husky football players visit Roxhill Elementary, and gohuskies.com tells the tale.
(January 2009 photo by C. Simmons)
You just might be hearing from West Seattleite Megan Lingafelter tomorrow — she’s starting a quest for donations to enhance a benefit auction to help a local music producer recover from a devastating loss during that huge fire alongside the Spokane Street Viaduct 4 months ago. (The photo above shows part of the burned wreckage, which was centered at Pacific Sheet Metal.) Read on to see the letter Megan is circulating:Read More
The photos are courtesy of WestSide Baby’s Nancy Woodland, who’s at IKEA in Renton right now for the car-seat safety event that her group is co-sponsoring till 1 pm – first photo, the cars lined up as it began an hour ago, photo below, the car seats that had been brought in for recycling. If you can make it to Renton and are interested, full details are in our original preview on partner site White Center Now.
VASHON PLAN: The link was sent around by the Regional Public Information Network tonight (you can subscribe to its as-needed updates at rpin.org), but since Vashon’s just a ferry ride away, we thought you’d be interested: Here’s the story of how the island’s fire department and volunteer preparedness group are joining forces.
COUNCIL BRIEFING TOMORROW: The Seattle City Council Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee will get a swine-flu update from county health officials (among others) during a special meeting at 1:30 pm tomorrow. You’ll be able to watch live via Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online here.
Only one place in the area that we can find: USPS’s Riverton Station, 15250 32nd Ave. So., a few blocks east of the northeast end of Sea-Tac Airport (Google Street View above; map here).
A regional roundup from WSDOT, including I-5 slowdowns in the city as well as possible challenges elsewhere – if you’re hitting the road this weekend, read on:Read More
From Peg Nielsen at SDOT:
No details except that there is a report of a water main break at 6th Ave S and S Spokane St. Seattle Police are on the scene directing traffic. Avoid the area to avoid delay.
Any later updates, we’ll add to this item.
3:20 PM UPDATE: Just in from SDOT and SPU:
A watermain break in the vicinity of Sixth Avenue South and South Spokane Street this morning prevented traffic that was exiting from I-5 from turning right at Sixth Avenue South. The emergency work will pause by 3 p.m. today and all traffic movements will be restored during the peak period. Crews from Seattle Public Utilities plan to resume work at 10 p.m. this evening and work through the night. They plan to keep all lanes open to traffic tonight, if possible.
WSB’er Joe just e-mailed to ask if we would put up a photo of, and info about, a missing Lake Stevens woman who happens to be the mom of one of his co-workers. No known West Seattle tie but since Joe asked, absolutely. You may already have heard about this from citywide media – the website set up to help the search mentions stories done by TV stations and newspapers. Joe says maybe someone from here happened to be up at Stevens Pass last weekend and might have seen her. Connie Marie Koch is 62 years old and hasn’t been seen since Thursday.
From SDOT, shared in the interest of the many West Seattleites who drive through SODO:
Royal Brougham Way is now closed east and westbound between 4th Ave S and Occidental (map). The closure will continue through to late Saturday, April 4. A signed detour will guide motorists. Pedestrian access will be provided on S Royal Brougham Way. The closure is necessary so crews can relocate utilities and prepare for bridge pier construction for the SR 519 project
This is not West Seattle-specific, but most of these folks probably wrote about/photographed West Seattle at one time or another, so we’re sharing the word: One week after the last Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper went to press, if you are wondering what’s up with the staffers who did not stay on with the new online-only P-I, here’s a list of some of their new endeavors, compiled by former P-I food writer Rebekah Denn, who made news herself today as a James Beard Award nominee. The sites range from very personal (ex-copy editor diarizing about her unemployment) to continuations of the type of work the respective writers did for the paper (like this).
Lots of West Seattleites commute to and through Sodo/Pioneer Square, so we’re sharing this traffic alert – tens of thousands will be in the area tomorrow afternoon/evening for the Seattle Sounders‘ kickoff game.
We know many folks have been waiting for word of a decision on the P-I’s fate, and it’s now been announced: Posted minutes ago at the Seattle P-I website — its final print edition will be tomorrow; an online-only P-I will continue, making the Post-Intelligencer “the nation’s largest daily newspaper to shift to an entirely digital news product.” For a window into what’s being said about this online right now, go here for a real-time look at notes on Twitter mentioning the P-I. ADDED 11:12 AM: You knew there’d be a West Seattle angle, of course. An item now up at SeattlePI.com talks about the new web-only operation, and it’s by executive producer Michelle Nicolosi, who is a West Seattleite. Meantime, here’s P-I video of the announcement made at their HQ this morning:
Note in the accompanying story that a Hearst executive is quoted as saying, “We’ll also be linking to the great work of other Web sites and blogs in the community.” WSB is among them (as noted in the 7th-to-last paragraph here) – some of the most eagle-eyed WSBers noted a couple weeks ago when WSB was in fact the first such outside site with a link to appear on SeattlePI.com (the link was for our coverage of the City Council’s most recent snowstorm-aftermath hearing) – the P-I has since linked to the work of more than a few “other … sites,” which is really online SOP – as we have linked and will continue to link to sites like theirs when they have notable exclusive West Seattle stories. As fellow journalists, we wish those who are staying on with the online P-I, and those who are not (here’s a PSBJ story about severance plans and other business matters), the best of luck as the world of newsgathering and delivery continues to turn … somewhat like a globe. ADDED 1:23 PM: Speaking at his media event to announce Deputy Chief John Diaz as Acting Police Chief, Mayor Nickels says re: the P-I print shutdown, “Tomorrow will be a very sad day in Seattle.” He cited the importance of local-news coverage. ADDED 2:50 PM: Questions in our comments have included “what happens if you’re subscribing to the P-I?” This FAQ is now posted, confirming what commenters have replied – subscriptions are being transferred to the Times.
So says a news release just in from the city – and it says furloughs are on the way too (following the example of King County, which has implemented some to save $ – including today’s furlough day for the King County Council) – here’s the news release:Read More
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