West Seattle, Washington

18 Thursday

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day : 28/10/2014 15 results

West Seattle scene: ‘I Am Eleven’ filmmaker at The Admiral
October 28, 2014 11:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Admiral Theater | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

I AM ELEVEN – Official trailer 2014 from I Am Eleven on Vimeo.

At Admiral Theater tonight, a sold-out house – about 300 people – got a bonus after watching the documentary “I Am Eleven” – they got to talk with its filmmaker, Genevieve Bailey, and her co-producer Henrik Nordstrom:

We caught up with Bailey, who is from Australia, and Nordstrom in the Admiral lobby, just before the post-film discussion with the audience. She said they had been in Atlanta previously and just decided to come – a modest jaunt for Bailey, who made her film by spending six years traveling the world filming the lives of 11-year-olds. Tonight’s screening was arranged by West Seattleites Susanna Moore and Anita Lavine through the on-demand service Gathr.

ADDED: Nordstrom shared this photo of the 11-year-olds in the audience, invited up to the stage (as mentioned in comments):

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Update: Suspects in custody after robbery/assault near 16th/Roxbury
October 28, 2014 10:44 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

10:44 PM: Big police search/containment right now near 16th/Roxbury, and beyond. We don’t have full details but they’re seeking three people in connection with what sounded like a street robbery/assault. The victim is injured. You’re likely to hear/see the Guardian One helicopter join the search. More as we get it.

10:55 PM: Per scanner, police have detained two possible suspects a few blocks south of where the robbery/assault happened.

11:00 PM: And now the third suspect is reported to be in custody.

WEDNESDAY MORNING P.S. We’re following up with SPD in hopes of getting more details, and will add when/if we get them.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Peepers; car theft; break-in alerts; car prowl with question
October 28, 2014 9:22 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:

PEEPING INCIDENTS: From the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council list, word of two peeping incidents reported in the early morning hours Monday in the Genesee Hill area. No details, just word of a stranger at a window or door. GSNC says it’s been reported to police, who remind everyone to call 911 for something like this. (Side note: These types of incidents do not usually appear on the SPD police-report map, so unless we hear about them from you or from a non-closed list, we don’t hear about them for Crime Watch and can’t alert a wider group of neighbors – criminals don’t often just limit their activities to a single block or street or sub-neighborhood – editor@westseattleblog.com)

STOLEN CAR: From e-mail: “My car was stolen this morning,Ocean View & 35th. Thought it was a secured garage, had been for many years. BLACK HONDA CIVIC COUPE 2008. Police report filed. I want it back! License # 920XOS.” Call 911 if you see it.

SEAVIEW ALERT: From Deb:

In the last seven days, my Seaview neighborhood has had two residential break-ins and one attempted break-in. I’d like to remind WSB readers to turn lights on, use alarms if you have one, connect with your neighbors and keep a watch out for suspicious activity.

GATEWOOD CAR PROWL: A warning, and also a question:

Our car was ransacked last night (my fault…left it unlocked) but am curious if you or readers have advice when one’s registration has been stolen. They took our registration, insurance card, Discovery Pass, fishing licenses and tokens for the car wash. I can’t imagine what they may do with that stuff but don’t want to be naive. Also curious if anyone else in Gatewood had to deal with car prowlers last night/early this morning (October 28th).

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West Seattle salmon: Updates from Fauntleroy, Longfellow Creeks
October 28, 2014 7:58 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news | Wildlife

The salmon homecoming continues! Above, another coho from Fauntleroy Creek; on Monday afternoon, Dennis Hinton reported, he and Judy Pickens “saw four new coho come through the culvert and shoot up the creek. Three were females, 4-5-pounds. One was a red-sided male, about 7 or 8 pounds. The big male did something I’ve never seen before in all my years of watching at Fauntleroy Creek. It leaped entirely out of the water over weir #6, into the next pool. Spectacular sight. Just like you’ve seen in the movies.” The photo above shows that red-sided male, one of nine counted in the creek as of last night (if we get an update for today, we’ll add it). Find out more about Fauntleroy Creek here. (**ADDED 8:58 PM** As Dennis notes in comments, 4 more today – 13 total in 3 days.)

(back to original report) And we’ve heard a couple reports of salmon back in Longfellow Creek, too – John sent a photo:

He “counted at least five around and under the salmon bone bridge” during a visit on Monday morning. You can find out more about Longfellow Creek (and its Legacy Trail) on this city webpage.

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Happening now: Browse local schools @ West Seattle Education Fair
October 28, 2014 6:31 pm
|    Comments Off on Happening now: Browse local schools @ West Seattle Education Fair
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(UPDATED WEDNESDAY MORNING with photos)

We’re in the gym at Seattle Lutheran High School as the second annual West Seattle Education Fair gets under way. Until about 8 pm, come on over and meet reps from local pre-K through middle schools, all in one location. No admission charge, no signup required. Those here include:

Community School of West Seattle
Explorer West Middle School
Harbor School
Holy Rosary
Hope Lutheran
Morningside Academy
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Tilden School
West Seattle Montessori School
Westside School

Our obligatory “just so you know”: We’re sponsoring the fair, and five WSB sponsors happen to be in the mix – Explorer West, Harbor, Tilden, WS Montessori, and Westside. Meantime, if you haven’t been to SLHS before, the gym entrance is right on SW Genesee across from the parking lot at SW 41st.

