Following our report on Saturday about the new Dynamic Messaging Signs that SDOT is putting up in West Seattle (and other areas of the city), commenter Aimwondered why one wasn’t going up on Delridge. We checked with SDOT to see if one was in the works for Delridge further down the line. Short answer: No – Fauntleroy, Admiral and 35th are the three where you’ll get information before you get to The Bridge. We asked SDOT why Delridge isn’t getting one. Not enough money – they had to prioritize, according to SDOT’s Marybeth Turner, and of the four main roads that carry traffic onto The Bridge, Delridge has the lowest volume. So, she says, “While Delridge would benefit from a DMS, it is not funded at this time.” Adiam Emery from SDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) team says, “For the lower level roadways, we will keep all the flashing beacons that inform drivers when the swing bridge is open and operating.” Speaking of bridges, we also inquired with SDOT when the West Seattle Bridge traffic camera would be back in operation – the one that points westbound has been dead for months. Emery’s reply: “The new West Seattle Bridge camera is installed and ready to go, waiting for electrical service connection. We are coordinating with Seattle City Light to assist in any way possible to get power to the equipment. They hope to have power to the camera by the end of this month, if not before.” By the end of August, 136 traffic cameras will be in operation within the city limits, though Emery cautions they’re not all reflected on the travel-info page so far (web5.seattle.gov/travelers).
That’s the phrase Luckie used as she shared that photo taken in a kindergarten class at Lafayette Elementary:
Mrs. Bell decided to combine Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2) and St. Patrick’s Day (today) with a reading of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, followed by a banquet of green eggs and ham and a few other green foods. A little green food coloring turned the ham and eggs into a Seussian spectacle! And, just like the protagonist of Green Eggs and Ham, the kids were willing to try them. They polished off pretty much everything!
Got a couple notes about a strong chemical-like odor in the Gatewood area at midday. Not an avalanche of reports, so at first we weren’t going to write about it – but it does provide an opportunity to remind you that odor IS an air-quality issue and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agencywants to hear about it. So if something is persistent or otherwise worrisome, file a report – at least this will help them track it. The information is on the PSCAA website – you can file online or call during business hours.
That photo’s from the West Seattle Thriftwayegg hunt last year – always a hugely popular tradition. Just a few hours ago, we got a note that this year’s event is set for 9 am April 3rd, and just now, the city has just sent its list of egg hunts at local parks/community centers – see the full list here. We’re working on our West Seattle Easter page right now; we invite everyone with Easter-related events/specials, from church services to brunches to egg hunts and beyond, to share the info with us so it’ll be on the page (here’s our contact info).
A new development in the jail-site fight: The planning process for a new municipal-misdemeanor jail is still moving ahead, with a West Seattle site (Highland Park Way/West Marginal Way) among the 6 possible locations. However, the potential need for that jail (in which Seattle would partner with other cities) is moving further into the future. Last fall, the city and county agreed to a 3-year extension of the contract for the county to handle misdemeanor offenders; by the time the proposal got to the Seattle City Council Public Safety and Education Committee today, it had become a 4-year extension, through the end of 2016. (Here’s the council bill; here’s an explanatory memo.) It doesn’t cover all the city’s expected needs for that time, warned council staffer Peter Harris, so they will need to keep contracting with Yakima (and possibly the new south-end jail) for some space. But the agreement requires the city to confirm that it has no expectation that King County will be able to handle its misdemeanor-offender needs beyond 2016, which means the jail-planning process continues, though Councilmember Sally Bagshaw noted, “There’s little stomach for building a new jail.” (As noted earlier, Bagshaw is in West Seattle tonight, guesting at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting at 7 pm.) The committee voted unanimously to approve the 4-year extension; it goes now to the full council.
