From tonight’s PTA/PTSAs-sponsored School Board candidates’ forum at Madison Middle School: Beyond how the candidates and challengers handled questions – coverage of that, with video, to come – a new proposal for addressing West Seattle’s school-overcrowding challenges emerged.
When what the district terms “capacity management” came up, board president (and WS rep) Steve Sundquist revealed his new idea: Reopen the former Boren Junior High School in Delridge next fall for two elementary schools – one drawing from the north (whereLafayette and Schmitz Park are both overflowing) and one from the south. Reopening Boren is widely expected to be an all-but-done deal for next fall, but the rest of Sundquist’s idea is new: Work would begin on figuring out how to redevelop or renovate the closed Genesee Hill Elementary site as a new, permanent north-end school, and do the same for the leased E.C. Hughes Elementary site for the south end, with the goal of opening both in fall 2015, at which time Boren would go back to being an emergency backup site (its current designation).
We followed up with Sundquist after the forum, and he stressed that this is not a formal proposal yet – he has asked district staff to look into what it would take. He also noted that this idea would allow independent Westside School (WSB sponsor), which leased and renovated Hughes, to stay there through its five-year lease period. (We talked with Westside two weeks ago when the possibility of the campus being taken back by SPS first came up, and will follow up with them tomorrow.) The district is currently drafting a proposal to address “capacity management” for next year, following a whirlwind round of public meetings including this one in West Seattle, and a board vote is expected in mid-November.
Video from the forum – which spanned a wide range of topics, including some ongoing controversies – to be added here later! (Wednesday note: Overnight breaking news has delayed this; when we finish uploading the forum video, it will be in a separate story, but we’ll link it here.)
As SeattleFoodTruck.com called it in a note on the WSB Facebook page, there’s an “emerging food truck scene in West Seattle,” and there’s another addition to report: The owner of Snout and Company confirms that his truck plans to start showing up at Hans VW Repair in High Point, 11 am-3 pm Sundays. That’s the same lot (35th and Graham) where you can find Marination Mobile on Saturdays, 11 am-2 pm (the first food truck to have a regular schedule in West Seattle).
(Two of Highland Park’s three trucks, photographed last Saturday)
Meantime, Highland Park Improvement Club will have its third food-truck Saturday this weekend, starting at 11 (Lumpia World, Curry Now, andCharlie’s Buns & Stuff), while the new Junction food-truck pod will roll out for a second time in the Uptown Espresso (Junction, Edmunds/California/Erskine) lot on Friday at 11 (Bigfood, Fusion on the Run, Raney Brothers’ Barbecue), with a Sunday addition expected this week (BUNS, 11 am) … and these are just the food trucks that rove around the city – yes, we know WS has a few “fixed” trucks too.
As the spooky season begins in a few days, one of the first festivities is the annual Halloween-time production by the West Seattle-based Cabiri, an 11-person troupe of acrobats, contortionists, aerialists, and dancers. This year, the show is “The Ghost Game: Winternacht,” described in the Cabiri’s announcement as “a dark, festive evening of dessert theater featuring aerial acrobatics, modern dance, and scary winter tales from folklore and mythology.” Suitable for 15 and up, they say (a little too scary for youth below that age). Not only does the setting at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center give you a close-up look at the flying, dancing performers “depicting ghosts, witches, and cold, wintry tales from ages long since past,” Winternacht also offers treats from dessert sponsors including Sugar Rush Baking Company and Dilettante Mocha Café. The show opens this Friday (October 21st); Sunday (October 23rd) is pay-what-you-can night, October 30th is “PG night” (OK for 10 and up), and Halloween is “audience storyteller night.” You can buy tickets online here.
After a few WSB’er inquiries, we’ve checked in with the companies opening Umpqua Bank (which just joined the WSB sponsor team) and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (here’s our July story) in the new commercial building on the northwest side of the Admiral Safeway site. Umpqua tells us they’re tentatively planning on November 2nd, while a Menchie’s spokesperson says, “Unfortunately we do not have a confirmed date, but we expect that it will open in early November.”
