West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
(WSB photo taken on Alki, November 2007)
Two more notes this morning on the still-smoldering re-emergence of the notion of banning beach fires on Alki (and at Golden Gardens) — First, City Councilmember Sally Clark has posted a blog entry panning the prospective ban, writing in part:
Let me just say that if there’s one thing I believe it is that we have a God-given right to have bonfires on the beach. Yes, I care about global warming and I believe that we all must make changes small and large in our lives to keep the planet alive. However, I cannot support extinguishing beach bonfires. Beach bonfires are not killing the planet. Hummers, coal-fired power plants, routine air travel, and single-occupancy car commutes are killing the planet.
Second, we’ve now read through the document that’s part of the “briefing” that park commissioners will get this Thursday (read the full document here). Here’s one point that didn’t get much play before Superintendent Tim Gallagher‘s “clarification” announcement late yesterday saying “no action this year”: The list of possible restrictions includes the idea of requiring people to pay for permits to have beach fires. The memo says Parks spends $60,000 a year to manage the beach-fire program and didn’t expect much immediate cost savings even if a ban were implemented: “Even with the cessation of the beach fire programs, park resources maintenance staff will still need to respond to illegal fires with cleanup until the public understands and accepts a no beach fire policy as a logical element of the CAN Initiative.” We sent a note late last night to Superintendent Gallagher to double/triplecheck that his “no action this year” statement meant NONE of these changes would be put in place this year, meaning COMPLETE status quo — he e-mailed back early this morning, “No change this year.” As for what happens for next year and beyond – we’ll keep watch.
Full list in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup; couple of highlights — Freedom Church (35th/Roxbury) is throwing a party 10 am-4 pm and you’re invited — there’s a lot percolating at the ex-Safeway-turned-church site as it builds a “Village of Hope” that eventually is envisioned to include housing and community services; today’s event celebrates their ownership of the site and vision of the future. Meantime, another notable event happens outside West Seattle — City Councilmember Sally Clark (whose recent Junction walking tour was covered here) convenes her “Townhomes – Can the Patient Be Saved?” forum on Capitol Hill at 10 am today (original WSB report here; details from Clark’s site, including location and map, here). Our favorite excerpt from the description on her site — “The morning will start with a few examples of the good, the OK and the fatally wounded.”
L to R in this photo from Seattle Public Schools‘ “School Beat”: Zenaida Lopez and Nita Tino (West Seattle Elementary); Cynthia Linder (Cooper Elementary); Pauline Hance (Highland Park Elementary); Carmen Maymi O’Reilly, Family Support Worker and parent leader trainer; and Ayaan Aden (Cooper).
We often get – and share – info from Seattle Public Schools celebrating achievements by students and teachers. SPS’ latest newsletter also includes this bit of news about what a group of parents — most with ties to West Seattle schools — is doing:
Ten parent leaders at five elementary schools coordinated and implemented more than 22 family engagement events this school year which impacted more than 2,360 family members. Seattle Public Schools’ Readiness To Learn (RTL) project began training parent leaders in 2006 and will have trained 24 by June 2009. Parent leaders are identified by principals and staff, and have natural skills in connecting with others. They receive training in cross-cultural communication, effective leadership, how to help others navigate schools and the critical things parents and families can do to support their children’s school success. Schools with active parent leader programs are: Cooper, Dearborn Park, Highland Park, T.T. Minor, and West Seattle elementary schools. The RTL program is exploring ways to expand to additional schools next year.
When new sponsors join WSB, we offer them the chance to share a little more information than you’ll find in their ads. Tonight, we welcome Lori Wright, who’s advertising her tutoring service — The Inquisitive Mind — just as summer break is about to start. Here’s more about it: “When Lori Wright went to Whitworth College she intended to become a school counselor. Her advisors guided her toward teaching. After completing her education degree Lori started tutoring at a Bellevue agency. She enjoyed the tutoring so much that she has stayed with it for the last 16 years. Lori started her Masters in School Counseling at SPU but eventually stayed with individualized tutoring. After management experience with two different tutoring centers, Lori started tutoring privately as The Inquisitive Mind in 1997. After moving to West Seattle in 2006, she closed her office in North Seattle and began tutoring out of her new home. Her husband John is a math teacher. Lori’s focus is on working directly with students, she does not have any staff, so when you call The Inquisitive Mind you know you are working directly with Lori. She collaborates extensively with parents, teachers, school counselors, academic testing centers and others as requested by families to help assure the best opportunity for her students. This collaboration is an integral part of her tutoring service for many families. Lori considers her tutoring as the best blend of both worlds of interest to her, part-teacher and at times part-school-counselor.” You can reach The Inquisitive Mind by calling 206-763-3424 or checking out the website at theinquisitivemind.com. Thanks to Lori for choosing to sponsor WSB; if you would like to look into the possibility of doing that too, here’s the place to start (that page also includes our full current list of sponsors, all of whom thank you — as do we — for your support!).
