day : 19/04/2015 11 results

(SCROLL DOWN for Monday afternoon update)

(WSB photo by Katie Meyer)

10:17 PM: Big Seattle Fire, police response on the way to the 3900 block of California SW (map), where a multiple-car crash is drawing a “heavy rescue” response because someone might be trapped. More to come.

10:22 PM: Adding a photo from WSB’s Katie Meyer, who is at the scene. It shows one vehicle on its side blocking the sidewalk. She says firefighters are using the “jaws of life” to get to someone. Scanner: California is closed both ways between Bradford and Andover.

10:30 PM: If you are seeing police in nearby neighborhoods, they are investigating witnesses’ reports of at least two people who may have been involved and got out of vehicle(s) and fled the scene, “white males with white or light colored T-shirts, one in shorts, one in pants, both late teens, early 20s, slender build, about 6′ tall” (per scanner). No word yet on injuries; we do know a female was the person cut out of one car, the white one off to the right side of our first photo.

10:39 PM: From Katie at the scene: Witnesses say the two young men were in the white car (photo added above) and took off, apparently carrying a dog, leaving the woman trapped inside. The car that’s on its side (added: a Honda Element) was parked, no one inside. WSB’s Patrick Sand at the scene talked with precinct Capt. Pierre Davis, who says the woman was conscious and talking to paramedics at last report, and says they have conflicting reports on whether the two got away on foot or in a vehicle.

(This & next 2 photos by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
10:50 PM: Police are bringing in the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad, which likely means California SW will be closed at the scene for some hours while they investigate. The 17-year-old girl rescued from the white car has been taken to the hospital; SFD says she’s in stable condition.

11:56 PM: Investigation continues. No word yet on whether police have found either or both of the people they’re looking for. As noted in comments, the car’s owner came to the scene, saying he wasn’t involved, that someone else (who he reportedly knew) had been driving his car. The aforementioned dog was reported to be his.

Also in case you were wondering, the owners of the parked car that was hit and flipped (above) are aware of it … they told us they heard the crash and came out to find out it had been hit. (Added: You’ll note at the left of Christopher’s photo above, a second parked car was damaged too.) We’ll update when California reopens, and of course if there’s any other new information in the meantime.

2:45 AM: California SW is opening again – police are reopening the northbound lane and will route southbound traffic into the center lane for now.

3:19 AM: A commenter identifying herself as the injured girl’s mom says that the 17-year-old has “a broken collarbone, broken pelvis, and a collapsed lung.”

6:46 AM: Traffic flow at the scene was reported to be back to normal by daybreak. We expect to get an update from SPD later this morning and will add the info here.

ADDED 3:06 PM: Police say they’ve found everyone they were looking for, but no arrests so far, explains Det. Patrick Michaud: “We have spoken to all parties involved and they have denied racing. We will continue our investigation and if we determine that they were actually racing we can pursue charges after the fact. If anyone has videos or pictures to the contrary please call 206-684-8923.”

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VIDEO: Duwamish Alive! celebrates 10th anniversary, honors tireless volunteers

April 19, 2015 10:09 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB photos/video)
More than 1,000 volunteers spent hours on Saturday giving TLC to the Duwamish River and its watershed, during the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! mega-work party at multiple sites (11, this time, from West Seattle to Tukwila).

This time, it started with a special event marking Duwamish Alive’s 10th anniversary, featuring the presentation of the John Beal Environmental Stewardship Award, in honor of the tireless volunteer who, as the program pointed out, “dedicated decades of his life to the health of the Duwamish River and Puget Sound,” especially Hamm Creek, where his work “became a beacon of all the good a single person can accomplish directly benefiting our river, the Puget Sound, and the overall health of our communities.” (Mr. Beal died in 2006.)

