West Seattle school tours update: Superintendent at Lafayette
Earlier this morning, we mentioned it’s a busy day/night for school tours and open houses around West Seattle (see the list here). Within the past hour, the tours at Lafayette Elementary were joined by a high-profile guest – Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson (whom we photographed above with Lafayette principal Virginia Turner in the planter-box area outside). Dr. Goodloe-Johnson also visited nearby Madison Middle School before the Lafayette stop, and was headed back to district HQ in Sodo next. (Just three days ago, she was at West Seattle High School for the health-center celebration we covered here.)
Think Summer Fest: Junction street festival applications
That’s a quick clip of one of the hottest tickets at last year’s West Seattle Summer Fest, Green Pajamas, and we’ve pulled it out of the archives to let you know that application forms are now available online for bands that want to play in this year’s Summer Fest. So are applications for prospective food and craft vendors. The forms are all linked from the Summer Fest home page, which you can find here; the festival’s set for July 10th-12th. (We got first word of this at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting; more headlines from SWDC are coming up a bit later.)
@ North Delridge Neighborhood Council: Route 50 no slam dunk
With just days left to tell Metro what you think about proposed Route 50 – which would include bus service between North Delridge and The Junction – Metro reps told the North Delridge Neighborhood Council tonight that the new route is no slam dunk. That’s just part of the news resulting from tonight’s meeting – read on for the full report:Read More
West Seattle weather: 2 sides of tonight’s sunset
From David Hutchinson, taken during a walk around Alki Point. Shortly before that arrived in our inbox, we had heard that today’s high temperature tied a record … 63. Almost spring-like. Another sunset view, sent as-it-happened from Scott B:
Tomorrow’s supposed to be closer to “normal.”
West Seattle Soccer Club: 3 teams in tourney; registration open
From the West Seattle Soccer Club, that’s the GU18 Ladyhawks, one of three WSSC teams still in the Commissioners’ Cup statewide tournament as the quarterfinals approach. Here are the other two, followed by information on how to register for the WSSC spring season, a process that’s happening right now. First, the BU14 West Seattle Deportivo Moctezuma:
And the BU11 West Seattle Jets:
Tim says the fact each of these teams have made it into the Elite 8 for their division is big, because the Commissioners’ Cup is meant for organizations’ “select teams,” but since WSSC is a recreational club, they don’t have “select teams,” so the volunteer coaches and players are doing a great job competing at this level. We’ll update you on how these West Seattle teams fared, after the weekend. Meantime, the WSSC Spring Season is now signing up younger players. Here are the details:
The spring season is a lower key soccer season than our fall season, and it is for U7-U12 players (has to be 5 or 6 years old by April 1, 2009 for U7 or 7-11 years old by August 1, 2009 for U8-U12). There are no practices and games are held on Sunday afternoons at various West Seattle fields. Games start on April 5th and are played on six Sundays, ending May 31st. There are no games on Easter, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Sunday.
You can sign up through the WSSC website at westseattlesoccer.org.
WSB sponsor notes: Call for coffee; haircuts with heart
WSB charter sponsor Hotwire Coffee is launching a new service – call ahead and your drink will be ready. Bev-O-Matic, as the flyer puts it. Hotwire’s Lora Lewis didn’t even ask us to plug this but we saw it in her promotional mailings and thought it sounded like news to us – hadn’t heard of any other local coffee shop doing phone-ahead orders.
Illusions Hair Design told us they have a few appointments remaining for next Sunday’s Have a Heart Day, when stylists donate their time to raise money for West Seattle Helpline – benefiting many families in our community – and Pencil Me in for Kids. Noon-5 pm Sunday; call (206) 938-3675 ASAP to doublecheck if there’s still an opening. Even if you’re not getting your hair cut there that day, you’ll be able to drop off cash/check donations for those two organizations; Illusions is at 5619 California SW (map).