Pardon the tardiness — here are the West Seattle weekend highlights, 43 of them:Read More
Sent this afternoon by the Parks Department in the wake of our report last night and others:
… Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher clarified that Parks does not intend to take any action this year [on the proposed beach-bonfire ban].
The briefing is an opportunity to make the Board, which has many new members, aware of the costs and issues associated with beach fires, and to let them know what the options are for regulating them.
In 2004, Parks did a substantial analysis of the issues surrounding beach fires after receiving a citation from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for allowing the burning of illegal fuels. Parks decided at that time, with the support of the Park Board, to continue them with some education and regulation.
Parks continues to receive a steady trickle of complaints about associated behaviors–drinking, loud music, and huge amounts of trash, and continues to have concerns about the costs of managing the program.
We also heard late today from Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter, who we had e-mailed to ask about the process that would be involved in making any sort of decision on this – she notes that it would be an “administrative” matter, not a “legislative” matter. Potter also forwarded the briefing paper that the board will be reviewing for next Thursday’s meeting; you can read it here.
Harbor Properties‘ Emi Baldowin tells WSB the big white sign’s going up Monday at 38th/Alaska, site of the next residential/retail project it’s planning in The Junction area (city project page here; coverage of last Design Review meeting here). The site includes former Huling land that’s been headquarters for Hi-Yu float work this summer, as well as West Seattle Montessori School, which we’re told has found a location for next year, in White Center; Baldowin says HP is still talking with WSMS about having a permanent home in the new development. She adds that construction at this site likely will start in late winter.
After we mentioned Wednesday night that the date has been set for the long-awaited cleanup along Fauntleroy from Walking on Logs to 35th, people started asking how to sign up. Nancy Driver, who announced the date at that night’s Southwest District Council meeting, has posted this followup comment, and we’re highlighting it here in case you didn’t check back on the original report:
The Fairmount Community Association, in conjunction with the West Seattle Neighborhood Service Center (Dept. of Neighborhoods) is organizing a major clean up of the green area from the Walking on Logs sculptures up to the intersection of Fauntleroy and 35th. The date for the clean up is SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th. The City of Seattle will be providing equipment, tools and assistance but this clean up is a substantial project and we will need lots of volunteers. Additional details will be posted on the WS Blog in the coming weeks. If you are interested in helping out with this project, please email your name, email address and phone number to ndriver@quidnunc.net. This will be a fun event and a chance to help beautify your community so get your name on the volunteer list and mark your calendar.
As promised the other night, when King County Councilmember Dow Constantine told the Southwest District Council that the Elliott Bay Water Taxi’s ridership was up 17 percent over last year (as of mid-May), we now have the complete May report, and it has other interesting details — read on:Read More
Matt Johnston just broke the news at his West Seattle-based (but covering skating issues citywide) site seattleskateparks.org: Now it looks like Delridge will be the site for a West Seattle skatepark. Read Matt’s story here.
Thanks to Rick for the tip – 5 months after the demolition permit was granted, it’s finally teardown time at the house at 5933 California — future townhouses, next to the townhouses that are almost done on the ex-Guadalajara Hacienda site. Here’s the “before” photo:
Six townhouse units and one single-family home are slated to be built at the site (city project page here).
From the WSB inbox (an update on a program we first reported 2 1/2 months ago):
Since late March, nearly fifty meals have been provided by community members for the 20 men staying at the SHARE shelter at the West Seattle Church of the Nazarene! Thank you to all those who have participated. The meal schedule is looking pretty empty these days, though. Please consider providing a breakfast or dinner this summer. Once, once in awhile, or a regular commitment—all offers are gratefully appreciated. Please see westseattlemeals.airset.com for more information and for open dates on the calendar. Folks who have questions or want to provide a meal should contact Donna Pierce with:
· the date(s) you’d like to provide a meal
· plans for delivery
· your phone number and e-mail addressThank you for your generosity and willingness to help others at a difficult time in their lives.
Just 3 days ago, we republished the “West Seattle 101” chapter celebrating Alki Beach fires. Now, it seems, they once again are in danger of being extinguished forever: Tonight there’s word that when the city Parks Board meets next Thursday, members will hear about a proposed ban on beach fires at Alki and elsewhere — in the name of climate change. The online agenda says the proposal is to “eliminate beach fires as part of the Climate Action Now program.” The board meets 7 pm Thursday, 100 Dexter Avenue North. (It’s listed as a briefing, not a public hearing.) This is the second time in four years that a beach-fire ban’s been proposed. The city website says the briefing paper on this will be available online tomorrow on the Parks Board page.
