West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Recognize that man? A neighbor took the photos as he leaped off the fence and out of the yard where he’d been prowling, at Jennifer‘s home:
My husband spotted a prowler in our yard on 38th Ave SW (between Edmunds and Hudson) at approximately 6:20 p.m. today. Pretty brazen considering everyone was home and cooking dinner in a kitchen overlooking the yard! He was stumbling around in our garden and my husband yelled at him. Our neighbor happened to be walking down the alley and got these pictures of him jumping our fence to leave via the alley. He headed east toward The Mount.
Another neighbor who e-mailed us about this says police later found a knife in the area. If you have information about the prowlers identity, the SPD incident number to refer to is 16-166064.
(WSB photo)
10:30 PM: A medical response is arriving at a reported collision between a driver and a scooter rider at 63rd and Beach Drive. We’re on the way to find out more.
10:33 PM: The first SFD units on scene now say there’s no other vehicle involved – just the scooter.
10:46 PM: Just arrived in the area. As noted in comments, 63rd/Beach Drive is blocked by police. Seattle Fire Engines 29 and 32 are leaving.
10:51 PM: Police tell us the injured rider is a 51-year-old woman who hit either a pothole or a bump that caused her to lose control and take a spill. Medic 32 is taking her to Harborview. The scooter’s been moved out of the intersection, which police expect to reopen shortly.
Just a day and a half away from the 12th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – 9 am-3 pm this Saturday, all over the peninsula, with more than 320 sales on the map (explore the clickable and/or printable versions here).
Again this year, we have two sites not only interested in accepting post-sale leftovers, but also in specific types of items you would care to shop for and donate – books and clothing, and both are benefits for schools.
First, Alki Elementary‘s clothing drive (they signed up for a spot on the map, too – #269, 3010 59th SW):
Alki Elementary is partnering with Clothes for the Cause for a Clothing Drive Fundraiser.
Donations will benefit Alki Elementary to purchase Emergency Preparedness Kits and supplies for the students of Alki. The Clothes for the Cause trailer will be at Alki Elementary School, Saturday, May 14th – Friday, May 20th. Bring the bags to us at your convenience.
Want curbside pickup? Text your address to 206-660-8524 and have your bags on the curb by 8 AM Sunday.
What Do We Take?
• All household textiles
• ALL clothes – lightly used, or any condition! If in a condition that cannot be reused, it will be recycled!
• Shoes – in any condition
• Towels
• Gloves & Hats
• Sheets
• Blankets, quilts and bedspreads
• Drapes
• Purses & BeltsTHANK YOU! Alki Elementary PTA
Also benefiting schools again this year – a book drive coordinated by John Potratz, with dropoff spots:
One of the easiest ways to motivate students to read and learn is to have books with topics that kids are excited about reading and learning from! Your donated books will make a difference! Over the past three years, West Seattle schools received more than 4,000 books for motivating and exciting students as an important part of education. We will donate religious-theme books to religious schools in West Seattle, and elderly books to Providence. We don’t want violent or sexual-themed books.
West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day is a tremendous source of books, and we are asking people who have left-over books from their yard sale this May 14th, as well as anyone who has excess books, to please donate your books to West Seattle schools.
You can drop off books at any of these locations through May 22nd:
West Seattle schools (Monday thru Friday only):
a. Denny International Middle School, 2601 SW Kenyon St, 252-9000. Drop off at the front desk, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
b. Sanislo Elementary, 1812 SW Myrtle St, 952-8320. Drop off at the front desk from 7:30am to 4:00pm.
West Seattle Businesses:
a. We will have a truck marked with a large sign “Donate Books to West Seattle Schools” in the West Seattle Junction near the Northwest Center truck from 2 to 6 PM on May 14th only.
Note: We will have 40 coupons good for up to 4 free Bowling Games at Roxbury Lanes for anyone who donates 20 or more hardcover books.
b. Roxbury Bowling Lanes, 2823 SW Roxbury, 206-935-7400, from 11 AM to 7 PM. … Note: Roxbury Lanes, as part of its support for the Seattle community, will give a certificate good for 4 free bowling games for any book donation over 20 hardcover books.
c. Hotwire Online Coffeehouse – 4410 California Avenue SW … Note: Hotwire Coffee, as part of its support for the West Seattle community, will give a certificate good for $1 off any purchase at Hotwire to the first 25 people who drop off 10 or more books.
