day : 17/08/2016 11 results

That’s a Google Street View mapping-photography car we spotted on eastbound Avalon at 35th this afternoon. Google’s 360-degree views from the road have been around for a while, but our sighting coincides with word we got this week that the mapping service is offering something new in our area: Water views.

A PR rep for Google Maps e-mailed WSB to say that West Seattle views on/from the water have recently gone live; the mapping service partnered with Coastwise Imaging, using the Trekker backpack system (you can see the equipment on the Coastwise site).

If you want to see the water views, you can click any of the following four links we were provided – Alki Beach (starting near Anchor/Luna Park), Alki Point, Duwamish Head (starts by Seacrest), and the Duwamish Waterway (starts near Terminal 5, with the image showing the Shell-related vessels that left two months ago) – among 20 Seattle waterway views now available via Google Maps.

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PORT TRUCKS: New terminal-gate program to start next week, aimed at reducing backups

August 17, 2016 7:21 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

(SDOT webcam screenshot from June 2016 backup)

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are going to try something new starting next week in hopes of lessening truck backups as drivers wait to get into cargo terminals. From the announcement:

The Northwest Seaport Alliance will reimburse up to $2 million to extend gate hours at its international container terminals during peak season.

With cargo owners forecasting a 3 to 5 percent increase in volume during peak season, which will start in late August and continue through early November, the alliance proposes to help the marine terminal operators avoid congestion on surface streets in the port industrial area and keep import and export cargo flowing efficiently.

This program will reimburse terminal operators for some of the costs to operate flexed gates from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and lunch gate hours Monday through Friday during peak season.

It also would provide one off-shift gate per week. Off-shift gates are after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or any shift on Saturday or Sunday.

This is set to start on Monday (August 22nd), according to the full announcement, which you can see here.

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UPDATE: Hit-run crash at Delridge/Cambridge

August 17, 2016 6:08 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news

6:08 PM: Police and fire are at a crash scene on Delridge and Cambridge – avoid the area; we’re hearing that buses are being rerouted. We’re on our way to find out more.

6:20 PM: Just arrived. Intersection just reopened. This is reported to be a hit-and-run; three people in the car that was hit are going to the hospital, we’re told, but none were seriously hurt. Police say the car that left the scene is red, possibly a Jeep.

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West Seattle weather: Alert upgraded to ‘excessive heat warning’

August 17, 2016 4:57 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

WEDNESDAY REPORT: The heat alert from the National Weather Service has jumped to the next level – now it’s an “excessive heat warning,” 2 pm tomorrow through 9 pm Saturday. Tomorrow could reach the low 90s, with mid-90s possible Friday and Saturday; read the full alert here – and please note this line: “Never leave children, pets, or the elderly unattended in a parked vehicle under any circumstances.”

SATURDAY NOTE: The forecast is still calling for a major cooldown on Sunday, you’ll probably be happy to hear – high in the 70s. Then very-warm weather is forecast to return Friday (August 26th), with sunshine and 80s on Saturday (August 27th) in time for the West Seattle Car Show!

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FOLLOWUP: Court fight continues over foreclosed Gatewood house, briefly put up for sale

August 17, 2016 3:18 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from August 2nd; house has since been taken off the market)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

It’s been almost two years since a high-profile foreclosure fight led to disabled veteran Byron Barton and wife Jean Barton being evicted a second time from the Gatewood house they long owned.

Their fight, it turns out, is not over.

We heard from Byron Barton recently when the house at 6548 41st SW went on the market, listed at $1,299,000.

The listing didn’t last long. Barton said he pointed out to the listing agent that the title would be “clouded”; a court case involving the foreclosure had not been resolved. He told WSB, “I have spent $20,000 in legal fees and waited two years to get my home back.”

The house was taken off the market two and a half weeks later, according to NWMLS records Barton obtained.

The case is still before the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 1, as the Bartons challenge the King County Superior Court ruling in their wrongful-foreclosure lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase, Quality Loan Service, and Triangle Property Development, the house’s current owner of record. The COA heard oral arguments in early June (see the docket here), and a ruling is pending. (As linked from the COA’s website, the Bartons’ brief is here; QLS’s brief is here; Triangle’s brief is here; Chase’s brief is here.)

In September 2015, the COA declined to overturn a separate decision against the Bartons’ challenge related to the eviction, but that ruling (see it here) specifically noted that it is not meant to be a reflection on anything involved with the still-pending wrongful-foreclosure suit.

Triangle bought the house in April 2014 for $646,000, according to King County records, half the recent listing price. In a comment on our first report about the Bartons in 2014, a Triangle representative said they intended to do remodeling/renovation work, not a teardown/rebuild, and city records show they did.

Meantime, Jean Barton is now president of SAFE (Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction), the housing-justice group that rallied with the Bartons as they challenged the evictions in 2014.