(Photo added 3:37 pm – police off SW Alaska, block west of Delridge) 1:55 PM: Police are still in North Delridge searching for two burglary suspects – and have arrested two others. Part of the search has involved the West Seattle Golf Course. Here’s what Seattle Police Officer Renée Witt says happened: They got a call around quarter till 1 about a burglary in the 5400 block of 30th SW. Someone saw suspects described as three black males and one heavyset black female, all in their 20s, one male with gray sweatshirt and black pants. First the person who called police was out looking for them; then police arrived, saw two suspects, saw two more run onto the Golf Course from SW Brandon. Two arrests were made, but an extensive search continues for the other two. We’re awaiting more information from police to see if they have any additional descriptive information about the two they’re still seeking.
2:14 PM UPDATE: Officer Witt just shared updated information – ONE suspect in custody, two others still being sought, and there’s still an “active track inside the golf course.”
3:37 PM UPDATE: That hasn’t stopped the golfing, in case you wondered – at least not along the north side of the course (SW Genesee) when we drove by a little while ago. Meantime, police were still combing the neighborhood as of our check (photo added above). If no formal updates come within the next few hours, we’ll check at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Councilmeeting, 7 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster), all welcome to hear about crime trends and discuss neighborhood crime concerns.
Seattle Police report this morning that the man they’ve been seeking in connection with at least five cases of indecent exposure – including an incident in Alki’s Whale Tail Park area – is in custody. From SPD Blotter:
The man detectives believe responsible for at least 5 indecent exposure incidents was arrested at his residence in Kenmore this morning at approximately 1:00 a.m. During the course of their investigation, detectives discovered that the suspect had been at Westlake Park, participating in Occupy Wall Street. Flyers of the suspect was circulated to officers and the public at the event.
The suspect was booked into King County Jail this morning for Investigation of Indecent Exposure.
ADDED 11:16 AM: The suspect is 29 years old, according to online records. So far court records do not show anything major.
ADDED 3:49 PM: Since he is not yet charged, we are not using his name, but the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he is scheduled for a bail hearing tomorrow.
Last night, at the second community design meeting – spirited despite a turnout with a grand total of seven – though possible replacement “castles” were shown, in the end, a “fort”-style design proved the most popular.
This was the meeting to present a “schematic design” for the $450,000 playground overhaul, which will be built at the same time as the adjacent Roxhill Skatespot. It also tackled site issues beyond the future play structure.
You might have noticed the scene at Fauntleroy/Alaska/38th if you drove by on the way to work, or walked past to catch a bus: The pageantry of stocking a new Les Schwab Tires store is in full swing, or more like full roll. When we toured the site with area manager Rich Baalman last week, he told us that around 7 am on opening day, tire-laden semi’s would roll in from distribution headquarters in Prineville, Oregon, and the 40-plus store managers he supervises would get busy getting them inside the new store:
Once the tires are all out of the trucks and in the store, around mid-morning, they’ll open for business – this is the basement of the one-time Huling Brothers used-car-lot building, filling up fast:
On the counter, a different set of stacks that will eventually be tackled:
The company has about 400 stores, all in Western states, selling tires and wheels as well as offering related services (such as brakes/shocks/alignment).
AT THE LIBRARIES: From the Seattle Public Library Calendar of Events, what’s up at local branches today/tonight: Toddler Story Time, 10:30 am, West Seattle branch; Baby Story Time, 11:30 am, Southwest branch; Somali Story Time, 1:30 pm, High Point branch.
JOB SEARCH HELP: “Notes from the Job Search” meets Tuesdays at C&P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), 11 am, networking and support for job-seekers.
BOOK RELEASE PARTY: 7 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), “The Strangest Tribe” book release party. Join Stephen Tow, the author of “The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge,” plus, compete in grunge trivia and catch a special live performance by The Tom Price Desert Classic.
As the spooky season begins in a few days, one of the first festivities is the annual Halloween-time production by the West Seattle-based 
They got a call around quarter till 1 about a burglary in the 5400 block of 30th SW. Someone saw suspects described as three black males and one heavyset black female, all in their 20s, one male with gray sweatshirt and black pants. First the person who called police was out looking for them; then police arrived, saw two suspects, saw two more run onto the Golf Course from SW Brandon. Two arrests were made, but an extensive search continues for the other two. We’re awaiting more information from police to see if they have any additional descriptive information about the 
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