Finally, we want to thank Denny Principal Jeff Clark, Denny Librarian Jeff Treistman, Sanislo Librarian Craig Seasholes and Sealth Librarian Katie Hubert for their efforts to distribute books to their students. For further info, call Mr. Potratz at 932-3007.
You don’t have to participate in any of this to enjoy West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – just get out there and meet your neighbors! – but over the years, it’s become a great day of giving too, so we’re happy to share the news about drives like these (as well as the benefit sales we featured last night). A few more previews to come …
While ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction wraps up its 2015-2016 season this month, it’s just gone public with what’s planned for 2016-2017. Here’s the announcement:
ArtsWest Artistic Director Mathew Wright [photo at right] has announced his second season, running September 2016 through July 2017. Opening with acclaimed dramatist Terrence McNally’s MOTHERS AND SONS, the six production season will include the magical story telling of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER based on the novel by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson; an Olivier Award winning new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s GHOSTS; a piercing glimpse into the teen-age world in Kirsten Greenidge’s MILK LIKE SUGAR; Byrony Lavery’s unflinching drama FROZEN; and the Stephen Sondheim musical thriller SWEENEY TODD.
“Through a variety of lenses, periods and styles, we are looking at the ways in which parents and children navigate the seemingly uncharted path out of childhood and into adulthood.” shares Wright.
In addition to the six-show season, ArtsWest is pleased to announce a co-production with ACT and Circle X Theatre Co. in the presentation of an incendiary new rock musical, BAD APPLES, directed by ACT Artistic Director John Langs at ACT’s Falls Theatre in the fall of 2016.
Read the shows’ details, after the jump:
4:53 PM: In case you’re noticing a big police response at Roxhill Park right now: Police converged on the park after a report of someone seen with a gun. They are now talking with a group of at least half a dozen people. We have a crew in the area; not sure how much we will be able to find out, but in case you saw all this, that’s what’s happening. No gunfire reported.
5:01 PM: Just talked with police at the park: “Very realistic-looking pellet gun” is what caught the eye of the person who called 911. The group, most if not all teenagers, was questioned and released.
Updates on this year’s West Seattle Bee Festival – one of spring’s first big events, now just nine days away, on Saturday, May 21st:
*A live band will lead the Kids and Pets Costume Parade, starting at 11 am, and will play until 12:30 pm, after which, festival organizers say, a “mix of world music” will take over.
*Woodland Park Zoo is bringing its “Up Close” pollinator program exhibit: “It will include a slideshow of unusual pollinators and illustrate ‘the sneaky ways (ninja!) plants attract their preferred pollinators. There’s a fascinating science to it!’ That quote is from Sherry Lankston, one of the Zoo staff, who will be there. The Zoo program will be held inside Neighborhood House’s High Point Center from 11:30 to 1:30. They are also bringing two of their live ‘Animal Ambassadors’ to the festival: A Jungle Nymph and a Leopard Gecko! These are pollinators from other countries.”
*Full Tilt Ice Cream has recently joined the “enclave” of food trucks, along with Patty Pan Grill and Wicked Pies. Lanham will be blocked off between SW Graham St and Sylvan Way SW for the Vendor and Information Fair. Food trucks will be on the south end of the block.
(WSB will be at the Vendor/Information Fair, covering the festival live.)
Now, here’s how YOU can help this ever-bigger festival:
*More volunteers are needed – several to help with the Honey Run at 10 am, to “make sure the runners stay on the course and hand out water. We can also use more help with set-up, tear-down, and clean-up. And, we can use some awesome friendly West Seattle people to help staff our information tables and perhaps help out in other ways. Those who’d like to help can email us at westseattlebeefestival@gmail.com.” A meeting for prospective volunteers is planned next Tuesday night near the festival site.