West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day ’09: Because you asked
Maybe it’s the sunshine. We have received two phone calls in the past hour or so inquiring about this. So maybe we shouldn’t wait any longer for a reminder: Yes, WSB **is** sponsoring the fifth annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day this year — our second year sponsoring the event, which was created by the late, great nonprofit Megawatt. It’ll be on Saturday, May 9th. If you’re new to West Seattle or somehow missed last year, you can check out some of the coverage on our companion site, westseattlegaragesale.com (beware, we haven’t updated it lately, but scroll down and you’ll see all the posts from last year’s event). We’ll announce registration dates and other key facts soon.
Junction shooting update: Family photo of Steve Bushaw
The family of 26-year-old Steven Bushaw, the man shot and killed in The Junction on Sunday night, has now decided to go ahead and release a recent photo of him. His sister Tanya Bushaw says that’s Steve with niece Ava, photographed last summer. As we reported last night, a fundraising event is scheduled at Talarico’s this Sunday, and a fund has been set up at US Bank in Steve’s name. Some asked us what the money would be used for, so we asked Tanya, and she replied: “People should know that my family had nothing to do with organizing any of these memorial events or accounts. Friends of Steve set up the event with Talarico’s and another friend of our family who works with US Bank insisted on setting up this fund. Yes the funds will be used for funeral expenses other expenses associated with closing his estate if you will.” The family plans a private memorial service in West Seattle this Saturday. So far, still no word from police of arrests, and no further information on the suspects beyond the vague descriptions originally made public Sunday night — two black males, possibly with dreadlocks, who got away, heading southbound, in a white sedan.
1:02 PM UPDATE: The Sunday event at Talarico’s is being organized by another family member, Steve’s cousin Stacey Bushaw, who just told us the time has been changed to 1-5 pm. She also elaborates on the purpose of the event:
This fundraiser (is) to help cover all medical bills as well as all funeral and burial costs. In addition, this fundraiser will help with possibly setting up reward money to find the assailants and it will also help cover any other unforeseeable bills that may continue to creep up.
No one ever expects something tragic like this to happen to them or their family so we are being proactive and assuring that his parents and sister do not have to face any more obstacles while they continue to mourn over our loss. This is our chance to play a role in helping take away as much of the financial burden from them as we possibly can.
More importantly we are celebrating Stevie’s life. There will be music, food, drinks, and just a time to share in Stevie’s amazing memory with people that love him dearly. I can’t articulate the pain our family is feeling but we truly appreciate all the love and support we have received from family, friends, and the community at large.
Stevie will live on forever through us and our circle of love will never be broken!
West Seattle’s red-light camera debut: In place on “I-35”
Thanks to Al for letting us know the red-light camera first announced for 35th/Thistle 13 months ago has finally arrived. That’s the wide view as crews were finishing installation work a short time ago – the actual closeup camera is toward the right side of that photo, which shows the west side of 35th, north of Thistle (map) – here’s the view we got walking right up to it:
It was January 2008 when the city announced West Seattle would get two red-light cameras in ’08 – per our original report, one watching southbound drivers at this intersection, another one watching drivers heading west on Avalon at 35th. *Added 12:06 pm* Installation on that one is under way too, on the north side of Avalon, east of 35th, by the 7-11 gas pumps:)
We asked SDOT, which installs the cameras, when they’d be working, and Marybeth Turner just replied:
We are not able to give you a date when they will be operational except that we expect it will be within weeks rather than months. When the work is completed, they will begin operating without further notice. We install the equipment, and the Police Department manages the program.
The SPD website has an info-page here which explains how the cameras work and what happens if you get a ticket issued after one of them “caught” you running the light. That page points to this one where tickets can be paid online – and you apparently even can watch video of your “violation” as it happened. ADDED 1:15 PM: SDOT also just sent word of one addition: They will install signs at the intersections “one to two weeks before the cameras begin to operate” to warn you the systems are there.
Meantime, while out on the street some call “I-35,” we also photographed the repainted lines that James tipped us to via Facebook:
As you may recall, sand and snow rubbed out the original lines, so the repainting work’s been expected for a while.