Six volunteers were honored:

– Brooke Alford (who couldn’t be at the ceremony)
– Mike Arizona
– Scott Blackstock
– Marianne Clarke
– Susan Ward and Peg Peterson

We recorded the presentations on video:

The pre-work party event at Terminal 107 Park on the river in West Seattle was emceed by James Rasmussen of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (as you can see in our video), who reminded all present that it’s a river, not a “waterway.” Volunteers also heard from longtime river advocate and Tukwila City Councilmember Dennis Robertson, who urged them to keep the pressure on local elected officials regarding the health of the Duwamish River and other areas that are vital to our area’s sustainability:

The artists working on Duwamish Revealed spoke too (you’ll hear that in a separate story about the project) – and volunteers were greeted by Cecile Hansen, chair of the Duwamish Tribe, whose longhouse is right across West Marginal Way SW from the park. She shared history as well as words of welcome:

After the ceremonies – it was time to work. One of the award recipients happens to be the steward of a site here in West Seattle. So we went to Roxhill Bog, where we photographed Scott Blackstock with his plaque:

The bog – which has its own challenges – is at the historic headwaters of Longfellow Creek, which feeds into the Duwamish River after making it through a somewhat torturous route – piped beneath Westwood Village, for starters. And it’s in a park that has some challenges of its own, making cleanup all the more vital:

We were shown one of the items found strewn at the site:

At both sites we visited on Saturday, what was stressed was this: One person can make a difference (as Blackstock has done at Roxhill Bog, for years). So if you can take some time – watch for word of work parties. Or opportunities to comment on a project or proposal. The next Duwamish Alive! event, by the way, will be in October, and that’s a great time to get involved too.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car-prowl victim’s ‘vent’; stolen car found; car, bicycle taken; City Attorney @ WSCPC

April 19, 2015 9:17 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch as the weekend wraps up:

‘VENT’ FROM A REPEAT CAR-PROWL VICTIM: Jeff in Arbor Heights sent this, saying he “needed to vent”:

I live in Arbor Heights, at 37th PL SW and SW 102nd ST. [map] My truck was broken into last night around midnight. My lock was punched, my door was dented, and all compartments in the vehicle were tossed. Luckily, I had no valuables in the vehicle except a car seat which was not touched. This is the second time my truck has been broken into. Now both doors are dented. I work hard for everything I have, and every couple months, someone damages the fruits of my labor, and my confidence in society.

My gut reaction is that I would like to catch someone in the act and then you know what. I’m sure everyone who has experienced theft or property damage feels some extreme emotions. I’m glad I didn’t catch the people who did this, I’m sure their lives are filled with some sort of turmoil and pain that I can’t imagine.

I would like to thank the Seattle Police, who responded to our house and treated my wife with respect and assured her they were doing everything that could be done. I wish I could sit down with the people who steal and damage our property, and get them on a path to success. Their lives are sad.

STOLEN CAR FOUND: A Highland Park resident texted us last night to ask if this white Saturn station wagon, which had been in their neighborhood at least three days, was on record as stolen:

We looked at SPD’s @getyourcarback Twitter account, where most if not all cars reported as stolen are tweeted by SPD’s 911 center (but without location information, which means we do NOT know which were stolen in West Seattle unless we’ve heard directly from a vehicle’s owner). In this case, we did find an exact match (from four days earlier), plate and make/model/color, so the finder called 911, police were sent, and the car was picked up overnight.

ANOTHER STOLEN CAR: Here’s one you won’t find on SPD’s Twitter feed, because it was taken outside their jurisdiction, but Sue asked if we’d mention it, since cars stolen south of the city-county line can wind up here, and vice versa: “It was stolen near the cross streets of 108th St SW and 8th. [map] It is a white Honda Accord, 93. Plate number ADE 1742.” If you see it somewhere, be sure to tell 911 it’s a King County Sheriff’s Office case.

STOLEN BIKE: Akemi‘s bicycle was taken in The Junction:

Bike stolen off porch, West Junction neighborhood: Mint-green Schwinn 21 speed. left side handle has (stem) mirror adapter. Scratches on front post from basket attachment which may still be on handle bars. Mini-tire pump on frame. Combo lock cable around post of light brown saddle-seat.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL ON TUESDAY: One more note – WSCPC has announced its agenda for Tuesday night’s monthly meeting (7 pm, Southwest Precinct). City Attorney Pete Holmes will be the guest: “He will speak to the organization and duties of his office as well as other current issues; ie, marijuana rules and regs.” And SPD will present crime trends and policing updates. The precinct’s at Webster/Delridge, and all are welcome.