Here’s what’s in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
STOLEN CAR FOUND BEFORE ITS OWNER KNEW IT WAS GONE: From Jesse:
I’m just writing to report that my car was stolen sometime early this morning from in front of my apartment. I live at the Overlook Westridge Apartment complex which has a closed gate and I live pretty deep into the complex so these people were scoping around looking for an easy target which owning a late 90’s Honda Civic I know my car is. The car was found this morning before I knew it was gone at the Starbucks Headquarters. It looks like they also stole some mail and some offerings from the local Vietnamese cultural center because the police found lots of envelopes belonging to them. They also left their tools, food, and drug remnants in the car. There is an open case with regards to this 16-165228. I hope that getting the word out will help bring these low-lifes to justice. My car is a black 1999 Honda Civic Ex with a dent in the passenger door.
FOLLOWUP – STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK FOUND: Alexandria sent an update this morning on the pickup truck whose theft was reported here on X. It was found, she reports in Renton, “still drivable but cleaned out.”
Next, three car-prowl reports, which follow SPD’s circulation of this quick video with prevention advice:
You can also find the advice on this page of the SPD website.
CAR PROWL: Mary Beth reports, “Just want to give my neighbors a heads up, smash and grab broken car window on SW Myrtle St [3000 block] sometime last night. Took the emergency bag.”
HIT AGAIN IN HIGHLAND PARK: From Ryan:
Just an email to get it out there that for the 5th time in barely over a year my wife’s Xterra had the rear window broken out of it and it was ransacked. Took place on the 8600 block of 13th ave SW. Previously my car was broken into twice, and stolen once. It really leaves you feeling totally helpless when it continues to happen over, and over, and over and SPD flat out says they will not investigate, and basically as I was told “filing a report will only generate metrics for us.”
JUNCTION CAR BREAK-IN: Also a reader report – this was spotted early this week:
Saw a brand-new Prius in the Mural Apartments parking garage with the driver-side window busted out. The automatic garage door was closed, but several exit doors connecting the garage with the alley behind the building were propped open, including the door connecting the garage with elevators to the residences. All of the doors connected to the garage along the alleyway are reinforced with a steel plate to prevent forced entry, but in the past few weeks I’ve seen those plates bent back, broken, etc. Seems like someone has been trying to get into the garage for a while.
The building is on 42nd SW across from Jefferson Square.
CAR PROWLED IN SEAVIEW: This happened yesterday and came in via text: “My car was rifled through between 2-6 pm … parked in the alley unlocked between 47th-48th and Graham/Raymond. I was in the backyard during this entire time and did not see/hear anything. Found my car with passenger front door open to the alley with both glove boxes’ contents thrown on the floor. About a dollar’s worth of change was taken.”
(added 4:23 pm) AND ANOTHER CAR PROWL: While this roundup was still atop our site, this came in from Barbara:
I wanted to let neighbors know that my car window was broken sometime during last night May 11th at 9000 13th Ave SW. A empty computer bag was taken.
P.S. Want to bring up neighborhood crime/safety concerns with local police? NEXT TUESDAY is your next chance, at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm Tuesday (May 17th) at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
The future of two pieces of currently public property were major items at this month’s meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, whose president Larry Wymer led the meeting Tuesday nightat ANA’s usual meeting place, The Sanctuary at Admiral.
URBAN HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION: ANA is being asked to be the fiscal sponsor for the new Urban Homestead Foundation, which seeks to raise money to buy the city-surplus former Dakota Substation (50th SW/SW Dakota), which will take an estimated $600,000. Fiscal sponsorship does not involve raising or donating the money, but does involve being the recipient of record. ANA has the appropriate designation to serve as a fiscal sponsor for others.
Katie Stemp from Seattle Farm School is leading the project and spoke during the meeting:
(YouTube playlist of videos by Summer Fest 2016 bands, starting with Tacocat’s “Bridge to Hawaii”)
West Seattle Summer Fest is now less than two months away – and one of the most eagerly awaited previews every year, the music lineup, has just arrived! See it here – and read the announcement:
The West Seattle Junction Association is excited to announce the full music line-up for West Seattle Summer Fest. This 34th annual event will occur July 8-10 in the West Seattle Junction.