(Photo from “Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets” event on Alki Ave, 5/31/2009)
With the mayoral change and budget cuts, this was by no means a sure thing, but with two months to go till the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk, it’s just been confirmed, according to organizer Jo Bader from the West Seattle High School PTSA: The second annual edition of their successful-from-the-start fundraiser will again be the kickoff to a “car-free day” on Alki – as part of Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets, as the city rechristened the series last year. We don’t know yet about other Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets plans around the city – an official media announcement is in the works. But since the Alki “car-free day” is confirmed, you can mark your calendar for Sunday, May 23, starting with the West Seattle 5K, followed by special events along Alki SW. Here’s our wrapup on last year’s Alki CSSS event; here’s our story on the first-ever West Seattle 5K that kicked off the day. By the way, registration is under way now for this year’s run (WSB is among the co-sponsors for a 2nd year), with an early-registration discount available.
Sending that photo of last night’s rainbow, Edgar from Captive Eye Media wondered if leprechauns would be finding the pot o’ gold at that SW Dakota playground. No reports of that yet. But Frances at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor, with their Daylight Saving Time sale continuing till Sunday) did find the green line down the middle of 41st SW, north of Admiral:
Now, the highlights:
JAIL AGREEMENT ON SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: You’ve probably heard about the “aggressive panhandling” law coming up for a public hearing at today’s meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety and Education Committee. But another item on the agenda might be of even more interest in West Seattle: The city’s planned extension of its jail-services agreement with King County – extending it till 2016 – which is part of what took a proposed new municipal jail (with a West Seattle site under consideration) off the fast track. The committee meets at 9:30 am and will be live at seattlechannel.org (cable channel 21).
BRING MORE “SEATTLE FREE SCHOOL” CLASSES OUT WEST: 6:45 tonight at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library branch, you can join a class on how to facilitate aSeattle Free School class to share your skills with the community; SFS is hoping to offer more classes here, but that means they need instructors to offer them! This class, of course, is free. Sign up here.
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm tonight at Youngstown Arts Center, reps from community groups and organizations around eastern West Seattle get together for their monthly meeting. Tonight’s agenda includes City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, an update on Camp Long Lodge renovations, and a presentation by White Center residents supporting annexation by Seattle (as Mayor McGinn proposes a vote in northern North Highline this fall).
More, with a few St. Patrick’s Day nightlife notes (including a big slate with food and drink specials at Feedback Lounge [WSB sponsor], plus the schedule at West Seattle’s only Irish pub), in the WSB Events calendar.
At the front of the room, that’s Chas Redmond, co-chair of the Southwest District Council, with more than two dozen people who answered the council’s call to organize. They came to PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor) tonight to form what they decided to call the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council. The SWDC’s goals for the year included helping West Seattle residents organize in areas that don’t currently have community councils – and this is the first. In addition to discussing procedural points – the need for regular meetings, boundary-drawing, and officer elections – they talked about hot issues in their area, with the fate of the former Genesee Hill Elementary School atop the list. The school housed Pathfinder K-8 for more than a decade till the Pathfinder move to the former Cooper Elementary in Pigeon Point. Genesee resident and realtor Alan Krell said that if the site were ever turned into a housing development, up to 60 homes could be built. So the new council hopes to have a Seattle Public Schools rep come to a meeting to talk about the building and the district’s longterm plans. Other concerns: The Genesee-Schmitz area’s lack of public meeting spaces and playgrounds. Before this kickoff meeting concluded, Dick Miller volunteered to serve as temporary chair, and a smaller group organized to work on nuts-and-bolts tasks such as mailing lists, meeting times, organizational structure, and publicity. If you’re interested in getting involved but couldn’t attend tonight’s meeting – e-mail carol.vincent@comcast.net to get on hte list.
Thanks to Tim McMonigle for sharing photo and summarizing the latest milestone for newly renovated Hiawatha Playfield and the players who have been waiting a long time for it:
West Seattle High School (in blue) had their first varsity soccer game of the season today and played on the beautiful new turf at Hiawatha in front of local students and fans, beating Franklin HS 3-0. This is a great improvement over playing their home games at Memorial Stadium the last several years where many fans could not see them. The weather cooperated and the boys played their hearts out. Their next game is Thursday afternoon at Ingraham HS and Friday evening against Sammamish HS, hopefully at a local venue. Come on out and support your local WSHS Wildcat soccer team!
