day : 07/06/2015 10 results

ALKI ROBBERY REPORTS: No details on these yet – weekend information is almost impossible to get from SPD and we haven’t heard directly from anyone involved – but two street robberies have been reported in Alki in the past two nights, according to SPD auto-tweets: Just before 9 tonight in the 2700 block of Alki (which might explain the sirens we’ve been asked about by several people – until now, we’d only heard of a medic response in the area too, don’t know if it was related), and one around 10 last night in the 5800 block of SW Lander (near Whale Tail Park). We’ll be pursuing the reports tomorrow.

ALSO IN ALKI – STOLEN BICYCLE: A silver Specialized #24 bicycle was stolen from Alki Elementary earlier this evening, according to a text from its owner’s parent, who described the thief as “teenager, skinny, buzz cut, white male.” If you see one abandoned, please let police know, and comment here.

THEFT AT WESTWOOD TARGET: Just in from Mary, via e-mail:

I know this is a long shot, but this morning I was shopping at Target at Westwood and while my back was turned, someone took my rectangular lime green purse/wallet out of my cart. My keys were attached to it, on a purple carabiner clip, with a Lego R2D2 keychain and a Lego Darth Vader keychain. I was left with no way to pay for my groceries and no way to get into my car to get home!

All the cards in it have been cancelled (as far as I know) and there is nothing of much value there, but if someone should flip through it and then throw it on the ground somewhere at Westwood or in the area, it would bring me a great deal of peace of mind to have whatever’s left of it back – especially my keys, since the keys were attached to my purse and ID, I’m going to have to change the locks at my house, and I don’t even know what to do about my cars, which will remain parked at the address that is easily accessible from my purse. I think it will be days before I can sleep at night.

Please let police know *and* comment here if you’ve seen what Mary’s missing.

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After weekend of complaints, new Metro ‘public service announcements’ scrapped

June 7, 2015 8:50 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

This morning, David texted us about new public-service announcements on Metro buses, saying they were loud, annoying, and too frequent. Looking around the infosphere today, we saw this mentioned by others, especially via Twitter. And now – a text from Metro itself, pointing to its online post saying they’re being scrapped:

Boy, did we hear from riders this weekend! We tried out three new on-board public service announcements to improve safety on Metro buses, but it sure didn’t turn out the way we hoped or expected. …

What is NOT being scrapped – the new additions and restorations to Metro service – tomorrow will be the first weekday since they’ve taken effect, so be sure you plan your trip with that in mind. (Here again is our West Seattle overview.)

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Homeschooling doesn’t all happen at home: West Seattle’s Family Learning Program wraps up its 4th year

June 7, 2015 8:28 pm

| Comments Off on Homeschooling doesn’t all happen at home: West Seattle’s Family Learning Program wraps up its 4th year

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Family Learning Program, a West Seattle organization dedicated to providing “classes, clubs, and community for homeschooling families,” marked the end of its fourth academic year with its annual “Summer Send-Off” Friday at Southwest Teen Life Center in Westwood.

In addition to the program’s usual course schedule, program participants were invited to participate in a potluck luncheon and “fun zone” activities, including a variety of field-game races. Additionally, the FLP steering committee used the occasion to conduct the program’s inaugural scholarship fundraiser, raising $1,600 through a silent auction.

When the program launched in 2011 at what was then the Southwest Community Center, with which it partners in presenting the program, 25 families were participating, mostly from the West Seattle community it was created to serve. Of the nearly 80 families in the recently concluded session, some traveled from as far as Shoreline and Tacoma.

“When we founded this, there was no community for a diverse variety of homeschooling philosophies in West Seattle,” says Kathleen Lonergan, one of the program’s founders. “That is what we wanted to be.“

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Election 2015: ‘Candidating’ forum Monday in Pigeon Point

June 7, 2015 6:47 pm

| Comments Off on Election 2015: ‘Candidating’ forum Monday in Pigeon Point

| Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

If you haven’t gone to a candidate forum yet in the first-ever City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) race yet – maybe you don’t just want to sit down and listen to people answering questions from a table up at the front of the room – tomorrow night’s event in Pigeon Point might be for you. The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council has invited the candidates over for a round of “candi-dating” – circulating from table to table, so you and your tablemates get to talk with one candidate at a time. That’s at 7 pm Monday (June 8th), Pathfinder K-8 cafeteria (1901 SW Genesee), all welcome. The primary election is August 4th, so the start of voting is only about six weeks away.

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Congrats! Another Emmy for West Seattle’s ‘Diver Laura’ James

June 7, 2015 4:53 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Last night at the annual Pacific Northwest Emmy Awards ceremony, “Diver Laura” James and her colleagues on that 2014 KCTS report about the sea-star die-off won! Laura shared this photo of herself with her newest Emmy:

“Solving the Mystery of Dying Starfish” also brought Emmys to producer Katie Campbell and editor Michael Werner. The full list of this year’s regional Emmy Award recipients is here.

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UPDATE: Fire call in 8800 block Delridge Way SW

June 7, 2015 3:55 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Delridge | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

3:55 PM: Third big fire response of the day, this time to a 2-story apartment building in the 8800 block of Delridge Way SW (near Trenton). The first units on the scene aren’t seeing anything so far. More to come.

