day : 28/03/2012 14 results

Two and a half weeks after 51-year-old Greggette Guy, a former West Seattleite, was found dead in the water off Beach Drive, there is still no word of a break in the murder case, though we inquired with police again today. The last public statement about the case came eight nights ago, when Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen spoke to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (here’s our coverage, with video of what he said). Beach Drive residents, meantime, continue to note increased police visibility, and Beach Drive Blog is advocating for more lighting (here’s their latest report).

And today, we heard again from Ms. Guy’s brother-in-law, who contacted us last Friday once they set up a memorial fund (here’s our story from that night). Dennis Guy offered information for donating at bank branches; we asked if they were also setting up a way to donate online, and now, they have accomplished that:

A web page has been created with the Memorial Fund information: Go to greggetteguymemorial.home.comcast.net.

A memorial fund has been set up in Greggette’s name. The fund will be used to erect a memorial, if permitted, at the park where she died and/or to add to the reward for information about her death. If you wish to donate, please use one of the donation options below.

Donation Options:
1. Go to any Bank of America and make a deposit in the account with the following details:

Name on Account: Dwight K. Guy
Account Number: 138100402807

2. For existing PayPal users, please use the Send Money tab on your PayPal page to send a personal gift to greggetteguymemorialfund@gmail.com. This will avoid any fees.

3. For those without an existing PayPal account and wishing to donate electronically, please click on the Donate button on the website.

Thank you to those that have donated so far.

Our coverage of the case is archived (in reverse chronological order) here. If you have any information that might be related to the case, call 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line, 206-233-5000 (police say anonymous tips are welcome).

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West Seattle community service: LaFarge crew hits the street

March 28, 2012 7:05 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

We frequently feature photos of people from West Seattle nonprofits, schools, and churches out doing good deeds – but this is a reminder that businesses do, too. Thanks to LaShanna for sharing the photo of LaFarge workers along West Marginal Way SW today, during what she says is an ongoing bimonthly cleanup project. (Let us know – either with advance word or with a photo afterward – what community service YOUR business is up to.)

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As raingardens approach reality, trepidation grows on a Sunrise Heights block

March 28, 2012 4:41 pm

| 22 COMMENTS

| Environment | Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news | Westwood

(7900 block of 30th SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Tonight, Sunrise Heights/Westwood residents are expected to find out if the county thinks the planting strips in front of their homes are the best prospective sites for raingardens to reduce sewer overflows miles away.

The plan has been two-plus years in the making, as the county’s preferred solution to the problem of Puget Sound overflows from the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry dock – but only now is it becoming less abstract, more real, as final decisions get closer. And that is worrying the people who live in the 7900 block of 30th SW, who have asked County Executive Dow Constantine to stop the project.

After the county announced two meetings for tonight and Saturday morning, resident Sabrina Urquhart sent a “media advisory” to make sure the meetings would be covered.

We asked if she and her neighbors would be willing to talk in advance about their concerns. So a small group gathered in her living room Monday evening – joining Sabrina were neighbors Heather, Jim, and Kevin.

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West Seattle schools: Chanda Oatis is Alki’s permanent principal

March 28, 2012 3:52 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

More big news from Alki Elementary School (in the wake of last night’s big win) – after five months as interim principal, Chanda Oatis is now its permanent principal. Here’s the letter families are receiving, from interim district superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield:

Today I am delighted to announce that I have appointed Chanda E. Oatis as the principal for Alki Elementary. She has been serving as Interim Principal since October and has been a great fit for the community.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Charges filed in Alki gunfire

March 28, 2012 3:19 pm

| 20 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

That is WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli‘s photograph of police arresting 26-year-old Nicholas Jae Bowman early Sunday on Harbor Avenue SW, for allegedly shooting at people in the Alki business district. WSB policy is to usually not publish names/faces until someone is charged – and now, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms, Bowman is charged in the case.

He is due in court April 11th to answer one count of second-degree assault. Court documents say it all started late Saturday night when several 911 callers reported a man pointing a gun at people outside the Bamboo Bar and Grill; he ran away, but then was seen driving in the area, and firing his gun at a man behind nearby Cactus Restaurant. No one was hit or hurt. A description of Bowman and his car enabled police to stop him a short time later (as we reported in ongoing Sunday morning coverage); court documents say he told them he had a .45-caliber handgun in his glove box, and officers found a .45 bullet and brass knuckles when they arrested him. Investigators say three guns, including a semiautomatic .45, are registered to Bowman. Prosecutors are asking that he be required to give them up while the case is pending. Though he has no known criminal history, they write, “his actions in the present case warrant extreme caution,” and that’s why they also are asking the court to keep his bail set at $100,000.

