West Seattle, Washington
04 Friday
Thanks to Chris for that photo – taken as he spotted it “dropping boulders into the water” off Beach Drive. We’ve had a few other notes about it; Beach Drive Blog posted about it last week, reporting it’s working on rip-rap to strengthen a bulkhead.
In case you want to watch as it happens, we’re noting this here before the vote: 
At the Seattle City Council meeting that’s under way now, councilmembers will vote on the Memorandum of Understanding that solidifies the city’s support for the deep-bore tunnel planned to replace the Central Waterfront section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. You can watch live here. Public comment at the start of the meeting included one person suggesting that the item should be tabled until after the election, since, in that person’s view, the Joe Mallahan-Mike McGinn mayoral race equals a referendum vote on yes/tunnel vs. no/tunnel. 3:19 PM UPDATE: Councilmembers have just voted unanimously in favor of the memorandum of agreement supporting The Tunnel, though there were a few sharp exchanges when Councilmember Bruce Harrell said he wasn’t sure why they were voting on this now, wondering whether they’re trying to “beat people over the head with our support for the tunnel” when, he noted, they’d expressed their support before. He also expressed hope that greater discussions is ahead for details of how the city will pay its share of the tunnel costs. ADDED 3:51 PM: Here’s the official City Council news release about this afternoon’s vote: (added 6:03 pm, other statements including that of mayoral candidate and tunnel opponent Mike McGinn)Read More
Alki resident Rich Medved stepped up as acting county assessor after former assessor Scott Noble‘s drunk-driving arrest came to light – but his time in that role was cut short by a stroke suffered in mid-July. Three months later, he has lost his battle to recover, according to an announcement today from King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who added, “Rich was well-liked within the Assessor’s Office and throughout county government and he will be greatly missed.” Until the stroke, Mr. Medved, 56, had been campaigning for the job in this fall’s election (five people are running now). He is survived by wife Teresa, four children and six grandchildren; no word yet on services.
Riverhouse Creperie, the coffee/crepes/gelato spot on the ground floor of ActivSpace on Harbor by The Bridge, just announced to its mailing list that it’s closing as of October 31st. Owner Kathaleen writes:
We regret to announce that, due to health concerns, Riverhouse will be closing its doors on October 31st, 2009. It has been a wonderful experience and I will always remember and be grateful for the fantastic people I met through this journey. I hope you have a chance to come in before we close our doors for good and that I will have a chance to say goodbye to some of you on October 31st.
Thank you for all of your support over the last two years and especially your support, good wishes and prayers that I have received over the last month. I am truly grateful and blessed to have had this experience.
Kathleen has written about her cancer battle on Riverhouse’s Facebook “fan page.” (Thanks to Chas Redmond for forwarding the e-mail announcement.)
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We reported last week on Alki Elementary student Vanessa Radke‘s trip to New York as a semifinalist in the TODAY show’s Kid Reporter contest. Today, her video was shown, and voting began – you can watch her video above; you can go to this page on the TODAY site to vote for her. (There’s also a cell-phone-text-voting option listed on that page.) Voting runs till 2 pm our time tomorrow afternoon, and then Vanessa will find out Wednesday if she’s moving on to the finals.
We’ve had a slew of Halloween-related events on the Events Calendar page 
for a while but have finally organized them onto one special West Seattle Halloween page. The events start this week and run through the day after Halloween; we’ve grouped them by type (trick-or-treat events, etc.). Besides including the ones we’ve received notes about, we’ve looked around online, but realize we may not have found everything, so if yours is missing, we appreciate a note (e-mail, Facebook, whatever works for you) with a bit of information, even if it’s just a weblink – we’ll continue updating this as the listings come in. Now through Halloween, you can find the list any time by clicking the Halloween tab in the navigation bar below our header.
$3 million worth of improvements are on the way for Delridge Playfield, thanks to the Parks and Green Spaces Levy passed last year. Tonight you can get details, ask questions and offer comments at a Parks-led meeting at Delridge Community Center, 7:30 pm, first of two about the project (2nd one is 11/23).