POST-FAIR P.S. We’ll be adding photos. Thanks to everyone who visited and everyone who was part of it! Many schools have open houses coming up, listed on their websites (linked above) and also on our calendar.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: If you’re reading this from the home page, click ahead for photos – otherwise, scroll down!

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West Seattle scene: 35th SW meeting, afternoon edition
October 28, 2014 6:02 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle scene: 35th SW meeting, afternoon edition
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

The second of two meetings for the 35th Avenue SW Safety Project has wrapped up at Southwest Branch Library. We stopped by during the feedback session, post-presentation (if you missed the former, our report on the first meeting includes both video of the entire presentation plus the slide deck). SDOT’s project manager Jim Curtin says about 40 people attended – that’s what we counted at meeting #1 – but this group had some different interests, including parking. Listening to attendees who were invited to look at drawings of the road and write their thoughts next to specific areas, we heard continuing concerns that a “road diet” is in the cards. And again, Curtin said no plan’s been drawn up yet, but if a road diet is tried and doesn’t work – as happened in The Junction some years back – it can be undone by repainting the road.

WHAT’S NEXT: SDOT plans to continue “outreach” while creating design concepts, November through January; then in February (no specific dates announced yet) design alternatives will be unveiled and reviewed during another round of meetings. Questions or comments? jim.curtin@seattle.gov is the address to use.

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West Seattle development: Equity Residential announces art-commission program, other details for Junction 47 project
October 28, 2014 3:33 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The two-building Equity Residential project in the heart of The Junction, at California/Alaska/42nd, is “on schedule,” according to an ER executive, and expecting its first tenants to move in next summer.

Today, ER has just announced a plan to commission local artists for work inside and outside the project. This, though the company’s first vice president of development, Bradley Karvasek, says the original mandate for an art project no longer exists – the project has “abandoned” the underground alley vacation that was approved for the original development after a community agreement contingent on public benefits including art.

Karvasek talked with WSB today for the first official update on the project in almost two years; it’s now been under construction for one year, since demolition began in October 2013.

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Followup: West Seattle Health Club transition ‘moving faster than expected’; plus, new developments in ex-owner’s bankruptcy case
October 28, 2014 2:06 pm
|      59 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS Health Club/ex-Athletic Club/ex-Allstar Fitness

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

We’re continuing to track the transition at 2629 SW Andover from the suddenly shut-down West Seattle (Athletic) Club to the new West Seattle Health Club.

The former, owned by Sam Adams since early last year, announced a two-day closure last week but did not reopen on Saturday as promised; later Saturday, a representative of property owner John Pietromonaco announced that they’ve taken over and will open the facility as a new club.

First, the newest update, received this morning from that representative, Dan Lehr, who is managing the transition to WS Health Club and says it is “moving faster than expected.” He describes the points below (unedited, as we received them) as “updates from my staff”:

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Update: Pickup goes sideways on westbound bridge by Walking on Logs
October 28, 2014 12:50 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

12:50 PM: The westbound lanes of the Fauntleroy end of the bridge are blocked by the crash in the photo (thanks to Phillip for sending it) – a vehicle pickup truck gone sideways. More to come.

1:03 PM: We’re looking at the scene from the pedestrian overpass nearby. Westbound blocked, one lane open eastbound. Ambulance at the scene; Seattle Fire has cleared.

1:23 PM: Traffic is being routed around the scene on the right, as shown on the nearby SDOT camera. A commenter says the people in the pickup were OK; we’re checking with SFD regarding whether anyone was taken to the hospital.

1:33 PM: Pickup’s being towed. (And a few minutes later, via scanner: “Bridge open both ways.”)

5:39 PM: According to Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore, both people in the pickup – both in their 20s – were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

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West Seattle sinkhole followup: Sewer-line repair under way
October 28, 2014 12:40 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle sinkhole followup: Sewer-line repair under way
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from Monday morning as SDOT arrived to block off the sinkhole site)
Following up on the sinkhole first reported here Monday morning, on 45th SW between Alaska and Edmunds west of The Junction: Seattle Public Utilities confirms a broken sewer line is to blame, and says repair work is under way, likely to continue a few days. Here’s the notice they’re distributing in the neighborhood today:

Neighbors pointed out that the area had been patched before, but suddenly yesterday morning, it turned into what the city calls a “void.”

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West Seattle park art: ‘Flyers’ now installed at expanded Westcrest
October 28, 2014 11:52 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Added: City of Seattle photo by Jason Huff, republished with permission)
Thanks to Lola for pointing out the announcement on the city Arts and Culture Department‘s website – the kinetic artwork “Flyers” is now in place at the Westcrest Park expansion in Highland Park. More than four years have passed since artist David Boyer announced the concept (here’s our coverage from June 2010).

2:16 PM NOTE: The city seems to be having a bit of website trouble; the story’s 404ing but here’s the cached version.