3:58 PM: Most of the units are being canceled after firefighters found this to be a case of “food on the stove,” saying the resulting kitchen fire is out.

4:04 PM: Our crew says one unit is left at the scene, and traffic along Delridge is not affected.

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From the ‘in case you wondered too’ file: Another ‘Duwamish Revealed’ installation

June 7, 2015 12:55 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| South Park | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(WSB photos)
A midday call today sent us over for a look at the South Park Bridge, where someone wondered what was being hung off its west side. The photos show what we found – another installation for the Duwamish Revealed art project we’ve been covering recently. This is “Cultivate: A River Tapestry,” described as follows on the DR website: “A colorful installation made of recycled materials, Cultivate represents the river’s rebirth and has been created with assistance by community volunteers.”

The artist is Catherine Grisez; the installation even has its own Facebook page. We published an overview of Duwamish Revealed last weekend, after checking out one installation at West Seattle’s Jack Block Park, and also stopped by the Friday night opening at and around its biggest creation, the “Estuary” arrangement of cargo containers. You can explore the locations and creations all summer; they stretch from West Seattle to Tukwila, as shown on this clickable map with pop-up descriptions.

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West Seattle Sunday: Everybody in the water! Plus, music & more

June 7, 2015 7:42 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Kimberly Newlove)

More summer-ish weather on the way today! So we’re starting with:

STAYING COOL – SPRAYPARK & PUBLIC POOLS: First, a reminder that city-run wading pools are NOT open yet – still a few weeks away. Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) *is* open every day, 11 am-8 pm. Our area’s only public outdoor swimming pool, city-run Colman Pool in Lincoln Park, is open for another pre-season weekend day today, noon-7 pm (schedule here). And indoor city-run Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle) has sessions between 11 am and 6 pm today (schedule here).

Here’s what else is up:

FINAL IN-THE-LOT FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, as noted here last night, it’s the final West Seattle Farmers’ Market in the longtime parking lot location at 44th/Alaska – starting NEXT Sunday (June 14th), the market moves out into California SW between Oregon and Alaska.

WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: 10 am at Fairmount Park. (Fauntleroy/Brandon)

SOCCER SEASON FINALE: Last Sunday afternoon of games all over the peninsula for the West Seattle Soccer Club‘s Champions League season.

BEACH NATURALISTS: Today’s low tide isn’t all that low – -1.0 feet at 3:04 pm – but low enough that Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out at Constellation and Lincoln Parks, 1:45-4:15 pm.

CHORAL CONCERT: 3 pm at Admiral Congregational Church, enjoy the West Seattle-based Seattle Metropolitan Glee Club‘s spring concert. (California/Hill)

FIVE BUCK BAND: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)

VISITING FROM RUSSIA: 5 pm at Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood, the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble performs.

PREVIEW THE WEEK AHEAD … via our calendar! (And if you have an event coming up that you think belongs on it – please send us the info, plain text in the body of your e-mail, at least a week in advance – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!)

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UPDATE: ‘Suspicious’ fire at 3000 SW Avalon Way condominiums

June 7, 2015 4:59 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)
4:59 AM: Now there’s a second major fire call: This time, to an ~~apartment~~ building at 3000 SW Avalon Way (map). “Heavy smoke” reported on the first floor; they’re closing Avalon. Updates to come.

5:04 AM: Via scanner, we heard fire crews saying they’ve “pulled a burning five-gallon bucket” out of the building and are slowing down the rest of the response.

5:07 AM: This fire is reported to be under control and firefighters are working on building ventilation, one floor at a time.

5:18 AM: Scanner: This is being described as “suspicious.” An investigator’s on the way.

5:20 AM: They’re calling this fire “tapped.” Also: This is a condominium building, NOT apartments – City View West Condominiums, to be specific. 16-unit building.

5:24 AM: No word of any injuries here, either. Some SFD units are being canceled. The incident commander confirms it’s being investigated as “suspicious” and says the materials that originated the fire were found in a stairwell.

5:36 AM: SFD confirms no one was hurt.

7:46 AM: In the photo above are SPD arson investigators who were called out to help look into the cause.

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UPDATE: Electrical fire at house on 31st SW in Arbor Heights

June 7, 2015 4:40 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)
4:40 AM: Big Seattle Fire response on the way to a possible house fire in the ~~3100 block of SW 103rd~~. More to come.

4:46 AM UPDATE: The first crews on scene are reporting this to be an attic/vent fire. They say the person who was home got out OK. Some of the units that were dispatched are being canceled.

4:55 AM UPDATE: Our crew on the scene reports “obvious smoke” and firefighters ventilating the roof.

5:02 AM UPDATE: Our crew says this is believed to be an electrical fire. No injuries reported. Not major. We’ll continue monitoring via scanner as they move on to another West Seattle fire.

5:04 AM UPDATE: The address of this fire has been updated to the 10200 block of 31st SW (updated map here). No injuries reported.

5:27 AM UPDATE: Talking to a supervisor at the aforementioned other (unrelated but almost concurrent) fire scene, we got confirmation this was a wiring fire – (added) apparently the old power meter overheated.

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