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Tonight, another one of the new West Seattle businesses we’ve been tracking is just hours from opening … The Wax Bar opens tomorrow morning at 37th/Fauntleroy, between the shoe repair and brake-service stores. Founder Karen says they’re planning to open the doors at 9 am. We first confirmed in December that The Wax Bar – which is expanding from Ballard – was coming to West Seattle. We got the original heads-up when they applied for a liquor license – which, as they told us, is needed because their twist is that they serve beer: Waxing, skin care, and beer. They’re online at thewaxbarseattle.com and opening tomorrow morning at 4450 37th SW (map).
Since Gatewood Elementary School lost its power along with almost 2,800 other homes/businesses/facilities this afternoon, there’s been some question about whether the Westside Symphonette concert set for 7:30 tonight would still go on. Just talked to the orchestra’s leader Toni Reineke, and while she says they haven’t confirmed yet whether the power is back, they’re proceeding under the assumption it will be. If they have to call it off at the last minute, she’ll give us a call and let us know, so if you’re planning to go, you can check back here for any updates before you leave.
(Cameraphone added 5:23 pm, generator truck at Lowman Beach)
Just got word from King County Wastewater Treatment that, as often happens in power outage situations, this one triggered an overflow at the Murray Avenue pump station by Lowman Beach. The county estimates 40,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed for about 15 minutes before they got a portable generator going so the normal pumping could continue. They’ve posted signs on the shore, however, warning of possible contamination. (Added: We talked with Annie Kolb-Nelson at the county; she confirms Lowman still doesn’t have an emergency generator – that’s part of the CSO projects, with a meeting coming up March 29.) Read on for the full news release:Read More
No indication of serious injuries but Mike and Wendy both have sent us word via Facebook of the crash at 41st/Admiral, affecting westbound traffic on Admiral – Wendy says it looks like cars are being rerouted down 41st, so if you’re heading back into West Seattle that way, heads up. 4:19 PM UPDATE: Traffic’s moving westbound on Admiral, one lane, slowly.
(sailboat under tow between northern Lincoln Park and Vashon – that’s what drew the helicopters) 2:22 PM: Just went out a few minutes ago in Upper Fauntleroy. The forecast had called for wind up to 25 mph and it’s been kicking up for about the past half-hour. So far we have outage reports from Morgan Junction and Westwood (35th/Trenton), too. California/Fauntleroy intersection is out but it looks like it doesn’t go further north of the California/Graham intersection. Morgan Junction businesses appear to be out. We also have word of a sailboat that’s run aground and is getting battered by wind north of Lincoln Park, toward the south end of Beach Drive. (added 3:51, Rod’s photo of the sailboat – at left with the tug, with Coast Guard to the right)
Meantime, we’re also monitoring power reports via Facebook and Twitter – north West Seattle seems OK so far.
2:36 PM UPDATE: More than 2,700 customers affected, according to City Light (boundaries listed here, though they’re not always precise). And an update on the sailboat – it’s being towed in. We’ll have visuals in a bit. Other areas affected by the outage, according to WSB’er reports, include High Point. If you’re wondering about the helicopter(s) – they were/are checking out the sailboat situation.
2:48 PM UPDATE: Just talked to Scott Thomsen in City Light’s media department. Ours is the latest wind-related outage – some elsewhere in the city have been fixable fast, when crews determine where a wire went down or a tree went into a wire – this one hasn’t been traced to the source just yet so it’s too soon to say exactly how long it’ll take for the power to come back. (A concurrent and similarly sized outage in Greenwood was fixed within minutes, according to City Light’s latest online update.)
2:58 PM UPDATE: FYI if you’re not in West Seattle – at work off the peninsula, etc. – the wind has died way down, though the power’s still out (again, it seems to be Morgan Junction/Upper Fauntleroy/High Point/part of Westwood/Gatewood, etc. – no reports of outages on the northern half of the peninsula).