That photo came in late tonight from Tim, who writes:
I happened upon the aftermath of a traffic accident earlier that left a pickup truck turned over at the west end of the bridge. The attached photo shows the truck, rear gate removed, and was taken about where the statues are at the west end of the bridge. The occupant(s) must have been transported by the time I drove past; there were three SPD cars but no other emergency vehicles on the scene at 8:32. Traffic was getting past, albeit slowly, in both directions.
911 call for this was not major so here’s hoping that means whoever was in the truck was not badly hurt.
Next door to the now-shuttered Corner Inn in Morgan Junction, some have noticed work under way at the former Beveridge Place Pub site. A permit has just been issued for some preliminary work, so we called the person listed as the project contact to find out what’s up: Paul Larkin tells WSB that he and West Seattle residents Jeff Gilbert and Matt Johnson are opening a “21-and-over restaurant and lounge,” hoping to be up and running in three to four months.
First: The city has added more information to the “public outreach” page of the seattle.gov section focusing on the jail proposal. See it here; it includes this link to information gathered from 50 community leaders (including Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who gave us the heads-up that this info is now online – thanks!) during the process that narrowed a list of potential sites down to four, including two in southeast West Seattle (see the map above). SECOND: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s has provided more information on the county ordinance officially proposed today, as first mentioned by Constantine during Monday night’s Highland Park meeting (WSB coverage here), to extend the contract the county has with cities for handling misdemeanor inmates, till a “regional solution” can be found rather than a patchwork of city jails like a prospective new one for Seattle. Councilmember Larry Gossett is the main sponsor, with all others joining as co-sponsors. It now moves to the Committee of the Whole, which Constantine chairs, where a committee hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 9:30 am June 16th. Read the first version of the ordinance here. After that hearing, the next meetings scheduled on the jail-sites issue are Highland Park’s meeting on June 23 (get the latest at the Highland Park Action Committee site) and the city-organized meetings – June 26 in South Park, July 26 at SSCC (full details here).
(photo added 3:40 pm)
ORIGINAL REPORT: Thanks to those who have called/e-mailed about the major police presence in the 16th/Trenton vicinity (map) and beyond — police tell us they are looking for an armed-robbery suspect who got away on foot. Working to get info on what/where was robbed. 3 PM UPDATE: More information from Detective Nick Bauer at SWP: Officers are going through neighborhoods in the late 8000s/9000 block areas of 16th and 17th looking for the robber, who held up the GameStop store on Roxbury with a gun. He even pointed the gun at an officer at one point but managed to get away. We’ll keep you updated on the search as we find out more. 3:18 PM UPDATE: Lt. Steve Paulsen just confirmed that the suspect has been arrested. 3:33 PM UPDATE: GameStop has this sign on the front door.
Police were still inside the store interviewing employees about the incident as of 3:20 pm. We have a phone call and email into their coporate headquarters in Texas to see when the store might reopen.
We’ve brought you a few chapters (here, here, and here) in the story of Addie Killam, the college student soon to be returning home to West Seattle to continue her rehabilitation after a bizarre surfing injury left her with a physical disability. The outpouring of help brings this message from Carrie Rasmussen, who e-mailed it to people including us, and gave us permission to share it here:
*As many of you know a few months ago we had a good family friend who is only 20 years old become paralyzed in a spring break surfing accident. At this point her prognosis is permanent paralysis from the ribs down. If there were ever a young woman that I would want my daughter to aspire to be like it would be our friend Addie. She posses many amazing qualities; kindness, dedication and through this all has maintained a positive attitude that God has a different plan in mind for her.
Over the past few weekends there have been several people; family friends, schoolmates from Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Names Academy, fellow Girl Scouts, her brothers friends from Boy Scouts, her parents co-workers etc. who have been working on a home in West Seattle, getting it wheel chair accessible for when she comes home. It is inspiration enough to see all these people who know and love her and her family working countless hours to get things ready.
We as well have spent some time over the past few weekends helping out and Hanna sold lemonade for donations to put into Addie’s account. There have been so many people it is hard to know who is who and how they are connected. This past weekend I saw a gentleman who, when he wasn’t helping build the back deck, was taking some pictures. I had seen him there the previous weekends working but not known who he was, but then again, there were several people I didn’t know. I asked him if he would mind emailing them (the pictures) to me so I could add them to the work party blog (http://addiespeeps.blogspot.com) I am maintaining.