(Added 5:43 pm: We asked Byron Barton where they’re living now; Renton, he replied.)

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YOU CAN HELP: Paella feast @ C & P – food and fun(draising) for West Seattle Helpline

August 17, 2016 1:23 pm

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP: Paella feast @ C & P – food and fun(draising) for West Seattle Helpline

| How to help | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox – a tasty way to ensure that West Seattle Helpline can continue helping neighbors in need:

PAELLA FEAST!

Celebrate one of the last of 2016’s summer weekends at C & P Coffee for a paella feast courtesy of Joey Serquinia, Chef de Cuisine of Harvest Vine, plus beer & wine, Spanish guitar, and Cupcake Royale cupcakes! All proceeds support emergency services at the West Seattle Helpline.

Sunday, September 11
4:00 – 7:00 pm
C & P Coffee (5612 California Ave SW)
Limited # of Tickets Available at: wshelpline.org/paella

Not familiar with what WS Helpline does? Here are the toplines.

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UTILITY WORK: In case you notice discolored water near The Junction today …

August 17, 2016 12:19 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

We have a Seattle Public Utilities update on the repairs happening on 46th SW near Hudson, southwest of The Junction:

Part of this repair necessitates shutting off water for a small number of residents on 46th Ave. SW. The work will be finished tomorrow and those who are affected by the water outage have been notified. While we do not anticipate any impacts to other residents’ water, any time the water main is disturbed there is the chance of discolored water. If residents experience discolored water they should run their taps for two minutes before drinking. This water is perfectly safe to drink, however.

This is work related to repairs we first mentioned last month, but not related to The Big Flush (here’s our recent update on that, in case you missed it).

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Seen off West Seattle: US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf

August 17, 2016 10:55 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Just happened to be at Don Armeni Boat Ramp and saw this U.S. Coast Guard Cutter passing by, headed toward downtown, so we looked it up. It’s the 418-foot USCGC Bertholf, homeported at Alameda, California. It made news in March for busting two drug submarines in less than a year; another article online describes the Bertholf as “the Coast Guard’s most advanced counternarcotics ship.”

P.S. Looks like it’s headed for Vigor on Harbor Island rather than for the Coast Guard station.

P.P.S. … or maybe not. A Vigor spokesperson tells us the Bertholf isn’t due for two more weeks – September 1st – for the work mentioned in the link above.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen shrubbery; ripped-off rings …

August 17, 2016 10:24 am

| 13 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reader reports today:

STOLEN SHRUBBERY: From C:

Heads up to our West Seattle neighbors: These are what is left of the 8 shrubs we planted in June.

Someone has made two trips to dig up 5 of them. Probably only a matter of time until they come back for the rest. We are out $600. We suspect someone doing a landscaping job cutting their expenses. If you hired someone who charged you for these, we have all been ripped off. People, this is why we can’t have nice things.

RIPPED-OFF RINGS: Watch for these rings in online listings, pawn shops, etc.:

They belong to a West Seattle couple who are getting married in a week and a half … and are now ringless. Their friend Wil sent the photo; Wil says the rings were stolen from the couple’s car in a parking garage on First Hill. If you see one or both, contact police.

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5 for your West Seattle Wednesday

August 17, 2016 9:12 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Rhinoceros auklet, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:

NETWORKING MEETUP: Noon at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), drop in to meet local entrepreneurs and other nontraditional workers. (6040 California SW)

HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm, shop the farm stand for produce grown and harvested by local residents on the mini-farm next to it. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)

GROUP RUN AND BOOK SIGNING: Tonight at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), “come for our weekly Wednesday group run and join for the book signing at 6:45 pm. Lance Carter, author of Six Word Lessons For Successful Triathletes: 100 Lessons for Training and Racing, will be at the shop.” (2743 California SW)

ALKI FRISBEE FEST: 7 pm at Alki Playfield, bring your disc(s), your friends and family, and come play. (58th SW/SW Stevens)

34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: Meeting this month at the White Center Library, with election endorsements on the agenda, 7 pm. (1409 SW 107th)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch

August 17, 2016 6:43 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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)

6:43 AM: Good morning! No current incidents in or from West Seattle (we watch the outbound routes including the bridges, SODO surface routes, NB Highway 99 and I-5 north of the bridge, just in case you’ve ever wondered what exactly we mean by that).

9:48 AM: Thanks to Anna for the alert – a streetlight is down across southbound Fauntleroy Way at Frontenac (south of Morgan Junction). SDOT is aware. Meantime, SDOT tweeted this alert regarding bridge onramps for the next several hours:

A tree crew will be flagging the ramps from Delridge Way SW and SW Spokane St to the EB West Seattle Bridge today from 9 AM to 3 PM.

— seattledot (@seattledot) August 17, 2016