By Matt Wendland
Allie and Ian Fadness and Darin Brill in high spirits before loading into buses transporting racers from Olde Burien to the starting line at the Cove in Normandy Park before Sunday’s annual Cove to Clover footrace. Despite cold and rainy weather, people from across King County and all over America showed up to see if they had what it takes to make it up “Snake Hill” in this year’s 5k.
The locally controversial 30 unit, 7800 square foot, 3 story "no parking" apartment complex now called Pholston Paradise in the Morgan Junction area at 6917 California Ave. S.W. has been given a "Determination of Non Significance" by Seattle's Department of Planning and Development. This means they believe it will have no adverse environmental impacts. Building permits have not yet been issued.
It is project number # 3016077.
The project is allowed under the city code revised in 2010. That code allows even greater density with up to 8 unrelated people to an apartment. Under the proviso of the Growth Management Act of 1990 the Seattle Comprehensive plan called for 36 Urban Villages in Seattle and the Morgan Junction area is one of the villages intended to accommodate 80% of the growth.
Since the project is close enough to transit that runs every 15 minutes, no parking is required.
By Gwen Davis
Kavey Pollard knows the lifestyle struggles of low wage jobs all too well. He makes $12.75/hour as a machine operator, and while he would like to live in SeaTac, Pollard resides in Kent because it’s cheaper.
“I’m not making minimum wage, but even so, I’m barely on the ground,” he said.
Pollard’s in an interesting situation. He hardly makes enough to pay for basic living expenses, such as food and utility bills, yet he makes too much to qualify for special programs that are available to those who make even less.
Which is why he is in support of a $15/hour minimum wage. Those extra few dollars would help him out, and free his mind of constant financial worries.
“Even when you have a job like mine, it’s still hard,” he said.
A brief history: Proposition 1
Prop. 1., which voters approved last Nov. and went into effect in Jan., applies to hotels with 100 or more rooms and at least 30 nonmanagerial employees, and parking lots with more than 100 spaces and at least 25 nonmanagerial employees. An estimated 1,600 workers at a dozen airport-related businesses in SeaTac are covered by the law.
Holy Rosary West Seattle today sent out a late notice urging all volunteers or employees of the church and other interested parties to attend a special Security Breach Information Night meeting at 6:30pm. The announcement comes in the wake of the security beaches suffered by the Seattle Archdiocese which affected people all around the Seattle area shutting down schools as a result of the theft of information including social security numbers.
The meeting is intended to help anyone affected with protecting their identity.
The Announcement:
Please join us this Sunday evening, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Holy Rosary School Hall. A HRS parent who works for TransUnion (one of the 3 credit bureaus), will be walking us through the critical process of protecting our credit going forward in light of the recent security breach in the Seattle Archdiocese.
Thinking globally and acting locally usually means doing your best to recycle, dispose of chemicals properly and keeping your drains clear. But acting locally to preserve and protect the environment also means a level of public stewardship over local land including wetlands.
Wetlands prevent flooding by holding water much like a sponge. By doing so, wetlands help keep water levels normal and filter and purify the surface water in rivers, streams and in West Seattle specifically, Longfellow Creek.
The headwaters of the creek actually begin in Roxhill Park, in a wetland that is literally a bog.
But according to the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, the Roxhill Bog is in trouble.
In a well researched and in depth project report, the council says:
• The bog’s water levels are too low.
• The bog’s water levels fluctuate too much.
• The reduced water levels could eventually cause the destruction of the natural peat base, which may be irreversible.
The next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is set for March 18, @ Southwest Police Precinct, 2300 SW Webster, 7 – 8:30pm.
The precinct's new Commander, Captain Steve Wilske will provide an update on recent crime trends.
He and other officers will answer questions and address neighborhood concerns.
The guests will be Officers Andre Sinn and Sonya Fry, Recruiting Officers, Seattle Police Department. They will discuss the hiring and testing practices of the Seattle Police Department and Detective Kevin Nelson, SPD Background Investigations Unit, to discuss the background check process.
The next meeting is scheduled for April, 15, 2014. All meetings are open to the public.
For more information contact WSCPC at westseattleCPC@gmail.com
Starting March 14, the pedestrian crossing at Yesler Way and Alaskan Way to Pier 50 will be closed because of Waterfront Seattle construction.
Pedestrians will be routed one block north to cross at Columbia Street. Please allow extra time in your commute if this lengthens your walk to the Water Taxi terminal.
For more information about the waterfront project, visit www.waterfrontseattle.org; find a map at http://www.waterfrontseattle.org/construction/map
information from S.W. Historical Society
A new exhibit on work opens Saturday, March 15, 2014, at our Log House Museum. It is the second phase of a three-phase exhibit whose overall title is “Telling Our Westside Stories.” The theme of the second phase is “Work.”
To take down the first-phase exhibit (“Land,” which has been up since fall 2012) and to install the second-phase exhibit, staff will close the museum from Thursday, Feb. 27, through Friday, March 14.
The new exhibit will open to the public at noon Saturday, March 15. It will examine various types of work done over the years by residents of the Duwamish peninsula and their attitudes toward it.
Besides artifacts, photos and printed interview excerpts, the exhibit will focus on brief videos that tell stories visually in the museum’s main gallery.
The bulk of the material generated for the “Telling Our Westside Stories” exhibits comes from interviews of community elders conducted by students at Madison Middle School and supervised by volunteers of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.
Wednesday, March 12
Girls lacrosse
Bainbridge 19, Kennedy 3
The local spring sports season opened Wednesday with Kennedy Catholic taking a 19-3 loss at Bainbridge.
Ashley Cusack scored two goals for the Lancers and Ryli McLaughlin racked up the other one.
Thursday, March 13
Girls lacrosse
Seattle Prep 15, Southwest Seattle 3
The new Southwest Seattle team that includes West Seattle, the Highline School District area, Des Moines and Federal Way opened its first season on a losing note Thursday.
Southwest Seattle took a 15-3 defeat in a road game at the Montlake Playground.
Scoring for Southwest Seattle were Gabriela Rojas-Luna of Federal Way, Tajinique Ruffin of Highline and Martha Girma of West Seattle.
Taryn Gural of Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines recorded 10 saves.
By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR
South Puget Sound League North Division basketball all-star teams have been announced, with the Mount Rainier girls earning six positions and the boys team landing two.
Brittany McPhee of the Rams topped the list of girls basketball choices, capturing the Most Valuable Player award as a senior.
Twin sister Jordan McPhee earned a first team position along with junior teammate Emily Fiso.
Senior Kaiti Freeberg of the Rams was selected for honorable mention along with junior teammate Aqeelah Williams.
Mount Rainier head coach Bob Bolam tied for Coach of the Year honors with Bob Sandall of Kentridge after leading the Rams to a SPSL North championship, an overall SPSL championship, a West Central District championship and a second place state finish.
Two members of the Mount Rainier boys team were also recognized as SPSL North selections.
Senior Andrew Lenanburger was named to the second team and Rams senior teammate Jamil Wilson-Jones received honorable mention.