As I was getting ready to update the blog I referenced back to one of the original postings done on Addie and her story on the West Seattle Blog. I noticed that there were new comments and had seen aside from emailing me the pictures the gentleman, whom I now know as “Steve”, had posted a link with the photos to his personal blog.
I realize my story is getting long but bear with me because here is the really inspiring part. I went to Steve’s personal blog and read that he *did not know* our friend Addie, he had *never* met her or her family. He had simply seen her story on the WS Blog and he along with several other friends (6 adults and 1 baby) from his church group decided to spend their Memorial Day weekend at her home pitching in. They then came back this past weekend (with 2 new volunteers) and with the help of some donations from their church, planted a beautiful garden outside of Addie’s new bedroom window so she will always have something beautiful to look at. Amazing!
I must say when I discovered that total strangers rallied together and have spent not just one, but multiple weekends to help someone they do not know and are not connected to is some way, I was inspired. How incredibly full their hearts must feel to purposely make time for others………they do not know……….just because. How cool is that!
That group has given me a gift, one that I hope I can pass along. We all have been given the same amount of time in a day, how you spend it is what matters. That group of people will be my inspiration to seek out doing good for others, just because.
As promised last night, we have more information from the Southwest Precinct today regarding a 12-year-old girl reporting being molested during a field trip at Camp Long last week. Lt. Steve Paulsen tells WSB that the incident was reported through the North Precinct, which is the area where the victim lives; SWP and the Special Assault Unit are now investigating. “We take incidents such as this very seriously,” Lt. Paulsen adds, and says his staff will get a schedule of events such as field trips and group activities at Camp Long so they can keep an extra eye out.
Thanks to “Alkiguy” for sharing these photos from low tide at Alki yesterday – lowest of the year (-4.1 per this chart), but today’s low tide is almost as low (-4.0 at 12:39 pm).
From tonight’s monthly meeting of the Southwest District Council, which includes representatives of neighborhood associations and other major organizations in the area of West Seattle that the city considers the “Southwest District” (map of all “districts” here):
HELP CLEAN UP A MAJOR GATEWAY TO WEST SEATTLE: It’s been discussed here before, and now the date is set: The volunteer cleanup from 35th/Fauntleroy to “Walking on Logs” is set for Sept. 13, as announced at tonight’s meeting by Nancy Driver. Mark your calendar!
WATER TAXI RIDERSHIP UP: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine attended tonight’s meeting and provided a quick preview of recent ridership stats — Elliott Bay Water Taxi operation: Through the middle of May, readership is up 17 percent over last year. (We’re expecting the full May stats soon.) Two factors are considered to be in play — higher gas prices and higher Water Taxi awareness.
RAPIDRIDE REACTION: With the latest news about West Seattle RapidRide (WSB coverage here), Constantine got an earful of concerns about the latest details on the forthcoming bus service. He promised to report the concerns to Metro leadership and his colleagues.
VIADUCT MEETING: The Southwest and Delridge District Councils plan to discuss the latest on The Viaduct at their next joint meeting, coming up in September.
JAIL-SITES FIGHT: Monday night’s Highland Park meeting on the jail sites (WSB coverage here) was summarized, and new Highland Park Action Committee chair Dorsol Plants spoke to the SWDC and asked the council to write a letter expressing concern about the two proposed West Seattle sites; council reps agreed to do that and are consulting their respective organizations. Councilmember Constantine said that tomorrow is when he plans to introduce the proposal he mentioned at Monday night’s Highland Park meeting — proposing that the county extend its agreement to house cities’ misdemeanor offenders till a regional solution can be found, rather than having Seattle and other cities each pursue their own potential new jail sites. He says the county council’s Committee of the Whole, which he chairs, will get the proposal on Monday, with a hearing and action scheduled later. (If you missed it earlier, this morning the city announced dates for its public meetings on the jail sites – details here.)
We will ask the Southwest Precinct about this first thing in the morning, but in the meantime, channel 13 reported tonight that a 12-year-old girl said she was molested at Camp Long last week. Here’s the online writeup of their report, including a description of the suspect.
Was it tide-related trouble, a resident’s boat, or just a temporary stop? A WSB reader who wishes to be anonymous sent that photo and this question:
I was jogging through Lincoln Park late this afternoon with cameraphone in tote and snapped a pic of a beached sailboat at the south end of the park, toward the ferry terminal. The boat appeared to be anchored in the water on side and tethered to the drift wood from the other. The name of the boat, barely visible in these pics, is “Cheeky Bosom.” I’m 100% serious about that. Anyone know the story of what happened? I didn’t see an owner of the boat anywhere.
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