You can help! Fairmount Ravine ivy-fighting, Saturday morning
If you can pull some ivy, the place to do it to make a BIG difference this Saturday (April 5th) is the Fairmount Ravine. You’ll recall that the annual ravine cleanup last month was followed up by a plan for a second session to save the greenbelt from all that ivy. It’s set for Saturday, and Sarah Schieron sends an update:
This afternoon my husband and I met with Michael Yadrick, an ecologist with the City of Seattle in the Fairmount Ravine. He gave us some history of the space and a better understanding of current work taking place in this greenbelt.
We also learned that if our community makes a bigger commitment to this space, the city will as well.
So, we are especially hoping for some able bodies this Saturday at 9 am. The City is lending us tools, signage (seen below), and orange vests. Please plan to join us!
Meet at Fairmount and Forest, just east of Hiawatha.
Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights CC: ‘Wall of buses’ progress; SPD briefing; more
Busy agenda at last night’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council (WWRHAH) meeting – police, transit, and more.
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TRANSIT HUB UPDATE/WESTWOOD SAFETY: More progress in a longrunning major issue for WWRHAH – chair Amanda Kay Helmick says Metro is going to make small adjustments to the “wall of buses” stop along the south side of Barton (WSB photo, above, from coverage of December WWRHAH walking tour). First, the 21: Instead of being outbound from 26th/Barton, they’re going to move up to layover and leave from 35th/Roxbury. Helmick said 3-6 pm was the prime time for the “wall.” Helmick said she toured Westwood Village with an SDOT rep who said the 30th/Barton crosswalks would be reinstalled/repainted, as will those at 35th/Henderson, by the library, and 25th/Henderson on the east side of Westwood Village. They also plan crosswalk studies at 25th/Trenton and 29th/Barton. The 26th/Barton RapidRide stop will not get a 3-way stop, she added, but some sort of visibility signage is being evaluated. The bus zone was pushed back as promised, Helmick said, but she thinks it would benefit from a little more distance. Meantime, what if a transit hub were created IN Westwood Village – on the northwest side by the post office? WWRHAH wondered. One attendee brought up the problematic area near McDonald’s on the south side; Helmick said she’s heard that the McDonald’s is going to be remodeled and that will address some of the challenges. She said later that WWRHAH is also wondering if maybe Westwood Village should be included in the pedestrian-retail zone review that is under way at the city level right now.
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Update: Brief police search in Roxhill area
6:00 PM: Police are setting up containment in what sounds like the general Roxhill Park vicinity. Don’t yet know why but multiple cars converged on the area, and from scanner traffic, it sounds like they know who they’re looking for and he was last seen in the 9400 block of 27th SW on the south side of the park. More as we get it.
6:07 PM: Sounds like somebody’s in custody now, per radio communication, which also indicates this originated at 26th/Barton.
6:12 PM: Sergeant on the scene told our crew they had stopped someone who had a felony warrant out for his arrest, and then he took off running.
Ballots arriving for April 22nd transportation-money vote; West Seattle, White Center will have ballot drop vans again
King County has mailed ballots for the April 22nd election, so yours might even have arrived already. Proposition 1 for Metro and road money is on the ballot countywide. Here’s the text you’ll see on your ballot:
The Board of the King County Transportation District passed Resolution No. TD2014-03 concerning funding for Metro transit, roads, and other transportation improvements. If approved, this proposition would fund, among other things, bus service, road safety and maintenance and other transportation improvements in King County cities and the unincorporated area. It would authorize the district to impose, for a period of ten years, a sales and use tax of 0.1% under RCW 82.14.0455 and an annual vehicle fee of sixty dollars ($60) per registered vehicle under RCW 82.80.140 with a twenty dollar ($20) rebate for low-income individuals.
Should this sales and use tax and vehicle fee be approved?