Two reminders: Starting today (Monday), westbound South Spokane Street closes between 4th and 1st Avenues, TFN for the Spokane St. Viaduct Widening Project – that’s the side where the actual “widening” is happening, with a new structure being built on the north side of the old one. Here’s the detour map for both sides, the westbound closure starting today and the eastbound closure that’s been in effect a while:
Read more about the project here; here’s our original report on the closure that starts today; our coverage archive for this project is here. We’re also taking the occasion to remind you that next weekend (Oct. 24-25), the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes all day Saturday and Sunday for its semiannual inspection – scheduled for 6 am-5:30 pm Saturday, 6 am-6 pm Sunday.
That photo shared by Greg Whittaker of Alki Kayak Tours earlier this week is one of several we’ve received showing one or more seals on a raft off western Alki. After publishing another one of those photos, we received an unexpected note. Turns out, there’s quite a story behind the raft, and Guy Smith wanted to share it, hoping that when we mention it in the future, we will use its official name: The Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft. No, it’s not a memorial – instead of in tribute to Joy D. Smith (Guy’s wife), it was meant “for” her – in this photo, she checks it out with its proud builders after they assembled it last year:
Read on for the story, and more photos that Guy shared:Read More
Curious about Segways? Ride one at the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, continuing till 6 tonight outside Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and Fauntleroy Schoolhouse across the street (here’s a map). Another adventure – kids can climb one of those portable walls:
Crafts too:
It’s not all fun and games – you can find out more about what’s happening in Fauntleroy these days – like the deal to purchase the schoolhouse and part of its site, which Fauntleroy Community Services Agency‘s Kevin Wooley will be happy to discuss with you at his table:
And if you live in Fauntleroy, the Fauntleroy Community Association would love to have you in its membership ranks – look for the balloons, where we found Gary Dawson and Marty Westerman nearby:
Even if you can’t get there till the last hour or so, there are music and dance performances on tap too, plus bratwurst for dinner. Although we’re not sure if the dancing stilt-walker will appear again – we did get some video:
Another West Seattle aerial shared by Gatewood pilot Long Nguyen – click here to see a bigger version on his gallery site. The line down the middle is of course California SW, looking south. (The remaining West Seattle greenbelts always catch our eye in his photos – here’s an archive of the others we’ve shown. Here’s a map with inventory of our greenspaces.)
One week after they staged an impromptu, handwritten-signs-and-all counterdemonstration when a Referendum 71 opponent showed up outside the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, this contingent of Referendum 71 supporters is “back in action” today, as the subject line in a note from Corianton, sent along with that photo, put it. He says there’s been no sign today of anyone on behalf of the opposition, but pro-71 clergy members were planning to join them. (If you’re just catching up – a vote to approve Referendum 71 means the domestic-partnership-rights bill passed by the Legislature will take effect.) Here’s more info in the state voters’ guide; once again, we are voting entirely by mail now, so your ballot needs to be mailed or dropped off – here’s the list of boxes, including one in White Center – by Election Day (Nov. 3). ADDED 9:09 PM: We received photos of the interfaith pro-71 demonstration too, thanks to Kari Kopnick from Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation:
ID’s from Kari: “From left, that’s Carmen McDowell, Unitarian Universalist Student Minister; Rev. Diane Darling, Alki Congregational United Church of Christ; Rev. Dr. Joanne Carlson Brown, Tibbetts United Methodist Church; Rev. Ann J. Eidson, Admiral Congregational Church; Rev. Peg Boyle Morgan, Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Not pictured: members of Kol HaNeshamah, but they were there.”
Kari says Approve R-71 supporters will be back next Sunday, too.
Thanks to Wendy Hughes-Jelen for the tip about dozens of motorcycles gathered at Delridge Community Center: They include Patriot Guard Riders, there to be part of the memorial for Alan Gelvin from the Seattle Cossacks drill team, killed in an accident in Oregon last week.
Mr. Gelvin was a Vietnam War combat veteran; the Patriot Guard Riders join in memorials when families invite them, according to their website.
Leaders tell us they are about to leave Delridge Community Center heading to “the next phase of the memorial,” so you may see them heading south through West Seattle this afternoon. Here’s Mr. Gelvin’s obituary; he was a lifetime member of the Cossacks, who perform on vintage Harleys – like this one parked at the memorial, with the Cossacks’ uniform hat and boots:
Mr. Gelvin was 55 years old.
