West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen van & trailer; car-prowled, again; plus, another stolen van
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:40 PM: Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight:
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK AND TRAILER: Stolen from 17th SW & SW Trenton in the past 24 hours, Jim reports: A 1-ton Dodge Ram Extended Van, white over gray, towing a square red trailer, “with a point in front and diamond plate and a drop door in the rear.” Call 911 if you see or have seen it.
(Friday morning update: Jim says the van and trailer have been found, not far from where they were stolen, with two appliances missing from the trailer. He also says thanks to everyone who helped look!)
CAR PROWLED, AGAIN: For the second time this week, Kerry‘s vehicle has been broken into, near 40th and Oregon, and at least one neighbor, too:
My Explorer was prowled again last night. Lost my work clogs, pants, emergency air pump, first aid kit and emergency food and water. (I know it seems silly to have all of these things in my vehicle but I’m on the road a lot for work.) It looks like they went in through the driver’s door. My neighbor also had his car prowled and we have both filed police reports. He heard the prowler at 2 am and chased him. He was able to give a good description and recover some of the items stolen from his vehicle.
ADDED 9:38 PM: Since we published this an hour ago, we’ve heard from Ray, who also is a victim of auto theft:
My white 1996 Plymouth Voyager was stolen from its off-street parking spot in Morgan Junction last night. Lic WA AON8275
Again, call 911 if you spot a stolen car – don’t get close to it, police advise, since there’s no way to know the thief/thieves’ whereabouts.
West Seattle Art Walk scene: Jessie Summa Russo @ Hotwire
On our way to the Hiawatha concert, we had time for just one stop on the West Seattle Art Walk – so we visited WSB flagship sponsor Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW in The Junction), which is showing the work of Jessie Summa Russo this month. The work she’s showing fuses her interests and backgrounds in both music and graphic design (note the decorated vinyl toward the right of our photo). You still have half an hour to get out to Art Walk venues of your choice (the map/list is in our West Seattle Thursday preview); you can also enjoy most artists’ work at participating venues all month long, while you’re out shopping/sipping/dining.
VIDEO: Modern Relics @ Summer Concerts at Hiawatha
The Modern Relics are onstage in front of another hundreds-strong crowd on the east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center right now, and you still have another hour or so to stop by and catch the bright style the band describes as “country soul.”
Maybe even get up and dance with the dozen or so little ones who are bouncing in front of the stage as they always do.
It’s free to enjoy Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, courtesy of the Admiral Neighborhood Association – just bring a chair/blanket. If you miss tonight’s show, two more to go – Ayron Jones and The Way at 6:30 pm next Thursday (August 20th) and the grand finale with Caspar Babypants, on August 27th.
ADDED: Photos and video inline, above, from the Modern Relics’ show.
West Seattle’s first charter school to open in August 2016 after getting state-commission approval today
(June 2015 WSB photo of future charter-school site at 35th & Roxbury)
Summit Public Schools has just cleared a major hurdle in its plan to open West Seattle’s first charter school at the site of what’s currently the Freedom Church/Jesus Center at 35th and Roxbury – the state Charter School Commission, chaired by West Seattle resident Steve Sundquist, approved the plan today at a meeting in Georgetown.
Summit, a California-based organization, is opening its first two Washington schools this fall, in the International District and in Tacoma, and plans to open this one in fall of next year, phasing in middle- and high-school grades over four years, starting with 6th and 9th grades in year 1. As we’ve reported during coverage going back to January, Washington Charter School Development already has purchased the site for $4.75 million and plans first to remodel its supermarket-turned-church building, later adding onto it.
We’re seeking comment from Summit managers, who told us last month that as soon as this approval came through, they would proceed full speed ahead with setting up the school and recruiting students. By authorization of state voters, charter schools get public funding, and are open to all; Summit told us last month that if more students apply than they have room for, they’ll use a lottery to assign the spots.
FOLLOWUP: SDOT says it’s making post-critique progress on traffic-incident management
That slide deck shown to the City Council’s Transportation Committee today shows the progress SDOT says it’s making after the critique that basically said the city had no coherent plan for Traffic Incident Management (TIM) – the overall science of having policies in place so crashes, stalls, and other backup-inducing problems can be cleared as quickly as possible.
The critique by a consulting firm was presented to the media two weeks ago – we went to the briefing downtown; our subsequent story includes video as well as the consultants’ full report. SDOT director Scott Kubly told councilmembers today that nine of the nearly 70 recommendations have already been implemented. A few that stood out have to do with management accountability – for one, he spoke of having a “duty officer” assigned at all times, someone from SDOT management who is on call to be point person in case of a serious traffic incident, no matter when it happens. This job is rotating between SDOT managers, one week at a time. He also said SDOT is hiring an urban-traffic-corridors expert from WSDOT, Mark Bandy, to lead the department’s newly stepped-up “day-to-day transportation focus.”
In the big picture, the long list of recommendations is being worked on with the goal of a January update on what more will be done and when. But in the short term, the city says, it’s already proceeding with the new priority of getting traffic moving again in case of an incident instead of focusing on preserving property.
(Side note: Anecdotally, we’ve noticed this in a variety of ways in the West Seattle traffic incidents we’ve monitored/covered in recent weeks – including more-urgent radio discussion of what needs to be done to clear the road and how soon it’ll happen, and SPD’s automated tweetstream now including far more traffic-collision information than before.)