3:10 PM: Power just came back on in High Point, according to both David Ginsberg via Twitter and also what we saw while passing through 35th/Morgan. Still out here at HQ. Again, still seems that north West Seattle was relatively unscathed – a flicker here and there, and Gretchen at Square One Books (WSB sponsor) in Jefferson Square said they also lost it briefly – plus, in comments, Angel says all’s well in the Puget Ridge area. Morgan Junction business area — at least around the intersection — is BACK ON, says Angela, who’s at Tully’s (wi-fi too, she reports).
3:56 PM: Hour and a half now, for those of us still out. Gatewood/south Morgan Junction/Upper Fauntleroy/part of Westwood still the main spots – Beveridge Place (the actual street/neighborhood by the pub of the same name) says they’re still out. Also note that some intersections are still affected, like 35th/Holden, so if you come this way, drive carefully. No formal update from City Light yet but we’re about to call and check in to see if they’ve traced the longrunning part of the outage. As for the weather, Rhonda from The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) points out that a wind advisory remains in effect for the city till 6 pm – though things have been quiet here for quite some time now.
4:20 PM: Two hours out now. Just checked back with City Light’s Scott Thomsen – he says 1,650 customers are still without power in the West Seattle area – crews are working along Gatewood Road and “bringing people on behind them” as they go along – no formal ETA for everybody, though. Also note that any “official” boundaries you see listed anywhere, even on the City Light site, are only approximations – that’s why the firsthand reports that you provide are so important – and we do our best to go out and verify, too. They do not have equipment enabling a precise read on exactly who is out where – that’s technology they’re working on for the future.
5:02 PM: Our power briefly flickered back on – then off. At the same time a few minutes ago, High Point went off again – then, we’re told, back on. Meantime, King County Wastewater Treatment reveals that Murray Pump Station at Lowman Beach lost power and overflowed – see that story here. And the sun’s out. We’re checking now on major intersections without power – 35th/Thistle, for starters.
As previewed here last Sunday, today is “soft opening” day for Bin 41, the new wine shop in The Junction (between Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy [WSB sponsor] and KeyBank). We stopped by a little while ago to photograph Bin 41 proprietors T. Frick and Jon McNamara. They’re open till 7 pm today (hours are listed on their Facebook page) but “grand opening” festivities start April 1st.
Talked with Seattle Public Utilities‘ Andy Ryan a little while ago to follow up on the Seaview water break that turned into a gas-line break (as chronicled here last night). First we asked about the timeline and response, since commenters had wondered about that: Ryan says they got the call at 11:05 am yesterday, “water in the street.” It was “logged as priority 8” – one step down from level 9, which requires response within an hour; in this case, he says, it took a crew two hours, and they arrived at 1:03 pm. One commenter wondered about furloughs (the city is requiring some because of budget cuts); that had nothing to do with it – it was a union crew, and they’re not affected by furloughs. As for what broke the water main – it’s a 71-year-old line, which is not old by SPU standards; it’s cast iron and they can last up to 200 years. Ryan says it appears a rock got lodged between the water line and a sewer line running right beneath it. So why did repair crews wind up rupturing a gas line? “A new gas main had been placed there but wasn’t accurately marked on the map,” Ryan says, “so our crews found the old one, but the new one wasn’t where it was supposed to be – and got ‘nicked’. Our maps are usually pretty good.” Again, as we reported at 5:30 this morning, the repairs were complete and water service restored in the early-early-morning hours. (Monday evening photo courtesy Doug B)
The official 2010 Census form just arrived at WSB HQ (that’s our unofficial mail “pile” at left). If you have any questions about yours and want to talk to someone in person, today also happens to be the first day for a special “assistance center” set up at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle – 11 am-7 pm today and tomorrow, and the next two Tuesday-Wednesday pairs. Full details here.
(Photo by Greg Wright – the unofficial WSB flagship flower, Darwin’s barberry, blooming at Don Armeni) KING CONSERVATION DISTRICT: Today you can vote for one of five candidates (one, Kirk Prindle, is from West Seattle) to fill the open seat on the KCD’s Board of Supervisors – but you’ll have to go to one of the in-person voting spots, listed here; the closest one is downtown. (Wondering what the KCD does? It’s explained here.)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Joining forces with your neighbors for a Block Watch is a big topic planned for tonight, with Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Ben Kinlow as the special guest at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s monthly meeting. (And have you checked out the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Networkon Facebook yet?) Also be there to hear straight from police what’s up (and down) with local crime stats, and to ask them your questions. 7 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster).
