April 2015

Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board will consider nomination of the Daniel Webster Elementary School (3014 NW 67th Street) and the Daniel Bagley Elementary School (7821/7901 Stone Avenue N) on Wednesday, May 6 at 3:30 p.m. in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4060.

The public is invited to attend the meeting and make comments. Written comments should be received by the Landmarks Preservation Board at the following address by May 5 at 3:00 p.m.:

Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649 (mailing address)

Before Robert Spector came to West Seattle 38 years ago, he was a Chicago guy. He was pretty much broke (his words) and looking for something to do.

He met famous N.W. photographer Jerry Gay in downtown Seattle. Gay offered him an office and a typewriter if Robert would agree to help him publish a picture weekly magazine (Picture Magazine).

The magazine hung on for few years. Robert cut his teeth writing copy, which led to a lifelong effort in writing and editing. He’d had a little experience spending summers working at the Perth-Amboy Daily News.

Fast forward. Robert is leaving town. He met his wife here and his daughter, Faye (now 27), was born here. But he wants to slow down to the pace of life in Bellingham.

Volunteers Urgently Needed to Advocate for Long-Term Care Residents
Volunteers are needed in the Burien, Des Moines, SeaTac, Tukwila, West Seattle & White Center communities. Volunteers must attend training to get state certified and then devote 4 hours/week to visit and monitor assigned facilities. The 4 day Washington State Training/Certification Program is May 5, 6, 21 & 27, 9-5 p.m. daily. A volunteer ombudsman makes visits to long-term care facilities to meet with residents and their families, providing information on resident rights and working to resolve problems on behalf of residents. For information or to register: Juanita Beale at 206.623.0816 or juanitab@mschelps.org Visit: www.waombudsman.org

Spring Recycle Roundup
Fauntleroy Church Parking Lot
9140 California Ave. SW
Sun., April 26, 9-3 p.m. 1 Green Planet will take a wide variety of items, from computers to clothes dryers. Visit www.fauntleroyucc.org for a long list of what 1 Green Planet can accept for free, responsible recycling and a short list of what it cannot. Donations welcome.

The land use application has been filed with the Department of Planning and Development for the 63 bed Living Care Lifestyles memory care facility at 4515 41st Ave SW.

Designed by NK Architects the facility will have 9 parking spaces. It has passed through two design review meetings but still requires a building and demolition permit to remove the existing structures on the site.

It is listed with DPD as permit #3016395
http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus/project.aspx?id=3016935

By Pat Cashman

As I write this I am sitting at Sea-Tac airport. I want to catch some sleep---so I’ve decided to climb into a plane’s cargo hold. It’s apparently the thing to do when you need a quick nap. Once you awaken, just bang on the wall and someone will turn the plane around and deliver you right back to the airport. Try it. It’s trending.

In the terminal, it’s hard not to notice the recycling bins everywhere. Other major U.S. airports are considered tops for on-time flights, reliable baggage handling and modern efficiency. Sea-Tac is considered the tops in trash---and the collecting of it.

The fact is arriving travelers at Sea-Tac are simply getting a preview of what’s waiting for them in the town itself. Mandatory composting rules took effect here back in January---and life as it was once known changed forever.

Experts say that understanding all the new rules is easy as pie. Pie may or may not be compostable---but pie pans are. Certain pies should simply be tossed into the garbage. Like the one I made for the neighborhood Super Bowl party.

R.I.P. K-9 Jimmy
Tragic news came in the early morning hours of April 18 when the K-9 with the King County Sheriff’s Office, Jimmy, was killed near Tukwila. A German shepherd, Jimmy was only two-years-old at the time of his death and had been with the department since November 2014.

Deputy Travis Brunner had taken Jimmy to Cecil Moses Park for late night training, something that the two had done on shift many times before. Jimmy was outfitted with a strobe light and harness at the time.

During the exercises Jimmy broke free and ran through a hole in the chain link fence, making his way onto the freeway. Once on the highway a semi-truck hit Jimmy without stopping. It is unclear if the truck driver was even aware that he had hit the dog.

Fisticuffs and vodka
On April 9 a homeless thief managed to steal over $100 worth of alcohol from the Rite Aid on California Ave. S.W. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. and was not captured on surveillance video.

Three people were injured when their car traveling north on SW Henderson Place shortly after 4:00 am on April 20 first struck a curb, then a tree causing the car to essentially disintegrate.

All three were conscious but had to be pulled from the wreckage, put on stretchers and taken to Harboview Medical Center.

The driver was a 22 year old male, another passenger was a 17 year old female and another male who both got out of the car after the accident.

The car appeared to have rolled at least once shearing off the roof.

The third victim, the driver proved to be more difficult as fire fighters struggled with extricating him since he was partially trapped in the wrecked car.

No cause for the accident has yet been determined but Seattle Police Accident investigators were on the scene looking into what happened.

The Seattle Fire Department quickly responded to a multiple vehicle accident in the 3900 block of California Ave SW shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19.

A witness told the Herald that two cars were traveling Northbound on California Ave SW at a high rate of speed when a white car passed another car, fishtailed, and lost control sliding across the center lane and slammed into a parked car on the shoulder, completely flipping it onto the sidewalk.

Two young men that were in the white car got out after the crash, one grabbed a dog that was in the back seat and loaded the dog into the other vehicle that was with them and told them to take off. The two men then took off themselves, leaving the woman trapped inside. The female victim was extricated from the vehicle by Seattle Fire using the Jaws of Life and then was transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.

Seattle Police are searching for the two males who fled the scene and gave a description white males with white or light colored T-shirts, one in shorts, one in pants, both late teens, early 20s, slender build, about 6′ tall.

information from The Whale Trail

What is the difference between a sea otter and a river otter? Where do they live, what do they eat, and what role do humans play in their environment? Join us to learn about these fascinating and playful creatures who share our shores.

Leo Shaw will discuss the natural history of river and sea otters in North America, with a special focus on the river otters of West Seattle! His talk will cover human interactions, population swings, social structure, anatomy and physiology food preferences, legal status, and current threats.

Buy tickets early to reserve your seat. And hurry! This will sell out.

This is the next in a series Orca Talks hosted by The Whale Trail in West Seattle. The event also features updates from Seal Sitters, and Diver Laura James (tox-ick.org). You otter be there!

About the Speaker

Leo Shaw is a zoologist who served as a Marine Education Specialist with the Seattle Aquarium from 1977 to 2005. Now retired, he continues to work part-time on Beach Naturalist and Citizen Science programs for the Aquarium.

The Highline School Board voted to appoint Chung (Joe) Van of SeaTac to the Director District 3 position during a special meeting on April 15.

He participated in his first School Board meeting as a board member directly following his oath of office and the special meeting.

"Joe has an extremely strong record of involvement in the SeaTac community, and we are excited that he will now be contributing to the entire district," said School Board President Bernie Dorsey.

Van is a 1995 graduate of Tyee High School and holds an AA in Administration of Justice from Highline Community College. He and his wife Leslee, also a Tyee graduate, have three children attending McMicken Heights Elementary.

His children, Carter, Kyra, and Ethan, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the April 15 School Board meeting.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to serve," said Van. "I consider all the kids in our schools my kids."

Van is employed as a supervisor at Owens & Minor medical supply distribution center in Sumner. He serves on the City of SeaTac Human Services Advisory Committee and is active in a number of civic activities. He speaks fluent Vietnamese.