West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
Just in from Molly, who’s also of course alerting police:
Just a few minutes ago (4:14 to be exact) I was driving up Fairmount Avenue from the beach when my windshield was hit by a water balloon. It wasn’t from the bridge above as I was more south than that. Just wanted to let you know…
And this sort of thing isn’t exactly harmless child’s play, as noted in a similar report we published two months ago.
INSPECTION TOMORROW: The state Transportation Department just sent word that The Viaduct gets its quarterly inspection tomorrow, but NO LANE CLOSURES are needed. (Side note – the next Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee meeting re: the future of the Central Waterfront section of The Viaduct is June 26, 4 pm, City Hall.)
SHUTDOWN SATURDAY MORNING: FYI in case you would be driving that way – but also, it’s not too late to register if you want to take advantage of this every-June chance to walk on The Viaduct for a good cause — Saturday morning is the annual Race for the Cure. Still checking on the exact shutdown hours, but last year it was 7:45-11 am. The three of us do the 5K walk in R4TC every year; here’s our report on last year’s event, exactly one year ago. (P.S. You can also join in a cancer-fighting event right here in West Seattle in less than two weeks — Relay for Life at West Seattle Stadium, from 6 pm June 27 through noon June 28. We’ll have a detailed preview later this week, but for now, you can get involved by calling Karee Boone at 206-674-4105, Melissa Bazala at 206-281-3738, or Diane Redenbaugh at 206-937-2291.)
That’s the view from the beach-facing window at Tully’s on Alki, where an elementary-school field trip just cleared out, blueberry-shake samples just circulated, and we’re working out of the house for a while just because … the forecast for the rest of the week doesn’t look this good and we wanted to see the beach before the clouds return. The photo doesn’t quite do it justice but there are a LOT of people down at the beach already, and not just obvious field trips (tomorrow is the last day of classes for Seattle Public Schools)! 2:37 PM ADDITION: WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli has been out and about too – he just sent these photos from south of Alki Point.
P.S. Those are different ferries, in case you were wondering – top photo shows a Super Class ferry, second photo has an Issaquah 130 Class ferry (here’s the WSF fleet guide, for our fellow ferry fans).
Colman Pool at Lincoln Park (photo above from our feature on its pre-season opening day last month, also gorgeously sunny) is now in 7-day-a-week mode, which means you can still go after work – it’s open till 7 pm (full Colman schedule here). And that’s your only city-run option, since Southwest Pool — as reported in this WSB feature last Friday — is now closed for 3 1/2 months of renovation work. (There are some non-city-operated indoor pools in the area too – including West Seattle Family YMCA [WSB sponsor] and Allstar Fitness.)
Police confirm a break-in early this morning at West Seattle High School – Victoria tells WSB there was quite the commotion on her section of Walnut between about 3:30 am and 5:30 am, when a car apparently related to the investigation was finally towed; Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct says one “adult” was arrested and they suspect “some seniors (were) involved as well.” Thanks also to Todd for pointing out this brief online citywide-media report, which suggests the burglars had targeted computer equipment.
Michael from M3 Bodyworks (WSB sponsor) e-mailed to say he was walking his dog at Jack Block Park this morning when he happened onto a Port of Seattle employee putting up a notice about West Nile Virus. We just called the port to check whether there’s something specific to be concerned about – short answer, no; long answer, West Nile virus was first detected in King County in 2006 and health authorities suspected that would mean many cases the following year – it didn’t happen but they don’t want you to let your guard down, so local agencies are warning people to continue taking anti-mosquito precautions, reduce “mosquito-breeding habitat” (water left standing a long time – so for example, keep your bird bath changed out), and report dead birds (they’re not testing every bird, the port says, just tracking where the reports come in). The Port says King County’s website is the best info resource for West Nile (here’s the page on reporting dead birds; here’s the WNV main page).
The highest posted price for regular in West Seattle is a dime higher as of late last night than it was exactly a week earlier – though a different station now holds the “honor” of having the highest price. The map above locates each station – click and you’ll see current and past prices from our surveys; or, read on for the full text list plus who’s gone up the most in the past week and who’s gone up the least:Read More
Photos to share, and mention — first, a Father’s Day fireboat display off Beach Drive, photos at BDB. Next: a garden sighting:
As WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli observed in the note with that photo, it’s difficult to catch hummingbirds on camera – but he finally “caught” that one. Next – what’s missing in this picture?
Wendy Hughes-Jelen says tai chi is what’s missing – she can’t believe nobody’s doing it at High Point, and she has already gone to great lengths to find someone to launch outdoor sessions by the pond you see in that photo shared by Wendy. Read all about it at her blog, which includes how to reach her if you’d like to get involved with the tai chi quest. Last but not least – a photo Jerry from JetCityOrange actually sent a few days ago:
On Thursday morning, he e-mailed us the photo and this note:
Appeared overnight as one goes from Harbor Ave/Avalon onto either bridge around Nucor. Street art or vandalism? You decide.