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FOLLOWUP: WestSide Baby needs help with emergency move

April 19, 2015 8:34 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news

Earlier this month, we reported on a small fire with a big effect on WestSide Baby‘s operations – shutting down the WS Baby volunteer/donation center in White Center, from which the nonprofit serves thousands of families around the area. The resulting power outage isn’t fixed yet and so WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland sends word they’re making an emergency move – and in need of multiple types of help:

On April 9, WestSide Baby’s main facility in White Center experienced a small electrical fire that eliminated power for our donation and volunteer center. This means we’ve been unable to fill orders for 350 children per week as the building is completely dark, cold and unsafe. Because this is not the first time this building has had major maintenance issues, we have decided to take a brave step and move our entire operation within the next week because leaving children in the lurch is unacceptable to us.

To get up and running as soon as possible, over the next 10 days we are moving our main donation and volunteer operations across the street into a warehouse where we have been storing diapers! We plan to open our doors at 10002 14th Ave SW by April 27.

This is a plan we have been working on for some time and had actually hoped to execute this summer. Because of the fire and resulting urgency, we have now divided it into Phases and we’ll start a little earlier than we expected by moving one component of our organization now. We’re excited to share updates on Phase 2 and 3 soon. It’s going to be great and we hope you will be excited to participate in our growth!

We have a list of opportunities for you to support this effort with your time or treasure. Both are critical at this point in order for us to be able to get back up and running and filling orders as soon as possible.

You can donate now at WestSideBaby.org to help us with the following things to get set up quickly:

Critical for Phase 1:

Shelving – $5000 Total ($300/each)
Signage – $2000
Pallet Stacker – Rent or Purchase
Canvas Bins – $1000 Total ($250 each)
Moving and Storage Expenses – $10,000

Things we’ll need for Phase 2 -3:

Moving Expenses – $15k
Industrial Carpet/Flooring
Painting help
Lumber

We will also have Volunteer Opportunities:

Tuesday, April 21 6-7 pm Car Seat moving
Friday, April 24 3-6 pm Shelf Assembly
Saturday, April 25 10 – 5 Moving!!
Sunday, April 26 9 – 5 Deconstruction of old facilty and clean up
Soon after – a small masonry and curb installation project needs a skilled professional

Contact Volunteer Manager, Shana Allen (shana@westsidebaby.org), if you are interested! We have some flexibility with this schedule and we anticipate more things unfolding this week. These are all physical projects.

To help us with backlog – we anticipate announcing additional Sorting Frenzies and Order Filling Opportunities the week of April 27. Let Shana know if you want to be on the lists to receive those updates!!

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PHOTOS: Seattle Lutheran’s Ring of Honor tribute for Bob Dowding

April 19, 2015 5:40 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle schools

Two months after cancer claimed the life of longtime Seattle Lutheran High School teacher and athletic director Bob Dowding, the school gave him its ultimate tribute last night – induction into the SLHS Ring of Honor. That came during a dinner event in which many memories were shared.

That’s head of school Dave Meyer, who talked about arriving in 1995 to be Hope Lutheran‘s PE teacher, and meeting Bob, joking that he wanted the SLHS AD job that Bob held. He came to realize that Bob’s real job was creating and building communities – including at athletic organizations including the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association. And, Meyer said, he still aspires to Bob’s “real job” – mentoring and encouraging kids, and building community. One of those Bob had mentored also spoke:

Holy Names Academy athletic director Lacey London, a 2000 SLHS graduate, talked about how Bob was such a big influence in her decision to go into teaching and athletics. Her first coaching job was when he asked her to help with Lutheran’s girls-basketball team while she was transitioning between colleges. Among the many others there to pay tribute to Bob – his family, receiving the plaque honoring him:

There was even a cake in his honor:

Bob Dowding was 67 years old.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Along the shore, in the sunshine

April 19, 2015 4:39 pm

| Comments Off on West Seattle weekend scenes: Along the shore, in the sunshine

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:39 PM: Thanks to Don Brubeck for these photos showing some of what was up and who was out along West Seattle shores this afternoon.

P.S. At least one more sunny day is in store, according to the forecast – and if you have the chance to be out at the beach in the early afternoon, it’s the lowest tide of the month, -1.7 feet at 12:47 pm on Monday.

ADDED 5:13 PM: Speaking of low tide – an incident at Alki today is a reminder for boaters:

Low tide, bad luck from Avenue Collection on Vimeo.

Mark just shared that video of a small boat getting some help to get un-stuck during this morning’s low tide.

