West Seattle, Washington
02 Wednesday
Alex from Neighborhood House, the organization that’s building the new Neighborhood Center at High Point, shared that photo – the first solar panels are going up. NH says the HPNC will have the largest solar array in the state, and it’ll be the largest solar array atop a social-services building anywhere in the U.S. (They’ve got a sponsorship drive under way, as we reported last month.)
Nicole survived a close call on Wednesday, but would like to find the person who helped her afterward. Here’s her story:
I have lived in West Seattle for four years. I have worked at Luna Park Cafe for a little over two years. I bike to work on a regular basis. I use the Alki Bike Trail to get there. Yesterday morning I had a traumatizing incident happen and I was hoping someone out there in West Seattle could help me find the good samaritan who came to assist.
Yesterday morning, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 around 6:30 am I was biking south on the Alki Bike Trail. I was about 1 block North of the ActivSpace Building. A driver of a Honey Bucket truck was traveling North on Harbor Ave. (the street that runs next to the bike trail) The driver of the Honey Bucket truck did not see me on my bike coming straight towards him. The driver of the truck proceeded to make a right turn into a driveway. I was on my bike traveling anywhere from 15-20 miles an hour realized that the driver did not see me and put on my brakes right away. I started screaming “HEY HEY HEY” to make sure that he would noticed me.
Before I knew it my bike and I were sliding on the pavement toward the truck that was still turning into the driveway. I must have slid about 2 feet still on my bike until the lower part of my body were under the front bumper of the Honey Bucket truck. Thank goodness the driver of truck did see me and stoped the vehicle. I was able to jump right up and grab my bike. The driver asked me if I was okay and I said yes, just scraped up. I asked him “How could you not see me? He replied “It was because the sunlight was in his eyes.” At this time another truck driver stopped his vehicle and came to help out. This other driver was already in the driveway near a gate. He helped me get back on my bike and made sure I was okay.
I am looking for this friendly, helpful man. He was wearing a cap and had glasses (from what I recall). He was somewhere around 6 ft. tall, slender, and perhaps in his 50s. He had grayish color hair, beard scruff on his face and lighter colored eyes. He said that he had been a truck driver in the area for the last 10 years and always stops to look for bikers on the bike trail before he turns into the driveway. I did not get this man’s information.
Nicole says she’s doing OK, by the way, though upset about missing work. If you have any idea who the man is, leave a comment or e-mail her at nicolevela@hotmail.com.
Just received from King County Superior Court Judge Gregory Canova – the “motion for summary judgment” filed by opponents to the closure of Cooper Elementary School has been denied, three weeks after the hearing, two weeks after the emotional last day of classes. That does NOT mean the end of the case. More in a moment, and we’ll upload the document too. ADDED 2:16 PM: Here’s the two-page ruling. Excerpt:
The Court finds that there are genuine issues of material fact as to the issues presented for summary judgment which precludes the Court from concluding that plaintiffs are entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law …
In addition to this lawsuit, closure opponents also had filed federal civil-rights complaints, which as we reported the same day as the King County Superior Court hearing, have been consolidated into a “federal compliance review.” We have requests out for comment and will add whatever we receive. 4:32 PM UPDATE: Just talked with district lawyer Shannon McMinimee, who says, “We are pleased with the outcome of the summary judgment proceedings. We intend to proceed to defend this case and the other cases that were filed related to closure, which could include filing motions to dismiss all the cases over the course of the summer.” 11:19 PM UPDATE: Heard briefly from plaintiff Joy Anderson, who says, “This just means we have to go to court in the fall” – but also says she’ll likely have more to say tomorrow.
(Photo taken on a low-tide day during the Water Taxi’s recordsetting June)
Just in from King County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office:
The King County Water Taxi had another record month in June, with a total of 33,865 riders carried by the popular West Seattle-to-downtown passenger-only ferry.
The ridership represents an increase of 12.7 percent over June 2008, in which 30,046 passengers rode the Water Taxi. The year-to-date Water Taxi ridership is 85,784, as compared with 59,386 at the end of June 2008.
