Denny-Sealth update: Teachers’ union resolution
This just in from Delfino Munoz, the Chief Sealth High School teacher who has been publicly voicing concerns about the current Denny Middle School-Sealth HS shared-campus plan:
The Seattle Education Association Representative Assembly just passed a resolution calling “…on the Seattle School Board and District Administration to direct BEX III/Facilities to provide an option for rebuilding Denny at the current Denny site…”
More details when we get them. ADDED 10:01 PM: Here’s the text of the final SEA resolution, from a doc forwarded by Munoz:Read More
West Seattle Bowl: “We’re not going anywhere”
The WSB inbox gets rumor e-mails every day. We always check them out, and if they’re true, we report it here; if they’re not, we usually don’t say anything, except in an e-mail back to the original sender. Today, there’s one that we do want to mention here, even though the subject says it’s NOT TRUE: Got e-mail last night from someone saying they’d heard from a reliable source that West Seattle Bowl would be closing. Wouldn’t be hard to imagine that could make sense — other bowling alleys in the city are closing (Sunset Bowl and Leilani Lanes), and in the case of WS Bowl, the Fauntleroy Place project going in next door is going to make life on that block a little messy for a while. However, we just dropped in to ask WS Bowl in person, and manager Andy Carl says, “We’re NOT GOING ANYWHERE — our lease is good till 2017.” In fact, he told WSB, he’s doing interviews with some citywide media later this week about the future of bowling alleys in the wake of those other high-profile closures.
Traffic alert: Avoid 42nd/Alaska for a while
Just got a reader tip that traffic is starting to slow because of a medic call at 42nd/Alaska (Capco Plaza construction site) – don’t know the nature of what happened but at least two fire/medic units have responded, and our tipster saw somebody down on the ground being helped by fire crews. 11:23 AM UPDATE: Just went down to have a look – the scene is clear now.
Reader report: Anti-coyote vigilantism?
Just in from Lina:
Yesterday I was walking in Fauntleroy Park, and the entrance by the YMCA had a handwritten note alerting walkers in the park that the writer had found small bags of food in the park and this has been a method of spreading poison.
I assume that it is intended for wild animals or coyotes but often this poison/food gets ingested by pets. Either way – it is concerning to me that someone would set out poison bait – for any animals. Over the years I have also seen similar warnings in the Junction too.
Lina wonders if anyone else has heard of or seen anything like this recently, while hoping that this is NOT a case of anti-coyote vigilantism. While we try these days to keep our personal opinions off this site, we have to say, we hope so too. We have posted reader reports about coyote sightings NOT to incite you to panic, but to inform you, and so that anyone who still allows pets to roam loose outside — against experts’ advice (coyotes are far from the only threat) — might reconsider. And as an FYI, if you think you know of a coyote in a situation that is truly a danger to someone or something, King County Animal Control says they’re not the people to call — they would fall under the jurisdiction of the state Fish and Wildlife Department — which has some excellent information, including coyote myth-debunking, on this webpage.
Last look at, and thoughts about, a sunny Sunday
Thanks to Marco for that photo taken in the midday sun near the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. About the same time we received it, we also got this note from SL, which we wanted to share in the weekend’s final moments:
My wife and I just returned from a stroll in the sunshine along Alki beach. Sitting on the bench sipping our coffees (this is after all, Seattle), we soaked in the sunshine, the crystal clear spectacular views of the snow capped mountains, the cormorants on the water and the ferries and sailboats scuttling across the sound and just listened. Listened to the world walk past us enjoying the exact same thing. Mixed amidst the squeals of children’s laughter and the friendly yipping of dogs we heard animated conversations in Farsi, Hindi, Russian, Mandarin, Scottish, Spanish, Vietnamese and several other assorted dialects in addition to English. It simply reminded us again, of what we enjoy so much about living in West Seattle – the richness of beauty and cultural diversity that exists here. What a truly wonderful corner of the world we live in and what a pleasure it is to live in West Seattle.
More West Seattle wildlife sightings
Thanks to Tippy for that photo of a great blue heron taking a rooftop break on 38th south of the Admiral District … Not too far away, from along Admiral near The Bridge, we have Andy‘s report (thank you!) of the latest urban coyote sighting:
We spotted a coyote when driving down Admiral hill towards the bridge this morning. I slowed down when I thought I saw a dog running into the street, and my wife recognized it as a (large) coyote. It tried to cross Admiral right above City View St, and then ducked back into the green belt. This was at 8:45 am on Sunday.
Drivers and pet owners beware!
Reader reports: Gunshots last night near 44th/Hanford
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Two people just e-mailed WSB about this. The following account is from Luckie (thank you!):
Last night at about 7:50, three shots were fired on SW Hanford near 44th Ave, and then a car was heard speeding away toward California Ave. I immediately called 911, as did several other neighbors. This morning, I searched the area where I heard it happen, and found three bullet casings and a slug in the street. A neighbor’s car, parked on the street, now sports two bullet holes. We called the police non-emergency number, and an officer arrived about five minutes later. She gathered the evidence and took statements. I don’t wish to give any more details, but this car was a specific target—this wasn’t a random shooting.
We will be checking with the Southwest Precinct to see if there is anything more. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Lt. Steve Paulsen @ the precinct says, “We are working hard on this … [indeed] it was not a random event.”
West Seattle High School 4-period-day fans say they’ll march
The controversy over West Seattle High School‘s impending switch from 4-period days to 6-period days is simmering on; the group behind this pro-4-period blog (with a comment thread where the fur’s been flying) sent this notice last night:
“Students for Democratic Process” are sponsoring: “March of the Wildcats” on Jan. 17 … 2:30-5 pm … WSHS students are marching from WSHS to Alaska Junction to protest the school district’s decision to switch WSHS from a 4-period day to a 6-period day. We invite all pro-4 students to join in! It’s our turn to roar!!
We have a follow-up question out to organizers, asking whether this Thursday protest is intended to be a march down the sidewalk, or the sort of street march for which a city permit might be required. 12:05 PM UPDATE: Just got this from one of the parents who will serve as a “monitor” during the march:
The students (and several adult monitors) will march from WSHS to the Alaska Junction, staying on the sidewalks and crossing with the lights. Once at the Junction, they will hold signs, pass out flyers, and cross four-ways at each “walk” sign.
I have applied for a permit in the event the number of students is high, and I have provided the police at the S.W. Precinct with a copy of our application and a map of the route.
Saturday video: Sunbreak, sculpture
In case you missed the spectacular sunbreaks while, oh, say, indoors watching The Game … above, we present a snippet of video from Beach Drive, as the sun held court over Vashon. Below, we dropped by the Pigeon Point Park environmental-restoration work party (video preview here) and while the Nature Consortium folks and their volunteers were just getting going, we found artist Aaron Voronoff already well into the process of making an ever-evolving sculpture out of trash and plant debris that work-party participants were collecting:
Voronoff’s creation was to be disposed of later, by the way. The Nature Consortium tells us that most of its work parties feature environmental entertainment like this, with artists, musicians, etc.
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