WEDNESDAY NOTE: The original link is working again.

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West Seattle Tuesday: School-shopping at WS Education Fair; 2nd meeting for 35th SW; Westwood-Highland Park future…
October 28, 2014 10:53 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: School-shopping at WS Education Fair; 2nd meeting for 35th SW; Westwood-Highland Park future…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Alki’s Lady Liberty, by Loren Beringer via Flickr, in honor of today’s 128th “birthday” of the original statue)
Four major highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, including our spotlight event:

WEST SEATTLE EDUCATION FAIR: Reviewing your school options for next year? 10+ local schools covering preK through 8th grade will have reps in one place tonight for the second annual WS Education Fair.

We’re sponsoring it; Seattle Lutheran High School is hosting it. 6:30-8 pm, SLHS Gym. (4100 SW Genesee)

Also on the highlight list for today/tonight:

35TH SW MEETING, EARLY EDITION: 3:30-5 pm, second kickoff meeting (mostly the same as the first, per SDOT) for the 35th SW Safety Project. Here’s our coverage of last Wednesday’s evening meeting. Upstairs at Southwest Branch Library. (35th/Henderson)

FESTIVAL OF THE LAST-MINUTE PUMPKIN CARVING: 5-8 pm, need some jack-o-lantern assistance? Come to Equilibrium Fitness (WSB sponsor) for the “Festival of the Last-Minute Pumpkin Carving” – explained here! (3270 California SW)

BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS’ NETWORK: 6:30 pm at Southwest Precinct, featuring a demonstration of the new engravers the precinct has obtained to help you mark your valuables in case of theft. (Webster/Delridge)

WESTWOOD-HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING: 7 pm at Big Al’s in White Center, as previewed here last night – all welcome to help start the conversation on potentially updating the 1999 plan, which is linked in the aforementioned preview. (9832 14th SW)

NIGHTLIFE … includes the blues, bingo, trivia, karaoke, singer/songwriter performances; see the venues and times by going directly to our calendar!

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Change school start times? West Seattle rep needed!
October 28, 2014 9:09 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Just over a month ago, we mentioned the task force that Seattle Public Schools is forming to figure out whether and how to change bell times. West Seattle’s School Board rep Marty McLaren now sends word that they’re specifically looking for someone from this area.

Here is a stimulating, highly important service opportunity for a West Seattleite! Seattle Schools needs a West Seattle Representative on the Bell Time Analysis Task Force.

As you may have heard, the Board has asked district staff to conduct an analysis of changing school start times in Seattle Public Schools, making elementary schools start earlier, and middle and high schools later. Most middle and high schools start at 7:50 AM, and there is overwhelming evidence that when middle and high school students start school at 8:30 AM or later they are healthier, more successful in school, happier and emotionally more stable. On the other hand, elementary students generally are wakeful and energetic in the earlier hours of the day.

To make such a change would involve coming to an understanding with many different groups – first of all, parents, and in addition, the Parks Department regarding use of athletic fields, after-school activities providers, child care providers, and so on.

The district is convening a task force to study the benefits and challenges of this change, and we need representation from the Southwest region. Our region has unique characteristics and it’s important that a person with some knowledge about West Seattle and its schools has a voice on the Task Force. Meetings will be from 4:30 to 6:30 PM on a weekday, generally once per month, with two meetings planned before winter break.

I hope you’ll consider volunteering to join in this vital work. For information, email arrivaltimes@seattleschools.org, call or email Joan Dingfield, jodingfield@seattleschools.org, or visit the website.

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High-school football: 2 more games set for WSHS Wildcats
October 28, 2014 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on High-school football: 2 more games set for WSHS Wildcats
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(WSB photo from Friday’s game: #35 Binh Nguyen, #72 Richard Kawano, #57 Dustin McLean)
High-school football is now in the post-season, and West Seattle High School‘s athletic director Trevor Leopold tells WSB this morning that the Wildcats now have two more games set, following last Friday’s 52-12 victory over Franklin at Memorial Stadium (photo above). First, WSHS will visit Rainier Beach this Thursday (October 30th) at 7 pm. Then, they’ll be home on Saturday, November 8th, hosting Highline HS at 6 pm.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Rainy Tuesday
October 28, 2014 7:17 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading for the peak commute time, no trouble outbound from here so far, aside from the rain.

2ND ‘KICKOFF MEETING’ FOR 35TH SW SAFETY PROJECT: If you’re available at 3:30 pm today, SDOT’s second “kickoff meeting” for the 35th SW Safety Project starts then, upstairs at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson). Here’s our report from the first meeting last Wednesday night.

7:43 AM: From WSDOT: “On I-5 southbound just south of West Seattle Bridge, there is a collision blocking the 2 left lanes.”

8:38 AM: From Nancy via Twitter:

8:48 AM: Thanks to the texter who mentioned a crash that’s not on the 911 log (which just means, no injuries), Delridge/Oregon. We’re off to see if that’s still a factor.

9:23 AM: That’s clear. But while trying to get there, we found eastbound Spokane at a standstill under the bridge.

9:53 AM: Likely standing-water problems, we’re told by people who commuted earlier, including:

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