Music is once again taking center stage with a stellar line-up that includes some of the best bands in the Northwest. Headliners for this event include Tacocat, Grace Love & the True Loves, and Chastity Belt. West Seattle’s Ben Jenkins and Troy Nelson, co-founders of the new Killroom Records, booked the event lineup and had this to say:
“We had a lot of fun rounding up the artists for West Seattle Summer Fest 2016. Showcasing artists that are making a significant impact in our city is something we focused heavily on this year. We also wanted to represent all genres from our vibrant music scene, including rock, hip hop, electronic, blues, metal, and more. We’re excited to see this lineup come together!”
In addition to the headliners, festival goers can catch more than 20 artists performing on the California main stage Friday through Sunday. The diverse lineup includes fresh, up-and-coming artists like Tomten, Maszer, DoNormaal, and Draemhouse as well as stalwart Seattle influencers like Pillar Point, Hobosexual, and The Dusty 45’s.
This FREE 3-day party in the streets celebrates West Seattle as a thriving music and arts community. Shopping, festival food, kids rides, and a beer garden mean there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Check out music from the full line-up in this YouTube playlist.
It’s also featured above – just hit “play” and it begins. Again, the full lineup, with days/times, is here.
(Great Blue Heron chick! Photographed in West Seattle by Mark Wangerin)
Here’s what’s ahead for your West Seattle Thursday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DENNY’S FIRST MOVE-A-THON: 2:30 pm-4 pm at Denny International Middle School: “Scholars are invited to walk or run laps, speed jump, dance, play volleyball, toss bean bags with friends, shoot hoops, be the quarterback, play Frisbee and have snacks. There will be gift cards for activity participants to compete for, and a Kindle for the scholar with the most sponsor donations.” (2601 SW Kenyon)
TINKERLAB COMMONS: 4-6 pm at High Point Library, drop in and “create your own stop-motion animations using toys, props, our iPads, and your imaginations!” All ages; free; more info here. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, MAY EDITION: 6-9 tonight, at more than a dozen locations around the peninsula, you’ll find art (and in many cases, artists) duringedition the West Seattle Art Walk! Here’s the map/venue list – this quqrter, stretching from Arbor Heights to Admiral to Puget Ridge and beyond:
Check the official Art Walk site at wsartwalk.com for venue links and highlights.
‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN’: 7:30 pm is curtain time tonight at ArtsWest Playhouse in The Junction. (4711 California SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
So far this election year, you probably haven’t heard much about anything beyond the top of the ticket – where our country will be electing a new president.
But many other key, if not necessarily glamorous, offices will be on the ticket too, and that’s what dominated last night’s endorsement meeting for our area’s largest political group, the 34th District Democrats.
Some of the candidates were there to make their pitches, starting with Lieutenant Governor:
That’s State Sen. Cyrus Habib, who won the 34th Dems’ endorsement on a second ballot, after getting 57 percent on the first ballot, with the rest split between Sen. Karen Fraser and Rep. Jim Moeller. The group’s rules require 60 percent for an endorsement. Sen. Fraser spoke first, describing herself as a “loyal trouper Democrat.” Sen. Habib then spoke, saying he thinks the Lieutenant Governor should be “more than fair and responsible … should be a force for progressive change.” He also said he hopes to be the first Middle Eastern-American anywhere in the country elected to state office. He received 62 percent on the second ballot. Rep. Moeller was not present.
STATE AUDITOR: This race also went to a second ballot.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:28 AM: Good morning! No incidents in the area so far.
TUNNELING PROGRESS: With the reopening of the Viaduct on Sunday night, WSDOT ended its multiple daily updates on the tunneling machine, but did have a progress report late Wednesday: The machine has passed the 385-foot mark since the start of the under-the-Viaduct dig, and contractors Seattle Tunnel Partners decided to keep going a while rather than stop the machine right at that point.
8:05 AM: SFD is responding to a crash reported at Sylvan Way and Holly, which is just west of Forest Lawn (WSB sponsor).
8:38 AM: Haven’t heard anything about traffic effects of that crash, but the SFD call there is closed.
9 AM: Remember the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion-re-replacement work closures – west end of the bridge, and some lane closures under the bridge – start NEXT MONDAY. Newest information is here, including our followup questions, answered by SDOT.
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