(WSB photo from 2008 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
FESTIVAL TIME! Pumpkin-painting is a Fauntleroy Fall Festival tradition – one of the activities you’ll find during the FFF 2-6 pm today. A schedule of other highlights is here, including musical performances and the Seattle Civic Dance Theatre.
NATIVE PLANT SALE: Fall is the perfect time to plant – and natives are the perfect choice. You can buy some 10 am-4 pm today at a plant sale that the West Seattle Wildlife Habitat Project is helping to host, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the group’s purchase of plants for the wildlife garden at Seacrest. The sale site is near West Seattle PCC (WSB sponsor), at 3223 47th SW (map).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, today and every Sunday, 44th/Alaska. Here’s the latest Ripe ‘n’ Ready fresh sheet, featuring kiwis!
The Alaskan Way Viaduct gets all the attention, but the South Park Bridge poses an even-more-urgent problem, with no guaranteed solution – yet. Here’s where things stand now.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The bridge carries almost 20,000 passenger vehicles and 3,000 trucks a day across the river from an unincorporated King County sliver in South Park to the City of Tukwila and beyond.
The bridge’s closure would mean traffic would have to be diverted to the already crowded First Avenue South Bridge across the river.
County Council Chair Dow Constantine, a candidate for county executive, says he is pushing particularly hard for the $99 million TIGER grant, or Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, a federal bailout program Congress approved to help states with shovel-ready construction projects. The decision on that grant is expected by mid-February.
This discussion in the WSB Forums about the 20th anniversary of the big Bay Area quake reminds us that we have news to share about the most recent test of the neighborhood-preparedness radio system, plus a reminder about preparedness information you can access any time. First, the radio test. To recap, the West Seattle Communication Hubs is a project setting up nodes around the peninsula where volunteers will spring into action in case of a disaster that takes out the usual communications channels. In addition to keeping this list of “hubs,” the volunteers also have set up a radio network that would get information to authorities off-peninsula if needed. That’s what was tested again successfully last weekend, with West Seattle volunteers joined by two reps from the Auxiliary Communications Service, which is in turn linked in to the city Emergency Operations Center. One was Curt Black, shown in the photo above, who, as Morgan Community Association‘s Cindi Barker puts it, was “working in true disaster mode off the top of his car. He was specially equipped” with a digital setup, which can transmit data from a computer across the radio frequencies. The city and community reps dealt with a theoretical scenario, and requests for help dealing with potential scenario effects including a car in a sinkhole. So what can YOU do to help? First, familiarize yourself with the nearest Communication Hub location – where you’ll be able to go to get information and relay calls for help, if needed. It’s all on this website – worth a bookmark.
Last Tuesday, we checked on some work at the idled Fauntleroy/39th/Alaska construction site. WSB contributing journalist Christopher Boffoli was told “routine maintenance”; he checked back on the site while in the area today after a few days of rain and photographed the moat you see in the photo above:
As I passed the Whole Foods hole I did notice something that was not immediately obvious when I went over there the other day. It seems they dug a moat around the perimeter of the site to collect rainwater. And the pumps they have installed are draining the water from these drainage moats. No one was digging at the time I was there but there was a tractor on the eastern side of the site that is no longer there. So they must have done the work after I left.
While checking out the work from earlier in the week, we did talk to DPD, which does not have any current investigations open regarding the site. Interesting side note – If and when construction resumes at some point, the city does not have to be notified until there is something for which a city inspection is required, say, a foundation; the permits are open and construction could just resume without notice.
(added 11:30 pm, video of entire debate)
Live on channel 4 – the King County Executive candidates debate each other. It just started at 9 pm; each is making an opening statement, Dow Constantine first, Susan Hutchison second. 10 PM UPDATE: Debate’s over; tomorrow (Sunday) night, it’s the first live TV debate in the Seattle Mayor race – Joe Mallahan vs. Mike McGinn on channel 7, 6 pm.
