West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
11:02 PM: Crews are rushing to a house-fire report in the 8500 block of 14th SW. We are on the way.
11:21 PM UPDATE: Not a major incident – no smoke or flames visible, no report of injuries. Firefighters arr starting to pack up. Our crew is waiting to talk with the incident commander.
11:50 PM UPDATE: SFD tells us that the house was “illegally occupied” – the fire is believed to have started in a hibachi and spread to the porch. They had to cut into the structure for some ventilation. They also confirm, nobody hurt. An investigator is on scene to make the official determination of the fire’s cause.
11:59 PM UPDATE: Via the scanner, SFD just updated the address for the fire scene – not the same address originally on the 911 log. The address has a 10-year history of repeated citations for alleged city-code violations such as junk storage.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says this was an accidental fire: “Transients had been occupying the vacant home. One individual removed burning ashes from a second floor fireplace and placed them in a cardboard box on the front porch which lit the porch and the void space below. The fire then traveled up into the wall. The estimated dollar loss is $5,000.”
Another West Seattle sports first is in the books:
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Wrapped in the West Seattle Soccer Club scarf – since that’s who organized this – the trophy awaited the winner of the inaugural Battle of West Seattle, a girls-soccer match between Denny International Middle School and Madison Middle School, who didn’t play during the season since they’re in different divisions.
Both had excellent seasons, as noted by WSSC – Denny (in blue) took its division; Madison was third in its division. On Friday afternoon, they played on despite a then-driving rain which sent the teams to respective tents at halftime:
Eventually, Madison emerged victorious.
Final score, 2 to 1. There’s a victory photo on the West Seattle Soccer Club Facebook page.
8:55 PM: Over the past week or so, we’ve received scattered reports of unexplained booms in the Lincoln Park vicinity. No fire/crime/injury reports resulted, so they’ve remained a mystery. We’re uphill from south Lincoln Park and just finally heard one for ourselves. We’re monitoring the scanner/911 log and if anything results, we’ll update. Nothing so far, and it’s been five-plus minutes. We also launched a discussion on the WSB Facebook page and there are several reports of people seeing a flash in the ferry-dock area at the time.
9:54 PM: An hour’s gone by, with no report of injury/fire/damage/power outage etc. (not even a 911 dispatch) So, a mystery, for now.
(Editor’s note – the women’s lineups are now added at the end of the story)
ORIGINAL 11/17 REPORT: The field is taking shape for a first-ever event next weekend – the Chief Sealth International High School alumni basketball games! This weekend, Sealth athletic director Sam Reed is announcing the men’s roster (there’s still a spot or two on the women’s side – anyone interested should e-mail kevkat8@yahoo.com ASAP). Friday (November 23rd) is the day, and here’s the rundown so far for the first-ever Nels Enquist Alumni Basketball Game, starting with the lineups:
We visited the West Seattle Food Bank just before their special donation-dropoff time wrapped up this afternoon, and operations director Steve Curry said thanks for everyone’s generosity – it had been “raining turkeys” during the three-hour window (but, he added, gesturing to what you see in the cooler in the photo, “it’ll all be gone by Wednesday”). Tonight, they would be happy to take your non-perishable food donations during the Beer Church‘s annual Turkey Bowl benefit at West Seattle Bowl; it’s just begun, and there’ll be someone there to accept your donation till 8 or so. If you can’t make it tonight, the food bank’s hours at its 35th/Morgan HQ are part of this “how to help” update we published a few days ago.
P.S. The White Center Food Bank serves part of West Seattle and its team will be at Fauntleroy Church tomorrow at 11 am with a refrigerated van to accept turkey donations – their overall holiday-help list is here.
Nothing says Christmas like … robotics. No, the robot’s not for sale, but many other handmade items are, at Seattle Lutheran High School‘s first-ever Holiday Bazaar, continuing till 5 pm. And robotics-team members are on hand as an added attraction – in our photo are SLHS junior Carina Andrews and senior Tyler Andrews. The bazaar has filled the gym:
Even if you’re not ready to shop for gifts yet, maybe decorations?
The bazaar and accompanying raffle and bake sale – complete with holiday-music soundtrack! – are scheduled to continue until 5. The gym entrance is on SW Genesee at 40th.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Out in the rain in their yellow safety vests, moms and kids from West Seattle-founded CoolMom are at the Fauntleroy ferry dock this afternoon, with a message for drivers as part of CM’s “Think Outside the Car” campaign. They’re distributing educational reminders including:
*10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it
*An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling 32 mph
*Idling 5 minutes daily emits 30 pounds of toxic pollutants and 300 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year
Idling, of course, is not just a ferry-line problem – drive-throughs are another place you can shut your engine off and help clear the air. You can get involved in the No-Idle Campaign with the info you’ll find here.
Karen‘s house was hit by burglars – and she is sharing not only the report, but also prevention advice from police:
Our home was broken into (Friday) afternoon around 1:30pm. We are on 31st between Elmgrove and Thistle.
They pried open a locked kitchen window. Our neighbor, on Elmgrove, about this time, saw a black, fairly new sports car with tinted windows parked on the block. Saw a 20-30ish white male with scruffy unshaven face, black hair, 6 feet, 170 pounds, get out of the car and walk down our block. A female, red hair, late 20’s, average size, remained in the car until she saw the neighbor looking her way, jumped into the driver’s seat and then drove away down our block. They took a computer, jewelry and cash. A few moments later, a silver BMW with 4 doors and tinted windows pulled up on Elmgrove parked outside of the neighbor’s house. She called the police and reported the vehicles because it seemed odd. Please report anything odd you see in your neighborhood! Our neighbor had great instincts. Also, don’t assume that locks on your windows will deter a thief. The police recommended we add wood blocks to every window track.
Find more burglary-prevention advice from SPD by going here.
(Refresh for newest image from WSDOT’s camera @ Fauntleroy ferry dock, a fixture on the WSB Traffic page)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:16 AM: On a busy pre-holiday weekend, this might have even more impact than it would otherwise, so please note that Washington State Ferries just announced that the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is down to two boats because the Sealth needs repairs. No estimate yet for how long that’ll take. P.S. If you’re at or near the terminal, a reminder that, as noted in our daily preview, the organization CoolMom is distributing information there later today about reducing emissions by keeping vehicle engines off while waiting.
5:49 PM UPDATE: The run is back to 3 boats as of late this afternoon.
(Coprinus at Lincoln Park, photographed by Machel Spence)
Good morning! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – including chances to fight hunger via giving (or receiving) food donations:
TURKEY GIVEAWAY: 500 turkeys and bags of groceries are to be given away in West Seattle by Eastridge Church starting at 9 am – no prerequisites, no questions asked. They’re at 39th and Oregon, across from West Seattle Bowl.
OPEN HOUSE AT J.F. HENRY: This weekend is the big open-house weekend at houseware/tableware specialists J.F. Henry Kitchen, Tableware & Gifts (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Homemade cookies, hot cocoa, special demonstrations and savings, all weekend long – 10 am-6 pm today, 10 am-5 pm Sunday.(4445 California SW)
FAUNTLEROY ART/CRAFT FAIR: Today’s day 2, 10 am-4 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), with artists and crafters selling and showing their work. Here’s our Friday report.
FIRST-EVER BAZAAR AT SLHS: 10 am-5 pm, Seattle Lutheran High School invites you to its first-ever holiday bazaar in the gym (40th/Genesee), including food/beverages and the school robotics team showing its stuff.
HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT MASONIC HALL: 10 am-4 pm, 40th and Edmunds, the Alki Masonic Hall has a holiday bazaar today too.
NORTHWEST ART AND FRAME OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-5:30 pm, with demonstrations, prize drawings, and more. Full details here – and the Facebook event page has info too.
TAKING ON FERRY IDLING: CoolMom is scheduled to spend the day raising awareness about the pollution caused by idling while you’re awaiting the ferry in Fauntleroy, 11:30 am-4:30 pm.
FAMILY FUN WITH THE HARMONICA POCKET! They’re playing High Point Community Center this morning, 10:30 am. If you didn’t buy an advance discount ticket, it’s $5/person, $20/max per family. Here’s the description from Seattle Parks:
“SINGING THANKSGIVING”: This interactive 50-minute set gets young and old alike singing American Folk tunes including Over the River and Through the Woods, Turkey in the Straw, and She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. Audience members are invited to co-create and improvise lyrics on a Harmonica Pocket original song. Give Thanks and sing names of harvest fruits and vegetables on Apple Apple. Dance, fingerplays, a waltz with a pumpkin, and zany skits tie this program up into a thoughtful, playful package.
SPECIAL DONATION DROPOFF AT WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK: 2-5 pm today, bring turkeys and other food donations directly to the WS Food Bank via its garage off SW Morgan east of 35th – more details here.
SKILLS & DRILLS BASKETBALL CLINIC: Three hours of basketball tune-up as kids get ready for the winter sports season, 2-5 pm at West Seattle High School, with guests including WSHS head coach Donald Watts and Sonics legend Slick Watts – here’s our original story with details.
LOCAL YOUTH AT YOUNGSTOWN – 2 CHANCES TO SEE THEM! Freehold’s Engaged Theater presents “Aloud,” with the cast including local youth. And it’s free! Get the details here. 4 and 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
DONATE FOOD TONIGHT DURING THE TURKEY BOWL! The bowling lanes are sold out last time we checked, but the Beer Church Turkey Bowl at West Seattle Bowl (39th/Oregon) tonight is still a fun event to watch, and the perfect chance for you to drop by with nonperishable food donations to add to the tally benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. It all starts at 5:30 pm.
GARY BENSON’S CD RELEASE PARTY: He performs and celebrates his new CD at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) tonight, 6-8 pm.
BLACK SABBATH TRIBUTE AT ZIPPY’S: In White Center, it’s Art Walk night (third Saturdays), and this is the second time that Zippy’s Giant Burgers (WSB sponsor) is presenting live music – this time, a Black Sabbath tribute band, starting at 9 pm (9614 14th SW).
NIGHTTIME BEACH WALK: 10 pm-midnight at Me-Kwa-Mooks – details here.
Even more is happening today/tonight – these are just a few highlights; check the calendar for more!
“The crowd had a lot of energy,” marveled West Seattle Helpline executive director Tara Luckie, reflecting on last weekend’s fall fundraiser at the Duwamish Longhouse. She shared photos along with words of gratitude, “thanking West Seattle neighbors and businesses for making the night a success.”
All that enthusiasm, and accompanying generosity, means, Tara says, “We raised enough in donations to assist 80 West Seattle families with staying in their homes and keeping their lights and heat on this winter.” Featured speaker was State House Rep. Eileen Cody, who won another term in this month’s election.
Lots of other ways to help Helpline with its mission this holiday season – keep an eye on its website at wshelpline.org.
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