WESTSIDE SYMPHONETTE: West Seattle’s community orchestra has a mini-concert at 7:30 tonight at Gatewood Elementary to raise money for the Gatewood and Roxhill music programs. Admission/donation $1 – they’d of course love to get more – and bring some $ for Gatewood’s bake sale, too. Here’s the full preview.
(Looking toward Mount Rainier from Genesee Hill; photo by Chas Redmond) ORGANIZING MEETING FOR GENESEE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP: Tonight’s the big night for Genesee Hill (and environs) residents to come help organize a neighborhood council so the area’s voice will be louder, and so that neighbors can join forces to fight problems, address concerns and celebrate successes. 7 pm at PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor).
LOVE AND LOGIC PARENTING: A 7-week class starts tonight at Arbor Heights Community Church; call Leah at 932-5045 for registration info. And finally:
ORCAS????Christopher Boffoli got some of the West Seattle/Vashon visitors’ spouts on video Monday – check out the clip. Will they be back today? We’ll let you know if we hear anything. Other places to watch for occasional real-time alerts: The fabulous Orca Network‘s Twitter feed and Facebook page.
Followup to last night’s 1st report on the West Seattle workshop for Mayor McGinn‘s “Youth and Families Initiative“: The gathering was hosted by Denny International Middle School, whose music director Marcus Pimpleton led his Seattle All-City Bandin a rousing warmup for the event. An estimated 300 people – which would be the largest crowd at any of these meetings so far – heard the mayor explain his inspiration and hopes for the initiative:
As happened at other gatherings, participants broke into small groups to discuss questions, particularly “What would you like to see in five years – what should Seattle look like then?” The “achievement gap” was mentioned frequently; though Seattle is considered one of the most-educated cities in America, several speakers said, our schools seem to have a tough time keeping up. Another frequent mention: More data-gathering is needed to find out which programs work and which don’t. And there were calls for helping figure out how kids who are falling behind can get a boost to catch up. Next steps: The fifth and final kickoff workshop is next Monday night at Garfield Community Center; right after that, it’s a month of Community Caucuses. The city’s not setting the times and places for these – they’re asking who wants to host them; find out more here. And a Youth Summit is planned at City Hall on April 8th; RSVP here.
Along with everything else going on tonight, we were at ArtsWest for a special event announcing the six productions that will comprise its 2010-2011 season – and celebrating what’s under way in this season (the clip above is from its next show, “Tell Me on a Sunday,” with Danielle Barnum singing and Kim Dare on piano for tonight’s mini-preview). We published the 2010-2011 announcements on Twitter as they happened – but if you weren’t following along, here’s the quick list:
ArtsWest leader Alan Harrison told the theater full of fans that it’s going to be a “rollercoaster” season – in a good way. More on that, on the shows, and on special ticket deals, ahead (added early Tuesday am).Read More
7:31 PM: We’re covering two events right now – first one up, the West Seattle workshop for Mayor McGinn‘s Youth and Families Initiative, which started at 7 pm at Denny International Middle School. The Seattle Schools All-City Band (photo above) – led by Denny/Sealth maestro Marcus Pimpleton – has made an appearance, too. We’re adding photos, and will have a report on the workshop later. 8:32 PM UPDATE: A member of the mayor’s staff estimates the turnout at about 300 – which would make it the biggest one of these meetings held so far. Among those on hand, School Board members including West Seattle’s Steve Sundquist, in our photo with Denny principal Jeff Clark:
Thanks to food correspondent (as well as photojournalist par excellence) Christopher Boffoli for pointing this out: Swinery proprietor Gabriel Claycamp just announced on Facebook that his West Seattle store is reopening April 1st. It’s been closed about four weeks for remodeling that involved required electrical work.
Following our report on Saturday 
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The official 
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