Happening today/tonight: From buses, to stars, to Fire Station 37
Next chance to find out more about Delridge-to-Junction Metro Route 50 – before the comment period closes this Friday – is tonight, as a Metro rep visits the North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting, 6:30 pm, Delridge Library. Another info-packed meeting will be happening tonight at 7 at the board room at South Seattle Community College: The Southwest District Council. Now on to entertainment!
Luckie sends that photo from the final dress rehearsal of “Annie Jr.,” the Lafayette Elementary school play, which will be staged tonight, Friday night, and Saturday night, 7 pm each night at the West Seattle High School Theater. Also tonight: Love to sing but didn’t quite make it to the kickoff of Alki Idol last week? You’re in luck – tonight “Junction Idol“ launches at Rocksport; read more here. One last preview to mention – later this morning we’ll get an update on the project planned on this site:
That lot at 35th/Holden (map) has long been designated as the future home of a new, rebuilt Fire Station 37, and the next step toward construction is set for this morning; Mayor Nickels will be at a Southeast Seattle fire station to announce the start of the construction process for 10 fire-station projects citywide, including the $6 million Station 37, which is about to go to bid. (We asked the mayor’s office if the upcoming $13 million Station 32 project would be part of today’s announcement; they said no. The latest status report indicates construction for FS 32 won’t start till summer of next year. But the same document indicates work on 37 could start next month.)
Details: California Place Park disagreement has yet to dim
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The two most recent major meetings we covered both severely tested the perennial reputation of Seattle as Politeness Capital of the World.
First there was the Seattle School Board‘s special meeting last Thursday to vote on dramatic closures and changes, amid heckling, booing, chanting, and frustration.
Then, for a few minutes tonight at Alki Community Center, the first of three “design workshops” to plot the future of California Place Park had a lot in common with what we saw at school district headquarters five nights earlier.
In addition to shouting and disruption, the main common trait was that in each case, the 100-member-plus audience was dominated by people who would have preferred the meeting wouldn’t have happened at all.
Read More
Junction shooting update: Fund, benefit to honor Steven Bushaw
**UPDATE – SINCE THIS WAS PUBLISHED, TALARICO’S EVENT TIME MOVED TO 1-5 PM**
We just heard again from Tanya Bushaw, sister of Steven Bushaw, whose shooting death in The Junction on Sunday night remains unsolved – she wants everyone to know about a benefit coming up this weekend, and she has an additional message:
A friend at US Bank is setting up a memorial fund at US Bank. It is supposed to be set up tomorrow afternoon for people to donate to. I believe it will be under Steve’s name…so people just have to mention Steve Bushaw memorial fund but I will find out the final details tomorrow.
(And) Talarico’s has offered to open their establishment for us to hold a benefit evening in memory of Steve. It will be this Sunday evening at 8 pm and it will be a $10 cover for each person and any other donations are welcome as well. They have been so kind to offer a band to play and the proceeds from the evening will be donated to the family. They also told us that kids are welcome to come from 8 until 9 pm. After 9 pm anyone under 21 will not be allowed.
Tanya adds a message that she feels is very important for you to understand:
This had nothing to do with Talarico’s beyond the fact that it happened in front of their business. The people that did this were not patrons of Talarico’s and people should not feel scared to go there. I myself have been there before, and it’s not a place to be afraid of.
(An earlier version of this story included the date/time for the memorial but the family decided they need to keep that invitation-only for now.) Again, as we reported earlier tonight, police haven’t released any new information on the search for the two men who opened fire on Steven Bushaw as he crossed the street late Sunday night, midblock between Alaska and Edmunds. We are continuing to check with them frequently and will let you know whenever there’s anything new to report. 9:37 PM P.S.: The tribute table with flowers and signs is back outside Talarico’s tonight.
Happy reunion, after Southwest Precinct got someone’s goat
That’s Southwest Precinct Officer Kathleen Graves sharing in the happy reunion that ended a minidrama that played out earlier this evening: We got e-mail and text messages from Officer Bruce Wind that Officer Graves had found that goat at 32nd and Elmgrove (map), and perhaps we could get the word out fast enough for the owner to claim the goat before Animal Control arrived. So we posted a note in the WSB Forums and sent it out via Twitter and Facebook. Someone who saw one of those posts called the goat’s owner, and she retrieved it from the precinct, where it had been hanging out in a holding cell:
As one of the e-mails received captioned that photo, “It’s gotta go real baaa-aa-aad” … and gone it has … gone home. Gotta love a happy ending now and then.