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Happy anniversary: Heartland Café/Benbow Room turns 2

March 28, 2012 3:07 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

When Heartland Café proprietor Jay Wergin sent this anniversary announcement, we asked him if he had any photos to go along with it – not just an exterior, but something with Heartland people. He says the resulting photo, atop this story, shows his staff from the Christmas Party – and he says everybody in it is still working there. So here’s what’s in store for the celebration, starting TOMORROW (Thursday 3/29):

Monday, April 2nd marks the Heartland Café and Benbow Room’s 2nd year anniversary.

We have a jam-packed 4-day weekend planned for this event with a touring band from Portland, Smiley, Get Dressed along with Seattle band The Underwater Tiger hitting the stage on Thursday night @ 9 pm. — On Friday @ 9 pm we have 3 bands playing, Can’t Complain, Swingset Showdown and Animals In Cars. — On Saturday, we have some local alternative/soul/cool jazz playing the Benbow Room, solo artist Scott Concinnity from Letters From Traffic and the Amelia Circle band. On Sunday we will be offering food specials in the main dining room.

On the actual day of our anniversary we will be offering “metal and fried chicken” (21 yrs and older only). There will be a live broadcast viewing of Chris Yardley’s Killzone featuring music from Attackhead and Subject7 via ReebLive! There will also be interviews with band members as well as an interview with Chris Yardley — The best part is, you get to taste our famous fried chicken for free! Yes, you heard it right — come and eat fried chicken from 6-8 pm. Our usual Monday special applies as well: $1 PBR Tall Boys and $2 chili dogs 3-9 pm (bar only).

— Yoo Betcha!

The Heartland/Benbow is in the Admiral District at 4210 SW Admiral Way.

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West Seattle schools: Denny/Sealth Somali Family Night

March 28, 2012 2:07 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

From Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark:

Last night, we held a successful Somali Family Night here at Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School. The event went well with over 65 parents in attendance. Workshops were held on topics including school involvement and supporting your child academically.

We are always so impressed with the results when we reach out to our community — parents shared new ideas that we will use to make our connection with them even stronger.

Principal Kinsey and I would like to extend a special thank you to the following people for their help in making this event a success:

Christine Mattfeld, Leticia Clausen, Mohamed Mohamud, Abdirahman Ahmed, Burhan Farah, Mohamed Roble, Farhiya Omer, Martha Lemberg, Jol Raymond, Vanessa Garcia, Jeff Smith, and many others.

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‘Robust’ discussion needed re: encampments, say councilmembers

March 28, 2012 12:21 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Nickelsville encampment | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s time for city leaders to have a “robust discussion” on city policy regarding homeless encampments, City Councilmembers agreed at a committee meeting that just concluded. As first revealed by WSB Forums member JoB in this post last night, the Planning and Land Use Committee was going to consider an amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan that would have suggested the city supports them being hosted by religious institutions, only. That drew opposition in public comment at the start of the committee meeting, and when the item finally came up for discussion, its sponsor, Councilmember Tim Burgess, ultimately withdrew it, after he and other members agreed it’s time for that “robust discussion.” They said Mayor McGinn plans to propose legislation this spring (Burgess said he believes the proposal will open the door for “many more encampments”) that might provide the springboard for that discussion.

This issue is of particular note in West Seattle because the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” has been in a sort of limbo on city-owned land here for almost a year; the mayor told WSB after the encampment’s arrival that he would not seek to have it evicted, but the city has not granted requests to allow the encampment to connect to utilities, so it continues to operate with porta-potties and without running water.

ADDED 3:10 PM: We’ve obtained from the mayor’s office a copy of his e-mail cited by councilmembers at this morning’s meeting, expressing concern about Burgess’s amendment and saying he will be proposing city legislation soon. Read it here.