From Bob and Bruce:
Overnight, about 3:45 a.m., coyotes were heard yipping and yodeling in the Eddy St. ravine JUST west of California Ave. (Basically behind the soon to be Morgan Junction Park. Owners of outdoor pets need to be aware that this is still a “shared environment” and quite near Lincoln Park’s wild spaces.
That would likely be not far from where this coyote photo/video report originated.
Looks like a fairly serious crash at 30th/Trenton involving a car and motorcycle; a fire official at the scene tells us the woman riding the motorcycle has just been taken to the hospital, and the injuries were serious enough that authorities will have to do a major investigation, though the people in the car (which is shown at left; the motorcycle was down in a separate spot) appeared to be OK — so avoid that stretch of Trenton, which is closed off for at least a couple blocks east of 31st (here’s a map; all this is not far from Westwood Village, so if you are heading there from the west, use the Barton entrance instead). Too soon for investigators to say exactly how/why the crash happened. 9:02 PM UPDATE: We just went by to check – the area’s still blocked off and the investigation continues. 10:22 PM UPDATE: The scene is now cleared and the road’s open again.
Beautiful day to show off classic cars – the sun gleamed off every beautifully maintained participant at the Providence Mount St. Vincent Father’s Day Car Show this afternoon – these two VERY classic cars in particular:
The owner of this one told us he really does drive it. 20 horsepower though, so it’s not much for the freeway:
“The Mount” has another big event tomorrow – a job fair, 1 pm-6 pm. Find out more here; the hilltop facility just south of The Junction says it’s West Seattle’s biggest employer.
With the City Council-appointed Parks and Green Spaces Levy Citizens Advisory Committee — which includes three West Seattle members (and had a recent hearing in Alki; WSB coverage here) — two days away from its final public hearing, more details are out about the projects that a levy would fund. According to the documents linked to the council’s home page, the committee is looking at two options for structuring the levy – but the difference between them isn’t what they would pay for, so much as what percentage of the money would go to the proposed projects. The committee wants to hear from you at the Tuesday night hearing — 5:30 pm at Seattle Center — and/or by e-mail, so here’s our West Seattle breakout of what’s on the list:Read More
From Kay McMillan, who says kids are on the waiting list for the Summer Reading Program at High Point – you can help make that list shorter:
The Youth Tutoring Program is looking for tutors in West Seattle for our Summer Reading Program!
The Summer Reading Program is a seven-week literacy-intensive program for students in grades 1-6 who are below grade level in reading. Trainings for new tutors will be held the week of June 16th. Tutoring starts June 23rd and runs through July 31st.
YTP is a non-profit tutoring program that provides one-on-one academic support to students living in low-income housing. We operate five tutoring centers throughout the city. We are in great need of volunteer tutors at our High Point tutoring center located on 35th Ave. SW in West Seattle.
Tutors commit to one evening per week for two hours and work with one student at a time on reading and writing. Available sessions are Monday through Thursday from 5:30-7:30 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5 pm
Many of our students cannot get the literacy help they need at home and depend on our tutors for academic support!
Tutoring starts June 23rd so apply today at www.ccsww.org/ytp or call 206-328-5659.
As mentioned earlier this week, Herban Feast is grilling wild-salmon burgers at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market today (10 am-2 pm, SE corner of 44th/Alaska) for Father’s Day — here’s what else you will find:Read More
On Alki tonight, the first clear night since the big beach-fire briefing at the Parks Board meeting (WSB coverage here), things weren’t too crazy at dusk – that fire ringed by tiki torches was the biggest one on the beach; Seattle Police kept watch nearby:
Right across the street, hours earlier, a cloudy morning didn’t keep West Seattle Moms of Tots from carrying on with a bake sale to fight childhood hunger — with this sweet (in more ways than one) cake among the offerings:
Selling the treats, Amy Evans and Cynthia Tamlyn, on the north side of Aimonetto:
As reported earlier in the WSB Forums, they are more than halfway to their $750 fundraising goal after this morning’s bake sale, part of a nationwide effort; even if you missed the bake sale, you can donate online here (look for the “make a gift” link on the right side of the page). Meantime, they weren’t the only ones giving their time to a good cause this Saturday morning:
If you drove along Delridge at midday today, chances are you saw at least one yellow-bag-equipped volunteer taking part in the North Delridge Adopt-a-Street cleanup. North Delridge is one of several neighborhood/community groups that make Adopt-a-Street commitments to tidy up a certain area at least once a quarter. And finally – WSB Forum Community members, who have rallied around many a good cause, got together for a fun time late today at Beveridge Place Pub – here’s one tableful:
And of course the conversation continues, online anytime, in the Forums.