You can read the official pro/con/rebuttals here. As usual, it’s a mail-in election, but if you’d rather drop off your ballot in person – and without a stamp – here’s where to go, including ballot dropoff vans in West Seattle and White Center on April 19, 21, and 22. Same locations as last time – West Seattle Stadium (info/hours here) and Greenbridge (info/hours here).
Closing arguments continue tomorrow at Morgan Junction murder trial
Update from the King County Courthouse downtown: The murder trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers in the January 2012 shooting death of Travis Hood has just recessed for the day. The gallery was full, including family/friends from both sides, as closing arguments began this afternoon; prosecutor Maggie Nave got about 40 minutes into hers – the judge allotted each side up to 2 hours – before a defense objection led to the jury leaving the room, and an eventual decision to conclude proceedings for the day. Nave – who declared early in her argument, “This case can be summed up in one sentence: This is a case about a drunk guy with a gun” – will resume her presentation around 9 am. The defense will follow, and then the case is in the jury’s hands. The trial has not been in session on Fridays, when trial judges handle other matters such as sentencing hearings, but the jury will deliberate this Friday if needed. Our full report on this afternoon’s session – the morning was devoted to working out details of the jury instructions – will be up later; our report on Tuesday’s proceedings, which includes links to our previous six weeks of stories, is here.
You can help! Shop now, donate Saturday to Kiwanis food drive
We’ve mentioned that donation drives for local food banks count more than ever this time of year, because of the Feinstein Challenge. Our area’s next big food drive is this Saturday (April 5th), 9 am-3 pm, when you’ll find members of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle and local Key Clubs, with Scouts helping out too, at West Seattle grocery stores “including, but not limited to, Metropolitan Market, PCC, (Junction) QFC, and Morgan Street Thriftway,” per the announcement, which adds: “All West Seattle community members are encouraged to come out and support this worthy cause.” It’s part of ONE Day, a worldwide service day which Kiwanians expect will include at least 1 million service hours around the globe. In our area, everything collected will go to the West Seattle Food Bank. (WSB photo from 2012 Kiwanis ONE Day food drive)
West Seattle development: 3211 California proposal takes shape – 5 stories, 63 units; first meeting May 1st
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
Right across the street from Admiral’s biggest current project – 3210 California SW, which heads back to Design Review this Thursday – we have new details about another proposed development right across the street, 3211 California SW. It now has an Early Design Guidance date with the SWDRB – one month from today, May 1st. And we know more about the proposal: 63 apartments, 4 live-work units, 63 parking spaces, about 2,500 square feet of commercial space, and five stories, though, like 3210, it’s in an NC2-40 zone, part of the 2010 upzoning of that block. The aforementioned toplines are all from the following early draft of the Design Review packet downloadable from the city website – one caveat, this can (and probably will) change before a final version is linked to the hearing announcement:
This proposal is a couple doors down from the 3239 California SW site where two businesses are making way for demolition and a smaller housing project. The official public notice of application isn’t in yet,
P.S. One more reminder – two big-picture development items are on the agenda tonight for the Southwest District Council, and the public’s welcome (6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle); one is a city briefing on the Seattle 2035 project, looking at future zoning and growth focus, the other is discussion of the Land Use Committee that the council is forming.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Kayaks stolen; mailbox tampering
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:
KAYAKS STOLEN: Have you seen either of those kayaks? Diane says they have been stolen from the 9200 block of Fauntleroy Way SW (map) in the past few days; one has a rudder, the other does not. If you have any information, please contact police – the theft has been reported.
MAILBOX TAMPERING: This happened over the weekend in the 7700 block of 11th SW (map):
I just wanted to put the word out someone was trying to open up our locked mailbox … I noticed it was like someone was trying to force it open when I checked it on Sat. around 5 pm. It made me wonder why it seemed not closed all the way. Then today, Sunday, my son told me someone tried to mess with it when he came home after 6 pm. I went outside and checked it, and clearly, it got a lot looser than the day before, the left corner of the inner locked lid was quite noticeably bent. It wasn’t big enough opening for a hand to reach mail inside. Still, it is very disturbing to find someone is messing with a locked mailbox.