The Water Taxi also continued its MVP role for Mariners baseball fans returning home after games—a total of 410 people rode the four boats from Pier 55 to West Seattle’s Seacrest Park following the Mariners’ matinee (1:40 p.m. start time) win over the San Diego Padres.
“Mariners fans are a big part of our loyal Water Taxi ridership and we are happy to give them the opportunity to skip the traffic jams and take a relaxing ride home after the game,” said County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who also serves as chair of the King County Ferry District Board. “We will work to replicate the success of our West Seattle route as the King County Ferry District adds demonstration service on other routes on Puget Sound and Lake Washington.”
The King County Water Taxi will be running on a Saturday schedule on both Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. This means the first sailing from Pier 55 will be at 8:30 a.m. both days and the first sailing from West Seattle at 9:00 a.m. The last boat will leave Pier 55 at 10:30 p.m. and West Seattle at 11:00 p.m. For a complete sailing schedule, visit www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/Marine/WaterTaxi/WestSeattle-DowntownSeattle/Schedule.aspx
Alki photographer Pete Rowen sent photos of our majestic national emblem, seen not only on the near-eve of our national celebration, but with a double shot of symbolism since July 20th is coming up. He writes “… the moon shot took me forever to line up; the upper eagle’s beak is pointing to the location on the moon where the Eagle landed, 40 years ago this month.”
Thanks to everyone who shares photos and info – editor@westseattleblog.com (or if you have a news tip or question to call about, 206-293-6302) any time!
Today, we’re welcoming one of our newest sponsors, Wyatt’s Jewelers. It’s WSB tradition to offer new sponsors the chance to share information about their business: Wyatt’s Jewelers is a full-service custom jeweler, located in Westwood Village. Wyatt’s specializes in affordable custom jewelry. 
They also carry fine jewelry in all price ranges and if you don’t see what you want they can make it. Wyatt’s carries a large selection of natural gemstones and diamonds; as well as offering a full range of repairs and services. Joni and Kirk Keppler say they want to create a comfortable shopping experience where people can expect personalized service. As Kirk says, “Jewelry is such a personal expression: Everyone has a story. We help people preserve memories and create new ones.” The Kepplers and their two sons live in West Seattle. Wanting to support the community, they donate all money from watch-battery replacements to local charities, like the White Center Food Bank. Wyatt’s is located in Westwood Village, in the courtyard, next to Bed Bath & Beyond – but has just announced that it’s moving to a new storefront, next to Chico’s, in September — with a larger showroom, “stylish new look,” and a larger selection of jewelry. Wyatt’s Jewelers is online at wyattsjewelers.com; we welcome them to the WSB sponsor team, listed in full on this page along with info on how to become part of it!
Confirmed via Twitter (@freshbistro): As of July 11-12 – same weekend as West Seattle Summer Fest – The Junction’s newest restaurant, now in its second month of operation, adds brunch.
Wendy Hughes-Jelen from High Point forwards word that Steve Barham of the High Point Neighborhood Association announced via mailing list that another of the city’s much-buzzed street-food vendors, Marination Mobile – described here – is coming to HP on Saturdays, starting on the Fourth of July:
Marination will be stationed at the empty lot on 35th and Graham on Saturdays from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, starting this Saturday, July 4. That means you can [leave your car at home], walk down, get cheap food and hang out street-food-style, before going to the Diversity Festival (which will also have food but not until 3:00 PM when it starts). Hmm…if you want to get real-time updates on this like they do in LA, follow @curb_cuisine or marinationmobile.com.
Steve’s note also includes a reminder about the festival, which includes free food: “Yes, there will be tons of free food, barbecue, Somali food, and of course marinated kalbi tacos, ginger chicken tacos, and tofu tacos …” The Diversity Festival on Saturday is 3-8 pm, Commons Park in High Point. As for Marination confirmation, we’re working on that – nothing on their various sites yet but we’d read previously they were looking for a chance to visit West Seattle. 5:03 PM UPDATE: The Marination Mobile website now confirms the Saturday plan at 35th/Graham.