West Seattle Thursday: Art Walk; Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha; Delridge Grocery farm stand
Kicking off our Thursday calendar highlights – take some time tonight to check out the August West Seattle Art Walk! Here’s the venue list/map (which changes quarterly – this is the second Art Walk of summer quarter):
(Click image to see the full-size view)
Before deciding where to go while you’re out, check out the previews on the official Art Walk website. From the WSB sponsor team, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW) is featuring Jessie Summa Russo; also in The Junction, Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW) is featuring Hannah Viano and Wallflower Custom Framing (4735 42nd SW) has Lorraine Fryett and her work. Official Art Walk hours are 6-9 pm, second Thursdays, year-round.
Also tonight:
MODERN RELICS AT HIAWATHA: 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, catch the “original country soul” music of Modern Relics. It’s the fourth of six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha presented this year by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with sponsors including WSB. Free – bring your own blanket/chair to sit on, bring family/friends/co-workers/neighbors/picnic dinner, and have a great time – the shows usually run about an hour and a half. (Walnut & Lander)
And BEFORE we get to evening:
DELRIDGE GROCERY FARM STAND: 4-7 pm, the summertime pop-up fresh-produce stand presented by the Delridge Grocery Cooperative (WSB sponsor) will be open – stop by to find what’s fresh and, if you’re not a member yet, to find out how to join as they get closer to opening a permanent store. (5355 Delridge Way SW)
As always, this is just a sampling of what you’ll find on our complete calendar for today, tonight, and far beyond.
West Seattle development: 14-house project, 8 years in the making
From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin: A sloped site in East Admiral that was first proposed for a multi-house subdivision almost eight years ago is moving more deeply into the review/approval process. A 14-house proposal is now in the works for 3601 Fauntleroy Avenue SW, which is hard to find on online maps, but documents in the project file show it’s in the vicinity of 33rd SW & SW Spokane, just northwest of where Admiral Way meets the West Seattle Bridge, and you can get a better idea from this map in the plans filed online:
The land, currently undeveloped, is zoned single-family 5000. The LUIB notice says the application would require “administrative conditional-use” approval because of “clustered housing in a steep-slope area,” and an environmental determination. Comments on the revised application will be accepted through August 26th, says the city (unless someone requests and is granted an extension). It proposes 14 houses with offstreet parking for 28 vehicles, to be developed by West Seattle-based Inhabit LLC, which was also the applicant when this site appeared in DPD records as a possible 21-house project in August 2007, and is shown in county records as owning other undeveloped parcels nearby. You can comment via this form linked to the city notice, or via contacting the assigned DPD planner, Michael Dorcy, michael.dorcy@seattle.gov.
West Seattle youth sports: Soccer-signup time at the Y
Time to think fall sports – including the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) outdoor-soccer program. It’s signing up players ages 3-11 right now:
Our Y soccer leagues provide players with skill-building activities in a variety of subjects such as passing, dribbling, shooting and defense. Appropriately sized soccer balls and fields are used for each age group. We emphasize sportsmanship, skill-building, participation, friendship and fun.
WHEN & WHERE
Practices start the week of September 14th at High Point fields. Games are on Saturdays, September 26th through November 14th, at Roxhill Park or Lincoln Park.
LEAGUES
3-year-olds, Pre-K & Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade, 3rd & 4th Grade
FEES & REGISTRATION
Facility Members $75, Community Participants $132. Register by August 28th – at the Y or online, by going here
Questions? Coach Mike Bober is at mbober@seattleymca.org or 206-937-1000.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates; Beach Drive/Lincoln Park bicyclist alert; this week’s Traffic Throwback view…
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:21 AM: Good morning! We start with today’s alerts:
SW ORCHARD PAVING: Today’s the day Seattle Public Utilities‘ ongoing project at Orchard/Delridge expects to start repaving work, which means lane closures starting as early as 7:30 am on the westbound side.
BEACH DRIVE/LINCOLN PARK BICYCLIST ALERT: We’ve been sharing traffic alerts related to the Murray CSO Control Project for a long time – and there’s a new one this morning, specifically for bicycle riders using the south end of Beach Drive and the connecting Lincoln Park trail:
King County wants you to know about uneven road conditions along the 7000 block of Beach Dr. SW, just north of the trail into Lincoln Park. Due to a King County sewer project the road next to Lowman Beach Park could have loose gravel, pavement cuts, uneven surfaces, and steel plates on it for the next three months. To protect public safety, a number of vehicle and pedestrian restrictions are now in effect. Flaggers directing traffic around the site will ask bicyclists to walk their bikes through the area during work hours. Car access is limited to local and emergency access only. Pedestrians are being directed to the western sidewalk around the work area. This work is part of a King County project to build an underground storage tank that will keep sewage and stormwater out of Puget Sound during storms. Thank you for your patience during construction – and stay safe! For more information, please contact the 24-hour construction hotline: 206-205-9186.
And our almost-every-week Traffic Throwback Thursday feature:
ALONG CHARLESTOWN: Before that big blue water tank, Charlestown/40th was home to a collection of storage tanks. The photo, dated 1923, is from the Seattle Municipal Archives. Click it to open the page with a full-size view.
8:18 AM: From SDOT, a bridge alert:
8:37 AM: SDOT says that stall has now “cleared the roadway.”
8:48 AM: Next traffic alert that might affect the outbound commute – a crash on northbound I-5 at Seneca.
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