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West Seattle’s landmark Hainsworth House up for sale

March 28, 2012 11:01 am

| 17 COMMENTS

| West Seattle history | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(Historic photo from King County Assessor’s website)
Five years after it last changed hands, West Seattle’s Hainsworth House – a city landmark, at 2657 37th SW, is on the market again (thanks to Fiona for spotting the listing). The 103-year-old, 4-bedroom, 4-bath mansion is listed for $2.25 million. Its significance as an example of “Tudor Revival” architecture is described in the fourth-from-last paragraph on this HistoryLink.org page.

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Followup: California SW paving now set for next week

March 28, 2012 10:17 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

An update today on the SDOT plan we reported last week – repaving another block-plus of California SW, between SW Hudson and SW Dawson south of The Junction. They were hoping to do it this week, but weather changed the plan to next week, and they have just announced that if the weather doesn’t get in the way again, the work will be done next Tuesday through Friday. At least one lane will stay open each way for the duration. More details here.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Design Team; CSO raingardens; HPAC

March 28, 2012 8:49 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Wednesday: Design Team; CSO raingardens; HPAC

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

PUBLIC LIBRARY STORY TIMES: 11:30 am at Southwest branch (35th/Henderson), it’s Preschool Story Time; 5 pm at High Point branch (35th/Raymond), it’s Somali Story Time.

K-5 STEM AT BOREN DESIGN MEETING: It’s the second meeting of the Design Team – which includes community members – for this new West Seattle public elementary school. 6:15 pm at district headquarters in SODO; details and map in our calendar listing.

‘GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE’ MEETING: A meeting tonight will present the next steps in the county’s plan to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) at the Barton Pump Station by building “green stormwater infrastructure” – raingardens, bioswales – uphill in some parts of Sunrise Heights and Westwood. 6:30 pm, Westside School (7740 34th SW); here’s our preview story from last week.

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Agenda highlights are here; the meeting’s at 7 pm (optional 6:30 pm potluck precedes it), HP Improvement Club, 12th and Holden.

LAST WEEK FOR ‘LITTLE VOICE’: Tonight at 7:30 pm, it’s the fourth-to-last performance of “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” at ArtsWest.

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West Seattle schools: Tickets on sale for Madison’s 1st musical

March 28, 2012 8:24 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

“Madison is VERY excited!” according to the website announcement from Madison Middle School about its first musical: “Beauty and the Beast,” to be performed at 7 pm April 6th and 10 am April 7th in the West Seattle High School Theater. (Thanks to Jenny for sending us a heads-up.) School productions can sell out, so if you want to be sure to get tickets, you can buy them in advance through the school office, $10/ticket (3429 45th SW).

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Post-Easter ‘recycling’: West Seattle egg collection for fertilizer

March 28, 2012 7:58 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| Gardening | West Seattle news

If you’re boiling eggs to decorate for Easter, and expecting to throw them away or put them in your food-waste recycling cart – here’s an alternative: Paul West of Gardening with Urban Nitrogen wants to collect them! He says he’s doing this “as a pilot project to develop local fertilizer alternatives to replace the exotic organic fertilizers that are typically used in urban gardens” and if you will donate to his experiment, he’ll arrange to pick up your Easter eggs from your front porch (West Seattle only) the morning of April 9th, provided they’re set out by 8 am. Then he’ll grind them into garden fertilizer and report to Sustainable West Seattle by the end of the growing season. The point he’s trying to draw attention to:

Urban food wastes such as eggs, milk, beans, and other high protein, low-fat foods are great sources of nitrogen. These typically end up at the Cedar Grove Composting facility where they get mixed with low-fertility wastes. Meanwhile, urban gardeners buy organic fertilizers (blood meal, fish emulsion, sea kelp, rock phosphate) from far-away places to grow their vegetables. This project fosters food security and local resource development.

West says he needs more than 1,000 eggs to make this work. To arrange to contribute, e-mail him at peedublyou@gmail.com.

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Video: 3rd meeting for DESC Delridge Advisory Committee

March 28, 2012 1:55 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| DESC Delridge project | West Seattle news

A wide-ranging agenda Tuesday night for the third meeting of the Advisory Committee formed as a means of addressing community concerns regarding DESC‘s planned Delridge Supportive Housing project. (Our coverage of the first meeting is here, the second meeting here.) Above, our unedited video of the entire 2-hour meeting (makes better audio than video – we apologize for awkward angles on a few public commenters because of where they stood to speak in relation to where our photographer was positioned).

Toplines, ahead:Read More

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