Update: Unrest at California Place Park design workshop
We’re at Alki Community Center, where more than 100 people have gathered for the first of three design workshops on proposals for possible “improvements” at California Place Park. Members of the audience have repeatedly interrupted landscape architect Karen Kiest, whose firm has the $15,000 contract to lead this stage of the design project (any proposal to actually change the park would require a separate funding process). Kiest reiterated that she’s not a Parks Department representative; some shouting from the audience contended they haven’t had a chance to express their concerns. More later. 7:33 PM UPDATE: The crowd did calm down and Kiest has proceeded with her presentation, which is to be followed with “small group” discussions about possibilities for the park. 9 PM UPDATE: The meeting ended as scheduled as 8:30, after representatives of each “small group” made comments – overwhelmingly against changes to the park. We will write a separate article shortly. No decisions were made tonight, by design (so to speak); two more workshops are scheduled, the next one at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 7.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Shooting semi-update; attack near park
JUNCTION SHOOTING INVESTIGATION: We just checked with Seattle Police, and Officer Jeff Kappel says there’s no new information in the search for the men who shot 26-year-old Steven Bushaw as he crossed the street in The Junction night before last (Sunday night coverage here, Monday morning followup here, Monday afternoon followup here). As for his family, we have exchanged e-mail with his sister Tanya, who says she will let us know when there is information to share about his memorial service. (As of this afternoon, the temporary memorial set up outside Talarico’s [left photo] was gone; people who knew Steven are continuing to leave comments remembering him in this thread.)
ATTACK NEAR PARK: Police also released information regarding an incident we checked out last night but at the time were unable to verify: The “assault with weapons” call near Riverview Park around 9:40 last night turns out to have been a stabbing. Officer Kappel says a man in his 50s was out for a walk in the 7200 block of 12th SW (map) and was attacked by a man who got away. There’s no information on how the victim is doing. His attacker is described as “a black male, 5-7, 130 pounds, large front teeth, dark coat, light T-shirt, light pants, fled in a white subcompact car.” 9:24 PM UPDATE: From the WSB Blogs page (thanks to “d” for the tip), Highland Park Action Committee chair Dan Mullins‘ blog has more information about the victim, identifying him as David Skinner and saying he’s still in the hospital with injuries including a punctured lung.
Good times + good works: 3 more ways to help while having fun
HIAWATHA PANCAKE BREAKFAST: This Sunday morning, chow down while beefing up the coffers of Hiawatha-based programs: It’s the 21st annual Pancake Breakfast at Hiawatha Community Center, raising money for youth basketball programs: All-you-can-eat pancakes, with side dishes including ham, sausages, bagels and fruit, PLUS coffee/juice, free for kids 4 and younger, $4 for 5-12 and 65-up, $5 for ages 13-up, 8 am-noon Sunday at Hiawatha.
ANTI-VALENTINE COMEDY SHOW TO BENEFIT PUPPY-MILL RESCUEES: The Cathy Sorbo/Rod Long show at the Admiral Theater on February 13th is now not just a benefit for West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation – it’s going to benefit the North Sound dogs rescued from suspected “puppy mills,” and you’re asked to bring donations along these lines. Tickets are available online.
NATURE CONSORTIUM’S FIRST-EVER BENEFIT BRUNCH: The Youngstown Arts Center-based organization that quietly works to restore West Seattle forest land is having its first Benefit Brunch, 11 am March 14th, at the Youngstown theater. As the Nature Consortium pitch puts it, “This is a free hour-long brunch for people to come and learn more about our organization. Yes, it is a fundraiser, too. You will be asked to consider making a contribution. There is no minimum and no maximum gift requested. Nature Consortium staff, volunteers, and program participants will produce an inspirational program.” RSVP to Lisa Corbin, lisa@naturec.org or call (206) 923-0853.