Google Street View caught that blufftop home at 1114 Sunset when a for-sale sign was still out front. We mentioned it here in May of last year, when Robert called our attention to its then-$4.8 million for-sale listing. We lost track of what happened to it — till it turned up in the Trustee Sales (foreclosures) section of the Daily Journal of Commerce this week. It’s scheduled to be put up for auction next week, 10 am July 10th at the county courthouse. The notice says $3.1 million principal is due along with almost $300,000 more in interest and other charges/fees; as recently as last weekend, it was listed as a “short sale” for $3.4 million; you can still get a hint of the original $4.8 million listing on the builders’ website.
Not a cloud in the sky today – Chas Redmond got that iPhone photo near The Mount, and we took one while at the Municipal Tower for The Sanctuary at Admiral‘s landmark-nomination review:
So about that forecast. We like to go with the National Weather Service version – and they’re still calling for sunny and 80s on Saturday. Before then, though, we might see 90s on Friday. (Thanks in advance for any extended-holiday-weekend photos you share – editor@westseattleblog.com any time!)
First update from tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (another to come): NDNC co-vice-chair Betsy Hoffmeister announced that they’ve secured commitments for all the volunteer help needed on Friday, July 17th, 
the day the new Delridge Community Center playground will be built – but other types of help are still needed: For one, they need more food to keep all those volunteers fed, and/or money to buy food. For two, they need tents – “awning-style tents,” Betsy explained, mostly to be used to shelter a child-care area that’ll be set up on the tennis courts, since they’re expecting some of the participants that day to bring their kids. “Everybody in the community needs to bring their tents, or else we’re going to be roasty-toasty,” she said cheerily tonight. And one last loose end: There will be a fundraising raffle, with tickets sold at the upcoming West Seattle Summer Fest, to raise a few hundred dollars needed to cover some remaining expenses. (The playground itself is costing very little thanks to donations including the umbrella organization KaBoom!, which builds playgrounds nationwide, and the Bank of America Foundation.) 
Betsy also shared an update on what’s happened to the old equipment (May photo at right) taken from the playground site (as reported last weekend, the site’s been cleared) – aside from the merry-go-round, which is in storage until it’s decided whether a grant might be pursued to get safety upgrades so it could be reinstalled, the other equipment was taken to the town of Cathlamet on the Columbia River (map), where Betsy says it was greeted with great enthusiasm. “I feel like we have a sister city there,” she said. If you can help with the food, tent and/or money needs for the July 17th playground installation, e-mail helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com – and in addition to that day, also mark July 23rd on your calendar, when the new playground will be officially celebrated.
SDOT just sent the list. No Viaduct closures this time. But the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade Saturday morning is mentioned (it does have a few traffic effects), among many other events citywide – read on:Read More
We’re on the 40th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower downtown (the city’s second tallest building!), where the city Landmarks Preservation Board meets twice a month and has just heard the presentation for The Sanctuary at Admiral, the former Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist, at 42nd/Lander (map), seeking city landmark status. (See the presentation here; see current photos of the facility in this Vintage Seattle report.) Owner Dahli Bennett, who originally bought the building for use as a private residence and then converted it into an events venue, attended the meeting and answered board questions. No one spoke during the public-comment period; board members primarily asked questions about changes made to the building, even Mollie Tremaine, an Admiral resident, who says she’d support its nomination under the criteria of “identifiable feature of the neighborhood” but not on significance of the building itself. Ultimately, the board voted in favor of nominating the building for consideration as a possible city landmark. Next, they will have to decide, at their August 5th meeting, whether to officially designate it as such. (Here’s the list of what’s already designated as a landmark in our area.)
That’s Dr. Susan Enfield, just announced as Seattle Public Schools‘ new chief academic officer, succeeding Carla Santorno (a West Seattle resident), who is taking a job with another district. Here’s the official announcement from the district:
– Following an extensive national search that included interviews by teams comprised of staff, community and labor association representatives, Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., announced the selection of Dr. Susan Enfield as the new Chief Academic Officer for Seattle Public Schools. Dr. Enfield’s appointment is effective July 6, 2009.
