West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing photos from tonight’s The Whale Trail presentation at The Hall at Fauntleroy. She reports 100 people turned out to hear from Erich Hoyt, who TWT founder Donna Sandstrom says she was thrilled to host, because: “Almost everything I know about orcas, I first learned from reading Erich’s book, ‘Orca: The Whale Called Killer,’ way back in the early ’80s.”
Note the 23-foot inflatable orca in the background – a special touch for this event. Previous Whale Trail-presented speakers have included local orca expert Mark Sears, Keep an eye on TWT’s website for future events.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:14 PM: Seattle Police are looking for “a suspect firing a BB gun out a window near 42nd SW and SW Graham” this evening. They report via Twitter that a woman was walking with a man in that area when, she told officers, she was hit by a BB in her “lower body”; SPD says she declined medical attention, saying she wasn’t hurt. No other details so far.
12:48 AM UPDATE: New information from police – a 20-year-old man was arrested in connection with this incident. Their update on SPD Blotter says he was allegedly firing BBs out of a second-floor apartment window with an Airsoft rifle, targeting cans – but one ricocheted and hit the woman.
(April photo by Greg Slader)
The Mariners have drafted right-handed pitcher Sam Hellinger, who was Metro League MVP as a member of the West Seattle High School baseball team that just finished its season as the state’s #2 3A team. Here’s the news from the Mariners’ website; the tip came from Shirley Tupper (thanks!), who adds:
He and Tim Adams are playing in the All State Baseball Tournament in Yakima, coached by WSHS’s Velko Vitalich, Kerry Tupper & Bryan Tupper. They won their first game and will be playing for the championship tomorrow afternoon at Davis High School in Yakima.
As the Mariners’ online story about the draft notes, Sam Hellinger already has ties to the organization – his dad is the team’s ticket-sales director Bob Hellinger.
(Photo courtesy Sharonn Meeks)
Interspersed among the sculpture children of “Walking on Logs” today were real live volunteers, tidying up the overgrown-during-the-winter bridge-side area. By the time they were done, there was a sizable stack of sacks. As noted in the daily preview, this was one of at least four community cleanups – anybody else with a photo to share? Let your neighbors know you took the time to help beautify our community.
In The Junction at lunchtime today, we spotted that sign outside Junction Bakery and Café, which until a remodel and name change 5 months ago had been Coffee to a Tea with Sugar: Tomorrow is their last day of business, after nine years. Not a total surprise since it’s been listed for sale; the owners aren’t commenting yet on what’s next. They will be open till 5 pm tomorrow and are then papering the windows for farewell messages.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
Fairmount Avenue through the ravine south of Harbor Avenue is closed to vehicle traffic right now for a police investigation, after an injured woman was found by the side of the road this morning. Investigators at the scene aren’t commenting, so we have a message out to the on-call SPD media-relations detective, but in the meantime, here’s what the woman who found her has told us:
She and a friend were driving down Fairmount to go for a run on Alki when they spotted the woman alongside the road. She described the victim as unconscious and obviously injured. The victim also is a runner, she told us – easy to tell, from what she was wearing and from accessories on and near her. She was found around 7 am; someone else who went through the area an hour earlier didn’t see her, our source says, so it might have happened between 6 and 7 am.
Medics took the victim to Harborview Medical Center, where a nursing supervisor tells us she is still being evaluated in the ER, so there’s no further information on her condition. The woman who found her told us police were looking into the possibility it might be a case of hit and run, which would explain why the investigators we spotted at the scene were from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad, which is summoned to crash scenes that result in major injuries (or worse). But again, they weren’t commenting – and it’s clearly early in the investigation. While we work to find out more about this, the woman who found the victim wants to remind their fellow runners: “Be careful, don’t run alone.” We’ll add updates when we find out more, and will be checking to see when Fairmount reopens.
ADDED 11:51 AM: Just talked to Det. Jeff Kappel from Seattle Police media relations. He says the victim is 54 and has life-threatening injuries. Investigators still do not know exactly what happened – likely involved some kind of vehicle (not necessarily a car), but Det. Kappel stresses they can’t rule anything out yet, so if you saw anyone in that area early this morning, especially someone who seemed to be speeding away, please call 911 and let them know – any and all potential tips appreciated. (Here’s what he published to SPD Blotter a short time ago.)