Artist looking for work? $400,000 Spokane St. Viaduct project
We just got e-mail as a “reminder” that the deadline is approaching for artists to apply “to develop permanent artwork in conjunction with the widening of the Spokane Street Viaduct” (basic project rendering above). The “call for artists” is dated December 18th — which happened to be THIS day — so it might not have gotten a lot of attention. The reminder explains:
The selected artist will develop a creative response to the expansive viaduct and its industrial setting. Possible locations for artwork include the underside of the viaduct’s elevated roadway, its forest of support columns, the spaces surrounding new traffic ramps, the lower Spokane Street roadway and its new sidewalk and/or other areas adjacent to the viaduct. Safety issues prevent placing artwork on the elevated roadway. The artist will determine locations for artwork in collaboration with staff from the Seattle Department of Transportation.
The city notice also says, “The budget for design (including travel costs) is $60,000. It is anticipated that $340,000 will be available for fabrication and installation, for a total project budget of $400,000.” Deadline is 11 pm February 17th; if you’re an artist, you can read a lot more about it here, including links for applying online, or see the “call for artists” page here. Before you say “What? $400,000 for art? Aren’t we having a budget crisis?” take note that the Seattle Municipal Code requires “1 percent for art” for projects like this; read the specific ordinance here. (As for the widening project itself, lower-roadway work continues as crews prepare to start on the first big component, the new 4th Ave offramp for the eastbound side; the city’s project page is here.)
West Seattle traffic alert: Bridge lane closure Thursday
Just in from SDOT:
Thursday, February 5, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close the right lane eastbound on the West Seattle High Level Bridge from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. During the two and half hour closure, a SDOT crew will inspect the sign bridge, the overhead structure on which the directional traffic signs are mounted.
Side note if you routinely drive through South Park – SDOT also has sent word that 14th/Cloverdale (map) will be closed all weekend for pavement work, 6 pm Friday till no later than 10 pm Sunday.
West Seattle Trails Alliance: 2 more steps toward WS walkability
It’s been more than a year in the making now, and the West Seattle Trails Alliance continues marching ahead, with a focus now on kiosks around the area to point out walking routes and their highlights. The flyer above is for the first of the “next steps,” a Fauntleroy gathering next week described by Chas Redmond at westseattlewalks.org:
The three kiosks to be sited in the general Fauntleroy area are the first to be designed and located for the 10 kiosks which are part of this project. The three kiosks are associated with up to 20 on-street wayfinding markers (think street pole and sign but for trails rather than roads).
One of the locations suggested in previous charrettes is in front of Lincoln Park – but exactly where and on which side of the street is undecided. Another recommended location is near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, but again the specifics are to be determined by the community. The last of the three kiosks in the Fauntleroy area is to be sited somewhere in the vicinity of Endolyne – by the bakery or by the church or by the school – again, where is to be determined.
The meeting at Fauntleroy Church will be the kick-off event for the design and determining the exact location of the three Fauntleroy-area kiosks. Each of the on-street markers must also be addressed – where and what should the marker blades say is one question. Thinking of the three kiosks as wayfinding beacons, the on-street markers are the guides from beacon to beacon. Where are these on-street guides and what do the blades actually say? As an example, the on-street markers between the Ferry location and Lincoln Park can point out shortcuts up Gatewood Hill to the Myrtle Street Reservoir – the highest point in the city. Other ideas are both sought and welcome at the charrette.
The Fauntleroy-area kiosks are the first in this series and will be followed by design and location charrettes for kiosks located in the Alki and Admiral areas later this Spring.
Second “step forward”: Chas also tells WSB that after 10 months of distributing the printed West Seattle Trails map (last year, WSB readers got a chance to comment on early versions), 19,000 copies – almost the entire 20K print run – are out there, placed in 64 locations (listed here), “almost one for every two households.” He adds, “We’re compiling changes and recommendations and are anticipating printing a new version by the end of this year” — once the final kiosks in the first round are up; a second city matching-funds grant is being pursued for the second round of kiosks, on the eastern half of the West Seattle peninsula.
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