West Seattle, Washington
29 Monday
Some people just get involved in politics young. That little girl seemed determined to get the day off to a running start, along with one of three groups that toured the city today to campaign for Seattle Proposition 2, the $145 million, six-year parks levy (text/pros/cons/$ impact here) that’s going before voters just as the old Pro Parks Levy expires. This group started its day with a stop at Delridge Playfield, one of the West Seattle spots that stands to benefit if the levy passes, according to West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen: (who chairs the council’s Parks Committee):
Specifically, Delridge Playfield would get $3-plus million to replace its sand fields with artificial turf; the fields were hosting games when the levy campaign stopped by today:
The official pro-Prop 2 website has a map of other projects in West Seattle (and around the city). This is one of three local money-raising measures you’ll be considering on the November 4 ballot – the others are Seattle Proposition 1, the Pike Place Market levy (text/pros/cons/$ impact here), and Sound Transit Proposition 1 (text/pros/cons/$ impact here), which would expand light rail and includes money to study a potential future expansion into West Seattle.
We’ve been telling you about West Seattle-based Northwest Hope and Healing‘s Alki Beach Run tomorrow, to raise money to help local women diagnosed with breast cancer. Should be a busy morning at the beach – we got word tonight that more than 700 participants are expected, more than triple last year’s turnout (the race format and location were different), for the 5K run/walk. But there’s still room for you to join in – register starting at 8 am at Alki Bathhouse; get details on the official website.
We’d never visited Hicks Lake, in White Center’s Lakewood Park, till we dropped by today to cover the annual cleanup there. We found the park and the 4-acre lake so lovely, we wanted to share the story with you, if you’re interested in checking out more of the green spaces that lie just beyond West Seattle; read the story here. (Also new on WCN, a short update on the White Center Swap Meet, debuting next week in the old roller rink.)
With so much development in West Seattle, many people have asked what can be done to keep historic buildings from being lost. One step: Get educated and find out what’s possible (what’s not). Historic Seattle offers a chance to do just that, just a few weeks from now, and preservation advocate Christine Palmer sent this announcement specifically for you, calling the event a “training opportunity for neighborhood residents to protect what’s left of West Seattle’s heritage” (and other neighborhoods whose residents may choose to participate):
HISTORIC SEATTLE PROVIDES A WORKSHOP FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO BECOME THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION EXPERTS
Struggling to understand Seattle’s historic preservation ordinance?
Disturbed by insensitive new construction in your neighborhood?
Seeking procedures for dealing with local historic properties?
Who is on the landmarks board anyway?PROTECTING HISTORIC SITES
Good Shepherd Center
4649 Sunnyside Avenue N., Room 202 (map)
Saturday, October 18, 2008, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Reservations required
$30 admission includes lunchHistoric Seattle will provide the answers to these questions and more at a full-day workshop featuring presentations by local historic preservation experts. Advance reservations are required! Workshop fees are $25 for Historic Seattle members and $30 for the general public. Please register online at:
www.historicseattle.org/events/eventdetail.aspx?id=303Workshop participants will enjoy a lunch delivered to the Good Shepherd Center and receive an extensive packet of useful information about local, state, and national preservation issues and opportunities. The agenda will cover the following topics:
WHAT ARE HISTORIC PROPERTIES? Presenters will provide an overview of Seattle’s diverse and unique historic resources including the distinctions between “eligible” and “designated” sites.
NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION. Want to know more about rallying local residents for preservation issues? What should you do if the owner opposes the landmark designation? What are the alternatives to designated historic buildings and neighborhoods? Would a conservation district provide enough protection?
SUCCESS STORIES FROM NEIGHBORS WHO LANDMARKED PROPERTIES IN SOUTH PARK, FREMONT, AND CAPITOL HILL
COUNTY, NATIONAL AND STATE PRESERVATION PROGRAMS. Seattle and King County preservation legislation is different, but how? What are the advantages of listing on the Washington Heritage Register or the National Register of Historic Places?
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. Help is out there, but you need to find out if your historic building qualifies.
Presenters will include:
Staff for the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board in the Seattle
Department of Neighborhoods
Local Consulting Historians and Architects
Former members of the City Landmarks Preservation Board
Staff from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation
Staff for the King County Landmarks Commission
Staff from 4Culture
And more!Deadline for registration at the workshop: Wednesday, October 15, 5:00 pm (online registration link)
By the way, if you’re wondering what West Seattle has on the list of official city landmarks – all 14 are shown here.