Most recently Dr. Enfield served as Deputy Superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools, a district of more than 26,000 students based in Vancouver, Washington, where she was instrumental in providing key systemic leadership in the design and implementation of K-12 curriculum and instruction for the school district.
“I am delighted to attract a leader of Dr. Enfield’s caliber and experience to lead learning and teaching at Seattle Public Schools,” said Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson. “This appointment furthers our focus on strengthening leadership district-wide by attracting outstanding leaders. Dr. Enfield’s proven successes demonstrate that she has the skill, passion and commitment to continue implementation of Excellence for All and to help ensure excellence for every student in every school.”
Dr. Enfield has extensive experience in curriculum and instruction. During her tenure at Evergreen Public Schools (2006 – 2009), she initiated the development of a five-year plan for math curriculum implementation and support; nearly doubled the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes; and established a Cultural Proficiency Work team to address the needs of the district’s increasingly diverse student population. Dr. Enfield also worked with a team of district staff to develop an early intervention system aimed at reducing the number of students referred to special education and hired bilingual/family liaisons to improve district outreach to key communities.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be joining Seattle Public Schools,” said Dr. Enfield. “I look forward to working with teachers, principals, staff and administrators to ensure that our students and their families are engaged and supported each and every day. This is a community that uniquely supports its children and its schools, and I am confident that working together we will reach the ambitious but achievable goals that are the foundation for Excellence for All.”
Dr. Enfield began her educational career in 1993 as a high school teacher in the Fremont Union High School District in Cupertino, California. Prior to joining Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, WA, she served as Director of Teaching and Learning at Portland Public Schools where Dr. Enfield functioned as the district’s Chief Academic Officer and increased the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards in 2004-05 and 2005-06 with students scoring higher on state assessments at every grade level. She also was the Director of the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support from August 2003-October 2004 and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education from January 2003-August 2003 for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Dr. Enfield earned her Ed.D. from Harvard University’s prestigious Urban Superintendents Program as well as an M.Ed. with a concentration in Administration, Planning and Social Policy. She has a Masters in Education from Stanford University and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley.
One year ago this month, Ercolini Park celebrated its dedication, the culmination of a lot of hard work, volunteer hours, donations of money and material, and it’s now a popular place for so many residents west of The Junction who had no neighborhood park before. And now – the work of tagging vandals at the Ercolini Park playground is sparking neighborhood outrage. David Cagen sent us photos; we have blurred most of the tagging but felt it important to at least show the extent of what they did:
The white spray-paint pattern resembles that used in the obscene words/drawings with which homes within a mile were vandalized recently (WSB coverage here); we have a call out to police to ask if there’s any link or any progress in the case. Meantime, David, who was among the many who worked on the park, writes the three letters in the tags started with W (we’re not including the whole thing) and adds:
… has anyone seen this pattern? The neighbors are on the lookout and are going to shoot some pictures of the next repeat performance. My guess is, defacing little kids’ play areas isn’t worth getting into that much trouble. The park is nobody’s but the kids, so to see it look like crap is not fun. If anyone has leads, let us know.
We followed up by asking David if the neighborhood needs help cleaning this up; he believes they will:
My guess is the city doesn’t have budget nor the time to clean this up. The plastic parts are pretty easy, they can be scrubbed, and the kids sliding have already worn off a lot. The poles and the merry-go-round are tougher and I don’t know the proper way to remove the markings without mucking up the existing paints.
