day : 15/11/2007 10 results

Columbian Way-WS Bridge-I-5 ramp update: It’s over

Can’t tell so far from the sound of the scanner transmissions HOW it ended, but the incident that closed the West Seattle Bridge ramp to NB I-5 *is* over and police and DOT crews are in the process of reopening everything.

Thursday night notes

November 15, 2007 9:24 pm
|    Comments Off on Thursday night notes
 |   Safety | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

-As of this writing, the West Seattle Bridge ramp to northbound I-5 is STILL closed because of the situation which, piecing together various accounts (see comments on post below), appears to involve public-safety/emergency workers trying to talk someone off their perch on that ramp. This has been ongoing for almost 11 hours, according to the city 911 log, which shows the incident open since units were first sent to a “rope rescue” at Columbian/12th at 10:27 this morning.

-WSB reader Venkat found an advance link to an article in this Sunday’s New York Times about “what you get for $900,000” in several real-estate markets. One is right here in “West Seattle, Washington,” where the article features an Alki condo.

-We mentioned last week that the city Parks Department is holding meetings all around the city in the next few weeks to gather thoughts about what should be in its forthcoming Strategic Business Plan. We also promised to let you know when a link was up for an online survey to be offered to people who couldn’t attend those meetings. Now it’s up — go to this page and follow the “short online survey” link.

When you go shopping tonight, tomorrow, or over the weekend …

… get an extra turkey for the West Seattle Food Bank. We checked with WSFB today to see what they really need for last-minute donations before Thanksgiving, and they said it’s all about turkeys. Frozen OR fresh. Bring one (or more) to the Food Bank tomorrow (Friday) 9 am to 3 pm, or Monday 11 am-3 pm. The Food Bank is in the West Seattle Community Resource Building at 35th & Morgan (map). See our most recent updates on who they help and how you can help here (with video) and here.

Verdict in the first ex-Huling trial

Paul Rimbey: Guilty. Sentencing is set for January 4. The other two suspects are set to return to court later this month.

Beware if you’re heading to I-5

Thanks to everybody who let us know about this – there’s been trouble the past couple hours in the vicinity of the West Seattle Bridge ramp to I-5 north – avoid it if you can – we’re checking on the status. 4:05 PM UPDATE: The ramp is still reported closed. Here is a link to the status updates at Traffic.com. 5:35 PM STATUS CHECK: All online sources still show this situation continuing; besides the Traffic.com link above, here’s the 710 AM radio “incidents” page. 7:40 PM STATUS CHECK: Not over yet. Click the comment link on this post to read, among other comments, more on exactly what and who one WSB reader saw while passing by. Meantime, here’s the image for the city traffic cam showing the area (refresh this page for the latest grab).

Car vs. pole update: Repairs under way

November 15, 2007 1:49 pm
|    Comments Off on Car vs. pole update: Repairs under way
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news

pole1.jpg

Crews are out fixing the pole in front of the ex-FSA HQ – the car that hit it (see post below) is gone.

Reader Recommendation Request: Neighborhood opinions, plus …

We seem to have a geographically specific theme going so far today — North Delridge — so we’re adding this Reader Recommendation Request e-mailed the other day by WSB reader “Coffee Geek“:

We are pondering a move to the north Delridge neighborhood … somewhere between Delridge and Avalon. I’m curious what people in the area have to say about living in the neighborhood. How are the neighbors? How “safe” is it relative to the rest of West Seattle? I’d like to move and not be any more worried about break-ins, vandalism, or getting harassed while walking the dogs at night …. all of which happened in a sketchy ‘hood in Chicago. Having said that, we do appreciate and enjoy the diversity West Seattle offers. Thanks!

Post your thoughts in the comments. Also relevant to this topic – just heard this morning about neighborhood info on yet another real-estate website, neighborhoods.realtor.com — Grazing through its list of 400-plus Seattle neighborhoods, we found Delridge, North Delridge, and South Delridge, as well as Alki, Fairmount Park, Fauntleroy, Gatewood, High Point, North Admiral, Westwood Village, and the basic West Seattle. (Those links will take you to the “setting and lifestyle” info that the site lists for each neighborhood — with cutesy names to describe the demographics, such as, for North Delridge, “Home Sweet Home,” “Young Influentials,” and “Suburban Sprawl.”)

There’s gotta be a catch

New low-low-low-price West Seattle real-estate listing: 4801 23rd Ave SW 480123rd.jpg(map shows that’s a couple blocks off Delridge), 7 bedrooms/4 baths, described as “a serious fixer that needs a lot of work, not for the faint of heart,” $175,000. The listing agent’s page doesn’t have photos, but you can find them on search pages like this from other agents’ sites (from which we have pulled the photo @ left). County property records show its owner bought it for more than twice that two years ago. Googling the address shows an appliance-repair business there at some point, but nothing more nefarious, aside from a city stop-work order on some remodeling/rebuilding there earlier this year. Hmm.

Delridge crash: Precarious position

Thanks to several people who e-mailed WSB to let us know about a car hitting a pole on Delridge — right by the famous flag — here’s the first photo, from Pete:

carvsdelridge.jpg

ADDED 10:15 AM: Another angle, from David:

davidcarphoto.JPG

Earlier “eyewitness account” removed – Steph notes, different accident. Sorry.

Along Avalon

November 15, 2007 5:58 am
|    Comments Off on Along Avalon
 |   West Seattle businesses

Lots going on in one of West Seattle’s most compact and eclectic business districts, SW Avalon heading uphill south from Harbor (map):

-At 2940 SW Avalon, Murphy’s Furniture Studio is presenting a “Girls’ Night Out” event tonight, 6-9 pm, promising food, wine, door prizes, mini-spa treatments from neighboring Ola (discussed in the comments on the recent WSB RRR for salons). Bring donations for the West Seattle Food Bank (which is now at peak time for collecting Thanksgiving food items).

-A bit further uphill, at 2992 Avalon, the Tillicum Village offices just announced something new in time for the holiday-shopping season: A Gift Gallery open to shoppers, with items including original Native American carvings, other art pieces, jewelry, drums, amd clothing. It’s open 9 am-5 pm Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm Saturday.