Just drove through West Marginal/Highland Park Way intersection on the way back from somewhere else, and noted that dozens of pink tents are still on the site to which they moved after yesterday’s city sweep of “Nickelsville.” The “new” site on state property isn’t “across the street” as some describe it; it’s an adjacent parking-lot-type clearing just over a berm from the city land (left side of the start of the first video clip in last night’s report; photo at the bottom of the official “Nickelsville” web page). One unmarked TV-news truck, mast up (likely for a 5 pm report), was visible as we passed. Organizers’ official e-mail group says 23 people (police had said 22) were arrested in yesterday afternoon’s sweep and claims all “were back on site … by 3:30.”
John and Frances Smersh posted that photo on the Facebook page (find it here) for their Admiral shop, Click! Design That Fits (one of WSB’s first sponsors), and noted it was from October 1, 2004, opening night. Tonight – another party – their fourth anniversary, with champagne, cupcakes, a jewelry sale, and more, 6-9 pm (full details on the Click! blog). 6:10 PM UPDATE: The Smershes just sent this photo of the custom Sugar Rush Baking Company cupcakes baked for the party, complete with Click! logo:
P.S. To see the official Click! news release about the anniversary – “click” ahead:Read More
That’s the start of the Ataxia Awareness “Walk ‘n’ Roll” along Alki this morning. (Here’s more about ataxia, a nervous-system disorder; here’s how to reach the local support group.) P.S. The Alki Beach Run for Northwest Hope and Healing is tomorrow (online registration is closed, but race-day registration starts 8 am tomorrow @ the bathhouse). Second note – on the way to Alki this morning, we MAY HAVE solved part of a mystery:
That tent is on the industrial site just east of the Bronson street end, which in turn is just east of Salty’s. Between the tent, the nearby rental trucks, and the lights (photo below – one of at least two such setups on the site), we think it MIGHT be … we emphasize, MIGHT … be part of the answer to the movie-site mystery we reported two days ago. Maybe.
Of course, whatever’s happening there might have happened yesterday .. might be happening tonight … or who knows when. But we’ll keep an eye out. (SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Karen says now that more setup has happened, it looks like a wedding. Oh well.) Meantime, close by, a quick pic of one of our favorite pockets of West Seattle fall colors:
That’s at Duwamish Head Greenspace. As for what else is up this weekend – check the West Seattle Weekend Lineup! Which is missing one activity we just were reminded of, in e-mail from West Seattle naturalist Stewart Wechsler, who says a few spots are still left:
Owl Hoot at Camp Long
Tonight, Sat September 27 7-9 p.m.
Ages 5 and olderA family friendly program. All ages and levels are welcome. Barred Owls
are likely (they’re usually around at Camp Long, but not always vocal or
visible) We will at least be able to see remnants of old pellets under old
perches. We’ll also keep an ear and a number of eyes out for Screech Owls,
which are possible, but not very likely anymore, since Camp Long was taken
over by Barred Owls. Great Horned sometimes show up in late October, but
we’ll try hooting for them just in case. After a short presentation with our
mounted owls of several species, we’ll look for owls. Remind me to bring
the Bat Dectector, as there are likely still some bats around. We’ll poke
around for pellets to pull apart and hear how to hoot. Please call (206)
684-7434 to register.
We’re about to enter maximum campaign intensity mode — Presidential debate last night, a campaign stop for the Parks Levy (Seattle Proposition 2) in Delridge this morning (report on that later), 
just a few examples — but it’s all a moot point if you can’t/don’t vote. The deadline is October 4th, one week from today (which will be exactly one month before Election Day). You are likely to see a LOT of voter-registration drives at busy public places and at major events all weekend as a result (even some door-to-door drives in some areas) — but if you don’t, you can register online right now. (If you need other options/more information, here’s the registration-info page on the county website.)
One week after the big victory over O’Dea, West Seattle High School‘s football team remains undefeated, beating Nathan Hale last night.
We haven’t been back yet tonight, but by all accounts, some of those who were camping on city land till police swept the site this afternoon are now on adjacent state land – this is still all part of the potential city jail site at Highland Park Way/West Marginal – and have a few days grace period there. At the end of this afternoon’s sweep, the city said 13 campers had taken them up on their offer of a shelter bed, and insisted they had room for everyone who wanted one. And tonight, there’s a new call from local legislators for the mayor to negotiate with advocates for the homeless. This afternoon, we reported on the sweep as it happened, and finally tonight have finished going through our video and photos to create a diary of sorts, in case you are interested in seeing more of what it was like:Read More
Sure, there are a million places you can talk about it. If you want to talk about it here, the 2008 Elections section of the WSB Forums is seldom quiet. (We were following the #debate08 Twitter “channel”; basically the peanut gallery, onscreen, scrolling by, with Twitter users free at any time to join the stream. It’s still going here.) Looks like a lot of Seattleites quietly watched; the live 911 log is much quieter than usual for this point on a Friday night.