SUNDAY NIGHT NOTE: No break in the case yet – we will be checking again with SPD first thing in the morning, as well as with Harborview, where the victim remained in intensive care at last report. We also expect to have details tomorrow on a community-support run being planned by Athena and Julie, who found the victim (they talked with our friends at KING 5 today – here’s the story).
Everything must go! That’s the message from Denette and Jim, owners of the former Chuck and Sally’s Tavern site on the southwest corner of California and Graham in Morgan Junction, as they preside over a big sale today. You’ll find it in the parking lot out back:
They’re selling items big and small:
And yes, that’s a pinball machine you saw off to the left in our first photo:
Sorry, the official sign out front is not for sale – but just about everything else is. (We even noted an old-fashioned cigarette machine, from back in the day before the indoor-smoking ban.) In case you missed the backstory: Chuck and Sally’s closed in summer of 2007, then went up for lease two years ago, and a deal was signed two weeks ago by the owners of The Bridge, who hope to open in the new location this fall – the owners of their current location have re-activated the site’s years-dormant development plan, which goes back before the Southwest Design Review Board next Thursday.) Today’s sale, by the way, is scheduled to continue till 7 pm.
Quick look at some of what’s up today – please check the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar to see even more!
BUS SERVICE CHANGES: Just a reminder for bus riders, today is the day both Metro and Sound Transit “service changes” take effect, and there are changes for West Seattle riders, as detailed here.
CHUCK AND SALLY’S SALE: With the long-closed Morgan Junction tavern finally leased – as reported here last month, The Bridge will move in this fall, since the mixed-use development proposal for its current site has been revived (and goes back to Design Review next week) – C&S’s owners are selling its contents today. Here’s our preview from earlier this week. The sale is scheduled till 7 pm. (California/Graham)
VLOGGER FAIR: A first-of-its-kind gathering of vloggers (video bloggers) from around the country is happening this weekend at the Port of Seattle‘s Terminal 5 in West Seattle. Details on the official website.
COMMUNITY CLEANUPS: As previewed here last night, four are happening this morning: Walking on Logs and Admiral Adopt-A-Street, 9 am-noon; Morgan Junction Park and Delridge Way, 10 am-noon. Our preview has details of where to go to help out.
SHOREWOOD GARAGE SALES: Shorewood on the Sound, not far south of West Seattle, is having its community garage-sale day today – with sales continuing through 5 pm. Here’s the map.
FREE SHREDDING/E-CYCLING: 10 am-1 pm, you’re welcome to bring electronic recyclables and shreddables to the parking lot on 42nd SW behind West Seattle Windermere (south of SW Oregon), which is co-sponsoring the free event with the West Seattle Junction Association.
BENEFIT FOR BABIES: West Seattle Rainbow Girls are hosting a “baby shower” for PICC and invite the public to help – it’s at the Alki Masonic Center at 2 pm today; details in our calendar listing. (40th/Edmunds)
TROOP 284 SPAGHETTI DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION: Everyone’s welcome, 5-7 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Hall, to bid and to chow down, on behalf of America’s fifth-oldest continually chartered Boy Scout Troop. Cost and other details in our calendar listing. (35th/Myrtle)
ARTSWEST GALA: It’s the annual fundraising gala for ArtsWest, starting at 5:30 pm at the Seattle Design Center in SODO – details in our calendar listing. (5701 6th Avenue S.)
ORCA EXPERT SPEAKS: The Whale Trail presents Erich Hoyt, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy – details in our calendar listing, including ticket information. (9131 California SW)
Just in case you came here looking for information about an explosion-type sound around 2:45 am – this morning we have received several e-mails asking about it, describing it as loud enough to wake them up and scare their pets. So far, checking fire and police logs, we haven’t found anything confirming what it was. Those who say they heard it are in Gatewood, Lincoln Park, and Lowman Beach areas, but at least one person thinks it could have happened some distance away, to the east. We were on watch at that time, and though we’re over south Lincoln Park, we didn’t hear it. So we’re posting this in hopes someone out there might have direct knowledge to solve the mystery.
The graduations have begun! The first high-school commencement ceremony in West Seattle this year was Friday night at Seattle Lutheran High School. The Saints’ 33rd graduating class also numbered 33; family and friends gathered in the Menashe Family Gym on campus for the ceremony; we photographed them outside, just before their grand entrance. Video too:
Co-valedictorians this year were Jihyun Lee and Madison Jones; 17 – more than half – graduated with honors. The rest of West Seattle’s graduations are next week, all on our quick-reference list.
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