While visiting the Southwest Precinct earlier this week, we asked about plans for 4th of July traffic control, in hopes we could give you an early heads-up. Lt. Norm James, second-watch commander at the precinct, quickly provided that info; we will remind you about it several more times, along with other advance coverage of West Seattle 4th of July plans (we’ll have a special page up before the week’s out), but here’s first word from Lt. James:
Over the past several years, the volume of spectators using the Alki community to watch the fireworks over Elliott Bay has grown past the ability to safely handle. The increased vehicle traffic along Alki and Harbor Ave has become a hazard for responding emergency resources. While most spectators are well-behaved, the increase in large crowd disturbances has also been noted.
To alleviate most of these issues, vehicle traffic to the Alki community will be limited on the day of the event. This will commence at 6 pm and remain in effect until the fireworks commence. Vehicle access to the Alki community will be limited to residents living within the restricted area and their guests. The basic area affected will be north of Harbor Ave at Spokane Street, north of Hamilton Viewpoint on California Ave, north of Admiral from Lander to 63rd and all of the little side streets which have access to Alki Ave. Spectators are still welcome to park their vehicles outside of the restricted area and walk to the viewing sites.
The forthcoming 4th of July page will include a map for that, as well as other holiday-related info (if you’re planning an event, big and small, that you want others to know about, e-mail us!).
As that clip shows, Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson played photographer for a few minutes at this afternoon’s Chief Sealth High School graduation: West Seattle’s school-board rep Steve Sundquist handed the superintendent his camera as he prepared to greet one of the grads ascending to the stage to receive her diploma — his daughter Leslie Sundquist. We’ve reported many Chief Sealth HS stories this year, many congratulatory and some contentious, but this afternoon was all about celebration, like the classic cap-tossing moment, which we also caught on video:
Earlier in the afternoon, principal John Boyd — Sealth Class of ’82 — noted that this class was special to him because their first year at CSHS was his first year as its principal. He also pointed out that this year’s grads received scholarships totaling more than $1 million (the list of those scholarships and other awards took up half the 12-page program!). More video from today’s event – a rap, a poem, and a-cappella – ahead:Read More
Finally, photos of a West Seattle bee swarm — Several people have e-mailed/texted/called us in the past few weeks about bee swarms turning up in their neighborhoods, and every time it happens, we roll out, only to find the bees have moved on. This afternoon, though, Christine not only sent us a text and e-mail (thank you!!!!) — she also took photos of the bees that turned up at her house near Riverview Playfield (map). Click each photo for a larger version (the little golden spots in these versions look more like bees when you view the photos that way).
Here’s what Wikipedia says about bee swarms.
It IS indeed opening day for Lincoln Park‘s wading pool – the only one in West Seattle scheduled to open this weekend – despite the slightly chilly weather. We just dropped by to check for ourselves and as we snapped that pic of the pool getting filled, the person on duty told us it will be open both days this weekend “pretty much no matter what.” Till 8 pm today, 11 am-8 pm tomorrow, toward the south end of upper Lincoln Park, near the playground on that side. And speaking of water:
Till 4 pm, at Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor) on 35th, the West Seattle Thunder fastpitch softball team will wash your car to raise money for its trip to the national championships (more details here).
And thanks to SP for sending that photo of a house in the 7100 block of Othello, just north of 31st, high in the sky. “Something you don’t see every day,” SP noted. According to the online permit, it’s being “raised and remodeled.” More West Seattle scenes later – we’ve been out checking out some other happenings, plus we’ll be photographing the Chief Sealth graduation this afternoon (two other West Seattle schools had their ceremonies Thursday night – West Seattle High School photos here; Seattle Lutheran High School photos here).
Checked your doorstep this morning? Your home might be among those randomly chosen by a group of “art attackers” who got together late last night to create and distribute whimsical homemade recycled-items art, like what’s shown above, and to the left. If this sounds familiar – they took inspiration from “West Seattle Art Attack,” whose secret surprise missions were chronicled here last year, but it’s a whole different group of people – read on for more pix and info:Read More
That’s one of our favorite flag photos from the WSB archives … taken in The Junction on Memorial Day ’07. How did June 14 get to be Flag Day, you ask? Here’s the history.
This recent post from the WSB Forums, expressing concern for an otter known to cross Alki Ave., apparently was sadly prescient. This just came in a short time ago from Randy:
Yet another reason to drive cautiously along Alki: Around 9:00 PM Friday night, I watched as an otter attempted to cross the street directly across from the viewpoint at Duwamish Head. As it bounded across the roadway it was struck and run over by a Lincoln Towncar limo, which did not stop. All that could be done was to drag its body off the roadway.
Side note – the otters in Puget Sound are river otters, not sea otters.
Two more reports to share from the WSB inbox:Read More
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