Followup to our Thursday report about the “Sammich Slingers” sign sighting in the former Seattle Teriyaki/Burger storefront in the 4400 block of Fauntleroy: Called the number on the sign again today, and this time somebody answered: Otis, who runs the Greenwood barbecue joint OK Corral. He confirms this is a second location, not just a move. He didn’t want to say too much more till a key milestone in his preparations is past – probably next week. The West Seattle restaurant’s not open yet, by the way, but hopefully won’t take too long. More next week! Meantime, a short distance away, say goodbye to a familiar sign:
We were at Yasuko’s this afternoon for the occasional half-chicken which is demanded by a really rough week. Noticed the cards on the counter said “Beni Hoshi Teriyaki, The Best in Seattle.” Just a new name, an employee explained, not new owners; is the sign changing? we asked – maybe Sunday, he replied. The cards, by the way, have the Yasuko, er, Beni Hoshi menu on the flip side – very efficient use of dead trees for a takeout menu.
When we ran a quick clip of last week’s “Ladies of Laughter” headliner a few hours before she performed at the Admiral Theater, we prefaced it with something like, it’s been a week with a lot of gloomy news, so maybe you could use a laugh. And here we are a week later, and things really didn’t get much cheerier. So we hopped over to the Admiral this afternoon to talk for a moment with Susan Rice, who’s the last “Ladies of Laughter” performer, tonight and tomorrow at 10 pm at the Admiral ($25 with $5 going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer fund). We asked her how can you … or do you … come up with humor at a time like this; she answered wryly, but also thoughtfully. Read more about her here (by the way, she’s a native of Longview); tickets are available here.
We told you two weeks ago that the city had scheduled a celebration for the Orchard Street Ravine, a greenspace in Gatewood that neighbors and other volunteers have been working for years to restore. One key piece of the project isn’t done, though, so the city has just announced an open-house meeting to talk about that, one week before the celebration:
The construction of the through-trail, part of the Orchard Street Ravine project at 38th Ave. SW has been delayed due to design and project budget issues. Seattle Parks and Recreation remains committed to completing a through-trail from the street end at 38th Ave. SW to the existing lower loop trail at Orchard Street Ravine. To keep the project within its budget, Parks is proposing a new design for completing the through-trail, and would like to discuss the trail option with you at an open house at the lower loop trail site from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 4. This trail follows work done in the Pedestrian Connection Trail Feasibility Study and will link the upper and lower neighborhoods.
Here’s a map to Orchard Street Ravine.
Supposedly starting…we are almost there, more to come. Update..organizers say anyone here at 1 pm will be arrested. Huge media presence. Including us. Waiting for police. Update..they are here. Mayor communications director Robert Mak here. Another mayoral spokesperson says police will clear the site. City says they have beds for anyone who needs one. Lull in the action now (1:18) Lots of SW Precinct folks. One arrest so far. At least four arrests now…peaceful. Two more arrests now. (1:42) At least 15 arrests so far.
Photo taken at 1:50PM
2:03…police almost up to camp entrance. Still peaceful though some onlookers are boisterous in a good natured way. 2:07…orange vested city workers now confabbing on other end of site
Photo taken 2:10 PM:
Photo taken 2:26 PM as police reached the entrance of the camp (west side; they’d entered from the east and swept east to west):
2:40 Update: The police sweep is over. Police say they arrested 22 people. Those people have been taken to the Southwest Precinct for processing.They are expected to be questioned and released. 3:20 PM UPDATE: Going to open another post shortly for some of the video we brought back – no longer at the site. Just before we left, spokespeople for Seattle Police and the mayor’s office had a short news conference – basically, some of the campers have moved onto adjacent state land, and though it wasn’t put in so many words, that’s now the state’s problem, the city has cleared city land. Mayoral spokesperson Karin Zaugg-Black also noted that at least 13 people took the city up on its offer of someplace to stay, and police spokesperson Officer Mark Jamieson said social-services workers were at the SW Precinct to try to help those who were arrested.