Caption that, The Harpist and The Harvest. Susan McLain played at Brockey Center tonight as the White Center Food Bank‘s annual Harvest Dinner and Auction began with eventgoers browsing the auction items:
Among the items donated for the auction, glass produce from Avalon Glassworks, highlighted on the food bank’s website recently, and artist-decorated chairs (here’s the one made by WSB’er Barb). While visiting for photos, we caught up with the food bank’s Audrey Zemke and tonight’s emcee, North Highline Fire Chief Scott LaVielle:
Local media personality Cindi Rinehart (a West Seattleite) is tonight’s auctioneer. It’s been a busy year for the food bank, one of two that serve West Seattle (along with the WS Food Bank) – and the unmet need in our state is sizable, according to this info published by the WC Food Bank last summer.
We’ve had stretches of several days without Crime Watch reports – you can see this by checking the list on the Crime Watch page – but today we’ve had a couple reports since the ones we published this morning, so here’s a second update: A car theft, and produce theft, both with descriptions shared so that you can help be on the lookout. Read on for both:Read More
(2008 photo from Nancy in North Delridge, showing a drain in need of clearing)
With our sunbreak/downpour/breeze/repeat cycle of weather today, it’s the perfect public-service announcement of sorts: The city just sent out a reminder about keeping storm drains clear, and a project in which you can participate to make sure you have what you need to do it:
Fall has arrived and the rainy season is upon us … and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) needs your help preventing flooding by keeping neighborhood street drains clear of debris.
Fall Clean is a part of SPU’s popular Adopt-A-Drain program, in which volunteers help keep storm drains free of debris. During the coming months, a combination of changing weather and falling leaves creates a perfect opportunity for flooding. Unfortunately, the utilities’ full-time drainage crews cannot keep up with all of the thousands of storm drains that need extra maintenance this time of year.
We’ll lend you free cleanup supplies – rakes, bags, gloves, shovels, brooms and dustpans. Pick them up at the following times and locations:
* October 24 and 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Seattle Public Utilities’ warehouse at 3633 East Marginal Way South.
* October 28 and 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Seattle Municipal Tower between Columbia Street and Cherry Street on 6th Avenue in downtown Seattle.
Please call or e-mail us in advance at (206) 233-7187 or adoptadrain@seattle.gov to reserve your supplies.
For more on the Adopt-a-Drain program, check out this city webpage.
That’s apparent from the deluge of car break-in reports we’ve received today – one from north West Seattle, two from south – and one WSB’er says even the police were surprised by what was taken – read on:Read More
One week from today, West Seattle environmental advocates will be part of the 350.org demonstration to call attention to climate change. Two notes about that this morning, regarding ways you can be part of it. First, CoolMom’s Terri Glaberson is about to head to Washington, D.C., to lobby our state’s U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell:
My goal is to get face to face time with both Senators to chat with them about the importance of passing a strong Climate bill THIS year. I am also hoping to take with me 350 letters in honor of that all important number 350, the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
There’s more information about the letter-writing campaign on the CoolMom site. Terri says letters of support also can be directly e-mailed to admin@coolmom.org. Meantime, part of the awareness-raising campaign includes gathering a crowd at Seattle Center next Saturday afternoon to spell out “350” (simulation above) – Sustainable West Seattle is organizing a bike ride from West Seattle to Seattle Center for the event and sends this announcement:
Please join Sustainable West Seattle as we make our voice heard demanding climate action from Washington DC on October 24 at the 350.org International Day of Climate Action at the Seattle Center and in West Seattle. 350.org is trying to bring attention to 350 ppm being the safe limit of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
Please be at the Seattle Center Fountain at 3:00 pm …. there will be booths and information as well as speakers for this event that culminates with a “human 350” aerial group photo from the top of the Space Needle. The participants will form the 3 and 5 and the fountain will become the 0.
Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board will be leading a bike ride over to Seattle Center at 12:30pm. Our participation goal will be to bring at least 350 spokes to the event at the Seattle Center (about 6 bikes worth) or 350 tires (you do the math!).
The ride leaves from Alki Kayak Tours at Seacrest Marina, 1660 Harbor Ave SW, and end up at the 350.org rally against global warming at the Seattle Center International Fountain.
Ride pace will be a moderate 10-15 mph average using more interesting “alternative routes” from West Seattle to the Seattle Center. We’ll be returning at 4:30 pm. Maps will be provided but it is preferred that we ride together. Helmets and lights are required, locks recommended.
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