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UPDATE: RV catches fire by 1st/Olson/Roxbury

April 19, 2015 3:31 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

3:31 PM: Guy sent us that photo of a burning RV even before we saw the “car fire” callout for 1st/Olson. Via scanner, we’re hearing a traffic alert for the east end of Roxbury. We’re also hearing the fire’s out but foam was used to fight it and so the hill needs some cleanup before it’s safe for traffic. No word yet on any injuries. Avoid the area for a while.

3:41 PM: Police report that SDOT has arrived on scene.

4:11 PM: SDOT tells us via Twitter that its dispatch reports the area now clear.

ADDED TUESDAY: We finally got some information from SFD. Spokesperson Kyle Moore says the carburetor caught fire while the RV’s owner was driving it; he pulled over and apparently left to get help, so when SFD arrived, no one was there, and they were worried someone was trapped inside, but they found it empty. But the RV caught fire again while it was being towed away – which explains a later “car fire” call nearby. No injuries.

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Services planned May 15th for James D. Finnie, 1946-2015

April 19, 2015 2:21 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

A memorial service and celebration of life are planned May 15th for James D. Finnie, 68, whose family is sharing this remembrance:

The family of Jim Finnie is sad to announce his passing on March 30, 2015, after a long journey with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Jim was born in West Seattle on April 19, 1946, to Walt and Millie Finnie, the youngest of their five children.

After graduation from West Seattle High School in 1964, Jim married Marge in 1965 while they were attending Western Washington State College, only to have the military decide they needed him a short time later. He served in the US Army from 1966-69, most of that time in Germany, where he and Marge enjoyed many adventures together.

In 1975, Jim began his career as a Seattle firefighter, and always felt fortunate to be paid to do something he loved so much. The majority of his career was served at local Station 32.

Outside of work, Jim had many interests and skills- woodworking, golf, competitive shooting, and countless hours out on the Sound, with a fishing pole in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other (his idea of heaven!). He had a top-notch “Mr Fix-It” ability that led us all to believe there was nothing he couldn’t do. To all that he did, he brought his quirky sense of humor, and a smile, to those around him.

He was a loving and supportive husband and father, which led him to spend many years working with the Boy Scouts and driving the Kennedy High School band bus to assorted parades and retreats. He was enormously proud of his children.

He leaves behind his beloved wife Marge, and children Dave (Christy) Finnie and Krista (David) Hume. Six grandchildren: Alexa, Jessica, Sienna, Elijah, Rebecca, and Joshua. Predeceased by his parents and sister, Delores, and survived by brothers Bob (Durlyn) and Walt (Sharon) and sister Linda (Norm) Nelson.

Services to be held May 15, 1:00 pm, at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, followed by a celebration of life at the West Seattle Golf Course clubhouse, 2:30 pm. Suggested memorials to Medic One or West Seattle High School Alumni Association Scholarship fund.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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West Seattle youth sports: Signups for YMCA T-ball, baseball, volleyball, rugby; Highline Premier soccer tryouts

April 19, 2015 11:28 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle youth sports: Signups for YMCA T-ball, baseball, volleyball, rugby; Highline Premier soccer tryouts

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

On a sunny spring day – two organizations have signups under way. First, from the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor):

YOUTH BASEBALL/T-BALL: For ages 3-10. Practices start the week of May 4th at Roxhill or Alki Playfields; games are on Saturdays, May 16-June 27, at EC Hughes. You can sign up online here or in person at the Y’s Member Services desk (open to non-members too). Questions? Y sports director Mike Bober, mbober@seattleymca.org

YOUTH VOLLEYBALL: Teams are 4th/5th graders and 6th-to-8th graders. Weekly practices at the Y on Wednesday nights start this week (April 22nd); game locations rotate among four Y’s in the region, including WS. Sign up online here or in person. Questions? Y’s Mary Sanderson – msanderson@seattleymca.org

YOUTH RUGBY CLINIC: New partnership with Serevi Rugby – special 8-week clinic for ages 4 to 12, exploring the fundamnetals. Tuesdays, May 5th to June 23rd, 4:30-5:30 or 5:30-6:30, at Roxhill Playfields. Register online here, or in person. Questions? Mike Bober (info above)

Again, all of the above are via the West Seattle YMCA.