Neighborhood concerns? Bring them to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s next meeting, 7 pm Tuesday, April 15th, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) meeting room, also including guests from the SPD Crisis Intervention Team.
West Seattle Wednesday: Southwest District Council talks planning & land use; more…
Thanks to Alia for sharing that snowcapped-Olympics scene. Not too much on the calendar for today/tonight, but if you are interested in development, growth, and planning, don’t miss the first item:
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, the SWDC – reps from community councils and other major organizations around western West Seattle – meets. Here’s the agenda:
6:30 p.m. Welcome and Introductions, Approve Previous Meeting Summary, & Announcements – Sharonn Meeks & Vlad Oustimovitch
6:40 p.m. Seattle 2035 – Patrice Carroll and Nicolas Welch, Department of Planning and Development
7:15 p.m. SWDC Land Use Committee – All
7:30 p.m. CNC Update – Chas Redmond
7:40 p.m. Other SWDC business
• California Avenue SW Historic and Notable Structure Survey – Chas Redmond
• Neighborhood Park and Street Fund
• Neighborhood Matching Fund: recruitment of Large Project CRT and DCRT representatives and timeline
• Neighborhood Summit, Saturday, April 5, 9 am to 1 pm, Seattle Center, Exhibition Hall
• Topics for upcoming SWDC meetings
8:00 p.m. Adjourn
(California/Alaska)
LIVE MUSIC: Jim Page performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
COMEDY COMPETITION: First-ever comedy competition at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), which has been hosting comedy showcases in recent months. Round 1 starts at 8 pm! (6451 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY REGISTRATION CONTINUES: More than 25 sales signed up already, and today is only the second full day of 2014 registration! Be part of the 10th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – Saturday, May 10th, 9 am-3 pm – by going here to sign up YOUR sale. (If you don’t have a place for a sale of your own, check out the group site at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse [WSB sponsor] – e-mail info@hotwirecoffee.com)
Morgan Junction murder trial: After 6 weeks, jury deliberations are near
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Before the jury in the trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers can start deliberating, defense and prosecuting attorneys have to agree on the instructions jurors will be given.
It won’t be a quick, simple recitation. The wording they’ll resume working on when court reconvenes this morning includes more than two dozen sections dealing with various aspects of the case. But it also includes the simplest of reminders, such as, “As jurors, you are officers of this court.”
Officers to whom all due respect has been given these six weeks – jury duty might be the only time in your life when people are asked to stand up before and while you enter the room.
Today, the jurors get to arrive two hours later than usual, since Judge Theresa B. Doyle estimated the finalizing of instructions would take at least that long. Then the final presentations to be made directly to the jury in her courtroom on the eighth floor of the King County Courthouse downtown will be the closing arguments of both sides.
Each side, she decreed Tuesday, will have up to two hours. The prosecution goes first. Given the way the court schedule is laid out – resuming after lunch at 1:30 pm, taking a mid-afternoon break around 2:30 pm, ending for the day around 4 pm – the arguments would have to be incredibly brief for the case to go to the jury today.
It was 3:30 pm Tuesday when defense attorney Ben Goldsmith declared “The defense rests.” Chambers himself was the final witness called in his own defense, and the day had begun with the continuation of his testimony.
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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates; closures tonight
Today’s traffic watch is under way. Above, the eastbound West Seattle Bridge; below, northbound 99 at the south end of the remaining elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct:
Right now and any time of day/night, you can find more cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page.
TRAFFIC ALERT FOR TONIGHT: From WSDOT:
Overnight expansion joint work will close multiple ramps to southbound Interstate 5 at the West Seattle Bridge interchange Wednesday night.
At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, crews will close the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct/West Seattle Freeway on-ramp to southbound I-5. The 6th Avenue South on-ramp to southbound I-5 will also close. Both ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. Thursday, April 3.
Drivers will follow a signed detour route during the closure. This work is weather-dependent.
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