Sunday’s the day – Northwest Hope and Healing (WSB sponsor) moves its 5K run/walk to Alki this year (photo’s from Lincoln Park last year), to raise $ to help local women fighting breast cancer (register here!). And on Alki tomorrow, you can “walk/roll” to help the fight against ataxia. 2 more weekend highlights: InfoCamp Seattle, right here on the west side, and one of WSB’s first sponsors, Click! Design That Fits, invites you to its birthday party. More than three dozen events ahead:Read More
New reason to mention the solar-power system Red Cup Espresso in The Junction has been working on: It’s one of the stops on the just-announced Seattle Solar Tour a week from tomorrow. The self-guided tour of homes and businesses with solar-power systems has three starting spots — but Red Cup is listed as a map location too. Here’s the “Seattle South” map including Red Cup; here’s the Seattle North map; and here’s the third tour section map (also on the north side). General information about the tour (co-sponsored by Seattle City Light), 10 am-4 pm Saturday 10/4, can be found here.
After noticing SDOT work at the California/Charlestown signals two days running, we checked to see what it was about — left turn? or? — and just got the answer: They’re installing “audible pedestrian-signal pushbuttons.”
After hearing two reports that city reps were expected at the West Marginal/Highland Park Way homeless encampment around 6 this morning, we headed down. No city reps yet, but the campers are moving off the site of their own volition – sort of – they are moving to the adjacent parking lot, which is believed to be state land, and perhaps not subject to the city eviction warning. 6:43 AM: About a dozen tents moved to the parking lot (cameraphone photo above). An organizer’s going around telling people, be ready to be arrested, though on the other hand, they now believe the city won’t show up this morning because too many media crews are around. 10:12 AM: Our crew is back at WSB HQ after a four-hour stakeout; we’ll check back again later, but nothing more had happened by the time we left a few minutes ago. 11:47 AM: Still there, as far as we know. A couple photos we got before leaving at midmorning; second one, the Honey Bucket folks came by to pick up two of the four portabuckets at the site – said they had a “work order” to do it and wouldn’t say anything more:
From project manager Randy Nelson:
The South Seattle Community College Library has just completed work on a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant originating from the Washington State Institute of Museum and Library Services and awarded by the Office of the Secretary of State, Washington State Library Division.
A major product of this project is this website: www.delridgehistory.org, managed by the South Seattle Community College Library. The Library has also become the depository for material connected with the project.
The project is the culmination of years of co-operation involving South Seattle Community College, Seattle Public Schools, the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, and the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. South Seattle Community College emeritus faculty Judy Bentley organized the project.
This project is part of an ongoing effort by South Seattle Community College to be involved with its neighborhood.
Thanks to Chris Hannemann for that shot of a U.S. Navy sub and a U.S. Coast Guard boat, taken from Alki. “You don’t see that every day!” Chris noted. Meantime, thanks to the state Ecology Department for sending a couple photos taken in Dumas Bay (map) but of Fauntleroy relevance:
Those photos show a trial run on Wednesday for Blue Marble Energy, which DOE hired as a contractor for removing sea lettuce when it’s necessary — in other words, when it’s causing “high odor problems” at Fauntleroy Cove and/or Dumas Bay. It didn’t happen this summer but Blue Marble needed a trial run, so the operation was set up for Wednesday at Dumas Bay. As first announced earlier this summer, Blue Marble will harvest sea lettuce for use as a replacement for petroleum products; read about it here.
That’s a view south down the sidewalk along the future 38th/Alaska building that Harbor Properties has named Link. Tonight, after its second Design Review Board session, Link won final DRB approval, but there’s more work ahead for the other project on the agenda:
One week after its unveiling at a community meeting (WSB coverage here), the Admiral Safeway rebuild proposal made its debut before Design Review Board members – who had enough concerns that they asked Safeway and its architects to come up with more options and return for a second round of Early Design Guidance. ADDED EARLY FRIDAY MORNING: Here’s the full report:Read More
… at last report, anyway, though the 72-hour grace period before eviction/clearing expired at 5 pm tonight. We’ll be checking in the early morning hours, since you never know what might happen when the TV crews pack up after the 11 pm news. And as we reported last night, at least one community liaison insisted the mayor told him that city crews would move in sometime Friday. A post in the Nickelsville Google Group says tonight that they want supporters to be there “as soon as possible … after the sun rises.” Blogging Georgetown went down this evening to check out the scene. We called the mayor’s office for comment and were told late this afternoon that the city doesn’t announce when sweeps happen, but in this case, whenever it happens, SDOT will clear the area because it’s their property, and Seattle Police will be there to assist just in case. The spokesperson also added that the mayor’s office is sensitive to the political nature of the protest, but (paraphrasing now) rules are rules.
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