The official Parks Board meeting announcement from the city Parks Department – always worth noting since West Seattle is such a hotspot of park properties:
SEATTLE PARK BOARD TO HOLD REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 9
The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold its next regularly
scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9 in the Park Board Room at
the Parks Administration Building, 100 Dexter Ave. N (the corner of
Dexter and Denny).The agenda includes:
· A Board briefing by members of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted
Parks.Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP) is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to preserving Seattle’s unique Olmsted landscape
heritage and raising awareness of the Olmsted philosophy of providing
open space for all people. Brooks Kolb, FSOP President, and Anne Knight
and Jerry Arbes, both of the FSOP Advisory Board, will present the
briefing. For more information about FSOP and Seattle’s Olmsted legacy,
please see http://www.seattle.gov/FriendsOfOlmstedParks and
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/olmsted.htm.· A Board briefing on park classification designations.The
proposed Seattle Parks classification system presents a method for
grouping parks and facilities in Seattle’s parks and open space system
based on similar characteristics, including physical characteristics,
built environment, natural environment and programming. The briefing is
intended to provide an overview of the proposed system. A briefing paper
on the proposed classification system is located at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.· Park Operating Hours – Board discussion and recommendation.As
established by City Council ordinance, most Seattle parks are open from
4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; however, the Parks Superintendent has the
authority to make exceptions. Many exceptions have been made over the
years in response to problems in some parks that include noise,
graffiti, and alcohol and drug use. As a result, Parks has a variety of
park operating hours. The Board, which heard a briefing on the issue on
February 26, 2009 and held a public hearing on May 14, 2009, will
continue the discussion it started at the June 25 meeting, and make a
recommendation on how best to create consistency in park operating hours
and to address actual and perceived neighborhood safety issues. A
briefing paper on park operating hours is at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.· Use of Synthetic Turf Policy – Board discussion and
recommendation.The Board will continue the discussion it started at the
June 25 meeting, and make a recommendation to the Superintendent on a
proposed policy on the safe use of synthetic turf at Seattle Parks and
Recreation ballfields. The Board had a staff briefing on April 23, 2009,
and a public hearing on May 28, 2009. A briefing paper and the proposed
Use of Synthetic Turf Policy are available for review at
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp.The Board of Park Commissioners is a seven-member citizen board created
by the City Charter. Three members are appointed by the Mayor and
confirmed by the City Council; three members are appointed by the City
Council; and one member is appointed by the Park Board. The Board meets
the second and fourth Thursday of each month to advise the Parks and
Recreation Superintendent, the Mayor, and the City Council on parks and
recreation matters. For more information, please contact Sandy Brooks at
206-684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov
(click to see larger, zoomable PDF version)
If you missed it at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market last Sunday – that’s the eye-catching official poster for the West Seattle Junction Summer Outdoor Movies on the Wall series, which kicks off in just two and a half weeks. And the head movie maven herself, Lora Lewis from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor), 
sent along a photo of barista Kerry (photo) – who is going to be the bachelorette in the pre-movie festivities for the kickoff showing of “The Princess Bride” (Saturday night, July 18). What Lora’s looking for now is three bachelors to come forward for the “Find a True Prince Dating Game” – send your pic/contact info to lora@hotwirecoffee.com. See the full movie slate on the official Movies on the Wall site (WSB is among the series co-sponsors; we’ll be leading you in the five-note singalong before “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” in August!)
We recorded that video six months ago, as lawyer Scott Wheat spoke at the dedication of the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse in West Seattle, talking about the tribe’s fight for legal survival. That fight is not yet won; it’s being pursued on two fronts: a lawsuit, and Congressional legislation (for which Duwamish chair Cecile Hansen is invited to travel to D.C. in two weeks to testify). And it all requires $, even though the tribe is getting a lot of pro-bono help. To help with that, the tribe invites you to the longhouse for a fundraising salmon bake noon-4 pm this Friday (with a hot-dog option too). Read on for details, and the latest on the recognition fight, described as at a “life or death moment”:Read More
Just received this announcement from West Seattle’s Kol HaNeshamah synagogue:
Kol HaNeshamah, a progressive synagogue community in West Seattle, is pleased to announce that Rabbi Anson Laytner has assumed the position of Interim Rabbi. Rabbi Laytner will lead his first service in his new role on Friday, July 3, 2009 at 7 pm at 6115 SW Hinds Street in West Seattle.