Now to a separate organization, registering youth interested in premier-soccer tryouts:

HIGHLINE PREMIER FC: Registration is open for tryouts starting this week, for players ages 7-19 who want “to develop their soccer playing skills at a higher competitive level than recreational soccer. Tryout registration is now open for existing and new Girls U8 – U19 & Boys U8 – U14 who are interested in premier soccer development and team play. Tryouts are scheduled in late April and May, depending on age group. Tryout fees are $15.00 and payable online via the registration link.” Questions? e-mail tryouts@highlinepremier.com

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West Seattle Sunday: Free shredding; free stairway walk; WS5K registration deal; meet the greyhounds; music; theater; more!

April 19, 2015 6:34 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Last Friday’s sunrise, photographed by Lynn Hall)

Happy Sunday! From the calendar:

POSSIBLE FLYOVER ALERT: The Mariners-Rangers game at 1:10 pm at Safeco Field is the annual Salute to the Armed Forces. That often means a flyover/flyby, which often goes over West Seattle before and/or after. So now you know. The pre-game ceremony starts around 12:20 pm.

Also today/tonight:

WEST SEATTLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB BREAKFAST: Already an amateur-radio operator? Or, interested? 9:30 am, you’re invited to the monthly breakfast meeting of the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club. New location – Young’s Restaurant. (9413 16th SW)

ALKI STAIRWAY WALK! Beautiful day to get out on foot. Join West Seattleites Cathy and Jake Jaramillo of “Seattle Stairway Walks” for a FREE Alki-area stairway walk from the Log House Museum, 10 am. (61st/Stevens)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: More new arrivals every week. 10 am-2 pm. (44th/Alaska)

SDOT @ FARMERS’ MARKET: Want to talk to SDOT about the draft Transportation Levy – or something else? The city says SDOT reps will be at the WSFM 10 am-2 pm.

GREYHOUND ‘MEET AND GREET’: 11 am-1 pm at Mud Bay in Admiral – details here. (2611 California SW)

GET A DEAL ON WEST SEATTLE 5K REGISTRATION: 1-5 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), sign up for the May 17th West Seattle 5K at the lowest rate available. (2743 California SW)

FREE SHREDDING: 1-4 pm at High Point Branch Library – please see the listing for info on how much you can bring. (35th/Raymond)

MUSIC X 2 AT C & P: Two acts on the calendar today at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – Jamtime, 1-4 pm, and Gary Benson, 5-7 pm. (5612 California SW)

‘PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE’: Third performance for Twelfth Night Productions‘ new production “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” by Steve Martin. Matinee today – 3 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Tickets are available online. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

CLASSICAL ELEGANCE AT KENYON HALL: 7:30 pm, Kenyon Hall is where you’ll find an elegant program of classical music – details here. (7904 35th SW)

EVEN MORE … on our calendar.

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VIDEO: The Sonics rock Record Store Day to its final moments @ Easy Street

April 19, 2015 4:07 am

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

It was another chapter for Easy Street Records in The Junction in the rock ‘n’ roll history books: A raucous conclusion to Record Store Day 2015, with legendary, regrouped The Sonics performing a benefit show announced only a day and a half earlier:

If you don’t know their backstory – which spans half a century, and then some – this might help.

The benefit was for KEXP’s new HQ, with tickets at $100 each – and it was promised that surprise guests would make the price more than worth it. We couldn’t stay past the first few songs and are excruciatingly regretful to have missed said guests, who turned out to include Eddie Vedder (photo, photo) and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, Chris Ballew (photo) from The Presidents, Matt Lukin (photo) from Mudhoney and The Melvins, Emily Nokes (photo) from Tacocat … and more. Video of the guest performances will certainly surface – KEXP was shooting, as were countless phone-hoisting showgoers. The Sonics, meantime, are touring to support their first record in half a century, “This Is The Sonics,” which brought them to ESR just last month for a signing party.

ADDED 11:34 AM: No one else had uploaded to YouTube by the time we went off duty this morning, but that’s changed since then. Thanks to those who pointed this out to us – the upload is by @marnankev2:

ADDED 1:48 PM: Another perspective – during the show, outside Easy Street. Artist Joshua Boulet says he was in The Junction to catch the Route 50 bus when he drew the crowd:

He also made a quick drawing of Junction-based Seattle Fire Engine 32, which was outside for a while (it left the same time we did) on safety patrol: