day : 15/03/2012 12 results

Police think they have solved several burglaries with two arrests in West Seattle this afternoon. First, we heard from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen, who says that a vehicle description provided by neighbors after a burglary in the 9200 block of 13th SW led officers to a car in the 1900 block of SW Brandon (here’s a map of the 2 locations), and the 2 suspects. And then, we got this report from Zach – whose home was the one broken into on 13th (he shared the broken-window photo above):

Thanks to a good neighbor and some fast-acting cops, the teenagers who broke into our home were nabbed and our belongings were recovered. One of our neighbors had noticed a suspicious car cruising the neighborhood earlier. Later, our neighbor noticed a stranger opening our front door and letting in another person who emerged from our backyard. In moments, the pair of teens left carrying our flat screen TV and a laptop. They dumped the items in the trunk of their car and drove off. … The car is a silver, four door sedan.

Our neighbor alerted the police, who were able to identify a partial plate using some of the photos our neighbor took using a cell phone. The police, Officers Thompson and Longley, were not only familiar with the owner of the car, but they were able to catch up with the suspect and recover our things. Granted, we’re out a window, but it could have been much worse.

He says one officer told him they believe the suspects “are affiliated with a network of thieving minors who are ‘hammering’ the greater Seattle area. And Zach added, “I only wish that our courts weren’t so lenient on minors. It seems like we’re making teenage crime a deal that’s just too good to pass up.” Following juvenile cases through the court system is difficult, because the documentation is not openly available as it is for adults, but we will do our best to followup. Meantime, Capt. Paulsen says police appreciate another case of “alert citizens calling 911 when they are observing suspicious circumstances in their neighborhood.”

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Roxhill’s ‘Stoehr SuperStars’ also in Global Reading Challenge finals

March 15, 2012 10:20 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Earlier this week, we brought you news of two West Seattle teams making it into the finals of the Seattle Public Library’s Global Reading Challenge competition – Da Peeps from Arbor Heights Elementary and George’s Magician’s Treasure from Alki Elementary. Tonight, we have word that a fifth-grade team from Roxhill Elementary, The Stoehr SuperStars, is in the finals too. From Roxhill’s head teacher Christopher Robert:

Jade, Cory, Natavia, Jeremy, Viridiana, Pieran, and Sarah placed second in today’s semifinal to earn a spot in the finals in two weeks. (Graham Hill placed first in today’s semifinal to earn the other spot.) All seven are students in Kristie Stoehr’s class. Their classmate, Akira, served as a coach. Congrats to the team…and good luck in the finals!

(Christopher is not only Roxhill’s head teacher, but also Pieran’s dad!) Roxhill had a team in the 2011 finals, too. Like last year, the finals are downtown on March 27th (at the Central Library auditorium).

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Video: Rep. Jay Inslee in West Seattle for High Point forum

March 15, 2012 10:00 pm

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| High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

At right with Democratic governor candidate Rep. Jay Inslee are, left, Farhiya Mohamed, and at right, Shukri Olow, High Point community builder – Shukri put together tonight’s forum at High Point Community Center, during which he spoke to and with an audience of more than 50 people. Their questions touched on topics from health care to jobs and beyond; we recorded the forum on video and ~~will add it to this story once it’s ready~~ here it is. (added 12:39 am)

The sponsoring High Point Neighborhood Association invited Republican candidate Attorney General Rob McKenna as well, but says he told them he could not attend. (He sent a representative.)

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West Seattle traffic alerts: Latest list of upcoming closures

March 15, 2012 5:55 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Three notes of interest in the weekly list of closures/changes, just out: First – next Friday night, March 22nd, southbound Highway 99 is scheduled to close overnight between Denny Way and S. Spokane St. … We first told you last week about the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure planned for early March 24th through early March 26th, for the semi-annual inspection; that’s still on the list. … From March 26th through April 6th, the 1st Avenue South offramp from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge is scheduled to be closed around the clock for surface paving. The 4th Avenue “loop” offramp will stay open. … More details of all this can be found here.

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Woman found dead off Beach Drive was murdered, SPD says

March 15, 2012 2:32 pm

| 161 COMMENTS

| Beach Drive murder | Crime | West Seattle news

(Scroll down for tonight’s newest info)

(Monday photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
2:32 PM: Three days after a woman was found dead in the water off Beach Drive, near Cormorant Cove Park – as covered here extensively on Monday – Seattle Police finally have announced that it’s being investigated as a murder case.

We have checked daily since then, and until this afternoon, they would only characterize it as a “death investigation.” But now, here’s what police are saying:

Seattle Police are asking the public for assistance in an active homicide investigation. On March 12th at approximately 7:30 a.m. a citizen reported seeing a body floating in Puget Sound approximately 30 feet off-shore of the 3800 block of Beach Drive SW. Officers and detectives responded to the scene and have since determined that the deceased, a 51-year-old female from Kent, was murdered.

Homicide detectives believe the victim (photo right) parked her car in the 4400 block of Beach Drive SW on Sunday night, March 11th. The victim had planned to take a walk along the beach but was found deceased just offshore the next morning. The suspect(s) remain at large.

If you have information about this incident or if you saw any suspicious activity, vehicles or persons in the area on the evening of Sunday, March 11th, please call 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. Anonymous tips are welcome. You can also call Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Police say the cause of death will have to be released by the Medical Examiner, which also will be the source for her name; we have heard a name from a source but will not publish it until we have confirmed it with the Medical Examiner. Police also have released this photo of her car, a 2010 Buick Lacrosse, which appears to have been photographed across from Me-Kwa-Mooks, a few blocks south of where her body was found:

Police added this to their report on SPD Blotter:

The Seattle Police would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings anytime you are outdoors and especially in the hours of darkness. This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation.

This is the second murder of the year in West Seattle; the first was a deadly shooting next to Morgan Junction Park in January (a suspect is jailed and awaiting another hearing next month).

3:20 PM UPDATE: The Medical Examiner identifies the victim as Greggette Guy but says final word on how she died is “pending.”

ADDED 5:35 PM: For those not familiar with the Beach Drive area, here’s a Google Map showing the spots where Ms. Guy’s body was found and where her car was found:

View Beach Drive locations in a larger map

One commenter wondered if flyers would be distributed in the area, to reach those who don’t see news reports about this (citywide organizations have picked it up now); we have heard from two police sources that flyers are indeed planned. (Let us know if you see any – we don’t know the timetable, but have already taken one drive through the area to look.)

6:29 PM UPDATE: We just received a scan of the flyer from Richard Worthington of Seattle Real Estate Associates (WSB sponsor):

He says police are indeed canvassing the area to ask if anyone saw anything or anybody out of the ordinary.

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West Seattle RapidRide: The first shelters are up

March 15, 2012 2:22 pm

| 38 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Another milestone in the work to convert certain stops along the path of Metro Route 54 to stops/stations for the coming-this-fall RapidRide C Line: The first shelters are going up today. As of a few minutes ago, they are complete at Fauntleroy/Rose (shown in our photos), across from the central parking lot at Lincoln Park, and Fauntleroy/Webster, by Solstice Park. These have more features than the bare-bones bench-and-sign stop we photographed last Sunday by Fauntleroy Church – they have an outside bench and one under-the-shelter seat:

The “stations” nearest to this stop will be at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal and at California/Fauntleroy – those will have electronic displays showing when the next bus is due to arrive. Here’s a C Line route map – the dark dots are stations, while light dots are “stops.” RapidRide service is scheduled to start in West Seattle in September.

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The WSBeat: Canine clash; money-wiring scam; more…

March 15, 2012 1:42 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents of note that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

*In the 4100 block of 25th SW, a woman let her dog out into her fenced yard. A stranger approached and began taunting the dog and causing it to bark. When told to leave, he responded “What are you going to do about it?” “Call the police,” the woman replied. Fortunately she took her dog inside, because the suspect quickly returned with a large dog, opened the gate, and came into the yard. He began yelling and kicking the fence but left before officers arrived. Based on the subject description, the dog description, and the fact that he could return so quickly, officers thought they knew both who they were looking for and where he lived. When they went to his home, the suspect refused to answer the door, said he hadn’t done anything and invited them to “F*#@ off” if they didn’t have a warrant.

*A local couple fell victim to a scam and wired $5,600 “bail money” after receiving a phone call claiming their granddaughter had been arrested. Before sending more funds, they discovered that their granddaughter was fine and was at home in her college town.

11 more summaries ahead:Read More

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Video: ‘Avalanche airbag’ test-fired at Mountain to Sound

March 15, 2012 1:24 pm

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| Safety | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

The unpredictable weather has led to high avalanche danger in the Cascades – and it’s already been a deadly season. But there’s some equipment available that can help boost a skier/snowboarder’s chances of avalanche survival – and one device was “test-fired” this afternoon at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in the Triangle; we stopped by to catch it on video. M2SO’s Greg Whittaker explains that the BCA Float 18 Avalanche Airbag system “can help a skier or snowboarder survive a large-magnitude avalanche by keeping them at the top of the slide to avoid trauma associated with moving snow. The Float 18 also helps victims stay on top so that they can be spotted by rescuers, as it only takes one finger to give someone a clue as to where to look.” Backcountry Access tech rep Chris Simmons – a West Seattle resident – narrated the demo. The device retails for about $700, and you can see it at M2SO (3602 SW Alaska). P.S. Yes, its air tank is refillable.

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West Seattle schools: Sanislo book sale Saturday; Literacy Night tonight

March 15, 2012 12:23 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Lots of news about reading and books this week – and here’s more. Tonight, Sanislo Elementary invites you to its Literacy Night event – 6-7 pm, “Passport to the World,” with storytelling/reading in Russian, Mandarin, and Spanish. Then on Saturday, it’s the famous Sanislo Used Book Sale, benefiting the 4th graders’ annual overnight camping trip – 10 am-2 pm (March 17th). Sanislo is at 1812 SW Myrtle.

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West Seattle Thursday: Bridge alert; Inslee @ HP; DESC comments

March 15, 2012 10:54 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Thursday: Bridge alert; Inslee @ HP; DESC comments

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Added 11:39 am: Big puddle at Fauntleroy/Raymond and Seafair-esque hydroplaning)
A few notes for tonight, before we get too much further into the day:

BRIDGE CLOSURE: We’re checking with SDOT to see if weather will affect this, but in the meantime, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct is scheduled to close tonight overnight – that means no access to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill. Details here. (11:45 am note, SDOT confirms it’s still on.)

INSLEE VISITS WEST SEATTLE: High Point Neighborhood Association presents forum with Democratic governor candidate Rep. Jay Inslee (organizers say Republican candidate Attorney General Rob McKenna was invited too but is unable to attend), 5:30 pm, HP Community Center, preview here.

CHICKEN CHAT: 6:15 pm, “Keeping Chickens in the City,” presented by Seattle Free School at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. Details and registration link here.

DELRIDGE DESC PROJECT, ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT COMMENTS: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, there’s a city meeting to listen to comments about the environmental impacts of the DESC project (as noted here) – in the context of state law, “environmental” means more than “ecological,” it includes traffic, noise, etc.

ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm meeting tonight, Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds).

LIVE MUSIC AT SKYLARK: Live music @ Skylark Café – PeopleTank, The Slags, and Gunn & The Damage Done, 9 pm, $5, 21+. Here’s the Facebook event page./

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West Seattle weather: Arbor Heights/Seola outage; downpour

March 15, 2012 8:09 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Scroll down for updates on the outage and other weather woes)

8:09 AM: Looks like another round of wild weather moving through. And while we’re not sure yet if it’s weather-related, Martha in Arbor Heights reports a power outage. She’s at the end of 35th near Seola Park and says it went out about an hour ago. The outage is not on the City Light map and we haven’t reached them for confirmation yet, but she says that when she called it in, they told her 106 homes were affected. Meantime, the National Weather Service has a “short-term” forecast alert for heavy rain, up to half an inch an hour, this morning.

8:35 AM UPDATE: Not far from Martha’s location at the end-of-35th bend, a tree on SW Seola Lane (map) is apparently to blame for the outage, according to Tbone‘s note in comments and a 6 am “wires down” listing on the 911 log.

9:41 AM UPDATE: Added a photo of the tree trouble at Seola Lane/Seola Beach Drive. City Light’s Scott Thomsen, meantime, confirmed the outage and said it should be fixed by early afternoon. He also says the SCL outage map is fixed now.

10:05 AM UPDATE: Massive downpour for the past few minutes, in line with the Weather Service’s warning (above), though a little past their timeframe.

10:55 AM UPDATE: Sage K sends word that the Delridge onramp to the West Seattle Bridge is flooded again and should be avoided. We’re going to check that out.

11:56 AM UPDATE: Seattle Public Utilities crew was on scene at the Delridge ramp puddle, clearing the drain, when we arrived. (Besides the crew members in our photo, they had a vacuum truck there, too.) Meantime, we have an update from City Light on the Seola outage:

Crew is on site. They’ve isolated the damage to restore most customers. 23 are still out. Two spans of wire are down. Estimate for restoration of service for the remaining customers is about 2:30 pm.

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West Seattle’s new school: K-5 STEM at Boren design team debuts

March 15, 2012 2:12 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The decisions made during the first meeting of the newly announced Design Team for West Seattle’s new public school, K-5 STEM at Boren, were primarily logistical.

Wednesday night’s meeting at Seattle Public Schools‘ headquarters in SODO was mostly a getting-to-know-you and stage-setting event – the opening act of five-and-a-half intensive months of work to give birth to a new school.

“You are doing very important work,” declared Dr. Cathy Thompson, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning (and a West Seattleite), to the 14 (of 16) design-team members who assembled for the history-making session.

She also pronounced the new school “a viable entity … good to go,” saying 141 applications already had been counted as of Tuesday, and that more were expected as the district continued to process what it received during open enrollment, which ended Monday afternoon. They expect to “max out” at three kindergarten classes and two each for 1st through 5th grades.

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