Rabbi Laytner will serve as Interim Rabbi while Kol HaNeshamah seeks to fill the permanent position recently vacated by Rabbi Michael Adam Latz. Rabbi Latz, who moved back to his hometown of Minneapolis to be near his family and to lead a synagogue there, is the founding Rabbi of Kol HaNeshamah. The synagogue was founded six years ago, bringing to life his vision of bringing a progressive synagogue to West Seattle whose values center on community and inclusiveness.
The role of Interim Rabbi is different from that of a permanent Rabbi. The role of the Interim is to support a congregation to keep a steady course–to advise and quietly guide during the transition between two permanent Rabbis. “We are thrilled that Rabbi Laytner is willing to guide us during this transitional year”, says Board President Eric Orlin.
Rabbi Laytner brings to Kol HaNeshamah an exceptional depth of wisdom as a scholar, a theologian and an experienced professional. He founded the Interfaith Council of Washington State in 1988. He directed the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle for a decade and served as the Executive Director of Multifaith Works for 12 years. Most recently, he directed the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. He is an adjunct professor at Seattle University in the School of Theology and Ministry.
Kol HaNeshamah, founded in 2003, is a progressive synagogue rejoicing in Torah, Avodah (Worship/Prayer), Tzedek and Tikkun Olam (Justice and Healing) but specializing in K’hillah (Community). We attract members from all around Seattle who believe a synagogue is a place to experience the joys of Judaism. We deeply believe in inclusiveness. For more information, please go to www.kol-haneshamah.org
…As in, less (fewer) restrictions could mean more variety in housing units. Or, so said the architects from whom City Councilmember Sally Clark 
and her Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee heard at Youngstown Arts Center Tuesday night. A fair share of the two-dozen-plus audience members came from a class at the UW, according to a shoutout from Clark as the meeting wrapped up, but those on hand also included two West Seattle architects who have spoken out on the subject before: Brandon Nicholson, who recently completed a city consultancy contract to work on part of the Multi-Family Code Update – that’s the zoning section that includes townhouses – and David Foster, a former chair of the Southwest Design Review Board (of which Nicholson is a current member, though he’s been on hiatus while on the city contract). No votes were taken, no decisions were made, but it’s another stretch of the road toward a change. Read on for details:Read More
Just circulated by Ron Angeles from the city’s Neighborhood Service Office in Delridge:
King County International Airport
July 1, 2009
Community NoticeSeattle/Tukwila/Renton metropolitan area residents may experience temporary increases in aircraft noise levels from SEAFAIR celebration events during July-August 2009. Please note the following dates:
July 29 Blue Angels Arrive
July 30 Blue Angels practice times:
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
July 31 Blue Angels performances:
1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 1 1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 2 1:20 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
August 3 Blue Angels depart
First Wednesday night of the month is the regular meeting night for two West Seattle community organizations. 
One, the Southwest District Council, does NOT meet tonight, but the other does: If you live or work in the North Delridge area, join the North Delridge Neighborhood Council at 6:30 tonight at the Delridge Library. This group has a LOT going on, including the Delridge Community Center playground-in-a-day project on July 17th (a few dozen volunteers still needed at last report – have you signed up yet? E-mail helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com ASAP!).
This morning, SPDBlotter reports on an incident we heard play out via the scanner overnight without having all the details till now: It started in West Seattle, when officers detected a stolen car and followed it onto The Viaduct; the vehicle didn’t stop until the driver crashed it in the Woodland Park area. Along the way, radio communication between officers in various areas kept the vehicle in view. Police say that after it hit a tree and signs in the north end, the suspect – who turned out to be a juvenile – bolted, and tried to break into a nearby home before getting caught with the help of a K-9 team. Here are the details on SPDBlotter. ADDED AT 10:04 AM: Two details that aren’t in that report – we checked with SPD media unit Officer Mark Jamieson to verify the West Seattle location where this started — 7100 block of 35th. He also provided the suspect’s exact age: 17.
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